ariel alba

A violent encounter between two cultures, two sexes, two Chinas, two generations.

Wai Tung (Winston Chao) is a Taiwanese-American man who is happily settled in New York with Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein), his American boyfriend. Already close to 30 years old, Wai-Tung has not yet married, and his Taiwanese parents are impatient with the fact that they want to see him married and have children.
But what shines is not the golden and cheerful champagne, but a sad and sordid story. Wai-Tung has not dared to confess his homosexuality because his father has recently recovered from a heart attack, in addition to coming from a conservative family and he fears that they will not accept that he is a gay man.
Wai's parents, unaware of the situation, have found him a girlfriend from Taiwan and gotten him engaged; and they plan to travel to the United States to introduce the girl and celebrate the nuptials. From there, the crazy dizzying entanglement: While Wai must announce that he already has a girlfriend, Simon proposes celebrating a wedding of convenience with his Chinese roommate Wei-Wei (May Chin), a young immigrant who needs a green immigration card. to remain in the United States.
With its Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, a Golden Globe nomination in the same section, and six nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Film, all in 1993, 'Xi yan' ('The Wedding Banquet ') won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, shared with the Chinese film '"Woman Sesame Oil Maker'
With a lot of ingenuity and a good dose of humor and drama, the success of the film is guaranteed by the truthfulness of the story and the way in which the creators do not seek melodrama and basic humor, but rather do justice to the characters. .
In this well-conceived, bittersweet, funny and very entertaining film, which never stumbles, it tells us how Simon's strategy, which seemed to be safe, causes even more problems when Mrs. Gao (Gui Ya Lei) and her husband, Mr. Gao (Lung Sihung), Wai-Tung's parents, arrive in New York to celebrate a big wedding with Wei Wei. As a result, all kinds of emotional conflicts and human relationships happen behind the Chinese-style wedding banquet.
Friendly and surprising film of cultural shocks that launched Lee to universal recognition, the multi-award-winning director demonstrates a certain creative maturity as an author. Halfway between comedy and social melodrama, he bases his story on the critical-testimonial subtlety of situations and dialogues, which range from hilarity to touching sentiment, managing to overcome cultural barriers and achieve, in this way, international recognition. . As a curious fact, Lee participates as an extra among the guests at the wedding banquet.
With sequences as successful as the wedding banquet - following Chinese traditions - that titles the film, the humor comes from both the characters and the situations, giving rise to a funny and emotional unusual comedy.
'The Wedding Banquet' offers a sharp study of mentalities and points out the problems of Chinese emigrants in the United States, in search of an identity and that "American dream" that most of the time will not be realized.
With a low budget, so it was filmed with natural light, and dialogues in English and Chinese, the film talks about the confusion of identities, traditional family values ​​and their clash with modern life. Not in vain did the Taiwanese director say in this regard: "It is a violent encounter between two cultures, two sexes, two Chinas, two generations. Also, in some way, a clash between Eastern and Western society."
With this very skillful and entertaining social comedy, turned satire on the middle class with more heart than bite, Lee seems to have the objective of breaking spears in defense of homosexuality, with his dialogues and erotic situations very explicit in this sense.
Hence Lee recognized: "it is an important aspect in this film, because American cinema has traditionally treated homosexuals and also the Chinese badly. I would like them to be respected more. (…) in America it is seen as something comical, but in Taiwan it would be a drama. I wrote it based on my own experience, because it was also an act of rebellion for me not to get married, and in real close situations," referring to the fact that he was inspired to write the story by a couple of his friends.
Due to its emotional charge, with this film, the Taiwanese director, screenwriter and producer continues, as he did in previous films, such as 'Pushing Hands' and 'Eat Drink Man Woman', his exploration of the relationships and conflicts between tradition and modernity. , eastern and western. Lee also deals with repressed and hidden emotions in many of his films, including 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' 'The Ice Storm,' 'Hulk,' and 'Brokeback Mountain.'

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Finding love in premonitory dreams

Finding love in premonitory dreams
From the first scene, 'I Saw You in My Dream' not only grabs the viewer, it also proves to be a special LGBT-themed romantic drama with its cozy vibes, delicate emotions and tender sentimental messages.
Each well-written scene highlights the protagonists and their charming personalities, helping me understand them as individuals. I empathize with the skillful narrator, who describes a tender bond between two neighbors and childhood friends. We are facing a healthy and beautiful youthful romance.
The possibility of romance does not take long to emerge on the screen. Although initially focused on platonic interactions, the main characters are one a university student and the other a freelance photographer, who have shared their entire lives in games, noble fun, and a lot of camaraderie.
However, everything changes when Ai, just on the day she turns 20, in the middle of the Christmas and New Year holidays, begins to have premonitory dreams, that is, those that end up happening later. Having dreams that seem to foresee future events causes him distress and confusion, since they are related to Yu, his friend, whom he sees suffering a tragedy or kissing him in the privacy of a darkened room. This triggers in him, on the one hand, the desire to protect him, and on the other, love, but at the same time he does not know how to handle the situation due to the fear of losing his friend.
This is how the series immerses the viewer in the complex labyrinths of friendship, love and self-discovery, presenting the moving story of two inseparable friends, who find themselves on an emotionally challenging journey. What they believe about themselves and what they feel about each other is not a constant – unlike many situations shown in the series that seem to remain unchanged: games in the garden of the house or in one of their bedrooms, the search for hidden treasures, sharing the birthday gift...
In the environment of their childhood and adolescence, their homes have witnessed countless laughter, games and shared secrets. However, as they reach adulthood, they face new desires and emotions, and endless questions about who they really are and what love is. What makes this period of changes a sea of ​​confusion for the protagonist is that over time he realizes that he loves Yu. Do you have to hide your feelings to preserve a friendship intact or is it time to take a risk to be authentic with yourself?
Ingkarat Damrongsakkul, the actor who plays Ai, is sensational. He brings sweetness and youthful innocence to an emotionally honest performance. Ruy, as he is known by his nickname, embodies his character so convincingly that Ai feels like a genuine person with complex thoughts and feelings drifting from his premonitory dreams.
This role is perfectly designed to highlight the best qualities of the actor who starred in 2015, at the age of 12, in the film 'How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)', a drama for which he won the coveted Best Actor award cast at that year's prestigious Suphannahong National Film Awards/National Film Association of Thailand Awards.
'Quarantine Stories', 'Fierce & Furious Academy', '2 Moons' and '#HATETAG' are other BL series in which Ryu had the opportunity to take on important roles.
For his part, Putter Phubase Pratumrat, who plays Yu, radiates a pleasant charisma. The actor who starred in one of the stories of the series 'My Universe', specifically the one titled 'Lucky Love', and who made his debut in 2022 in a supporting role in the BL 'Our Days', has a cheeky charm boy next door guy who helps you understand why Ai dreams about him. Unlike his friend, Yu is an outgoing and confident boy who likes photography and video games.
Ryu and Putter are a joy to watch: they establish an engaging and comfortable relationship, while sharing wonderful chemistry, which never makes accompanying them in their developing relationship boring at any point.
Visually beautiful, 'I Saw You in My Dream' contains many reflective messages about the loves between two boys of the same sex, members of the small Thai Catholic community, something that is new in BL series from that country, especially if we take into account that for the Catholic Church, homosexual acts and behaviors constitute a serious mortal sin because sexual relations must have a procreative purpose and take place within marriage, which is indissoluble and made up of the union of a man and a woman according to their identity. biological.
As Ai experiences various challenges, she must learn to handle these difficulties with maturity and confidence. Fortunately, our hero has a great support system, from loving parents to supportive and respectful friends.
Likewise, the story of Ing (Game Orarig Tanoi), who in turn is secretly in love with Yo (Surf Patchara Silapasoonthorn), Yu's younger brother, will be interesting. Both will give rise to an always-awaited second couple that will increase tensions and conflicts.
Tee Bundit Sintanaparadee, the director, opts for a sweet romance, filmed in warm tones with soft touches of romantic comedy. The Thai director, who with the series 'I Feel You Linger in the Air', 'Hidden Agenda', 'Step by Step', 'Something in My Room', 'Lovely Writer' and 'TharnType', among others, has been years is a chronicler of love and the daily struggles of a young generation, he returns to familiar territories to reveal some of his obsessions: homosexuality, family, traditional culture, the school process, the work environment, youth and its ups and downs emotional.
For this, it has the collaboration of Prig Apichayar Sinithichayanon ('Hidden Agenda'), Chot-anan Kasamwonghong ('The Rebound', '609 Bedtime Story' and 'The Eclipse', Wannapa Lertkultanon and Natithep Wong-In, in charge of writing the script based on the famous Afterday novel of the same name, who build real and sincere characters and follow them in an unprejudiced and natural way.
'I Saw You in My Dream' is at the same time a coming-of-age and a coming out, that is, a traditional growth story in which a firmly closed closet timidly begins to open to the outside and from which those who are inside. The director obtains from the young cast naturalistic performances – although clearly marked by a classic script in its structure and route – that are largely credible and fresh.
At the same time, it explores in a simple and kind way the process of growing up and self-discovery, and the complexity of human relationships even in a context that seems to be simple and comfortable for the characters. After all, they are lifelong friends, they are doing what they love to do most, which is sharing time together, and they have beautiful memories of what their lives have been like.
The casting decisions are correct, the cast being made up of actors and actresses committed to fiction and the performances being very natural. Nothing is forced in this series and that makes the story take its time and immerse the viewer in the thoughts of each character, without looking for a plot, a turning point or a moment of dramatic explosion.
The choices regarding locations, even those public places due to their scarce presence of personnel outside the filming, are successful because they do not distract from the central point of 'I Saw You in My Dream': the indescribable bond in words between Yu and Ai. The characters are the ones who have to be there; There are no distractions of any kind during the series. At times it may seem like it is moving slowly, but deep down it is because it is a work more focused on the development of the characters, instead of a traditional narrative structure of beginning-middle-end, although it does not lack this aspect either.
The series seeks to portray first love, self-discovery, friendship, family ties, study, passions, among other issues, in a very natural way. Although young people go through situations full of doubt and confusion, the audiovisual gives a certain luminosity to the messages it transmits and the way its characters are followed.
The director knows how to capture the sensitivity of the story he wants to tell and the feelings that blossom in the protagonists. At no time does it fall into common places, neither in relation to the construction of the characters nor in the development of the plot. Let everyone be as they are, do not judge them or justify them.
The characters are very real and sincere and the cast does a good job of carrying them forward. The actors manage to portray the universe and the stage of life in which they find themselves in an unprejudiced, natural and enjoyable way, showing the sensations and reactions of young people their age.
The setting is also achieved. The cheerful landscape of both boys' houses, the shared garden, the fence that divides one home from the other, the university, the church and the places they visit, are settings that color the series with a certain nostalgia, joy and romanticism.
The other notable aspect, and nothing minor in the plot and form of the series, is the music. This plays a fundamental role in the story, being a means to express the characters' feelings without them having to recognize them or have uncomfortable conversations. Many times they even don't know what's happening to them and the music lets those sensations flow. Plus, the soundtrack is original, catchy, and sounds good.
The musical score by Banana Sound Studio, and the songs composed by Sorawit Sangpupas and Thanawin Keawsri, and performed by Ryu and Putter, are not so much company as they are an essential complement to the story. That is, the songs help tell the story, but not in the usual way of the musical genre but rather as a soundtrack that expresses youth, doubts, and also fears.
In summary, 'I Saw You in My Dream' is a coming of age and an effective coming out that turns out to be sensitive and intimate, simple and complex at the same time, quite original, without the need for large concrete conflicts to resolve.
The work of Tee Bundit Sintanaparadee invites the viewer, depending on the moment in life they are going through, with empathy or nostalgia the process of growing up, of making decisions, of self-discovery, of being young but not so young, of risking what one feels, and to travel through love even when there are doubts and fears: wait for it in premonitory dreams.
YA

