Despite the fact of being an 8-episode series, everything was rushed but its still ok(and I still give it a 10 coz I understood the flow of the story and I am not a strict reviewer xD) . BUT.. BUT.. BUT.. We really hoped for more for character development and more problems and how they solve it (just for reference in the future) xDD
Who wouldn't love the brothers? So much more for Zach(Zi Xuan) and Fan(Yu Hao)? With the bromance of Team Capt and Zi Xuan? The existence of a fujoshi in the series? Perfect, the characters were essential for the story, and even the actors' potrayal were too real. And those kissing scenes. You will definitely say "WTF, are they couple? ". That's how professionally the kisses were made. The smiles and glances after kisses before kissing again is what I always do and seeing it here without awkwardness makes me miss the feeling xD
Will definitely watch this over and over again.
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I thought the actor who played Yu Hao was really good and Yu Hao has become one of my all time favorite BL characters. The actor who played the younger of the two brothers was also very good, and was probably the best actor out of the whole cast. The cast itself had great chemistry, which I think that's one of HIStory's trademarks. All of the actors look like they genuinely like each other and acting, and it shows. The story itself (I'll try not to regurgitate the whole synopsis) was something I think the BL world really needed. It showed, more or less, real life problems of those with sports injuries, those struggling to figure out how to deal with a crush, and those who just have a lot of confusing feelings. It didn't have the overused, cliche 'but what about my parents' argument when one character finally came out (which was a very nice change in what usual BL dramas deal with). It was super sweet at times and really funny at others, which I also appreciated. This is all pretty much the same with Right or Wrong (which is also amazing, you should go watch that a couple hundred times if you haven't already) but there was just something different about Boundary Crossing.
I know there's people saying that 8 episodes was too short (I'd usually agree) but I think it fit the series really well. It said everything it needed to say and I think if it was drawn out any longer, it could've become boring or overdone. The HIStory series is short and sweet and it all works.
Now-- in my mind, rewatch value is one of the most important aspects of a drama. If I never want to watch it again, then it probably wasn't good. However, I have already seen Boundary Crossing four times and am restraining myself from watching it again so I can be as affected and as surprised as possible when I watch it for the fifth time in a couple weeks. It was just that well done.
Overall, this drama is insanely good and deserves lots of love.
Godspeed and may we all survive the last installment of HIStory 2.
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Short and sweet
April 16, 2021History2: Crossing the Line is sweet and fluffy. Both couples are good. This one is really a breeze to watch. Definitely recommended for someone who wants a short fluff with no heavy dramas. I also like how this one does not have that crazy gf trope, I really hate those types of shows. Sorry, not sorry.
Though what pissed me off about the plot is that it's too short. I know they tried to wrap everything up at the end so the viewers feel satisfied. But I don't think I was satisfied at all. Please I know it's been a few years and they prolly won't have a sequel for their storyline. But I hope they did more. It's really a pity that it's short but then again that's the reason why I recommend it for someone who wants one day binge type of a show.
Anyway, make sure to watch it!!
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This review may contain spoilers
I really liked all the couples and all the relationships in this one, the friendships were so precious, especially that between Qiu Zi Xuan and the volleyball team captain. The whole story didn’t go as I thought it would, I thought that Hsia Yu Hao would be this bad boy with attitude but he turned out to be so soft and sweet and kind and good. And I felt so sorry for him because of the way that Zi Xuan treated him after Yu Hao confessed to liking him. Yu Hao really didn’t deserved that.
The secondary couple turned out really well, too, the step-brothers. In their case, I actually understood their reluctance to even talk about their feelings in the light of their situation, and they ended up so sweet…
Though I didn’t like this series as much as HIStory 3: Trapped, it made me a big fan of Fandy Fan who played Hsia Yu Hao. What a fantastic actor! I look forward to both the movie sequel to this series and to his new drama!
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Fandy helped this series more interesting with his great performance, even I had a doubt at first about his acting but somehow his characters has the most development. When he became more “serious” about “his love”, the staging developed with a huge quality.
Another point that I gave plus for this show is the music, I kinda like it if we compared with all of soundtracks of History 1, in these sequel the quality of the music are stronger.
