2gether: A Cultural Phenomenon, but Not a Great BL—or a Great Series in General
After finally watching *2gether* and reading the criticism surrounding it, I honestly think most of that criticism is valid.
There is nothing particularly impressive about the series itself. The story is very basic, predictable, and at times genuinely boring. Bright and Win are both very handsome, and I believe their looks were one of the biggest reasons the series attracted such a huge audience, especially casual viewers and young female fans. However, I personally felt almost no romantic chemistry between them. At times, they looked as though they did not even want to kiss or touch each other, almost as if they were uncomfortable or simply going through the motions.
This does not mean that a BL series needs kissing or intimate scenes to make the relationship believable. Many series have very little physical intimacy but still communicate love, longing, and emotional connection extremely well. The problem with *2gether* is that I did not feel those emotions strongly enough between the main characters.
The series was also extremely lucky because several factors worked in its favour the timing of its release, the pandemic, the growing international BL wave, and, of course, the appearance and popularity of its leads. Personally, I believe BL was already moving toward global popularity, with or without this particular series. *2gether* benefited from that momentum and became its biggest symbol, but that does not automatically make it one of the best BL series ever made.
I also think nostalgia plays a huge role in the way people judge it today. It is similar to songs we loved when we were younger: we may no longer listen to them or consider them musically exceptional, but they still feel special because they remind us of a particular period in our lives. For many fans, *2gether* represents that kind of memory rather than exceptional storytelling.
That is why I would not necessarily recommend it as a first BL to someone entering the genre today. If a new viewer has already seen the quality, chemistry, writing, and emotional depth found in many newer BL productions, they may watch *2gether* afterward and feel extremely disappointed because its reputation creates expectations that the actual series cannot meet.
Another sign, at least to me, is that neither lead continued doing BL afterward—not even through a supporting role in another BL production. They benefited enormously from the series and then moved on, which makes it difficult for me to believe that they were truly comfortable with or interested in this genre.
I understand why *2gether* became a phenomenon, and its historical importance to the international growth of BL cannot be denied. However, being influential, popular, and nostalgic is not the same as being an outstanding series. In my opinion, people give it far more credit than its actual quality deserves.
There is nothing particularly impressive about the series itself. The story is very basic, predictable, and at times genuinely boring. Bright and Win are both very handsome, and I believe their looks were one of the biggest reasons the series attracted such a huge audience, especially casual viewers and young female fans. However, I personally felt almost no romantic chemistry between them. At times, they looked as though they did not even want to kiss or touch each other, almost as if they were uncomfortable or simply going through the motions.
This does not mean that a BL series needs kissing or intimate scenes to make the relationship believable. Many series have very little physical intimacy but still communicate love, longing, and emotional connection extremely well. The problem with *2gether* is that I did not feel those emotions strongly enough between the main characters.
The series was also extremely lucky because several factors worked in its favour the timing of its release, the pandemic, the growing international BL wave, and, of course, the appearance and popularity of its leads. Personally, I believe BL was already moving toward global popularity, with or without this particular series. *2gether* benefited from that momentum and became its biggest symbol, but that does not automatically make it one of the best BL series ever made.
I also think nostalgia plays a huge role in the way people judge it today. It is similar to songs we loved when we were younger: we may no longer listen to them or consider them musically exceptional, but they still feel special because they remind us of a particular period in our lives. For many fans, *2gether* represents that kind of memory rather than exceptional storytelling.
That is why I would not necessarily recommend it as a first BL to someone entering the genre today. If a new viewer has already seen the quality, chemistry, writing, and emotional depth found in many newer BL productions, they may watch *2gether* afterward and feel extremely disappointed because its reputation creates expectations that the actual series cannot meet.
Another sign, at least to me, is that neither lead continued doing BL afterward—not even through a supporting role in another BL production. They benefited enormously from the series and then moved on, which makes it difficult for me to believe that they were truly comfortable with or interested in this genre.
I understand why *2gether* became a phenomenon, and its historical importance to the international growth of BL cannot be denied. However, being influential, popular, and nostalgic is not the same as being an outstanding series. In my opinion, people give it far more credit than its actual quality deserves.
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