#love in the air review

[dream-thief-forever-amen]

Review: Love in the Air - A Masterclass in Kissing

long and media heavy review on Love in the Air... got a bunch of tumblr fandom in there...

https://subtitledreams.com/2022/12/26/review-love-in-the-air/

I tagged everyone I saw, there’s probably a few I missed

@kdrama-mama @shippingcontacts, @prapais, @liyazaki, @scarefox, @bird-inacage, @perths, @endlessly-ranting-antheia, @piningintrovert, @guzhu-furen, @gunsatthaphan, @paisky, @viva-yas-vegas @yeetlegay, @alpha-peen, @akindofemotionaltether, @wahgifs, @dramaism, @pharawee, @djeterg19, @prometheuswelsh @alwayspining, @kwonzoshi , @hecalledhimhyung, @dramabiscuit, @intothealone, @7-starboi, @baijingting, @dreamingsnowflake2013, @cornyonmains, @laurenkmyers, @thefreeblog, @purplenimsicle, @themagnusbane, @theyellowhue, @zhaozi, @hoshinisuzu, @maibpenrai, @iwatchalotofshows, @fortpeat

[gunsatthaphan]

"do you agree? - yes."

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Some Surprises

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

NOV 2024 Week 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

Fourever You (Thai Thurs YT) ep 5 of 16 - I love this show, but I absolutely hate the main couple's communication style. Or complete lack of communication style. I really hope the other couples are not gonna be this bad and it’s just because this one is leaning into the worst of BL archetypes. But I’m not confident. Poor Ter dating Hill put a big old target on his back. Earth being a dramatic stressed gay queen was peak comedy tho. Apparently the good kisses are only on WeTV (I am annoyed) so props to the giffers who keep me supplied. You're doing the BL gods work.

I suddenly realized, after the bullying sequence, that one of the reasons I’m liking this so much is it reminds me of early Japanese yaoi. There’s something about the dynamics of the characters and the way they're reacting to situations that’s not very Thai BL feeling. And if I think of this is more JBL, I forgive it. Or maybe that’s just why I’m liking it so much despite its flaws? Difficult to understand my own feels about this show.

Jack & Joker (Thai Mon IQIYI) ep 8 of 12 - I don’t like this new evil-bonkers rich kid character and whatever is going on with Jack and Rose and that whole story. It’s boring. And then my brain short circuited. No further thoughts... just War in a wife beater. 

Love Sick 2024 (Thai Sun iQIYI) ep 7 of 15 - Phun's bitch face really is epically wonderful. I kinda enjoy everybody ribbing the two of them because they have no idea what’s actually going on. I'm chronicling my experience with 2024 as compared to 2014 here.

Kidnap (Fri YT) ep 9 of 12 - Omg cutest boyfriends EVER. I don’t even mind how cheesy their bf era is. Does this lull jive with the rest of the story? Nope. But ya know that’s GMMTV’s thing these days, flailing during the final act.

Perfect 10 Liners (Thai Sun YouTube?) ep 1 of 24 - Pretty standard Thai BL university fair. I am hoping it’s better than ForceBook’s previous offering. Yet another sniff test. Is this the trope of the year? Meanwhile, they also deployed the crash into me trope in episode one. Who do they think they are? Taiwan?

New is directing this uni BL with a massive cast + massive run time. It's an endurance test ya'll - we will be watching this until APRIL of 2025! Su su na.

Every You Every Me (Thai Mon Gaga) ep 4 of 10 - I really like that they had the bandwidth to give us a little side couple with this installment. Fun crumbs. Meanwhile, the thing with the shirt in front of the mirror was extremely sexy. This installment was very sad though. And, of course, I’m not happy about it. To top it all off, next week is musical themed, so you know I’m disgruntled about it. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

See Your Love (Taiwan Weds Gaga) ep 3 of 13 - Aw spoiled neglected rich boy wants to be cared for and spoiled honestly. I do love them. Also tiny idiot syndrome is spreading. 

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 6 of ? - The side couple (teacher student, hyung romance but he’s using em) interesting. Not sure how I feel about them. The subs are so bad it’s largely incomprehensible but I’m still enjoying it for no defensible reason. 

My Damn Business (Korea Sat YT) eps 5 of 7 - I love that our uke can be such a little shit. I love it when a tsundere has some serious snark and attitude to back his petulance up. Also liquid courage. At least we got to the root of the tsundere. Also neck kisses and cuddles! 

