Reviews

Se dão o que falar é porque arrasam !!

Começo dizendo que estava no aguardo desse série desde que foi anunciada, justamente por acompanhar e ser fã dos atores talentosíssimos que fazem o Kant (First Kanaphan) e o Bison (Khaotung Thanawat).
Apesar de ter apenas um episódio até o momento que estou fazendo a review, eu já sei que vou amar The Heart Killers, eu já amo. Tinha muitas expectativas pelo fato dos atores serem conhecidos por sempre darem TUDO de si em seus respectivos papéis, e sei que não vão decepcionar, além da OST cantada pelo Khaotung que está simplesmente incrível, é um estilo diferente das outras músicas dele, e mesmo assim, ele serviu com maestria.
E no assunto de algo diferente, uma série assim é extremamente importante no meio de uma empresa como a GMMTV, eles tendem a deixar de inovar para fazer as mesmas coisas repetitivas, mas eu vejo em The Heart Killers algo mais maduro e que tem esse diferencial, junto com um toquezinho de humor muito gostoso e na dose certa. Os atores de Style (Dunk Natachai) e Fadel (Joong Archen) também tem uma grande chance com essa série de fazerem algo diferente do que estava sempre sendo imposto a eles, com o primeiro episódio ja vemos que eles tem potencial pra cenas fortes e emocionantes mais na frente.
Por fim, mal posso esperar para ver os outros episódios e avaliar eles aqui. Algo feito com cuidado e tanta intenção merece a repercussão que está tendo, mesmo que também venha algumas reações negativas no processo, sabemos que elas são fruto de pessoas presas na mesmísse, no passado, que deviam rever seus conceitos para conseguir aproveitar uma obra que traz algo diferente e que faz sucesso por isso ;)

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Smile Code is a Hidden Gem and Shouldn't Be Missed

This is a smart drama that takes you on an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end, episode to episode. Just when you think the plot is heading in a certain direction, it takes an unexpected turn leaving you stunned, heartbroken or laughing out loud. How they managed to coordinate this is a masterstroke in storytelling. I can't tell you how many times I loudly proclaimed "This show is SO good!" at the end of an episode. I found myself impatiently waiting for the next episode, something that rarely happens to me these days. Thank goodness episodes were released daily, a weekly release would have driven me crazy.

AN HONEST PORTRAYAL OF LOVE
What I love about this drama is its portrayal of love, it is honest, smart, and at times brutal. This is not your Disney/Hallmark Channel whirlwind romance, it is slow moving and believable. Gu Yi's (GY) journey is an honest portrayal of the ups and downs of love and it's role in a relationship. She learns that love isn't always about romance and heart fluttering moments; that to truly love someone is to trust, have open communication, understanding, patience, tolerance, and the willingness to go through the good and hard parts of a relationship. GY's journey is slow (like the romance) but it does move forward with each episode; her growth is mostly portrayed with care and subtlety in the second half of this drama.

Neither Liang DaiWen (LDW) or GY are "toxic" in this relationship, they are two people who are flawed but learn and grow as their relationship progresses. They truly love each other but each needed to learn how to be an equal and loving partner to the other. Their relationship isn't instantaneous, it builds slowly through mistakes, self introspection, mutual understanding and respect, by the time they came together, it feels earned and not a gift.

The second male lead, Xu GuanRui is present but not a real threat in your classic love triangle. He falls for her but never oversteps; he is there to offer support and relief when either GY's job and LDW (and sometimes both) have beaten her down and in despair. He is aware that GY is in love with LDW; only openly pursuing her after LDW leaves GY. He backs off after LDW returns remaining in the background to offer support when needed. Although I liked him, I never wanted GY to choose him over LDW.

ALEXITHYMIA
This drama touched on themes that don't usually get addressed in mainstream dramas. LDW's alexithymia is a psychological disorder that was treated with respect and explained beautifully in Smile Code. Watching LDW struggling with his disorder as GY enters his life was as fascinating as GY learning how to understand and accept the limitations caused by his alexithymia.

Woven into LDW's story is his desire and pursuit for accessibility focused changes for persons with disabilities, a subject that is not usually mentioned or addressed in mainstream rom-com dramas and I appreciated it.

