HIStory5: Love in the Future (2022)

Disappointing In Every Aspect, But Not The Worst.

Every aspect is disappointing (it's hard to believe it's the same director as HIStory4), but it’s not the worst, and I did manage to watch the whole thing though I started to think about dropping it by episode 5. I hung in to see what happened with the secondary couple.

I wouldn't recommend this series, but you may enjoy it if you're in the mood for something kind of silly with a lot of angst and a happy ending that doesn't require a lot of brain power to watch. If you're craving skinship and physical romance/intimacy, I suggest looking elsewhere because there's not much here.

The plot is all over the place, repetative, cliche, and with a ton of contrived, unrealistic, and unnecessary miscommunication and angst. To the point that it's ridiculous. And the main couple become annoying idiots who go around in endless hot/cold circles yet are somehow in love with each other.

The dialogue, camera work, and music were all basic. The acting was okay (I preferred the two secondary male leads who were more natural), but the chemistry... just didn't have the same feel or believability as previous series of this franchise. I felt the most pull of attraction and longing between the secondary couple. Anson Chen as Liang Wen Hsen was good; he had a calm, focused intensity that was believable as actual physical attraction for the character Lin Huai En. Everyone else came off as actors attempting to pretend attraction, in my opinion.

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I'm a sucker for the cheesy

Since I can't rank in intervals less than .5 I gave it a 8.5 tho it's more 8.2 as a whole it's just a bit above History 4 since I genuinely enjoyed both couples this time. Seeing that couple from History4 be brought back and not Li Cheng and Teng Muren makes me sad tho ( No shade to Michael and Lin Chia their characters as a couple just make me uncomfortable after everything Yongjie has done and the legally step sibilings part, had to skip most of the last few minutes) but still it was a lovely show. Best part of the finale tho was the beginning for sure, the way I screamed out of happiness 😂. Is it by any means their best one? Nope. Am I still gonna watch the ones that come after if they continue to produce more? Yep lol

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Worst history season

I have watched all history and I have never been so disappointed after watching any of the history season. I don't know why are people rating it 5 and telling about the second couple chemistry.
1. The story about time travel is so bad I have seen other time travel stories that are good but this basically has no story just suck.
2. The acting of the first couple is so unacceptable and disappointing I know that they have worked hard but still the acting is so bad that I can't say any good thing about it. Even the second couple acting is bad but better than the first. But because of the story of the series the acting is bad.
3. Is it the same writer as previous please improve your writing this is just not done you have just put down the name of whole history series.
4. Never ever been so disappointed and dissatisfied after watching history if u can't make it don't make its anymore don't create such crap.

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An Unusual Drama

History 5: Love In The Future was an unusual drama. It was also lighthearted and not too serious. I like that the drama didn't take itself seriously. I also like that the drama was different from the other History dramas. The story was pretty simple and unique. The cinematography was hit-and-miss. The music was actually good.

Now for the characters. I like all the main characters. Out of all the main characters, I like the 'He Bo Wei' character the most. The reason why I like the 'He Bo Wei' character is cause he is cheerful, sweet, and cute. He is such a cheery person. I would love to have a friend like him.

The actors acting was somewhat natural. There were some good acting performances. The cast had pretty decent chemistry, but they didn't have the best chemistry. The main couple's chemistry was natural. The second couple's chemistry was cute and sweet. One more thing, the season finale was so wholesome.

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They peaked at HIStory 3: Make every day count.

After the 'I felt in love with my rapist' storyline from "HIStory 4: Close to You", I thought that I was done with this BL series. However, once I saw the new trailer for this current season, I decided to give it a try as I thought it has an interesting plot and cute actors. I shouldn't have.

Episode one barely introduces He Bo Wei, a 2000's delivery guy who lives with his grandmother, before he's transported by an unknown magical individual to 2022, to the body of Tai Che Ni, an apparently no life, no family or friends person who nobody cared disappeared of their lives.

Hai Yi, Tai Che Ni's love interest, has zero personality aside from being angry all the time. There's no chemistry between the actors and the reason why they go to live together doesn't make sense. There's little to no backstory for him and when it turns out that they knew each other when Hai Yi was a child, it feels like it came out of nowhere.

The other story is between Liang Wen Hsen and Wynn, who I have to say are the better part of the series. They share sweet moments and they have way better chemistry.

Episodes 3-5 are basically filler as there's nothing relevant going on. Then, on episode 6, Hai Yi's dad dies and it turns out he was the president of the company everybody was working on so now Hai Yi is the heir and the person in charge. Tai Che Ni, and Hai Yi had an argument after that and stop talking to each other.

There's a nonsensical argument between Liang Wen Hsen and Wynn, where Wynn acuses Liang Wen of not being loyal to Hai Yi (who, mind you, Wynn barely knows and has no reason to side with him). Tai Che Ni and Hai Yi make up.

