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Ainda é Cedo Para Quais quer Julgamentos.
Minha consideração!Achei a série legal, atores maravilhosos e a forma que se deu a interação entre o casal principal, Atom e Kongthap. Foi notável que a produção deu uma mudada no visual e no estilo de atuação do ator Gemini Norawit, deixando um estilo mais “de descoberta”, para quem assistiu My School President vai perceber o que estou falando em relação aos atores principais. Também a ênfase que se deu entre o casal coadjuvante, Half e Mudmee.
Contudo, o último episódio deixou um pouco a desejar, foi aquele final com a necessidade de uma continuação, algo ficou solto, a exemplo do casamento de Annop, que convida Atom e Kongthap para a cerimônia, mas que não ocorreu. Também o casal principal precisava de algo que selasse realmente um final.
As músicas também ficaram legais dando uma conotação de que já sabemos de quando se trata de BL com temática escolar.
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Do you love this show, or do you simply love GemFourth?
I once said "Gemini and Fourth can save even the dumbest of ideas." As a fan of theirs, I was convinced I'd love this series no matter what, so I was incredibly excited for it to air. However, I got proven wrong.Let me first clarify that I'll judge this show as a stand-alone piece. I haven’t read the manga, and I don’t recall much of the Japanese adaptation. Some people say those who dislike the show should be mad at the manga instead. I disagree with that sentiment. If you adapt a story for a different media, changes need to be made. What works for manga might not work for TV. I understand being an adaptation comes with limitations on a story level, so I'll give them some grace there, but on a scene level, it needs to be reconsidered. This is what I watched, so this is what I'll judge.
GemFourth have a lot of chemistry which is why they’re one of my favorite ships. Yet, I didn’t enjoy this half as much as MSP or Moonlight Chicken. I don’t think their chemistry has dwindled. The problem is that MLMU didn’t nurture it properly. They’re at their best with slow moments for them to banter, shyly kiss on the cheek, hold hands, or stare at each other lovingly. Think about the dance scene in MSP. The way they look at each other delivers more chemistry in 2mins than most other ships do in an entire show. The problem is that MLMU doesn’t give them enough such moments. My favorite scenes are 1) Kongthap sleeping over, and them bonding over their parents relationships, and love being scary, 2) Atom telling Kongthap about his dream of having a café, and his trauma involving fire, 3) Atom sketching Kongthap while he’s playing the guitar, looking at him with actual sparks in his eyes, and 4) them holding hands on a train and blushing about it. In these moments, their chemistry was fantastic. Sadly, such scenes were few and far between amidst silly conflicts, busy plot points, and unsatisfying resolutions. Thus, Atom and Kongthap never really felt like more than friends.
Their chemistry also didn’t hit as hard because I’ve gotten used to them. When I first got introduced to them, they gave me butterflies and made me feel giddy. I still love them just as much, but now that I'm used to them, they no longer give me that same thrill that they gave me in the beginning. On top of that, they’ve gotten older. They looked like actual babies in MC, which is part of why they sold the puppy love so well. It just doesn’t have that same effect anymore.
Also, GMM knows the chokehold GemFourth has on us. Here, it felt like they’re teasing us by only giving us sweet moments very sparingly. The lack of kisses made sense in MSP because they were underage, and I'm all for protecting underage actors. That excuse is gone now though. I felt like they were deliberately holding back on cute scenes (not just kissing, but also hand-holding, hugs etc.) in order to tease the audience and keep them wanting more. It had the opposite effect on me, leaving me frustrated instead. I don’t need them to make out, obviously. Simple touches would be enough, but it was short even of that. MSP and MC felt a lot more intimate despite them being younger then.
Of course, I still want to see more of GemFourth together in the future. But I've come to understand and accept that no matter what show they’ll be in from here on out, it won’t ever feel the same way it did at the start, and that’s okay. It's just something to keep in mind to manage my expectations.
I loved Fourth as Atom. He’s great at being animated and acting like a whiny, pouty baby. Thanks to his expressive eyes, he also did well in emotional scenes. I think he’s at his best in more heartfelt and emotionally demanding shows like MC, still, he pulls off rom-coms too. I struggled with Gemini's acting though, especially in the first half. He had a lot of charm and charisma in MSP, but here, his delivery often felt stiff and disinterested. I think he was trying too hard to come across as cool/aloof, and like many other BL actors, he equated that to moving as little facial muscles as possible. The stark contrast between him and Atom’s animated nature didn’t help, but only worsened the issue.
