Why were the best episodes behind another pay wall?

The two final episodes were the best in terms of acting, story and consistent editing and yet you needed VIP Premium to watch them whereas the rest of the series you only needed VIP Standard on IQIYI.

The final episodes had more story than the first 8 put together. The acting was closer to what I’d expect from a series and there was less of the comedy sounds added over - apart from the scene with Ai. The use of music there really confused me and gave me a slight headache.

Pepper’s acting shined in the final story where he got to express a full range of emotions. I hope he gets to act in more shows that will be able to platform his talent.

I understand that the production needs to make money but why would you hide your best content behind an additional paywall and let the mediocre content be what the masses are consuming?

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im tired of hating myself so that you can love me

I'm tired of hating myself so that you can love me - that line broke me. The way this story was told is creative and shows growth doesn't mean pretending wrongs didn't happen. It shows that it is important to acknowledge one's own issues in order to overcome them. It had a big impact considering how short it was. I would have loved to see this be a bit longer, maybe with more focus on the discussion they needed to have. I appreciated the dance party that added a bit of fun to the tense situation that occurred but I would have loved a more in depth discussion about their relationship.

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I did not need to see that much skin...

This is definitely not a movie to watch with your parents in the room. It is graphic. It has sex scenes, fighting swords, bloodshed and more. It is definitely not for the faint of heart.

The relationship triangle that is happening in this film makes your heart break. Watching your main character's all suffer from the internal struggle of who they love versus what is right given the social norms of their time is very interesting. It's not a genre I ever thought I'd see LGBT representation in but I am very glad this film exists.

Watch it if you want to see love and death, all in the space of 90-ish minutes

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Strongberry needs more support from us.

Strongberry have consistently been providing us with excellent stories from a wide variety of people within the LGBT community and yet they are still not given proper funding. Imagine what Strongberry could do with more funding?

This was short but oh, so sweet. There was the inherent awkwardness of trying to ascertain if someone is interested in you, the careful conversation of whether or not this is a relationship and seeing this play out was beautiful. Watching the two conversations happening simultaneously shows both sides of the protagonist's personality; the shy barista who has a crush on a customer, and the braver version of him who is talking about his crush to someone online. I love the dichotomy.

I think everyone should watch this. It's short and easy to consume. The only downside is that it will leave you wanting more.

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I understand why this was made, but I don't think I like it.

This story about a man reminiscing on a past love is an important story that we need to hear. We need a wider variety of LGBT people in our media and that include older people. However, I don't think showing this story through the metaphor of a grown man seeing a naked teenager is the way to do it?

It's definitely a conversation starter and I would love to talk about it to anyone who has watched it. I think this is an acquired taste in short films. I completely understand this film, I stand by it's message but I am not completely sold on the metaphor that they used to show this message. We should not be putting burdens or memories of parents on a child's shoulder.

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My Short and Sweet Series

This series is short but it left such an impact on me. It took me a while to write this because I wasn't 100% sure what I thought about it. I should preface this review by saying I am a huge fan of Jang Euisoo so I will watch everything and anything he is in and that is the only reason I started this. However, I was soon sucked in.

The relationship is new and fragile, We get to watch it start, face turbulence, and overcome issues. It is a realistic relationship in that it shows everything is not perfect, however due to the length of the series, the feelings can come across as a bit rushed. There's nothing that really identifies the time between major milestones in their relationship so we don't know the pacing but this is easy to put to the back of your mind while watching it.

The restaurant owner is a little bit of a cold soul, seeing her warm up a bit towards the end while she remembers the journey it took to get to where she is. It was nice to see some character development for her. We very rarely see women represented well in shows that fall under the category of BL dramas. While having this woman have a storyline that isn't directly related to her romance with a man, this drama still doesn't pass the Bechdel test. If that's something you care about, now you know the answer.

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Everyone should see this.

This is an excellent short film about the realities of living everyday with HIV. Not many people understand that if you are consistent in taking your medication you become what they refer to as 'undetectable' which means you can't pass it on. However, people just asume you're going to spread it and that they will die, this is true even in 2021. This film shows the harsh reality of this lack of knowledge.

It also showcases a father's quite love. He might not say he supports his son with words but he does so with actions instead. This is directly contrasted with the loud, playful love he shares with his grandson. Seeing these two experiences at the same time makes it easier to understand how this man's life became so isolated and lonely.

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I'm still thinking about this.

It's been a hot minute since I've watched this show, but I am so in love with in. Could I watch an extended version of this? Yes. I'd watch this if it was 13 parts, and I'd love every second of it but the amazing thing is; it doesn't need to be longer. It is perfectly complete in 2 parts. Their story they are trying to show is complete. It's beautiful.