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Short stature and a childish face play tricks on Sakuraba Isumi, when one night the university student, mistaken for a teenager, is stopped on the street by Amasawa Kyosuke, a police officer, while returning home late, with a few too many drinks, after attending a party with his friends.
However, the cooking-loving boy manages to convince the tall, sincere uniformed man with a natural and calm charm about his true identity after showing him his personal identification.
To his surprise, the next day he meets up again with the police officer, who works at a small police station, near the convenience store where he works part-time, in search of late-night snacks.
Becoming a regular customer at Isumi's workplace, both young people can see each other daily.
From then on, whenever they meet, Amasawa asks him for recommendations on what would be most appropriate to eat, and Isumi, concerned about Amasawa's eating habits, offers, "How about I come and cook for you?" Visiting Amasawa's house, they grow closer through home-cooked meals.
After the chance meeting, Isumi can't help but fall in love with the charming police officer, while struggling with the complexities of first love. Will the kind policeman feel the same way about him?
As the two deal with their feelings and the challenges of adulthood, the story touches on themes of acceptance, self-discovery, family, friendship, culinary art.
'Sugar Dog Life', the live-action adaptation of the manga of the same name with its Japanese title シュガードッグライフ, Hepburn: Shugā Doggu Raifu, by Yoriko, and serialized in the monthly yaoi manga magazine Gateau in 2019, is faithful to the original, by drawing various tropes, such as soul mates, a romance with a difference in age and height, with characters with great disparity in their personalities and distinctive characteristics, with the striking black hair and blonde hair that adorn the head of the protagonists, and the Grumpy Guy x Tall Kind Ball of Sunshine type dynamic.
Directed by directors Honda Ryuichi ('Pussycat Daisakusen'), Ouchi Takahiro ('Mimicry Freaks') and Kozue Sasaki, the Japanese series seeks to tell an addictive and friendly story with ordinary characters, while offering a rich palette of emotions capable of attracting viewers, and to do so it relies on a good script, notable performances and shots full of color and life to express a shy and honest love.
Although it is the story of a romance, there are no sex scenes in 'Sugar Dog Life'. It is, in that sense, a "discreet" series, which suggests more than what it shows.
Along with the visual and performance spectacle, the music composed by Erina Koyama stands out. Its opening theme "Sweets", performed by Super Dragon, and ending theme, "Futari Yōbi", by YaYuYo, make the framework of the story even more attractive.
The script, by Motoko Takahashi, Ayumi Shimo, Shiori Ueno and Fumino Kimoto, brings us the original manga in cinematographic language, to tell us a fun love story between a boy university student and a police officer five or six years older, starring Tawada Hideya and Tanaka Koki, who play Amasawa Kyosuke and Sakuraba Isumi, respectively.
Hideya Tawada, from Bungō Stray Dogs, is known to BL lovers for giving life to Kōhei Sugihara, the protagonist of 'Silhouette of Your' ('Hidamari ga Kikoeru' (ひだまりが聴こえる), director Kamijo Daisuke's debut film, filmed in 2017.
His character has an honest, slow but lively dialogue. This ductile and consistent actor manages to correctly reflect the calm and naturally flirtatious personality of the police officer. This role constitutes one of his best works to date and has served to demonstrate that he moves with the same ease through the comic genre as the dramatic one.
For his part, Kōki Tanaka, a member of the vocal and dance unit Super Dragon, who had a supporting role in the LGBT+-themed series 'One Room Angel', from 2023, manages to overcome the challenge thanks to his fantastic performance of a young orphan with culinary skills, a tsundere personality and vibes of a slightly "cunning", "naughty" and "pure-hearted" boy. The actor gives vitality to his character straight out of a manga.
Isumi, who has a kind and youthful image, harbors sensitivity and a desire to help others.
The chemistry between him and Hideya Tawada on screen gives rise to some intense scenes in which we sense the sincere love relationship that arose from a misunderstanding.
In the supporting cast, Souta Uemura stands out as Yōhei, Isumi's best friend, and Raiku as Shōji, another friend and fellow student. Their roles are important in the story by allowing a different side of Isumi to be shown compared to when she is with Amasawa.
On the other hand, while Isumi shows his pain at thinking that Amasawa only sees him as a friend, Yōhei feels alone and abandoned by Isumi, who before his eyes is building a world in which he has no place. However, their friendship is constantly strengthened.
The sensitivity with which 'Sugar Dog Life' is told is evident in the most moving scenes, capable of showing with great honesty and with complete naturalness the relationship between the two protagonists and its evolution throughout the time they shared.
Although its plot does not have any major dramatic twists, the series seeks to explore the emotional connection between two young men, and carries out a gentle development of their romantic relationship, offering a unique perspective on love and romance.
YA

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In the smallest details there are hidden points to detect. Take a risk

The topic of drugs can be quite sensitive, and even more so when it comes to teenagers. Throughout its history, the seventh art has given us films that have marked generations for their delicate themes or strong scenes that narrate the horror of being tied to an addiction or the crime of making something as harmful as the drugs. Or, even worse, the danger it can represent for younger people.
Films such as 'Trainspotting' (Danny Boyle, 1996), 'Kids: Lost Lives' (Larry Clark, 1995), 'Requiem for a Dream' (Darren Aronofsky, 2000), 'Clímax' (Gaspar Noé , 2018), 'Beautiful Boy: you will always be my son' (Felix Van Groeningen, 2018), and others, address the issue of drugs, and other types of addictions, such as alcohol and violence in adolescence and early youth.
Although it is not exactly immersing us in the underworld of addicts, the Thai film 'Tell the World I Love You' tells a story of personal growth and exploration of romance between two different boys from two different worlds forced to overcome tough tests that will change their lives forever: Kheng (Bas Suradej Pinnirat), a young man who left his hometown to study in Bangkok, and Boang (Perth Tanapon Sukumpantanasan), a drug delivery man, who gets into trouble with a group of drug traffickers when he tries to leave of the same.
However, what Kheng expected to be a short period in the Thai capital before continuing his journey to China to search for his mother, whom he has not seen in many years, unexpectedly turns into an adventure full of action and chase, which does not lack romance, after meeting and falling in love with Boang.
Keng accidentally witnesses an attack by traffickers on Boang and helps him escape. Failing to eliminate Boang, they will send other pursuers after the two boys. As a result, Keng has to leave the home he shares with his friend Tai to live with Boang in a remote location while they hope to outwit those who seek to hunt them.
While being pursued by a gang of thugs led by Nick Kunathip, the two teenagers must overcome unexpected events that invite viewers to get involved and join, and they will face a test that will change their world forever.
In a desperate race for life in a world full of violence, drugs and crime, a story of friendship and love is born between the two teenagers.
'Tell the World I Love You' is one of those movies that does a good job of bringing together the lives of different people. We will witness the life stories of two boys who are different from each other, but who are equally similar.
The other three characters to be introduced are Tai (Net Siraphop Manithikhun), Kheng's friend, who is the same age and who offers Kheng a roof over his head to live in the Thai capital, and Hia Song (Songkran-Rangsan Panyaruen) and Nick (Nick Kunatip Pinpradab), two members of the gangster gang. The lifelines of these five people are about to merge in a way that will profoundly affect their existences.
With this film, which aims to tell us what Thai society is like and help change attitudes towards homosexuality and violence related to drug trafficking and consumption in Southeast Asia, its director, Poj Arnon, once again explores the love between people of the same sex and other social taboos in their country, but which are, without a doubt, topics as universal as life itself.
With dialogues full of meaning and a variety of emotions, its director once again tells a story of love, friendship, dreams and life with the same intensity with which he showed his skill in '18 Rain, Dangerous People' (2022), 'Friend ...I Love You (2007)' and 'Crazy', with which in 1996 he became known on the national and international film scene.
Not without reason Poj Arnon has suggested that the film is a mix of the first two films mentioned above: while '18 Rain, Dangerous People' takes the bitter and sad, 'Friend...I Love You' brings influences such as love that arises from being close to each other, including common points of revenge and a romantic relationship that surpasses friendship.
This romantic action drama film that reflects Thai society with a touch of the 90s of the last century, continues the filmography of a filmmaker who on multiple occasions has dealt with both the issue of homosexuality and drugs, crime and violence. Let us remember that Poj Arnon is the director of the film 'Bangkok Love Story', from 2007, which won him the Grand Prize at the Brussels International Independent Film Festival. With this film, the following year, he won the Best Screenplay award at the National Film Association of Thailand Awards.
Other works of his take up themes such as the school environment, transgender characters, AIDS, homosexual relationships, friendship, Drag Queen, drugs, violence, bullying, racism, sexuality or the discrimination to which members of the LGBTIQ+ community.
Among these, 'Go-Six' (2000) stands out, about a love triangle between a young man and two women, which caused a great scandal at the time due to the ambiguous sexuality of one of the female characters; 'Cheerleader Queens' (2003), about a group of teenage Thai transvestites, or kathoey, who become high school cheerleaders, or 'Spicy Beauty Queen of Bangkok', in which she once again portrays the kathoeys in a crime comedy , starring Winai Kraibutr as the leader of a gang of transvestite bank robbers, or 'Haunting Me', a horror comedy about three elderly kathoeys who fight ghosts in their apartment building.
The film was supposed to be released on February 14, 2021, but had to be postponed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With a script by the director himself, simple but raw photography by Tiwa Moeithaisong, and Giant Wave in the sound, the film presents situations so visceral and realistic that they generate in the viewer a feeling of repudiation and despair towards the world of drugs. , but also a story about personal improvement, love and hope, seen through a drug delivery man who intends to get out of drug trafficking and regain control of his existence, who will be accompanied on that trip by a stranger who entered unexpectedly. in his life and whom he will later love not only as a friend.
Dear reader, a director of Arnon's stature will not delight in making a film with a simple and uncomplicated story. The viewer has to be skilled and know how to detect that there are hidden points in the smallest details. Firstly, the film aims to 'tell' and reflect what is happening in Thai society.
Among these issues masked in a plot that aims to be seen as light and even superficial, is the struggle of the new generation to fulfill their frustrated and postponed dreams.
The aspirations of Thai adolescents and young people to build a future abroad and escape the sad political and socioeconomic situation in which they live are presented through Keng. He dreams of going to China to find his mother and continue his studies. To do this, he has set out to learn Chinese and pass the exam to obtain one of the scholarships. Even in the midst of the chase in which he will be dragged, there is no shortage of books, essential to achieve his goal.
Another veiled, but palpable theme in 'Tell the World...' is the systemic racism, discrimination and violence installed in that Southeast Asian nation towards members of the LGBTIQ+ community, reflected in the bullying and harassment suffered by Keng, who has have to face being bullied as a "transvestite" and sexually abused. But even defending oneself against homophobes, instead of achieving the goal of getting rid of barbarism, can make it grow even more. Keng is beaten and sexually assaulted and this will generate a psychological problem that will haunt him for life like a recurring nightmare.
Bas Suradej Pinnirat manages to convey to the audience the importance of this heavy burden that he carries on his shoulders through the internal struggle and difficulties that the character he plays must face daily in an intense and ruthless way.
One of the aspects of the film that we should not overlook is the illegality and danger that surrounds the world of drugs not only for those who consume it, but also the risk of early death or years of prison for those who use it. traffic. If it will be difficult, and even impossible, for a drug addict to get rid of the addiction, the trafficker also faces difficulties, even the loss of his life, if he wants to get away from trafficking these substances.
One day Boang feels that he needs to escape from the reality around him. He has seen the destruction of a family caused by drugs. He has recognized the pain of others caused by the illegal activity carried out by him. But by possessing secrets of people, organizations and complex and intertwined networks of drug production and distribution, they will see it as a danger and will try to eliminate it.
Perth Thanapon manages to expose before the cameras both the horrors of the industry and the emotions that overwhelm his character in an internal struggle to free himself from the nightmare in which he has lived.
And finally, we have the question of the romantic relationship between the two boys. Tai has feelings for Keng. He is a close friend who has cared for him and provided accommodation for two years. He has given him advice and helped him with his studies. She has protected him when he is harassed. But Khen doesn't have the same feelings towards him. To Keng, Tai is just a "dear friend."
Boang's entry into Keng's life, both of them escaping the dangers to which they have been exposed, working together to avoid dying, caring for each other in the midst of hardships, sharing what they own and being close to both of them. , especially in difficulties, but still know that “happiness does not matter how many times you smile. It depends on who you smile with”, will bring you together a bond that is stronger, deeper and indestructible than friendship.

