Never have I wanted to die more than right now

I finished the series 10 minutes ago. I'm a fucking wreck but let's do it.
I don't know what's going on with Korean BLs lately but they've been HITTING for some reason. First, The Eighth Sense, then Love for Love's Sake, and now this one?? Why does everyone want me to kms??? No but seriously, they're doing something that I don't quite see in other countries' BLs, like Thailand's, for example.
I'll say this: I've only cried twice watching a BL. The first, watching Last Twilight, and the second, watching this.

So. What I liked:

- It feels realistic, even though I hope there's no-one on this Earth as unlucky as the poor protagonist. He falls in love, breaks up, gets broken up with, has happy times and hits new lows every now and then. He has sex, he has friends, he has family issues, he can be compassionate but also an asshole. I love it. I love Go Young not as a character, but as a person that might exist in real life. I could see myself being friends with him.
- Surprisingly sex positive, especially for a KBL. Even Mi Ae sleeps around and it isn't treated as something shameful or wrong (though she still gets mocked for it). I also appreciated the representation of someone who has to live with HIV. I don't know if they consulted people who actually have it, but as a viewer it felt quite genuine.
- The characters are all lovely. I was sooo invested following Go Young, I loved his friends despite their limited screentime, and I ADORED Mi Ae while she was onscreen. There's hints at backstories, complex personalities, all interwoven to create very believable characters.
- The main couple was amazing, show-stopping, incredible--- I just don't know what to say. The portrayal of puppy love (or the honeymoon phase) was mesmerizing.
- The existential dread and the feeling of being lost, unwanted, unworthy, etc- was too well done for my taste. It hit too close to home at some points.

BUT--

- The time skips can fuck with your head sometimes, it can be hard to tell how much time has passed between different scenes. And because the series covers quite a lot of time, it can feel like things are going at breakneck speed, especially when Go Young is going through different boyfriends.
- I do agree with other reviewers that, outside of his mental dilemma and shame with HIV, he didn't really suffer any side-effects from having it in his day-to-day life.
- Well you can probably already tell but this series is fucking depressing. Everything that can go wrong in someone's life goes wrong for Go Young, and it's so hard to watch him suffer through it all: loss of relative to cancer, HIV, multiple breakups, lost friendships, toxic exes, dead exes, the whole nine yards. I honestly cried less at my grandfather's funeral (/j).

Still, the series is amazingly well done. And incredibly acted. It's one of those rare occurrences where you forget that you're watching a character, not a real person.
Just, maybe don't watch if you're single, in your early 20s and in the brink of an existential crisis. It doesn't really help, let's just say that.

Leia Mais

Did I speedrun this bitch yes absolutely

It's such a short series that even if you think you're not gonna like it it's worth a watch, bc you won't lose more than an afternoon watching it.
Ok so production-wise it was not the best, and the overall aesthetics of the show could have been better, but regardless of that, it's quite a messy series. The acting is.. tolerable, for a k-drama, pretty basic. The story is (or could be) interesting but gets a bit confusing and dramatic for no fkn reason at all.
The sister is a fujoshi, which never helps, because I hate fujoshi characters in media who simp for REAL PEOPLE. But I digress.
I liked the main couple, they were cute and had an interesting dynamic. They were both hilarious sometimes as well, so that was really nice. And the KISSES omg-- the first kiss scene was incredible. Props to the actors for going all out.
I really couldn't care less about the second couple, sorry. I was under the impression that he was dating the girl for like 90% of the series and then they pull the fake-dating thing but by then I was already uninterested T-T I just didn't see a reason why they would like each other. And they were so dramaticcc bitch whenever I skipped ahead they were arguing or crying.
Overall, it's a dumb series that --for the most part-- doesn't take itself too seriously. If I ever find a compilation of MCs scenes I'll be set for life and happy. That's all

Leia Mais

Boy oh boy

I finished this series after two entire months of it ending when I had a single episode to get through because, for some reason, I was so traumatized by ep. 11 that I dreaded watching the last one (I'm being kind of dramatic but still).
And. I have mixed feelings.
Overall I'd say I enjoyed the series- I went back to see what I rated each episode and overall the average is at 7.5/8. I think the last episodes were the ones that contributed to a slight drop in the final score.

