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Blood Donation
Okay, this review may sound strange, but I cannot let this point slide as a Lab Technologist. (I'll leave the normal review of the series to the others)Here we go,
In one scene, Sun needs a massive blood transfusion, and they bring to him all the blood he has been donating as a backup in case Sky needs since they both share the same rare blood group.
They said that Sun has been donating blood every three months. A person can only donate 470ml (two blood units) at a time, and the blood units are only stored for 42 days if we do not freeze them. Frozen blood can be stored for ten years, but freezing blood is a poor way of storing it because there is a high chance that most of the RBCs will be hemolyzed upon thawing, thus losing the blood's value. So generally speaking, blood is stored in the refrigerator for up to 42 days.
While I can understand that Sun is donating his blood to keep some blood available in case Sky needs it.
In that particular scene, the stored blood wasn't that much in the first place, as Sky's father led his son to believe. The blood couldn't be more than 2 or 3 units. I think they should've shown Sky donating his blood to save Sun, instead.
Anyway, I just wanted to clear this point out.
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I'm a sucker for bodyguard shows so I watched this anyway
Golden Blood features your typical bodyguard romance plot, which isn’t original but one that I’m honestly a sucker for. Unfortunately, the show falls flat with weak acting and uninteresting characters.Gun, while a more familiar face in the BL scene, fails to deliver in a main role. When showcasing depth of emotion and heartache, however, Gun’s acting lacked refinement despite his relative experience in previous BLs. It’s clear that Boat, who played Sun, is the stronger actor in the Sun-Sky pairing, as he conveyed so much more with less.
The highlight for me was actually the side couple: Bank, Sky’s best friend, and Pitch. Their relationship was so soft and pure, evolving wholesomely with hardly any unnecessary drama. They also provided some moments of comic relief, which were welcome in tense scenes.
The intensifying rivalry between competing mafia groups also keeps the storyline sufficiently exciting, but isn't enough to carry the entire show.
Read my full review here: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2021/11/22/golden-blood-2021/
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enjoyable but not in the way it wants to be
Is this show great? No.Has it good acting? No.
An interesting story? No.
Did I enjoy this show? Absolutely, but not in the way I should (probably).
I did have a great time watching it and laughed quite a lot, but not when the show wanted me to laugh. I found myself cry-laughing when serious stuff happened. I think I have Tumblr to thank for that as well.
The story was filled with many clichés that weren't executed in a new or fun way (forced proximity, the girls who are just there to make the guys jealous, the mean father who wants to separate the couple, etc.) The side couple was not all that bad and actually had quite some chemistry, but it felt very awkward in terms of continuity. Pitch was the walking stereotype of the creepy over-the-top flirty antagonist until he just...wasn't anymore. I don't know what happened but I suddenly found myself actually...liking him??? Also, his and Bank's (the side couple) storyline obviously got cut short (scene of a preview that alluded to some drama never happened) which took the flow out of their storyline and the overall story.
I guess if you look for a well-written story with good acting and revolutionary takes on clichés, don't watch it. But if you look for some cheap entertainment with many (unintentional) hilarious scenes and an enjoyable (cut-short) side couple and many missed opportunities for actual deep metaphors (cube), then I found the perfect BL for you!
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The premise had potential, I’ll admit- a son of a mafia with a rare blood type and a bodyguard raised solely to be a blood bank; a turf war on the verge of brimming over; a spoiled, over-protected, rich kid experiencing falling in love and the orphaned bodyguard who doesn’t believe his life is worth more than the bag of blood he donates regularly struggling with his growing feelings that threaten to cross the line of what he was entrusted to protect…. This could have been a beautiful tragedy or even a slightly dark rom-com but it seems the script writer didn’t know how to expand on this to go any further. The script looked like it wouldn’t pass a middle school English writing class. The terrible script was accompanied by mediocre acting, lackluster dialogue, with the exception of one or two scenes, poorly choreographed fight scenes, one dimensional characters and comical villains who narrate their evil plans out loud and punctuate it by belting out a boisterous hahaha at the end. And Gun’s acting was just … ugh no, nah. I couldn’t even find salvation in the side couple because again they were very poorly developed. Like when did they get together did they even show that? Or did I miss it while I was desperately trying to smooth out the hair on my arms that’ve been standing like they were exposed to static electricity.
