Very Blah

This started out as a fun little GL miniseries that I enjoyed, but it soon fell into the pitfalls of (imo) all miniseries, which is trying to tell a story that's too big for the 1-hour runtime they're allotted. Trying to sell us on these two meeting for the first time, having multiple encounters before even becoming friends with benefits, falling in love, falling out, and then coming back together in the end is too much for one hour. And so everything feels rushed, the emotions feel forced, and the conflict basically makes no sense and is resolved absurdly quickly due to it.

The acting wasn't all that great, but I don't have much complaints about it. I think both girls could have done better if they'd had more to work with. I did like the actress who played Noon (Nune? The subtitles couldn't decide) quite a bit. She was the stronger actor of the two, I thought.

In the end, this was quick and alright to watch, with some nice kisses that I enjoyed watching. But I don't think it was really worth the hour and change I spent watching it, so I'd advise you all to pass on this one.

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This show was really great from start to finish, and I'm so glad I gave it a shot! I wasn't sure how I would like it, since I was really let down by JimmySea's previous show, but they were both incredible in this! They both improved so much as actors over the past year, and their chemistry was amazing. I was particularly impressed by Sea, who did such a good job portraying Day's complexity and made his blindness look very real.

As a whole, I was really impressed with how the show handled Day's blindness. There never was a moment where it felt like they forgot about it, and they included so many little details that showed that they really did their research for this show. I thought they did such a good job, and I loved how the arc of the show was largely about Day learning how to take care of himself and function as a blind man. It was empowering, really.

I didn't love the ending of the show (particularly the final episode and how it was set up), but on the whole this was such a wonderful show to watch.

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Chaotic and Hilarious!

This installment in the Midnight series is so fun! It's full of chaos and over-the-top camp that is just such fun to watch. I've thoroughly enjoyed my time watching it.

The visuals in this show were really great! The neon lights in the laundromat were so atmospheric, and brought a romantic tone to the story. The sets were really nice without being too complicated, and worked well for a shorter-form series.

The actors were, of course, wonderful. Nanon is a star, pure and simple, and he did so well in this sort of role. He was funny, charming, swoon-worthy, and even at one point kind of intimidating! He was a great choice for this show. The rest of the cast was awesome, as well. Film was cute and funny, and very good at the over-the-top style of the show. I loved seeing Foei and Jennie again and thought they hit the humor of the show so well. Everyone else was really good, too! I don't have a single complaint about the acting.

The story was also really solid. While ridiculous at times, it pulled at real issues and had a coherent theme throughout. The writing was tight-- I swear, there was not one single erroneous detail in the entire show. Everything shown to us-- characters, throwaway lines, set-pieces-- worked together to build up the story. Every character mattered in a way I hardly ever see in television. The story was done so well, and honestly I applaud whoever wrote it.

All in all, this was a great time and a great show. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a fast, funny show!

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A Very Cute and Unique Show!

There was so much I enjoyed about this show! Everything from the storyline, the characters, and the format was all so well done and so enjoyable to watch.

To start, the concept is such a good idea! The idea of two boys meeting online during COVID lockdown and creating a relationship fully through Facebook, Instagram, and video chats. The format where we pretty much only see through the characters' screens was really cool and original, and made for some interesting moments.

The characters, and the actors portraying them, were such a delight to watch, too! Gav was such an adorable character, and his juxtaposition with Cai's grumpiness was very sweet to see. Pearl was a nice intermediary between the two of them, and she helped the story feel a little less confined. Even the love rivals who appeared throughout the series were well-written and not just one-note villains, which was really nice to see! Everyone's acting was really great, too! Even in the scenes when characters were wearing masks— their eyes were so expressive!

I think the story also had a good balance of romantic-cuteness and the seriousness of the pandemic at large. It was sweet and fluffy and escapist at times, but the characters also were struggling from being cooped up at home for so long and had some personal hardships due to COVID.

All in all, this was such a good series and I'm so glad I got the chance to watch it!

