Hidden Agenda (2023)

The concept was better than execution

From the first episode Hidden Agenda felt like a improved version of Star In My Mind with some elements from Fish Upon The Sky, but it showed some potential having a lot of the situations being solved with dialogue what is something that you don't see happen a lot in those type of stories where misundertandings are the base of the plot. But soon the series became too much talk and little to no story.

The pacing was weird, some things were dealt with too fast and others too little too late, multiple arcs coming and going without a really satisfying conclusion. It is like the writers were rushing in to put all the elements that they had planned without worrying if it would add or not the the overall plot.

They carried the parents approval arc until the very last minute, making it the core of the story, but still were not able to build it up as they should. Introducing Joke's father on the second to last episode felt like there was little thought before writing, making the resolution fall flat and out of place. Zo needing two different talks with his mother to finally accept and understand his feelings for Joke and his mother's feeling for him, looked as if they had wrote two different version of the same scene and in the end decided to keep both instead of bothering to write another one.

Acting wise, it is clear that there was some improvement, Joong had some solid acting moments even if his character was underdevelopted and with little to no space to shine in more dramatic scenes. Dunk would favor himself by taking some acting classes that could help him control his expressions better to learn how to emulate the characters feelings without so obviously struggling to do so. They do have good chemistry what makes me believe that if they were given a better script with better directing they would do much better than they have been doing so far..

The story was all over the place, the second couple was criminally forgotten, the third and possible couple that actually seemed to have something interesting going on were left as a foot note and Nita was there to serve as a type of foil to Zo's character, once as the objection of his affection and later as his rival.

In my opinion the story managed to walk well for the first four episodes but after that it started to go downhill, on the last two episodes it was nothing but a shadow of what it could have been. I can safely say we are tired of this type of story being told and retold thousands of times in the laziest way possible. It's time to write different characters in different sets with different plots and then maybe we can get something good out of it.

Leia Mais

love everything...first impression

the story kinda fresh summer vibe...gives me butterflys<3the actors have a strong chemistry makes u wanna go on with episodes ,everything seems magical idk how but i love it... cant wait for the 5th ep >
maybe the idea of the glasses removed anyoned me bit cuz glasses not a bad thing or bad mejor in look yk what i mean...abit fast but doesn,t really bothers me at all.

><100% worth the shoot to watch and countine untill last ep.

ik abit much for onnly4 eps but trust me in love hooked already invested in the story and the couples...at the end i cant say much and give 100% clear view untill the last ep>

Leia Mais

Re-watch worthy? Absolutely not.

(Please understand that this is my own opinion and what I enjoy and prefer in a series, I do not shame people who loved and enjoyed this series)

I got a suggestion to try this drama and I feel like I have been scammed. Dropped it immediately.

The plot, the acting, and the overall interest and chemistry for me were practically a zero. I couldn't make myself watch past episode 3. I tried to enjoy it and I even gave it chances to be more interesting, but I just couldn't see myself enjoying the rest of the episodes.

The story and the way it was presented was a basic approach and I felt like I had nothing to be excited about for the upcoming episodes. Overall the story felt dry and moving too fast.

The chemistry between the main leads was null and void. I just didn't seem connected enough with the characters and the acting to make me believe in the story that they were presenting as a couple.

Overall the three episodes that I have seen seemed like they were moving too fast for no apparent reason, with no interesting plot and chemistry that didn't even exist.

Would I ever try to watch it again? Absolutely no.

Leia Mais

Warm Heart, Script Hiccups: My Take

I dig the show's overall idea, but they really need to polish up the script, there's this issue of things just popping up out of nowhere in the episodes. If they took the time to build them step by step in the script, it could've made the story so much richer. Personally, I believe you can craft incredible stories on a shoestring budget; it's all about those little details. They had all the elements to create something more compelling. It's just my take on it. I know there are a lot of people who enjoy it. I really liked Joke's character, and I'd love to see Joong in a story with a well-crafted script ♥

