ShotaSidePart
Corner of the curve... watching dramas, listening to kpop, and learning Japanese- こんにちは
This drama did what a drama is suppose to do- entertain.
Is it the best drama out there? IMO no but I still enjoyed it nevertheless.The drama was really saved by the amazing acting; of course Sung Woong is great in everything he does and Seung Ho is just so freakin adorable BUT I have to say the star of this drama goes to Goong Min. Dude was absolutely horrendous and I hated his character from start to finish- he was PHENOMINAL! He plays the villain you love to hate perfectly.
As the story actually played out it became a bit frustrating and ridiculous but that is to be expected with k-dramas. I fully recommend this one but just be prepared for a roller coaster ride of emotions.
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WATCH THE DIRECTOR'S CUT! THE ADDED SCENES MAKE THE PLOT MAKE MORE SENSE!!!
Director's Cut has 55 episodes while the edited version has 52I can see why people would give this a 10 but to me this is a SOLID 9- no more no less.
Not gonna lie and say that I was hooked on this drama from the start until the end. The actors did an AH-MAZING job, the costumes were beautiful as well as the scenery, and the OST is straight up beautiful.
The story... it's great but I somehow feel it could have been better in some areas. Some characters were given a lot of screen time and in the end we ended up not knowing what happened to them.
I feel the leads got together pretty quickly, and that would have been fine if this was a shorter drama. The feelings they developed for each other was really intense and kind of didn't mesh well for the pace of the drama (at least to me).
Another thing that bothered me is I wish there were more intimate scenes with the leads. By now it's no secret the editing team took out a crucial bed scene (it's not even available in the directors cut) but I really feel this drama would have benefited more with that.
Last thing, I understand why they decided to wait for the ML to... well you know... but I just felt like it was dragged on for way too long and I would have liked to have seen his character "whole" again for a couple more episodes.
Anyway that's my take away from this drama. I recommend it .
*btw this show has the tearjerker tag for a reason- I was balling my eyes out T_T snot and all
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Provocative for a Thai drama
I can see why this was such a hit- it's hella provocative, well at least from a mostly straight Thai drama with young actors/ actresses. Took me the first 4 episodes to really get invested but once I started I couldn't stop. Literally just finished the final episode and started the sequel right after.It's always weird for me to see young stars after watching them in adult roles so this was a shock for me (I'm looking at you Tor, Punpun and Fon) but it's nice to see them as newbies.
The story is nothing new to a westerner like me who grew up on Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries, or Degrassi but from a Thai perspective which is much more conservative I could see why this would cause such controversy. Young kids who are in that weird stage of not yet adults but are growing out of their kiddie ways just resonates to everyone because we have either gone through it or are currently goring through it. The portrayal from everyone was on point but special shout out goes to Tor and his Phai character- it was a major transformation and I was thoroughly impressed. Fon's Dao was also a standout character from where she started to where it ended.
The music was nice as they introduced Thai rock which I have never heard of before and it's a nice change to the slow or pop songs I tend to hear in lakorns.
Overall I would recommend this but like with any drama that has the MATURE tag- if you don't like/ can't handle adult situations then this might not be the drama for you. Regardless that it has kids as the main cast, they are dealing with real world adult situations that might make some uncomfortable.
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A+ for Originality
I gave this a much higher score than it deserves simply because the story is so interesting and original. Unfortunately the execution was poor; some of the cast (well most of them) are not great actors, but I can over look that (we all gotta start somewhere), some of the plots were rushed/ didn't make sense, and it ends on a cliffhanger. Apparently there is suppose to be another season as hinted in the last episode but it was suppose to air in 2019... at the time of this writing it is June 2020 -_-If we can get another season to explain things and conclude this really intriguing story, I would TOTALLY watch. That said, I would still recommend this as it's just a weird and unusual plot.
*Plus everyone is INSANELY good-looking- with a very loud shout out to Boom (especially with glasses), Choot and that androgynous look he has going on, and Fluke and his AH-MAZING smile and dimples ^_^
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The actors did an absolute amazing job with their performances and I won't be able to look at them the same because of it. The music matched perfectly with the drama and set the mood/ setting as music should.
The ending is not what I expected it to be but it was as realistic as a drama ending could be. So even though I was a bit disappointed, it was still ok. I would totally recommend this drama for those into a more mature story-line.
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But did I enjoy the crap out of it? Ya darn tootie I did
I can only whole-hardheartedly recommend this if you know the story about Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms. Otherwise you will watch this and be very confused. Since I have watched the drama, I understood the premise of the story pretty well and because of that was able to really appreciate this movie.
