Barely Any Differences Between the Normal Ver. and the Special Edition

What's the difference?

Episode 5's Bing Wei and Zhe Yu's confrontation scene and the locker room is extended. This is probably the most important since they are a featured side couple in the 2nd season.

They also tacked on the Season 1 special episode 6.5 into the last episode, so it eliminates the need to watch the special episode.

Other differences are just extending small scenes here and there worth a minute or two. For example, Zhou Shu Yi staring a few seconds longer at something. Or adding a few seconds of B-roll for a smooth transition. There is also a few extra seconds added into the hugs and kisses between Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi.

Season 2 is where the Special Edition is important because it's drastically different from the normal version.


Should you watch the Special Edition if you've already seen the normal version?

For Season 1 is doesn't make much difference, but I'd just watch the Special Edition for Bing Wei and Zhe Yu's scenes in episode 5. But YOU NEED TO WATCH SEASON 2 SPECIAL EDITION!!


Should you watch the Special Edition first or watch it on the re-watch?

I would just watch the Special Editions. But if you want to watch the normal version and Special Editions then... How do I put this... Watch both normal versions of Season 1 and Season 2 then watch the Special Editions on the rewatch.

YES - Special Edition S1 → Special Edition S2 (Skipping the Normal version is okay)
YES - Normal Ver. S1 → Normal Ver. S2 → Special Edition S1 → Special Edition S2

NO - Normal Ver. S1 → Special Edition S1 → Normal Ver. S2 → Special Edition S2
(You won't understand why they extended some scenes)
NO - Special Edition S1 → Special Edition S2 → Normal Ver. S1 → Normal Ver. S2
(The rewatch will be boring. Especially Season 2's rewatch. You'll probably claim that you wasted your time watching the normal version since you watched it the Special Editions first.)


~~~~~~~~~~ We Best Love: No 1 For You Review ~~~~~~~~~~

This is the perfect BL. It encompasses everything that is BL. Season 1 has the whole student/university innocent love story while Season 2 has the adult angsty drama. It's the whole package.

Anyways, I'll focus on Season 1 now.


Story:

Gao Shi De has always been a thorn in Zhou Shu Yi's side. He's always excelled in everything and should have been number 1 in everything, if it wasn't for Gao Shi De. When Zhou Shu Yi got into college, he thought that was in end of it. Gao Shi De went to a different university so everything should have been good, but now Gao Shi De has transferred to his university. His life is a mess again. His female friend that Zhou Shu Yi has been crushing on is in love with his best friend and now he has to deal with Gao Shi De. It doesn't help that Gao Shi De saw through his pathetic crush and is trying to help him get over it. Zhou Shu Yi's supposed to hate Gao Shi De right?

This is an amazing story. Enemies to Lovers is not anything new in BL or in Romance, but what is new is that Zhou Shu Yi is half-Japanese and it incorporated it into the story. Zhou Shu Yi often uses Japanese phrases to express himself when he's talking to himself or doesn't want to be understood. His friends also accept that and use Japanese phrases too. It's really realistic to someone who is mutli-ethnic. (I'm half-Japanese, and I also use Japanese phrases when talking to myself or when I don't want to be understood. Sometimes there are words in Japanese that express things better than in English too.) I love how Gao Shi De nor any of this friends address the fact that he's half-Japanese and just accept it. In a usual story the fact that Zhou Shu Yi's half-Japanese would be high-lighted and constantly brought up. There is none of that in this story.

Another thing that's different from the norm is that Gao Shi De isn't seeking to be Zhou Shu Yi's boyfriend. He literally just wants to be friends. Yes, he's in love with Zhou Shu Yi, but he spent so long being hated by him that he just wants to be friends and be able to talk to Zhou Shu Yi normally. It was so heartbreaking when Zhou Shu Yi found out about his crush, yet instead of saying "Yes, I'm in love with you. Please date me." He literally told Zhou Shu Yi, "It's none of your business." He was pushing his feelings to the side because he thought Zhou Shu Yi wouldn't accept his love and he didn't want to break their friendship. Such a selfless love!


Acting:

The chemistry between Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi is amazing. Gao Shi De doesn't even have to speak and we can already see what he's thinking and feeling. Gao Shi De might be stoic, but just look into his eyes and you feel every emotion. Such talent! Zhou Shu Yi has significantly a lot more lines than Gao Shi De, but that doesn't mean he can't express himself either. Zhou Shu Yi is more in touch with his emotions and let's them out. He physically shows all of his emotions be it happiness, anger, or pain. Zhou Shu Yi also has the best teary-eye/emotional scenes in the whole BL industry. I can barely name any actors that can compare with him when is comes to scenes that are so emotional they make you tear up. Anyone can cry when they're sad, but to be so emotional that you have tears forming in your eyes, and you don't know why you're crying? Zhou Shu Yi's actor is amazing.

This BL is so amazing that there really isn't much to criticize. If there is any criticism it would be Zhou Shu Yi's Chinese language skills. I don't speak Chinese, so I can't say too much. That being said, since he is acting right next to other Chinese speaking actors, even I can hear it sometimes. Again, I don't speak Chinese, so it doesn't bother me, but I can understand why it would bother some people. However, I can chalk it up to Zhou Shu Yi being half-Chinese, half-Japanese. Realistically though, if Zhou Shu Yi was born and raised in Taiwan his Chinese would be better than Japanese. But seeing as in Season 2 his dad speaks better Japanese than Chinese, I guess the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. Everything can be explained nicely though the storyline, so it works out for me. I do feel bad that the fans are knit-picking at Zhou Shu Yi's actor's Chinese skills (even to the actor's himself) when he was born and raised in Japan, so obviously his Japanese is better than Chinese. If you want to start knit-picking at language, aside from Zhou Shu Yi's actor, when the Chinese actors speak Japanese they have terrible pronunciation. It doesn't bother me though, since they are Chinese and not fluent in Japanese. You can't have everything perfect in life you know. Can all of you criticizing him even speak two languages fluently with perfect pronunciation for both languages? I think most of you can't, so I think it's time we all just sweep this topic under the rug.


Overall:

We Best Love is amazing. One of the best BLs out there. If you haven't watched it, you should.

Read More

Just Skip the Normal Ver. and Watch the Special Edition! Especially Season 2's!!!

What's the difference?

Everything!

Unlike the Special Edition for Season 1, Season 2's Special Edition is worth the money!
I'm not going to list all the differences, but I will say there are a lot of scenes that are extended that add more depth to the story and characters. For example, if you think Yu Zhen Xuan was annoying in the normal version, there are quite a few extended scenes with him that make his character more lovable and you get to understand his character more.

Also, the biggest difference is episode 4. We get 3 extended scenes.
1. Gao Shi De teasing Zhou Shu Yi immediately after they make up. It's a lot longer than the original cut and shows the extent of their relationship.
2. The whole argument between Zhou Shu Yi and his father.
3. In the office where they are talking about Gao Shi De's lost emails we get to hear about Zhou Shu Yi's feelings toward Gao Shi De in Japanese.
(I'm a bit disappointed we didn't get to hear about Gao Shi De's step-sister being the blonde in question since in the deleted scene we get that part during all of this, but at the same time I do understand why they cut it. Gao Shi De and the audience need to know more about Zhou Shu Yi's feelings towards Gao Shi De more than we need to know about the blonde woman. Gao Shi De explains his feelings about Zhou Shu Yi numerous times throughout the season, but we never got to hear Zhou Shu Yi's feels about him at all until the Special Edition.)


Should you watch the Special Edition if you've already seen the normal version?

Absolutely!!! You'd be crazy not to. While the Special Edition for Season 1 isn't drastically different, Special Edition for Season 2 is. There are so many scenes that are extended or added that really change your opinions of certain characters. Not only Yu Zhen Xuan, but the extended scenes made my love for Zhou Shu Yi and Gao Shi De grow 100 times more. They are definitely soulmates and couples goals. I can't get over the chemistry between them when they fight then love in the extended scenes. You'll see why if you watch the Special Edition.


Should you watch the Special Edition first or watch it on the re-watch?

Just skip the normal version of Season 2 and watch the Special Edition. It's like knowingly buying a kid's meal when you know you're going to be hungry for more. Just skip the questions and watch the Special Edition.

But if you want to watch the normal version and Special Editions then... How do I put this... Watch both normal versions of Season 1 and Season 2 then watch the Special Editions on the rewatch.

YES - Special Edition S1 → Special Edition S2 (Skipping the Normal version is okay)
YES - Normal Ver. S1 → Normal Ver. S2 → Special Edition S1 → Special Edition S2

NO - Normal Ver. S1 → Special Edition S1 → Normal Ver. S2 → Special Edition S2
(You won't understand why they extended some scenes)
NO - Special Edition S1 → Special Edition S2 → Normal Ver. S1 → Normal Ver. S2
(The rewatch will be boring. Especially Season 2's rewatch. You'll probably claim that you wasted your time watching the normal version since you watched it the Special Editions first.)