Leia Mais

It doesn't matter if some people hate me. And let me be alone here - but I enjoyed it. A series to have a good evening. I was really looking forward to the end of this series so I could watch it later. And I was not disappointed. I really liked it.
JoongDunk acting has improved. And this is noticeable in many episodes. For example, in the episode where Zo and Joke have their first time/first night. I really liked this scene. Zo's embarrassment, hesitation, awkwardness - how well Dunk portrayed it. You watch it and you rejoice that the writers added conversations and such a scene. In most of the series I've watched, the main characters are so experienced and active in their first time/first night. So this Zo and Joke scene appealed to me.
I also liked the scenes with aggressive Zo. It's probably funny, but it is. I think Dunk manages to portray aggression excellently.
The plot itself is filled with tenderness. It really seemed that way to me. Yes, the plot is not genius, but it's not as bad as many people write here. But I liked the idea of the writers about the plot. And I won't even mention the chemistry between the main characters. It's just unbelievable. The looks, the tenderness, the kisses. Haha

Again, I don't understand some people who obsess over these debates. What's the big deal with it? I don't understand comments like "I forgot that Zo is part of the debate club", "the plot is not consistent, I forgot about the debates". I am not in any way condemning these people. I know that everyone has different tastes. But some of them remain incomprehensible to me. The series' plot doesn't revolve around debates. Imagine if they talked about debates every 5 minutes for 12 episodes. People wouldn't have liked it, they would have said that apart from debates, there is no plot. It's the same thing.
I liked how they tried to show the problems between parents and children here, about unhappy first love. Especially in the 9th episode, they managed to show that relationships are not always perfect, any misunderstandings or attempts to hide the truth can have consequences. Zo and Joke showed us that. And yes, I understand that the reason for their fight may seem trivial/stupid to some. But as I already said, it's about relationships, where any small misunderstanding can have consequences. Furthermore, I can understand why Zo reacted that way. He had an unsuccessful experience with his first love. Moreover, I like such scenes in series, they are a kind of resemblance to real life, and about situations that can happen in real life.
Overall, I liked it. Yes, the plot may be banal, but I liked it. And honestly, I can't understand why everyone doesn't like Dunk's acting? Maybe it's because I liked the series, and I liked the main actors, and I just don't notice it. But after watching the series "Sky and Stars," I still don't understand what's wrong with Dunk's acting. I personally really like it. Especially his smile.

Leia Mais

Writer failed

Actually poorly written plot.. firstly episodes are little bit ok but after few episodes drama is droped too much. Actually from episode to episode line up also floping for me.. actually what is that plot dude.. letz say itz ok to not having great story becoz some dramas are light dramas with rom com. But those have great bulid up romances .. this plot is faild to build up romance too... i am sad for this cpl... this drama can not compare with star in my mind not even little bit...in that drama even dunk can not act well story line and joong did not let us realized that.. that is why that drama is really great..
As for acting dunk not inprove his acting skills not even little bit i feel like his acting skill is droped more.. and for joong he didnt had a chance to show his skills with this plot.. so he also kind of boring in this drama..

But even this drma faild thire chemestry is still same i love that.. when they are together still butterflies in my stomach start flying ?

Leia Mais

Fun and light hearted

I have to say I enjoyed it, I can see what others are saying but to each their own. I found it fluffy, cute, and innocent. I enjoyed the cast. I wish the 2nd couple had a little more time to show how they got together, and I wish they had given a little more about the hidden drama between the 2 seniors. feel like that would have been interesting. I enjoy the leads very much as they have amazing chemistry together. I found it gave you a little of everything love, lies, family drama, emotional drama, hiding relations, and stalking. Zo was a bit annoying at times with overdoing the drama, but it was ok. I found the series was enjoyable. It would have been fun to see where they all ended up like 2 years later type of moment. This series has a lot going for it and was a joy to watch.

Leia Mais

Weak start, strong half-time, weak ending

No spoilers:
Overall, this show convinced me because of Zo's character and how the script only revealed his backstory bit by bit, making me want to re-watch the show at least once. Where the show almost lost me was at the very slow beginning and the convoluted end. In retrospective, only episodes 3-9 grabbed my attention, either because the relationship was still developing or struggling. Another thing I liked was the second couple, as they felt enriching to the story and also had an interesting plot. However, one of the main parts (?) of the story – the debating club – I think could've been used more effectively and didn't feel as important as it was supposed to be. For me, the topics they debated were too fictional to take them seriously.

