Should have stuck to one plotline...

I saw so many people hyping this show up and I wanted so badly to like it but I just found that it felt like two different plots/worlds smashed together into one with no real link between them. I'm not trying to be a hater - the fight scenes were great, the effects were good, and the storyline was interesting, but I just could not like it as much as I wanted to.

Tharn and Phaya are training to become part of the special forces detective team, and the training is intense, to say the least. It seems as though Tharn has some kind of innate sense if Phaya is in danger, and this sense is rooted in visions that allow him to see the danger that Phaya is in. The two of them become closer throughout their training, and even closer after it's completed and they're initiated into the force. However, there is an evil lurking. While trying to catch a rich and powerful drug cartel, secrets of the Naga sea monster threaten their safety more than the cartel does.

My main issue here is that we have this drug smuggling investigation going on with a team of detectives we've grown to love, and also the plot of the Naga, which seems to be totally unrelated except for the fact that Tharn is involved. If this was a fantasy/supernatural story, where Phaya and Tharn are dealing with the issue of the Naga, I'd have no problems with it. Or, if this was a story about becoming detectives and investigating this elaborate case, I would love it. However, combining these two things took away from the show, in my opinion. It felt like the Naga was added on too late in the show to be really important, and also it felt like it took away from the detective aspect of it and didn't give us a chance to see the investigation fully play out. I found myself getting distracted while watching it, waiting for the (well done) action scenes and case developments.

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Red flag after red flag

My Stand-In was SO engaging - the twists the story took, the action scenes, and the dynamic characters were super fun to watch. The actors did a fantastic job portraying the characters, and the storyline was one of the most unique ones I've seen from a Thai show recently. It was truly a very well done show. However, I found it really hard to enjoy the main relationship because of how toxic it was.

Joe works as a stunt double for a famous actor named Tong, and has worked with him for awhile since they have similar builds. When Ming mistakes Joe for Tong from behind, Ming and Joe end up chatting a bit - and going home together. To the viewer, it's pretty clear that Ming's reason for hooking up with Joe is that he's actually in love with Tong, but Tong is straight and dating Ming's sister. To make matters worse, Joe genuinely likes Ming and wants to be with him,, but is completely unaware of the fact that not only is he Tong's stand-in in his movies, but also Tong's stand-in for Ming. Relationship troubles are quick to follow, as are the difficult politics of drama in the film industry.

You learn in the first episode that Joe dies in a stunt accident, and spend awhile getting back to this point, which I thought was really well done. Then, Joe navigating life in a new body adds another layer of plot and character development to him, which was fantastic to watch. But I could NOT get over how much I hated Ming throughout the series. Every thing he does is so clearly motivated by his own selfish interests, and it isn't for a LONG time into the show that he genuinely seems to care about Joe. I found myself hoping that Joe would come to his senses and date literally anyone else. By the end of the show, Ming was a bit better, but I was mostly just yelling at my TV hoping that Ming would leave Joe alone. If you don't mind toxic couples, the show is really interesting and well done, and worth the watch. If this is a deal breaker for you, steer clear of My Stand-In.

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Kept waiting for it to get better

After the success of Love in the Air, I was curious as to what the actors would do next, so naturally I tried Love Sea. Unfortunately, this one really missed the mark for me. It was extremely average, with the most predictable plot imaginable. While the actors did a fine job, their characters didn't feel all that different from their roles in LITA, and the story kind of went no where.

Tongrak (Peat) is a wealthy, very successful author who decides to take a trip to an island to get over his writer's block. On the island he meets Mahasamut (Fort), who shows him around and takes care of him. While on the island, the two start hooking up, and Tongrak decides he wants Mahasamut to come back to Bangkok with him, where he'll pay him to basically be his live-in boyfriend. They enter into this contract with one condition: no falling in love. However, Mahasamut claims from the start that he can't agree to that one term.

For at least the first seven episodes, this show was frankly kind of boring. I'm just not a huge fan of the friends with benefits to lovers concept, and this one was exceptionally predictable. I thought of dropping this drama so many times but kept thinking that it had to get more interesting. While it picked up towards the end, even then I felt like we weren't really getting anywhere with the relationship or the characters. I think this is only worth watching if you're a big fan of Fort and Peat.

