wasted 12h of my life

honestly I'm highly disappointed with this series because of how many "good reviews" that made me watch it.. the storyline? boring and shifting back to back, in the middle of the series I completely lost track on what the storyline even is about. like is it about school crush? college hardships? revenge of ex lovers? strict family? or any of 100 random things that appeared yet still failed to make this series interesting. I'm the type of person who doesn't like to drop a series after couple episodes and I always give series/movies second chances and finish them despite not being into the plot but I don't remember last time I had such hard time watching anything. Not only the storyline is boring but also acting? I mean don't get me wrong those actors are still new and have full right to lack some experience but the chemistry between main couple was nowhere to be found. I feel like we took twenty steps back from having good BL series back to when it all was just starting and the famous "mechanics" were about to take over.. just gotta be honest with you - instead of watching Hidden Agenda, take a 12h long nap. it'll be more beneficial for you.

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Watch it for the visuals

Honestly the storyline is just a simple revenge, nothing we couldn't expect so I'm not hating on it but also not loving it. For me it's the type of movie you want to watch "in the meantime" or "idk what to watch" so you just turn it on and for 1,5h you have something to do. Not a waste of time, but it definitely won't get any deeper thoughts.

However I gotta say that I really admire the visual side along with the acting. The whole vibe of Ballerina and the colour palette used for it fits the vibe so well. It's similar to for example My Name and I'm personally a big fan of this raw&gore yet somehow aesthetically pleasing atmosphere throughout the whole movie. Eye-catching and satisfying.
Plus acting was really on point and since there wasn't that much "talking", the actions and expressions made it really come through and actors did a really good job in this one.
Kind of wishing for better OST since it was alright but it could definitely be better but it's just a detail.

Summing up I don't agree with people saying "it's a waste of time" cause there's much more series/movies that will waste your time worse than this one. Ballerina is just a simple storyline with eye pleasing visuals and if you're looking for something to watch and forget about it soon after cause you have too many things going on to rethinking every single scene of a show and its meaning - it's a good choice to watch it. Acting's great, visuals even better, OST's alright, the length of the movie isn't tiring since it's only 1,5h.. it's just that the storyline is "revenge" and nothing else. Don't get why people hate on it that much lol

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A rollercoaster in the most positive way possible!

This was the very first series that got me to ACTUALLY wait impatiently for every new episode. Usually I watch one or two episodes during their “premiere” and then wait till the whole series is out but this one? Once you get into the story you’ll keep on wanting more and more and you won’t even notice when the final episode ends. Trust me.

Since there are 4 couples I want to kind of “rate” their storylines separately and then sum up everything at the end so bare with me through this long review ><

Couple no.1 - Mew x Top
Since the series basically starts off from Mew’s pov at first I kind of automatically assumed that they’ll be the “main couple” and at the beginning it was true - most of the screen time was dedicated to Mew and his personal experiences but (thankfully) it all evens up as you go through more episodes.
As for Mew - a “good boy gone bad” trope really came through with his character throughout the whole series and I’m so happy that happened. It’s like he finally got out of the nerd cage he’s trapped himself in. A truly interesting character development, despite the toxicity he served his friends because of it but I’m glad they didn’t try to make him that one angel with no flaws (cause at first that’s the vibes you’ll get from him).
As for Top - man had a true “personality glow up” and I’m here for it because it wasn’t done in that cliché way that’s supposed to play on your emotions just to make you feel bad for the “poor lost bad boy” he’s introduced as.
Together they make a really predictable yet somehow unique couple. They turned the cliche trope into a more interesting one with the whole “revenge plan” of Mew’s which shifted their storyline onto the new track. And I really like how it wasn’t only Top chasing after Mew with a big sign “I’m sorry that I slept with your friend” but also Mew having to swallow his pride in order to save the relationship once Top was about to give up on “trying”. It made it all more unique.
Acting on point, both Book and Force have a great chemistry especially for this type of a simple sweet relationship. One thing I wish for is for the scriptwriters to plan out the last two episodes a bit better since it was just too much. So many things happening at once and even more “quick answers” for the questions that formed throughout the series.
Would love to see how their relationship develops in season 2 since there’s still so much to their characters that can be told (hopefully we’ll get it soon).