FRIENDSHIP
Another thing that is portrayed beautifully is the friendship between GY and Yu DuLe's (YDL). These two have a tacit understanding of each other and are true "ride or die" friends. They show each other unwavering support, honesty, loyalty, and platonic love. YDL never judges GY, offers unwavering support with a mix of sarcasm and kindness that is truly endearing and enviable. I love that Smile Code gave us a true male - female friendship, ending the trope that males can never be friends with a female. GY and YDL's discussions are funny, witty, loving and filled with unspoken understanding. We would all be so lucky to have a male friend like YDL!

INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCES
This emotional roller coaster of this wonderful drama would not have been effective if it were not for the incredible performances from Lin Yi (LDW) and Shen Yue (GY). Their chemistry is undeniable, sweet and often, electric. They portrayed their characters with such honesty, understanding and warmth that they truly became their characters.

Lin Yi's portrayal of LDW is so nuanced and subtle that it is a thing of beauty, an amazing representation of his acting skills. Stoic, emotionally conflicted, confusion and pain were all displayed with such deftness that it is truly hard to believe he is not like this in real life, that's how good he is.

However, it is Shen Yue's performance as Gu Yi that shines the brightest, her GY is nothing short of brilliant. Her journey from being a typical love stricken female lead to a self-respecting, self-loving partner is a transformation that draws you in so convincingly that you can't help but share in her pain and disappointments, and cheer for her in her triumphs. Shen Yue's transformation from her role as XiaoXi in "A Love So Beautiful" to GYi in Smile Code is nothing short of breathtaking. As GY, every moment of happiness, disappointment, anger, heartbreak, and love is displayed with such authenticity and subtlety that you can't help but be drawn in to what she is experiencing. Her eyes were the windows to her soul; the tears that fell displayed such pain and heartbreak that moved me to tears every time. It is her performance that gives weight to everything going on around her, the emotional center pillar of the story.

CINEMATOGRAPHY AND MUSIC
The first thing that grabbed me from the opening scenes in Episode 1 was the cinematography, the angle and movement of the camera, the images in the foreground and background and changes in focus. The drone overhead shots are beautiful and dynamic showing the breath of urban life. Each frame composition is beautiful and well thought with a very artistic eye. Many find the lighting of this drama to be dark and fuzzy, which it can be at times. However, I think this is done purposefully to represent whose eyes we are viewing this world; LDW's world is traumatic and dark, sometimes disjointed and fuzzy, this represents how he sees his world. GY's view is bright, warm, colorful, chaotic and more in focus.

I must say that Shen Yue is shot and framed beautifully in Smile Code, probably the most gorgeous I've seen in any of her dramas. What occurred to me is that the same directorial lens is applied to GY so that we see what the person who is looking at her is seeing. LDW initially sees her as a vivid bright spot of color in his dark world; then transitioning to soft and glowing as he develops feelings for her. The same treatment is done with XGR, she is soft, bright, and glowing as he watches her get her bike, takes off her shoes, and rides away. This is how he sees her and Randy Che, the director, captures this beautifully and shows us how stunningly beautiful and radiant Shen Yue is as GY.

The soundtrack is top notch. The opening theme song is an earworm of a pop song that will have you bouncing and singing along by the third episode. The rest of the music in the soundtrack is masterfully inserted and weaved into scenes creating the necessary mood; fear, love, heartbreak, and lightheartedness. The sound effects for the comedic and laugh out loud moments are truly funny and inspired.

LAST THOUGHTS
This modern urban drama manages to capture a full range of emotions while interspersing many story lines; there's the roller coaster courtship/romance, understanding and tolerance of mental health, work life, urban living, slice of life, friendships, and complex family relationships. The dialog is witty, honest, and interesting; and every character is multi-dimensional. For instance I came to love GY's boss who at first appeared cold and uncaring to her staff and GY. There is truly something for everyone.

A big shout-out to Dai MeiXia, GY's mother, whom I adored. Her love, support and wise words to GY were inspiring, beautiful, and life-changing. She gave GY the wisdom. strength and guidance about self-love and self-respect so that GY could grow and finally enter into a mature loving relationship. MeiXia's relationship with LDW is warm, motherly and supportive. Her understanding of him should not be overlooked and shows the depth of character of this wonderful woman.

This series has left me with a lot to think about and appreciate; what it means to love deeply with mutual understanding and respect, to have the patience to wait through the rough patches in life and love, and to love and respect one's self before loving others. Smile Code is truly a gem of a drama that mixes laughter, heartache, romance, friendship, tolerance, forgiveness and acceptance with respect while maintaining a lighthearted touch. This series is worth watching and rewatching!

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Easily the best BL of 2024..

