watchinglikeafangirl

[watchinglikeafangirl]

Charlie and Babe are breaking my heart this episode.

Charlie leaves...and Babe hugs him and kisses him and clings to Charlie. When Babe hugs Charlie a second time, I secretly hoped Charlie would stay. Because it felt like he was on the brink of staying. One more kiss and he would have stayed, one more second of physical affection and he wouldn't have left. But he did anyway and Babe just watching him go, crying silent tears...it's a lot. And I love how Babe is the one who cries easily and Charlie is the one staying strong. In comparison to what kind of person Babe seemed to be by the beginning of this series, it's really lovely how he's really the softest and most sentimental one. He doesn't do well with people leaving but he kind of willingly lets Charlie go despite everything his heart wants.

The timing is still a bit weird tho because after Charlie leaves, Babe asks Jeff, Jeff tells him immediatly and Charlie's plan lasted for like 1 day until Babe found out.

But nevertheless, the scene when Babe goes to Charlie's apartment...the second time the world moved slowly. This scene is even sadder. Because Babe let Charlie go and then he's right there and has to say it's still okay. He respects the decision but it hurts. Charlie is obviously conflicted as well and the gaze they share...I nearly cried as well. Charlie seems to be one the brink of tears, Babe has a hard time holding back his own and then there is a declaration of love and I was in pieces.

And then Babe leaves the ring for Charlie to wear - or not, whatever suits him. Charlie doesn't even wear it...it's heartbreaking honestly.

[watchinglikeafangirl]

Can we talk about the fact the doctor is so unfazed by Unit's violent approach towards those bone creature-things? Since when do they approve of weapons? Since when is the doctor okay with war?

War starts and suddenly it's okay how people point guns, they don't try to convince Rani to put the violence aside, they don't adress what's beneath and they certainly don't try to help her. I love Doctor Who because mostly the doctor tried to understand what could hide behind violence and tried to find a way out of it. But now we have some CGI monsters they just shoot, they didn't really talk to Omega, just "saved the day" like a Marvel-superhero and that's it. No repercussions, no consequences. The door closes and all bad is defeated. Where are the layers? Where are the conflicts that make the doctor question himself? Where is the emotional depth?

This season's finale wasn't for me. There are episode in this season I think are really, really strong. I still love Ncuti Gatwa in the role, his energy is very charming. But this final episode is not that good.

[watchinglikeafangirl]

Okay soo...Billie Piper is back now. As the doctor.

I guess it could make sense but still, why? David Tennant returning is one thing but now the doctor is wearing Rose's face.

I don't know what to feel.

And where is Jonathan Groff? I hoped he would be back in the finale but sadly, he wasn't talked about at all. I still wish for his return, he's obviously not dead and it could be a very epic love story.

[watchinglikeafangirl]

okay.! willy - time travel or time manipulation? or teleportation (????)

do you think babe was just too overwhelmed by the situation to think about willy magically appearing on the other side of the bed? or do you think he will bring it up later once we start investigating willy more?

[watchinglikeafangirl]

So what power does Willy have?

Because at first, I thought he can make people forget things. When he visits Babe in the hospital and talks about their picture, Babe asks "what picture". Yes, he could have just said that to spite Willy but something about it sounded like he really didn't know. Paired with the sudden relocation of Willy on the other side of Babe's bed, it feels like Babe's brain just skipped something. Either Willy is really fast or Babe forgot a crucial part of their conversation.

Willy is obviously playing mind games, but what if his power actually spices things up? Just like Way could hypnotize people, what if Willy als has some mind control-thing going on?

The episode ends with Charlie losing his ability. Maybe Willy took them or Charlie still has his powers but cannot access them? Or maybe Willy isn't even a part of Charlie losing his senses. Maybe it just looks like he does and something else entirely happened.

I could be so wrong about this lol. I'm excited to find out.

[watchinglikeafangirl]

He overdid it??? With this look? This was too far??

