dora

Beautiful multi-layered love story

Summary
A beautiful story of two very different souls coming together through love and loss. The story was occasionally confusing, and the second couple wasn’t very engaging, but the main couple was riveting. Beautiful locations, music, and spectacular cinematography raise the production value enormously. It had its flaws but still made an indelible mark on me. 9.0
The rest of this review is super long and contains spoilers. It has sub-headings if you only want to read part of it.

Story
The story of the main couple is about a BL actor, Qinglang, who, now in his 30s, has closed himself off from love after being hurt in the past. While he takes time away from the spotlight and spends it in the mountains, he meets Changyang, who breaks down his walls and they fall in love. Changyang is young (20) when they first meet, but he is already determined to win Qinglang’s heart. He devotes himself to caring for Qinglang with such tenderness and attention that Qinglang cannot resist him. Their love is passionate and they become utterly devoted to each other. Unfortunately, Qinglang is a big star and lives life in the spotlight, which is not easy.
They try to keep their love discreet, but both cannot avoid being affected by scandal. Qinglang doesn’t care as much about his own image as he does about Changyang, but after Changyang’s father makes it clear that their relationship will damage Qinglang’s future, they break up. This was definitely some “noble idiocy” in my mind because Qinglang doesn’t tell Changyang why they are breaking up, and it happens after they have pledged to stay together, so you know they will end up back together. But it was still very much a typical romance trope, and the lack of communication was, as usual, annoying.
In general, the story of their love and their scandals is meant to shed light on the difficulties of the BL industry, and even the toxic shipping culture. This is especially displayed through Changyang’s sister, who reveals her brother’s relationship online because she ships Qinglang with his on-screen partner and wants them together, not her brother and Qinglang. Here we see how what she wants and imagines as a fan is more important than what actually makes Qinglang or her brother happy. It is infuriating! Qinglang’s former partner also tries to use the fans of their ship to revive his career, despite having hurt Qinglang in the past in real life. While it is important to make BL viewers aware of the problems that go on behind the scenes, I was not especially surprised by most of what happened in this regard. If it opens people’s eyes, though, that’s good.
The story of the second couple is supposed to mirror the past realities and struggles of Qinglang and his BL partner, Yuhao. Unfortunately, the second couple doesn’t pull the viewers in the way the main couple’s story does. There is clearly both love and manipulation involved, but it’s just not engaging in the same way. In addition, it is often confusing and hard to understand what is exactly going on with this couple. At times it was frustrating having so much time devoted to them, when really we just want to see Qinglang and Changyang.
Qinglang and Changyang’s love story surpasses time and place. They love each other beyond words, yet they also let each other have their separate lives. Only at the end do they finally both leave their professions and decide to live together in the mountains. The final scene of their mountain wedding, with imagined blessings from all the characters, lends a beautiful sense of closure to their story.
Watching Qinglang and Changyang together is incredibly moving. They clearly love each other with everything they have. Despite being radically different from each other, they balance each other perfectly. The sacrifices they make for each other as well as the effort to connect while apart is beautiful to watch, and they express a love that all of us would wish to find.

Problems with the story:
It is confusing at times and sometimes hard to follow. I spent a lot of time on Reddit trying to understand what was going on and why. This lack of clarity in the events that unfold really interrupts the flow of the romance and takes away from the beauty and pain of it.
The second couple is not very interesting and is sometimes annoying. Too much time was devoted to them.

Loss and Death in the Story
Three people die in this drama, and they are all significant characters. This lends a layer of sadness to the whole story. The losses are a counterpoint to the beauty of the love story. They affect the characters and viewers deeply. This is especially true of the death of Qingtian, Qinglang’s younger brother and Changyang’s friend, who is portrayed as a beautiful soul and loving presence. His loss hits the viewers especially hard. All the deaths are a reminder that we cannot control the events of our lives, only guide them. Sometimes terrible, devastating things happen. Death exists alongside life and love. The fact that Qinglang is able to continue to love Changyang and lean on him throughout is even more powerful in light of these losses. Changyang suffers too, yet he does all he can to protect Qingyang from the worst of what happened to Qingtian. And in the end they still celebrate their love, despite all that they have lost.
While I found it difficult to watch so many characters die, I don’t see this as a problem with the story. It is an important element in lending meaning to everything that happens.

