Ocean Like Me (2022)

I liked it - but didn't "love" it

(No spoilers)
This is an ongoing review, and I still haven't watched ep 8.
The setting of this story is absolutely amazing. A beautiful, vast, blue ocean, and a cute little shop near the side selling udon. I was enticed by this beauty.

Story - The story was really normal, and I didn't expect something "majestic" at all. I felt that this story was good, but there were times I thought that it wasn't worthy enough to be made into a drama. No offense, it is like some Wattpad short story that can be read in under 30 minutes.

Acting - Surprisingly professional acting. Something expected from han gi-chan; But Holland! I never expected him to be such a good actor. Even though their script wasn't promising, their emotions made an impact. I liked their chemistry, and the tension between them was fine.

Music - Nothing to say, just 3 words - I LOVE IT

Production - So-so. I don't think there was much to it that made me think "oh my god", but it wasn't so bad to be noticeable.

Makeup - I liked the makeup, tbh. It was realistic, and I was happy they showed the couple to have a normal face, with blemishes like normal people. More to add, I am happy that they didn't show some extreme beauty hunks that are somehow normalized in bl, because in reality, people like them don't exist everywhere.

Overall - I think it was okay. I won't remember it much but would like to rewatch it at times.

Rating - 8/10

Leia Mais

Well...

The food in this series looks amazing, so if one of the producers' intentions is making me want to eat and have a hot boyfriend, then they are accomplishing it!

Tommy is just not my type of guy and I really dislike his hair, but I do like him as a character. My skinny bubbly arse feels represented and I can't wait to hear him sing at the end.

The kisses although not great they make you bite into the fluff, but I don't feel this strong chemistry to be honest.

I like the story, the cinematography, the location, and the music. I personally love the overall production, It's so characteristic.

I really like everything about Han Bada, so there is no point addressing how attractive I thing he is

It's a 7.5/10 for me but I might give it an 8/10 depending on the last 2 episodes

Cheers!

Leia Mais

i do like the ocean

okay i think im a little bit biased because i like holland and i like gichan AND i loved the setting. i also really liked the main charas' personalities and how their dynamic was.

the pacing was a little bit off sometimes, but all in all it was fine for the length

one thing that i just realized though: the whole frame of the story and especially the last two eps are very much like behind cut??? both of them had this weird timeskip after one person just up and left the other and then a way too fast reunion at the end, as if they ran out of time
WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TWICE IN A ROW

i have to say, this is probably the most solid show by emotion studio so far but,,, that isn't saying much because i think the others all weren't that great

it's fine though, really cute and now i want to go sit by the ocean and stare wistfully at it

Leia Mais

Give it a chance. Healing journey

Yes, it's a BL, but really the story is about healing onself after being hurt, growing up, and putting yourself first. I guess some things you can only understand when you have experienced enough things, but it's a really nice movie.
You have to guess some things, but it's all given the through the subtext. You understand why Ba Da is there, and also Tommy's choice. Sometimes we have to put ourselves first, even if in doing so we hurt other people.
I also enjoyed the Ba Da maturing and not depending on others, also being able to say no when it was needed despite being hard. He found himself.
You might say it was not necessary for Tommy to leave for a while, but some things can only be pursued alone because it's our own personal journey.

Leia Mais

They had done everything perfect...

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
I liked the story: it was fresh, original, outside of school/university walls. A casual chaotic meeting that was written in the stars. Or in the ocean ;)

ENDING
Are you crazy? That was a total waste! I believe that Korea loves to separate their main lead to get them together again with a kiss by the ocean on the very last minute of the show... it's the third time I see it, and it's getting annoying. Plus, here, it felt unnecessary.

CHARACTERS
Ba Da was such a shy cutie, and Tommy was the match that woke him up. They are just a perfect couple. So Yeong was super annoying at first, but then she grew in empathy and helped Ba Da understand hia feelings for Tommy.

SCENERY
Photography is 10/10 to me. The ocean views, but also the shots of that road along the coast, everything was amazing. Also the indoors and the market scene.

OST
"You are my ocean" will be stuck for a long while in my heart. It is very beautiful and captivating, and the fact that describes Ba Da and Tommy relationship is just perfect.

Leia Mais

Charming and Nice

Look, this BL is not going to win any awards, but it is a nice, soft escape-filled series that is relatable to just about anyone. It is cute, charming, and I found entertaining. Rarely do I comment on individual actors, but Holland is openly gay and makes this series even more powerful to watch. You do not need something, strong, or over-the-top to get a point across. There are many millions of lives who live life quietly, just like this story is and that for me makes it so powerful. Of course, there are editing issues with this series, but its message simply presents love in a very soft, relatable fashion.

