This review may contain spoilers
A Comedic Star Is Born in a Poorly Scripted Series
This show started off great. Taiwanese singer and C-pop boy band member Hong Wei Zhe makes star turn in his first ever acting role. He brings to life a ridiculous and aimless college in the problematic BL. He delivers a performance that perfectly balances earnestness and humor, and the camera loves his goofy faces. Unfortunately he can only carry the show so far and the last third of the show is paced so poorly with little to no dramatic momentum that it's pretty vapid by the end and ultimately makes you forget how good the show was at the start.First the good! As mentioned about, Hong Wei Zhe was great. There have been several BL series and movies that used the ghost story theme -- HIStory: My Hero, He's coming to Me, Ghost House Ghost House, After Sundown, Y-Destiny, Sweet Curse, Low Frequency, Ghost Runner. IMHO the best of this genre are Eien no Kinou and Marry My Dead Body. This series doesn't do anything dramatically new here, but the execution in the set-up of the first 5 episodes is very well done.
Additionally, in a genre littered with manipulated misunderstandings pushed forward as interesting drama motivations (they aren't), this show had a nice balance (initially) between two characters who both had ulterior motives behind their actions. Jiang Chi had romantic desires, and Gu Bu Xia had talismanic needs. This dual deception kept things hopping through the first half of the show.
Also, the trope of the more serious unflappable character being the one in love with the silly and naive character was fun to watch. It's been done before, but this trope always feels a little disruptive, as usually the more emotional and verbal character (Gu Bu Xia in this case) is the one who is expressing that they like or love someone. I think it's always nice to see the character we wouldn't expect to be as consumed by those feelings to actually be the one who's love sick.
I also really appreciated all the kissing. So many BLs are filled with very tepid pecks, or no kissing at all. It was nice to see the production dive into this with such gusto.
Unfortunately there was a lot more bad then good. Isaac Yang is a very handsome actor, but the storytellers didn't give him a lot work with. He only had two modes in this show -- stoic or fawning. They kept talking about the conflict with his parents, but never expanded on it, which would have given his character a stronger backstory perhaps given him some more scenes to display more range in his acting.
The main dramatic force in this series was two characters each pushing their secret agenda's, so when they get together as a couple in episode 7, most of that dramatic motivation dissipates. Yes, Gu Bu Xia still doesn't come clean about why he allowed Jiang Chi to get close to him in the earlier episodes, but even that sort of gets wiped away when it turns out Jiang Chi knows about it and is ok with it. The writers could have used that to play out some real drama between the two in the last few episodes. It may have felt predictable, but at least there would have been something interesting to watch.
Instead we're forced to sit through episodes 8, 9 and 10, where nothing really happens happens except the two characters continue to fawn over each other kiss a lot. I do like the kissing, but it needs some story to support it. During these last three episodes they are tying up the ghost story, but it's really not enough to keep things interesting. The real nail in the coffin comes with the special episode 11. It's a whole episode where the two main characters just continue to declare their lover for each other. It's all vapid and ultimately makes you forget how good the first half of this series was.
The producers and writers missed an amazing opportunity with the surprise acting prowess of Hong Wei Zhe. They had all the ingredients to make a really fantastic and memorable BL, but dropped the ball with the story telling and pacing and left a really vacuous impression at the end.
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This review may contain spoilers
I fell in love with all the clichés
This serie has a *happy ending*The acting still needs tweaking especially with regards to Jiang Chi. I guess it was his face that has that type of smiley look or he just dont have any other expressions other than poker and the smirk.
Bu xia is uber cute. I really like his round eyes.
For the plot, I find it very confusing how the enemies to lovers trope started. Its like before I know it, Bu xia is already mad at Jiang Chi for whatever reasons.
The clichés that taiwanese dramas and chinese dramas often portrayed, i.e, uber rich, arrogant seme x clumsy but cute uke is sooo hilariously portrayed that I loved it. A lot of scenes are also too cliché that even the most serious scenes kept me laughing.
The lovey dovey scenes are a chef's kiss. Much like My tooth your love. I am sufficiently satisfied in this matter.
Overall, I will still rewatch this gem but not for the plot. I hope that the looming second season gives us a more oomph.
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Very cute in some aspects but lacking too much in storytelling, pacing and developments
The premise of this BL story was pretty interesting with one of the male main lead needing any kind of physical touch with the other main male character to "block" the supernatural element of the show. It has been done before but not necessarily in that context and so I was pretty intrigued on how the relationship was going to evolve starting from there..Unfortunately, I found the overall story a bit boring, it remained quite superficial in a way with lot of questions not really addressed. I must admit that one of the protagonist was really written as pretty dumb (in an annoying and not -at least to me- endearing way), making it kind of difficult for me to understand why the other was so whipped for him (and also so quickly).
