This review may contain spoilers
Watchable but not amazing
Although Taiwan is the probably one of the most progressive country when it comes to same-sex relationships, there have not been many BLs from Taiwan recently, compared with a more conservative country like Thailand. The last Taiwanese BLs I watched are the somewhat forgettable Because of You and Make Our Days Count (which is remembered for the poorly executed bad ending).This BL is rather safe, story wise. We know whom we should ship and no one really expects a bad ending here. A pastry chef (Yi Fan) falls in love with a singer (Kai En) whom he collaborates with, and there is a subplot about Kai En's ex, Soda, who is about to marry his boyfriend (Noah).
Strangely, the story of Soda's past and his relationship with Noah is more interesting than the romance between Yi Fan and Kai En. It's not just a matter of personal preference here--the love between Yi Fan and Kai En is given a tad too little attention. Yi Fan quite suddenly professes his love for Kai En. Kai En has to make a decision as to whether to risk his career as a singer to be with Yi Fan--they key moment when the decision is revealed is barely shown. Yi Fan and Kai En are supposed to be the main couple, and they are given enough attention as individual characters, but the relationship between them almost seems to have been snipped by editors at some important moments (though this can't really be the case).
The acting of most of the main characters can be a little unnatural, which is understandable because most of them are inexperienced actors. Only David Chiu, who plays Yi Fan, has quite a bit of experience acting, and it shows. Yi Fan is someone who does not always say out what he is feeling, but David Chiu still manages to sufficiently convey his emotions.
The series is ok is almost every way and exceptional in no particular way, so the audience is going to neither very upset with it nor very impressed. It can be cliched in the way it portrays gay people's wish to be able to be treated like other ordinary people, but the delivery seems heartfelt.
Was this review helpful to you?
Meh
The first episode had excited me. Taiwan is known for making nice Bl’s so of course I was excited to see another one. But as the episodes went on I found the plot not interesting enough, the chemistry practically nonexistent and I just got bored. There was something missing in it, this one was just bland and it lacked that spark.I understand it’s challenging to produce a drama with well fleshed out plot and real character growth when you’re making a 10 minutes episode drama, but past experience has shown us how cute and fluff can be done with such time limits. Maybe in a time before Because of You, Where Your Eyes Linger and Mr. Heart, this could have maybe, barely squeaked through as passable. But not now. Not when there are other dramas out there that has shown that they can produce good content with fluff or a little angst and with great chemistry can this be acceptable.
Great kiss scene though, but this is a Taiwanese BL, it can’t pass the test by just a kiss scene. That is at the very least one norm we have come to expect from it.
I really hope Taiwan steps up its game. A country that can produce contents like the HIStory franchise can do so much better than this. And I honestly like Taiwanese BL’s so I wish them luck.
Was this review helpful to you?
A little on the short side, but still good.
The star of the series is definitely Cheng Chang Fan who plays Kyan/Kane, even though it was hiss first series, he portrayed the character and the emotional side better than anyone. The story itself isn't overly complex and it really didn't need to be, but it does cover some very realistic real life situations that often times either get glossed over or go to one extreme or the other. I will say there are a few spots where it does suffer from the duration of the episodes, but it's nothing really deal breaking. I do wish there was better chemistry between the actors of the two couples, but again that's something that usually works out over the long run with longer duration episodes that this series didn't have.Overall, it's worth a watch especially with how short the episodes are, and it's not nearly as bad as some make it out to be.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Not Too Disappointed
Again, I checked the comments to see if the show was worth watching or not, but I was met with some mixed emotions so I went in with some pretty low expectations, but wasn't too disappointed at all. Craving you is for one, extremely short in which I finished in about 2-3 hours. It's a pretty low heat series with some cliche Bl tropes, and a weird main couple connection, but besides that, I actually really enjoyed myself.Let's Dive In.
Firstly, production. Pretty much the ordinary BL Tawainese production. It reminded me a lot of the same filming aspects of the HIStory franchise. I didn't really pay attention to the music much, so if I didn't notice it, it means it wasn't too distracting, but it probably wasn't all that good. Overall, everything was decent and I didn't hate it. I don't remember any ad placements or annoying ad placements, so that's good too.
