Reviews

Why does no one ever have the courage untill it is too late!

A heartbreaking and yet beautiful tale of flawed people. Also, a stunning gay-themed show from Korea after a rather long time.

BL needle score: 7.5 - Reasonably strong BL-ness, interspersed with serious themes

The story meanders through Ko Yeong's life and struggles as he goes from one love interest to other, failing the first one, love-hating the second, and loosing the last one, which ultimately makes him find himself in ways....

If you are a gay man (or even a woman) growing up or living in a big city in Asia, you'd find so many characters that will seem familiar...the story, while depending on some of the usual cliches of gay-besties gang (girl gang) and that hallowed chosen family support, does deliver a rather realistic and relatable story of a sort-of-closeted gay man from a conservative family, weighed down by the pressures of being the good son, the fabulous gay man, and also living that 'I dont give a shit bitch-will have fun' big city life, while pining for love that feels like home....all at the same time.

Yeong abandons the first one that loves him dearly, Kim, the most dedicated and stable one, because he isn't cool enough...(haven't we seen that happen like every other day in the gay dating scene!!).....fast forward the next one he falls for, No Yeong is, no surprises, the emotionally unavailable one, deep into the closet, with several unresolved issues and baggage...which expectedly, can only end in a traumatic way, and it does (again, a story that we see happen all around)....fast forward.....Yeong grows some....and then comes Gyu Ho, the real deal, the one he loves and the one who loves him back, the way he is...and I thought Yeong's confession about his being HIV+ to Gyu Ho was plain beautiful....the vulnerability, emotions, and desperation is portrayed so beautifully....but off course feeling loved as your authentic self is the most difficult and scary thing there is, right? The fear of losing makes us leave them before they do....but here the story is slightly less predictable, Yeong and Gyu really understand how strong their love is, and really try to work things out...but the fear.....THE FEAR...never goes away.....and that makes Yeong almost force separate from Gyu Ho.....in other words, he runs away from that one love that made him feel like he's safe and home.

The story, delves deep into the layers and nuances of a queer life...there is the obvious references to homophobia, struggles of living with HIV, the trauma of enforced closets and dual lives, the lack of love, care, safety and often betrayal by family, the contempt from society, and how religious dogma can turn people into monsters,...and then the beauty of finding support and love from your chosen family and finding a space that you can belong to.....it takes you through many a familiar feeling that is validating in ways.....at the same time it flags the lack of courage to accept ourselves and all others around us, as their everyday, non-glamorous, non-thrilling selves that is ...it definitely touches upon the all-too-familiar pressures of having that perfect and fabulous relationship, reaching the pinnacles of unrealistic standards of 'romance-that stuns and outdoes everyone'......and how the everyday mundane comfort around each other, the snoring, the stains that stay, and the 'don't have mind-blowing sex most of the time' familiarity, end up being no match for that....that is, until you find the courage to be just yourself, warts and all, and find beauty and comfort in it....find the courage to allow yourself to love and be loved with all your flaws, failing, and shadows........but, by that time, it is usually too late...or is it??

The series has a bit of an open ending, which one can interpret the way they want ...with a passing allusion to the possibility of Gyu Ho coming back to Seoul, hope floats.....just may be, Yeong moves out of his old apartment and moves into a new one...it ends as fireworks light up the sky, with Yeong and his gay-gang, seemingly happy celebrating their own selves....

But the question lingers, why does no one ever have the courage until it is too late!

Read More

Life Time Attachment

The Untamed My addiction

I hadn't entered into BL world at that time when it released. I watched it in Corona time. Always I analyze before watching anything. I have read about that ban incident due to fanfiction war. That's why I was hesitating if I should watch this as Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan has stopped interacting . I know I can't control myself from shipping CP couple if I become attached.

But Youtube shorts were appealing me all the time. I couldn't stop myself but binge watched the whole series. 50 episode was not a big deal for me. In case of Untamed, I found myself wanting to watch more episodes. I was crying countless times while watching this series. After that, I have rewatched it several times. The emotion I felt while watching this can't be expressed in words. I became obsessed with YiZhan chemistry. It was really hard to make me understood that we won't see any interaction of YiZhan.
It would be injustice if I hadn't mentioned The OST of this series. Till now, I am constantly listening. Only listening to YiZhan's cover, their single songs of this series, I can feel a pain in deep inside of heart.

Currently rewatching. Couldn't control myself from sharing my feelings....