Acting-wise, I do feel like Joong and Dunk improved from Star in My Mind. Especially, Dunk portrayed Zo's nervousness perfectly with his physical responses to Joke's advances. I'm certain that some scenes/situations helped bring across these emotions because it was also their first time shooting scenes like this. However, I see the need for both of them to act separately from each other, so that they can learn from other situations, plots, and more experienced actors. Of course, I want to see them again together in a series, but then it must be outside the uni-context and maybe in another genre – be it action, thriller, more mature or full on rom-com where you sit on the other side of the screen laughing so hard you have to cry.

Let's talk directing-style: I think in the special episode that aired before Hidden Agenda was released it was mentioned that this was the first or one of the first bigger projects for the director and I think you can feel that. Sometimes I felt lost as to how much time has passed (especially episode 7). I was missing transitional-shots or something that gave a clue as to where and when we are in the scene. Also, I'm not a huge fan of this very milky background we got most of the time (again, episode 7) – at some point it felt over-used. It could've had a better/bigger impact I think if it would've been used more sparingly. Additionally, the music often felt quite random. Maybe a bigger selection would've made the job easier and could've improved to convey certain feelings in some scenes.

Spoilers included:
That Zo is a pan- or bisexual character came to me as a pleasant surprise because I read his behaviour when he realized his feelings for Joke as i'm-getting-to-know-my-sexuality kinda thing. As it turns out, however, this was only him dealing with the trauma experienced back when he was a kid, and he had feelings for a boy for the first time. So, now the first 7 episodes change their meaning – at least for me. And I love that we don't have this i'm-getting-to-terms-with-my-sexuality-trope, but rather deal with how-can-I-overcome-this-trauma.
What I also admire about Zo is that he stays true to his principles. He communicates very clear and doesn't make any distinction between classmate, friends, or boyfriend. A few examples: As soon as he figured out his feelings for Joke, he acts on them (the kiss in episode 4). Next he goes to Nita because he realized the difference in his romantic feelings towards Joke and his feelings of admiration towards Nita. When Joke is again pushy with the food, and he gets into a fight with one of Zo's friends, Zo ends the fight and takes Joke with him to tell him off in a mature way. And of course when Joke's hidden agenda gets revealed, and he doesn't apologize correctly, Zo doesn't get weak and waits for Joke to come to his senses and (hopefully) learn from his mistake. Now of course Zo is not perfect as I don't like the silent-treatment he's giving Joke, but again, no person is perfect, and I love it that we see more characters like that.
Joke being the green-flag and supportive boyfriend was a great watch. Even though he really frustrated me in episode 9 when it took him the entire episode to realize what he did wrong – but I'm here for it. What I admire about Joke was his consistent reassurance he gave Zo about his feelings for him. He tried to not pressure Zo which I think is important to show more in BL as there are too many storylines out there where pressure is romanticized. I think we saw the peak of it in episode 8 where we got the super hyped NC scene.
While Zo and Joke were the example for good communication, I feel like the second couple, Jeng and Pok, showed us what happens when you don't communicate your thoughts and feelings honestly. However, their conflict also got resolved in a mature way where Jeng realized how his behaviour hurt his boyfriend, and Pok learned that he needed to communicate his feelings better for Jeng to be able to act on them.
Now the last two episodes felt really out of place, I think that's because Hidden Agenda was originally supposed to run only for 10 instead of 12 episodes? Anyhow, the end felt convoluted and rushed because they squeezed in Joke's family drama and another quarrel between Zo and Joke. It's possible, that if it had been 12 episodes from the beginning they could've built up the Joke situation way better. Now, his family-situation was used to explain Zo's misunderstanding with his mom – a classic “don't tell but show”-situation where the time ran out to show rather than tell what just happened. Because without Zo's explanation, I don't think I would've got his isolation in episode 12. In the end I would've been more happy with just 10 episodes because after episode 9 I didn't feel as excited anymore to wait for each episode.

Leia Mais

Definitely one of the better 2023 BLs

I’ve watched quite a lot of BLs over the past 2 years but this the very first one I feel to add my review on line. I always read the reviews and for this series they were a bit unfair and a total of 7.3 is definitely to low, as the performance is quite above average but maybe not the best of the year.