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Very Cute Romance!

This was the final installment in the Girl Next Room series, and I thought it was a great ending! View and Faigun were adorable together, and the length felt like just the right amount of time to tell their story.

I would have liked to see more cameos by the other characters, though! Tankhun had a decently-sized role in this (and I enjoyed him much more as Fai’s friend than Sundae’s romantic interest), and Sundae and Mimi showed up a little, but none of the other characters did. It’s not a huge deal, but the cameos are something I love about the series and this one felt a little lacking in that regard.

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Absolutely Amazing!

The Gifted was a brilliant show that I will be thinking about for a long, long time. Everything about it was great: the characters, the plotting, the reveals, the twists... It kept me on the edge of my seat and had me constantly itching to go to the next episode.

While I'm not the biggest fan of ensemble-led shows with this sort of set-up (namely how the first six or so episodes focuses on one MC at a time before they really come together for the real plot), I still really enjoyed this show and how it played out. I liked the characters a lot— and their actors, too. Everyone was great in this, though I especially enjoyed the performances of Gun, Nanon, Sing, and Jane. Everyone was wonderful, but those four went above and beyond for me.

The story line was so interesting, too! I loved watching the different characters learn about their potentials, and watching Pang realize there's something much darker going on within the school. I love a good mystery, and this delivered on all fronts.

Also— I'm obsessed with the ending!! No spoilers, but honestly it was fantastic. I will surely be jumping into the sequel series ASAP!

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This isn't so much a drama as it is a cautionary tale intended to teach teenagers about the choices they make on the internet nowadays. It felt reminiscent of things I would have been shown in class during my middle and high school years, trying to show the dangers of the internet and how your anonymous words online can have a real-life effect.

At times, especially at the end of the final episode, it felt very preachy, but overall I do agree with its message. This isn't something I would necessarily recommend, but it wasn't bad and it was really quick to get through.

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Unique and Totally Bingeable!

This is a series that you don't want to put down— you just want to watch it from the beginning to the end. I enjoyed the ride immensely, and honestly I'm a bit sad to be done with it!

To start, the acting was just incredible. I've been fan of Mild and Tay for a while now, and they both brought their A-game in this show. And this was the first of Joss's shows I've seen, but I'm definitely a fan of his now. The three of them worked so well together and had such good chemistry— they were the best choices for a poly relationship. And the relationship!! It was really well done, though it did feel a little open-ended by the very end.

The plot was intriguing the whole way through, and I really enjoyed Mae and Ter's subplot as well! It was really emotional, and and interesting way to show us how messy the whole thing is because even the people hunting down our main characters are full people with feelings and contradictions, too.

I think my only real complaint was the very end, how Mr. Thana was finally defeated— I won't say how or what happened, obviously, but it was kind of a mix of vindication and convenience. Like I was happy it went the way it did, but it felt very easy after all the troubles they've all been through.

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Eh

There were definitely some shining stars in this series (namely Nanon and Chimon), but on the whole this show fell very flat for me. Most of the characters felt very unlikable, and the characters that I actually enjoyed (Pong and his friends) didn’t get nearly enough screen time. I wasn’t a huge fan of either of the romances, though I have less complaints about the BL romance.

To start, the bullying aspect of the story was really hard to watch— the first few episodes made me so sad every time Oh or Sun were bullied, though thankfully this was toned down some after a while (with the episode four debacle as an exception). I know I should have expected the bullying, but I just wasn’t prepared for how intense it got in places.

As far as the acting goes, I was SO impressed by Nanon’s performance in this series. Every other role I’ve seen him in so far has been much more stoic and serious, so seeing the differences in his mannerisms, his expressions, and how animated he portrays Oh was so fun. It really showed what a versatile actor he is. He plays into Oh’s awkwardness and the comedy of the show very well. Chimon also gave a very good performance, especially when it came to the soft looks and the subtle heartbreak later in the series. Otherwise, the other actors didn’t really stick out at all. They weren’t bad, but they weren’t amazing, either.

