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Three brothers with different mothers but the same wealthy father find out that there might be a fourth brother by a fourth woman. The three brothers' father order them to look for the last brother (actually supposedly the eldest one), but that's really important because a DNA test reveals that the "new brother" isn't their father's biological son.

What's important is that the eldest of the three brothers falls in love with the "new brother" who's thankfully not his brother. The story isn't as confusing as it may sound here, and that's a good thing. But there isn't really much of a story because what is really meant to be shown is each brother's BL romance, except that the romantic relationships aren't that fully developed either.

Despite the flaws, the BL aspects are rather cute. Strangely enough, although Brother 2 and 3 (the younger ones of the three brothers) behave as though they have boyfriends from the start, it is later revealed that their boyfriends are actually their best friends, and it is only towards the end of the series that they and their boyfriends confess their love for each other. Nevertheless, their interactions are sweet, and it's hard to dislike the show too much.

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Cute couple who deserve a better story

The BL couple is cute and likable, but you might sense that something is lacking when the side characters like Tanaka and Katori prove to be more interesting as characters.

The two main characters like each other and start dating. But Takara's cool demeanor leads to some misunderstandings. The couple is cute, but it's hard to fathom why Takara would so doggedly act as though he is nonchalant about things when there seems nothing motivating or compelling him to (he doesn't even really care about what others think, so it's not like he is putting on a façade to maintain an image or something). There are some subtle changes in the way he behaves in the last couple of episodes, but it seems to come a little late and pointless.

The weakest part of this series is the storyline. Most of the episodes begin with some sort of problem in the relationship, often because there is some misunderstanding going on. The somewhat confusing editing in the early and final episodes don't really help much either.

There is so much potential for characters like Tanaka and Katori to play a more important role in the story and the couple's relationship. The potential is wasted especially with Tanaka. In the end, it feels like what happens in the last episode could well be in the second episode and real complications can be thrown in subsequently.

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So bad but I'm asking for more

Gen Y offers us what 2Moons 2 could have been if the same actors playing Ming and Kit in 2Moons 1 had acted in it. We have the same actors of Ming and Kit (2 Moons 1) playing the characters, Mark and Kit. (Yes, even the names are a bit of a rip-off.)

The Mark and Kit part of Gen Y is actually fairly decent where BL is concerned -- nothing really exceptional, but it is cute and sweet nonetheless. What I find myself liking even more is Kim and Bas acting as the best friends, Mark and Wayu (the parallels of Ming and Wayo in 2Moons). Kim and Bas work really well as BFFs.

Wayu, if it's not obvious enough by now, is the parallel of Wayo in 2Moons. And his boyfriend at the start of the series is Pha, just like in 2Moons. (The full names differ though the shortened versions of these names are the same or very similar.)

But Gen Y is not merely a ripoff or unofficial sequel to 2Moons 1. It's like 2Moons with a few twists, which are sometimes interesting and sometimes downright bizarre (and perhaps both at times).

For a rather light-hearted series, a couple of characters take a rather sinister turn. Sandee, for instance, seems like a really nice person at first but is given an unnecessarily dark turn later on. The motivations for his actions are vague. The same goes for Pha, who breaks up with Wayu for unknown reasons. There may be extenuating factors in his break-up, but his behavior is either weird or creepy (or perhaps simply badly written): he breaks up with Wayu, but wants to secretly see him and even secretly "spies" on Wayu after Wayu has gotten over the break-up and in the end appears again as though he has the right to ask Wayu to reconcile with him. (Seriously, wtf, dude?)

Wayu, on the other hand, despite his apparent love for Pha, actually gets over him quite easily. It seems that, in this series, that kissing a hot guy would help one get over a sudden breakup with someone one totally loves. Anyway, this is why Wayu shifts his affection to Thanu instead.

Thanu is another fascinating disaster of a character. Perhaps you won't be able to take your eyes off him because the actor playing Thanu looks really good. But, more importantly, you will find it difficult to look away because of incredulity. Have you ever encountered a character who is portrayed as a really nice person and yet inexplicably do things that assholes do?

