Moonlight Chicken (2023)

A missed opportunity

I have been contemplating for some time whether to write a review about this, but I was struggling to get my thoughts together as I was left feeling quite disappointed by the end of this series. It held quite a lot of promise, and the premise of the show was good when it was first introduced. It also had an overall good cast with talented actors, and incorporated mature themes about real life and real life situations.

Did it deliver? Only partially. I'm going against the grain here I know - I've seen a lot of reviews give it a 10. Come on guys a 10? The perfect series? Is any series perfect? Please be realistic in your reviews. As the famous philosopher Socrates said: “Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults.”

I don't know about you, but I personally ignore any review that gives a series a 10.

Anyway, let's start with some positives.

1) Acting. This was probably its strongest point, although at times it was a bit hit and miss and there were a couple of miscasts.
2) Production. The production was good with decent locations, settings etc.
3) Messaging. I think some of the messages and points it conveyed were valid and important.

So why do I think it only partially delivered. My issue is with the writing and story. It was too overengineered. Too many undeveloped arcs, events that took up time but did not add to the outcome, situations that were unrealistic etc. I found myself wondering what this series was about. A love triangle? Being poor? Homophobia? Working class people? Inequality? Growing old? Cheating? Relationships? Growing up? Teen angst? Coming of age? Sadness and loss? Unrequited love? Disability? It's almost like they tried to fit all of it in and it fell flat.

Bearing in mind that only 8 episodes were filmed (albeit some more than 1h long so it's more like 10 based on a normal series), there's only so much you can fit in and I think the story went way overboard with stuff which ended up distracting me as a viewer. Examples:

1. The property development project. Time was spent on this as if it was integral to the storyline and outcome but nothing came out of it. In the end Jim just walked away.
2. Jim's search for a title deed to get a loan. Didn't come to anything in the end. Again, he just walked away.
3. All the deaths and accidents, like Gaipa's mum dying and Alan getting into an accident needing therapy, and Jim's ex-bf's death in a fiery boat accident (this one was absolutely ridiculous).
4. Saleng getting his girlfriend pregnant and somehow making it Jim's problem.
5. Wen taking up a job at the restaurant (even though he's a full time architect?).
...and finally my biggest gripe...
6. Time spent on Heart / Li Ming's relationship. Seriously, half the time is spent on these two soppy high schoolers falling in love. This series is (was?) supposed to revolve around adult relationships and situations, and the hardships they face, yet the majority of the time is spent on two teenage boys going to the cinema and drinking boba tea in a mall... It was just ridiculous how much airtime they received, and it completely overshadowed the rest of the story. I don't even understand why their love story was necessary?

There were other things that just did not make sense or were factually incorrect. Here's a few:

1) Jim's attempt to get a loan. I know I already mentioned this but what was it for? If your landlord is selling the property to a developer to tear it down, and your lease is up, what do you need a loan for?

2) Wen working for the developer/architect didn't seem to bother Jim. "Oh don't worry love, I know you and your employer are trying to destroy mine and other's livelihood, but I'll shag you anyway. As long as we don't complicate things". Wouldn't you say Wen's involvement in the project is a wee bit of a complication...?

3) Gaipa's mum's life insurance . His mum had a precondition so she wouldn't be able to get insurance in the first place. And why was her insurance important? Comments at the funeral: "I know his mum has died but he's set for life now!". Wow. Really? Or was it all so the writers had a reason to introduce Alan to Gaipa? Gaipa obviously couldn't just visit the bank to open a savings account and bump into him.

4) Li Ming's move to the US. Come on, some lady with dodgy English hands you a form to sign and you're off to the US? All this after reading a pamphlet? There is no chance in hell he would be allowed anywhere near the US.

It's lazy writing. Character development at times is all over the place. We go from nice guy, to douche bag, to selfish. Too many things distracting the viewer. A common thread is missing.

