Dull Plot and Lackluster Writing Prevented Me From Loving It :(

STORY:
I really, really wanted to like this drama because (1) I generally enjoy New's work and (2) I loved the theme of reincarnation and being reunited with one's soulmate after passage of time. Unfortunately, very early on I found that I was forcing myself to watch each episode, and it felt like a chore. Despite the interesting premise, the drama itself was rather dull, tedious, and boring (except for a few parts where it was excessively melodramatic). I hated the writing: scenes were repetitive, dialogue was largely trivial and shallow and often accompanied by long bouts of silence that did absolutely nothing to move the story forward, the pacing was bad (too slow), and the plot dragged on without accomplishing much. That said, I suppose you could characterize this as tending to be more character-driven (though that may just be a nice way of saying the plot is weak); I prefer plot-driven shows with deft character development, so whether you like this drama or not may depend in part on preference.

ACTING/CAST:
As typically happens in Thai BLs, there were hits and misses with the cast with the more seasoned actors performing more naturally and organically than the newer faces. No standouts to me, but none were absolutely terrible.

OVERALL:
I may slowly try to pick this up again, but as of right now, I made it about halfway through before deciding it was too dull and poorly written for me. If all you watch are Thai BLs, you may not have as much issue with this one as I did; but if you, as I, tend to also watch different types of dramas from different countries, such as China or especially Korea (which, in my opinion, generally fare better in terms of overall quality), then you may find this one lackluster.

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Cute But Not Much Substance

This 15 minute short film was cute and simple, and that's about it. While the premise of a pair of glasses allowing the wearer to see beyond the surface of who's in front of him is interesting and has potential, the time constraints of this work did not really allow the creators to take full advantage of that. Further, although the synopsis does not actually describe much of anything, I was still expecting more in terms of the glasses' function and role in the plot than what we got. In other words, without giving away spoilers, the magic effect of the glasses was rather shallow in that I could not see how it would move the relationship forward. This felt more like a concept piece rather than an executed story.

As far as acting goes, Choi Woo Jae was great, but I thought Jin Gyu was a bit stiff and amateurish. Whereas the former felt like a more seasoned actor, the latter felt like a rookie. That said, Jin Gyu performed well enough; I just think he needs to hone his skills a bit more. I also didn't feel a lot of romantic chemistry between the leads.

Finally, the production value and cinematography felt high budget, whether or not it was, as I'm sure we've all come to expect and appreciate from Strongberry.

Overall, it was short and light so I would recommend.

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A Fun, Chaotic Ride

From the very first second of this drama (and no, that's not an exaggeration; if you watch it you'll understand) I knew I was in for a wild and crazy ride. Discipline was chaotic, dynamic, thoughtful, and engaging from beginning to end. In terms of story, an over-arching plot loosely connects this mini-series, but I also think that each episode can be viewed as a stand-alone that focuses on a day in the life of one of the characters. Speaking of characters, I enjoyed all of them. Each had their own distinct personalities, and the way they cared for one another was really nice. The actors did a great job portraying each one. The dialogue was smooth and natural, and the writing overall was well-executed.

The only complaints that I have revolve around time constraints. Oh how I wish these episodes were longer or that we got more of them. I would love to spend more time with these characters and delve into their stories more deeply. As is, it felt like we got stories that were mostly complete but a bit rushed through or glossed over. I felt like some much-needed backstory was missing to really give this series depth it deserved. I also felt like the ending was a little abrupt and didn't offer the resolution/closure I was hoping for, as well as felt a bit idealistic. Still, for what I'm guessing was a limited budget based on number and length of episodes, the series was really well done and I think offered more than some series that are twice as long.

Needless to say, this was a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and this is a drama I'd definitely recommend.

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**Potential spoiler regarding one couple has been marked**

