Shasha

Monologue elevator

Two people meet regularly going to the office in the building elevator. They end up noticing each other but do not dare speak. He cannot speak chinese and she expects him to make the first move this being a conservative society and so forth. When they realize they'd noticed each other he is afraid to be labelled a stalker and does not dare look at her while she keeps dressing up more and more in order to attract his attention.

This short film touches upon so many things while riding the elevator and listening to the pair's inner thoughts: the crush they both feel, the society pressure to be extremely respective of the woman to the point of being afraid to talk to her or even look at her, the language barrier and their own shyness. While she tries to catch his attention with little gestures, he is panicked at the idea of being considered stalker and worse. And that is what this short film is about: how do you approach a woman in today's society where the majority of men are decent human beings but all are considered a menace? You withdraw inside your own bubble and wait! And that's what the ML here did.

The format is original. We see them waiting for and riding the elevator and only that: he's always dressed in the same suit while she changes her outfits, her hair, her make up trying to encourage him. But that has the opposite effect: the prettier she gets, the less courage he has. He fell for her when she looked like a cliché secretary with serious glasses and strict hairstyle: he noticed a mole on her neck and that was enough to seduce him!

This is a film about introverts, apparently. I guess you can say that in as much as he is bound by current society rules and she by cultural traditions and therefore they both expect the other one to act first. Which eventually happens and she makes the first step when he is just about to give up. If this does not say so much about the society today, I do not know what does!

But, THIS IS ONLY WHAT I SAW. Maybe you view it differently: then kudos to the director for telling a story on multiple levels! First and foremost, this is a cute beginning of a love story between two shy individuals.

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Never too late for love

I wanted to watch something short and light and this popped out of nowhere. And since you can never go wrong with a rom com on a Sunday evening, I gave it a go. And I enjoyed the film. It is fun and unremarkable but a nice single watch!

The story is a bit unusual because the main leads are in their forties. He is a dorky researcher, working for a snacks company. His life is orderly, by the clock, every day the same as the one before. She's a single mother who just got a job in a loans company and she needs to get the money from his brother. That brother is an ex con and gambler, sponging off of his brother who goes to the loan company to pay the debt. They meet there and she falls for his humour. Meeting her changes him for the better: he gets to be more open and joyful so much so his boss gets worried!

The cast of characters are a quirky lot: not a mean bone in sight but odd! Apart from those already mentioned there is the rude daughter who does not want her mother to date; the pharmacist who has seen everything but the ML still manages to surprise her, the brother's girlfriend who falls for the ML's boss and turns out to be the FL's friend.....just a typical romcom! With a lot of funny scenes where the outcome is not expected (falling down the stairs!)...and of course, a number of obligatory scenes: a public confession, running into each other's arms etc.

The ML is the character who changes the most: or at least it is the most remarkable. The others develop slightly.

The movie is about ordinary people, living ordinary lives and trying to find happiness. The actors are all excellent: the ML is not the typical romcom material but the actor pulled it off brilliantly and they were perfect together!

Will I rewatch it? Not sure! Maybe in order to spot all the cameos....

NB The screenplay writer is amazing: look him up. He is hugely talented: wrote some of the best dramas and movies in recent years, and is better looking than the majority of korean actors! A lot of good fairies must have been present at his birth!

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Are we really friends?

This little korean web drama is by far the best drama I've seen in a long time from Korea: this is how you make a correct friends to lovers drama!

Minhwa's girlfriend is suspicious of his closeness with his best friend of ten years. On the other hand, he is completely oblivious of her closeness with her long-time best friend. Well, they are all fake friends and real lovers.

The drama focuses more on the BL and the GL is just a kind of side story. But the BL is just perfect! When they go on a trip alone, they are suddenly uncomfortable in each other's company, the tension rises and eventually breaks through the friendship barrier. These scenes are sweet and funny: the stretching before a jog is hilarious. Or when the straight couple tries to come clean to each other and are constantly interrupted and don't know how to say what needs to be said!

The actors have just the right amount of chemistry together. In the first episodes, they are dressed the same and they actually look very much alike, seated beside each other in the café.

Fake Buddies is a low budget (they seem to be all alone in the world!) web drama which again proves that talent and creativity are what is important not the money. I wanted to continue watching them: they are so cute and sweet together. I would like to know more about the girls and how they got together as well: that is the episode this drama is missing and therefore I took 0.5 off my rating!

