You Are Mine (2023)

would like to see these actors again

Overall: it had some fun moments and I'd love to see the actors together in another series, but I struggled with the plot/how the characters were written. I set aside the actual HR nightmare that this would be when writing my review. Aired 10 episodes about 25 minutes each on GagaOOLala and Viki. Note, there are sometimes extra scenes after the initial credits including the final episode.

Content Warnings: past kidnapping, trauma, kidnapping, non con touching, non con kiss turned consensual?, coercion/manipulation, manhandling, slaps, homophobia

What I Liked
- clear flashback and then what is in the present
- cute moments (especially enjoyed episode 10)
- laughed a few times
- supportive coworker
- that vice president guy calling out Xia Shang Zhou in ep 9
- how Yao Shun Yu stood up to the mom
- the interviews at the start of each episode
- (neutral) comedy sound effects

Room For Improvement
- traumatized/cold boss and the nervous/peppy employee dynamic
- the boss's sudden change of heart and the non con touching
- had a crack comedy feel, but then the boss with trauma didn't mesh well with the comedy
- was very tropey, 2 accidental falls in the first 10 minutes of ep 1 as an example
- recap too long, especially at the start of episode 2 and episode 4, I almost thought I was watching the wrong episode
- nonsense plot things like not taking him to the hospital and then not getting him crutches
- almost all of episode 9 and the poor communication throughout
- post credit scene seemed a fast 180 for the mother

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Not bad. Not great, but not bad.

There are a lot of good things about this - the acting is solid, especially from Hsiao Hung, who throws himself 110% into the role. His character can be a little OTT, but he pulls it off, and he has really good comic timing.

The story and writing are not the strongest aspect of this - it leans way, way too heavily on misunderstanding, which is a particular crutch of Asian drama. Shang Zhou's emotional constipation is well-supported, and it's clear his character was formed by an unloving mother, so I did buy that, but it's carried too far - there is a situation in particular that could have been solved by a "yes" or even a subtle nod of his head, and Shun Yu's misunderstanding of the situation is less explainable and comes off as forced drama.

This works well as a comedy, but the problem is that it veers to heavily into drama, which is tonally dissonant and none of the drama is sufficiently supported.

What might have worked better is to have made the mother a more central villain, and made her the obstacle that had to be overcome, rather than really stupid misunderstandings. That would aslo have made Shun Yu's "boss moment" in the final confrontation with her much more satisfying. It was very well-acted, and it was quite a moment to see him finally become confident in love, but if there had been more of a development arc to that point it would have had a larger payoff.

The interaction between the two as a couple at the end was some of the best I've ever seen in a BL, with both of them acting like men, and not shying away from affection, There's no sex, but the way they hug and touch each other is uninhibited and convincing.

I really hope to see Hsiao Hung again - he's really talented, not to mention beautiful and hot. That skin is like porcelain.

Anyway, there is a lot of frustration in the second half, but the payoff in the finale is quite good, so I can recommend this, although there are some parts you might want to ff through.

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TAIWANESE BLs ARE FIRE! Must watch

"YOU ARE MINE" is a Taiwanese BL series that has left a strong impression on me. I appreciate how Taiwanese BLs tend to be bolder and more daring, and this series is no exception.

One of the aspects that I particularly love about this show is the actors' performances. Not only are they talented, but they are also incredibly handsome, which adds to the overall appeal of the series. Having watched the trailer, I can sense that there might be some sad moments ahead, and I'm hoping they will be brief and not overshadow the positive aspects of the story.

Coming back to the BL genre after a break, "YOU ARE MINE" has successfully rekindled my interest and kept me engaged. The anticipation for upcoming episodes is palpable, and I'm eagerly looking forward to witnessing the further development of the relationship between the characters.

In my opinion, "YOU ARE MINE" is absolutely worth watching. It offers a captivating blend of bold storytelling and impressive acting, making it a must-see for fans of the genre. I can't wait to see how the story unfolds and the relationship between the characters evolves. 🧡

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Simply adorable.

