Too Babyish and cliché
The plot was basic and nothing new or unique. Gun was a stalker. Umm. Not cool dude. Creepy actually. When he finally gets Bar he acts like he owns him. Gun doesn't want him to go anywhere without him. Possessive much? Bar wants to go to the bar with his friends. Nope, Gun says no. Very annoying. Also I didn't like Gun Babyish ways, I did prefer Bar with his tough attitude and all, but he always gave in the end, which was really annoying.They didn't seem to be any chemistry at all between them, and the fact the friends literally forced them together was a big NO for me. Thank goodness this drama was only 4 episodes long with less 20 minutes each. There was no story development. Nothing happened. Gun liked Bar. Gun stalked Bar. Bar liked Gun back. They are together. The end. Nothing happened to show us why Bar began to like him back.
OVERALL:
Some really enjoyed this. I clearly did not. I can handle worn tropes, low budgets, less than stellar acting, and subpar writing--to an extent. But I need something special to make up for those shortcomings, a spark that just wasn't present in this story. I can't say I'd recommend the series, mainly because I got more disgusted by Gun the more I watched, but it's only four episodes and a rather quick binge.
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Just...it's not good. The storyline was generic, it was cute don't get me wrong, but that's it. Execution wasn't done well. I didn't feel like it was going anywhere. I kept thinking, "So what's all this leading up to?" The production quality is LOW. (I'm talking about that competition, yikes!) A student film could give me more than what this show was. I feel like the actors did their best with the material which was given to them, but that didn't make the acting authentic. Plus idk what happened with the casting, but Win does not fit the description of Gun. He's cute, but too soft. His "sexy aggression" came off as creepy and he was too stoic for the role. This show isn't memorable and as much as I wanted to love it, I didn't. Those 4 episodes felt like 30.
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I don’t know how I survived this series...or why I even bothered
No, I know why I bothered. It’s because I’m interested in seeing love mechanics and decided to get to know the overall story/side characters in Tossara. I gave it a chance but the series didn’t amount to anything even remotely watchable.The plot was incredibly cliche and shallow. And while there’s nothing wrong with being cliche, the shallowness of the plot in Tossara was horrible.
A cliche story can be saved by interesting and multidimensional characters but this wasn’t the case in Tossara. The production is obviously low budget so I won’t be commenting on that. I’ve seen a couple of bl shows with low production value which still managed to be entertaining and dare I say even deep. Not this one though.
While this show has many problems, I’m mainly going to talk about my main problem and that’s Guns actor. His acting skills are absolutely atrocious. He cannot act to save his life and it’s strange because all the other actors were actually pretty decent - In comparison at least. Every time Guns actor appeared on screen I felt my insides twist and the temperature drop around me in anxious anticipation of second hand embarrassment.
And what prompted the hair styling and fashion choices for the character of Gun? He obviously is supposed to be the hottest guy that’s ever hottet, yet his styling choices and aura scream the opposite. Idk why they decided to give him this slicked down, nerdy hair and old school glasses and put him in a uniform, in which he looks like an overgrown middle schooler. I’ve seen people criticize the actors looks but I’ll refrain from that bc looks are subjective. While the actors looks may or may not be below average, he projected zero confidence and had no charm whatsoever. He even slouched a bit when he stood or walked. This is simply not the way I’d expect the hottest, most popular guy in school to be like. He neither had the aura of a popular person nor the enticing mystery of a loner. Idk why so many would be interested in him, lest confessing to him a thousand times a day (?!)
I feel like I know what kind of character Gun was supposed to be. I think he may have initially been written as a little pushy and teasing but mostly charming, and flirtatious person who is supposed to confidently pursue Bar until Bar falls in love with him. Maybe a little like the Ming/Kit dynamic from 2Moons (maybe). Yet Wins lack of acting skills make Gun look like a pushy, rude and stalking creep.
I regret watching this series. Damn, I wished I’d fast forwarded directly to the side couples. I also feel really bad for Folk. It couldn’t have been easy to act alongside such a stiff actor like Win. I hope he’ll get more opportunities to show off his acting skills in the future. And Win should seriously consider getting some intense acting lessons if he wants to continue in this business.
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What I didn't like about the show:
1. The chemistry between the actors was nonexistent. It's annoying to say so but chemistry is important. Without chemistry between characters, you cant get immersed in the show because it feels like you are watching a high school play.
2. From what I've heard this story is based off a novel. Everyone knows the issues of taking a medium like a novel that has an endless amount of time to go into depth with a storyline -into a medium like a video that is seriously limited. They tried to fit a lot into 4 episodes and I applaud them into trying but I couldn't help but to watch some scenes and feel like they should have been cut out. I wish the producers would have expanded some scenes and cut out some others. 90% of this show is Gun being jealous - which I will talk about next - and those scenes were just cringy and something more interesting could have filled its place.