They should have picked a story to focus on and developed it properly. In my view that should have been the love triangle between Alan, Wen and Jim and possibly Gaipa as well - along with the business/property developer. Episode 5 (and parts of 4) with the breakdown of Alan and Wen's relationship is very good. First is excellent in it and and so is Mix. It felt like it had taken inspiration from Ingmar Bergman's masterpiece film "scenes from a marriage" (brilliant film by the way, you should watch it). I actually thought it was finally starting to get better but unfortunately past episode 5 it just went downhill again. Alan just dipped in and out - this time with crutches, Wen and Jim had long walks at the beach while Heart and Li Ming were drinking more boba tea.

Stick to simple and effective, with the focus on the relationships between the people, the feelings, the emotion and the dialogue. This would be my idea

- Alan and Wen have been together but their relationship is starting to get shaky. Alan doesn't understand why Wen is being distant. They have a fight, Wen goes out stumbles upon the chicken shop, gets drunk and has a one night stand with the owner. Alan finds out and drama starts.
- Wen grows more distant and goes back to pursuing Jim, who doesn't want the drama as he has better things to worry about, such as a failing business, a developer trying to tear down the property and a sulky teenager. Gaipa also has a business with his mum nearby, and is equally worried about the future due to the proposed development. He has fancied Jim for some time, but Jim is not responsive.
-Wen is involved in the project threatening the businesses. Jim finds out and more drama ensues. Gaipa is also mad. Wen is torn between his career, his love for Jim, the impact his company has on Jim's business and on top of that he still struggles with Alan.
- Wen and Alan have another massive argument and Wen leaves again and goes to stay with a friend. Alan thinks he's gone to Jim so he goes to face him and they end up fighting. Alan and Wen finally break up. Wen approaches Jim again and something begins. Wen begins to re-evaluates his career choice.
- Meanwhile Gaipa wants to help save his mum's business from the developers (and in the process save other local businesses too), so he rallies the locals including Jim to preserve the historic location and starts a campaign to make it a historical tourist destination.
- He goes to the bank to see if he can maybe get a business loan and perhaps be able buy the property himself where he meets Alan. He approaches the local council to see if the buildings can be listed as historical so it can't be bought and redeveloped.
- Alan likes him and his passion, loyalty, and is starting to fall for him etc. He gets involved in the campaign and gets closer and closer to Gaipa and their relationship blooms. Wen and Jim also enter the campaign with the locals.
- The campaign is finally successful and the area and property is eventually listed as historical with funds assigned from the council and government to restore it and making it a destination. Businesses are saved.
- Wen and Jim get together and so does Alan and Gaipa. In time mutual respect develops between all of them. Li Ming grows up and goes to University with Heart.

There you go.

And finally, in the above I would have made Jim/Alan/Wen/Gaipa around the same age, i.e. late 20s early 30s. Poor Earth was terribly miscast as a 40 year old man and, through no fault of his own, has received a lot of criticism for his portrayal.

This review ended up being longer than I expected. Apologies for that. But it's my two cents anyway. On to the next series...

Leia Mais

Earth and Mix Do It Again!

While ATOTS is still my by far favorite MixEarth series, they seriously delivered here. They both pulled through with the acting and their ability to be hopelessly in love with one another. This was my most anticipated series in 2022 when it was announced. It didn't come through all the way, but for what I got, I'm more than satisfied.

Let's Dive In.

This was some of Earth and Mix's most complex story yet, focusing on the collateral damage of past relationships and how age and growth play into it. Jim and Wen are some very complex characters that both actors portrayed beautifully. Their relationship doesn't completely hit me in the heart like I wanted it to, but it was still entertaining. I think one reason is that they drag on them being in a relationship and not being in a relationship and it feels very cat and mouse like. Also, they try to push Earth to be 40 years old and since his age plays no factor in anything that's happened in the past or present, it doesn't make sense why he needs to be that age. He could've been his same age and the story would've played out the exact same. Either way, I liked them a lot, especially in the end when they're looking at their future home and building their business together.

