any_anka

Ok, so I can understand when people complain about The On1y One or Heesu in Class 2 not being BL, being censored, straight-washed etc. I don't necessarily share the same opinion, but I can see where it's coming from. However, here you lost me.
I mean, yeah, the drama kind of dropped the ball when portraying the ML's relationship once they got together. So far we saw them kiss before they got together, in their fantasies, in flashbacks after the break-up fight and even during the break-up fight. So, there are indeed some weird choices there... but still - there was an obvious attraction on both sides, actual kissing scenes (not fish-kisses, not dare-kisses) and legit confessions.
You might dislike the drama, it's your right to do so - I wouldn't call it a masterpiece myself, but going as far as calling it non-BL is kinda difficult to understand to me.
What are the prerequisites for a show to be considered a BL then?
Also, what is even straight-passing?

Genuinely one of the best things I've watched. Also, probably the best acting I've seen in a kdrama.

I actually had no problem with it being slow, or there being misunderstandings, or characters communicating poorly. My biggest issue was Do Ba Woo's treatment of Ji Hoon throughout the entire series. He was like the main character of main characters: all about me, me, me. My unrequited crush, my broken heart and my pride. Not even once considering he was hurting his supposedly best friend/crush in the process.

Well... I'm not sure what do you mean by "the same feel", but...
If it's a story with a strong homoerotic subtext without a directly stated relationship or romance then maybe series like The On1y One or Killer and Healer can be your cup of tea.
If you want a gay romance with an artistic twist to its cinematography then a Korean series The Eight Sense might be something you'd enjoy.
And if you're looking for the overall kinda "magical realism" vibe coupled with a love story (doesn't matter gay or straight) then an anime movie Your Name (Kimi no Na wa) is the one that comes to my mind (it actually is quite similar in a lot of aspects).

If a series blows up and gains popularity it's only natural that there'd be more people curious about it and amongst them there will be people who might not like it. That's one thing.
Another thing is those people have the right to voice their opinions just as those who think Top Form is the best series in the history of universe... I've seen both types in here (people who are surprised by the rating because they think it's too high and those who think it's still too low). Criticising does not automatically equal hating... (provided the critique pertains to the quality of work, acting skills etc. and don't go into personal attacks on actors etc. and if it's a well-articulated critique it's fun to read it, regardless of your own stance - at least for me)

P.S. I don't think Top Form suffers from lack of promotions. Don't they have like weekly reactions to episodes, actors doing live streams, interviews etc.?

P.S. 2 I see people repeating it's a small company drama or out-of-nowhere drama. But WeTV is literally Tencent aka a global conglomerate... How is that a small company? ;) (I'm asking genuinely, not nitpicking or anything).

What happened to this drama? It says it aired last November already but there's no rating available... Has anyone watched it?

Is there even any way to watch it outside of Taiwan *and* with English subtitles?

I think the drama tried to sort of make things appear more believable by saying that Dou Ke Yi's organization is difficult to infiltrate, they're suspicious of newcomers who appear out of nowhere, the police failed multiple times before etc. Thus, I guess, their new approach was to send a lackey (cause Xiao Bai doesn't seem like a very experienced "agent" to a lackey).

And didn't Da Hei know and worked for Dou Ke Yi's before already? Wasn't his job the reason he moved out to live alone (so that his grandma wouldn't see the bruises he gets from his job)? I don't really remember which one came first (I mean, I know the drama started with XB and DH move in together, but the narration could be non-linear here), because tbh this whole agent-undercover-thingy is super flawed to me, I try not to pay much attention to the details or I wouldn't be able to watch 😋(And I like the chemistry between the leads, I find their motivations/conflicts etc. quite believable, so I *need* to ignore the part that makes no sense 😉)

I agree with the point about development of a relationship. We didn't really see much of them hold hands, embrace while sitting on a couch or kiss (and I'm not demanding some make-out scene, even a smooch would make things feel more well... relationshipy). They kissed way more when it was just inside XB's imagination 😋
I feel like just inserting some elements of such everyday life intimacy would do wonders. The scene when they lie down in their beds after a fight in two separate rooms would've felt more impactful if they actually shared a bed before (and once again, I don't mean an NC scene necessarily, but just them cuddling on one's bed).

