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Soul Mate (Japanese Series)

By Golu
Is this technically a gay show? Even after getting through the whole thing, that's still kind of tricky to answer. There's never any physical intimacy shown between the two leads, not even a single kiss. What it gives you instead is something that goes way deeper than that. It traces an emotional bond that spans a full decade between two guys who are both dealing with their own baggage, and what they share basically amounts to being soulmates. The story moves across Japan, South Korea, and Berlin. Honestly, whether people want to call what they have a romantic relationship or not doesn't really matter to me. A relationship doesn't need a label like boyfriends attached to it to actually mean something. And closeness doesn't need to be physical to feel genuine. What this show captures is something quieter but way more powerful, a bond rooted in understanding, respect, and just showing up for each other. Across eight episodes, each running 35 to 45 minutes, this is one...
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Checkered Shirt: Season 2 (Korean Mini-Series)

By Golu

I remember being so annoyed at how abruptly the first season ended, so I was actually glad to see they made a sequel. But honestly? They could have just tacked on two more episodes to the original and called it a day. Dragging this out into a second season felt totally unnecessary, and the excuses they use to keep the plot moving are so weak they barely make sense in the modern world. Just like before, this season is eight episodes long, with each one only lasting about eight to ten minutes.

If you remember, the last season wrapped up with Jeong U and Han being a happy couple right until Han’s ex showed up out of nowhere. The ex wanted a second chance despite their messy past, but Han shut him down fast. The ex didn't take it well, though, and warned him there’d be trouble. He even called Jeong U to talk trash about Han, but Jeong U stayed loyal, and the two planned a getaway trip to escape the drama. But on the day of the trip, Jeong U never showed up. Han was devastated when his calls and texts went unanswered, and the story jumps ahead five years. The two end up crossing paths again at a work event and are forced to team up. Han is still super bitter about being ghosted, but then we finally get the explanation: on the day they were supposed to leave, Jeong U overheard the ex talking more trash, got into a fight with him, and his phone ended up smashed. He actually got sent to prison for the brawl, and his friend—who clearly had a crush on him—hid all of Han's messages. By the time Jeong U tried to find Han before starting his military service, Han had already moved out of the country. Once they finally clear up all these messy misunderstandings in the present day, they get back together.

It's such a cliché trope—the ex who vanishes for years and then pops back up to stir up all those old feelings. But seriously, the excuses here are just pathetic. In this day and age, how does someone just disappear for five years without finding a single way to reach their partner? It makes no sense, and I’m not buying it for a second. The constant melodrama just sucked all the fun out of the show, and watching the characters mope around being miserable for most of the screen time was incredibly boring. Sure, the leads are easy on the eyes, but the production feels cheap and the whole season felt like it only existed to fill a quota. Even though it ends happily, the middle is just a slog of angst and pain that couldn't keep me interested at all. At least it was short, but honestly, you’re better off skipping this one.

It’s a totally unnecessary sequel that relies on a nonsensical plot and endless pouting to stretch out a story that should have been finished ages ago. (2.5/10)

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