CRAZY GOOD

Crazy good performance! 2 thumbs up!

The first episode was a refreshing mind-bender! As expected, Lee Dong Wook is always in great form. Wi Ha joon on the other hand is such a revelation - after surprising us with an unexpected role in Midnight, he has clearly shown that he isnt just a cutie actor but someone who can act. Together, their 'bromance' was captivating to watch.

Hands down it is one of the most unique plots ive seen in quite some time. However, the title - Bad and Crazy should have given me a clue of the things to come.

From being a cop show, it took a slightly bad turn and suddenly became a show about mental illness. I enjoyed it, however, i found that the first and second acts about catching bad and corrupt politician, and then the cops, all while fighting the scary russian mafia were a lot more compelling than the split personality drama. I do feel like they suddenly cut the drug issue short and that it wasnt closed properly. It's like it was done because they already exceeded the episode numbers and its almost time to close the curtain and show the crazy doctor. After all, Boss Yong was magnificently played and was scary as hell, and could have been a much better overall antagonist.

I loved the action, i love the mystery, i loved the support casts, I loved the rock music theme. Heck, i even loved the costumes and I thought Lee Dong Wook looked so good in almost all his outfits and the crazy doctorJung Sung Il is just gorgeous!

They appropriately ended the show with us wondering if the King is really gone, which makes a second season possible. Will i rewatch? Probably not, maybe just a quick refresh if there will be a continuation. Will i recommend, yes definitely! Overall its an 8 out of 10 stars.

Leia Mais

WARNING, THIS IS DRAMA NOT HORROR

For those wishing to see gore and horror, look somewhere else. After finishing the series, im still left wondering why it is titled Happiness.

Plot is set after the COVID pandemic and has creepily touched into our real world nightmare - what happens if after all that we faced through this pandemic and all the medication (vaccines) we are taking take an even scarier side effect?

Im just excited to see Park Hyung Sik in his first drama after his military service and he looked even dashier and manlier here. He has become an even more believable and charming leading man. It has also been a while since Han Hyo Joo's last drama and this beautiful actress fits the role perfectly.

Coming in, i thought it was a mix of Sweet Tooth and Alive. The first few episodes were engaging , however, they werent able to keep the momentum and the middle episodes felt like fillers. I wonder if something happened during the production that made them turn around and change the focus of the story, but what started out as a heartpounding scary series turned into a melodrama.

Almost all secondary characters in the apartment are annoying and felt disposable, and I couldnt care less if any or all of them died. Also their repetitious routine of going up and down the apartment to have uneventful tenant meeting bored me and is tiring to watch. Even the main characters sometime feels like bullies and too self righteous.

Im not sure if they sold the drama as a post apocalyptic drama or horror but there was just not enough horror element but instead too much of telenovela drama. I also would have wanted more screentime for the Lieutenant Lee Si Joo because aside from Yi Hyun, she felt like the only character with an untarnished motive, which in honestly, the show lacks.

I think the experience would have been better if it is shown in Nelflix with a one time binge drop of just 8 episodes. The ending was also a bit anti-climatic, i was waiting for the big Zombie attack which didnt happen, at all. But also to be honest i still would have watched 16 episodes with just Hyung Sik doing nothing but being his handsome self.

So again, why happiness? Was it intended to mean as a quest for happiness or was it a commentary of how all people seem to be unhappy with the situation they are in? I am still not sure.

Would i rewatch? Yes definitely. Would i reccommend? Of course.

Leia Mais

It started out as a must watch weekly show but halfway through my curiosity fizzled that i even forget there are still new episodes coming.

Dont get me wrong, this show is not bad at all and definitely watchable. The problem is watching the first episodes set my expectations high.

Kim Bum and Rain are both fantastic as Ko Seung Tak and Cha Young Min. I loved their small nuances when they are acting as one. The way they showed them during surgeries are also effective. However as lovable their characters are, they’re actions are also confusing. For example, Seung Tak was initially portrayed as a book genius and although he may buckle during actual surgeries we were led to believe he was still supposed to know whats going on, but there were scences when he was just waiting to be told what the medical conditions are and what to do with them. Also, I cant tell if Seung Tak is afraid of ghosts (more on this with spoiler alert, later).

Another thing lacking is a good antagonist. Han Seung Wong and Jang Min Ho are like your high school bullies, all talk no real bite. I cant even tell what is the real motive behind Seung Wong's action. Making him morr despicable would have been more effective, or just remove that angle completely and focus on the medical and supernatural side of the drama.

I may also be expecting a lot more from the female leads. Uee, as always, is amazing although Jang Se Jin's relationship with Seung Tak is borderline creepy. Son Na Eun, on the other hand, was completely wasted and Ooh Soo Jung's exposure was almost non existent.

I also have to say that their take on ghost lore, feels a little bit off. **MINOR SPOILER ALERT** All the ghosts in the series EXCEPT ONE are comatosed patients, and, they implied that these spirits banish once the host body is completely dead. So were they really ghosts or some form of astral projections? In connection to that, i dont understand why Seung Tak is scared and cant do surgeries, not even during his time in school, because for one, he has an understanding that the spirits he sees belong to people who are alive (or at least about to die) in real world. And as they implied that the ghosts banishes when they're dead, that means he cant be seeing ghosts during the cadaver surgery practicum.

