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Reviews
Dear. M (2022)
Cliché but still refreshing
While the whole love triangle trope set in high school or university has been consistently done in many K-dramas, Dear. M still somewhat feels like a breath of fresh air. In an array of dark, suspenseful, political, and thrilling K-dramas, this series is exactly what we need.
Of course, there are still tons of K-dramas out there that have a similar plot, but one thing that stands out in Dear. M is the fact that it is told in a different point-of-view. Other series with the love triangle-in-a-campus plot often features a wealthy, heir, and smart male lead who has all the chance to win the heart of the female lead. Meanwhile, the second lead is characterized as the one closer to the female lead, but fails to become her "happily ever after". This series portrays the male lead, Cha Min-ho, as the seemingly hopeless romantic best friend of Ma Joo-ah. Here, he competes with Moon Joon, the son of a wealthy CEO. In other words, it seems like their roles have been switched.
Performance wise, I want to praise the main cast for giving such natural performances. What makes it all so different is how it doesn't feel forced and cringey; the actors are portraying their characters in such a natural way that perfectly fits the lighthearted theme of the series. Also, kudos to Jaehyun, Jinhyuk, and Eunbin for their acting despite being known more as K-pop singers.
Dear. M features a coming-of-age romantic story that we have seen before; just in a different perspective. This drama is an ode to the classic K-drama love story archetype, giving us a new story while still sticking to what we are already familiar with.
Still 2gether (2020)
Everything is a whole lot better
Everything improved! BrightWin's chemistry, the impact on audience of the side couples, the cinematography, the color grading, the sets, the editing, the writing, and the performances of the actors were all even better than what was seen in the predecessing series. What I would love to commend the most is Bright's acting; in 2gether, he really did well in portraying Sarawat and showing how much affection he has for Tine without using that much words. I mean, his acting in the scene where Tine stepped on him at the concert was top tier! But his acting improved even more for this series, and he looks absolutely more in love with Tine even if it's just his small gestures. Additionally, I want to commend the director and writers for fixing the plot holes from the first series, which initially disappointed many viewers. I loved how they addressed it here and explained all the things that the viewers were confused about from 2gether. All in all, I give this series a 10/10. Everything about Still 2gether is superb, especially the healthy relationships shown among most of the couples (whether it's same-sex or not).
2gether (2020)
Great storytelling with a terrible ending
I'll get straight to the point. This series is good, especially episodes 6 to 11, but episodes 12 and 13 were disappointing. On the positive side first, I loved the fact that the story was told in Tine's point of view, so there are plot twists and unexpected reveals that will break the cliché "fake relationship" premise (I won't spoil that much, I recommend you guys to watch the series yourself). Another great factor is the lack of steamy scenes. Most BL dramas are known for having loads of hot making out and sex scenarios, but this series only had a few pecks yet the main characters were able to develop such great chemistry. The series is also lighthearted and easy to watch, which is one of the reasons why it became so popular both locally and internationally. Now, on the negative side, the conflict is straight up terrible, and the ending was disappointing. The series started off really good but episodes 12 and 13 ruined it. If I were to fix the conflict, I should've introduced the character of Pam since the beginning. Also, it felt rushed, and Sarawat and Tine didn't even do anything to fix that conflict. And the high five at the ending? Unnecessary. Should've been a simple kissing scene instead. Anyways, I still recommend this drama since the majority of episodes is initially good, but be prepared for the mediocre ending.
Gotham (2014)
great origins for great batman characters
Batman has always been one of the most iconic superheroes, if not the most iconic. this show had just told us the many stories of the greatest dc comics characters, including jim gordon, riddler, penguin, joker, catwoman, poison ivy, and batman himself. i've read a lot about how this show doesn't stick to some factors from the comic books, but i honestly find it fascinating on how creative the writers can be, especially with the jerome and jeremiah arc. who would've thought that bruce wayne gets to face off against not just one but two jokers way before he comes the dark knight? and having two jokers made the relationship of batman and joker wider; jerome with his hatred for bruce and jeremiah with his love for bruce. i also love how they left some things about jeremiah ambiguous (such as if the laughing gas actually affected him) since the joker never had an established origin story and he would usually invent ones to gain sympathy; the same way jeremiah brainwashed his family into thinking that jerome was evil. i also admired bruce and selina's relationship, which was very dynamic and clearly mirrors with the canonical stories of batman and catwoman. they have always been in a love-hate relationship, and the gotham clearly showcased how the two young characters were never always on the same side. i'm giving this show a 10/10, but it doesn't mean that it's flawless. i just think that it deserves a perfect score because it's great and amazing factors clearly overpower the tiny bits that may have been too absurd. anyway, i really recommend this show. this is worth watching for superhero and crime show fans.