BbalanceD

This drama was a delight for the eyes and ears.

The FL, Shen Li, is a petite and ballsy character with a masculine "yang" mindset. The ML, Xingzhi, is an aloof and esoteric character who has refined his ability to not be affected by his emotions over 1,000's of years and in the ensuing relationship demonstrates a softer more "yin" aspect.

Both characters are wonderfully written and brought to life on the screen. They have a development arc and their bantering and affection is very endearing. Supporting actors are also 3 dimensional and given sufficient exposure to assist with the overall story line.

There all the successful Wuxia elements of beautiful costumes, terrific dream like sets, over the top CGI, gorgeous lighting and beautiful settings. Comedic actors and situations break up the grimmer battles and villain actions so that it has good flow of interest despite the length. I liked the ending it has a modern twist and wraps up their relationship nicely so don't skip this.

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This is a story about fated love

Just finished watching this very sweet and excellent fantasy drama that left me in tears and with a big smile.
Everything about this production was well thought out and flowed. The BL relationship issues were tastefully handled with great sensitivity. Both ML's were invested in their roles and very believable. Some of the other characters were also top notch and overall the standard of acting was very high. There are side characters and other family dramas playing out but the focus remained firmly on Jom and Yai.

It was interesting to get a glimpse of an older, more feudal, Thai family of the 1920's and the dependence of their servants.

I was very invested in their love and anxious right until the end to know how they could resolve this time-span issue. The intrigue and suspense is masterfully maintained and I love that there are not trite answers, I was left happily wondering ................
Simply wonderful and raises the bar for future BL's

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Season two has improved the format

Attractive men who get the chance to step out of their comfort zones to quickly choose and declare their interest in the inhabitants and hope it gets reciprocated.

Terrific show that will hook you into the emotional turmoil that is looking for romance in a contrived situation (8 strangers meet in a house full of cameras) under time constraints of 8 days.

Egos are bruised and some get inflated but at the end of the day all the participants get a chance to express themselves and to reflect on how they approached love.
Way better than season 1.
The location was superior. The final discussions, episode 12, between the men who had unfinished business so they could express their feelings individually was handled well. Lots of opportunities to select a date or roommate and someone they hadn't dated.

Great pacing and capturing the action.
Point for improvement - name tags it can be confusing for non natives like me.
A chart to show current date pairings and connections.

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Clever use of time travel

This is a beautiful and sad love story.
The ML puts his love ahead of his own future.
Through a magical watch he is given the chance to change the future to help the FL fulfill her destiny.
In the times they are together as a couple their love shines out.

The time travel has unexpected consequences and he continues to love and support her from a distance. His rapid ageing is done really well.

I kept wanting a fairy tale ending and we are offered this but it is not the truth. At the end there is a sad redemption and throughout the story we are given glimpses via the diary he keeps.

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Love or lust at first sight

We meet an attractive girl about to be married to her fiance. They have been together for 7 years and they have lost the spark and heady rush of love.

An attractive stranger, whose business has just failed and he tells us is leaving for Zanzibar the next day, flirts with our FL. She responds to the attention and his childlike recklessness. Their actions lead to making love in an empty building. Thus begins a 24 hour sexual adventure with both parties giving no details about their identities.

This dangerous liaison explores a no holds barred encounter that is liberating because of its finite time. Even when the fiance is confronted with her infidelity we are shown his casual acceptance, hinting at his own acceptance that affairs will occur in a long term marriage.

During their encounter the girl tries to walk away and return to her more rational self, however, the heady excitement of sex with a good looking and willing stranger over rules her and causes her to return each time.

As with most brief fantasies, as the departure time begins to encroach, doubts and longings are experienced by both parties.

Their motives are not explained and perhaps were not fully understood by them either. The ending has a poignancy that is depicted by the drawing of their hands on the park bench.

We are left with the question 'what if' and are free to interpret how we may have handled the affair either as; the stranger, the unfaithful partner or the cuckolded fiance.

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Sometimes finding the words is a barrier

These two beautiful and talented actors have me invested in their outcome as a couple.
We see Hira still unable to translate what Kiyoi is feeling. His lack of empathy for others is deeply embedded and causes Kiyoi to feel frustrated and angry to the point he sometimes lashes out only to regret that action later.
Kiyoi wants desperately to be understood without having to bare his soul and communicate his needs. At the start of this drama the stand-off between this couple has only barely moved forward since season 1.
In only a few short episodes we can see the progress and the flashbacks highlight these subtle improvements. Both are determined to be in this relationship so a lot of apologies and gestures of love band-aid over the cracks.
Kiyoi begins to express the changes he wants Hira to make and there is a lovely scene where he takes him clothes shopping hoping Hira can appreciate himself and how lovely he is as perceived by Kiyoi.
The biggest breakthrough is subtle and it occurs after Hira secures a job with a famous photographer. We get to see a more confident Hira one who one day hopes to be successful enough to be the on-set photographer of his successful lover.
TBC I hope the proposed movie keeps capturing their loveliness.

