Até nos Encontrarmos Novamente: A Série (2019)

SLOW is probably the most appropriate word to describe it. Over stretched to 17 eps, this snooze fest would have been tons more watchable if it had the sense to realise that surviving beyond 15 eps would be a struggle for everyone, especially the audience.

What a waste though! The interesting themes of reincarnation, karma, redemption and 2nd chances, the could-have-been intriguing twists and turns, & a mostly competent cast.... all deeply compromised by unforgivably miscalculated pacing. Too often, the camera lingers on an expressionless actor for 2 seconds too long, more often than not, an actor takes 3 seconds too long to respond to something. The awkward pauses and unnecessary milking of a dry moment make it all pretty uncomfortable. The time wasted would have been enough for tons of souls to be reincarnated.

Thankfully, as mentioned, most actors look and “act” the part (with the exception of a few who tend to mistake overacting as emoting, and a scene stealing wig). Also, everyone looks like they have perfect skin, the songs are pleasing enough, the desserts look delish and.... and... ok, no more.

In short, if “until we meet again” ever gets the chance to be reincarnated , I hope it becomes more of a lean mean P’ Dean ... than a soppy, confused Pharm who overstretches his P’ Deeeeeeeaaaaaan

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STORY:
I thought the reincarnation concept was super interesting, which was why I started watching in the first place. However, by the halfway point, I really couldn't see what the driving conflict was other than that the characters don't know this big secret. The big problem with this is that the secret is revealed to us, the viewers, at the very beginning of episode 1 so there's no big reveal or anything like that. Of course, there are a handful of surprises that pop up throughout the story, but nothing that I thought was really of importance to the plot. A lot of new plot elements are introduced in the very least episode, which to me feels kind of rushed, especially since the story moves really slowly otherwise.
Another big thing to me was that there is little to no character development throughout the entirety of the series. The characters didn't seem to change at all despite what was happening to them. All the scenes moved so slowly, and each one is milked in a very similar way from the beginning of the series to the end.

ACTING:
I didn't really feel the chemistry between Dean and Pharm, and their relationship doesn't seem to develop very much throughout the series. They're kind of awkward for a lot of the scenes, save for the very end, although this might be more of a directing thing than acting.
Individually, though, the vast majority of the actors were great. Fluke, especially, does an amazing job portraying Pharm from the beginning to the very end. I also really loved Prem and Sammy, who did a phenomenal job playing Pharm's (very lovable) best friends. There were some moments where I felt like Ohm shows pretty much no emotions, but again I think this had more to do with the director than with the actor.

MUSIC:
For the most part, I thought the soundtrack was fantastic. There are a lot of a capella songs that are played at heart wrenching moments, and a humorous string track is used pretty often throughout lighthearted bits. All of the music is generally enjoyable on its own, but by the end they feel really old and overused.

REWATCH VALUE:
I might rewatch a handful of scenes, but personally I found myself skipping through a lot of slow-moving parts the first time I watched them. The complete lack of suspense also does not help.

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Most BL stories don't try to accomplish too much during their time on screen. Usually, there is a guy who likes another guy, but one has a girlfriend or he can't accept falling for a guy, but eventually he does, and then the show ends. Until We Meet Again is unique in how ambitious the storytelling is. The story itself spans generations, requires a lot of committed actors, and demands a lot of us as the audience. For all those things, this series will go down as one of the best BL series of all time. Some shows are great for the actors(Mew/Gulf), others might be great for the characters even if the story isn't that good (Korn/Knock) but this show has a wonderful and supremely romantic storyline. I don't think it is possible to surpass its story in terms of romance, whether gay or straight. That is what makes it great.
I truly admire the work done in this series and Wabi Sabi Studios is really showing they know how to make winning shows. The director truly knows what he is doing now, and so we are in for many years of enjoyment as series made by him get better and better. Until We Meet Again will be hard to top though. When watching this, sit back, relax, cry when you feel like it (that was often for me) and just let it in.

