pretty typical Thai romcom (watch suggestions)

Overall: I struggled with the beginning episodes. Luckily, episode 4 kicked things into high gear but cliched plot points made me fast forward a lot. The series is based on a book which I haven't read and I will review the series on its own merits. 8 episodes about 50 minutes each. Airing on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/this-love-doesn-t-have-long-beans-episode-1-zp9b0sxbr0?lang=en_us (keep watching after the behind the scenes of ep 1, I think those scenes are from the entire series, not just episode 2).

Content Warnings: manhandling, stalking, past deaths, manipulation, hit, unwanted outing, non con turned consensual

Watch Suggestions (focuses on the 2 couples, takes out cooking/love rivals)
- read the synopsis and skip episode 1
- episode 2 watch 16:10-20:30, 30:10-32:30, 41:40-43
- episode 3 watch the beginning to 5, 22:15-25, 27:20-36, 40 to the end
- episode 4 watch the beginning to 2, 19:15-22:10, 44 to the end (steamy scene at the end of ep 4)
- episode 5 watch the beginning to 2, 5-12:20, 21:15-23, 25:10-26:15, 34:15-35:25 (steamy scene cutting out the beginning non con part), 54-58:40
- episode 6 watch 9-14:40, 17-19:20, 23:20-30, 38:20-41:05

What I Liked
- supportive/realistic friendship
- visuals (except the bowl haircut)
- tension
- intimacy
- the behind the scenes at the end of the episodes are fun

Room For Improvement
- took awhile to vibe with the leads
- love triangles
- goofy music/comedy sound effects
- nonsense/'because the writer said so' stuff i.e. both "plans" have obvious loopholes, not telling her something important about her dad
- frequent flashbacks
- a friend gave information he shouldn't have
- the non con, the rest of the scene was great though

Citeste mai mult

(on hold) First Impression: Blue Canvas of Youthful Days

update - less than 24 hours from when it aired, iQIYI removed the 4 episodes that were available. Apparently the creators are trying to make it available but TBD as Justice in the Dark & Addicted have never aired their remaining episodes...

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Overall: although I'm bracing myself for angst later on, the first four episodes were very well done. 12 episodes about 30 minutes each. Airing on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/blue-canvas-of-youthful-days-episode-1-13q46jpfxvc?lang=en_us

Content Warnings: there are several, I'll put them under a spoiler comment

What I Liked
- characters and their dynamics
- sweet moments
- a hard of hearing character (though some things related to this didn't make sense to me)
- clear premise

Room For Improvement
- some nonsense plot things
- not sure the ages of two characters
- a character should have first asked/talked to another character about what he wanted
- not a fan of a flash forward and then going back to the past to start a series
- too much blur effect in scenes

Citeste mai mult

beginning was slow, ending was rushed (watch suggestions)

Overall: the initial premise was good but the execution was lacking. 12 episodes about 15 minutes each. Aired on Viki and GagaOOLala (country dependent).

Watch Suggestions: (if you want to see the lead interactions and avoid a bunch of drama)
- read the synopsis
- watch episodes 6, 7 and 8
- skip episodes 9 & 10
- watch ep 11 5:35 to the end
- watch ep 12 13:30 to the end (or can watch all of it for a ton of drama that was quickly resolved)

Content Warnings: coercion/blackmail, non con picture/video taking and sharing, slap, 2 more but I'm keeping this spoiler free, one involves an animal

What I Liked
- the beginning was funny and I laughed at 1 fight scene
- visuals
- a few sweet moments
- production value*

Room For Improvement
- the leads don't really start interacting until episode 6 and halfway thru is waaayyyy too late, they had a few seconds in episode 2 and then towards the end of ep 5 but by then I was shipping the one lead with 2 other characters, I didn't really care about all the other stuff that they put in, there just wasn't enough time to do the romance well and with the additions of a love rival, family drama, work struggles etc.
- 6 antagonists was too many for just 3 hours of run time, also most/all antagonists did not have adequate consequences for their actions
- it is totally realistic that someone understands more in a language than what they can speak; however, it was not realistic that every single Korean character could understand Thai in the first few episodes, he should have spoken a few words in Korean to side characters but had his assistant, manager and dad understand Thai, also why was he wearing the translation device when they established that he understands Korean??? (also a character used the translation device to understand him but then later didn't and magically knew Thai, and that taping was live but no one translated into Korean what was said in Thai, how would the audience know what the character said?)
- *it was choppy at times, episode 1 ends with talking to a director and then the beginning of episode 2 is a character in a totally different place/time, two guys in a van talk to a character and then suddenly he is driving a motorcycle, in episode 7 it's complete daylight then the next second it's total darkness, etc.
- comedy sound effects, silly background music
- convenient writing (with the phones in ep 8), someone is injured then magically healed, cliche of overhearing something but ghosting/not communicating
- ending was extremely rushed, things were said but earlier never shown, everything tied sloppily with a bow
- with the series title, they should have had the setting be a cat cafe

