LOL yes I have strong opinions about this topic. The IP holds a very special place in my heart because the 2001 Taiwanese version is the first non-American show I ever watched! (Even though my parents are immigrants, we rarely watched telenovelas or Spanish language programming at home.) It's also the show that indirectly got me into fandom because one of the first fanfics I ever read borrowed the show's plot. Shout out to ff.net's rinoaJ.

Even though I don't actually love the story itself, I've made it my life's mission to watch and compare every version* because we all have to have a fandom quirk. Here's my personal ranking of everything that has been released:

Hana Yori Dango (Japan): Best chemistry between the leads and the FL’s character writing and Inoue Mao's performance is my favorite version because she's strong but not overly abrasive, and endearing but not overly cutesy. Also: fantastic pacing, great soundtrack, and overall the best cast in terms of acting (although you do have to get used to the zany style). Aesthetically, not the best, however, and the drama feels VERY outdated in terms of the more let's say "problematic" tropes.

F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers (Thailand): Best thing about this version is how they updated the storyline and characters to be less "problematic". Fewer triggering scenes and the ML actually demonstrates healthy growth. I also enjoyed the acting as it's the most natural of all the versions and the cast feel like real teens on screen with Vachirawit Chivaaree playing the ML being particularly good. The cinematography has some lovely touches, and the show gets my pick as the best portrayal of the F4's friendship--they actually seem like friends who like each other!

Meteor Garden (Taiwan): RIP Barbie Hsu. I'm probably over-inflating because of nostalgia BUT it's the original idol drama--you have to give it props. It's the soapiest but there's something about the rawness of early Taiwanese idol dramas that hits on an emotional level. It's also the only version that ever managed to get a few tears out of me (every time the ML sobbed "Shancai, Shancai" 😭 ). Finally, early 2000s Vic Zhou brooding--need I say more?

Meteor Garden (China): This is the only version that I felt captured the richness of F4's lifestyle (sets, clothes, etc.). But hands down the most frustrating characterization of the FL. The character was bizarrely passive and boring.

Boys Over Flowers (S. Korea): I could NOT STAND this version when it first came out even as it exploded on the internet and created absolute Kdrama mania in the late 2000s. The only good thing about it is it gave Lee Min-ho his big break. Overall stiffest acting, especially from the totally miscast FL actress. Draggy as well and could have been cut down several episodes. Iconic soundtrack, however--"Almost Paradise" the ear worm that never dies.

Project Hail Mary (2026)

can I just say? THIS IS WHAT MAKING/WATCHING MOVIES IS ALL ABOUT!!!

PHM was just an amazing movie. 5 stars. it was beautiful. Cinematography? AMAZE! Acting? AMAZE! Soundtrack? AMAZE! like literally so so so good.

now, this movie has been out for like, literally a week, so the rest of my thoughts will be below the cut. TLDR: go watch Project Hail Mary ASAP!!!!!

Hi, Anon! Great question!

I think there are so many factors that have made Heated Rivalry as popular as it is, but what I think it boils down to is: it's just a damn good show.

But to break it down:

The acting was phenomenal and the fact that this level of talent is coming from two relative unknowns is a novelty because we haven't had that in a very long time. People are tired of seeing the same faces in every single thing and seeing nepo babies everywhere, no matter how talented those actors are. Both Hudson and Connor were a breath of fresh air, and their sincerity towards the project and the characters they portray shine through. How many scenes are people going back to rewatch because either Hudson or Connor pulled you in to the story?

Everything in the show was intentional in its direction and cinematography. You can't watch this show without paying attention because there are so many details and nuances in the lighting, the framing, etc that inform the story. This is also a breath of fresh air because we are in an unfortunate era of media illiteracy. People refuse to pay attention so movies/shows now have to spell it out for them. The dumbing down detracts from the narrative and dialogue feels stilted and unnatural. Heated Rivalry doesn't do that. It expects you to follow along and listen, and when you do, the show rewards you with its beautiful storytelling.

The sex scenes were captivating and hooked you in. Whether fortunately or unfortunately, a major draw for people was the sex scenes, but while they were explicit, they were filmed in such an intimate way that it felt almost voyeuristic to be watching them. The first penetrative sex scene could've easily been filmed in such a fast-paced, music-thumping, passionate way, but Jacob slowed it down, gave them one of the most beautiful soundtracks and framed it in the most romantic way. Rather than sex being the conclusion of their love story or added in gratuitously, sex is used to demonstrate the emotional state of Shane and Ilya's relationship. It made them so much more interesting and never felt like they were just there for the novelty of "gay sex."

