Odessa Jones
American living in South Korea
This is the rare BL story that takes place in a realistic world--complete with homophobic classmates, teachers and parents--yet still manages to provide some hope and sweetness for our young lovers, Chen and Wan. The depictions of homophobia are upsetting, so brace yourself. The secondary story line, about a gay boy who tries to commit suicide after repeated bullying, is a reminder that it's dangerous simply to be gay in many situations. And it gives us context for understanding Chen's attempt to hide his sexuality--to virtually hide his entire personality. The actor who plays Chen is so low-key he's sometimes guilty of underacting. But this fits with Chen's restrained, introverted, cautious personality. This emotional restraint is the opposite of Wan's enthusiasm and eagerness.
It's great to see a BL story where the characters are the same age and have such complementary personalities. Too many romances are based around power imbalances or personalities that bring out the worst in each other. (HIStory: Obsessed and HIStory: Right or Wrong, I'm looking at you.)
The format (eight 12-minute episodes) could have been a weakness, but "Red Balloon" does better with its short run-time than other web dramas. The first episode is slightly confusing, because we meet the characters in the present before the main story shifts to events in 2003. A few scenes would benefit from more length or detail, especially when secondary characters are first introduced. But that's all I can come up with for critiques.
The best thing about "Red Balloon" is that the frame story, which shows Chen and Wan as adults, asks us to think beyond a simple romance of star-crossed lovers and consider the cost homophobia exacts from families. LGBTQ individuals are often portrayed as threats to the traditional family. But in "Red Balloon" the greatest threat to families is the homophobia that forces people into sexless heterosexual marriages. "Red Balloon" came out in the year that Taiwan passed legislation that will allow gay marriage to become a reality. In that context it makes a good argument that gay marriage laws make for stronger families. (Stay around after the credits of the final episode for one final scene about Chen's ex that reiterates this point.)
Icing on the cake: the soundtrack. It uses some indie songs with beautiful melodies. They contribute to the emotions even for people like me who don't understand the Chinese lyrics.
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There's also some good social commentary squeezed into this short drama. It's significant that the biggest conflict between Ji Soo and his gang-boss "father" is more about his homosexuality than his loyalty. The two heroes have very different experiences of being gay--Ji Soo has been bullied and humiliated for it, while Gitae has a loving sister who understood and accepted his sexuality when he was still in high school. Ji Soo's experience is far more common than Gitae's in Korea today. But that just made Gitae and his sister even more likable. Homophobia is so rife here in Korea that we really need some hopeful stories like this.
The usual web-drama caveats apply: the editing is hard to follow, the first episode is confusing, and of course, I wish it was longer. But I don't care. It's so amazing to find a Korean boys' love drama that's this good--plus it doesn't end in tragedy! And it's worth noting that the emotional aspects of the story are never confusing. While the extrinsic plot about the gangsters is sometimes unclear, the director and actors make sure we always know how the characters are feeling about their relationship. And that's what matters most.
I still have a billion questions: how the hell did Gitae get into this business in the first place? Why doesn't his sister know? How did Black Leopard and Black Rose find out the guys betrayed them and why didn't anyone think ahead about any of this? Why did-- Oh, never mind. Just be warned, it's that kind of story. But it's got a lot to offer: a plot that avoids many of the common BL cliches, a script where characters talk their problems out, some well-choreographed fight scenes, likable characters, cute actors and the sweetest, yet most hilarious, original sex scene I may have ever seen on screen. All that makes this a 9/10 despite the plot holes.
P.S. I liked it so much I paid money to download it from Vimeo. Show your support to filmmakers if you can afford to! I hope this studio can make further projects.
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SOTUS S is a good series for people who want their BL to be PG-rated, innocent and sweet. Though there's less conflict in this season than in the first season, the characters are arguably more likable. I got bored by some of the workplace stuff in early episodes, but later episodes had good pacing. Not one that I'll rewatch, but it was worth my time once.