3. Jealousy. I've enjoyed some jealous scenes a time or two but this show delivered some cringe-worthy scenes. I'm not sure if the lack of chemistry or if it was just his acting style but Gun sounded annoying and needy whenever he got jealous. He would get jealous at someone looking at his manz and then turn into a low-key asshole. I didn't want to have his back because I felt embarrassed for Bar. They would resolve their issues fast since the show was 4 episodes long and t seemed like there was no point of that cringy scene if its resolved 2 mins from then.
4. The actors were okay but I do have the problem with Gun. Win who plays the character Gun is cute bf material but they casted him for a sexy confident Mr. popular type which just didn't fit. Win could be a great actor if they would give him more fitting roles. The show seemed off because he couldn't really carry the lines. Honestly, if they switched his and Folks characters they might have gotten a better product.
What I did like about the show:
1. It's short and cute. It wasn't of the highest of qualities but to give them the benefit of the doubt it was still watchable. It's light-hearted which is nice to watch during a crappy time like this.
2. I have ragged on the acting quite a bit but I do think Folk (plays bar) and some of the other characters have some real potential. I think if Win was casted in a role more suiting for him he could be great.
Whenever I watch a show I keep one question in mind: Is it worth my time? Considering how short the series is I don't think my time was completely wasted. The shows rewatch value is seriously low and it's quite forgettable. Even though the show was short I still couldn't find the motivation to watch it. I had to force myself f to finish it. However, I will be watching the other two installments.
TO WATCH OR NOT TO WATCH: WATCH
Watch it since it's so short but only if you're interested in watching the trilogy!
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I believe that if these series wouldn't be only four episodes long, the story would be quite cute. For me, it's basically Sotus in shorter version. Just another engineer bl. But of course, it's got quite pretty elements where I thought it was actually unique.
Acting:
I'm very sorry to say so, but I didn't like the acting almost at all.
I'll start with Folk. His acting wasn't too bad. As a tsundere character, the portration was very good. His acting was believeable. I'm sure that if he could get role where he would be able to develop his character better, he would make an excellent job at it.
Now let's talk about Win's acting. Honestly, it kinda dissapointed me a lot. His acting wasn't matching what his character was supposed to be like. He didn't have any character development at all, but I also know it's partly the storyline's fault, since it's short series.
Overall, the characters were good. Their friends were the characters you can't not love.
The acting was indeed the thing I was very disappointed about.
Music:
Honestly, I'm pretty mad about it. First, I'll just say that I did enjoy the OST, it's a great song and I will surely listen to it. But the reason why I'm mad about it is that, that the music in the story didn't fit with the feelings at all. The whole series are basically filled with only piano melodies, that actually just seemed as one as well. In every situation, even if it was sweet moment, even if it was a small fight, they just put there a piano and it just didn't fit the feelings AT ALL. Music is there to help you understand the feelings and the situation in total. You shouldn't put it there just to fill the backround. I'm seriously mad about this one and disappointed as well.
Rewatch value is very low for me, because to me it has more failing points than the fullfilling ones. But if you're looking for something way too sweet, kinda cute and bl, killer of time it is great. But nothing more than that.
Now, don't get me wrong. The actors are all great, they're good looking and they surely don't miss talent. There was a lot of cute scenes that had my heart skip a beat. I don't completely hate these series, but I'm just, as I said many times, disappointed about it. I was expecting a lot more than that, so it was very easy to feel bad about it.
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If you want something cute and short, 10/10 recommend
If you are expecting a well-rehearse UWMA level production with the chemistry of MewGulf, this isn't for you.That doesn't mean it's not good however. First of all, Win (Tossakan/Gun) and Folk (Bar) had the shortest workshop and had to film first out of the series. And I think Win was chosen last out of nowhere. So taking that into consideration, yeah this isn't going to be the best BL you've ever seen. Just because this series is below average doesn't mean it's bad. Having such high standards makes you overlook nice and sweet dramas like this.
If you don't want to read my full review here's the main points:
1. It starts off wonky but it gets better, it's only 4 episodes
2. There is chemistry its just not the type we usually see, especially since Bar is the biggest tsundere, love can be shown in looks rather than touch
3. Don't judge a book by its cover. Win's character should be really hot but don't say Win is ugly or not good looking which is why he doesn't fit the role. That's rude, he tried and so did everyone else.
4. Bar is the most mature BL character I've ever seen and I wish there were more of him. Him and Gun had the most mature relationship too
5. This drama is just a cute miniseries in a trilogy type series, don't compare it to others like UWMA
The first two episodes, I won't lie were hard to watch because the production quality (the cuts between scenes and general blending of scenes) were below average. For the chemistry between them, people saying they had none apparently don't realize that not all couples are touchy feely, some people's love language is more subtle than that. They had alot more chemistry in the last two however which really sold it for me.
