UpPoom ate, devoured and left no crumbs.

Posting this review now after letting it sit in my drafts for so long, but... this series... was something. I told myself that I would binge it once it all came out, and yet, here I was, 5 weeks in and starting it. It's been so long that I don't even remember when the last time was that I watched a show that left me feeling either anxious, frustrated or angry at the end of every episode. I was genuinely holding my breath sometimes and biting my nails when some eps ended, and I realised that I had to wait a week. I'm giving it 9 stars for now, but maybe it will change later on to 8.5 when I dwell on this a bit more.

The premise of this show was so interesting and unique. It might have been confusing to some, but once you understand its smooth (or lack thereof) from there.

From the get go I knew Joe was going to be my cinnamon roll and the love of my life. Anyone who even remotely hurt him was in my blacklist, and they still haven't made it out. (Looking at you, Ming. *glares.*) This boy is the epitome of optimism, he's just trying to get through life and make a living. He sees the good in people, believes everyone at their core is to sweet. He deserves the world, but the world don't deserve him. And watching the universe constantly fuck with him (sometimes because of his own stupid decisions, cuz boy, wtf, sit down and think for a hot sec) was truly devastating.

"I started to realize, what love really was. It's like someone makes you feel like you're home." Him saying that was so sweet, yet heart-breaking cuz you know what's about to happen. And when it did... it still leaves me aghast.

Cuz boy, oh boy, Ming, the man that you are. The amount of anger I felt every time this man was on my screen was almost visceral. I wanted to punch the living day lights out of this motherfucker and then some. The arrogance, the narcissism, the gaslighting and manipulation... and on top of that, the fucking audacity of this bitch to come and still say Joe belongs to him! "Don't be too full of yourself, you're just a stand-in." When I tell you I wanted to reach over the screen and kill him myself. If I see him on the streets, its on sight.

Just watching this man constantly ruining Joe's life, and then other motherfuckers joining in and giving him hell frustrated and broke my heart at the same time. My baby did not deserve any of the shit he was going through, he just wanted to support his mum and life the new life he was given. And I'm not even going to start with how icky Sol made me feel. Like Ming is a blinking red flag, but he didn't make me feel icky, just made me want to murder him. Sol on the other hand... buddy ol' pal, pack it up. Your train let the station long time ago. Move. On.

But ep 9 was when my heart truly shattered. "Why are you crying now?! Why?! Why are you crying now?!" Up and Poom did so well in this scene I was entranced. I replayed it so many times just so it can break me again. The pain, resentment and tiredness all piled up and eventually exploded for poor Joe, and it was honestly so well delivered.

However, despite all the good things and the emotions this series made me feel, there were still some things that were meh about it. Hence why I didn't rate it higher, and don't know if it needs to bumped down to a 8.5 instead.

Firstly, what was Tong doing? I thought we set him up to be the big bad of the series, and yet he wasn't even present for most of it??? I was so fucking confused, and even forgot he exists for a bit. Every time this man came on screen I couldn't even look, it was that type of anger. They made him to be so hateful, but it went no where??? And May forgiving him so quickly?! Girlie that's not how you stand on business. Kick him to the curb, feed him to the dogs!!

Secondly, Ming's redemption arc was so lacklustre. There was practically nothing there for us to hold onto to make us feel like he truly deserved Joe. Everything was just shifted into his family or Tong. I can understand why Ming is the way he is, but I still don't like him. He had no love growing up, everything was handed to him but never his, and when he finally found someone who loved him, he turned into a possessive mofo with no regards to anyone's, including Joe's feelings. Even still, I will never forgive him. I just can't. He's fallen madly in love with Joe, but that doesn't change how he treated him or spoke to him. And until the very end of the series he has not changed. Which, surprisingly, I liked because it made a lot of sense to his character. He loves Joe, and only Joe. Everyone else are just pests to him apart from his family.

But that being said, the little moments they had as a couple were cute as much I hate to admit it. "I didn't know where you were, so I wanted to be seen in the public eye as much as possible. In case, one day you'd see me, you'd feel something and come back to me," I smiled and giggled on this part, okay? Sue me. I hate him, but the toxic part of me wanted him to be end game as well. Like damn, the forehead kisses in ep 10 were so intimate it felt like I was intruding.