EDIT
MDL misled us: there were two additional episodes they never announced here and those two episodes are a full blown GL. And it is sweet, cute and perfect! The actresses are excellent at conveying the right amounts of feelings, they have nice chemistry. The direction and camerawork is correct and I liked the shaky camera angles which eloquently portrayed the burgeoning realization that their feelings for each other have always been more than friendship!

Now they should put the episodes in the right order: ep; 5 should be the last one while episodes 6&7 should come before, right after ep 4. Still, this is definitely one of the cutest and funniest Korean webdramas I've seen in a very long time.

Go for it!

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Hero worshipping to love?

And again, the hype got to me and I watched this drama. And, again, because of the hype, I was more attentive to details. And because I paid attention to details, I did not like this very much. And what I did not like the most is the character of Wei Zhi Yuen: what a manipulative little cocky jerk of a person!

Here starts the rant:

Wei Qian, a lonely orphaned boy, taking care of his sister while working for the local mob, takes in a stray boy he keeps seeing sleeping in the street. He adopts him and gives him a name. Few years later, that boy, now adult, first comes out to WQ (so he is gay but the only man he was ever attracted to is WQ?!?!) and then professes his love to WQ (apparently he has been in love with him ever since he met him as a child?!?!?OK...), who shocked, sends him to school abroad. WZY comes back four years later, changed, matured but still in love with WQ and keeps attacking him until WQ surrenders.

WZY has basically two personalities: before and after going abroad. Before, he is hero worshipping WQ who saved him, gave him home and future. He imagines himself being in love. He is stubborn, has one track mind and does not take NO for an answer. When he comes back, older and wiser he manages to get what he wants by smartly manipulating WQ.

WQ has always been more of a father than a brother to his younger sister Lili and to WZY. He has a physical aversion towards women due to his mother's abuse: he gets literally sick when a women reminds him of her. So he has never been in a relationship: between trying to survive, working hard and looking after his siblings, being in a relationship was the last of his worries. He has never had any romantic feelings or even an idea of love (except as a family member) towards WZY. So when WZY comes back, WQis happy to have his brother back, he is family and he loves his family but he caves under WZY relentless bullying. Is he really in love with WZY? Allow me to doubt! They do end up happily ever after but..... During the first half of the series, WQ is the man in the house. But when WZY comes back, suddenly WQ loses all strength and every brain cell and turns from the ML into the FL while WZY takes the initiative....The change of relationship pace comes with WZY's maturity which catches an exhausted WQ off guard. WQ eventually just gives in and 5min later they are heavily breathing on the bed!

This whole love story failed to convince me.

The story about WQ's struggles to take care of his family while being a child himself was inspiring. The child actors were extraordinary. The whole cast was at the top of their game especially the main pair. The problem is the writing and messy storytelling and the editing with too many flashbacks. But this is a BL so what do we expect.? It is a romance which wants to look like real world but we all know it does not! Maudlin music, nice sets and average cinematography completes the unremarkable production values. One more thing I noticed: why did the costume designer make WQ wear those granpa jumpers in the second half: to make him look older, more experienced, wiser?

There are two exactly the same love stories developed here though the other one should have been fleshed out more. It is a parallel story between Lily, WQ's little sister and San Pang his best friend. The older boys knew them (Lili & WZY) when they were kids, so they treated them as siblings. Now adults, those siblings do not want to be considered siblings any more but lovers. The major difference between these stories is that SP did not save Lili's life, he was just a helpful big brother's friend.

There is even a mafia story somewhere in there (blink and you miss it!) and the inkling of a possible love story between the doctor and the mob boss. Now, that is the drama I would like to see: those two characters practically stole the show and they were in this 10min max!

Some people said there is incest and grooming. No not really! They are not blood relatives so no incest and when they eventually get together they are full grown independent adults. Grooming? Absolutely not! The older brother was never attracted to the younger one. it is the younger brother who relentlessly pursues the older one.

The drama is relationship trope filled: from sponge baths, feeding porridge, fastening seatbelt....think of it, it's in there! The music is all the time on: the songs end up being extremely annoying since they translated the lyrics. Every song explains the emotions felt by the main characters: loneliness ("I am lonely...."says the song), missing someone ("I miss you, I want to see you..."says the song ), flashbacks ("We met in the past, you helped me..."says the song), kissing ("I love you, I want to be with you forever..." says the song)). They are probably not exact lyrics but thereabouts, as if we could not understand what the characters are feeling. Better safe than sorry, the producers must have said. Last but not least, there seemed to be an issue with editing in episode 11: I actually quite liked it. It gave us the flashbacks of their every important moment edited with their lovemaking!