Eccentric Romance (Korea Weds Viki) eps 7-8 of 12 - Oooo, cute kiss. Drunken but adorable. I do like it when they use older Korean actors in KBL, they actually know how to kiss. Has the kiss saved this show? Possibly. I’m shallow. 

Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan Tues Netflix?) 7 of 10 eps - Our con man is such a good little homemaker. And it’s sexy yukata time! Love this trope. 

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 1 of 10 - Same plot as the Thai original, only from Japan. Very similar so far. I hope Rei is a bit more smart and Arashi is a bit less of a sleaze. I still get too much secondhand embarrassment and my mame alert is blaring.  I'm wary.

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days (China Sun iQIYI) eps 1-2 - Triggers for child abuse, alcoholism. Two artists, one an abused rich kid and the other a tough scrappy poor kid, in the same art prep school. I of course adore the side couple of the much younger kid and the older teacher. Oh, I do like it. But it's CBL, I'm very scared as to where it might go.

Bad to Bed (Taiwan Sat YouTube) ep 1 of 10 - Influencer Wan Xiong suffers from insomnia, it’s a physical and mental battle. As he tried to find a solution, he encounters five boys along the way. I'm putting this on the list because it's airing and I just found out about it but I didn't have time to watch it yet. I hear it's v weird.

It's airing but...

The Hidden Moon (Sat WeTV) 10 eps - Supernatural romance (my ghost boyfriend trope) by Violet Rain (I Feel You Linger). A man is hired to write an article about an old mansion. He sees the ghosts of people who died at the mansion, falls in love with one of them. Was substantially recast. I loved IFYLITA except the ending so I think I'll let this one run it's course you can tell me if it's work tracking down... if they managed to land it. I have my doubts.

Bad Guy My Boss (Thai Sun Gaga) 10 eps - I DNF'd at ep 7, I couldn't make it. I am weak. Life is hard enough right now, this show is making it harder. It’s not what I want from my entertainment.

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo (Korea Thurs Gaga) eps 4 of 8 - I put this one on pause. It's too heavy for me right now. I'll wait to know if the ending is hard fought happy (and then watch) or not (and won't finish). Sorry all, rough times this side of the screen.

Random I watched it

Vending Machine Sabi Koi AKA Can I Buy Your Love From A Vending Machine AKA Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka? (Japan 2023) - This show is utterly adorable, impossibly awkward, and kinda old fashioned. About a cute nerdy little office worker (he's out!) who has a big'ol crush on the tall hulking vending machine guy. They fall in love. And that’s it. And it’s charming. There’s some first name eroticism, because Japan, and there's emphasis on communication, which is so not Japan, but turns this into an organically loving and talkative relationship. There’s a bit of an age gap, and our office cutie may or may not have a muscles fetish (the hot bod not the shellfish) because (if I’ve told you once I’ve told you 1 million times) Japan always goes kinky. And you know what, I loved it. 9/10

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

November BL:

11/4 Our Youth AKA Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu (Japan Mon Gaga?) 11 eps - Minase was an exemplary high school student who hates Hirukawa, head bully and top delinquent. But then Minase uncovers Hirukawa’s secret and the two get intimate.

11/15 Caged Again (Thai Fri WeTV) 10 eps - Penguin escapes zoo by turning into a human. Gets trapped again and a panther falls in love with him.

11/17 Your Sky (Thai iQIYI) 12 eps - Due to an unforeseen situation, a naive freshman and the campus’s popular senior agree to pretend to be a couple - but their fake deal begins to generate real feelings.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Honor the crumbs indeed. This pair is so much crumbs it's practically dust. (Love Sick 2014)

God he is so stupidly in love.

(lask week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in its infinite wisdom doesn't like too many at-ings.

[liyazaki]

fandom tumblr year in review

[bird-inacage]

bird-inacage's BL Meta Directory

For all you meta lovers out there, I've collated a master index where you can easily find all the deep dives I have written in long-form around BL shows I've watched or am currently watching. This is being updated in real time.