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This show does some awesome things that no other BL drama has attempted. Shi is a single dad with a seven-year-old daughter (played by a child actress who has just the right mix of sweetness and sass). This is a drama about divorce, falling in love when you have a child, and finding the right person to make a new family. A drama about a big, rarely explored topic: gay fatherhood.
This drama doesn't let us forget that it was made a few months after Taiwan's highest court ruled to make gay marriage legal. So ultimately, this is way more ambitious than another boys' love story--this is a drama trying to figure out gay families. And the closing images are so sweet and optimistic you will want to see happy gay families everywhere.
Also very cool: the biggest conflict between these two characters feels really true-to-life. It's about Fei's insecurities because of the bullying he endured as a gay kid in high school. If Shi is sometimes too pushy, Fei is sometimes too ashamed of himself--and this makes them a great pair.
These two characters were complicated, and I didn't agree with all their decisions. And like so many dramas, the first episodes have some choppy editing that's a little confusing. But this story was so interesting I want everyone to watch it so we can discuss it together!
P.S. I saw another reviewer complain about the kissing, but I thought it was pretty good. I mean, no one will ever be as convincing as Max and Tul in Together with Me, but I didn't have any complaints.
P.P.S. I'm rewatching it a second time and I keep thinking of more things I want to add to this review. It's that kind of show. It's sweet and beautiful and inspiring and totally awesome. Really.
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But don't let that discourage you! I was looking for something fluffy and this fit the bill perfectly. I smiled and giggled my way through every episode (though I got bored in the episode with the pageant, which seemed to last longer than an actual pageant).
This plot lacks the tension of SOTUS, which it's often compared to. But I disapproved of SOTUS's enthusiasm for hazing too much and couldn't really enjoy it. Two Moons didn't have anything to object to. It was nice that the heroes were both basically interested in each other from the beginning (though there's some of that stupid BL "I'm only gay for you" nonsense).
If you're looking for more tension, the secondary couple have more conflict--and more flirting. And they are very, very cute. As are the tertiary couple, come to think of it... okay, this university is entirely populated by hot gay guys.
Best thing about this series is that it focused closely on these likable main characters so I never felt like there were throw-away scenes. The show would probably have higher rewatch value if there was a bit more plot and tension, but I still enjoyed the heck out of this show. As undemanding and fluffy as they come, if that's what you're looking for.
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My disappointment could be partly due to the fact that I didn't find the stars attractive. But maybe worse, they also didn't have much chemistry. Chemistry can make up for a low budget and a weak script, but with no chemistry it's hard to keep watching.
As in the manga, the characters have really stereotypical seme/uke personalities. The seme is typically emotionally restrained and domineering. Maybe with a better actor and more chemistry, I could have overlooked his major personality defects. But instead I just ended the movie finding him really annoying.
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The editing isn't great, so the narrative wanders a bit. We don't spend as much time with the central couple as I would have liked. But the characters are likeable and don't fall into any BL cliches. In fact, although this is an Asian story about men falling in love with men, it isn't "boys' love." It's a story by gay men about their lives, or at least the fluffy, funny parts of their lives. It has a happy ending that makes sense emotionally. And a few scenes are so funny that they make the whole movie worthwhile (the scene where our hero gets his crush's business card is rom com gold).
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On the other hand, this couple have amazing chemistry. The emotions between them develop in a strange way--because of the rebirth plotline--but feel totally real. I wish the story were clearer (and maybe included less amnesia). But the last 10 minutes, which show us both alternate realities for our hero's life, deliver a real emotional punch. Also, sometimes this show is very sexy. That boosts the rewatch value a lot, for purely shallow reasons.
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Seven Days is shonen ai (not yaoi), with an intense focus on the characters' emotions (and no sex). This will make it seem very slow to some viewers. In fact, I know some people will hate the long silences, the long lingering shots of people thinking. It's artistic and elegant. Not humorous or action-packed.