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Tried to do too much

My impression was that Gun and Pitch would be the main couple in this series, but their relationship was the worst out of all of them. An overdone, uninteresting love triangle with Zo that lasted way too long and an underdeveloped relationship between Gun and Pitch led to their relationship being so much nothing. Any time the story revolved around them, I found myself not paying much attention. The other two couples, however, stole the show. You have a sweet relationship that slowly forms between Wayu and Wayha, and then the messy and dramatic relationship between Pawin and Korn. These two couples are super entertaining and fun to watch.

However, the number of characters got the best of them in this show. With no time to develop the relationship between Gun and Pitch, the series felt incomplete. Not to mention the murder plotline that was introduced that receive little attention AT ALL despite being a major issue? It felt like the writers were throwing darts at a board to try to come up with what to do towards the end of the series. The ending felt unresolved and unfulfilling. I had to look up how many episodes this show had because I thought "this can't be the end, right?" Overall not a favorite of mine, but the side couples saved it and made it watchable.

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Don't waste your time

This is genuinely one of the worst shows I've seen. Between the horrible wigs, a mostly nonexistent plot, and toxic couples, there's no reason to watch this.

Day and Itt suck. And learning their back story makes them WORSE! Save yourself the mental damage this show does and watch literally anything else. Even the side couples are horrible! The more you learn about every character, the worse they get. An amnesia plotline spanning the entirety of the show is only interrupted by a back story full of sexual assault. The only good thing about this show was making fun of the wig they gave Itt.

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Stick through the beginning and it's wonderful

I was a little worried going in to WoH because I had kept hearing such great things about it, and I was concerned it wouldn't live up to the hype. However, after getting through the beginning of the show, each episode started to get better and better.

WoH is about Zhou Zishu, who is the chief of Window to Heaven. Window to Heaven is an elite team of assassins who take out corrupt officials in the martial arts world. However, Zhou Zishu's family has all left or been killed, so he decides it's time fo rhim to leave too. However, in order to leave Window to Heaven, he must imbed the seven nails of torment into his body, which leave him with only three years to live. He decides he will spend these three years wandering the world, drinking good wine, and basking in the sun. However, it seems that his remaining years won't be so peaceful - he gets wrapped up in saving a child, Chengling, after his clan is killed, and Wen Kexing, a fellow martial artist, is following them and trying to befriend the two. Zhou Zishu is wary of Wen Kexing, but over time the two become closer and jointly help to teach Chengling. But it seems the entire martial arts world is against them as everyone tries to get their hands on the Glazed Armor, which opens an armory said to hold all the secrets of the martial arts world.

Overall, this series was great. I honestly don't know how the relationship between Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing got past any kind of censorship, because calling someone your soulmate THAT many times is not something two homies do. It was great to watch their "friendship" develop over the series, and as secrets come to light, we see that friendship tested. I do think the "I'm going to sacrifice myself to protect you!" got a bit old after the (I don't know) 5th time?? But it truly went to show how much these characters learned to trust and rely on one another. I do think my biggest complaint about this show is that I think it would have been much more interesting if it was told from the perspective of Wen Kexing instead of Zhou Zishu. I found Wen Kexing to be a much more interesting character, and I feel like we could have gotten a little more exploration of his character. Still, I would highly recommend this one! BUT BE SURE TO WATCH THE EPILOGUE AFTER YOU FINISH EP 36!

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I FINALLY UNDERSTAND THE HYPE

If you're considering watching this at all, DO IT!

As someone that had never watched a Chinese drama before, I had no idea what to expect when starting The Untamed. I have had it recommended to me countless times but always put it off because of the length of the series. Finally, I figured I should go ahead and give it a shot - and I immediately fell in love with it. This is one of the best series I have EVER seen, and I don't say that lightly.

There's no way I could ever give a proper summary of this show without spoiling some major plot points, but this story explores the world of cultivators, where warring clans bring about questions of honor, loyalty, and trust. Wei Wuxian is our main character and is wonderful to follow not because he is without faults, but because he has many. Throughout the (admittedly, messy) timeline of this show, the viewer watches Wei Wuxian face hardships that make him question time and time again if he is doing the right thing. After you watch him promise to "live with no regrets", you see it constantly become more difficult for him to do so.