The poor character writing didn't help either. Atom felt most cohesive, but he’s a caricature more than anything. First, his whiny, exaggerated nature was endearing, but it got irritating quickly. He over-reacted about every little thing, often with little regard for people’s feelings. For example, when Half struggled to ask Mudmee out, Atom immediately took her side, sulking at Half without ever asking him about his feelings. Kongthap never felt coherent to me. The story adjusted him to be whatever it needed for the given episode, so he never made much sense. At first, he’s this smart, cool guy, then suddenly, he lacks any semblance of emotional intelligence. All in all, he felt like a nice piece of cardboard with googly eyes for Atom. With Mudmee and Half, there were inconsistencies too. Depending on the episode, Mudmee was either a smart, independent young woman, or a stick with no braincells. The narrative didn’t know what it wanted her to be, so during camp she’s bad at anything involving physical effort, but later she’s strong and gifted at sports.
All of them together never felt like a convincing friend group. Other than Mudmee and Atom, everyone just came across as classmates who occasionally talk. None of the characters felt compelling. Traits came and went out of the blue, like Atom being into cooking. Chef Sin said it makes sense why he was tense during cooking club at school. But I don’t remember him being tense. He was thinking about Kongthap, thus burning the food. You'd think someone with trauma would be too tense to think about their crush in such a moment, and that an incident like that would be triggering. But it didn’t seem to affect him. In episode 11, Atom's mom tells Kongthap how he has a fear of being abandoned. Nice idea, but this is the worst case of telling instead of showing, because they never bothered to show us that in the whole show. The only thing they followed through was Atom's fear of heights which luckily didn't just disappear after one successful experience.
The romance arc was unconvincing at best. The issues started from the get-go with Atom getting over Mudmee way too quickly. Since they’re teens, and his undying love was in reality probably just a small crush, I won’t be too hard on them though. This is also where I give them grace for having to follow the plot of the manga. But things only got worse. I have no clue how Atom and Kongthap fell for each other since they never really got to bond. They spent a lot of time together, but it hardly felt like they were talking about meaningful things. Mostly, they just read as friends. Sometimes even like brothers, which is the last thing I want to think about in a romance. I understood at first, because they were clearly written to be awkward around each other. I appreciated that since it’s their first relationship, so feeling unsure of how to act is realistic. But awkwardness doesn’t equal lack of passion. When they became boyfriends, I was hopeful we’d get all the bonding that had been missing so far. Instead, they went straight back to silly conflicts. GemFourth are such naturals at holding hands, kissing on cheeks, hugs etc., but the show never allowed them to do much of that, so there was a severe lack of romantic tension. I actually couldn’t even picture them kissing until they did.
The kiss episode was underwhelming at best and incredibly frustrating at worst. Dedicating a whole episode to a misunderstanding about kissing was very annoying. Not that Kongthap had much of a chance to clear things up, because Atom stalked off angrily to pout whenever Kongthap was about to explain. It was so immature that it made me feel like these two definitely shouldn’t be in a relationship at all. Kongthap’s friend tells him a first kiss isn’t about when, instead about why. By the end of the episode (and by the power of plot convenience) he has magically understood this lesson. The kiss scene that follows was grating. My biggest gripe is it being interrupted by silly sports day shenanigans. This is the emotional climax of your story thus far, stop distracting from it! I know the towel thing happens in the manga, but it just felt like a tease. It did come off eventually, but maybe it shouldn’t have because the kiss was so awkward. It must be a problem with directing because from MSP we know they can actually kiss with passion. I think the director wanted a "shy" first kiss, but the kiss in MSP was also their first one and their lips were actually moving there, yet it still felt very puppy-lovey. Why would you direct two actors with a lot of chemistry to kiss like two dead fish pressed together? It makes no sense on a story level either, because Atom and Kongthap wanted to lock lips so badly. It was the whole premise of the episode! One would think if they were so desperate, there would be at least a bit of fire there, even if they’re nervous.
In the next episode, there was a sudden shift from them being desperate to kiss to not even holding hands. It felt jarring and made it feel like their relationship was stagnant, never really growing deeper or more intense. Maybe their kiss didn’t just look bad, it also felt bad, so they were like "Nah, we’re good. Let’s not do that again.“ (Their kiss in episode 11 isn't much better, feeling stilted and awkward without chemistry. If this was my first GemFourth show, I definitely wouldn't be as obsessed with them. I really hope this is just a problem of directing, and things will look up in another show again because these kiss scenes are just painful to watch. They just looked like they didn't want to be there.)
Because of all that, MLMU often had me rooting for Mudmee and Half instead. You know it’s bad when I’m rooting for the straights.