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Deeper than first thoughts

A teenage boy has developed strong feelings of love for his home room teacher and on graduation day kisses him then shocked at his actions runs away. We learn he has no siblings and his parents aren't mentioned he appears to have had no one to help him understand and process his love for this older man. Taboos of being gay, person in authority and age gap has seared this information in his mind such that we meet him 10 years on and as the story unfolds we realise Minato Akira is still stuck in this young mindset.

Katsuki Shintaro is a teenage boy who has strong feelings of love for this laundromat manager and we meet him as a 17 going on 18 year old who has decided he needs to declare his feelings. Katsuki Shintaro is a mature person who has been the adult for his younger siblings and he has a very straightforward clear way of thinking and acting.

The shows dynamics revolve around these differences.
Minato Akira cannot accept his feelings for the young man and tries to keep their relationship at a platonic level. Katsuki Shintaro is resolved to wear him down with many acts of kindness and caring. He is quite self sacrificing and ultimately it is a smart move to encourage Minato Akira to confess his unresolved feelings for his old teacher.

Both actors are attractive and have lovely chemistry. Minato Akira is suitably naïve and easily shocked, whilst Katsuki Shintaro seems wiser than his years with an 18 year olds clear eyed determination.
Lovely and touching to watch as this healing relationship helps Minato Akira finally accept.
I feel this has definitely rewatch value.

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This has rewatch value because of the subtle clues.

We meet Yoh a stay at home, self confessed slave to the handsome Mizuki. Yoh is trying to become accepted as a manga writer so has very little of his own income and is dependent on Mizuki's wage. This was the deal offered to Yoh in exchange for all the domestic duties, sexual benefits and submission to Mizuki's requests.
The dominant Mizuki does not impose too many rules and as the drama unfolds depicting their daily interactions it becomes apparent that Yoh is very enamored with Mizuki and quite thrilled to be with him, although he hides this by acting gentle and submissive.
Mizuki also enjoys the power play and shows very little daily affection remaining aloof and somewhat inaccessible to Yoh.

Cracks appear in their love game when Yoh is fired from his current publisher and his feelings of unworthiness send him onto depression. Mizuki breaks his usual role and becomes the carer causing confusion for Yoh and misunderstanding. Yoh's reaction in wanting to prove himself and his worth creates confusion for Mizuki and brings out his insecurities and fear of losing Yoh.

Both have the type of personality where very little is spoken and they rely on actions, They seem incapable of opening up a dialogue to discuss or analyse their feelings. This is the drama aspect of this story and it has some sadly comedic elements; Yoh hiding behind a sheer curtain, buying additional sets of sheets to encourage more sexual activity and getting drunk and clingy. Mizuki panicking and then confessing in the rain, reacting dramatically when he thinks Yoh is being hugged by another man, binding Yoh's wrists in an attempt to discipline him.

Kudos to the director for this interpretation of a manga. Both actors do a terrific job and are convincing in their depiction of intense sexual chemistry.

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I felt the acting was mostly awkward and not nuanced.

The premise of this story is interesting the execution was lack lustre.

A supposedly introverted student (with very dyed hair) tries to not be noticed?
A jock type student who loves loud extroverted friends and sport falls for his neighbour after a brief glimpse and a few conversations?

Issues of how these two extreme types make for a good relationship are attempted, however, the power dynamics are uneven and despite all the 'green flag' behaviour of God he overplays the benevolent protector to the point of nearly creating a 'Daddy' personna.

Luckily this is curtailed. I felt the jump to intimacy was premature, they had so little time together beforehand so this trip away and shared tent scenario seemed rushed, especially as we are led to believe Diew does not reveal much about his past or feelings.

The grandfather is terrific offering the whole hearted support in place of the dead father. The Mother is well depicted because her harsh expectations are what has added to her sensitive son's inability to voice his needs and to feel not 'normal' enough. The ex boyfriend reveal is a good explanation of what can occur when first love feelings get trampled on. Diew has already absorbed the not normal message from his mother and now it is repeated exposing his greatest fears. So the little turtle shrinks back into his shell.

The turtle metaphor is apt but like other viewers I wanted both Diew and the turtle to have more freedom.

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This drama showed me that the 'perfect' partner is the one you need.

The two main characters are from very different family dynamics.

The ML, Pennueng, is a respected heart surgeon who has had to constantly try to be the best to win his controlling father's respect and his mother plays a passive acceptance to keep the peace.

The FL, Matalada, is a free spirited graphic designer, somewhat clumsy and accident prone but with a huge heart. Her parenting came from her divorced gay father, known as Aunty Grace, he is living his life true to himself and has always paid great attention to Matalada's emotional well being.

Both main characters have their support clique and we get to see how their pairing alters their actions as each accepts the others differences. It is a lovely warm romance and despite all the family ugliness (from the doctors side) and the over the top gayness and drama (from the designers side) they remain steadfastly true to each other to overcome family prejudices.

When they are together onscreen their sweet interactions are very natural and believable. Terrific fun yet delivering a lot of truisms about the ill affects of family influencers.