I liked these quotes at the end of every episode which correspond to events taking place:
The first-ever family that will never abandon you.
The second kind of family always leaves the light on for you
The third kind of family is the kind that always makes you want to stay
The fourth type of family member is someone who is always there for you
The fifth kind of family is too good to let go
The sixth kind of family pretends to be strong and doesn't say goodbye
The seventh kind of family is always waiting in the distance
The eighth kind of family shows care in his own way
The ninth kind of family is always there to protect you when the end comes
The tenth kind of family loves you so much that they want to leave you.
The eleventh kind of family indulges you unconditionally because they love you so much.
The twelfth kind of family stays together for life.

In conclusion, I am probably not the target audience since these kinds of dramas, half serious half fluff and nothing whole, are really tiring me.

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Twists and turns: unexpected!

I usually start a review with a short synopsis but anything I may say can be a spoiler and for the first time ever, I want to keep a review spoiler free. You just need to watch it and enjoy the ride with a satisfactory conclusion!

I have yet to watch a c drama which has a sense of a cliffhanger. Usually they do not practice this art form! Therefore, it came as a huge surprise when practically every episode ended with a twisty sort of cliffhanger. What is even more surprising is that they managed to do it with short, 10 min episodes! Extraordinary!

The story deals with time travel, reincarnation, entertainment industry and mental health. The writing is top notch! I would like to know who wrote this and if they wrote anything else. Because this is by far the most original, interesting and gripping short c drama I have ever watched! Music is the usual c drama songs, heavy on the flute and the cinematography is adequately windy and flowery.

There is romance, there is comedy, there is mystery here! It is easily bingeable! If I have any complaints about this drama is that most of the cast is bland, charisma free except for the actor playing the FL's father: he was somehow different from others, rather remarkable! The drama and the story are definitely worth your while!

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The magic of 12

DISCLAIMER: My review is based solely on the drama: I have not read the book!

I usually run it the opposite direction every time someone mentions chinese bromance, as I am allergic to censorship. This one actually I ran towards to. The whole story of its release is fascinating, and for once I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

The series was released in February and then, two hours later, removed by the producer. Why? The theories abound: not censored enough, a mistake release, a scandal? Who knows? In any case, one kind soul managed to download it and the rest is, as they say, history. Now they are releasing it again: will it be censored and re-edited? We'll see! But before it happens, I wanted to see this version!

And, oh boy, did it deliver! Story wise, not romancewise!

Lin JiuShi is a genius programmer not really appreciated at work, so he escapes into a gaming club where he tries out bootleg demos of unreleased games. One of those is Spiritual Realm: a VR game where you need to go through 12 doors and solve a mystery in each one before moving to the next door. In the very first door he meets Ruan LanChu, who, impressed with his quick thinking, asks him to join his organization, Obsidian. LJS learns that the game had been taken away from its creator by capitalists from a "beautiful country" (USA right?) and turned into a more dangerous, killing machine. Obsidian's goal is to reach the final door and reboot the game to its original setting.

The story is extraordinary complex: each door's quest is based on a folk tale or a real horror event (sanatorium: again Bad Americans!). There are rules in each door you are not supposed to break under the penalty of death (for example, get wet in the rain!). You need to find a key (solve the mystery) in order to unlock the next door and obtain the helpful hint for it! There are a few groups going through these doors, each with a different goal: the worst being Company X (if this is not a hint at Elon Musk, I don't know what it is).

While watching, there were things bothering me. A lot! For example....Once you enter the game, you cannot leave unless you reach the final door. If you die in the game, you leave and die for real in the real world 15min later. Everyone knows it since the gamers communicate on different chats. So why would anyone start playing if the outcome is certainly death? Everyone thinks that they can beat the system, I guess! As we get to see with a few beloved characters. Once you are inside, do you need to go through the doors in order? Do you have to solve it yourself or does it count as your win if you manage to survive? How come LJS does not recognize elements of a game he wanted to create with his best friend? The role of kaleidoscopes showing up everywhere? And so on, and so forth.... my head kept coming up with questions, finding inconsistencies and plot holes. Eventually, I discovered that there were none of those: everything was explained in the final episodes 76 & 77.

