kadie890

Like literally peeling an unsensored Japanese manga BL off it's pages.

Porsche's acting was incredible, I liked his little brother, Kim was good (his voice and storyline at least. Not sure about that acting). But They could have 1) not had rape, though surprisingly they almost admitted it was rape. 2) improved Vegas and Pete's storyline to be more clear (oh, Vegas's acting (and bi-lingual-ness) was also incredible). I think they could have added a couple lines that explained that Vegas loved Pete because he really saw him and liked him for who he was, both with and without the trappings that came with being part of the minor family (dude, you can actually be someone now that you're OUT of the minor family, you're free Vegas (facepalm)), and Pete, I think ... well I'm out of my depths, but I think Vegas opened him up to his sub/kink desires and let him embrace them and not be disgusted with himself for it. But without this context, it's kinda sick... and falls flat. With Porsche/Kinn they had such the perfect opportunity to break out of the uke/seme, top/bottom, male/female stereotypes/roles, I would have loved to see Porsche top at least once. And not for titillation, but because I came here (to a BL) to NOT see romantic and sexual relationships defined by gender roles, nay, I wanted to see them FREE of gender roles. How can I describe this. I want to see the potential of society to dismiss, nay, demolish the barriers and stigmatism that uses gender as an excuse to say women are lesser, emotionally vulnerable, subservient, and dependent, and men must be powerful and emotionless and violent. You give us a show that tells us gender doesn't matter in love, but assigning "gender roles" says that gender stereotypes do matter, that they must be maintained. It's like they're saying sexual and romantic freedom is free... but only in fiction because you have to stick to your place in your gender role. Completely reversing every freedom viewers often look for in these shows. Straight women look for sex without gender roles and a place where they can play out their desires without stigma. And queer people look for queerness. So stop assigning gender roles. Nothing but straight men are looking for that, and if they're watching this, they're hopefully questioning gender roles and sexuality as we speak. And not hate-watching something. Like what is that.

Read More

So good in so many ways...

I loved this so much in almost every way. The storyline was realistic, but cute, full of life as well as surprisingly good sage life advice. But I really just want to talk about how realistic Togawa's reaction to his own confession was. I was punched in the gut in the best way possible because that would be how I would react if I had to confess to the one person I loved more than life even knowing that would almost certainly mean they'd leave your life forever. and possibly hate you for it. It was THE. BEST. CONFESSION. SCENE EVER. Fight me. we all have our own preferences, but this was just so real, it just hit home, and it resonated with my soul.

Ok now for the two negative points that were the only reason this show didn't get a 10/10
1. the acting. There I said it. Parts were great, they gut-punched me in the best way. but... other scenes were awkward to say the least. I think it was just being forced to laugh in a scene that wasn't funny or something, but if it's' getting in the way of my viewing experience enough that I have to include it in a review, it has to be pretty noticeable.
2. this thing with pretending to be girls. I'm mixed about this, because it could be an incredible social commentary on the strict gender roles in Japan, so strict that men can't even go out to eat desserts or take pictures together. And this may be true, but instead, it came off as if rather like they wanted to make it a titillating experience for the female viewers. So, in fact, it had the opposite effect. If you had just taken the "pretend to be girls" element out, and just say, "I want to be able to go out and eat pastries and take pictures which I can't do now that I'm old and a man" and then Togawa responds with something like "age doesn't matter (like that really good quote at the end where he compares it to being from two different districts in Japan - irrelevant) and gender is a social construct," it would have... left a different feeling. But please comment and tell me that I'm wrong. I really want it to be that first option.

Read More

I don't think I liked it.

The acting was good, but the story was not great. Not only was it about one character being very controling of the other character, and if he says it was all for love, and he didn't have any other way to express himself, then, what, do we fault society for not giving men, and this man in particullar, any emotional intelligence or healthy ways to express themselves? I would have liked to see him apologize more, and make it up to the kid. Show he can be an emotionally intelligent BF who no longer controls his BF - doesn't stop him from seeing others, doesn't control his actions... I think if we saw a behavior change, then that would be great, but these are short episodes in a short show with parts of the story only restricted to subscribers. I don't fault them for this. They gotta make money. It's a great strategy, too. However, when your last episode cuts off so abruptly that your audience spends ten minutes trying to figure out what happened (ok, I knew it was the end of the drama because the video's title was literally 4/4), you know it was really bad, really unfortunately abrupt. And not in a way where I still wanted to know what happened and pay to watch the additional part (good financing strategy), but in a way where I felt like I went to take a step and found out there was no ground under my foot and my foot was over the edge of the canyon.