Symbolism
The title: Changyang is the “winter sun.” He brings slow, steady warmth to the coldness of winter (Qinglang) without being overwhelming.
The wind represents change, as Qinglang opens his heart to Changyang. The wind can cause disruption too, as evidenced by difficulties on the path as well as loss.
“Spring Hills Dream” is Qinglang’s rebirth each time he escapes to the mountains and replenishes his soul through nature. The dreams also represent his connections to those he has lost and a way to see and remember them in his mind.
Tea has great symbolism in the story as well. The best tea takes time to grow and pick and seep. It requires patience in the face of nature and in the process of brewing. It takes time to extract meaning from life’s chaos, just as it takes time and effort to brew the best tea. Qinglang takes the tea thermos Changyang gave him everywhere he goes. It helps him cultivate quiet reflection and connects him to Changyang and to the mountains where the tea comes from. In quiet reflection and dreams he is able to process loss and recognize true love.

Production Value
Locations—the mountains are a spectacular backdrop and provide beautiful scenery to the story.
Cinematography—The cinematography in Winter Sun rates up therewith the best I have ever seen. Every shot is carefully and beautifully laid out. From figures in shadow to overheads of the mountain road to reflections in a mirror or pond, the shots are cleverly thought out, gorgeous to behold, and add the the feeling and meaning of every scene. Quiet, ethereal beauty shines through the whole series and elevates the entire production.
Music—The music is also beautiful and ethereal, and adds another impeccable layer of quality to the production. Sometimes there is no music and just slow and quiet scenes.
Acting—The actors playing Changyang, Qinglang, and Qingtian stood out the most for me. They brought their characters to life with depth and emotion. Sometimes a simple look or movement revealed so much, while other times passionate feelings or desires were expressed physically and viscerally. The MLs had amazing chemistry. The intimate scenes were spicy without being too revealing. I felt I really knew these characters by the end of the series, and I will miss them.

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Fantastic Dance Movie with BL flavor

This reviews contains major SPOILERS!

Before I begin, I should preface this by saying I love dance movies! Strictly Ballroom (1992) is one of my favorite movies ever, and I’ve watched it more times than I can count. After realizing the director of 10Dance made some references to it, I talked to someone about 10Dance and Strictly Ballroom. She reminded me of Shall We Dance? (1996), the iconic Japanese movie about falling in love with ballroom dance. So I bought it and rewatched it just now. Definite references to it as well, namely the dancing solo in the open square in the snow, as well as dancing on the train platform.

Two crucial messages from Strictly Ballroom and Shall We Dance are also present in 10Dance. From Strictly Ballroom, “dance is about love. If you cannot convey love and passion through the dance, it is inadequate.” From Shall We Dance?, “remember you are not dancing alone. Ballroom is about the connection between you and your partner.” (I am paraphrasing in both cases.) Both of these messages are crucial to understanding 10Dance and the relationship between Suzuki and Sugiki.

As such, I believe this is a dance movie more than a BL. If you do not enjoy watching dance, you will probably get bored. However, this is a superb dance movie. The actors did a phenomenal job training, and they truly look like professional ballroom dancers to me. (I’m not a trained ballroom dancer but I am a trained ballet dancer—or I once was. I can tell a really talented dancer when I see one.) It is not just that they are good dancers, though. They absolutely embody their characters through their different dance styles. Suzuki is passionate, wild, full to overflowing with love and desire for others and for life. Sugiki is controlled, disciplined, superbly trained and taught to act like an artistocrat. We see these character differences through how they move. We also see these differences in non-dance scenes as well, like when Sugiki takes Suzuki out to eat. (Quite a humorous scene yet also so insightful.) The restaurant is so button down and oozing wealth. On the flip side, when Suzuki takes Sugiki to see his home and “little Cuba” in Tokyo, we see the opposite side. Rundown surroundings, but joyful drinking, free-form dancing, wild behavior, and general abandonment. (The visit to “little Cuba” is also a direct reference to Strictly Ballroom, when the FL takes the ML to her poor neighborhood to meet her Spanish family and learn the true feel of Hispanic culture and ballroom dance.)

