Brilliant

This is one of the most brilliant series I have seen in a long time.
Many people agree with me, but if you're one of those who have a hard time finishing it, because I had, then keep watching. I enjoyed the first two episodes immensely, but then it slowed down a bit, I had a hard time getting through 4 and 5. I dropped it, because I didn't see the bigger picture, and where this is leading. I also had no idea that they planned to do a 2nd season. Months later, I came back and started watching s2 which had not a single dull moment.
Everything comes together brilliantly, so I rewatched s1, and now I fully understand how smart and well thought-out this series is.
Well, just saying. Don't give up!
What makes this so brilliant? I keep it short: great acting, good plot, heavy issues that are talked about in a very touching and intriguing way, action, good music, suspense, and LOTS OF EMOTIONS!
I have nothing bad to say about this series. I'm not even interested in the army, but this is such an important and interesting story. Everyone should see it.

Leia Mais

I don't want to support this series anymore.
The vaccine propaganda was the final nail in the coffin. The HPV vaccine is one of the most dangerous after the Covid vaccine. That people STILL have no clue ... unbelievable. I saw a young girl's life destroyed because of that vaccine. So before someone is coming for me, maybe you look into it yourself. And don't go to the CDC for information. Pharma is corrupt. Now they want to make more money and advise this vaccine to guys too! You can't make this shit up! The greed knows no limit.
Back to the series: very charismatic actors, very good acting, nice humor, nice OST. But the series is trash. A guy who had plenty of sex in his life, but still didn't kiss anyone? This is a fantasy, only done to keep the viewers on the edge of their seats waiting for the big kiss.
I'm not doing that.
If you think MSP was bad, where we were teased with the kiss, god knows on how many occasions, to the point where it felt like one character didn't want to kiss, then think again. This is worse.
I feel offended in many ways watching this series.
I'm not that thirsty and not that stupid. They should just make those guys kiss and get over it.
I will wait for a real mature series where those two act, and not this kindergarten story. And if someone thinks I'm only interested in sex and kisses - please! This old accusation again? I'm not interested in watching those dumb scenes (will they, won't they kiss!). That's all! SUCH A DAMN WASTE OF MY TIME!
Not wasting anymore of it, that's for sure.

Leia Mais

No joy in life

You know, nothing is perfect, and there is a lot to love about this series. The acting was out of this world, many dialogues were brilliant, the characters were all very well crafted.
I'm sure, enough people praised this series to the moon and back. It made me very, very emotional and I cried a lot.
But I can't give 10 stars, because the series made me also angry. Some stories and characters were beautiful, others were rather annoying. At the end, I wasn't annoyed anymore, because everything came together, but throughout watching the drama, I had a lot of rather negative emotions towards this series. Not gonna lie, the teenage pregnancy plot made me almost drop it. I enjoyed the girl with the disabled sister, and I seriously think her story was one of the best, only matched by the dying mother story at the end of the series.
Well, I don't want to spoil, and I know this review is a mess.
I was raised by a very poor family myself. My mother could be one of those old women, working her whole life. She also came from a very poor family. Her mother, my grandmother, had five children, one died. Life was hard back then, but not as hard as portrayed in this series, where we have a woman at a similar age as my mother, who lost her parents when she was only six, her older brother died some years later. Then she married a good guy, had two children. The husband died in the sea, her daughter drowned. Come on! This is against all odds! I would start believing in a revengeful god if this is reality. Maybe I'm ignorant about South Korea's history, but this is too cruel and unbelievable. This is the most extreme example, but almost none of those characters was raised in a healthy and happy family with father and mother. Dead parents, gambling, suicide etc. seems to be normal on the Jeju island. Really? I enjoy realistic series, but when they overdo it with the drama just to have a story to tell - I don't know.
Back to the title I gave this review: No joy in life. There were moments, where I felt exactly that: those characters were all miserable. They said it themselves twice: no joy in life.
The after credits said something like: We are on this world not to suffer, but to be happy.
This series didn't make me happy at all.

