First Note of Love (2024)

This was just going to be a comment, but it got long...?

I thought it was cute, but I can't say I am puting this as one of my tops....

They needed tto put more into this, first off I get why Neil couldn't keep going after his brothers passing, but I don't see how he would have still been with Echo after 6 years of not doing anything. Why wait till he is willing to do a come backto say no we aren't going to keep him... Hello you already have this long way not wait a bit more now that he is willing? I just didn't get that at all... Oh another thing that was kinda out of the blue... Neil seeing Sea about to get hit but go over to help him, um why? If he is still so down and broken over his brother why bother helping some else? I'm not saying he shouldn't have, it's just weird that it happened the way they were making out how Neil was that just didn't really fit. Mayby I amm over thinking it I donno....

I also think there could of been more development in the relationships of both couples, Though I guess being only 30 mins each ep and only having 12 there wasn't all that much that could of happened, but it could of had a bit more, right? Though I don't get why Orca was even there, if you wanted a 2nd couple, you should have thought about a better way of having one, cos he was kind of point less in this series really...Not that I didn't like his character, just was weird him howing up out of the blue like that for no reason.

I did like the songs that were sung, especially the new one that Neil sang saying goodbye to this brother. I couldn't help but cry a bit. Sea was adorable and both of them togeher were just cute.

Ok I'm done now... I think.... ?

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A STORY OF LETTING GO AND MOVING ON

For a non music lover watcher this will definitely be a no for them, but if you love music, this drama portrays how deep the hearts and minds and souls of a musicians, so on that part I really enjoyed the songs and performances in this drama, at first I did not appreciate the songs but when I have seen this drama as a whole, the songs is all over my mind. Beautiful songs really comes out from broken hearts as what most people says ! And here is the proof, Sea's composition comes from the depths of his heart, and Neil's fuel of his performances are the people who is dear to him.
The story basically tells about letting go and moving on in life coz as you move on you will see what greater things awaits you, as Neil has learned to open his heart and move on, he found Sea, okay the only thing I can complain about this drama is lack in romance, I mean there were kisses and hugs everywhere but , we have not seen how specifically Sea and Neil developed their love for each other, everything about them happened too fast, maybe because the drama have short runtime, it can be a factor. Orca and Reese , I am satisfied wity their story, I really hope they would have their own spin off, with them, you can see that love can break the language barriers, I was actually shocked that Sea and Neil left the Agency , I forgot the name, but it was a really good start for Reese and Orca, Reese will be managing Orca at Thailand, seeing them speak in each others language is everything !
I cried specially at the last parts of this drama, if you can be really patient about this, you would really see that this drama had a juice in it, it was actually a good one and a deep one. I must say this drama is re watch material , easy to digest, slow romance and a bit rushed story but it turned good
All in all good watch for me, Immana listen to the songs on this drama for a week probably

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Appreciate the effort

An average BL drama that does not feel bland yet not great either, it was just an ‘okay’ kind of show. They started well as I find the characters interesting but that’s it. I think the first to second episodes were the best ones out of the twelve episodes they had. I can see that they all did their best but the overall outcome for me was just fine, nothing less and nothing more.

I can sense the chemistry from the four of them but it lacks appeal. The way they bring us back when Neil meets the younger version of Sea is not cute at all as they end up being paired together. They should at least hired a teenager version of Neil to make their pairing pleasant since the age gap was shaking them out.

Reese and Orca's language barrier was a nuisance. They should just at least stick with using English when they speak to each other. Although the non-verbal communication, specifically the drawing, was charming. Reese is a giant cutie and I did not expect to see his hot naked body with him having a delightful young face.

When it comes to music as their genre, I just hoped that they presented more songs without repeatedly singing the same set of songs throughout the whole show. I got bored many times but still glad that I finished this without dropping. Love the cast but they should polished the script and execution prior to releasing it.

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Finding closure and moving on

This is mainly a story how people who are stuck in limbo after a close person's death (a brother, a friend) find closure so they can finally move on.
(Through the power of Love!)

... and I think this is why some might find that the romance part doesn't get enough screen time. This has been a point of contention in other recent (BL) productions too, that as soon as another story line gets more screen time, the romance part has to be cut a bit, which upsets some people.

If seen from this angle, writing choices make a lot of sense -- because grief needs time, grief is remembering the past, and letting it go. Trying new things can help, as can reliving the old things.
Neil needs someone to push him out of his fugue -- which Sea finally does. And only now that he is able to finally face the loss of his brother, his friend Reese, who until now had dedicated his life to help Neil, can also finally find his own new goal in life.

So, with these thoughts in mind, these are the things I loved:
* The time that was dedicated for flashbacks, and the way we got to see them bit by bit, to understand why the loss of Matt hit all of them so hard,
* the ugly crying -- crying is not cute, and if you really cry, then you don't care what you look like, you don't care about the snot and the mucus, you are just crying,
* the talks between Reese and Neil, which were so important for both, and obviously did not happen before,
* the way they found closure -- and that the writer chose to not go the route I expected in the beginning. This is obviosly onbly the start of a new part in the characters' lives.

