Empty and Disappointed

Rated= 3 ~ 21/50 ~ 4.2
Scene// Goblins chasing me across the Mountain Pass with a basic Btch sword

If you're going to make a mafia show, be brave and give us a mafia show. Vegas is the only character I'd come back for a second series for, but because I genuinely like Apo as a person, I decided to finish this series with the mindset of it being a standard BL series. I initially dropped it at ep.10.

/Finale EDIT~
The series actually gave me a little of what I wanted/expected in the last 2 episodes and it has been left with an intriguing plot twist that paves the way for a sequel, which is interesting. They must have been planning/hoping for a season 2 from the start. I felt like I had seen the end of Act 1 rather than an end to the series. This show LOVES plot twists and I wanted that from a 'mafia' theme, but it's very frustrating when the writers can't maintain a rhythm to execute it well.
Overall, if I had gone into this series thinking that it's just another Thai BL (or better yet, no expectations at all) I probably would have enjoyed this more, rating it more around 7. The noncon and repeated loss of plot would still have kept the rating down. As other reviewers have said, this show is wildly popular because of it's 18+ content and the intense idolisation of the cast and the new Kings of BL couples, MileApo who say they don't do fanservice but they very clearly do, Mile more so because it sells and it's working.
I'm exposing myself here as I do feel very emotionally drawn to Apo. I see a lot of myself in him and I can't help but want to cheer him on, so if there's a season 2 or whatever comes next, I'm likely to be back for him. Bible who plays Vegas, is another honourable mention. Only then I'll remember my lesson and leave my brain off. //


I started watching shortly after ep.2 aired and I'm legitimately devasted at how this has turned out and no, it's not because of the violent content. The trailer promised us everything we wanted from this show and I was hooked from the first episode. Heaven knows the BL genre has a routine. A system that works and after a while, it gets stale, frustrating and needlessly melodramatic.
KinnPorsche started off sexy, tense, violent, dangerous, everything you'd expect from a show classified as a 'Mafia BL' but each week as I've waited, the story gets less and less of what it promised and is just falling into the same old BL routine. The route that works. Drama for dramas sake.

I loved episode one. It was everything I thought the show would be. Two humanly broken characters trying to survive their world while colliding into each others.
/Finale EDIT~ I got that flavour back in ep. 13 & 14. If they can keep the plot on that level for whatever sequel is in the works, a lot more people wouldn't be left feeling so angry about this series.//

I can forgive the drunken kiss in ep.3. I'm an adult. I've gone to parties and been drunk. If you live your life, this will probably happen at some point. Understandable human screw ups and Kinn was shown to feel bad about it. Cool. I like that.

But then the first red flag happens in ep4 when a drugged up Porsche gets r*ped by Kinn. It doesn't matter that he was 'seducing' him or Kinn was holding back or that the piano music made it seem really romantic. It was r*pe. There could have been alternate scenes to this situation that would have given just as much sexual tension without involving this very toxic trope in LGBT+ media. But I was willing to wait it out and see how this was dealt with.
The next episode is spent torturing Porsche further while he deals with ptsd and Kinn feeling bad about it but not actually doing anything, and just rubbing salt into the wounds because he was 'distancing himself'. Then it's all forgiven because Porsche realises he's in love with Kinn and has put it behind him by the time Kinn manages to say something, at the end of episode 6 after their happy little vacation in a forest.
Am I surprised? No. Not shocked in the slightest. This happens a lot in BLs because when it's two hot guys, it's just rough sex. They're tough enough not to make a big deal out of it right?
Followed by lots of romantic fluff and the ever eye rolling 'return of the ex/third party' arc. Again. More drama for dramas sake because Tawan was only there to annoy you, as most third party arcs usually are, and Kinn didn't involve Porsche in his plans because we don't know what Kinn is going to do from one moment to the next.

If hot guys having sex, every where and anywhere is what you're looking for, cool. I'm a member of the LGBT+ community and every now and then eye candy is fine. But I honestly had higher hopes for this one. It really isn't as revolutionary as everyone says it is. A new standard in filming and sex scenes for the BL genre, absolutely, but revolutionary? Absolutely not.

----Further thoughts on story & characters----

The actors seem like really sweet people who are just trying to make the world a better place and they did the best they could with the script given to them. And personally, is one of the biggest reasons why I think this show is doing so well. They are talented, likeable people, and everyone has the hots for them. It's always a winning combination.

*Kinn could have been a phenomenal character. He is deep and complicated but we never see why. Only that he doesn't trust anyone because of an ex and is currently obsessed with Porsche. He's super rich and acts like every seme ever. He exists to be rich and sexy with a big **** and that's it. He's completely colourless despite always wearing red and some pretty nice suave suits. He just mopes about in his pyjamas drinking and being jealous in the first few episodes. We only see inside Kinn's head when it comes to Porsche and even then, it's glimpses. Kinn is as much an emotional fort to the audience as he is to the rest of the characters. What Kinn says is controlled by the writers. With the exception of the forest episode where he suddenly transforms into a love sick puppy, what he says and what he doesn't say is purely for drama and emotional tension which is lazy writing and infuriating for me as the viewer. He is also shown to be able to fight pretty well but that was only convenient once to ramp up the sexual tension between him and Porsche. You would also imagine a character like this to be exceptionally intelligent but this is never explored either. No intense out manoeuvring or mind games despite all the chess analogy. Oh yeah, and he forgets about Pete because convenience for plot, and having sex with Porsche is more important.
No real mafia business transactions beside once beating up an old man for vague reasons and to slightly injure Porsche to further his romance.

I honestly still don't know what the family does other than a very brief overview where even Porsche doesn't really care and falls asleep, so we see and understand very little about the family dealings. There was an Italian branch but they appear, disappear and then reappear to be slaughtered. No other purpose than to serve as a shoot out.

This is not a Mafia BL. It's a BL with a slight mafia theme.

*Porsche.
You can do anything when you look as good as Apo Nattawin. Can't lie. He is a stunning looking human being. Every shot, he's glowing, captured from every angle as the camera lingers over his sculpted features and abs and just teasing full frontal as the camera pans down some shower shots. Apo is the main visual in this show and the camera crew knew it. Unfortunately, his character Porsche, is frustrating and stupid. A little more depth than Kinn as the show is mainly his POV but the writers failed him. Hard. He started off strong, a sexy cool guy, a martial artist who took down armed men in minutes, an underground boxer driven by money problems, and escapes Kinn's kidnapping. A character who has raised his little brother from childhood with little help from a gambling addicted uncle who just seems to make things worse. He is understandably reluctant to join the mafia as gangs have ruled his life since his parents death.
Once he's with Kinn, this is all forgotten. He's bumbling, childish and annoying. Only every now and then do the writers remember he has skills and it's still never put to use. I was expecting a man fighting to protect his little brother, tooth and nail in a cold mafia world, with conflicting difficult emotions about his job, his role and his burgeoning love for his boss. Nope. We get a useless fool getting drunk, starting fights and needing to be saved from them, and suddenly, and almost randomly, in love with Kinn. Then he spends the rest of the show mostly in his underwear, doing something in water and having sex with Kinn.
Apo's body is more important than Porsche's story.
/Finale EDIT~
I cannot emphasise that last line enough. Apo may have seen this as a challenge as an actor but as the viewer, he might as well be made to do poster or calendar at this point. We've seen everything besides his genitals that are carefully hidden behind Kinn's arm and clever camera angles. Nudity is natural when the plot makes sense. This is just pure fan service //


Kinn and Porsche are obviously the main focus of the show. Their name is the title. But it really is just about Kinn and Porsche's romance and that's it. Everything else is an add on or a serves as a background. Two other couples are squeezed in for variety but neither really make sense.

