Very toxic but really cute

I have to admit. This is one of my first Thai BL dramas so I'm new to the concept but I really loved this drama.

It was recommended to me by a friend and when she sat me down to start this series, I was a little skeptical due to the high rate of toxicity that was supposed to be in this one. Tropes like that usually throw me off UNLESS there's a healthy slide of redemption that comes with it. And boy does this drama serve that redemption HOT.

The drama works with a time travel element that's been done quite well. It starts off with Joe, one of the mains, working at a filmset where he comes to his demise. He then wakes up in a different body with the same name and meets all the people he used to know before including Ming his ex boyfriend. The series then takes us back to a time before the accident (2-3 years) where Joe and Ming meet. Joe works as a stuntman/stand-in for a well known actor named Tong. He meets Ming at a filming location where Ming accidentily hugs him, thinking he's Tong. Ming is secretly in love with Tong and wants to be with him, but Tong is in a relationship with Ming's sister. And thus.. since Joe and Tong are so similar (especially their backside) Ming starts something with Joe so he can have some kind of kinship with Tong. And that's messed up. Joe, who is completely unaware of Ming's intentions, falls in love with Ming and wants to take things as far as living and sharing everything together.

At that point I didn't think there was every going to be a redemption for Ming. He manipulated everything and everyone to make it go his way not ever considering what it might do to Joe if things ever came to light but the worst had yet to come. Ming was about the worst character I had ever come across in dramaland in levels of toxicity (eventhough it's one of my first BL series) and I seriously considered dropping the drama if this continued.

But things got better and they were done really well. I absolutely love that the drama doesn't excuse the toxic behaviour but actually takes the time for its characters to learn from it and grow. At the end of it I came to really love Ming and root for him.

Likes:
- The acting was amazing! Especially the main leads! Up made me hate Ming through and through but also made me love him to death. Poom's portrayal of Joe was incredible!
- How they worked with the fact that Joe was in a new body. They reminded the audience of it a couple of times by having the new Joe appear in mirrors and some scenes every now and then. I was shook everytime it happened because it was a reminder of something the old Joe had lost but also gained.
- Ming's redemption arc. They could not have done it better. It really showed how much Ming was willing to change for the better and how much he was willing to put in for Joe. He learned from his mistakes and became a better person. I loved that.

Dislikes:
- Sol. I didn't really feel anything for his character. The actor was a bit motionless. He was supposed to be a K-pop star but the whole thing just felt a little off.
- The redemption for Ming's father and Tong. The series trying to put some good light on these two made me angry. The reasoning behind the dad's behaviour was truly insane and Tong, in my opinion, didn't deserve any forgiveness. He'd done too much evil at that point to be so easily forgiven by everyone.
- The series could have been a couple of episodes longer. They introduced another couple to the audience in episode 11 which threw me off a little. Also, I would have like to have a little more background about the Joe who's body was taken by our main lead Joe. Too bad they didn't really touch up on that side of the story.

Overal, I really loved this drama. It's a definite must-watch for everyone who likes BL's (with a little toxicity on the side).

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A tale of revenge flowing into romance

When I first noticed this drama by watching shorts of it on TikTok, I was immediately sold. The promos showed me a villainous male lead, a badass female lead and a plot filled with revenge and action scenes.

The story follows that of Murong JingHe (a third prince from Yan whose life is under constant threat from his brother the crown prince) and Mei Lin (a survivor of the great fires of Qingzhou picked off the streets by the Shadow Works, an assassin organisation).
The first couple of episodes already had me on the edge of my seat and that tension didn't go away for quite a while. I loved the way they introduced certain characters. Jinghe, once a famous general, was responsible for the fires in Qingzhou and is now known to be a mass murderer and an outcast. His own people either hate him or fear him and he puts that to good use to put forth a certain image of himself. He gave all the red-flag vibes I wanted and more.
With lots of flashbacks we get to know the characters more and more. Usually I'm not a fan of flashbacks or timetravel things in dramas but these scenes actually had something to add to the story. It made me realise how difficult Mei Lin had it in the years after the fire in Qingzhou destroyed her home and family and added to her character.