This story, the essential third life in the three lives series, is my favorite one because I love how bad ass Bai is and just how loving Yehua is. The fact that that arch got it's own story/ movie just shows it's the best one out of the three.
This movie, when looking at the source material and just how much there is, did a pretty decent job of trying to incorporate all this information is such a limited amount of time. It's a bit messy and a little nonsensical but again if, you know the backstory then you should be fine. Yang Yang... baby... you did AH-MAZING. Like I liked you before but I just straight up love you now. Luo Lin, I was looking at his made up face with my head cocked to the side pondering- I've seen that face before- Princess Wei Young! and married to Tiffany! lol
I highly recommend this one as this kind of story-telling that had romance but also adventure is my ideal.
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What a let down...
After 11 episodes, I had to put this on hold. The story started off so strong but as we went along it just became a drag to watch. I was expecting more interactions between Hae jin and Sung woong with like funny and awkward bl moments that would give the fl the wrong impression but they decided to just make it a regular boring ml/fl romcom instead.Min Jung, this is my first drama watching her and goodness gracious is she annoying. Like every time she is on screen I instantly became annoyed; she literally doesn't add to the plot and is just a barrier for progression. Hae jin's character in the drama, K, said that she isn't attractive- he's right.
This had so much potential especially with Hae jin and Sung woong so it's really disappointing that I have to let this one go- I wouldn't recommend it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Not As Good As The First
First review with spoilers as I like this drama but it also had me confused (at the end).*Warning- some flowery language is used
Dove straight into this after I binge watched the first season in one day and just could not get enough. This ended up not being as good as the first season simply because it ends on a cliff-hanger despite having another season (which I don't care to watch). The main cast consists of mostly seniors and with them graduating none of them actually get a proper ending- it's one of the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen in a drama.
Cast- for most of the cast this was their first acting role so I can forgive them for not being seasoned professionals but... still... some were just hard to watch.
~Win (Peach)- his role was greatly diminished compared to the first season yet he was still going through some major issues. He went to NY after the teacher fiasco and it was there he picked up a coke habit. That didn't end when he came back and of course the person to find out was Kwan, the girl he "loved" and set out to destroy in the first season. So yea he had his issues but they were never really dealt with or addressed expect for Kwan constantly asking him to stop. Does he get clean? Don't know but we do see him in his final scene in a hospital checking his grades. Does he go to college? What actually happens with Kwan? One thing that always bothered me is that we never see his family life. We could have got some reasoning as to why he acted the way he did.
~Kwan (Pattie)- after going out with Mhog, they end up breaking up in the final episode as she realizes she has no feelings for him. It's implied that her and Win have some weird attraction to each other but because of the shit Win did to her she could never truly forgiving him. I took came to my own conclusion that because she could never forgive, they could never be together. I guess she just goes off to dentistry school and just lives her life.
~Mhog (Michael)- one of two characters who when the episodes focused on them, it was emotional as fuck. The first one happens in the first season with his girlfriend breaking up with him and in this season it's his only parent, his father, dying from lung cancer. Mean while all the boys have been chain smoking since season 1, but it's after this episode they ease up on that. Mhog is a melancholy character and when he's happy Michael straight up looks uncomfortable. When he smiles it actually looks like it hurts.
~Phai (Tor)- the other character that had emotional episodes and they were damn good. Phai and his gf had the only true character development from the first season to this one. He went from someone with so much anger issues and literally being on the path to death to doing a complete 180 and and just becoming a better human being. He protected his on/off gf multiple times, got a girl pregnant and decided to stay with her although she decided to get an abortion, he just became a better guy.
~Sprite (Kao)- I hated this girl in the first season because, despite being a slut (she literally slept with every and anyone) she came in between Phai and his crew. At the end of last season and into this one, she was the only other character that had any sort of development. She changed her ways (stopped sleeping around), restored her friendship with Kwan, and was an actual decent girlfriend to Phai. The crap she had to go through this season was insane but also entertaining. Her and Phai, we never got closure to their relationship- did they get back together? The last time we see them is during the graduation party with her sitting outside sobering up and Phai asking is she and her ex doing ok. To which she replies they had broke up. I guess it's up to the viewer to assume they reunited.