Kinn's little brother, Kim and Porsche's little brother, Chay, starts out with an actual plot on Kim's behalf and has just developed into cringe. Jeff is the second visual in this show but he's not as sexualised as Apo since there's no sex so they're just focusing on his 'silent cool guy' persona, leaving him as a blank wall. Kim is clearly, and seems like the only, mafia brains in this whole show but there's so much time spent on Kinn and Porsche that we don't really see a lot of what he's up to or why.
Chay is sweet and innocent and to be fair, seems almost too pure for someone who has had the upbringing he's had. If Porsche worked that hard to protect Chay from the cruelty surrounding him, we never see the depths of this in Porsche's behaviour.
As adorable as Chay is made out to be, he is flat and one dimensional serving as nothing more than the brother of the protagonist and a chess piece for Kim's detective work. Much like Kim, there just wasn't enough spacing for their plot for me to be satisfied with it. It just seems like a rush to develop a romance and create more drama from it.

Then finally, there's Vegas and Pete. Stockholm syndrome. There's meant to be a relationship out of this one but I honestly couldn't see it. A very toxic and abusive one, yes. But the loving, romantic one that fans are hoping for. In the next 3 episodes? Really? I feel bad for the BDSM community because this is not how it works and I'll be really annoyed if we're using the word 'love' at the end of this.
/Finale EDIT~ I actually appreciate how this one developed. Unfortunately, they were using the word love after this, however, it was portrayed more for what it was, 'trauma bonding' but being confused as love. This twisted dynamic was almost what I had been expecting from Kinn and Porsche but the plot was still very rushed and again, left open for a season two. I would actually be interested to see more of this one, if it was done right. //

The rest of the characters exist to fill out the bodies. We know nothing about them other than they are the cardboard cut outs of the giddy, goofy friends but are still the best bodyguards there, or are the love experts for Kinn and Porsche because that's the only thing that matters here.
Porsche has two school friends who are so rarely seen, it's like the writers remembered them at the last minute and had to add them in during post.
The ep 9 & 10 plot twists were barely plot twists because we rarely seen the characters involved. I can't feel anything for a character who had no development, no interactions other than be bullies to Porsche, with 3 second cameos every other episode.
/Finale EDIT~ the characters in question are never spoken of again, further exposing how little the writers cared about them. //

Kinn's older brother Tankhun is another example of this is just another BL that just happens to have a mafia background. He's the camp character. Every BL has to have one for some reason because heaven forbid a gay show is taken seriously. There's no development for him either. He's supposed to be a damaged character which is why Kinn is the heir and not him but instead of letting us feel any pity for his pain, he's reduced to the whacky comic relief character with an outlandish wardrobe. I can almost let the cartoon sense of humour throughout the show pass but Tankhun is just too much and almost insulting 10 episodes in.

The cinematographer is the real hero of this show. They know what they're doing. They know how to capture the most beautiful shots, make use of lighting, colour psychology, framing, let everyone know there was a bigger budget than usual for the show with nice cars and expensive hotel rooms. There is a never ending source of beauty happening around the characters. There's no rating for them but if there was, I'd give them a 9.

This is meant to be 14 episodes and the pacing is like it were to be much longer. I would be guessing 50 if I hadn't previously known. I would be more accepting if that were the case but it's not. This show is all sparkle and no taste and in the end that's all it's going to be. All that budget, those gorgeous trailers/art films released before airing. It's all hype and it's a major let down.

Citeste mai mult

Cute Fluff and Luo Yunxi

Rated= 6 ~ 26/50 ~ 5.2
Scene // Losing track of a Fairy in a Crumbling Castle. Battle Axe might be breaking.

This show started off great but I have to admit, about half way through, I kind of just wanted it to just get to the point. Once we got to the first 'downfall' of the bad guy hierarchy, I felt like there was just too much filler, esp that whole nonsense with the price wars. I actually got really annoyed at those episodes that I hurt my finger pressing the skip button so hard.
What a way to ruin a good show. I lost a lot of interest after that.

The whole show centres around this illegal plant called Zoria and somebody/group in the background using it for some unknown purpose. In the midst of this we our ML, a chief constable trying to wipe out it's purchase and avenge the injustice and murder of his father, and our FL, a travelling doctor with almost magical healing abilities and shapeshifts during menstruation.
Unbeknownst to each other they have met before in their childhood when their fates collided.

Overall, it's not a bad show. It's fairly light hearted in general and for me personally, just got super annoying at times with what I felt was meant to be humorous but unfortunately didn't land on me very well. It what you would expect from these types of shows, running with that magical, kind of don't believe you procedures like reconstructing a nose and fixing someone's eyes but I suppose if you have a FL who shapeshifts, I guess you have no choice but to go with it lol

The bad guys were the bad guys. Nothing really I can say about them. The usual striving for power and women should be kept in the kitchen kind of clownery and the collateral damage didn't hit me too hard. Oh, and the random 'bad guy' at the end who wants the FL because she fixed his eye and was nice to his people......OK....
There are 3 couples in this show and they all get a happy ending which I was happy about. Because of the moments I was getting frustrated with, I was expecting someone important to die so I'm grateful they didnt add fuel to the fire by offing one of them at the last minute, which I was completely expecting.

I wasn't feeling the chemistry between the leads unfortunately which was kind of a let down when it's a romance plot. I do enjoy watching LYX though and he did his usual graceful and soft spoken performance. At least this time he wasn't being horribly abused and left to die at the end. A special mention would be ep.3 when the ML is drunk. LYX makes a really cute drunk grandpa.

Overall, I did enjoy it mainly for LYX who is a favourite, but I don't think I'll be watching it again.

Citeste mai mult

Only Half of the Story

Rated // 37.5/50 ~ 7.5

This was deliberately written with a season 2 in mind. Since I'm in the west, I don't know what's coming from a novel or have access to the novel so the ending did hurt me. However, if you go in knowing that this is a story the develops over years in it's original work, the novel, then you'll not be too upset at the end. And hopefully our wait for season 2 wont be too long as the director appears to be really pushing for it now.

Having said that, this is true LGBTQ media to me. The boys are only 17 and both having their sexual awakening with the other, who will soon be a brother, as their parents are getting married. There's no explicit scenes, no kissing, not even a confession. It's teenage boys falling into a love that will looked down upon in the future and one of them decides to jump ship to avoid the heartbreak. It's hard enough being 17 developing feelings for the same sex as you, let alone that person is a soon to be brother. I actually really understand the ending and honestly, as sad as it is, it can also be left there too because sometimes that happens. Slice of life isnt meant to be fluffy because life isnt fluffy. A lot of relationships dont work out, esp gay ones.
For me, that's what separates queer films from bl's. It's focusing on the characters as people and the homosexuality happens naturally, especially when the characters are high schoolers still working themselves out.

