Kiseki: Dear to Me

It's been a while since I have been THIS invested in a show & couple!

I started watching Kiseki without too much expectations. I'm generally a sucker for mafia-setting BLs, so I was sure I'd enjoy it enough but I was not ready for just how much I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this show!!!!

And the main reason is, as I guess for many others, the incredible chemistry of the side couple! Don't get me wrong: The main couple did a great job, too, but Chen Yi and Ai Di just instantly stole my heart and I rewatched all their scenes several times already despite the show just wrapping last night.
This couple's story is heartbreaking and beautiful and both characters are intresting and lovable despite their obvious flaws. It also helps that both actors are incredibly hot and very skilled in their acting.

Especially Louis, who plays Ai Di, did just such an amazing job at portaying his character! I have never seen him play in anything before Kiseki but I am definitely going to follow up with his career from hereon out as this man has some serious skills. He is able to portray pining & vulnerability in such a raw, open and realistic/subtle way to a level I don't think I've seen in any asian drama for a loooong long time! What a talent!!

The show definitely has its FLAWS - Sometimes pacing is a bit off (things moving too slow or too fast), some of the acting here and there is a bit wonky by main as well as side characters (in a sense of overacting. But overall, acting from everyone was decent enough to not pull me out of the immersion!), sometimes getting a bit heavy on tropes (especially the 'everyone is gay. do straight people exist??'-setup ^^; ) - but THE GOOD - the well written main 4 characters, HOT actors (I can't stress this enough!!), some really likeable and well-played side characters, great opening song and a storyline sending us on wonderful emotional rollercoaster in regards to all couples involved - definitely outweighs these by far!

I also loved the intimate scenes for both couples and the decent amount we got of them. I feel it's enough for people looking for some hot kisses but also little enough to not make people uncomfortable. And it definitely sparked my as well as other fan's creativity to extend their stories in fanworks - and I can't wait for so much more fanfiction and fanworks to come out until we hopefully, hopefully get a chance for a second season or spin-off series (fingers crossed!!)

Generally, if you haven't seen Kiseki yet I definitely DEFINITELY RECOMMEND you watch it!
One of my new absolute favorites that I, for a fact, will rewatch several times for sure!

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Taiwan BLs Strike Again

Time and again, Taiwanese BLs prove to be favorites. The acting and production just always seems to be a different level than what I am used to with most Thai BLs.

It's totally unrealistic, but I was hoping for a story that was an escape, and this totally fit the bill. I know a lot of people talk about Chen Yi and Ai Di, and I totally adore them too, but I actually really enjoyed the main couple. Zongyi taking time to warm up and the cat analogy was adorable and fitting. I usually get annoyed by overly sweet tie ins with things like baking, because it often feels like it comes out of nowhere, but they actually layered in that element perfectly (I know it sounds like an odd thing to get bothered by, but I think it usually reminds me of Hallmark movies, which I'm not a fan of).

I was not very excited with the amnesia trope, but it made things a bit more interesting. The reunion scene had me tearing up, which is another rarity. To top it off, the twist in the final episode actually was a bit of a twist for me. I knew something was there, but it hadn't hit me until they revealed it quite what it was, and I'm glad they didn't end up killing anyone off.

Thoroughly enjoyable and one I wouldn't want to miss.

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thoroughly enjoyed this, and the cute appearance of the couple from Plus & Minus was cute. I noticed Yuki from the other couple, did he not get a happy ending in that show? (I never finished it lol)

Anyway my thoughts, the main thing that bothered me was Zongyi being 17 and Ze Rui being 25, they could have had his birthday before them being intimate, which I know wouldn't have worked for the prison arc. Another thing that annoyed me is it felt like Zongyi lost a lot while Ze Rui gained. He gained a supportive brother, a good position in the family business, and freedom from the 'Fan' family. He gained a supportive secondary family while Zongyi not only spent 4 years in jail going through what we could only imagine but got injured which led to lifelong complications of short-term memory and his academic future. I know I should look at it this way but I hate when one partner in the relationship suffers more, especially considering the large age gap, you would think the older one would be the protector when it's the other way with the couple.