And perhaps you can't even blame Thanu--just blame his creator, the scriptwriter. Because his creator has decided to endow him with some mystical experiences. He sees a guy once and basically falls in love (ok, this is common in BL, but more is coming). Then one day, he touches the hands of the same guy, and they both have visions of the future, with this guy being hurt (heartbroken) very badly because of him. Wow, magic! But wait a minute. Thanu is also falling in love with Wayu at the same time. He vacillates between the two guys. Surely the destined one should be the one with whom the magical visions take place, you say? No, when he touches Wayu's hand, both of them have flashbacks of the past, which reveal something they don't know. I guess if I have to sum it up, Thanu is basically this good person who inadvertently ends up being an asshole because his creator has overdosed on hallucinogens.

There are also too many characters in this series. I thought Thai BLs of late have started avoiding this, but apparently not. By the end of the series, the series does not even bother to address some of the issues that it has given considerable attention to, such as the problem between Thanu and his ex-good friend, Padbok. (I thought that was an interesting part of the plot, but obviously Thanu's creator had a different idea of what makes a good story.)

Watching Gen Y is like listening to your next-door neighbors quarreling loudly. It can be rather annoying, but you may well find your attention progressively grabbed by what they are shouting about. Then when they suddenly stop, you might find yourself anticipating a continuation.

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Take it as a better way to end Season 1

This is rather hard to review. If I see Still 2gether as a separate season, it has little to offer. The plot in Season 1 wasn't strikingly original, but there was a rather fine story. The plot is much thinner in Season 2. Depending on how much of a cynic you are, you can either say that it is to reward fans of 2gether or it is to milk fans. Whatever you think it is, Still 2gether is largely for fans of Season 1 and is unlikely to win over more fans or the rather harsh haters of Season 1.

However, I can't say I'm disappointed. Season 2 actually makes up for some of the missteps in Season 1, with the first Episode filling in some gaps and clarifying the plot in Season 1 (such as by revealing that Sarawat actually stayed by Tine's side in the hospital, but Tine wasn't aware of it). Having watched on 4 episodes out of 5 so far, I believe it also ends the 2gether story more solidly than Season 1. What this means for me is that Season 1 and 2 should actually be taken as one season. (Ok, I know I'm the one who keeps calling them Season 1 and 2 in the first place, but I suspect it's what people may be expecting.) In fact, if Season 1 had continued and ended with Episode 4 of Season 2, it would have been a great ending compared to the original ending of Season 1.

[Edit: In fact, after watching Episode 5 of Season 2, which is the final episode, I still find Episode 4 a better ending. Episode 5 is really more for the other couples and for the Sarawat/Tine kiss right at the end, something which some viewers seem to see as really important. I kind of guessed that the kiss has been deliberately left to the very end thanks to all the teasing, but it didn't do wonders for me. I like the way Episode 4 ends more. Also, somehow, whereas Episode 4 is brimming with sweetness without giving a sense of finality, Episode 5 gives such a proper ending that it seems to be telling me, "That's all. There won't be any more seasons." This saddens me because there's actually more potential for the story to be developed.]

Still 2gether is a nice addition that tries tor improve on (or salvage, some might say) 2gether, and it kind of succeeds in that regard. But this also means that Still 2gether perhaps does not need to have 5 episodes, perhaps not even 4. (I'm not complaining though. Sarawat and Tine are amongst my favorite BL couples and I don't mind just watching them being loving. lol)

Because of the rather weak story, the way Sarawat and Tine miss each other borders on absurdity despite being sweet. It would have been more convincing if one of them had to go overseas for a semester due to an exchange program or something, but Sarawat merely goes away (somewhere in Thailand that' maybe an hour's trip away) for a few days, and Tine is crying.