Also what is so special about Young Min that he is the only comatosed patient that can actually posses someone? Again, should we call them ghosts? By definition, ghosts are apparitions of dead people, so technically the professor and the other guys are in fact not yet ghosts. Or, maybe, they could have made Young Min the only comatosed "ghost" and let the others be ghosts from dead people to set him apart and make him a bit unique, thus the ability to posses Seung Tak. I think they should have explored and solidified that supernatural concept a little bit more and explained the mythology better to make it believable.

With that said, im still giving the show a fantastic 8.5 out of 10 stars. Will i rewatch? I dont think so.

Leia Mais

Started out really really well with that 2-episode premier, i initially thought they are releasing 2 episodes per week. The fire fizzled out in the middle but even the little smoke left died out in the last episode.

This is the type of story/show that should have been released in one single sweep to be binged or should have been edited as a movie - would have been a better experience. The basic story premise was good but the execution was as paper thin that as the show progressed youd start to wonder whats the whole point of the entire show. By the seventh episode as the relationship between the pairs are developing, i was already fearing that their journey as singers/performers will not reach the peak and sad to say i was right to fear it. The comeback concert we were teased turned into nothing but a bar performance. And that ending, why??? You will thik Im joking if i tell you all this turned out to be nothng but a school project (with an AI video at that). After telling us for 11 episodes that this is a journey of a washed up artist being paired up with an upcoming artist to usher them into new greater heights it all ended into nothing without any explanation whatsoever why the characters chose that route.

The camera work was ok at times and makes you think youre watching a Korean show with the extra shiny filter, but the limitation of the budget can be seen in a lot of scenes. For a show about music stars, they did have good songs, but are very few that its evident they cannot afford to make/acquire more songs. There is this one main song that was overused for so many episodes. By the final concert performance, i was already thinking do they really only have 3 or 4 songs made for the entire series? Its a wasted opportunity cause they could have produced an entire album of songs that would have elevated and provided extra boost to promote the show. Also the few "concert" performance scenes (there were 3 if i remember correctly) have very few watchers - maybe not more than a hundred which i suspect are mostly the production crews anyway (strategically placed like few meters away from each other to make them look a lot) that its obvious they cannot even afford to pay more extras. These are shortcomings that can detach you from believing the story they are selling.

Whats also very evident is that they didnt have enough material to last 12 episodes and with the limited story arc they should have compressed it into 8 and it could have made the weekly waiting less painful than it was. I am saying it again, and I really cannot emphasize it enough, that this show should have been released as a movie or a one-time binge. There were no cliffhanger endings and suspense in each episodes to make you want to come back the next week. This series only felt like an expanded version and very eerily similar to the KBL "Wish You: Your Melody From My Heart".

Even if you consider those silly silly hairstyle choices, the show is not without merits. First, all the actors did a good job, and eventhough the story and pacing towards the end became unbearable, Charles and Michael were both believable as lovers and performers and were the main reason i stayed watching till the end. Second, I also have to mention that although i still dont like the multi-racial actors who dont speak the same language in the same scene, at least here it was bearable. Third i have to mention how lovely the sets and the posters are - i even use the main poster as my phone wallpaper for the past 2 months.

So as a final verdict will i recommend the show? Now that all episodes are out, yes, watch it in one bingeing. Will i rewatch, probably not.

Leia Mais

Typical ABSCBN

Its obvious that this is ABSCBN's attempt to ride the BL craze. A cross between Gameboys and Thailand's 2gether but falls flat with its thin story line.

While i am thankful that the producers decided to show it in Youtube, i cant help but feel that the series was haphazardly put together just to be able to be one of the first to put out a real BL series in the Philippines. It just feels shallow with very little (to no) character development and it felt like nothing's really happening after every epispde. I can only imagine good things if they waited a little bit and did this post-COVID.

The 2 main cast are A+, this is where the series shined. JC is a revelation- this guy deserves better projects while Tony has perfected his GGSS acting style.

However, even with the good acting, the series still lacks depth. HS is a big BL CLICKBAIT series- stuck between wanting to make BL fans happy and at the same time not wanting to offend the generally christian conservative (and hypocrite) public.

What i hate even more is after showing 7 episodes regularly, they just decided to hold back the last episode for a few weeks. I dont know if they were hoping to generate excitement or for what other reason, but to.me.it just didnt work, especially since the finale just lacks the punch.

Overall, im giving the series a 6.5 (mostly because of JC). I wouldnt actually reccommend it, only when you are stucked and has nothing to do.

Leia Mais

COULD'VE BEEN PERFECT

I was onboard the moment it was announced that Song Joong Ki will star, I was expecting a big serious action drama but i was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually lighter in tone - something i didnt know I needed.

