This review may contain spoilers
When Grandpa Becomes The Twink ( He’s 70 in the Streets, 20 in the Sheets)
Alright, this one was a watch for sure. Honestly, I’m not even impressed—at the end of the day, it’s Taiwan BL, and when has that ever been normal? But yeah, I’ve got a lot to say here, so buckle up.
First off, what a weird story. Like…did anyone else watch this and constantly remember that Zhe Fang’s GRANDFATHER was in his BODY? Because I sure did. And that’s just insane. I couldn’t wrap my head around half of what was going on. Logically speaking, if this ever happened in real life:
1. The grandfather would stay straight. This man lived in a generation where being gay was basically treated like a crime worse than murder.
2. The age gap? Absolutely not. Unless grandpa was secretly a pedophile, no normal old man would look at someone his grandson’s age and think, “Yeah, that’s hot.” Ew.
3. If anything, a grandpa would’ve been fighting tooth and nail to return the body immediately. But no, this man just vibed until the end when he suddenly decided, “You know what? Suicide attempt time.” Like…what?
That’s where the story flopped for me. The logic just isn’t there. And sure, it’s fiction, but even unrealistic stories have to feel believable in their own world. If they wanted a body-swap plot, they could’ve done something way better. Imagine this: instead of death, grandpa and grandson just accidentally swap bodies, both survive, and they spend time living each other’s lives. The grandpa could’ve finally learned what modern youth and queerness are like, and the grandson could’ve gained a deeper appreciation for his family. They bond, they swap back, then we get the romance side of things. Stereotypical? Maybe. Less cursed? Definitely.
Now let’s talk about Guan Ri Qing. At first, I rolled my eyes and thought, “Here comes another toxic manipulative boyfriend,” but honestly, he was misunderstood. He just wanted love, specifically from Zhe Fang. And honestly? Poor guy. It felt like Zhe Fang used him, while secretly wanting Hai Yuan. That’s brutal. Imagine loving someone, then watching their body (literally) date someone else—your half-brother, no less. That’s heartbreak on nightmare mode. His whole depressed wall-staring scenes? Gut punch. I ended up feeling like Guan Ri Qing and Zhe Fang were soul-tied, red-string-coded. In another life, they’d meet again and maybe actually make it work. Though I feel like if Zhe Fang and Guan Ri Qing story continued, Zhe Fang would get reincarnated, once he's 20 he meets 40 year old Guan Ri Qing and wow beautiful romance, once again Taiwan BL coded, tho thats not as bad as whatever this is.
Now here’s the contradiction. I kept asking myself: what’s the real difference between this and a vampire romance? Vampires are literally 500 years old dating high schoolers, but somehow that’s romantic and not creepy? Grandpa is “only” 69, and suddenly it’s gross? Don’t get me wrong, it is gross—especially since it’s his grandson’s body and crush—but the double standard is kind of funny. Like, vampires get a pass, but this man can’t?
Final thoughts: I liked some parts. The kisses? Pretty good. Chemistry? Not bad. The pacing? Short and sweet. But overall, it didn’t land. It was unrealistic for being unrealistic, if that makes sense. The drama and jealousy were over the top and unnecessary. Grandpa should not be dating a 20-year-old. Grandson should’ve lived his own life and gotten his second chance. Hai Yuan? Lost child. Probably has daddy issues. Someone please direct him to people his actual age who have “old souls,” not literal old men.
So yeah. This show was a mess. A funny, wild, sometimes entertaining mess—but still a mess. 7.5/10. Can’t wait to see what Taiwan cooks up next, because at this point I’m convinced the writers are just high in the meeting room tossing darts at a board of “weird plot ideas.”
First off, what a weird story. Like…did anyone else watch this and constantly remember that Zhe Fang’s GRANDFATHER was in his BODY? Because I sure did. And that’s just insane. I couldn’t wrap my head around half of what was going on. Logically speaking, if this ever happened in real life:
1. The grandfather would stay straight. This man lived in a generation where being gay was basically treated like a crime worse than murder.
2. The age gap? Absolutely not. Unless grandpa was secretly a pedophile, no normal old man would look at someone his grandson’s age and think, “Yeah, that’s hot.” Ew.
3. If anything, a grandpa would’ve been fighting tooth and nail to return the body immediately. But no, this man just vibed until the end when he suddenly decided, “You know what? Suicide attempt time.” Like…what?
That’s where the story flopped for me. The logic just isn’t there. And sure, it’s fiction, but even unrealistic stories have to feel believable in their own world. If they wanted a body-swap plot, they could’ve done something way better. Imagine this: instead of death, grandpa and grandson just accidentally swap bodies, both survive, and they spend time living each other’s lives. The grandpa could’ve finally learned what modern youth and queerness are like, and the grandson could’ve gained a deeper appreciation for his family. They bond, they swap back, then we get the romance side of things. Stereotypical? Maybe. Less cursed? Definitely.
Now let’s talk about Guan Ri Qing. At first, I rolled my eyes and thought, “Here comes another toxic manipulative boyfriend,” but honestly, he was misunderstood. He just wanted love, specifically from Zhe Fang. And honestly? Poor guy. It felt like Zhe Fang used him, while secretly wanting Hai Yuan. That’s brutal. Imagine loving someone, then watching their body (literally) date someone else—your half-brother, no less. That’s heartbreak on nightmare mode. His whole depressed wall-staring scenes? Gut punch. I ended up feeling like Guan Ri Qing and Zhe Fang were soul-tied, red-string-coded. In another life, they’d meet again and maybe actually make it work. Though I feel like if Zhe Fang and Guan Ri Qing story continued, Zhe Fang would get reincarnated, once he's 20 he meets 40 year old Guan Ri Qing and wow beautiful romance, once again Taiwan BL coded, tho thats not as bad as whatever this is.
Now here’s the contradiction. I kept asking myself: what’s the real difference between this and a vampire romance? Vampires are literally 500 years old dating high schoolers, but somehow that’s romantic and not creepy? Grandpa is “only” 69, and suddenly it’s gross? Don’t get me wrong, it is gross—especially since it’s his grandson’s body and crush—but the double standard is kind of funny. Like, vampires get a pass, but this man can’t?
Final thoughts: I liked some parts. The kisses? Pretty good. Chemistry? Not bad. The pacing? Short and sweet. But overall, it didn’t land. It was unrealistic for being unrealistic, if that makes sense. The drama and jealousy were over the top and unnecessary. Grandpa should not be dating a 20-year-old. Grandson should’ve lived his own life and gotten his second chance. Hai Yuan? Lost child. Probably has daddy issues. Someone please direct him to people his actual age who have “old souls,” not literal old men.
So yeah. This show was a mess. A funny, wild, sometimes entertaining mess—but still a mess. 7.5/10. Can’t wait to see what Taiwan cooks up next, because at this point I’m convinced the writers are just high in the meeting room tossing darts at a board of “weird plot ideas.”
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