I really didnt get the whole plot with the teachers though until the end. It was almost as if the writers were trying to create a mirroring plot, as if it were a glimpse into the boy's future.

Overall, I still loved this. It's a slow paced bittersweet reminder of gay youth and as the plot takes place on 2012, it hit me a little close to home. I really loved the sweet potential of each of the characters and I hope that season 2 materializes to watch that potential grow.

Citeste mai mult

I'm in love with Uea

Rated = 9.5 ~ 43.5/50 ~ 8.7
Scene// 2 Beautiful Starlight Elves living their romantic life of bliss in a high rise condo in Sky City. Excalibur hanging on the wall as decor for their triumphant love <3


This was beautiful and tastefully done.
I loved Uea from the moment I seen him. He has very beautiful eyes and lips and really suited the sex appeal of the character.

He is a beautiful young man with an abusive childhood. This abuse stems from the physical and emotional abuse he endured from his narcissistic mother and sexual abuse from his step father. And although as an adult, is now working as a graphic designer and earning enough to live in a very nice condo, he is still enduring abuse, financial abuse, from his mother who sees him as her own personal wallet.
So he already has a lot to deal with when he discovers that his boyfriend has been cheating on him.
His world falls apart so by the time he ends up in a drunken one night stand with his co worker, I honestly didn't blame him.
They agree to be FWB as a way for Uea to release his emotional tension and for King who clearly has a crush.
This evolves throughout the plot into a steady devotion while Uea faces his past.

I found the abuse scenes were tastefully done. Sometimes they can go over board but they showed you enough to make you feel like you were in the characters shoes. We really do witness the plot from Uea's perspective because of this emotional connection.

There is some comedic relief through out the show but I didnt find it took away or dampened the seriousness of the plot.
Karma came back in a very natural way for Uea's parents, and I personally really love that they didnt try to redeem his mother. People like that don't change and it should be acceptable and encouraged to break away from abusive parents, esp a narcissistic parent. You will never get an apology so I'm delighted that they didnt try to force one.

The sex scenes were also very beautiful and even though it got a bit kinky for one scene, I still found it quite sexy as they went with a more sensual and consensual approach.

I found both actors for the leads to be very beautiful, with stunning eyes, so I thought visually they made a beautiful pair.

The side characters, thankfully, didn't take away from the plot with side relationships. They were side characters that either added to the drama or were a relief from it. With such a tragic plot and only 10 episodes, I much prefer just focusing on the leads.

Overall, I did really enjoy this one. It dealt with abuse in a respectable manner while allowing the character to move on and find his own happiness, which was well over due and utterly deserved. It did use the rich boyfriend trope but I found myself at the end, really wanting that for Uea.

Definitely a rewatch for me.

Citeste mai mult

Wuxian Sleuthing And The Search For Peace

Rated= 8 ~ 42/50 ~ 8.4
Scene // Mermaid Floating through Sky City. Excalibur glowing blue like Li Xiangi's LOL

I need to be hooked from the first few episodes or the a.d.d drops the show. I was about half way through episode 2 when I had an itching to stop watching but I didn't and holy cow, am I glad I didn't. (I now need to go and give the other shows I dropped a chance lol)

Plot -
I love watching a mystery unfold. Battle of wits can be just as, if not more entertaining that combat. There's a lot of information to digest though. There were a few times i had to rewatch just to understand what had happened. It's one of those mysteries that deliberately with hold information to surprise you. I dont mind that but I can imagine some people might find that annoying and perhaps even lazy for detective writing as it can be fun to try and work it out with the characters. I loved watching the characters unfold their pasts and it was done without too much melodrama and was very human. As is the case with c-dramas there's so much happening and such a big cast that there were things kind of being cut or left out, never revisited again simply because it just wouldn't fit into the timeframe. Minor complaint though as I found the pacing pretty consistent over all. I'm usually pretty good with foreshadowing so there were a few things I predicted but there were also some things that got me. The villains were a little unpredictable at times and weren't too cliche for this genre.

Fang is a slow evolution. It was only when I was in the 20s episodes that I began to notice it. At the start, he really was very spoiled and arrogant and had to be guided through the mystery solving and watching him mature slowly is like watching a child grow up. He really does come into his own character eventually, both by Xiangi's teachings and also, most importantly, through his own merit, so that by the end, you really do believe that he is the next big thing in the martial arts world, and that is enjoyable for me as a viewer.

Xangi definitely needed new friends though. Once the Ex arc was dealt with they kind of just disappeared until the end and I kept wondering to myself if I was going to see them again. They very much took a back seat when I thought they would play a larger role but again, c-drama's love a 100 character cast and then can't fit them all in. All but one, I honestly felt like these glorified friends were pretty useless. Thankfully, they didn't play too much into needless drama which I am thankful for because I really hate that. The traitor friend was the only friend I liked because he was the only one that showed some kind of depth. The rest of them just kind of stood around or just whined.

Music -
The music was awesome in this show lol I loved the tribal humming happening during the fight scenes. It was a beautiful mix of the traditional chinese instruments combined with the more tribal slightly middle eastern sounds to add to that ancient dark magic feel that follows the main plot.

Acting -
Shout out to the ML, Cheng Li because there were a few times I kind of wanted to cry with him. He was both hilarious to watch and also got me in my feels a few times. I only call out actors when they really get me and his work here will definitely have me looking into more of his shows.

Designs -
There were so many sets in this one I could not keep up but it's ok, they all were a backdrop to the variety of mysteries being solved so well done set creators, they had their work cut out for them in this one. But mostly importantly, the creativity of that ancient chinese mobile home. That is straight out of a ghibli anime, it's so cute LOL The outfit designs weren't too stand outish to me but I think that's good for this kind of show. There's so much happening and so many places that a simple wardrobe looks better. There are plenty of visuals already in the background that if the characters were in anything more ornate, it would be just too much.

Ending Thoughts -
It is an open ended ending so forewarning for that, seen in the special 41 episode. However, this is the first time I've watched a show and my brain saw two endings at once lol It really is a choose left or right kind of ending so I can absolutely accept either one but when I put the rest of the plot into perspective, the themes it dealt with and the consistent messages it kept coming back to, as well as the Lead character's journey, I'm inclined to lean more into the bittersweet ending.
We begin the series at sea and end looking out at sea. Xiangi was meant to die in that opening scene and somehow survives. In his quest to find his marital brother's remains, he finds another reason to live. Martial arts was thrust on him from he was a small child and then propelled forward by his genius and youthful arrogance, so when he was alone and making decisions for himself, he found that a simple life was what he actually wanted. It gave him the peace and wisdom he needed throughout the series. Even though it feels like he's a character that doesn't seem to change, it's because he doesn't really have to. He's dying, We're told that right from the start and that he's tired. All he wants to do his find his friend's body so he can die in peace. The only change he makes in the whole series is opening himself up to being cared about again. This might annoy some viewers as it can feel like he's just martyring himself and running away from his friends again but I can understand his reasoning here. He's already learnt what he needs to know throughout the whole show, and he brings that sense of peace to help heal old wounds and tie up loose ends, from his youth. He admits his fault and regrets and does what he can to right those wrongs, and teach what he's learnt, so that when I got to the ending scene, it honestly just felt more natural to end with his death and that his body had gone back out to sea like a karmic completion. He was given a second chance so that he could be at peace. And honestly, I don't feel like that's a sad ending. The character feels finished.