I'm really disappointed on the weak story, the pace and characters. Tai Che Ni actor really tries his best but the story really isn't working on his favor. I feel like HIStory peaked on S3 and haven't been able to improve after that.

I will finish the series, but I'm not sure I'll give it another change if there's a S6.

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I was very excited about HIStory 5 but I was let down.

The story of the mail cp had many plot holes and the directing is off too honestly.It just wasn't IT.
Also I didn't feel much of a chemistry between the couple, maybe it's because their acting was not that good too.

Thankfully there was the 2nd couple that made the series worth watching.
Their story was good and with some back story too (witch I liked that it was shown in the series properly). The hemistry between them was great, I just wish they had more screen time..
I guess I don't have to say it but obviously the acting of the 2nd cp was better too.!

Also one other thing I really liked was the guest appearance of the 2nd couple from HIStory 4 in the last few episodes..
I loved them in HIStory 4 so I was very happy to see them together again ...and plus we got a closure for their story.

Anyway despite the main couple I don't regret watching it ...obviously the series didn't live up to the HIStory name but ok ..I hope that the next one will be better ...

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Another one in the Series

HIStory will always be a top series for me, loved all of them from 1-5.
This one in particular was good in and of itself, definitely not in the top 3 of the whole series but still good. Actors did a great job in my opinion, concept was also great, there were a few times plot either moved too fast or too slow and confused me but overall I kept up with what was happening. HIStory usually goes with a pretty simple theme but they definitely decided to go the more crazy route with this one.

Definitely hope there will be a HIStory 6 and can't wait to see what they come up with as a plot next time!

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UNGRATIFIED HOPE

This could have been so much better. Yet, I didn't regret any time watching the series. It was a flash of sparkling potential. Therefore, take a few deep breaths and let your mind at ease before you decide to start chowing down the series, okay ?
The recreation of the 2000 cityscape was a huge letdown. It didn't carry anything that screamt the year 2000 (or at least anything universally recognizable) and also, the modernization of 2022 totaly slipped into frame. So, the visual setting at the beginning was an entire failure.
In terms of the main actor who leads the plot, let's just say he is a level-headed person and his reaction to the sudden change in time and space were mild, that, I can accept. But why did a man like that refuse using hand sanitizer (which was the magical tool to bring him back to his own time) when people obviously say they're in the middle of a pandemic ? Furthermore, he was so sure that he could return to his time when he didn't even know how. He knew how to exploit money from his future lover but didn't have a clue on how to get back, yet, he was determined that he wouldn't have to pay back if he failed the mission (in ep 2). It was ridiculous and illogical.
In addittion, all evidences pointed out that the m.c had switched bodies with another person, yet, I never saw a glimpse of what the other changling was doing in the year 2000, in fact, the director and/or writer decided to actually "delete" the other changling, which makes it...dumb.
And then, the development of the couple just shot right into space on lightspeed in episode 5 (5/10 ep). I was shocked and in denial those were the real events and was not one of the main characters' dream (when they suddenly expressed intimacy out of nowhere). After that, the drama between the m.c and his boyfriend (who had been inevitably made into the company's CEO) just flew into the room like nothing, without making itself clear on why it is dramatic. And...all that was yet to be the end.
However, beside plot holes in almost every single scenes, I truly enjoy evey remaining components of the series. The cast was exceptional attractive, all of their faces captured me in different ways, and I don't have any complaints on that. Even so, the make-up artist actually killed them by not applying colors on the actors' lips, which made them look half-dead. On to the the acting, it was convincing and charming with them delivering lines in their trained tone of voice and completely natural facial expression. I was moved in almost every take. The camera work, the lighting, the camera placement, I love it all.
In short, if set all the plot holes aside, I have wonderfully enjoyed this series. I hope everyone did/will, too.

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SPOILER ALERT!!! READ ON UR OWN RISK!

This showed up on my YouTube feed, as usual curious & bored, I just clicked play…

Tell story of 2 couple,
1st story, He Bo Wei (BW) & Hai Yi (HY). BW is a man named Tai Che Ni (CN) from the year 2000. Suddenly one day he traveled to the future, to the year 2022. Arriving in the unfamiliar place, he also found out his face and name is changing, now his name is He Bo Wei (BW). Fortunately his job is still the same, courier to deliver stuff, so he’s fast in learning this new job. His first client was Hai Yi (HY), with several interactions they find out they need help from each other. HY wants BW to investigate his ex-girlfriend, while BW needs HY’s money. So with that, their cooperation begins.

Overtime BW & HY learn about their past relationship. Turns out when HY was just a little boy, BW or more precisely CN helped BW & that left a good memory for BW. And since then, their relationship has become different & they become special people to each other.

2nd story, about Liang Wen Hsen / "Vincent” & Lin Huai En / "Wynn”. A boss of the company with the new employee. Over time we see they're having a relationship more than just what seems on the surface. Vincent knew Wynn since childhood & has protected him since then. Wynn, who doesn't know anything about it, has just been charmed by his kind boss. And soon they're also starting their relationship.

