Reviews

An Abomination

Content Warning: This review is a dissent. If you are a devoted fan of the show or of the ship, and if you cannot tolerate a different or a negative opinion -- given, especially, what appears to be the consensus here -- please go no further. If you find sardonic humour offensive, please go no further. If you cannot laugh at yourself, please go no further.

The following is a FaceTime conversation between me and my friend Apichatpong, who prefers to go by Chat, because he believes in nominative determinism. We watch BLs together.

CHAT: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
ME: So, you gave it a go then?
CHAT: Yes.
ME: And?
CHAT: I threw my laptop out of the window.
ME: That would have been impressive if you didn’t live on the ground floor.
CHAT: If you know me, you know my laptop means more to me than my mother.
ME: Let’s pivot. You sound angry.
CHAT: I’m livid. So livid, in fact, that I want to go home to Bangkok and shut down GMMTV.
ME: Do you want to get us murdered? You do realise people have been doxxed for less.
CHAT: I don’t care any more. There’s no meaning to life.
ME (laughing): Why so salty? It wasn’t that bad.
CHAT: I suppose you haven’t seen the original. But then, you also have no taste. I don’t know which is a better fit.
ME: Watch it! What are you so angry about?
CHAT: What is there to be happy about? This show is an absolute trainwreck, one that leaves mutilated corpses in its wake. Why???? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
(CHAT opens the door to his garden dramatically and screams.)
People of Thailand… Listen to me. Don’t let them get away with this. You are better than this. You are better than this abomination of a show.
ME (laughing): Oh, come off it.
CHAT (coming back in): Lou, you know how much I love the original. It was a great, if uneven show, genuinely funny, full of heart, and it had a huge impact in Japan. Haruko and Maki’s wedding was broadcast on the public squares of Shinjiku. But this…
ME: Why are you talking like you host a podcast with a weeb?
CHAT: Shut up. This show is the opposite. It is regressive, it is stupid, and it is not funny.
ME: Yes, you famously love your own country’s sense of humour.
CHAT: But I do! I watched all of RakDiao. Do I not deserve a fucking medal for that?
ME: You’re not making the case you think you are.
CHAT: Anyway… this show takes everything that made the original tick, and jettisons it. And has already added a bunch of things that has already made it, for me, unwatchable.
ME: Go on.
CHAT: Okay, TED Talk mode activated. Soz. The original worked because of three things. One, it is primarily about an old man’s love, right? But the fact that he is old, or the boss, is not the source of the jokes. Nor is his attractiveness. Unlike in this abomination, he is distinctly unattractive. Also not the reason it’s funny. It’s because of what it means to start again after being married to a woman for so long time, this time with a man. He’s clueless and hapless and hopeless. That’s what makes it funny, because it is also infused with pathos. What do we have here? A very attractive older man, whose wife has already died, which means his character has become already toothless, and the humour…
ME: Wait. Two points before you go on. One, a lot of people on MDL say that the last premise no longer works because Thailand has equal marriage…
CHAT: Bollocks. As if older gay men in Britain and America are not still trapped in unhappy marriages or come out in their 50s.
ME: Okay. But tell me this, why should the original OL should be the point of comparison here? After all, we adapt from books, remake shows and films, why should you base your opinion now on the Japanese version?
CHAT: I don’t claim that one *ought* to compare it to the original. I’m merely using the original as a tool to say why this version fails, and the original didn’t. Your objection would be justified if I expected viewers to know the plot from the original. But comparing this one with the old one is a legitimate enterprise, and I think it adds to the discussion, not detract from it.
ME: Okay, Prof. Dumbledore. Go on. Your second point.
CHAT: Yes. What I said about Ossan also applies to Haruta/Momo. Earth is attractive. I know you don’t fancy him…
ME: Not with a bargepole.
CHAT: But I do. Most normal people do. But Tanaka isn’t, not in the same sense.
ME: Well at least they cast Mix, who is as unattractive as they get…
CHAT: Who wants to be killed now? Anyway, my second point is about the women in the shows. They are not mere fujoshis. Nor are they cock-blocking monsters. They are fully realised characters. That only works because Kurosawa’s wife is allowed to grieve her marriage and find her own man, and Uchida and Haruto are given the chance to explore their feelings for each other… The openness about female sexuality is also what made the show tick, and funny. Here…
ME: How do you know that it won’t happen in the later episodes?
CHAT: Mate? Be serious. The first three episodes are each an hour long. Guess how many minutes were devoted to the female characters? Less than 10.
ME: Hmmm.
CHAT: Instead, we have here all the bloatware that has become bog-standard with Thai BLs. Including the cameo from First and Khaotung.
ME: Or Earth and Mix?
CHAT: I mean, I don’t disagree. I think both couples need to be retired and paired with other people for their own good. Which brings me to the third reason. The dynamics of the love triangle. In the original, you want to root for Maki, but, for all his flaws — and he is a wonderfully annoying deeply flawed character — it is hard not to want Kurosawa to be happy. The triangle held together because it was, if not equilateral, at least isosceles.
ME: Nerd.
CHAT: Said Dr Pot to Prof Kettle. Here, there *is* no triangle, when there is a pre-determined ship which has already fixed the outcome, and when those of us who are tired of the mix actively don’t want Earth to be Mixed.
ME: Yuck.
CHAT: Why thank you. But this is just the start. Earth does his best with his gesticulations, and Krit, having pedigree, has clearly studied the original. Then there’s Marble Face, but apparently botulinum is as toxic to acting as it is to the face. The problem is, the script isn’t in their favour. Just as it wasn’t in Moonlight Chicken.
ME: Well, we both watched it for Heart and Li Ming.
CHAT: Exactly. Whom do I watch it for here?
ME: But I don’t understand your anger. “Why so salty, bruh?”
CHAT: Hmmm. Can I quote your own words?
ME: I wish you wouldn’t.
CHAT (imitating me): “You know, just stop. The “market”, unlike colour in Japanese cinematography, is saturated enough as it is. We have the Thai BL meat factory releasing a bodice-ripper every other week, but at least there the actors know how to kiss. Taiwan releases a step-brother storyline once a month to titillate us, and KBL is ever at hand to give us the white-and-blue-jacket no-kiss-guaranteed school lunch once a season. We have enough to keep us going. If you have nothing original to offer, why bother?”
ME: I see your point.
CHAT: I’m angry, because it is another product of the meat factory, as you call it. I’m angry, because it is an insult to the original. I’m angry, because all the things that were good about it are gone. I’m angry, because Thailand — even GMMTV, which is in desperate need of a hostile takeover — can do so much better.
ME: Well, I’m absolutely certain you have not endeared yourself to anyone on MDL. And I’m sure you’ve brought me down with you. But I made a promise to you, and I have to keep it.
CHAT: Do. But, can I say one more thing?
ME: Yes.
CHAT: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
ME: By the way, I worked out what the name of your Thai BL ship would be!
CHAT: What?
ME: Bot.
CHAT: Get the fuck out of here.

