TianQi

The only people to whom China could possibly look more like an idealistic place than actually is are Chinese people. Those who haven't been outside of China, in particular. Very few countries have a favorable view of China and haven't had one for a very long time. I won't say it's an unwarranted view, but because domestic media is blatantly and openly controlled by the state and international media about China tends to always lend itself toward the negative side, there are often discrepancies about the details of these issues. That said, you mentioned the US problems tend to be out in the open, I think another difference (yet comparison) between the US Government and the CCP is that when the CCP does something horrible, the victims are usually Chinese. When the US Government does something horrible, the victims are citizens of other countries...usually poorer ones.

The acting was good in this and it really showed Mean and Can's chemistry, but it was just kinda boring overall. Yacht pulled through with the great comic relief as usual though.

This wasn’t bad, but I’m not sure what the message was supposed to be? Either way, the tall guy was supernaturally hot.

Whoops! lol I'd enjoy Yoon and Tay Tawan in the future though too tbh

Kim brings big Aries energy to all of his roles and I love him for it. So confident no matter what. <3

Cousins...maybe? Actually, no. They don't look alike to me at all. lol

I like categorizing things, so I'll recommend a few BLs I really like from each country that is currently producing them regularly (except Philippines as I haven't watched any from there).

Japan:
Cherry Magic
His - I Didn't Mean To Fall In Love (it has two parts)
Takumi-kun (old, but classic Japanese BL, and five installments)

Thai:
A Tale of A Thousand Stars
Love By Chance
My Engineer
I Told Sunset About You (It's a gay love story between young guys, but it's not "BL" in the romantic fantasy way like others are, nevertheless it's AMAZING)

Korea:
Where Your Eyes Linger
To My Star
Color Rush

China:
Addicted
Advance Bravely
I Love You As A Man
*The Untamed
*Word of Honor
*both of these dramas are based on explicitly BL novels, but censorship in China reduces a bit to bromance, but the romance is still clearly seen, even if not physically

Taiwan:
We Best Love
History 2: Trapped
History 3: Make Our Days Count
Because of You
Dark Blue and Moonlight

One of the most smutty *Thai* BLs out there.

I feel like they just spent an usually long time illustrating the physically romantic side of Fighter and Tutor's relationship in Why R U (practically all of episode 10, I think), but during the times when they were just talking, I could see the love there too.

And their behavior and the filming of the beach scene felt so real to me. I felt like if I were to go to Phuket, I might just run into Teh and Oh-aew hugging and reminiscing together. The actors both deliver so well.

Once again, cinematography/visual storytelling takes the cake for this series, but I'd be remiss to not mention how much of an impact the acting had on me as well. Oh-aew's tears falling on Teh's shoulders T_T
I don't even recall being (very) emotional during all five episodes of the first season, but this single episode was just so beautiful. There's nothing like living through an ominous bliss. Being so happy because you're about to be so sad. This episode was absolutely perfect in my eyes.

Bad description, yeah, but the show's title is 'Close *Friend*' and love doesn't have to be romantic.

My objective ranking:
5 Jimmy/Tommy
6 Kim/Copter
4 Yoon/Talay
1 Om/Fluke
3 Max/Nat
2 Ja/First

My biased ranking:
6 Kim/Copter
5 Jimmy/Tommy
2 Ja/First
1 Om/Fluke
4 Yoon/Talay
3 Max/Nat

I'm a huge fan of Kim/Copter and it was nice to finally see Copter play a character that's actually crazy about Kim's character instead of being cold and hard to get. Mark/Ming from Gen Y/2Moons would be very excited to see his other incarnation treated so well. Once again, I'm embarrassed at how easily I gush for Kim's cheesy charm. I really do love him.

Jimmy/Tommy were as lovely as I expected them to be. Their chemistry is beautiful and watching almost Tommy having to break his neck to look up at Jimmy the Giant with this big eyes and sweet smile gets me EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

I don't know if I liked the story of Yoon/Talay's episode too much, but I'm so used to watching them be in ridiculous, wacky situations and just focusing on their chemistry (which is great), so it worked.

I don't feel like I got to see enough Ohm in their episode, but I liked it overall. What did get to see enough of was Fluke's acting. Always a pleasure.

The Max/Nat episode kinda fell flat for me largely because the fighting moves were mostly one move. That took me out of it quite a bit. I also just didn't find it too entertaining.

I feel like I especially enjoyed the Ja/First episode, but I didn't watch it from a romantic angle at all. For me, First was literally just a possessive cat and his loving adoptive owner that's all there was to it. As a lifetime cat owner, I totally felt the friendship there. Especially in the bathroom scene. The abandonment Minjoon feels is exactly how I used to think my cat felt when I left him at home alone for too long. People who may have misinterpreted the scene where First gets really close t oJa's face (as if he's about to kiss him) should get more experience with cats. They do that. My cat used to like to get close to my face to just smell the air coming out of my nose. They're weird.

Yeah, not exactly everyone everywhere, but enough for the US to be easily within many countries' "Top 5 worst countries in the world" list...ironically right next to China.

Everyone everywhere complains about the US government. Many of the complaints you see might be coming from people who are actually within the reach of the CCP's foreign influence (i.e.-other Asians). I could, but I won't get into the CCP's complicated relationship with governments and the economies of their neighbors.

I don't hate it, but tbh I'm mostly sticking around for him too.

Yes and because I think it’s because it doesn’t step out of reality into romantic fantasy with as much fluff and cheese as the other stuff does. Lol

I think the English titles of this series are purposely made to be more evocative, personally. Though the original title directly translated to English fits a theme of this series just as well as it does in Thai, it comes off a lot more light-hearted than than the tone of this series actually is. If I heard of a series called, "Translate 'Love Me' with your Heart", I'd think of a rom-com with a guy who moves to a different country to work and falls in love with his co-worker or boss that he can't communicate well with because the guy doesn't speak his boss' language fluently yet. Or maybe a funny story between a poor translator and a diplomat with a heavy accent even. Just something light-hearted, not this.

Many, myself included, wouldn't even put this in the "BL" category at all. I also wonder if it's to early to say this isn't as good as ITSAY. Why do you think it isn't as good?

I think it’s all down hill from here emotionally. :( Tissues ready.