We Best Love: Fighting Mr. 2nd (2021)

One of my favorite 2021 BLs

Foundational Romance Tropes? reunion + long term pining + sunshine/tsundere pairing

The story line is compressed and watered down because each season is so short. The couple’s breakup, occurring between the two seasons, is only in flashbacks. But the acting and production values are top notch, and in the end the performances are so good they entirely sweep away a flawed plot and thin narrative arc. It’s rare for me to like a show DESPITE the story, We Best Love stands with To My Star as one of the few. The full circle pool kiss was adorable and this series is officially a favorite.

All told this series is GREAT, theyactors are wonderful, and the chemistry is killer with all three pairs. I was particularly pleased to get Shu Yi and his dad talking Japanese. I love it when Taiwan makes use of bilingual actors (see Because of You) almost as much as them flexing their marriage equality muscles (which they also did in this series).

* A word on Sam Lin. His acting is INSANE. Season 2 ep 2 was so good I actually just sat and stared a blank screen for ten minutes after it was over, processing. I don’t think BL ever has or ever will again produce a drunken heartbreak like that. All future episode 11s ~ eat your hearts out. Oh wait, no, I forgot, we have no hearts left to eat, Sam Lin got there first.

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PERFECT TEN: Much better than season 1

April 9, 2021

We Best Love Season 2 takes the crown as one of the few BLs which I prefer the season 2 better than season 1. I know other reviews here say otherwise. But I genuinely found the season 2 storyline more intriguing and well detailed than season 1. Season 2 showed the huge development between Shu Yi and Shi De's relationship.

Sure there was that 5-year gap that left many people angry but I did not mind it. The problems were not dragged unlike other series and I am happy how Shu Yi called out Shi De for his lack of trust in him and their relationship. I am happy that there is not any "villain" in this season but just a few minor setbacks. As much as I wanna punch Shu Yi's dad to the wall, I find his character hilarious. As for chemistry, I find it much stronger than the previous season as I guess the actors' bond grew more and I can tell how comfortable they are with each other.

Sidenotes:
As much as the Doctor's relationship is toxic. I want to know his story and the chief of tech, it seems that they have such a tragic back story. I am happy that they will be the main focus in season 3 so fingers crossed. Though, I can already feel that I will probably need a box of tissues when I watch S3. Cause I just know that it will be one heck of a ride.

Also, DAMN WTF WHY DID THE DIRECTORS CUT THIS SCENE!! IT SUCH AN IMPORTANT SCENE HOW DARE THEM CUT IT.... I NEED TO GO TO TAIWAN AND RE-ADD THIS SCENE BACK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oum7pXW4OoA

Lastly, I wish we get to see more of Shu Yi and Shi De in season 3. I know they are not the main focus but still. I need their steamy scenes back. This season lacks that part. /hj

Also, damn they really went back to their university to redo the kiss at the pool. Though I must say that the underwater kiss remain superior. NEVERTHELESS, I FOUND THIS SEASON PROFOUNDLY MUCH BETTER THAN SEASON 1.

I guess it is all in our personal taste, but I REALLY CAN'T STAND THE SLANDER OF SEASON 2. People make it seem worse than it really is!!!

Hands down one of my favourite Taiwanese dramas for 2021!!

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The season 2 never disappointed me

When I'm watching the season 2 of some series that I watched it always feels like there is something lacking in the story but it this one I kinda like the flow of the story although I'm not satisfied yet... I don't know I think I need more XD... I rate the season 1 10/10 while this season 2 is 8.5/10... I don't want to give this one a rate lower than 8.5 tho, The actors give justice to their role. Their acting are on point as always and not to mention the scene in the episode 2..... That was very professional to do so....About the music their ost are pretty good (I'm vibin in their opening song XD). I think I'm gonna watch this again because you know the story is great and they said this will be have a season 3???? Hmmm let's all wait

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A Bl To Be Put Down In The Books

All I can say is excellent.
Usually, the second season of a Bl Drama is a fail. But this season only added more to the plot, the characters everything. I have to give a Round of applause to the Main Leads, Supporting Roles; everybody's acting was on point. The leads showed very diverse emotions and pulled every one of them off exceptionally well. There was nothing overdone or underdeveloped plot-wise or character-wise. Immensely enjoyed watching this drama. Everything was explained leaving no loose ends. This will forever remain in my Top Bl drama.

Plot
As mentioned above, a very unfortunate misunderstanding occurred between the two main leads, which resulted in a five-year tirade of hate, hurt, sadness and separation. Only to be reunited by the acquisition of the leads company. They are reunited and Gao Shi De seeks to clear up whatever happened between them. He displays his best effort in trying to win his first love back.
This type of plot could be seen as overused in the BL Industry, but We Best Love: Fighting For Mr. 2nd is one of the few dramas that managed to pull it off, the way it should be done. One thing to take note of is the sequence of events; how each episode was consistently and evenly spread making the plot of the drama not dragged along, but not too fast-paced given the limited amount of time and number of the episodes.