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I had such high expectations for this show. It was one of the most talked about and hyped up series of last year and I couldn't help but have expectations going into it. And this just met and exceeded my expectations. I feel in love with this series, it's story, and most of all it's characters. This story is original and unique one of the best in any bl series I've come across. It just hit so well, it's funny heart breaking, heart warming and charming all at the same time. The acting is incredible, everyone just embodies there role to perfection and you feel the pain al of these characters are going through. Special attention should be given to Fluke who's emotional scenes just kill me every time. Every In and Korn scene just breaks my heart. I adore the friendship between Pharm, team and Manow they are just the sweetest. Also, I now want a a series about Win and Team's relationship. I have nothing but good things to say about the acting in this show. The Ost is also great these songs have been on repeat on spotify since I first heard them. aThis show is a slow burn and is very character and emotion based, their isn't as much of a focus on plot. The real drama comes from these character coming to terms with their past and while come may find that a negative i think it's makes the show different and an interesting story

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Mmm this is my first time to post a review on series so it might be a bit clumsy.
I like it although I think it could have been better.

First :It focused most of time on the effects of Intouch suicide upon his family but it neglected the effect of Korn's suicide as if he is guilty and responsible for both suicides.
Second: too many crying scenes but I interpret it as producer wants to always remind the viewers that parents ' unyielding and violent oppose forced the lovers into a corner
Third :we only got few glimpses of Korn and In' s time which (in my opinion) weren't enough.
Fourth:Pharm and Dean's relationship was approved by those around them (which was too much of a fairy tale), I would understand if Dean's grandmother, mother, and pharm' s uncle, grandfather would be toleratent (they suffered loses already so it would soften them like how Dean's grandmother froze when he told her that his lover is a man, she recalled Intouch 's death and begged Dean to never hurt himself no matter what happen)
I interpreted this utopia as producer meant to show the contrasts and its consequences (The fierence opposition led to tragedy, approval and support led to strength)
Fifth:Although the series started with the tragedy as a start scene but it took us back and forth in a way that made my head spin a little.
During the series I blamed Korn for the tragedy but I understood what made him feel like there is no way out as his father practically threatened him to hurt his lover.After that I gradually started to understand better.
All in all it is a good series to watch especially to those who like decent romance without too much make out scenes

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Loved It

I’ve seen a lot of lack luster reviews about this drama and honestly I highly disagree. This drama is amazing, I wish I could erase my memory just to rewatch this drama again. This isn’t a heavy plot drama, but the plot twists are so worth it and well earned. The characters could use a bit more development, but the small details that make up the four main characters (Dean, Pharm, In and Korn) make this such an enjoyable show. The love story seems a bit slow, but I honestly didn’t mind as I felt Pharm and Dean had a lot to work through. The side ship is 100% one of the great parts of this drama and the side characters are so fun.

Now on to the SPOILERS:

Pharm is the reincarnation of Intouch and Dean is the reincarnation of Korn. One of the main things I love about this drama is how it sets the reincarnations a part from their past lives. The details make it that much more enjoyable. You’ll see what happened in their past lives take a mental toll on them in their reincarnations. Pharm, who witnessed Korn’s suicide as Intouch, now has ptsd, even though he has no idea why.

And at the climax you’ll see the full effects of Korn’s decision to kill himself on Pharm. I saw in some reviews that people didn’t like how reserved or prudish Pharm seems for someone that is supposed to be in love. But I think it’s important to realize that Intouch had been such an out going and affectionate person which is not contrasted with Pharm who seems a bit more emotionally constipated and afraid to show his love, because essentially that is what lead to both of them dying in the first place.

The changes between Korn and Dean are much more subtle. I don’t think we ever see Korn cry, or it’s very rare. Where as Dean cries many times and feels the full weight of his choice and the guilt is consuming for him. At first it seems that Dean is just as reserved as Korn was, but I don’t think that is the case. Dean has friends where as it seemed Korn only had his siblings to confide in. I think Dean has grown and matured a lot since his past life as Korn and has become more mindful of his decisions and their effects.

