Cherry Magic Thailand Is Doing So Many Things So Correctly.

Cherry Magic Thailand is doing so many things so correctly.

Integrating Japan into the adaptation, acknowledging the original and giving it the shoutout it deserves, and more importantly, bridging the cultural gaps that might be too hard to translate, like Japan's workplace hierarchy and culture

Filling in with scenes that doesn't detract or deviate from the original too much, and yet add depth to the existing narrative. The dinner meetup scene with Aachi and Jinta was already excellent, but then I watched Jinta walk into an alley and have an half-hearted argument with a stray cat, which he then took home. I was squealing, and not just because I got to meet the cute cat early. They're taking the off-screen moments in the original version and bringing them forward. This opens the show up to explore uncovered ground, and can add to Karan and Aachi's dynamics later.

We already knew Thailand is not gonna hold back on physical intimacy, but I did not expect Karan to lean in and almost kiss Aachi's mole! IN EPISODE ONE! I was screaming, kicking my feet and altogether losing my little mind!

Tay Tawan is so pretty he hurts my eyes, and I still won't look away. Newwie's physical comedy serves Aachi well, but he is also good at adding depth to Aachi's interiority in the quieter moments. Sing Harit, my beloved, is back on my screen and so fucking funny. Jinta might be the version of Tsuge I finally love, dialled down enough to feel human yet still weird enough to feel wacky and fun.

So.

Can y'all tell I fucking loved the episode?

Cooking Crush Ep. 5 Cut Scenes

I reported on the missing scenes from YouTube's version of Cooking Crush for the first four episodes [first, second, third, fourth], so I'm here to do it a fifth time.

The day after Ten's dad met with Prem, Prem is still upset at school.

But Ten is waiting for him outside the school. He states he has been waiting a long time.

BECAUSE HE MADE PREM SOUP!

Prem states that soup takes a while to make, but Ten lies and says he woke up at his normal time so it's no big deal when he actually woke up at 5 am to make the soup (Personal, but if I don't wake up by 5 am, I feel the day is already wasted, and yes, I do feel superior to everyone else)

Then, Prem tells him that soup takes a lot of prep work so it must have been hectic trying to do all of it, but Ten lies again and tell Prem it went smoothly because he followed all of Prem's steps exactly. It was not smooth. It was chaos.

So this is how Prem tries to ease out of teaching Ten lessons since his conversation with Ten's dad is still on his mind. He tells Ten since he cooked all by himself with no issues, they don't need to have lessons anymore, but Ten confesses that it was a disaster and he actually hurt himself multiple times and shows Prem his wounds.

Prem says the soup tastes good, but Ten still questions Prem about trying to get out of teaching him since he still has two dishes to learn, and one of the lessons is that day, but Prem tells Ten he doesn't know when his class will end.

Ten says he'll wait. Off is selling the hell out of this character!

Prem goes to class (where the bullies bully him), but Chang Ma's lesson is plating techniques as he explains we eat with our eyes first, so the students need to make the food look appetizing.

And I will use this image in the future when I discuss visual rhetoric, background noise, and color coding.

Chang Ma asks the students what are some of their cooking principles, but he only remembers Prem's name to the shock of the class and Prem.

And, of course, Prem says he wants his food to make people happy, to which Chang Ma makes this face, you know, like how every boy in a show with Gun looks at him and tells Prem passion is the most important ingredient.

He reminds the students that for the first time ever, the cooking show Super Monster Chef is allowing a team competition, so he wants to see how they work together and will give their instructor his recommendation.

And that's it for cut scenes! Fire still thought for a second that Dy was a sex worker in both versions, and that will sit in my heart forever.

The Garuda and Naga fight we are waiting for...

It's a good day to be a Phojai x Night shipper!

Go get you a rich boy, girl! He is in need of a hug or twelve.

For those watching the uncut episodes on WeTV, what exactly happened here? Was there more to the FireDy scene? What about Samsee and Metha? Are our sides heating up?

Cooking Crush ep 5

Spoilers ahead.

I like it overall; it's a sweet dessert of a show, but at times the cuts GMMTV made for YouTube make it a dessert that feels like someone forgot an ingredient. Generally tasty, but incomplete.

First up: Chang Ma makes an appearance at Prem's uni. And he DEFINITELY recognizes Prem and, well, look at this expression:

Tem doesn't know it yet, but he has a competitor. (Not in Prem's heart, but I sense conflict coming. Thanks again, Doc Dad. Dumbass.)

I think Prem knows something's up with Chang Ma, but isn't really interested:

Later during the lesson, Chang Ma gives Prem special attention, and Prem's buddies notice.

Unfortunately so does Tem:

Despite his annoyance Tem doesn't say anything. (Unless GMMTV cut that scene, which wouldn't surprise me at all.)

And then Metha takes Fire out for a drive…to pick up a sex worker! Because he clocked Fire's bisexual uncertainty:

At first Fire demurs, not because the idea is bad.

But then goes ahead after being told no cops this time of day.

And then Unky and Dynamite arrive because they've decided that THEY should also get some sex worker fun times.

And Dynamite figures Fire out right away:

Dynamite has Fire clocked six ways from Sunday.

Then some kind of aggressive cut which ruins the impact of what's about to happen:

namely

Tiptoe kiss!

Kiyoi

There is something about the way Kiyoi has always been independent, aggressive, and often following the "I don't need anyone" archetype . This shows that he doesn't know what healthy relationships look like or why they matter. He never had anyone he felt he could rely on. He did not even want his friends to know what his dream was or that he took the idol thing seriously. He did not have anyone he thought would be his support if he failed and most likely assumed he would lose the artificial friendships that he did have if he showed his real self to them. His whole demeaner screams lonely, hurt, and scared.

Kiyoi has always been so sure that nobody is around him for any reason other than to use him. He does not think anyone takes him seriously. He doesn't trust that anyone could ever be sincere. That is why when Hira comes into the picture, he doesn't trust him. He seems to see it as a way to go from being used to using someone. He never truly accepted that Hira truly just wanted to be around him because of him. This is most likely why they parted ways like they did.

This has been on my mind because of the development we see later on. It becomes even more clear that Kiyoi does not want to be aggressive or the one to make the choice. He has always wanted someone to prove they take him seriously, that they want him, that they love him unconditionally.

We see Kiyoi struggle to open up and communicate and how hard it is for him. We see his tendency to flee when he is scared or hurt. We see there communication suffer because of misunderstandings. But most of all we see them fight for each other even well fighting against each other.

This leads me into the bathtub scene. Kiyoi is no longer this mean aggressive man that we once saw but instead someone who is quietly asking Hira to give him more physical attention. This is a big deal because we start out with him physically throwing Hira to the ground but now we are here.

I am leaving so so so so much out but this show really took over my brain and I don't have anyone to talk to about it. Its been a while since I watched it and these scenes still live rent free in my head.