Leia Mais

I have mixed feelings regarding this series and Taiwan BL in general. I remember when HISTory aired, the very first series was called "Obessed", and everyone was talking about it. I checked it out and thought the story makes zero sense, but the actors were committed and showed us great make-out scenes. Many years later, not much changed.
This series' author also wrote Trapped and MODC, and again, I have the same criticism. There is only one explanation for the author's success I can come up with (some even call her the "queen of Taiwan BL"): She puts so much stuff into her stories, that there is something for everyone. You like a couple where one guy is much older? Check. You like a couple with unexpected top/bottom roles? Check. You're into student-teacher stories? Check. You like the tsundere type and the cold/stoic type? Check. You like big height differences? Check. You like the one being manly, and the other being cute? Check. You like mafia guys? Check. So I assume whoever reads this found at least two points they like. So go watch it!
Seriously, the author talks about stuff she doesn't know anything about. In Trapped those police officers behaved like children playing detective, now in Kiseki the mafia guys behave like children running a car repair shop and doing some street fights. The older mafia guys are sitting in the hot tub, looking dangerous and talking in a way that it sounds important. It's low budget, I know, but don't go there, if you're not capable of making it believable. The whole plot is a mess. Two young guys going to prison for 4 years is a good example of the weak wattpad-style storytelling. You could write a whole series about their experience in jail, but they brush over it, and they even get out in the same episode. Not much changed, as if they had seen each other just months ago.
Back to the same criticism I had regarding Trapped and MODC: There is no balance regarding the mood of the story. Kisekei had some very touching and serious moments, but then it gets incredible cheesy and corny. It's funny, and in the next moment it's tragic. The author apparently wants to evoke as many emotions in the viewer as possible. The result? It's a mess.
But not only the plot is a mess, the acting is too. Ai Di (Louis Chiang) is the only good actor, I would even say, he is the only "real" actor. What do I mean by that? He embodies the character wholeheartedly. Even if the character develops or changes over time, you still feel it's the same character. I have no issue with Chen Yi (Nat Chen) acting. He is doing a good job, and it's not uncommon that an actor reaches a new level when paired with someone talented. But still, it's obvious he isn't as good as Louis. Unfortunately, everyone else, from the younger guys to the older guys, is just here for the paycheck.
My final thoughts and rating? I love the 2nd couple, they are my guilty pleasure for many reasons. I hope those two get a new series, because I love their chemistry and acting. Everything else was forgettable. The main couple was too cheesy, and Taro Lin should really work on his acting. For me this was second hand embarrassment.
7 stars for the effort (they did some things right, and some scenes were beautifully filmed), but since I'm madly in love with Ai Di and Chen Yi I will give 8 stars.

Leia Mais

Part 3 of this series didn't disappoint either. It gets better and better, because we learn more and more about the character, it's getting more tragic, more intense, as a viewer you're more invested with every episode. I'm not sure how popular this series is since it took forever for a second season, and they even changed two of the main actors, which honestly is a crime, but for me this series is much more enjoyable as other very popular shows like Game Of Thrones for example. This is indeed my favorite fantasy series, and everyone should give it a try. The writing is really good, and the actors are phenomenal. It's just hard to get into it, but it's worth it.

Leia Mais

I watched this series months ago, but never wrote a review, since I was at loss of words. Part 2 is most likely my favorite, because of Ta Gon and Tae Al Ha. Those characters and actors are just incredible. They aren't the good guys, but you can feel for them, and I enjoy how both play their games, how both have a strong will to succeed. Ta Gon is a truly tragic character. Both are, their upbringing and their fathers made them who they are, and that's why they are a good match. We got great fight scenes in those episodes too. Not to mention episode 12 which was one of the best of the whole series when everything came together, the tension was insane.
Again: Brilliant.

Leia Mais

The biggest weakness of this series: It's a bit slow, and it takes its time to build the world and the characters. Normally, that's considered a good thing, but I must admit I couldn't get into it for the longest time. I really enjoyed the 1st episode, with young Ta Gon, Asa Hon and their children, the Neanderthal she was in love with, I got invested into the characters and their story just to see them all ... vanish. We got a time skip, and everyone was gone. Ta Gon is still alive, of course, but the actor was replaced by an older one. I felt like someone was throwing me out of a story and into a completely different one. I didn't enjoy Eunseom's and Tanya's friendship/romance, because their characters were too childish and innocent. It was meant to be like this, I know, but it was a bit tiring watching them living in the tribe. So what changed? I don't remember which episode it was, but suddenly I was hooked. I was fascinated by Ta Gon and Taen Al Ha, those characters (and actors) just stole the spotlight. Their performance, their intensity and their political intrigues and mind games were incredible. I also started to admire Tanya, and I saw her growth and potential. Of course, the whole plot about the twin brothers was very intriguing. So I went back and rewatched the first episodes and finally understood that this series is brilliant.