There is nothing better than a show that properly delivers a complicated protagonist that makes the viewer question if they agree with their actions. This is done exceptionally well in this show. Additionally, I found that the political issues between clans were very interesting and engaging, bringing up complex topics where you can see both sides. This adds to the complexity of Wuxian's character extremely well. Wuxian is constantly battling between maintaining order by doing what everyone wants him to, and diverging from the status quo to do what he thinks should be done - and this gets him in a lot of trouble. Plus, the relationship between Wuxian and Lan Zhan is just wonderful; I know a lot of people weren't happy that this isn't explicitly queer, but believe me, it may as well be. I was worried that because this is a much longer show than I'm used to that it would get boring and repetitive, but it never did. Each story arc connected to the next perfectly, and continued to build until the very last episode. The only issue I could see people having with this one is the time jumps, which as long as you're paying attention, I don't think are too bad. Same with the names of the characters, as many of them have multiple names. As long as you can get through that, this show is absolutely wonderful. It's beautifully emotional, visually engaging, and will have you staying up late to watch another episode. Deserves no less than a 10/10.

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Incredible Thriller to Binge

I think some of the low ratings here are from people that expected this to be a BL because Fluke is a main character. It's not. But it is an amazing thriller series that will have you constantly wanting to watch the next episode.

Dan is a new transfer student to St. Lawrence all-boys school. He quickly learns of a kid named Trin who went missing the year prior, and the other students found it strange that Dan sat in the exact desk that Trin did. Dan begins looking into Trin's disappearance a bit more, with the help of his friends, and it seems as though things are more complicated than he thought.

However, Dan has more pressing matters than Trin's disappearance. A shadow figure keeps appearing in his dreams and attempting to kill him. This worsens, and begins to happen even while he's awake. With the help of his friend Nai, who can see ghosts, Dan tries to keep his reality separate from his dreams - though the ghosts and shadow man make this difficult. As these encounters worsen, Dan realizes these visions may be tied to Trin after all...

This show had me on the edge of my seat every episode. Watching the main character start to lose his mind in his attempts to distinguish what's real and what isn't was truly a highlight for me, and Singto's performance as Dan was outstanding. The effects were good, and the twists and turns the storyline took were absolutely excellent. The only reason this wasn't a 10/10 was because the ending could have been wrapped up a bit better, but overall it was excellently done. However, if you're looking for a new BL with Fluke, this isn't it. Still, give it a shot if you like thrillers/supernatural horror/etc.

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SO different from the description

This show being described as some high schoolers getting into illegal business does not describe what's actually going on here. It's not about some little petty crimes these high schoolers commit - in fact, I'd argue it's not about the crime at all. This show is about the downfall of Oh Jisoo, our main character.

Oh Jisoo is a high school student that fully supports himself. He's got no family or friends to lean on, and no drive to seek help. He takes care of himself; however, he needs money to do that. Jisoo runs a protection service for sex workers, but remains anonymous to his clients. He sends in help when it's needed, takes a cut of the pay, and never has to meet his clients face to face. However, when Gyuri, a girl from school, starts learning of Jisoo's activities, she wants in. You watch Jisoo, who was doing just fine on his own, slowly crumble as everything he has built falls apart with no way for him to right his wrongs.

I was super excited about this show, especially because of the high ratings, but was fairly disappointed. The first 8 episodes felt like minor conflicts were being drawn out for no reason, and honestly I wasn't really rooting for a single character in this. However, I will say that the ending was perfect and the last episode kept me very entertained. For a shorter series, it was a fairly enjoyable watch, but I found myself not paying attention to large portions of it because it felt like a lot of conflicts didn't matter. I do think if you go into it knowing that the true story here is not about the sex work or the crimes, but about watching our main character fall apart over the course of the show, it would be a much more engaging watch. Every issue he faces builds on top of the last, and with no ability to resolve his problems, Oh Jisoo slowly loses his mind.

