Glad I stuck with it

After the first couple of episodes I was tempted to give up on this one. I thought it was lacking in lots of ways and really wasn’t keen on the flashbacks. I kept hanging on because I liked the actors and wanted to know Amber’s backstory. Also, it’s a long time since I watched a Taiwanese BL and I like the vibe. With a small budgets they rely heavily on the story being good as they don't have the money to gloss over / disguise a bad one. In this, they literally walk you through some scenes (the slow motion car crash for example - no spoiler - it's the very first thing you see) to tell the story. As a viewer, it is perfectly do-able to fill in the gaps and makes a refreshing change after being spoon-fed so often. It was imaginative with the way they framed the shots too - it’s a bit like reading a comic. Some of the things I initially felt were lacking in the production I decided to embrace as part of its charm. I sped through the flashbacks which are mostly at the beginning of each episode. By ep 6 I was into it, and after that it just got progressively better.

Cast/characters:
I really liked Tannie Huang as Yu He. She's a bit in your face and surprised I didn’t find her irritating – but it was cute her being unfiltered and direct - came across very human. The way she behaved after discovering Amber’s secret was a disappointment to me but it was (sadly) the most realistic reaction. It was true to her friendship with Ah Le and maybe turned out to be the catalyst everyone needed in the long run. I liked how honest she was about her feelings and thought her relationship with her brother was really touching - esp during their conversations in episodes 9-10. The actor playing her brother is also in Plus & Minus but I'm finding his role in that a bit limp, so wasn’t expecting to like him so much in this.

The second couple were sweet and funny and wholesome. They didn’t dominate the story and I didn’t feel I wanted more or less of them but was glad they existed. Lin Wei Jie is so fricking cute.

In love with Eric Lin's performance as Amber. His acting was understated - and the character came across painfully lonely in his self-containment.

I don’t want to slag Lukas Huang's acting off because I got a strong sense of Ah Le as a character - I was convinced of his good nature and he carries this reassuring solidness - but the scenes in which he needed to convey extreme emotion seemed a little pained - particularly during the scene with his mum in the final episode. That conversation though was really moving – the words just kept rolling out of him. Really beautifully written.

The relationship between Amber and Ah Le is so gentle and pure - it's the main reason I liked this drama so much. Pre final episode (which I loved every minute of) my favorite part of the show was in episode 11 - their conversation and hug, followed by the teddy-shaped coffee. It felt like a real interaction and comforted me.

Also loved the music.

Leia Mais

weird n wonderful

The premise and promo images are misleading - if fluffy BL is all you’re after, this isn’t really it.

This show was a ride and I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it so much. It started off confusing me with it's strange combination of things. I watched the titles of the first episode wide-eyed, thinking – mother of god, this has to be a piss take. What followed was a mildly insane mixture of dated feeling melodrama (a lakhorn apparently - it educated me), BL (familiar with), mystery, 90’s kids’ show and sickly-sweet sentimentality. I have a terrible attention span so the fact it kept me engaged for 90 mins 3 times a week is quite an achievement. I kind of wanted to discuss it but a couple weeks in and the comment section was a hotbed of preachy angst so to preserve my enjoyment I stopped looking at it and kept to myself and my teddy bears. The main issue people were fighting over was Nut’s ‘tude, and treatment of Tofu and his mum. I’d advise to stop watching if it’s disturbing you. Otherwise be patient and stick with. He’s clearly being a dick but he has his reasons and - erm - it’s part of the story! The characters are all flawed but that’s the beauty and kind of the whole point of the show.

The fantasy elements wear off a lot after the first couple episodes and you're left with just the odd talking blanket. The low-techness of all that stuff I found v amusing. It also needed something to break up the heaviness and I was sorry to see those silly bits fade as it got a bit depressing without. Final ep though - it comes back with a f*cked up vengeance! I had been bothered by the missing slipper the whole time it was missing (several sad weeks) and refused to believe Tofu would forget his promise to reunite her with the other one. Thought I'd rest easy after the rescue but am still trying to process the cremation escape/dog chase. Surreal and disturbing in the extreme :'D Side note: I thought Tofu having sex on a bedspread that he converses with was pretty kinky. But he’s also a teddy, so that’s kind of kinkier? - or is it totally innocent? I can’t decide.

I’m so impressed (and patronising!) by Job - the actor playing Nut – thought he was great. I loved Tofu but some people won’t. He is self-sacrificing to the extreme which might be seen as irritating and possibly as an unhealthy example to set for “goodness”. He's more used as a symbol for goodness and love than he is a person. The feel of the acting from all the cast is on the melodramatic side, but that's the type of production it is. Tathan’s character was gorgeous, Kensit’s parents were like God-given, Song was a sweetheart, and despite her despicable actions I had a soft spot for Satjaree- she made a really good baddie. Saen/Sipmuem weren't characters you could really warm to, but he was a good actor and physically intimidating.