As for the romances, I was initially very hesitant about In and Sun’s relationship, mostly because In starts out bullying Sun. I’m not a fan of bully romances, but fortunately this situation changes very quickly and In spends much more time being Sun’s friend than his bully. The love triangle that formed here was kind of odd to me, but I do love me some pining so that part was pretty enjoyable. In and Sun are definitely not one of my favorite couples, but they were pretty cute.

When it came to Peach and Oh’s relationship, I had such a hard time rooting for them because I could not like Peach. She was so complicit in Copper bullying Oh: allowing Copper to force Oh— someone she considers a friend— to do her homework, and even just standing by while Copper very physically bullies him. I swear, if my boyfriend did something like Copper did in the fourth episode, he would have been dumped so fast his head would spin! And yet, Peach doesn’t even appear to care about it until multiple episodes later. Like, she knows Copper bullies Oh for spending time with her, and then goes out of her way to invite him to hang out? I just could not sympathize with her at all because of all this. I would have preferred she not know about Copper’s bullying— or at least the extent of it— and then break up with him once she learned about it. That could have at least made her somewhat likable.

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Would've Been Great Without the Last Episode

While this was a quick and overall fun show to watch, there were a lot of misses with this one for me. I wasn’t overly enthused by the premise— second-chance romances are some of my least favorite— and Sundae as a character wasn’t the type I’d typically enjoy watching. I did come to care for her by the end of the show, but I didn’t love her the way I loved, for example, Mimi from the next segment in this series.

In terms of the love triangle, I personally wasn’t a fan of the main lead at all and really preferred the second lead. The parts of the show I liked the best were when Sundae was either with her friends or with Mile. Those sections were the most fun and authentic for me— and whenever Tankhun came into the picture I wasn’t as interested. I also really disliked how the love triangle was handled in the end, where Mile was made out to be a bad guy out of nowhere just so Sundae was free to end up with Tan. The writers didn’t need to ruin Mile’s character just to make Tan look better, but that’s what they ended up doing.

The final episode was also very weird for me. I understand the writers wanting to make the show, however short it may be, deeper and touch on more serious topics, but I did not like how it was handled. Sundae’s depression wasn’t even really hinted at in the first five episodes and so when it came to light, it felt like a sharp turn in the story. It didn’t feel natural or engrained in the narrative at all.

Even so, I did mostly enjoy watching this. The acting was really strong— every actor did a brilliant job. I loved how the “Girl Next Room” series was introduced with Sky’s rap (it was HILARIOUS) and how we had a rap to preview the next installment in the series at the end. It was very funny and a very creative way to keep tying the shows together.

Overall, it was a fairly sweet and fun show to watch, though honestly I could have done without the final episode. Not one I would probably rewatch, but I’m not upset I watched it.

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U G H

My feelings for this show are all over the place, but ultimately I am SO disappointed. The story started off really intriguing, became very repetitive and meandering, and then ended with a fizzle. Ultimately, it felt like a waste of my time.

The story could have been good, especially with the reveals that there were more than just the God's Hands to deal with— but we spent so much time on the gang, that the other antagonists got so little time on screen and their plot lines felt rushed and really forced. It was really disappointing, too, because the other antagonists were much more interesting than the God's Hands, and I would have rathered see more of them. I was also very disappointed in the use of the predatory lesbian trope— it was gross and very much not needed in order to make [redacted] appear to be a villain. That definitely brought my rating down with just the last two episodes.

The really sad part is the fact that the cast was so amazing! Chimon, Nanon, First, Ohm, Drake... They were all so fantastic and wonderful to watch, and it was almost painful at times to see them in the midst of this crappy plot. Acting-wise, I really don't have any solid complaints, but even the best actors couldn't make this better. Especially because there were just too many main characters, so often characters like Bantad felt very shafted and undeveloped, even though they're billed to be as much of a lead as Traffic or Highlight. If they had limited Blacklist to four members, it might have felt stronger.