Onto the plot. The main couple felt so bland and boring. I don't really understand how they fell in love. Their interactions were short and thin, I felt no connection at all, and when they do finally get together, it feels meaningless and unimportant, and I could've cared less (the kiss was nice tho). I liked the situation between Soda and his fiance way more than Kane and Baker Boy (Can't remember his name). Soda and Kane were remembering the past and their romance. It was intriguing for sure, and I sympathized with Noah more than anything. Him sitting in the restaurant by himself hurt me for real. I loved their ending, I'm glad that stayed together and eventually got married.
The series was wayyy too short and I believe that that is their downfall. Had this been a bit longer, a better put-out plot, and some actual chemistry with the main couple, then this series really could've been it. I also really loved Cora since she wasn't a BL-obsessed woman or some weird shipper, and was a good friend. The desserts also looked really good, and I can always appreciate a mouth-water appeal.
Overall, I liked this series, I think it was pretty decent. It'll for sure be pretty forgetful, but it's worth watching. A happy ending, some cute kisses, and lighthearted situations go for a good watch. I recommend this to anyone who needs a cheery watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
Warm, Soft, Gentle, Tender.
There are a lot of flaws in this series. It is choppy, feels rushed, and perhaps their individual actions seem contrived. The main characters and supporting roles are gifted with the perfection of beauty. It all worked for me because I know how irrational we are as humans. We do things that sometimes make no sense and realize that what we have right in front of us is what is really best for us. This series showed that and these characters, even with all their vulnerabilities, did not succumb to the past but had the strength to see things as they are; not what might have been, or was. Maybe I made this too complex or read too much into this series, but this is what I got from it. I have been there with them. Of course, I wanted more from this series, but it did tackle the difficulty of making a commitment to another person and do so with the idea you are doing it for the rest of your life. If you want to review my full review of this adorable series, go to my free blog site and let me know what you think. It is ppbongi.medium.com. Thanks!Was this review helpful to you?
Lovey Dovey
So, as everyone knows Taiwan is one of the few countries that legalized Gay Marriage... and I'm living for it! Idk why this show has the rating it does, I loved it! Visuals were pretty nice and the story itself was super cute. It had its cheesy moments but mostly it was awe, cute and fluffy. I think it's definitely worth the watch and I'd recommend to anyone who wants some light romance. It's not very 'realistic' I suppose, but there are parts that everyone can relate too. (whether you're straight or not). Nowhere near my favourite Taiwanese BL but adorable none the less!Enjoy...
Was this review helpful to you?
Better than I expected
I read the other reviews before watching this and I was a little worried. However, this is solidly a mediocre drama, not bad but not the best. Worthwhile to watch once.I liked the plot, a lot, I haven't seen this kind of storyboard before even though I have watched couple of other cooking focused dramas. However, the drama was short so I don't think that the characters could develop as well as they could have with more time. The inner struggles stayed shallow even though there was potential for more. Acting in general was good except for the main character who I didn't kind of get. I was constantly waiting for him to become more confident. The side couple was also cute and the chemistry was there unlike the main couple. It's worth watching only for the side couple, their actors and chemistry.
I was struggling between giving this series 7 or 7.5, so I'd say the current rating (7.2) is pretty accurate for the show.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Cute, light and fluffy
If you want to watch a series that is cute, light and fluffy, then this could be it for you! I know that it's not the best, but it's not the worse BL series out there- it has it's moments.Story- 7/10
For a ten episodes series with a length of 10-15 airtime per episode, I thought that they were able to pull off something that was sweet and cute. We get to see Kyan and Sung's relationship develop (even if it isn't predominant as the supporting couple). We even see Sung tell Kyan in the last episode that he wants him to choose what would make him happy, be it his singing career or him (he chooses Sung in the end).
The supporting MC was more predominant than the MC, as they did seem to have, maybe, to me, a better story. Soda has a phobia to relationships, due to his parents relationship as well as the fact that they didn't seem to accept him for just being him. His mother, in the end, seems to have accepted her son and his sexuality as she did attend the wedding. And then besides this, Soda seemed to be reminiscing about the past with Kyan, when he is supposed to marry Noah. However, in the end he realized how much he loved Noah and they do get married.
Acting/Cast- 6.5/10
It wasn't that good, not gonna lie. But I still felt that they were able to bring the characters to the screen.
Music-7/10
Some of it was cheesy, but some of it was good.
Rewatch Value-6.5/10
I see myself watching this to get awag from some of the drama filled series that are going on/ finished. Cause sometimes I do just want a drama free show and this could fit that bracket.