Character
While watching the drama you could feel the raw hurt that he had experienced due to the misunderstanding between him and Gao Shi De. Knowing his character is essential for understanding his reasons and reaction to certain situations that occur in the Drama.
From the very start of the drama Ep.1, the hurt and suffering Shu Yi experience at the thought that Shi Di cheated on him, but it also makes you not forget that Shi Di was also suffering and hurt. This goes to show the terrific acting skills of the Main Male Leads.

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Must Watch BL of the Year

This is the perfect BL. It encompasses everything that is BL. Season 1 has the whole student/university innocent love story while Season 2 has the adult angsty drama. It's the whole package.

(Some notes about the Special Edition Ver. for Season 2 at the bottom.)
Anyways, I'll focus on Season 2 now.

STORY:

You're going to either love it or hate it.

This is a continuation of Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi's story set five years later. While Season 1 was all about the innocent student love story, this season is all angsty. Gone is the innocence and here is the pain. Season 2 does a 180 and is no longer the We Best Love that we know.

This season deals with betrayal and miscommunication. Because it is completely different from the first season I can see why some people may not like this season. Some people just don't like drama, plain and simple. Some people will also that the story is weaker than the first season therefore that this is the weaker of the two seasons, but I disagree. Yes there was a plot hole, who the blonde was, but it didn't take away from the story. (She is his step-sister, it was explained in a deleted scene that isn't even in the Special Edition. Why???? Anyways, you can find the clip on youtube.) The story wasn't focus on who she was or if Gao Shi De cheated. The focus was on the fact that Gao Shi De didn't tell Zhou Shu Yi about his father's interference and flat out left him in the dark. Even with this plot hole the the drama was amazing. This is the season where Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi shine!

If there is an issue with this drama it would be with the secondary couple. They brought back Bing Wei and Zhe Yu from the first season, but our secondary couple was Pei Shou Yi and Yu Zhen Xuan. This second couple got a lot of screen time, but no one was interested. Yes Pei Shou Yi was in the first season, but who is Yu Zhen Xuan? The issue with having them as the secondary couple was that the first season had built up Bing Wei and Zhe Yu was a couple and they were given a decent amount of screen time in the first season, but they barely get any in this one. Pei Shou Yi had his share of screen time in the first season, but there was no mention of Yu Zhen Xuan. It's unfortunate because they had an interesting storyline, but because there was no build up to couple, and because Yu Zhen Xuan's character is either a like him or hate him type of character, this storyline fell flat. Even so I think Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi carried the entire drama on their shoulders without this couple.

Gao Shi De & Zhou Shu Yi

Set fives years after Gao Shi De left for America, Zhou Shu Yi is now helping his father run the company business. He hasn't heard from Gao Shi De in years, and on top of that when he secretly went to America to surprise Gao Shi De, he saw his boyfriend picnicking with a blonde woman and has a baby in his lap. While it's safe to say they are no longer together, Zhou Shu Yi is still bitter about everything. When his company acquires Hua Cing Technology he is shocked to find that Gao Shi De is the CEO of the company. Zhou Shu Yi greets him with a fist to the cheek, but it's not over. They still have to work together.

Meanwhile, Gao Shi De isn't over Zhou Shu Yi. He hasn't been able to contact Zhou Shu Yi in years and is more than happy to see him. He wants to pick up where they left off, but Zhou Shu Yi doesn't want to. He won't give Gao Shi De the time of day and it hurts. It doesn't help that Zhou Shu Yi's father is meddling in their affairs and his family has issues of their own.

As I said earlier, Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi carried the entire drama on their shoulders. Their chemistry from the first season improved in the second. Every time they were on screen you could feel their emotions. While the miscommunication storyline isn't new, how the actors portrayed the angst and longing just overpowered it. Just the way the actors looked at each other and their expressions was so powerful. You could watch it without sound or subtitles and still understand what was happening, it was that powerful. Just looking at Zhou Shu Yi screaming he hates Gao Shi De, but his eyes saying I love you is heart wrenching.

The best part about this couple is that after they get over the miscommunication, you can already see that they are going to be a couple that stands the test of time. If Gao Shi De loves longer, Zhou Shu Yi loves harder.

Pei Shou Yi & Yu Zhen Xuan

Pei Shou Yi is a school doctor that has affective disorder which makes it difficult for him to understand emotions, even his own. Yu Zhen Xuan is the CTO at Hua Chin Technologies with paranoia and aspergers, When Yu Zhen Xuan was in high school, Pei Shou Yi helped in out of a sticky situation after which he fell in love with Pei Shou Yi. Seeing Yu Zhen Xuan's growing attachment towards him, Pei Shou Yi quits his job as a school doctor leaving Yu Zhen Xuan heart broken. Still in love, Yu Zhen Xuan continued to search for Pei Shou Yi for 12 years. Now Pei Shou Yi is stuck because he often thinks about Yu Zhen Xuan, but he doesn't know his own feelings.

