Gubble
Should've been a film
180 degree longitude is the slowest slowburn that has ever burnt. It certainly has some exceptional aspects that I cannot fault, however, it has some glaring issues. The cinematography is gorgeous, but it's basically the exact same shot throughout the entire series (with the same colour grading and atmospheric noise). The dialogues are too long and a bit repetitive at times, though the things they talk about are nuanced, interesting, and culturally relevant.
There are serious issues with the pacing- while they catch feelings very quickly, it takes forever for anything to actually happen, and when things happen, its bound to happen like 5 more times because the plot goes around in circles. I also understand this is kind of the point though: the conflict and the motives behind the repetitive plot help us to understand the backstory and the characters, which are largely shrouded in mystery. But overall, the information given about backstory and characters is told through spoken dialogue and is as such very hard to follow. If they were a bit more creative with how they told these plot points (eg using flashbacks, analogies, dramatic reveals), then it would be a lot easier and more interesting to follow. There is also no distinction between the episodes: while other series have small plot arcs that are sometimes concluded in a single episode, this series only really has 1 plot arc that lasts the whole series. I liked the ending, though I understand why others would hate it.
The cast of 3 people was chosen very well, and they match the characters they're supposed to portray very well. The acting was good, though perhaps lacked dynamics at points. The chemistry between the two leads is fantastic and is helped greatly by their good looks and the direction of the more sexual scenes.
Overall, its a series that requires a lot of patience, but if you do watch it all, you are rewarded with a BL that provides new ideas and insights into the genre.
Perhaps the best way to sum it up is that it would've worked better as a film. If it was, having the same cinematography/ editing throughout all of it would actually be a positive, the dialogue and plot would have to be more concise and less repetitive, and the whole production could have 1 beginning, middle, and ending, instead of requiring 8 different, smaller beginnings, middles, and endings for each episode.
There are serious issues with the pacing- while they catch feelings very quickly, it takes forever for anything to actually happen, and when things happen, its bound to happen like 5 more times because the plot goes around in circles. I also understand this is kind of the point though: the conflict and the motives behind the repetitive plot help us to understand the backstory and the characters, which are largely shrouded in mystery. But overall, the information given about backstory and characters is told through spoken dialogue and is as such very hard to follow. If they were a bit more creative with how they told these plot points (eg using flashbacks, analogies, dramatic reveals), then it would be a lot easier and more interesting to follow. There is also no distinction between the episodes: while other series have small plot arcs that are sometimes concluded in a single episode, this series only really has 1 plot arc that lasts the whole series. I liked the ending, though I understand why others would hate it.
The cast of 3 people was chosen very well, and they match the characters they're supposed to portray very well. The acting was good, though perhaps lacked dynamics at points. The chemistry between the two leads is fantastic and is helped greatly by their good looks and the direction of the more sexual scenes.
Overall, its a series that requires a lot of patience, but if you do watch it all, you are rewarded with a BL that provides new ideas and insights into the genre.
Perhaps the best way to sum it up is that it would've worked better as a film. If it was, having the same cinematography/ editing throughout all of it would actually be a positive, the dialogue and plot would have to be more concise and less repetitive, and the whole production could have 1 beginning, middle, and ending, instead of requiring 8 different, smaller beginnings, middles, and endings for each episode.
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