Kudos to the writers for coming up with such a solid screenplay. Which had no need for romance whatsoever. This is based on a BL web novel, and they censored the romance, turning it into a friendship: which was perfectly OK with me. The plot was gripping enough, and it really did not need the romance. To keep fans happy, there were many "double entendre" lines of dialogue and sizzling looks, but that's it. And that was more than enough. I personally hate it when they mix genres too much: and horror and romance do not mix well! More often than not, romance is superfluous!

The storyline revolves around number 12: twelve doors corresponding to twelve months, twelve zodiac signs, twelve hours, twelve sufferings and negative emotions shown through the quest inside doors (birth, old age, illness, death, love parting, resentment, fear, sorrow, sadness, anger...) The whole game is an allegory for the character growth, for dealing with emotions and that is what we eventually understand that the plot is about!

There was not one single annoying character. On the other hand, there was a long arc in the middle of the drama involving an actress playing the game which put the main characters' storyline a bit on the back burner. Nevertheless, there was not one boring second in this drama. They manage to strike the perfect balance between scary, calm and funny. It was a real pleasure to watch.

Dubbing was rather atrocious, though. I did not notice it in the beginning but as the drama progressed, RLZ whispering voice was getting too much just like the sound effects (breathing, lips smacking etc. awful!). Sometimes those voices were so distracting that I'd forget to focus on the plot! LOL

Production value is very high, the special effects were excellent and the scare factor was not very high: the scariest thing happened oof screen or as shadows: so that was just perfect for a horror hater like me (I cannot watch horror or gore). I loved the background music: it was perfect! The dramatic music was appropriately dramatic, the sad one just tugging at the heartstrings making tears come to your eyes but never over the top or too much. Every main support character's death was accompanied by the same song, just maudlin!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Now, the reason I do not rate it as much as I wanted to is the last episode: the completely unnecessary 10 min featuring a 50yr time jump. The story ends up as being a coma dream LJS had after a car accident. The people in the game are the people he meets in the area he lives in. RLZ is actually a NPC character from the VR game LJS wanted to make with his friend in the university. Not being able to forget dream game's RLZ, LJS spends 50 years creating the game Spiritual Realm in order to meet RLZ again and live with him and the members of Obsidian together forever in the VR world.

This ending is the bitterest, saddest, the most tragic end you can imagine! There is nothing bittersweet or happy about spending 50 years of your life to create a fictional character! So he'll download his conscience in the VR database and live happily ever after?!?!? I just wanted to cry for the wasted life because of a coma dream! He had not learned anything after all!

Just don't watch the last episode: the drama ends on episode 77 and it is 10/10!!! That ending is perfect!

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Love is better the second time around?

I started watching this last night and did not stop until now: so no sleep for the wicked (me!)! Actually, I was not going to binge watch it but I had some things on my mind and I could not sleep so I kept hitting the next episode button.

What a ride it was! Beautifully filmed and acted, fast paced and interesting except for the last, filler episode! But more about that later! The synopsis here is a bit messy, to be frank and in spite of reading it few times, some things became clear only when I watched them.

The story follows Jo, a stuntman who meets and falls in love with a rich and spoilt brat Ming. But that turns eventually into a disaster and Jo gets killed during a film shoot. His soul is somehow transferred into the body of another man, a model called Jo as well. He meets Ming again and the whole cycle of lies and abuse starts again. Will the issue be different the second time around?

What I liked:
- adult characters doing adult jobs and behaving like adults
- background music: there were some interesting musical choices I liked a lot (violins and piano but so different from the usual fare)
- pretty sets and cinematograph: I loved those shots of two birds on a wire (electric/telephone posts?!?)
- no sponge baths, not even one: I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that!
- soul exchange mechanism as explained by the blind Master: Jo the model wanted to die after his huge row with his mother. Jo the stuntmen did not want to give up even when falling down the cliff. Heaven decided to exchange their souls and eventually gave Jo another chance to chose because he had a strong will to live
- side characters: Mike and Jim, funny, smart and overflowing with chemistry!
- role reversal: seme/uke, two semes. Jo is a seme and Ming looks like an uke but prefers to be a seme so Jo lets him and eventually really becomes an uke (carries a purse!) even though he is dressed like a seme. This is the first time I see this role distribution in a very coded bl world. Refreshing!
- the character of Ming: a cocky, self-centred and egoistical rich young man who is convinced he can get anything if he demands it while actually hiding deep insecurities behind this bravado and power attitude brought on by his money.
- Jo's character growth: he turns from a naive young man with stars in his eyes to an experienced adult who is not to be taken lightly.