I am also new to all actors in this drama and feel like Hsu Kai's acting felt a bit off to me. Also when he was doing the kissing scenes and his eyes were open, I felt uncomfortable watching loool. Taro Lin did amazing considering this is the oly work that he's been in wow. In the second couple Nat Chen had the stronger acting for me. Overall i thing the acting wasn't the best for the drama, but the plot saved it for me as it was fresh.

That being said, I didn't skip any scenes, which is a major achievement as lately I have struggled with shows. it kept me engaged throughout, and I had sweat moments. The second couple was also a treat to watch, and I don't believe I've watched any one of Nat Chen's works before, but I am a fan now.

Also, the little twist towards the end was a great add tbh, and loved the shock value. lastly, I wish there was just a bit more about the relationship with the older couple.

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Such hawt steamy story.

I simply adore their chemistry with each other. Love-Hate, Jealousy, Friendships! everything is there. Protecting your love ones till you're dying breath - how sweet! I love their soundtracks, especially MarryMe <3

My ultimate favourite scene is when Fan Ze Rui climbs on Bai Zong Yi and straddle his lap; most definitely HOT! I repeated it many times :P Even just by looking at each other, can really see the sexual tension. Those soft yet steamy kisses is merely stairway to heaven.

ChenYi and Ai Di, well; these two naughty boys really can't lay off each other afterwards. Their relationship truly evolves throughout the series and their shirtless moments is.. MAIGAWD! What AiDi did to Zong Yi is true friendship!

Nevertheless, the story did have few shortcomings; the ending was too jumble up when the previous 12 series the managed to explain things. What's more, having the villain at the last minute and simply be bygones is just messy for me. Really feel like they should really focus more on the mafia sides of the story more; rather than the school life.

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Hard Series To Dislike

This is a hard series to dislike, even if it is a bit unpleasant to watch. While these guys are ‘bad guys’ they have sanitized them so much and made them redeemable, you literally sympathize with their plight. And honestly, I was completely entertained by them, even though the story is nearly incomprehensible. It is another ‘Mafia-type’ criminally related series with a lot of tropey chest-thumping bravado ‘action’ that I frankly did not understand and was disturbed by its gratuitous violence. None of it made a lot of sense to me and it had a feel of familiarity about it as it is full of clichés. What is really essential are the two solid love stories and the third, rather peripheral and underlying one.
Read my fill review at BLBliss.com.

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A Blend of Action, Thriller, and Romance with room for improvement

A BL story with action, thriller and drama are hard to come by and in my opinion is always greatly appreciated. This series contains a bit of all that with a good serving of romance. But there is still something lacking in its execution that hinders complete immersion.

The story centres around 4 central characters. Bai Zong Yi is a medical student studying hard to be a doctor. One day on his way home he finds an injured Fan Ze Rui and helps him out. Instead of showing gratitude Fan Ze Rui threatens Bai Zong Yi and hides in his house until he heals completely. What begins as a chanced encounter turns in to string feelings between these 2 characters. The series also revolves around Chen Yi and Ai Di who are members of the same gang as Fan Ze Rui. As orphans they have grown up together and Ai Di is in love with Chen Yi but Chen Yi does not reciprocate those feelings. Life takes a tragic turn for Bai Zong Yi as his life intertwines with Fan Ze Rui

Zong Yi is driven by his values of hard work and finding a stable future. Ze Rui is part of a dangerous organization who hides his true identity from Zong Yi. For Zong Yi, he is a mysterious character and this might be a reason he is drawn to him. It’s Ze Rui’s affiliation with the group and Zong Yi’s family situation that forces him to make a difficult decision. Chen Yi has a complicated relationship with the gang boss. He is secretly in love with him but is always reprimanded by him. Ai Di harbours feelings for Chen Yi, but is unable to find space in Chen Yi’s heart no matter how hard he tries. He in turn befriends Zong Yi and protects him from any harm that the group may cause.

In conclusion, this series sets a stage for a complex relationship between Ze Rui and Zong Yi from different worlds. There is also Ai Di’s struggle to find love and be with Chen Yi.

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As Far As BL Goes This Is A Solid One

This sure is an interesting one. The premise is nothing new, although it's presented in a way that still feels fresh and not overdone. The acting is spot-on and the chemistry between the characters is great.

I'll start with the things I liked about the series first.

