All the ingredients are right and in the right quantities, but there's no food

I watched the movie from the get-go, so I have no idea whether or not there are differences compared to the series. These are just my thoughts about the story. I haven't read the webtoon either.

The premises of the story are interesting, and the very beginning was funny. I was expecting it to be a romantic comedy for the most part: even though some parts were more embarrassing than fun, I didn't mind all that much. The characters all had the potential to make the story lively and memorable as well.
...so I really don't understand why did the writers decide to set all the elements of the plot and the interesting quirks of the characters aside, only to utilize two of the most annoying plot devices in existence (the miscommunication and misunderstanding tropes) and create one of the most boring BLs I've watched.
Out of all the elements in the synopsis (Seon Ho being an adult webtoon artist, him having lost his libido entirely until Mu Young becomes his assistant, Mu Young secretly being his fan), NOTHING is relevant in the plot. At best they are background elements, only introduced and not brought up for almost the entire film.
These are all things that I could easily let go of if the story was still good in some way, but it just isn't. Nothing relevant happens in most of the film. Unfortunately even the actors didn't do much to make it better: they spend more time thinking about what they (allegedly) feel, rather than showing it to us at any moment. Even when things actually happen in the story, the acting and the poor editing made the events feel unimportant and bland.

I don't recommend watching this nor the series. I'm usually nicer with shows that I was able to complete and give them at least a 6 out of 10, but this time around I can't. At some point I was feeling so bored and annoyed with everything that I almost dropped this title entirely, so I can't even say that I was entertained.

Leia Mais

Cute, but not good enough to be part of HIStory

I have always been looking forward to HIStory since I first watched the first few chapters (HIStory1, Right or Wrong, Crossing the Line, Make Our Days Count, and Trapped), and I always felt like its main charm was its gradual improvement over time. I remember watching HIStory1 and feeling like the stories came straight out of some yaoi fantasies, then I watched both stories of HIStory2 and immediately noticed a big improvement in both the story and the characters. Then HIStory3 was just amazing, with two stories that blew my mind for how good they were (well, despite the MODC ending, I guess). I was hoping for HIStory4 to continue this improvement and bring it even further, but instead it was a huge disappointment.

Don't get me wrong: the story overall was kind of cute. The main actors had good chemistry with each other, which made their romantic moments feel intense and memorable, and for sure helped a lot with getting me through all the episodes until the very end. My problem with the series is that, although it had many interesting themes and flawed characters, they weren't explored, nor was there room for them to grow properly. The HIStory3 stories were great at this, so seeing HIStory4 handle its own story and characters so poorly was a huge disappointment for me.
The tropes used in this series were also very uninspired. I felt like I was watching the live-action of some low-quality yaoi from 10 years ago- the tropes are THAT old, overused and annoying. It's not acceptable from a 2021 BL series. The BL genre has done wonders lately and this felt like a huge step backwards. I could somewhat forgive it in HIStory1, but that was just because it was the very first chapter - now, at HIStory4, there's just no good excuse.

I feel like I want to vent more in detail about this series since I just finished watching, but there would be no point in doing so. All I can say is that I was mostly unhappy with all of this.
If you're looking for good kissing/love scenes and don't care about the plot, then this might be good content. Other than that, I don't recommend watching.

Leia Mais

Too little and too much imbalance to make it worth watching

I really wanted to like this show, which is the reason why I watched until the last episode, but there's just too many things about it that I found incredibly annoying and unsatisfying.

Starting from the plot: there is the interesting premise of an enemies-to-lovers romance, where Rak and Diao pick on each other at work or at home based on where they have the power to do so. I was hoping some kind of balanced war between the two, with the protagonists giving and taking the same energy from each other, but it didn't happen.
The first episodes are all pretty much independent from each other, then toward the end there is a more evident continuity. A good chunk of the episodes weren't even useful for the sake of the plot or the characters, which is a pity - I wish they got rid of episodes 2-6 (and maybe episode 7) and used that time for more developments after episode 15. Since the only episodes that have some proper content are only about half of the total, I can't say that it's "worth it", especially because the only episodes I actually enjoyed are the ones from 11 to 15.

