Kiseki: Dear to Me (2023)

I feel like this show would be perfect if the second couple was the main one.
I just finished watching it and i dont know the name of the main characters. I got interest in this drama because i saw a edit of ai di and chen yi and i thought the show was about them, even when i searched a little bit about it on youtube the only ones thag showed up where them, i feel like they completely took over the show for me.
I feel bad saying this after reading the other reviews of people saying they love the main couple but they just didnt do it for me. Their story was boring. There was absolutely no chemestry - it felt like watching two rocks talk and kiss. Their back stories had no depth, - i still dont know how the older one got in the gang, is it related to his family? Im pretty sure is not, then how did it happened? Also why did he get into a gang if he dont like crimes? Like i get it if the character is in a tough situation and the only way out is getting into a life you dont agree with completely but he seemed like he wanted to be there? Like saying that he wanted to do more difficult jobs and complaining that they treated him like a child - the backstory of the mom of the younger one was brushed up for five seconds for the characters to have a reason to have a emotional conection but i feel like it was to fast and didnt matter to me at all. The other student who was his friend in high school, what happened to him? Also if the girl student who later goes to work with him on the shop didnt know that he didnt finish high school because he was arrested does that means no one else that went to school with him knows? Did his friends just figured that the best student in the class who wanted to be a doctor and worked really hard for it simply dropped out of the face of the earth all of sudden and none of them cared?
I only finished watching this drama to see more of ai di and chen yi, - mostly ai di cause sadly we dont even see much of chen yi - ai di captivated me since the first scene he was in. It seems like a cliche, the troublemaker is head over heels for someone but acts like is nothing when in reality is crushing him inside, but i love it and ill eat it up everytime. Iwanted to know more about them, every time ai di came in to screen it made me want to watch a little bit more so i could learn about his past but unfortunately we dont get to know much about it, he says his and chen yis parents died so they were adopted and thats it. I wanted to see chen yis reaction to ai di going to prison. I wanted more scenes of him realizing he really loved ai di all along. I wanted more angst and more drama but i wanted lengthy scenes of that, not just two minutes of them figuring their feelings out to be cut in the middle to show something that i didnt really care about. Also chen yi having a crush on their boss thing, they often talked about how admiration is different from love and he didnt realize that that was what was happening with his boss but honestly we dont see much about their relationship to know why chen yi even admires him - the guy didnt seem like he was doing much, he wasnt intimidating like a mafia boss, he wasnt wise and neither charismatic - so his one sided love didnt feel deep enough cause it feels like they didnt have time to explore that.
Thats my biggest disappointment with ai di and chen yis story: they didnt have enough time. This drama was and is theirs and they deserved better.
Its a shame cause i feel like i couldve enjoyed so much more if the main couple was more entertaining and didnt make me want to skip all kf their scenes to watch the second couple's scenes.

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The "IT" drama of 2023!

OKAYYYY. So, It's been heck of a long journey for me, waiting for each episode like a sad maniac . BUT, am finally here to write a review, and I'll keep it short!

THE PLOT:
Its set in the terrifying world of gangland sectional, and it made my anxiety go📈📉 THROUGHOUT the series istg.
We see the first couple, suuuuper cute and all, BUT the second couple (LOML), the trope is basically the guy liking the other guy who doesn't love him back. OFC! who DOESN'T love this?(uhm, only in dramas but yeahhhh-)
The VISUALS are GREAT, I mean REALLY FRIKKIN' GREAT in the series.

We have a bit of BL clichés roaming around each episode here and there, but I loved 'em.

EFFECTS WITH MEANING:

There was something which I noticed that, the use of colors and light in Kiseki DTM, is quite fascinating. ZY's life is simple and plain, yet it's well-lit and uncomplicated. ZR's life has different shades, but mainly includes basic and muted colors. When they meet, there's a dreamy, almost magical glow around them!(butterfliessss) This is very different from AiDi, who is full of vibrant and lively colors and designs. ChenYi's style is dark and strict, but when they come together, a moody maroon or purplish hue fills the space. It's really interesting!

CHARACTER APPRECIATION:

<3 My first and foremost appreciation of the characters would go to my pocket sized baby emo boy who's a true agent of
chaos, his escapades, AND the sacred choker of his's. AiDi! he Definitelyyyyy needs his own show, one where he
just gets to wear his collar the whole time and be his pretty little psycho self whilst his boyfriend looks in approval, ready
to jump in if he needs his help (LMAO, i love u too ChenYi mwah).


NEGATIVE POINTS:

Negative points for this show:
~OK uhm, I loved each and every episode, BUT I hated the whole week wait for it!
~The angst and slowburn was KILLING me from the insides
~I'm absolutely jealous of y'all who's binge watching it AFTER it ended :c

REWATCH VALUE:

10/10. I finished it, and I am just going to go rn to watch it all again with no interruptions whatsoever.
Y'all freshers watch it aswell!

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Gold Mine!

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Honestly, with how oversaturated the bl world is today, it's hard to find dramas of this caliber. It was straightforward, exciting, emotional and bingeworthy. It did take a while for the story to pick up; but it was enjoyable form beginning to end despite this. Should definitely be on your watch list and your rewatch list because it's honestly worth it. There are also some problematic themes present, but it's still a great watch! The music was awesome, the acting exceptional, the chemistry electrifying, the plotline intriguing. Plus I couldn't even tell time was passing up until I reached the last episode. Honestly what more do you need. I can already tell that this series is well on it's way to becoming one of the bl giants!

