Welcome to my Saturday blog post where I give thoughts on dramas I’m watching, whether at the beginning, middle, or end. Whatever I want, because I’m petty that way.
This week I started recapping recent Japanese unsexy-all-about-sex BL When it rains, it pours with episodes 1-2. So far it’s a lot of repressed misery, which I love seeing because I know they’ll break free of it.
I also recapped episodes 15-16 of Love Game in Eastern Fantasy, where Miao Miao continues to show inconsistent qualities as a heroine but I won’t hold it against her.
What did I watch this week? I started a Thai show based on a Japanese manga and finished a Korean show, so that’s 3 countries in 2 reviews. Kinda. Let’s start with the former:
Top Form – กอดกันมั้ย นายตัวท็อป – 2025
Currently airing Thai actors-getting-too-real BL, I’ve watched 3 of 11 episodes.
A new young actor with an apathetic attitude completely transforms after working with the sexiest man alive.
It’s funny because despite not loving the “actors get a little too real” genre, this is my 3rd one lately, all coming from Japanese source material. I thought I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama was cute and At 25:00 in Akasaka was fine. So will this be the one to win me over?
Not sure. But I’ve better figured out why I don’t love this genre
Here we’ve got two interesting, enigmatic men. As far as backstories and motivations, it’s episode 3 and we don’t have much. Our rookie actor is an aimless young man who fell into acting after a series of odd jobs. Our older actor is dedicated to the craft, has been voted sexiest man alive several times, and likes to go incognito in convenience stores to hear people talk about him.
They meet. And they don’t talk. They act out intense scenes in a strange drama that might exist entirely to facilitate their relationship conflicts and growth.
So I’m watching actors in a drama acting as actors in a drama playing characters having emotional conversations that represent the feelings of the actors playing the characters.
I feel removed from the characters and want them to just TALK to each other.
That said, I’m only on episode 3 and there’s a lot I’m liking
Our younger actor is a ginormous puppy and that’s a big one in the “pro” column.
The show has these interesting, surreal moments. When our older actor first helps our younger actor, he does it by thrusting his fingers at his chest. This goes straight to our younger actor’s heart and he tears up as required for the scene. Our younger guy sometimes sprouts feathery wings.
Most of all, I love how this show plays with the power dynamics between the two. At their first meeting, our younger actor is an unknown who can’t act. The older actor has the advantages of age, skill, and popularity.
But a spark is lit in our younger actor’s heart, and as he dedicates himself to the craft his popularity rises while our older actor’s career hits a bump. The next time they meet, things are less clear-cut.
Then there’s the unhealthy obsession. I love unhealthy obsessions. But also, this obsession makes the power dynamic even more interesting, because it keeps the younger actor subordinate and his power restrained. At any moment his obsession could lead him to do something dangerous.
So yes, I’m hooked and need to see where it goes. Hopefully, to at least one sincere conversation.
My Dearest Nemesis – 그놈은 흑염룡 – 2025
Recently aired Korean BG romcom with 12 episodes.
A woman discovers her new boss has a secret life as a pop-culture-enthusiast. She fails to discover that he’s the guy who broke her heart years and years ago.
If you want to know about the show’s initial set-up and my thoughts check them out here.
This show didn’t end with a bang, but it’s one of my favorite Rom-coms from the last few years.
And the credit for that goes to the leading actors and their characters
A round of applause to Choi Hyun Wook for making the younger, pop-culture-obsessed chaebol a convincing love interest. The pop-culture-obsessed part is an easy sell, the chaebol company director half is what impressed me. Despite his youth, he’s believable as a cold, hard-working, confident, and ruthless businessman. He can and will protect the people he loves.
And he’s a young man desperate for love with vulnerabilities and a heart that can be broken. He cried like any good kdrama lead, but they were the tears of a man who’d learned to repress them.
Mun Ka Young also gets praise for playing a tough businesswoman used to fighting her own battles. When she hit problems, she did her best to plow through everything before the feelings overwhelmed her and forced her to face them. She reminded me of workaholic women I’ve met.
She also took an appropriate interest in her boyfriend’s pop-culture passions. They will never enthrall her as they do him, but she likes supporting him. This is what you do when you love someone.
Together, these two become a power couple against the usual odds
We’re still in RomCom territory, there’s no crazy sexual tension or hot scenes. It’s the opposite of something like When The Phone Rings in every way.
Together they hold hands and overcome the usual business and family hurdles. There were highs and lows, but not the kind of thing that drags you up to the clouds only to slam you to the ground. This is a feature or a flaw depending on your mood.
To the show’s credit, it stuck to twelve episodes and didn’t throw any crazy last-minute violent criminals or kidnappings into the mix. Our leads overcame their problems, and we were done.
The second couple was interesting and different. They were older people with romantic histories that got in the way of their romantic now. Their relationship was an interesting contrast to our younger, more inexperienced couple.
And while Grandma didn’t get the ending she deserved, I didn’t hate her resolution.
If you’re looking for earth-shattering emotional highs and lows or a plot that takes you somewhere difficult, keep looking. If you want something sweet and cute, with characters you can cheer on, this works.
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