I wasn’t expecting much when I started EY, EM because I was basically checking in on Mick after seeing him in La Cuisine and My Universe and finding him utterly adorable..

It is not overstating to say that EY, EM blew me away in several aspects..

I already knew Top & Mick had amazing chemistry after watching them on My Universe, but this was a whole other level.

The unique approach of EY, EM, having the couple in several storylines, but portraying different characters, really highlighted Mick & Top’s adaptability and range and really sets this BL apart from the usual BL storyline tropes we see 90% of the time.

I also saw something I have NEVER seen in BL before: the same actors getting their time portraying both the “top” and “bottom” roles within the series. Can we talk about giving the screenwriter a big fat raise?! This move was pure genius. Lesser actors would not have been able to pull off both roles so believably and effortlessly as Top & Mick. Each episode seemed to get better and better.

This series had a great combination of humor (no eye-rolling humor & cartoon sound effects), romance, tear-jerking scenes (wow, just wow), and spicy moments, keeping the pacing on track and never dragging.

The production level was really good, the OST was beautiful and never distracting or repetitive, the supporting cast was great, and the dialogue was not inane, recycled BL speak.

Never did a scene with Top & Mick feel like they were acting: no awkwardness, no fake kissing with paralyzed lips.. Everything felt so natural, that when they cried, I cried.. when they laughed, I laughed.. When it was over (with an amazing ending, thank God) I really wished there was more episodes..

I highly recommend this series if you like a more mature, real-life type of BL, without goofy sound effects and 30 yr olds portraying HS and college kids..
I think you’ll be as happily surprised as I was!

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Easily the best BL of 2024..

I wasn’t expecting much when I started EY, EM because I was basically checking in on Mick after seeing him in La Cuisine and My Universe and finding him utterly adorable..

It is not overstating to say that EY, EM blew me away in several aspects..

I already knew Top & Mick had amazing chemistry after watching them on My Universe, but this was a whole other level.

The unique approach of EY, EM, having the couple in several storylines, but portraying different characters, really highlighted Mick & Top’s adaptability and range and really sets this BL apart from the usual BL storyline tropes we see 90% of the time.

I also saw something I have NEVER seen in BL before: the same actors getting their time portraying both the “top” and “bottom” roles within the series. Can we talk about giving the screenwriter a big fat raise?! This move was pure genius. Lesser actors would not have been able to pull off both roles so believably and effortlessly as Top & Mick. Each episode seemed to get better and better.

This series had a great combination of humor (no eye-rolling humor & cartoon sound effects), romance, tear-jerking scenes (wow, just wow), and spicy moments, keeping the pacing on track and never dragging.

The production level was really good, the OST was beautiful and never distracting or repetitive, the supporting cast was great, and the dialogue was not inane, recycled BL speak.

Never did a scene with Top & Mick feel like they were acting: no awkwardness, no fake kissing with paralyzed lips.. Everything felt so natural, that when they cried, I cried.. when they laughed, I laughed.. When it was over (with an amazing ending, thank God) I really wished there was more episodes..

I highly recommend this series if you like a more mature, real-life type of BL, without goofy sound effects and 30 yr olds portraying HS and college kids..
I think you’ll be as happily surprised as I was!

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Best show ever!!!

“Stay With Me” was so cute and wholesome! The producers took an edgy slice-of-life web novel and TV show and remade it into a drama that beautifully depicted both family and romance, as well as dealt with the deadly discussion of forgiveness which so few dramas have depicted well. The actors give 100% for their roles, balancing both comedy and tragedy realistically.
SWM differs from “Addicted” not just in the drama’s focus, but also in how the main couple functions. While Su Yu and Wu Bi have a ton of squabbles, misunderstandings, and fights, Wu Bi is far less aggressive and much more protective than his former counterpart Gu Hai. Also, Su Yu and Wu Bi were simply so romantic with each other!!!!
The music for this drama was excellent. I especially liked the closing theme song as well as the love ballad sung by the actor for Wu Bi.

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Eu realmente fiquei surpresa com o quanto eu gostei da série. Talvez se tivesse mais episódios e estes fossem um pouquinho mais longos, a história teria sido perfeita. Amei a química entre Ohm e Leng, que apesar de ser um ator estreante me surpreendeu com sua atuação . Tenho certeza de que ele irá crescer muito como ator. Todo o restante do elenco está de parabéns. A história de amor de Men e Khanomjeen e Pim Pimpan como a vilã Yada me conquistaram. É uma série sobre a importância da família, dos amigos e da superação de traumas. Um dos pontos altos para mim foi que Q não superou seu trauma em um piscar de olhos como acontece em muitas séries, em que o personagem é cheio de traumas, mas no segundo seguinte já superou tudo e está pronto para viver a vida ao máximo. É uma série que vale a pena ser assistida. Com certeza é uma série que assistirei novamente. E por mais BL na dona Netflix ;)

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Just magnificent!