EDIT- I was reading some other comments from viewers and realised that some of them felt like Xiangi had unalived himself at the end and since I'm going with the death ending, I don't want to stress anyone out so if you've read my spoiler, hello, don't worry, let me explain.
I personally don't think he would do that. We seen in a previous scene with Fang that Xiangi is pretty much at death's door by the end. I understand that Wuxia is based in Buddhism and there's a shot of the Monk that Xiangi was in touch with meditating and then stopping suddenly to look up at the Buddha statue when the sunlight hits, reminiscent of the first mystery, signifying a spiritual ascension. Xiangi explains briefly in an earlier episode that he was told he didn't have any Buddha threads in him, as though he was just destined to repeat his karmic cycles as per Buddhist beliefs. When we see him dressed up in all white on the beach, I feel like that's a portrayal that he has died on the beach but has repaid his karma and that's his soul ascending into his next life, to be reborn free either in another life or in Nirvana. Xiangi wanted to go fishing and feel the sun, so going to the beach feels right, and just as the waves washed him up there, it took his body back out to the sea, and that's why we're looking at the waves in the final shot. From a Buddhist perspective, that's not a sad ending. His soul was set free. He was long done with the martial arts world and passed his torch to Fang, while also sparing him and his family from the Emperor's wrath and paranoia. For me personally, I feel like that's what truly makes him an Ascended Master. He proved himself to be noble and a true leader and his afterlife will reward him with that, in whatever form that takes.
****


Overall, I would sit and watch this again. Don't know if it's something I'd on in the background though. I think this is one I would have to want to sit and watch through all the mysteries again with a snack.

Citeste mai mult

If you like Chic Flicks

Rated= 5~ 18/50 ~ 3.6
Scene // Zombie stumbling through an abandoned House. I can at least smack it with a club.


Which I don't ?What comes to mind is Legally Blonde. If you like films along those lines, you may like this.

I'm writing this before I can even rate this because I'm not sure what to go with.

I don't like the back and forth timeline type of plot flow because I find it jarring and for the first few eps this show did this by jumping from 14 year old FL to 17 year old FL a number of times. I prefer a more A to B approach, or give us the flashback at once. But that may just be me.

Personally didn't mind the FL's romantic feelings in her school days as it is very much a crush and the ML treats her like a little sister, and a possible substitute family environment that he lost due to a tragedy in his own life. There are no signs of romantic intentions coming from him that made me feel uncomfortable or feel like it was crossing into grooming territory. I also appreciate how, despite the trauma, the ML is not a cold and distant asshole and the writers took him the other way by remaining firmly grounded and compassionate to others. I could even look at it as over compensating slightly.

When we get the FL into Uni and she's now legal (which is stated multiple times by the FL and side characters in case we were still unsure) the ML seems to have a personality transplant and devotes himself to pursuing the FL when he figures out that he is the 'crush'. You may choose to interpret previous behaviour up until this moment as, he does have feelings but is in denial or he is continuing his brotherly protector role. Either way, there's something missing in the ML transition from brother to boyfriend. I do appreciate the writers at least trying to portray an inner struggle but I feel like it could have been more developed. His feelings were pretty platonic to me and within one episode he was suddenly smug, cocky and hot on the FL's tail lights as soon as he realised that he was the one she was crying over. Something just feels off to me. I think that's where the plot has gone wrong despite the careful approach to the FL's age.

I either have to see it as A. he only became interested when he found out that she had long been interested in him, and she's an adult now so can make her own choices or B. he did have other feelings but had repressed them due to her age and once she was a legal adult, there was a greenlight.
There was a lot of focus on the FL being underage and not enough of a portrayal of how the ML was really feeling.

What would make me feel better is showing more of an inner dialogue for the ML. I need to see a genuine developing growth from the little sister figure he wants to protect to a woman he now admires and is developing romantic feelings for.
There was one scene in the car of him first questioning his feelings and that was it. They dangled the complicated human condition in front of me and then said, nah, that's too much work. Let's just skip to undying devotion now.

I think this is why there are some reviewers who are feeling uncomfortable with this show. The key component to the relationship is missing and the viewer is left with having to choose between A and B.

Which brings me to the next reason I'm dropping this show. The 'Chic Flick' feel. There is this candy coated approach to everything. The FL is clearly from a rich family so gorgeous big house, with an older brother who might as well be her dad. Parents who seem to dote on her endlessly and treat their son like her servant. The sickeningly cute dorm room of the FL uni and she's complete besties with her roomies. Oh, and the love at first sight pursuer just to make the ML jealous. Everything is very picturesque and I can't help but feel like I'm being sold something subliminally from pinterest.
I don't even need to look to the end to know that this show ends with a proposal, doesn't it?

Another thing that randomly stood out like a sore thumb to me, is that the FL loves to draw and is studying Digital media at Uni. Perhaps it's my own inner creative being annoying about this, but I feel like this arty side could have been utilised more within the plot as it's a core element of who the FL is as a person. But instead, I feel like it's reduced to an aesthetic for the show's visuals like the little title screens. That bothered me a little. At least there is some groundwork done for the ML and why he's a game developer.

Acting and music was really nothing noteworthy because my brain shut off a lot of the time or I was simply skipping scenes.
I held on through the 17 year old who acts and is treated like she's still 5 arc so I could get to the main course of the plot, the beginnings of the actual relationship. But now I feel like the writers must have felt the same way. Go through the cutesy, enjoying your crush girlhood stage, get the first heartbreak in there, reconnect, then jump straight to being pursued by said crush.

Also, the 'other girl'.....they really lost me on that one but I guess it wasn't a love triangle so there's that. Block and delete should have been on his mind somewhere and then a restraining order but he just kind of takes it and relies on his place of work to amp their security. I'm sorry but what?

*Edit* when I was re-reading for typos it occurred to me (to my horror) that this is a scenario where a love triangle would be a legit issue simply because it would give that feeling that the ML was at least trying to just live his life and not just subconsciously waiting for the FL to be of age. Even if it was just a few dates that were being regularly spoiled by stalker girl. He's in his mid 20s, incredibly good looking, steady job and drives but has never dated and rejects any attempts to get him to date. So why the sudden interest in the FL?

One of those shows that I waded through to get to the point and then it just kind of glossed over it preferring to stick to what everyone just wants to indulge in. A privileged girl being spoiled by everyone around her and her 'impossible' first love becoming a possible soulmate.