Read More

Mysteriously Intriguing

The light shop has got all my attention..Its dark mysterious and thrilling. The drama touches upon the sensitive topics of life which I am sure everyone of us been through or have thought about of.
The drama is a psychological horror that keeps us on our toes. It made me cry every now and then. The story does not wander off and is to the point taking turns to tell the story of each character. Each episode has blown me away and is definitely not predictable. It is a beautifully written drama and I enjoyed every bit of it.
Perfect cinematography with perfect storyline and direction with an excellent cast did give us a good drama to end the year 2024.
If you are in doubt to watch The light shop guys trust me on this you will not be disappointed. The light shop will definitely leave its mark on you. ^^

Read More

mediocre at best

too lazy to give in depth review bc honestly i did not enjoy it enough to retain details of the plot but heres more than enough of a review incase you're unsure if you should watch. the spoilers in here are not that crazy so unless ur mega particular it won't matter:

what this drama does great:
- amazing casting
- the setting itself is cutesy. love the wholesome village vibe we get at the brewery i forgot the name of the place. love me some supportive aunties for side characters
- the mcs themselves are both very cool and interesting. they both have alot of nuance to their character and it's hard to tell how their dynamic as business partners or potentially lovers is going to be. i love strong independent fls and quiet genius type mls so that part intrigued me at first

what (imo) this drama did not do well in:
- plot progression is similar to a web drama. just not well made. quality of story is low. i'll get more into this with some other criticisms
- constant solving of issues with the whole power of friendship/in numbers with the company team really pmo. areum's boss' whole thing with trying to shoot yongju and her team down was stupid because we never got a reason for all of it other than at the end of that plotpoint but it wasn't even an actual reason we just got his backstory on why he's so miserable. they didn't even bother to make it interesting lol
- idk if it's just cuz the topic of the drama is kinda silly the drama in general is cringe. theyre trying to give fun kdrama which dont get me wrong i love a good clicheed kdrama but theres a way to make it right and quality is still important. i thought outside the leads acting was whatever. nothing amazing but maybe sejeong creates high standards for her cast members to me lol she's j too good
- overall, lack of detail and nuance in the story was really where it all went wrong. i would've preferred more depth
- did not have enough on ml being an empath

my general thoughts:
- not very interesting
- half the work-related scenes were cringe
- the only enjoyable parts were at the beginning when yongju was trying to win over the ml
- again the quality was poor felt worse in terms of story even compared to a youtube web drama
- i don't understand why sejeong accepted this role. alot of my criticism for this show is the same things i said abt today's webtoon. she has such a great roster outside of that so i hope she can make better decisions and i can enjoy her shows more in the future
- i would not recommend this drama. but it is short and brainless so if u want to watch smth for the sake of watching it then go ahead

Read More

So underrated, imho

In hopes of saving her show from cancellation, an unskilled writer casts a top actor as DJ. Can these polar opposites learn how to work together or are they doomed to fail from the start?

Prepare to f.e.e.l. with this one, y’all! Our ML is surrounded by toxic people who constantly try to manipulate him & decide every-freakin’-thing for him. He learned from a young age to hide his true self behind a mask. So watching him take back control of his life is so satisfying it makes me want to do a victory dance for him! And gahhhh - the way he adores the FL (once he gets past his idiocy, of course 😉) & tries his very best to love her in the ways she needs is just pure beauty. And the ways she acknowledges the good in him & helps him deal with/heal from childhood trauma is so girl-crush worthy!

They’re both so protective of & loyal to each other. They face a LOT of hurdles but no matter what comes at them, they refuse to break or let go of one another… they made me happy sigh & swoon so much! 🫠

As a side note, we have the requisite tropes that most kdramas include :
- Opposites Attract. Rich, “cold” male & poor, “candy” female. 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻
- Delulu love rival. Do girls (or guys) really think manipulation & threats will win someone’s affection? Like…really?? 🤯
- Work rivals. Why can’t it be, “You do your job & I’ll do mine. I hope you succeed & wish me success too, please.” Can’t people just get along?!? 🤷🏻‍♀️
- Love triangle. ML likes FL. So does her boss. FL is unsure who she really likes. 🤔
- Toxic parents. His dad’s a serial cheater who expects him to clean up his messes. His mom is a controlling psycho who’s constantly ignoring his wishes & going behind his back. Grr… 🤬
- Childhood connection of Leads. Their history is tragically beautiful & I personally really enjoyed how the FL handled it when the full truth was revealed. ❤️‍🩹

PS: I could literally just listen to the male actor speak for days. His voice is so soothing to my ears!