My goodness! If the growing number of titles on my dropped list wasn’t bugging me so much I should have dropped this by that episode where the violins came out.
I really wanted to support Gun since I really liked his character in LBC before it was ruined but unfortunately this was more of a trial of patience for me than a support for him.
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The hype that I felt in the first episode slowly faded as time goes by. After episode 2, I did realize that this series wouldn’t get any better. Even worse!
Honestly I really want to dropped this show (like any other shows that made me down), but turn out the cuteness amongst PitchBank kept me going till the last second.
Thank god they only have 8 episodes, I couldn’t imagine if they had more than 10 episodes ?
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This review may contain spoilers
Should've Been Called Bronze Blood
So with this series, at first it felt like there was no wasted time which I liked! When you have an 8 episode series, you kind of have to rush things a little bit. We had moments at the beginning that really felt like they would pay off. But alas, they really didn't. This series became very stale very fast, and without our side couple Pitch & Bank I would've probably stopped watching.Positives first. Gun is wayyyy better in this than in LBC. This character suits him (for the most part)! The chemistry is sweet and some the moments are well done . Mostly between Pitch and Bank though. Which I was not expecting at all! They felt so out of nowhere but then I ended up really liking them. They stole the show basically! Both girls in this irritated me, but they really weren't given much to work with to be likable. The storyline with the dad I could care less about. The Reveal about the gold blood was kind of cool, I didn't know that that existed. But it is very rare!I liked that Sky is taking an actual initiative now because he doesn't want Sun getting continuously hurt. That's some character growth! I also really liked Boat's song in this. He has such a nice voice! Gun's was good too, but I kinda wish they hadn't overplayed the crap out of both of them.
Now onto the negatives. Again, our main couple fell flat by the end. Especially when we find out that the dad doesn't approve. And then they have to wait six years to be together basically. Wtf even was that!? I hate that in storylines, ain't nobody got time to wait around like that! Like c'mon dude lets be at least a little realistic. The chemistry between Sky and Sun dwindled out to basically nothing by the end. Which is a shame, especially since none of their "cute moments" felt cute lol. Like the kissing was so bad! Again Pitch and Bank were superior in every regard. I'm sure most will forget about this series in about a month, probably less. Watch for the Pitch Bank stuff if anything, but its not a lot lol.
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This review may contain spoilers
welp ???
honestly i’m only staying for pitch and bank i literally can’t sit through sky’s scenes (him and that mouth damn ☠️) suns not that bad but the fighting ??? to add sky is so entitled like how much of a bitch you have to be to lead on two girls and make one go out with sun when you know damn well he ion like her but my baby’s pitch and bank all good <3, the music was alright! i liked the intro song, also the storyline is awesome i do like it even tho i was confused half the time ?? anywhosie would i recommend this show to a friend... maybeWas this review helpful to you?
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It didn't give what it was supposed to gave
The irony of Golden Blood is that despite a good (albeit unoriginal) concept, it was more enjoyable when it strayed from the bodyguard and mafia shenanigans. All of the action sequences looked cheap and poorly done. I never felt like there were any real stakes or danger, even when the slow-motion yelling and sudden rainstorm that appeared from nowhere tried to convince me otherwise. There were a grand total of two stunts (both in episode 7) that weren't eye-roll inducing but overall, the action lacked choreography and style. One could argue that most viewers are only engaged for the BL romances but if the plot calls for action, there should have been a better attempt to commit. The action sequences drew me out of the show every single time. Which is why I couldn't even complain when episodes 5 and 6 took a break from the action.But even outside of the obvious issues with the bad action sequences, the writing lacked. Scenes were written for pure convenience of cuteness or drama without really leading up to it. For example, in ep 5, Bank and Pitch are fully aware of Sun being a hired bodyguard for Sky. Yet, in ep 6, they suspect that they aren't cousins so they spy on them, ultimately leading to an almost-kiss in a pond. It made no sense that they were suspicious about the validity of their kinship when it was already revealed that Sun was a bodyguard. And again with Bank and Pitch; Pitch pursues Bank relentlessly for 4 episodes and when they finally kiss, he panics. No nuance whatsoever.