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Min Hwan (Hwang Min Hwan) is not afraid to tell his girlfriend Joo Ha, with whom he has been in a romantic relationship for about six months, that in that time he has fallen in love with Jin Hiuk, his best friend.
Joo Ha (Lee Joo Ha) is also not afraid to let Min Hwan know that she has also fallen in love with Soeun, her best friend.
Your problem lies in how to let them know.
Is the problem because they love people of the same gender? Will they be able to overcome doubts and insecurities and express their true feelings? Will they decide to flee to face the conflict and repress emotions in order to please the other? Will they choose to hide the truth and generate temporary tranquility that in the long run will gradually cause happiness to be lost, and therefore the relationship to deteriorate? Isn't avoiding conflict the cause of that feeling of guilt, that you owe something, and therefore you don't have the right to demand or claim from the other?
From my words, anyone might think that we are facing a drama that would make us cry, but no.
From the romantic comedy genre with an LGBTIQ+ theme, the hilarious miniseries 'Fake Buddies' (가짜 친구 / Gajja Chingu) promises to make the viewer laugh in this mess that, in addition to fake friends, explores communication problems.

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A gay romance with fantastic touches and the whitewashing of the homophobic Thai Police

The Sign is a captivating drama that stands out among other BLs for its ability to balance multiple stories and themes. Broadcast on Channel 3, this production by renowned Thai director and screenwriter A Natthaphong Wongkaweepairod, perfectly intertwines elements of gay romance, the complexity of first love, religiosity, the exciting world of fantasy, the supernatural, the resolution of crimes and political and police corruption.
This unique combination of genres, its compelling narrative, the pair of irresistible protagonists and a direct story of love-overcomes-adversity, guarantees that 'The Sign' will hit the mark among fans of BL products, always in search of a series that show an engaging and exciting experience. All this positions the audiovisual among the most outstanding in the BL universe of all time.
Professional critics and fans alike praise its emotional depth and the cast's sincere performances.
Its director has to his credit the dramas 'My Hero Series: Spell of The Swan Mark', from 2018; 'School Tales The Series', 2022; and the lesbian 'GAP The Series', from 2022, and 'Dream', to be released in 2024. In addition to directing, he is also the screenwriter of the serial 'Lipgloss Spy' and the film SLR', both from 2022.
Based on the great success of 'GAP The Series', its first GL series, the Idol Factory company put all its effort into producing a BL criminal investigation project. This is how 'The Sign' comes about. The series is a television adaptation of I-Rain-Yia's novel of the same name, with a literal translation into English, Premonition, which was produced by Saint Suppapong of 'Love By Chance' and 'Why RU?'.
Billy Patchanon, star of 'Secret Crush On You' and 'War Of Y', and promising actor Babe Tanatat, are in charge of taking on the main roles. I have no doubt that both because of their on-screen chemistry and their genuine performances, the two young actors will consolidate themselves as a ship within the BL universe.
The story centers on two young people who loved each other for centuries and were separated in several past lives, but in a twist of fate they were reincarnated as Phaya o Sakuna (Billy Patchanon Ounsa-ard) and Tharn Wansa (Babe Tanatat Phanviriyakool). This allowed them to meet at an academy where future police officers are trained, in order to enter the Investigation Detective Force (IDF).
During their training, they both experience unique visions related to their pasts and common future, which ignites their romance as they embark on the investigation of some criminal cases shrouded in mystery. Phaya and Tharn's love will be tested by an enigmatic man.
Other talented actors and actresses bring the characters to life in a way that has resonated with audiences.

Brief characterization of the characters

Tharn: He is the cheerful and kind young officer of the IDF. He loves Phaya, with whom he has a romance from the past. That is why he constantly risks his life to save him from the danger he is in. He has a strong sense of "instinct."
Phaya: He is the young, handsome, intelligent, cool and upright IDF officer. Love Tharn.
Khem (Tack Pongsakorn) is the young officer who has a flirtatious personality, likes to have fun and plays with all the other IDF members, especially his boyfriend Thongtai.
Thongtai (Poom Natthapas): Khem's boyfriend. He studied psychology and has a good sense of duty. He is a very observant young officer.
Yai (Gap Jakarin) grew up alongside Tharn since childhood. They both consider themselves brothers. He is a young member of IDF.
Singha (Surprise Pittikorn Siripornsawan) looks weak on the outside but is the brains of the team.
Doctor Chalotorn (Heng Asavarid) an attractive psychiatrist who is close and protective of Tharn.
Captain "Akk" Akkhanee Assawawaisoon (Akk Akarat Nimitchai), leader of the investigation team.
Wansarat (Freen Sarocha Chankimha): The GAP The Series actress is part of the cast as a Guest.
The resounding success of the series has led to the creation of other content, such as The Sign Special and Behind the Sign.
A must-see drama for fans of the BL genre and those who enjoy a good mix of romance, mystery and the supernatural, The Sign brings a captivating story that, together with its talented cast and unique combination of genres, will leave a lasting impression on the spectators.

Underlying reality of the series

On the same day of the premiere of The Sign, after watching the first episode, I wrote in MDL: “I find it commendable that in a hostile, sexist, homophobic environment, which exalts masculinity, as the Police Force of any country is supposed to be, tell a story (maybe two, if we take into account Khem and Thongthai's relationship) of a romance between boys. But I wonder if this series is not a 'whitewash' for the Thai Police. I hope that the series is not a tool to apply cosmetic touches to a Police accused of repressing members of the Thai LGBTQIA community.”
With these words I meant that homosexuality is still illegal and considered taboo in that country. Same-sex unions are not recognized under Thai law, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. This prevents gay couples from applying for bank loans or joint health insurance. It also prevents the possibility of adopting children. Thai homosexuals do not enjoy the same rights as heterosexuals. Thai law denies transgender people from changing their sex on their national identity card.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1956, but was considered a mental illness until as recently as 2002. Many Thai Buddhists believe that homosexuality is a punishment for sins committed in a previous life. Thai homosexuals suffer physical and verbal harassment in the classrooms by their classmates, and discrimination at work, under the permissive gaze of society, despite the image of tolerance towards this group in order to attract tourism to the country. The Thai Police, the result of the Military Juntas that emerged after successive coups d'état, is accused, both by the local population and internationally, of being corrupt, torturing and repressive.
The Royal Thai Police is the most corrupt state department in the country with tens of thousands of complaints annually, according to regular reports from the Ombudsman's Office, and many of these complaints come from members of the Thai LGBTQIA community, who go unheard mostly.
The high-profile crime and dismemberment of the Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta, known as the “Daniel Sancho Case” (name of his confessed Spanish murderer) confirms this. This macabre murder once again brought to public attention the dynamics in the Asian country, the excesses, the parties and the mechanisms of privilege when the victim is a homosexual.
The LGBTIQIA collective is openly discriminated against and even with criminalizing laws, which, to wash its face before the international community, welcomes all those foreigners who will be part of the collective, but without displays of public affection
At a legislative level, Thailand has much more permissive LGBTIQIA policies, but at a factual level, there is discrimination, taboo and extensive stigma. Perhaps that explains the media treatment that has been given to the Sancho case from within the country itself: half-hearted, without fully clarifying the relationship that the two men had, and the eagerness that the police have shown to close the case. In addition to trying to maintain the idyllic image of the country before Thai and international public opinion so that tourism is not scared away.

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Same-sex love from a heterosexual perspective

Emotional repression has been addressed previously in homosexual gangster films, through films such as 'Friends & Family' (2001), directed by Kristen Coury; 'The Boondock Saints' (1999), by Troy Duffy, 'Cruising' (1980), directed by William Friedkin and starring Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino and Karen Allen, 'Performance' (1970), by Nicolas Roeg and Donald Cammell, among others.
Before the legalization of same-sex marriage, Taiwanese cinema explored friendship and bromance between men to analyze the emotional relationships between gangsters. In 'Báng-kak' (Monga, 2010), directed by Doze Niu and script by Tseng Li-ting, we can have a representative cinema, by showing Ethan Ruan's crazy love for Feng Xiaoyue. With changing times, Taiwanese cinema may not show all the expected courage to directly address homosexuality among gangsters.
'Silent Sparks' is a gay film with a Taiwanese flavor that, through the aesthetics of the lens, a change in the body language and the gaze of the characters, leaves us a lot of room for imagination.
Directed by Zhu Ping, the film tells the story of Pua (Huang Guanzhi), a young man who after being released from prison begins to work in a warehouse.
Orphaned by his father, he tries to take the right path, but gets into a fight and is reported to the police. He lives with his single mother, who worries about his activities and nightly escapades. The young man has debts and still must pay compensation to people who suffered in the past because of him. This justifies the link with the criminal gang.
Only some glimpses of happiness in Pua can be seen in his lively talks with his friend and co-worker Zhi Hao (Wei Jie Hu) and in the escapades on the back of the cart to transport vegetables that travels through the market where he works, with unforgettable moments subjective shots of the market roof.
Upon learning that Mi Ji (Shi Mingshuai), his former cellmate, is released, Pua is eager to meet him to rekindle the secret relationship they had in prison, but the man, about ten years older, shows no interest in reestablish the sexual-emotional bond.
When drowned in his debts and worries faced with the dilemma of returning to prison or paying a high fine, Mi Ji decides to step forward to help him, which again leads Pua to commit a crime, now by intervening in a blood crime.
Huang Guanzhi and Shi Mingshuai previously played LGBQ+ characters. The first as one of the members of a gay couple in the short film 'Sunlight Tree Shadow', while Shi Mingshuai gave life to a drag queen in the short film 'Blooming Flowers'.
They are two actors who have very well-achieved performances, in which rage, erotic and sexual tensions, and the hunger to achieve what they desire exude naturally, almost organically, from their bodies, no matter how physically distanced they are. They have a real connection and they both do a great job portraying two small-time criminals with some unexpressed feelings for each other, but with a hopeless future?