I love Sarawat and Tine, and I want a real Season 2 (call it Season 3 if you want). Still 2gether is like a nice cake to wrap up the main course of 2gether--the cake is sweet enough even though it could have done away with some excess cream. If I had to choose between the dessert and waiting a longer time before another satisfying meal, I would choose the latter. (Though if I could have both, why not? Just don't tell me that the cake is actually my next meal, please.)

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Largely pointless but somewhat likable

(Reviewed together with the Special Episode)

The Special Episode is really more like an Episode 5 and final episode because Episode 4 is in no way an ending even for a story with a plot so thin it could break into pieces at so many places.

This series isn't so bad that you won't be able to stand watching it. The main actors, especially Golf (who plays Sky), are surprisingly natural though their roles aren't demanding. Some random parts are funny in rather random and pointless ways--this series probably deserves an award: The Most Ridiculous Costume Ever Designed and Worn for No Reason Whatsoever. You have to see what the woman from the clinic (Jum Pook) wears to believe it, though it is rather pointless, like many happenings in this series.

It is as though the scriptwriters have made a bizarre decision to give only a glimpse of most things that can be developed or turn out to be interesting and opted for trivia. Maybe someone just thought, "F**k it! What can I do with 5 short episodes?" As it turns out, the series is a demonstration of how much one can do with 5 episodes, simply by not doing it. James' growing attraction to Sky deserves more focus while the extent of Sky's affection for James should also get more focus.

It seems quite likely that the production team consists of quite a number of inexperienced people, so various elements like the editing and cinematography are inconsistent in quality. Or perhaps it is simply a matter of a low budget coupled with tight deadlines. I do think, however, that there is some promise shown. The effort may be inconsistent, but many people involved in the production seem to be doing what they can with fairly weak material. The story is inexplicably weak, and it's a pity--catch the right moments and use their comic energies well, and you can have something much better. If I get to rewrite the story for the series to be remade with the same cast and crew, I would start with the part where James and Sky, two roommates, pretend to be a couple to get the free treatment promotion at the skin clinic; thereafter, a series of attempts to keep up the pretense to Jum Pook (underused in the series) can cause them to develop affections for each other.

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Competently made though unexceptional

This BL follows a tried-and-tested formula in many ways: one-sided love on the part of an awkward unpopular guy for a popular guy, that is until it turns out to be anything but one-sided. The production values are, nevertheless, rather high. The scenes are beautifully shot, and there are no scenes that feel unnecessary or digressive.

Hira, being the awkward, stuttering guy who is bullied by others, is the character one sympathizes with first. Yet, it may be hard to understand his obsession with Kiyoi, who is one of those who order him about in school even if he is somewhat more reasonable than others. Is this some sort of Stockholm-Syndrome romance? He supposedly falls in love with Kiyoi because Kiyoi saves him from embarrassment, but Kiyoi does not even do so intentionally--he saves Hira simply by walking into the class and grabbing everyone's attention.

Kiyoi isn't the worst bully for sure, but his behavior towards Hira can be regarded as abusive too. But this is BL in which some borderline perverse sorts of relationships are par for the course. Even though we finally see things from his perspective in Episode 5, his behavior towards Hira isn't exactly very nice. Could he blame Hira for having no inkling that his love is not one-sided? In contrast, Hira's friend in college, Koyama, is such a sweetheart that one either wishes Hira would end up with him or that he would be able to find happiness. But I guess the equivalent of the second-male-lead syndrome in BLs is the third-male-lead syndrome.

The issue of romanticizing a somewhat abusive relationship aside, the series is nicely made. There are only six short episodes, but the storytelling does not feel rushed or inadequate. The young actors are surprisingly good in their roles too. It is worth a watch.

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Enjoyed it though some parts are unintentionally hilarious

There is a lot to love about this series.

First of all, I was surprised by how prominently the gay theme is foregrounded from the start. The story isn't entirely focused on the gay romance, the issue of homosexuality is central to the plot. I was thinking that the subject would be a minor issue, but it seems that the production has decided to take a risk by focusing on it throughout even when the story isn't dwelling on the romance. For a show that doesn't pander much to a BL fanbase, this is quite amazing.