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More romance than fantasy

I expected this to be a fantasy romance similar to Tale of the Nine Tailed (also starring Jo Boah), but was a bit disappointed in the lack of fantasy elements! The plot revolves around Hongjo (Boah) who is given a spellbook from Shinyu (Rowoon) and decides to use the love spell to make her work crush fall in love with her. Naturally, things go wrong. Meanwhile, Shinyu desperately needs her to cast a spell to cure his disease that is seemingly incurable, and worsening. After the first few episodes though, these fantasy elements seem to be totally lost! While past lives and family history get brought up, I thought there would be a lot more going on with the spells/generational curse/etc. than there was.

Watch for the romance and it's a fantastic show. Rowoon and Boah have great chemistry as the main couple and are super fun to watch. But if you wanted to watch this for the fantasy elements, they're not there in much capacity when compared with other fantasy romances.

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Slowburn rivals to lovers?? Count me in.

Bad Buddy is a show that I didn't expect to like as much as I did. While it looks like a classic, cheesy, Romeo-and-Juliet style romance, it's done exceptionally well.

The relationship between Pat and Pran starts off with what seems to be them hating each other - except that's what the character's want everyone to believe. Not only do their parents forbid them from being together, but (naturally) architecture and engineering students could never date due to their rivalry. This forbidden romance between childhood best friends that have finally been reunited is just an enjoyable and sweet watch. The conflicts throughout the show make you enjoy the characters' arcs, and watching them go through issues with their families, friends, and school.

Bonus points for including women as actual characters with personalities (let's go lesbians!!!)

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AMAZING

This review might be a bit lengthy because I have a lot to say about this show so here we go.

I was super excited for Moonlight Chicken, mostly because of First but also because everything I've seen by Aof has been amazing. The hype around this one was just crazy, especially for an 8 episode series, so I was a little worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations. It surpassed them.

It tells the story of Jim (Earth), who runs a chicken rice shop with his nephew Li Ming (Fourth). One night after close, Jim sees Wen (Mix) still at the diner, passed out from a night of drinking. The two hook up and as much as Jim wants for it to not be complicated and to stay as a simple one night stand, of course it gets complicated. While Jim and Wen work things out, there's still Gaipa (Khaotung) who has been in love with Jim for some time now, and Alan (First) who Wen broke up with after a five-year long relationship. In short, things are messy, complicated, and wonderful to watch.

In terms of the unmessy events, we've got Jim's nephew Li Ming (Fourth) and Heart (Gemini) who end up becoming friends when Li Ming has to work for Heart's parents to pay off a debt. Heart became deaf three years ago, and while his parents still refuse to learn sign, Li Ming is quick to learn it to communicate with him better. The clearly intentional lack of subtitles on the signing was a brilliant move; the viewer is put in the shoes of the parents (and other characters) who do not know sign and must rely on Li Ming's translations (when he gives them) or use context to figure it out. Coming to the realization that I didn't know what Heart was saying, and watching the same realization cross his mother's face when they get into an argument, was a wonderful touch on this already amazing series.

The storyline between Jim and Wen begins as plenty of BLs do: with a hookup. While I'm not typically a fan of this trope, I've never seen it done as well as it was here. Jim telling Wen he only wants a one night stand that is uncomplicated leads him into an entire mess that he seems to just want out of.

I might be biased because he's played by First, but I thought that the introduction of Alan added an entire layer to the story that was missing from the first few episodes. Seeing a five-year long relationship that crumbled and ended with a simple "I don't love you anymore" was devastating, especially because only Wen felt that way. Alan, trying desperately to hold onto the relationship, couldn't stop Wen from seeing other people. Wen, who still hadn't moved out of their shared apartment months after the break up, got mad at Alan for still treating him like his boyfriend--even though it seemed that Wen was still hesitant to let go too.

This show was an extremely emotional one, and it was done extremely well. There are four separate but important dynamics between characters. There's young love (HeartLiMing), stale love (AlanWen), unrequited love (JimGaipa), and new love (JimWen), all of which allow the viewer to sympathize with different characters at different points in the show. The way this show is shot was beautiful, and the intertwining of the characters' lives wasn't rushed at all even though it was a shorter series. In fact, this being a shorter series cut out any unnecessary scenes or conflicts, which meant every scene was important.