In regards to recommending this to someone— if you really like the cast and are desperate to see some of the actors, go for it. But otherwise, there are many far better dramas to try before you watch this one.

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Absolutely Wonderful!

(Literally the most mild spoilers ever, I promise!)

I'd heard nothing but amazing things about this show, and it truly did not disappoint! It's definitely one of my favorite dramas, and one of my favorite shows that I've ever seen. I have zero complaints about it— for me, it was perfect.

Let's start with Thun and Med. They are the heart of the show, and they were so freaking good. Ohm and Singto are both brilliant actors who absolutely killed every part of this— from the silly moments to the romantic ones to the sad, heart-wrenching ones. Ohm had me sobbing on multiple occasions. The two of them also had really great chemistry, and I loved the way the show handled their relationship. Specifically, I loved how they handled Thun falling for Med while also grappling with his own sexuality. Every part of it was so good. The scene in the rain, where Thun was screaming for Med and Med physically can't appear? Tore my heart out! The coming out scene with Thun's mom? Kicked me in the fucking GUT. Honestly, that scene was on par with the coming out scene in Love, Simon, which hit me so hard.

The show also did a really good job balancing the humor and the more serious parts of the story. My personal favorite was how Thun just gave zero fucks when it came to talking to Med in public— every time he earned a side-eye, or a weird comment, or that one time the girls moved tables to get away from him... I was laughing so hard! And on the other side, the show had me crying on multiple occasions, as well. It was a really good balance, though, so I never felt that the show was too silly or too emotional.

I really enjoyed the side/supporting characters, as well! I loved the friendship dynamic between Thun, Khem, Prince, and Prai. Especially just how stupid the boys would be— they felt like real, stupid college kids and I loved it. I also just really loved Prince and his whole subplot within the story. I felt like Chimon stole the show often throughout, though perhaps it's because I'm such a sucker for pining and will fall in love with any story that includes it. Still, I really enjoyed his performance.

Finally, I was so happy with the ending. The fact that it actually ended happily was such a surprise— you don't go into a ghost love story and expect it to end happily, I feel. But it did, and it was such a relief! I was expecting this show to emotionally wreck me (and that would have been nice, of course), so it was just a pleasant surprise when we got a happy ending.

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Great Chemistry Between the Characters, But Not A Great Plot

Ultimately, this was pretty cute and quick to watch, though there wasn’t much substance to it. There really wasn’t a tangible storyline followed through the show, which made the scenes feel sort of disconnected. Even the final conflict felt really contrived and forced, especially with how quickly it was ultimately resolved.

The acting felt pretty subpar— honestly, the only actor I thought gave a good performance the entire time was Gun. All of the others were really hit or miss, though I’m not sure how much of that is on the actors or the script itself. I’m leaning more towards the script, since even Off’s performance wasn’t great in the beginning and I’ve seen him in other shows enough to know he’s a better actor than this.

The first couple episodes were especially rough, script-wise. The scenes felt incredibly stilted and unnatural— the conversations didn’t flow well or feel real in any way. And the plot of the first couple episodes was so bizarre and nonsensical?? WHY did Porsche and Pick just follow Emma and Rome around the mall all day? They weren’t trying to talk to them, and it served the story nothing besides freaking the juniors out. Same with Porsche dressing up like a dog and then just mutely following Emma around the school— it just felt like they were going for funny and quirky so hard that they completely bypassed any logic.

By the third episode, it improved enough to be enjoyable. I started being able to see the chemistry between Porsche/Emma and Pick/Rome enough to feel invested, and even though the scenes still felt disconnected and just not a full story I was able to enjoy watching it. It would have done well to be a longer series so things could have been fleshed out a bit more— it might have made the story work better if there was more time.

All in all, it was cute and fun and it had enough puppies and kitties to keep me satisfied. Definitely not my favorite show I've watched, but it was still a good time.

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