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This review may contain spoilers
First of all: Fandy's facial expressions give me life!!! He is SOOOOO cute and adorable and conveys how he feels through his actions perfectly and I love it! He made this experience just so much more for me and I really applaud him for that. This was so great to watch. I replayed certain parts over and over again because of him and I have no regrets. On to SPOILERS! He wasn't the only amazing actor in this drama, Zach's character and the other members of the volleyball team were special in their own way and stood out on their own too and I love great supporting characters. They are always important. But more importantly: THE KISSES!!!! This BL drama delivered the best imitate scenes I've watched so far and it was still able to be cute and heartbreaking throughout the series. The dream sequence was the best and ultimately my favorite no doubt and it was still funny because he woke up afterwards and giggled! GIGGLED!! I'm happy for him, hes happy. Just yay! I want only good things for him in life, I really do. They were comfortable with each other and it showed through their progress from classmates, to volleyball member and coach to friends that help with teaching each other to help study or tease them about their love for their family. It made the ending scene when they finally got together well deserved and I jumped in joy when it happened. They got my heart.
The step brothers relationship was tricky for me. Since they are not blood related (unlike the rival volleyball team twins near the end of the drama......eww), their relationship arc was very mature for a laid back drama. One believes it's okay for them to like each other and the other thinks now that their parents married and they are brothers, they shouldn't be together. It's a definitely sensitive and taboo topic so I'm impressed with the show's ability to seriously talk about it because the character responses and reasoning had merit behind it.
The chemistry between the main character made me love this show and made me want to see more of them or just their actors in BL again. This couple is a favorite for me.
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Must Watch
The acting and direction is clearly on another level compared to the first season. The story is straight forward but effective. The acting is decent enough though Fandy Fan (Xia) is definitely the star of the show. The captain, Hur, is great as the comic relief. The exception is the step-brothers' plot line, which feels very fake and forced. Their acting is also sub-par. There are no stereotypes, caricatures, or common BL pitfalls like calling one of the gay men the wife. The characters didn't self-identify with a specific sexuality but the show does acknowledge sexualities and also that "the times are different now. Liking the same sex isn't a big deal." There is one fujoshi but she has been respectful throughout the show. I can always come back and watch it for a pick-me-up. I already rewatched it several times.There's a sequel coming out in form of a movie called 跨界! They started filming in 2019.
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This review may contain spoilers
Almost perfect
RATING: AThis mini series is almost perfect. This series, along with Mr. Heart, made me realize I may like the shorter series better than full length. There’s something about the unrequited love, and leading up to admitting you like someone that is far more appealing than all the drama that happens later. Plus you don’t get all the unnecessary filler. But they still manage to cram a lot into these few eps. Hsia Yu Hao’s bad-boy turned good, his struggles with school, Qiu Zi Xuan’s injury, his sister’s crush, the brothers’ romance… and all the volleyball. While each story could have been expanded upon (especially Qiu Zi Xuan’s feelings about not being able to play anymore), overall they were all handled well and felt satisfying in the end.
There is a light touch here, a good mixture of drama, romance and comedy. The team Captain is a fun character who is very relatable. The brother/sister relationship felt very real. Her bad cooking was very funny. The step-brother romance, a familiar trope, worked quite well, due mainly to the strong performances of Patrick and Nick in those roles. While you know exactly what is going to happen from the start, it’s done so well that it’s a truly enjoyable journey.
ACTING/DIRECTION
Fandy was a revelation in his role as Hsia Yu Hao. He played the bad boy portion so well I was totally thrown off when he transformed into the doe-eyed puppy dog with nothing but love in his eyes every time he looks at his crush. Those moments when they are supposed to be studying and he can’t concentrate could play on a loop for me endlessly. While I thought he was cute at the start, he seemed to get even moreso as time went on. At one point, I had to pause because he was so stunning to look at. I believed every second of this performance. He is a star. Unfortunately, I found Zach’s performance lacking. He was so passive, his face a blank slate most of the time. When he did allow himself to emote he was quite good and I was immediately drawn in more, but he held back too much and displayed too little for me. The direction was strong and delivered exactly what was necessary.
