A work of art in acting and script, but exhausting and not for everyone
Writing this cause I'm tired of people misunderstanding this show. People are allowed to dislike things, and I absolutely would not recommend this to everyone, but to say this has a 'bad ending' feels weird.
To start off, THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL BL. The purpose of this show is not romance. If you want to watch a show just to ship the cp and have your cute gay boys kissing (nothing wrong with that!!), this is not the show for you. This show at it's core is a giant loud and angry message about intergenerational trauma and how not respecting your kids will lead to years of pain and suffering for everyone. It's about painful character growth. It's about a pure being (Tofu) that was born out of unconditional love, discovers how awful, but complex humans are. He slowly takes away the covers and unveils the truth of Nut's life and history.
This was the first bl ever to be aired on mainstream TV. It did not hold back in its gayness. The main character is a complicated gay man who will and has yelled that he is gay. He's a bl scriptwriter who unsurprisingly wants to write a script that doesn't want to be a simple cute school love story. He wants it to be real cause gay people are more complex than what is often shown in bls. Now I'm not one to believe in the whole bl =/= lgbt media. I think that's silly. However I do think that Miracle of Teddy Bear is one of the best when it comes to displaying queer anger and pain, as well as queer joy. Not that other shows don't, but this one does it in a way where it's very clear that the writers had an agenda and a message.
The acting is phenomenal. Job is just... everything. First of all, he's pretty and his smile is an absolute treasure. He does an incredible job in portraying all of Nut's complexities. Nut is a character of extremes. He is volatile and is always one small trigger away from going off and taking out his anger at the nearest person. But he's in so much pain. He's suffered so much for so long and is so tired. However when he's happy and in love it's the purest and simplest love. And Job just GETS it. That's also why I said his smile is a treasure. Nut is angry or depressed through most of the show. When he smiles it's like "what do you mean such a character has such a cute smile?"
Inn is really good at playing a bear. Tofu is silly and awkward and way too innocent and clueless about everything. That's how he's supposed to be! He's a blank slate. Just a little bear thrown into a cruel world to show how absolutely bonkers it is for things to be the way they are. Inn was perfect.
The rest of the actors were great as well.
As for the script, it was really well written. This show has some of the best written/complex characters I've ever seen in a bl (and show in general). Everyone has a reason for being the way they are. Nobody is perfect. They feel so tangible. The way the backstory and reveals were laid out was well done. You're given bits and pieces and are left to analyze each creating your own theories, but are often ultimately wrong. You're given just enough information to get some idea, but still in search of more. It's really well thought out.
The only low score I can give this show is its rewatchability. It's not very rewatchable. Once you know everything the reveals don't give you *as much* of a thrill and surprise. Also... it's long and exhausting. It feels like a marathon. Every episode is filled to the max with information and emotion. It really is an emotionally draining show. It keeps hitting you and hitting you with painful moments with very little time to recuperate. It's a show I hesitate to rewatch as much as I love. I probably will some day though.
About that ending!! (spoilers...)
.
.
.
Personally, Tofu is just a symbol. I'm so sorry Tofu, but that's really all he is. Tofu comes to life through the love Tarn has for Nut. Tofu is basically a catalyst for Nut's character growth (as well as bringing Nut's family together). Nut needed someone to give him a push and support him at his side. Tofu personally just wants to be by Nut's side, ideally as a teddy bear (which remember is a very important gift, so teddy bear ver tofu is very special too!). However, Tofu being human also means Tarn (Nut's original bf he could never date openly!) is stuck in a coma. If Tofu is human. Tarn is either stuck in a coma or will die. That is not a happy ending. Tofu 'dying' and turning back into a teddy bear means that Tarn can live. It also means that Nut and Tarn can finally have the life they deserve and weren't able to have due to homophobia.