Rak was obviously written to be a perfect character, way too much to get back at Diao at work and being unprofessional, or even put up any kind of resistance against anyone. I had the impression that he was being pulled and pushed around by the other characters at all times, without him even complaining about it because he is "too nice" and "loved by everyone". Not saying that a character can't be like that, but if that's the case, then why would you use this characterization in a story like this one?

Diao, on the other hand, is just too much, to the point that I had to fast forward many scenes (and in a couple instances, entire episodes) to avoid the second-hand embarrassment his words and decisions gave me. He acts unprofessionally at work, then keeps pranking Rak at home "for revenge", even when it was all his own misunderstanding. I'm not going to say that he's the worst I've ever seen, but his juvenile behavior makes it very hard to grow fond of him.

The actors are both good and their chemistry is great, but while Win got to show a lot in the series (especially toward the end), Earth felt a lot more limited in his expressions. Not sure if that was because of the directing or if it's all on him, but still.

Leaving aside my two biggest complaints about the series (the imbalance in both the plot and the character dynamic), there were also multiple smaller things that I found annoying, such as the continuous sexual harassment from almost all the characters toward Rak, the transphobic lines that someone thought would be funny (they aren't), and the very invasive sound effects and canned laughter that are spread all over (sometimes they are even used during the most serious moments, it was very annoying).

I can't say that it was all trash, because the final few episodes glued me to the screen and I also found it funny here and there, but that's it. If you're interested but you want to spare yourself going through all of it, I can only recommend watching the first episode, then skipping to episode 8 and watching the rest.

Leia Mais

Doesn't even come close to the current standard for BLs

I chose to give the series a 6 instead of a 5 because, at the end of the day, I was able to watch the whole thing. I want to list the things that I liked about it in case you're undecided but you're looking for reasons to start watching.

- The main characters look good together. I felt that their scenes were pretty cute, enough to keep me engaged. I also heard that Max and Hao are an actual couple in real life (cmiiw): if that's true then watching the series is a good way to support queer representation from people who are actually queer themselves.
- The story is straightforward and there's no risk to lose track of anything going on. The episodes are also about half an hour each, so it doesn't take too long to finish either, in case you're looking for something that isn't too demanding.
- In case you're a fan of Taiwanese BLs, you can find a few cameos from different BLs, more specifically: "Be Loved In House: I Do", "HIStory 3: MODC", and "HIStory 4".

Unfortunately the good things I can say about this series end here. Now, for what I found disappointing:

- The plot. The main trope is "childhood-friends-to-lovers", which is a very popular trope, but I believe that one can easily work with the most popular trope and give a creative spin to it. This doesn't happen in P&M, where it looks like the writers just filled the story with tropes and clichés and expected them to work on their own, without proper writing. The events arrive one after another without any sort of smooth transition, build-up, or even logic. I felt like I was watching a live-action fanfic, and I'm not talking about the good kind of fanfic.
- The two main characters are supposed to be best friends, but to be entirely honest they looked more like colleagues who get along. Their so-called chemistry was nowhere to be found, unless you consider cheesy set phrases and kisses "chemistry". The development of their feelings and thoughts is not there either, so I felt confused the entire time about whether they actually liked each other or not, since it looks like they're just going with the flow.
- The secondary couple, if possible, was worse. I felt like they could have been replaced by two mannequins, and the plot would still work somehow. As crazy as it might sound, I thought that Li Gong and Ze Shou's fathers were a better romantic couple than them, without even being a couple in the first place.

Overall, it felt sloppy. I can see the potential in a story like this one, so I don't believe that it's complete rubbish, but the result overall feels undercooked. If refined and taken proper care of, it could be MUCH better. As it is, I can't bring myself to recommend it.