Moving onto Heart and Li Ming who are the real reason why I loved this series. Gemini and Fourth do it again, they manage to lock me in a chokehold and I can't ever get out (not that I want to either). They were so perfect in this series -- so gentle with one another and being such an important part of each other's lives. Li Ming is so incredibly patient with Heart, learning the language, being comfortable with other forms of communication -- it's literally so perfect. They felt pretty similar to Tinn and Gun from MSP, which I'm okay with, but it would've also been nice to see a slight difference in their dynamic. However, from MSP to this series, Fourth's acting has improved greatly. He performs the more dramatic moments very nicely. Without any lines, Gemini has to lean on his other skills, and while they aren't as strong as Fourth's performance, he still does an excellent job. I'll be nit-picky here and say the only thing I hated was that they faked their kiss in episode 6 which is very uncalled for, and not something I saw coming in a GMMTV series.

Khaotung. What more can I say? Even with him playing a less-than-important role here, he still hits it out of the park. Just the pure emotion of being excited to tell Jim about his crush to then being let down, and you can see it all in his expression, his eyes. God, this dude is so perfect, like it's surreal. The same goes for First, he does a great job in this. I kind of wished they would've introduced his character in the first episode since the first two episodes were kind of a drag, but his entry was still very clever and very intriguing. I would honestly like to see how things end with those two, so maybe a special episode? or a spinoff?

Ratings:

Story: 8.5/10 - it drags in the first two episodes and then starts getting interesting after that. I would've liked it better had First's character been introduced in the first episode. Other than that, the story is very good and very intriguing.

Acting: 9/10 - Everyone did a phenomenal job, but who really makes the top of my list is Khaotung. That man can act his ass off, my goodness.

Music; 6/10 - didn't pay much attention to it other than the song Kaipa plays for his mom at her funeral.

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - very intriguing, very interesting, and I highly recommend it.

Leia Mais

Moonlight mess... Life is hard...

To be perfectly honest this should be a 6 but I just could not give it less than an 8... Why you may ask these two very different ratings?

It is all about the + and - Story and Pacing is probably more of a 6 or maybe a 6,5 it is just not that captivating or interesting... It has a lot of interesting moments and some good lines here and there but most of the drama feels like it has a bunch of ways to make the stories fit together instead of focusing on 4 good stories.

I love all the actors in the cast of this drama, however both Earth and First where miscasted here, I assume they where there as part of their assigned duo... I do not know if it is a either take the whole band (duo) or I am out type of deal , but even though there was nothing lacking in their acting they where just not right for their parts... As Earth did not give almost 40 vibes at all (trust me I am soon to be 40 myself), the age difference between Mix and Earth is 5 years and well it is noticeable which makes the whole old man plot line just ridiculous... That said the very few physical scenes between Mix and Earth where as lovely as always.

The best part of this show was without a doubt Gemini and Fourth they where as playful as ever had great chemistry and just left me wanting even more... I am not going to say that their story line was perfect but they did manage to show some of the issues that deaf people have to deal with in a decent way... And though some of the dialog there felt forced there were a whole lot of good lines in there as well.

There are also a bunch of good portrayals of found family, friendship, poverty sucks, break ups can be hard... and life in general is complicated.

Part of the show felt like it was a mixtape of GMMTVs most popular performers... There to fill the void of those who miss their Ships... Which gave me mixed feeling, I love em all and enjoyed a bunch of their scenes, reminding me of past dramas I loved watching and just generally putting a smile on my face... I can not help but wonder if those who have not seen these pairings before would feel about watching this. And while it did give me some enjoyment for those particular scenes I am pretty sure this casting affected the over all execution of the show in a bad way...

I am not exactly sure where I am going with this but I guess I want to say that if you have previously enjoyed the actors of this show you will probably enjoy this show in a different way than if these pairings are completely new to you. I am not sure in what way...

So what can I say it is a slightly messy slice of lie that could have been a lot better, but is good enough to watch... and gets extra points for the parts that made me smile.

Also, make sure to pay attention at the color coordination of clothes and set... Sometimes it is more obvious than others.