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A Wild Ride Through Rainbow Uniforms and Thai Folklore

Rated = 10 ~ 44/50 ~ 8.8
RPG Scene // Rainbow Cops, flying on their rainbow Unicorns through Sky City, wielding the biggest ass swords like Thor's hammer screaming 'Get the FK out of the way!"

I never thought I could give a BL a 10 and I especially didn't think I could give a Thai BL a 10 but karma likes to prove me wrong and my mistress never misses her shot.
This was awesome. It's not perfect, but it's gloriously camp, dramatic and incredibly sensual.

The weakest element of this show is that there are two very different plots, running simultaneously beside each other. This is a reincarnation plot and that's often the case. But with The Sign, it's two very different themes trying to blend together and that can get a little disjointing and over the top for some people. I can understand that.

The 'front' theme, is of the two ML's and their gang, training to be and becoming special investigation cops. It's gritty, brutal and a lot of questions about justice and the law. Where does justice stop and revenge begin. Are they the same thing?
All of the men are beautifully buffed out and our protagonist, Tharn, is persistently seen in his little red speedos by the pool, showing off his beautiful figure. It's brutal cop life with homoerotic visuals. This show was not afraid to have man bulge, chesticles and ass in your face as often as it could.

On the back theme, and arguable the main theme, we switch to sparkly cgi and Thai folklore of mythical creatures, tragic lovers reincarnated, and a really jealous prince. These are two very different concepts, that can be difficult to reconcile together. You'll either love it or you wont and that's ok.

And in the middle of these opposing concepts, we have our leads, Tharn, an orphaned psychic, raised by a monk in the temple for his safety with his grandmother's approval, and Pyah, at first, an ambitious and sharp trainee cop who softens into devotion and absolute loyalty when he falls for Tharn. Tharn believes he can never love anyone or they will die, and Pyah refuses to leave Tharn alone despite attempts on his life by his naga love rival. But both unequivocally love and are devoted to each other, despite their denials, refusals and blockages.

It's a bit of jumble but I loved it. It was very different from I'm used to from the genre and especially from Thailand.

Our side characters also have romantic relationships, and we do get some insight into that but just enough to give the character's interactions some weight, without taking away from the main couple.

I really loved the sex scenes. I usually don't, finding them a little too much for my taste. However, the love making scenes are exactly that. There's pink lights, ambient music, panting, and slow. It gave off a very kama sutra vibe, which matched with the soulmate theme. I liked this more sensual approach rather than just throwing each other around the room.

The CGI isn't the best, and it's a little corny but I'm pretty immuned to this now with cdrama's and given that this is a Thai show, it didn't take away from the plot for me. I really loved having the glimpse into Thai folklore.

There were a few things that were kind of dropped a little too early I think. Such as the first murder and the artist, we never get closure there but that's the thing with having only 12 episodes, some things just have to be wrapped up quick. I would absolutely be down for a second season.

The music I loved. They went with hard hitting rock themes to pump you up for the action, and soft, slightly native sounding for emotional moments, and then there was the erotic, sensual ambience for the love making.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this mad ride and will definitely be rewatching.

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The Sweet, Sweet Balm on My Xianxia Hatred LOL

Rated= 10~ 46/50 ~ 9.2
Scene // A unicorn, a trident and the Crystal Palace. I'm about to activate God Mode.


A Genuine 10

That Ashes of Love review is going to haunt me. First it was Immortal Samsara that blew expectations out of the water and now this just topped it. I had resigned myself to hating the genre. In fact, after the AoL review, I went through my 'to watch' list removing the xianxia stuff and I do believe, Shen Li was one of them. I was only determined to watch IS because I have a Cheng Yi bias. I also don't give out 10s easily. I only recently gave a 10 for a show that I haven't even finished yet, before my heart gave out, and again, it's because of Cheng Yi.

I don't have that excuse this time. I genuinely loved this. The story flow kept it's pace. I was invested from the start. I loved the leads from the start, it didn't get too melodramatic, there were no stupid love triangles or miscommunications and I cared enough about the side characters. And when things got heated or emotional, I felt it in my stomach.
That scene in the cave, I was feeling seduced ?That little random clip of the rhythmic movement of the waves with the dancing. Damn. Symbolism, I see you ?

What really turned this show from a 9 to a 10 was the depiction of the ML's God role. I have this thing in Xianxia's were the deities are always the assholes and I'm routing for the demons. This show pretty much sets you up that way, with the FL being an elite warrior demon God, running away from a marriage from one of the Heavenly Immortals. From the first few seconds I was running with her. I'd have been running too.
I had the ML sussed out early. To be fair, it's pretty obvious what's happening but when we really get to see him use his God powers, I could hear a choir of angels singing 'Hallejuah' in my head. Finally. FINALLY. A God character acting how I imagine a God to act. Aloof but kind, fearless because he knows he's the most powerful thing walking and has nothing to prove and unhurried because when you're eternal, what is time? He doesn't care that you've got all the legions of hell behind you, one snap of his fingers, boom, sit down. He was also hilarious LOL
Bringing in this idea that as a God, he can't have desires or be too in his feelings because of attachment, makes perfect sense in this reality. It's not just some stupid plot narrative to create drama. We can see why that kind of power can't be wielded for personal gain.
As for the actual romance, damn. I kind of felt it, I got caught up in my feelings a few times towards the end LOL

As for the villains, they honestly weren't too complicated or were even frustratingly evil. They were just the bad guys, which can be a nice comfortable watch if you struggle with anxiety. Everything keeps an even pacing and there's nothing majorly upsetting.

Would like to mention the side quest happening with one of the ML's fallen God friends. I kind of like the mystery happening here. Sometimes we do get a little side story happening in the back of the main plot but this was a whole other series happening and it really made me smile. He's obviously being trialled between the two women which makes me wonder what he actually did in order to fall in the first place LOL It served a purpose to the main plot while still holding a little of it's own mystery. It has that 'our stories are intertwining' feeling and I love when writers do that.

There was also an overall melancholy and wise approach to the nature of life and death. It touched me a little as well as how the characters, esp the ML, dealt with this eternal cycle. And as someone who believes in hope and looks for it in my entertainment, it was lovely seeing that hope restored in the ML, particularly in that ending scene. I was honestly waiting for it and am satisfied with the look on his face. The actor nailed it.

Music- There was a nice little mix happening here, I really liked it. They had some chunky guitars, softer, romantic vocals and as with MLC, I'm pretty sure they used the same track for an ancient tribal vocal happening in the back, off which I loved. It's like a deep throaty 'waaah' sound. There is one tribal wail backing track that really added to the 'wrath of God' feel when the ML was told something that broke his heart.

I'm pretty sure this is now my highest rated series so far. I will definitely be rewatching this one.

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An Angel and A Devil Fall In Love

Rated = 9 ~ 42/50 ~ 8.2
Scene // A Dark Elf and a Light Elf fall in love in Sky City and together they fight for Justice with a big rainbow sword.

Chaotic Good meets Lawful Good. This is one of my favourite pairings so from the first scene, I was in love with this show.
Charn was instantly a big hit for me and has gone on to my favourite character's list.
He's gorgeous, he's cunning, gloriously gay and just a little out of his mind, and I loved every minute he was on screen.