Leia Mais

Slow, delicate and quiet

It's a beautiful drama that revolves around the themes of relationships, self-worth, coping with hardships in life, and the true self as opposed to the idealized self. These themes already make it very interesting, as every single character is shown as a whole person with proper depth and elaborate feelings and thoughts.
An important part of the plot, if not the most important, is deafness (and Deafness) and the many facets of it. Since I'm not deaf myself, I'd rather let actual deaf/HoH people judge whether it's good representation or not; all I can say is that it was a very interesting theme and it seemed to be explored properly and not just used as a fancy plot device.
What I liked the most about this story is that it doesn't make fun of its audience with poor writing. There is no villain because there's no need for one, and all the characters have both their perks and their flaws in good balance. All the events flow nicely without annoying decisions that don't make any sense or annoying events that are just there to make us feel bad.
The actors all did amazing. The friends felt like actual friends, the lovers felt like actual lovers, the siblings felt like true siblings, and so on. There's little to no physical touching in the entire drama, so I suggest you looking elsewhere if you're expecting passionate kisses or anything like that.
While the music is very pretty, I was mostly impressed by the use of the silence in many scenes, which make them have a bigger impact on me. The only thing I really didn't like about this drama were some abrupt cuts between one scene and the next, which were pretty jarring: at some points the music just cuts off to silence all of a sudden, which can be confusing.

Overall it was a very sweet and memorable drama, probably one of the best I've watched. If you're looking for something sweet and slow, I highly recommend watching this one.

Leia Mais

Very good show

There were many things to enjoy about this show. If you've watched a good share of Korean BLs before, you might recognize the two main characters of Kissable Lips. This show doesn't have a supernatural theme (thankfully?) and I believe it was developed much more nicely, both in terms of plot and in terms of character growth.

- The trope that starts off this drama is the forced proximity, which is a personal favorite. Most of the story revolves around their work days in the company, and (surprise!) they ACTUALLY WORK. It might sound absurd to be surprised about it, but for some reason it's hard to find office romance series where the main characters actually work instead of just flirting with each other all the time, especially if one of them is a rich and spoiled chaebol.
- The plot is actually interesting. We don't just see the characters randomly growing fond of each other: they actually get to know about each other's personal struggles and private lives, they support each other at work and outside of it, and most importantly they clash with their personal ideas while also reflecting on themselves to change for the better. The fact that they're a team manager and an employee might make it sound like there's an overwhelming power imbalance, but the writers were able to make a very healthy and balanced couple out of these two. Loved to see it.
- The acting, the set, and the photography were pretty good. It didn't have the feeling of one of those huge, high-budget dramas, but I felt like the production team poured a lot of work and care into it.
- The relationship dynamics were pretty good. The chemistry between the two main leads was excellent (maybe the fact that they starred in another drama together in the past helped with it?), but I also liked to see Ho Jun with his father and the secretary, Jae Yoon and his friend/crush, the two of them with their team mates. The atmosphere was always lively and all the characters are likeable, I never felt bored.
- The changes in the characters from the beginning to the end of the series were blatant, but their build-up was SO. WELL. DONE. They become a lovely couple without leaving me wondering how did it happen, nor did it ever feel like their character development was out of place.

- There is a flaw in the plot, which is an overused plot device that lots of series (especially Korean BLs) use toward the end for a bigger dramatic effect. I'm not going to say what is it since I don't want to spoil anything, but I feel like this is what made me rate the series with a 9 instead of 10.

In conclusion, I really have to recommend this one. It might not be one of the best BLs ever, but it was cute and fun to watch, and also so well done under many aspects that it would be a shame to skip it.

Leia Mais

Amazing character dynamics

I don't want to say a lot since I believe that you should watch for yourself. I just want to list the elements that impressed me the most.

- I never got distracted and was fully immersed in every episode, even when I was feeling tired or not really in the mood for it. As someone who gets distracted easily even when in the mood for watching dramas (I usually finish a one-hour long episode in almost two hours because I can't focus), this is pretty incredible for me.
- The story, while being VERY dramatic, wasn't as unbearably sad and frustrating as I feared. The numerous obstacles were justified by the overall plot, and while I felt my heart ache for the mains, I never felt frustrated about it and my interest in the story didn't fade.
- The dynamic between the two main characters is one of the best I've seen in a Korean drama so far. In most dramas the love story always ends up being between "a person and a woman" rather than two people, even when the female lead seems to be empowered/independent/whatever. In "The King's Affection" the romance is between "two people", and the protagonist actually comes across as a complete person who just happens to be a woman, as it should be.
- Kind of related to the point above: despite it being a historical drama, the gender roles aren't reinforced all that much and the characters have more room for their personalities to flourish.
- Most of the support characters have their own role in the story and aren't just there to act as a frame for the main characters. The only (very bad!) exception would be the second male lead, but the vast majority of second male leads in Korean dramas are either just there to be a useful tool for the main characters, or a complete waste of time, so I wasn't surprised.
- The gender-bend trope was done right, without those "funny misunderstanding/accident" moments that can be found elsewhere. It's the first time I see a serious take like this and I loved it.

