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Love is worth waiting for

Leo's constant love for Fiat was touching. They had the insecurities of a blossoming relationship but still they discussed how they felt and their expectations. Fiat wasn't a weak person but he was broken due to childhood abuse. Leo was protective and tried to involve himself in Fiat's life without being invasive.

The secondary romance has real potential for a sequel.
They have a genuine love and respect for each other. Leon and Pob obviously we're passionate. It would be disappointing not to have their follow up story.

I really liked how accepting the parents were of their relationship. Their attitudes supported the normalcy of a loving relationship regardless of gender.

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More!

Both the male leads are hot and their chemistry is simmering explosiveness.
I can understand both leads perspectives. Uea was raised by a cruel homophobic mother. He's undeniably gay but not openly comfortable with expressing it. King is flirtatious and seemingly shallow. However, I'm getting strong undercurrents of unrequited love and definite sexual interest. He does thoughtful and responsible things for Uea. I really don't get the comments about "rape". Uea ask for his attentions. Morally King should have denied him due to how drunk Uea was but the sex was still consenual even if Uea was cognitively impaired. While King could have taken the "high" road and just held Uea instead of having sex, there is a degree of responsibility on Uea's part to not drink to the point he is passing out.

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Promising and dynamic

(This was after episode 2). So far this has been a candid portrayal of modern youth both heterosexual and gay. The uncertainties, the joys, the friendships, the sadness of irrevocable mistakes...all these occurred in just the first two episodes. I'm really looking forward to the rest of this series. Without being overly graphic we're given a glimpse of how it feels to be gay in a society that is very traditional. Even those that were critical of this series would say "well done".

(Continuation of review after completion.)
I binge watched this series. It is indeed a masterpiece!
This was a unique series...a bl with "slice of life" moments. I loved the friend group that remained supportive throughout the series. There were so many variations of an eventually failed relationship. I think the flashbacks in Bangkok of Go Young's romantic relationship was enlightening. The lantern scene seems to indicate his deep love for his boyfriend which would imply he released him from their relationship when he moved to China to pursue career opportunities. However, from a different perspective whether a relationship is heterosexual or gay a long-term relationship is going encounter struggles and varying degrees of excitement. Any healthy relationship requires nurturing, compromise and communicating. It seemed sad that in a passive way none of the gay romantic relationships portrayed a healthy loving long term one. It seems that all of the relationships were transitory and brief except the four friends. This movie definitely made you reflect and, also, included the element of risk in unprotected sex. After recovering from the sadness of the ending, I think rewatching this would bring discoveries of new aspects in the story. This brought the "bl" of this movie to a different level. I guess what I'm trying to say it was superbly produced and ended up being a drama more than a typical "bl" series.

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Expectations fulfilled

When the trailers were released initially, the storyline was action filled and intense. The actual end result is still very intense with more comedy involved than originally projected. The acting is excellent. The comedy interjects a change of pace between the more intense moments. I understand employing Porsche as a fresh element hopefully not influenced to spy on the "main" family. The first kiss and the first sexual encounter were both under the influence of alcohol and later drugs. The lack of clear consent in the sexual encounter was concerning, but the sexual tension and sensuality were intoxicating. Porsche's frequent drunkenness is somewhat unbelievable since his role of bodyguard is so critical to Kinn's well-being. However, Porsche's playfulness and mild contempt for authority is an appealing part of his character. Kinn seems narcissistic but occasionally the storyline gives an impression of a deeper story. I'm only 5 episodes into the series, but I'm definitely hooked.

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Waste of time

I liked the concept of the janitor protecting the leader's daughter. However, the plot was weak with little character development. The actual villains were greedy and cruel. This story had more potential, but there was just not enough to make it a good movie. So, why did I watch it? I kept hoping something about it would have real merit. It never came to fruition. Anyone who has a child in the daughter's situation that they don't teach basic self defense and personal safety is stupid! The high school students looked like middle-aged wannabees who acted like morons. This is the first truly contemptuous review I've posted. I really think it did a disservice to the Japanese people.