Then again, our boy Joe here was gone from ep one. "No matter how many times I gotta choose, I still choose the same thing. Because someone is waiting for me." We lost this brother a long time ago, it was so obvious that he was going to pick Ming despite everything. Boy is as colourblind as bats are normal blind, there was no saving him.

But we finally did get the apology we were waiting for. It was long overdue, but we finally got it. "Since you'd disappeared, I prayed everyday... that I would see you again. I didn't want you to come back. But I wanted a chance to apologise to you. For everything that I'd done. P' Joe. I'm really sorry. I'm sorry about everything. I'm sorry." Mayhaps I teared up, mayhaps I awed. We'll never know.

Overall this series was fantastic, but it did lose itself a bit near the end. Tong, the redemption arc, the entire 180 Ming's mother had in her character arc. Nothing can make me like this bitch. NOTHING.

But the actors were amazing, they carried this show like no other. The chemistry was overflowing, and the cinematography and visuals were out of this world. The emotions were raw, they felt real, and I felt my hear break and enrage with these characters.

I hate Ming, but is he going into my fav bl red flags list? 100%

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DuaoOffroad never miss

This was definitely a slower burner in terms of likability for me. Don't know what it was, but the first few eps just didn't hit right for me. The pacing of everything was good, but for some reason it felt like the story was moving too fast too quick, no time to breathe. It probably had to do with San's attitude. It was terrible in the start, and I just didn't vibe with it. But as I kept watching, the man grew on me. I keep forgetting he's like 100 years old and has a narrow minded view of the world. And once I got that through my head, it was more enjoyable. His gradual progression in falling in love with Vee had me frustrated and had me kicking my feet, and once this man figured out that, yes, he is very much in love, HE WAS LOCKED IN. MAN WAS TIED, BINDED, AND DID NOT CARE FOR ANYONE. Even when the other "Miss Vad" came into play. He was legit willing to give up his life, and that last ep had me in tears. Istg this show made me tear up in ways i did not think possible. DuaoOffroad did such a fantastic job, and their acting have definitely improved compared to Love in Translation. They're so fucking sweet I can't, and I'm so gald they got their happy ending. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WAR IF THEY DIDN'T.

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What happens when a director can't let go of his famous work

I watched the Japanese version right after this was announced, and while I loved that one, this was equally as enjoyable. I think the characters were spot on and the actors did them justice with their own little touch to it. Atom was fucking adorable just like the original Aoki, and Kongthap was handsome as fuck like Ida. I'm going to be slightly biases with this review as I watched this show weekly during a stressful period at work, and it was the comfort show I needed at the end of a horrible week. I enjoyed it more than most, but even as I watched this show, and let it marinate a bit more, there were eye rollers.

First, the good stuff:

PETITION TO HAVE GEMINI WITH HIS HAIR UP MORE CUZ I WAS GAGGED. That black and white outfit with his hair like that for their first date had me on my knees. Man was so handsome in this series there are no words in the dictionary to actually express how I feel.

"It's not as fun as when we are not together. It's a lot better when I have you ...is this what you call love?" Watching Kongthap figuring out his feelings/how to tell his feelings to Atom was an adorable mess. He's so neurodivergent coded and nothing can convince me otherwise. Like man don't understand or comprehend human emotions, and was trying his hardest to figure out his feelings, and him taking everything so seriously and always thinking about Atom was so endearing to watch. This boy was legit born to be a green flag in every universe, but the patience he has with someone like Atom is astonishing. "I'm sure he can make it. Even if he can't, he will be fine because he will still have me." -- Yes, I screamed. HE IS EVERYTHING!!

And Atom. This boy had to be the most relatable motherfucker on the planet. His self-deprecating one-liners were the funniest things ever, and I wish we had more of those. But watching him grow confident in himself and in his relationship with Kongthap was honestly one of the best things ever. They way he constantly chose to be forward and always tried to better himself so he can stand by Kongthap's side was one of the sweetest and amazing things I've watched. IN EVERY UNIVERSE THIS MAN WAS JUST MEANT TO BE BY HIS MAN'S SIDE. Just please let him have a father. Like seriously, why is he always fatherless? But at least he always gets a supportive mother in return, so I guess that works out. And his acting? This series let his acting shine so much, and I'm so proud of my boy.