I don’t want to spoil too much, their are some amazing plot twists and truly heart wrenching scenes. I cried a lot watching this drama. I highly recommend it.

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A Perfect Balance of BL and LGBTQ+ Drama

I have re-watched this drama for so many times and I never failed to end up crying a river. The story was just so beautiful and Fluke's acting was impeccable, to say the least. Now let's get into the pros and cons.

PROS

1. Acting

Fluke's acting was, again, excellent. He has shown time and time again that he is one of the best actors in Thailand. The last episode alone has showcased his range. His ability to cry on cue, his amazing skills to switch from one character (Pharm) to another (Intouch) in a single frame, and his subtle yet profound expressions have basically carried the whole show.

I also want to praise the veteran actors who played Dean's mother, Dean's grandma, Intouch's father and Korn's father. Their acting was sublime and they elevated the drama. Other actors did decent too, although not reaching the same level as Fluke and the veteran actors.

2. Story

The story is one of a kind. No other BLs have reached the level of complexity that UWMA had at that time. This would make you cry buckets of tears yet at the same time would also wrap you in a lingering warmth. DeanPharm's story was a fated one. This might seem boring to most people but I personally think it portrayed a healthy and mature relationship between two young individuals—which is unfortunately rarely shown in BLs. Dean was full of desire but also patient, while Pharm was meek but also firm.

I was quite impressed when Dean was making physical advances to Pharm by grabbing his behind when suddenly Pharm took a stand and said a firm no to Dean. Dean respected that and apologized to Pharm, which showed that 1) Dean succumbed to his desire, he made a mistake, but he recognized that mistake and apologized profusely; 2) Pharm knew his boundaries and was not foolish enough to let someone he loved to cross those lines, and 3) Consent was clearly a major key in this drama.

How this drama portrays family acceptance/rejection was also another major plus. In DeanPharm's arc, we would see how family acceptance became the stone that built both individuals. Meanwhile, in KornIn's arc, we saw how rejection from their fathers broke their lives apart and created a long-lasting, detrimental effects to all parties involved. BL dramas rarely showed, let alone elaborated the extent of the latter scenario. LGBTQ life in Asia, in fact, is not all butterflies and rainbows and UWMA had successfully portrayed both sides of the coin really well.

There are also other great points that the drama brought up, such as the importance of safe sex and care after sex (!!!). The use of condom/protection has been brought up multiple times in BL drama and I will never get tired of it, but I believe UWMA was one of the first ones that brought up the after-sex care. Sex, especially for the first time, can be mentally/physically exhausting and painful, especially for the receiving end. After care is needed and Dean showed his love for Pharm by providing care package afterwards. I found that very thoughtful and sweet, and it was a major plus to me. UWMA also gave us a serious conversation on same-sex marriage, which is surprisingly rare in BLs.

However, the story is not without flaws. I found WinTeam's arc to be unnecessary. It felt like a filler and I was compelled to skip through most of them, although I understood that it served as an introduction to the sequel (or spin-off?) which focuses on WinTeam. Still, I wish the drama could have focused more on KornIn and DeanPharm.

3. Music

I found myself listening to the OSTs from time to time. The orchestral music did its job to intensify the watchers' feelings in emotional scenes. I also appreciated the different opening soundtracks. I noticed that they changed the opening soundtrack depending on the overall mood of the episode, which I found pretty neat.

CONS

1. Editing

I hate to admit this but the editing was sloppy at times. There were some scenes that could have used better transitions or been cut a few seconds shorter. There were also some filler scenes that I find unnecessary as they added nothing to the main story and added little entertainment value. They also missed some minor details were quite bothersome for the watchful eyes.

2. Pacing

My goodness, the pacing was the biggest flaw of the series. It would've been a 1000000/10 if it had 12 episodes or so. Some of the scenes were awfully slow. I felt like the middle part of it was quite draggy, while the ending was a bit rushed. That scene where Pharm and his friends went to the BBQ (??) place was unnecessarily long, in my opinion, and could have been used to flesh out Pharm's mental journey to separate his love story with that of Intouch.