The 2 leads have carried this show so perfectly that i don't even mind the lack of actual plot and the inconsistent writing. Parker Mao and Xiao Hong are one of the best couple i've seen onscreen in recent days. They are just so great together and their chemistry is so incredible that i would not mind watching another 10 or 20 episodes of sweet delightful nothing, just to see them interact and their build up of sexual tension without even having to do anything special. The looks, the small touches, the laughs just drag you into the world they are creating.
I truly hope to see them work together soon again.

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A little cringey

This series reminded me so much of Step by Step (which I HATED). This one was better but not by much. The comedy and the cringey chemistry was just awful.

It started out pretty good and I realize why the boss was the way he was. He received no affection from his mother so he really didn’t know how to show affection without forcing it. Then it just got all too weird with the boss freaking out his employee.


The actors just didn’t have the chemistry for me. They just didn’t seem to fit together. The younger guy was just too goofy and acted more like a little kid than a grown man.

it wasn’t horrible but won’t be watching it again.

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Rushed and feeling a bit forced

I didn’t really enjoy this one. I feel like it started okay, but it went downhill quickly. The plot is nothing special, we have a cold and feared boss falling for his cute and new employee. I liked how we got some insight into the past and what made the boss who he is today, but I also don’t think there is a reason for to be this aggressive with everyone. A lot of it was very unrealistic and I didn’t particularly like the kind of humor they went for. Also, what was up with the whole thing about Shun Yu being unattractive and working at a company known for good looks? That made no sense to me.

Xia Shan Zhou & Yao Shun Yu: Shan Zhou, the general manager, is know for being a difficult boss. He is dealing with past trauma and his mother’s expectations. Shun Yu is friendly, sweet and caring. He is also a bit naïve and tends to only see the good in those around him. I feel like their relationship was never properly developed. The general manger is suddenly acting all loving with Shun Yu, who is very reluctant to accept this. Them getting together felt forced, almost like Shun Yu didn’t have another option. Especially with how quickly Shan Zhou decided he wants him. And then didn’t really sit well with me. The two actors had good chemistry, but I don’t think translated that well due to how rushed things were.

I actually liked the little interview segments at the start of each episode. They were cute. I didn’t like how the start of the new episode often included a lot of the ending from the last. I found it a bit confusing at times as it was like jumping into the past, adding details to what we have already seen before continuing with the plot.

I did like the side characters. The other secretaries were a good addition to the story, especially Lisa. I liked how she spoke with Shun Yu and that she was someone he could trust.

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Comedic Melodrama Odd Mix, Worth 1 Watch For Leads.

General Spoilers only. The interactions of the two lead actors make this worth one watch. They are endearing even when their characters are written frustratingly. Without them I would not have enjoyed this series much. It starts as a romantic comedy, then spins into a melodrama, then whip-lashes back.
Story: Ep 1-7 are 7.5/10 but Ep 8-10 are 5/10. Acting 9, Chemistry 10. Nothing great or distracting about cinematography or music.

The story itself is trope heavy but mostly cute, though the character Shang Zhou is rather pushy (the cliche excuse is that he's never learned how to communicate feelings). There's a lot of tension with physical (and mental) attraction between the leads.

The storytelling starts to fall apart in episode 8. Up until then it's very obviously a comedy with an over-the-top feel. It's not my favorite type of humor, but Hsiao Hung as Shun Yu has very dynamic facial expressions with a good sense of comedic timing and did make me laugh.

In Ep 8-9 the melodrama starts to build and gets really heavy. It does pull at heartstrings thanks to the acting, but it’s also annoyingly unnecessary. The angst requires a lot of plot contrivances in addition to miscommunication. The dialogue doesn't sound natural or realistic because the plot obviously needs certain things to remain un-said.

In Ep 10 it's like a switch is flipped and all of a sudden we're back to romantic comedy without a care in the world for realistic technicalities. The bits with Shang Zhou's mother were weirdly contrived/written and completely awkward. The only thing I liked was that we got a good amount of screen time with the leads being happy together, though I had to just throw up my hands to roll with it.