Another poor choice was limiting conflicts to a single episode. Most story/character arcs would’ve greatly benefitted from being more drawn out, so they can build and conclude them in a satisfying way. Instead, it all felt rushed. Episode 7 is the best example. It would’ve been far better to see Atom grappling with his sexuality over a few episodes, so the emotional climax of him breaking up with Kongthap hits harder. The way they handled it, it felt like Atom’s insecurity came out of nowhere. I would’ve loved to see an exploration of why Atom feels like hiding their love is best, while also exploring why Kongthap wants to be open about it. Atom then changing his mind after a single conversation was way too fast. It’s a shame because I appreciated the message they were going for, about neither Kongthap nor Atom being wrong about their feelings, and everyone opening up at their own pace. But it would’ve made more sense if this wasn’t just dealt with in the span of 45mins. A similar thing happened with Atom realising he wants to go into culinary arts. He didn’t know what to do with his life, then after cooking ONE time, suddenly eureka! I like the idea of his trauma from almost burning the house down, thus having given up on his dream. But cooking one successful meal being enough to get over all that was poorly done. How about he slowly starts warming up to the idea, then working up his courage again? How about having a conversation with his mom? Maybe she could’ve told him she blames herself, because she wasn’t supervising him when he was clearly too young to be cooking alone. It was an interesting idea but clumsy execution.
The show’s very tropey and doesn’t stand out from other campus BLs. That’s not a bad thing necessarily. If you have an interesting aspect or unique/lovable characters, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Sadly, MLMU has nothing interesting to add to the table. Not just on a story level, on a scene level too because it pulls out all the BL clichés: Tripping and falling on each other. A lot of feeding each other, and of course messy eating that requires a thumb to wipe food off, because napkins do not exist in the BL universe. Leaning on someone's shoulder on a bus. Attempts at kissing someone in their sleep (can't believe we're still pushing the narrative that even the attempt at this is okay/normal). Characters randomly pulling a guitar/song out of their ass. A lot of miscommunication. And of course we also need the mandatory episode dedicated to a stupid jealousy plot that goes nowhere.
I understand they need to fund their shows somehow, but the ads only made things worse. GMM's never handled product placement with much subtlety, but in this it’s handled with all the grace of an elephant running through GMM headquarters. Cringe is one thing, but here, it felt like they were actively writing their screenplay based on the products. It didn’t feel like the ads blended in with the show, instead like a long ad with some loose plot strands sprinkled in-between. If all the time spent on ads was used to further characters/relationships instead, this would be a much better show.
Finally, my pettiest issue is how they put the end credits over the final scenes of each episode, taking away from heartfelt moments. At first, I thought this was bothering only me. But clearly even GMM are aware of how annoying it is, because during the kiss scene in episode 8, they deliberately didn't put any credits on (instead putting them on the interspersed sports-day scenes). If you know it's distracting, why not refrain from doing it altogether?
Of course, it's not all bad. A few things I liked are...
- Pushing the message that girls don’t have to be a damsel in destress to be lovable.
- The indirect kiss via fingers was a nice ode to Tinn and Gun.
- Atom’s and Mudmee’s friendship. They're two halves of a whole idiot and it was the highlight of the show.
- The behind-the-scene videos because they showed how much fun they all had on set, and that’s what matters most.
- The soundtrack slaps, though the title song was overused.
A couple of years ago, I would’ve liked this. Back then, I was just happy to see more stories representing my community. However, these days there’s such a flood of Thai BL that a show needs to do something unique to stand out. Mediocre shows just aren’t cutting it anymore. I want well-written stories with exciting characters, unique plots, and scenes that don’t feel like I’ve seen them a hundred times before. Sadly, MLMU had none of that to offer. It suffers from the same problems most GMM shows do, and is dragged further down by the lack of swoon-worthy scenes that usually make even mid BLs an enjoyable experience. So, despite my love for GemFourth, I can’t rate this any higher than a 5. That pains me a bit, but we should be able to criticise things even if we adore the people involved.
MLMU has shown me that not even my fave ships can save a lacklustre show. A new ship might distract me from bad writing by giving me enough butterflies. But with already established ships I love, and the thrill of that gone, I now know this is not the case. I’ll keep this in mind for the future, so I can manage my expectations better. That's easier said than done, of course, so we'll see how well it goes. I’ll be practicing with Heart Killers, the new FirstKhaotung show, because they are my other favorite GMM ship. At least now I know not to set the bar too highly, because the higher the hopes, the harsher the fall. And this one really hurt.