What I did not like:
- actor playing Ming! The character is supposed to be the youngest son but he seems the oldest which was very confusing. this role was miscast.
- Mek's bad acting. It does not help his case either, that he looks as if he were Khaotung's twin brother with the same talent(none!) and expressivnes(OTT grimacing)...
- Jo's toothpaste smile: I was squinting every time his face was in close up. He is beautiful and a very talented actor but those shiny teeth....
- minimal chemistry between them even though they obviously gave it their all: I could not feel it
- Sol, the idol: how is that even possible? He is not pretty nor talented and cannot sing to save his life....
- Sol's hair. And everyone else's perfect hairstyles when they woke up: especially Ming in hospital!
- some boring funky songs with the obligatory a cappella beginning in crucial love scenes
- loan sharks with turbans and jellabas: are they muslims? I don't really care but it was weird to see!
- cliché Moms: the poor Mom is overweight while the rich one is slim
- the last episode! The final conflict was resolved in the first 5 min and the rest was just pure boring fluff!
- we get to see very little of the model Jo's appearance(only in mirrors) since the whole story was told from the point of view of Jo the stuntman (the narrator!). It would have been interesting to see the chemistry, if any
- Ming is a lovely toxic character in a lovely toxic relationship but who gets a sudden and unconvincing growth!

In conclusion: one of the better thai bls in a long time, worth the watch!

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Regrets?

And here goes another sad, sad, gay, unrequited/restrained love story. And they are tugging on each and every heart string. And it is annoying! But it is also probably very real!

This short film stars two BL actors but it is not a BL: it is a gay story. It is not fantasy, it is the real life.

Two young actors meet at a film workshop. They hit it off immediately and one falls for the other immediately. But the other has different plans for his life: he wants to get married and have kids. So the first one carries on with the crush for years, making it seem real only while filming different BL films. Until he dies of heart failure.

Spaceless is, thankfully, a very short film but even so they managed to cram a maximum of useless flashbacks (they do so love those flashbacks in thai bl productions!). I would have preferred to see that time used differently: to show their relationship in depth, to explain their life choices, to see how his wife takes the eternal presence of her husband's love of his life through their daughter's name. Actually, I found it creepy and not fair to her: it seems like she is the second chioce, someone he decided to be with in order to comply with the society's requirements of what is acceptable!

It was never really clear, to me at least, if he loved him as a friend or as a man but refused to act upon those feelings. Whichever it was, it was tragic and useless. But on the other hand, they managed to remain friends! So go figure: I guess he accepted any crumb that came his way. A life (8yrs!) spent pining after someone who refuses to accept his feelings, though he recognized their existence, is such a waste.

The actors were good, they had correct chemistry for the story. The cinematography is very pretty and the music unfortunately unremarkable considering the film was based on a song!

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Dorian Gray in Grand Amsterdam Hotel

If you are looking for horror, you are in the wrong place in spite of the genre mentioned on this drama's page. It is a murder mystery, comedy and fantasy but not horror: horror is scary, gives you nightmares. Here, except for a very sexy serial killer, there is nothing to be jumpy about. Unless the sexy serial killers give you nightmares.

The plot in this drama is reminiscent of those many c dramas where the FL falls into a novel and has to find a way out. The FL here is an editor in an online publishing company. When her boss, on whom she has a crush, disappears, she goes looking for him and discover the existence of magic laptops: when you write a person's name on it, that person disappears into the novel the laptop writes all by itself. So the FL writes herself into the novel and while trying to save her boss's life, she discovers the truth behind the writer and the laptop.

How far are you willing to go in order to succeed as a writer? Sell your soul to the devil? There are parts of Dr Faustus and Dorian Gray in this drama. There is also a slight criticism of the writers' system ruling the korean entertainment world: when one writer rebelled against the constant harassment by her writer boss, she was immediately blacklisted in the whole community. When you touch the bottom, you either sell your soul or sink deeper but they never realize that by selling their soul they would inevitably sink deeper! The choice is only superficial!

The hotel setting of the novel reminded me very much of Wes Andersons' film Grand Amsterdam Hotel with the exterior aesthetics and with its quirky staff (well here we only get to see the receptionist but he is bizarre enough!).

I found the FL very annoying in the first couple of episodes, with her swooning over her boss who does not notice her, batting eyelashes at him and speaking like a little girl. But she is actually very smart and, with the help from a couple of coworkers, she eventually figures out how to get everyone out of the novel.

