TinyMoose

Ion iqiyi they like 20 min each

Yeah , up until the reveal in ep 9, I was totally thinking trans male representation! The only thing that didn't fit was the parents: we don't know much about Amber's parents or anything. Yeah.....there was a lot of discussion I feel during the eps airing if you are bored and wanna scroll down into the past to find them. Would have been awesome to have a trans male since it TOTALLY could have fit here too. But intersex is rarely talked of also....and intersex is a complex topic with a HUGE phenotypic range that covers many conditions. We don't know the exact condition Amber has, except from the translation we get, we know it is a genetic based one (which there are a lot). So as a viewer I feel like since they were a little vague, you could interpret it as the condition of your choice if that matters to you. Amber did go through 'surgery' and 'treatments' that covered years, so it seems complex and clearly not simple if his parents took him to specialist doctors all the way in a different country.

I think one of the things the writers were trying to point out (which you clearly noticed) was how much of a big deal society makes regarding placing people in concrete polar genders; and that it is clearly toxic and harmful and hurts those who don't fit neatly into that rigid setup. Look how terrified Amber was to let others know about his past (he had already been bullied during his teenage years over it). It makes me wonder of his parents reaction and their obssession of not letting their child stay in touch with any of his friends and to 'start over' for fear of being treated as an outcast in society. Why is society making this a difficult thing? Why can't society be more fluid and accepting of all identities? Why so much fear?

I don't recall Amber explaining why he picked 'Amber', but I am going to guess because of the color? He loves oranges and amber is similar color in gemstones. :) Totally just a guess.

I had just felt like rewatching it, so I came to recheck the comments after that. Nothing special. I have watched some other BLs and their stories/ending just weren't as satisfying as this one for some reason (to me). I just get in contemplative moods and like to relook at stuff to try to learn more :)

Oh! I totally agree with you! You are so spot on! It is a series directed at a Taiwanese audience, so makes perfect sense! I just find it all interesting really. Language is fascinating to me so I tend to like to overread into stuff sometimes :)

Agreed. The dubbing is ok when it is someone close to a similar voice, like they did in the Untamed. It is more shocking to me and harder to watch when the voice is so different from the original actor. The BIG downside to Chinese dramas unfortunately. I wish they could do sound recording better like in Korean dramas, using the original actors voices/emotions. You lose a little when it comes to dubs. Good dubbing voice actors help to compensate for that, but that is rare. The Untamed got lucky with their voice actors, I feel.

So I have seen some similar statements on bullying in other asian dramas and clearly it is a translation thing. If you think about it, bullying is really specific and looks silly to a different culture. But the things in the locker a re legit things used to bully people in some cultures. Though in English, it would have been (culturally) crap about how you 'aren't a real guy' or other shit like that alluding to sexual innuendo. What got me was the translation of they did 'weird things to me' which could imply unwanted sexual advances and such, which is horrifying yet sadly accurate in a western society. That might allude to some of the poor translations in the locker of 'slut' for example. That is the kind of shit asshole westerners would point out.

Seriously. Thank you for posting this info. You deserve a good dose of good karma to come your way for sharing!

The description for level up says they just re-did and re-edited some scenes to make the flow better. I kinda think of the level up the 'directors cut' maybe? Netflix for me only has the level up, so I have not seen the original to compare.

The soundtrack is phenomenal! This is a great example of how to use great music to make scenes even more meaningful and better. They did a great job with this. Amazing.

Why is ep 7 making me cry non-stop?!?!?!?!?!?! UGH!

I feel like the show is a reflection on life during quarantine. Humans even in a virtual environment strive/want/can connect still with one another and have meaningful interactions and experience. Look at all the clever ways people were interacting and still trying to be happy and to cope in a strange new reality. It feels like a philosophical commentary on humanity really.

OMG. Pearl is like one of the BEST things in this show. Without her, they dynamic and fun of the series would be so less. Her character is hilarious! ;D

For a series from 2012 it only feels minorly dated (hair and clothing....and the 'weaker' female leads...but it was a different time back then, so don't judge it 10 years later). This is cute, fluffy, and funny (even the cheesy parts!). Loved all the relationships dealing with family and friends; loved all the side characters. Sure, no series is perfect, but overall this is a fun series with a good ending so you feel positive. My favorite part was that the love triangle fell apart very quickly: I LOVED that it was the two guys became like best friends even to the girl's chagrin ;P TOTALLY REFRESHING! Some of this series is very rewatchable to me, so get a big plus in my book. I feel like the bigger story is less to do with the love story (it starts off sort of like a romcom, but it really isn't that) , but more to do with friends and family, redemption and justice....in a setting of lots of yummy desserts to make you hungry! :)

This is definitely cute and fluffy, which I appreciate! Nice spice of life vibe; enjoy the slow pacing focused more on character interactions.

OMG. This is waaaaaaaaaay cuter than I was expecting! A few more eps to go!

We don't get all the details, but it is also likely that Amber's parents knew from birth that he was intersex, but because he 'looked mostly like a girl', they may have just assumed that would be what he would be and went with it....until development continued on to reveal he may be more toward the male side (internal organs matter here especially when puberty hits). Amber at one point admitted to Le that they found out his condition was 'more complicated than expected' and that was why the prolonged stay in UK. I would really love to know more background with Amber and his parents. We really don't know how much Amber knew when he was little. In that letter to Le, Amber wrote that he used to think he was 'special' and 'unique' like that rainbow fish...... which could imply he was aware of his condition WAY before the third grade..... or it could be just alluding to how Le made Amber feel by just being his friend. The writers use so much imagery and double meaning, that it leaves room open for interpretation and reflection.

But then when you go back and re-watch the little kids (Le and Wenwen) with the fish tank scene, I really get the vibe that Wenwen knew he was 'different' already back then....which makes me feel even more like he and his parents knew since his birth (the it being 'more complicated' part was discovered in the third grade).

yay! It has the translation! thanks! you the best!

It's a lost skill now. Like shoe-ing a horse OR rewinding cassette tapes with a pencil. lol

I got that it was due to an accumulation of multiple reasons tied together:

1) His intersex condition is DNA based.

2) Amber loves Le because of who Amber internally is (genetics/genotype), not his outward appearance (phenotype) . Amber's DNA (self) loves Le's DNA (self).

3) Le legit fell in love with Amber TWICE, independent of what Amber's outward (phenotype) gender appeared to be. Likewise, it is also Le's DNA (self) that loves Amber's DNA (self). Though Le did clarify in last ep that he likes Amber BEST now as male, which I LOVE ;D