THE FILMMAKER AND HIS WORK

Zhi Ping's career has been different from that of other filmmakers. After graduating from Shixin Radio and Television, Zhu Ping left the film and television industry to work at a hydropower company.
Knowing the workers directly, living with them, being part of the Taiwanese working masses, has been a powerful factor in the filmmaker's life, to the point of leaving these experiences reflected in one way or another in his works, giving them realistic vitality, a strong "Taiwanese flavor", a "very popular flavor".
The work of the emerging filmmaker is focused on local Taiwanese themes such as work, migration to the river, tasks related to the art of fishing, small family businesses, and characters at the base of society, as we can see in 'A Quan, a Rough Worker', 'Migration Down the River' and 'Friends Are Here', all of which illustrate the helplessness and current situation of the Taiwanese working class, with strong emotions mixed with realism.
With a precise selection of scenes close to reality, the characters in his films usually speak Taiwanese and behave naturally in the workplace.

WHY HAS ZHU PÌNG FILMED A GAY FILM WITH A SPECIAL STYLE?

Upon learning that 'Silent Sparks' was in production, doubts about gay films written and directed by heterosexual filmmakers, such as Zhu Ping, came to mind. However, once seen I have to confess that it exceeded all my expectations, achieving a film with a different "flavor" than most queer and BL Danmei films.
In my opinion, the fact that Zhi Ping does not belong to the LGBT+ community allows him to have filmed a masterpiece, with a gay romance that takes too long to develop (if that phrase can be used).
In the film, which at times reminds me of 'O Beijo da Mulher Aranha' ('Kiss of the Spider Woman', 1985), by Héctor Babenco, Great Freedom (Große Freiheitaka, 2021), by Sebastian Meise, or The Prince (2019), Sebastián Muñoz's debut feature, but Zhu Ping successfully finds another narrative path from the script to film a very direct but convincing film, in which Mi Ji will avoid Pua in almost the entire film.
And it could not be any other way, if we take into account the social environment and the underworld in which they live, and the heterosexual hegemony that defends masculinity, which together hinders a homosexual relationship. In other words, the taboo surrounding a gay relationship between two gangsters.
It is undeniable that Pua has an unrequited love for his new boss in the gangster office. The emotions and motivations of the characters are "internalized" through the use of looks. This is related to the setting of the film, because the two protagonists are not from the community, so they do not identify as homosexual.
In fact, we cannot achieve an effective psychological characterization of either man; only through a few stray words do we learn that they had a homosexual relationship in prison.
Prior to his imprisonment we do not know if Pua had girlfriends, wives, or children. Love only happens for him behind prison bars, another world of life.
Is it just a physiological need that brought you together initially, or is it emotional to physiological at first?
Back in society, Pua does not look for love in other men... or in any other person. He only has his interest in Mi Ji, an interest that is reinforced once he also goes out on the street.
Very wisely, the director chooses as protagonist’s two men without community and recognition, two people who, growing up in a heterosexual hegemony, are not able to understand the various aspects of love between people of the same sex in a short period of time.
The filmmaker intentionally prevents the protagonists from being able to face romance openly and frankly, creating a film full of stares and repression.
Everything is very convincing, even Mi Ji's deliberate evasion, which was a bit exaggerated at the beginning, was fully integrated into the later development.
Except for the phrase in which Pua, shocked by Mi Ji's rejection, referring to prison, expresses to her: "My mother asked you to support me in there, not to fuck me in there" and the deep kiss, there is no obvious reference to homosexuality in the work.

MOTHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIP

The film dedicates a large part of its footage to describing the relationship between Aru and Pua, mother of a son, respectively.
Aru is dedicated to divination. In one of the scenes, he expresses that the bad boy has been calculated since childhood as "brother's destiny." This can be interpreted as your child's love (sexual orientation) towards an older brother, which comes from nature and destiny.
They never discuss the issue of Pua's sexual orientation, but near the end of the film, when the mother hopes that the son will escape his fate and asks him where he plans to go to escape prison, Pua responds: "I will join him, Mom, I'm sorry." These words could mean that Pua made the decision to join her loved one again in prison, but if this phrase is interpreted as Pua's decision to say goodbye to her mother, the mother's departure brings another perspective.
The director allows the audience to interpret the scene with multiple meanings.
A round of applause for Fan Ruijin, the actress who plays Aru, for her final scene. She shows restraint and vulnerability when portraying the complex emotions after learning of her son's tragic decision.

BY WAY OF CONCLUSION

There are those who talk about a sad ending. Others claim that this interlude in the lives of the main protagonists ends up leaving the viewer feeling helpless and frustrated, because the characters are trapped in an endless cycle with no real opportunities to move away.
The truth is that the only place where Pua felt free, protected, and loved in his life was in prison. In the end... in a strange and twisted way, maybe there is hope for them after all?
In summary: The use of a heterosexual perspective on same-sex love is related to Zhu Ping's ignorance of the culture of the gay community, but this "deliberate choice" is very suitable for 'Silent Sparks', which makes the story unique.

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Hearing and love

Long before any young person comes out of the closet, there is a process of self-acceptance. This process can be long, difficult and terrifying as the person carries a mixture of fear and shame, and explores their feelings and emotions, while trying to keep them hidden from public view. Straight kids never go through this, and many straight adults don't understand how difficult it can be to find yourself and your sexuality in a world that assumes you are "normal".
For its part, hearing loss causes communication problems that can have significant effects on daily life and generate a feeling of loneliness, isolation and frustration.
In deaf people there are both chronic complications and physical consequences of deafness, and above all social complications. Among the latter, the most common are: shame, guilt and anger, grief, concentration problems, worry and frustration, anxiety and mistrust, insecurity and self-criticism and low self-esteem/self-confidence.
How does a deaf person deal with their shame and fears, if on top of this they have to deal with other difficulties, if they are experiencing a process of self-acceptance of their homosexuality?
The possible answers to this question lead me to ask another question: How do you express your love to someone you love? I hope to find the solution to these unknowns in 'See You Love', the series by Taiwanese director Chiang Ping Chen. I started watching it without any expectations, but surprisingly it turns into a fascinating series.
The trick of the series that allows it to transcend the usual boy love stories filled with an attractive cast is, without a doubt, the use of the non-verbal medium of sign language.
The truth is that with 'See You Love', its director once again explores the LGBT+ theme, after triumphing with 'Plus & Minus', 'Be Loved in House', 'Craving You' and 'Be Loved in House Special', and it does so by betting on insurance, having as allies the screenwriters and producers Lin Pei Yu and Anita Sung, members of the team that has produced successful BL, such as 'Kiseki: Dear To Me', 'My Tooth Your Love', See You After Quarantine ?', 'HIStory3: Trapped', 'HIStory2: Crossing the Line', 'HIStory2: Right or Wrong' and 'HIStory: Obsessed', among other series.
This time, Brains Entertainment Production, in association with an inclusive theater production, Shinehouse Theatre, produces 'See Your Love', a joint investment project between Taiwan's BIGART and Japanese streaming platforms Video Market and Rakuten TV. According to the director in interviews and on his social networks, to create the series he was inspired by his childhood experiences with his deaf uncle, to convey the belief that love remains firm despite the gradual loss of hearing or the absence of it from the cradle. On the other hand, he stated that the selection process involved actors who used sign language to convey emotions, with the aim of showing various expressions of love.
Will 'See You Love' achieve its goal of presenting love in various forms and languages ​​while contributing to awareness of deaf culture? This question will be answered at the end of this romantic and emotional journey that is just beginning.
Everything indicates that it finally feels as if people in the deaf community are being recognized in the film and television industry, as 'See You Love' joins a group of dramatized shows, including several with LGBT+ themes, in which the characters the main characters use sign language or lip reading and body gestures for most of the story, making the audience rely heavily on subtitles to help us, such as the Thai series 'Moonlight Chicken' by Aof Noppharnach. Chaiyahwimhon, and the Japanese film 'Hidamari ga Kikoeru', by Yaegashi Fuga, Makino Masaru, Harashima Takanobu, or the also Japanese film 'Hidamari ga Kikoeru', by Daisuke Kamijo, but it introduces a novel factor: voice to text and text translators to speech that can be installed on our mobile phone.
And both sign language and the aforementioned novelty work, while helping to generate interest in the public by seeing the former as a symbol of identity and cultural heritage of deaf people because it allows them to communicate without restrictions, in addition to promoting their development. linguistic and cognitive, and the other as a demonstration of how technology offers us tools to build bridges and make our lives easier.
I don't know the Taiwanese version of sign language, but the cast members seem to know it. As a result, there are numerous thoughtful, moving and emotional scenes between the characters, especially between the two leads, which are very well done.
'See You Love' confronts this disability without seeking the viewer's sensitivity or compassion or easy tears. On the contrary, it is presented completely naturally, which is appreciated and exalts it.
The story, which is about how love can transcend language and all external barriers, tells the initiation journey of discovery and acceptance of Jiang Xiao Peng, played by Jin Yun, a simple and honest young man, and Yang Ji Xiang or Sean, a role assumed by Lin Yu, a romantic and wealthy second-generation heir of Taiwanese origin living abroad, who tries to escape taking over the family business.
On the other hand, Yang Ji Xiang lives an unwanted courtship with Zheng Yu Nong/Jessica (Amy 'Plus & Minus' and 'Be Loved in House') imposed by her father, a businessman who believes that in a relationship they should not feelings take precedence, but rather family interests. Forced for economic reasons, the young woman will become a barrier in the incipient romantic relationship of the protagonist couple, while the rich heir will try to keep Jiang Xiao Peng away to protect him when danger looms over him.
With this character, Jin Yun begins his struggle in the world of entertainment, while Lin Yu demonstrates a meteoric rise, after playing a supporting role in the successful BL series 'Unknown', from this same year. Both provide good performances that are close to the realities of many young people in Taiwan and the entire world, since their characters address stories in which those who have recently left adolescence and who, despite disabilities and economic limitations or, on the contrary, having been born in a cradle of gold, they seek family independence in a risky act on which they bet everything, without knowing if it will work out or not.
The lives of these two young people intersect when the first, after graduating, and while looking for a job that no one offers him due to his deafness, runs into the spirited Yang Ji Xiang, who has just arrived in Taiwan from abroad to negotiate the merger of the family business with another from the Asian island, and this one, because of his kindness and good character, ends up offering him a job as his caretaker. And this will be the trigger for two hearts to beat for each other. The moment they meet, and thanks to unexpected help, misunderstandings and funny situations, a beautiful bond is established between them, and their evolution and development will be what the series tells us.
Most of the time, the scenes are filled with silent dialogues and silence or reading on the phone screen or lips and body gestures. I am amazed every time I see this unique couple speaking to each other with their sign language, how their hand movements and facial expressions interact more effectively than our everyday language. And this is just the beginning, but from the progress everything seems to indicate that Yang Ji Xiang will learn the most effective way to communicate with her lover.
'See You Love' is definitely not a superficial love drama: it is an empowering and inspiring story about dreams and aspirations. There are some melancholic and moving scenes, particularly those in which the deaf boy feels that he is marginalized by society because of his disability, but they have the power to remind us that dreams, hope, the desire to help others, and the search for of economic independence, must always be there to illuminate our lives.
All the time the director plays with sound and its absence, causing an interesting sensation in the viewer who, after the initial confusion, learns to empathize with the condition of his protagonist.
The rest of the story is quite simple, without ignoring the action, crime and mystery plot, and follows a formula, although it remains extremely interesting thanks to the cheerful story, with a good dose of humor, and its extremely actors. attractive, who have obviously greatly polished their skills to communicate non-verbally in an effective effort to achieve organicity and credibility on screen.
Although some may shudder at the most dramatic moments, my old sentimental self somehow sees it as something capable of bringing something extra to the table, with the fight against mafia organizations, often led by someone close to us who tries to take away our dreams and inheritances, and the relationship between two very close brothers, one deaf and the other the assistant of the company to merge with the company that Yang Ji Xiang would inherit, which makes you appreciate the nature of that innate feeling of brotherhood.
The role of Song Shu He, the "sister", is assumed by Lee Yu, an actress known for playing supporting roles in the series 'My Best Friend's Breakfast' (2022) and 'Adventures of The Ring' (2021).
The love between two friends of different genders who consider themselves brothers (although she was in love with him in the past) and the love between the family, also made up of two loving and supportive parents with their children, parents who play key roles here, emphasizes the sensitivity of how parents can care for their offspring, regardless of the disability they may have. Not to mention also that they almost always steal the show due to their quirkiness and comedic timing whenever they appear on screen, plus some slapstick humor that director Chiang Ping Chen introduces from time to time. The simplicity of the characters makes everything believable.
Here we don't see parents locking up their disabled children rather than face the shame associated with it. However, they will not avoid blaming themselves for their child's disability.
Also attractive and fun is the relationship between Yang Ji Xiang and Cheng Feng Jie, which is not sexual, but is overly friendly. The role of Jonathan, as the assistant and friend of the handsome businessman co-protagonist is also known, is played with rigor by Lin Chia Yo, who had previously worked under the direction of the director of the series, when he took part in a supporting role in 'Be Loved in House'.
Since Yang Ji Xiang is not interested in inheriting the family business, he will ask Jonathan to take his place as negotiator with the Taiwanese side in the merger of the companies. Jonathan then being confused with the young heir, Wang A romance arises between the two.
I am waiting for the appearance of the character Wang Xin Jia, played by Lin Yung Chieh, since everything seems to indicate there will be more than one romantic relationship.
'See You Love' reminds us that no matter what medium are used to express love: as long as it comes straight from the heart, honestly and sincerely, that emotion will be heard loud and clear.
I am struck by the way in which the main characters build the intimacy and chemistry they have, especially when the communication between them is not "normal", which shows that there is no single way to conceive them on screen. The actors create a relationship based on attraction, complicity, flirtation, romance, friendship, even a certain brotherly connection. The viewers witness the spark, the humor, the tenderness and the chemistry that makes it clear from their first meet cute that we don't know how or when, but those two will end up together.
It is evident the work that goes on behind the camera so that we perceive that they are in love. And the two characters have such a good time that they create this kind of reality in which the rest of the world seems not to exist when they are together in a room or any other meeting place.
The costumes and locations provide a material dimension to the veracity of the dialogues that rock, caress, make you laugh and scratch at times, like reality itself, while the music reinforces the meaning of the ideas that, by themselves, the images are not capable of expressing, and establishes a continuous narrative link in the cinematographic discourse, contributing to giving credibility to the action.
Speaking of tenderness, I have to say that Jiang Xiao Peng, without being perfect, is without a doubt one of the sweetest and most tender male characters, best constructed that I have come across in recent times, with that sense of kindness towards others and the search for independence, to stand up for oneself.
Unlike other characters who suffer from deafness, the one played by Jin Yun is rich in nuances. We do not know how he went through the stages of denial to acceptance that every deaf person goes through, he is aware of his weaknesses, and turns them into strengths. In everyday life, being hard of hearing is a kind of balancing act in which you have to walk a tightrope between what is perceived and what is not perceived.
Becoming aware of her hearing disability, Jiang Xiao Peng realizes that he must drag and lift her along with him to find his place in the world. And the series also tells the story of the search for that place. There we see him not being content with his sister throwing him a lifeline in the form of a job in her company. He wants to be independent for his efforts, on his own merits, although he thanks her for her concern and solidarity. There we have him helping other disabled people like him to overcome architectural barriers that prevent his passage, or with his phone or his eyes trying to capture all the sounds and signals so that none escapes him and he can dominate the reality that surrounds him. He understands that the world is beautiful to listen to, even if it often plunges him into chaos. He is not one to easily withdraw into himself and avoid the company of humans.
The series reminds us that love and dreams are miraculous. It is not necessary to hear them or transform them into words.
You can call me romantic if you want, but I love this series despite its simple story. It is a beautiful story of love, improvement and sacrifice that I have surely overrated by rating it more with my heart than with my head.

