Arguably okay.

This series truly isn't as horrible as many may say it is; your taste in and expectations of dramas, especially bls, may formulate your opinion more than you may realize.

Check Out wasn't BAD, but it really could've been produced better. From my perspective, there were a few scenes that could've been better or have been filmed differently--the acting just didn't look seamless nor did it feel how it probably should've unless they intended for it to be a little awkward even after minimal communication amongst the characters. The storyline in theory didn't seem weak, but the execution was indeed poor. It just felt as though we were tiptoeing around something that should've been revealed nearly 3 episodes ago--everytime. The OST wasn't my favourite either, the timing of the songs felt off--a NC scene is about to happen and you have music that doesn't match? Or was that the kind of energy they wanted it to give off? Just odd. Regardless, some scenes had music that did match when it mattered thankfully, but a vast majority of the time it just didn't sit well with me.

My biggest complaint would most definitely have to be the jumpcuts. When you get to that scene you'll know exactly what I speak of. Maybe I have misunderstood the use of jumpcuts, but the way the technique has been utilized has irked me to a state of no return. Otherwise, I don't really have many things that have thrown me off aside from the way the actors seemed to have been directed. A thumbs up to the person who was in charge of cinematography, a solid 8/10 in my book.

Overall, this show as stated in the headline is 'Arguably Okay' as I did not enjoy it much, but I am sure someone else did. I will say that if you are interested in watching it to give it up to 5 episodes (which is what I did) and then see how you feel about the content you've seen up to that point.

- Z

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Free time? Here's an okay watch.

Yes, we are well aware that the past HIStories were done better with a more solid cast and plot, but contrary to popular belief, HIStory5 was not that bad, it just seemingly lacked some thorough planning.

With the plot, I saw what the writers were going for, but I don't think that it was achieved--it sorta got lost midway. Yes, the goal was there in the back of our minds, but I don't think that it was as clear as it could've been. Many other elements could've affected this as well, which if you do decide to give it a watch you'll understand what I'm alluding to, but it was still easy to follow.

The main couple did not draw me in at all, it felt forced almost and it just didn't sit well with my spirit at the beginning. As the show went on though, I did see the improvements with the characters and can appreciate them. Some more work could've been done to their personalities and other things, but I do like how they portrayed the adjusting of Bo Wei to Johnny Dai. It felt very realistic and as annoying as it may have been in the beginning, the development was essential to the plot. The second couple however is the main reason as to why I stuck around. I absolutely loved the young shy new worker and the managing director trope and it was executed beautifully. It really highlights how difficult it can be with age differences, work harassment, jealousy and how important clear communication is. The full reveal towards the end was great and the heartwarming discovery for Wynn was such a lovely thing to watch. The actors did their thing in this regard--kudos!

The music was pretty good, zero complaints there. The theme song right up to the piano excerpts played/used. A huge thumbs up to the person who chose those pieces--excellent. They fit perfectly with the themes of that relationship and the personalities as well.

Morale, it isn't a show that I think you should go in having high standards for, but if you just want something that is a fairly easy watch, can help you pass time, not too boring and has some nice piano pieces, I say go for it.

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Soft and Communicative.

I had my reservations about watching 'Cherry Magic' due to mixed feelings about the acting and overall story, but I will say I was not let down and it definitely will go down as one of the better BLs I've seen to date.

The story isn't one that is necessarily extraordinary, but it definitely was a good one. I thoroughly enjoyed the composition of the scenes and the way the cinematography was done--light yet effective, not to mention the kind of music used. The acting was not as seamless as I would've preferred, but I'm positive that it was intentional, especially for Adachi's character, which was almost incel-like. (I've seen it being discussed that the book version of Adachi seems to be more like that.)

The psychological perspectives were excellently done--the internal battles on both ends, from Adachi not knowing how to express himself to Kurosawa and it being mirrored via Tsuge and Minato, to Kurosawa's internal fight about how to interact with Adachi. It communicated (no pun intended) the importance of thorough communication between lovers and the immense amount of patience a relationship requires. This drama did a pretty good job at portraying how an inexperienced person and an experienced person's relationship would appear normally--something that can be worked on regardless of it's imperfections and misunderstandings.

The one thing that stuck out to me was Kurosawa's soft character, patience and self-restraint. I admire it and really wish to be that patient one day, it really is commendable. Some may argue that he may have been pushy in some instances which I cannot disagree with, however over the course of the 12 eps, we can say that he's pretty decent. The actor also did a great job at expressing the kind of emotions through his eyes although his thoughts were being shown to us on screen.

Morale, the drama was quite nice. It isn't one I'll speak of much, but I don't have many negative things to say about it. For first time BL watchers it has been deemed a staple and I now understand why. If you're contemplating watching 'Cherry Magic', I'd say to give it a watch, it does have some adorably soft moments.

- Z

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