What I liked:

- Chemistry. I say this in every review but I don't fucking care because it's especially true for this one. The actors apparently knew each other beforehand and are pretty good friends, and you can TELL. There's a sense of comfort and familiarity that it's so hard to get, but they did it, and my God did they do it right. The friends-with -benefits aspect of their relationship is ideal for their dynamic, and they play it really well. Consider this 90% of the rating because I was having so. Much. Fun. watching their scenes together.
- I found the setting of a gym and the focus on a professional boxer quite intriguing, to be honest. I liked that they portrayed the intensity that comes with competing at such a high level and the psychological pressure that they endure. And also the hospital setting, obviously- they encouraged each other to do their best in their fields and it was so wholesome to see.
- Bless Wandee's friend for the much needed asexual rep, I don't think I've seen an ace character in a BL show before. Good for him. And also healthy sex ed! (even though it bordered on preachy sometimes, I felt like I was watching an ad from the Ministry of Health lol).

Just unadulterated ranting:

- The ending. Why they always flop right when it's about to end, I have no clue, but it needs to be researched. It's as though every single thing I liked about the show plummets to the ground in terms of quality and watchability: the acting, the plot, the interactions.. everything. So, let me say this: 1) why the fuck do we like Dr. Ter now? Explain that to me because he's still an asshole in my book. 2) They love that shit but please for the love of God can we not have a public confession of love for once? And let's also take away their mics and forbid them from singing, for good measure. Why is a doctor singing at a formal event, dressed in some shitty king costume? We'll never know. 3) What do you MEAN he has to leave now? Why the drama right at the end? Oh well
- Acting. As good as the leads are in light-hearted scenes, they are abismal at the emotional ones (I'm sorry). I've seen what GMMTV actors can do (hello OhmNanon, JimmySea and GeminiFourth), and this doesn't even come close to it. The show should have stuck to the goofy banter and slightly kinky vanilla sex, instead of trying to give its character a deeply traumatic backstory that the actor couldn't accurately portray. Wandee's actor as well-- reaction acting is as important, and I don't think it worked for him either.
- The drama didn't work, outside of the acting problems. That goofy-ass guy in a hoodie was more funny than anything, and it wasn't really made clear that he represented trauma until someone said it word-for-word. And I would have loved to see more of the gym's struggle to find funding while keeping up with Yoryak's competitions.
- Dr. Ter is a creep and I think the competition thing between him and Wandee was sort of forgotten until the last ep? I also don't fully get how it was meant to work, it seemed very unprofessional for a health institution to pit its workers against each other in some sort of ego contest. Idk how it works in real life but surely they don't have to go around having presidential rallies??

I gave this a 6.5 and spent like 1000 words ranting lol but I promise it's a good time. The chemistry carries most of the show, because it would otherwise be quite mid, and it makes the most of the friends-with-benefits trope.

Leia Mais

Amazing.. but it's complicated

Last Twilight is one of those series you start preparing for the worst, only to be pleasantly surprised, then get whacked in the face with emotional turmoil, and finally finish it and lean back into your seat feeling like you're disgustingly single (even more than when you started).
What can I say, it's just that good. The acting is honestly out of this world, and don't take that lightly. I especially took note of Mhok's actor, I've seen him in Bad Buddy but he didn't shine as much back then. Here, his eyes are so expressive and he sells his part SO WELL. The rest of the cast is also great ofc, the woman who plays the mom was giving it her all with the crying scenes omg.
The story is tender yet bold, taking on the challenge of following a disabled character. Since Moonlight Chicken, I'd been wishing GMMTV would release another series with a similar protagonist, just to broaden the spectrum of experiences that they portray. Day is immensely charismatic, he demands your affection but not your pity, and he grows so much throughout the series by learning to live with his blindness and crafting his life around it. I liked the book concept, how they follow Me's story to reflect on Day's situation in a poetic manner. The twilight metaphor is beautiful once you come to understand it as the audience.
Mhok and Day's relationship develops naturally and with an incredible amount of chemistry. They are so so good together. I cannot stress this enough. And the supporting cast does an amazing job at adding depth to the plot with their respective stories. This is one of the few series where I've rated episodes a 5/5.