I know it's a BL, but I really love Da Hei's interactions with his family. That scene at the hospital where both him and his sister cried? It was just so well done and actually pretty well-acted. I didn't expect this level of emotional rawness from this cute silly series.

Also, this is a random comment, but the actress playing Da Hei's sister - did she ever play in any "straight" drama? I keep seeing her as a side character in different BLs :) She was Birdy's girlfriend in Your Name Engraved Herein and was also there in The On1y One.
Not complaining, just wondering ;)

For younger ppl who tuned into kdramas in the recent 5 years or kpop fans who might be familiar only with the 4th gen (and don't they already have a 5th one at the moment? I'm not much in the loop nowadays 😋) it's not so surprising not to know a 2nd gen group, needless to say all its members (other than maybe Taeyeon)

Just watched the first two episodes and was reminded once again why Japanese BLs are just the absolute top for me.

After being really impressed with it initially, I'm starting to have more and more mixed feelings. Now, don't get me wrong, the actors are still delivering, Boom is a fantastic crier and Smart is actually exceeding my original expectations I've had of him based on the first episode BUT there are more and more elements I find hard to reconcile.

Firstly, the whole Johnny plot. I don't think it was mishandled 100%. In fact, I think Akin's emotions, his confusion, his misplaced feeling of guilt and shame etc. were portrayed really, really well. I even don't mind the fact that there was no legal repercussions. I can totally see Jin feeling that having the guy "under control" with the recording he made is better than creating a scandal that could potentially backfire and hurt Akin in the process (whether it's right or wrong is a different case entirely). I can even accept the guy getting a redemption arc (after all, it's a fictional story and frankly, some of my favourite characters in fiction are actual villain types who got to redeem themselves).

However, the thing about Top Form is that there is NO redemption arc. Johnny does nothing to atone for what he did, he gets pretty much no punishment, no judgment, no repercussions, even no scenes showing he feels guilty, he regrets what he did, he wants to be a changed man or whatever... Come episode 7 and he already shifts into a... comic relief character 😑We have Johnny as this cute guy eavesdropping on our lovebirds. Or Johnny as the one who needs to go around sell merch... And I really gotta ask: what??!! I needed the drama to give me something more, cause at this moment, the only comedy relief scene I can accept involving Johnny is a slapstick one with him falling off the stairs.

There was a potential there to make him a more sympathetic character. He clearly has harsh experiences in the industry and possibly a twisted view of sex-related encounters. This could've been explored and used to make the audience feel to some extend sorry for him. Or even don't go there, just show us he is truly regretful, he had an epiphany about his life, he saw how much his actions traumatised Akin and how much damage he can cause to others and decided to not be that person. Almost anything would be better than the nothing we got. Or rather, there was this one short instance when Johnny mentions he is serious about acting and remembering his lines (maybe under Akin's influence) but is that really enough?! With the total lack of giving Johnny's character any more depth after the assault incident, Johnny becoming almost part of the gang, participating in cheerful moments on screen and getting praise for improving from Akin was all too soon for my liking.

Ok, that was one big issue. Now, another one I have is editing. I don't know what's happening, but I didn't have a problem with drama's editing in the first couple of episodes. I think ep 6 (or maybe even ep 5) was already weirdly edited, but the great acting and me being into the story allowed me to overlook it. However, I'm starting to get bugged by it. I can't put my finger exactly on what's the issue, but there's this feeling of interrupted flow between scenes, they feel disjointed. And sometimes it happens between two scenes taking place one right after the other. One example I can think of is the sequence of scenes when Jin takes Akin to the bathroom and put his necklace back on Akin's neck. The transition between those scenes was kinda abrupt. And that's editing alone, camera work is another thing. I sometimes truly don't understand director's or production's choices as to when to zoom out, when to zoom in on a characters face, when to focus on small details etc. One scene is fine, but there are more of such instances and they kinda affect my viewer experience.