I’ve never seen anything like this show before – it’s silly, it’s deep, it’s encouraging, it’s tragic, it has Tofu’s beautiful face in it - and Nut’s when he’s not scowling. The healing of the relationship between Nut and his mum made me think about my own family and how important it is to express love to your loved ones while you can. I liked the theme song - Tofu/In’s voice is really distinctive and whenever it came on it felt like his character was there, smiling. I was pretty devastated by the final episode but it stitched me up again before it ended. I’m left a bit scarred - like tofu’s little paw! and vaguely uneasy around teddies and soft furnishings.

Leia Mais

The lack of affection is sad

Not a fan.

Bad bits:
1. Tine and Sarawat - might be the least convincing romantic pairing I've ever come across. Before becoming an item there was (a little bit of) potential, but once they got 2gether they displayed zero affection- it was bizarre. Are they supposed to be in a loving relationship at the end? If so that makes me sad! I liked the actor who plays Tine but the actor playing Sarawat sneers a lot, gives off an arrogant vibe and seemed uncomfortable in the role.
2. Bit troubled by the portrayal of Green's character (rapey, or what? the one "obvious gay" character doesn't need to be forcing himself on frightened straight men...) and how he was treated (like shit). It is a light-hearted drama but that was a bit of a dodgy storyline- and just inserted as a device to get the leads to fake-date.
3. The music is not my taste.

Good bits:
1. Fong [Tine's friend] - for no particular reason - he just seems a sweetheart.
2. Man [Sarawat's friend] - he only had 10-15 mins on screen but made a better romantic lead than Tine/ Sara.

I should have stopped watching a third of the way through - I stuck with thinking it would get better, but it never did. I saw reviews for "still together" declaring it an improvement, and I'm a glutton for punishment so gave it a go. I thought it was marginally better, but not good enough to stick with so I dropped it (very proud!) before finishing the first episode.

Leia Mais

Quiet, thoughtful and beautiful film. One of my absolute favorites.

I saw a low-res version of this about a year ago. I loved it but could tell I missed some subtleties in the acting, which was brilliant all round. I have just watched it again in better quality and enjoyed it even more. Sure I'll come back to it again at some point and I hardly ever watch things more than once.

Sometimes when watching a film with a gay storyline I'm grateful just to see two actors on screen who aren't uncomfortable touching each other, though I wish that was a given. In this, it's not just a matter of good chemistry that can be duplicated from drama to drama; the two male leads are completely immersed and connected. In their one-on-one scenes especially I they both had an incredible intensity and I felt the relationship they created was one unique to this story.

The film tells of how the people in his life are affected by Nagisa's choices and how they gradually come to terms with how things are, take responsibility, care for and respect each other. I'm glad the film attempts to describe the impact made on his wife. There aren't nearly enough depictions of this situation from that perspective - I guess because it's not as appealing to watch.

I think it could have been cut a bit shorter in the second half, but if it was shorter and had a director's cut I'd be watching the extended version for sure, so that's a non-comment :'D

It left me feeling *emotional* but happy to have seen it. And the little girl is a complete joy.

Leia Mais

some serious cringe going on here but has Jang Eui Su in it so who cares

This is rubbish compared to Where Your Eyes Linger and my initial thoughts were Jungwoo's hair was terrible but he's still a complete beast so it was worth watching. Actually by the end I was into the hair. The other lead had a slight Jimin vibe about him (not sure where I'm getting that from - not his attitude - probably just the lips/wishful thinking). They both came across pretty straight but it didn't really bother me.
Not much of a story going on but there were several cute bits and it was nice and short - easily digestible.
All the guys working in the kitchen were sweethearts.
The model ferris wheel unveiling was fucking hilarious.
The music was HORRIFICly bad

Leia Mais

Snogging? – TICK! (10/10) Plot? – not so much.

First impression:
This series has had lots of money spent on it. The locations, the clothes, the superbikes – everything is expensive - and it is shot beautifully. I found the arranged marriage that Kuea and Kilen were so openly told about as children to be a strange and interesting starting point. I actually thought that this was setting the show up to exist in a fantasy version of modern day Thailand where it was accepted as the norm, but it wasn't. Their early interactions (as adults) were intriguingly dramatic and the first couple of episodes totally sucked me in. They don’t communicate well (understatement) and hide a lot from each other. Kuea’s misunderstanding, hurt and subsequent withdrawal seem totally legitimate reactions at the beginning. The ins-and-outs of their trusting each other and then not, and getting together romantically (so convincingly), to then fall into a state of unease again all become a bit confusing / frustrating – but it turns out that’s basically the plot! Once that became clear it felt a little bit limp, but I went in without any particular expectations so it was all good.