~~~~~~~~~~ We Best Love: Fighting Mr. 2nd Review ~~~~~~~~~~

This is the perfect BL. It encompasses everything that is BL. Season 1 has the whole student/university innocent love story while Season 2 has the adult angsty drama. It's the whole package.

STORY:

You're going to either love it or hate it.

This is a continuation of Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi's story set five years later. While Season 1 was all about the innocent student love story, this season is all angsty. Gone is the innocence and here is the pain. Season 2 does a 180 and is no longer the We Best Love that we know.

This season deals with betrayal and miscommunication. Because it is completely different from the first season I can see why some people may not like this season. Some people just don't like drama, plain and simple. Some people will also that the story is weaker than the first season therefore that this is the weaker of the two seasons, but I disagree. Yes there was a plot hole, who the blonde was, but it didn't take away from the story. (She is his step-sister, it was explained in a deleted scene that isn't even in the Special Edition. Why???? Anyways, you can find the clip on youtube.) The story wasn't focus on who she was or if Gao Shi De cheated. The focus was on the fact that Gao Shi De didn't tell Zhou Shu Yi about his father's interference and flat out left him in the dark. Even with this plot hole the the drama was amazing. This is the season where Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi shine!

If there is an issue with this drama it would be with the secondary couple. They brought back Bing Wei and Zhe Yu from the first season, but our secondary couple was Pei Shou Yi and Yu Zhen Xuan. This second couple got a lot of screen time, but no one was interested. Yes Pei Shou Yi was in the first season, but who is Yu Zhen Xuan? The issue with having them as the secondary couple was that the first season had built up Bing Wei and Zhe Yu was a couple and they were given a decent amount of screen time in the first season, but they barely get any in this one. Pei Shou Yi had his share of screen time in the first season, but there was no mention of Yu Zhen Xuan. It's unfortunate because they had an interesting storyline, but because there was no build up to couple, and because Yu Zhen Xuan's character is either a like him or hate him type of character, this storyline fell flat. Even so I think Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi carried the entire drama on their shoulders without this couple.

Gao Shi De & Zhou Shu Yi

Set fives years after Gao Shi De left for America, Zhou Shu Yi is now helping his father run the company business. He hasn't heard from Gao Shi De in years, and on top of that when he secretly went to America to surprise Gao Shi De, he saw his boyfriend picnicking with a blonde woman and has a baby in his lap. While it's safe to say they are no longer together, Zhou Shu Yi is still bitter about everything. When his company acquires Hua Cing Technology he is shocked to find that Gao Shi De is the CEO of the company. Zhou Shu Yi greets him with a fist to the cheek, but it's not over. They still have to work together.

Meanwhile, Gao Shi De isn't over Zhou Shu Yi. He hasn't been able to contact Zhou Shu Yi in years and is more than happy to see him. He wants to pick up where they left off, but Zhou Shu Yi doesn't want to. He won't give Gao Shi De the time of day and it hurts. It doesn't help that Zhou Shu Yi's father is meddling in their affairs and his family has issues of their own.

As I said earlier, Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi carried the entire drama on their shoulders. Their chemistry from the first season improved in the second. Every time they were on screen you could feel their emotions. While the miscommunication storyline isn't new, how the actors portrayed the angst and longing just overpowered it. Just the way the actors looked at each other and their expressions was so powerful. You could watch it without sound or subtitles and still understand what was happening, it was that powerful. Just looking at Zhou Shu Yi screaming he hates Gao Shi De, but his eyes saying I love you is heart wrenching.

The best part about this couple is that after they get over the miscommunication, you can already see that they are going to be a couple that stands the test of time. If Gao Shi De loves longer, Zhou Shu Yi loves harder.

Pei Shou Yi & Yu Zhen Xuan

Pei Shou Yi is a school doctor that has affective disorder which makes it difficult for him to understand emotions, even his own. Yu Zhen Xuan is the CTO at Hua Chin Technologies with paranoia and aspergers, When Yu Zhen Xuan was in high school, Pei Shou Yi helped in out of a sticky situation after which he fell in love with Pei Shou Yi. Seeing Yu Zhen Xuan's growing attachment towards him, Pei Shou Yi quits his job as a school doctor leaving Yu Zhen Xuan heart broken. Still in love, Yu Zhen Xuan continued to search for Pei Shou Yi for 12 years. Now Pei Shou Yi is stuck because he often thinks about Yu Zhen Xuan, but he doesn't know his own feelings.

With both characters having mental disorders, this is definitely an original and interesting plot. However, it falls flat because Yu Zhen Xuan wasn't introduced in the first season, nor did they outwardly refer to him in the first season. They gave small hints here and there, but the hints were so small it's only barely noticeable when you rewatch it and look for it. For example, in season 1 Pei Shou Yi keeps a ramen pack in his office and gets mad at Gao Shi De for eating it. How would we know it's a remembrance to Yu Zhen Xuan? For all we know it was his emergency food.

Also, let's address the elephant in the room. Having characters with mental disorders is a big risk, especially when they are a couple. Most people are accept that there are people with mental disorders around them, but at the same time they don't want to associate with them. This is the reality. Unfortunate as it is, very few people can accept and understand people that have mental or physical disabilities. Most people turn the other way. One of the main reasons this couple flopped isn't so much that their storyline is terrible, it's more that they don't understand, nor want to see a couple with mental disorders. I can guarantee you that if Yu Zhen Xuan didn't have a mental disorder, then there would be more people talking about this couple instead of skipping it.

Bing Wei & Zhe Yu

I want to write a synopsis for this couple, but I really can't. They are just very minor characters here. They don't have much of a storyline. After college they began to work for Zhou Shu Yi's company. They helped Zhou Shu Yi through thick and thin when Gao Shi De wasn't there and are his best friends. They are still dating and Bing Wei is considering marriage.

Honestly, they should have been the secondary couple. There was so much build up to this couple in the first season it sucks that they are still in the limelight. I think the worst part is that when they finally get their time to shine, it's literally the last 3 minutes of the last episode. Just hand the ring to Gao Shi De and let him propose instead.

Overall:

I prefer the second season to the first. Both seasons are great, but I prefer more adult and angsty storylines. That being said, the actors really shined with their performances in this season. I can't help but rewatch this season over and over again because I can't get Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi's versatile acting out of my head. It's a must watch!

Read More

Skip the Series and Just Watch the Special Edit Version!!!

•❅✧❅✦ What's the Difference?!!! •❅✧❅✦

It's hard to point out all of them since I just watched it in theaters today in Japan, but I will write a few off the top of my head.

1. Hira/Kiyoi's narration - A lot of the narration is cut or altered because the film is now in a movie format and there's no need to fill in the audience with what happened in the past. Also, some of the narrations are placed on different scenes or have different timing from the series.

2. The music/bgm - A lot of the bgm that was playing behind a lot of the scenes were cut and replaced with ambient sound. Also because the film isn't episodic the scenes that were affected by the opening/closing themes had more ambience or a different bgm giving more impact to the scenes.

3. Lack of flashbacks - This really helped the story because when I rewatched the series after viewing the film, I got really annoyed with the flashbacks. The lack of flashbacks made the audience was more invested in the scenes.

4. Cut Scenes - They also cut a few scenes out (like the cell phone in the water scene) which really helped the film flow more smoothly. Nothing too noticeable though.

5. Extended/New scenes - While this film advertises "brand new scenes" it actually means extended scenes. Some of the scenes are extended to make easier transitions, while there are a few that are extended to help the story flow better. The extended scenes also hint that Kiyoi was into Hira from way before the kiss scene. The extended scenes (and narrations) also present Koyama as a better option for Hira rather than Kiyoi.

Some of the extended scenes are:
• Hira and Kiyoi walking to the shrine after Hira discovers Kiyoi's dance lessons.
• Kiyoi turning around to look at the person following him after he loses the competition.
• The time skip to Hira being in college and Koyama's introduction.
• Hira calling Kiyoi to tell him that it might not be a good idea to come to practice at his place after Koyama gets sick, but Kiyoi doesn't answer.


Honestly, the biggest difference is the narration and music/bgm. I think this is what makes the film flow more smoothly than the series. A lot of the bgm was replaced by ambient sounds and it felt more real. Also all of the scenes that had the ending theme playing over it felt like they had more impact due to the lack of music during the scenes. For example, when I watched Koyama's confession to Hira in the series, the ending theme was playing and I felt like I want to skip to the next episode to find out what happens next for Hira. But when he confessed in the special edit, I felt so bad for him. He was presented as a better option for Hira (even Hira himself admitted it), but Hira still chose Kiyoi.


•❅✧❅✦ My Thoughts on the Special Edit Version •❅✧❅✦

Overall, this special edit version was so much better than the series. Maybe because the series itself is short, the movie format fit the story much better. There wasn't any dramatic cliff hangers and because of that the story seemed to flow more smoothly. The emotions the characters were feeling felt more real since we the ending theme wasn't interrupting any crucial moments.