The whole premise didn't get as dramatic as I thought, as I found it quite predictable. It was however an incredibly fun watch as I loved not only Charn but his lesbian side character friends and even his ex. Vigilante justice served in a super grungy glamourous style and I was right in my element.

I have a rule that when children and animals are unnecessarily harmed, I immediately dropped the show. I found the death of the girl upsetting but it was the whole motivation of the plot. The dog, I was also very upset about and for a moment I did consider clicking off. However, I found that the dog is introduced in one scene, and found dead in the next. So I decided that it was more about driving home the mafia like power of the enemy, rather than unnecessary death.

ALthough the overall plot is about finding evidence of a hit and run, it ultimately doesnt take it's self too seriously. It is a little cartoonish and over the top at times but I personally didn't mind it. It helps when you love the characters, so that you can laugh with them, and I happen to love smart arsed characters.

Everyone gets what they deserve and most of the last episode is centered around the love between the ML's and providing a home for each other emotionally. It's also funny to know that even though Charn is slowly changing his methods, he becomes a little feared in the legal system, which gives him the power he always wanted, while keeping his original morals as well. I appreciated that small scene.

I also loved the side couples and it actually give me a small glimmer of what I had wanted in from KinnPorsche. Although it was small snippets, I did really feel for the bodyguard and if they had their own series, I would absolutely watch it.

I will definitely be rewatching this for Charn

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Trust No One~Watch with Caution

Rated = 8~35/50 ~ 7
RPG Scene // A Mermaid in the Flower Meadow with Merlin's Staff. I have no idea what's going on, how she got there and should I trust her? Am I high? LOL

This was an absolute trip to be honest. The moment I heard that all the big wigs were a circle of power, I knew what was going down. However, it still doesn't prepare you for the absolute ride this show is. There are so many twists and turns that I may have felt dizzy at one point LOL Trust no one, because that's how the show sets you up. It's a constant watch for clues and evidence.

The plot follows a young doctor or forensic examiner to a small town where he went to high school, in an effort to escape the dirty underground of Bangkok, only to discover that corrupt people are everywhere and if he wants justice, he'll have to prove it himself. The deep dark dirty secret here is a drug and human trafficking ring.

I did actually guess this in the first episode. All the signs were actually there but the plot really wanted you to hate everyone lol

This shows does gets very dark and very sad. Not too graphic but I can imagine it being upsetting/triggering for some watchers.
There is however, a happy ending at least, and possibly the most satisfying arrest I think I've ever seen in a show.

I do however have some complaints. I felt like there was info missing for convenience. E.g where were the kids parents? There were a few kids in this show and not one of them were seen with parents or did Nam just own a house as a high school girl? Her friends had to report her missing. What about Natty's parents? Not a word. So I felt like either I'm missing something socially here or they were just forgotten about because plot.
When our ML's are listed as fugitives and are on the run, they are sitting in the police station, a cop walks by. Nothing. That really took me out a little LOL You would think someone would say something?
Not to mention the du ex machina that happens at the end. It was one of those, write yourself into a corner with tension and then BAM, out comes that little character and a little detail you weren't meant to think much about it to save the day. Unfortunately for them, I did remember. I knew it the moment I saw it.
Also ~ What the hell kind of proposal was that? Was I meant to find that romantic? LOL

As intense and as dizzying as the plot was to follow, even if you have guessed right on where it's headed, there were a few times were it was a little too noticeable that some details were just being casually left out because they wanted to keep the plot complicated, and those details would have made too much sense LOL But it did ruin the immersion for me.

Having said that, I did still enjoy it but because of it's upsetting context though, I'm unlikely to watch this again.

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2022 is seared into my brain. I hear that reused tracking Pepzi and Khom

Rated= 7.5 ~ 29.5/50 ~ 5.9
Scene // Mage fighting hard in the Crumbling Castle with a Battle Axe

Ahh Hello Thailand, we finally meet again. Ever since KinnPorsche I've been extra vigilent around Thai BL's. My review still exists as a testiment to how much I did not like the KP experience or the crew surrounding the production.

This is not KP, thankfully. I really enjoyed this one. But God has a sense of humour and I swear, I heard about 3 to 4 different backing tracks that were also in KP. I've only watched a few Thai Bl's in total so reusing tracks is common there? I don't know.

(Having said that, I've just learnt that one of the directors and screenwriter from KP were involved here. Ahhhh. So that's why most of the characters are abusive f**ks)

But moving on, this show has a very interesting concept which pretty much goes unexplained. It's hinted that it's perhaps a karmic slapback and since I consider myself a spiritual person, I kind of like the idea.

Joe is a stunt man for super celeb, actor Tong because he resembles him from behind. Where Joe is sweet and professional, Tong is lazy and narcissistic and it quickly becomes apparent that Joe is the reason that Tong is so famous. All of Tong's most famous scenes are because of Joe's talent but as a stunt man, he's only ever seen from behind and we find out later, he's also never credited either.

The series opens with Joe's stunt scene that goes wrong, resulting in his death. He wakes up two years later in the body of another man, also called Joe. After this initial set up, we have 3 or 4 episodes of a flashback, how he falls in love with Ming, and Ming pining after Tong, and the abuse and injustice he faces that leads him to taking on the deadly job that results in his death.
I don't mind flashbacks as long as it's done in one go and thankfully, this show did that. We got our story set up, the flashback, and then back to the present to show us the progress and conclusion.

This creates an interesting karmic impact for me. Joe didn't want to die. He was forced into a dangerous job with no one willing to protect him only control him. His voiceover thoughts are shown to be even angry about his situation. Joe 2.0 however did. We discover that Joe 2.0 also worked in the industry as a model and attempted suicide on the day of Joe's death after being used by his boyfriend. Alone with his mother, his body was in a coma for 2 years while his ailing mother took on loan sharks to pay for his bills. Joe was a lost soul and here was a body the owner didn't want but who's mother was doing everything to keep alive.

When Joe returns to the land of the living, he quickly finds himself back in with the group he wants nothing more to do with.
Also interestingly for me, his lover Ming feels an instant connection to him whereas his friend just accept it's another guy called Joe. But it's his friends that quickly accept that this new Joe is still the old Joe and it's Ming who needs a little more convincing.

Ming is pretty obsessed with Joe. I feel like Ming is the sort of character that might push people's buttons. He's obsessive and controlling, at first. But as the relationship develops his need for control over others softens into taking control of his own situation and proving to Joe that his feelings are real and Joe will always be first in his life. This may not be agreeable to some people. Much like how I feel about our next character.

Tong is not a likeable character and although he does get his comeuppance, at the same time, there's almost a forced forgiveness arc at the end. I didn't want to pity him but I did anyway. I would have liked to have seen him quit his job or recognise Joe in his past works as an act of penance but we weren't shown that so I'm still left a little reluctant to forgive the character for his meddling and bullying. What he did was not exactly something you can just brush over with, don't do it again and all is well. I prefer to see real actions that give me a reason to feel comfortable with this character much as I do with actual people.