Top moment of the episode for me this week was Piang telling Jun to dress his very best so he could show him off and Jun is like say less then shows up in a t-shirt with a giant child with binoculars on the front and somehow absolutely blows everyone in the club away with the raw sexual energy of his look

[watchinglikeafangirl]

When Jun was like "I work in import-export" I was like that doesn't mean anything. Is he working with customers or is he part of managing the numbers or organising the logistics? Can't be all of it.

It's not just, what does the company do but what does Jun do? What does Sorn do at work? They talk about submitting files...that's it.

Four episodes in and I STILL don't know what this company does.

Is it a furniture store? Is it an office supplies factory? Do they just own a national sepak takraw team?

I'm so stupid I might have just missed it at the intro or something. I was too busy being worried about the poor koi fish. Someone please help (me, not the koi).

[watchinglikeafangirl]

Sooo, I kinda watched My Stubborn and what is going on?!

The first scene...I was flabbergasted. The scene just goes on much longer than I initially thought and interestingly you can see feelings starting even if they don't really talk. I don't know what it is but the way they are kissing, it's more than simple attraction. It's kinda intimate. The scene just hit me out of nowhere and then we get "2 years later"...

Other than that, the writing in episode 1 wasn't really that good. The order of the scenes didn't make that much sense. Seemingly time passes but it doesn't feel like it. The line "you always prank me" really confused me because I thought Sorn showed up like 2 days ago but apparently not...

But in episode 3 I really understood why Sorn is so captivated by Jun. Jun is soo cute but also pretty witty. He stumbles over blankets, falls for pranks and is still finding out about himself, but he talks back, he says when something is bothering him and he actually challenges Sorn. I get it, he is very endearing.

This show is very silly but it's okay. The show knows it's not that great and it kinda works a little too well. Sorn just grabbing Juns neck, yanking him into a kiss everytime they talk OR - if he doesn't do that - getting close to him and whispering in his ear to scare him. It's so hilarious and the way he silences questions and answers with kisses that just linger in Jun's mind for hours just to mess with him, is so toxic. But I love it!

[watchinglikeafangirl]

Sooo, sadly, I'm kinda disappointed. The writing isn't as tight as it was in season 1. It's not bad but I have some issues with it.

But first, I wanna point out how good this second season looks. The budget is definetly much higher, the locations look more expensive and the camera perspectives surprise me sometimes. And the whole omegaverse lore is expanded. In season 1, there wasn't much talk about it. Sure, we all knew Charlie and Babe are Alphas and all that stuff. But sentences like "I smell Alpha on you" followed by overprotective and extremely jealous behavior that leads to Charlie marking Babe's neck with bite marks...that's intense and something we never saw in season 1.

And Jeff's visions are much more traumatising and much heavier and I love it. His nosebleed gets worse the more he has those visions and it leads to him having physical pain, not just panic. Plus it's not just about touching people any more, he is hit by those visions far more frequently and he is going to be very important later, I like it a lot. Jeff's character wasn't explored in season 1 and I like how we see more of him now.

Now, I have to talk about the writing. Honestly, this whole Willy-thing...I don't get Babe. He wants Willy to stay away but moves so closely, it's weird. In the bar, there is supposed to be some tension because Babe is mad and Willy keeps pushing. But the scene goes on far too long. They keep talking about nothing and the tension I felt in the beginning was long gone when the scene ended. And the question I ask myself the most: did they cut out material? Because the scenes are not connected. Suddenly there is a race between Willy and Babe but why? Did I miss something? It's obviously dabbing into the race Babe and Winner had in season 1. But that one felt much more intense because it was about Charlie and we didn't know Babe yet. Now it's just about ego and I don't like it. The tension is long gone and it feels unnecessary.

That said, the whole Tony set-up is not that good. The difference is, in season 1 we knew Tony from the beginning as the person who owns the rival team. And the longer the show went on, the more we got to know what really happened and who he really was. It was interesting because every episode gave us new information. So, now we already know his ways. We know who he is. But the problem is, they reuse him as the main villain again. And the worst thing, it's explained in episode 1. And in this episode he literally explains the plot. I really hope there's gonna be more to the story than "it's been Tony all along and Willy is working for him" because that's gonna be so underwhelming. I think the big problem is, they shouldn't have shown us he's still alive. The audience now knows something most characters don't. And the way it's written, the chacarters will be shocked buti it will be old news for the audience. They should have sticked with the way they did it in season 1.