Mudmee and Half's story was cute to watch as well. Mudneee embodied Hashimoto's soul into this, and that slap scene was the best part.

The bad stuff:

This series could have benefited from an 8 to 10 episodes rather than 12. The Japanese version had only 8 eps, and all had a duration of around 25 mins give or take 5, and they were able to tell a full story without anything unnecessary. And now, considering GMMTV always does 45 mins or over for every ep, they could have done the story in a 8 to 10 ep time frame. Some parts felt dragged out, or not enough content to pat out the whole 12 eps.

And don't get me started on the editing. Honestly, the editing was so off putting at times, and it jarred me more than expected when I noticed it. There was genuinely so many plot lines that they could have fleshed out more. Like Atom realising his feelings could have come an ep or two later, and we could have explored Kongthap and his mums relationship dynamic a bit more. I saw some of the clips that didn't make it into the show, and the fact that we didn't get Kongthap's crying scene with his mother got me so angry. And there were other parts as well that could have been used in the show instead of all the MSP references.

Yes, I too love and absolutely adore My School President. I too loved seeing the refences and loved seeing Chinzhilla's surprise stage in the last episode. But this isn't MSP. I went and checked who the director was, and yeah, they were the same person for both shows. It's like they saw how successful GemFourth were because of MSP and decided to incorporate that into this. What was the need for the musical numbers? They didn't need that many! Yes, MSP were one of their best characters, but that is a completely different show to this one. This is about to awkward teenagers navigating their love, not a kid aspiring to be a musician with the support of his bf. And apparently the director didn't see that.

Overall this was an enjoyable experience, and the three GemFourth kisses was everything I needed. I genuinely wasn't expecting them to kiss, and I replayed every single one of them. Legit looked forward to Fridays so much, and this was the highlight of my day, especially since My Stand-In was airing during then as well, and this was the only thing keeping my sanity.

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Either you like this show, or you won't.

I never expected to enjoy this show so much. This was 100% my 2024 surprise BL. It had me screaming, laughing, squealing, crying and giggling like no other. The comedy in this was perfect, and the visuals and cinematography were amazing. Maybe it's because of the phase I'm in my life, maybe that's why I enjoyed this show so much. Cuz Ryan is genuinely my spirit animal. I am Ryan, and Ryan is me. Introverts, can't speak up, makes stupid mistakes, didn't have friends at uni and only went for lectures, and has no idea what to do with life. "Unlike me, who just shows up to study and goes home." -- Never met someone that spoke to my soul like that . Every time this boy did something or said something, I felt so called out. This show was so realistic sometimes to point where it was scary. P'Baimon said; "You want to be porridge with side dishes?... Something plain and bland, but goes well with everything." — I died. I was sold. I knew I was going to love this show.

Now, let's get onto my favourite part of the show -- P'Jane. This man is hands down one my favourite characters in all of BL. There is no questions. I fucking love him. At first, I thought we were getting a cold-hearted guy who's only soft for the main lead. But boy, was I wrong. I knew this guy was going to be it for me the moment he first complimented Ryan. "You didn't score a goal or find the extra, but at least you got my printer working today." -- I should be embarrassed that this got me smiling like a fool. He has a hard exterior but a soft interior. Man is so over worked, no wonder he's so stressed and gets annoyed/angry at everyone. Legit, when Rayn makes mistakes, I get so fucking stressed for the boy cuz you know he is in for a scolding. When Ryan cried after that scamming fiasco I started tearing up. I was stressed. Ryan is legit me, but more capable. But then Jane had to go and say this; "Actually, you're not a bad assistant." -- And I was down bad for P'Jane like Ryan was. Sue me.

I don't care what anyone says, I will forever be a P'Jane defender. He's such a good mentor, harsh, but gives praise when praise needs to be given. And you can just tell how much he cares for his staff despite them badmouthing him all the time. You don't understand the amount of times I watched the scene of him defending Pie. Screaming, crying , throwing up. That was so hot of him. And it was this moment when this man got solidified as my fav BL character; "All they can do it criticise me. I know my intentions." -- This was hands down the the moment I officially lost the battle and was on my knees for this man. I am not even ashamed of myself. And lets not even get started on this man's character development. Oof-- him tackling the insecurities and learning how to better himself to pursue his dreams was just... chef's kiss. I wish we had more of that, it more interesting then Judy and Ba-Mhee.