That we are shown at the end of the 'light' never being truly on the first Joe's work, left me feeling sad that even though Joe was able to rebuild his life with Ming by his side, his first life was still left as a tragic story. I dont feel comfortable with that kind of ending and knowing that Tong is the reason for it and never being shown a correction, just makes me feel pouty about it.

Then we have Sol who honestly, for me, just felt like a slimy creep. He was that guy who's crushing on you but doesn't know when to back off. And to top it off at the end, he tells Ming when he found out that Joe was gay, he thought Joe was taking advantage of him and only realised he liked him when he went to Korea to be an idol. I LOL. What a jerk. And then he walks off all rejected into another potential pairing,, you know, like a 'stand in'? No. Go sort yourself out first my friend.

Always wanted to be with someone who would use me to get over their heartbreak and, fingers crossed, they fall in love with me instead.

Overall I did enjoy it. It was nothing too intense. I felt pretty relaxed through most of the plot. Perhaps more of a refreshing reprieve from the 40 long anxiety ridden torture that is most c-dramas LOL

I unfortunately didn't feel the chemistry between the leads but that may just have been me. They were one of those couples that I find cute together but don't feel any heat between them, despite the sexual tension in some scenes. They gave their all in those sex scenes though. Thought the sneezing during orgasm was a bit silly but I guess the writers needed something that only Ming would know lol

I think what dampened any kind of enjoyment between the pairing is just simply, most of the characters in this show are assholes and Joe is that really sweet character that's just persistently walked over. He does get angry but he never shows it so at the end, I can feel the 'sweetness' of problems being solved but I feel reluctant about.

I at least didn't get the visceral rage I felt with KP and it's crew but I can't say I agree with their world view that seems to be coming across in their work.

Overall, it's a short enjoyable watch but not sure I'll be rewatching it.

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A Slow Fall From Grace

Rated= 8 ~ 36.5/50 ~ 7.3
Scene // Mermaid getting lost in the Enchanted Forest. Has no clue how to use Merlin's Staff LOL

I thought this show was going to be my first Unicorn rating. But of course, in those last 10 episodes, everything started to fall like the Xue family. For the most part, the entirety of the show is a back and forth between the FL's love interests and the slow death of the Xue family. I mean, they get a few swings in but really not as much as I thought they would, not as much as they should have considering how much of a presence they had.

Plot - The first 10 episodes had a great setting. The Fl grew up in poverty and dreamed of being the empress. She uses all wiles and tricks to get what she wants only for it all to backfire and end with her death. In a world without magic, this is explained by showcasing the title. It's a young author's story who is frustrated with the demands from her publisher and continues her novel as a rewrite. This is how the FL wakes up as her 18 year old self and is given a chance to 'rewrite' her story.
She carries a lot of guilt and sadness for her past behaviour and this haunts her for the most part of the show, trying to give back the positions she stole and right who she wronged. This narrative carries on for the most but slowly starts to change over to our ML as we discover who he really is and what is true motives are.
The hidden plot is basically the Empress Dowager and her brother have been conspiring to get the Xue family onto the throne and bring in a new era. I can't help but feel a little disappointed that with this iron clad presence, they did not have the weight that I thought they would have. I mean they tried but for the most part, Duke Xue was pretty useless and the kids were stupid.
They were stopped at every attempt they made. I guess that makes for easy watching but it got kind of funny after a while, as the whole show had nothing to do with the FL redeeming herself at all, and was just a slow dismantling of the Xue family's supposed power which we didn't really get to see a lot of.

As the the relationship between the FL and her 3 suitors, one was the childhood friend trope, one was what you expect from a romance story and the other was just a messed up person grappling for something sincere, so of course we get the third one.
It didn't really feel anything for the first suitor but loved that he became a handsome young general in the end and I like to think that he ended up with the Princess. I think they would have made a cute pair.
The 2nd one, as much as a prince charming that he was, he didn't suit the FL's personality. He was never seen to be anything other than the proto type of justice and noble character. Having said that, I did like him and didn't think the FL deserved him. Would have been nice to let him move on and show him doing so rather than just being that friend that's pining after another man's wife.

And the 3rd one, our ML, was doing well up until the cave scene. Desperation in your mental illness is one thing but I felt like from then on, this intense, all or nothing character just wasn't done very well. It didn't feel romantic to me. It just felt like a desperate man with severe PTSD begging the FL to stay in his life, no matter how romantic they tried to make it. At times, it even felt abusive but then I don't like being controlled either so I have a hard time imaging a woman like the FL would fall in love with the ML. It would have made more sense to have given stronger hints and scenes of her feelings developing earlier with the ML, or developing sexual tension to help round out the dark and sexy vibe they were going for, but instead they focused on building up the love with suitor no.2 just so she could randomly break up with him because she suddenly thought his mother's death was her fault, again.

Overall, I just don't feel like the relationship between the ML and the FL was well developed enough. Yes, too broken people with traumatic backgrounds falling in love but this just felt like being relentlessly pursued and then suddenly being in love. It was a bit of a failure and as much as I can give credit for getting away with as much of a sex scene as they could, it gave a similar vibe as to when Mr. Gray was popular. Dark and intense love is not abusive, emotional manipulative and controlling. I don't find that sexy at all. The icing on the cake is grabbing her by the throat twice, to force a kiss. Yeah. No. We were crossing into r*pe fantasies at time and that shouldn't be anyone's thing. Yes, I am kink shaming.
It should not be up to the FL to 'save' the ML and be his medicine. When two broken characters come together, you really have to show the understanding and feelings growing between them and I don't feel satisfied with what I saw.
The ML bullying his son at the end just seemed mean spirited with a does of gaslighting.

Acting- Not bad for the most part. Really didn't like how the ML would try to make his voice deeper when he arguing with the FL as if that made him sexier. It sounded a bit silly to me because I could hear how forced it was.

Music- I really loved the soundtrack to this. 'Won't see you in 3 thousand lives' is already on my playlist.

Rewatch - Overall, it was a good watch and I was invested for most of the ride. I guess I could watch it again if the mood takes me.

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CatMan and the Power of Friendship

Rated= 8~ 34/50 ~ 6.8
RPG Scene // Mermaids laughing in the Flower Meadow. Swords not needed.

First things, first.
That CGI cat head, and paws, were ridiculous LOL White haired wigs can be tricky in these sorts of shows but I thought the ML looked really good in his. He has striking enough facial features to carry it well. I wish they had gone with that and some sort of Buffy style vampire prosthetic make up or something because, I was not a fan of the computer cat face LOL Heck, they gave the other guy fanged teeth. That ML actor, with the white wig, teeth and some face make up know how, and he would have looked gorgeous and I wouldn't have had to burst out laughing at the reveal each time LOL
They gave that beautiful face that flowing white hair because of 'shock' and then took it away from me. How dare they. How did he get his natural hair back even though his cat hair is style white? damn them. He should have at least kept the white hair.