The main couple, Bai Zong Yi and Fan Ze Rui do have great chemistry together, and it was (for the most part) interesting to see them develop. I do wish the age gap was smaller, and while I do understand why Zong Yi had to be a minor I feel like that part could've been handled better. The premise of their meeting and subsequent getting to know each other was frankly ridiculous but you get to watch them become more and more healthy as they get to know each other.

The second couple is by miles more interesting in comparison by the sheer amount of history between the two. Ai Di's actor stole the entire show, and felt in a different league from his fellow actors I won't lie. At moments I felt like he was the only one who understood the assignment, be that gang related stuff, or his feelings for Chen Yi. Their storyline is complicated and painful and, in my eyes, a lot better thought out.

Now, for the things I find not so compelling.

The plot was rushed in places it should have taken its time and dragged in places that really didn't need it. The split between the past and the present is uneven and it leaves a bunch of questions open, and a lot of narratives that would have been compelling just hanging. Maybe this is due to production costs, but I was feeling both underwhelmed and rushed during the second part. I feel like the show would have benefited from a scene or two taking place during the time skip to give us an idea of what the life inside prison was and what Ze Rui or Chen Yi was up to in the meantime. It's obvious that Ai Di has some sort of ptsd after serving time but it's almost used as a throwaway, and Zong Yi's injury is, aside from about two scenes, used as a plot device and nothing that really affects his life too much.

It also felt like a mafia series written by someone who knows nothing about gangs apart from they have cool cars and hang out in dingy looking bars. The fight scenes and the whole villain plot is basically nonsensical and the fighting itself was reminiscent of a Gokusen one, and I still don't fully understand what Zhang Teng's deal was. Ze Rui's involvement with the 'gang' felt even more bizzare the more we get to know him, and even the explanation for it just... Felt off. Especially given how we're introduced to him in the first place. The series also gives off the impression that Zong Yi's family didn't visit him in prison which just baffles.

Overall, it's a cute series that you will enjoy if you don't think too much about the plot details. It has plenty of sweet moments for those who just care for that and the chemistry, which is fair. Analyzing it on a deeper level leaves you with quite a few questions that, sadly, remain unanswered.

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Best Taiwanese BL in 2023

As we all know, some of the most coveted BLs of all time are hailed from Taiwan. And so, when you see a new one dropping the expectation is usually through the roof. All that said, the BLs dropping in 2023 from them have really fallen short in terms of their predecessors.

But Kiseki: Dear to Me walked through our doors and offered us a breath of fresh air. For me, it's really rare to be engaged and interested in both pairings of a show. But I was invested in both Zerui / Zongyi and Ai Di / Chen Yi. The chemistry between both pairings was dripping from the screen and their stories pulled at my heart strings so wonderfully. I honestly couldn't get enough of them.

I am dinging a few points on the story however, because the background plot outside of the couples is not really told well and can be kind of confusing. And also, the finale (overall) felt really underwhelming and frustrating by including unnecessary plot speed bumps for no reason.

Outside of that though, this is still worth a watch. Plus!!! There's so many cameos from beloved BLs of the past and it was nice to see them all again on the screen.

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This series has a lot of cameos

Someone said this BL is out here collecting BL couples like Pokémon cards. It’s true. Every memorable Taiwanese BL couple who had free time pop up in this series.

Go into this series with no expectations and you’ll enjoy it a lot more. I made the mistake of reading the comment section and was expecting the second couple to steal this series. Luckily I put off watching it fro a couple of weeks before I binged it. This saved me from having high expectations of this series. The story of Zongyi and Zherui are so well developed despite the episodes being less than 30 mins each. We didn’t have to suffer through fillers like you do with Thai series. This relationship gives the same vibe as Stand By Me but without the censorship and ambiguity. If China didn’t have censorship of BL we could’ve had Addicted and Stand By Me like Ban ZongYi and Fan ZheRui

Perhaps for some people they like the second couple because the story was good. I won’t say they stole the series by any means. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t like Chen Yi being so dense for a crime boss with his own crew. He is so soft that without Ai Di, he would be dead.

Given the short time of each episode, there wasn’t any plot holes. There were some suspenseful cliffhangers and the acting was very good. It’s on Par with the HIStory franchise.

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