And the way Jane and Ryan's relationship developed??? Screaminggg. Yes, I would have liked more scenes with them, but honestly, I wasn't even that mad. I was eating up everything they gave me, and I lived for all their interactions. "Why are you mad at Phi?"
"Can you call yourself Phi with me forever?" -- SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP. YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT!! AND IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, THEY GO HEAD AND DO THIS;

Ryan: "What kind of feelings do you have for me?"
Jane: "Behave yourself and I'll tell you" -- LEGIT DYING THROUGH THIS WHOLE INTREACTION. DIED AND LEFT THIS EARTH. The way these two always solve all their misunderstandings in one day and it never drags out to the next ep is just amazing. The communication, the reassurance, the maturity from Jane -- UGH, I WANT HIM.

Now, let's talk about the other plot. I honestly didn't think the Ba-Mhee/Tae and Judy plotline would drag out for this long. And while I appreciated the time it took to flesh out the whole thing, the overall conclusion made the whole drama pointless. I enjoyed, but I didn't really care at the same time. You could tell that Ba-Mhee was holding onto someone that showed her the affection and attention she was lacking from Tae, and the whole thing was very realistic in the way's portrayed. But having her getting back with Tae made all her inner turmoil useless, and the GL bait quiet jarring to say the least. But also appreciate that they didn't just rush through it. I'm just annoyed about the execution of it all. If the conclusion wasn't her getting back with Tae, it would have been such a good plot. But in the end, it amounted to nothing really.

But the who situation did a very good job at showing that both sides weren't wrong. Tae wasn't there for her, didn't show affection and give his time and kept brushing her off. While Ba-Mhee cheated on him despite her having more or so convincing reasons. It wasn't all black or white, and I really appreciated that. Honestly, the main thing I got out of this, Pah is the best friend everyone needs. Man was not playing around and fired shoots left, right and centre. And I loved him for every second of it. And Tae. My poor boy. The way he pretended to be fine but then broke down when he was alone. OOF. "Without you to remind me , how will i live ?" -- TAE CRIED AND I CRIED WITH HIM. Boy finally realised just how much Ba-Mhee does for him, and it was about time he got that wake up call. Only if they just left it at that made them come to terms with the break up. And Ba-Mhee. This girl. I really don't know how I feel about. But one thing I do know, she needs to stop fucking crying. Istg, she shed one more tear and I was going to go rip her new one. But I couldn't hate her either. And it mainly because the show did a really good job at making you sympathise with her position/feelings.

I just overall love how all the characters had equal amounts of screen time. The show is called "The Trainee" for a reason. We got to explore and develop the whole cast, and I loved that so much about the show. "Whenever i feel like I lack talent, I tend to blame it on these things without realising it" -- Pah being the most relatable character next to Ryan was not something I expected, and us getting nearly an ep to explore him was something I really liked.

And special shout out to my girl Pie. Watching her go from this stoic hard-ass to someone who joins in the fun and is soft was amazing. I love Pie, and her friendship with Pah was something to die for.

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The one time everyone supported infidelity

The messiness of this show is immaculate. The way it gaslight me into supporting infidelity is honestly spectacular. Vee was someone I was so against. Boy deserved the fucking streets!!! But then... as the show went on, you just realise he's young, dumb and broke. The pain he went through wasn't explored and I'm so upset about that. He's one of those characters you either hate or you begin to understand and start liking. I'm in the later surprisingly. But he should be so gald he's a fictional character, cuz my boy Mark left his dignity at the table so many times. Cuz the way I would have thrown him to the wolves if he were real and he messed up that first time. Mark is stronger than I will ever be smh.

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Sometimes you just need a cute BL to get through the day

I honestly wasn't expecting this to be as good as it was. Sometimes you just need something cute, sweet and fluffy to get you through the day, and this was 100% it. Diew is the biggest cutie patootie to ever exist. Istg, every time he smiles I just feel the need to clutch my heart cuz of the cuteness overload. That smile is a lethal weapon, I tell you. Can stop wars, I say. And don't even get me started on how relatable Diew was man. He hit too close to home. Him being terrified of being himself was something I related to too much, and the awkwardness in his interactions with people got be gritting my teeth cuz I could see myself in him.