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most anticipated but most disappointing
I was excited to see that Gemini and Fourth were getting another project together, and ultimately knew it was inevitable. With the popularity of the pair from their recent (and best so far..) project which was My School President I was excited to see another imaginative and original drama from the pair. Unfortunately for me the originality wasn't coming because this drama is a remake of Keita Hatsukoi, and it is again.. unfortunately not anywhere near as good. What comes in the end is an adaptation I can neither recommend as a stand-alone drama, or to any fans of the original. This drama is just worse in every single way possible.. let me explainI am not a hater of the fact it is a remake. I know remakes can be done well and have been before, I didn't expect for this to be better or worse, the least I expected was some effort.. and I didn't even get that. The acting is done well enough from the new faces I see, Gemini and Fourth I can't help but see that they are just acting out what was originally done.. and the depth behind their performances aren't there because of a simple reason. The direction and production shot them in the foot, and it isn't any of the acting at fault, it is the writing, the editing, directing, and everything but them. So the editing is extremely cheap and it tells me that whoever is in charge of this project simply didn't understand or care for the source. This drama was just a way to make a quick dollar, that is what it all tells me. They use shammy music and sound effects in ways that aren't effective and just a shame to be there in the first place.
With Fourth in particular. He is a fun person and is an amazing actor, and I know that from his leading role in My School President. The difference there is that he had room to act, instead here they shove sound effects to try and get an emotion of humor out of a scene. The original source material is a manga, and I can see this being done with animation, live action is completely different. The actor can stand alone by himself and I don't know.. act! Fourth is more than capable of holding a viewers attention in the humorous scenes, but instead they drag it out to its limit by stretching the camera and adding cheap sound effects which are what I said. They are cheap ways for the audience to go.. oh this is funny! It isn't, to me it is insulting. I know Thai dramas tend to do this, but they should've reeled it back. My School President was a fun show but also had its mellow moments, it was so well received and had heart because of the directing and care in every scene. In this drama there isn't any attention to detail other than call backs to any other source material. There is a whole lot of extra time in this drama, but it is wasted for cheap and phony reasons. This drama uses the leads and the source material as a way to market and doesn't do anything new by itself, it drowns the original concept to an abyss and I can't see it coming back from it.
Crucial parts that may seems small are taken out, with the Cinderella episode in particular being the worst and the point I realized this show just sucks. I really didn't want it to either. So Atom (who is played by Fourth) isn't even Cinderella, and that is fine by itself, but when you really think about it where is the logic? Originally he volunteered to do it, so the only reason I see that they didn't is because either Fourth didn't want to cross-dress (which is fine) or because this drama wanted to toss the coin in the pot of things they are progressing. That did the opposite, with Atom not being Cinderella it messes the whole identity of the stage itself as well as Atom's character. He does thing in spontaneous behavior, because it is just who he is. He is someone that thinks before he acts, and that is how it is in the original and not here. With Atom having time to think about it, get rejected, and then to do it again takes away a bit of that charm from him, and ultimately strips the dynamic between him and Kongthap (Ida). Ida is a guy who thinks carefully, and even too carefully. He doesn't even understand the concept of liking someone and it doesn't make much sense to him just based off a feeling alone, and Atom (Aoki) is the opposite. Aoki is the person who does things all of his feelings and without feeling, but just is a genuine person. So he subbed in for Cinderella not just because he liked her, but because it was just in his nature. His whole class had no problem and here? Well they refused until he had to and he did it by himself? He had no reinforcement and it made his behavior seem odd? Like Atom isn't the type of guy to do things off of a one moment decision, but they find it weird? So it was disingenuous even if they wanted to pull a homosexual relationship in the mix.
So the episode there became just the characters singing instead of developing their individual characters they sung songs for the play... If you want GemFouth to sing write another drama that has it make sense.. here it made no sense? It was another skip for me..
They screw up the main parts of the characters so badly and they seem a shell of themselves. Atom and Kongthap alike are stale and uninteresting. The ending of episode one wasn't nearly as impactful from the editing and because of the direction towards the portrayals. Kongthap is someone who in the end is also an extremely good person, and very thoughtful. Atom ended up actually liking him but not in any way that was serious or understandable, it was actually pretty confusing. I keep watching and hoping they just go to the source because that did nothing wrong, and if they change things then can they add? There is more than enough time to make this drama good or watchable, this drama just makes me think that I should just go back to watching the original. I really should, GMM shame on you. Shame on you for just shoving this out into the open for the money, where is the heart? Where is the passion? The comedic timing alone is enough to turn someone away from this, this isn't funny at all, not even in a so bad its good.
Taking away the little details.. especially the garbage scene.. oh boy.. that is just not needed. Taking those humor bits away show to me that whoever is in charge really doesn't understand the source material at all. It is just fan service and bad fanservie and is extremely dissapointing. Watch My School President again if you like Gem and Fourth, don't kid yourself into thinking this is good.
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There's no real plot
Even tho the show is not over I'm over it. I got tired of it very quickly. I just keep watching for Fourth and Gemini.Fourth and Gemini did a great job with what they were given. They're great actors and I feel like their talent was wasted on this series.