I really recommend watching this special edit version if you can because it made me love the series even more than before.

Also if you haven't watched the series yet, don't worry about watching it and just watch this special edit version. You're not missing anything and you're getting more.



•❅──────✧❅✦ Utsukushii Kare Review & Book Comparision ✦❅✧──────❅•

Utsukushii Kare is the best Japanese BL of 2021!
It constantly pulls at your heartstrings and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time.
A rare gem in the Japanese BL.

•❅✧❅✦ STORY •❅✧❅✦

Hira suffers from severe stuttering when he is nervous. This has caused him to be ostracized from his classmates throughout his entire school career. During his final year of high school he meets Kiyoi, the resident "king" of the school, who saves him from class introductions by walking into class late. Hira is instantly smitten by Kiyoi. Even though Hira tries to keep his distance, the foul mouthed Kiyoi always seems to pull him back into his world. When Hira accidentally reveals his love for Kiyoi, and despite being quite open about his love and admiration for him thereafter, Kiyoi calls Hira disgusting, but doesn't outright ignore him after. The two unknowingly form a bond that's not quite friendship, but become closer than friends.

After a very eventful graduation, Hira and Kiyoi lose contact with each other until they are accidentally reunited in college. Hira finally has a friend, while Kiyoi is trying to make it big in the entertainment world. Hira still idolizes and loves Kiyoi, but Kiyoi is confused and can't express himself well.

Honestly, the plot and story isn't very original, however, what makes Utsukushii Kare different from the others is the characters. The characters are all very vulnerable and have their flaws. Hira is quite obviously the sympathetic lead, but King Kiyoi also has his doubts and is very relatable. He's not the invincible princely with a foul mouth that the usual troupes would have. Also, because we get two sides of the story, Hira and Kiyoi's, we sympathize with both Hira and Kiyoi. We also get annoyed with both Hira and Kiyoi too. Kiyoi is too tsundere for Hira, and Hira is as dense as a rock.

Aside from the characters, the plot, despite it's unoriginality, Ustukushii Kare didn't try to cover too many storylines. The entire series was focused on how Hira and Kiyoi got together. There was no extra storylines for side characters, no extra stories from after they got together. Most importantly, there was no obnoxiously long backstory for an character, nor was there any attempt to gain sympathy from the backstory either. The entire series was focused on how they got together and what they were feeling as they got together. Due to the focus on the characters and their feelings, everything felt real, raw, and amazing.

With the character driven storyline, Utsukushii Kare had it's work cut out, but I'm glad they found outstanding actors to fill in the roles. If the actors had performed poorly, I doubt Utsukushii Kare would have been a great series. Hira's actor was very good at playing that naive, yet dense character, while Kiyoi's actor was perfect with his tough, yet vulnerable, tsundere character. At first I hated Kiyoi for being so hot and cold to Hira, but as the story shifted from Hira's point of view to Kiyoi's, I fell in love with Kiyoi. His actor's performance when he had to portray Kiyoi's vulnerable side made me cry so hard. I've never seen an actor switch between hot and cold as great as Kiyoi's.

Kiyoi & Hira

At a glance, Kiyoi is a terrible person to befriend. He's mean to Hira and calls him names. You could even say he takes advantage of Hira, but it's not until the later half of the series, when you hear Kiyoi's side of the story, that you finally understand Kiyoi. Kiyoi's clumsy with his feelings and can't express himself well. He's also trying to navigate his feelings for Hira, who isn't exactly normal. Meanwhile, Hira's obsessed with Kiyoi to the point it's a bit stalkerish. The audience is made to sympathize with Hira, but Kiyoi does have a point, Hira's behavior is stalkerish.

That being said, Hirai and Kiyoi balance each other out perfectly. Around Kiyoi, Hira is able to express his emotions openly, while Kiyoi isn't very comfortable with expressing himself. Hira's not bothered by Kiyoi's insults because he knows Kiyoi is a tsundere, who doesn't mean what he says.

My personal favorite thing about his couple is that the seme and uke are not who you would expect them to be. I was presently surprised when we got a glimpse of it.

•❅✧❅✦ Book/Drama CD/Manga vs This Series •❅✧❅✦

If you haven't read the book or manga, or even listened to the drama CD you need to do so now! You'll get a different experience of the same story each time. . . and it's amazing! Each version of Utsukushii Kare is just different enough to keep you interested in each version.

Book - The book is the original and it is amazing.

Drama CD - The drama CD is my favorite because of how amazing Kiyoi's voice actor is. I really love this version of Kiyoi. Vulnerable Kiyoi is my favorite. Anyways, some of the scenes are changed to make it easier to listen to, but nothing too major. However, it's their voice acting that will give you the chills. Hira's V.A. sounds a little too deep to be a high schooler, but if you can get past that this drama CD is amazing. You'll really see a different side of Kiyoi that no other version can replicate.

Manga - Volume 2 was just released in Japan, so I haven't been able to read it yet, but Vol 1 was nice. So far it's not as memorable as the Drama CD, but it still allows us to visually see everything that we couldn't in the book. Because of the visuals, I found myself more drawn to the manga than the book, but it's still not complete so I won't say more.

Live Action Series - The producers were probably not expecting to be such a hit because they made a lot changes to the story. In the series we don't see Kiyoi and Hira hang out together as "friends" as much as they do in the other version. In the other versions we already get hint that Kiyoi might be interested in Hira from before Kiyoi's competition, but in this series it's a little vague until after the competition. Also, because the series chose not to have Hira move houses from his parent's place to his cousin's place, Hira offering and looking for a place for Kiyoi to practice his acting loses it's meaning in this adaptation. It's very important in the other versions, and it shows not only Hira's dedication to Kiyoi, but also shows how much Kiyoi loves Hira. Not having Kiyoi practically living with Hira and acting as his "boyfriend" during their fight in which Kiyoi "confesses" his love to Hira really had the live action series lose out on how much Kiyoi actually loves Hira.

The series is still amazing, but it's definitely a watered down version of Kiyoi. Does that mean it's bad? No. Kiyoi is still amazing and his actor did an amazing job with such a complex character, but it's still a shame that we can't see just how obsessed Kiyoi is about Hira. He's honestly just as obsessed with Hira as Hira is of him. Not as psychotic as Hira, but he's still thinking of Hira 24/7 in the other version. Here Kiyoi's just an average ikemen in love with his weirdo.

Anyways, there's nothing really bad to say about any of the variations of the story, so I definitely recommend checking out all version of Utsukushii Kare. It will fill in all of the details and background that each version misses out on. It will also make you more obsessed with the series.


•❅✧❅✦ OVERALL •❅✧❅✦

I really enjoyed Utsukushii Kare. It's a great series that's so unpredictable that you are at the edge of your seat trying to figure out what happens next. The actors were also amazing to the point I actually cried when Kiyoi got emotional.

Words can't describe how amazing this series is, so don't sleep on it and watch it now!

Read More

Perfect Kisses!

Kiss x Kiss x Kiss ~ Perfect Scandal ~ is all about kissing.
It's not a drama or show or anything, just literally scenarios where the characters find themselves kissing.
You get maybe a minute or two of character background via captions on the screen, then maybe 3-5 minutes of lip-locking.

Honestly, from the straight couples to the gay couples, all of the kisses and scenarios were good.
Some kisses were better than others, but it's all based on preference.

I kind of wish they would extend the episodes to 15-30 minutes so we could get more character backgrounds and build up to the kisses. They do amazing with just the scenario and kisses, but having a little more details would make the series more memorable and give the actors a bit more time to act.

Read More

Could Have Been Great, but Instead Annoyed Me

Are You Pregnant with My Child? looks like it tried to tell a thought provoking story, but failed miserably.
I don't understand everyone in the Youtube comment sections praising the video. It makes all lesbians look bad.

STORY:
A few months prior, Hyunsoo's ex-girlfriend Yeoni had an odd request for him. She asked for his sperm donation so she could try IVF since he had all of the qualities of a perfect man. He asked her if they could do it the more natural way and get back together and she refused, but was adamant about the IVF.

In the present, Hyunsoo meets up with his crush Mihee at a cafe. She has some special news for him... She is pregnant with his child. Hyunsoo is confused until Mihee tells him to remember what happened with his Yeoni. He gets even more confused until Yeoni arrives at the cafe. Mihee and Yeoni reveal that they are getting married and that through IVF, Mihee is carrying Yeoni's egg and Hyunsoo's sperm. Hyunsoo is now heartbroken, but gives them his blessing.

Honestly, this film is annoying and a waste of time. I'm not even sure what angle the film is going for. At a glance it looks like a pro-Lesbian film, but I feel it does the opposite of that. The entire film is about the lesbian couple having a relationship behind this man's back, then tricking him into giving them his sperm for them to have their happily ever after. How is that acceptable? Even if he was dense and didn't notice that they were in a relationship, they should have told him about who was involved with the IVF and why. They blindsided him with the whole pregnancy and their lesbian relationship. He is their friend for crying out loud! Why didn't they tell him?!