Leia Mais

Breathtaking

I wonder why I never wrote a review for this 2nd season. I was hooked from the beginning to the end and enjoyed it more than the 1st season. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Some characters were just incredible, the acting was overall pretty good, I even started to like the main guy. The plot was as intriguing as in the 1st season, but this time they tackled some moral questions that really got me thinking. It's a while that I watched a series, and I had to pause it just to take it all in and get my thoughts straight. This series really deserves the hype.

Leia Mais

It's pointless

I'm dropping this at episode 5, because I can't bring myself to watch this any further. For me it's pointless, and a waste of time.
When this aired, I had zero expectations. I thought it would lack a good story like so many other BLs out there, especially the more sexy ones, but I was pleasantly surprised, because there was some potential for an intriguing plot. The acting is incredible from First, Khaotung, Neo and Mark. Force and Book are almost unbearable to watch, because they aren't able to breathe some life into their characters. Better actors could have done a better job for sure. Well, not the whole cast can be stellar, so that's not the biggest issue here. I was hooked after episode 2, enjoyed episode 3, was bored by episode 4 and started skipping scenes, and now at episode 5 I will end my misery. This series reminds me of some German soap operas, where the couple gets together in a few episodes, they love each other, and you don't even know why, and then they get separated, and you have to watch endless episodes of family, friends, and the jealous ex-girlfriend plotting schemes to keep them separated until they get together in the 99th episode and marry in the 100th. Apparently this concept is very popular in Germany, and most likely all over the world, despite me to this day not knowing how something like this can even be considered an entertaining watch.
What is my point? I don't enjoy people plotting schemes and making their life miserable for no good reason. I don't enjoy the idea of love where you don't even understand why they are attracted to each other. They are all obsessed with someone, while having good potential partners around them. It's just shallow, damn shallow. You can't feel the character depths, which makes it hard to root for anyone here. I don't feel sorry for them, I don't want to see them happy, I'm just annoyed by their dirty little games and their stubbornness that makes them miserable human beings. It honestly feels strange to look at those characters who are played by great actors, some of them I really like, and just thinking: I don't care about your issues. I don't.
Still, I'm not surprised that this series is popular at all. Most people enjoy this kind of drama. I even think it's pretty realistic. We have more bad people than good people in this world, and when it comes to relationships, so many behave like lunatics.
But I personally feel too old to watch some guys f*cking around and being dramaqueens for no good reasons. I feel this is something for people in their mid 20s, especially for those who enjoy the NSFW content, which I normally do, but it cannot save this series.
To sum it up: I don't think it's a bad series. There sure is an audience for it. The acting (most of it), the music (!!) and how some of the dialogues are written isn't bad, some scenes are beautifully filmed too. But the characters are too shallow, their intrigues too dirty and pointless. So it's a no for me.

Leia Mais

This is my second attempt to write a review, because with time passing, my thoughts and impressions changed a lot.

Let's start with the good things: the chemistry of those two guys is very nice, the production felt high quality despite the choppy editing we got sometimes, the acting was very good from everyone, the music was also great.

Now let's talk about the elephant in the room: Ji Woo's behaviour. We learned in s1 that he is an awkward guy, who has some trust issues and likes to put up walls. But he was also adorable, he smiled occassionally, he was pretty lively despite most of the time appearing rather calm and looking gloomy. He had interest in the world around him, and he also was interested in Seo Joon. Serisouly, he was cute. Good looking too, a good cook. And last but not least: he was good at heart. He had a lot to offer, and I could 100% see why Seo Joon felt for him. They both had different personalities, but resonated well together. A match made in heaven. Sure, the viewer could assume they would get some problems in their relationship. Maybe their different personalities would be an issue sooner or later, maybe Seo Joon being an idol/movie star and having a tight schedule would make everything difficult. But still we trusted in that love, and - I'm talking here for myself - I trusted in those two guys because they have a pure heart.

Now we got s2. We learn they broke up. Why? Well, that's the question that wasn't answered for the longest time. We as viewers had to guess what the reason was for Ji Woo suddenly ghosting Seo Joon. He just left him a note and vanished. Is this a mystery series? We then got some flashbacks (we later learn those scenes were from the future too), we get a lot of angst, a lot of drama, in the first two episodes at least we got a bit of humour too. Nothing was explained well. They used their time to introduce new characters with their own storyline. They weren't just there to support the main story. During all that time we still didn't know what was going on in Ji Woo's head. Instead we had to endure how he treated Seo Joon like sh*t. It was pretty obvious he didn't enjoy it though. It was his way of pushing Seo Joon away. He just put up a big wall like he did in s1 too, but this time it was too much. He just crossed the line. He was cruel. A person that's good at heart, shouldn't be that cruel. He could have behaved differently. People tend to forgive this behaviour, becasue Ji Woo was also suffering. I can't forgive it. From my perspective, being weak and hurt and confused, is no excuse to hurt other people badly, especially the ones you apparantly love. He just went too far.