It feels like mlmu was going for a sitcom vibe. Every episode had a different story and an ending of its own. Which is just completely the opposite of the manga and makes a mess. They also cut very important stuff or changed it which ruined the reasoning for the character to be the way they are and act the way they do.
For example Atom not getting involved with food was supposed to be because he got bullied when he was a little kid cause he was chubby. That explains why he has such low self esteem. But they changed it into his mother getting hurt which was so randon. If the accident caused scars on the mother's body it means it was very serious and probably traumatizing for little Atom but after he burned the chocolate he was back to his old self which is not how a traumatized person would react after such an experience. That could've been a good moment to let him talk to Kongthap and let Kongthap comfort him.
Also after Kongthap gets upset that Atom forgot about the university he wanted to go to, in the original manga, Atom tries his best to make it up to him and plans the entire trip including booking the hotel. Then Kongthap asks to talk to him about something and Atom is sure Kongthap is going to break up with him cause he always feels like he doesn't deserve him. They didn't show it in the series. So when Atom's mother tells Kongthap about Atoms fear of losing the ones he loves it doesn't hit the same cause we never saw his fear. She said he pretends to be strong and independent but he doesn't. That's the entire thing about Atom. He is a messy cute little fellow, that has no idea what he is doing. He needs others and needs their help.
Kongthap is a simple character so they couldn't mess him up too much. But they failed to show his humanity. Kongthap was studying hard in order to make sure he gets into the university so he and Atom could be together. He didn't rest while Atom studies. That shows how much he loves and cares for Atom.
They cut parts of him being protective and possessive over Atom. Him being jealous that Atom is studying with his cram school teacher and asking Atom to study with him instead. Or even a sweet moment like when Atom hugs him in the hotel. Kongthap asks him to stop hugging him cause it makes him feel things. Atom breaks the hug straight away in panic.
There were moments in the bts that were better if included in the episode but for some reason got cut. Like Atom worrying about Kongthap when he passed out which I don't understand why they cut it out.
And let's not talk about the wasted musical episode which was so unnecessary. The manga is long enough and considering how many parts they cut, they could've used that time for something better. I love the songs but I still think it was a waste of time for the series.
That's about the plot. Now lets talk about the terrible directing that made both Fourth and Gemini look bad. I don't know who thought that getting a camera right in their faces was the right way to go. Or filming from weird angles. And the amount of time that they had their eyes almost completely shut because of the sun so you can't see any emotion whatsoever and they can hardly look at eo cause the sun is burning their eyes. And the terrible editing, sound effects that were too much and the brightening filter that made everything seem so unnatural.
I hope they get a better series next year. A one where they can showcase their acting skills better. A more serious one. A better written one, better directed and better all over.
That's it. That's all I have to say.
Edit after ep 12: this ep was worse than everything before. We clearly saw Atom's mother accepting Kongthap last ep just to get Atom coming out to her in this one. Explain. Also they tried to make her a mean parent only for this ep which made 100% no sense cause she was always caring. When Atom got sick she didn't tell him it's his fault for staying up all night. She isn't a harsh parent so wtf is this nonsense
of her telling her son to basically not be a loser. But surprisingly enough (or maybe not so surprisingly because I know his true abilities) Fourth made the coming out scene so emotional even tho it made no sense. His raw emotions and his shaking voice had me in tears. His and Gemini's acting are the only good thing about this show.
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WISH I COULD USE THAT ERASER
Yes, yes, Fourth is adorable as Atom. He's super cute, the babiest of the babiest. Give him a sippy cup and a blankie. Clouds, cotton candies, rainbows, poppies, whatever... cute!But listen. For the life of me, I couldn't keep myself from going 'SHAKE YO BOOTY, SHAKE YO 'AS' whenever Gemini came on screen! I am embarrassed. I am ashamed. No really. In that one episode where the poor guy got bitten by a whole arse snake, I went. 'PUT YOUR HANDS UP IN THE AIR 2X.' Though, speaking of snakes, what in sorry arse reaction was that??? His reaction was literally like... oh...yeah....I guess a snake...bit me? CHILD???!
Anyway, this drama is not for people with rational thinking. I think it was made for a waay younger audience. Cuz like, Atom brought his blankie and plushie to a hotel! So yeah, that should tell you the audience this was made for. So if you are looking for something deep, my brother, go look elsewhere.
That being said, thanks to the many ads in this drama, (literally how many times did we have to see Kongthap poke himself in the eye to put in those lenses?) especially that yellow ice tea, which is in basically every drama, I finally went and ordered that yellow ice-tea, now tell me why it tasted like sawdust and cheap cargo shorts? It tasted like Wednesdays, don't hate it, don't like it. I supposed it's on me, should have known to stop ordering stuff in dramas when that seaweed snack tasted like chili and air condition.