And God has officially entered the list of greenest of green flags to ever green. He's actually such a teddy man. Those muscular arms but actually the biggest softie. AND he can play the drums like a god? Yeah, Diew is one lucky man. This was just a feel good show, and the amount of times I had to pause my screen to screech and squeal cuz of the cuteness is uncountable. They have to be the cutest couple ever and they didn't even start dating when it all began. AND THAT CONFESSION?? OMFG THAT CONFESSION!!!! HANDS DOWN THAT HAD TO BE THE SMOOTHEST AND BEST CONFESSION I'VE SEEN IN BLS. TELL ME SOMETHING THAT CAN TOP THAT! I'LL WAIT!!!!

But then ep 11 happened...

I'm sorry, BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FEEL GOOD SHOW??? WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CUTIES??? That entire scene actually got me to nearly cry. They both had their reasons so I couldn't pick a side, but the moment they start wiping each others tears????? I LOST IT!! AND THEN GOD LISTING ALL THE THINGS HE LIKES ABOUT DIEW??? MOTHER, PREPARE MY FUNERAL!! They're such a healthy couple I can't. They're new to love, love and appreciate everything about one another, and are afraid their flaws will ruin the relationship. And watching them learn to grow from that was honestly so beautiful and heart-warming. Because that's what young love is at the end of the day, learning and growing. I just can't believe how much I love these two.

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When life is beautiful, but also the most tragic thing you'll ever witness

I spent close to 10 hours crying over this drama. My head hurt, my eyes were sore, I couldn’t breathe properly because my nose was blocked, and I got severely dehydrated. I want compensation for emotional damages and fees payed for the lasting scars this show has left me with. Right when I thought I had caught a break from crying, and that I had nothing left to cry, more tears would just roll down.

Everything about this show broke me in multiple different fragments, and the two scenes where his best friend broke down had to be the ones to emotionally scar me forever. Nothing can convince me this isn't a remake of Hour of My Life, and I'm so glad they didn't follow the "senior dates ex girlfriend" plot beat. And many other small changes that I really appreciated. Guang Pu is taken so I can't have him, therefore I'm taking the Leader for myself. How this man is single is beyond me. He had to be the most amazing, caring, loving person ever. The lengths he went through for Tuo was so endearing and heart-warming. He's the legit the father Tuo wished he could have had. My heart belongs to him.

And my girl Zhi Qu. I would kiss her if I could. She is an angel in human form. The kindest soul this earth had seen. Both of them are, and that is why heaven matched them. And that is also why this show is so heart-breaking. Because it's the most gentlest and kindest people going through so much and you ask yourself "what did they do to deserve this," only to remember seconds later that people will only pick the prettiest flowers. All the actors did such a fantastic job in this, and biggest shout out to Lin Yi because he went above and beyond to make Tuo's character come to live. I hope he's happy, because I'm never recovering from the emotional trauma this show as caused me.

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Woman empowerment and girls supporting girls

I thought I was going to get a feel-good, wholesome family drama. What I actually got was woman empowerment, buckets of tears and heart-ache, interstate and familial politics, and one of the cutest couples ever. Istg this drama made me cry in the most unexpected of time, and the absolute emotional wreck I was in when Hao Jia tried to kill herself. I'm just so glad my girl got to leave that toxic environment and was able to live her own life. Li Wei's character development had to be the best things ever, you wouldn't even recognise her as the girl from the start of the show. Yin Zheng being the biggest green flag ever, and him and the 5th and 3rd prince are my favourite trio of brothers. I needed them three on screen more cuz I just loved their shenanigans. 5th prince and his wife were my second favourite couple, and I was legit rooting for them since the start of the show. I'm a sucker for that kind of dynamic. Especially when the 5th prince kept "protecting" his wife despite knowing he'd fail, and his wife just being so adored by it. I just wish we got to see more of the 7th prince and his wife. Those two need the justice they deserve cuz their shenanigans/ daily lives would have been so interesting to watch.