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Declaration of love and farewell with gay fairy tale ending

The holidays come to an end, summer says goodbye to return next year in a small fishing village in China. It is time to say goodbye to the beach, the heat, rest and, above all, to the person you love.
The camera follows the face of teenager Leaf (Xinyi He). You rush to brush your teeth and wash your face: you need to look and smell good. He has arranged to meet Qing Chen (Jianan Yang), his childhood friend, to spend the remaining days of the summer period in his company. His friend will soon leave for Shanghai to study. He also dreams of going to a university in that city or in Beijing or Guangzhou, but he must remain in the village by the sea to take care of his elderly grandmother (Xiaojing Liao). To get ahead, he has set up a small and thriving hair salon where locals flock.
The camera now "watches" Leaf and her friend from a distance. This is the way chosen by Meicen Meng, the director of the Chinese short film, 'Beyond the Green Mountain', to give visuality to the mood of the two protagonists.
That detachment that is farewell can be, perhaps, one of the most dramatic or significant moments in our history, because although sometimes goodbye can be accompanied by an optimistic undertone because it implies closing one story to open another, the emotionality is It appears through our tear ducts at the fact of seeing a person leave without being able to do anything other than observe how their silhouette fades with each step, before the uncertainty of not knowing if we will see them again in another chapter of our existence.
The faces of the two boys cannot be seen, since it is night and they are now positioned with their backs to the lens, while they talk about dreams, desires, the opportunities they could find to study or live in big cities, philosophical beliefs, gods. and goodbye.
The camera follows Qing Chen who can finally show his beautiful face. In order to reveal his repressed feelings and with unshed tears, he arrives at the doors of Leaf's humble house, but he does not dare to knock. It is evident that she needs to bring out all those hidden emotions that she keeps inside and tell them to the boy who is now back at her side, but her grandmother prevents this by inviting the visitor to dinner.
This film, made by queer people for queer people, breaks the patriarchal binary lens that has been dominating world cinema, to tell us how these two young people, who have known each other since they were children, merge in glances of fascination in each encounter, and they have been filling that void that haunts their lives, because it could not be without the presence of the other.
Although in more than one moment it seems that they are going to take the next step, it never happens, so the only thing they have left is to wait to say goodbye to the imminent departure of one of them.
Later, as they lie in bed, they look at each other's faces in the dark, but they don't dare to state their feelings explicitly, but Qing Chen expresses them subtly: "I will never be able to see so many stars in Shanghai." His words would rather say: "In another place, far from you, I will only find infinite darkness. You are the light of my life."
The film tells a story of pure first love through a pure narrative about these young characters who fall in love without realizing that loving each other romantically is even a possibility. However, feelings don't lie. To an untrained heart, these feelings are overwhelming. Confusion, doubts, insecurity and pain form a dark subtext. Love is pure, tender, sweet and beautiful, that is why the young Chinese director seeks to represent how love shines through the darkness that represents a goodbye or the two lovers being separated.
There are two days left until the farewell. Leaf, sitting on the beach, takes Qing Chen's diary, left by him in the sand. Unaware of his action, he is about to discover his most intimate secrets, but Qing Chen snatches it from his hands at the last moment, before hurting him to the depths of his being: "The damn villagers have no manners." He cannot express his regret for the hurtful words. Leaf doesn't give him time and runs away with tears of pain.
In this story about youth, friendship and love that blossoms in the summer breeze, the camera focuses again on Leaf's face as she brushes her teeth and washes her face the morning before saying goodbye. The ritual now will not be to reunite with Qing Chen. Perhaps the objective is to make visible the necessary act of releasing from within you the sadness that still persists and is reflected on your face. The bond between the two cannot end this way.
But he does not pay attention to the complaints of his friend, who persists in asking for forgiveness, when there are only a few hours left before leaving on his trip.
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning. How long will this childish tantrum of yours last?" Qing Chen confronts him. As they roll on the floor in a silly fight, a passionate kiss surprises them. They hug each other tightly. Their bodies orbit around each other. They would like time to stop. But Leaf reacts and abruptly separates. What will grandma think if she knows that I love another boy? How will she face the neighbors? Will she still be proud of me?
The next morning, Qing Chen, as if he were a sleepwalker who has not been able to sleep a wink all night, crawls towards the car in which his parents are waiting to take him to Shanghai. Almost about to get on it, a scream from Leaf stops him. In silence, the boy forcefully draws towards him the body of his former friend and now lover, and they passionately embrace.
With a beautiful Chinese landscape as a backdrop, the farewell between the character of Xinyi He and Jianan Yang is capable of causing a lump in our throat because of how significant it is that these lovers have had the opportunity to say goodbye and express their love, although it was the same way they communicated it throughout the film: through silence, gestures, emotions and looks.
Qing Chen's parents, a few meters away and who can't even see each other inside the car, will never know what the boys said to each other in that silent hug. Only they will know.
The piece, only 15 minutes long, reminds us that, regardless of aesthetic issues, filmmakers can resort to a powerful tool: our need to understand what we see, regardless of the language or the articulated word.
Throughout the film, which is nothing more than an immense and constant declaration of love, Meicen Meng weaves a visually evocative narrative that captures the internal struggle of the two characters in their struggle to discover and accept themselves, while exploiting our emotions by giving us perhaps one of the most iconic farewells of the seventh art.
With a powerful and healing representation of the community building inherent to the film's creation process, the filmmaker also explores emotions and universal intimate human connections, using characters traditionally little seen in world cinematography, such as two teenagers from a fishing village, who dream of loving and empowering themselves through studies and the realization of their professional and work dreams.
Perhaps much of the charm of this film lies in the fact that despite the palpable romance of the protagonists, at no point do they manage to consummate their love, not even at the moment of farewell, however, it underlies, latent, perceptible, in each scene. .
The internationally renowned Chinese queer cinema knows perfectly well how dramatic the farewell act can mean. That's why Meicen Meng, the award-winning non-binary filmmaker of that nationality, wrote, directed and produced her thesis film 'Beyond The Green Mountain', to address topics such as sexuality, love, self-acceptance and identity.
Due to its ethical and aesthetic values, it was chosen as one of the five finalists of the prestigious 2018 Coppola Short Film Competition by Gus Van Sant, a queer filmmaker of great international fame.
The film also screened at the Museum of the Moving Image as part of the First Look Film Festival and was the winner of the Best Indie Short award at the Indie Short Fest in July 2019, among many other awards.
In this captivating cinematographic journey that explores in such a beautiful way the emotional labyrinths of its protagonists, humanity and human connections, it concludes with a dreamy and hopeful Leaf who directs her sight towards the sea, beyond the mountain that gives it its title. to the movie, as if he were looking into the future, before turning his face when he hears approaching footsteps, and drawing a smile on his lips: everything seems to indicate that his beloved is returning and, finally, they will be able to open themselves fully to love .
We generally associate goodbyes with the outcome of a story, and in most cases this is the case. However, 'Beyond the Green Mountain' goes to the other extreme and in the final scene conveys hope, the idea of ​​a shared future between our heroes. The comforting and tender fact of seeing each other once again contains a message: they both know that they will have a fairy tale ending.
I hope my review serves to motivate the viewer to see a film so recommended for its exquisite narrative and visuality.

