This review may contain spoilers
Sweet romantic comedy highlighting some of the serious issues in the BL industry
When I first saw the trailer, honestly I wasn't expecting much. Also, initially, I had this perception that the Lovely writer series might be similar to "WHY'R U? the series" which made me actually dismiss the idea of even watching it. But, THANK GOD, one day I was bored and thought to give this series a try, and my goodness, my whole belief of judging a book by its cover flushed out in the drain at that moment. The series is amazing and can be considered one of the "Rarest Gem" in the BL industry.
Below I'll breakdown the review for you all;
STORY (10/10)
The main plot is actually very simple and well scripted, but it was various themes and elements that actually made the series wholesome and yet different from any of the previous BL series. I love how they have highlighted how BL fandom is more into fan service rather than story and quality and they were pretty straightforward about it too. When it came to Gene's boss, she would always emphasize on H scenes rather than the story, and Gene as a writer would be rather distressed about it as it would hamper the quality of the story. I somehow felt bad for Gene as he couldn't publish the work which he actually wanted even though his BL novels have been trending in the Industry apparently. The actual story starts when Gene meet Nubsib in the audition which happens in the 1st episode. I found the story pacing to be perfect with each episode so well scripted and directed that you would be ready to invest your whole day in this series without even fast-forwarding it. I love how they have even brought up the family issue i.e when your parents find out that you are gay, I won't say that it applies to all but it is kind of realistic and shown in a positive light which will just make you emotional. The issue in the BL industry of demanding the cast members to offer fan service and prohibit dating other than your series partner had just enraged me. The showrunners had done an excellent job in delivering the message that such ideas can have a negative impact on just so many people, even aggravating mental health issues. I absolutely hated seeing my poor Gene depressed. Lovely writer has done an excellent job in touching some of the sensitive issues pertaining in the BL Industry.
CHARACTERS AND ACTING ( 9/10)
I absolutely loved Gene. I have never watched any previous work of Up so I had basically no clue about his acting. But I would just say that he did 100% justice to the character. I love how his character broke so many stereotypes, like for example is it really necessary to be a female to write a best-selling BL novel. You don't have to be gay to write gay romance. But yes, he does fall head over heels for a guy. I personally perceive his character to be an introvert who is stern and adamant when it comes to making decisions thus shown in having a cold exterior but is actually timid and kind. I absolutely loved his relationship with his father. You can say they are like any other typical father and son duo, with his father being the quiet and strict but is actually caring and the son being not so open about his stuff, likes to live alone with his privacy but inwardly seeks his father's approval. I think that is why it was important for Gene to come out to his father and seeks his acceptance. I love how he always gets spoiled by Nubsib, but at the end of the day, it is he who is more mature than him. I absolutely hated when Gene broke up with Nubsib, but it was a necessity given the circumstances. And acting on emotions would then make the situation worse. But I am glad the series ended on a happy note.
Throughout the series, I actually saw gradual evolution in Kao's acting as Nubsib. The reason I couldn't rate this series 10/10 in terms of acting is because of him. Initially, with Kao's acting, there was always something that just bothered me but as the series progressed his acting improved. He very well acted Nubsib as a character, I loved how he was 2 faced person when it came to others and Gene. He is always trying his best to show a better version of himself to Gene while just not caring about others including Tum.
The chemistry between Up and Kao was just off the charts, I could literally feel butterflies in my stomach when it came to both of them. And I would always have this smile on my face whenever I saw them together.
Hin is actually my favorite character in the series. After watching him, I was like, everyone deserves Hin as a friend and colleague in their lives. Kenji's acting just melted my heart. I love how he respects Gene as a mentor and as a friend. I loved how the director even showed his side of the story as he has been struggling with his career. Hin's smiling demeanor is sure to warm your heart but then thinking back about all his struggles just makes me cry. I loved how he chose his moral and loyalty towards Gene when given a choice. Thank God he wasn't fired from his job.
Gene's parents - I think everyone needs a parent like Gene's. They are so understanding, not only towards their children but also towards each other as a partner. When I came to the real reason why Gene's dad was so against Gene's relationship, I choked. I was genuinely shocked when I came to know that Gene's mother knew about his past and was very understanding about it. They totally showed the world that everything could be solved without unnecessary drama. After everything gets solved between Gene and his dad, they established a level of understanding and trust which just warmed my heart. Also kudos to Gene's mom for being so understanding and supportive towards her family member.
Tum and Tiffy - I dub them as an unconventional couple beating all kinds of stereotypes. Tum being good at sewing, having immense knowledge about the make-up products and so on. And Tiffy being a badass riding a motorbike and knowing how to fix a car.
Ae - I only feel pity for him, that's the first thing that came to my mind when I completed the whole series. For all the troubles he caused between Gene and Nubsib's relationship, I wanted to smack him at that point. He is a very lonely character having a bad relationship with his family which I guess to a certain extent had negatively affected his personality. Often during our difficult times, we are compelled to take wrong decisions and bound to hurt people who genuinely care for us. Ae is a perfect example of that. I believe despite his struggles and family issues if he had made the right decision then things would have turned out to be different for him. In spite of such issues, nothing gives a person the right to intervene in other people's business. For all the bad stuff he did karma did bite him in the end.
The rest of the cast members including the ones who played the younger versions of Gene and Nubsib did an excellent job in portraying their characters.
DIRECTION (10/10)
I have to create a separate paragraph for the main force who made the success of the series possible. Remember the name of the director guys, "Tee Bundit Sintanaparadee". Whenever you will be seeing his name in any of the series just blindly watch the series without going through the cast list or synopsis. He has the power in bringing about the best in the actors and the characters. He has a way of story telling which lets the audience know that no one is evil or bad, it is just the circumstances which compels a person to make the wrong decision. Speficially speaking of Ae, the direction along with the acting made it possible to show us several grey shades of the character.