But other viewers will love how closely this movie gets into the characters' heads. Usually when movies use voice-over, it seems like a lazy way of story-telling. Just because the manga has characters telling us their thoughts doesn't mean a movie should drone on and on with voice-over. But it works here, perhaps because the characters present such restrained public faces. Hearing their thoughts, we can understand their doubts and misconceptions perfectly.
Or perhaps the whole movie works because the characters are three-dimensional and well-acted.
Or because the theme of knowing someone's appearance versus knowing their inner depths is so compelling? Or because the music is simple but builds slowly so you want to keep watching to the end of the scene?
I don't know, I just know that I couldn't stop watching.
I've talked a lot about what's in the characters' heads, but this drama also has passionate moments. The kissing scene on Saturday suggests the physical attraction between these two guys. Although BL stories can be notoriously oblivious to the realities of gay identity and "coming out"--and this is not a story about coming out, rather about falling in love--the actors body language makes this a plausible story of queer love. It's not one of those "I love girls but I love you more" stories that haunt BL manga. Overall, a great romance!
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The only minor weakness here is that I wish the two parts were presented as one continuous movie. The ending of part 1 is great, though, and both parts are equally strong. I'll write more about pt 2 in a review for Friday-Sunday.
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The central couple, Gump and Nai, are very cute, and the secondary characters include some major eye candy. The somewhat random editing and low budget give this movie a slice-of-life feel that I liked. The conflicts aren't too dramatic, which is nice. It's just a story about people feeling insecure in their relationships. It starts with the heroes in the middle of a relationship, not just starting out, which potentially makes for an interesting twist. I also really appreciated the portrayal of the relationship between Gump and his mom.
The downside is that the ending goes makjang and dramatic in a way that was out of place. I have a high tolerance for weird plot contrivances, but I felt cheated by this one. I don't know why the characters couldn't work things out on their own.
Also, it's unfortunate that Nai has more chemistry with his friend the secondary character than with Gump. This isn't a reflection on the actors, who are all doing a good job, but a fault of the script-writing and directing. They just made that kiss in the middle of the movie way too good, perhaps. They needed to work in another scene or two to show the chemistry between Nai and Gump, for those of us who haven't seen the first movie and aren't already invested in this couple staying together.
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As boys' love, it doesn't always work, as a result of Chinese censorship. The editing gives the feeling that significant scenes and pieces of information are missing. But the writers still got away with a lot of refreshingly dirty dialogue and a bit of skinship. There's chemistry between the actors, although the comic nature of the plot downplays it.
Though I think strong seme/uke dynamics are often a dumb narrative shortcut, they don't bother me much here. The dynamics result in a silly, entertaining power struggle between the two main characters, who are reasonably well developed (for a comedy).
I don't recommend this show if you're looking for romance. That's not the emphasis.
I do recommend it, though, as a well-written sex comedy that plays around with the conventions of boys' love. It's sad that Chinese censorship and the new ban on gay content means that we can't see what Chinese writers and directors could do with the BL genre in future.
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The low budget, simple settings and slightly eccentric pacing give this show the feeling of real life. The characterizations are top-notch. Much of the tension comes from just how stubborn both of the main characters are. That they're able to rely on each other anyway is sweet, and makes them an interesting and memorable BL pairing. But the writer also portrayed a great father-son relationship and gave a humorous insight into the differences between China's poor and nouveau riche. The music is also good, and I often don't notice music. (The "It's Okay That's Love" shout-out in one of the musical selections made me very happy.)
The greatest flaw in this series is also the thing that makes it most interesting: the censorship of many scenes and the fact that China banned gay content before the series could be finished. The romance never feels fully developed because censors eliminated not only sex but kissing. The end result is a show where the guys talk about sex frankly (okay, Guo Bai talks about it, gotta love that cheeky bugger), but we never even see an affectionate kiss between them. And the story ends abruptly with a cliffhanger and a ton of emotional issues unresolved between the guys.
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