The parallels between characters help to enhance their interactions and showcase the different sides of them. Wen yells at Alan for not taking his break up words seriously--then Jim says the same thing to Wen. Alan yells at Jim for taking his pen because it doesn't belong to him--and then laughs and tells Gaipa it's fine that he took it. These little hints at past actions help to round out the story and keep the viewer looking for easter eggs in every scene. Beautifully done, wonderfully written, and worth a watch (and rewatch).

My only complaint: I want more AlanGaipa screen time. And honestly more content from this show in general.

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Almost Good

I LOVE OffGun. I think they're a fantastic pairing and I will watch pretty much anything they're in. However, I was honestly disappointed with the Trainee. This show took so long to get good, and just when you think there's going to be developments in their relationship, you get nothing but crumbs. Additionally, the side couple had the worst trajectory I've ever seen in terms of relationship development, and overall it left much to be desired.

Ryan (Gun) is finishing college and in need of an internship. When there's an interview mix-up, he ends up interviewing for the directing team at a production company where he meets Jane (Off). Somehow, he gets the job - and hates it. Jane is extremely strict with high expectations of Ryan, who has never worked a day in production. Jane is frequently yelling at Ryan, to a point of Ryan being in tears. However, slowly the two of them start to understand each other more, and Ryan soon realizes he's developing feelings for Jane, though Jane remains guarded. You also have Tae (Sea) and Ba-mhee (Piploy) who seem to have a failing relationship, as Tae never has time for her. But as Ba-mhee starts spending more time with her mentor Judy (Kapook), she realizes what it's like to have someone take care of you.

The relationship between Ryan and Jane was SO SLOW. Not your typical slow-burn slow, but slower. I wish they would have condensed the first 10 episodes into about 6. There's just so much potential for that relationship dynamic - sneaking around the office because the relationship has to be a secret, the repercussions of a mentor dating his intern, the backlash they could face, etc. Instead, we get none of that, and instead are left with the same issue for the entire show: Ryan likes Jane, and Jane won't tell Ryan how he feels. There's so little time for them to be happy that the show feels incomplete. I think if I didn't watch this weekly I would have liked it more, but it was just frustrating to watch most weeks.

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Enemies to Lovers DONE RIGHT

This show was incredible. A true enemies to lovers, complete with a beautiful slowburn and tension all the way through. Yin and War did an INCREDIBLE job as the leads, and knowing that this was made by the company they started themselves only makes it better. I almost started rewatching this show before it even finished it was so good. Even with the longer episodes, it was able to hold my attention for every single minute, and had me excited to watch every week.

After a brief encounter, it seems that Jack (Yin) and Joke (War) hit it off. When Jack goes to the bank for a much needed loan to pay off some debt collectors, he's surprised to see that Joke is the branch manager. What he doesn't know is that Joke is lying - and actively trying to expose the bank for its corruption. Joke gives him money he stole out of the safe, but the cops are quick to catch on. Joke, feeling bad, confesses to being Joker, an infamous thief that exposes corrupt businesses, and goes to prison. However, this leaves Jack with no way to pay off the debt collectors. Flash forward 5 years and Jack has been forced to become a debt collector himself, and has sworn to get revenge on Joke if he ever sees him again. Joke spent his last 5 years in prison coming up with every way he could make Jack forgive him. Upon his release, Joke immediately searches for Jack to apologize, only to be confronted not with the sweet young Jack he once knew, but a Jack dubbed the "Grim Reaper" by the locals. Regardless, Joke attempts to get close with Jack and help him out of the debt collector hell he's been forced into, while Jack swears that if he tries to get close to him again, he'll kill him.

Jack and Joke were absolutely wonderful to watch. I love a good slowburn and this one delivered in every aspect. Starting off with a full episode on the backstory of them was brilliant, and watching them go from beating each other up to slowly realizing they shouldn't be enemies, to a clear romantic tension between them was FANTASTIC. The action scenes were some of the best I've seen in a Thai show, and you could tell how hard they worked to make the fights good. That, combined with the tension of the heists Joker pulls off makes for one of the most entertaining watches ever. It'll have you on the edge of your seat the whole time and hit you with unexpected twists at the best times. The relationship development is perfect too, with issues that aren't too drawn out and a beautiful ending for the characters. ABSOLUTELY worth watching!!!

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