PLOT: The FL struggles to survive in slavery on a pearl farm as a diver. She succeeds by escaping with the help of a high-ranking official (the ML2), then joins as a servant on the ML's boat. He is a harsh trader, solely committed to revenge for his family (jewelers, killed by desert bandits, during an escort, and banished after death).

+++ With Liu Yu Ning & Zhao Lu Si, 2 actors that I love (ღ˘⌣˘ღ). They have so much talent to bring us this poignant story. They don't even need words to make us feel all their emotions... Awesome!
+++ Perfect execution: rhythm, costumes, visuals, sets, framing, lighting.
+++ Coherent and intelligent story. The characters are complex, all grey, well developed, and played by excellent actors.
+++ Superb credits and magnificent OST.

Even the ending, moving and bitter, is well done.

=> Series to watch and rewatch, the story is so beautiful (despite the hard and sad moments).
************************************************
Juste magnifique !

PLOT: La FL peine à survivre dans l'esclavage d'une ferme de perles comme plongeuse. Elle réussit en s'enfuir avec l'aide d'1 officiel de haut rang (le ML2), puis s'engage comme servante sur le bateau du ML. C'est un commerçant, dur, uniquement engagé dans la vengeance de sa famille (joailliers, tués par des bandits du désert, lors d'1 escorte, et banni par contumace).

+++ Avec Liu Yu Ning & Zhao Lu Si, 2 acteurs que j'adore. Ils ont tellement de talent, pour nous faire vivre cette histoire poignante. Ils n'ont même pas besoin de mots pour nous faire ressentir toutes leurs émotions... Bravo !
+++ Réalis° parfaite : rythme, costumes, visuels, décors, cadrages, lumière.
+++ Story cohérente et intelligente. Les personnages sont complexes, bien développés, et interprétés par d'excellents acteurs.
+++ Superbe générique et OST magnifiques.

Même la ending, émouvante, amère, est bien amenée.

=> Série à voir et à revoir, tellement l'histoire est belle (malgré les moments durs et tristes).

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Mi aspettavo un drama tra azione, thriller e - se ero fortunata - un pizzico di romance. L'inizio parte col piede giusto, il ritmo è incalzante, la tematica della sperimentazione genetica sulla specie umana sembra rivelarsi una carta vincente. Il protagonista è un personaggio interessante, a livello di caratterizzazione. Sull'interpretazione, avrei scelto un attore diverso, non dico il classico giovane belloccio ma un attore che - anche se non canonicamente "bellissimo" - avesse comunque un suo fascino. In questo, Kim Rae Won non si può dire sia stato all'altezza: insipido a livello di espressività, esteticamente anonimo, con un taglio di capelli che non fa che peggiorare la situazione. Lee Da Hee, al contrario, regala - come sempre - una buona prova. E' un'attrice che apprezzo particolarmente e che per una volta tanto ho visto in panni un po' diversi dal solito. Altri attori meritevoli tra il cast sono sicuramente il caposquadra della polizia e lo scienziato ricercatore "padre" di Ji Ho.
Tornando alla storia, viene sviluppata molto bene nella prima parte; a un certo punto trova spazio anche il romance, anche più del "pizzico" che mi aspettavo, e questa è stata sicuramente un'altra nota positiva. Poi, però, nell'ultimo terzo della serie, qualcosa va storto. I protagonisti iniziano a comportarsi e ad agire in modo non lineare, le situazioni - affrontate in un certo modo fin dall'inizio - vengono risolte/gestite come non ci si aspetterebbe (e no, non parlo di effetto sorpresa, ma intendo proprio la mancanza di apprezzabile buonsenso), per arrivare a una conclusione che, boh, non si capisce bene da che parte sia saltata fuori. Il personaggio di Ji Ho negli ultimi episodi è poco credibile e coerente, le motivazioni date non stanno francamente in piedi. Anche Gu Reum subisce un po' la stessa sorte, e ciò che è stato importante e fondamentale per due terzi della serie viene messo quasi da parte. Gli ultimissimi minuti mi hanno fatto inevitabilmente pensare a un finale un po' aperto, dove una seconda stagione potrebbe ricollegarsi senza problemi. Non vedo però all'orizzonte un sequel nell'elenco dei futuri lavori dei personaggi principali, per cui, se così fosse, si tratterebbe di un finale un po' raffazzonato. Concludendo, una serie con un buon potenziale, che parte bene ma deraglia verso la fine.