Oh, the main reason I wrote this review was because I really liked the closing song! And I rarely notice the music. It wasn't even that it was pleasant and fit the theme of the drama, but I wanted to listen to it on it's own and tried really hard to find it. (but no luck yet.

Read More

Good story, War deserves an Oscars

I was really impressed by:

They’re acting. I think War is one of the greatest actors of all time. And I taking into account actors from all the big-budget countries like the US, Korea, etc. I can’t even begin to express how talented he is. His level of acting isn’t something you can learn in school. It’s something innate, combined, I’m sure with insurmountable dedication and hard work, that stands above all else. I hope War can get international recognition and be allowed to branch out in genre and … co-stars. I know this is a thing in Thailand, and I’m not saying Yin’s a particularly bad actor. He’s just ok (and War’s acting is so good, he shines simply by being in its vicinity. Good acting helps other actors get into character and respond realistically to situations. War is definitely the type of actor who can lead his co-stars into the best performances of their lives.

Also, the fighting abilities of the two main actors. You could tell that they never (that I could see, and I looked) used stuntmen. They were the ones doing the high kicks and flips that take many people years to learn. I would even rewind and slow down some scenes, especially the one where they get cornered in an empty restaurant. And I’m not usually one who cares about fighting scenes.

It also takes a stab at corrupt people and the corruption of power, juxtaposing it with an uplifting, inspiring drive to make one’s community greater despite all odds and a past that has only shown you a future of more pain and suffering. I feel like Thai shows have been making a point of dealing with societal issues all while making some riveting romance dramas (I’m saluting you, Not Me) – something we don’t see from other countries. I love this about Thai dramas, and I think they are uniquely placed to bring up these issues and make international audiences reflect on issues they normally wouldn’t consider. Please keep up the good work.

The only thing that I didn’t like, surprisingly, was the forgiveness arc of Joke’s family. Joke’s father had treated Joke like $hit since the very first episode, and this obvious disgust towards his own son and how he was an absolute a$$hole towards his son was one of the main things that drove him to become the Joker. I would have had no hope of reconciliation. This demeaning and hateful behavior would have stoked a hatred and hopelessness that would overshadow the little boy’s desire for love and acceptance, as well as the belief that either could ever happen. So when characters started to say that Joke missed and wanted to go back and live with them/reunite them (the grandma when they were talking about letting Joke stay, and then again in the hospital a couple of times), I thought it was a mistake. There wasn’t an impetus, and Joke’s father’s absolute a$$holery made these comments feel baseless and like an invalidation of all that he had gone through at the hands of his father.

Along this line, based on his prior behavior, I felt totally unconvinced by the father’s sudden agreement to support Joke. There was no indication he loved Joke; if anything, he hated Joke with a burning passion for not only not fitting into the mold he wanted, but for going out of his way to be exactly what his father might hate most. The father had still been saying Joke wasn’t his son with absolute disdain up until this point, when suddenly others were saying things like “we can tell he loves you.” It rang so false to me. Were the directors hoping for us to believe this just due to the fact that he was a father?

All that to say, I did love how the magically post-a$$hole father accepted, embraced, and encouraged his son’s relationship (and with another man at that), and how, in fact, Joke’s choice of man was part of why he started thinking better of his son - and then the addition of the adopted daughter was just majestic. I love this found family narrative, and this depiction of his utter acceptance of, not only his son’s identity and his choice to live his life out loud as gay, but also his acceptance of someone he would have felt below his son’s status earlier in the show. It was so cute when he called their not-yet-but-soon-to-be adopted daughter his granddaughter without prompting and continued to do so even when Jack and Joke weren’t present – indicating his whole-hearted acceptance of this state of being. It was truly a world where homophobia had never seen the light of day.

