KAD
This review may contain spoilers
Watch the 2018 teaser and the official MV. Pretend this sequel series never happened
I watched this (and the movie) for Fluke Natouch, aka one of the best actors in the BL genre. Why, oh why did this production do this to such a great actor? How can anyone waste such talent?
I'll put this upfront.
The lead actors did their job. The supporting actors (I mean Nuea and Tar because I've only watched their scenes amongst all the side couples)....were ok.
Unfortunately, they were given scenes to act out, not a story to tell.
It's the writing and editing that made this yet another disappointing sequel.
SPOILERS THROUGHOUT.
How not to ruin a much awaited sequel:
1) Do not introduce a bunch of new characters which don't play any role in the central plot/are barely related to each other, whom the audience doesn't care for.
2) Do not break up important, emotional scenes from the central CP with scenes from the new CPs, whom the audience doesn't care for.
3) Do not fill 80% of the screentime with the new CPs, whom the audience doesn't care for.
4) Do not skip the time between scenes and rob the main characters their chance to portray growth and emotion aftermath of those key scenes.
5) Do not break up the CP which fans are watching the sequel for without giving proper character development and resolutions to conflicts which make the break-up acceptable to fans.
6) Do not threaten to break up the said CP and then introduce a fairy godmother to suddenly change hearts and decisions. A forced happy ending is worse than an organic 'bad ending'.
--- Overly ambitious with too many side pairings ---
I feel cheated by the sequel. They could have just focused on Bank and Golf, and make it a movie instead of an 8-episode sequel where Bank and Golf are mere 'special guests'. In fact, the editing (or maybe the screenplay itself was written that way) was so choppy, I had to check different sources to confirm that the one I was watching is not a bogus one with parts left out. There was no closure of scenes and links to explain how Bank and Golf's behaviour changed between scenes - Bank in particular since he is understandably under more stress and shock from the turn of events.
How am I to watch their scenes when at the back of my mind is, "Golf had stagnated at their relationship from 5 years back but Bank, having thought Golf was dead, has moved on to a new lover." With that in mind, all I saw was the uneasiness and awkwardness on Bank's face when Golf showed affection during their time together prior to Golf finding out about Arm.
Actually, the different places where they now stand at posed a very good conflict to explore, but the series failed to make the best out of this potential. Instead, it introduced a bunch of characters I cared nothing for. If a second CP is necessary, just introduce one and build them up properly; don't be greedy and end up with a bunch of CPs which are just glossed over. I lost track of how many....4 side CPs? Just too many!
What mattered most wasn't dealt with, and it pained me as I watched the Bank/Golf/Arm scenes in the sequel. Worse still, I was forced to watch a sequence of those CPs spending happy times together at a point in the plot where I ought to be weeping with one half of the CP I was watching the sequel for. The worst thing was, there was no satisfactory pay-off at the end of all that pain.
In the final make-up scene where Bank was finally showing some hints of romantic happiness being with Golf, the lapse in continuity from his previous reactions towards Arm and Golf made it difficult for me as a viewer to connect. By then, Bank as a character had lost his charm. Also, I wasn't convinced of his love for Golf anymore. He even said it himself, "Precious love cannot replace a precious relationship". And we know he chose the latter.
No, wait. He didn't. Arm made the choice for him.
--- Character actions and emotions do not make sense ---
So Bank now loves Arm, in his own words. But why? As the audience, we've seen how Bank and Golf fell for each other. Though illogical, we accepted how Golf pretended to die in exchange for what seemed to be the only way to a future with Bank. It moved our hearts.
If the sequel had wanted to resolve the conflict of choosing between a short-term "love" and a long-term stable relationship, the least it could do was to show us how the new lover won Bank's love, right?
In the teaser, Bank was shown saying, "First love is not easy to forget. It has been 5 years, but I still cannot forget him." The scenes where Bank went to revisit places with memories of Golf, and his 'grave', left a deep impression on me.
So how did Bank get over that first love and accept Arm?
Perhaps the sequel thought that with the 5 years that passed, fans have forgotten those feelings from My Bromance 1. But it should consider Bank's own words: "We don't know how long a person will remain in one's memories. But in order for someone to stay with us forever, we have to keep them in our hearts, not just in our memories."
How am I to believe in the central conflict where Bank has to choose between his two loves, just because Bank at one point tells us, "Bank loves Arm. There is really nothing between Bank and Golf. Bank and Golf are just brothers"?
The memory montage in the last episode was a joke. In the part 1 120mins movie, there were so many tiny details, moments which set our hearts fluttering: Golf noticing an eyelash on Bank's nose and removing it for him, Golf's many silent moments watching Bank.
But in this part 2 8-episodes series, there were no memorable moments. The happiness I felt from Bank when he was with Arm....I don't sense the same from the scenes he shared with Golf.
