This review may contain spoilers
a fun watch showing the lived experience of queer teenagers and Volleyball
I usually don't write reviews, but after finishing the series and seeing the, in my opinion very undeserved low, ratings I wanted to give my opinion on the series. First and foremost, as someone who identifies as queer and loves sports, I thoroughly enjoyed this drama.
The series tells the story of a volleyball team. A group of teenagers who, because of their queerness, are bullied and ousted in school and are able to find a safe space in the sport. The series prioritizes the struggles of young people coming to terms with their queerness and trying to be themselves in a society that does not accept them. At the same time, they are also just immature teenagers who make mistakes and try not to hurt the people they care about in situations where being hurt is inevitable.
I am not going to speak a lot about the separate characters, but I personally really liked all of them, especially because, despite the fact that being queer is a big part of the story, they aren't reduced to just this. A lot of the topics are being discussed via Uno, the only straight guy, being confronted with his internalized homophobia and transphobia. I've seen people say that to them, he appears as somewhat of a straight savior, but to me that doesn't seem to be the intention of his character at all. His growth as a person and as an athlete isn't so that he can be the ace of the team or to show that they need him. More than anything, it's about him learning what true sportsmanship looks like. I also want to commend all the actors' and actresses' volleyball skills.
Now if you are expecting a BL, a story centered around a gay couple's love, then this show isn't right for you. Still, I would encourage you to continue watching as it still is a queer series and centers around the experiences of queer characters. Obviously, this is a very subjective opinion and I am aware that not everybody is going to enjoy the tone and the comedy, but to call it queerbait, as I have seen a lot of people do, is kind of disrespectful to all the queer characters and their very real struggles. In particular, the trans character. Now I am not trans and therefore can't talk about the accuracy of the struggles, but the actress herself is trans and the character's experience as a trans woman is often highlighted.
I really hope you can give this show a chance and enjoy the mix of sportsmanship, light-hearted comedy, queer experience and romance.
note: i apologize if my English isn' t always coherent as it's my second languange
The series tells the story of a volleyball team. A group of teenagers who, because of their queerness, are bullied and ousted in school and are able to find a safe space in the sport. The series prioritizes the struggles of young people coming to terms with their queerness and trying to be themselves in a society that does not accept them. At the same time, they are also just immature teenagers who make mistakes and try not to hurt the people they care about in situations where being hurt is inevitable.
I am not going to speak a lot about the separate characters, but I personally really liked all of them, especially because, despite the fact that being queer is a big part of the story, they aren't reduced to just this. A lot of the topics are being discussed via Uno, the only straight guy, being confronted with his internalized homophobia and transphobia. I've seen people say that to them, he appears as somewhat of a straight savior, but to me that doesn't seem to be the intention of his character at all. His growth as a person and as an athlete isn't so that he can be the ace of the team or to show that they need him. More than anything, it's about him learning what true sportsmanship looks like. I also want to commend all the actors' and actresses' volleyball skills.
Now if you are expecting a BL, a story centered around a gay couple's love, then this show isn't right for you. Still, I would encourage you to continue watching as it still is a queer series and centers around the experiences of queer characters. Obviously, this is a very subjective opinion and I am aware that not everybody is going to enjoy the tone and the comedy, but to call it queerbait, as I have seen a lot of people do, is kind of disrespectful to all the queer characters and their very real struggles. In particular, the trans character. Now I am not trans and therefore can't talk about the accuracy of the struggles, but the actress herself is trans and the character's experience as a trans woman is often highlighted.
I really hope you can give this show a chance and enjoy the mix of sportsmanship, light-hearted comedy, queer experience and romance.
note: i apologize if my English isn' t always coherent as it's my second languange
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