_________\\__________//________


-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-


.


…


….


……

The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.6 💋
- Together : ep.10 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻
- BreakUp : Nope 🫶🏻

Read More

the sacred energy of Mount Jiri and a murder mystery -- a perfect summer binge

A good thriller with a great splash of the supernatural, worth the watch. The setting on the majestic Mount Jirisan, one of the great sacred mountains of Korea, makes this a perfect summer binge -- the perspectives across the misty ranges and ridges of this huge park alternate with dark shadowy intense scenes among the trees and cliffs where the action occurs.

The spiritual energy of the mountain makes it a popular tourist destination and the rangers who care for them and the park are devoted to the mountain itself. A serial killer is loose and a ghostly spirit emanating from a comatose ranger aids in the search for who the killer is and what his motives are.

The strange and sad limitations of this spirit's abilities are realistically delineated. This is not a comedy. There is some quiet romance but in essence this is a mystery story with a really interesting ghost. The moral core is the way evil deeds have a way of living on and affecting the future of a community unless they are exposed and punished.

This is a really beautiful show and emotionally very satisfying. You will really enjoy it, I guarantee it.

simultaneously posted on viki

Read More

Such an underrated gem!

OhEmGee - the Leads’ chemistry is hot! 🔥 It leaps off the screen & pulls you right in from the first episode. And it doesn’t let you go even when the show is over…

The FL, a rising theater actress, ends up held hostage by a mafia-like crew. When a high-ranking member lays claim to her, she fears the worst. But there seems to be more to this ML as, instead of hurting her, he protects her from the others. More tragedy strikes when she’s rescued & he’s presumed dead. But when he’s suddenly in front of her 5yrs later, going by a different name & claiming not to know her, she’s left confused & becomes determined to uncover the truth of his identity & what really happened on that island years ago…

There are no dull moments or slow pacing with these two. Even when truths come to light & the FL walks away because of the lies, there’s still an intense pull between them as the ML refuses to lose her again. And as they navigate their way through working out all the big issues, they nurture a love to be envious of. A love that will never let go or fade away.

Filled with swoon worthy kisses & heart warming glances, this will have you melting for the Leads! 🫠 If you’re in the mood for romance mixed with action & some mystery, give this drama a try.

And be sure to check out “Love of Replica” to get more of our Leads on the screen together! 🫶🏻


_________\\__________//________


-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-


.


…


….


……

The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.5 💋
- Together : ep.5 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻
- BreakUp : ep.7 💔
- BackTogether : ep.12 ❤️‍🩹

Read More

Left me blue but for the wrong reasons

There was a lot of hype for this one especially since it almost got cancelled (and it's a Chinese BL in times where you won't expect a Chinese BL), so perhaps I had some unrealistic expectations going into it.

I almost gave up in episode 5. What was going on with the script and production... The dialogues were chunky and awkward, the story didn't have a good smooth flow (great job in episode 12 summarising the key bits in writing and time jumping to happy times), the music got cut off midway without proper transition to a new scene (this is extremely disruptive and prevents people from really being immersed in the story), the acting and cinematography was over dramatic at times (over-dramatic lighting, unnecessary switches in focus, yes all very indie-like but yet somewhat lacking).

This was a really difficult watch for me and I was left rather disappointed and blue, not because of the story, but because this was poorly made and it could've been much better. I believe the actors tried their best to deliver but it just wasn't enough. This was a high school project trying to be an Indie film.

Read More

É muito bom

"My Unicorn Girl" é um drama doce e divertido que cativa o público desde o início. O roteiro é excelente, com uma trama envolvente que nos prende a cada episódio.

O destaque fica por conta do casal principal, Wen Bing e Sebrina Chen. Wen Bing entrega uma atuação brilhante, conseguindo transmitir de forma convincente a transformação do seu personagem assim que descobre que a sua suposta "amiga" é, na verdade, uma menina. A química entre os dois protagonistas é inegável, tornando seus momentos juntos extremamente cativantes.

Darren também merece elogios pela sua performance cômica, mostrando que é um ator versátil e talentoso. Já Sebrina Chen dá vida à sua personagem de forma impecável, trazendo nuances emocionais que enriquecem ainda mais a trama.