If you're interested in a project with Park Eun-Bin after watching Extraordinary Attorney Woo and you like historical dramas, I highly recommend watching this.

Leia Mais

Cheesy, but I happen to love cheese

I'm not a fan of the body-swap trope, and although this time it was handled differently than usual, I still wasn't sure about watching, and was only encouraged by the presence of Ohm and Nanon at first (they were shown a lot more than Jimmy and Sea in the first trailer), and by the positive reviews later.

This series in incredibly good, in the sense that is full of many good things. It left me with a sense of fuzzy and happy feelings inside of me all around - I guess it might be the definition of "emotional support series". Here are some examples without spoilers:
- The acting is very good; not only in the sense that the actors were good ad going with the flow and working with what they had, but rather in the sense that they grabbed my full attention and amplified the strength of every scene, even the most simple ones. I felt like I was there with them.
- The characters are never villanized, which is VERY unusual for any story.
- The romance is great. The characters actually put effort into trying to understand each other and help each other, own up to their mistakes, communicate (!!!!!) in a straightforward and honest way, and most of the time aren't afraid of expressing their true feelings. Helathy dynamics like these are becoming more frequent lately, but they're still so rare, and I appreciate the fact that Vice Versa did it right.
- The main trope of the story wasn't just treated as a cute idea for a romantic story: the writers actually took into consideration the psychological consequences for someone who wakes up in a different dimension in a different body. The plot also doesn't just focus on the romance, but also on different aspects of life and different types of bonds.
- The heart-fluttering moments, if you're into it, are pure gold.

I don't consider this series a perfect masterpiece: there were multiple things that I couldn't fully understand (the main one being: how does a portkey even work and what's the point in having one at all?) and some others that I wish were explored a little more (like how did Tess and Tun live in the other universe and how did they settle when they came back), but I enjoyed myself with this series a lot in any case.

Look for something else if you're into action-packed series, but if you're into Romance and Feelings™, this might be for you!

Leia Mais

Oddly romantic and enjoyable

I felt like writing a review because of the low rating, as I don't think it really deserved it. After seeing the score and all the negative comments I was bracing myself for the worst, but this one actually became one of my favorite Mafia-themed BL (the other one being "HIStory 3: Trapped").
As usual, my first worry was about the Mafia theme, as I feel like most series get it horribly wrong, but this time around I was pretty satisfied with it: it wasn't just about people waving guns around, but the weapons and the bodyguards also weren't there for show - there IS action and not just pretty people in suits. I also appreciate the fact that while this was one of the more "wholesome" depictions of Mafia, nobody in the series at any point acted as if they were just "misunderstood good guys", nor did they ever imply that being in the Mafia was anything remotely honorable or desirable.

The story wasn't anything new, but the execution was what caught my heart. I read somewhere that the characters in the novel are a lot different from the actors that were chosen for this series, but I believe that the choice was on point? Kim looks sweet without giving the idea of feeling absolutely powerless, and Kamol is just THAT good of an actor - he's very charismatic and his expressions made every scene feel vivid and real. The romance was very sweet and almost cheesy at some times, but I never felt annoyed while watching and it goes at the right pace without being forced. Although none of the characters are particularly deep, I appreciated how they gave some level of depth even to the secondary characters.
I won't pretend like there are no flaws to the plot - there were, I just enjoyed the show so much overall that in the end they didn't influence my judgement all that much. This might be because my expectations for this series were already pretty low to begin with, so you'll have to judge for yourself.
As for the sexy scenes, I can't judge because I didn't watch them: the series on YouTube had all its steamier parts cut to almost nothing, so there are only a few pecks here and there and not much else. I recommend looking up the episodes on a different platform for the full experience.