So basically, it is a happy ending for Nut. Cause remember he never really stopped loving Tarn. That's still one of the most influential and beloved people in his life). Tofu was never meant to stay, but his presence allowed for Nut to move on from the past and find his happiness.
To start off, THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL BL. The purpose of this show is not romance. If you want to watch a show just to ship the cp and have your cute gay boys kissing (nothing wrong with that!!), this is not the show for you. This show at it's core is a giant loud and angry message about intergenerational trauma and how not respecting your kids will lead to years of pain and suffering for everyone. It's about painful character growth. It's about a pure being (Tofu) that was born out of unconditional love, discovers how awful, but complex humans are. He slowly takes away the covers and unveils the truth of Nut's life and history.
This was the first bl ever to be aired on mainstream TV. It did not hold back in its gayness. The main character is a complicated gay man who will and has yelled that he is gay. He's a bl scriptwriter who unsurprisingly wants to write a script that doesn't want to be a simple cute school love story. He wants it to be real cause gay people are more complex than what is often shown in bls. Now I'm not one to believe in the whole bl =/= lgbt media. I think that's silly. However I do think that Miracle of Teddy Bear is one of the best when it comes to displaying queer anger and pain, as well as queer joy. Not that other shows don't, but this one does it in a way where it's very clear that the writers had an agenda and a message.
The acting is phenomenal. Job is just... everything. First of all, he's pretty and his smile is an absolute treasure. He does an incredible job in portraying all of Nut's complexities. Nut is a character of extremes. He is volatile and is always one small trigger away from going off and taking out his anger at the nearest person. But he's in so much pain. He's suffered so much for so long and is so tired. However when he's happy and in love it's the purest and simplest love. And Job just GETS it. That's also why I said his smile is a treasure. Nut is angry or depressed through most of the show. When he smiles it's like "what do you mean such a character has such a cute smile?"
Inn is really good at playing a bear. Tofu is silly and awkward and way too innocent and clueless about everything. That's how he's supposed to be! He's a blank slate. Just a little bear thrown into a cruel world to show how absolutely bonkers it is for things to be the way they are. Inn was perfect.
The rest of the actors were great as well.
As for the script, it was really well written. This show has some of the best written/complex characters I've ever seen in a bl (and show in general). Everyone has a reason for being the way they are. Nobody is perfect. They feel so tangible. The way the backstory and reveals were laid out was well done. You're given bits and pieces and are left to analyze each creating your own theories, but are often ultimately wrong. You're given just enough information to get some idea, but still in search of more. It's really well thought out.
The only low score I can give this show is its rewatchability. It's not very rewatchable. Once you know everything the reveals don't give you *as much* of a thrill and surprise. Also... it's long and exhausting. It feels like a marathon. Every episode is filled to the max with information and emotion. It really is an emotionally draining show. It keeps hitting you and hitting you with painful moments with very little time to recuperate. It's a show I hesitate to rewatch as much as I love. I probably will some day though.
About that ending!! (spoilers...)
.
.
.
Personally, Tofu is just a symbol. I'm so sorry Tofu, but that's really all he is. Tofu comes to life through the love Tarn has for Nut. Tofu is basically a catalyst for Nut's character growth (as well as bringing Nut's family together). Nut needed someone to give him a push and support him at his side. Tofu personally just wants to be by Nut's side, ideally as a teddy bear (which remember is a very important gift, so teddy bear ver tofu is very special too!). However, Tofu being human also means Tarn (Nut's original bf he could never date openly!) is stuck in a coma. If Tofu is human. Tarn is either stuck in a coma or will die. That is not a happy ending. Tofu 'dying' and turning back into a teddy bear means that Tarn can live. It also means that Nut and Tarn can finally have the life they deserve and weren't able to have due to homophobia.
So basically, it is a happy ending for Nut. Cause remember he never really stopped loving Tarn. That's still one of the most influential and beloved people in his life). Tofu was never meant to stay, but his presence allowed for Nut to move on from the past and find his happiness.
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