Read More

Actually really good

We come to watch BL to feel warm and happy inside. We come to watch BL because we want to see a beautiful and cute love story that perseveres against all odds, and we get that with FC Soldout.

I can't tell you how much I kept thinking there would be something cringe, but there never was really! It seemed to be very low-value production, and I kept expecting it to show in the filming or acting, but it never did! The actors carried it. Men probably in their twenties and thirties embraced roles with conviction, enthusiasm, and pizazz, and owned them! I'm so proud of them.

It was fluff, belief had to be suspended occasionally (did they actually play a soccer game?), but THAT's BL. Boys falling in love in a world where homophobia doesn't exist, or it's just a plot element that shows the strength of their love, and everyone else in the story accepts their love with enthusiasm. We're here to see a story about love that seems impossible or a long shot, but we know it works out in the end in an endearing way. We are here to see characters grow in love and self-worth. We're here to leave the depressing reality that is our life and be happy and smile, and I smiled this whole show.

Ji Woo being an avid fan boy was so cute, and it was so sweet to see how it helped him when he was at his lowest. Kang Jae's puppy love for Ji Woo was also cute, and the story of how it came about was compelling and sweet. I also enjoyed the side characters, especially Seon Bin, who was out and out gay (as in he literally said out loud that he dated boys), which is always refreshing. Also, I loved how Tae Yeong was beyond unfazed by Seon Bin's gayness, especially because you could tell that Seon Bin expected immediate rejection. Tae Yeong was daddy duck, and all of his players' happiness and health were his top priority. You could see that he could tell Seon Bin was suffering, and to him, gayness was just a blip; all that mattered was that his Seon Bin was sleeping well.

Read More

Eh

The positives: 1. Andrew Chien's acting, 2. the beautiful scenery 3. acceptance? 4. How easy it was to skip over the second couple. I didn't have to even try.
Negatives: 1. hello? The student-teacher relationship that was completely unaddressed. I mean, at least mention passingly the moral and legal issues. I can only say that Xu Luhui was probably of age because there were some scenes where he was drinking, but still! The brother was like, Go for it! This seems to be a thing for Taiwanese BL that I really don't need. I guess if we're going to create a fantasy world where everyone is gay and happy and homophobia doesn't exist, then we can have a world... ok, never mind. Still not ok. There were some things they could have waited for until he wasn't literally his teacher anymore. I mean, it was only a month.
2. out-of-place, graphic sex scenes. I know this is the MO for a lot of BL, but please don't rely on this now to sell BL. Please give me a good storyline and acting first.
3. Episodes 6-8 were completely unnecessary (honestly, I pretty much didn't watch them.) If you're going to get your main couple together barely more than halfway through, please think about how you're going to keep your audience engaged. Or don't get them together so early - in all the senses of the word. You could have used those three episodes to let the main couple simmer while responsibly waiting for the ONE MONTH where they were teacher and student to be over. And maybe let the high schooler graduate. Just maybe.

Read More

It. Was. Good

"We are both people who want to change the result,
but the result
should be liberating other people
instead of controlling other people.
This is the true purpose of our existence."
- Shen Yi, episode 28, Under the Skin season two

I am happy I watched this. The acting is fantastic, the stories are unpredictable most of the time (as they should be), and I wasn't bored ever! I didn't skip scenes, I didn't fast forward. This is the first drama in a while that used up every second to be compelling. There were definitely cases that were more interesting than others, but each appeals to a different audience. And if Shen Yi can give us his mystifying smiles, smirks, or shake up a suspect or two like he has a whole other personality, I'm here to stay.

I want people to watch this who think they will in enjoy it, and people who don't, to not. Then we can all be happy.

Also, I didn't need this to be a bromance (and I love bromances as well as a good friendship btwn guys), and I loved the story the way it was without considering if there was a bromance or not, but they just HAD to go and give us a practical confession scene at the end of ep 28. Essentially, Shen Yi - What I love about the Beijiang Branch? You. - to Du Cheng. I almost felt queer baited here. I'm not complaining. I just hope it doesn't affect a season 3.