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"Regrets I've had a few"

I have watched the other 2 productions and I feel that they are improving the format with each show.
I think the people who come on the show are very emotionally brave. They are about to be filmed during intimate conversations with their exes and be judged by the viewers.
We, as the audience are given a ring-side view of all these individuals and their past relationships are revealed later in the show so guessing the pairings is intriguing.

I find it fascinating to watch those who come on the show with a clear goal in mind find their determination failing as jealousy shakes their resolve. Few people, I believe, can handle seeing their ex enjoying and thriving in the company of another unless they had already handled a mutual agreement to split up as a couple.
This show sends the individuals into past reflection and has numerous contrivances to trigger this. I personally think this is a good thing because it gives them a chance to appreciate what was good in their relationship and what may have caused the breakdown.
Their are many shifts in the couple emotions and as a viewer, or even one of the hosts, it can seem easy to comment on where the individual is failing to communicate their feelings. As a participant the burden of emotions warring with their logical mind can elicit some poor responses and regrets.

These are real people and even if some participate to perhaps get higher media cover they are reduced to an individual looking for love.
I also like that we get to see that pairings are not always obvious. Brief connections can be as painful, or joyous, as longer term established relationships and offers us a chance to think how we might have reacted in this.

After all the exaggerated emotional dramas I have been consuming this program is refreshingly 'real'.

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A food topic drama that focuses on relationships (food, maths, friendships).

This is a drama about what happens when your passion is extinguished then re kindled in a different direction.
Gaku is obsessed with maths. His way of comprehension is depicted in visual fx so we can see the complexity of his thinking. When he can no longer believe that maths alone will bring him to the pinnacle he was aiming for he is devastated. Enter the 2ml Kai who is looking for a genius successor. He challenges Gaku with more and more difficult culinary challenges and each time Gaku breaks through his own beliefs of limitations to create stunning food results.
Gaku is a pure soul and others are attracted to him and support him. There is an underlying problem with Kai that he has hidden and this has a profound effect on all the main characters.
Each actor stays true to their character and enough time is spent on revealing the back story of Kai to ensure our sympathy.
Gaku is now obsessed with Kai's goal and this drives him in a way that alters his basic sweetness to become a driven person who is unable to relate to those around him, leading to the inevitable alienation.

The ending is lovely after all the angst and a hint of bromance shows our to MLs encouraging each other in a supportive. caring environment.

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Brilliant

Be prepared to fall in love with the characters, their development is so well handled and their acting is on point.
Everything in this drama screams acting masterclass.

I was pulled into their court intrigues and felt deeply about our main couple who are world weary and have been betrayed by the very people they admire and have vowed to protect. Their relationship is a constant, the chemistry and respect is palpable.
Ruyi is one of the strongest female leads I have encountered. She is proud, fierce incredibly talented, flirtatious, outrageous and admirable.

The young naive princess Yang Ying is a hidden gem. Her emergence from terrified female out of her depth in dangerous situations to a person who weighs up the difficulties and makes informed choices is terrific to watch.
There are lots of bad/evil characters but one of the most interesting is Ruyi's disciple, Li Tongguang, his plotting and machinations make him an easy fall guy target and his obsessive stalker behaviour to his shifu creates lots of opportunities for conflict.

If you come on this journey and hold out to climactic last episodes you will probably need several boxes of tissues. For me the most heart rending is watching the youngest member of the delegation. Yuan Lu, who despite his heart issues pushes his body to exhaustion delivering the vitally important message requesting military back up for his brother. Then there is Shisan, known as a playboy and lover of all things beautiful in life, making sure the woman he loves is safe before making a final heroic stand fending off the enemies.

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Delightful rom com cleverly executed.

Nichika as Aoyagi- imbues his character with the right amount of introversion and angst as he fights his low esteem issues to try and make a success from this BL drama opportunity.
Aran as Akafuji- on the surface a successful, experienced actor dedicated to improving his acting until he actually meets his stan Aoyagi and has to try very hard not to be a gushing fan.

Lots of lovely comedic scenes as each ML misunderstands the motives of the other, Their inner world is given to us as inner dialogue and this highlights the inner and outer conflict each is feeling.

Despite the briefness of only 3 episodes the story is cleverly plotted and unfolds at a good pace revealing their feelings and growing romantic interest,

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Burgeoning romance

Ichika and Amane show great character development as each has to step out of their comfort zone to make this arranged marriage work.

At this time in Japan the role of females was very prescribed and Ichika has to overcome her upbringing, lack of confidence and the constant reminders by her Aunt and others that she is not worthy to be the head chef. Amane, being younger, has more modern thinking and his ideas are the catalyst for the ryoten restaurant and Ichika to solve the dwindling financial situation.

I liked the scenes where the couple work together to solve problems;
the American delegation not wanting Japanese prepared food
the US Japan women's group charmed with the bento boxes and making sushi rolls
the wedding reception on a budget
the competition to save the inn

The couple show a lot of consideration and respect and we can get glimpses of their feelings slowly changing to romance. They do not declare love at the end, however, they step closer and make a pact to continue together.

The manga is ongoing so it would be nice to get another season.

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