Reader’s Digest:
DO SAY: Earth, Wind and Fire
DON’T SAY: Ossan's Rub-bing Me Up The Wrong Way

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Drama in the Fashion World

It’s been a few years since I first watched this so, unfortunately, I can’t do an in-depth review at this time. I’ll briefly summarize what I remember for you though.

The head of an e-commerce company & a fashion designer get entangled in a lawsuit. In order to protect their own interests & success, they agree to collaborate to settle things down regarding the public opinion. But it’s no easy feat as these two strong-willed people constantly clash with one another. Unexpectedly, though, they slowly being to respect & inspire one another, leading their hearts on a journey to love. The path isn’t all smooth sailing for this duo, but they weather life’s storms & emerge even more devoted to one another.

There’s a LOT of push & pull between the Leads throughout this drama which lessened my enjoyment of the story. I’m not a big fan of the main couple having so much self-induced drama. And there were some parts I didn’t really agree with - like the FL choosing to work with the ML’s rival. That didn’t at all make sense to me. If there was a guy intent on beating my boyfriend, either personally or professionally, he couldn’t pay me enough to work with him in achieving that goal, no matter what boost it would give my own career. My loyalty & priority would be my man, not some other guy so it really bugged me that she chose differently, especially since they had such a devoted relationship. That plot just seemed really out of character to me.