So what happens next? The series is almost over, and we don't even know the full reason for the break-up. Some mysteries were resolved about Ji Woo's parents, and then we FINALLY see that Ji Woo indeed cares for Seo Joon. He decides to not run away any longer, maybe after Seo Joon told him he gave up, and now Ji Woo is running after Seo Joon. Great. Seo Joon pushes him away, once, twice, but then Ji Woo tells him, he will not be able to chase him any longer if he keeps that up, and Seo Joon gives in.

People say this is realistic, relatable, emotional, romantic, complex, mature. Is it really? The core ideas of the series aren't bad. But they just went too far. Ji Woo became a gloomy and unattractive guy who behaved like a baby - he was even crying like on! - that had no real character growth through out the whole series. At the end he AGAIN had lots of demands, and Seo Joon was the one who now must adjust to him even more, so he won't run away. What's the message here?

The author apparantly wanted to show us "that in a relationship one always loves more and works harder". Is this a good message? One that leaves you with a warm feeling in your heart? Not in my case. It's very questionable and honestly depressing.

To sum my thoughts up: They destroyed the Ji Woo character by tooking away his good qualities and emphazing his weaknesses. They even destroyed the Seo Joon character to a certain point. He obviously loves Ji Woo, but I wonder why at this point. Why does he want to be with him? I never asked myself this question when watching s1. I thought he was attracted to his big heart. He felt save being with Ji Woo. The writers took that away completely.

I think the director has a talent to make everything artistic, cryptic, complicated, emotional and beautiful. It's an EXPERCIENCE watching her work. So she fools the viewers in thinking it's "deep". Indeed it was pretty shallow at the end of the day. Minor issues were blown out of proportions, and where we expected some big rivelations for expample regarding Ji Woo's parents or Seo Joon's trauma, everything felt trivial.

I still rate this series rather high, because I was glued to the screen the whole time. They did something right if people talk about it so much, discuss it so much and in general are so deeply affected by this story. That sure is an accomplishment by itself.

Leia Mais

Don't expect too much

Well, I watched Ep 9, and I'm now dropping this. I will tell you why: The writing is abysmal. You can FEEL this is based on a trashy fanfic that's only popular because of the hotness, the toxicity, the tension etc. I didn't read the novel, but it seems to me they are doing a better job in the series and are trying hard not to make it too stupid and too cliche. Unfortunately, they failed. Let me go into detail: the characters.
Kinn: His real persona seems to be a nice guy, who doesn't really want to be in the mafia. When he was out in the woods, he felt great, and didn't want to return. We got to see a very child-like, fun and adventurous side of him. So what now? What does he do? Is he planning for the future? Is he trying to escape his family? Is he trying to lead the family business in another direction? Is he doing anything? Yes, he is "acting" as the cold/bad mafia boss he is supposed to be. He rules by fear without being very convincing. What else is he up to? His love life is apparantly very important, but also pretty messy. That's what he is doing. Thinking about love, and who he can trust.
Porsche: Apparantly he is a nice guy too. He was working as a bartender. We got a sappy story with his uncle gambling away the money. You would think the family is poor, but their house says differently. Now he works for the mafia. He has to kill people. Gruesome! Does it bother him? Yes, a little bit and for a short time. What is he up to now? His love life. I would expect him to think about the future, to have nightmares, to wonder in what kind of mess he finds himself and what bad things will happen next, but nope. He is busy dancing in his underwear and flirting with the mafia boss. Guys, come on!
Then Vegas/Pete: Everyone on the internet is gasping if Vegas appears on the screen. Yeah, great. I'm getting wet too. Not really. What makes this character special? What? He seems to have sadistic tendencies. Is he smart? A mastermind who pulls the strings in the background? Nope. If his manipulative games are working, then only because everyone around him is dumb. And Pete? Well, he is the comic relief of the show. Great pair!
Then our 3rd beloved couple: Kim (the next as*hole) and Porchay. Well ... Kim plays guitar. You know, because it's not a BL without a guitar player or a soccer player. Enough said.
I don't want to go deeper into all this mess: Like making EVERYONE gay and most of them behaving like a f*ggot. You would expect gay guys in the mafia being more hardcore. Tankhun is too silly, and gets too much screen time. The character is not believable. Kinn's friends neither.
If you go for such a story: make it dark, make it intense, make it believable, play ugly mindgames, make me scream and clench my teeth from excitement! But no. Lets drink and dance and have some sex, while showing occasionally some torture and blood, before skipping to some sappy dialogue where Kinn's or Porsche's friends gives some deep love advice as if there is nothing more important than having a sincere love life, while being in the mafia. And if there is some time left, make everything more gay and more stupid.
Come on! That's all you have got? Sad enough.
I will still give it a 7, because of the good performance and charms of the actors. They somehow manage to breath some life into those boring and brain dead characters. The filming (especially the love scenes) is pretty good, and overall you can see the effort and how hard the team worked. Just fire those stupid writers or hire some good ones. With such actors, such a production team, you could aim for the sky. Instead they give us a silly rom-com with mafia background without exploring it much further. Just do it for god's sake! Be brave! Be edgy! Be revolutionary. Nope. Play it safe. Show us some sex, so people will keep watching and talking about it. No offense to the sex scenes. They are without a doubt the highlight of this brainless series.

