Rachel

I wish I liked this more than I did. The show really shined when it was focused on the queer community - i.e. episode 2 showing us how Damian and Jerry met and started dating, episode 3 at the PRIDE parade - but it was just kinda meh otherwise. Also there was surprisingly little of Kaikai given the show is titled "Papa & Daddy"? Like, obviously Kaikai doesn't factor into the flashback episode, there's A LOT of Damian at his restaurant, there's a lot of Jerry's dynamic with his mom (which Kaikai mostly isn't involved in). Like it does almost feel like false advertising to give the show that name, but then probably a solid half, if not more, of the story has nothing to do with Kaikai?

Anyway, back from that tangent, gay marriage was only legalized in Taiwan a couple years before this show was made, so I definitely understand (and support!) the intention of the show being to present a gay couple as normal parents and to combat homophobic narratives. But I did find it very perplexing and slightly tiring how much of these 6 episodes were devoted to Damian and Jerry having to come out. Episode 4 is about one of the moms from school catching Damian and Jerry getting ice cream with Kaikai and being extremely confused about both of them being Kaikai's dad and there's an implied discomfort, especially since she sees Damian's sister pick Kaikai up from school the next day and she excitedly ambushes her, assuming she is Kaikai's mom. The episode ends with Damian and Jerry asking the teacher to explain things but then.... episode 6, the gossip moms still aren't aware that Damian and Jerry are a gay couple until Jerry accidentally sends a long text about it in parent group chat? And suddenly these moms are all very excited and want Jerry to be their gaybestfriend? It's just... jarring. Also basically the entirety of episode 5 is about Jerry's strained relationship with his mom - she has no idea about him being gay and he doesn't plan to tell her, but she forces him to go on blind dates, which inevitably leads to him coming out to her and an explosive argument as she's distraught about him being gay. This is seemingly resolved by Jerry's father coming by and gifting Damian a bracelet(?, I could not tell what the gift was lol) but imo the show never satisfyingly grapples with her discomfort.

Idk. It's perfectly fine, but the intention of this show is very much to combat homophobia, and while there is some fluff (and a bit of smut too!), that definitely gets lost under the push to guide straight audiences to be more accepting.