Ok. That's about the story. Now what I like and don't like.

What I like:
I prefer the 2nd story. Their story is just cute and innocent. I like how Vincent never really forced his feeling to Wynn nor manipulate Wynn by saying he's his guardian
They bring out the couple from history4, Ye Xing Si & Fu Yong Jie

what I don't like:
The 1st story is just stupid. They're never really explained to us why CN can be transferred here. Just give us the stupid ‘GOD’ that explains it all as just coincidence. That's just BS & lazy writing.
How the 1st story ended. That's just even more stupid that how it took place in the first place.

Overall this is just another drama to watch… they have to thank the 2nd story for the score that's i give

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Why is this rated so low?

I swear, the day I figure out how to decipher what viewers want and where they get their ratings from will never come. Was this a 10 out of 10? No. But it was certainly better than a lot of the shows I've watched that are rated 8 or higher. You'd think I'd know by now not to let myself be influenced by reviews but I am just as guilty today as I was a year (and 70 series) ago.

So far, I have seen a handful of the HIStory series though admittedly not all of them. This one reminded me a lot of the last one, HIStory 4, at least with the main couple. They have a similar storyline where one guy enlists the help of the other to seemingly get with a girl but that is just what it looks like on the surface. In this series, there is so much more going on but unfortunately, the viewer doesn't realize it until the last 2 or 3 episodes. This, in my opinion, is both a good and bad storyline choice which I will try to explain without too many spoilers.

On the one hand, without knowing the full depth of the situation, the story seems shallow for a good portion of the series and, especially for people watching week to week, it can seem boring. Binge watching this is the best way to go to keep engaged and, I promise, it will make sense later on. I guess in that respect, it's a good way to ensure that the show gets a re-watch from the same viewers because now knowing what happens in the end, I want to watch from the beginning while keeping it in mind and seeing everyone's actions under a different lens.

I don't want to pick at other people's reviews, but part of me feels like I need to defend this series because it really was a lot better than many people are painting to be. One complaint I noticed quite often was saying Johnny came off as childish. I didn't see him as such, at least not childish in a negative sense but more in the way that he is an innocent, carefree and overall positive person. But he also has moments of showing an opportunistic and cunning side. Not only is he completely out of his element (and time) but he is used to being a loner save for his grandmother. So of course he's going to be awkward and hesitant when interacting with others, especially when it's more intimate and serious.

Another complaint which I can kind of agree with is the whole "is the time travel element really necessary?" At times, I'd say it added to the show as time travel gives both the "fish out of water" vibe as well as the uncertainty of how long Johnny will be in 2022. He doesn't know what brought him there so at any point, he could vanish just as easily. Not only does it add tension but it creates the underlying idea of cherishing every moment and appreciating the small things. Nothing should be taken for granted, no matter how small, especially time. But the story had so much other stuff going on that I feel like it could have been left out. The whole thing with the department store and espionage was interesting enough that I don't feel like they needed to add time travel to the mix.

To go along with those lines, the time travel part is never really explained either. Why did he time travel in the first place? What was Fude actually trying to do that had him accidentally bring Johnny to 2022? Was he just trying to save him from flat out dying in an accident? Fude in general is never really explained or makes much sense however I do have to say the many faces of Fude are absolutely hilarious.

I do feel like I enjoyed the secondary couple's storyline more than I did the secondary couple in HIStory 4. Both couples in this series worked well and I liked how they were intertwined. While one of the main "plot twists" was pretty predictable, I was pleasantly surprised that a more minor plot twist completely took me by surprise and I have to give credit where credit is due. (Looking at you, Sam.)

Overall, I really think this was a good series. It's a shame that anything under the HIStory umbrella is destined to be compared to each other. Because as its own story, this was great. I would definitely watch it again and I'd probably come back to edit this afterwards with some additional thoughts.

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This drama is an absolute must!

This drama is an absolute must. But, you have to see it right.

This is a BL drama, not an expensive Korean production. We are very spoiled now and that's a good thing.
We expect clichés in BL dramas. But they are not the old ones anymore (gay man walks around like a woman and works either as a hairdresser, in a fashion boutique or in a TravestyShow. I, being gay myself, can live well with the new stereotypes.

So if you know that the budgets of BL dramas are so low, then you shouldn't compare them to a cinema blockbuster either.
Unfortunately, some do. That's their right. But I try to understand the whole.

It is a production from Taiwan. A different language, a different culture. The story is really good. And it was also well executed. I did wish for a different ending, but that doesn't change my belief that this drama is fantastic. It's touching. It has a deeper meaning and it fulfills all the important stages of a BL series.

Since I don't do spoilers in my reviews, I won't go into the individual characters. I may change that one day.
Watch this series and feel the fever with the characters. Have fun!

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