Despite those flaws, there are cute scenes that are worth the watch, there is a really good chemistry between the main actors with quite good acting...Some of their kisses were simply beautiful in a stiring way. I quite enjoyed the introduction as well as the last third of the story (even though the ending felt clearly too rushed) but there is clearly a saggy middle which dragged down the story for me. It is a bit of a shame that I felt there was so many issue in the pacing and storytelling given the short duration of the show.
I enjoyed the soundtrack, it gave some fun and almost cartoon / spunky vibe that created a good atmosphere. It will not necessarily remain in my memory but was really nice to hear during the show. The production value was standard for a university romance. They could have pushed more the horror vibe but decided to go for a comedic tone which I understand given the storytelling they were going for. I would have prefer the choice to be much more angsty to amp the stakes but it is a question of preference on the direction I wanted the show to go into...And it did not happen.
I would recommend this to people looking for a short BL romance with a fantasy element and cohabitation trope. If you have enjoyed drama such as "The Master's Sun" or movie such as "Marry My Dead Body", you might enjoy this because they share some similarities (either in the concept or the humour). I find it lacking in terms of story as well as relationship development but there are quite a bit of very lovely-dovey moments.
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A light romantic comedy
Watching this was a bit like eating fairy floss - similar to what you've eaten as a kid a long time ago and tempting to try again but only in a small amount (only 10 episodes - good choice, guys) because after being reminded of the familiar flavour, it's time to smile, give thanks, and move on to something more substantial.The music is nice, the photography good, and the sound goes a little awry at the end but otherwise, it's a technically good production.
Hong Wei Che plays goofy well and Yang I Hsuan plays a straight serious face like an Okame mask. The two actors look to have fun with each other although neither appears to be experienced in the kissing department, which in any event, suits their characters.
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REALLY WORTH WATCHING
Very good. The story is similar to a novel I once read. By the way, the novel title is called "Don't You Like Me" in English, if you're interested in reading it. I don't know if this drama IP is an adaptation of the novel or not. The most important thing is that this drama really satisfied my imagination of the novel. Moreover, in terms of the cast; especially for the two main actors, both in terms of suitability for the characters of Jiang Chi and Bu Xia, as well as their acting performance. Apart from that, there are no problems with the other components, except for the duration. Hey, I really need more episodes😭😭Was this review helpful to you?
Fluff with crumbs of supernatural elements
I wasn't really expecting this drama to be this cute, but I really liked how it turned out!The story mainly revolves around the relationship between Bu Xia and Jiang Chi, with a lovely combination of tropes. There is a supernatural element in the story, but it's not explained nor developed all that much and is mostly used as a device to bring the two protagonists closer. I'm not a big fan of this, to be honest - I wish they used the supernatural element more in the story, or just took it away entirely as I don't believe it's too important for the sake of the plot, but it didn't spoil the fun so I'm not too disappointed.
The romance, which is the most important part of the story, was developed beautifully. Buxia and Jiang Chi grow closer over time naturally - their forced proximity and Bu Xia's circumstances made me worry about the pacing, but it was just right and very satisfying to see! All the events between them happened neither too soon nor too late, and most importantly THEY ARE SO CUTE. There might be some cheesy lines and moments here and there, but I didn't mind at all. While neither Bu Xia nor Jiang Chi get too much introspection, they are shown well enough to let their personalities shine, so I was already in love with them by the end of the first episode.
It's a rather short series, it can easily be binged in the span of three hours, so if you like a cute romance with lots of fluff, this is for you! On the other hand, if you're interested in the supernatural elements of the plot, I suggest you watching something else.
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NOT SO GREAT BUT IS VERY ENTERTAINING
Everything is just so entertaining in this drama, if you just want to feel good , relax and fall in love , well this drama is for you , because hello ! kissing scene is everywhere here.I appreciated the looks of the actors , even they are not as handsome as of the faces we used to from actors of Korean dramas, they are attractive in their own way, and I liked their charms here every thing is just so natural and realistic.
I liked the captain of the basketball team here like he is my type , I thought there are going to be side couple on the team but none .. that so sad .. I remember him and I was right ! he was the side couple on the beloved in house I do .
everything here is just okay .. only just when the songs were played, the songs were too emotional but the perfect acting was not given .. but it is okay ..