There were multiple things I was not a fan of. Frustratingly, Last Twilight loses me towards the end -in the last three or two episodes. A series that has championed natural and grounded relationships suddenly loses its grip and starts throwing tropes at you -the 'going abroad' trope, the 'breaking up in the second to last episode' trope, the misunderstanding and miscommunication. It was disappointing. And, in the last episode, things go by so fast and characters change their minds so quickly that it gives me whiplash (I'm looking at you, Day).
The thing is this: last episode, and they haven't seen each other for THREE YEARS. That's a looong ahh time to not see a person. But they somehow reconnect as if nothing happened. The problem they had three years prior is still there, even if you still like each other! Mhok is still overprotective and too worried that he'll lose Day. And, honestly, it feels like they ran out of time to develop their relationship at that point and had to shove their reconciliation in a very short timeframe, making it feel rushed. Realistically, there would be tension. Realistically, they would have to talk things out -Mhok's fear of losing his loved ones, his approach to Day's disability, etcetera. But they didn't do any of that.
And finally: the end. I'll just be clear and say that I'm not visually impaired, and therefore don't know shit about the matter. But, as an audience member who grew attached to Day and his struggles, who watched him grow and accept and evolve, the ending felt completely out of the blue and, honestly, disrespectful to people who *are* blind for life, without a cure. Why did I just sit through -probably more than- twelve hours of content, following Day and his complicated relationship with blindness, only for it to just *go away* magically at the end, and "solve all his problems"? He literally says in the end that he now has a "normal" life, that his story has ended differently than Me's, who "fades away" in the book. How is that supposed to be satisfying as a viewer? All that growth and in the end is just like, "nevermind, here, you can be normal again," and it's all undermined??? I just think that if I were blind and heard that there's a new series with a blind protagonist and started watching, only for him to be "cured", I would be disappointed. It's like making a movie about a weelchair-bound person and have them walk by the end, after they've already come to terms with their situation and embraced it.
I'm not saying that blind people should stay blind if given the chance to better their sight. But, in this case, they had the chance to write a beautiful story about a *permanently* blind person, and show that you can live with it and find love and not be miserable. Live a "normal life".

I realize this last part was a rant lol. But yeah, good series overall. One of the best from GMMTV.

Leia Mais

Not life-changing but a good watch if you're into the friends-to-lovers trope

Mmm. What to say?
It's cute. The actors do a decent job, and they have decent chemistry. Some of their scenes are *adorable*, like I'm talking lovesick stares and forehead touches and all that jazz.
I think the series gets more and more mid as it progresses. I guess it didn't really make sense to me why they weren't communicating properly at the end, when they both knew they liked each other. They kept being dramatic and not talking and I was just like ??? Just fking tell him ??
Maybe this is just a cultural difference but in every Japanese BL I've watched it feels like the main couple don't ever feel fully comfortable around each other -- they keep talking formally and apologizing for everything and walking on eggshells not to offend the other. When they confess, it still feels as if they're both expecting the other shoe to drop. Then again, maybe this is my Spanish ass that's used to couples being wayy more affectionate.
Also. Honorable mention to Haruna, my man, my boy, he was trying to get those two dumbasses together by any means available to him and I love him for that. What a great friend.
I'd like to add that the ending was *so* open. So much so, in fact, that I didn't notice the series was over lmao. I want to know, how do the friends react? The family? The sisters?? This is one of the issues I have with couples getting together at the last minute --you don't get to see them after that, being domestic and all that. It's so sad. And it still didn't fail to give me whiplash, going from Natsukawa being confused to both of them openly declaring their love for each other. It happened so fast, didn't it?
Maybe I'm too cynical. Idk.
But yeah, that's that. It's a light series, easy to watch, and it won't wreck your brain or make you feel uncomfortable. But I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it or watch it again.