If there's no big twist coming, then I think this season falls flat when it comes to the villain.

Anyway, Dean is...alive? Honestly, the writers couldn't care less about this character. It's so weirdly written but I guess he's back on the team.

I have to say it, I don't care about Pete and Chris. Pete should get over it, he should go see a therapist or something, he needs help. And Chris is just there and he shouldn't be treated like he's Way.

I need North and Sonic like yesterday. These two need to go out alone and hopefully, it will change things.

I don't think I need to say how much I still love Babe and Charlie together. Their chemistry is insane and you can feel they have been together for over a year. Their interactions feel natural and genuine. Their heart eyes make me melt, I love them.

[watchinglikeafangirl]

What a bold move to start off season 2 with Babe and Charlie in bed. But I am absolutly here for it, these two are so sweet together. We get Babe's loving eyes once again.

So far, it feels like a pretty smooth continuation, I like how the new characters are introduced and I am excited to see where this is going. Revealing Tony in the first episode is a risky move, I think hiding him a bit longer would have had a greater effect but nevertheless, a solid scene.

I want to see some PeteKenta action this season, I hope they will meet again. I don't want Pete to be too caught up with Dr. Chris...

Jeff and Alan are cute but the writing is a bit awkward. I hope it gets better. But Jeff struggling because of his visions is actually interesting. In season 1, we saw him having those skills, but it didn't seem that intense and we never really saw what those powers meant to him. He says it's affecting his body, he seems to not be able to sleep because the visions frighten him. It's interesting exploring that. In general, the fact many Alphas seem to struggle because of their powers never uccured to me before. Yes, Charlie took Babe's powers away but it was never clarified how much these powers affect them and other Alphas negatively throughout their lives. Babe seems to be stressed when he hears to much, Charlie feels bad for taking powers and Jeff has some blurry visions every once in a while, but it didn't really feel like they were struggling that much. They didn't seem to be that affected by their powers, but as this episode states, they are affected and some want to get rid of it. It's definetly a theme throughout this second season and I like it a lot.

But is Dean really dead now? If so, then what a weird way to kill him off. He was very present in season 1 and now he's killed under a bridge and we barely see him before that. Feels wrong.

[watchinglikeafangirl]

Top Form is one of the best-produced BLs I've seen until now. It's the first thing I noticed, a really expensive production. It looks hella good.

And their chemistry...I am living for their scenes mirroring their relationship status.

I wasn't sure about Jin at first but what truly amazes me is how he is introduced. We see his face very clearly in the beginning but he's just a bland character, he is the protagonist without a personality. Then we get multiple acting scenes and his eyes are mostly hidden by his hair. When I truly saw him, already half the episode has passed. I feel like I've only seen him for real when he and Akin have their first proper conversation. Not by the time Akin helps him to cry but when Jin walks up to him to thank him. He wears an entirely different expression, it's truly him, his eyes are glowing, he shows a very charming smile. It's the first time I saw him, it's the first time Akin really sees him.

In general, a masterpiece when it comes to storytelling and pacing. The scenes that are supposed to touch my heart truly mesmerize me, the scenes that are supposed to cause stress are scaring me and some scenes are so long but develop so naturally time seems to be flying. When Akin helps Jin to cry...I knew this was gonna be great. And then they act out Akin's character's death which is such a powerful scene. I haven't felt that connected to any characters. It seems to be flowing naturally and these two aren't who they seemed to be. They are so much better and so much worse, they feel very real.

Their kissing scene in episode 4 honestly made me cry just because so many things were left unsaid while these two seemed to scream at each other through their eyes. Episode 4 is great, the whole 21 days-theory paired with a following distance, some overthinking and a desperate attempt to confess. Because Jin fell first but Akin fell harder. They are so desperatly longing and so respectfully worshipping each other.