JoonDunk have good chemistry and this shows throughout the episodes. Still today most of the BLs are too shy with a kiss but not here, those scenes were properly done I liked the sunflower popping up as it reminds of “star in my mind”. The characters are evolving and although the hidden agenda concept is watered down after 3 or 4 episodes other elements are build in like the stalking of Nina and onwards of the main leads. Also both face parents where they have great expectation from their children and the pressure it puts on them. The comments on Dunk’s acting are too strong, don’t forget he plays the role of a guy with low self-esteem who’s looking for himself.

It was also good to see other BL stars popping up from various other BL series.

And so in conclusion, give the show a chance. Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course.

Leia Mais

Ricordo ancora la sensazione avuta quando guardai il primo trailer, ero troppo emozionata per l’uscita di questa serie ed era una di quelle che aspettavo di più fra tutte.
Inutile dire che su questo aspetto sono rimasta un pò delusa.
Mi spiego, la trama parla solo del fatto che Zo è innamorato di Nita e quindi chiede aiuto a Joke, l’ex di Nita, di aiutarlo a conquistarla ma con il tempo le cose tra Zo e Joke cambiano.
Questa è la trama e sia il primo trailer che il secondo sembrano essere totalmente incentrati su questa dinamica, purtroppo nella serie in sé la cosa non va come si pensa, quella che sembra essere la trama che coprirà l’intera storia viene iniziata e finita in due/tre episodi, inutile dire che sta cosa mi ha letteralmente sfracassato le palle. La storia dei primi episodi era così carina, anche se un pò noiosa poteva essere facilamente aggiustata e portata avanti, potevano essere aggiunte molte scene in cui succedevano delle situazioni mentre Zo cercava di conquistare Nita grazie a Joke, invece hanno fatto quelle poche scene e in pochissimi episodi hanno concluso tutto; letteralmente Zo ha capito di non essere innamorato di Nita al PRIMO fottuto appuntamento con lei, ci ha messo mezzo secondo per capirlo ma boom pur sapendo i suoi sentimenti per Joke ci ha messo tutto il suo cervello per capirsi meglio.
Sinceramente il modo in cui hanno gestito sta cosa mi ha fatto impazzire (in senso negativo) perché avrebbero potuto portare avanti la cosa del cercare di conquistare Nita con i vari accenni a lui che si sta innamorando di Joke per poi buttarci il momento definitivo in cui capisce che nei confronti di Nita aveva solo molto rispetto e l’ammirava. Personalmente penso che così sarebbe stato decisamente meglio, anche perchè mi ricordo troppo sta scena del primo trailer dove a na certa Joke chiede a Zo se sa baciare e poi “glielo dimostra”, oltre al fatto che sta scena fece impazzire tutti, la trovo anche come un punto determinante per Zo nel capire i suoi sentimenti, sarebbe stato veramente bello se avessero allungato la fase iniziale e aggiunto questa scena. Hanno sfruttato malissimo una trama molto particolare, da questo punto di vista sono delusa, pare che non si sono impegnati.
Quindi alla fine aggiungendo la cosa dello staker, i litigi, il club, il premio e i problemi familiari, sono finiti per non centrare la storia di base facendo diventare la serie tutt’altro di quello che si può pensare leggendo la trama o guardando il trailer.