This is both a shame and genuinely confusing, because at the same time Top Form has some scenes that are just genuinely beautiful. For example the initial scenes of ep 7, when Akin apologises to Jin while performing a play on stage. Here - on the contrary - the editing was great. Then there was this one more scene when the drama kinda put together moments of Jin hugging Akin - there editing was perfect. So I am not really sure what is happening 😋And that's just episode 7. Camera work/editing/directing prior to the honey scene were so good. Or that moment when Akin gets back to his room after his "night with Johnny" and tries to process what just happened (the camera right in his face, the fast cutting between takes - so nice, really).

Basically, before I called Top Form a perfect blend between a mainstream BL and a more deep drama. Now I feel like I am watching two different works altogether 😋 On the one hand, we have really good acting and some raw portrayals of complex emotions and moments of really good cinematography; on the other we have underdeveloped plots, simplified issues and weird editing.

Seriously, him being just so open, positive, confident and chill about it (but not to the point of being pushy or weirdly forceful) is super refreshing and quite charming, ngl.

This exact thing.
And it's not just the chemistry between the two main characters either (even though it's great), but also the side characters, the family plot, the interactions with grandma and Da Hai's sister in the most recent episode.
Yeah, sure, there's this undercover thing that makes very little sense on multiple levels, but everything else has been sooo enjoyable.

The On1y One is on a completely different level than this series (respectfully). Acting, writing and directing are amazing, but... sadly it doesn't get a conclusion, so many people end up disappointed.

If you're looking for a decent Taiwanese BL, there is this cute little series airing at the moment called Fight For You. It starts off kinda ridiculously, but the leads have really nice chemistry and as it progresses, the relationship and feelings between them develop rather smoothly and naturally, the story is not overloaded with unnecessary elements (that don't get proper development) and the background story of one of the MLs is even kinda wholesome and heart-warming.
It's most definitely not the best thing ever, but it has this healing fluffy vibe.

Personally, I think this is not a good choice for your first experience with BL. It's simply... a bit too good 😋 There's a high probability it'd make majority of BLs out there seem lacklustre afterwards. There are plenty of BL titles out there that lack quite much in certain realms (be it writing-wise, production-wise, story-wise, acting-wise) and require high tolerance from the audience (who is often willing to bear it all for the sake of it being a BL - from my observations, that's my opinion, don't come for me too much ;)).

And while Top Form probably won't be my all-time-favourite, it definitely is already ONE of the best BLs I've watched. Ever.

Even if you opt to watch only Japanese and Korean BLs (which - in my opinion - have more chance to touch upon complex topics and lean towards more artistic expression), they often have lower budgets and lack in the realm of kissing scenes, intimacy scenes etc. (which Top Form really is excelling at; the chemistry/acting is great in those scenes and they're filmed with an artistic twist as well).

Generally, I'd say this drama is like a perfect blend of artistic and more mainstream-oriented. Giving you both food for thought (e.g. if you wanna understand better the motivations and actions of Akin, who's rather complicated emotionally) and content for squealing, kicking your blanket while giggling, holding your pillow and replaying certain moments😋 Not many shows can do both so well.

I haven't read the entire book because I kept hoping for s2 and didn't wanna get spoiled 😋 I did read a couple of chapters where I knew they'd be having a confession and their first kiss, to have some sort of a closure (just in case and because, you know, I couldnt wait ;))
I can tell you what happens there. But mind you, I read it months ago so I might get some details wrong (and I'm not the best storyteller).

Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian "make up". JT basically comes to SW and asks him to try to get back to their class and SW can't really say no to that. In the meantime they end up at an English camp (it was mentioned in the drama as well, if I remember correctly). It so happens that during that camp, SW has birthday. JT has prepared a gift, but finds out that SW doesn't like celebrating his b-day on the actual day (bcs his mom died), so he wants to celebrate with JT a day earlier.

They decide to go out to celebrate, end up going to sth like an amusement park and then end up drinking some local wine and come back to their dorm room (not the regular dorm, another dorm, a camp dorm :)). JT leaves SW alone in the room under some lame excuse and rushes to get the gift he prepared to make it in time before it's the next day and an actual SW's birthday. SW falls asleep bcs he's a bit tipsy.