Another part that bothered me was the FL’s mother’s extreme control issues. The FL is an adult who is fully capable of making her own decisions, especially regarding her marriage partner! She wanted to focus on her career once her ex-fiancée’s infidelity was discovered. Give the girl some time to just breathe before pressuring her into dating agian! And when she does start dating, stay out of her relationship - don’t be so judgmental & demand she end the relationship because he’s not the guy you picked for her. Good grief, the drama! 😵‍💫

Honestly, if not for the Leads’ awesome chemistry, I may ha’ve been tempted to drop this. But they have a serious melt-your-screen & give-you-tingles connection that we get to experience a lot with all their yummy kiss scenes. 🔥🫠 They also have a really great dynamic when they’re not trying to push each other away due to some misunderstanding or other. I actually like the way they interact with one another, both in & outside of the workplace (except when they’re being dumb dumbs, of course.) They do know how to communicate with one another, they just seem to forget that at times. 🤦🏻‍♀️

A noteworthy mention is the scene of how the Leads’ paths first cross - I’d never seen a couple meet like that before! I won’t spoil it, just know it’s very memorable. 🫶🏻

I admit the business aspect of things went over my head. I’m not highly interested in the world of fashion so those scenes didn’t really hold my interest & made the drama drag a bit for me at times. If you like fashion, though, there’s a lot of focus on that so you may feel differently.

There are both good & bad points, but overall I did enjoy the story. It’s not likely I’ll rewatch it anytime soon, but if I ever do I’ll try to write a more detailed review!


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-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-


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The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.14 💋
- Together : ep.14 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻
- BreakUp : ep.16 💔
- BackTogether : ep.25 ❤️‍🩹

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Started watching because of meme - pleasantly surprised

Curiously enough, my first impulse to watch this kdrama came from the meme.
I was really surprised and interested when I read the summary, and I must say I had a really good time watching it.

It's really funny to see how Sim Cheong tries to adapt to human life, and her scenes, especially in the early episodes, made me laugh a lot. I really liked the overall storyline, as it is a very heart warming romance - I'm always in for a good fate-related kdrama.
I also enjoyed seeing how Heo Joon Jae interacted with her, as both of them together make a great couple. The support characters also made it really funny, particularly Cho Nam Du.

Overall, I enjoyed this kdrama quite a lot, laughing and giggling along with the characters. Definitely recommend!

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Fluffy Love

The cast:
The FL - a struggling cartoonist with a need for inspiration.
The ML - an arrogant professor who can’t remember anyone’s name.
The SML - an artist lending his talent to assist his bestie, the FL.
The SFL - a popular webtoon artist whose start is suspicious.

The plot:
The FL is in a creative slump, but when she randomly meets the ML, she starts feeling inspired again. When he later turns out to be her professor, she devises ways to interact with him in hopes of getting more ideas for her comic. At first the ML is very cold towards her, despite remembering her name (which is a big deal since he can’t even remember his family’s names). But her bumbling attempts to get close to him catch his interest & he finds himself falling for this odd girl who’s both innocent & straightforward. Does the FL return his affection or has it all been a ploy merely for her work?

The drama:
Pay attention, this could get confusing! The SML is in love with the FL (unbeknownst to her). But the FL fell for the ML at first sight. To complicate things more, turns out these two are brothers who’ve been estranged for years due to a misunderstanding on the SML’s part. To even further add to the complications - the ML has the FL acting as his fake girlfriend to get his grandfather off his case in exchange for spending more time with her like she wants (though he doesn’t know it’s for her comic.) Meanwhile, the SFL is the FL’s ex-friend/partner turned rival (also due to a misunderstanding) so she’s trying to entice the SML to join her as a colleague (+ more!) to hinder the FL’s career. What a tangled web - will they ever unravel all the knots so they can find their HEAs? Well of course! … and then the men’s mother enters the picture & voila! More drama ensues. 🤦🏻‍♀️ (She orders them to switch parters due to their ages - ML with SFL & SML with FL. Who does that?? As if their feelings & hearts don’t matter. Geesh, lady! When they refuse, she says she’ll only accept the couple who can prove they’re really in love. Talk about controlling! Thankfully she’s not actually an evil mother, she’s just testing them.)

The review:
This is a quick & easy watch if you’re in the mood for a fluffy story that doesn’t take lots of brain energy to watch. It’s low angst with no drama trauma. The characters all annoyed me at one point or another, but I still liked them as they fumbled their way to their happy ending. It’s an age-gap romance with a bit of an enemies-to-lovers feel. There’s a slight fight when the truth is revealed that the FL’s purpose in pursuing the ML was inititally for her comic, but it’s over quick. Overall it’s a pleasant drama with some comedic moments & some sweet scenes too.


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-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-


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The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.11 💋
- Together : ep.15 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻
- BreakUp : Nope 💍

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Disappointing: an excellent CL but...