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The thaumaturgic power of rain and electronic messages

The tetrad made up of a man who lives a life without intimacy with his girlfriend, a man unilaterally in love with his childhood friend, the development of a romance through words and rain as a symbol of renewal and growth is totally for me new in the film and television world.
Such a simple premise is served in 'Futtara Doshaburi' ('When It Rains It Pours') by Japanese directors Takahashi Natsuki, Tomita Miki and the team behind 'Jack O' Frost', 'My Personal Weatherman' and 'Takara no Vidro', with enormous tranquility and serenity, taking its time, simmering a dramatic crescendo that does not squeak in a single moment, to tell a complicated story that explores the complexities of unrequited love, stagnant relationships, and adult sexuality.
Based on the novel of the same name by Michiho Michi and scripted by Hiraki Mari, the starting point is stated by Hagiwara Kazuaki in the first minutes of the pilot episode, when he tells his girlfriend Mizutani Kaori (Akita Shiori): "I sent an email restaurant list for the coworkers meeting. I was going to email it to myself, but I sent it to the wrong email address".
The plot immediately introduces us to the personal history of each protagonist: Hagiwara Kazuaki has a two-year relationship with his girlfriend, but they have grown apart. The magic disappeared long ago and commitment has replaced love. He wants to have sex with her, but she subtly rejects him without saying a single word. It looks like a marriage headed for divorce. First separate beds, then separate rooms.
If Hagiwara Kazuaki and his girlfriend's relationship died a long time ago, why haven't they done anything about it, when they are both painfully aware of it? Haven't they broken up for good because they both know they can't fix it anymore, but they also don't want to move on and break up? Do they choose to stay tied in a relationship that is no longer working for either of them because they are afraid of being alone afterwards and afraid of starting over with someone else? Are they waiting for a push to break up? These are questions that run through my head.
Sei, the person who mistakenly receives the email, shares a flat with his platonic love Fujisawa Kazuaki (Matsumoto Hiroki), who, despite knowing that his roommate is in love with him, ignores his intentions and has declared that he will always be there for him his side to take care of him, but despising a romantic relationship.
Is Fujisawa Kazuaki asexual and aromantic? Is he in love with Sei but not able to admit it, or does the deal he proposed somehow work for him while not satisfying Sei, who wants a real connection and needs to feel physically loved to be happy? Isn't his accepting such an agreement a sign of how much Fujisawa Kazuaki means to him and how much he should love himself more? These and other questions I ask myself as the images pass before my eyes.
Despite working in the same company, Hagiwara Kazuaki and Nakarai Sei are two strangers who regularly have a conversation at their workplace about work issues.
Since the mistake with the email, both continue to have a strange relationship in which they confide their concerns by email, without knowing the other's true identities. At first, the two meet secretly in that dangerous and romantic place, such as an electronic message, to get to know each other better, but without intentions of any kind.
The friendship between both protagonists is built little by little. They match at a work party where the two drink alcohol and chat pleasantly, and then share an umbrella in the rain. Finally, they visit a museum where they observe, ecstatic, a female statue, seeing it reminds them of their own lives, realizing that people can never escape sexual frustration.
And what begins as a simple message quickly becomes an open and liberating connection between two people who want love, sex and living a passion. A passion of two people wondering if it is okay to continue with one of them with their partner and the other tied to their platonic love, or to let themselves be carried away by what they feel for each other.
The first thing that strikes you when watching 'Futtara Doshaburi' is its complete lack of pretensions. The directors have a great asset in their leading couple, the immense Muto Jun, known for being a member of Genin wa Jibun ni Aru and for participating in the series 'Given', and Ito Asahi, popular among lovers of the genre for giving life to Kikuchi in 'Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko'), as Hagiwara Kazuaki and Sei, respectively, who as great actors, set aside all the possible divism, appearing on screen as what they really intend: two characters faced with the great doubt of their lives.
Over time, their relationship becomes a romantic love story that will take them away from their routine lives and end up forcing them to make the decision to stop seeing each other or break up, one with his girlfriend and the other with the boy he has been in love with for some time.
The simplicity - a term that fits the series perfectly - with which both performers bring their characters to life is perfectly combined with the staging of Takahashi Natsuki and Tomita Miki, who use many extremely subtle resources to tell a story outlined to showcase the two charismatic and popular actors, and also demonstrate on screen the enormous rapport they have.
The respective personal lives of the protagonists with the person they have tied to their side are shown, at first, with each of the couples within two different planes. However, after the first approach between the two, the directors show you again in their lives, and separate them from their partners, with a simple cut to the shot. Subtle and clear way to show the beginning of the breakdown of relationships.
Ito Asahi and Muto Jun achieve such a degree of chemistry and complicity in the series that it is impossible not to see the love that exists between them. Both create a couple of ordinary human beings in all the complexity of their character, without us viewers knowing, even in general terms, significant details of their pasts.
It is in the way they listen to each other, speak, laugh, move, look at each other, and surprise each other when they discover each other as the person with whom they have been having a relationship by email when they send each other a message while both are close, where we see the whole person and the conflicts they face, which are something as close as what to do when love appears in a life established in the comfortable routine, and how to deal with feelings once they have altered our existence.
Matching the lives of the two protagonists, the series talks about clouds (Kumo, 雲), which in Japan symbolize the impermanence and transience of life, reflecting the Buddhist concept that everything changes constantly, and rain does not change only as a symbol, but also for its ritual and acting character.
The creators have taken a very Japanese concept about the power of rain to capture it in the series: the two main characters need to renew their worn-out relationships, green their meaningless lives.
And rain, due to its incessant repetition, has a purifying effect that washes away human miseries.
'Futtara Doshaburi' is a perfect example of portraying a story about loving relationships in which social conventions—one of the great enemies of what we call love—are ruthlessly questioned.
The series talks about how great love is when it comes, at the least expected moment, into the lives of two people. The Japanese directors idealize the feeling, almost in a transcendental way, as the greatest thing that the two characters experience in their routine lives.
Knowing that these two will end up in a romance, I would only like to ask for true peace of mind when the two previous relationships end, without going into unnecessary moral or ethical pamphlets. If things ended differently than Hagiwara Kazuaki and Nakarai Sei initially planned, it is because they were both not just looking for sex, but also love, connection, validation and acceptance.
It is well known that love does not understand ages, marital statuses or social conventions and everything seems to indicate that 'Futtara Doshaburi' corroborates this for the umpteenth time.
An excellent romantic series in which the thaumaturgic power of rain and electronic messages contributes to two people with their respective responsibilities within a failed relationship, one, and the other without even starting, ending up madly in love with each other and facing the eternal dilemma of deciding whether to end their courtship or their platonic relationship, because third ways are usually deeply unsatisfactory.