Great casting. Great editing. Great storytelling.

[watchinglikeafangirl]

The three acts of Jack&Joker

I've finally caught up with Jack & Joker and it's definetly something. The production is pretty good, some shots look really good, the acting is very solid and the stakes feel real.

And I couldn't help but notice how the story is written. It tells a story in three acts. Every act has its own beginning and resolve. I adore stuff like this, so I obviously have to talk about it.

Act 1 - coming to terms with their past

I really like the first episode. The story takes its time to explain and show the history these two share, how they know each other and how they ended up where they are. Jack is introduced as someone who doesn't have anything but could have it all if he would just have the money. He is good at Taekwondo, he is smart but he's in dept and he has to work part-time. He is a victim of the system in every way, forced to stay in poverty forever since there's no real way out of it. He is full of hope which sets him apart from others around him and other characters we meet later who grew up in similar surroundings. And Joke toys with that hope which in the end results in Jack having to shoulder heavy consequences. Joke didn't know how much money can mean and how much it can worsen somebody's life. Joke is shown as a misunderstood kid who has parents who never believed in him ever. We don't really know what happened in the past, there must be some event in Joke's past that results in the deep hatred his father shows him. In the end he wants them to approve him but since that's something he will never accomplish, he keeps on doing "the only thing he's good at", hoping - in a twisted way - to get approval any way. But he makes a mistake. He meets Jack and instead of keeping him out of it, he uses Jack's hope to get what he wants. It's the first time he sees how his behavior affects other innocent people and he turns himself in.

Then, episode two takes place five years later which is honestly such a clever move. We see how trapped Jack is and we see how much Joke wants to make it right. They remind each other of their past, they believe the version they once knew will always stay the truth. In Jack's case it's true and in Joke's case it's not. Jack is the same old kind-hearted guy who cares deeply about the community but Joke is not a criminal who toys with people's hopes and dreams anymore. They go on a journey of accepting each other and who they are to each other. The past is the truth while the present is still not a lie.

They want to save each other but realize they aren't necessarily unhappy. And the longer they know each other, the more they understand each other's morals which is where the ring becomes important. Joke wants to safe Jack so desperatly, he goes out of his way and plots some insane heist to steal the ring to set Jack free. There's a whole back and forth about it and the first act ends with Joke realizing, Jack will never accept the stolen ring even if it's his. Because it is not the right way. He believes he can set everything right, he wants to go the long way because he will actually feel better. Jack wants to end his employment without doing something criminal, he stands up for his responsibility and I think it's something Joke deeply admires. Because Jack has boundaries and he explains his reasons and it helps Joke resetting his own morals.

The first act establishes their history while they slowly accept what the other has become over time. They find peace with their past and understand each other.

Act 2 - becoming their best as a team

The second act shows how unbeatable they are when they work together. It could be them against the world, they are already deeply connected, they already plan a future together without making any real promises for each other. They haven't even talked about their relationship but there's already a possible future together. It's truly beautiful.

But once again, it's hard to overcome themselves and they end up with unresolved feelings. They don't talk openly, there are jealousy and loneliness creeping in and they lose each other.

Like I said, they plan a future without real promises and it all goes too fast. They crash and burn because they still don't trust the other enough with their feelings. There are things kept unsaid, Joke still tries to safe Jack who doesn't want to be saved by someone. Same goes for Jack who wants Joke to be better than he his. They are both convinced their bond is the answer to everything but blind trust doesn't just come out of nowhere and talking is still important.

And the act closes with them cuddling. A peaceful ending and another step in their relationship after finguring out their pacing and how they need to talk to each other.

Act 3 - embracing their love

In act three, we finally enter romantic territory. We get a kiss, we get them as boyfriends, we get some flirting, we get a love confession. It's finally here.