Leia Mais

I might have found a new favorite

So, as one might expect, my reviews tend to be extremely subjective. I've noticed that some things that irk me in one series, I don't mind so much in another -and the other way around. Therefore, even though I've read other reviews with some complaints, I just dfc.
I loved this.
There's very few series that get a physical reaction out of me (as in, laughing, getting flustered, etc etc), but this one did it. I had so much fun watching this.

(the very long list of) what I liked:

- Main couple. Shut the hell up with the "They're annoying", "They're silly", yeah they are but who cares? Their dynamic is just so cute. And their storyline isn't that common, either - how many couples start off with one of them already knowing the other likes them? I found that so interesting. And, as I've said, the "I'll sweep you off your feet" premise is very promising, if done in a respectful manner (obviously). I think Gi Seop did that quite well (the tattoo was unhinged though lmao). Gi Seop is a goofball all around, completely clueless, people pleaser to the point of it actually coming back to bite him in the ass, and Jinwoo is methodical, withdrawn, and reserved. I just love this dynamic, and the character evolution it allows (Gi Seop learning to say no and find what motivates him, and Jinwoo becoming more relaxed and open).
- The music is great, honestly. The emotional scenes were often highlighted by the tracks playing in the background, and it really enhanced the feeling they were trying to convey.
- It's just funny! I'm so annoyed at silly characters in other series but idk what's with this one that really got me. Maybe I do like slapstick comedy after all (now that I think about it, I love the Marx brothers and the Blues Brothers and those are both quite slapstick-y lmao), in this case I didn't mind it at all.
- I liked the girl and Jinwoo's friendship a lot :) I'm all for that kind of pairing (kind of like Hashimoto and Aoki from My Love Mix-Up), and I also wouldn't have minded if they had actually liked each other at some point.
- The secondary couple is interesting. The "I'm too poor" argument I've seen in other pieces of media and it always intrigues me, it's such a fascinating premise - the pride, the angst, just aghh. Yeah. They balanced out the MC's corniness lmao

Some things to note? I guess?

- I don't really know why Gi Seop cared so much about Jinwoo liking him right off the bat. I get that he's not used to people not being attracted to him, but it felt very extreme how he was changing his legal name and getting a tattoo to impress this random guy who (allegedly) doesn't even like him?? Idk
- Similarly to that, I wasn't a fan of his "clueless womanizer" persona at the beginning of the story. Like yeah, he's a people pleaser, but doesn't he see what's wrong with his approach to dating? Not even when confronted with twenty-something angry girls? He should have realized that he was being a jerk, even if he didn't mean to. Not being attracted to someone shouldn't mean you treat them worse. Have some respect.
- This is just my personal taste, but the secondary couple was exhausting to watch at some points. The back and forth was too much. Like you kissed in middle school, now you're beating the shit out of each other (why? idk), now you're fine and going on a date, now he's mad, now we're all crying, just kidding it's fine we're going on another date. I guess it's more realistic but damn, I think *I* might need a therapist after watching them
- I saw many people complaining about Jinwoo going on a date with the girl but I didn't mind it, in fact I would've preferred if he was portrayed as bi. We're seriously lacking on that front in BLs, I think I've seen like two bi protagonists (actually bi, not that "I like girls and only one guy, you" bullshit) total.

But yeah, none of these things bothered me that much. If anything, this was the best series I've watched these past months, it has the best first kiss scene ever in a BL right after the one in Bad Buddy, and I'm in love. That's all Your Honor.