The Heart Killers Meta Index *CURRENTLY POSTING*

Predictions: Kant as Bison's Keys to Freedom

Character Styling Update (FirstKhao Focus)

Trailer: Initial Observations (FirstKhao Edition)

Love Sea Meta Index

Episode 9: Lost at Sea before the Finale

Post-Episode 8 Thoughts: Fortpeat are the MVPs

Episode 4: Where Things Have Gone Astray

The Price of Love (Tongrak & Mut's Backstories)

Episode 1: Tongrak's Striking Sensitivity

Mahasamut the Teenage Runaway

Theory on the Presence/Absence of Family Ties

Trailer: Tongrak’s Love Story with the Island and it’s ‘Ocean’

Fortpeat’s Letters to Mahasamut & Tongrak (Q1 - Q10)

Intro: First Impressions & Predictions

ARCHIVE

Only Friends Meta Index (22 posts linked)

Love in the Air Meta Index (38 posts linked)

BL REVIEWS

Only Friends (2023)

Bed Friend (2023)

The Eclipse (2022)

Love in the Air (2022)

[sizzy-ling]

Hello, internet people!! I hope you're all doing well! I have a little something something for you

I am not exactly happy with this chapter, but here's to hoping you'll like it more!!

[screechingfromthevoid]

The reviews are in folks shit hurted

[starrynightsxo]

re-reading how the king of elfhame learned to hate stories because I feel like I didn't deep it enough and my oh my was I right to do so...

[jynxedtoxicityreports]

Love In The Air

Episode 8-13 PrapaiSky

Rating: ☣️🌋 (Heavy triggers and multiple uncensored NC scenes)

Triggers: Off Screen SA, Off Screen Abuse, Trauma from SA & Abuse, Disembodied Voices, Invasion of Privacy, Depression, PTSD, Victim Blaming, Flashbacks, Panic Attacks, Breakdowns, Bad self image/low self worth, Trauma Responses, Academic Pressure

Sky has nightmares & flashbacks of his SA & Abuse. The flashbacks has several times but do not anything beyond Sky crying & hands touching him

Sky blames himself for his trauma and makes several self hating comments

Sky suffers several breakdowns. They are intense in the level of emotional distress & fear but they are not anymore than sobbing

Sky dissociates on screen. Is just him having a blank face staring ahead

Sky displays signs of trauma repeatedly throughout the episodes. Nothing big but just certain ways he reacts, speaks, and feels toward things are in line with trauma symptoms

Pai uses several questionable methods to get into & stay in contact with Sky. It's nothing wild just repeated phone calls & randomly popping up. Sky is never scared of his behavior. It stops later.

Pai is very persistent but never escalates beyond pestering Sky

Sky struggles with academic pressures & obligations

Episode 13 Full Spoilers

Aftermath of abuse 8:52 -9:29 Sky has bruises on his neck & two cigarette burns on his arm

On Screen Abuse 9:40 - 11:01 Sky has his hair pulled,gun ignores Sky saying expressing that he doesn't like what they are doing, sky's gets face grabbed, sky's pushed, gun manipulates sky, it's implied that gun burns Sky with a cigarette but it's not shown

Group SA on Screen 11:11 - 12:28 Sky is held down by two of guns friends, Sky says no multiple times, there's the sound of Sky being hit but it's not shown, SA scene only involves clothes being removed, being restrained & the two men touching Sky & that's all.

Unwanted Touching 26:22 - 27:52 Gun touches Sky, he grabs him, and he presses against him

31:26 - 36:08

▪︎On Screen Violence Sky is forcibly restrained, hit several times and pushed

•Manipulation/Gaslighting Gun & his friends attempt to convince Sky that Pai ordered them to SA him

•Implied SA Gun is shown taking off his shirt & the scene ends

On Screen Violence Typical fight violence, Eyebrow snatched out shown but only a small amount of blood is shown, Gun is shown having blood on his face at the end of the scene but it is not graphic

37:30 - 41:55

Attempted SA 1st Gun on top of Sky but nothing graphic is happening. 2nd Gun is shown on top of Sky again but they are both still clothed from the waist down & that is the end of the moment

Dissociation Sky spends a significant portion of the scene in a dissociated state

Story of SA 45:31 - 48:00 Sky speaks about his past abuse & SA. There are no flashbacks. Sky speaks about himself negatively

[gargelyfloof118]

Just added a solar fan to the coop to push hot air out and create more of a draw. These little things can move some air. I'd like to get 3 to 4 more sets and figure out a better way to hang the solar panels. This will do for now.

[blerdyotome]

✨️NEW VIDEO✨️ Follow a newbie voice director as he runs his own recording studio & interact with his charming voice actors!🎤 Check out my review of Voice Love on Air!

As always likes, shares, & comments on the video are appreciated! 💜

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Boyfriend Era is a Go

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

NOV 2024 Week 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

Jack & Joker (Thai Mon IQIYI) ep 9 of 12 - I have to say it, the heist stuff is stupid and all the sidekicks are idiots to the point of annoyance. But Yin and War are truly stellar at these parts. And in general in these roles. Can’t knock 'em. It’s been a year of some very good kisses and this has to have been the best. So this show is top of the standings this week for that kiss alone. Like srs boys? I mean to say, BOYS! How dare. Breaking the internet like that.