No geral, "My Unicorn Girl" é um drama doce e divertido, com um elenco fantástico e um roteiro envolvente que cativa o público do início ao fim. Uma excelente opção para quem procura uma história leve e cativante.

Read More

This made me sob!

Such a heart touching story told in just one hour. Every thing about was perfect, the actors did an excellent job I could feel every emotion portrayed by the sisters, Haneul seemed genuinely concerned and hurt by her sister's condition, and I could feel the love in the father's eyes just wonderful. I cried hard throughout last few scenes.

The music suited every scene and Kim Yang provided just the right amount of humor to an otherwise devastating story without making a mockery of such a serious matter.

I highly recommend, it's one of if not the best of these specials in my humble opinion.

Read More

An easy (slightly irritating) watch

Will a drunken night lead to a blossoming office romance…?

While I did overall enjoy this drama, the beginning was super frustrating. It starts with our FL struggling with the decision to end her current relationship due to her partner cheating on her or give it another shot. And I get that she’s been with him 10 years and invested so much time and effort into it but just…ugh. Dump him! He’s so freakin’ annoying and condescending to her - like, he doesn’t get her at all. So even without the huge deal of his infidelity, he’s already a toxic guy who doesn’t deserve her. 😡

Enter the ML and *swoon* - girl, be with him instead! 🫠 Seriously, our guy is so into her and really sees her in ways her current dude never has. He just gets her. And even though they start off with misunderstandings and false perceptions of one another, their attraction is immediate and their chemistry palpable.

So yeah, because of the tension between them due to her pushing him away to give her current dude another shot even though the one she truly wants is clearly the ML, the first half of this frustrated me. BUT, when she finally sets herself free and our Leads get together, happy sigh & happy dance because they. are. it! 🔥

Once they’re a them, it’s done. They don’t let anyone come between them. They refuse to bow to outside forces, they fight back against any attack. They’ve committed to one another and no delulu love rival, jealous ex, or cruel scheme will break them. So while the beginning brought frustration, the happy ending totally made up for it 😍

Side note: I didn’t feel much interest for any of the support cast (characters, not actors!) They were just kinda…there. I’d have preferred less of them and more of the Leads, but it wasn’t a huge annoyance or anything.

_________\\__________//________


-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-


.


…


….


……

The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- F(r)K : 16 💋
- 2G : 16 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻
- BU : Nope 💍

Read More

Watch To Reduce Your Survivability Skills

This is a sequel to the Zombieverse, with returning characters from the storyline. However it is getting sloppy and terrible with the scripting, that the writer needs to relearn how to write creative writing for scripted series. And do not compare this with The Great Escape, they are totally from a different set of crew and broadcaster. At least compare with The Zone: Survival Mission, since every episode is made into a survival game match, and that iconic cheap highlighting UI across every element. Nonsensical drone shot out of no way at times, that doesn't highlight anything. Zombieverse series wasn't exceptionally great in the first one, but it is still better than this second season. Characters in this season, tend to become much more dumber and lack cognitive thinking during situation. It was pure screaming, shocked, awe, and stupid zooming in.

The plot could have been planned better, if there was already decision for this to be spread across two seasons. No point to have them escaping from Seoul, then going over to Jeju Island only to get back to Seoul again. It is already mentioned that the state of Seoul is under lockdown and everyone have to escape to the island. It is great that you want to have another set of team entering, as though there are multiple similar survivals that escaped from Seoul. However don't create a situation where both teams have a disparity in their decision making, it just make the whole story sloppy.

When you have terrible cast such as Defconn and Siyoung in the team, who basically doesn't do much than to create senseless decisions. It is conflicting if the whole team have had grudges with Hong Chul already in the first season, then the whole team goes the whole turn of getting remorseful over their death? Didn't one of the NPC also have emphasised on your decision whether to kill them if you had the chance, this should have been a good judgemental point on where the team wants to lead. Other minor roles, such as Sae Ho, Eun Bi, Seon Tae, can be kept as guest NPC in single episodic role, but not as a full character. Good partners that can be kept, are DinDin and Tsuki, DEX and Code Kunst, Patricia and Jonathan. These are the ones that keeps the show entertaining.

And what is with that last episode of revival, I rather it be that characters come and go as their adventure continues. If you had the antidote, would you rather save or duplicate for mass manufacturing to cure the country? And now that they have Hong Chul's blood in them, do the revived have an immune towards zombies? You had to go through that swaying bridge battle, when you could have just disconnected the bridge? This is the same as boarding the train scene.

Read More