Positives:
- The acting of this cast was A+++++. They had me immersed into the story and kept me wanting more and more. I vowed to myself never to start another ongoing show due to this one. I could barely wait for new episodes to air and was unable to watch anything else in between.
- I have never seen anything from Baron Chen before and I don't think I will ever be able to watch anything he's in after this role. Not because he did a bad job but because he did such a good job at portraying such an incredible douche-canoe that I gagged everytime he came into focus.
- The romantic development between the main leads. I thought it was really pure how it went from enemies-to-lovers. I loved watching JingHe realise his mistakes and go from a "I only want to fight battles and win them" to "I want to fight battles to protect those I love". Mei Lin pierces through his cold exterioir and finds the man within. It's a beautiful love story that gives us the raw and sweet moments of a romance within a revenge plot.
- A badass female lead who doesn't take bullshit from her surroundings. She knows how to take care of herself and her fight scenes are amazing!!
- The OST!! I've been playing its theme song on repeat for days!

Negatives:
- There was a love story between the emporer and his peace-making-concubine who wasn't even 20 years old. This one didn't sit well with me. I know it's part of historical reality. I mean.. emporers at that time did have wives of a third their own age but it just made me want to skip their scenes. Especially when she became pregnant with his child. It was a big no-no for me. He could have been her grandfather....
- The second lead romance. I really didn't understand why General Yin eventually fell for the crown prince. All he did was manipulate her into things even going as far as rape (okay.. he didn't go through with it, but still) her into a marriage. His entire character was build up to make the audience hate him. Redemption was far from being realised, in my opinion, so having general Yin fall in love with him, carrying his memorial tablet... it made me dislike her as a character.
- The eternal back and forth in the later parts of the series. Mei Lin is still poisoned by the Momai poison at that point and the amount of things they have to turn to in order to heal her... it made no sense. Everytime they came close it fell through at the last minute only to have them not succeed at all in the end. Or the fact that they kept saying she would only survive for so long and than have that period extended by a little more time. It just became ridiculous at some point.
- The ending. Although it's an okay ending to the story.. I wish they could have done a little better. With the way they've done it, it feel a little draggy and rushed at the same time and now the story feels unfinished to me.

Overal I really loved this drama. It's the best Cdrama I've seen in 2024. Maybe even drama of the year for me. It was everything I needed and everything I wanted.

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A great idea falling short

It took me a long time to pick this drama up. It's been in my TO-WATCH list for ever but since I became a fan of Luo Yunxi this drama could no longer stay unwatched.

I had heard great stories about this drama. The fact that it has one of the highest ratings in China made me excited to start it up. The first 10 episodes really pulled me into the story but, unfortunately, the story fell flat after that. To be honest... if the drama didn't Luo Yunxi in it I would have dropped it somewhere around episode 20.

Story:
I absolutely adored the beginning of the series. It's fun. It's upbeat and I was rooting for Xu Feng and Jin Mi to be together but, to be fair, that whole "Jin Mi can't feel any romantic feelings" took way too long to resolve. And when it almost did they repaired that stupid pellet and it took even longer for her to feel any kind of romantic emotion. It turned her character arc in a plain, simple and dumb one. She became an annoying character that couldn't think for herself. The entire mortal realm arc fell flat and I wasn't involved in Xu Feng and Jin Mi's romance anymore. It felt like they were side characters in a story that was supposed to be about them and it remained that way for most of the drama.
What did become interesting was Run Yu's story arc. A good guy turned villain. It's just too bad that they turned him into a heartbroken "if I can't have her, no one can" kind of guy. I was rooting for him up until the point that everything he did was because of Jin Mi and wanting to keep her at his side. I just didn't understand why the two men were fighting over someone like Jin Mi. Also, I don't understand why this drama had to be around 60 episodes. It could have been way better if it had 30 episodes less. The tension would have been higher. Most of the storylines became draggy and very slow-paced so I skipped some of it. I loved Lui Ying but some of her scenes with Mu Ci were very slow and repetitive. Their bond together is very sweet and I adored them but Mu Ci, especially in the beginning of their arc, kept pushing her away for the same reasons over and over again. He went back and forth on his decision to leave her so I stopped watching them and skipped most of their scenes.