Like I said earlier, I don't understand why people in the youtube comment section are praising this lesbian couple and saying it's cute. It's not. It's toxic. They baby-trapped him with no consideration for his feelings. Even if we ignore the fact that they tricked him with IVF, they really have no consideration for him at all. When he excuses himself to take a break and try to understand the situation, they instantly start a make-out session and don't even stop when he comes back. Rude!

OVERALL;
I feel this film is trying to tackle a hard subject and failed miserably. The way that the lesbian couple went behind Hyunsoo's back the entire film really cemented the fact that the girls are toxic people and they deserve each other. I just feel really bad for Hyunsoo since he was deceived in so many ways. I hope that anyone who watches this doesn't try to copy the girls and trick any unsuspecting man like that. If you want to use IVF then go to an agency, or be honest with the guy you are asking sperm from. Realistically speaking. I think if there isn't paper work for this kind of thing, I think the guy can sue the women for custody if you lie to him.... Anyways, back to the film. Don't bother to watch it unless you are delusional or you hate men.

Read More

BL to watch if you're bored or ran out of other BLs to watch

STORY:
It had potential to be a nice BL, but the plot was too rushed and it had way too many characters. There were 4 couples (Prin & Nathee, Thann & Kavin, Kaowkla & Plod, and Kun & Parfun). Each couple has there own storyline that barely interacts with each other, so each couple has their own set of side characters that bump up the cast number. Also, although there were 15 episodes, each episode was only about 25 mins long. (A normal BL is about 1 hour per episode.) It felt like the director was trying to cram each couple and their storylines into each episode, so you would get about 5 minutes of screen time for each couple's story. Due to this there were lots of plot holes, random side characters showing up and disappearing before you can remember their names, drama happening between character that are instantly resolved or the drama vanishes into thin air, and it's overall a mess. It's unfortunate because while the plotlines are not unique, this BL could have been a fun watch if it wasn't too rushed. I enjoyed each couple and their storylines. I was invested enough to be curious about what happens next to each couple.

Prin & Nathee

Prin is a rich boy with some daddy issues, while Nathee is a country boy who recently moved to Bangkok. They are both duped by their landlord and end up becoming roommates. Prin seems to have the hots for Nathee right off the bat, but Nathee is more upset at Prin's attitude toward the whole situation. Somehow Nathee ends up learning more about Prin's familial issues and ends up sticking his nose into it.

I like this couple. They are supposed to be the main couple, but for some reason it seems like they get less screentime than the other couples. Their storyline isn't as drama-filled as the other couples, so they are a little forgetable. However, I enjoyed watching them because it was a break from the messy drama of the other couples. Also since Prin was open with his feelings for Nathee from the beginning you can't help but root for him and hope he ends up with Nathee. That being said, I didn't appreciate how Nathee and Prin got together. Yes, Nathee was obviously falling for Prin, but it's kind of ridiculous how Prin could get over his daddy issues and how Nathee could go from don't hug me to I love you in just a few hours. This should have taken at least 3 full episodes and Prin should have resolved his daddy issues before getting together with Nathee. Prin didn't even ask Nathee out! Also, the other couples took the whole 15 episodes to get together from the confession. Why does Prin and Nathee's couple get together so quickly?

Thann & Kavin

Thann is Nathee's cousin and lived abroad in Korea. He reunites with his ex-boyfriend Kavin, but Kavin has a girlfriend Irin. Kavin wants to date Thann again, but he's still dating Irin. Meanwhile Thann's friend from Korea, Jihoon, comes to visit Thann making Kavin jealous.

This storyline was the source of juicy drama in the series. As mush as I hated Kavin, I looked forward to the scenes with Thann in it. He seems to have more chemistry and seems to be happier with Jihoon, so I hated how quickly he got back together with Kavin. It seemed like Kavin was the source of Thann's distress and Kavin was never really nice to Thann in every scene he was in. Kavin was so self-centered it was annoying. Thann, you could do so much better than Kavin!

Kun & Parfun

Kun and Parfun have been friends since they were kids. Kun breaks up with his girlfriend just around the same time Parfun breaks up with her cheating boyfriend. Kun has always been in love with Parfun and they end up having a drunken kiss. Parfun says she doesn't see Kun that way and they choose to stay friends. Later Parfun's friends try to set her up with different men. Kun can only watch as Parfun dates other guys.

The only straight couple in this series. I really felt bad for Kun because Parfun is very self-centered and didn't really care about Kun's feelings. She clearly is in love with Kun too, but she was more concerned about her image. I don't even know why she was so concerned since even her friends considered Kun as a possible new boyfriend for Parfun and she shut that idea down. I really don't know why she created so much drama over it. Kun was such a sweetheart throughout the series that I think he should really move on from Parfun.

Kaowkla & Plod

Plod is Prin's little brother. He is introduced to Kaowkla at a party at their sharehouse. Plod is still in highschool while Kaowkla is in college and is juggling several jobs including being an art teacher. Plod asks Kaowkla to teach him art. From the start Plod was instantly interested in Kaowkla, but Kaowkla doesn't see him that way.

Honestly, while I loved this cutesy and innocent couple, their storyline should be taken out. Barely any screentime is given to this couple, and all screentime is dedicated to Plod moping that Kaowkla isn't in love with him, and to Kaowkla questioning himself, yet avoiding Plod. They have the biggest plot-hole... Are they together or are they not together? Why are they holding hands and dancing? What is going on?

OVERALL:
I enjoyed this series. It wasn't the best, but it definitely wasn't the worst. It's a series that you should watch if you're bored or you can out of BL series to watch. Although I will say that this series is not memorable at all. If you watch it today and you watch a new series tomorrow, you'll probably forgot this series even existed.

Read More

The Jokes are Funny, but Not the Best Story

As someone who understands Japanese, I was able to watch this without subtitles. The storyline itself is quite boring and feels like a fanfiction, but comedy is hilarious. That being said, I realized that a lot of the comedy wouldn't be funny to someone who doesn't watch Japanese TV or owarai gags. If you watch it with subs, some of the jokes might not translate well, especially the owarai gags and the special guest comedians. Anyways on to the review.

•❅✧❅✦ STORY •❅✧❅✦

I'll just spoil it because it seems like no one will be subtitling the drama anytime soon.

One day 8 mannequins at Shibuya's PARCO department store are magically brought to life by Maneki Towa. She reveals that she is half-mannequin, half-human. She tells the 8 mannequins that she has brought them back to life to allow one of them to become a human forever, however there is a catch. Only one of them will become human and the others will stay as mannequins forever. There also needs to be a trade off where a human will permanently become a mannequin in their place.

Maneki gives each of the mannequins a name based on their "personalities."
Chui - He's always giving warnings (chui) to others.
Matome - He is constantly trying to round up (matome) the others and situation.
Mukuchi - Not his personality, but Maneki thought he'd be cool if he didn't speak much (mukuchi).
Pocket - He always has his hands in his pockets.
Mysterious - Not his personality, but Maneki thought that he'd be cool if he were mysterious.
Lady - He is the most flamboyant and feminine of all the mannequins.
Necho - Not his personality, but Maneki thought it would be cool if he was macho. However since he's not macho he should be a negative macho (necho).
Tekito - He is not serious and half assed (tekito) with everything.

After giving each of the mannequins a name, Maneki begins to teach them how to become human. She teaches them about various emotions, sometimes inviting guest mannequins over to help in her teaching. While learning how to become human it is revealed that one of the mannequins had been a human in the past. Necho begins to suspect that Matome is the former human because in one of their lessons Matome had given a very realistic example of how a human would react in a certain situation. Matome denies it's saying he made it up based on watching how humans interact at the store. Necho is not convinced. He adds that Matome can play the harmonica, something only human's can do. This leads to Matome bringing up that Maneki told everyone that they all have a human talent. That even Takito can play the guitar. Surprised and wanting to find their own talent, the mannequins try to find their Talent. Chui can do magic, Mysterious can make cocktails, Lady is flexible, Pocket can change his eyelids from a monolid to a double lid, and Pocket can fart. When it's time to find Necho's talent, he can't seem to find it and leaves depressed.

While depressed, Necho is forced to continue to learn to be human with the other mannequins. Maneki invites an old mannequin who is said to bring bad luck to all the stores he's been at to talk to everyone about misfortune and sadness. The old mannequin is bare and naked because whatever clothes is put on the mannequin, the clothes do not sell and the store becomes bankrupt. Necho, Mysterious and the others cheer the old mannequin up and put clothes on him. After he leaves, Mysterious suddenly turns back into a mannequin as a result of the old mannequin's bad luck. They all try to help him turn back into his human form, but they cannot. Maneki explains that even if he is a mannequin, the lessons must go on, so they continue with their lessons. In the lesson, Necho is told to get upset at mannequins, using Mysterious's mannequin as a stand in. Necho yells at Mysterious his dislikes about being a mannequin. After Necho yells, they all can suddenly hear Mysterious's voice. They continue on with the lesson and Necho ends up bringing Mysterious back to life with his passion, which Maneki reveals is his special talent. They all celebrate Mysterious's return until Maneki reveals that tomorrow will be the last day of their lessons. That tomorrow one of them will be a human and the others will be mannequins forever.