Listen, I'm sure many people were frustrated with some of the decisions the characters made in this show. Like the nonsense misunderstandings , overreacting and miscommunications. Me personally, I wanted to reach into the screen and shake Kongthap in the last episode when he agreed with Atom that they should tell their parents about their relationship, but then immediately became a third party during the telling. Cuz how the eff you gonna sit there like a tree, blinking like a goddamn christmas light while Atom go through that alone? Mfer said and did nothing while Atom's self-esteem chipped away at the words his mother said. Arrggg.
As for Kongthap's mother, did she really need to be so vague and take those long arse pauses and make poor Atom cry like that? Damn woman made me yell at her and her son, while trying to wipe Atom's tears through the screen.
And yes, we can argue that Kongthap himself was nervous and scared, but literally he could have at least tried to say something instead of becoming a light pole with a flickering lightbulb. Even when it was Atom's turn to tell his mother, homeboy still went, 'ma'am Atom has something to tell you' This CHILD!!
PLOT:
Going in, I was afraid it wasn't going to live up to the hype and the wholesomeness of the Japanese version, which it sort of didn't. Because this version was much different. However Fourth held his own, orbit some over-the-top-scenes and Gemini had the whole clueless adorable house poppy look working for him, which frankly is his go to in all his characters, still, I think they did their best with what they were given.
As for the source material, they took the name of the Japanese series, a few similar scenes, then sort of threw the rest of the script in the rubbish, then did their own thing. Which gave us a fuller story, about first loves, the anxiety of getting into uni, and how hard it is to come to terms with your feelings and sexuality. It's sad that all those changes was packaged with over-acting, stiff kisses, awkwardness and childish behaviour. It would have been great otherwise. But personally, base on the changes, I think the writers did a good job adding something new so it doesn't just a repeat the original.
CHARACTERS:
First off, I'd like to give credit where it's due. Although the acting in this was nothing to write poems about, the finale showcased how far Fourth has come as an actor, and how far he can go! He did such an amazing job that I felt every bit of his emotions in those heavy scenes. I look forward to seeing him grow more in his acting, and to take on more serious roles, cuz I can tell he'd nail them.
Atom and Kongthap were frustrating at times with all the childish misunderstands and problems. Atom started the series with no dreams and in love with a girl, and ended up working endlessly to be a better version of himself. I liked that we got to see him struggle with what to study, it felt relatable. I cheered on him when he finally achieved his goals and grew as a character who didn't seem to have a care in the world, to a promising change man who had more hold on his future. I also liked how Kongthap opened himself to the idea of returning Atom's feelings and was supportive of Atom. I did like the relationship between Atom and Kongthap, although due to all that nonsenses problems, I came to enjoy the relationship with Half and Mudmee more at times. They felt so mature towards the end. Half knowing he wanted to be a better version of himself for her instead of following Mudmee's dream was great. I applauded that part, I was like yes, finally some grown-up decisions that doesn't come with overreacting and nonsense.
Also those kisses though. Damn. In the finally, I was like... Kongthap honey, at least move your neck, or lips, or head, do something child, you're in high-school. He gave Atom nothing, which makes me think Atom would have been better off making out with those chairs instead. But again, given the audience, I wasn't holding my breath that we'd get more than stiff kisses. They almost had me with the firework kiss though.
Half and Mudmee were such good supporting cast and made it enjoyable to watch them. Half is a whole mood on his own, he seemed so chill with everything most of the time, my kind of vibe. I look forward to more work from both the actors.
Anyway, although this wasn't deep, and came off mostly childish, I think GeminiFourth fans would really enjoy it. I'll recommend this to anyone who likes middle-high-school first love series. Watch it if you have time and looking for something light to watch. I look forward to GeminiFourth's next series.
SHAKE YO BOOTY SHAKE YO AS'... God, why am I like this? Wish I could use that eraser to erase that Gemini performance, cuz every time I come across him, it's the first thing that pops into my mind. ^^
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My Mix-Up
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this is where i leave the camp & go back home.
i was pretty much looking forward to this show after each of the first 4 ep's.
i have no idea what happened during ep. 5. the acting sucked. the story sucked.
fourth/atom cannot confess his feelings. something dumb keeps happening. annoying.
long stares at nothing. long stares at each other. long stares daydreaming. just long stares.
at this point it feels as though they are trying to stretch a 5 ep show into 12. & there are 7 more.
there literally nothing left to tell of the story. we've seen it all. what else is there other than more staring?