Episode 9 starts with them protecting each other, being selfless, turning offers down because after finding each other again, they want to be better for each other and themselves. They want to become their best versions and in a very sweet way they make it. The future they want together seems to possible for the first time.

But the deep desire to have a future and to live the best life they can, Joke once again, tries to safe Jack and it backfires. It's an explosion honestly. It leads to a very desperate love confession that sounds like a promise, a prayer and a seek for understanding.

It all falls apart again but it's different now. It's something Joke misinterpreted because he took Jack by his words. Yes, he messed up, yes, Jack is angry but no, they are not broken up yet. It made me very sad to see how Joke instantly leaves after experiencing rejection. Jack's outburst was too much, I agree, he was unfair and he was directing anger at Joke that wasn't supposed to be directed at him. And still, Joke leaves, he doesn't confront Jack, he leaves in silence without fighting. I know, it's because of the rejection he faced his entire life and every word that's said is the truth to him. But it's not that simple and they haven't broken up yet and a relationship means work. These two still have a lot to work through, there are still things they don't understand about each other.

Because of course does Jack go and try to safe Joke, of course he does. Then we have this whole game situation which was a good idea but felt a bit underwhelming if you ask me. But we get a happy-ending and a proposal, I like it.

Honestly, I felt very sorry for Hope, he fought Carbon like three times in one episode. My guy was barely concious at all.

Conclusion

So yeah, that's Jack & Joker. Do I wanna talk about the special episode? Absolutly not. I would rather pretend I haven't seen it. I cannot believe they gave Joke that ending. It doesn't make sense at all after watching these two grow together and reach a point beyond trust. I don't understand it at all.

But I really like how their story is told. And can we please appreciate this look? I mean...the hair is just gorgeous.

[watchinglikeafangirl]

Mr. Plankton is the second kdrama making me weep like there's no tomorrow.

And in a weird and twisted way it healed me. The portrayal of someone who goes nuts because he knows and feels death coming closer. Someone who fears he will be forgotten. Someone who finds himself in his last weeks and comes to terms with his past. The grief he feels the whole time, the grief the others feel around him, his will to life and his fear of death, all of it is handled with delicate care and respect. It's not too sad but it's not tossed aside. There is some comedic relief but it's a tragedy.

Almost three years ago, I learned what grief means to me, what grief feels like for me. I watched somebody get scared of death, beginning to fall apart because he knew it was coming. At the time, I didn't understand why he was acting up but of course he was, he felt it. He couldn't sleep anymore and it was the sher fight to stay alive because the body was dying. He went mad, he couldn't recognize us. And a hospital ceiling was all he saw when he died. So watching Hae-jo experience his last months, clinging on to life, going mad and doing whatever because it doesn't matter anymore...it makes me understand my grandpa. And it helps me have real closure and understand how exhausting the last months must have been and how relieving but also scary it was for him to die.

I am not devastated about Hae-jo's death, it was coming and it is inevitable but still, I get it now. I don't know, this kdrama shows how you can remember someone at their best moments, how the last months change the perspective of the people around him and how he will be remembered. I used to have nightmares about the sickness my grandpa carried but the longer he's gone, the more I remember the good parts.

Grief is a complicated emotion. It's different for everybody. For some people even quite traumatizing. For me grief has something beautiful because it shows this person has mattered and won't be forgotten. It lets us reminisce and remember good memories. And it makes us forgive the bad ones. It is a part of life and I feel I've learned at lot from it about myself. And Mr. Plankton shows the different perspectives, the different types of grief and all of it has a place. The writing, directing and acting are phenomenal, it feels real, it's coming from the heart, from a place of grief. It shows how beautiful it is to be alive and how much the people around you matter. In the end, it doesn't matter who Hae-jo's father is, he always had one. And the way he dies is pathetic because after telling himself it will be fine, he begs to stay alive. But this is how it goes and it's beautiful and tragic and I deeply love this kdrama for being what it is.

[watchinglikeafangirl]

I knew it was gonna be sad and I watched it and now my face is wet with tears.

[watchinglikeafangirl]

Do you think there's a place up there for the two of us?