Secondly, the bromance is wonderful. The close bond between Tian and his brother, Yang, was what made the series, which involves a lot of characters scheming and plotting against one another, more palatable. And while a lot of series featuring "bromance" make it borderline romance, in this case, the Tian and Yang are biological brothers, and there is no hint of possible romance at all. The sibling bond between them is pure and moving. I really love the scene in which Yang realises that Tian is gay and runs to him to hug him, half chiding himself for not understanding what Tian has been going through, half wanting to comfort Tian without revealing that he knows his secret.

As a bonus, the straight couple, Yang and Pin, is also cute.

Yet, some of the scenes and turns in the plot may leave one incredulous. A case in point is the scene in which Jiu was attacked by a group of people sent by Tian's father. The attackers (some of them anyway) had guns, but nonetheless fought with knives until they were about to lose. So far it is simply not very logical, but the next part is truly absurd. Another group of people do not want Jiu to be killed but do not want to clash with the attackers. So guess what? They spotted a couple of birds on a tree and somehow manage to catch the birds and send them flying into the hut to create chaos, so Jiu has a chance to escape.

Then in a plot twist that isn't exactly unexpected, a man who has been "killed" by poison turns up alive . . . because he has the antidote. Okaaaaay, but he was rendered unconscious by the poison and couldn't have taken the antidote--especially when the one who wants him dead dumps him in a body of water to drown him. No proper explanation is given for how he manages to stay alive apart from the fact that he has the antidote.

And the main villain in the show is ridiculously hard to kill. It's perhaps another soap opera thing, but it's quite funny how he could survive having a couple of fingers cut off, having a sharp object stabbed into his eye, being hit viciously with a stick several times (including on the head, I think) and getting knocked about by some drug that caused him to lose consciousness--all at the same time! I thought that the loss of blood while he's unconscious would kill him. But not. Not only does he survive the attack that takes place in the wilderness, but he also soon turns up at Tian's house (with his injuries already bandaged) with a few soldiers and go on a rampage despite all the injuries he has sustained.

Additionally, the portrayal of homosexuality may be somewhat controversial. It seems ridiculously easy for characters to guess that Tian is gay. Yang sees Tian helping Jiu, whose sleeve is stuck somewhere, by cutting Jiu's sleeve, and Yang can suddenly, with a few recollections of events in the past (like Tian pretending to be a female protagonist of the opera, Madam White Snake), surmise that Tian is gay. Is anyone suggesting that it's a sign of homosexuality if a kid who is into opera and pretends to be the female protagonist in an opera? By all appearances, Tian merely loves opera and isn't into crossdressing.

Although the series is flawed, I did find myself quite invested in the bromance and romance. Tian, Yang, Jiu and Pin are characters that one will care about enough to keep watching. However, do make sure that you can take soap opera plots and their levels of exaggeration.

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Cute, sweet and sometimes funny

There's nothing really exceptional here. The characters are lovable and cute even if often more like anime featuring human actors. There are a lot of exaggerated expressions, but I think this is the style of the production--it's not necessarily a flaw in itself, but whether one likes it or not is another matter.

There is some supposed crisis about Yanase's career that I don't entirely get. I think it is written in just for the sake of having a stumbling block to Yanase and Kaneda's relationship. In the last couple of episodes, the couple meets again after parting for one year because Yanase goes overseas for work, but it seems strange that they don't even seem to have contacted each other in the course of the year and become awkward with each other. It seems as though the writer knows how absurd this is given how easy it is to communicate without meeting nowadays, and they have one character commenting that the two of them have been so busy improving themselves that they haven't contacted each other. (Really?)

While the plot is far from perfect, I find myself liking this BL production a lot. The characters are cute and the love between them is so pure, and in a way, that's what I happen to want to see from time to time for a dose of escapism.