When JT comes back, SW is asleep, JT sits on the bed (I think they had bunk beds and SW was on the top one, if I'm not mixing sth with the drama). JT is also a bit drunk + overwhelmed with emotions bcs he thinks he's late (and generally they had this weird tension building up between them already the entire day).

Thinking SW is asleep, he holds SW's hand and wishes him Happy Birthday. SW wakes up, goes down to JT's bed and they start talking. JT gives him the gift, which is pretty amazing bcs he gives him this photo album with pictures he took of a lot of places that SW remembered from his childhood. Then the last pic has just SW standing there. SW is actually really touched by it and also overwhelmed by emotions starts to press JT why he is so nice to him, with the gift and everything else.

They sit next to each other and SW can sense JT's heart is beating like crazy. I don't remember the entire conversation sentence by sentence but basically SW asks if JT is so nice to him bcs he is his Ge (as in his brother) and JT ends up telling him not to call him that. Then SW goes "why?" and JT answers "Because I'll think I'm going insane" and... he ends up kissing SW. SW doesn't push him away, so they just end up making out there, around midnight, both a bit tipsy.

That's their first kiss and as far as I am concerned that could be our ending of S1, even if S2 never got produced. I'd be content :)

Afterwards, they get more moments when they kiss, SW is the one who confesses (like, actually asks for them to be boyfriends) first. They kiss in their room, hiding around corners at school, at their parents' house and so on and so fort :) They also do a bit more than just kiss as well ;)

And then there is a separation that lasts a couple of years. I haven't read that part, but I think their parents found out abt their relationship, decided not to get married, but also made the two boys separate (and one of them even went away, like left town or sth).
They do get back together eventually, though. Still crazy in love as ever. And even have a cat together ;)

Dear fellow viewers, you don't need to take sides and either hate on Jin to empathise with what happened to Akin or put the blame on Akin to defend Jin'. They both are victims of this situation instigated by Johnny, who is the sole villain in here, btw. They both made mistakes in handling the situation (e.g. Akin lying to Jin and Jin giving Akin ultimatums when he was clearly distressed), but both were put in very painful and confusing circumstances.

I felt like saying it because I see so many people having this 0-1 attitude, without appreciating the nuance and each character's perspective and what they're going through at the moment, expecting Jin to be some kind of a saint-like, omniscient figure or blaming Akin for not explaining to Jin properly what he himself doesn't understand yet.

Oh, for sure, Johnny SA-ed Akin. Even if he didn't go thru with it entirely (as actually raped him), leaving multiple kiss marks one a body of someone who's completely out of it and can neither consent nor defend themselves is very much already an SA.

What I meant was, that even if you take the solely "professional", money-oriented perspective of Akin's manager and even if they didn't think Johnny could SA Akin or didn't care if he did, leaving Akin with a stranger while he was so intoxicated could lead to tons of other situations possibly detrimental to his public image (like, idk, him vomiting all over himself and someone take pics and leaking them to the press etc.).

I'm happy to see someone showing some empathy towards Jin in this situation, because I saw many people blame him for his reaction. But the thing is, both Akin and him are victims of Johnny's crime, though to a varying degree ofc.

Jin doesn't have a crystal ball, he's not privy to what we are as an audience. And sure, one might argue that he should trust Akin more, but from his perspective what happened was:

- Johnny and Akin's were together last night.
- Akin lied when asked about what he did that night.
- Akin kept looking borderline guilty during their car conversation, unable to provide any reasonable explanation of what actually happened.

Did Jin do everything right? He obviously didn't. The ultimatum he gave Akin amidst him leaving the car was too much for my liking (I don't think ultimatums should be a thing between people who love and respect each other), but he was also in a heightened emotional state and pretty much broken-hearted.

I felt for both him and Akin in this episode.

P.S. While the obvious villain is Johnny, I really need that manager's a** fired. He was already showing Akin to be driven to work/from work by Jin before and now he literally leaves him there vulnerable and defenceless with someone who's pretty much a stranger (and a possible competition in the industry, if nothing else). Even if Johnny didn't SA-ed Akin, think about all the compromising pictures etc. he could've taken of Akin when he was that inebriated... 😠