[watchinglikeafangirl]

I feel like this episode could have been slightly better if the show wouldn't want to desperatly include the other couples. I feel like Arc and Arm were a pretty natural part of Yotha and Gun's story. It was annoying but it was okay. Now, we have two couples, so we need more screentime devoted to everyone except the main couple.

I know they were there for the comedic relief but it didn't work for me at all. They all sneak around, follow Faifa and Wine and watch them confess their fears. And then Gun is forced to interrupt them...the scene has a lot of weight, it is important and Faifa and Wine are both very vulnerable. Having the others there ruins the moment. They were just themselves, they both have a hard time being just that and I feel like they close the door again when the others watch. The social filter is back, there are no tears, just an awkward smile and a subtle insecurity. I don't like it at all, the comedic timing is off and it is unnecessary.

BUT nevertheless, this episode is good, it's a very good continuation and I'm very relieved Tor is not going to be there any more.

[watchinglikeafangirl]

Have I binged perfect 10 liners in 4 days? Yes

I tried watching it weeks ago but I couldn't get attatched, so I dropped it. BUT after my exams were over last week, I decided I'd give it a second chance and what can I say, I love it. I think this is my new comfort series, I'll definetly watch it again, it surprised me.

I hate to say it, but I am not a big fan of ForceBook, I don't know why but sometimes I just cringe. It's not them but the characters they play, it's always a similar dynamic. And maybe I didn't like their story in perfect 10 liners because slow burn is just not for me. I just cannot deal with slow burn that feels forced. If there is a story that prevents the characters from getting together, I'm fine with it but with Arc and Arm it felt like the plot was dragging. There was no real reason why it took them so long and Arm's painful cluelessness (that didn't make sense) just annoyed me.

Something about their story was cute though, else I wouldn't have sticked around. And then we enter PerthSanta territory. Whoever decided this new pairing, was a genius. They work so well together, their energies match and I just love their storyline here. Yotha and Gun both surprise me because even if they fulfill stereotypes, the writers went the extra mile to prove us wrong. It's Gun who confesses first, it's Gun who tries to get an answer and it's Yotha who is shy and who opens up to find himself some happiness. They are so cute.

The scene when Gun cries in the bathroom and Yotha cries for him, is stuck with me. And Gun's smile tells us everything we need to know, it's either very bright or it wavers, it's awkward, it doesn't reach his eyes. He is the sunshine but he is a very sensible person. I deeply resonate with him.

Plus, both their traumas weren't treated as irrelevant or childish or something like that. I get how Yotha's life taught him wrong lessons. And even though Gun's trauma was "just" about having nightmares in the dark, I totally love how nobody made fun of him and tries to make him comfortable. That being said, them overcoming their traumas felt rushed. The writers ran out of time, so it's all resolved in 30 mins.

And, then we have Faifa and Wine. To be honest, I wasn't sure about them at first but their story has developed into something more and much deeper than I initially thought. It's about self-acceptance and self-love, both things they need to learn and find in themselves and each other. It's beautiful, honestly. I like them a lot.

The character who irritates me so much is their mom. I don't like her at all. I know, I'm supposed to but still, she is so selfish. It's not about the fact she left their dad and remarried, no, it's the fact she took one of her sons with her and didn't really bother to stay in close contact. There are many families with separated parents but you can still make it work for the children if you want to. Long distance is not a good reason, strategically choosing one of the three sons is not reasonable, showing up once a year doesn't make her loveable. And then Faifa is back with his brothers after spending years apart, having different lives and they're all supposed to be fine and close at an instant because "they're brothers". It's really complicated and I like how it's written. Of course, it's only a glimpse of reality but still, I like how her behavior is not excused or forgiven. Even if Yotha hugged her, he didn't forgive her. Even if Faifa is close to her, she still hurts him.

So yeah, I'm excited to see what's coming next. I love Yotha and Gun, I like Faifa and Wine and I'm pretty neutral about Arc and Arm. I'm gonna rewatch ep 9-16 now lol