lilianaoana

Watched it cause it's very popular, in fact people are raving about it so I thought it'd be an easy watch, which it was, but not that great as everybody is saying. It's lighter in tone and funnier in the beginning, then it kicks up the drama and it works for a bit, till it didn't, for me at least. Maybe I'm too jaded or something. And I mean sure, I appreciated the music as well, but it still felt a little musical-y so you know... not into musicals as a rule.

It's seems like I'm bashing it rather, but it's ok. I guess I expected more of an impact. I mean Gwi-ma was underwhelming. I got too hyped up about Lee Byung-hun being in this. The Saja Boys parody was funny. Ahn Hyo-seop was dishy in cartoon lol. But apart from that Exo song I got no attachment to any of the kpop references in particular. Or the culture as such. I think I would've preferred behind the scenes lives of kpop female idols. Those were somewhat funny. Apart from their voracious appetites, such an annoying tropes, skinny girls devouring anything in sight, while staying skinny. In what universe?

So these were the early days of BL and boy oh boy... I haven't seen the second season and I don't think I will.

So the good things are that the main leads are likeable and cute and the second lead couple is also interesting. But the two stories are very uneven, they should have been done them in parallel, the first 10 episodes are full-on focused on Pete and Ae and then when all is fine there they recede in the background and we get Tin and Can. And their story isn't developed in a believable way for me, the switch from enemies to lovers is too abrupt. But honestly I'd love a show about the chaotic mess that is Can, BL or not, that guy is a whole universe in himself.

The first episode is really sweet, we get a love at first sight scene and a coming-out scene and they are good. But it kind of goes downhill from there, although it's still enjoyable. Saint has two faces in total and Perth is clearly a better actor given a fuller role. He (Saint) cannot pull off emotional scenes, he isn't able to cry (convincingly). And he has these scenes but I didn't like them at all. Also, yes, the role is tropey and dare I say somewhat homo-phobic. Ae keeps referring to him as having very feminine features and treats him like a girl. Kind of felt like justification for the same-sex attraction. Pete tends to act very girly too, which I imagine is by design. We have a very masculine boy and a very feminine boy and that's how it works or what?

Anyway, there's so much slow-mo and focus on the intimacy scenes and I was despairing of it, just get on with it, no need to dwell on it, it's all natural, don't make it awkward.

Like I said, Tin and Can did not get enough scenes and the switch was abrupt. Also for Tin to switch from straight to into Pete to into Can. The whole thing felt tossed together for the titillation of BL fans.

And damn these men are possessive and handsy.

Then there's stepbrothers cause of course there is, how could it not, and what a mess that was... Never mind poor Tar's trauma but he also get's assaulted again but he forgives Tum so easily after what he'd been through? Makes no sense.

As for the last couple, Techno and Kla, well that was an equally big mess and I don't understand why they would feature something like that and make it funny.

So these two last points bring it down for me, despite the cutesiness of the lead couple.

What the hell did Pinbacker do, stare into the vortex and become mad?

Like many people, and also unlike many people, I disliked the last act. I mean it was chilling when all sorts of things were happening, challenging, terrifying even, but stimulating, it was almost turning into a horror movie in space, but at least it was posing some true existential questions there. But introducing the supernatural out of nowhere, cause there's no other way to explain Pinbacker, no logical way I mean, well, that put me off. And it got draggy and stupid and I couldn't wait for it to end.

Ominously, Searle is practically addicted to staring into direct sunlight, he almost appeared burnt some of the times. I guess sunbeds were no longer a health hazard for these people. That was another thing that bothered me. Also, I am watching this close to the summer, when days reach 30 degrees and it's hot as hell. The sun is doing just fine.