Following Maneki's departure, the 8 mannequins reflect on their last day together. Necho wants to be human, but he doesn't want to leave his friendship with the others behind, becoming a human by himself. The others agree until Lady suddenly comes forwards saying he doesn't want to lie. He actually was human in the past and had met Maneki who turned him into a mannequin. Lady revealed that from a young age he knew that he wasn't like other boys; that his romantic feelings were not with woman, but with men. When he tried to act on his true nature, he was met with harsh criticism and hated life, it was at this time that he met Maneki and he willfully became a mannequin.

Necho is shocked until one by one the others became to reveal that they too were human.

Chui was working as a business man. His co-workers were jealous of his success and complained to his boss. After that everything that he did was criticized. He realized it was stupid to try and work hard because only the person who used dirty methods would achieve greatness in life. It was during this time he chose to become a mannequin.

Matome always dreamed of becoming a soccer player. He was so good that all of his schools and town was looking forward to him becoming a professional. During this most important match in the country, he missed the PK shot. After that everyone turned their back on him and hated on him. Giving up on his dreams, he got a normal job. At the job, his brought up his painful past and mocked him for it. He hated that all his years of hard work turned him into a laughing stock, so he chose to become a mannequin.

Pocket was a delinquent all his student years. After graduation he became a construction worker. There he met a nice senpai who told him it was okay to dream about having his own car company. Pocket began to save his money for his dream until his senpai asked for help with some money issues. Pocket loaned him some money and even became a guarantor for a loan. The senpai eventually ran away with the money. Pocket gave up on life and became a manequin.

Mukuchi was never talkative and aways shy. While working as a real-estate agent he couldn't get the results he wanted. His co-workers told him he needed to change his personality if he wants to succeed in life. He couldn't understand why his personality was wrong, so he became a mannequin.

Mysterious was a bartender who was looking to marry his girlfriend. She told him that his love was too heavy for her and she left him. He couldn't move on because he couldn't understand how his love was too heavy, so he chose to become a mannequin.

Tekito's parents placed lots of expectations on him, that he needed to go to an ivy league school to be perfect. When he failed to get into an ivy league university his parents lost interest in him. He didn't know how to live his own life since his parents had always told him how to live life, so he chose to become a mannequin.

After learning the truth, that Necho was the only one born a mannequin, he felt betrayed. He felt hurt and lied to. The others however, are adamant they didn't mean to hurt his feelings. That they only pretended they wanted to return to being human because Necho was very enthusiastic about becoming a human. That while they don't want to be humans again, they want Necho to be happy and live as a human if that's his desire.

Necho is chosen to become human and Maneki chooses to sacrifice her human status to become a mannequin in his place. After becoming a human, Necho choses to work as a security guard at Shibuya PARCO, watching over his mannequin friends.

•❅✧❅✦ ACTING •❅✧❅✦

Honestly it wasn't too bad. The members of Exile Tribe's FANTASTICS are all singers and dancers before they are actors, however, some members have done some acting work while for others it is their first time acting. Usually when the whole idol group makes a movie or drama, usually the acting is terrible, but for FANTASTICS it's not that bad. Not all members are the best at acting, but more screen time is given to the members who can act so it's not that bad at all. The actors of Necho, Tekito, Matome, and Chui are pretty decent.

•❅✧❅✦ COMEDY •❅✧❅✦

The jokes are hilarious, and I heard some of them were improvised on the spot. That being said, if you're not a fan of Japanese comedy and owarai, then some of the gags might not translate well. As a Japanese speaker, the jokes are funny though. Also, this isn't slapstick, so I'm not sure how well the jokes will translate to someone who isn't Japanese.

•❅✧❅✦ OVERALL •❅✧❅✦

It's not a bad watch. If you like the members of FANTASTICS and are looking for something to watch, then I'd watch Mannequin Night Fever. It's a situational comedy with fanfic like plot, so if you're looking for a great drama this isn't it. However, if you like FANTASTICS are looking for something funny to watch with jokes that actually hit the spot, then this is for you.

Read More

Very Loose Adaptation of the Manga.

While watching this in theaters I had two thoughts... "this is different from the manga," and "Itagaki Rhihito should have played Chigira-kun instead of Takahashi Kyohei."

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

The film plays out exactly like the synopsis describes. Maaya and Chigira play the unrequited love game. It pretty much follows most of the flow of the manga, although the film does change quite a few things. The changes are big, but doesn't change much of the story or end goal. However, if I have to nit-pit, it would be that there is nothing that makes this film stand out in any way. Yes, it's beautifully done and it's romantic, but it's really just your average Japanese shojo manga adapted into a film. No drama, no amazing acting, no thing.

There is also quite a few plot holes and cliff hangers. The film brings up Chigira's past, but really does nothing with it. We know it's traumatizing for him, but because there is no dialogue during these flashbacks we don't know what is going on aside from his parents yelling at each other. We see Tezuka (Chigura's former, now rival) have a rivalry with Chigura, but we don't see them getting on good terms with each other. We only see Maaya tell him he doesn't actually hate Chigura, but he likes him. . . then the next scene they are now buddies. No closure. Lastly, the ending. We ended on a confession and kiss. . . but what about the whole school knowing about Maaya and Chigura? The whole school was messaging her and cursing her out, but she goes to Chigura's race anyways. They cuss her out then suddenly starting cheering Chigura on with her. Is her schoolmates over her dating Chigura because she was cheering her on? What happened here? I wanna have some closure, not just end on a kiss!

Anyways, the film wasn't bad, but when you think about it from a storytelling aspect, there are a lot of loose ends.

•❅✧❅✦ Manga vs Film ✦❅✧❅•

Sooooo. . . The film took their liberties and changed quite a few things. Some of them include. . .

• Yamada-kun being her classmate instead of being someone from her cram school. They also made him very very nerdy and unattractive.
• They didn't emphasis Maaya's thing for black haired guys with glasses, so Chigura randomly wears glasses at home.
• Maaya and Chigura don't ever do a "pretend dating game." Chigura just invites her on a date to the temple instead of the aquarium during their "unrequited love game."
• Tezuka is already Maaya's friend from the beginning and it's very clear he likes her.
• Maaya's friend doesn't seem to have a crush on Chigura in the film, unlike her having a crush on him in the manga.
• Maaya doesn't interrupt Chigura's fangirl's confession. She let's him go to her.
• The two keychains they have don't represent each other unlike the manga. Chigura buys it because Maaya thought it was cute.

And this list goes on.

I think it was a very loose adaptation where they changed lots of scenarios, but we still got the same end result.
I personally still like the manga better, but I enjoy how they changed Tezuka from being a random student Maaya meets to already someone who is her close friend with a crush on her from the beginning.

•❅✧❅✦ Acting ✦❅✧❅•

I feel bad saying this, but Takahashi Kyohei is not a great actor, not is he a great Chigura-kun. I had pictured Chigura-kun to be stoic only until Maaya says or does something that pulls on his heart-strings. However, Takahashi is stoic the whole time. He doesn't seem to be in love with Maaya. Furthermore, his acting is very stiff so his kissing, running, and lines are delivered a little to stiff to my liking.

Takahashi's performance wasn't terrible, but it was stiff to the point where half-way through the film I started thinking "why doesn't Maaya get together with Tezuka? Tezuka is so much better!" Itagaki Rhihito's performance was so natural and good, that I was looking forward to him appearing on screen more than Takahashi. I also started to think that with Itagaki's acting talents, he might make a better Chigura than Takahashi. Everything that Tezuka thinks is etched onto his face, so if Itagaki had portrayed Chigura maybe we would get the Chigura that is stoic until Maaya pulls on his heart-strings just like the manga. In the manga it's implied that maybe Chigura likes Maaya from the start since he blushes and gets upset based on her actions. Because of Takahashi's constantly stoic version of Chigura we can't really tell of Chigura likes Maaya until he takes her on a date and confesses to her.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

This film wasn't terrible as a Japanese shojo movie, but it didn't really live up the the manga. There were a lot of plot holes and questions that weren't answered, as well as a stiff male lead. I just felt the magic that was in the manga was missing in the film simply because of his stiffness. Maybe if it were there I would like the film just as much as I do the film.

Read More

Hyped by the Novel, Disappointed by the Film

I just watched this in Japanese Theaters (Opening Night!!!), we have to wait a little longer until it comes out on DVD.

I'm not gonna lie, it felt like the producers were riding on the hype of the drama, that they forgot how to make a compelling story. The Drama was great, the Novel was amazing, but this movie. . . had too much kiss scenes and way too many plot lines and plot holes that it felt rushed and empty. The feelings of happiness, jealousy, and envy that we had of Hira and Kiyoi's love were replaced with just feelings of "What did I just watch?"