PLOT: The FL belongs to a renowned family of weavers who lost everything, because a conspiracy. The ML is responsible (incognito) for restructuring a corrupt brocade market dominated by a few powerful families. The conflicts (economic, financial, romantic) are multiple and the CL is gradually getting closer to facing the obstacles together.

+++ Two excellent actors as CL (Zheng Ye Cheng & Seven Tang).
+++ Endearing, well-developed characters.
+++ Effective production, with great fight scenes
+++ OST well suited.

### Lengths and an unnecessary narrative arc (everything about Nanzhao)
### ML2 behavior is not consistent. I know that his character was created by the assembly of 2 actors (via AI) but he seems a little artificial throughout the series...
### Overall the storyline does not keep the tracks in the last episodes.

=> Quite disappointed, even I am a fan of Zheng Ye Cheng...
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Décevant : un excellent CL mais ...

PLOT : La FL appartient à une famille de tisserands renommée mais qui a tout perdu, victime d'un complot. Le ML est chargé (incognito) de restructurer un marché du brocard corrompu et dominé par qq familles puissantes. Les conflits (économiques, financiers, amoureux) sont multiples et le CL se rapproche peu à peu pour affronter les obstacles ensemble.

+++ Deux excellents acteurs en CL (Zheng Ye Cheng & Seven Tang).
+++ Des personnages attachants, bien développés.
+++ Réalisation efficace, avec de belles scènes de combat
+++ OST bien adaptés.

### Des longueurs et un arc narratif inutile (tout ce qui concerne Nanzhao )
### Le comportement du ML2 n'est pas cohérent. Je sais que ce personnage a été créé par l'assemblage de 2 acteurs (via IA) mais il semble un peu artificiel durant toute la série ...
### Globalement la storyline ne tient pas la route dans les derniers épisodes.

=> Assez déçue, d'autant plus que je suis une fan de Zheng Ye Cheng ...

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It's what joy of life would have been if it tried way too hard.

So i watched all of joy of life season 1 and the concept of ML coming from future was implemented better in that drama. Joy of life ML would make funny quips and the comedy was not in your face/ slapstick like we see in Guardians of Dafeng. Me and my partner watched 3 episodes of this and thought it was super corny. Like i didn't even feel interested in seeing what the point of the drama was.

There were moments where he solved cases where it just showed him forcing confessions out of people or already investigated prior to the viewer knowing. Too much suspension of disbelief needs to be applied. And this was only in the first 3 episodes.

Maybe it's more suited for Chinese audience . I like dylan wang but i just felt like i was watching naruto when i was 13 again lol

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Be Kind to Yourself

If you go into this expecting some grand storyline I’m afraid you might be disappointed.. But if you’re just wanting to spend some time watching a simple & low-angst story of two innocent introverts falling in love & helping each other heal from past wounds then you may enjoy this drama. Also, the Leads are both extremely attractive so if nothing else, your eyes will enjoy beholding their beauty for a few hours. 😉 And I know they’ve both gotten lots of negative reviews for their acting so let me just say - don’t hate. Like the drama or don’t, that’s completely fine. But there’s no need to spread negativity & spew verbal filth. Cause hey, guess what? They’re HUMAN just like you & words hurt them too!

Onto the review…

So this is the story of a girl who’s endured years of bullying due to her physical appearance. She’s the object of ridicule for the simple fact that she doesn’t meet the standards of pretty (we never see her original face, fyi.) After years of verbal abuse from her classmates she’s become extremely self-conscious & isolates herself from everyone but her best friend. Once high school ends, she convinces her mom to go against her father’s wishes & secretly gets cosmetic surgery done in the hopes of stopping any further ridicule from her peers when she starts college.

She soon discovers that, though she’s happy with the surgery’s results, the threat of it being discovered that she’s not a “natural beauty” terrifies her. So despite making a huge change to her outward appearance, her insecurities remain the same as before, ‘causing her to continue being extremely self-conscious. This allows others to take advantage of her & manipulate/bully her - she lacks the confidence needed to stand up for herself. She’s so overly concerned about what others think of her that she never stops to consider what she thinks about herself.