Citeste mai mult

skip episodes 3 and 5

Overall: nothing really happened in this series and when something did happen it felt extremely contrived. You can skip episode 3 (a whole bunch of stupid jealousy) and 5 (a whole bunch of counseling sessions with all combos of characters). This is set in the Love Mechanics universe with mostly new actors. 6 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala and YouTube.

Content Warnings: dub/non con kiss, homophobia

What I Liked
- the supportive friends (but had waaaayyyy too much screen time)
- a few cute moments
- Ana's mom and dad
- mentioned how expensive medicine is
- they do allude to them having sex but don't show anything
- that Fuse stands by Ana and they talk in the car in episode 4 about what happened and stands up for their relationship again
- neutral, there are comedy sound effects

FYI the title Future might come from the character's name, Anakhot, which means "future" in Thai.

Room For Improvement
- the plot is bogged down by not needed conversations/texts with Ana and Fuse's parents and friends, in the final episode out of 40 minutes there was a 4 minute scene towards the beginning and a 4 minute scene at the end with just the two of them (and even at the end it wasn't just the two of them exactly), so only 8 minutes of 40 minutes was spent on the protagonists with each other?!!!!! The plot in these 6 episodes could have easily been cut down to 2 episodes.
- Ana is set up to be very shy and then there is a (pointless) 1 year time jump and suddenly he is extremely forthright/flirty???
- a bunch of characters were introduced really quickly but I figured out the main couple at least
- nonsense plot and dialogue, who on earth would say 'you have to be my wife/bottom' to a near stranger, do they like each other, why??? completely ridiculous (and not in the fun way) jealousy
- the protagonists seem too immature to be in a relationship with anyone
- that bizarre conversation with that guy at the end came out of nowhere, and why does it matter if someone has had many partners or has many partners, what century are we living in
- loud and constant music
- crying without tears
- many subtitle errors that negatively affected understanding what was being said, I wish Gaga had cleaned up the subtitles I assume they were given by the production company

Citeste mai mult

enjoyed the first 4 episodes

Overall: I was really enjoying the chemistry in the first 4 episodes but the last 2 didn't work for me. 6 episodes about 35 minutes each. Aired on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/x9f8tbtrynespbk-Memory%20in%20the%20letter%20(Uncut%20Ver.)/x0048wdyxbh-EP1%3A%20Memory%20in%20the%20letter%20(Uncut%20Ver.) A spoiler comment with additional thoughts.

Content Warnings: punch/parental abuse, stalking

What I Liked
- unique premise
- mystery aspect
- sweet moments
- chemistry

Room For Improvement
- though I'm normally not a fan of montages to show time passing, I think they needed one because it seemed a bit rushed for what happened at the end of episode 1 to happen
- love rival (this kept me from fully investing in the couple)
- Christmas music
- the dad's redemption arc was poorly done
- never explained exactly what happened to the mom, was it an accident, how did that happen???
- unrealistic things i.e. lugging something up to the roof and leaning on it without worrying about it tipping over, something taking only 5 years which for that kind of case would be a person with much more training/experience, no one really concerned over something, etc.
- awkward kiss in episode 6

Citeste mai mult

Bad Guy & Angry/Sad Guy

Overall: this was difficult to rate. I really disliked the plot and the characters but everything was executed extremely well. 4 episodes about 10 minutes each. Aired on SUKFILM's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYfaogVGCvwRtjaJ9-6V6InWnPJxR5z5U&si=sa6ViMn1SRginwgl Channel members get additional kissing scenes.