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Compelling plot, but the characters could have been more interesting

The Long Night is a sequel (or sorts) to Burning Ice--it features the policeman Yan Liang solving a different case. The story of The Long Night is set a few years after the story of Burning Ice. Nevertheless, Yan Liang is a much more charismatic character in Burning Ice. While Liao Fan does a decent job of portraying Yan Liang, there isn't really any depth or nuance to the character. The character who is the most interesting in The Long Night turns out to be Jiang Yang, and Johnny's Bai's performance is impressive in this series. (It's not the first time I've watched a series with Johnny Bai, but I could hardly recognize him in this one at first.)

Unfortunately, the characters in The Long Night are generally not portrayed with much complexity or nuance, and I think this isn't really because of the acting but because of the writing. At times, the series even feels almost like a sort of propaganda for the police force and legal system of China, with barely disguised motherhood statements about them. (Perhaps this is obligatory, given that there is at least one corrupt policeman in the series?)

This series really stands out in terms of its compelling story, with twists that are interesting without being over-the-top. What seems to be a simple case of murder at first turns out to be an elaborate last-ditch attempt to expose crimes committed by powerful individuals who have managed to cover up their crimes by silencing those investigating them and destroying practically every bit of evidence that is found against them.

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This is the best part of the three EN of Love series despite having the thinnest plot, but it has only 3 episodes instead of the usual 4. It was apparently shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cast for the main characters and the couple dynamics are the cutest amongst the three parts, but there is no chance to really develop it into a better story. If you watch BL simply for couple cuteness and sweet boy-boy flirting moments, this is good enough. Both the actors and the characters are cute, and the acting is reasonably good even if the actors aren't really challenged.

There are potential points of tension in the story such as the objections of Param's brother to the relationship that aren't really developed further. I'm actually not sure if the span of one episode would have been enough to develop This is Love Story into something better, so I won't solely blame the pandemic for it. Overall, it feels like there is barely any plot development (let alone climax), and we just see: 1. boy meets boy, 2. boys fall in love. It feels like the story has just started and then it ends.

I think the series could have been really good if someone could continue the story and make Episodes 4-8 or even 4-12. (The EN of Love trilogy is based on a novel which I haven't read, so I'm not sure how much more of a story there is in the book.) It is theoretically possible to continue with another 5-10 episodes and turn This is Love Story into a nice story without changing the first three episodes at all. It is such a pity because Param and Nuea make a very likable couple. (I wouldn't mind seeing the same actors in more BLs too.)

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A gem that seems under-publicized

I really love the main couple in this BL. Although there are small parts of the plot that seem a little under-developed and even clichéd, the main story of the main characters meeting each other and the development of their relationship is done very well.

Jiang Shao Peng, one of the main characters, is a person with a disability, and I'm glad that the disability is portrayed with positivity without denying the problems faced by people with disabilities. The title, See Your Love, alludes to the fact that Jiang suffers from hearing impairment (and is unable to speak)--he literally has to rely on his sight, either through sign language or through actions, to understand that Yang Zi Xiang loves him.

On the surface, Yang is a lazy nepo baby. Thankfully, though, he is not portrayed as an insufferable scion. It is somewhat clichéd that he is being forced to take over the family business and enter a political marriage. Nonetheless, he comes across as a relatable character who is neither idealized nor hyperbolically obnoxious.

See Your Love is ultimately a feel-good BL that succeeds in what it intends to do. The side BL couple are adorable in their own way, but they don't overshadow the main couple. What some may dislike, however, is Yang's fiancée appearing and trying to break him and Jiang up. She doesn't end up being too evil, but the trope may irritate some people.

This is probably one of the best Taiwanese BLs in 2024. Although a lot of BLs feature more unconventional plots nowadays, few come close to See Your Love in making me feel the love between the characters and start rooting for them.

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Be patient with this one

It is easy to give up on Home School halfway through. After all, we may not really care much about most of the characters at the start. The teachers at Home School are either cold or creepy (often both, actually). And the students can be pretty unlikable too. But I guess the creators took a bit of a gamble here. The characters do become more interesting and likable apart from the one who turns out to be the main villain of the series.