Enter the delightfully yummy ML. Though they attended the same middle school, they weren’t really friends. He stayed to himself & she assumed nobody wanted to be around her. They had very few interactions, but he was always kinds to her. He’s got wounds of his own he’s dealing with, though, due to the fallout of his parents’ divorce. When their paths cross again at college, they fall into an unexpected friendship. Though he still likes to keep to himself, appearing aloof & uninterested in those around him, it doesn’t stop him from always stepping in to help her when she’s being treated unfairly. He’s always quick to defend her, befriend her, & protect her. Which, of course, makes him a total green flag that us viewers can safely fall for! 💚

I admit I did get frustrated with the FL for her continued naivety where the toxic fake “friend” was concerned & her complete lack of spine in just being herself. She was such a kind person with a genuinely good heart. She was loyal to her friends, always willing to help those in need, & an all-around nice person. I just wanted her to see herself clearly sooner, ya know? Her constant rejection of the ML drove me crazy because just… whyyyy?!? Which subsequently made me adore the ML all that much more for his continued attempts to help her see her value & worth. Such a great guy, both as a friend & potential suitor. Girl, just give in! Heehee.

Now, I did like her more once she admitted her feelings for the ML & finally gave into his pursuit. The ways he helped her become more confident in herself & secure in his feelings for her are so precious. And though she struggles to make their relationship public for various reasons, I love that, once she took that step, she never looked back - she openly claimed him & was proud to have everyone know it. They’re so awkwardly cute that, even though this isn’t some masterpiece drama, I still found myself enjoying them.

The overall message I got from the story is this - love yourself.. Overly simplified, but true. Be someone you’d want to be friends with. Focus on your inner self just as much (if not more) as you do your outward appearance. Understand that looks aren’t everything - you can have a beautiful figure but a horrible personality & that will make you an ugly person. At the end of the day it’s who you ARE that’s most important, not how you look. >>> The drama also portrays the impact bullying can have on a person, as well as how destructive negative thinking patterns can be to our lives when we obsess over what others think of us. While their opinions can hurt us, it’s up to us to determine how deeply we allow the impact to control us. We can adopt a victim mentality or we can choose to overcome. The battle isn’t easy, but the victory is well worth it. 🫶🏻


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-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-


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The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.15 💋
- Together : ep.12 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻
- BreakUp : Nope 💖

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What's the point

Cut vs. Uncut? What’s the difference, and what’s the point? There is literally nothing happening in the uncut version, and there is practically no difference. The cut version is over-edited, making it less coherent.

They teased the kissing WAY too much—it literally became boring to watch. The overly silly characters were frustrating, and why is it always the female characters that are portrayed like that?

The editing was a mess, and who hires an underage actor so that we don’t even get a single kiss scene? This completely ruined the chemistry between the characters and many key moments. But kidnapping, violence and drugging someone is ok?

Overall, this was disappointing and does not stay true to its genre.

The Thai remake of Addicted: Heroin fails to capture the raw emotion of the 2016 Chinese original. While visually polished, it lacks the intense chemistry and depth that made the original a cult favorite. The storytelling feels restrained, making it less impactful. New viewers may enjoy it, but longtime fans might be disappointed.

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This is going to be short.

I want to say that all the actors in this did a very good job for being new actors, yes some were in other shows but that doesn't mean much, so they all are fairly new in acting. So in that way they all did a great job, now I'm not saying there was no mistakes but that happens, and it's not like they were really that big of ones.

As for the show itself, I liked it. I liked Torn an Fa's relationship, it was more then "I love you" everything is ok, oh wait here comes the jealousy, or a misunderstanding.... something that is in alot of series. Their relationship was more of what people go through in life with being in sports. Irt's not always easy, and love doesn't always keep you together throu it all. There is ups and downs you need to get through in order for you to be together.

Aii and Saen, at first I thought Saen would be your annoying guy in some BLs, but he wasn't really like that and I liked that. They were cute toger, Aii was the scare guy where as Saen was the supporter, that's one way to say it anyway. They support each other, trusted one another, they love each other and that's enough even if one was going away.

Dome and Wee, I'm 50/50 on this one... one hand I didn't like the way they were with each other, Dome dating Vee's sister, but they still were like that with each other, (yes I know they didn't do anythin to eacg other why Dome was daing his sister) but it's still wrong, nether of them should have let it that far in thr first place...On the other hand they both knew not to do anything even through they both felt it so they did nothing, Vee even hyperventilated over it all. Vee put a stop to it even through they kissed after dome was single, but nither could stop thinking of the other. Talk about right person, wrong time. In the end you have to make up you mind if they get together in time or not in the end. So like I said I'm 50/50 on them.

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