Cast:
Apart from a little bit of Zee and a tiny bit of Perth (playing Jay), I hadn’t seen the cast in anything before. I wasn’t aware of the Zee/Saint - CP/SCOY showdown (obvs I am now cos I’m showing off my acronyms) and I hadn’t even come across Boun and Prem. So it’s been educational for me ^^.
I wasn’t keen on the 2nd couple (Yi and Diao), but they didn’t have much to work with. I found it difficult to swallow all that Diao going to “teach” his judo class in secret (alongside the actual teacher XD), to a group of bemused looking kids. That sports centre though! I want a go on the climbing wall.
Zee - I love this man. I'd be happy to watch Zee in flirt mode (permanently activated?) all day, every day. I think the main draw of the series is the chemistry between him and NuNew and their pairing is as good as it gets. Apart from kissing, all Kilen really does for the second half of the show is try and reassure Kuea but I liked it - found it v comforting.

NuNew: blew me away - he's so talented he deserves his own paragraph (really needs to get some sort of BL newcomer award). He looked and acted the part – could not have been cuter - add to that his voice – he was bang on perfect for the role. His stage performances = zero cringe – he was simply a joy to watch - how is that even possible given the set up? Also give him credit for being a convincing crier – though I could have done with less of that towards the end.

Off the boil:
I lost watch-momentum midway through and it went from something I really looked forward to, to something I wanted to feel excited about but just didn’t. I had been watching the episodes as soon as they came out for the first 7 or so, but there a break in the schedule for Songkran/Thai New Year and I never got back into the swing again after that. There were a few things at the beginning that I liked and thought would feature throughout, but just vanished - like Keua’s parental home and housekeeper (she was a cutie!) and Kilen’s workplace. I’m glad Foei was a permanent fixture - he was a highlight - his side-eye in the car – hehehe!! It was the 3rd couple, Syn and Nuer, who saved it for me - arg, I loved them so much: the eye contact, the accidental falling-on-the-face-kiss ^o^. They brought life back to the series when it was flagging.

Slight agitations:
Everything in CP is exaggerated – it’s totally fantasy BL land - but despite taking it all with a pinch of salt I did find the infantilising of Kuea and Diao in some scenes (more with Diao) a bit.… gross. Other than that I didn’t have a problem with the dynamics between the couples. I don’t mind a bit of toxicity! -Especially not when it’s clearly depicted as being “wrong” and they try to right it.
Also mildly agitated (/amused) by Kuea’s interior decor – those massive pics of supercars, him on his bike and the Kilen shrine! XD

Overall:
Wouldn't watch the whole thing again, but I would do certain episodes. Best things about it for me were Zee and NuNew's partnership, and the music.

Leia Mais

I'm in love with this drama - everything about it has been done well.

I stumbled across this on Netflix and it's only available for another few days so thought I'd give it a go. Now I'm desperately chugging it and feel compelled to express how good it is. 8 episodes in and reached that perfect point when the leads are beginning to fall for each other without quite realising it.
Apart from support actors Lee Do Hyun and Jo Hyun Shik (playing Chan's friends), I haven't come across any of the cast before, but I like every single one. The two male leads are lovely (ugggh - Yang Se Jong's beautiful face..) and I'm adding Dr. Romantic to my neverending watchlist seeing as they're both in it.
I often get aggravated by female leads which makes me feel crap and judgmental - but Shin Hye Sun is a sweetheart. Despite her character basically being a 17-yr-old stuck in a 30-yr-old's body, Seo Rii somehow avoids being dopey and simpering.
I also like Ye Ji Won who plays Jennifer.
There are some lovely aerial shots of the house that capture characters in different spaces. It's looks like a stage set which ties into the story too. I'm enjoying it so much I'm tempted to quit while I'm on the cusp of it all possibly going downhill.

Leia Mais

Disappointing - finding it hard to stick with

I never thought I'd consider abandoning anything with Park Seo Joon in it but this is dragging badly. I really should start dropping things I don't enjoy rather than hanging on to the bitter end - it's not a happy-making habit.
So my problems with it are mainly to do with the casting:
The female lead (Go Ah Ra) is doing my head in and I just can't warm to her in any way.
I also CANNOT STAND the actor Choi Won Young who plays her dad (oh my god oh my god oh my god I can't stand him). Maybe he hates the role and is trying to ham it up - who knows - but he's just cheesy and bad. I think the Queen is a great actress and he ruins her scenes.
Continuing the negativity (:-P) I have a strong dislike for Seo Yea Ji (princess). I have only seen her in this and "Save Me" but feel I have spent enough hours watching that same expression to last a lifetime.

Good bits:
Park Seo Joon - goes without saying - and Mak Moon (Lee Kwang Soo)'s bro-vibes were my favorite part of the whole thing.
First few episodes are ace
Love the soundtrack
Park Hyung Sik who I hadn't come across before and I thought his acting was great
Choi Min Ho who I hadn't come across before either. I thought he was a decent actor, has gorgeous eyes and his styling was awesome - very mortal combat
Queen (Kim Jee Soo) is great
V = cutie
V's older brother (Kim Hyun Joon) - also a cutie. I liked his scenes with the King's bodyguard pretending to be in his 20's

I think I will finish it eventually - I'll just try and skip over the scenes with the people who agitate me :-)

Leia Mais