Honestly, let's be clear, these two have had killer chemistry since the En of Love and we all expected great things. And now, here we sit, suffering great things from these kings. Thank you, Sirs, may we have another?

Love Sick 2024 (Thai Sun iQIYI) ep 8 of 15 - I'm chronicling my experience with 2024 as compared to 2014 here. The Per Win story arc never interested me in 2014 and I’m not enjoying it now either. But Mick and Ohm are better in 2024. Nong Mick is a standout character, and a brilliant glow up in this version and he’s a confident little shit (affectionate). The mains are good too, but Phun and Noh always were great characters, and these actors are quite good. Possibly better than the original. 

Kidnap (Fri YT) ep 10 of 12 - More bf era delightful diabetes. They are the best boyfriends and the cutest family in the entire world. No exceptions. Next week is definitely doom tho. 

Every You Every Me (Thai Mon Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - Talk about making consent and communication sexy! *fans self* Whoah! That was unexpectedly great. The blatancy of the lust in this one was fun too. And the general casual switch nature of the relationship = delightful.

I like the little acting course we're getting from these tw. They are both quite good. I’m not sure I really enjoy the stories that they’re telling, but I do like how they are telling them.

Fourever You (Thai Thurs YT) ep 6 of 16 - Hill is the premier torch carrier of this year. My goodness. He sure nursed that crush. While I really like this main couple, I’m happy to have some of the others start to creep into the narrative at this juncture. Alone HillTer are a bit intentionally miscommunicative and saccharine. But the screen-time distribution amongst couples seems a little strange. That said, couple 2? No thank you. I really don't like North as a character at all. I find him incredibly unappealing. Ordinarily I'd be on his side because....... blackmail trope renders Johan automatically a complete arse. But at least this is 2 unlikable characters being jerks to each other?

Perfect 10 Liners (Thai Sun YouTube?) ep 2 of 24 - Say it with me Thailand: negging is NOT romantic. Frankly, Arc is just an asshole and a bully with anger issues. But…… Yay cute sides! PondSand they funny. (Book, to me = never very funny. I don’t think comedy is his bailiwick. Look, comedy is HARD ya’ll and usually not in that way.) 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Youth AKA Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu (Japan Tues Gaga) ep 1 of 11 - They’re doing some interesting stuff with the framing (both filming style and narrative) that makes this extremely old-fashioned feeling (like Takumi-kun level). I keep saying that this year, but it feels like BL is doing a lot of rediscovering its roots right now. This one even had a goldfish. And abuse. (The two, oddly, often go hand-in-hand in JBL ) And overall...... it’s a bit weird. Which I don’t mind from Japan. Japanese BL can get weird in a good way. Oh I like it. Bully meats smart loaner, total opposites attract, both are lonely and broken and NEED each other, and all that.

See Your Love (Taiwan Weds Gaga) ep 4 of 13 - Oh dear, our poor little rich boy is very broken indeed. The sides are utterly ridiculous.

My Damn Business (Korea Sat YT) eps 6 of 7 - I don’t normally like a love triangle, but I kind of like this one since it gave our uke a bit more depth and agency. And charm, quite frankly. So far he’s been a very dower character.

Eccentric Romance (Korea Weds Viki) eps 9-10 of 12 - Okay boyfriend era is a go. Goodness but they sure are adorable. 

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 7 of ? - The slow burn is really very slow. To the point of frustration. But I'm still enjoying the show, just not as much as I was.

Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan Tues Netflix?) 8 of 10 eps - Even Japan is going through a bf era rn I see. How unusual.

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 2 of 10 - I’m slightly less annoyed by this one than the original (but I was VERY annoyed by that). I think mame is being tempered by a few things:

There’s so much less time spent on the back-and-forth, because this is a much shorter show, so I have less time to be frustrated by it and the utter uselessness of 75% of these characters.

Also, there's that innate Japanese awkwardness of portrayal & social interaction, which makes the unpleasantness of the characters' behavior and touch more understandable.

This, in turn, is married to the natural kink factor of JBL.

There’s a clearer Dom sub from the get go with this version, makes the blackmailing a little bit more tolerable because it's clearly Play. (negotiated or not) Simply put, daddy wants his brat to beg. And honestly? So say we all.

On a completely different note, the wardrobe for this show is terrible. Like truly bad BAD.

