getoffthedolphin

Absolute comfort show

To start, I love this show, it's become such a comfort watch for me, so what I say in this review, I say with love.

Don't go into this expecting a "good" show. The acting, other than the main couple, is pretty bad. The story makes no sense and it's really just a bunch of tropes with light-hearted music playing in the background. HOWEVER, the main couple are very cute together (sickeningly so) and the show is just sweet and funny nothing particularly bad ever happens which just make this show so easy to watch. I can just turn my brain off for 20 mins and enjoy the rose-tinted world that is Be Loved in House.

Make sure to go in with the right expectations, this is not a show to be taken seriously, just enjoyed.

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Ok but why was it good though

I went into this show expecting a cringey BL that requires zero braincells to watch, and don't get me wrong it totally is that, but it's also so much more? The characters and story actually have dimension to the point that I really felt for them by the end. There are emotional scenes that deliver well and even some pretty good twists. The main couple are very easy to root for and have a surprisingly wholesome relationship. What I also loved is that they portray the platonic relationships just as well as the romantic ones, something which is often missing in BLs. The plot, while not perfect, is generally very good and ties the whole show together. There were no real loose ends or major plot holes and there were also no unnecessary characters, everyone had a reason for being there. The ending was satisfying as well.

I watched this show at the same time as KinnPorsche, expecting that to be my investment show and this to be my light-hearted joke watch and in the end I was invested in this show and hated KinnPorsche (I have a review there too). Just goes to show that you should never judge a book by its cover.

The cons:
- The tonal shifts between the dark and light-hearted scenes were a bit sudden and the music was similarly distracting at times.
- The special effects are not the best but not so bad that they take away from the show.
- The secondary couple was very uninteresting and unnecessary and I skipped most of their scenes.
- Why were there zero female characters? I get it's a BL but come on, not even one?

Overall, if you want a show that you can laugh at, cringe at but also get unexpectedly invested in, I highly recommend watching PitBabe. It was a lot of fun.

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How is this show more cringe than the literal ABO show I just finished??

* Trigger warning for sexual assault *

Chi Cheng has got to be one of the most insufferable characters I have ever had the displeasure of spending time with. His introduction was actually pretty cool, they make him out to be this kind of gang leader guy who has a snake fighting ring, but that all goes out the window literally episode 1. Turns out he's not a real gang leader, he's an unemployed nepo-baby with a rich daddy who steals his snakes to force his son to get a job. Honestly I'm on the dad's side. I literally cannot take this manchild seriously because any real gang leader would never have taken that long to find and get back those goddamn snakes. What do you mean it took him MONTHS? He spends like 10 episodes just hanging about being moody and he is SO WHINY like I get it you had a bad break up, but dude, Suowei literally got assaulted by his ex's new boyfriend TWICE and he's still not as insufferable about it as Chi Cheng is about his ex. Just because he occasionally does nice things like treat Suowei's wound or give him expensive gifts (using his parent's money because, again, the man is an unemployed nepo-baby) DOES NOT MEAN HE IS NICE. The man let's his friends GANG RAPE the boy he was sleeping with in literally episode one. And later in episode 10 when Suowei isn't ready to have sex yet, he goes to Suowei's friend and threatens to RAPE HIM if he doesn't convince Suowei to sleep with him. Like???? Who- WHO is shipping this couple????? I am so tired of so many shows having rapey stuff in it, do people really enjoy that?? I am crashing out.

Aside from Chi Cheng, the premise is great but my god the execution feels like a 15 year old wrote it. Suowei's ex-girlfriend, whom we're supposed to hate and feel satisfied when Suowei finally gets revenge, is so cartoonishly, one-sidedly bad that I cannot even hate her, I just don't care. There is zero dimension to the point that the eventual revenge felt unearned and flat. Not to mentions the main plot of the show and what the show is literally named after was apparently resolved by episode 12?? I've read a bit about what happens after and I simply don't care enough to keep putting myself through this.

The whole fight scene to get the snakes back and Suowei's hospitalisation were cool in a vacuum (they were well-acted and directed) but the stakes were so low (or maybe just badly set up) that I literally could not even buy into it. Also the whole art gallery set up was so fast like a few months ago neither of them had jobs and now they're just super successful on day one??

The doctor is great, he's super cute, and the guy who pursues him, (I cannot remember either of their names) is alright too. He's also a bit of a bum but not as bad as Chi Cheng, at least not in the episodes I watched. And at least he has charisma.

I simply cannot take it anymore. I can overlook some problematic elements if the characters are at least fun to watch but literally all I can do is laugh at Chi Cheng for how pathetic he is. Pacing is all over the place, most characters are cringe or just super flat. I really wanted to love this show but it wasn't meant to be.

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I am speechless - a true homage to Wu Zetian

I was already a huge fan of the first part and didn't see how this could ever live up to how good part one was, but I am so happy to have been proven wrong! This was an incredible homage to one of history's most interesting figures. It was full of betrayal, intrigue, and love and not a moment when by when I wasn't cheering, gasping or crying. I don't think I can really put into words how great this story is. All I can say is, if you like history, politics, and CDrama, PLAY THIS GAME YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

Of course a lot of the real history was altered to fit a drama narrative but I think they did a great job following Wu Zetian’s real life, I especially found the portrayal of Li Zhi’s dedication to her very well done and believable within the context of a drama. They also did a fantastic job keeping the main character (Empress Wu) likeable despite the bad things she does for power. I have found other dramatic portrayals of her simply make her a Mary Sue, but here she really feels like a real and kind but still ruthless and ambitious person.

This is a wonderful story of ambition, power, love and female empowerment. A true homage to Wu Zetian and her legacy as a China's only female emperor.

A little side note: I will say now that yes, the side story is much shorter and less in depth than the main game. A lot of people were disappointed by this however I would argue the purpose of the game is to tell the story of Wu Zetian (albeit a dramatised version of course), whereas the side story is fully a "what if" plot with no similarity to history whatsoever. While i love the characters involved in the side story adn I was very happy to see them played out, I understand why it's so much shorter. The main game is really where it's at.

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