For me the most memorable scene associated with the sequel is the teaser where someone asked Bank how long he is willing to hold a secret love for someone. He replied, "Forever."
This was the Bank I loved. I was searching high and low for that in the series proper. If only the series had expanded on what was presented in the teaser.
My last complaint about consistency irritated me to no end that in such an important scene, there is a lapse in logic. In episode 9, where we see Bank and Golf spending time together after their reconciliation, Golf gifts Bank with the ring he retrieved from his grave. Yes, the one Bank left by his grave, which I thought was Golf's. In the movie, we saw Bank wearing a ring after that so I'd thought he took his and left Golf's at the grave. This was further confirmed in the sequel when Golf asked Bank why he wasn't wearing the ring he bought him. But in this post-reconciliation scene, Golf took out that ring and put it on Bank, while Bank took out his and put it on Golf. So....I guess all along the ring left by the grave was Bank's, while Bank took Golf's so that he can carry Golf everywhere he went. Please, is it too much to ask for consistency at least within the sequel?
--- The only good thing about the plot ---
At least we found some answers to the questions from the movie regarding that lady who appeared out of the blue with Golf when he returned from America. This sequel was announced in 2018, after the BL scene begun to take flight in Thailand. I wonder if such closure had been planned during the movie back in 2013/2014, or if this was just an after-thought to plug the gap.
Even to the every last second, the series had to put a big question mark on my face. Why did Arm have to die? Does it change anything if he didn't die?
--- In conclusion ---
What a waste of the acting talent that is the two Flukes. Especially for Fluke Natouch, who has been the more active one in recent years. I know he is capable of so much more. Both Flukes delivered their scenes well, but there is only so much they can do when the writing is bad. A good actor can only connect with the audience through a well-written character and plot. Similarly, a well-written character comes to life when acted out by a good actor. I'm only giving 3 stars in the acting category because of the two Flukes, and mainly for Fluke Natouch.
The lack of character consistency and development sucked life out of Bank and Golf as characters, destroying the persons I grew to love from the movie. They failed to get me to empathise with them and I felt......nothing.
To the production: You had Fluke Natouch on your cast and you delivered this. Shame on you.
My recommendation is to just watch the teaser (released in 2018), the official MV and then episode 9. That's good enough closure to the movie.
3 stars for music, solely because of the existence of the MV which combines all the GolfxBank cuts.
Rewatch value of 1 star only because it ride on the goodwill from GolfxBank from the movie. Even for Fluke Natouch I wouldn't rewatch this as an independent work.
I'll put this upfront.
The lead actors did their job. The supporting actors (I mean Nuea and Tar because I've only watched their scenes amongst all the side couples)....were ok.
Unfortunately, they were given scenes to act out, not a story to tell.
It's the writing and editing that made this yet another disappointing sequel.
SPOILERS THROUGHOUT.
How not to ruin a much awaited sequel:
1) Do not introduce a bunch of new characters which don't play any role in the central plot/are barely related to each other, whom the audience doesn't care for.
2) Do not break up important, emotional scenes from the central CP with scenes from the new CPs, whom the audience doesn't care for.
3) Do not fill 80% of the screentime with the new CPs, whom the audience doesn't care for.
4) Do not skip the time between scenes and rob the main characters their chance to portray growth and emotion aftermath of those key scenes.
5) Do not break up the CP which fans are watching the sequel for without giving proper character development and resolutions to conflicts which make the break-up acceptable to fans.
6) Do not threaten to break up the said CP and then introduce a fairy godmother to suddenly change hearts and decisions. A forced happy ending is worse than an organic 'bad ending'.
--- Overly ambitious with too many side pairings ---
I feel cheated by the sequel. They could have just focused on Bank and Golf, and make it a movie instead of an 8-episode sequel where Bank and Golf are mere 'special guests'. In fact, the editing (or maybe the screenplay itself was written that way) was so choppy, I had to check different sources to confirm that the one I was watching is not a bogus one with parts left out. There was no closure of scenes and links to explain how Bank and Golf's behaviour changed between scenes - Bank in particular since he is understandably under more stress and shock from the turn of events.
How am I to watch their scenes when at the back of my mind is, "Golf had stagnated at their relationship from 5 years back but Bank, having thought Golf was dead, has moved on to a new lover." With that in mind, all I saw was the uneasiness and awkwardness on Bank's face when Golf showed affection during their time together prior to Golf finding out about Arm.
Actually, the different places where they now stand at posed a very good conflict to explore, but the series failed to make the best out of this potential. Instead, it introduced a bunch of characters I cared nothing for. If a second CP is necessary, just introduce one and build them up properly; don't be greedy and end up with a bunch of CPs which are just glossed over. I lost track of how many....4 side CPs? Just too many!