Toktang and Juno were quite likable for characters who served absolutely no purpose to the story other than forced drama. It made no sense that the girls continued to pursue Sun and Sky until the very last episode, as they were paid dust up and until episode 7. And what bugs me more than the terrible writing for the girls was that Sky selfishly used them and played with their feelings for revenge against Sun but never apologized or got called out for it.
So far, I've only complained about the writing and less-than-stellar production value but I was genuinely invested in the two main romances, despite all. Gun's (Sky) acting wasn't always the best (to put it lightly) but he had great chemistry with Boat (Sun). Boat's acting was good even though he wasn't very convincing as an intimidating bodyguard. I think the Bank/Pitch romance was equally as enjoyable to watch. Arguably moreso as they had a more palpable dynamic.
Overall, it's far from the top of my recommendation list but with only 8 episodes, it's a quick and fun watch. Maybe the poor action sequences won't bother the typical viewer as much as it bothered me.
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This review may contain spoilers
I knew it was only a matter of time before there would be a BL "The Bodyguard" clone...
There, I said it. Basically this is like an LGBT/BL version of the 1992 film with (the late) Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, and this clearly caught my attention enough to make the comparison.Skimming some of the other reviews here, and seeing the overwhelming disapproval of Sky (portrayed by Gun Napat Na Ranong), it didn't even dawn on me that he played Techno in the other series that I remember watching not too long ago: "Love By Chance". And they're not wrong -- other than a couple of scenes where Sky demonstrated anger towards Sun (portrayed by Boat Tara Tipa) -- he's really lackluster in the role. A MacGuffin that could have easily been replaced by any actor (or actress) for the purpose of the story.
The story itself is straightforward enough. Mafia Princess... err, I mean Prince... spoiled rotten and going to be used as a pawn in a cartel shift of power between Sky's father (portrayed by Oat Voravudh Niyomsap) and a rival mafia lord (portrayed by Kradum Thanayong Wongtrakul). Blah, blah, blah... seriously this plot was lifted from so many other movies and shows that you can practically sleep through is as it's more filler to the ongoing plot than the driving factor of the story...
Now to break it down to three categories
* The Good:
Gold Stars go to Boat Tara Tipa for being able to convey emotional depth through body language, facial expressions and even through eye and eyebrow expressions. In fact in one of the school scenes at the beginning of the series when Bank (portrayed by newcomer Tenon Teachapat Pinrat) said something that Sun didn't approve of, Sun gave a look that I saw my first boyfriend give someone that had threatened me at a nightclub a long time ago. And it's been more than 35 years since I've ever seen a similar look given by *anyone*.
More gold stars go to J-Chin (portrayed by Dai Setthasitt Limkasiddej) for being the sense and sanity that tied together what I had been suspecting going on with Sun between duty, honor, and obligation. Seeing the final scene with him brought back memories too intense to talk about casually here in a simple review. Needless to say, it bought a smile of bittersweet memory being triggered.
Interesting the placement of the magnetic hearts above and below the shirt between Sky and Sun. It was pretty clear to this Eastern Philistine who's heart was out in the open and who's was not... And it was doubly interesting how other than the scene which they exchanged the jewelry was one of the earlier times where they were both out.
Thank the producers and the powers that be that Toktaeng (portrayed by Jane Jaytiya Naiwattanakul) and Juno (portrayed by Apple Lapisara Intarasut) weren't manipulative, harpies, rakes or disruptive cows to the plot sabotaging everything for selfish reasons on where the main characters were trying to sort out their feelings. While such selfish women might spice up some stories for needlessly tropish-like drama, in this story, I guarantee they would've been a distraction to the plots and subplots currently going on with this series. Added points to the fact that when it was discovered, they exited stage left without so much as an F bomb or wishing curses and voodoo spells for not being told what was clearly in front of their noses. I just wished they bounced back better (like Qiu Qian Ru (played by Hana Lin) did in "HIStory 2: Crossing the Line") without all the tears and hand-wringing.