People were saying that Gun was a stalker/obsessive and I really don't see it? Like take Sarawat, he fell in love with Tine in high school like Gun did with Bar and liked him for years and tried finding Tine just like Gun. There was a scene in Tossara were Gun's friend was talking about how Gun asked him everything about Bar so he could learn more about him. And that Gun always went to the pool so he could see him, yeah that's lowkey stalkerish but like c'mon how else is he gonna see him if they are in different faculties and it's in a public area it's not like Gun is following Bar to his house. Ya get me? Kla in LBC was much worse tbh. And him being obsessive, when Bar's friends asked Bar to go to the bar with them in the last episode, Gun said no but I don't think he even meant it. He was just trying not to seem like a pushover to his boyfriend's friends. The man has waited 6 years to be with his crush, I don't blame him for wanting to be with him often. Bar tells Gun off too anyway so it's not like Bar sits there and takes it.
And there's alot of hate towards Win which isn't okay. Folk is a great natural actor which makes Win look worse but Win could have been a lot worse. Like I mentioned he was casted last, a new actor as well, and didn't have the much time to workshop with Folk. And people saying he's not as good-looking as his character is rude because it's not like he can change his face. Ae in LBC is suppose to be "ugly" but Perth who plays him is good-looking, some people call this a miscasting but since Perth is good-looking they let it slide, you see what I mean?
In all, this series isn't suppose to be deep nor riveting. It's the type of drama that makes you squeal of cuteness and fall in love with the two leads that's it. If you want to be investing in a long drama with a compelling story, watch UWMA or Tharntype even Why R U. But I still recommend you watch this series and support WinFolk ^^and everyone else who helped.
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Hi, If you are reading this review, I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. I love this series even though it's short. But other people keep saying that it is not a good series. They keep judging the way the story tells, and I want to say that they are wrong. Lets start with the characters especially with Bar and Tossakan. Tossakan may look like a stalker on the first episode because he have a crush on Bar gor so long..... Since he was in grade 7. Think of it.... Grade 7? And what grade is Tossakan now? First year college / freshman. There's nothing wrong to stalk to your crush because you didn't doing anything wrong, and for Tossakan situation... He show us how long it takes... He stay being loyal to Bar. For Bar, He is not a expressive person like Tossakan, and for me that is the reason why other people don't feel the chemistry to this series. But knowing the fact..... Bar didn't experience dating a guy.... So, he had a hard time with Tossakan ( the person who was hitting him). But later on... Bar feels happy for having Tossakan.•Opinion •
Its not hard to open your heart to someone, you only need time to adjust because Love is not based on Gender.
And For the Tossara Series... Bar show us, how hard to get! He was ? HAHAHAHAH. No hate for this series I hope other people will understand. Don't just use your eyes while watching this, instead you should also use your heart to feel the true message of the story.
Stop posting reviews that are bullsh*t... Okay?
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(WARNING: My grades may be a bit harsh, I consider 8 to be a great show, 7 to be a good show and 6 to be an okay show)That statement is a bit harsh but I stand by it: the cinematography is the only thing I liked.
Folk’s acting wasn’t mind-blowing, he barely had any space to make his character grow, I think he really shone in episode 2, maybe episode 4 was also an interesting one with Bar having more depth when he is a bit less tsundere-like.
Win’s acting really let me down, especially the last two episodes but I wonder if it’s not due to his character’s personality. Win played that wonderful, popular, calm student with a fixed mind or at least that’s what I understood. He isn’t perfect far from it, Gun is overbearing and doesn’t respect some important boundaries. Win may have been extremely limited by his character and therefore I am no one to judge
The music is okay, I don’t have much to say apart from more technical stuff I don’t really know about and can’t explain in a practical and objective way.
The story isn’t that good, I still have unanswered questions from episode 1, but it teaches some important lessons about consent, boundaries and living for yourself though Gun makes it harder to see those lessons.
Another point I think is important to make about the story is that it’s actually good for a four episodes long show. I do have some questions but I do not at any moment find myself unable to understand what was happening and why.
Anyway back to the cinematography, my final poing which lead to me giving one more point to this review. The scenes looked so beautiful, breathtaking, the aesthetic is so satisfying. I expected no less from this studio that already served some very good works.
I should probably conclude this review here. I would not really recommend this show nor would I rewatch it but I don’t feel like I wasted my time watching it, it’s unfortunate that I did not like it but I’m sure it has its audience especially since the story has both fluff and a bit of angst.
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Only watched this because it is part of the series. I’m hoping the others will be better and they seem to have better ratings. Thing the problem with this one was bad casting and bad script.
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Honestly, I didn't like this bl in the beginning. The 2 episodes were bad I have dropped this series but I didn't have anything else to watch so I watched the third and fourth episode and to my surprise, this wasn't as bad as the previous one. The casting wasn't bad but in some scenes, the chemistry was missing or the scene was weird. The speed of the story was understandable because of the length of this series but the writing was off sometimes.
I loved Bar's growth and his honesty with his feelings. I appraised the scene in episode 4 when Bar talked about boundaries in their relationship. Thanks to Bar I enjoyed this series.
Everything else was average or below average.
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