i'm so confused as to why directors are doing this relentlessly. just tell the story and move on. if there's more, create a 2nd season. don't stretch a story out! viewers will grow annoyed with the show, the directors & possibly tune out a future product. the only ppl being punished here, other than the viewers, are the actors. fourth is incredibly talented and attractive, so it's difficult to give up on his acting. i'd for sure watch him in something other than this. i remember when Cooking Crush was released and ppl were livid because OffGun deserved better roles...a better storyline and they had proven themselves able to carry a more serious drama and not that particular kiddy drama. i actually enjoyed Cooking Crush, but now i understand what critics meant. there was so much this story could deliver with GeminiFourth...it just sucks the direction it's going. the comedy is not landing with me - well it's hit or miss and more miss than hit, i assure you. i may pick it back up when it's over and binge it all the way through for a different result, but as it stands now, this is only the 2nd BL i've every dropped. i dare not say what the other one was. thinking about the suffering makes me cringe all over again.
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Lost in Commercials
"My Love Mix-Up!" appears to have all the ingredients for success: a well-beloved source material, a multi-talented cast with solid portfolios, and a dedicated fan base eagerly anticipating this adaptation.Unfortunately, it fell short. This series highlights a concerning trend in media, where the primary focus seems to have shifted from storytelling to serving as an advertising platform, with product placements and ads competing for attention within the same runtime.
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What I liked
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(+) Pahn's Performance as Mudmee
The series has a talented cast; Both Fourth and Gemini have displayed versatility in their previous projects, and the actresses playing their mothers adding depths in this series with their seasoned performances. Yet, Pahn's portrayal of Mudmee stands out the most to me. Despite this being her first role in a series and her character being part of a side couple, the story arc of Mudmee and Half is arguably as memorable, if not more so, than that of the main couple. This might be partly due to their scenes are not distracted by product placements (see point below). The payoff when this couple finally gets together in episode 9 is satisfying.
(+) Depiction of Iconic Scenes from the Manga
One strength of this adaptation is its effort to showcase more iconic scenes from the manga. With a longer total runtime than the Japanese counterpart, this series has the opportunity to bring these memorable moments to life on a larger screen, giving them the attention they deserve. However, due to reasons mentioned below, some of these important scenes fell short of delivering the emotional impact I was hoping for.
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What I didn't enjoy
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(-) Product Placements
The sheer volume of merchandise and ads in this series is just absurd. While the actors clearly tried their best to act, these distractions wasted their efforts. The earlier episodes are particularly guilty of this. For example, in episode 5, where an important scene between the main couple is overshadowed by the need to advertise a bee doll. I think Euro-cake might have more screentime than the supporting characters.
(-) Aesthetic Inconsistency
This series lacks visual coherence, with skin tones and colors often appearing washed out. This dullness contrasts with the 'bright' and 'comical' tone this series aims for, causing several scenes, particularly daytime rooftop settings, to fall short of achieving their intended vibrant atmosphere.
(-) Distracting Sound Effects and OSTs
The cast is talented and capable of carrying scenes without the need for constant sound effects. While the intent to create a 'comical' atmosphere is clear, the execution is unbalanced in this series, resulting in an overuse of audio elements (and often, too loud) that detracts from the performances. Although the OSTs are good, their repetitive use became jarring in this series.
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Best Scene!
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There are several memorable moments in this series, but if I had to choose one, it would be the scene where Atom comes out to his mom during the series finale.
This scene is executed perfectly: Atom's fear of not being accepted by his mom, his mom's fear of being the last to know about her son's relationship, and Kongthap's role in helping them connect are all portrayed with depth and authenticity. The minimal use of music allows Fourth's raw emotions to take center stage, and he conveys a multitude of feelings in just a few minutes.
Once again, these actors can act. It's a shame that earlier episodes were cluttered with so many distractions.
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In summary, there are good things here, and I found it somewhat enjoyable overall. In another universe, with better editing and fewer product placements, this could have been a much stronger adaptation. The BL landscape is more competitive now, and there are simply better series to spend your time on.
I look forward to seeing Fourth and Gemini in projects that fully showcase their amazing talent and chemistry. And hopefully, the product placement invasion will not spread further!