This is a well written drama with the plot which survives scrutiny: no major plotholes noticed: every question gets an answer in the last episode. The acting is correct, the music is there. Except for the jazzy bar singer: she was good and the songs steamy!

An exceptionally good short drama, definitely worth your time!

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Recommended starter watch

Are you new to c dramas? Are you a bit lost with all long haired costume dramas? Never fear! Here is the drama which showcases all different kinds of historical chinese costume dramas.

The story is interesting: fateful but amnesiac lovers in the immortal realm have to go through seven love tribulation. The events take place in different worlds and the pair has the strong impression that there is more than meets the eye.

Every setting is intriguing: from animals to princesses and generals to immortals and demons. There is the running animal theme throughout: a tiger and a hog! The actors are good but are for the most part stone faced and they start thawing towards each other steadily as their memories return. The ML has cute dimples and is so pretty with that long hair... The FL has small, very tiny mouth(bad job, make up artist!).

The problem is that in spite of interesting idea and great setting, it is far too long, it drags on and on and on (so much so they messed up the timelines often and were illogical: so try not to use your brain while watching!)...I don't know how many times I fell asleep in front of an episode and later realizing I had not missed anything! The CGI was pretty. The bad guys wore white and the good guys black. How original though it can be surprising if you do not expect it! Immortals' battles are boring: they stand facing each other pointing swords and lances and shooting energy until one of them runs out, falls over coughing blood. Apparently not everyone has the same coloured blood: his is red and hers is blue. Well, she's an empress, after all!

While watching, I kept wondering: what could those immortals be doing for tens of thousands of years in heavenly realm. There is nothing to do: I guess they go and play in mortal realm. In heavenly one they are just haughty, elegant and chaste...I mean the main couple barely kissed, they were usually interrupted by an event of disastrous proportions every time they started getting a bit frisky!

Still, a nice watch but I will stick to short costume dramas from now on!LOL

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Still lingering...

Where Your Eyes Linger was my very first BL.

Before watching it, I did not know what BL meant (thank you, google! lol!). This was the drama which led me down the BL rabbit hole I don't seem to be able to free myself of (just like CLOY led me down the k drama rabbit hole, I fortunately managed to get out of but that is another story!).

I remember loving the initial bodyguard premise, the chemistry, the dark cinematography, the beautiful ending scene. But I also remember there were things that kept bugging me while I was watching the drama. The first time I just decided not to pay attention to them. Unfortunately, I rewatched it a few times since then and even though I still enjoy it as much as the first time, I keep finding more and more flaws with it and consequently, my ratings keep dropping.

The drama was too short which left some things out: most importantly Kang Guk's backstory. We know NOTHING about him only that he has been Taeju's bodyguard for 15 years. Since Taeju seems to be in high school probably 18 years old, how old is his bodyguard? Probably much older than Taeju, logically speaking! Even though he goes to school with him, he must be older than 18. I am surprised nobody's screaming scandal, grooming!!!! Maybe the father? Taeju's father is a big company chairman but looks and acts like a mafia don. He sends his son away but lets him come back three years later?!? He must have had a change of heart? Yeah, right, like that is going to happen....

I haven't seen either the drama or the film in a long time so I cannot tell you what differences there are: apparently the voiceover, present in the drama is back in the film and it truly helps with explaining the plot and the title. It looks like they recorded additional voiceover for some of the final scenes.

I love this director's films and dramas: they are practically the only ones I rewatch regularly (To My Star is by far my favourite BL!). But that does not mean that I am blind to their flaws which, in spite of excellent stories, sometimes sound false and cringy...

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My today connects to+ tomorrow!

WOW, just WOW!!!

Unmet is a japanese drama which is as perfect as it possibly can be! But before writing more about it, I would like to thank HPriest for the amazing job subbing this drama.

So if I think it was perfect why only 9.5? Well, I decided to nitpick and complain about the ending! It was a happy ending, don't get me wrong, I just wanted to watch them some more and not only the main couple being lovey dovey but everyone! I needed ten minutes more!!!

Japanese dramas have turned out to be my favourite asian dramas: there is an unmatched skill in storytelling where they are toeing the fine line between the reality and ideal world while never stepping over, one way or the other! Unmet is a perfect example of this!