Leia Mais

I liked it

Gaya Sa Pelikula is a good BL, I think, because it manages to show that it cares about gay people and their experiences, their stories. This isn't a series for a female, straight audience to thirst after and swoon, but rather the story of two people who could exist irl and have very real issues. It wants to send a message, and I appreciate it for that.

The acting is great. The two main actors are incredible together, they both show such vulnerabilty and emotion that I almost cried a couple of times. They make you feel for both of their characters. It also felt very natural when they were together, their interactions as a couple were relaxed and seemed improvised (idk if they were though). I'd also like to point out that the actor who plays Vlad has such beautiful, expressive eyes. That's it that's the tweet.
The secondary characters are good as well! Anna especially is my favorite, she's supportive and amazing but also has her own problems that she's dealing with. And the sister.. well she's quite messy tbh but she's funny regardless.
The music is on point. I'm adding a few of these songs to my playlist. The one for the dancing-in-the-living-room scene? Loved it
This series has an overall chill, cozy feeling about it - it's simple, it's natural, and most importantly it's real. Karl's fear is real. I liked that.

The reason why I'm giving it a 7 is one I'm happy to have seen other people bring up - the preachy-ness. This series wants to send a message, yes, but I think it's quite clumsy when doing so. There's no subliminal messaging, no subtext, no 'show-don't-tell' (not in general, at least). They don't let the audience come to those conclusions themselves - they force-feed them to you in case you didn't catch them. Vlad in particular got on my nerves at the beginning lmao, like "I don't want to be the plot device that triggers someone else's sexuality crisis" what is this?? Who talks like that?? I've said he sounds a little bit like a Twitter essayist and I stand by that.

Leia Mais

An 7.5 for the sheer rewatchability of it all

This was so cute. Also, were they hinting at a sequel with the best friend and the mystery (potential?) love interest? That was random if they weren't.

I couldn't stand the music, I'm sorry, every time that lady started singing I just wanted to scream. Idk why, it's the first time I find the music so distracting and jarring. I don't think I've ever rated the music so low.

The acting was ok! I liked it. The two main leads were great onscreen together, you could feel the tension - especially at the beginning. The guy playing Dong Wook also had such expressive eyes, they were so beautiful. I think I commented on one of the episodes that he reminds me of a deer, and I stand by that. They're both so pretty.

The story was a little bit over the place. With only eight episodes, each no longer than 20 minutes, they should've stuck to a simpler storyline, without so much drama and turns (as I've said countless times: go the Our Dating Sim route!! Have barely any plot and embrace it!! It can be done well!). The start was too slow, and the ending felt too rushed, like they wanted to finish things up neatly and it just didn't work. There was also a LOT of misunderstandings and miscommunication throughout the series, and it was so frustrating to watch. And they were SO dramatic ('Get out of my house or I'll kill you'? Bro? Please chill, I beg you).

Ugh. I had such a good time watching, though. The good episodes were really good (and the bad were just... annoying I guess? Not bad enough to drag the score down too much). I'd rewatch this series, it's funny and entertaining overall. And I'll always be a sucker for short series, like 8 20 minute-long episodes? Yes please, I'll watch it all in a single evening.

Leia Mais

Lighthearted and funny

Not much else to say. I'd already watched this one, but idk why I didn't post a review back then - so here it is.

I love the acting in this. It looks so natural. The chemistry is great (always important) and I was smiling ear to ear whenever the main characters interacted (even the two friends, they were so cutee). They all look like they're having a blast when they're together.
It's also quite funny - I found myself actually laughing at some scenes (which doesn't really happen), which earned this series brownie points. Gao Shi De's mom was hilarious, I love herr, how she was teasing Zhou Shu Yi for being overly formal with her.

The story is basic, though. If you really think about it, there's not much going on outside their romance. The doctor-cousin was a weird character in general, he made me uncomfortable with how touchy-feely he was with his PATIENTS (who, mind you, are significantly younger than him). He was also quite aggressive for a doctor, like he was very careless when handling injured students.
Also, I think Shu Yi went from 'I cannot fall for a man' to screaming 'I like Gao Shi De' at the top of his lungs in the span of... what? A week? Idk, it felt a little bit too fast for me. We didn't even see him feel conflicted or anything.
And finally, we should address the MC's tendency to try to drown himself - can someone ban him from going anywhere near a swimming pool?? Istg in one single episode he jumped into the pool TWICE, fully clothed, and Gao Shi De had to pull him out.