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YinWar’s tour de force

This has been a roller-coaster ride and I enjoyed it immensely. Since I went for a non-spoiler review, I’ll focus on issues that are not plot-revealing. I thank YWPB (which stands for a company established by Yin, War, Prom and Bonz) for this gem of a BL, this brainchild of theirs and wish us all more shows like that.

Let’s start with the script. If you go to the MDL comment section (which I don’t advise) you’ll see that the script of J&J received criticism from various angles and positions - for what’s in it as well for what’s not in it/what’s (supposedly) missing. Was I fully satisfied with the script? No. Did it matter to me? No. I enjoyed the show despite of things I myself might consider script-related. Without going into detail: I appreciate many things included in the script or resulting from its execution, like character development (and character consistency), plot twists and revelations, mostly successful attempts to combine serious issues with comedy, as well as some general ideas spanning across the series, like involvement in criminal activity and dealing with it or various aspects of social injustice.
The story is not short on crazy, which I also enjoyed: it’s often a metaphor and a fairy tale with larger-than-life villains, brave heroes willing to sacrifice themselves, artifacts, powerful symbols and some good old mysticism, bordering on magic.
I also liked that – in many cases – the story isn’t straightforward; there are nuances, tweaks, not everything is as it appears, not everything is resolved as one would want and some issues remain unresolved entirely.
All of that, however, is but a canvas for the main plot: a story about the titular characters, their journey – sometimes together, sometimes separately. Side note: I find it safer when a show is named after the main characters. Other names often lead to confusion (see “Hidden Agenda” with a not-so-hidden agenda which became unimportant halfway through the series, or “Dangerous Romance”, which was not dangerous at all); “Jack & Joker” is a great title (“U Steal My Heart” – also very good and to the point). As this series has faced plenty of criticism for that too, let me list the following:
1/ this is most definitely a BL, not a bromance,
2/ the main characters are portrayed by Yin and War only, not by other cast members (sorry PromMark fans),
3/ the show is first and foremost about Jack and Joker, not about side characters,
4/ Jack and Joker are, at the same time, the main characters and the main couple – the series is about them as individual characters (hence it’s not just them spending all on-screen time together) as well as about their relationship.
The above are not just features of this show, they are also creative choices made by the producers and I agree with them.

The show’s music deserves at least a brief mention. The tree main songs are very distinct and very good. “แค่ยัง…(มีเธอ)” by Tattoo Colour perfectly illustrates the action aspect of the show, “ทำไมต้องเป็นเธอ” by Dome Jaruwat is the romantic theme of the series, while War’s “ร้อยวิธี” is a love letter drowning in tears and the emotional core of the soundtrack. A special mention goes to the opening credits theme and it’s dark rendition used at the end of ep. 5. What did surprise me a little about the score was that Bonz was not it’s composer (as an actual musician he’s more than qualified for that) and that Prom (another cast and crew member perfectly capable of doing that) did not perform any part of it.

The shows biggest asset is the cast. It’s core is mostly young, consisting of YWPB and their friends, associates and frequent cooperators, first and foremost Mark Siwat. This core team was bolstered by seasoned and experienced artists, including GMMTV’s own Jennie Panhan. However, the show was on another level due to what YinWar did to it and in it. You’ll find it in most of my BL reviews and I keep repeating it: a good ship will save a BL while the lack of chemistry will doom it every time, regardless of how good other elements of the show are. Thailand has several top tier ships; YinWar are a powerhouse among them – that’s basically the stuff dreams are made of. Both actors have grown, matured and honed their talents to hijack our imaginations on that crazy roller-coaster ride I mentioned at the start of the review. Both are superb and outperform the rest of a very good cast; War, in particular, shines with his versatility, and both he and Yin are visibly enjoying themselves. Their powerful performances and chemistry elevated the story, covering for all of its flaws, plot holes etc. I have not seen this level of acting in a BL before – simply amazing.

Engaging, emotional, ambitious and very well acted, “Jack & Joker” is the best BL I’ve ever seen.

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