With both characters having mental disorders, this is definitely an original and interesting plot. However, it falls flat because Yu Zhen Xuan wasn't introduced in the first season, nor did they outwardly refer to him in the first season. They gave small hints here and there, but the hints were so small it's only barely noticeable when you rewatch it and look for it. For example, in season 1 Pei Shou Yi keeps a ramen pack in his office and gets mad at Gao Shi De for eating it. How would we know it's a remembrance to Yu Zhen Xuan? For all we know it was his emergency food.

Also, let's address the elephant in the room. Having characters with mental disorders is a big risk, especially when they are a couple. Most people are accept that there are people with mental disorders around them, but at the same time they don't want to associate with them. This is the reality. Unfortunate as it is, very few people can accept and understand people that have mental or physical disabilities. Most people turn the other way. One of the main reasons this couple flopped isn't so much that their storyline is terrible, it's more that they don't understand, nor want to see a couple with mental disorders. I can guarantee you that if Yu Zhen Xuan didn't have a mental disorder, then there would be more people talking about this couple instead of skipping it.

Bing Wei & Zhe Yu

I want to write a synopsis for this couple, but I really can't. They are just very minor characters here. They don't have much of a storyline. After college they began to work for Zhou Shu Yi's company. They helped Zhou Shu Yi through thick and thin when Gao Shi De wasn't there and are his best friends. They are still dating and Bing Wei is considering marriage.

Honestly, they should have been the secondary couple. There was so much build up to this couple in the first season it sucks that they are still in the limelight. I think the worst part is that when they finally get their time to shine, it's literally the last 3 minutes of the last episode. Just hand the ring to Gao Shi De and let him propose instead.

Overall:

I prefer the second season to the first. Both seasons are great, but I prefer more adult and angsty storylines. That being said, the actors really shined with their performances in this season. I can't help but rewatch this season over and over again because I can't get Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi's versatile acting out of my head. It's a must watch!


~~~~~~~~~~ We Best Love: Fighting Mr. 2nd Special Edition ~~~~~~~~~~

What's the difference?

Everything! Unlike the Special Edition for Season 1, Season 2's Special Edition is worth the money!
I'm not going to list all the differences, but I will say there are a lot of scenes that are extended that add more depth to the story and characters.

If I have to name one, the biggest difference is episode 4. We get 3 extended scenes.
1. Gao Shi De teasing Zhou Shu Yi immediately after they make up. It's a lot longer than the original cut and shows the extent of their relationship.
2. The whole argument between Zhou Shu Yi and his father.
3. In the office where they are talking about Gao Shi De's lost emails we get to hear about Zhou Shu Yi's feelings toward Gao Shi De in Japanese.
(I'm a bit disappointed we didn't get to hear about Gao Shi De's step-sister being the blonde in question since in the deleted scene we get that part during all of this, but at the same time I do understand why they cut it. Gao Shi De and the audience need to know more about Zhou Shu Yi's feelings towards Gao Shi De more than we need to know about the blonde woman. Gao Shi De explains his feelings about Zhou Shu Yi numerous times throughout the season, but we never got to hear Zhou Shu Yi's feels about him at all until the Special Edition.)


Should you watch the Special Edition first or watch it on the re-watch?

Just skip the normal version of Season 2 and watch the Special Edition. It's like knowingly buying a kid's meal when you know you're going to be hungry for more. Just skip the questions and watch the Special Edition.

But if you want to watch the normal version and Special Editions then... How do I put this... Watch both normal versions of Season 1 and Season 2 then watch the Special Editions on the rewatch.

YES - Special Edition S1 → Special Edition S2 (Skipping the Normal version is okay)
YES - Normal Ver. S1 → Normal Ver. S2 → Special Edition S1 → Special Edition S2

NO - Normal Ver. S1 → Special Edition S1 → Normal Ver. S2 → Special Edition S2
(You won't understand why they extended some scenes)
NO - Special Edition S1 → Special Edition S2 → Normal Ver. S1 → Normal Ver. S2
(The rewatch will be boring. Especially Season 2's rewatch. You'll probably claim that you wasted your time watching the normal version since you watched it the Special Editions first.)

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Better than the first season for me

I was one of the few that didn't fell totally in love with the first season I think, it was good but not that good. However this second season seems better to me, the story is interesting and all the cast did an amazing job! Sam and Yu of course, were stunning with their heartbreaking crying scenes but also their chemistry but I also want to point out the acting of Yu Zhen Xuan's actor, he really was touching and I loved all of his scenes. His pairing with Pei Shou Yi was great and I loved to follow their story as second lead.
The main problem is in fact that it's too short to develop well and not feel rushed, when I watched all episode I still couldn't believe it was finished because the side couples didn't have any proper conclusion which I found unfortunate. I still don't understand the relationship status of Pei Shou Yi and Yu Zhen Xuan: we see them all happy at the end but for me it didn't make sens because Pei Shou Yi's last sentence to him was 'you can manage it yourself" or something like that when talking about Yu Zhen Xuan's box of souvenirs he brought him back...It wasn't convincing and I doubt his feeling. Also the third couple almost didn't have any screen time and still got engaged, I just can't feel involved as there was no sweet scenes between them.
To sum it up it's too sad it didn't develop more because I was really interested in all storylines but it was still good to watch overall.

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Some how they made it work

OMG! I was a bit upset with the ending of season 1, then I was a little more upset after the special edition of season 1. I was furious after the 1st episode of season 2. I was just beside myself by episode 3 when I realized that they were going to get back on track and get away with the emotional trauma of the twist and turns in the plot at the end of season 1 and the start of season 2. Was all of that necessary? I think not. So as in season 2 the main story characters were great (episodes 3 to 6) and my need for certain couples to live happily ever after has been fulfilled. TG! However, my ratings are 8+ not because of the main characters but because of Yu Zhen and Pui. They could have been at 10 for sure. What a powerful story. My vote for best actor would be Shih Chih Tian. I think his portrayal of the character Yu ZHen was award winning. I know I'm late to this party but maybe someone will read this a appreciate my comments.

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Great leads chemistry, disappointing second half

Completed - 1/3/2022

The second season continues the romance of our main leads, Shu Yi and Shi De, after they graduated from college and are separated for years. They finally meet again, and the leads' chemistry was amazing. I am happy to watch a BL drama that is not about high school students, but a more mature romance.

I wasn't a big fan of Shu Yi's character in the first season, and I didn't think YU's acting was on par with Sam Lin's Shi De. I am happy to say that I really like the more mature Shu Yi. YU did a good job in portraying the hurt and betrayal that Shu Yi is feeling. The internal turmoil of wanting to hate Shi De, but can't help but still feel attracted to him. The more mature Shu Yi is charismatic and gives off a very attractive vibe. He also looks really good in this tight suits.

The main reason I bumped my rating up to a 8.0 is because of Sam Lin's amazing acting at the end of episode 2. How can you not feel the heartbreak, the passion, the longing and all that he has bottled up inside of him in this "sexy" scene with YU. Actually, both YU and Sam Lin were amazing here.

I enjoy the main romance and how they reconcile with each other. Once the initial misunderstanding is cleared, they are both very honest and open with each other. The romance is sizzling and mature at the same time. I do wish to see more kisses and skinship between them. There are so many scenes where I can feel the sexual tension, but it was just a big tease.

On the downside, the other two romance storylines were quite disappointing. The dysfunctional romance between Zhen Xuan and Shou Yi took up a lot of time in the second half in this already very short drama. I was actually hoping they don't get together in the end. And the proposal at the end of the drama felt out of place as well. If I want a proposal, I want Shu Yi and Shi Den's, not someone else.

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A nice follow-up

Okay this second part was really amazing and the flowed exactly how it was meant to, picked up where it left off, and answered the questions that were left forgotten.

The older version of the main characters were really cute, and his determination to get his man back was really sweet.

Although I did find it strange to be in love with someone for that space of separation and the reasons why for the separation.

The second couple was a bit confusing and needed a bit more detail in there story, also the whole daddy getting involved and causing the separation was lacking. This drama had more misunderstandings then explanation, it took to much time and could have been avoided.

Nevertheless this series was good and easy to follow 👌

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Apart from the reason that Gao Shi De had for the separation for 5 years I really liked the series. As I found the reason to be extremely absurd. Being an Indian myself, I have seen/heard of similar plots in old Bollywood movies but now I think for the current generation this is completely absurd.
The acting was pretty good. The story's pace was fast but not too fast.
The chemistry between the lead actors is good but could have been displayed/portrayed in a better way.

Please ignore my music rating.
I really loved the 1st season of the series, find it to be better than this one.

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the best bl drama

was in love with first season and now the second season took my heart away..i mean like how can there be so perfect chemistry so perfect ,pure sincere love..the sofa scene was suppose to be a hot scene but their acting and the love they showed us made us cry along with them and just be "awwww how sweet" and then theirs two tear drop on the pillow where they both cried but camera couldn't capture and may be it wasnt on the script but the actors went too deep in the characters that they actually cried..so naturally done everything was so good to watch their wasnt any flaws just the part where they didnt clear out who the blonde girl was the flaw..but Yu and Sam heads off to you both...its been 3 times i have watch this drama and everyday without it is a day incomplete 💙

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