ACTING. 9.5. Song Joong Ki as Vincenzo was just phenomenal here. Oh Taecyeon as Jang Jung Woo was so terrifying and was a revelation. Jeon Yeo Been's quirky and smart Hong Cha Young was just the right amount. The pool of amazing support cast - Kwak Dong Yeon, Kim Yeo Jin, Jo Han Chul, Yoo Jae Myung, and all the Geumga Plaza residents were all top notch.

STORY and EXECUTION. 8.5. The premise is interesting - and the overarching idea of good vs evil or evil versus lesser evil is not original but executed well. The shift in tone when Vincenzo arrived in Korea and the touch of comedy was also somehow welcoming.

However, in the middle of the series I got tired of the chess-like moves each camp is making, that it became a little hard to take things seriously. I questioned whether Vincenzo was really a scary mafia that we were constantly reminded of, and whether Jang Jung Woo was really a baddy or just a a spoiled little twat. It didnt help that the main characters, despite being constantly faced with danger or threat remained alive, almost till the end. Somehow it felt like the story and the lifespan of the characters were extended because the number of episodes were extended. Also, the fact that everyone in the Geumga Plaza building were somehow hiding a secret identity just made the story telling convenient but not necessarily engaging.

The special effects were also amazing.

REWATCHEABILITY. 8.5. Id argue that you can watch it and mute the sounds and the show will still be watchable thanks to the visuals of Joong-Ki - this guy age so well. Okay in all seriousness, although there are some weak moments, the light tones sprinkled within the series made it easy to watch and re-watch. The characters are easy to love and the villains are so hateable that overall it is still entertaining.

OVERALL im giving this show a 9 out of 10.

Leia Mais

UNHOOKED

Preachy and inconsistent. It is a low budget series - and it was pretty obvious.

The bad:
1. The writer thinks he created intelligent characters and an intelligent banter but what we actually have are long, boring, unnatural and preachy conversations. The flow of thought from all the characters are way too similar that it feels like a single person talking to his split personality.
2. The story. You met up on a dating app, met and hooked up once and next thing you were already 'inlove'? Really?
2. Camera work and editing. Lets forgive them for poor camera quality, but the editing is just horrendous, you dont even feel like they are really talking to each other (but it can also attributed to the bad script).

If there is any good, it is the fact that they tried to cover a lot of current gay issues. Also, i would credit it as positive that the 2 leads didnt necessarily end up togehter.

I do appreciate companies still trying to produce content during the pandemic, however, the big question is, is it worth it? Did they succeed? I dont know how you'd feel about it but for me, for a series called Hook Up i am always unhooked, what i know is i hated myself for wasting my time watching this series.

Leia Mais

RAINED ON THEIR OWN PARADE

T'was actually good until they decided to rain on their own parade - and when it rained, it poured.

Started out well. It wasnt perfect but lets say it was light and enjoyable and it was a breath of fresh air compared to the second-rate concurrently aired Thai BL (oh no I will not confirm or deny that I'm talking about Step by Step). The fantasy premise was intriguing and new.

The cast were all perfectly good looking. - i fell in like with Pee, its as if he was plucked from a Korean show and like he is always glowing, I already love Title in My Only 12% and im glad he finally got a starring role (also the main reason why i watched the show). Suar - i just love Suar, he is so lovable as Tian! I loved him im Youre My Sky but here he was even more adorable. Copter is gorgeous! I was also hoping to see more of Dream and although it was too short, her budding romance with Nara looked promising. ! I also appreaciate the fact that to some extent almost no one is made intetntionally annoying.

The pacing is alright, I was actually surprised when the main pairing happened quite quickly in the first few episodes without too much fuzz.

It was a perfect cap off to a busy week. I even considered it a must watch that I even subscribed to Iqiyi after watching the first episode just to see the episode earlier.

Leading to the 7th episode, I get the sense that the series was written a little blandly, and true enough that's when the series turned 180 degrees and decided to check all the tropes. Episode 8 and 9 were acceptable, and then the dreaded obligatory breakup episode 10 and 11 were things turned to crap.

First of all, both Pat and Sengtai's actions leading to the break-up scene were both very out of character, and I strongly feel that they were unnecessarily added just to make it more dramatic.

Second, I'd argue that there are still so many things to explore regarding their relationship and the phenomenon that they were in - I wanted to know more about them being soul mates - what was so special about Tai's family, and all the characters who were given this gift. That alone could be a throve of stories to explore. The makers are marketing it as an almost fantasy series so why didn't they sell us that mystery. And oh my, do I need to emphasize my jaw-dropping annoyance in one scene where one shout literally rid them of their connection to their soulmates.

I couldn't buy the soul-mate thing of Tai's parents. I just cant see the chemistry between them, and to be honest, the reason for their separation doesn't feel huge enough to break an enchanted love.

I am also sad that they ruined Lomfon.

Lastly, the last episode was so uneventful and uninspiring that I almost didn't finish it. I can't even fathom why they spent quite a long time with the new couple - what's the connection to the overall plot. They got more screen time than Patt in the finale, they even have their own flashback scene. And when the leads finally meet again, did you also notice how blank Patt's face is?

Against everything I hated, I also loved a lot of things. Overall its an uneventful 7 for me. Will I re-watch - not a chance.

Leia Mais