It is unfortunately very easy to be frustrated with the series if you start off with the assumption that Home School and its teachers are part of an unrevealed dark conspiracy. This is because of the ambivalent way in which they are portrayed. They seem every bit like the bad guys who have tricked parents into enrolling their children in a school that ends up abusing the children and cut off the children's contact with the outside world. However, some of the "lessons" the teachers try to teach seem to have values even though the teaching methods are highly unconventional and manipulative to say the least. There were times when I was left incredulous, thinking that the writers have made the teachers laughable villains. At times, the teachers seem to place emphasis on conventionally good things like love and trust for one another; at other times, they seem to be cruelly teaching the students about the ugliness of the world. The ambivalence in the portrayal of the school does, however, have a purpose. There are early hints about this and it becomes increasingly clear to us--the school has not always been what we think it is like.

To be honest, the ethicality of the tactics employed by Home School to educate the young people remain questionable all the way even though a twist in the story makes us focus more on the main villain or the mastermind behind the villainy. Regardless of what Home School aims to do, I can imagine how emotionally scarring it can be for a young person to go through the school, especially for someone like Pennhung who appears to be a character with unspecified special needs. This is one of the weaknesses of the story, making the plot twists less convincing than they could have been.

At times, I also wished that the writers had written in more interesting lessons. Some of them are just too predictable. Take for example the game in which the students are made to play a musical-chairs game. They are told to find a place to sit down before the music stops--the number of chairs keep decreasing, but those who fail to find a place to sit down will be punished. Of course, it turns out that the students did not have to sit on a chair. They could literally sit anywhere. In another game, they students are made to play a game in which they have to identify the lizard, who can order anyone of them around. Of course none of the students turns out to be the lizard. The atmosphere would be different if there had been more interesting "lessons" written into the script.

Despite the flaws of the series, there is enough in the series to keep me watching. The strong performance by many of the actors and the good story pacing contribute to making the series more watchable. There are holes here, but the story is quite good

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Even 2 suns can't heat this one up

Characters exist, characters inexplicably fall in love. And some possible, muddled ships. That's about it to this BL.

The storytelling is rather incoherent. Sun is sent to collect a debt from Athit--Sun is part of some debt collection company (it seems) and somehow Sun's own father engages the company's services, which sends Sun to collect the debt. (Weird.) And Sun is a debt collector who never manages to collect any debts--it is not clear why; it is not as though his colleagues have superior debt collection tactics, but I digress like the series keeps doing.

Anyway, it turns out that Athit does not even owe Sun's father anything. In fact, it's the other way round. So what purpose does it even serve to get Sun to collect a debt? Boun and Prem are the leads playing Athit and Sun respectively, and the acting is understandably weak because ... how are they supposed to act with such randomness? It is not like there's any nuance or depth of character to bring out.

Another couple, Ashing and Mangkorn, has an even thinner storyline (if you can call it one). It seems that Mangkorn is basically enslaved because of a debt his father owes (Ashing's father is the boss of the aforementioned debt collection agency). They don't get along well at first but suddenly fall in love.

Then there is an assortment of characters whose behaviors are often inexplicable. One vaguely sees some possible ships here and there, but everything ends up being quite confusing.

The storytelling style makes things worse. One quirk of this series is the use of flashbacks to show how what is happening in a scene happens to begin with. This style is most of the time purposeless and does not enhance our engagement or appreciation of the story.

The only really entertaining thing in this series is the ending. And I don't even mean the happy ending for the two couples. It's how the boyfriend of Athit's brother (a terrible person) is left stranded on an island, with everyone forgetting he's there. Initially, I thought that the careless scriptwriters simply did not realize that they had left him on the island. Perhaps they did, but it is funny how they made use of it at the end so generate some humor.

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Quite lovable, but one support character could have been fleshed out more

I love both the main couple and the side couple in this BL. I wonder, though, if it might be better to make the side couple the main couple instead.