Una delle cose che poi più mi stanno a cuore e di cui sono stata delusissima sono Jeng e Pok. Quando vidi il primo trailer PIANSI nel vedere Aou e Boom come coppia, ero la persona più felice del mondo in quanto ho desiderato tantissimo vederli assieme sin da quando li ho visti in vice-versa. Poi ho letteralmente amato come nel primo trailer li abbiano fatti vedere tutti uniti che si tenevano per la mano parlando di matrimonio egualitario e dicendo liberamente di amarsi….ecco…nella serie questo è stato trasformato DRASTICAMENTE, nell’opposto. Da quello che ho scritto prima sono invece diventati una coppia segreta e problematica. Sinceramente ho amato Pok sin dall’inizio e mi dispiaceva per lui perchè si vedeva tale e quale che proprio per amore ed empatia stava cercando di adattarsi a quello che voleva Jeng, ossia di tenere la relazione ultra segreta, come se non si conoscessero.
Da una parte lo voglio pure capire a Jeng ma cazzo quanto mi ha fatto salire i nervi quando all’open day la ragazzina ha chiesto "Sei single?" e lui stronzo ha detto pure di sì e gli ha dato l’insta, lì mi è partito il nervoso perchè capisco tutto quello che vuoi ma cazzo questa ragazzina molto probabilmente manco la rivedrai più e te ti fai il problema di non far capire che sei fidanzato con un ragazzo. Che poi anche se glielo avessi detto, non significa dire che stai con un ragazzo, in sti casi dici che sei occupato e basta, mica con chi! Quindi nulla per me assurdo, dopo tutto quello che Pok ha fatto per lui, Jeng si permette pure di fare lo stronzo in sta maniera, veramente io senza parole, assurdo.
Quando Pok ha FINALMENTE capito che doveva mettere i paletti e che non meritava di essere trattato così, ho goduto. Devo dire che a Jeng l’ha spaventato a morte quando stava facendo le valige perchè sennò non si spiega il suo cambiamento DRASTICO. Così dal nulla ha detto che era fidanzato e si è comportato in maniera decisamente più aperta e mi ha fatto piacere ma doveva accorgersene prima che Pok facesse quella scenata, come si è permesso di trattarlo così fino ad allora. Quindi veramente io li amo ma cazzo quanti problemi indesiderati, nel primo trailer erano decisamente meglio e mi sarebbe piaciuto vedere almeno per una volta una coppia felicemente aperta sul loro amore. Peccato.

Riguardo Zo e Joke non so che dire, seria. Loro amori miei ma bho sarò io ma non ho sentito nulla di speciale nella loro storia. Per non parlare di come Zo sia descritto come quello che pensa sempre agli altri ma poi ha gli atteggiamenti più egoistici che abbia mai visto, molte volte mi ha scazzato che pensasse solo a quello che provava lui respingendo Joke che porello voleva aiutarlo a stare meglio o comunque a capire se stesso. Infatti la maggior parte dei litigi li ho trovati parecchio inutili bho potevano essere evitati se solo avessero ragionato meglio. In ogni caso mi sono piaciuti lo stesso.

Riguardo la questione famiglia non credo di essere la persona giusta per commentare tali dinamiche perchè sono molto rancorosa. Dopo tutto quello che hanno fatto e detto i loro genitori per tutta la loro vita, segnandoli in maniera irreversibile...te mi stai a dire che Zo e Joke hanno veramente accettato le loro scuse? Lo hanno fatto ma bho personalmente non ci sarei mai riuscita. Con tutto l’amore del mondo ma cazzo se voi genitori non vi preoccupate a crescere in maniera opportuna i vostri figli, non vi preoccupate di niente se non di voi stessi, che volete? Sinceramente adulti come sono in quel momento era decisamente troppo tardi per capire ciò che hanno fatto e chiedere scusa. Hanno prima rovinato gli anni “migliori” (messo tra parentesi perchè per me sono i peggiori ma così vengono comunemente chiamati) della loro vita e adesso vogliono perdono? Io veramente non ci sarei riuscita anche perchè bho sarò io ma ho provato disagio nel vedere il padre di Joke volere un abbraccio, dopo tutto quello che ha fatto l’abbraccio è la cosa più inutile che potesse fare, al posto di Joke mi sarei sentita a disagio nell'avere un gesto di affetto dopo tutto quello che gli ha fatto passare. Come già ho detto sono troppo rancorosa per commentare ste cose quindi nulla ognuno la veda come vuole.

In generale “Hidden Agenda” è un misto tra delusione e…..delusione. Sono seria. Mi sarei aspettata che questa trama fosse sfruttata meglio e bho personalmente non ho sentito nulla di speciale. Il tutto però è stato piacevole da vedere quindi lo
consiglio.

+sinceramente amerei se facessero tipo uno spin-off (non so se si chiama così ) della storia di Pok e Jeng. Se facessero una serie incentrata su di loro e le dinamiche della loro coppia sarebbe veramente interessante poi sinceramente amo Aou e Boom quindi sì li voglio protagonisti.

Leia Mais