The acting is fabulous. Strongberry has a way with picking their actors, they always pick actors who can show the real lived experiences of queer people. Strongberry are just hitting it out of the park with all their shorts. My only wish is that Strongberry are funded enough to make a full series because the stories they have to tell are important.

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A sweet, little short film

This short film isn't breaking any ground in the world of queer representation, but it is just a lovely depiction of a queer relationship. It shows the anxiety and nerves relating to the first time you are intimate with a new partner. True and Tone talk about condoms! Safe Sex!!!!!

The film ends by showing the morning after where True shows care for Tone who is in obvious discomfort following their night before. This is a great thing to see in any film because it is important to show the realities of sex, but it is rare in queer media.

I would love to see these two actors in another role as 10 minutes isn't really enough to judge their acting. Throughout the short film, they show good chemistry which just makes the entire short film somewhat sweeter.

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[Before reading this review please note that when I originally posted it I wasn't aware of the novel. While I stand by this review of the series, I don't think it is reflective of the novel if talking to other people is anything to go by. So maybe read the novel yourself before watching?]

Before we start this review, let's meet the cast. To your left you have Tharn 'I'm only a top when I'm being creepy but I'll bottom if I'm in love with you' and to your right you have Type 'I really hate gays, except this one. This is the gay man I'm dating but that doesn't make me gay.'

The relationship in this drama is beyond unhealthy. It glorifies manipulation and confrontation instead of trust, understanding and communication. If either one of the leads were female, everyone would be dropping this drama like there is no tomorrow. I will admit the two leads have an amazing amount of chemistry and much like a car crash about to happen, you can't stop watching them. However, the sheer amount of chemistry doesn't make up for the terrible story telling.

[Redacted as it contained some pretty sizable spoilers.]

I watched it after reading rave reviews about how this is the most groundbreaking BL drama ever with amazing chemistry. I gravitate towards dramas with cohabitation and great chemistry regardless of gender so it seemed like a no brainer to pick this up but I have to go against the grain and say this was a terrible story who got lucky with the cast.

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As another review said, the first episode had me giggling. To see someone mourning the loss of their pet and then kicking their CEO is funny. The first episode was refreshing until he forced her to accept him as her slave. If you're forcing someone to become a master, they're not a master at all. That is the point that causes the downfall of this entire show.

It's not funny that he waited outside her house for hours. It's not funny that he kept 100 pictures of her in his wallet. It's not funny to pretend to be dead and it definitely isn't funny to follow someone around the world without telling them because you want to 'find somewhere to be alone where no one knows you.' None of that is funny, but it is excellent grounds for a restraining order.

The only redeeming features to this show were that the female lead could act well, as could the second male lead. I stand by my thoughts that she should have gone to America with the thoughtful heart surgeon instead of letting that creep anywhere near her.

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As I said in the headline, this film isn't breaking any new ground. It isn't some fantastic new story which you must watch immediately. Nasa, our female lead, finds out about friends for rent and suggests working on a story about them for her website. She hires a rent a friend, Sota, and we follow them through their 15 hour contract of being friends.

The two leads don't have outstanding chemistry. They act more like strangers who have entered a contract friendship which is why this film is so believable. While Nasa is working through her editorial on whether rented friends can actually just be friends, we see the progression of their relationship.

While all this is happening, there is also a really interesting side story about Nasa's roommate who is a musician. Along with Sota, she makes music that is infuriatingly catchy. So catchy that I found myself humming the melody while washing up hours after watching the film.

It's an easy watch that is definitely worth watching, especially if you need something you can switch your mind off to.

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I'm still stuck on their hair!

This is the first Taiwanese drama I have watched in a while. It was sweet, it made me laugh, it made my heart sink and it made me think. I loved the pacing. I loved the unrequited love. I loved the side characters. The last episode finished the story off perfectly; lots of laughter and a great almost-epilogue.

This drama had a great cast of side characters. The parents definitely win the most points for best side characters as they were the oddest parents I've seen in a drama, yet obviously cared about their daughter so much. The way her dad rented the house of his old friends touches my heart, especially as its something you wouldn't expect from a 'gangster.' Notable mentions include Angelina, and the Fighters from the other school who were obsessed with South Korea.

It's not winning any awards for a trail blazing, never seen before plot but it does the simple plot justice. While I don't like the use of car accidents as a plot device to further the story, it did its job and furthered the story enough to see development without having to wait an age. I have an intense dislike of mid-episode title reels that are too cinematic to reflect that drama but those appear in every Taiwanese drama.

The only other issue I had with this drama was the styling. The hairstyles for both leads looked odd, more so for the male lead who's hair looked like a bad toupee at some points. However I have a feeling this is due to the need for multiple hairstyles to show the passing of time and changing of styles. You can tell they looked most appropriate to their roles in the epilogue.

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