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Tinted With You (Korean Mini-Series)

This is an 8 part mini series, each of about 10 minutes, a fantasy, a time-slip romance, modern meets ancient and yet one more time travel situation on our hand. It's actually a simple, straight forward story, with simple characters. Some people may get frustrated with not fully fleshed out characters or story or a very rushed romance without a build-up; but somehow that was ok with me. I didn't mind it and given the mini series format; there is only so much you can cover.

The drama starts with Eun Ho dreaming about a young man who is saved by his bodyguard from assassins, and the theme is set up during the Joseon period. The dream is followed up with more scenes of two young men sharing romantic and warm moments, with one of the boys being himself. But Eun Ho is unable to complete the dream and wakes surprised, but doesn’t really get the time to process it as his friend keeps him distracted. The friend notices a painting on printed paper and comments on how it looks similar to Eun Ho’s painting and style. Eun Ho teasingly agrees and leaves for an art gallery where he happens to see the exact same painting. Things get dramatic when Eun Ho starts to feel some sort of connection with the painting. Suddenly he finds himself teleported back in time, where a lady appears saying ' I have found the owner and then you need to finish what you started before you can go back to your life". Wandering in his new surrounding he meets a prince, who has been banished with his bodyguard. Although suspicious of our boy, the dup let him stay with them. Eventually the prince finds out that Sun Ho is a painter and he asks him to teach him. The duo star spending time and make a painting that is very similar to what Eun Ho saw in dream and in the art gallery. The "finishing of job" that Sun Ho was to do was to safeguard the prince's life and tale him to the modern world to safety.

The unique historical setting and innovative premise are the best selling points in Tinted With You. It has an exciting concept about a modern high school student stuck in the feudal era. The imaginative plot offers many possibilities, experimenting with timelines, history, and culture. Sadly it is not realized and that is fine. You can see the budget limitations here. Some of the logic didn't work, especially the end where I was kept wondering f the prince really went to the modern world, how was he adapting or what really happened. But I don't think the focus was on details here. The idea was to present a fantasy universe and personally I bought into it, even though I have to admit that it was totally silly. Each character has a distinctive identity: the hapless time traveller, the tragic prince, and the devoted bodyguard. Their drastic differences and surprising similarities lead to quirky interactions. Still, nothing is shown how the prince and Eun Ho come to starting to like each other so much so they kiss a few times. As actors, the prince and the bodyguard were strictly ok, but our lead Eun Ho had a very magnetic charm to him. He is like boy next door cute and completely held my attention with his performance. This show will not be everyone's cup of tea. But, it’s a good watch for when you’re feeling down and don’t have the time to binge longer dramas as it is a cute and sweet drama! Go with minimal expectations. (5.5/10)

Comments

Sailor Maan said…
As much as I love time travel, this one sadly left me with very few memories. Namely the kiss in the beautiful location and seeing past Korea with costumes and environnement. The rest was too short to really develop anything. Or so I remember it (... or actually don't lol)
But I have hopes they could try that kind again maybe. Korean BL are getting longer, and -more importantly- way better imho. If you are looking for something else to wqtch, can I warmly recommend " Unintentional love" and most of all "The eighth sense".
Golu said…
I had heard some good reviews of 8th sense and I have added that to my list. I will check out 'Unintentional Love' as well now
Back to this show, it was just ok. Something you just watch and forget.
Miisu said…
Yes, Korean "Unintentional Love Story" and "The Eighth Sense" are definitely worth watching, they both have some new angles and the first one has a few great lines as well. Not spoiling :P

A few Thai series have ended as well:

"Bed Friend" has dysfunctional families, shitty parents, and basically a really good side-storyline (the psychological untangling of a broken person), but people who are lucky enough ( = who have never been in Uea's shoes or seen such shit up close) will probably miss it.

"Destiny Seeker" - Hogwarts meets Thai BL in the technical university context :D There's no spells or potions or cloaks and hats, but there are 4 rivaling dormitories. Although it's another university series, there's well written friendship and protagonists have lovely personalities. And parents. It's finally available with half decent subtitles (DramaCool).

"Chains of Heart" - I'm not sure... Production and locations are definitely something to watch. Too many crime storylines, they get tangled easily and sometimes it was physically hard to concentrate. The ending did not feel like ending at all, it sort of faded out. I like open endings, but not as the finale of that kind of crime series. "Manner of Death" has spoiled me rotten :D

"Love Syndrome III" - NO! Toxic, twisted, manipulationships - AND confusing scriptwise, average acting and whining-protagonist-cringe. Spare your eyesight and sanity, please.