Read More

Only one drawback

I'm sad that the trans/gender queer kid, Kirino. didn't get a happy ending. I was hoping they would be the Drag queen. It made me die a little inside to see it end that way for them. I know we could talk about the artistry of it all. The realism, but IDK, if our gay character (and pan character) get a happy ending, I think the trans/gender queer character didn't. You could say I'm selfish, you could say that the world has already given trans characters enough sad endings as it is. This was a safe place to give them a happy or partially happy one. IKids are great an all, but you could see it when they zoomed into Kirino's face at the end and zoomed in on their eye that they were dead inside.

Read More

Zhao Lusi MADE this show

Skipped most of it. starting about 10 ep in I just watched parts with Tou Tou (Zhao Lusi), and then, after they got together, I just watched parts with Tou Tou and Tian Zhen. Zhao Lusi HELD THIS SHOW TOGETHER. There is no other way to put it and it can't be emphasized enough. Matched with Tian Zhen's actor's puppy dog eyes whenever he looked at Zhao Lusi, and I made it to ep 40. But only just. And only when he's looking at her. He's not the most compelling of actors. Though I want to know how he can do the splits! That part blew me away. And when he thought his father had torn Zhao Lusi away from him forever. That's it.

Read More

So good! Compared to it's Chinese counterpart - I'd say better quality, but not more enjoyable

Loved it! It was better than the Chinese version in many ways, but I think I enjoyed them just about equally. Equal enjoyment doesn't equate equal quality. I think the overall story was better here. The found family was the best I've seen in a drama (besides Love is Science? but that is a different type of found family). In this version THERE WAS NO LOVE TRIANGLE. God that was so much of a blerg in the Chinese version especially when you compare it to the lack of one in the Korean version. The lack of the love triangle meant that they could do Hae Jun's character SO MUCH JUSTICE. I loved his character. I loved his acting. I never felt bad because he didn't get the girl and you could tell that he played an equally important role in the sister's and the family's life.
(We of course felt bad for him because of his "family situation" but not because he earned second place in his sister's affections - which became the case in the Chinese one. Then that made the relationship between San Ha's equivalent and the sister more central, overshadowing parts of the story that were better fleshed out in the Korean version.
Also, Hwang In Youp's acting was FAR superior to his counterpart. That, of course, is no surprise, because Hwang In Youp is a genius and we're all so so so so so so happy that he finally has his lead role that he deserves.
On the other hand. I will say that I didn't feel the chemistry as much. I felt his longing and love for Ju Won, but I never felt here's for him. It was almost like *snap* she's in love with him and it happened so fast and with nothing to support it and her character kind of felt flaky ever after. NOTE, I saw someone say they didn't like her character/the actress didn't do a great job. (This was before I watched it and why I held back from watching it for so long). I 100% disagree. I thought she did an excellent job. She was the glue that held the family together and she did a perfect job at it. It isn't her fault that they didn't do her justice in giving her the opportunity/reasons to fall in love with San Ha (besides the fact that his love is so apparent and genuine and all-encompassing, but having someone love you that much doesn't equate you loving them, and I just was never convinced. They fit together well and were a cute couple, there was just never the spark that got Ju Won there.)
On that note, while San Ha's counterpart's acting wasn't that good, I did think the couple from the original Chinese version had chemistry that their Korean counterpart lacked. Which is confusing. How can a poorer actor be in a couple that has better chemistry? I think it was directing/how the story played out. I still remember the scene where San Ha's counterpart says he's going to marry her early on... you just have to watch the whole thing.

Read More

It could almost have been good

Just jumping right in, both actors were good; they were good at looking like they were in love... they just didn't look like they were in love with each other. I guess we could call that a lack of chemistry, but I associate that with having poorly portrayed a role which is not the case there, just felt... like they could have easily been acting to have been in love with a tree across the way, Takara. Again, his acting is good, it is just completely without regards to Tashin.
Also, the story would have been very good if it was better portrayed. If I wrote a summary of the story here, it would sound good! I just kept getting distracted by trying to sense any attraction between the two leads. Also, not to sound callous, but the whole mourning the bird? Yes, I was devastated when I lost my closest pet. I cried like Taishin did. But in a drama for general consumption? It is just cringeworthy. Tashin insisting over and over that Takara saved him when he was mourning the bird... I could just feel the awkwardness pouring off the actors. I could just feel Takara's actor being like, "I really have to act this scene out with a straight face?"
So, in conclusion, I could almost sense a good story if I ignored the actual presentation of the drama itself.