STORY:
- Honestly, Book and Frame were what saved this drama for me. I loved watching their relationship progress and loved how doting Frame was, supporting his boyfriend the best that he could as trouble from Book's past came to light. I wish this was the main story of Season 2, as I would have loved to see it fleshed out more, but I thought it was presented fairly well, though the "resolution" felt a bit glossed over. If it weren't for them, I don't know that I would have finished watching it (at the very least, I would have dragged it along).
- The main couple, Tee and Fuse, yeah, I got bored with them. Sure, they're sweet, and Tee is absolutely adorable and a saint for putting up with all of Fuse's crap. But my main problem with them was that a majority of Season 2 felt like a repeat of Season 1 in terms of their relationship. ***POTENTIAL SPOILER**** Fuse is still trying to figure things out with his girlfriend, while stringing Tee along like a side piece, decides to be just friends with Tee after his girlfriend tells him that her mystery man is just her brother, and then has the nerve to be upset when he sees (1) Tee being pursued by someone else, and (2) discovers that his girlfriend actually lied and has been cheating on him (like he was doing to her with Tee). ***END POTENTIAL SPOILER***. Overall, I just wasn't as into them, and quickly lost interest in their story line.
- The other couples were either boring or ridiculously stupid, but all of them could have been left out without ruining the drama. Of those couples, Mo and Yok received the most screen time, but they were obviously there for comedic effect, and their relationship felt fake and manufactured. As for the others, there just wasn't enough time devoted to their story lines, so they felt more like unnecessary filler which could have been put to better use developing Book and Frame.
- Couples aside, much like Season 1, if you can get past the cringe-worthy and questionable humor of the first 2 episodes, it's a decent series that showcases the tenderness and challenges of young love. I would say that the sweet moments were better written, as some of the drama and antagonistic characters felt forced and stereotypical.

ACTING/CAST:
So-so. Some actors were better than others. TeeFuse and BookFrame, as couples, had great chemistry together. The actors playing those characters, as well as the one who played Lukmo, were probably the stand-outs for me from this cast.

MUSIC:
Again, so-so. Nothing too memorable. Sometimes it seemed a little loud.

RE-WATCH VALUE:
If I were to re-watch anything, it'd be the scenes with Book and Frame.

OVERALL:
It's definitely one of the racier teen dramas out there (so props to them for going there), and some parts were just so stupid you had to laugh, but there were also plenty of sweet moments as well. It got a little tedious towards the later half of the season, and I was ready for it to end. I'd give it one thumb up and would probably recommend watching, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.

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My feelings on Season 2 are very mixed.

On the one hand, I loved that Pick and Rome got a whole lot more screen time, and watching their relationship develop was my favorite part of the drama. Pick getting jealous over Rome's club mate was definitely a treat, and I died each time Pick got protective over his baby (omg the last episode!! You'll know when you see it). Rome's sweet, more mature demeanor is such a good contrast to Pick's hotheaded, slightly immature one. This was the OffGun dynamic that I waited for in Season 1, and boy did they deliver in Season 2. I do wish that this series focused solely on them, however, because I think a lot could have been explored further, especially the elements of the plot that really tested the boys' relationship.

On the other hand, I got so incredibly bored with Emma and Porsche's story line. The drama between them was so contrived and disingenuous. It was like the writers wanted to cause friction between them but couldn't come up with something plausible based on what we saw in Season 1 (probably because there really isn't a basis for this season's drama) so they just threw something together real quick. Basically, Porsche takes an internship in a remote area away from Emma. Emma decides very early on that Porsche isn't spending enough time with her and she can't handle that so she breaks up with him. Uhh, excuse me?? You want him to choose you over his education and career? You can't handle being physically away from him temporarily (can still call and text)? Clearly she must not have liked him very much since she was so quick to dump him and start flirting with (leading on?) a new guy (Krist, i.e., Arthit from SOTUS, who has more chemistry with his SOTUS co-start Singto than he does with Cherreen). Bottom line: Emma became a very unlikable, unsympathetic character in Season 2, too needy and whiny, which contrasted noticeably with how she was portrayed in Season 1 (though Cherreen, the actress who plays her, was still charming in the role so I didn't find Emma to be completely despicable). Now, I didn't really stan this couple as I'm more of a BL junkie, so my heart wasn't broken over the drama. But because it felt so insincere, I found it really hard to get invested in their story and difficult to pay attention during their scenes. I also didn't like the message this plot line seemed to send.

I also felt like the pacing wasn't as good this season as it was in Season 1. Although this season had two more episodes than its predecessor, by the time we reached the final episode, I couldn't believe it. The climax for both couples came so late in the game, with the result that everything felt rushed in the final episode.

Final thoughts: Pick and Rome were the standout characters for me and if I were to watch this again, it would only be for their parts. If you're a huge fan of them and want to see more of their relationship, I would definitely recommend watching their parts. I think you can safely skip the rest of the story line without losing anything at all. If you're watching the series only for Emma and Porsche, you'll probably want to skip this season and stick with what was given in Season 1.

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