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days (China Sun iQIYI) eps 3-4 - Well I guess that’s that disability dealt with. Meanwhile, competitive bullying art students? I am very amused. Zoo date was cute. This is unquestionably a BL (I’m even more scared now). Still, the gay boys dealing with the straight dude’s crush was truly hilarious. So much "our gay drama doesn’t have time for your het bullshit." Classy move, I smell some Taiwan in this show.

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo (Korea Thurs Gaga) eps 4-8 end - I was reliably informed this has an HFN end so I decided to watch. Noble and self sacrificing with both of them taking the blame.

My thoughts are...... mixed.

High school student Do Hoe lives with his brutal father who runs a Taekwondo gym. When cheerful Ju Young arrives to train, they fall in love. An unexpected incident forces them apart, they reunite over a decade years later. Essentially this is a brilliant narrative about finding love at the worst possible time, surviving chronic abuse, and the way we process mental, emotional, and physical trauma overtime. Yes it’s also a romance, but that’s not primarily what this story is actually about. I can recognize its genius, but this type of narrative is not for me. I’m reminded of bittersweet painful shows like To My Star 2, or The On1y One, or even Not Me. Is this BL tangential or is it some other genre entirely? Am I questioning my own taste because I did not like its content, or because I do not like its genre? And if it’s not BL should I even render judgment? I think I have to lean into the way I approached some of those other shows, which is to say: it is not for me but I recognize that it is of an extremely high-quality that is certainly for someone else.

Recommended, but only if you like masochistic cinema. Under those circumstances 9/10

(but know that if i were rating for my personal taste? 7/10 I’m never re-watching this, and there is a small part of me that wishes I never had) 

It's airing but......

Love for Loves Sake got some kind of special supposed to air 11/9. Not sure what, why, or where. Only the rumor that it...... is. I'll believe it when I see it...... literally.

The Hidden Moon (Sat WeTV) 10 eps - I've been reliably told not to bother, so I won't.

Bad Guy My Boss (Thai Sun Gaga) 10 eps - I DNF'd at ep 7, I couldn't make it. I am weak. Life is hard enough right now, this show is making it harder. It’s not what I want from my entertainment.

Bad to Bed (Taiwan Sat YouTube) 10 eps - This is a little too low production value even for me. And just very very odd. DNF

In case you missed it

Uncle Unknown finished its run on YT. Censored Chinese BL with paralytically bad production levels. But certainly BL. Boys reunite after a break up only to discover one of them is the step-Uncle of the other. Much to my own shock and surprise I watched all 12 episodes of this. Fortunately, each episode is about 5 minutes long. Under those circumstances is it worth it? Maybe. It’s bad. But not offensive. So that's a win. And you know me, I love a weird take on the stepbrother’s trope and incest taboos. 5/20 watch it only if you have nothing better to do

Next Week Looks Like This:

Gosh there's a lot on right now.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

November BL:

11/15 Caged Again (Thai Fri Gaga) 10 eps - Penguin escapes zoo by turning into a human. Gets trapped again and a panther falls in love with him.

11/17 Your Sky (Thai Sun iQIYI) 12 eps - A naive freshman and the campus’s popular senior agree to pretend to be a couple - but their fake deal begins to generate real feelings.

11/20 Winter Is Not The Death of Summer (Thai Weds YT) ?? eps - Criminals who meet in prison fall in love

11/20 The Heart Killers (Thai Weds YT iQIYI) 12 eps - Jojo directs FirstKhao & JoongDunk in an action romcom about assassin brothers (Khao & Joong) who meet a tattoo artist ex-booster (First) and a mechanic (Dunk). I'm highly amused that Joong plays the older brother to Khao and that we have a take on the Taming of the ShrewBL. I like that everyone is morally gray. This has all GMMTV's best chemistry in one BL and some fresh concepts that I've only seen tackled in m/m romance novels (check out Amy Lane's Racing for the Sun, thank me later). I'm excited. My only quibble is Jojo, I like his style but his characters can get unreliably messy so…... this gonna be interesting.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

The insane level of his babygirl heart eyes.

Just, have mercy.

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

[bubblelove56]

I can actually see the quality decrease as I upload it.

[minimoniii]

and they’re boyfriends

[bird-inacage]

I’ve noticed an influx of newcomers to the LITA fandom of late and firstly - welcome! I never did do a wrap-up review when the series ended (probably neck deep in hysteria then) so I figured why not write one now. I will keep this brief, as I have a tendency to get carried away with my analysis on this show. You can peruse my index of deep dives for more if you wish. I will largely be referencing the Love Sky portion of this series because... well, my blog says it all really.