Still just light , just okay .. I appreciate everything, the story is easy to understand , that is what matters to me always when I see dramas, there is point , and in the short run time the story is complete .. and I guess this might get a season 2 ! who knows !
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Sups Cute !
Stay By My Side had me with its delicate charm, heartwarming sweetness, and subtle humor, all woven into a pleasantly paced Taiwanese BL. However, while the experience was good, it fell just shy of greatness, meaning that it'll mostly likely fade from my memory sooner rather than later. Nevertheless, it had good qualities that made for a genuinely delightful watch.Let's Dive In.
Stay By My Side is about a silly little college kid who plays on the basketball team and ends up being haunted by ghosts after his sister accidentally burns his talisman. He finds a guy, super suave and stoic, who helps him stop hearing the ghosts when they're together -- given the ironic title, Stay By My Side.
I liked this more for the romance than anything, but one of the bigger qualities of this was its pacing. It's 10 episodes for about 22 minutes, and it never sways from the bigger story or has any irrelevant side plots. All of it is centered on the main pairing and their relationship builds at such a nice pace, and all of their kissing looks natural and real and I really liked it.
The story is unique while also being simplistic enough with a college setting, and it sets a tone for the entire series that it's going to be fun and cute and lighthearted.
Ratings:
Story: 8/10 - A unique spin on a rather simple college love story. The chemistry between the leads is good; not the best I've seen out of a Tawinese BL, but it's good. All the side characters help drive the main couple together but don't have much of a story themselves.
Acting: 8.5/10 - I think they did great, but this story is rather lighthearted, so not much complex acting was needed.
Music: 6/10: didn't pay much attention to it, but it wasn't distracting.
Recommendation Value: 6/10: Ehh, I like it, but it's not the first I'd recommend. But it's a super lighthearted watch, and the kissing scenes are good, so go for it!
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Fun Series
The series was fun and had a lot going for it. good leads and great casting. The story had a nice touch to it, it's something different and fun to have for BL. The only down part was I was not a big fan of the lead in the beginning was selfish and dumb always annoying to the second lead but got better over time. The ending could have been way better I have to say as it leaves you hanging be time. It made me want more and felt short in telling the story. There few a lot of missing gaps to the story, like one moment something is happening and the next it happened and we do not see it, but over all the story was still good to see play out and the leads had good chemistry and it had a lot to share but wish it wants more into detail as to the guy's abilities to hear ghost and how that will translate in the future. It is still fun and a joy to watch.Was this review helpful to you?
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The majority of clichés were handled well. I felt the gradual, convincing formation of their love.
There are cute moments in this BL series like in many others, but they are not as annoying, prolonged, and exaggerated as in most. The cute scenes are well-placed and realistically executed, which pleased me a lot.Bu Xia is incredibly adorable, and I find myself warming up to him more and more. As the series progresses, we understand why Jiang Chi fell in love in a very beautiful way, which is quite rare. Usually, you don't understand the process of falling in love. If I can say, "I would fall in love too" when I put myself in Jiang Chi's shoes, then the series is good.
Everything was great, but I found the school gossip and people's senseless curiosity to be absurd. I think it disrupts the realism of the story. Also, unless it is seriously exaggerated, I believe people wouldn't easily label two close male friends as gay. For me, this was the first absurdity in the series.
I liked his sister and the supernatural event very much, but it could have been more detailed. The solution of the supernatural event turned out to be a bit ridiculous and (for me) sad.
The passion between the couple was good, but in the kissing scenes, I felt an energy from Jiang Chi as if he didn't want to kiss. It seemed like he was forcing himself to be comfortable. Because of the lack of passion in the kissing scenes, the series couldn't become my favorite. I'm sorry, but to love and rewatch a BL series, I need to feel that chemistry between them.
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my opinion
Firstly, I didn't find those things. It must be because I had high expectations for the drama. but not necessarily bad.because I didn't dislike it, but I wouldn't watch it again. I think this drama is just for people to relax.
not those things, I can say that I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is just starting to watch bls
The acting wasn't bad, but since I'm being honest. I think it could improve several aspects of the drama.
I want a second season, just to know how it unfolds.
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On the other hand, Jiang Chi felt harsh and cold to everyone but knew what he wanted and had the confidence to go after it. Kinda wished we knew the reason why he switched professions and his family.
Several intimate and close scenes weren't too over the top or exaggerated which I loved as they are opposites in personality
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