Leia Mais

A bar-raiser for GMMTV BLs

Moonlight Chicken is one of those shows where you think that the trailer is giving away the story. But no, you will be proven wrong.

Moonlight Chicken is so unique because it tackles several topics spanning from social issues like poverty and disability, to relationships; one-night stands, status transitions and the idea of ‘home’.

A lot of Moonlight Chicken’s relatability comes from the fact that the characters are so damned lonely. Everyone is looking for a safe harbour where they can be at ease with themselves instead of worrying about the troubles that lay ahead.

I love that GMMTV was unafraid to dive into messy tangles that don’t have a clear villain. Here, Wen and Alan are neither good guys nor bad guys. Jim doesn’t want to be the bad guy, but ends up being dragged into this miserable predicament anyway (so much for an uncomplicated one-night-stand). And that’s just life sometimes.

Earth and Mix have managed to outdo themselves in Moonlight Chicken – after 2 full-fledged series (ATOTS and Cupid’s Last Wish), their acting chops have improved tremendously. Fourth and Gemini, while only a side couple, stole the show for me.
In MLC, they play two people whose homes don’t feel like ‘home’ (more on this later), and how home, to them, is not so much a place but other people. I was extremely invested in this couple and thought they deserved an entire series as Liming and Heart.

Imo, the director successfully balanced story substance (great storyline and plots that were far from empty fluff), aesthetics (beautiful scenes), and emotional connection (relatability/how invested you get in the characters).

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2023/03/06/moonlight-chicken-review-bl/

Leia Mais

The Right Place, Time, and Chicken!

I think I'll explain myself poorly, but I'll try anyway. It's rare for me to find a show that I can't find faults with, that I never forward, and that I love every element of. From the colors, to the music, to the casting, the base details were perfect.
Then comes the story and the execution. Every single part was well thought out. I have never loved a show so instantly. I war with myself about getting bored easy, not giving things time. But... how do I explain this? From the very first moment Wen looked at Jim as if he'd seen the stars and the sun, I was sure that I was ready to give this time.

My review? People need to watch this show, not because of all the perfection but because there's so much to internalize and learn, and accept here. There's so much growth and progress for every single character involved. It's heartwarming to see this kind of love being shared. The frustrations of living, the amount of exercise and pain and MONEY it takes to just keep carrying on, that's what this show centers around. Being gay or straight or bi or pan or trans, just 'being' is sometimes so difficult, and this show is all about that. Just being, just living and discovering. I don't think I want to let go of the feeling this show left me with. The feeling of being full of love and acceptance and of feeling encouraged.

I am so thankful for this show, for the people who brought it to life, who thought of these stories, these peeks into another's life. I'm so thankful I got the chance to see this.

To anyone who's thinking or has thought that it's slow burn and it's painful, I'd like to say So What? I don't have any malice in that sentence though. I'm just saying... So What? It has so much to give, it has so much love to share. Let's try and embrace that love, let's try and accept that love.

I'm waxing philosophical about a show, but that's only because I feel full of love right now. And, I've got a strange urge to have some chicken. I hope anyone doubting the show watches it anyway.

Leia Mais

Mid-final plots fly straight to heaven, left the angels at full bliss but also crying from up above.

I have mixed emotions in this series, in a more positive way. I didn't vibe it at first but it continued to grow on me. The emotional scenes from mid to final episode caught me off-guard. The throw of well-written lines of the characters gives a strong impact in me. This series didn't give too much intimate scenes which I respectfully admire. A deep connection between couple (LiMing-Heart) is more valuable than having more focused on intimate relationship. I think their plots are stronger and more interesting than Jim-Wen. I think Gemini-Fourth really carved their names on this industry. They totally nailed their roles. Jim-Wen relationship development lacks depth and there is nothing fresh to see. Their chemistry (Earth-Mix) is always that perfectly wonderful though and make their decent plots a lot better than it would be.