What’s important about the interaction between these characters is what they have to offer each other. They are both aware they are using each other, but also greatly admire each other, and may even be developing feelings of love for each other. Yes, the tension between them is palpable, but it isn’t only sexual. They are both searching the other for what they are missing in themselves. Sugiki is told by his mentor that there is no “love” when he dances. He later describes to Suzuki his compulsive need to keep dancing at when he was previously at Blackpool, even when his partner was falling apart. He calls himself “the grim reaper.” At first I didn’t understand this description, but I now believe he was thinking of how he killed any feelings—feelings he and his partner were experiencing in the past, in order to keep dancing. He sees himself as devoid of feeling. When Suzuki dismisses his story (the English subtitle was that’s “lame,” which I hate, but we get the gist.) Sugiki realizes in that moment that Suzuki is the key to unlocking feelings in himself, both through passion for each other and for the dance. (Again, back to Shall We Dance?, where the main characters are both the key to unlocking each other’s love for and devotion to dance.) After Sugiki’s realization, we get the iconic Japanese BL running scene, before a passionate kiss. This mislead me into thinking this would be more of a typical romance BL. Instead of becoming lovers, however, when we next see the two kissing and heading towards more, Sugiki says no. He is afraid if he gives in to passion he will lose his self-control. That self-control has brought him this far, and he relies on it. He is not ready to let it go. This was so disappointing as a romance viewer, but satisfying for the story because it shows Sugiki’s ultimate motivation and goal: to win above all else. Suzuki, ever emotional, however, cries.

When we are finally reunited with both Suzuki and Sugiki in Blackpool after 6 months, they compete in their respective categories as if nothing has changed between them. But then the demonstration or honor dance arrives, and shockingly (ok, maybe not that shocking), Sugiki picks Suzuki as his dance partner. They then dance like we have never seen them dance before, with restraint on Suzuki’s side, abandon on Sugiki’s, joy in their faces, and a new level of overall mastery. We see what they can achieve as a couple, as partners. Then we are left with the lovely kiss and that (heartbreaking) line “until 10Dance,” leaving us drooling and wishing for more as dance fans and as romantics. But I guess we can’t have it all. Yet, I hope.

Besides this wonderful story, we have a film with two truly phenomenal actors who convey this story almost exclusively through movement and facial expressions, while making us believe they are in fact Suzuki and Sugiki. We also have a director who knows how to film dance. He gives us full-body views to show off the choreography, facial close-ups to convey the emotions, and overhead shots to enhance the beauty of the movement. The cinematography in general is beautiful, with so many atmospheric shots of the different locations and their accompanying emotional beats. The music, while largely traditional ballroom music, was also perfect.

So while I am desperate for a sequel, I cannot really find much fault with this film. It delivered two of my favorite things, dance and romance, in an exquisite package. I really hope others can see what I see here. And I hope for a sequel, of course.

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Sweet if Dated Film

Unfortunately I could only find a very poor quality video of this movie with English subtitles, so my review is colored by my frustration with unclear pictures and bad subtitles.
This film is a sweet and engaging story that sets the standard for first love BLs in terms of storyline and emotional development. Many of the tropes we now see in gay awakening or first love BLs are present here, many years before the Thai BL industry got going. I found this very interesting. There is some homophobia which we also see in many BLs, especially early ones, which I don’t like. It’s frustrating to watch characters say they don’t want to be gay or are not gay when they clearly love someone of the same sex.
The third act of this film was really moving, and I cried when the MLs were separated. Ped’s realization of his feelings after Oí leaves was powerful even if it he never stated that he wanted to be a couple. It is implied enough by the end. I guess it was too much to expect a kiss, though.
Despite liking the story, it was a bit amateurish and lacked development. Certain parts felt abrupt and the dialogue was limited. (Or I thought so because the subtitles were so bad.) The acting seemed good through the haze of poor video quality, but I can’t be sure because it was hard to see their faces clearly.
Overall I’m glad I watched this, but frankly I can now see better versions of this story many times over. Still it was touching and very interesting in terms of the history of BLs. No one mentions this as paving the way for future shows. Maybe not many people saw it or know about it. I only found it because I needed to watch an early work as part of a Challenge.
I don’t think it deserves a good rating but it also shouldn’t be discounted just because it has flaws.