Content Warnings: non con kiss

What I Liked
- clear premise
- visuals
- acting
- production value*

Room For Improvement
- *they needed to turn down or remove the music when characters were speaking because it was distracting
- I actively did not want characters together, I had zero faith they would stay together happily ever after
- a character said the other queer character was pretending to be normal which implied that being queer is abnormal which I do not believe to be true
- it was understandable that a character was upset but saying they wouldn't let another character go was cliche and annoying
- the end was kind of open, wondering if they will do a part 2

Citeste mai mult

56 minutes (not a BL)

Overall: I generally give indie productions some leeway but the very ending of this was...a choice... not really sure what message they were trying to convey. Watched on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNtNapJNVeQ

Content Warnings (it's complicated but I'm keeping this spoiler free): intimate partner abuse, held against will, non con touching/sexual assault and something else

What I Liked
- easy to follow plot
- tried to talk about mental health issues
- they uploaded to YouTube and added English subtitles

Room For Improvement
- randomly couldn't swim
- I did not agree with all of the messages around mental health issues, society/the environment is not 100% to blame, biology plays a factor as well
- that ending was not what I was hoping for, it wasn't a funny joke, were they trying to say that pushing/ignoring boundaries/sexual harassment of a coworker was fine???

Citeste mai mult

could have been total campy fun (watch suggestions)

Overall: with a few changes this could have been a super entertaining comedy. I deducted a full point for the atrocious lack of consent (mainly in episode 7). 8 episodes about 50 minutes each. Aired on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/m9ytee03pftoltl-OMG%20Vampire%20(Uncut%20Ver.) There was sometimes an additional product placement scene at the end and this review was of the uncut version (which was the only listing originally on MDL), not sure there even is a cut version. Very Great also made Physical Therapy and Crazy Handsome Rich

Content Warnings: deaths, rape, non con maybe turned consensual, non con kissing, blood, manipulation, vomiting, harassment, non con touching, stalking, breaking & entering, held against will, beaten up/fights, manhandling

Watch Suggestions (takes out most of the love triangles, focuses on cute moments & skinship)
- watch episodes 1 & 2 (or read the synopsis and watch the beginning of episode 1)
- watch episode 3 from the beginning to 17:30
- watch episode 4, 9:40 to 10:40, 25:30-26:15, 36:45-39:50, 43-51:50
- watch episode 5, 7:10-16:30, 32-36:20, 42 to the end
- watch episode 6, beginning to 45 seconds, 6:30-11, 13:10-16:15, 20:20-26:50, 28:30-33:30, 34:45 to the end
- watch episode 7, beginning to 1 min, 11:30-12:20, 14:20-17:10, 32:30-41:06, 42:24-49
- watch all of episode 8 but I'd suggest ending at 59:40

What I Liked
- the over the top campy humor made me chuckle a few times (Thaiwilight City)
- beginning scene got my attention
- good kissing
- sweet moments
- lack of voice dubbing
- supportive friends and parents

Room For Improvement
- the non con in episode 7 was horrendous, being in a relationship does not mean you get to do whatever you want when a person is sleeping (although this was fictional because no way would a person sleep through that), I think with 1 couple they were going for a bodice ripper vibe but it came across as more uncomfortable than steamy, they even had non con right at the end of episode 8
- many world building exposition dumps
- juggled too many plots/relationships for 8 episodes
- nonsense/'because the writer said so'/convenient world building stuff i.e. problem is population increase but then same sex relationships are worse somehow???, why wouldn't he just sleep for 200 years? I guess he was nervous about something happening in 6 years but given his age seemed unlikely, super improbable that would happen to the 4 of them at the exact same time and a ton more
- Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy music, same music from their past series
- the music 'na na na na na na naaaaa' over steamy scenes
- episode 2 when characters argued about who would be the groom
- not a fan of 2 men fighting over a woman in het series and definitely not in BL series
- odd that Patrick went from intrigued to very reluctant to head over heels

Citeste mai mult

watch this short masterpiece (on GagaOOLala)

Beautiful, realistic, brilliant. I don't even have words to say how well done this short film is but I'll try without spoiling anything. This story and characters felt extremely realistic and relatable, these are people I could meet in real life. All three/four of the actors did an amazing job, it was especially great to see Huang Chun Chih again (lead in HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count). This is an exemplar of how to do a short film well. You have a narrow plot/idea that you want to convey with only a few characters/locations.