Couple no.2 - Sand x Ray
Personally my favorite ship of the series but I may be biased since I’m a big fan of First and Khaotung’s acting skills. They’re one of the most talented yet still underrated actors in the industry and I’m so happy they were offered these roles because they really delivered their characters.
As for Sand - man deserves all the love from this world and is truly a walking green flag among all the red ones in this wonderful (feel the sarcasm) friend group. His character brought so much safety and comfort to the series yet still didn’t lack strong and characteristic personality - it just amazes me how well done his whole presence along with his own personal storyline was.
As for Ray - a character with so much hidden trauma it makes your heart ache. He’s basically a self-destructive, broken to the core man standing on the edge ready to push himself down the cliff and it’s all done in this raw, unfiltered way. So good and so… human. In my opinion he’s the one who makes Only Friends the series it is. There’s not a lot of characters with this type of a story and it was a fresh breeze in the BL world (or just cinematography world overall).
Together they’re like the missing pieces of one another and the development of both characters is so damn satisfying. Sand rescuing Ray from the self-destructive wheel he’s been living in and Ray teaching Sand that you can’t fix everyone is the most intense thing you’ll see in the series since it influences all the other couples.
And as I said - SO glad they chose First and Khaotung for these roles. Not only their chemistry and acting skills are a great match for this series but also their level of awareness of the characters they’re playing… While watching “behind the scenes” and different interviews of Only Friends you’ll find out how many of their scenes were improvised (for example: the iconic “cigarette kiss/smoke kiss”? Khaotung’s idea!) and it makes everything even more impressive.
Some things I wish for to be developed deeper in season 2: Sand & his father, Ray’s trauma & how he’s copying with it, building their relationship while healing and IF the healing is successful.

Couple no.3 - Boston x Nick
The most “whatwhyhow” couple in the series. Both want something completely different and end up in this weird (but somehow so close to the real life) type of a relationship which can’t lead to anything good. The Romeo and Juliet but drunk version of the 21st century.
As for Boston - I didn’t like him from the very start and I still stand by that (which honestly only proves how GOOD was the acting and the whole “concept” for this character) Man needs to talk to a sex therapist and work through his desires and narcissistic personality and I don’t say this because I hate him, cause I don’t. I don't LIKE him but not HATE him if it makes sense.. I just think that he should in the first place focus on himself but in a different way than he’s used to - work on your problems, figure out why are you hurting the ones you love and just overall notice that sometimes it’s you who’s the problem (even if you don’t mean to be the problem). That’s why his character is so real. Cause how many Bostons do we know? I can name a couple and I’m sure you can do that too. Sad reality but I’m glad they decided not to give him the “happy ending” for this season since it only adds humanity to it. Let’s normalize characters who need a bit more time than 2-3 episodes to heal/fix their issues.
As for Nick - the hopeless romantic who fell for the wrong guy and missed on the right one (yes, I’m talking about the green-flag-Dan). But who's to blame? It’s not like we can control our heart, right? Honestly even though he’s done some messed up things for love and caused a BIT of trouble (chaos even) I still can’t hate him. He’s just the type of person who needs to be loved and cared for just as much as they need to breathe in order to survive and his character in my opinion is so underrated. He started off as that “creepy stalker” and went through the “lovelorn boy” era just to end up as “finally ready to love myself” and I couldn’t be more happy to see him choose himself over the destructive love he was stuck in for a very long time. This is one of the most unexpected yet precious character developments I’ve seen.
I wouldn’t mark their story as any “unhappy ending” but it’s not the happy one either. Would love to see more of them and I’ll look out for season 2 mostly for these two. Hopefully we’ll get to see these two happy together some day in the future!