If you're looking for comedy then I strongly recommend looking elsewhere, but if you're looking for romance then this might be the right show to watch.

Leia Mais

"Follow your dreams" done right

What I usually dislike about the usual "follow your heart and do what you want to do" kind of stories, is how the characters are rarely placed in a context where they can doubt of themselves in a realistic way: it usually feels like they're held back by self-doubt only, while everything else (physical and mental condition, friends, family, money, and so on) is completely in their favor, making it hard for me to relate to their story at all.

Navillera is one of the very rare shows that actually made me think that I, too, might be able to follow my heart after all. The charm of this drama is not just in its premise (although, I'll be honest, the idea of a 70-year-old man wanting to learn ballet was the major reason why I got interested in the first place), but also in the way it narrates the story. It's realistic and vivid, and none of the characters are there for no reason. The doubts and struggles of Deok Chul's family, and the problems of Chae Rok are all very much real. Rather than watching a drama, it really felt like looking into someone else's life.
For the same reason, the drama felt a little slow at times, but it was the right pace to show everything the right way: it was necessary to show the mind of the characters and the events around them, and it was useful to lead all the plotlines to a worthy conclusion.
I had read the webtoon before and really loved it, so I can't say I wasn't a little skeptical about the drama at first. There are some differences that I couldn't ignore, but I guess it was unavoidable.

Overall, I highly recommend this drama. It made me cry multiple times as I watched, but I'd be more than okay to cry again in the future while watching a second time.

Leia Mais

I expected much better

I wanted to watch this series because I'd never miss a project with Earth. I was also curious to see Earth and Mix in a new series as the main characters, because I liked their dynamic in 1000stars and I wanted to see how would it go with different characters and a different plot.
I'm afraid I didn't like this series as much as I was expecting to. I don't think I had too many expectations as I started it, so I guess it just wasn't for me.

- The story started in an interesting way, but ended up being VERY unsatisfying. There were big secrets at the beginning that ended up having very unsatisfying, almost nonsensical explanations right at the end - the kind that makes me wonder why did certain characters act the way they did. I felt like they slapped trouble in the middle just because there was the need for drama, when in fact it was pointless.
Luckily the "main" part of the story (the body-swap and the travel to the four temples) was much better and worked wonders for Win's character development, which is why I was able to enjoy most of the series.
- The characters are good, but they could have been much better, especially the secondary character. I feel like Win/Mix was the only one who truly got to shine, while everyone else was unsatisfying in one way or another. His chemistry with Korn/Earth was amazing as always, but it was sadly the only good thing character-wise. I feel like the acting was what truly saved the story: Jan did an outstanding job at portraying both Win and Lin and her parts were all amazing.
- While there wasn't as much product placement in this series (beside a couple coffee cups here and there), it felt a lot like watching a promotion of different beautiful places in Thailand, and most importantly the food. It felt new and if it really was for publicity, I didn't mind at all.

In conclusion, I can say that it was cute and entertaining, but not an amazing series. I'd recommend watching if you have some free time to spare, but don't expect anything exceptional.

Leia Mais

This one went way beyond my expectations

I was very hesitant about this series, because murder mysteries aren't my cup of tea - if I have to choose, I'd pick a sweet romcom over a thriller any time. After seeing "Manner of Death" popping up among BL recommendations, I finally gave in and decided to give this series a try, ready to drop it as soon as I got bored with it.

Now that I finished binge-watching the entire series in the span of a couple days, I can confirm that it was absolutely worth it. The only reason I gave it a 9 instead of a 10 is that, as I said, it's not my preferred genre, but that's it, because everything else was great.

The plot was very well built. It's well-paced throughout all the episodes and there are no useless/filler moments anywhere (I especially appreciated the lack of the usual product placement skits that can be found in several Thai BL series). It's very suspenseful and I genuinely couldn't figure out who was the culprit and what was the entire story like until the end. The characters and the music are very well utilized as well.