Now that I've said that, this is an enjoyable series. Ridiculous and childish but fun. I feel like that may have been the point though. (E.g ML's slow-mo run away from his feelings) There was a lot of slap stick style humour. It was like a live action cartoon. Most of the comedy was very over acted and silly. People falling on floors. One of the character has a bad luck cloud, the overly dramatic one etc etc

The mysteries were good, I thought. I couldn't work them out. There were a few times were information was withheld or the ML just seemed to know randomly, but not too much. And most impressively, I couldn't work out the antagonist's motives either. I honestly couldn't figure him out and that doesn't happen often so touche. I was expecting the Empress to be involved considering her condition but she's never touched on. Also, our main female character is taken out of the plot for her safety and we don't see her again, not even at the end was a little disappointing.
I would also have liked to have heard of more of the lore that is the basis for the plot. How did our Cat God end up in the stone coffin? How long has he been there? I would have liked to have seen more of his story.

I had a hard time keeping up with names in this show. It was a show with so many characters as per usual with c-dramas but we mostly see the main group, which is fine. But when someone's name is constantly brought up and I've only seen their face a few times, it can make following the plot a little hard because I don't know who's being talked about lol

The whole plot is the standard, sieving through the powerful figure heads all the way to the top, but around that, there is a sweet and fluffy theme of friendship and the strengths of those bonds. Nothing too deep. Just simple honest communication with the people you care about.

Music and sets weren't bad but nothing too dramatic. We do spend a lot of time in the same places. I enjoyed the little dramatic singing snippets in the background of fight scenes.

Overall, I did enjoy this show for what it was. I laughed, I felt pity, I was intrigued and it had a sweet and fluffy ending to conclude. I didnt feel anything too deep or sad about this one. The 'big' death, and a second death, I had been expecting from about a third of the way into the series and the rest were the usual collateral damage.
My standard ratings are usually a 7 or an 8, I did have fun watching this but I'm not sure if I'd watch it again. There's a lot of cheese but I'm not sure if that was part of the humour or if it was just set up that way to keep things light hearted. And then there was the cat head, which I have mentioned. I think if I were to rewatch, it would be to just simply have something light hearted in the background.

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Nearly.

Rated= 7.5~ 38/50 ~ 7.6
RPG Scene // Mages armed with Staffs, Venturing into Enchanted Forest.

This was my 2nd venture into Chinese fantasy and much like it's predecessor, I found that there were so many characters I could barely keep up. I am slowly learning that this is very common in Chinese shows. The casts are huge. My poor brain.

This one starts with just full on attack of information that it's a little hard to digest at first. I can tell this has come from a book series because they were just info dumping all over the plot.

For me, at it's heart, this a redemption tale for the two male leads, and I loved the set up. Zhou, a tormented assassin's group leader and Wen, Chief of Ghost Valley. Both of them essentially the 'bad guy'. Neither of them have any will to live, Zhou is consumed by remorse for his past behaviour and is basically torturing himself while he drinks himself into a stupor waiting for death. On the other hand, we have Wen who is consumed with grief and hatred, and pretty much has the attitude that if the world is going to set me on fire and laugh as I burn, I'm going to take as many mofos as I can with me.
It's deep and it's complicated, and I love that since this is meant to be a romantic couple. It's not so much a 'love conquers' theme, it's finding a reason to live beyond pain, even in little every day things.

Having said that, there is very clear homosexual feelings from the get go. My first chinese series was Untamed, and it was much more subtle. You could pass it off as just a deep brotherhood. This is not. This is outright flirting and sexual feelings. At times I was in shock that this was allowed. But it adds to the romanticism of finding something to live for. In this case, it's each other, which ultimately leads you to th ending sequence. I think we jumped a little too quickly into 'soulmate' but that might be a culture clash. I don't know if soulmate has a more platonic meaning in asia since the sages of ajni were called soulmates.

What first started to let me down, was the constant back and forth between the two leads. I think they broke up about 4 times, only to be normal again 3 scenes later. I found that a little jarring and unnecessary drama, another pet peeve in writing. Speaking of which, there is major unnecessary drama towards the end and even though I saw it coming from about episode 15, it still sucked to see. I understand this happens in the novels so it's on the OG writer but still, it's something that really peeves me off in many types of shows. It was deliberately built up over the show, just to hurt your feelings at the end. I don't feel it added a whole lot to the actual plot.

I did not know about the extra episode, 37 or MV style ending so when I got to the end of 36, I was punched in the face. Understandably with the censors and they wanted to keep a happy ending, but it's such a random place to end a show. It really does feel like we're missing episodes and apparently they did cut several down due to the budget running out. (or they were actually shut down but that just might be me) When I managed to get the ending online, I was fairly satisfied with it. It's pretty romantic and ironic that the show started with both characters, alone, wandering and wanting to die, where now together, immortal on a mountain.

I feel like what let the series down were the cuts the most. As we were reaching the end, there were a few things just being forgotten about or happening off screen.

Visually, it's the usual dream like, chinese fantasy but I have to admit that I didn't like the styling on this one. I found Wen's robes to be unflattering on him the most. I liked the first one he's in, the white silver ones, and the Chief red robes. Both of which we barely see him in. I found the shoulder cuts and colours just to be unflattering on him. I think keeping everything soft and lose on him, would have looked better. I can tell by the hair they were trying to keep things a little more in line with historical accuracy but I just didnt like it, or Zhou's hair. You can tell it's a choppy cut with extensions. It's a good looking cast but the styling definitely needed more work.

I would still rewatch it but I feel like there would be scenes I would be skipping.

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Comfort Comic Book Series

Rated=9 ~ 44/50 ~ 8.8
RPG Scene // Elf Warrior Blazing through the Sky City. Excalibur on fire.

This has become my comfort series. It touches on deep matters of forgiveness and power without taking it's self too seriously. Sometimes, I can find the sense of humour in these sorts of shows a little childish but this surprisingly manages to blend the cartoonish humour with a deep subject.

The lead is described as being like a comic book character and that's how I feel about the serious as whole. It's like a visual comic book. It is both fantastical and believable and appeals to my sense of humour.
Kim Nam Gil is glorious to look at and is clearly a pro, believably conveying a variety of emotions from cartoon hell raiser to a vulnerable man begging to God on his knees. His character, Kim Hae-il is one of my favourite types of characters. He's hot headed and passionate but has a strong sense of himself and what he stands for. He's also hilarious. He's the type of hero I love to see. When he wins a fight, I'm applauding him or I know he's about to eff up some assholes. What can be described as mistakes were enemy retaliations.

This is why I love the comic book feel to it all. If it were a regular drama, I would feel like he's a bit much. He has to slip up somewhere but because of that added element, I find myself routing for him like Batman. I want the hero to be the hero. Someone everyone can rely on. It's that 'I will find you and I will kill you' kind of badassery and you believe him.

The villains are gloriously hateable just simply for being greedy people. No big evil plot, no mastermind, just plain, old human greed. They even have them slow-mo smile during moments of them winning. And I thoroughly enjoyed watching them be brought to justice one by one.

Both sides managing to walk the fine line being comic book character and relatable human, and for me personally, I just simply love the idea of a Batman type priest. That added element of spiritual peace, forgiveness and redemption just feels like that added touch at the end of a hero plot, where you are left with an uplifted satisfied feeling.

I am looking forward to season 2 .

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