Couple no.4 - Namchueam x April
I have so many regrets regarding this couple. I was really hoping for them to be in the same group as other “main couples” but they didn’t do these two justice. It’s like they were in the series just to keep the plot running when there was a need for some push or “gender equality” cause they only focused on the male couples completely ignoring Chueam and Pril…
As for Chueam - she took the role of the real “caretaker” of the friend group and I feel like if it wasn’t for her they would have split their ways a long long time ago. She strikes me as that one lively, out-going but a bit silly friend that we all have and love and I’m sad they didn’t give her more chances to show herself or at least have her own storyline that isn’t based on what’s going on with the main couples…
As for Pril - girl really got like 5 minutes of the screen time for 12 full episodes. HOW?
This couple had so much potential. They could show them more especially after Ray’s iconic drunk expose of his friends’ secrets at Mew’s bday party but they literally cut off their thread after Chueam admitted to “not understanding” April’s indie movies. Why not give them an actual storyline? Well, maybe in the future GMM will notice what they’re sleeping on.

One more thing I really want to mention is the OST choices and visuals Only Friends is serving left and right. I’m a sucker for any good soundtrack especially when it comes to series kept in that old-vintage-cigarette smoke-raw-unfiltered-vibe. And this definitely passed as one of the best eye and ear pleasing series (similar to Not Me so if you’ve watched this one you’ll know what I’m talking about).
Camera work is amazing, acting is so on point, script is well-written (a bit rushed since they had to fit all that in only 12 episodes but still did a good job), OST matches the scenes, every character is unique in its own way yet they make a perfect mix together… Deserves 10 stars cause I honestly cannot name any similar (storywise) series/movie to this one. And since episode 12 ends by introducing a whole new character I hope we’ll get another season soon.

So happy I was able to watch this while it was coming out :)

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I don't know how to feel about it..

I just don't know how to feel about this series. I may need some time to process what truly happened and what each of the characters really went through but for now I get this weird feeling of unfulfillement (if this word even exists).

I get that both of the main leads struggle with their own demons and they're not ready for love. I really get that and I think it's somehow real in terms of I can actually see this happening in real life. This story has no sugar coating and that's what I appreciate.

However - I personally don't like Kiyoi and the toxicity his character is filled with.

It's like "oh he's being mean to you because he likes you and just doesn't know how to say it" was a person but make it 100x worse.
Do some people really find being kicked, pushed around and sworn at attractive? A genuine question because even though I get where the toxicity's coming from.. I still somehow can't find watching it enjoyable. Rather than being happy for them to finally get together I'm worried if they'll fix each other or go down together.. It's hard to describe it.

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So unique and fresh!

I love love loveee the vibe of this series! It's so unique!

And the chemistry between the actors? Honestly so smooth and real you can't get enough of it.
It's like from the very first moment you know they both care for each other but simply don't know how to show it and are not so good in communicating their own emotions.

Everything's wrapped in that very specific vibe to it and while some may hate it and feel like there's so many things in plot that are missing, I'm a big fan of it.
So many things left unspoken but shown by their actions.

Sometimes you don't need to say something out loud - you can show it in many other ways and I feel like this series is all about it. All about two people so misunderstood by words that they no longer trust them. They have trust only in actions and that's what they're doing. Showing love in this specific way that only they themselves can understand.

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THEIR STORYLINE IS STORYLINING Y'ALL

This series broke my heart a thousand times and healed it at the end and all I gotta say I NEED SEASON 2 because the "special episodes" in Our Skyy 2 are NOT enough for me! The storyline is just so touching and holds an actual deep meaning which makes it worth re-watching many times just to pick up on all those little details you might have missed AND the acting?! SO GOOD. Whoever made the decision to pair up First and Khaotung as main leads DESERVES A BIG TROPHY cause these men ATE THAT UP. Their acting is so good you actually get invested in their story more and more with every episode you go through and seeing them learn more about each other and develop the special bond only they (main characters) have is something simply beautiful. I love the storyline, the main couple, their friends, their storyline, the meaning behind this series, just everything makes perfect sense and I don't know if any other series got my attention as bad as this one. Love. IT.

