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Needs Work
I'm late to the party, though in this case isnt a bad thing.Let me start by saying hazing is a fucking attrocious act and it should not ne treated as anything less.
The homophobia is something ill comment on later.
You can definitely tell this is an earlier BL drama due to how subject matter presented and how topics are poorly handled. Like how this show ia trying to make hazing seem like a trivial thing...i shit you not.
Three or more odd moments stick out were characters are like 'oh i met my wife' or 'it heloe appreciate...', 'and i made friends...'. that is just glossing over an act that is very problematic. Its not an after school event were people ocassionally get abused by others, its a problem and it is poorly handled, i cant helo but think the head writer was very disillusioned.
Now onto the homophobia...i dont know what its like im Thailand so i have to right to throw american homophobia into their culture, but the "i don't like men just Arhit..." ruined that moment when they openly admited they are dating. Yhis isnt the first bl to do this, but as high as it is rated youd think they set a golden standard and they go below what is stated.
It has no rewatch value. Its not even good fluff, the story is more "serious" with the hazing, but the lack of using the material to have a better story was completely wasted
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This film isn't usually my fair, but I came for the BL and felt a little cheated. It almost felt that the King was a villain, but honestly there were none, it was just a series of events that ended in a tragedy.
I don't understand people's issue with the ending. I can see where they might be coming from if I had a high-powered microscope, but to me it felt like that was the overall theme...loss.
The king had loved chief Hong for years only to have the betrayal of not being loved back and to be told, and I even think Hong during back to the King with the single tear was his apology because in saying no, was the only way for the king to let him go and fight him seriously...
Overall the movie was gripping, I always think Asian films just go overboard with straight sex like they're trying to redeem themselves for some reason, but the whole film kept me invested
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This was sooo slow and very frustrating. The pacing meandered so much, and when it got to really poignant scenes I felt like the pacing just made them seem longer than need be. Don't get me wrong some of the characters stories were interesting, but somethings I'm not conversant in is Thai culture. The constant backing down from characters to save face is getting super tiring and this happens so much, especially in this drama. Like with the gay group of boys on the cheer squad, I mean they worked to get on the squad then they turn around and are like maybe we should side with the bigot. Ok it wasn't like that, they were afraid of being made fun of, which is legit, but how you gonna have unapologetically queer characters be afraid to cheer? Again I get it, the point I'm attempting to make is that characters need consistency.
This is set in highschool so characters think their choices are concrete and they can't change them. Something else the logic is just so flawed...oh you have a girlfriend and where two guys so it won't work?? I can understand, but if this isn't a thing about coming out, why are you worried about being seem with another guy?
I'm rambling, this so was just...tiring. I found myself fast forwarding and was still very aware of the story
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This movie isnt intense, but it's got twist and turns that keep the view engaged.Nan and Ze have been together 10yrs after the events of Kinematics, and now there relationship is tested. At fist I couldn't even Recognize Ze's actor for the reason he was so different. He was a supposed genius but 10 years later he's like the rest of us...it just felt off. The story moves fairly linear and has some flashback that are linear, it's only when they flash back to the couple's happier moments, is when you can be thrown off a bit
I think it tackled a lot of same sex issues well and didn't sugar coat them, I do agree with some reviews about the not just being upfront and resolving things, but that's how a lot of people behave, and two it's fiction that's the route of dramatics chosen for the film.
I related to Chunzi so much, and that is something very real and visceral. His death didn't make any major plot points other than to give a natural flow to people meeting up, but it just show, to me the process of someone going through depression in a world that has cast them out.
Music seemed to just be present like a heart beat in this film. Moments just landed one after the others and I felt drawn into their world.
I found the movie to be one of those that sits with you on some level that after you've had time to ruminate and figure out what that is you can appreciate that feeling that moment brought.
I think it deserves a rewatch in the future just to get a better grip of the characters choices and the overall narrative
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I think this should have a much higher eating than people have given it.First Ae and Pete are the most unproblematic couple of seen so far and it is wonderful, they communicate with each other and they don't let issues fester. I don't understand people's bent for drama, but alot of BL Drama go for the "let's just be mad and not communicate for 12 episodes and then resolve it at the end". This doesn't happen here. Yes at times their relationship is saccharine to the point of diabetes, and sometimes too easy, but they work their issues out and move forward. Neither one felt fake I their characterization
The character of Pete had the most annoying voice that was forced but I get it, he's literally supposed to be this untouched innocence.
Pond was a fun, unproblematic friend and crazy supportive, like most in the series, but I actually liked when he appeared, not only was he his own character, which I wanted to see more of, he added to the show overall, not just a device to further the main characters story.
Ok now the two issues... rape, it's wrong period and the show didn't handle it well, they tried with tharn/type, but they kinda left tum/that's story drop too. So tum forcing himself in o tar wasnyot as severe as people make it sound, and it was over before it began. No on the other hand was raped and the issue was treated like "haha, the guy tricked him into being his boyfriend even though he slept with home when he was drunk". That is problematic but alot of BL don't handle drama well, so much trauma happens yet therapy doesn't exist it's like oh I'll never talk about it and it'll heal.
Tim/can was another cute couple though it's not as tragic as people make it out to be. You have two guys who are having the preconceived notions challenged by each other and it is causing them to look inward. Like can confessing he doesn't like the new emotions hes feeling when he's with tin, but he wants to be with tin, and tin learning to open up.
I honestly think this show is the best BL out there in terms of character,and story. The actors feel rooted in there characters and it shows. There are arcs and clear objects the move the story along at a place that is never fully or aggravating...i.e. My Engineer, but I digress.
I highly recommend people give this one a shot, it's vastly different from others out there and worth a chance
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