It's a beautiful love story. So much of queer stories we see being produced are frankly chock-full of queer trauma, and in the light of this increasingly regressive world where lgbtqia people are having their basic rights threatened all over the world, we want queer love and queer romance and queer fucking happiness. Shane and Ilya, for all that they live in a deeply homophobic society and have so many obstacles in the way of their happily ever after, they truly and deeply love each other. And we get to watch them navigate that love while also coming to terms with their own respective journeys. It's relatable. It's beautiful. It's hopeful. Got to give props to Rachel for writing a really enjoyable story but also Jacob for fleshing out Shane and Ilya even more, bringing his lived experience as a gay man to this story, making their struggles so honest and so relatable to queer people everywhere. There's a reason why post-show, a viral trend of queer athletes showing their younger selves and saying "this show would've meant so much to young me".

Hudson and Connor are authentically charming. I think this is a major draw for many people. Similar to my first point but rather than the acting, it's just Hudson and Connor as people. So many of their press tour interviews were going viral on social media because people found them so endearing and charming and unhinged. We're not used to seeing such authenticity. The people have been starved for funny, hot, personable leading men, and Hudson and Connor both just have that star quality.

I honestly could go on and on, to be honest. But ultimately, I think it's a love story that people needed right now. The world is what it is. We're facing such inexplicably horrible realities worldwide. It's no wonder that people are drawn to a love story that leaves you feeling hopeful, warm and happy.

SEXIEST MOVIE OF 2024 FULL STOP!!!

okay but no frfrfr..... i was absolutely captived when i saw it in the cinema. like the cinematography and the visuals were absolutely delicious on all counts, with all those high-contrast shots and sparse lines vs the bustling kitchen areas and the smoke breaks etc, and the soundtrack was the most exquisitely sparse thing i've ever heard, i love her so much!!! and that's before we even get into the actual story here!!!

we've got a homily about how faith is not the opposite of doubt but of certainty! we've got introspection about the entire process of the conclave! we've got people making questionable decisions and wrestling with the ends justifying the means and we've got absolutely no-one being above acting in secret! we've got "it doesn't matter what actually happened, what matters is what people think, and there's no fixing that" my beloved! we've got discussions of the church, and of the Church! and we've got the ultimate reveal at the end, because he gets exactly what he was praying for this whole time—he gets an opportunity to wrestle with his doubt, and a pope who's going to make him wrestle with his faith. and it's so well done on all fronts. the way it all comes to a head with the explosion when he finally listens to what everyone else was saying and writes his own name? show-stopping.

This only solidifies my POV, which I have already gone over on the Under The Table Podcast and in many previous entries on my blog, about the whole problem with S3 being in the WR. Coming from a very solid S2 and amazing S1 award season, only made matters worse, of course.

Viewers appreciate realism, as a matter of fact the kind of audience The Bear appeals to is the kinda public that digs realism and adult content, with lots of cussing, raw directorial style, fast-paced, etc. We are not the typical rom-com or even drama series audience. The Bear became a hit show back in 2022 because its eps were fast-paced, with a dramedy quality that made it original, lots of adult language, and with a hint of sexual tension that was "promising" if explored in future seasons, that at that point were not confirmed yet. S2 was ordered in July 2022 in the middle of the momentum the show was starting to get, and shot from February to April 2023, then it premiered in June 2023, only to compete now, in this award season that opened a few weeks ago at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Meaning: the reason why S3 didn't work as expected, and the numbers back that up that is why they haven't released them yet, is because the writers were not able to write a BALANCED plot. Yes, it hit all the realistic marks in terms of mental health struggles and fine dining 7th circle of hell, but at the same time, it lost every other "ingredient" that it used to have. THERE IS A WAY to write the best of both worlds, and I certainly expected that coming from who I considered the best script writer out there, the sadist. And his right hand wired for romance, Miss Calo. They didn't do it. They disappointed me. They went all in with the docuseries' raw realism style of Carmy hitting rock bottom, which if you were really paying attention in S2 was nothing but PREDICTABLE → as I proved even before S3 premiered here and here but they didn't build towards a cliffhanger that left you wanting more, actually, 03X10 is altogether hard to watch, there's no balance like in FISHES 02x06, for instance, just one punch after the other, all below the belt, no comedy, no breather, just tragedy and more tragedy and more sense of doom and more PLEASE MAKE IT STOP! THAT'S IT, END THIS, PULL THE PLUG, STOP IT! etc... Like I said: No balance.

Storer only focused on Carmy's background story, but didn't give us anything we couldn't have figured out on our own anyway, he didn't explore Syd's background story, which should be a collection of gems and absolutely Sydcarmy friendly because the more we know about her, the better we will be able to figure out how will Sydcarmy happen and when (I already know when, but still) and he also focused on Tina's background story, IMO that was completely unnecessary as T is not a central character, what he showed there was also easy to guess anyway and could have been summarised in a couple of scenes, not an entire bottled episode, not when other characters are UNEXPLORED after 3 seasons. So basically, all the decisions made in terms of SCRIPT were WRONG. The acting was perfect, the direction was too, the soundtrack, the cinematography, all of it, but the foundation wasn't there because in the WR the creative decisions made for S3 were completely fucked up, we were served a docuseries as opposed to the fictional show with a realism bouquet we were watching the previous 2 seasons.

