Someone made this at gunpoint.

Putting production aside, which you have to if you're determined to watch this, I have to begin with the cast. All but the two leads are unmemorable and oft squealing. Folk as Bar is adequate and a committed actor. I think under better circumstances, his Bar could have been quite charming.

I didn't expect when I looked up Win (Gun) that he might be any older than eighteen. This, possibly because of his struggle to fill Gun's bold shoes. There's nothing wrong with a romantic lead whose soft or less-than-stunning as long as they're written that way. There's no equivocating, Gun was written for someone charming, muscular, and fawn-worthy attractive. Win's Gun (I'm sorry Win) is none of these things and we're meant to believe it because the other characters say so.

The plot of this show is negligible. Undoubtedly the short run of this show is in part to blame for the jumbled mess of the plot. There were seeds of events, such as competing love interests and a half-assed faculty competition, that suggested to me a once-complete story. The micro inclusion of these elements was more confusing and unmoving than it might have been had they cut them entirely or chosen to focus on decidedly less and written them to their full potential.

In all honesty, I sped through the last episode as I had had enough by the start of the third. I was never able to latch onto any characters and the conclusion of their relationship was unconvincing.

If all you ask for in a show is a happy ending, go for it I guess.

Leia Mais

There's a part in me that appreciates wickedness, so I don't necessarily fault the show for its ugly illicitness, but they try to sell it as romantic and that is wrong. There are repeated sexual assaults culminating in a scene where the perpetrator eventually tells his victim that he would kill him if he didn't return his feelings. This turns into a consensual love scene.

It's called Obsessed, fine. I feel like it may have worked had they both been so equally possessive and twisted, but they weren't and the result is a power imbalance and the dynamic is ultimately abusive. The narrative sells the abuser's actions as all in the name of love. There's no self-awareness.

Leia Mais

Apart from the editing, which is as slow and repetitive as series are wont to be, the story progresses at a glacial pace. The Lead has no personality to speak of and doesn't emote much more than sadness. Oftentimes, his reactions are open-mouthed silence. His romantic interest isn't much more interesting. I did like some of the side characters a touch more: i.e. Beam, Ming, Kit.

It was very difficult to empathise with a character who has assorted framed photos of his crush in his dorm room. Definitely not cute.

All in all, I expect from this kind of show a fun diversion, but it was more boring than anything else.

Leia Mais

A High Concept show starring Off Jumpol, Toni Rakkaen and Punpun Sutatta where the characters travel around Asia is the sort of thing I'd wish for. It nearly delivered. After a month or two of disengagement, I managed to finish this series.

Each character has their respective flaw—save Mo who is perfect—, setting you up to see them thus be overcome as their stories progress. Plan is fixated on making money, Don is a player, Por is an unrepentant cheater, Ryo objectifies women, and Mo perhaps holds herself back. They almost achieve this, but it's so sloppy and inefficient, you can't connect to it as the audience. It's a writing issue but also a directing issue as there was a complete lack of suspense.

The fast-paced nature of the challenge wasn't reflected in the pacing of the show, which had many a drawn-out and banal emotional scene. Where the show drew me in and motivated me to continue watching was in their lighthearted comedic scenes—particularly Off Jumpol's—and with the promise of an interesting conclusion. And the conclusion should have been good. Five disconnected contestants are competing on the same show with challenges that are sending them around Asia. Why did the narrative not bring them all together, connect them in some way? Completely squandered. What's more, the only connection among them, that of Por and Mo, is revealed offhandedly early on.

Such a fun concept; I wish I could've seen it meet its potential. I don't see this show being anyone's favourite, but it will entertain you.

Leia Mais

The plot and the acting in this series are much more convincing than I'd have expected. This could be troubling for those looking for clean, happy endings; however, they do mix in their share of happy endings as well. There's a clear thread connecting the various stories with, to me, a satisfying payoff in the finale. These characters have original quirks and personalities you're not obligated to like; they're flawed.

In all honesty, I picked up the series for the cast. Although I had to wait a while for Off's proper story, I thought it was worth it and was impressed by his acting at such an early point in his career.

All that said, I did have some complaints. For instance, I thought some of the queer representation was poor. Although her friends redeemed themselves some, Min was emotionally abused by them. The comments they make throughout Min's episode about the prospects of fluctuating or fluid sexuality were damaging not only to Min but to some viewers' perceptions of gay women. It's not to say that they don't represent some real views, but those are in the minority. And in a community so little represented, it's maligning to make that some of the so few depictions people will see.

I also thought episode nine was a little ridiculous but I could tolerate it.

Leia Mais

I was on board for its surprisingly quirky style and cheesy plot. The premise for this show was very intriguing. They greatly deviated from what I envisioned, though, and not to their credit. The writing was clumsy, cliche and consistently fell short of exciting. Down to what should have been the most thrilling scenes in the series, the competition itself, all action scenes were lacklustre, anticlimactic drags.

The acting is superior to the writing, particularly that of the leads Love as Played by James and Tangmo as played by Jaylerr. I'm amazed that James is the same actor who played Pat in Bad Genius. Total transformation. Paris as Vier was fluidly cool. Captain was, well, overacting but that's what I've come to know and love.

Leia Mais