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I turn on my computer thinking that Li Xi, the young film director and producer from mainland China, at 27 years old, seven of them dedicated to her profession after enrolling in a degree in Directing at the Beijing Film Academy in 2017, already has his name written within the Chinese and global film universe after creating works such as the short film with a theme of young love "When the fish meet the sea", nominated in 2022 for the Sixth Pingyao Film Festival "A corner of Pingyao".
While I explore the internet to locate the LGBT+ themed series directed by Li Xi that I want to see, I remember that it also won other awards, such as Best Actress and Best Film at the + MADRAS + International Film Festival, Best Film at the Festival Sunbender International Film Festival and Best Film at the Diamond Bell International Film Festival. And even more recent, the success of his original children's dramatic short "The First Grade Under the Lens", from 2023.
I start downloading the first episode of the web series, original, like the rest of his work. "Passing Through the Blue of My Youth", that's what it's called and that's how I like it: download the file to view it when and how many times I want.
"It seems that Li Xi has joined so many other renowned Chinese filmmakers and television directors who have portrayed homosexuality in their films, series and short films, with works such as 'River Knows Fish Heart', 'East Palace, West Palace', 'Spring Fever', 'For Love, We Can', 'Looking for Rohmer', 'Wu Yan – Speechless', 'Shangai Panic', 'Kinematic Theory', 'The Ambiguous Focus', Boss, I Love You, Find You in the Crowd 2, Find You in the Crowd, Find You in the Dream', and many others", they had told me hours before in the Editorial Board, and I wanted to confirm it.
I sit in front of the computer with a steaming cup of coffee and prepare to watch the first four episodes. "Chinese national beauty! Tanmei! Two male protagonists! Two couples of boys in love! The passion and visual talent of the Chinese director were ideal to bring the series to fruition," I jumped for joy in my seat.
There's another reason I'm drawn to 'Blue Canvas of Youthful Days', I think, as I sip a sip of the fiery black liquid: it's one of those Chinese homosexual dramas that have become something more, a sociological phenomenon.
I remember the precedent of 'The Raccoon', the gay film by Tang Shi, starring Weng Hai Bin and Wu Di in 2015, about two young Chinese university students who live in the same student residence and meet through a mistake with a blanket, and after being declared enemies or adversaries they gradually discover a deeper connection that transcends the initial animosity.
Well, I have already settled into my seat, and the images begin to flow. Each episode is more than 27 minutes long, and Xi Li is not in such a hurry as I imagined, she takes her time, from the first scene to the last.
'Blue Canvas of Youthful Days' also evokes in me the Chinese drama film of the romance and yaoi genre 'Nan She Nan Fen' ('Hard to Give Up'), filmed in 2016 by Hisa Ho, an adaptation of the famous novel 'Men's Men's Points'. There is also a painter, Su He, about 30 years old, who is having an affair with the young Er Meng, his model for drawing artistic nudes, while he prepares for an important exhibition in Japan and another in China, with a collection of works with the title "Difficult to abandon" or "Difficult to give up."
He tells me about the romantic relationship that arises between Qi Lu and Qin Xiao. The first is a talented 18-year-old painter in his last year of high school, who comes from a rich family of artists, who is forced to learn to paint since childhood under the controlling influence of his father. The second is Qin Xiao, a village boy, two years older, living in the city and equally an artistic prodigy with paintbrush in hand. He did not enroll in a university degree at the time because he was burdened by family responsibilities and financial difficulties from an early age. Now he is determined to enter a house of higher education.
Despite his poverty, Qin Xiao is cheerful, brave, and optimistic, while Qi Lu is the reserved, quiet, and pessimistic type, due to his mother's absence and his father's abuse. However, there is a transformation in the character since he joins his life with that of Qin Xiao.
The crucial moment of the meeting of the two protagonists occurs around the first 20 minutes of the first episode, which is not much time for what really happens. However, Li Xi manages to make the time barely noticeable, thanks to the use of a beautiful city landscape, intelligent editing and a very effective use of my expectations, that I know what is going to happen but not when. This entire first act is used to introduce me to the two protagonists, but also to tell me where and how the fall in love between them occurs.
With great changes and unexpected turns, I come to know that by rebelling against strict education and a father who beats him, Qi Lu decides to secretly attend Bo Xa Art Studio, to complete his preparation before entering University. There, in the classrooms of the young master painter Liu Ming Yang (Yao Xing Hao), he meets Qin Xiao. Despite starting out as archenemies, the two quickly break the ice and form a bond.
The episodes go by and the series captivates me even more. In a plot twist, I witness that to Qi Lu's surprise, Qin Xiao turns out to be the online artist "Lan" (Blue) that he has been looking for. Feeling unintentionally responsible for a punishment imposed on Qin Xiao, Qi Lu struggles to muster the courage to confess that he has discovered his secret, but does not wish to upset the seemingly irritable Qin Xiao, whose personality seems to be totally different from that of the artist he admire.
Therefore, he chooses to approach Qin Xiao in the hope of becoming friends. As they break the ice and grow closer, Qi Lu and Qin Xiao weave an indestructible bond.
I find it very beautiful that while Qi Lu admits to being in love with Qin Xiao, this boy experiences the process of self-acceptance. So we will see him suffer, walk anguished, as if he had no direction in life and was stumbling, while exploring his feelings and emotions. It seems like he wants to hug and kiss Qi Lu, especially when he realizes that he suffers from physical and psychological abuse from his father, but an invisible power holds him back. Until when? Will the time come when he will spread his wings and fly free?
Music, especially the theme song "We" (我們), by Chinese arranger and composer Yan Er, helps to enhance and recreate this process that can be long, difficult and terrifying when a young person tries to keep their true self hidden from both others. others as well as himself.
Producers Wang Wen Yin and Li Jue Xuan ('Hi! My Mr. Right', 2023), also an actress who plays Sun Xiaorui, the only member of the young cast with experience in front of the cameras, pleasantly surprise me with the excellent music, perfectly combined with the canvases and the laughter of the two boys that I soon begin to hear.
Despite the appearance of various characters throughout the series, Qin Xiao, a role played by Zhang Xuan Yu, and Qi Lu, played by Guo Jia Le, are discovered as full protagonists who symbolize something much more allegorical such as affection, the warmth, the physical attraction of two young people who without realizing it discover their homosexuality.
Both actors get into the skin of their characters and do what only real actors can do: bring a fictional character to life.
The director's skill lies in the fact that she focuses the main plot on the narrative act of the protagonists' discovery and acceptance of their sexual orientation, while they intertwine a beautiful story of friendship in which painting plays a transcendental role. Xi Lin moves me by transmitting the joy and love that the protagonists feel, through subtle resources that are gradually exposed.
I enjoy a feeling of placidity and tenderness through the images, images where the protagonists themselves discover themselves visually small before the greatness of love and pictorial art that surround them.
One of the keys to this transmission of love towards the person who has burst into his life is achieved through the essential performance of Zhang Xuan Yu: saying with his eyes, with his gestures, with his silences, much more than what his express mouth. The actor builds a well-rounded character, full of security expressed through small doses of aggressiveness and tons of tenderness that the character carries in his chest; of a body language that is both rough and tender, very elaborate. He has suffered, but he also knows the love of his grandfather and his friend Tan Yin (Xiao Zi Zhuo), and the kindness of painting teacher.
This actor's role manages to captivate and excite me. The actor manages to give real life to the character by creating a character and personality of his own, something that not many actors achieve. The series has great moments, all of them loaded with moving drama, scenes such as when the character vents his pain against a brick wall at the possibility that his grandfather, with Alzheimer's, has suffered an accident, or when he cannot contain his tears when seeing him safely back after getting lost when leaving home to watch a game of street chess in a nearby park, or how symbolic a photograph taken on a day visiting the zoo can be, great moments starring Zhang Xuan Yu.
Against this, Guo Jia Le plays the role of someone more extroverted and sensitive. I see how he rebels against his father in the television interview after winning an important prize in a painting contest, or when he flees from abuse and finds not only refuge and a place for artistic creation in the classrooms where Qin Xiao studies.
However, although on the surface they are opposites, both have deep inside a great desire for freedom, self-improvement and love that each one is capable of transmitting through their perfect interpretations.
"How is it possible for these rookies to achieve such magnificent and memorable performances?", I ask myself as I pour myself some more coffee from the container in which it is still warm.
"And this other character, Wei Jiayu (Hu Ze Ming), who I thought was the typical abusive and problematic student and then turns out to be a good guy, while he joins forces with the protagonists and falls in love with the also haughty painting student Sun Xiaorui”?, this question arises in my head.
The series, as a corpus, is capable of germinating warm fragments of humanity, in which I discover the most vivid features of the human condition of LGBT+ people.
Its plot, populated by areas of light and shadows, with climate, nerve and dramatic meat, places its emotional core in everyday situations inhabited by real human beings - in all the extension and connotations of the term - who expose their intimate dramas in a very realistic, very natural tessitura, without forcing emotions or managing empathy at all costs through melodramatic underlinings or cheap script blows.
The series, although at a certain point it is not complete and still requires much more rigor in certain areas, deserves all my admiration. There is too much creative talent, dreams, and desire to do involved in its existence, to avoid or undermine it.
To the good character study of 'Blue Canvas of Youthful Days', add its fortunate acting defense. Its story progresses, in part, thanks to the reflections of its creators on very recognizable human conflicts in today's world, and thanks to its performers (it is impossible not to make a special mention here of the histrionic competence of Xiao Zi Zhuo, the actor who plays Qin Xiao's hearing-impaired friend and tenant, and who takes care of Qin Xiao's grandfather when he is in the classrooms at Bo Xa Art Studio, and Yao Xing Hao, who plays painting teacher Liu Ming Yang. These two characters will make up a second couple.
'Blue Canvas of Youthful Days' breathes art from all sides in a literal way. That is why its presentation and farewell cannot be any other way than through the application of the pictorial and photographic universe to cinematographic language in terms of color and shape, sharing a common grammar, fulfilling the requirement of imitating pictorial and iconographic values. to get closer to the artistic.
I turn off the computer thinking about Qin Xiao and Qi Lu. There is both love and pain in her story; It is as tender as it is sad and addictive, as happy as it is heartbreaking and romantic, that I think I will never be able to forget it.
I turn off the computer and my Internet connection. I look forward to the next episodes.
The leftover, untasted coffee has cooled in my hands.

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Living Deep in the Closet

As its name suggests, 'Depth' (its pinyin is shēn chù) is a Chinese film that addresses the complexity of being gay and living deep in the closet.
The 2022 short film portrays the story of Yi Ran, a gay boy played by Zeng Huaiyi. Through this character, Chinese screenwriter and director Ding Yuhan explores internalized homophobia. Yi Ran lives out his sexual identity by working in a bar and pretending to be happy with a girlfriend, played by actress Lu Meishan.
But the sudden visit of Zhou Mu (played by Shang Guolong) disrupts Yi Ran's life, and when feelings explode and he can no longer control his desire, his closely guarded secret may be exposed.
'Depth' problematizes the issue of sexual diversity and the lack of acceptance of one's own sexual orientation. Its 10-minute runtime is sufficient to expose the typical behaviors and negative emotions of closeted gay people, such as fear, shame, disgust, anxiety, low self-esteem, and avoidance or denial of everything related to their homosexual orientation due to the fear of being rejected.
Yue Zongao's beautiful cinematography and Xu Qiang's photography contribute to reflecting internalized homophobia, which is nothing more than the rejection or non-acceptance of one's own homosexuality.
The final images serve as a metaphor for the fear many homosexuals suffer from recognizing their sexual identity.

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The stigmas that exist for the LGBT+ community in sports and schools

'Summer Indigo' doesn't simply aim to tell a love story or delicately portray the subtle emotional changes and growth of the male protagonists.
Its main objective, in presenting two gay teenagers belonging to a judo team, facing the stigmas that exist for the LGBT+ community in sports, is much more ambitious: to talk about how sexual orientation is treated in sports, how this taboo subject in this world directly affects the daily lives of athletes, the transformative power of sports, and the importance of creating truly inclusive spaces within the sports community.
In a world where homosexuality has closed many doors and denied opportunities for this reason alone, the South Korean vertical series directed by Kim Won-sik and Lee Doo-young follows in the footsteps of films such as the New Zealander 'Punch' (Welby Ings, 2022), 'Handsome Devil' (John Butler, 2017), or series such as the American 'Love, Victor' (Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, 2020-2022), the British 'Heartstopper' (Alice Oseman, 2022-2024) or the South Korean 'Blue of Winter' (2022) and 'Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo' (Hwang Da Seul, 2024), among others, to introduce the viewer to LGBT+ sports characters fighting against bullying and discrimination, while telling a romance between two teenagers that does not end in tragedy, but revitalizes first love as a pure and innocent feeling that can overcome the obstacles that may arise.
However, the main difference between the Playlist series and the aforementioned series and films lies in the laws protecting and recognizing LGBT+ people, or the lack thereof, and the social environment: while in those societies there is greater recognition and freedom for homosexual people, with some gay athletes even coming out without fear of losing their status as athletes, members of this community in South Korea face prejudice, discrimination, and other barriers to social inclusion that their non-gay counterparts do not experience.

PLOT

This romantic youth sports drama follows Seon Woo, the youngest member of the school judo club who trains under the supervision of the troubled coach Lee Tae-Kuy. But when the freshman announces he has decided to leave the club due to an underlying concern and because he cannot bear the bullying from his captain, Lee Chang-seok, he is required to follow tradition: defeat an upperclassman. However, Seon Woo becomes frustrated when, by chance, the judoka he is to defeat is the national judo star, Gong Taehyung.
As they get to know each other, Taehyung, who is only interested in judo, becomes increasingly attracted to Seon Woo, and, under the username "Oscar", confides his worries to an anonymous friend named "Summer", whom he meets every night via chat.
However, the young judoka, who was once Chang-seok's best friend until he felt his efforts had been trampled on by Taehyung when he let him win a match a year earlier, soon discovers that "Summer" is actually Seon Woo. Upon learning that Seon Woo intends to leave the club, Taehyung will do everything possible to prevent him from leaving.
And of course, despite the magnitude of their feelings, they must hide their attraction, as the revelation could destroy them, drive them away from the sport, and cause them to drop out of the club and school. This, in turn, is a reflection of the complexities that exist in sports, especially in contact sports, in addition to the sexist comments about the discomfort of having a homosexual in the locker room an idea that is erroneous and a result of the brands imposed on the gay community.
While Park Seon Woo's story isn't entirely about coming out —he acknowledged being gay from the opening scenes—it is a coming-of-age series. The teenager's journey will be one of accepting love and, more importantly, of himself as a person capable of loving and being loved by the very boy he's fallen in love with.

BULLYING

The main focus of the series is to break down the stigma surrounding mental health, especially among adolescents and in schools, where bullying is becoming increasingly prevalent, especially given the lack of awareness campaigns on the subject in South Korea.
The terrible experience of being bullied by the homophobic Lee Chang-seok makes Seon Woo question Oscar's identity and Taehyung's intentions, as well as his own.
The judo team captain manages to confuse Seon Woo when, after discovering the story behind the online chats, he steals Oscar's identity to impersonate him and deceive Summer. To achieve this, he resorts to threatening the award-winning athlete: "If you tell Seon Woo that you are Oscar, I will reveal to the students at school that you are both gay". However, after achieving his goal of leaving the club after defeating Taehyung, Seon Woo returns to protect him from Chang-seok.
The main character has now lost his fear of the club captain: "Once you've seen the worst in someone... there's nothing left to fear".
The relationship that builds between the two protagonists makes the viewer believe in true love.
As the youngest member of a judo club, Seon Woo faces several challenges in accepting his gender identity: the expectations of a judoka, the expectations of the coach, the expectations of his teammates, and the expectations of Taehyung.
For his part, Taehyung will have a coming-out story. As he continues training for future competitions, he finds himself increasingly interested in spending time with Seon Woo, to the point that for him the happiest moment of the day is when he starts chatting every night at 11:21 PM with his teammate under the name Summer.
The journey of discovering his sexuality goes hand in hand with the genuine emotional connection he gradually builds with Seon Woo through shared moments, deep conversations, and challenges they overcome together.
While he seeks to strengthen his relationship with Seon Woo, he takes his time to understand how he truly feels about himself and others. Taehyung doesn't hide his feelings, but he fears that revealing to others that he has developed feelings for his teammate would hurt him, as well as Seon Woo, who has confessed to Oscar that if someone found out his secret, he would drop out of school. "Who do you think you are to care so much about me? Just say it, I like you", Seon Woo will ask Taehyung.
To which he will reply "What if I tell the truth? You, a judo athlete who can't even land properly, who breaks his leg like a damn bird, who just admitted to liking a boy... if I say I like you, then what will happen to us?".
The bullying then not only affects Seon Woo as the club captain's favorite victim, but Taehyung will have to hide his crush to avoid becoming a future victim.
When the protagonists are filmed affectionately embracing in a video by Chang-seok, who seeks to blackmail Taehyung into dropping out of competitions so he can have a chance at the awards podium, the two are forced to navigate isolation and homophobia.
The coach, the only adult in the story, has a secondary role, but a fundamental one, especially towards the end of the series. The downside to this character is that, in addition to representing an obstacle to teenage love, he is a corrupt coach who asks the club captain to steal Taehyung's judo notebook. When his son fails to do so, he demands that he try to make him proud as a father by winning a gold medal, even if he doesn't play "fair game" in doing so.
In turn, he will demand that Taehyung manipulate the upcoming match, losing to Lee Chang-seok, even though a defeat could mean his continued presence on the national judo team. Unable to achieve his goals this way, he will try to do so by exposing the relationship between the two protagonists. This means that Seon Woo and Taehyung will also suffer harassment and discrimination from the coach.

