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It seems like they tried to make the storyline reflect a more cyclical or circular (often also considered Asian) time concept, rather than a more straightforward linear (often also considered Western) one. Cyclical time means that the past is the contextual basis for present decisions, you think long term and can feel more restricted as opposed to linear time where indecision and inaction means that time has just been wasted for no reason.

If time is seen to be more cyclical than linear, time is not wasted, it comes back around again in a circle, where the same opportunities and risks repeat themselves when people are years wiser. Cyclical time is when you say: If I had known then what I know now, I would never have done that.

The second season looks cyclical to me. The past and the present are intertwined. The intro in the first episode literally says the young are easily discouraged. Shu Yi too easily believes Shi De has chosen a woman over him, and Shi De is too insecure to trust in Shu Yi’s forever. There are a several parallels in what they do and say, like literally repeating lines now they are older and wiser. They filmed several shots depicting self-reflection, meaning the face of the character reflects back from a window, surface of a table etc. There are flash backs. We are given a part of the answer to why they lost touch, then the story goes forward and then circle back again for more revelations. They underline the older and wiser part when Shi De asks why Shu Yi is not curious about the blond woman who caused so much strife and Shu Yi just says something like: I see now how much I mean to you, so I know you did nothing wrong when it comes to her. He doesn’t even need to ask anymore.

Shu Yi and Shi De were apart for 5+ years, Yu Zhen Xuan looked for Pei Shou Yi for 12 years. That's still a long time for me. I don't think the show is bad, but it ends up being a bit convoluted in the end. I still like season two, especially for the actors.

I snorted at that line, 10 out of 10 for absurdity!

High five!
Will watch!

Hey you gave a mini Hofstede cultural dimensions lecture lol. I studied this at university back in the day. Cool stuff! https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country/taiwan/

Relatable! I have a hard time concentrating on other entertainment. I be like, woman snap out of it, read a book, you know you like those! ....and half of me whines... NOPE I don't wanna!

I might have a few minor criticisms of the show, but I'm not going to dwell on them.

So they went for more humour in the 3rd episode. The way Shu Yi put the two men in the dog house LOL. Also, the dad asks Shi De how to get back in his son's good graces. That's basically him acknowledging Shi De as Shu Yi's other half, awww.
This second season is definitely different from the first. I mean separated for years and then an epic slap at work said it was likely to be puzzling. I'm hoping after all the episodes are released, the plot will at least look a bit more cohesive. I suppose the format doesn't help. I mean if it was a movie, or released all at once, the story arc might be less jarring than with the shortish episodes. Still like the show though!

I think he is supposed to be on the spectrum yes. I remember hearing a voice over in some of the previews where I think Pei Shou Yi the doc talks about why their relationship is so complicated. He lists varying diagnosis I can't remember, and says that Yu Zhe Xuan has a filial attacment i.e. thinks the doc is a parental figure, stemming from the fact that the doc helped him when they were younger. So, I'm guessing the doc on his part, has a hard time seeing Yu Zhen Xuan as a competent adult, because of his diagnosis, and feels like a romantic relationship would be taking advantage!? Did anyone else see that trailer or am I hallucinating, lol?

So, this show seems to be more in the style of
1. Screwball Comedy: puts its emphasis on a funny spoofing of love
2. Farce: the style of humor that occurs in a farce, disapproving : something that is so bad that it is seen as ridiculous
3. Slapstick: a type of physical comedy characterized by broad humour, absurd situations

An excellent nuanced comment. I agree with you.

I really like this series. The acting is so poignant.

There's nothing extreme about that couch scene. I'm Northern European and an adult, just for refrence. Also, seriously, it's nothing you couldn't thematically speaking see in so called western programming. I don't know what the heck extra is going on with people, but the scene itself is not worth all this fuss.

Did you notice that on the message board there's a thread called Music from the series. Maybe that could be a good place to ask? That way your question won't get lost among all the other stuff in the commnet section.

"You mentioned being multilingual, out of curiosity what languages do you focus on/speak?"

Umm, best to worst: Finnish, English, less confident in Swedish and German, basic French

I don't speak any Asian languages, only taught myself Korean Hangul alphabet for fun. Watching content from Asia is actually suprisingly disturbing in the sense that I have near zero understanding of the languages. I don't have any point of refrence and just have to lol at my clueless confused self.

Is it a version of Yu's song Blue Lover? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyrrdeFHDAQ

"... better subtitles; not because they’re incoherent, but because they are often changed so that the impact/emotion of the original line is lessened."

I understand your language related frustrations. Mine started with reading somewhere that Shu Yi sometimes speaks Japanese and apparently Shi De also speaks Japanese to Shu Yi? That's context missing in the subtitles, like did Shi De call Shu Yi baka/fool in Japanese on the bridge etc? That language switching speaks to relationship dynamics and I feel like I'm missing out.

I'm multilingual so I get that there is a compromise you have to make between exact translation and translating the meaning, because different languages don't express the same concepts with the same words and figures of speech. Still, I'd like to have the most accurate feel of what
is going on.

Lifetime Channel is some hellscape level bs. I think there are legitimate issues with some BLs, but the problem is the cringy framing of the bad behaviour, not simply its existence. I agree that portraying smt is not the same as condoning it, some people do overreact. Christian Broadcasting, LOL, hell no!