Read More

very cute with some very incredible actors

I liked the dynamic between the two leads. I like it when the power dynamic is "reversed" i,e, not based on gender roles, and I like the devotion the characters show each other. They are very observant of each other and I have never seen a show/person better at recognizing someone's strengths and portraying them in a cool, upfront, and selfless way.
Of course, while this stems from a good (if standard) story line, it is the acting of the Male Lead that puts this show at the top. He brings out the best in the plot and in the characterization. I can go on, but one thing that really stuck out to me was that in so many East Asian dramas, the male lead catches the female lead when she trips or something, but in this one, it's the female lead that does!!! I LOVE IT. The gender police's sirens aren't going off. She's not a bulked up warrior, she doesn't have to be! You don't have to be as strong as a man to catch someone in your arms! Or trap them up against the wall with your hands bracketing either side of your face. There doesn't have to be a reversal of gender roles because it's cute and hot and it makes the audience's (and hopefully the male lead's heart go doki doki even more! It rejuvenates an overused plot point, it puts characters on a more equal footing, it adds depth to the possibilities that this genre can offer and the twists and the cute scenes this drama can take! It's so fun and beautiful.

Read More

I'm just going to have to reimagine the ending, but not for the reasons you think. Any ideas?

1. Yang Hua. Enough said.
But actually, he's like so progressive, but like in a, well duh, kind of way, better yet, he's progressive in such a way that he makes progressive the new standard and anything else antiquated and regressive. And it results in the (obvious) tolerance, love, devotion, forward-thing, accepting, respecting, and intelligent person he is. I mean, he defends and defines the entire concept of feminism while just discussing the topic for one of her cases. (I am going to save his words until the end of time). I mean, he's simply using his unassailable intelligence and logical reasoning to lay out succinctly why the patriarchy exists and why it is created out of man's fear of losing power and control of human capital, i.e. that the patriarchy is stupid, and that women are biologically and societally more valuable than men, and that men are the lucky ones to be allowed around women, and unconsciously adds that he is especially lucky because he's with her. And the female audience is like, wait wut? and plays the scene another twenty times.
2. progressive relationships
2.a. that the woman is the breadwinner and the man is the homemaker.
I find this especially progressive for China, and yes, at the end, they imply that he's become a HUGE name in his field, but what's important is he clearly expressed throughout the show that he didn't need that. That her being the breadwinner was something that he loved about her and respected in her and promoted for her. Uh, I'm fangirling so much right now. That scene where she totally schools the top lawyers at that party where all the men are around the table smoking and drinking whiskey and they try to make her agree with their sexist comments about women belonging in the house and being best kept in the house rather than working... ok so after that, they try to turn it back on her and ask how her husband would feel/feels and he comes up behind her and puts his arms behind her and defends her, saying he's happiest when she is doing this, and happy keeping home so she can do this. We were all like SNAAAAAAP. Gah his character was the best. I have seen that actor in other shows and I thought he was extremely talented in those and I will admit, I came here to see good acting from him again, and while I wasn't blown away, it wasn't by bad acting, it was simply the character he was playing had subtler emotions, but when they came out ooooo, it was nice to see. like when SPOILER=======he asks her for the divorce and his eyes... I could feel his pain so close to my heart. And his reasoning for the divorce, I know some viewers didn't like it, but I thought it was beautiful and it showed such a close understanding of her thoughts and fears and her character. He knew what she was using the marriage to hide from, he understood, from her families context, and how she cared for her family her views on marriage and where her feelings and fears and insecurities stemmed from, and he gave her just what she needed.... and then the plot fell apart. I think I understand why he didn't "choose" between her and Yao Yao, or at least the second time, it felt like he was sad that she didn't understand the depths of his feelings for her and that she could even think that of him. But then, the showing up at the restaurant to pick up Yao Yao. and then at the airport when he saw Yao Yao and her son (omg what a great actor/character) off what he said around, "I've got it, I've got a plan, I'll take it from here" after pretty much tricking her into thinking he went to Australia with him? As other reviews pointed out, it shows a manipulative side that was very not in character. I'd like to think that his plan was just to give her time to reach the decision that allowed her to balance her morals and her career (i.e. not going back to that toxic law firm and staying independent), before she could move on to deal with other things like figuring out her feelings on marriage and if and how she wanted him in her life. So wft, what was with him just moving in across the hall. Him thinking, "Psych, I've decided it's been enough becuase now I'm acting like a stuck-up know-it-all (he was just a plain, carefree know-it-all before) now that he a CEO of one of the biggest organizations in China?" Like did anyone else feel like he was almost conceited?
2.b open/non-standard relationship
When he was talking with the parents he said he was fine with however she wanted him in her life, and given her experience with the marriages around her, family members as well as a divorce lawyer, he explicitly said they didn't need to be married. It's just a label afterall, and if their relationship wasn't pressured into a particular mold or expectation if the word marriage was attached to it, then that was what he wanted for them.
I couldn't tell from the ending what kind of relationship they were going to form, but knowing Chinese censorship, I'm almost positive it didn't end up as an open relationship (though it looks like they wouldn't be living in the same house, which is already one step of the normative relationship ladder).