KISSING/INTIMACY
Aside from one “dream” sequence (put in to give the fans a “hot” moment, I think, more than anything), there are only a couple of chaste kisses, but in this type of story, exploring the beginnings of a relationship, they were all that was necessary. The intimacy here is sold in the moments when the boys touch, be it leaning on a shoulder for support, tending to an injury, even a light punch to the chest. Somehow these resonated so well I got all I needed.
THE DOWNSIDE
Zach’s performance was the biggest disappointment for me. And, as mentioned, they could have explored the storylines in a bit more depth, but overall very little to complain about for this series.
These boys don’t at all look like a High School freshman and senior. Zach was almost 30 when he played this role. Set the story in University and I might buy it, but not High School.
SUMMARY
Very strong and satisfying. Worthy of watching repeatedly. One of the best I’ve seen thus far. Watch it NOW!
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And oh boy was I right!
The plot is really good, very smooth and not forced. Their relationship progressed smoothy and everything was logical and so was the growth of their emotions. You can slowly notice this little signs of budding love.
But I won't spoil hehe :D
What I really hate and fear and always try to avoid in dramas are crazy misunderstanding and problems created from nothing just to put tension on MCs... If you hate it too do not be afraid my dear friend as this drama is one that value the peace of your heart <3 !
God Bless the actors as they're just perfect for this roles and their chemistry will make you feel like this short 8 episode drama is a blasphemy.
WE NEED MORE!!!
Highly recommend to watch!!!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Ah! Where do I begin reviewing my favorite BL ever? I love Zi Xuan and Yu Hao! I love everything about them!!! Okay, here we go, for real. After a problematic start, HIStory 2 finally finds its footing with this great second part. A typical high school set love story that manages to do everything right and some more.
The way the love between the two main characters is done is so satisfying and well done, without any negative tropes or stereotypes. It's just two boys falling for each other, mixed in with the theme of volleyball. Zach Lu and Fandy Fan are magnetic in their respective roles and they give such a life to their characters that you fall in love with them. Everything about them is sweet and wholehearted. You feel for Yu Hao as he learns of his feelings early on for Zi Xuan and tries his best to deal with them. There's also Zi Xuan, who is reluctant to accept his own feelings for Yi Hao, for his own sake and for his sister's since she also has a crush on Yu Hao. It all comes to a fitting end that sees Zi Xuan accept of his feelings and the two of them promising to continue their relationship despite the long distance.
The side characters are great (I won't be talking about the stepbrothers yet, that's coming up). Zi Xuan's best friend and captain of the volleyball team is a great balance of comedic relief and emotional support as he is always there for Zi Yuan no matter what and accepts his feelings for Yu Hao. The homeroom teacher/volleyball coach is super cool too with whatever little screen time she's given. There's also her sister who helps assist the volleyball team and she's absolutely adorable. It's nice to see a BL with positive female representation which is so rare. Even Zi Yuan's sister, despite her clingy and immature nature, isn't necessarily a bad character either. She just has a crush and even tells her brother to go after Yu Hao since she realizes her crush to be solely circumstantial. There's the other member of the volleyball team and it's implied that he had feelings for Zi Xuan despite it never explicitly being said.
Alright, now onto the stepbrothers. Now to start off, I like them as characters. They're good friends to Yu Hao and very loyal to him. However, as for their relationship... I'm going to say this... I find stepbrother romances in BL to be disgusting and I hate them. Now I know some will say that they're not blood related which is technically correct but they're still family and I just find the whole thing gross for me, in my opinion. I'm honestly tired of the trope in BL and it's one that was explored already in the first HIStory. I wish the trope to go away and be erased forever. If I were to look past the whole stepbrother incest thing, which is problematic in itself, their relationship is kinda dry anyway. I just wish they were best friends in love with each other instead.
Despite this flaw, Boundary Crossing is one of the best - if not the BEST BL out there at the current moment. I know some might disagree and that's okay because everyone is different in how they like things. This drama made me feel so many things, so many emotions. There's very little dramas that actually make me feel that way and this is one of those cases. Zi Xuan and Yu Hao are the prime reason you should watch this show. Their character development and relationship development is incredible and so soft.
I cant wait for the film sequel! Which should be coming out any day now... (and they better not end it like they did Make Our Days Count or so help me...)
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