LITA is a story of two halves; the first 1-7 episodes focus on Rain's arc, whilst the proceeding 8-13 episodes focus on Sky's. Most BLs tend to have an interlacing structure that weaves multiple couples simultaneously. But LITA has done this to allow for chronological story-telling and doubles up well as a framing device. Rain's arc is more 'slice of life', humorous and light-hearted overall. Whereas Sky's arc is weighty and pensive, involving more serious themes, highs and lows. There is a distinct tonal shift between these two halves that feel like different movements within the same symphony.

As an adaptation of MAME's original novels, 6-7 episodes is a tight window to do each couple justice. This just about works for Rain’s arc over Sky’s, the latter of which definitely needed more run time, and feels awfully rushed at its crucial conclusion. Otherwise the narrative and romantic development progresses at a pretty steady pace.

Difficult topics around trauma and abuse are approached with sensitivity whilst still packing a gut punch. Thankfully this isn’t used as a gimmick but serves as an integral thread in Sky’s characterisation, and is consistently signposted throughout. What I really appreciate is how both couples overcome obstacles in a healthy way and learn to communicate. Our characters are able to learn and grow from conflict, and ultimately move forward in a positive direction.

Main Leads: Why this pairing really works for me is that I enjoy them as individual characters as well as together. A couple is only as strong as the sum of its parts - and for me to buy into a partnership, I need to be firstly convinced that these two people exist outside of just their relationship. Prapai and Sky are well balanced in that respect as they have clearly established identities of their own. This pair also had the added advantage of being introduced in Rain’s arc which really helped lay some ground work. Sky is a character most will easily love; perceptive, reliable and devoted, his insecurities are hugely relatable to anyone who has struggled with self worth. Whereas Prapai may divide audiences at first with his seemingly misplaced charm and (dorky) rich playboy aura, where a multitude of hidden depths are later revealed. You’ll come to adore this man in a similar fashion to how Sky is won over, seeing beyond his flirty teasing to the caring, patient and loving man underneath.

Pairing Rating: [SWEET + SENSUAL] This pair deliver on both soft comfort/domesticity as well as highly-charged intensity, a combination that will make your heart ache and break.

Other: This series very much centres its efforts around the leads. Relationship dynamics outside of our main couples tend to be overlooked and are increasingly forfeited towards the end (most namely Sky and Rain’s friendship which had a great kick-off in Rain’s half but was almost non-existent in Sky’s), likely due to time constraints.

Acting Performance: Relative newcomers Fort and Peat do a stellar job of making their characters feel fully realised and believable in such a short span of episodes. Both actors share uncanny similarities with the roles they are playing, which must have helped and is proof of great casting. I’m also hugely impressed that they were able to work against the reverse age dynamic they share in real life (Peat is 26, Fort is 22). Due to the heavier undertones in Sky’s storyline, this script really allows both actors to showcase a wider range of their acting abilities. Fort is a revelation, providing a very grounded and surprisingly mature performance. Peat does a wonderfully committed job of throwing himself into such a challenging role with enormous vulnerability. I give props to any actor who is willing to ugly cry and I mean ugly cry.

Visuals: Arguably one of the strongest characteristics of the show is it’s pleasing aesthetic that feels bright, clean, and really rather beautiful in certain scenes, particularly when it comes to the use of lighting, colour and camera angles. It’s very easy on the eye and elevates the charm of the everyday as its setting. Imagery is also utilised well when portraying Sky’s trauma.

Sound: The common gripe with LITA is the inconsistent quality of audio. Oh my, the audio. In some places the sound is insanely crisp and loud (think ASMR levels of breathing and shirts crinkling), and yet in others, dialogue is tenuous due to music, ambience or just dodgy recording in the first place.

>>>

FINAL THOUGHTS: It’s the couples that will lure in your heart and hold it captive. Despite the fairly simple trajectory of the storyline, the series is engaging with decent rewatch value. It would have benefited from a longer run. My blog is testament to how much I adore them - having written over a dozen metas on their relationship alone (but hey, I may be slightly biased). I wildly underestimated what this show was going to deliver when the trailer first came out, and my expectations were largely surpassed on all fronts.

(Disclaimer: These are just my own opinions. It goes without saying that one still can enjoy a show for all its successes as well as recognising its shortcomings.)

[sizzy-ling]

Hey, lovely people! Final chapter is up, I love all of you ❤️