Having read the novel and listened to the drama CD, it felt like the producers were trying to backtrack on the changes they made in the drama, so they can just continue with the plot of the novel. However, after backtracking, there was no time to fill the audience in on the important character and their thoughts, so the producers just hoped that the audience had read the novel and threw in the scenes that we wanted to see and prayed we didn't notice the characters were just empty shells of the characters they were in the novel. Finally they hoped that all the beautiful cinematography and kiss scenes would make the audience forget that the plot wasn't very good.

If I were to sum it up into one sentence it would be: Too Many Ideas, Too Many Unnecessary Kiss Scenes, Wasted Potential!

Just listen to the Drama CD. It takes the novel and actually gives us what we want to see from Hira and Kiyoi. It's so much better than the movie.

I'm not saying the movie was bad, as someone who's read and listened to a better version of this plot, I'm not very satisfied with this film.


•❅✧❅✦ Story •❅✧❅✦

Taking place after Season 2, Hira is notified by his cousin, Naho-chan, that she is divorcing her husband and that Hira needs to move out of the house because she is moving back in. Devastated, Hira informs Kiyoi they need to move. The couple begins house hunting together. Meanwhile both Kiyoi and Hira are progressing in their careers. Hira is about to graduate college and is slowly getting better at his photography job. Kiyoi is getting more popular thanks to his work with his co-star Anna.

At work, Hira sees his photographer boss take beautiful pictures of Anna. He gets jealous that we won't be able to take beautiful pictures of Kiyoi and turns down an opportunity to help his boss take Kiyoi's pictures. Kiyoi is devastated to find out that Hira turned down an opportunity to help shoot his pictures, but is also devastated to find out that Hira said he doesn't have anything he wants to shoot.

One day Anna is caught by the paparazzi with her idol boyfriend. It becomes a huge scandal and they are forced to break up and Anna's work is halted resulting in all of Kiyoi's jobs being halted as well. When Kiyoi visits Anna to try and cheer her up, he is caught leaving her place by the paparazzi and is also thrown into the scandal. Anna's fans begin to attack Kiyoi on twitter and even his fans start gossiping about him. One of Anna's deranged fans, Shitara, takes things too far and kidnaps Kiyoi.

So just reading the synopsis there is a lot to unpack. All of that plus more was in the novel and portrayed well in the drama CDs. However, the film failed spectacularly. There was only 2 hours to fit all of that into the movie and not a lot of time was spent building up the characters. Major characters like Anna and Shitara did not have any character development that no one cared if Anna got into a scandal. Shitara's character was also highly neglected, so when he plays the victim card and goes on a rant about how Hira should understand how he feels as a fan after kidnapping Kiyoi, it just gets lost and feels really out of place. The whole kidnapping arch with Shitara feels very rushed and left field that it needs its own movie or another hour.


Personally, I felt that the director spent too much time on the kiss scenes and couple scenes that he neglects the whole plot. There were way too many kiss scenes. A lot of the kiss scenes that should have been in Season 1 (Novel 1) were brought into this movie. Kiyoi looking in the mirror as they make out is a reference to events in Novel 1, but was unneeded in this film as he's already pretty comfortable with himself being with Hira and calling Hira his boyfriend. Also that whole mesh veil that Kiyoi and Hira keep kissing under is visually appealing, maybe symbolic, but has no place in this film. It just looks like a random cloth that I would take off when making out with my man. That mesh looked good in Season 1 and felt natural because it fell onto them after Kiyoi kicked the boxes. In his film, nothing falls on them, so that mesh looks so out of place. Lastly, the whole montage where Kiyoi and Hira are running through their high school as adults and we see flashes of them back in high school was very beautiful, but unnecessary. I would have liked a lot of the time spent on the kiss scenes to be spent on building up the characters.


•❅✧❅✦ What Should Have Happened (Novel vs Film) •❅✧❅✦

The film itself isn't bad, but because they followed the plot of the novel without giving lots of characters any backstories, the film felt a little empty.

The film still follows the plot of the novel, but mostly from Hira's point of view. If felt like Kiyoi wasn't important in this film. A lot of the film focused on Hira and Anna's issues that they forgot to deal with Kiyoi's issues.

Kiyoi's issues are supposed to be that he's not getting his own acting jobs. All of his jobs are gained with Anna's help and he feels like he's riding on her coattails and he doesn't like it. He wants to make a name for himself without Anna. Anna actually tells him that Kiyoi's not a great actor because he puts on a strong front and his not vulnerable enough to be a victim, so he can't get sensitive roles. During the kidnapping arch with Shitara, Kiyoi is supposed to feel like Hira doesn't love him. Kiyoi heard from Kira's photography boss that Hira no longer has anything he wants to shoot. Heartbroken, Kiyoi feels like he's in love with Hira on his own and that Hira has moved on. He doesn't know what to do since Hira is his everything. After being kidnapped, Anna and Hira are supposed to come and save him. Kira is supposed to go insane with worry and cry inconsolably leading to Anna changing her mind about Kiyoi as a person and as an actor. The film however, did not include any of that. They axed all of that to look at it from Hira's point of view. Because of this, the scene where Kiyoi cries inconsolably is cut very short and feels a little strange. A really big missed opportunity.

Similarly Shitara's connection with Hira isn't included, so he is a big "Who are you?" in the film. Hira is supposed to feel a connection with Shitara and how he loves Anna. However, Shitara is supposed to be an extreme version of Hira's stalker tendences. Hira is made out to be the "better fan" because he loves Kiyoi as a person, regardless of who Kiyoi is dating, even if it's not him. It's a weird thing to explain, but it makes sense in Hira's weird worldly view.

Also, Anna and her boyfriend also play a bigger role in the novel, but are relegated to just being around to push the story forward. They aren't too important, but because Anna and Hira become friends Anna's storyline is more interesting. She isn't just some random character that randomly had issues that we don't care about unlike this film.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall •❅✧❅✦

Having read the novel and listened to the drama CD, maybe I had too high expectations for what I saw in theaters. I know the actors of Hira and Kiyoi can play out the drama perfectly but because of the lackluster script, I just can't help but feel disappointed. Scenes that I was looking forward to seeing weren't there. Everything felt rushed and like no one put any heart and soul into the story. The actor's were great as always, but I'm sad I couldn't see them shine at their fullest. I really wanted to see Yagi Yusei crying and being Kiyoi from the novel, that when it was glossed over I wanted to cry. If Yagi Yusei were given the opportunity to be Kiyoi from the novel, he probably would get more acting jobs after this film.

Either way, it was a nice film, but maybe I had too high expectations.

Read More

WTF Did I just watch?

The synopsis definitely does not match what I just watched. The tags don't even match. I was expecting some slice of life or even friendship stuff, but I got that mixed in with some random sci-fi and now I'm all confused.

Shouldn't have even wasted my time watching this.

STORY:

Saimon is in love with his best friend Takashi. As seniors in high school, both Saimon and Takashi are concerned about their future. Saimon is set to go to collge, while Takashi is going to take over his father's business. Takashi feels like it's the end of the road for him since he has no luck in women. He confesses to the only girl in his grade and his shut down. He then finds a women's number in the bathroom stall. Desperate, he decides to call it and meet her. Saimon isn't a fan of his idea, but goes with Takashi on his journey to meet this woman.

On their trip, Saimon and Takashi meet a biker, who no longer rides a motorcycle and has taken up cycling. The biker's girlfriend is suddenly abducted by and alien UFO. Meanwhile Saimon and Takashi meet the woman. Takashi has a nose bleed, so the woman cares for him, while Saimon sulks outside. On the verge of tears, Saimon meets the biker again, who tells him to man up. Saimon returns save Takashi from the woman, but Takashi is beaten up by the woman's other suitors. Taka shi is desperate to save the woman, but Saimon confesses his love to Takashi and says he won't help find her, leaving Takashi to save the woman himself. Once again, Saimon encounters the biker, who takes Saimon to save his girlfriend and Takashi.

Takashi, the biker, and Saimon arrive just in time to save the woman from being abducted by the UFO, but that's where we learn the alien in the UFO is the woman's ex-boyfriend who cheated on her with another woman. He is back to win her back.

The film ends with the woman getting back with her alien man, the biker getting his girlfriend back from the alien, and Saimon and Takashi heading home. Saimon says he's given up on Takashi, but Takashi says he still likes women but until he can find a girlfriend that Saimon should help him out.

The film was good until the whole UFO/alien storyline began. Yes there was a lot of sexual innuendos, but the whole plot revolves around Takashi trying to get laid, so that's no problem. The big problem is the sci-fi aspects, it's just so random and doesn't fit with the tone of the film. The film was very slice of life until the biker's girlfriend is kidnapped by the UFO.... Also, why was she kidnapped? I don't get it. It was so random and out of nowhere.