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Beautiful but too slow

This show is gorgeous to watch. Incredible scenery, beautiful cinematography. I loved seeing real elephants and real issues affecting the forest. I thought the OST was also lovely and really added to the atmosphere. The story is interesting because the characters grow and develop both through their time in nature and through each other. The romance is subtle but still moving and sweet.
My objections are the the story moved slowly and had no real forward momentum. It took me months to finish this because I kept putting it aside for more compelling shows. I enjoyed it when I did watch but I also got bored at times. I wish there was more tension between the MLs and more romantic undertones sooner. I feel like the first half of the story was just getting to know the characters and their backstories, as well as seeing Fifa learn to love the forest. That would be fine if it really drew me in. It wasn’t until the end that we felt any real romantic connection between the MLs. That’s ok if there’s a one sided love or time needed to build the connection. But either the story was lacking here, the actors were lacking, or the director was lacking, because it was all a bit too subtle for me. I think if you’re going to do subtle it needs to be backed by powerful emotions, and I didn’t feel that.
I gave this an 8 overall rather than a 7.5 mainly because it was just so beautiful to watch. The story was still sweet and it was a pleasant experience, if not quite as moving as it intended to be.

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Second couple stole the show

I should preface this review by saying I’m not a huge OhmFluke fan and I specifically watched this to see Peterpan (Payoo.) Previous reviews and comments stated that RainPayoo were the best part, so I decided even if it was bad overall it would be worth it for me to watch. That said, it wasn’t as bad as I expected. The story does have some flaws, including no real motive for the villain (other than greed) and a story that dragged through the middle. Plus RainPayoo don’t really get a satisfying ending. It’s not a sad ending for them as much as a neglected one. They deserved to have their story wrapped up officially, happily, and on screen. As for KimSun (OhmFluke,) the idea of their story was good but it took too long for them to get together. Also, too much time was spent on their health scares and issues and not enough story devoted to them having quality time together. It’s also a problem in a romance when the couples are apart for a third of the episodes. This applies to all the couples. Having a villainous twist to the story is fine but not when it turns into filler episodes.
The reason l still gave this a 7.5 is because KimSun were sweet to watch, there were other interesting friendships and relationships, and I adored RainPayoo. Plus I love a good villain takedown. Overall it had happy endings for everyone, if some were more explicit than others.
Peterpan was so good in this. Every expression on his face told a story. It did feel like everyone else paled in comparison. He had good chemistry with his onscreen partner too, even if we didn’t get enough scenes of them together. As far as rewatch value, I see that someone has made RainPayoo edits of the series, so I would just watch those. Nothing else was really tempting to rewatch.
Also, regarding the music. The feeling of the music they used fit the story well, but it was obvious that it didn’t match what the actors were playing when they were supposed to be playing music. And this is coming from someone who knows very little about music. I did grow up with siblings who played the violin, though, and I was impressed with Ohm’s vibrato (left hand vibrations.) i rarely see actors who can achieve this consistently when pretending to play string instruments.
I would say this was worth watching for RainPayoo or any diehard Peterpan fan, but don’t expect to get as much as you want from their story.

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This is predominantly a crime drama

I watched this show because it had good ratings and reviews, but as a BL fan I was dissatisfied. Yes, MaxTul become a couple, kiss, and have one sex scene. They even get married at the end, although without a kiss. But the focus of this show is on the crime drama, and very little time is devoted to the development of their relationship. I don’t mind BLs that have a focus other than the romance, but I also want romance! They didn’t even kiss at the end! Plus there’s supposed to be two teenage boys who are a couple, except the only reason it’s clear they are a couple is because MaxTul talk about them being a couple. Otherwise all they do is ruffle each other’s hair and smile at each other.
The crime drama was pretty well-done but the heinousness of human trafficking combined with multiple murders of sympathetic characters made it too intense for me. I’ve watched lots of crime dramas before so it’s not that I don’t know what to expect but 14 episodes about the same criminals was a lot. Yes there are a few story twists at the end but overall I thought even the crime story could have been told in a few less episodes.
The acting was good and the story overall was clear cut. There were a few times I got confused but not enough to keep me from understanding what was going on.
I admit I didn’t notice the music. It just indicated scary things were coming.
I would not rewatch this as the BL parts were too minimal and so many of the characters were awful people I don’t want to revisit them. I would look for other dramas with MaxTul though.

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