Leia Mais

My beautiful, messy ocean

Who needs a plot when you've got a Holland? Seriously I could watch that man in anything, he's just such a damn engaging screen presence.
But even my obvious bias aside, this show is alright! Yes, it's messy, that's undeniable, but it's damn charming.
The relationship progression and overall pacing of the show are very well executed and the leads' chemistry is fantastic.
I suppose there's just something about stories full of strange little guys (gender neutral) that really appeals to me - I absolutely adore all the characters here, odd ducks the lot of them.
The series is wonderfully calm and, inhabited exclusively by weirdos though it is, feels fairly grounded. At the same time it never strives to take itself all too seriously which strangely enough gives the emotional scenes more room to breathe and make an impact. I don't know, something about it all just worked for me.
The soundtrack is absolutely fantastic as well and perfectly underscores the story's tone.
It may not be a cinematic masterpiece, but it perfectly accomplishes what it set out to do - tell a gentle, refreshing story about a genuine queer romance.
I highly recommend you give it a go and see for yourself, you might just end up loving it.

Leia Mais

Someone's gonna jump out and yell PRANK'D YA, right?

SHORT LENGTH REVIEW BC I AM BEFUDDLED :)
----------

(Please keep in mind that I have only seen 7 of the 8 episodes as this review is being posted. I will update once I have finished watching.)


While I try to respect everyone's opinion, I wholeheartedly--from the very depths of my aortic valve--disagree with the reviews/ratings above 7/10. This drama is bad, and I don't particularly trust y'all who enjoyed it. Did you really? Did someone pay y'all? WHAT am I missing?

SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF THIS REVIEW!!!

Story? 6/10.
I have never witnessed a script go absolutely everywhere and nowhere at the same time... until this show.

Han Ba Da (Han Gi Chan) is a chef who wishes to open his own restaurant one day, so when the opportunity is presented to him, he jumps on it, but finds it difficult to attract customers; he is only but a chef, not a people-person. However, the abrupt arrival of Tommy (Holland) opens the door--literally--to customers anew and a twinkle of romance.

Sounds fun, yeah? That's what I thought. But we're all wrong sometimes.

This story starts where it's meant to: Han Ba Da opens a restaurant (with an extremely greedy woman, might I add), but is unable to produce revenue in order to maintain the rent. Thus, we're introduced to Tommy, his savior. However, this introduction includes accidental vehicular assault and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. I hated it, but whatever. Now we've got our two main protagonists working together, and they actually make a great pair. Tommy is super extraverted and seems genuine in his aide to Ba Da, which we see quickly develop into something more than a business relationship. But, unfortunately, this is where it all goes downhill.

Got an ex you want to throw into the mix to wreak havoc that'll never make another appearance? Go ahead. Some spilled soy sauce we want to get angry about? Sure. A bunch of customers constantly being left at the door that says Open one second and Closed the next because Ba Da and Tommy are extremely unprofessional? Why not.

(That's not even the full list of what all happens during the 8 fifteen-minute episodes, but now I'm sure you can imagine the train wreck I have sat through.)

Acting/Cast? 6/10.
This is actually the part I was hoping to score higher on, but, unfortunately, the children in this show acted better than our two main protagonists. Which is extremely disappointing, considering I really enjoyed Han Gi Chan (Han Ba Da) in Where Your Eyes Linger.

Music? 6/10.
Honestly, not much to talk about. I don't remember any of the songs except for the title track, and even that was lackluster.

Rewatch Value? 1/10.
I genuinely hope to never even hear anyone talking about this drama, or else I might spontaneously combust. Even writing this review was difficult

Overall? 6/10.
MyDramaList suggested I rate it a 5/10, but I thought that would be too harsh on top of everything I've written in this review. Overall, as Simon Cowell would say, it's a no for me.

Leia Mais

Good chemistry … bad script

It is clear that Corea is still way behind Thailand when making BL series … however that’s certainly not the fault of the actors.

Han Gi Chan and Holland portray an honest view of their relationship with real chemistry between the two of them.

For me Han Gi Chan can become the rising star of Corean BL series/films as he is very sincere in his acting (see also “Where your eyes linger”) provided he gets better scripts … scripts where real kisses and hugs and love scenes are not avoided.

For Holland : RESPECT!! This young man has gone through hardship and bad times but never gave up. I hope that the K-Pop industry starts to understand that the world is changing. I hope to see and hear more of him

Leia Mais

Unique series...good...very good

I'm doing a review because I liked it. I've seen a lot of bad comments here. So, I gave this a 9. It's a BL that didn't have anything to do with school, university, or engineering students. TG. I thought the story and the setting was unique and it had its merit. So, I am HOH for Han. (Head over heels (in love)) Tommy was a bit different and I had to and did warm up to him in the later episodes. I have to mention Go So whom also I warmed up to her too. This is a short series. As with many shorts I felt like this could have been a full-length series, but as I am quickly reminded that sometimes less is more. With that said I enjoyed this series. I was engaged and I learned a few things.
PS I have mention that I did not know Holland from the dark side of the moon, but as I understand he has done some brave and pioneering for that he should be applauded and all whom placed him in this role.

PS2, I thought the music was excellent. I even noticed background music as being enjoyable.

Leia Mais