Overall- 7/10
It was an okay series that I enjoyed. It was cute and fluffy, with not that much drama. And what drama it had-they were able to resolve it by the end.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Left With More Cravings, Where's The Cake!?
I can't really give a comprehensive review of this series. Since its so short and all over the place. I didn't hate it, but its pretty forgettable. The rest of this will be various random thoughts I had while watching. Enjoy!:----->Okay first of all. You can't go to the hospital for a phobia lol more likely go to counseling. Dude is scared of the dark, what an odd trait thrown in there btw.
This is going hella fast. But the episodes are short, so was kinda expecting that. Like our first kiss is in ep 3 and it was out of NOWHERE lol. Oh never mind its a fake out which is dumb. Girl keep them out of your nasty thoughts!
The twinkle noise I swear XD
Did some research. Cheng is out and proud in real life so good for him doing this series! Raising more awareness and discussing it openly. We stan! <3
I thought they were playing us again about another kiss. But it was actually in Kyan's mind this time so fair enough. Finally some confirmation!
If you ever have second thoughts about marriage DON'T DO IT. It's so unfair to your significant other. I get it though, being concerned about marriage because of seeing your parents fall apart. That's so trauma that could also use THERAPY! I know they're going to work out though because of the intro showing the wedding! -_-
Is that the same bridge in Taiwan from "We Best Love"? Lol with the infamous confession scene? This show uses it during the day though and it's not as special.
Whoa that kiss at the end was actually really nice. Was not expecting that at all! O_o That whole last episode was actually pretty good. Wish we would've gotten more development and couple time with them! Danggit that could've been so much better!
This series felt like a fever dream. With me not knowing wtf was going on half the time lol. They shoved so much into this that I kept getting whiplash from character/plot changes. The end. :P
Was this review helpful to you?
A pleasant watch
This was really sweet and I enjoyed watching it. I thought Cheng Chang Fan was a standout as Kane (I dont know why the subtitles call him that) and Alan Song as Soda was great too.I was a little surprised that what I thought was the main pairing ended up taking a backburner to the side couple, and I ended up wishing they had paired the two most appealing actors instead of what they did. I didn't really feel the love from David Chiu as Sung Yi Fan - his performance was too cold with not enough subtle hints about how he felt, except for the way he kept wiping frosting off Kane's face, which came off slightly creepy rather than cute.
Kane is a young man who wants to be a musician but is being suffocated by pressure to hide who he is, and I think the actor did a great job - he's one of those people that's way cuter when he's sad than when he's smiling and I just wanted to hug him all the way through this.
Soda is having pre-wedding jitters aggravated by trauma he's suffered from his parents' disastrous marriage, and the actor did a great job with one of the better-realized characters in this drama.
The production values are great, and all-in-all this was a solid BL, although it's probably not going to make anyone's Top 10 list. Unless you've only watched 10 BLs.
Was this review helpful to you?
Extremely Basic ....
Once again I was let down but the title of the drama, Craving you was not what I had in mind for this kind of BL!!!I understand it’s challenging to produce a drama with well fleshed out plot and real character growth when you’re making a 10 minutes episode drama, But not now. Not when there are other dramas out there that has shown that they can produce good content with fluff or a little angst and with great chemistry can this be acceptable. This drama for me just didn't have any flow to it, we never got to see a build of the characters, then a second couple got thrown in and we never got to understand what happened between them, the airport scene was a really cliche, the wedding was so done, then move to a couch where they make out (this last episode of them making out was probably the only good thing about this entire drama)
The acting was extremely basic, to the point one could say low budget, the music was okay not going to make my playlist.
This series felt like a fever dream. With me not knowing wtf was going on half the time lol. They shoved so much into this that I kept getting whiplash from character/plot changes.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Not good but short
It wasn't the worst drama I've seen but it wasn't the best either. Especially when Taiwan has made much better BL dramas than this one.The story was rushed. We have a pretty good start with the main couple at the beginning but then, it shifts towards the other couple who has more subtance to the story, to be fair. Also, there is no development at all between the two main leads. One seems to fall in love at first sight but that's it and when he confessed, it cut short. No feelings at all. I don't know if it's a problem coming from the acting or the script (probably both...).
The acting was good but not great. Totally forgettable. So is the music.
So, is it really worth watching? I'd say, yes, because it's short but this is the only good thing about this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