I know it looks like I didn't enjoy this much lol - but I did. It's mostly vibes, no thoughts, head empty. Just go with the flow when watching this.

Leia Mais

It's fine

I didn't know that this was an ad going into it, so imagine my surprise when the detergent appeared lmao
As others have said, it's fine, it's cute, and GeminiFourth's chemistry is as good as ever. However, the plot is basic (because it's an ad, duh), and the reticence to kiss is as frustrating for me as it was while watching MSP. Don't get me wrong, I'll take what I can get, and that half-kiss we got was fine, but I would've liked to see more.
The dancing I had to skip because it made me cringe so hard (I'm sorry, I really tried), and it was basically half the 'episode', so.. yeah.
Overall, it was cute, but not subtle at all with the advertising of the product. Still gonna watch everything GeminiFourth appear in to support them, though.

Leia Mais

Love it

I stumbled across this series by accident, because it was recommended to me on YouTube. I decided to watch the first episode after seeing how short it was, and after that I watched the second one, too.
I loved it.
This series has a quality that I greatly appreciate, and that is its naturality. It's grounded, realistic and very normal, which is not something a lot of series dare to be. It portrays two characters that could be someone you know - they have a history together, they have an existing dynamic, and exist in a preestablished setting (that we, as viewers, are not familiar with). They mention their families, but not in an info-dump-y sort of way, but rather in a way two best friends would - they already know their families, so why would they have to explain further? The viewer is not given that information, and it's okay, because it's not the focal point of the story. We simply have happened to meet them at this point in their life, and that's the extent of the 'lore'.
The acting and how it's filmed is refreshingly natural (as I've already stated), sometimes so much so that I would feel awkward because it felt like I was intruding in two real people's intimate moments. The dialogue flows easily, and it doesn't feel scripted - it's random, it's comfortable, and it feels realistic.
There are no crazy plot points, no mafia bosses or CEO-employee shenanigans, no past trauma, nothing. This is a story about two people that are completely average, do average things (like go to the military, or receive pre-made food from their mom) and just like each other. This is it.
The shots are slightly shaky, lingering and unpretentious - they make you feel as if you're watching the scene in real time in the same room as the characters. The music is noticeable, but discreet, and fits the vibe of each scene.
This series overall reminds me of SKAM Norway - the dialogue that feels like improv, the slow and drawn-out scenes, the focus on the character's emotions rather than the plot itself -, which is a compliment, by the way.

The only thing I could point out that I didn't like as much as the rest would be the conversation that they have in E2. I feel like they could have cut it and we would have been fine. I liked the first episode because it didn't explain much of their background, or their relationship, and that's what made it so realistic (people don't walk around telling their backstories to each other, especially when they're close friends, just because the viewer isn't aware of them). However, E2 felt the need to fill in some blanks, and had Jae Sung explain a bunch of anecdotes to his partner, whom was probably already familiar with them and didn't need to be reminded. It also doesn't seem right that they didn't talk about them in those two months before Jae Sung went to military camp - they had so much time, what happened there?

Despite that, I still love this series. I wish they would give the characters the chance to evolve and interact a little bit more in a new season, or episode, or whatever. I'm amazed that they could captivate me with less than 20 minutes of runtime.

Leia Mais

Charming and light, but realistic enough to stay grounded

Words cannot express how much I love this series, but I will try to explain nonetheless.