What deserves justice is my Khaotung-First ship. I expected something different but then I understand that they are just supporting leads. Well anyways, Khaotung (as Gaipai) singing on mic continued with that sad song (which I want to know the title) is my tearjerking moment in this series. On the other hand, First (as Alan) has the best character development in this series. The development of all characters is fairly thought and executed except Alan since he really needs the most attention in character development.

Overall, this is a recommendable series to watch. I love it.

Leia Mais

It's a very interesting and enjoyable slice of life series. Almost perfect

It's one of my favorite series instantly. It openly talks about many issues and subtly talks about others. Within just 8 eps it has managed to tough at the right spots. The acting, was phenomenal to say the least. I mean- I could easily say that I, personally, haven't seen any better-acted series among many of the c/t/k-dramas. At one time I was like- 'Wow, Fourth acts as if he's li ming whose uncle is not understating him', at other time I was like- 'Is First crying or is Alan crying?' then I was like- 'bro it's so hard to act deaf with all those sounds audible around you', 'Earth at a young age is giving a vibe of a mature person who has faced everything', 'Mix is delivering the feelings well', 'Khao looks extremely heartbroken as if he was rejected' and 'Mark's versatility is insane'. Everyone was so good that I couldn't pick favorites. It's perfect. Thanks to every staff, especially, P'aof!

Leia Mais

it was amazing!!!

I really liked this series! The plot was interesting. When it comes to Mix and Earth - i will watch everything. I think there is a chemistry between them, even though this series didnt show many kisses, romantic stuff, etc. I was suprised when i watched the first episode; Wen was drunk and end up in a situation like this, so and Jim. It is a bit annoying to meet someone when you are drunk.
Honestly, the relationship between Li Ming and Heart captivated me the most. It was so pure. It was obvious that they will catch a romantic feelings to each other. Li Ming even learned the sign language and Heart`s disabillity wasnt a burden to him. He treated him like a normal person and that was enough for me to like this couple so much!
Everything goes well till Alan came in the picture. My feelings are mixed, by the way. On the other hand, i was sorry for Alan, maybe he really loved Wen so much that he couldn`t let him go. But Wen so many times told him that their relationship is over and they cant be more than friends. Alan shouldnt hurt himself, trying to make Wen fall in love with him again. I was sorry for Gaipa, too. He deserved all the love but from the right person. I hoped that he will meet Alan. Yes, they met each other but the circumstances was awfull. Episode 7 was really hard to watch. I cried so much because of Gaipa`s mother. It was so sad..
I`m glad because that series had a happy end. It will be amazing if we get a chance for second season. I really want to see Alan and Gaipa as a couple. And of course - to see Li Ming and Heart`s life in America.
I give 10/10 to this series, because i really enjoyed it.

Leia Mais

A refreshing look at relationships and the realities of life with adult couples rather than students

NO-SPOILER REVIEW

Pros
- The story is a great and realistic representation of relationships, family, and the realities of life for adults. It's so great to not only have stories about students with school-level low stakes. This series shows you that everything isn't always sunshine and rainbows but people still have the strength to live their lives and find love.
- The acting is superb. The entire cast is very talented and this makes it easy to full immerse yourself in the story.
- The pacing is just right and keeps you interested from start to finish.
- The variety of couples keeps things fresh and interesting.
- There's great representation of the deaf community.

Cons
- There were a couple moments where it felt like some drama was introduced for the sake of having drama. Those couple moments felt a little bit forced and unrealistic.

Overall
- A wonderful series that represents the adult world in a realistic way. A must watch if you're bored of school-aged dramas.

Leia Mais

The trailer made me tought wrong haha

Moonlight chicken has so many beautiful places scenes and the aesthetic is so pretty!
The trailer made me tought that this series would be full of betraying, fighting and sad moments! It wasnt...but I still love this series! I cant tell you how beautiful Moonlight chicken is if u dont gonna watch it so please go to youtube or where ever u like to watch gmmtv series and watch it.
Acting was perfect and I love that gmmtv has finally started making series where some people act blind or deaf!
Thats all I wanna say so if u read this thanks for readind my review of Moonlight chicken!

Leia Mais