What mattered most wasn't dealt with, and it pained me as I watched the Bank/Golf/Arm scenes in the sequel. Worse still, I was forced to watch a sequence of those CPs spending happy times together at a point in the plot where I ought to be weeping with one half of the CP I was watching the sequel for. The worst thing was, there was no satisfactory pay-off at the end of all that pain.
In the final make-up scene where Bank was finally showing some hints of romantic happiness being with Golf, the lapse in continuity from his previous reactions towards Arm and Golf made it difficult for me as a viewer to connect. By then, Bank as a character had lost his charm. Also, I wasn't convinced of his love for Golf anymore. He even said it himself, "Precious love cannot replace a precious relationship". And we know he chose the latter.
No, wait. He didn't. Arm made the choice for him.
--- Character actions and emotions do not make sense ---
So Bank now loves Arm, in his own words. But why? As the audience, we've seen how Bank and Golf fell for each other. Though illogical, we accepted how Golf pretended to die in exchange for what seemed to be the only way to a future with Bank. It moved our hearts.
If the sequel had wanted to resolve the conflict of choosing between a short-term "love" and a long-term stable relationship, the least it could do was to show us how the new lover won Bank's love, right?
In the teaser, Bank was shown saying, "First love is not easy to forget. It has been 5 years, but I still cannot forget him." The scenes where Bank went to revisit places with memories of Golf, and his 'grave', left a deep impression on me.
So how did Bank get over that first love and accept Arm?
Perhaps the sequel thought that with the 5 years that passed, fans have forgotten those feelings from My Bromance 1. But it should consider Bank's own words: "We don't know how long a person will remain in one's memories. But in order for someone to stay with us forever, we have to keep them in our hearts, not just in our memories."
How am I to believe in the central conflict where Bank has to choose between his two loves, just because Bank at one point tells us, "Bank loves Arm. There is really nothing between Bank and Golf. Bank and Golf are just brothers"?
The memory montage in the last episode was a joke. In the part 1 120mins movie, there were so many tiny details, moments which set our hearts fluttering: Golf noticing an eyelash on Bank's nose and removing it for him, Golf's many silent moments watching Bank.
But in this part 2 8-episodes series, there were no memorable moments. The happiness I felt from Bank when he was with Arm....I don't sense the same from the scenes he shared with Golf.
For me the most memorable scene associated with the sequel is the teaser where someone asked Bank how long he is willing to hold a secret love for someone. He replied, "Forever."
This was the Bank I loved. I was searching high and low for that in the series proper. If only the series had expanded on what was presented in the teaser.
My last complaint about consistency irritated me to no end that in such an important scene, there is a lapse in logic. In episode 9, where we see Bank and Golf spending time together after their reconciliation, Golf gifts Bank with the ring he retrieved from his grave. Yes, the one Bank left by his grave, which I thought was Golf's. In the movie, we saw Bank wearing a ring after that so I'd thought he took his and left Golf's at the grave. This was further confirmed in the sequel when Golf asked Bank why he wasn't wearing the ring he bought him. But in this post-reconciliation scene, Golf took out that ring and put it on Bank, while Bank took out his and put it on Golf. So....I guess all along the ring left by the grave was Bank's, while Bank took Golf's so that he can carry Golf everywhere he went. Please, is it too much to ask for consistency at least within the sequel?
--- The only good thing about the plot ---
At least we found some answers to the questions from the movie regarding that lady who appeared out of the blue with Golf when he returned from America. This sequel was announced in 2018, after the BL scene begun to take flight in Thailand. I wonder if such closure had been planned during the movie back in 2013/2014, or if this was just an after-thought to plug the gap.
Even to the every last second, the series had to put a big question mark on my face. Why did Arm have to die? Does it change anything if he didn't die?
--- In conclusion ---
What a waste of the acting talent that is the two Flukes. Especially for Fluke Natouch, who has been the more active one in recent years. I know he is capable of so much more. Both Flukes delivered their scenes well, but there is only so much they can do when the writing is bad. A good actor can only connect with the audience through a well-written character and plot. Similarly, a well-written character comes to life when acted out by a good actor. I'm only giving 3 stars in the acting category because of the two Flukes, and mainly for Fluke Natouch.
The lack of character consistency and development sucked life out of Bank and Golf as characters, destroying the persons I grew to love from the movie. They failed to get me to empathise with them and I felt......nothing.
To the production: You had Fluke Natouch on your cast and you delivered this. Shame on you.
My recommendation is to just watch the teaser (released in 2018), the official MV and then episode 9. That's good enough closure to the movie.
3 stars for music, solely because of the existence of the MV which combines all the GolfxBank cuts.
Rewatch value of 1 star only because it ride on the goodwill from GolfxBank from the movie. Even for Fluke Natouch I wouldn't rewatch this as an independent work.
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