REWATCH VALUE (10/10)
I have already watched it thrice and I am gonna keep on watching it again and again because it is that good to watch.
Below I'll breakdown the review for you all;
STORY (10/10)
The main plot is actually very simple and well scripted, but it was various themes and elements that actually made the series wholesome and yet different from any of the previous BL series. I love how they have highlighted how BL fandom is more into fan service rather than story and quality and they were pretty straightforward about it too. When it came to Gene's boss, she would always emphasize on H scenes rather than the story, and Gene as a writer would be rather distressed about it as it would hamper the quality of the story. I somehow felt bad for Gene as he couldn't publish the work which he actually wanted even though his BL novels have been trending in the Industry apparently. The actual story starts when Gene meet Nubsib in the audition which happens in the 1st episode. I found the story pacing to be perfect with each episode so well scripted and directed that you would be ready to invest your whole day in this series without even fast-forwarding it. I love how they have even brought up the family issue i.e when your parents find out that you are gay, I won't say that it applies to all but it is kind of realistic and shown in a positive light which will just make you emotional. The issue in the BL industry of demanding the cast members to offer fan service and prohibit dating other than your series partner had just enraged me. The showrunners had done an excellent job in delivering the message that such ideas can have a negative impact on just so many people, even aggravating mental health issues. I absolutely hated seeing my poor Gene depressed. Lovely writer has done an excellent job in touching some of the sensitive issues pertaining in the BL Industry.
CHARACTERS AND ACTING ( 9/10)
I absolutely loved Gene. I have never watched any previous work of Up so I had basically no clue about his acting. But I would just say that he did 100% justice to the character. I love how his character broke so many stereotypes, like for example is it really necessary to be a female to write a best-selling BL novel. You don't have to be gay to write gay romance. But yes, he does fall head over heels for a guy. I personally perceive his character to be an introvert who is stern and adamant when it comes to making decisions thus shown in having a cold exterior but is actually timid and kind. I absolutely loved his relationship with his father. You can say they are like any other typical father and son duo, with his father being the quiet and strict but is actually caring and the son being not so open about his stuff, likes to live alone with his privacy but inwardly seeks his father's approval. I think that is why it was important for Gene to come out to his father and seeks his acceptance. I love how he always gets spoiled by Nubsib, but at the end of the day, it is he who is more mature than him. I absolutely hated when Gene broke up with Nubsib, but it was a necessity given the circumstances. And acting on emotions would then make the situation worse. But I am glad the series ended on a happy note.
Throughout the series, I actually saw gradual evolution in Kao's acting as Nubsib. The reason I couldn't rate this series 10/10 in terms of acting is because of him. Initially, with Kao's acting, there was always something that just bothered me but as the series progressed his acting improved. He very well acted Nubsib as a character, I loved how he was 2 faced person when it came to others and Gene. He is always trying his best to show a better version of himself to Gene while just not caring about others including Tum.
The chemistry between Up and Kao was just off the charts, I could literally feel butterflies in my stomach when it came to both of them. And I would always have this smile on my face whenever I saw them together.
Hin is actually my favorite character in the series. After watching him, I was like, everyone deserves Hin as a friend and colleague in their lives. Kenji's acting just melted my heart. I love how he respects Gene as a mentor and as a friend. I loved how the director even showed his side of the story as he has been struggling with his career. Hin's smiling demeanor is sure to warm your heart but then thinking back about all his struggles just makes me cry. I loved how he chose his moral and loyalty towards Gene when given a choice. Thank God he wasn't fired from his job.
Gene's parents - I think everyone needs a parent like Gene's. They are so understanding, not only towards their children but also towards each other as a partner. When I came to the real reason why Gene's dad was so against Gene's relationship, I choked. I was genuinely shocked when I came to know that Gene's mother knew about his past and was very understanding about it. They totally showed the world that everything could be solved without unnecessary drama. After everything gets solved between Gene and his dad, they established a level of understanding and trust which just warmed my heart. Also kudos to Gene's mom for being so understanding and supportive towards her family member.
Tum and Tiffy - I dub them as an unconventional couple beating all kinds of stereotypes. Tum being good at sewing, having immense knowledge about the make-up products and so on. And Tiffy being a badass riding a motorbike and knowing how to fix a car.
Ae - I only feel pity for him, that's the first thing that came to my mind when I completed the whole series. For all the troubles he caused between Gene and Nubsib's relationship, I wanted to smack him at that point. He is a very lonely character having a bad relationship with his family which I guess to a certain extent had negatively affected his personality. Often during our difficult times, we are compelled to take wrong decisions and bound to hurt people who genuinely care for us. Ae is a perfect example of that. I believe despite his struggles and family issues if he had made the right decision then things would have turned out to be different for him. In spite of such issues, nothing gives a person the right to intervene in other people's business. For all the bad stuff he did karma did bite him in the end.
The rest of the cast members including the ones who played the younger versions of Gene and Nubsib did an excellent job in portraying their characters.
DIRECTION (10/10)
I have to create a separate paragraph for the main force who made the success of the series possible. Remember the name of the director guys, "Tee Bundit Sintanaparadee". Whenever you will be seeing his name in any of the series just blindly watch the series without going through the cast list or synopsis. He has the power in bringing about the best in the actors and the characters. He has a way of story telling which lets the audience know that no one is evil or bad, it is just the circumstances which compels a person to make the wrong decision. Speficially speaking of Ae, the direction along with the acting made it possible to show us several grey shades of the character.
REWATCH VALUE (10/10)
I have already watched it thrice and I am gonna keep on watching it again and again because it is that good to watch.
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