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Never Forget Your Enemy (Korean Series)

By Golu
Let's just cut right to it, this show was painfully boring. There, I said it. A story built around partial amnesia has real potential, but between the choppy scene structure and random flashbacks thrown in constantly, the whole plot ends up feeling more tangled than it needed to be. The romance doesn't fare much better either, it's written so poorly that I never really found myself invested in this couple. Both leads come across stiff on screen and deliver their lines in a really awkward way. The show runs 8 episodes, each somewhere around 30 to 35 minutes. Hanuel, a 29 year old language teacher, wakes up after an accident only to realize his memory stops at age 19. It turns out he'd been in another accident back then too, which is why his memories cut off at that point. He has zero recollection of the fact that he's currently living with his childhood friend Saebyeok, who's now a huge celebrity. That makes the whole situation even harder for Hanuel to wrap his ...
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Queer And Here: Season 2 (Documentary Series)

By Golu

Season 2 picks up right where the first one left off, staying focused on LGBTQI+ pioneers, changemakers, and the broader rainbow community in New Zealand. It keeps shining a light on diverse voices from Aotearoa, including gay Māori men, and runs for 6 episodes of about 26 minutes each.

The season kicks off with community activator and actor Grayson Goffe heading over to Australia to be part of the 50 years of world gay pride celebrations in Sydney. He spends time with First Nation leaders and meets trailblazers from the world of stage and screen, drag queens included. Episode 2 keeps us in Sydney where Grayson attends his very first Mardi Gras, connects with First Nation icon Crystal Love, and marches across the Sydney Harbour Bridge alongside tens of thousands of people celebrating 50 years of queer liberation. Episode 3 shifts gears and introduces us to actress and presenter Aroha Newby and her partner Pooja who are hoping to start a family. Since there's very little information out there for lesbian couples navigating pregnancy in Aotearoa, Aroha sets off on a hikoi to figure out what resources actually exist and what the whole thing costs. Episodes 4 and 5 are a two parter following actress Awa Puna who found herself on the frontlines in March 2023 protesting against anti trans activist Posie Parker and members of Destiny Church. Her story digs into how trans people in Aotearoa stay safe and grounded in a world full of anti trans noise, and looks closely at the role family plays in the queer community, whether that's chosen family or blood. The final episode brings in gay sports personalities, most notably Kruze Tangira, a national netball champion and sports commentator for Te Karere, who goes out to explore just how inclusive the sports world in Aotearoa really is when it comes to queer visibility.

My honest first reaction was that I really missed Aniwa from season 1. She had this charm and wit that held everything together and without her, these episodes feel more like separate little documentary short films that don't really talk to each other. There's no single thread pulling the season into one cohesive thing. And look, even season 1 was always going to be a fairly niche watch since most people globally don't have much context around the gay experience within New Zealand, Pacific Island, and Māori communities. But season 2 sometimes goes so deep into its own world that I genuinely lost interest more than a few times. I'm a little embarrassed to admit there were moments where I just didn't care. Now I'm not sure if that says something about my empathy or if it's simply because I had zero personal context to connect with what was being shown. Probably a bit of both. But either way I really didn't enjoy this season and I honestly wonder how many people watching from outside these communities would be able to fully appreciate the effort that clearly went into making it.

It's a well meaning season but it doesn't quite land the way it wants to, at least not for anyone sitting outside its very specific world. (3/10)

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