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Good introduction to the "BL world"

This is one of the VERYYY first BL series I've watched and I'm so glad that I happened to watch Manner Of Death in particular. I mean- it's just just something that has "interesting enough" storyline and isn't cheesy but at the same time isn't too heavy. Of course I'd say this series is more on the "serious" side but it's not going to break you into small pieces that can never be collected together. It has some serious heartbreaking scenes but it also contains a lot of funny moments and romantic ones and it's all just.. well-balanced. Great acting, unique storyline and will for sure make you want to explore the world of BLs more 😆

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It's just beautiful

Love the storyline, love how it's presented, acting is great, camera work is even better and the chemistry between the main characters is very unique but I gotta add one more thing: the lack of all the "beauty filters" in this series is just beautiful and you don't get to see it in many series (especially these days) which is upsetting. So glad I found this one cause I just started getting tired of all those "sugary sweet" looking series with heavy filters on them so that that the actors look "cuter".. idk it's just nice to see some skin texture, you know? not anime like glossy blurry skin 😭

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A beautiful and healing story

There's just something so beautiful about this series. I can't tell if it's the storyline on its own or the whole package along with OST which fits every single scene & the nostalgia contained in the way the scenes were directed and presented like.. it's just beautiful and I had so much inner peace while watching it.

There's also something healing about Blueming - simple storyline yet still resonates with your soul, eye-catching and cosy atmosphere presented by great (in my opinion) camera work, so little things spoken yet so many words showed through the actors' emotions and acting overall.
It's one of those series that will leave you at peace and I absolutely love this feeling of "I'm just glad they found each other". No unnecessary drama and no random situations just to keep the plot running. Simply: real life examples and real life people who get to know both each other and most importantly themselves. Every character here learnt many things about themselves through the 11 episodes and you don't need anyone to say it straight, you can just see it. See their actions, the little yet so big changes, the way they look at their friends and family and how it goes from misunderstanding to understanding (not fully, but enough to find the bond they lost through the years of growing up).

It all sounds so complicated but it's so simply presented. Love it so much.

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goofy series to kill some time

Watched Cutie Pie first and it really got me intrigued by Diao and Yi's relationship so I decided to give it a try and hear me out: it's not as bad as you may or may not think. Alright? Gotta give it a try.

However..
The plot? I loved it at first with this whole "lost memory" play it reminded me of old times when most of series/movies had this as part of the storyline and Max's acting really did justice to it. But as soon as the 5th episode hit and everything shifted from losing memory and wanting to "fix the relationship" to Diao's family issues and him planning to cut off his own family by ruining HIS OWN wedding I just simply got lost. It's like two series in one and none of them are from the same scriptwriter, you know?

But I can't lie I still enjoyed watching it.
The chemistry between Nat and Max on screen is something so pleasant to watch it can wash away all the "bad" things.
Even despite the fact that Nat (in my opinion) isn't too good at acting and still needs to work on that - whenever he's with Max it's like a whole new atmosphere. Love to see it.
Well.. Max in my not so humble opinion carried the whole series on his shoulders and I know I may be biased since I like him as an actor ever since he starred in the previous series but he just made it so much easier to watch Naughty Babe.

I just kind of wish they'd made it more on the "comedic" side of series other than the "serious" one cause it would definitely fit this one better. There are some intentionally "funny" scenes but actually most of the REALLY goofy ones are the ones that were meant to be deep and meaningful.

So.. if you're planning on watching it:
just make sure you enjoy what's on the screen without looking for any deeper meaning to it cause you might find out that there's no meaning to it lol

Also- just gotta mention that the chihuahua deserves its own fandom. They literally made this dog the third main lead 😭

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if not for plot then for MUSIC AND VISUALS.

I decided to watch it after reading reviews and I know some people say the plot/storyline could've been better but let me tell you - the OST and the visuals (I mean actual views and cinematography not only actors ok) will make you finish this series in one day. I just find it so mesmerising how GOOD the music choices in this series are AND the way the camera captures all those beautiful moments, the views, the sunsets, the crowds, the city, the action scenes as well as the more "romantic" ones? Pure perfection and THIS is exactly what I needed after watching all those BLs with music that didn't match the vibe of its scenes. I really mean it. Storyline is something fresh, well-done and acting is also really really REALLY good as well as the chemistry between the main characters - it's all good. But what makes this series stand out is just like I said: music and visuals. It's just such a pleasure to see beautiful camera work along with the beautiful song that actually fits into the vibe of the series.

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