Overal likes:
- Run Yu's storyline. Luo Yunxi portrays him so well too!
- Fox Immortal and Lord Puchi. They were the ones who pulled me through the series. I loved their characters.
- The fact that Puchi shapeshifted into Run Yu to save Jin Mi. Luo Yunxi really shined with his acting in these scenes!
- I loved the sets and environment they created for this drama. Both Heavenly realm and Demon realm are so pretty and well done. The costumes too! Truly amazing work!
- The way the demon realm seemed more good than the heavenly realm. They really showed the meaning of Yin and Yang in this drama and I loved that.
- Deng Lun's acting, especially in the last few episodes. Made me feel all the feels.

Overal dislikes:
- Jin Mi. She became the dumbest character in cdrama history. At times I just wished she'd become more powerful and would use her head for once but she always fell flat in that department.
- The mortal realm episodes. It felt like the drama didn't need those episodes. It was necessary for Jin Mi to undergo mortal trials, true, but Xu Feng's choice to go after her didn't make any sense. How can you protect someone if you don't know who she is, what is happening and why you needed to protect her in the first place? The blokkade to the mortal realms he stumbled upon before jumping in after her was the stupidest thing ever. Especially considering Run Yu could visit the mortal Jin Mi every time he wanted. It was ridiculous. Xu Feng's decision didn't help him at all. It almost got him and Jin Mi killed.
- The actual timeline was very hazy at times. Time goes by very fast in the series. Sometimes spanning over a 100 years without the audience knowing. I found out in the latter part of the drama that the first ten episodes span over a 100 years which became a funny thing to me. Sometimes the drama does drop hint about how much time had passed but it doesn't always do that. I was surprised most of the time to find out hundreds of years had gone by.

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A wonderful experience

I've long hesitated to write a review about this one because how does one write a review about something so beautiful as ITSAY?

I've seen many dramas, watched many shows and found many of them amazing and mind-blowing but I Told Sunset About You is something special amongst everything I have ever finished. Everything about it blew me away. It has an amazing cast that can act so good I find it hard to find anything worth my while after finishing ITSAY. The music too.. it just fits so well to the storyline which is only strengthened by the cinematography.. Each episode felt like a piece of art.

Likes:
- Teh's discovery of his feelings towards Oh Aew. It felt so realistic to have him doubt himself and those around him. I'm really happy they chose to show his struggle and hesitance to accept he might feel something romantic for a boy, and his fear for what everyone else might think about him.
- The cinematography. The way they filmed the show made me fall in love with Thailand (especially Phuket) and makes me want to visit it sometime. But there's so much hidden in between the lines and scenes. Like I said.. it felt like a piece of art while watching it.
- The music. Most of the songs are sung by the main leads but the instrumental versions blew me away too. Made me feel the feels that much stronger.
- The acting. This cast deserves all the awards and more. 5 episodes is not nearly enough and I need more. THANK GOD there's a season 2.
- The chemistry between the main leads. It was BOMB.
- Teh's immediate acceptance that Oh Aew was in love with a boy and his willingness to help.
- A supportive female friend.

Dislikes:
- Teh felt immature most of the time. It made me wonder if he had difficulty recognizing emotions in others or knowing how his actions could hurt others.. I did hate him for a long while because he treated his best friend like shit.

I feel like I can watch this how over and over again and never get bored. It's a true gem hiding in plain sight and I feel like every BL fan should watch this one.

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