CAST AND PERFORMANCES

The series features a compelling performance by Choi Ri Ho as the coach and father of the club captain, who turns his scenes into truly emotional sequences. His ambitious, homophobic, and hurtful character complements the depth built by the performance of talented actor Lee Ui-seop, and the equally capable newcomers Kim Ji-yool and Yoo Seong-yoon, who play Gong Taehyung, Park Seong Woo, and Lee Chang-seok, in that order.
This isn't the first time Lee Ui-seop (who played Kim Geon Ju in 'Business as Usual') has appeared in a BL series to denounce the bullying suffered by South Korean LGBT+ teenagers. In 'Taming the Bad Boy' (2024), the series that marked his acting debut, he plays a student who, after falling in love with a classmate, suffers discrimination and hatred from many of those around him. Here we find another compelling homophobic character, played by actor Byeon Jeong Hyeon.
While both leads are convincing with their performances, the prize goes to Yoo Seong-yoon as the villain who manages to redeem himself through his guilty conscience. His performance as the homophobic club captain is invaluable because it sheds light on the centuries-old culturally rooted homophobia, a chronic condition that affects us all to a greater or lesser degree.
It draws the attention of viewers to much that is expressed on social media expressing that homophobic characters should not have a place in LGBT+ productions. What a huge mistake! Homophobes exist. They are everywhere. Harassment and discrimination are real. We must make the stigmas visible. To raise awareness, we must capture homophobia in audiovisual media, often engendered by repressed gay people who are unable to accept themselves.
Contrary to what many believe, well-written and well-acted homophobic characters can raise awareness about the problems facing the LGBT+ community and bring about inclusive change in society in general and sports in particular, in order to overcome discrimination.

IN CONCLUSION

The series serves as a coming-of-age story and a sports history, as well as a mirror that highlights what it can mean for queer youth in sports when small minds prevail. It will tug at your heartstrings, and it's a series you won't want to miss.
And as for the vertical format, accept it, reader. It's here to stay.

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Many of us have been amazed by the latest project by the Japanese director, screenwriter, actress and casting director Sawada Ikuko for her point of view, for several of the ideas that are dropped, for the aesthetics that accompanies the story, for the strength of the performance of a luxury cast, for the splendid soundtrack that accompanies us.
We are in the 90s of the last century. We are in a quiet rural town during the Heisei era. We are facing a story of acceptance and self-discovery during adolescence, but far from the romanticism of most of the series based on manga that I usually review here, telling us a hard, stark and bittersweet story. This is a coming-of-age drama that explores the pressures to conform and the power of friendship.
The beginning of 'Smells Like Green Spirit', the LGBT+ themed drama series, is engaging. We are introduced to a high school student being chased by several of his schoolmates.
Mishima, an androgynous teenager who defies social norms of sexuality, with his very long hair, delicate beauty and marked feminine features, lives in two different worlds: while the Sun shines in the sky, his classmates give free rein to their homophobia and is systematically tortured for "appearing to be gay." At night, in the silence of his house, once his mother goes to bed, we can distinguish a boy who is clear that he likes boys, something he hides and, faced with the economic impossibility of buying other cosmetic products, he only applies lipstick taken from his mother's bag, while he enjoys dressing the clothes of the woman who sleeps a few meters away from him.
His colleagues harass and physically and psychologically attack him because of his femininity, calling him in the most derogatory ways alluding to his sexuality. But he doesn't care, he's happy being the way he is.
All this reveals two of the pillars of the work. But be careful, this is not a more or less classic story that revolves around transsexuality.
But that bittersweet existence takes a radical turn when he discovers by accident that the hatred that Makoto Kirino, one of his staunchest harassers, professes towards him, is not only the result of the education received by a heteronormative family or from living in a society that does not accept diversity and that makes someone who is different hate themselves for not fitting into a supposed canon of "normality", but that they have much more in common than what appears at first glance and that this hatred is actually a desire to have the freedom to be like him.
In this way, the fatherless young boy will discover that, like him, Kirino is gay and likes to cross-dress, but he has hidden this side of him due to his conservative mother, who cannot accept he son's true nature. In this sense, since his childhood, in his environment, Kirino has been raised listening to prejudices and stereotypes of rejection or hatred towards LGTB+ people. Having integrated these values into your system, the construction of your identity has been marked by those beliefs. For this reason, he considers that a part of him is not worthy of acceptance and recognition, so he must hide, compensate, repair... his sexuality.
This is how the series borders on that controversial stereotype that behind every homophobe there is someone repressing their authentic sexuality. However, Kirino's story is so well done that it is difficult not to empathize and feel sorry for him, and even understand the pain that not accepting oneself can lead to something terrible. Kirino is ultimately, unlike Mishima, a poor confused teenager with his head in a mess.
Although it is true that this stereotype also comes into play with another character with whom one does enter into more delicate terrain that is much more controversial, and I will not go into detail about it so as not to give away spoilers.
Once the moment of initial terror of being discovered has passed, Kirino experiences the relief of being able to show himself as he is to another person who does not judge him and understands him. Being able to talk and share their problems without having to hide will be the first step for the two to begin to weave a beautiful friendship based on the secrets they hide from the world. And in this way we discover the other pillar on which the series is based.
These two teenagers must face a hostile social environment, allies who are wolves in sheep's clothing, and, what's worse, the possibility of frustrating their families' expectations. They must not only hide from others, but also hide from themselves.
All this, while we are presented with a Japan far from the typical view and the images of cities of futuristic technology mixed with ancient traditions. A much "dirtier and darker" Japan, for a story that usually appears darker than what we get from there, where the main character suffers daily harassment by teenagers like him, while others are forced to hide who they are out of fear to receive the same bullying that Mishima suffers.
While Mishima benefits from having a loving and understanding mother, Kirino struggles to reconcile her sexuality with her oppressive and patriarchal upbringing.
Kirino quickly opens up to Mishima, when they both meet during free hours on the school roof and outside the educational grounds, and can be who he really is without having to hide, although in front of his classmates he has to continue pretending contrary. However, he slowly begins to change the way he treats Mishima in front of others as he begins to accept himself.
It is surprising that Mishima does not feel or express any type of resentment towards his harassers and that he quickly finds in Kirino a being similar to the one who forgives all the bad times he put him through.
Thanks to the friendship with Mishima, Kirino's character transforms into a totally different person. If it is true that his attitude at the beginning is inexcusable and unjustifiable, as you begin to interact more with Mishima you discover his past and who he really is, making it easier to connect with him.
Through Mishima we observe the story and see how Tarō Yumeno, another of his bullies, a classmate and one of the main players in the school basketball club, is actually a boy who hides behind the façade of the bully, and who always makes fun of Mishima, to hide his true feelings.
Falling in love with Mishima is easy; He is so tender, so close, that you can't help but love him, sympathize with his character, let yourself be carried away by his antics, identify with a being that is certain of knowing who he is, even if he has to hide it.
And as these three young people begin to discover who they are, struggling to define themselves, they will make difficult decisions that will shape the rest of their lives.
'Smells Like Green Spirit' presents a heartbreaking character study anchored by a confident and convincing performance by Araki Towa, Sono Shunta and Fujimoto Kodai, actors who play Mishima Futoshi, Kirino Makoto and Yumeno Taro, respectively.
Araki Towa shines in her role, which she plays with delicacy and melancholy.
It is interesting how the story mixes comic situations that will brighten your day with other moments of extreme drama that will break your heart, while telling a story whose characters explore different ways of living sexuality and gender identity. Without a doubt, they are characters that anyone can empathize with.
Screenwriter Arai Yuuka takes the cake by adapting the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Saburō Nagai, serialized in Fusion Product's Comic Be between 2011 and 2013, collected in two tankōbon volumes, which allows the viewer to take a look at how complicated it is. a time that is complex in itself like adolescence, when one also does not fit into what is considered normal. As in the original work, the narrative text not only allows a very honest story to be translated into moving images, but also skips many stereotypes associated with BL manga.
The series addresses topics such as transvestism, while emphasizing that being a transvestite does not mean being transsexual, and that, in turn, this is not linked to sexual orientation.
Linking family history makes it feel even more intimate and personal, especially when one of them's mother is a widow and the other is single, and they have raised their children with so much love that their descendants want to care for them in the same way.
Sawada Ikuko addresses all these complex issues with commendable delicacy and lucidity. He raises the questions but does not decide, does not judge, does not take sides.
It is also true that with a cast like this it makes it very easy for the viewer. In addition to the aforementioned actors, Abe Aran joins as Professor Yanagida, Sakai Miyuki as Futoshi's mother, Kanai Miki as Sawada Ayako, Kaji Masaki as Edokawa Toshihiko, Katada Hiyori as Fujii Rinka, among others. That is to say, the stellar performances of the entire cast, especially the young people who turn from rivals to friends, anchor the story.
With an outstanding soundtrack, whose musical themes are inserted in such a way that they become the perfect complement to the story, the Japanese director succeeds in maintaining her closeness with his main character at all times, especially in that climactic moment when Mishima and Kirino They look into each other's eyes for the first time and scrutinize their souls.
There are some clichés often found in LGBT+ stories, but for the most part, Sawada Ikuko creates a totally original drama that is worth watching. Bearing the weight of emotional trauma and gay shame, the three boys need more than a hug to get them through. But there is a hopeful message, tinged with painful sadness. 'Smells Like Green Spirit' teaches an important lesson that will reach many young people who struggle with their sexual preferences, especially those who live among family members who are intolerant towards LGBT+ people.
As a result, the series doesn't flinch from contemplating the unfortunate reality of hate and intolerance, but also reflects and celebrates the other side of humanity.
This is a bittersweet series that reinforces the idea that there are good people who will love and accept you no matter who you are. The audiovisual demonstrates great empathy for those who have to hide who they are throughout their lives, or part of it, even if that eventually turns them into melancholic beings.
It is a deeply personal story, which speaks of young queer people who have the luxury of searching for their identity and discovering who they are from an early age, and those who must keep part of their identity hidden for fear of losing their family or receiving hate from the community.
There are moments in this queer story that are truly terrifying and other moments are tender and pure.
For all that has been said, the series stays with the viewer after the final credits of the first three episodes of the 9 that the MBS and TVK audiovisual have.
A splendid and bittersweet story as well as a tough love story. Yes, of love, because self-acceptance can only be fulfilled with a lot of love.

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