This film is so confusing. I guess it has a plot, but the slice of life aspect and the sci-fi don't match. It's really strange.
Also, I don't get the ending. Saimon threw his drink to Takashi, who disappears and a animated humanoid bird thing with a lizard's tail appears... WTF? I can come to terms with the weird UFO aspect to the movie, but the ending really upset me. Let Saimon and Takashi have their friendship ending or have them hook up. Don't confuse us with that weird creature. What happened to Takashi? I'm so confused.

OVERALL:

I'm half-Japanese, so I understood what I was watching, but I was still confused. Don't even bother watching unless you like weird sci-fi movies like Sharknado. The film is definitely not what the synopsis says and isn't worth your time. The film is starting to turn into a lost media and it should stay that way.

Read More

Better than the Manga!

As someone who has read the manga and watched the drama, I'd have to say the drama is far more superior. I really enjoyed watching it, and even went back to rewatch it. It was that fun to watch.

That being said, this is your typical high school Japanese drama with a twist of BL, so don*t expect it to be the next big Life on the Line (Bokura no Senjou). However, because this drama aired on TV Asahi (one of the major TV stations in Japan) and backed by Johnny's Entertainment, starring two Johnny's boys, this drama does have better production production quality than the average BL (which are usually smaller B-List films.)

STORY:

Kieta Hatsukoi is about Aoki, who has a crush on Hashimoto, the pretty girl who is seated next to him in class. When Aoki forgets his easer, Hashimoto lends him her eraser. Aoki discovers Hashimoto had written the name of her crush, Ida, on the eraser. Panicked that his crush likes someone else, he accidentally drops the eraser, only for Ida to pick it up. Seeing his own name with a heart on the eraser, Ida looks at Aoki for an answer. Aoki, being the loyal man he is, chooses not to expose Hashimoto's crush, instead telling Ida it's his own eraser. Now Ida thinks Aoki is in love with him, while Aoki is in love with Hashimoto, who is in love with Ida?

The drama is amusing, all the way from the story, to the the way Aoki acts. The story itself, isn't very original, following many of the stereotypical BL and high school rom-com tropes. However, the story is refreshing because it doesn't have any real dramatic drama. The situations the characters find themselves in are very realistic and relevant, while not being too over the top with high stakes. Any Bob, Joe, and Harry can find themselves in Aoki, Ida, Hashimoto or Aida's shoes at any given day.

If there is any drawbacks to this drama, it's that because of the lack of dramatic drama, some may find it to be too boring or unoriginal. Also, the main actors are still rookies so their acting can sometimes be stiff, but it personally didn't bother men.
I've seen worse actors before, and the actors here are decent. Not great, but decent. Lastly, the biggest thing that bothered me was that never did any of the characters kiss. There was a few hugs, but no kissing... Which I expected since it's two Johnny's boys and Johnny's Entertainment is constantly fighting against the Johnny's are gay rumors. (Johnny's Entertainment is a male only entertainment company, so all actors, singers, and talent under Johnny's are men/boys.) A kiss at the end would have been great since there was some foreshadowing leading up the the final scene. But we don't get one... Which works for Aoki and Ida, since it's in character for them, but as an audience watching, I would have liked a kiss at the end.

Aoki & Ida

Aoki is a cheerful and hardworking boy, who has wears his heard on his sleeve, while Ida is more stoic and indifferent to his surroundings, he is actually a caring young man. Once Aoki caught Ida's eye, Ida's world started expanding and he started to feel so many different emotions. To be honest, at first, Ida's indifference really annoyed me since he came off as a more mature guy, but was more naïve about love than Aoki. However, as the drama progressed Ida grew on me... But he was still so naïve, it drove me crazy. If you like Aoki, stop mulling around and just go with the flow! Aoki, on the other hand, I loved a lot. He was very cute, and his over the top reactions were adorable. He's honestly the best thing about this drama.

Hashimoto & Aida

Hashimoto and Aida were amazing supporting characters. They had a presence, with the own storyline, but never overtook the spotlight from Aoki and Ida. I really loved them from start to finish, but towards the end, their cat and mouse game really started to annoy me. I'm glad things worked out for them, but it took way to long to become happy.

DRAMA vs MANGA:

The drama covers Vol. 1-5 of the manga, and it is still ongoing as of the time I am writing.

The drama covers almost everything in the manga, and even adds extra scenes so we can get to know the characters more. However, the drama makes a few changes, like switching around the timeline of the scenes.

For example:
Drama - Aoki's tutor misunderstands him in ep. 8, while Christmas Event and Hashimoto giving Aida a cupcake is the last episode.
Manga - Christmas is not a big event. Aoki's tutor incident happens after the Christmas. Hashimoto giving Aida a cupcake was during Valentine's Day.

The drama also changed quite a few things, which I personally felt was better. Here are a few examples.

1. Kokomi
Drama - Volleyball manager(?) from another school, friends with Ida from before.
Manga - Some flashy random girl from another school that Ida befriends at a go-kon.

2. School Camp
Drama - Go hunting for food in the mountains, learn about teamwork.
Manga - Based on Skiing level, nothing about teamwork

3. Homeroom teacher
Drama - Supportive role, giving great advice.
Manga - Just around, not supportive, accuses Aoki of cheating, remembers Aoki's sister and not Aoki.

Lastly, the biggest change was Ida's personality and Aoki's disgusting reactions. In the manga, Ida thinks very annoyingly. His actions and thoughts don't match sometimes. In the drama, we can't hear his thoughts so he is only portrayed as stoic and indifferent. As for Aoki's disgusting reactions in the manga, I feel like the mangaka was trying to go for comedy, but the over exaggerated and hideous faces really threw me off. I wanted to throw the book away. Thank goodness the drama kept the reactions natural.

OVERALL:

Kieta Hastukoi is a great drama. I recommend watching it. It's your typical Japanese highschool rom-com, but it's a fun watch nontheless.

Read More

Unless your a Book and Force fan, don't watch it

Whoever wrote the script needs to be fired. It's that bad.

Usually when people in the reviews say it's bad, most of the time the drama is still a decent watch. This drama, however, is really not worth your time. The best thing about this drama is the chemistry between the two leads, Book and Force, but even then their chemistry isn't worth watching this drama. There are tons of other dramas out there with better actors that give better acting, have better chemistry, and shittier storyline.

~~ SYNOPSIS ~~

Where to begin... Usually I wouldn't write a synopsis, but it will help understand why the plot is so bad. At a glance, the plot and trailer gives off a male harem vibe, but in reality there is no harem. Aside from Ak, the other four men are not really into Theo. Furthermore, Theo is a really bad character. A great character like Ak is wasted when paired with Theo.

So let's begin. Theo comes back to Thailand after his grandma passes away. He meets Ak, his childhood friend. Ak has always been in love with Theo, so he tries to take care of Theo, who can't really get used to Thailand. Theo is a rich boy, who seems to have little real world experiences. Theo gets lost after falling asleep on the bus. He calls Ak to help him, Ak skips work to help Theo, which causes him to get fired. Theo apologizes, but does nothing more to help Ak, who needs to work to survive.

At university, Theo's major is in danger of being cancelled due to lack of funding and interest in the major. Theo is advised to meet with four of the university's poster boys to help get funding. They decide to hold a literary fair to gain interest and funds.
Meanwhile, Theo gets bored at school, so he writes in a book at the library. Ak gets upset at Theo and tells him not to deface school property. When Theo goes back to replace the book he finds that another person, Enchante, has written in the book. Theo and Ak go on a hunt to find who Enchante is. The four poster boys step up, claiming to be Enchante. As they continue to find who is the real Enchante, Theo becomes obsessed. Each of the four boys begin to hit on Theo, which causes Ak to get uncomfortable.

As the story progresses, we learn that Theo is actually Enchante and he offered money to the four boys to act as Enchante to make Ak jealous.


~~ STORY ~~

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about it.

Honestly, the story could have been great, but the story really got lost in itself. If the plot was really about all four boys liking Theo and really wanting to have a relationship with him, then it would have been a fun story. Instead, none of them actually like Theo, but are actually being paid money to act like it. Also, three of the four poster boys, Natee, Phupa and Wayo were very manipulative and calculating. They are all really terrible people that are trying to manipulate Theo into giving them money for their personal gain. Even Saifah, who isn't manipulative, is still a strange character. Saifah has no impact on the story, which is really sad, since the other three made their mark, even if it was negative.

Moving on to the Theo/Ak storyline... While the chemistry between then was good, the story was weak. Theo comes off as too bratty for Ak, who is genuinely in love with Theo and is always doing his best to help Theo. You could even say that Theo was manipulating and playing with Ak, who he knew was in love with him. Why would Theo go through all the trouble of hiring four hot guys to pretend to be interested in him, who he knows is after his money, just because Ak was busy in class, one time, and couldn't pay attention to him. Really Theo? Do you need attention that much? It's sad because Theo and Ak have good chemistry and it's fun to watch them on screen... But the plot... If only Theo wasn't manipulating, despite the plot it would have been nice.