What I liked:

- The ACTING. I was miserable after watching Bad Buddy, because I couldn't find a series that could compare or even come close to it, and MSP came to save the day. GeminiFourth (TinnGun) are great actors, and more importantly, they have amazing chemistry - as a result, even the scenes that I would normally find cringe come off as endearing and fun. I mostly appreciate the heavier scenes, where their acting abilities truly come to light. If you want to see more of that, I would recommend Moonlight Chicken, as their story is more dark and grounded than the one in MSP.
- Dedicating a second bullet point to their chemistry because I just can't talk about it enough. Their banter is my favorite part of their dynamic, especially when they have already confessed and enjoy provoking one another. I also like that their love language seems to be physical touch (more specifically chin grabbing lol) and acts of service.
- The music! If you check my Bad Buddy review, I stated that musical scenes usually make me cringe so bad I tend to skip them altogether. However, MSP was a happy surprise - not only were the scenes great, but the soundtrack was catchy as well. Like, I could get through all the songs and didn't really mind listening to them over and over (and, believe me, this series LOVES to rehash its best songs lol).
- Tinn's best friend was amazing and supportive, I really liked him. I've also warmed up to the actor since I've seen him in like ten different BLs, so maybe I'm biased, but I digress.
- Secondary and (potential?) third couple? Idk, I loved seeing everyone fall for each other and related to that one friend that just got no b*tches at all lmao
- Everyone had their interests! Tinn wanted to be a doctor to help people, and he liked music, and Gun liked singing but he also wanted to be able to provide for his mum. They gave depth to their characters and it made the story so much better imo

What I would change/improve:

- I understand that the actors are very young (they're my age, but compared to other BLs, where everyone is in their 20s, they are remarkably young), and that they're not going to be filming KinnPorsche 2.0 any time soon, but the lack of kissing really started to piss me off by the end. Like, they've confessed their feelings, they act flirty and go on dates, but can't kiss? The final kiss was nice, it felt natural and it was cute, but it almost didn't make up for all the slowburn and half-kisses we'd got up to that point. I was almost buzzing in my seat watching them do random stuff and thinking we would get no kiss at all. We did, but was it worth it?
- Tinn was a little bit too over-the-top for my taste sometimes, especially in the beginning. I think he improved loads throughout the series, though.

Leia Mais

Pretty average

I can't speak for the entirety of the series since I've dropped it at the 3rd episode, but from what I've seen it's pretty mediocre. Yes, it's cute, but it's that type of cute where you can tell they're trying reallyyy hard to come across that way.
The actors are both around 25 years old, and their characters must be around 22 and 19 respectively. How come the younger character acts like an 8 year old? Yes, he's a freshman, and therefore younger than his partner, but so am I, and I have never seen anyone my age act that way. I have no problem with some cute moments, but when the entirety of the character's personality is based on being cute, quirky, and pouty like a child it really does bother me.
The length of the episodes irked me, and I don't know why, because I've watched series much shorter than that (First Love story only has 2 episodes of around 9 mins each) and loved them - but in this one it just feels like nothing is happening at all. And considering how this series only has 9 episodes, I'm just wondering, where is the story going?
I would recommend watching 'Cherry Blossoms After Winter' instead of this one, or even better, 'Our Dating Sim'. The latter is an example of how to write cute characters without infantilizing them.

Leia Mais

Really really enjoyable - but had some 'wtf' moments

I started watching this one back in October, left it on-hold for three months, and finally finished it. Lessgo

The good

- Aoki is an adorable protagonist. He's quite quirky, and the actor who plays him can border on too over-the-top sometimes, but he's so cute and sells it amazingly well. His performance is very funny and animated, I really liked it. He's also incredibly kind, and thoughtful (almost paranoic lol), and always looks out for others over his own well-being. He treats women with RESPECT (love him for that), he's hard working, upbeat and so likeable overall. I want to be friends with him so bad
- Hashimoto is also a godsend. What a great friend oh my god, I love her, I'm obsessed - she was always encouraging Aoki, while dealing with her own feelings, and was super nice to everyone without being a pushover (honestly, those slaps had me fucking dying. She's a queen).
- In that same vein, Aoki and Hashimoto's friendship is everything I want in this life. They are so relatable, add me to their groupchat please.
- Hashimoto and Aida's relationship - I am obsessed. At one point I liked them more than the main couple, can you believe that? It's just so natural and banter-y and they tease each other so much and it's so fun to watch.
- Aoki in a dress and a wig. Need I say more? Bro was looking drop-dead gorgeous