* The Bad:
Too many flashback clips through the last third of the episodes. Many of the other reviewers were complaining about the series being rushed, probably because they wanted to see more of it, but for me it was the opposite: too drawn out. And the reason why it was drawn out was because episodes 5, 6 and 7 had too many flashback scenes reminding us of the feelings that the main characters had for each other that they were being too obdurate (or too prideful) to admit to themselves and each other. Which brings me to another point...
...The love theme for the series. Once again, it's being hammered -- ad nausea, ad infinitum -- whenever and wherever it can be squeezed into. It should be something elicit positive feelings from the audience, not be hammered at them until they decide to pick up the single from whatever music outlet that can google.
* The (Truly) Ugly:
Product placement. Jeez, you'd think I'd've gotten used to it in Thai television (and even cinema), but after episode 5 (and DEFINITELY episode 8)... Ugh... it came all flooding back as badly as some of the sponsored commercials I remember seeing in old American 50s and 60s television serials. Sure, it hasn't been as ad as some of the series I've watched (like "Love by Chance" coming readily to the top of the list). I'm waiting until some of these companies try to cut into movies and shows with more advertising time, but until then -- it's just another cross to bear.
Overall, there's many elements that touched personal chords within me, dating back to the days when I first came out of the closet that are both fond and bittersweet, so my opinion would be heavily shaded by those memories. I just have to sometimes remember that stories told in a movie or a television series have to be told on rails from the beginning to a middle and and ending, instead of having the Infinite Possibilities that life and the spontaneity of it can't be interjected into weaving a story of the moment. Riding this series to the end, it's good to see that someone thought about a story that reflected something that happened in my life in its own way.
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This review may contain spoilers
Such a sweet story
This was just what my heart needed. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Do I care? Also no. This drama told a story. It was an enjoyable story with some pretty good acting. I actually found that the younger crowd was much more realistic in their acting than the seasoned actors. I enjoyed seeing a story where people cared about each other. I hate the "separate (for whatever reason) and see if our love lasts" scenario, but it is what it is, and at least there was a happy ending.I love that Sky was crying before he even looked up in final lake scene. I loved the heartbreak Sun exhibited every time Sky cried/yelled/stormed off. I love that Sky berated his father for treating Sun like a pet. I love that there weren't a bunch of unnecessary scenes, or extended "looking off into the distance" contemplation scenes. I was invested throughout the entire series.
I kinda think that the second leads got shafted out of their love scenes....they had problems, questions, then suddenly they didn't. And those tests the father had Sun go through? That was just *&% (insert your favorite expletive.)
Regardless, I'm not sure why so many people gave bad ratings, but to each their own. I loved this. Now I'm going to watch the movie, because why not?
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Pairing of actors
actually I agree to some comment cuz I gotta be honest Gun crying is not cute for me it irritates me really cuz there's a lot of teeth showing and the way he reacts to a certain scenarios actually Boat did a really good job its just that its not a right pairing for me, Gun has his good looks but What I can suggest is that they should look for a cute good looking very good actor if they are planning for season 2 or if they are planning another series. Boat(Sun) must pair to a cute cheery innocent looking with a good acting skills especially when it comes to a hard drama like this. Anyways they manage to deliver it good for me but not too goodWas this review helpful to you?
Give this a chance!
Ive watched the series many months ago and i just finished watching the movie(found in youtube).I even changed my rate to a higher score today because my final conclusion is that is an underrated one.I leave my review under the series section in case anyone reads it to give the series a try.
Before i watched this i already knew what golden blood is, so this fact made things more interesting and let me connect few dots easier.And thats the reason i started the series in first place plus the fact i have a thing to mafia theme-any genre-
So the core of the story itself is very interesting and unique. A bodyguard,a young master and..blood.Golden blood.
Dont spoil yourself and google it let the story unfold!(as i said i already knew so couldnt help it but be a bit suspicious)
A great story but the production value is rather medium to low and u can see this mostly in the fight scenes which were below average to really bad!But i believe all actors did their very best.It was a nice heartwarming love story the main couple was good -at least the kisses seemed really real and hot-and the secondary couple though not much screen time was funny,playful and sexy!
I recommend it for the story,at least this is what i liked the most-Dont pay too much attention to the -manyyyyy- flaws just relax and enjoy it!
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