~Taoi (Punpun)- talk about no development LIKE NONE AT ALL! She likes a guy, Tar, but (I'm assuming) she just doesn't want to ruin their friendship and denies her feelings when he confesses to her. She ends up with a guy who cheats on her with another guy. She actually never tell him why (she saw them in bed together) but just says she just doesn't love him anymore. It comes to the final episode and we think she is gonna finally confess these feelings she's had since season one to Tar and it's a big ass NOPE! I have never been more frustrated with a character before in my life. Punpun, she's not a strong actress but she plays the bitchy role really well. I don't think this was the right role for her as she has a natural resting bitch face and just always seemed to look annoyed... or she just smelled something hella stank- her face is always scrunched up.
~Tar (Gunn)- one of if not the only best actor in the entire group; he just came off as a natural compared to everyone else. His strong point is that he's loyal and a really good friend, like he loved and defended Taoi from the start but she wasn't having it (he confessed twice, the last episode could be counted as a third one) and to try to get over her he went and got a girlfriend. That was his weak point to me as he still had feelings for Taoi and was essentially hurting his gf. Taoi and Tar's "conclusion" was really the worst because everything came to ahead, he broke up with his gf because he still had feelings for Taoi and in their final conversation it played out like she was going to confess to him, and he was preparing for it only to be let down again. The disappointment on his face was telling and I genuinely felt bad for the kid.
~Dao (Fon)- she is a main character but at the same time she's a support one as she's a year younger than everyone else so she doesn't hang with the main crew but she had a decent story-line. She had sex and a pregnancy scare in the first season and we never see her talk with her parents about it, it just remains a secret for her to keep. This season she gets involved with a girl and her being in denial when it comes to her sexuality. None of that get resolved with her love interest but I'm assuming it does in the final season.
The rest are secondary characters who really don't matter: Phu is bi but struggles with it; loves Taoi and Thee but chooses Taoi; cheats on her with Thee and they break up (he never finds out she saw him in bed with Thee); Thee wants nothing to do with him but they somehow end up together in the last episode? Not sure but they were dancing and singing with each other. Thee gay character in love with Phu but chooses not to be around him cause Phu keeps emotionally hurting him but they somehow end up together.
The music was amazing; nice to hear some Thai rock/ alternative.
If you managed to read all that- MAJOR KUDOS! I would recommend this, assuming you watched season one. Be warned though the mature tag is there for a reason so if even though the main consists of kids, they are participating in ADULT situations.
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Acting/ Cast- Speaking of portrayals O_O OMG EVERYONE did an amazing job: Donghee and Joohyun SLAYED their roles- SLAYED!! They are the main characters but they sure made it hard to like them at times. The casting director did an outstanding job choosing these young stars and I can't wait to see more of them.
Music- It did what it was suppose to and set the mood. With certain scenes I would become more anxious and I realized it was because of the music showcasing that particular scene. The opening/ closing credits were the same song and it fit well.
Would I rewatch this? Not to say this is a bad drama, because it isn't, but I tend to not watch dramas again esp one that had me on the edge of my seat- the original thrill is gone.
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Recommended solely if you are a fan of the actors or like historicals.
This has been on my ptw list since I joined mdl 2 almost 3 years ago. It wasn't like I was putting it off but I just honestly kept forgetting to watch- it's not bad but not all that great.My 2 issues is the story got laggy. This could have totally been cut to 30 POSSIBLY 40 episodes which could have made the story more impactful. The other issue is character development wasn't really there which to me means crappy writing.
One good thing about these historicals are the sets and costumes which this obviously had- A1.
The acting was... idk how to describe it. Like not the best but not the worst either. I've seen several of Dil and Bin Bin's dramas and at this point it's the same thing just different characters- there's no range and even though they aren't terrible, I would like to see a different side to them.
Overall I enjoyed it even though it got repetitive and I would stop paying attention during some scenes but it's to be expected with these long dramas.
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As close to real as a drama can get
This was pretty phenomenal.My only issue is it was slow at times and although I like the subtly of the storylines, it became kind of a chore to understand the double meanings when characters were talking to each other.
The actors did an amazing job- mains and side characters did their job perfectly.
I HIGHLY recommend this one BUT only for those who have watched a ton of k-dramas with rich families and/ or can understand their dynamics otherwise you will be lost.
This is not a drama to watch for your fav oppa/ unni because the storyline just doesn't really call for that.
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Unfortunately, although this is his show, he's not the actual star of it so that means the comedy, though funny at times, was not really all that great. There were some comedians I was familiar with like Onishi Jimmy and Kukky but a bunch of new folks as well.
In the end it fell flat with me because some of the jokes were either boring/ dumb or straight up vulgar; makes sense as to how it ended the way it did. Either way though I will be watching the subsequent newer seasons.
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