Two starcrossed lovers in the past (although their clothes and hairstyles look exactly like in the modern day) who were not allowed to be together - because gay - commit suicide and are reincarnated. They meet again as students in university and are instantly drawn to each other.
No, this is not a modern version of Romeo and Juliet but the plot for "Until We Meet Again" and - all flaws aside - it was actually a cute drama, thus I should give it a higher rating. But, alas, the flaws, the flaws...
I would like to start with what I liked. I am really a fan of the main couple, Pharm and Dean. Their acting is wonderful (Ohm really played the reserved, but slowly opening up Dean well and Fluke - well, we don't need to talk about his performance, he simply is a fantastic actor!) and their chemistry undeniable. You can sense that both actors really like and respect each other and that they are simply comfortable with the other's company. I liked the script, what they did with the main premise and where they went with it. I loved how Dean was courting Pharm, being very patient and giving him the time he needed, but being romantic at the same time. The music was - apart from one or two song exceptions - really nice. And like so many viewers, I am a fan of the side couple, Win and Team. Their dynamic is lively, playful and just cute (wish they had more screentime, but in the end we were rewarded with their own series, Between Us).
What I didn't like. I really had a problem with the main couple from the past, Korn and InTouch and their complete lack of chemistry. I hated their acting. It doesn't also help that Earth (InTouch) looks SO MUCH YOUNGER than Kao (Korn) and Korn looked annoyed with InTouch most of the time, in pain even, and it felt like he was forced to play his way through their mutual scenes. The chemistry is cruicial to the plot, it set the tone for the whole series. We, as an audience, had to understand just how great that love was, so great that it withstood the test of time, a love so great that it was reincarnated and the lovers still were drawn to each other. I felt none of it with Korn and InTouch. Their scenes looked unbelievable and friendly, at most. Completely turned me off.
Another aspect that bugged me in this series and made it reeeeeeeaaaallly hard to sit through it, is that there was just too much of everything ... too much emotion, too much drama, too much romance. It was a total emotion overkill. And don't get me started with crying ... oh, so much crying. To the point that I yelled out loud everytime: "Lord help us, he is crying again." Fluke did his best with the material he was given, but I swear, every time he teared up again or - while we're at it - called "P'Deeeeeeaaaan" in a whiny voice, I swear I wanted to slap him.
Let's turn to an aspect that really bugged me between Pharm and Dean, cue: consent. While Dean is patient and romantic when courting Pharm, it seems that this patience ends when it comes to getting physical. Their first kiss already looks forced and like the red string that ties the characters together, this characteristic drags on through the entire series. Dean forces himself on Pharm every chance he gets, and Pharm pushes him away, one time even explicitly saying to Dean that he shouldn't do that. Then, all of a sudden, they have sex and Pharm has no problem with it. What his reasons are, we never learn. Is he just shy? Does he need time? Was he somehow traumatized in the past? They never talk about their physical relationship - safe for one discussion about condoms and safer sex - Dean just announces that they will have sex and Pharm goes with it. I really had a problem with this plot line.
As for the other negative aspects, I will just sum them up in one paragraph. Samantha, who plays Manow, is a wonderful actress and her character has a lot of potential yet all they do is fat-shaming her (albeit the actress being a little chubby at best) and using her for comic relief. Also, the series is guilty for blatant product placement and, as sad as it sounds, I am slowly getting used to it. But the peak was really that they promoted a diet service on a character that wasn't even close to being overweight, on the contrary, he was very slim.
So, you see, as much as I liked some aspects of this drama, the negative ones unfortunately prevail. Thus, I can give it only 6/10 stars. Watch it for PharmDean and WinTeam only, but be prepared to skip through most of it.
No, this is not a modern version of Romeo and Juliet but the plot for "Until We Meet Again" and - all flaws aside - it was actually a cute drama, thus I should give it a higher rating. But, alas, the flaws, the flaws...
I would like to start with what I liked. I am really a fan of the main couple, Pharm and Dean. Their acting is wonderful (Ohm really played the reserved, but slowly opening up Dean well and Fluke - well, we don't need to talk about his performance, he simply is a fantastic actor!) and their chemistry undeniable. You can sense that both actors really like and respect each other and that they are simply comfortable with the other's company. I liked the script, what they did with the main premise and where they went with it. I loved how Dean was courting Pharm, being very patient and giving him the time he needed, but being romantic at the same time. The music was - apart from one or two song exceptions - really nice. And like so many viewers, I am a fan of the side couple, Win and Team. Their dynamic is lively, playful and just cute (wish they had more screentime, but in the end we were rewarded with their own series, Between Us).
What I didn't like. I really had a problem with the main couple from the past, Korn and InTouch and their complete lack of chemistry. I hated their acting. It doesn't also help that Earth (InTouch) looks SO MUCH YOUNGER than Kao (Korn) and Korn looked annoyed with InTouch most of the time, in pain even, and it felt like he was forced to play his way through their mutual scenes. The chemistry is cruicial to the plot, it set the tone for the whole series. We, as an audience, had to understand just how great that love was, so great that it withstood the test of time, a love so great that it was reincarnated and the lovers still were drawn to each other. I felt none of it with Korn and InTouch. Their scenes looked unbelievable and friendly, at most. Completely turned me off.
Another aspect that bugged me in this series and made it reeeeeeeaaaallly hard to sit through it, is that there was just too much of everything ... too much emotion, too much drama, too much romance. It was a total emotion overkill. And don't get me started with crying ... oh, so much crying. To the point that I yelled out loud everytime: "Lord help us, he is crying again." Fluke did his best with the material he was given, but I swear, every time he teared up again or - while we're at it - called "P'Deeeeeeaaaan" in a whiny voice, I swear I wanted to slap him.
Let's turn to an aspect that really bugged me between Pharm and Dean, cue: consent. While Dean is patient and romantic when courting Pharm, it seems that this patience ends when it comes to getting physical. Their first kiss already looks forced and like the red string that ties the characters together, this characteristic drags on through the entire series. Dean forces himself on Pharm every chance he gets, and Pharm pushes him away, one time even explicitly saying to Dean that he shouldn't do that. Then, all of a sudden, they have sex and Pharm has no problem with it. What his reasons are, we never learn. Is he just shy? Does he need time? Was he somehow traumatized in the past? They never talk about their physical relationship - safe for one discussion about condoms and safer sex - Dean just announces that they will have sex and Pharm goes with it. I really had a problem with this plot line.
As for the other negative aspects, I will just sum them up in one paragraph. Samantha, who plays Manow, is a wonderful actress and her character has a lot of potential yet all they do is fat-shaming her (albeit the actress being a little chubby at best) and using her for comic relief. Also, the series is guilty for blatant product placement and, as sad as it sounds, I am slowly getting used to it. But the peak was really that they promoted a diet service on a character that wasn't even close to being overweight, on the contrary, he was very slim.
So, you see, as much as I liked some aspects of this drama, the negative ones unfortunately prevail. Thus, I can give it only 6/10 stars. Watch it for PharmDean and WinTeam only, but be prepared to skip through most of it.