The main couple, Tae Joon and Won Young, have a rather solid if predictable story. I think much of the credit goes to the development of Tae Joon's character. I can understand how he has trust issues after being betrayed by his ex-boyfriend, so I can empathize with him when he finds it very difficult to simply forgive and make up with Won Young after he finds out that Won Young has been originally tasked to try to persuade him to come out of hiding and exhibit his works. Won Young is, on the other hand, also in a predicament we can sympathize with--he is suspended from his job through no fault of his own and can be in serious debt (also not really his own fault) if he does not get back his job. (It's unfortunate that the series seems to neglect the serious problems Won Young is facing after the initial exposition. Some timely reminders would perhaps have been good.)

The side couple, Dong Hee and Ho Tae, are quite economically portrayed. There is so much potential for fleshing out Dong Hee's back story. From the start, we are given hints that Dong Hee is in love with Ho Tae, but when the latter (who keeps changing girlfriends) shows an interest in him, he refuses to accept the love. Dong Hee's main explanation is that Ho Tae is the son of his mother's friend, but one wonders why. This is revealed later in the series in a flashback with Dong Hee suffering from abuse from his parents because of his sexuality and Ho Tae's mother being the only one who comforts him. Why Dong Hee does not accept Ho Tae's courtship because of Ho Tae's mother is less clear. Is he afraid that Ho Tae's mother might blame him if she is unable to accept it if her own son is gay--and she is someone he owes something to? Has he internalized homophobia in some way and thinks that Ho Tae and his family will be better of if Ho Tae goes on dating women? In some ways, Dong Hee can make for a more compelling main character than Tae Joon. The abuse he has suffered and the years of quiet one-sided love for Ho Tae make him the most emotionally complex character in the series. If only he were a more fleshed out side character or the main character!

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I confess to bingeing this one, but it isn't really great

My first response to this series was: "Another tyrannical-boss-and-quirky-subordinate story?" The story relies on several familiar tropes, including a disapproving mother towards the end. Nonetheless, I did find it fairly watchable. It is rather stress-free watching because we more or less know how the story will develop and end. And the BL couple is fairly likable.

Be warned, however, that there are several poor transitional points. First of all, although we know that Xia Shangzhou (the tyrannical General Manager) takes a liking to his new secretary (Yao Shunyu), it strikes me as a little too sudden when Xia frantically rushes to the rescue of a kidnapped Yao. Clearly, there weren't enough scenes to show that Xia had already fallen so hard for Yao. Other poor transitions include Yao's own struggles with his own emotions. Yao goes through several stages:

1. he notices Xia's interest in him and freaks out;
2. he struggles with his own sexuality but eventually comes to terms with the fact that he is in love with a man;
3. he struggles with being uncertain if he is just a fling to Xia despite being in love with Xia and accepting it;
4. he realizes that Xia really loves him but decides not to accept Xia so that Xia can avoid being embroiled in a scandal.

Although things cannot possibly be entirely clear-cut, the shifts from one stage of Yao to another is a little too muddled to be truly moving.

Despite the flaws, I did enjoy some comic moments in the series. Unfortunately some of these moments also fall flat despite having potential. A case in point is when Yao is given the task of sabotaging Xia's blind date (arranged by Xia's mother). Somehow, Yao ends up buying a whole lot of condoms, causing the woman who was arranged to go on a date with Xia to think that Xia is a pervert. (Erm.... excuse me, first, Yao shouts to Xia "You are mine" but the woman mistakenly thinks that he is speaking to her. Then the condoms fall out ... and the woman thinks Xia is a pervert even though all Xia does is to help Yao, who is slipping. ????)

Somehow another Taiwanese BL, Stay by My Side, is listed as Related Content in MDL. I'm not sure about the links, but Stay by My Side is overall much better. Despite the cliches and predictability, I think You Are Mine had the potential to be much better than it has turned out to be. It is somewhat enjoyable, but nowadays, there are probably better BLs to watch.

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