The 'wtf'

- Ida's character is kind of... all over the place. He's not connected to his emotions at all, which is *fine* (he could be ace, for all we know), but the way he leads Aoki on at the beginning is not nice. If you're not sure about how you feel about a person, don't date them to see if you find out - that's so cruel, even if you don't intend it to be. I think him and Aoki needed to communicate more, they are very different and that causes multiple misunderstandings throughout the series (the hand-touching, for example).
- Them breaking up in the last episode was just not it. Or, at least, if you want me to ship them and want them together. From what I saw, Aoki was way too paranoid in their relationship and Ida was too nonchalant, there was a gap there and they weren't seeing each other's perspectives. I agree with Aoki that they weren't even dating, he was right to be upset about that - as I've mentioned, you do not date people just because you 'might' like them.
- They forgave the homophobic teacher way too fast. I'm not a violent person, so the way his drunk ass would have gone flying into the river or the nearest dumpster if I were there is kind of out of character for me. But oh well. Have fun drowning I guess

There's some amazing episodes in this series. The first two were incredible, so so funny, definitely a must watch. The rest are kind of a gamble. Who would've thought that the relationship would be my least favorite aspect of the series?

Leia Mais

Everyone's a red flag and we're all colorblind

So. This is the perfect series if you want to have fun, not think too much, and just watch the trainwreck happen before your eyes. It's messy, it's toxic, everyone kisses everyone at some point, and there's some punching, pushing and yelling, too. Just great.
I have to say, this is so not my usual type of series to watch. To go from Cherry Blossoms After Winter to this was such a big jump it gave me whiplash, but I digress. What I mean is: even I, the utmost fluff enjoyer, had a good time watching this. I was invested all the way through.

I generally liked the couples. NickBoston takes the cake for me, the actors were a pairing I never saw coming but they have great chemistry nonetheless. Even with how toxic they were for each other, they had me actually rooting for them at one point. SandRay is also a great pairing. They're also toxic (I'm going to overuse this adjective, apologies in advance), but there's something so natural about the way they interact. April and Cheum were my absolute favorites - I love them. And TopMew I just didn't care for. After the cheating incident, Top just lost all my respect, and I lost interest in seeing them try to mend their relationship. Also, compared to the other two couples, the chemistry wasn't as strong (in my opinion), so that was also a factor.

I think the strong point of this series is its unpredictability. You never know which couples are safe, which ones are not - who's cheating on who with whom, who is whose ex, who has old unadressed feelings, etc etc. I had no idea where the plot was going for most of the series - and I think that's ok in this case. You just enjoy the drama as it comes. It's also as if they randomly chose two of the actors' names and had them make out for every episode, which was messy but entertaining. I swear, every possible combination was tried and tested (some of them multiple times). Even my boy Drake made an appearance (and got with two different people).

However, there are still aspects I wasn't entire sold on. As I said, neither Force nor Book's acting did it for me - they didn't look as into it as the other couples. I haven't seen their other series, so I cannot say if this is a problem they have in general or if it's just here. At the end, I've probably skipped (or skimmed over) most of their scenes. As for their characters, Top became irredeemable after cheating, and Mew lost himself (and also me) with his questionable bad-boy-act. I'm not saying I disapprove of the toxicity (there goes that word again), but rather how the series wanted me to like them, to ship them. How am I going to? There's no trust between them!
Anyway. I digress.
The intimacy scenes were okay. I also skimmed over them, but that's just because it's not usually what I like to watch. So, if you like them, go ahead, Only Friends has loads lol.

I recommend this series, definitely. Not one of my favorites, but it's enjoyable and keeps you on your toes.

Leia Mais