Other aspects I liked:
* no romance arc between A-Liang and Ting Fei,
* the choice to show Sea's and Neil's first time as sensual rather than sexy,
* the way they chose to bridge the language barrier -- whenever Orca talks to anyone but Reese (as long as he doesn't want to rile someone up), they all talk in English. Heavily accented English, with grammar mistakes -- just as you would expect from people who speak English as a second language. For Reese and Orca, on the other hand, the writer makes it very clear that they both have been learning the other's language in secret -- they just choose not to speak it as long as they are at odds with each other.
* Actors were great -- I liked how Reese's actor gave it his all during the crying scenes, and I could watch Neil's eyes forever.

One story arc that got lost a bit for me, was Sea's story -- mainly how his feelings evolved from adoring his idol to loving Neil as an equal. I don't even think it would have taken much, just a small gesture or look here and there. It's already there, just not clearly told.
(I also wish they'd given him a different hair style, at least for the concerts. Especially during the last concert, his hair and his make-up made him look even younger than usual.)

I'm not too impressed with how the makers chose and used the background music. I'm not talking about the songs the characters sing, those are all right, if not my kind of music. I do think though that in a drama with music as a main theme, there should have been more focus on the effects background music can have. In several scenes, I found it distracting (silence is also very powerful! And it could have been used to its adavantage!) and overall, it was mostly bland.

All in all, it's a solid production, with a well-rounded cast and no glaring mistakes. "Finding closure through the power of Love" is a well-used trope and it's not badly implemented here at all.
Worth a watch.

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Kinda confused about the age gap

“First Note of Love” isn’t a bad watch. It’s interesting and has its moments, though I wouldn’t say it’s groundbreaking. I’ve definitely seen better, but honestly, there are way worse dramas out there. The plot is decent and moves along pretty well, but it could have used a solid villain or some real tension. Every good drama needs that bit of conflict to keep you on the edge, and this one was missing that.

One thing that did throw me off was the age gap between Sea and Neil. Sea’s supposed to be a college sophomore, which makes him around 20, while Neil, based on the flashbacks, seems to be pushing 30. That 10-year gap felt a little iffy and even uncomfortable, considering Sea is so young. I get that age gaps can add some depth to a relationship, but this one just felt a bit too much.

That said, “First Note of Love” is a chill show. It’s light, kind of sweet, and easy to watch when you just want something simple. There’s nothing particularly unique here, though, so it’s not the kind of drama that’ll stick with you long after.

Overall, it’s a decent pick if you’re into Taiwanese BL dramas and looking for something casual. Just don’t go in expecting a masterpiece.

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An interesting start falling to a medicore end with lazy writing

While I always thought lazy writing is a thing for Thai BLs, it also happened here. Also to be a musician is about passion and I missed some of it. Even if you are down a lot and having a depression I would assume a musician will find help with his music. I understand stage fright but should he not have somehow mellowed it down because he has the experience after a while? It seemed like he's still a rookie.

There is no fault in the actors who did the best with a weak script they were given. Production quality was very good except the hair. Neither the wig nor the blonde extensions on Orca were a good idea. I also don't understand Reese why he has the problem to be with his love for such a long time and why both of them did not learn each others languages a bit. Did they not, because they were apart for a long time? At least they sould learn to speak english well which "Orca" did not and talk in english. I also felt there was not enough tension, longing, passion between the side couple, it felt bland. Also the actors did not convince me to be musicians, their performances with the instruments felt a bit stiff and unnatural, especially Sea on his keyboard even when the OST itself was nice. To be a music centric show needs more realism and more training for the actors.

So after a good start the show reduced intensitiy and they seperated the MLs because Sea needs to concentrate on music? Does that make sense? I don't think so. When you are in love seperating makes things harder imho. Even with some fluffy moments, this show can't be saved to be more than medicore. For a taiwanese BL that was disappointing.

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Love what exactly....

It was a nice calm series and I was truly disappointed.

Six skilled actors delivering the most placid performance I would say for 2024. A nice concept, poor writing, uneventful episodes with little to no engagement. These couples didn't fall in love, they both eased into it. Their grief overshadowed everything else and made the story so subdued that I was left wondering what happened. They're all very likeable with no real drama. The healing from loss and abandonment was dealt with by all but without the bang. Where is the passion for living? The storylines were tied up at the end but very very very peacefully.

Reese finally agreed to go to Thailand with Orca. Sea finally tells Neil about their meeting years ago and how it saved him and Neil confessing how Sea empowered him to be brave. All done very quietly. Standout was Mei, working anonymously in the background to bring them together. 1 point for the casting team for choosing the actresses for Mei and Sea's blonde classmate. They brought their characters to life and relieved the boredom.

Too many flashbacks of the same scene. Magnet's one song religiously played for 9-10 episodes. First Note of Love was more like a lullaby. Charles, Michael, Jame and Min Ting were nice to look at but was expecting more. They did act well but just too quietly. Jame, blonde 1980' mullet - why, was the most engaging of all.

Watch if you've had a hard day and just want to relax without too much brain activity. Rewatch - pass.

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An opportunity wasted

I expected so much more from this series. Having watched Jazz for Two, i thought this would turn out to be a Taiwanese version of that bc of the similarities in the plot. However, 5 episodes in and each one feels like I'm being forced to keep my eyes on the screen. I am disappointed. Poor storyline, too many flashbacks to one thing, no real chemistry between the ML and the music isn't even great. This was an opportunity to showcase how music can truly help one heal and how love finds you even in your darkest moments but it failed, abysmally. I have zero positive takeaways from this one and can only hope Taiwan does better.

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