My only complaint is that it's too short and we need a whole series or a full length movie to really delve into the glimpses that we got here. Watched on GagaOOLala.

Citeste mai mult

Cute 15 min film

Overall: short & sweet. Able to watch on GagaOOLala for free https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/3498/delivery-boy-2019 and also officially on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL6MbI2dHzw

Content Warnings: none

What I Liked
- fun jokes/lines such as, I'll bring the glue to put together your broken heart
- the symmetry of Eric wearing the jacket at the end that Chun Ho wore at the beginning
- loved the song he danced to towards the beginning
- his friend Jasper is amazing and that last shot is hilarious

Room For Improvement
- it would have been fun if Eric actually spoke the language and heard what the Chun Ho said when the bag of oranges fell (and we find that out later on)
- some improbable moments/lines

Citeste mai mult

Confident Guy Goes After Who He Wants....Yessss!

Content Warnings: none

Overall: so refreshing to see a confident guy going after someone who isn't ridiculously reluctant/nervous, hope they can develop this story into a longer series or pair these two up again

What I Liked
- I think they both did a nice job acting and have good chemistry, those smirks and eye movements
- I find confidence to be very attractive and Kong is such a refreshing character
- likewise you can tell that Film is receptive from some of his facial expressions

Room For Improvement
- I'm grading this on a curve because I think it has a very small budget, it would be great if this were a whole series and more fleshed out

Citeste mai mult

Screams of agony could be heard down the street

Content warning: you'll want to claw your eyes out after watching...

What I Liked-
it had an interesting premise, a god of love tries to help a human
- the actors were cute
- the first few episodes were okay
- I liked that the female character wasn't some crazy ex-girlfriend or a stalker fangirl

Why I Got So Angry
- the terrible 2 kisses - Nite is the god of love so he has to know how to give/receive a kiss right?? right??? (me screaming into a void)
- the entire episode where Tae just moped around and there were flashbacks, so boring
- almost all of the cast vanishes in the last few episodes
- an unknown time later Tae is at a beach and meets a doppelganger of Nite (let's call him Nite 2). There is no explanation but we all assume that Nite 2 is Nite in a different body based on the ridiculous number of similarities (I was thinking an Ariel type thing). This drags out until....
- What on god's green earth was that ending???? Nite 2 specifically says that he is NOT Nite, whaaaaaaaaa?????!!!!!!!!! What on earth happened to Nite? Where did this Nite 2 come from? Who wrote this????!!!!!!!! I almost threw my computer across the room and I screamed in agony at that ending. 

Perhaps they had to do 12 episodes and had problems with the pandemic. They should have paused filming OR just added 1 scene between Nite & that other god to explain that Nite needed to get a human to give him a 'true love's kiss' in a new body without revealing he is Nite. Then Nite could remain human and be with his true love (i.e. Ariel situation). Explain to me why this scene could not have been filmed and I'll up my review.

Citeste mai mult

I had no choice but to laugh

Overall: a very enjoyable comedy with some serious parts that provides a good contrast. I read the manga, but I'm rating this on its own, not how good of an adaptation I think it was. Watched on Gagaoolala.

Content warnings: punches, slap, non con kiss (sleeping), manipulation, held against will

What I Liked
- the duality of Fukuhara, and that we learn more about his motivation thru childhood flashbacks
- the funny moments (I laughed out loud many times)
- the ending of the first episode which was a pleasant surprise
- how thoughtful and caring Shinomiya was
- Shinomiya's friends and Fukuhara's friends
- the breadcrumb of GL (but wish it was more overt)
- domestic bliss moments
- production value, including some very beautiful shots like the one in the final episode that also appears in the intro

Room For Improvement
- the counting thing in ep 3, ignoring when a person looks obviously uncomfortable
- a few things felt too serious/jarring - I wish the first punch had been a shove instead and the ending of episode 7 was not my thing
- that they went with the unwilling/nervous character, I wanted to Fukuhara to take some initiative
- the final episode had too many flashbacks/filler, also they tried to pass the beginning part off as comedy and that did not work for me as Fukuhara was understandably very upset during it
- disappointed that even after the professor talked about it there was a non con kiss
- too much blur, they looked like ghosts sometimes
- (neutral) Fukuhara has that kind of overacting comedy shtick that some viewers might not like, I've gotten used to it now and it doesn't bother me

Citeste mai mult