AK x THEO

Ak and Theo are childhood friends. Ak has been in love with Theo the whole time, even when Theo was in France. When Theo returns, Ak helps Theo get acclimated to Thailand. Theo is from a rich family, who tries not to flaunt his wealth. He is instantly attracted to Ak, but pretends not to notice Ak taking care of him.

Theo and Ak have really good chemistry. Every scene together looks realistic and they genuinely look like they are not acting. The only downfall to their chemistry is their romantic scenes. Any scene that has them hugging, kissing, or anything non-platonic looks very stiff. I heard that the actors who play Theo and Ak are good friends, so that explains why they have good chemistry, but things get awkward during the romantic scenes. It's hard to act romantic when you've friend-zoned someone in real life.


~~ OVERALL ~~

Decent acting, but really bad plot. The drama really wasted a nice cast on a crappy plot.

Even if you like any of the other actors in this drama, don't watch it unless you like Book and Force.

Read More

For Everyone Who Can't Get Enough of Jeff and Gameplay

Beautiful if you like Jeff and Gameplay.

Also, you don't need to watch Ingredients to enjoy this film.
Furthermore, you don't need to watch his film if you watched Ingredients... Unless you want to...

STORY:

Marwin can't think of lyrics, so Tops makes him a treat. (According to the title it's before Igredients, but it could honestly be anytime before Marwin leaves Thailand, or any time after he comes back. It's vague.)

Also, there really is no plot. It's just one boy playing his guitar, while another boy is cooking.

While Ingredients was very domestic with a hint of plot, this special is just domestic. It seems to be more for Jeff and Gameplay shippers than Ingredients fans. Don't get me wrong, it's cute, but there is no story so unless you're a Jeff and Gameplay fan then it's not worth it.


OVERALL:

Cute 5 minute video of Jeff and Gameplay being domestic boyfriends playing guitar and eating dessert, but if you're looking for a plot then it's not worth your time.

Read More

Lots of Sitting and Talking, but a Beautiful Mini-Series

It's too short!! It needs a full series!!

STORY:

A Love Story gives us a small glimpse of the relationship between two very normal people. There is nothing special about Min Kyu or Jae Sung. They literally could be any average Joe in our day-to-day lives. There is nothing special about Min Kyu or Jae Sung and there is nothing special about the situation they are in, which makes this mini-series very relatable. And because the characters and situation are so relatable, the audience is left wanting more.

This mini-series is very dialogue heavy. Most of the scenes involve the couple siting in a room and talking. They don't do much except talk, but it's through the dialogue that we learn about Min Kyu and Jae Sung and where they are in life. It's also through their eyes and their reactions to each other that we learn what they are feeling. If you're not a fan of listening to the conversation, and you prefer to watch gestures and action, then the series isn't for you. However, if you can listen to the dialogue, you'll be treated with a wholesome story.

ACTING:

At a glance there isn't much acting since the characters usually are just sitting and talking, however, if you look at their facial expression, body language, and their gestures you can actually see what the character is feeling. Even when they aren't talking, you can see that Min Kyu is excited to see Jae Sung, and that Jae Sung is jealous that he can't be there for Min Kyu's college experience. You can see it in their eyes and their facial expressions!

Moving on to the very few action that this couple gets. There were some people saying that the kisses is awkward, but I didn't mind. Why? Because if you paid attention to the dialogue, they only had 2 months before Jae Sung enlisted and this is their first time seeing each other after his enlistment. They are still a brand new couple and probably didn't have enough time to sync with each other. Also, time spent apart does actually effect the synchronicity of couples. Lastly, they were outside! Korea isn't a PDA approved society, especially for LBGT couples.

As for the steamy scene... I was actually surprised we got one! It wasn't anything too extravagant like in Thai BLs, but it was special. They barely did anything except talk, that is until we are treated to this special scene. It was so intimate, it was beautiful. It felt very realistic and not too cinematic. I loved it!

OVERALL:

I recommend watching this mini-series at least once. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I think many people will agree that it is a beautiful glimpse into their lives and that we'd like to see more of it.

Read More

A Rare MUST WATCH Japanese BL

Utsukushii Kare is the best Japanese BL of 2021!
It constantly pulls at your heartstrings and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time.
A rare gem in the Japanese BL.

STORY:

Hira suffers from severe stuttering when he is nervous. This has caused him to be ostracized from his classmates throughout his entire school career. During his final year of high school he meets Kiyoi, the resident "king" of the school, who saves him from class introductions by walking into class late. Hira is instantly smitten by Kiyoi. Even though Hira tries to keep his distance, the foul mouthed Kiyoi always seems to pull him back into his world. When Hira accidentally reveals his love for Kiyoi, and despite being quite open about his love and admiration for him thereafter, Kiyoi calls Hira disgusting, but doesn't outright ignore him after. The two unknowingly form a bond that's not quite friendship, but become closer than friends.

After a very eventful graduation, Hira and Kiyoi lose contact with each other until they are accidentally reunited in college. Hira finally has a friend, while Kiyoi is trying to make it big in the entertainment world. Hira still idolizes and loves Kiyoi, but Kiyoi is confused and can't express himself well.

Honestly, the plot and story isn't very original, however, what makes Utsukushii Kare different from the others is the characters. The characters are all very vulnerable and have their flaws. Hira is quite obviously the sympathetic lead, but King Kiyoi also has his doubts and is very relatable. He's not the invincible princely with a foul mouth that the usual troupes would have. Also, because we get two sides of the story, Hira and Kiyoi's, we sympathize with both Hira and Kiyoi. We also get annoyed with both Hira and Kiyoi too. Kiyoi is too tsundere for Hira, and Hira is as dense as a rock.

Aside from the characters, the plot, despite it's unoriginality, Ustukushii Kare didn't try to cover too many storylines. The entire series was focused on how Hira and Kiyoi got together. There was no extra storylines for side characters, no extra stories from after they got together. Most importantly, there was no obnoxiously long backstory for an character, nor was there any attempt to gain sympathy from the backstory either. The entire series was focused on how they got together and what they were feeling as they got together. Due to the focus on the characters and their feelings, everything felt real, raw, and amazing.

With the character driven storyline, Utsukushii Kare had it's work cut out, but I'm glad they found outstanding actors to fill in the roles. If the actors had performed poorly, I doubt Utsukushii Kare would have been a great series. Hira's actor was very good at playing that naive, yet dense character, while Kiyoi's actor was perfect with his tough, yet vulnerable, tsundere character. At first I hated Kiyoi for being so hot and cold to Hira, but as the story shifted from Hira's point of view to Kiyoi's, I fell in love with Kiyoi. His actor's performance when he had to portray Kiyoi's vulnerable side made me cry so hard. I've never seen an actor switch between hot and cold as great as Kiyoi's.

Kiyoi & Hira

At a glance, Kiyoi is a terrible person to befriend. He's mean to Hira and calls him names. You could even say he takes advantage of Hira, but it's not until the later half of the series, when you hear Kiyoi's side of the story, that you finally understand Kiyoi. Kiyoi's clumsy with his feelings and can't express himself well. He's also trying to navigate his feelings for Hira, who isn't exactly normal. Meanwhile, Hira's obsessed with Kiyoi to the point it's a bit stalkerish. The audience is made to sympathize with Hira, but Kiyoi does have a point, Hira's behavior is stalkerish.

That being said, Hirai and Kiyoi balance each other out perfectly. Around Kiyoi, Hira is able to express his emotions openly, while Kiyoi isn't very comfortable with expressing himself. Hira's not bothered by Kiyoi's insults because he knows Kiyoi is a tsundere, who doesn't mean what he says.

My personal favorite thing about his couple is that the seme and uke are not who you would expect them to be. I was presently surprised when we got a glimpse of it.

BULLYING, OBSESSION, etc. IS IT CONTROVERSIAL?

With the way it is written in this story, absolutely not. The "bullying" and "obsession" are very realistic to teenagers. Sometimes you "bully" the ones you like, just like you sometimes "obsess," and can't get over them. Nothing in his series was too extreme and the series chose to explore the "bullying" and "obsession" troupes that are often used in BL. In fact, this series doesn't glorify any of it. Kiyoi bullying Hira lead to Hira lot of misunderstanding Kiyoi causing both of them, especially Kiyoi, lots of heartache. Similarly, Hira's obsession with Kiyoi causes Kiyoi to pull away because he doesn't want to be a "King" to Hira, but rather Hira's lover.

Exploring these types of controversial troupes and showing the reality of them is what makes this series unpredictable. I was half expecting Kiyoi to just fall for Hira's dedication to him, but when Kiyoi pulled away I was stunned. I was so shocked I wanted to see what would happen next.

OVERALL:

I really enjoyed Utsukushii Kare. It's a great series that's so unpredictable that you are at the edge of your seat trying to figure out what happens next. The actors were also amazing to the point I actually cried when Kiyoi got emotional.

Words can't describe how amazing this series is, so don't sleep on it and watch it now!

Read More