EDIT: I watched until Ep 13, though I skipped many parts. I'm shocked, really, and I will lower my rating. The VegasPete story was soooo strange. Is this BDSM? No. What is it then? It was cruel, and then it was cheesy, and everything happened too fast. I'm baffled how bad this relationship was presented. Meanwhile KinnPorsche became also such a cheesy couple with lots of scenes nobody needed. This went downhill BADLY. Stupid people, shallow emotions, unnecessary violence and sex scenes that don't do anything for the story. But you know, 50 Shades Of Grey was apparantly also popular. I'm out here. Bad. Really bad.

Leia Mais

The rating is currently, while I write this review, around 8.4. I'm a bit suprised.
Let me start with saying this series was pretty charming. There also were nice intimate/kissing scenes. They were able to create a certain atmosphere and feeling that was very enjoyable. Despite that, the plot was messy. This was mostly about the main characters insecurity and rather a coming-of-age-series than a BL. That wouldn't be a problem at all, but unfortunately they somehow forgot to develop the personality of the second lead. He was extremely bland. Also the side characters were boring and not interesting at all. The plot in general was very confusing. I couldn't really figure out what they were studying or doing. They worked on a film project together, but ... I don't know. It was just not presented in an engaging way. I felt lost most of the time. Still the feelings between the leads were well presented and enjoyable to watch. Despite the actors being rather weak. The main guy had the same face most of the time. The second lead was even worse. But ... yeah. I don't know why everyone seems crazy about this. It lacked a good plot, good characters, good acting and good film-making.

Leia Mais

I lately watched Semantic Error, a very short and cute Korean BL which I rated with 10 stars. So giving Not Me less stars may seem very unfair. And maybe it is. But it depends on what a series is trying to do. Not Me is a very serious series that provides us with lots of action and social criticism. It tried to do A LOT. It tried to be A LOT. It succedes in many aspects but not always and not 100%. Let me start with saying that I didn't care much for the romance, because everything else was more interesting. That doesn't mean the romance was bad or boring, it just means that everything else was more intriguing. The plot, especially the twin aspect, was great. I waited for Black to wake up, I wanted the gang to find out there is a twin, I wanted to know who is the traitor etc. But not only the main plot was interesting. The way how they told the story was excellent. The music and the filming just draws you in. There were countless beautiful well filmed scenes. So why did I not rate it higher? It just didn't feel "perfect". Sometimes the action was great, sometimes rather amateurish. Sometimes I was on the edge of my seat, then again everything was rather dragging. I was into the Sean/White love story, then again I wasn't so much into it. The plot was convincing, then again it wasn't. Sometimes it just didn't feel "smooth". If I rate this with my BL googles on it deserves more than 10 stars, but since I want to look at it as a series where BL is just the subplot, I feel like 9 stars is a good rating.

Leia Mais

I wanted to rate this with a solid 7.5, because despite me not liking it very much, it was pretty well made. But after thinking about this series for two days and feeling like I wasted my time and I want that time back, I think I can no longer be objective. I HATE THIS. The characters are annoying, the gore is boring and too much, there is no character development, people just die for the shock value like it's common in those zombie apocalypses - but why should I care? The characters weren't likable or relatable to begin with. They gave some characters like the girl's father an important story arc just to end everything in such a pointless way.
So ... the filming is good, the acting is good too. I don't blame the actors for those lifeless characters. I'm pretty sure they were told to act like this. The older actors were pretty disappointing though. I expected more from them. The comment is a mess like my head after watching this pointless series. POINTLESS is the right word I guess.
NOT IMPRESSED.

Leia Mais