though the thai original is very popular, i don't think that this one necessarily falls flat in comparison. the reality is that this adaptation cut out a lot of the filler the original had, and thus feels like it's "missing" something. the reality is that the story is bad, there was nothing interesting going on, and relied on a lot of trauma to further one of the storylines.

i did expect japan to change up a lot of the intensity that was missing in the original, but i also realize that it's hard to do this without changing the story itself. though i expected more, i also think the casting didn't help much. the differences in what japan finds attractive in comparison to thailand are evident in these casting choices and left me questioning some choices. or there's just not enough of a diversity in actors up to taking on any of these roles, perhaps? either way, kai's story was slightly more palatable just for the seriousness given to his trauma. i didn't find the thai original to really approach that with good taste.

i don't know, but shoma was the only one i found interesting and to really fit the role. takuto might've benefited more from a better stylist, because his boyish looks only made him awkward to look at for me. i would've liked more of a personalized touch to his interpretation, it felt regurgitated to me. i also sincerely failed to see chemistry between any of these actors.

overall, i'm not a huge fan of the story itself, but i watched in hopes that maybe japan would do it better. it was better in the flow of things, but the short episodes were a chore to get through still. i struggled with enjoying most of this, but i do appreciate shoma a lot in this. he did the best out of the cast. though the casting wasn't the greatest apart from him, but at least it proves that the original adaptation was only successful due to chemistry and not for being a groundbreaking story.