P.S. More detailed description on my feed!

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Beautiful

I loved this show.
The story was beautiful, as was the acting, music and setting.


(The below summary contains spoilers--nothing too specific, just a general overview of what will happen throughout the show and what you can expect.)

Plot:
A smart high-school boy meets and falls in love with an older (age gap) rich boy who falls to the gang life due to family neglect.
They are torn apart due a rival gang's attack which sees the student take the fall for the rich boy and accept a 4-year prison sentence.
After four years in prison, the high school boy returns to life with a new plan for his future but one that definitely includes his first and only love.
Meanwhile, the rich boy is torn apart by guilt and is determined to remain apart from the high school boy in order to keep him safe.
The first half of the show focuses on how the two meet and fall in love, on how their childhoods shaped them, and how they are separated.
The second half of the show focuses on how they reunite, overcome their obstacles, and build their happily ever after.

The second couple:
Two boys, close in age, both orphans who grew up together as "brothers" and friends. As young teens they were recruited into gang life. When we meet them they're both mid-level rising gang members. One of them is love with the other; the other is in love with the head boss of their gang. Thus, both are in unrequited love.
The first half of the show deals with the difficulties and dangers they face as gang members, their loyalty to each other, and the pain they each face in love. Due in part to the attack which separated couple #1, this couple is also separated for four years. During their separation, the "other" boy realizes he's loved his friend all along, while the "friend" determines to separate for good from the "brother" who'll never love him in the way he wishes for.
The second part of the show shows us how they reunite, how one works to make the other believe and accept that he truly is in love with him, and how they also reach their happily ever after.

I liked the story itself. There was a nice focus on the gang, on family, on the affects of childhood trauma and how to overcome it.
The chemistry of both couples was insane!! Off the charts hot. It's honestly hard to say which couple I liked more because the truth is, I loved them both. I will say this though: for couple 1, I liked them better during the first half of the show, and for couple 2, I liked them better during the second half. For some reason, the connection between the first couple is shown better prior to their separation while the connection between the second couple is better showcased after their reunion. In that sense, when we're shown both couples' happily ever after, I prefer the second couple's to the first- I can't pinpoint why, but couple 2 feels fully settled and case closed but couple 1 leaves me with a bit of lingering "want more for the closing act".

All of the actors acted terrifically.

The soundtrack was phenomenal.

Overall, this is pretty much a perfect show.
I highly recommend it. <3

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Ai Di and Chen Yi have my heart

I'm obcessed with Ai Di. He's amazing. Both couples have great chemistry (specially Ai Do and Chen Yi). Cried a lot with this show and Zong Yi is a cutie for the Strawberry Day. I love them and need more NatLouies series.

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Kiseki: Dear To My Heart

I've rarely grown as attached to characters as I have to not only Zong Yi and Ze Rui but also Chen Yi and Ai Di.
Why? Many reasons;
1. These characters are alive and unique. They are not shallow, they struggle, they have convictions and beliefs and they change.
2. The love and adoration Zong Yi and Ai Di hold for their partners is... something to die for, if you will.
3. The side characters not only also bring life to the story and the world, but assist in layering the main leads they surround deeper as well.

I've always had a soft spot for gangster/mafia/yakuza stories. I love high stakes. And by the end of Kiseki, you'll realise how high the stakes truly were! Because the romances are so, so believable and lovely!
But there are plenty of interesting, angsty plot points and scenes--a given, since, well... gangsters. In a world with high stakes, we need actors who can portray emotions, and damn it, Hsu Kai, Taro Lin, Nat Chen and Louis Chiang are all PHENOMENAL, not to mention the side characters are very much on par acting-wise as well!

I caught a case of Second Couple Syndrome at the start, but I ended up growing just as attached to the main leads, if not more. This is not to put down Ai Di and Chen Yi, absolutely not--Ai Di has been my favourite from the beginning. But, both romances are different and take distinct paths.

I was pleasantly surprised that this series starts quite slow given the gangster setting. It takes its time to develop Zong Yi and Ze Rui's relationship, as well as build up Ai Di and his troubles. It needs this patient start to lay the foundation for Zong Yi's strong convictions later on in the story. In the later episodes, the plot takes a more drastic turn and raises the stakes.
Also, the levels of lovely details that are born in the first half that return in the second half add an extra layer of sweetness and consistency to the characters and story; pretty amazing stuff from the production team.

Are the episodes too short? No. I mean, of course, I'd love more content about these lovable characters, but on the other hand, these episodes are concise and focused and don't dawdle on unnecessary plot points. They leave you wanting a little more, for sure, but I promise you, it was worse for those of us who watched this series as it aired!

TLDR; Where can I find myself a man like Bai Zong Yi?

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my new favourite!

Im really happy i came across this drama... It literally has got everything! A lot of handsome guys - in a totally innocent way i'd say - but also with huge talent. The plot is entertaining, side action is too. Nothing too dark nothing too shallow. The chemistry of both couples is unbelievable! I dont know who to praise more... the mature teen falling for the gangster, the gangster whos a math prodigy, the short guy acting like a rag doll when drunk, the introvert young gangster... So heartwarming and serene. Im totally in awe!
Also, it's so beautifully filmed, but in a discreet, nothing-too-obvious manner, and dialogues are not too much, not too little!
Masterpiece if you ask me!
Taiwanese cinematography doesnt cease to amaze me.
Rewatch? You bet!

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