I hadn't realized that the main actors were Tul and Max, the same main leads as in Together With Me, but when I noticed I felt so happy to see them again in a series together. More than anything, I was happy to see that they got a series without the annoying dynamics of Together With Me and its sequel - both actors are very good and have great chemistry, so they really deserved it.
Another thing of Manner of Death that I greatly appreciated was the very little drama regarding the main couple's romantic relationship. There was no insecurity about anyone's sexuality, no ex relationships, no miscommunication (and if there was any hint of it, it didn't last long). The dramatic part of the drama was entirely for the mystery murder part of it, which made me appreciate the main story a lot more.

I'd rather not say too much about this series because I think it's better to just watch it and enjoy. Be careful for several sensitive topics in case you have problems with those, but other than that? You're in for a great ride.

Leia Mais

Heartwarming and sweet

The premise of the drama sounded like the kind of story I don't want anything to do with, but the positive reviews convinced me to give it a try. Was not disappointed, it's going to become one of my favorite BLs.
The only thing that I didn't like too much was the secondary couple (wasn't very interested in it, moreover the dramatic acting of Tsuge made it more awkward than cute), but everything else? A delight. I'll try to list what to look forward to without spoilers.
- Healthy development of a relationship without characters being overly thirsty for each other;
- Nice introspection of the characters and their nuances, highlighting how certain thoughts and acts can be good or bad depending on the situation;
- Character development. The protagonists grow so much throughout the drama and it's beautiful.
- NO useless love triangles, and when there are moments of jealousy they aren't dragged for longer than a single episode.
- A BL that is all about its plot and not the "moments" with the characters. I recommend against watching this one if you're looking for something steamy, because the characters barely kiss.

Overall, it checks most of my favorite things to see in a romantic story, so I highly recommend it!

Leia Mais

Annoying

The fact that this series was meant to be a commercial doesn't justify the frustration that I felt while watching. Starting from the tea that was being promoted: since it didn't blend well with ANY of the storylines, it just felt like a very insistent product placement. I wish this was the sole problem.
While I want to believe that the actors and the production team had to work with the little time they had for three different stories, I feel like they could have come up with much better stories than these.
The first story was just straight-out uninteresting. I appreciate the fact that GMMTV left more space for a GL couple, but I felt like the plot was being dragged by the hair- it felt unbearably slow.
The second story was slightly better than the others, but still annoying because of the plot holes. I believe that this one could work much better as a longer series after a couple of fixes, but the lack of time here made it feel very rushed.
Finally, the last episode was the most annoying, as they brought back the same tropes that were used in the main series. I felt like I was watching Cupid's Last Wish all over again and I don't mean it in a good way.

In conclusion, I believe these special episodes can only be truly enjoyed if you're a big fan of the actors, who are the main reason why I was actually able to watch until the very end. I get that the sponsor probably only cared about grabbing the viewers' attention with the cast, but it seriously felt like I was made fun of.

Leia Mais

It becomes a great series after the first six episodes or so

I feel like splitting this series in two parts for this review (the first six episodes and the last six) because I had a very different impression from each part. While I did end up enjoying the series a lot and I believe it deserves this 9 out of 10 I chose as my rating, I still need to express a complete opinion about it.

Overall, the story has an interesting premise, but the first six episodes were not able to give it a proper start. The pace of the events feels way too slow, and the dynamics between characters are off as well.
Noey was portrayed well and caught my attention enough to keep me watching for more episodes, but Thi's characterization was handled very badly, showing some backbone for about ten seconds per episodes and then turning back to his shy, fearful and goofy self - and I don't mean it in a good way.
These first six episode could have been useful to put more emphasis on Thi's characterization and the dynamics between Noei, Thi, their friends and their families, but instead they seemed mostly full of nothing. I felt like they could have been cut down to three episodes with a better pace.

Starting from the ending of the sixth episode, the events and the dynamics get a lot better, and this is also where the series starts shining bright. Thi also earns his own proper characterization and starts showing his own presence next to Noey, making their moments together a lot more enjoyable and endearing to watch. The way the feelings of both are portrayed along the way was also beautiful and left no room for any annoying "will they, won't they?" as the episodes went by.
The groups of friends were also shown much better, especially Noey's gang, with Thiw as a special mention. The "bad boy" element was not just used as a fancy aesthetic and multiple elements of that life were taken into consideration for the plot, which I really appreciated.

A very memorable series, I highly recommend it!

Leia Mais