CONCLUSION

Despite the flaws, this drama is a trailblazer in BL genre. I often found the acting in BL drama to be lackluster, but Fluke really showed his acting chop and served the best performance out of all BL drama. The story was solid and deep, unlike most BLs that often have surface-level plot. As I said at the beginning of my review, UWMA truly is *the* perfect balance of BL and LGBTQ+ drama.

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Best Show I have watched, period!

I'm new to the whole BL Drama genre and this was the fourth one I have watched in the past 3 weeks. I was simply blown away by almost every aspect of the show. The acting was amazing, the storyline was believable and gripping and it left me wanting to watch it all over again once it was over.

Without giving away any spoilers, the story was beautiful in almost all aspects from the romance, the plot, the script, the mystery and the characters. If I could have a friendship group like the one depicted in this show I would be over the moon! The actors were all excellent in their roles. They were so believable and the emotions on display hit hard, particularly towards the end of the series. I'm not ashamed to admit I shed a few tears towards the end and I am not a big crier. The music was also excellent, I'm currently listening to it right now as I write this.

All in all, this was a fantastic show and has probably spoiled me for the genre now as it was so good! I would defo recommend it but don't forget a box of tissues, especially for the last few episodes :)

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No tears left to cry

I was excited to watch this series because of the good reviews. The premise of this series is different as it is more on the drama side of things and touches on several topics as the story progresses. I like how food and old Thai culture were used as plot devices, it is rare to see a BL series that shows these.

Things get really slow later on in the series and there were a lot of internalization scenes, wherein we watch the character cry or reminisce the past and we'd be shown a flashback that we've already seen before. Sometimes, these scenes would last 5-10 minutes. 5-10 minutes of Pharm just crying.
And there are too much staring and just looking at each other. There are no episodes wherein this would not happen. Literally no tears left to cry for Pharm.

The family tree also gets messy and really this took away the drama because it left me confused as to whose family is who. I had to google their family tree for me to better understand this (okay maybe I'm nitpicking on this part).

The actors were great and you can feel how professional Fluke is. I can see a little struggle with Ohm and Nine on some of the crying scenes, but other than this they were both enjoyable to watch. As with many other BL dramas, I always find myself shipping the supporting characters. Team and Win are just adorable and I always look forward to their scenes. I'm also happy that Sammy finally gets a boy!!!

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TW: Suicide

i love this series !! if you haven't watched this series, you are missing something. this series is just an emotional roller coaster i'm serious about it, this series makes you cry, laugh and makes you butterflies in your stomach. each of these couples is so great and each of them has a nice chemistry .. this story is just wow and made so awesome! sometimes it's a bit more complicated with the family story but at some point you understand it. and wow they all played so well, most of them Kao, Eearth, Fluke and ohm their acting was so good, the others were all so good too .. this series is absolutely not to be missed !!!

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EMOTIONAL, SWEET AND SLOW BURN ROMANCE

Reincarnation and Red string of fate bl plot...Okay, Hands down, I'm in for this one..

I'm glad that this BL drama put a twist to the common university themed/setting dramas by placing this premise. I love how the story is slow burned and I'm sorry that some might prefer a fast paced plot in which the main characters get together immediately and have some steamy scenes but in all honesty, This drama is so wholesome and I'm glad that it didn't take that route. The way the main couple's (Dean and Pharm) relationship progressed or developed in the story is beautiful. The struggles that they had up until the end in which they overcame it was great.

Another thing that I love about this show was also the fact that it tackled the important issues of the LGBT community (acceptance and forgiveness).

This drama definitely is a must watch for those who are into wholesome and slow burned romance or melodrama.

Although, the execution of this drama was not perfect because some of the acting scenes of some characters tend to have long pauses or there are unecessary scenarios.. I can definitely say that what brought me into finishing this drama was the story of how Dean and Pharm loved each other - the acceptance and forgiveness...

Cheers to the cast for portraying their characters and cheers for the one who had written the story..

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