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ML carried this show

BEWARE OF SPOILERS!!

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!


I love Shen Du!!! Omfg I didn't know I would love his character so much, but I love him. He's such a well written character, and every scene with him talking to his family in the memorial room was absolutely magnificent. Episode 8 was the best ep out of the whole show. Shen Du in his family's memorial room and giving his monologue about getting justice for his family, and the small snippet of him denouncing his father, despite not wanting to, was so heart breaking. Ding Yu Xi's performance, the music, the cinematography was absolutely marvellous! I will legit go back just to watch that whole episode. And then episode 39 where he was asking Queen Dowager for justice and it being paralleled to him denouncing his father was chilling. I had goosebumps. Then that final bow in the memorial room with the ost and lighting... I WANT IT FRAMED TO MY ROOM. THAT FUCKING SCENE HAD ME.

And now... all that being said, things that I DID NOT LIKE about this drama:

- The stupid divorce. The divorce bought down my enjoyment by a lot, if I'm being honest. They could have pretended. And them still "hating" each other despite the big bag being defeated was so stupid. Yall had something great, only to mess it up into something good because of this one decision.

- Shen Du's character being regressed to a loser at the end when he tried to win the FL lead back. That was so stupid.
- The one guy that trying to hit on a married woman!! Bro, why do we always have characters like this in shows? They're married, LEAVE THEM ALONE!!

- ChuiChui... my girl... why did it take you a whole kidnapping to finally tell your bestie who the masked guy was? And she could have easily pretended to marry the guy and then back stabbed him. The dude was so delulu it wasn't even funny, he wouldn't even have noticed.

- The FL. I love Yan LiuNiang, I really do. The scene where she used ML's blood to sign off the divorce was epic. But this girl cannot keep herself out of dangerous situations. Legit started to roll my eyes every time she got kidnapped or ended up in a situation that needed the ML to save her.

Overall, it was a good experience, and I would most definitely rewatch this up until the divorce, then skip to the end where Shen Du finally got his justice. The editing at times at the start was kinda jarring for me, but luckily it didn't persist through the whole show. Either that, or I just got accustomed to it. And it was lowkey slow for me at the start, but it definitely picked up after a couple of eps. But I do feel like this is one of those shows that you either like, or you don't vibe with it. So give it try!!

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A feel-good fantasy that heals the soul

This was genuinely the best feel-good fantasy drama ever. The comedy was amazing, and the dynamic of the characters were superb. The concept of the show had me hooked from the first read, and the way I dropped absolutely everything when I saw that this was completed just to watch it is not even funny. I have no fucking regrets. Stayed up until 4am giggling and crying my heart out. I swear, the dynamic of the main couple is honestly what I live for. I haven't seen a bickering couple like this in so long, and I loved every second of it. I was a wreck, A FUCKING WRECK, tears and buckets of tears coming down my eyes when Miao Miao realised Mu Sheng loved her. My heart actually broke into pieces, and I just know I'll end up crying again if I watch that scene again cuz you just remember how happy and giddy Sheng was when prepping everything until shit hit the bloody fan.

Now, that being said, everything was a 9-10/10 until that final episode. I liked the ending, don't get me wrong. That ending was exactly what I expected and I wouldn't have it any other way, or think of anything more suitable for it. HOWEVER. What was that last episode? Granted, I cried buckets watching it, but still. What was that? That shit came out of no where man. Yall could have built up to it a bit, but nope. They just shoved that shit in and completely forgot to foreshadow anything. What they did, and the message they were trying to tell was good, but bro? You can't just dash in last minute plot twists like that. It just makes it seem like it came out of no where and got crammed in cuz the writers wanted everything to be about the main leads. Also, what was that whole spiel about the black lotus? Ain't anyone going to explain that?

But honestly, other than that disappointing last ep (except ending), this was a top-notch fantasy drama. I need more found family, fighting demons, and going on adventure type shows. Or characters going into books/games and trying to get out plot lines. It's such an easy sell, and I'm its biggest victim. I'll eat it up every single time.

P.S. Ding Yu Xi with a long pony tail with bangs out had to be the prettiest thing I've seen all year. I genuinely could not stop staring at him. Had to pause my screen just to gawk and squeal.

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