So back to creating our own ending. How can we make one where he doesn't appear to be manipulative, scheming, or pretentious? How can we make it where she reaches an equilibrium with her ideas around marriage and what she wants in a relationship, and then *she goes out and FINDS HIM?* I don't like that he just moved in across from her. Consent?? Hello? Also, what about waiting for The Character growth you were working on so hard for her to complete? I mean I guess we can as omniscient readers make him omniscient and say, tada! he knows she finally took that step in her career that put her values and justice at the front, but that still showed nothing about her coming to terms with her feelings for him (THIS IS A G-DAMN ROMANCE SHOW) She never said I love you.

Ok, so circling back. Ideal ending: an ending where
1 he stays true to his nature,
2 they have a relationship that is different enough from the norm such that how they define it, whether as marriage or not, allows her to feel comfort and safety, but most importantly one free/unconstricted/unconstrained by the trappings that the word marriage brings to a relationship,
3 it allows for the non-standard gender roles to be played out in whatever way the characters needed, and
4 She reconciles where she wants to stand with her career (the only thing that actually happened) and with him, and then goes out and does something about it herself. Not him, like wtf.

Read More

Good story, great acting, no chemistry, and plot gaps

Idk what the hulabaloo was about. Story was interesting but had its plot gaps. Especially in the end. But, sorry, THERE WAS NO CHEMISTRY. They spent most of the time trying to it make Tin appear like a creep to Tol. Like WE knew Tin wasn’t a creep, but the characters like Tol and co didn’t and we’re rightfully creeped out. There was just never a jump to romance or romantic chemistry. He looked like a creep to Tol and then he looked like less of a creep. And it’s nothing on the plot or acting. The acting was fantastic, the story good, the romance and spark was not. Maybe because of everything else. It was a fantastic time leap show that forgot it was a bl too. I love good stories in BL I hope the greater market sees it and appreciates it. I just selfishly wanted chemistry.

Read More

Good story

Good story. I bet the manga was better because they could fit more in. This understandably seemed squished given the short time frame it has to be portrayed in. Though the kissing and sometimes the acting was really awkward. Especially on the part of Yagii-san. I don't think the actors kissed at all. That's ok with me. I can understand how that must be uncomfortable, and we aren't progressive enough to be at a point where people of the same gender kissing is as normal and comfortable as people of different genders kissing. It just felt... homophobic. Not that the actors or the show itself was homophobic. Ok, since the literal meaning of Homophobic is scared of homosexual people, then yes, both are homophobic. But it feels invalidating to queer people. If you can't fully betray it, then get different actors? Do I feel that this representation is better than nothing? Yes, but does that have to be my standard in 2021? I don't think so.

Read More