"Tin Tem Jai" - No. Whining-protagonist-cringe again, to the degree that it feels like a 12-yr-old is trying to seduce an adult. Fragmented. Locations, however, are quite nice.

"Future" - No. Trope overload - there's nothing you haven't already seen a few dozen times. Besides, it's the side story to "Love Mechanics" which is already in your "keep away"-list.
Sailor Maan said…
Miisu I agree with your list! I liked "Bed friend", really liked "Chains of heart" (except for that horrible last episode, but I heard there could be a special episode, maybe it will fix that). I put "Tin Tem Jai" on pause after 1 episode, looks like I won't be resuming it anytime soon haha. "Future" was already a nightmare with just 5 episoddes but they decided to add a 6th one... Haven't started Destiny seeker and Love syndrome (yet). "A shoulder to cry on" was not the best but worth a watch imo.
"The eighth sense" left a huge impression on me and is my favourite series so far this year (which already had a lot of good ones!)
Miisu said…
@Sailor Maan - A special episode for "Chains of Heart" - ? Well, I'm ready to give it a chance, there were many good things in the series BEFORE that meh-last-episode. And for the sake of the sanity of that inner teenage girl of yours - no "Tin Tem Jai", please. There was only one good thing in it, but that is only for Estonian speaking people. There was a character named Kana, which means "a chicken" in Estonian. At one point two little girls came to the tiny grocery store he was working at one of them asked "Kana, I need 5 eggs." :D

"Destiny Seeker" - one word: fluff alert. Dammit, that was two words :D

"A Shoulder to Cry On" was nice and flowing, comfortable to watch. As a Sagittarius girl I loved the archery part. The bows, the arrows, the targets...

"Love Syndrome III" is a twisted sick horror, written by some twisted sick pervert/s. And that's putting it mildly. You've seen "Unforgotten Night", right? Remember there was this nice dude Day, Kim's ex? And he had a nice caring relationship with Itt? Well, "Love Syndrome III" is supposed to be its side story. But here the Day and Itt characters are like two runaway patients who are supposed to be locked in the madhouse. The series is based on a book (those events are not included in the script, "lucky" us) where 1) Itt organizes a r*pe of Day's brother and 2) Day finds out and goes and r*pes Itt. And now they are in a "loving" relationshit where Day admits to his friends that he is deliberately grooming Itt to be dependent on him so Itt wouldn't be able to live without him. That alone is lethally toxic, but the clash with Itt&Day in "Unforgotten Night" is... CRINGE. Again, appealing on the precious sanity of that inner teenage girl of yours - please keep away.

If you want to feel like a fresh flesh wound, I suggest Ilmar Raag's "The Class" (a film + 7-episode sequel), but that comes with a huge trigger warning and suggestion to google its background first. After watching it you can call yourself a survivor.

P.S! Did you watch "All the Liquors"? Nice one, but not very memorable (for me).
Sailor Maan said…
Yep same feeling about All the liquors, just nice. It was weird having an alcoholic main character haha.
I'll check your suggestion (and hope I can find it with english subs, I couldn't find Eismayer so far)
Miisu said…
"Klass" is indeed available with English subs, I've found it on at least two sites. The sequels are English-subbed on YouTube. The whole 1+7 project was initially (in 2007) meant to show the issues of honor and bullying in the lives of teenagers, and events that lead to a tragedy - but since the writing team used homophobia as the bullying... tool... (used against two classmates who are NOT gay), it has become an example of homophobia affecting everyone. Probably the hardest watch ever since its style resembles a documentary.
Golu said…
damn guys!! Now have so much to catch up on. Miisu thanks once gain for helping me shortlist my next set of series to watch
Miisu said…
Btw there's one series that got better thanks to a special episode that was added later - "Ai Long Nhai". The series + "Ai Nhai" works. The movie version of the series is completely avoidable, since the storyline of Ayaret and his mother is completely cut out and that is an important line imo. Some meh?-moments appear in the first few episodes, but thanks to the added special episode the overall story got way better.
Golu said…
I haven't seen that ether. Adding to list
Miisu said…
Strange-project-alert about "Love Syndrome III". The series ended a while ago, but now they added an "uncut" version which is basically the original from beginning to end, but every episode is about 12-15 minutes longer. So you'd basically be rewatching the whole thing trying to find the pieces that were left out from the initial version. What is the purpose of this "meh?" (asking for a friend)? Stopping halfway, because nothing has changed, definitely no change for the better, still the same toxic red-flag-teaser. Keep away.
Golu said…
well thats good to know.
Thanks for the heads up buddy

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