There is rarely a truly evil character in j dramas: the majority are perfect human beings while the others which seem greyish (professor, head nurse, heiress...) turn out to be just hiding their true character really well as they are trying to survive in a difficult world. But they are all brave, smart, loving and eventually sincere. Except for the creepy rich grandfather eating snakes and frogs loudly while controlling everyone around him but he got his comeuppance and was never heard of again! This character was really a caricature of a person!
But we have such a nice cast of characters here : doctors, nurses, patients and of course main leads Miyabi and Sanpei. Miyabi, the FL is a doctor with amnesia who does not let a little thing like that ruin her optimistic and kind nature. Sanpai, the ML , is a doctor who comes back to Japan in order to find a way to cure her.
I was a bit upset with this story to be frank, they seem to have had a whirlwind romance and then they split and it took him two years to come back to her?!? Why? Gaining medical experience I guess, and leaving her to deal with amnesia alone, with friends and family?

The plot was perfectly structured: there is a main story dealing with the FL's mysterious accident and the ensuing memory disorder stopping her from being the doctor. When Sanpai arrives, he incites her to treat patients and there is a "case of the week" in every episode dealing with different neurological disorders.The balance between the two plotlines is perfect: just enough of the both to make you continue watching. Some cases were tugging on my heartstrings and I almost had a tear in my eye (I never cry when watching! NEVER!). I also kept wishing I could find such nice and devoted doctors to treat my ailments (Not lucky so far! Doctors here are so full of themselves and lack compassion!). As I said before, I needed about 10 more minutes at the end which was rushed and a lot of things happened over a very short period of time. While the earlier episodes had slower pace and covered longer periods with patients staying in hospital for weeks, the last episode seemed condensed, urgency was paramount and the speedy presentation of events past and present, needed more time to settle in. That's why I was left wanting for more! The reasons behind the FL's accident were rather flimsy but I found it so because I am used to the ruthless cheabol world in K drama (I tried to figure out why they did not kill her in order to keep the secret!) so the big baddie being punished easily and quickly in j dramas is always a surprise!

I do want to apologize at this point because I am writing this without any notes having finished the drama half an hour ago so I am only writing my impressions and feelings.

The acting was excellent, especially the main actress Sugisaki Hana: I loved her freckles and her cute smile and sweet nature. The main actor, Wakaba Ryuya portrayed the unkept medical genius with brio, managing to show his care and love buried behind the bed hair. The whole cast was excellent, they had a great team chemistry, friendships, bromances and romances all were just right. The music was nice and right for the drama, the intro animation very original and illustrating the drama well! The medical part of the drama (surgeries etc.) were not overpowering or off-putting: very often we never saw the procedure, just the before and the after. That is how I like my medical dramas: when they show the human part of the profession and not focus solely on the technical one.

I cannot recommend this drama enough. It is highly bingeable (well, I just watched it in day!) since they finish every episode with a cliffhanger. But apart from that, it is so nice to see a drama where people are genuinely kind to each other, not expecting anything in return. Well, that is a japanese drama for you!

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Blue pool of destiny

I loved it! And even though its flaws are many, I have enjoyed this immensely! Now I am more than certain: I love thai BLs rated below 7.5. Those above I find unwatchable!

The plot is rather original: involving a blue magic waterfall pool at a full moon which connects two parallel universes and a man accidentally crossing the boundary, deciding to help his boyfriend's counterpart and ends up falling for a bad boy with a heart of gold! I am a sucker for such characters: apparently ambiguous and grey but deep down kind and righteous!

BTW, this year's thai bls seem to swing between parallel universe and vampires! Full marks for originality, sincerely! I cannot watch another school BL....

Unfortunately, in spite of its original premise, this drama does not manage to avoid many heteronormative tropes. The main character is uke, Kram who seems to be smart and unexpectedly strong even though he is slight in built. But after a couple of episodes he becomes the stereotypical damsel in distress with a baby voice! That was a disappointment. Tai, on the other hand is a typical seme, macho, strong and silent type, gang boss' son but actually nice. And, oh boy, does he take care of his Kram!

The acting was top notch from the entire cast particularly the actors playing parents who were here less two dimensional, clichés. I don't particularly like the height difference but the actors had decent chemistry and were very much at ease with each other so I managed to bear with it! The cinematography is beautiful as well: the drama takes place in the jungle so the feeling we got from the screen were dreamy, subdued, fuzzy and sparkling. Amazing! The music was probably the best I've ever heard in a thai bl, completely different from the usual fare and more reminiscent of c drama music with a lot of flutes and some romantic piano music, it actually gave me butterflies. The poster for this drama is just awful: dark and scary and it does not present it in a correct light because there is a lot of comedy carried on expertly by the second couple!