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I thoroughly enjoyed the Korean version and watched it about four times. I viewed the ML with a lot more depth
than the comments about him being a playboy. As much as I enjoyed the Korean version though, the Japanese version was superb.
The FL had a quiet courage. The male lead had depth of character. His backstory was developed more than the Korean version. To me he didn't come across as a playboy. He came across as someone who was afraid of commitment because it was always temporary. His mother was selfish and had little time for him. He was devoted to his childhood friend and put his own personal interest aside to be with her when her diagnosis was grim.
There was a lot of angst in the female lead. She risked her heart and she was hurt. But in the last episode she went to see him and more or less let him go. This took a strength of character to show him she cared but she wasn't going to pine for him. He on the other hand had to see that commitment and love were worth the price even if they were not forever.
I really like the name " Nevertheless: The Shape of Love" because between the main characters and the secondary characters there are many nuances of how love develops and commitment to that love develops.
I very much agree with one of the comments that this movie had more of a poetic feel to it and that the cinematography was wonderful.
The main leads chemistry was off the charts. Ren's eyes could melt metal. His eyes spoke of deep emotion and strong sexual interest. The female lead was deeply drawn to him both in a human sense and a sexual sense. As often portrayed in the Japanese movies, the women aren't overly aggressive and are somewhat tentative in their approach. It kind of comes across like I'm really attracted to you and I want to do something, but the male lead has to take the initiative and be the one to actually do most of the work.
The ending came off as a little rushed. I like the comment that Ren had, "He was back." This kind of gave more of a hopeful and continuous story to their love. The FL's statue about forever also supported this theme. (Although just a side note, her statue was horrible. I couldn't see the artistic quality to it at all. It was bland.)

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Values versus reality

This was a very well written series. It had a complex developed plot for only eight episodes. The series presented the dilemma of a palliative care healthcarer.
On the one hand you have the sanctity of life and on the other hand you have the compassion toward continued unnecessary pain in a terminal patient. This is probably one of the few BL series that dares to address a controversial societal issue.

The sexual tension and attraction of the two male leads was palpable. Unfortunately the relationship between the two men was doomed from the beginning. Both the palliative care doctor and the policeman had unwavering convictions related to their respective professions. I will definitely watch this again because the quality of this series was excellent.

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Too real humanity

When I began watching this, I have to admit I was shallow. The male lead is just gorgeous! The pace of the series was plodding. I checked " my drama list " for the reviews ratings and was shocked to find how high the ratings were on the series. Out of curiosity I persevered through the entire 16 episodes. I'm so glad I did!

The series was true to its name "Lost ". The entire series had a prevailing sense of sadness and of unreconciled failure. But as the series progressed the complexity of human relations and the ambiguity of what might be right or what might be wrong drew you into the story. It reminded me of a Charles Dickens book. It's repeated silences portrayed depth of both the characters and the story. It was superb!

One of the quotes in the series was "Life without illusions is close to death.". Then, it destroyed the illusions. There was such a prolonged emphasis on reality verses illusions that depression seemed inevitable. But, somehow through the slowness of the development of the story and the development of the relationships , a sense of honesty and possibly hope was created. I think ultimately by the end of the 16th episode the following quote was more applicable:

"Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are."

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Beyond excellent

This story was magnificent! The acting was superb!
The two ML's had so much chemistry.
This was not a fluff filled story. It was complex and presented some serious societal issues. Being from an abusive home I emphasized with Dohoe. He did some things that were over the line, but growing up he lived in daily fear. Some of his choices reflected his turmoil and lack of acceptance and esteem growing up. The second ML was delightful. He loved without reservation. The entire production has relationship building moments. This is a classic. I will watch it as well as "I Feel You Linger in the Air" numerous times.

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Dreamy hunk and timid titmouse

The ML was devoted, tender and sensual and maybe just a little scary. The FL was milquetoast. Her timidity and lack of confidence was distressing. She was a beautiful gentle woman who constantly apologized and acted like the ML was doing her a favor to even notice her. I would have liked the plot and character development to be more complex. I hope she shows more assertiveness and spirit in the next several episodes. The degree of subservience was demeaning and somewhat offensive. The skinship was definitely appealing and worth rewatching. Again, the FL could definitely be more of a participant instead of a doormat. The ML's acting was excellent. He portrayed an enamoured suitor with unlying strenghten and ruthless. Would love to see both leads in a storyline that supports more development of their characters and portrayal of their acting abilities.

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