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Thai romcom with a ton of product placement
Overall: it's a fairly standard Thai romcom except it lost me around the halfway mark. I have not read the manga this is based on and I tried to review this adaptation on its own merits instead of comparing it to the Japanese live action adaptation of the same name. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GMMTV's YouTube channel.Content Warning: slap
What I Liked
- clear premise
- lighthearted romcom
- sweet moments
- the bike riding scene
- that Kongthap gave it serious thought in ep 1
- made something clear at the end of episode 2 instead of dragging it out
- My School President Easter egg in episode 3
- good established m/m couple
- a character wanted physical affection
- the Chinzilla band cameo in ep 11
Room For Improvement
- the intro scene and then the voice over that re-told what we already knew
- the overused comedy sound effects detracted from the comedy
- felt draggy
- camera blocked kisses (I realize the towel was from the manga but they didn't have to follow the manga exactly and then even the het couple had a camera blocked kiss)
- nonsense stuff, they didn't even show the props that they decorated
- I still hated the slap but at least there was an apology
- a teacher asking a student about their love life
- running after a car was not cute
- this might have the most product placements that I've ever seen, but I didn't really take off points because series like this allow GMMTV to make series like Not Me
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More disappointing as expected and as overrated as expected
Cherry Magic (Thai) was bad enough, but it can get worse with this remake.I don't get the forced comedy with it's stupid soundeffects and the over-acting. This series has the charm of a bulldozer. The most annoying thing was the overall childish acting in most scenes. There are only some scenes where you can think, this could have been a good show, but sadly it wasn't.
I don't need to compare to the japanese "original" verison, because on it's own merrit this show is not good, but fangirls are fangirls and they overrate as hell because of two actors they like. I also bet my review will be downrated, as it happened with Cherry Magic (Thai), but I could not care less.
Objectively this show is not good, the characters are mostly one-dimensional and childish. The actors had no script to work with which couldn't challenge them in their acting. Besides that, also the chemestry between the MLs was nothing to write home about. "My School President" had a good story, good acting, good chemestry and an grandious OST and all the other things a good BL should have. This series had only lot's of advertisments up your face (again). I don't get it, why they need to do that. Are the actors that expensive or are japanese rights much more expensive compared to thai novels? Even compared to Cherry Magic (Thai) the production quality was not top notch, so I guess it's just maximizing profit.
Other reviews will depict the show in more detail but I'm too lazy for that. It was a grand disappointment and I would wish the fangirls would objectively rate such shows, because as long it is upvoted that high, such crap will be produced again which is sad to the whole industry and unnecessarily lowers the quality of such shows. You should skip it and watch "Only Boo" instead which is not brilliant on the acting but makes up with cuteness and also a very good OST.
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Too safe and too commercial.
There was nothing outstanding about the show. I’m not gonna remember any scenes from it in a month, because everything was just lukewarm and bland. And it truly pains me to say that.I think my biggest issue is how for many scenes I did not feel like I’m watching Atom and Kongthap, but rather Fourth and Gemini. The further into the show we’ve got, the characters seemed less similar to how they were initially introduced. Atom was not really timid and clumsy and Kongthap went from not understanding what love is, to being pro in a relationship. I was watching Fourth and Gemini have fun playing around and flirting on screen, rather than two fictional characters and their story. And it completely took me out of the show.
Don’t kill me, but the whole drama I kept thinking: where did Fourth and Gemini’s acting skill go? Took a break? Deserved vacation? I loved them in the previous dramas, but here everything seemed… forced, some lines robotic. That said, Some of this seems to be the editing issue - leaving too much pause between lines made some dialogues sound unnatural. There were scenes that were great, but if I had to talk overall, it was more ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Since I kept seeing the actors behind these characters, I could not connect to the presented story at all. I stopped caring for their romance and individual journeys, even with how relatable they might have been on paper.
And the drama does tackle a lot of issues and concerns of youth. One that I especially appreciate is the conflict between following your friends and loved ones and following your passions and dreams. Should you pick a school that would let you cherish the closed ones and spend more time with them, or the school that would be best for your individual goals and improvement? How will you approach that dilemma? How will you deal with the aftermath of whatever choice you make?
What’s more to like? I did enjoy the second couple quite a lot. I found them to be more refreshing, cute and funny. Their scenes for sure stood out more.
Production wise it was good if we are talking about set design, directing. I have one question though - how low are the payments for PPLs for them to need so many? I felt like I was watching ad after ad, as if the show was created around different advertisements rather than these product placements being smoothly incorporated into the plot. You already have 4-5 different ads before each part starts…
Overall, I think we are passed the “nothing was wrong” standard and we can expect more and this show just simply did not meet my expectations.
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so far so good
I feel some fans of the JP adaptation are just not giving this a fair chance at all even with one ep airing. Please for the people that have watched the JP adaptation, that this is based on the manga so there is going to be more shown. Myself am adoring the show so far. I found the first ep solid and think the acting from both Gemini and especially fourth have been great so far. Also, imo, the directing so far has been great as well. plus we don’t even need to talk about chemistry between Gemini and Fourth. I am also loving the side actors. they also have been good so far as well. can’t wait to see moreEsta resenha foi útil para você?
