Strong Representation, Weak Plot
Watching this series felt to me like looking at abstract art. I wondered, "Am I not sophisticated enough to understand what a masterpiece this is, or is this not as much of a masterpiece as others say?" Now that I have seen eight episodes, I think that Last Twilight is not that good. Let me tell you why.
1. It is weak on plot.
Remember how JimmySea's previous project, Vice Versa, had an interesting pilot episode, but then forgot about the story and gave us ten episodes of plotless fluff with product placements and unnecessary drama? Last Twilight does almost the same. The first episode introduced some interesting conflicts only to show us two guys just hanging out from episode two to episode six. There is a lot of walking around, a lot of cooking, and a lot of fluff, but a whole lotta nothin' in terms of plot. Then, episode six had a plot, but after the more or less cliched love triangle was resolved, the story went back to fluff. Many viewers will probably disagree with me, but I was bored. From episode four on, I watched at 1.75x speed, and some scenes still felt slow.
2. The character development happened too fast.
Last Twilight seems to be one of these stories that flesh out their characters well, but then forget that their personalities determine their behavior and the development of the plot.
In episode one, Mhok is introduced as an impulsive, blunt, street-smart person, freshly out of jail. Day is a spoiled and stubborn rich kid who hides his pain behind a bratty attitude. Their first meeting was so entertaining to watch -- great banter and sparks of playful chemistry. Then, in episode two, impulsive Mhok quickly turned into a perfect caretaker with endless patience, and Day's brattiness disappeared almost completely. Their character development would be way more impactful if Mhok had slowly learned to be gentle and patient and to take care of another person, and it had taken Day longer to open up to him.
3. The chemistry is one-sided.
Jimmy carries every romantic scene on his back. Sea is stiff. I don't feel any passion from his side. I didn't believe that Day had feelings for his crush, and I don't believe that he has feelings for Mhok now. In Vice Versa, both Jimmy and Sea were stiff in the romantic scenes, so it looked like bromance. Now, only Sea is stiff, so it looks like Mhok has a one-sided love for Day.
Last Twilight deserves praise for representation. It is great to see a good depiction of disabled people. Day is not defined by his disability.
Jimmy and Sea have both improved their acting. Sea's portrayal of a blind person struggling to adapt to a life without eyesight is convincing and sympathetic, and Jimmy seems to enjoy playing a more rugged character a lot -- he becomes Mhok.
The story is free from endless product placements, jealous exes, girls throwing themselves on a guy who is clearly not into them, and stupid misunderstandings. However, none of this is ground-breaking anymore. Other BL series have also moved past the negative portrayal of women and the other toxic tropes that were part of older BLs. The challenge now is to have a plot that can hold the viewers' attention until the end.
Last Twilight shows that the actors and producers have learned something from the criticism that JimmySea's last project got. I am happy that it is received well by viewers. As someone who was expecting more plot than I saw in Vice Versa, though, I lost interest quickly.
Edit: I watched the rest of the series. It had plot development and some good emotional moments, but the last two episodes were as bad as other viewers have written.
1. It is weak on plot.
Remember how JimmySea's previous project, Vice Versa, had an interesting pilot episode, but then forgot about the story and gave us ten episodes of plotless fluff with product placements and unnecessary drama? Last Twilight does almost the same. The first episode introduced some interesting conflicts only to show us two guys just hanging out from episode two to episode six. There is a lot of walking around, a lot of cooking, and a lot of fluff, but a whole lotta nothin' in terms of plot. Then, episode six had a plot, but after the more or less cliched love triangle was resolved, the story went back to fluff. Many viewers will probably disagree with me, but I was bored. From episode four on, I watched at 1.75x speed, and some scenes still felt slow.
2. The character development happened too fast.
Last Twilight seems to be one of these stories that flesh out their characters well, but then forget that their personalities determine their behavior and the development of the plot.
In episode one, Mhok is introduced as an impulsive, blunt, street-smart person, freshly out of jail. Day is a spoiled and stubborn rich kid who hides his pain behind a bratty attitude. Their first meeting was so entertaining to watch -- great banter and sparks of playful chemistry. Then, in episode two, impulsive Mhok quickly turned into a perfect caretaker with endless patience, and Day's brattiness disappeared almost completely. Their character development would be way more impactful if Mhok had slowly learned to be gentle and patient and to take care of another person, and it had taken Day longer to open up to him.
3. The chemistry is one-sided.
Jimmy carries every romantic scene on his back. Sea is stiff. I don't feel any passion from his side. I didn't believe that Day had feelings for his crush, and I don't believe that he has feelings for Mhok now. In Vice Versa, both Jimmy and Sea were stiff in the romantic scenes, so it looked like bromance. Now, only Sea is stiff, so it looks like Mhok has a one-sided love for Day.
Last Twilight deserves praise for representation. It is great to see a good depiction of disabled people. Day is not defined by his disability.
Jimmy and Sea have both improved their acting. Sea's portrayal of a blind person struggling to adapt to a life without eyesight is convincing and sympathetic, and Jimmy seems to enjoy playing a more rugged character a lot -- he becomes Mhok.
The story is free from endless product placements, jealous exes, girls throwing themselves on a guy who is clearly not into them, and stupid misunderstandings. However, none of this is ground-breaking anymore. Other BL series have also moved past the negative portrayal of women and the other toxic tropes that were part of older BLs. The challenge now is to have a plot that can hold the viewers' attention until the end.
Last Twilight shows that the actors and producers have learned something from the criticism that JimmySea's last project got. I am happy that it is received well by viewers. As someone who was expecting more plot than I saw in Vice Versa, though, I lost interest quickly.
Edit: I watched the rest of the series. It had plot development and some good emotional moments, but the last two episodes were as bad as other viewers have written.
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