I would easily watch the lead actors if they were in another show together, but I probably won't re-watch this one.

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Cute but Toxic and Abusive!

Honestly, you have to suspend this series’ entertainment value from any sort of connection to reality because if you do not, your mind would be twisted into a pretzel of contradictions. It is a cute, entertaining BL at face value but if you dig deeper, it is a series that has so many incongruities in it and abuses, that it is hard to ignore those aspects of it. I know this is a BL and that portion was done in an entertaining way. While they made a cute couple, I never bought they were a couple, which of course did not happen until the last episode and then the screen was filled with moonbeams and hosannas. It was just a bit too Pollyanna and rushed.

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Very Cute

I really loved this cute short series. The story was very predictable, but you already know this going in, and personally I love the grumpy boss scenario. There was no drama, just a nice smooth story about two guys who like each other.
It wasn't too convoluted with lots of other people in the story, and it moved along at a good pace to keep me wanting to see the next episode.
The main actors were great and there was loads of chemistry between them. Sadly we have to wait for the last episode to really see how well they acted together kissing, but it was worth the wait, and I loved the intimate little touches like on the ears and neck, that you don't often see.
Overall it was a warm hearted story with humour and good acting, and I really enjoyed it.
.... :~)

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Adorable Love Story with Happy Ending

**Brief Synopsis**
T (CEO): Xia
B (Employee): Yao

- Beginning: T is the CEO of the company B is working at. The story starts when B is hired to be T’s assistant. T, who has been taught to hide all emotions, is taken by B’s optimism and charm and wishes to move their relationship to the next level. But B doesn’t believe T’s sincere in his affections because T’s an CEO and he’s just a normal person.

- Middle: T tries to convince B that he is serious and thinks up numerous ways to get closer to B, even convincing B to let him sleep at his apartment. T is not good with his words because he had never been taught how to deal with his emotions. This leads to a lot of misunderstandings between the two, a source of angst as B realizes that he was starting to fall for T as well (**tears warning**).

- End: Just as T is about to give up, deciding to let B go, B realizes that maybe he misunderstood T after all and finally brought up the courage to confess to T. The story ends with them together with both sets of parents knowing about their relationship and somewhat accepting.

**My Opinion**

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT:
- The actors playing B and T. Their chemistry was amazing and their interactions were cute and sweet. They also do a great job in portraying the affection between the characters.
- I really like that the ending was hinting at a possible wedding (both mothers were calling each other in laws).
- I like how by the end of the show, T has learned how to relax and live his own life, even smiling a lot more.
- I really like the fluffy moments in the last episode after they have accepted each other.
- I actually like the concept of the story despite how cliche it was. Seeing B’s impact on T is very nice.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT IT:
- Very tame intimate scenes which can be a disappointment.
- Plot is extremely simple and predictable. There aren’t any plot twists or memorable moments.
- Usage of miscommunication as source of angst: B thinks that T is playing with him but when T tries to explain, there is always some more miscommunication, leading to more angst.
- The acting from the ensemble cast can get very cringey. The writing tries to go for a comical effect but it fails. The dialogue can get a little awkward as well. The reactions from the characters can get a little exaggerated and unnatural.
- Slow burn, meaning they only got together in the last episode. I would have loved to see more of their daily interactions as a couple.

**Conclusion**
An OK watch but won’t be revisiting again.

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Tawain knows BL

I give it to the Tawainese people, they make some very interesting BLs and they make them feel so many different emotions throughout.

This one made me cry for a full episode and then I was giddy and grinning from ear to ear. I love it when a company gives us one episode of just pure bliss and happiness. I feel that is something lacking with some BLs, we never get to see the couple be a couple, where everything is just right with them. I want that. I want to see that and You are mine delivered that. The last 3 episodes were very heart warming and breaking at the same time and it didn't feel rushed, it felt that they were finally being honest with one another. I also love that the supporting cast was all there rooting for them and helping each one of them understand what the other could not.

Too many shows are ending, now on to something new.

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