This show legitimately has one of the best soundtracks of any show in any language I've ever experienced. Blame the Stars is maybe the best Jimmy has ever sounded. One Palm Distance by Satang Kittiphop is romantic and ethereal. Last Twilight by William Jakrapatr (whom I've never heard of before now but goddamn can that man sing) is powerful and emotional and encapsulates the show perfectly. The OST always gives me chills and I get so swept up in the background music that I often have to rewind the scene because I missed what was happening in the story!

hi anon! I don't think I actually have, all in the same post! let's go <3

I TOLD SUNSET ABOUT YOU

I've talked about this show about a thousand times already, so I'll keep it short: this is the only show I consider truly perfect, from its writing, cinematography, acting, chemistry, storyline, soundtrack, etc. it's not for everyone bc it's VERY angsty but it's deffo my cup of tea & I'm gonna be honest teh's coming out storyline was extremely important to me as it came right before I also finally accepted my bisexuality. overall just my favorite show, so important & beautiful with deeply flawed characters <3

PROJECT S: SKATE OUR SOULS

this show is the only other one with itsay I've rated a 10/10 in my life, even though it's not perfect, because it literally changed my life. the last sentence of the show literally helped me get over the worst depressive episode of my life, which is a pretty goddamn beautiful result for a show about depression. even though it's not entirely perfect, it's still an extremely well written show, has a gorgeous cinematography full of neons, incredible performances & a story that was so important to tell. I couldn't recommend it more!

PROJECT S: SIDE BY SIDE

in also a near flawless show, we have this show. it's a very touching story that will make you cry, tries to understand all of its characters, with stunning acting performances from everyone, and it's just the kind of shows I don't see anyone disliking tbh. very well executed & definitely an all time favorite of mine :)

THE REVENGE

probably the most underrated show on this list, this is actually the show I'm the most upset about being underrated lol, bc it's literally SO GOOD. if it was a korean show it'd go viral type of good. this is a very fucked up story so not for the faint of heart but it's executed extremely well, and honestly I don't have much negative to say about this show. flawless performances, an extremely impactful show, and forever one of my favorite thai dramas ever made!

SLEEPLESS SOCIETY: INSOMNIA

another highly underrated thai drama that no one has watched. this is female-led, touches on politics & corruption, has a very different setting from usual & a great plot through and through. the ending is also super iconic & stays on my mind to this day. I really encourage anyone to watch it!

MY RIDE

if you like love sick or my school president, I think my ride will be your cup of tea. it's a pretty simple story but with such lovable characters & a beautiful healthy ship that it immediately became one of my favorite comfort shows. it's the ultimate proof that even a more simple story can be beautiful if given enough soul, quirkiness & love :)

IN FAMILY WE TRUST

in family we trust is a lakorn, but it doesn't feel like a lakorn. apart from the obviously beyond iconic cast at every level, the writing & cinematography are leagues above any other lakorns. for a murder story that should be pretty straightforward, they managed to weave in the interpersonal relationships of the characters perfectly, and this is the kind of show that you can put down once you start. if you've never watched lakorns before, I'd recommend this one to start with since it's quite similar to regular series.

TO SIR, WITH LOVE

another lakorn, another slay! this one is way more lakorn-y so I don't think it's for everyone, but it's literally the only lakorn that treats its queer characters fairly lol & it's such a beautiful love story. it's very dramatic bc 1) lakorn & 2) historical drama with repressed queer characters, but everything in this drama just HITS. you care for the characters so much, and the brother relationship is also so supportive & beautiful and I'm so glad the show never compromised it for some petty drama. overall this show put me through all the emotions & I loved it so much for it lol

GREAT MEN ACADEMY

this show is the proof of the kind of imagination thai film makers have when they get a good budget. the world building of that show is so vibrant & fun, but more than that the writing is really good with endearing characters, good interpersonal relationships, and a really beautiful love story & plot. this is just such a nice show to watch, even with its kind of childish aspect, and once again the cast is great since it's the same as in in family we trust lol. watch both shows back to back & be shook at how drastically different yet so good they both are :)

THE DEBUT

another super underrated show that no one has watched but fucking slaps. not only is it female-led with amazing performances (and a great cast!), but this show really is so well written, with a mystery & a plot twist that will pull you in and make you bingewatch it. the cinematography & colors also slap, and overall it's such a good show that I wish more people would watch.