The packaging of this drama was perfect. What was missing was the content: after the initial promise, the package was actually empty. There were gangsters, murders, kidnappings, painting, running around and plot holes...I am still trying to figure out why would Tai's father kill himself after killing his own boss and coming out on top of the mob world? Completely illogical in my book!...There were many make out scenes, beautifully filmed and choreographed (the second couple go full monty on us, from the back though...) but too many and too long! There was a mysterious illness and a lot of blood spitting, again reminiscent of c dramas...

I still don't know how I feel about the ending. It was a happy ending and the main couple get their happily ever after but it had left me with a bitter after taste since the other version of a MC gets his redemption but does not get to enjoy it. I guess they needed to make space for the original version of the MC but it does not sit well with me.

Nevertheless, I loved this drama but you need to go in it well aware of its flaws, that it is fantasy and that the phones are nowhere to find! Almost! That was refreshing!

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Love & candles

Apparently this is based on the K drama with the same title. I have seen said drama but years ago and all I remember are the candles and the Himalayas. But I remember liking it (though when time travel is concerned, i am not picky: I adore the concept!).

A man discovers a bunch of candles that can take him back ten years so he uses them in order to save his girlfriend's life. This is the basic plot: but it is eventually really complicated, with many changes accomplished in the past which radically alter the present.

I have to give it to the writers: every time I'd see a plot hole and say "Aha! Gotcha!" , they'd find a perfectly logical explanation in accordance with the overall plot. It is practically foolproof if, of course, you accept the original ridiculous premise of time travel inducing magical candles! There is also the advantage they had going with the short format: they did not have too much time to ruin the drama with unnecessary subplots and complications.

Production value is excellent, the pacing perfect, the acting solid, music nice.

Since it is a c drama and since they are not allowed to do time travel themed series, there is an epilogue after the credits of the last episode which explains, using some incomprehensible mumbo jumbo, that the whole thing was just a coma dream. The full version (3h50 on youtube) does not feature this epilogue so you will be left wanting answers since the story is incomplete (or rather left on a cliffhanger!).

Definitely one of the best short c dramas!

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Magic mirror...what magic?!?

I was actually really afraid of watching this last instalment of My Universe anthology because of the director who made three of the arguably worst parts, where story amounted to 15 min of footage filmed and the rest are those 15 min shown as flashbacks repeatedly. I did not think I could live through another flashback hell.
Well, lo and behold, a miracle happened: not one single flashback in these two episodes. But now I've seen this, I actually wish there were more flashback and less of the story which was messy, incomprehensible and just plain boring and extremely cringy(the proposal in the pizza place had me running for the door screaming!)!.

The synopsis made me expect a fantasy story which would have made a lovely ending of the series. Yeah, well fantasy...I don't think they understand the genre!

Pond is a narcissist, always looking at himself in the many mirrors he owns. One day he breaks one by accident. With a friend's help, he finds another one dumped behind the building. He brings it home but the mirror turns out to be weird since Pond keeps hearing noises and seeing shadows in it. Until one day he recognizes the person in the mirror: a student he used to tutor long time ago and with whom he lost touch. He goes to see him and discovers that Marvin is dying so he takes it upon himself to make Marvin's last days memorable. They kiss. The end!

The first problem is the casting of a 44yr old actor to play a 29yr old Pond: him acting cute and cheerful was not convincing: he just looked like an immature kid - ridiculous! The second problem is the storyline. With the magic mirror involved, I was expecting a major twist in the story, using this mirror. Nothing happened: the mirror was just the device to get them to contact each other again. And that's it! Wasted potential! But maybe it is only my mind refusing to admit the existence of sad stories. Somehow this kind of a story does not fit into this bl genre, this is just a tragedy without happy ending but with Pond finally figuring out what he wants to do in his life. So this is actually the story of Pond and his search for a meaningful employment.

This is quite bad: I liked Fake Love more which was so badly filmed (endless silent shots, flashbacks of flashbacks of flashbacks... Watch this video, it is hilarious: https://youtu.be/i60dsk4m_vc) and written but the story made sense somehow. This is just a mess trying to be meaningful but completely loosing the plot! This director just does not have luck with scripts! Don't give up! This one should have been good

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