Blue Canvas of Youthful Days (2024)

A Good Watch, but could have been so much better

I used to look forward to this series with a lot of anticipation...the amazing chemistry and connect between the main leads, good acting, good production values, and the realistic storyline, it had everything going for it...and it successfully created these hooks that made me wait with a lot of anticipation and concern for the the two young boys, Qi Lu and Qin Xiao, who were trying to keep their love alive despite powerful adversaries like that disgusting piece of shit, Qi Lu's Father, and one hurdle after another that came their way....the way they watched out for each other, often quietly, and at the cost of their own selves, the way they were ready to give up everything in their lives just so that the other could go ahead, was heart melting...in other words, I was very invested in the story and the characters.

But with all those positives, one major problem with this show was how it just seemed to focus on the build-up, the challenges and one blow after the other for the leads, till the very last 10-15 minutes of the show...and then it seemed like an underwhelming and abrupt end....like we didn't really get a full closure...as a friend said, it was '12 episodes of pain and build-up, followed by some quick text explaining the next 7 years of their lives, and just 5 minutes of happiness'...leaves you feeling kinda betrayed.

It ended with Qu Li and Qin Xiao being reunited and leading a happy life, but it felt like a lot was left unsaid, particularly in terms of resolving a lot of angst and resentment that the show built for some of the characters like Qu Li's father...there were hardly any payback for that, or even a plausible explanation of how Qi Lu managed to really get past the clutches of his powerful and oppressive father so easily...if he could go on to study Film-making in the US right after he went to Russia, why couldn't he do so even earlier? Also, the storyline of the second couple kinda got diluted towards the end and their scenes started to feel gratuitous to an extent. Maybe they had to censor some scenes out when the series got held up for some months in between (the routine thing that happens to BLs from China I guess)? I would have wanted to rate this as a 'Great Watch', but due to these flaws I'm giving this a 'Good Watch' rating.

Anyway, at least it has a happy ending, and it was comforting to see them be a loving couple, doing everyday nice things that loving couples do ....the lines at the very end were beautiful, when they revealed that Qi Lu and Qin Xiao had wished the exact same thing for each other - 'In the future, you must do what you love'...

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Art is beautiful....

China can do bl and do it well enough to capture the important aspects of good story telling. From the beginning it is obvious that it doesn't have the funds to produce it on a grander scale but this is easily overlooked by the quality of acting. Riveted by the story and its pacing, it is a beauty. The interactions of the entire cast flowed so well to make the audience believe in their characters.

I was enthralled by the mains acting. The starkness of the environment aided in displaying how important each meeting was to the story. There is an anxious theme that permeates the story, informing the audience to enjoy each second of their love story, for in a moment this bubble could be broken and all will be lost. QL and QX embodied the intensity of their young love. QL's fiery determined confession matches well with QX's humble but intoxicating acceptance. The sacrifices they made for each other's happiness in the end would see them on different paths.

LMY and TY became a savior to each other. Ultimately, protecting and fighting for each other as real couples would. TY's round eyes and dedication to LMY would make him a favorite. Their responses to each other would make their age difference believe. TY's petulance and introspectiveness fought well against LMY's resistance and flawed thinking. Had this not been resolved, I could see TY waiting a lifetime for him.

The support cast did well also. Turtle, an early irritant, added to the spots of humor, making him a joy to watch at the end.

Production could have been better. With limited resources, the scenery and wardrobe became monotonous but overlooked. China's limits on BL physical interaction saw juvenile kisses but again forgiven due to the innocence of their relationships. The sudden appearances of characters and dissappearance added to some choppy scenes. The script in itself was brilliant (XQ's confession) and poor at times. The fillers used to lengthen the series was obvious.

The ending for each couple was beautiful. This is added to my list of series to rewatch as their confessions were charming and the piece that makes this shine.

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Left me blue but for the wrong reasons

There was a lot of hype for this one especially since it almost got cancelled (and it's a Chinese BL in times where you won't expect a Chinese BL), so perhaps I had some unrealistic expectations going into it.

I almost gave up in episode 5. What was going on with the script and production... The dialogues were chunky and awkward, the story didn't have a good smooth flow (great job in episode 12 summarising the key bits in writing and time jumping to happy times), the music got cut off midway without proper transition to a new scene (this is extremely disruptive and prevents people from really being immersed in the story), the acting and cinematography was over dramatic at times (over-dramatic lighting, unnecessary switches in focus, yes all very indie-like but yet somewhat lacking).

This was a really difficult watch for me and I was left rather disappointed and blue, not because of the story, but because this was poorly made and it could've been much better. I believe the actors tried their best to deliver but it just wasn't enough. This was a high school project trying to be an Indie film.

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Indie Chinese BL: interesting premise but flawed in terms of production value, editing and writing

This Chinese drama did almost not made it through, it was first stopped while airing after 4 episodes by the Chinese platform on which it was being released...and then it was picked up for full release by another international distribution platform. That in itself picked my interest and after watching it, it is a real BL story (not disguised at all as a bromance) so of course it did not pass the censorship and explains the release issue.

Regarding the drama itself, there is a very indie and artsy vibe that I appreciated for some aspects. I liked for example the art school context and the opening generic. I also enjoyed some of the relationship evolution that feel quite gritty. But there is also to my eyes a lot of production issues. The low budget is very clear : it gives a raw aspect to some of the scenes but it explains a lot also regarding the limitations of the series. The director is using too much fish eye effect, most of the time there is no clear reason nor need for it, it is not flashback-driven and seem to be used to hide the poverty of the background/sets. The editing is really odd between scenes: you jump out from one to another and it feel a bit amateurish. The camera moves are also sometimes a bit odd.

If I liked the premise of the story, the artsy context in which the characters are evolving, I was a bit disappointed by the way the script resolved out-of-screen or too quickly a lot of the conflicts and issues. Some situations seemed very dangerous and complicated but their resolution was kinda anti-climatic. The acting was not bad but not transcendent. Guo Jia Le, playing Qi Lu, had the most interesting character growth. He had also a believable chemistry with Zhang Xuan Yu, playing Qin Xiao. I was unfortunately less convinced by the chemistry of the secondary couple: it could have been much more interesting but it was a bit of a letdown (not sure if because of the acting or the script).

I would recommend this to people looking for a Chinese BL which does not shy away from what it is and do not disguise it as a bromance. It has a strong indie flavor which is not an issue in itself but the low budget is clearly felt and there are quite a bit of editing / production issue. There are some interesting and gritty parts in the script but the way the story unfold is far from perfect. I think it is quite comparable to the Chinese BL Addicted in terms of production value. So if you enjoyed it, you might as well want to give a shot to this one.

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Tender beginnings, hasty goodbyes!

This Chinese BL drama had a bit of a rocky start to the screen, getting cancelled before it was eventually picked up and aired. Felt like a win! Despite its troubled start, it still managed to pull me in with its raw performances.

The chemistry between the main leads Qi Lu and Qin Xiao, was evident from the very first episode. Their struggles and sacrifices for each other were portrayed with great sensitivity considering how the drama handled the difficult themes with grace. There’s a subtle yet profound tenderness in their shared moments.

They did a good job of giving both Qi Lu and Qin Xiao well-developed backstories especially Qi Lu’s traumatic experiences with his abusive father and Qin Xiao’s longing for a family. These aspects were explored thoughtfully, allowing us to really grasp the emotional weight and baggage each character carried around.
In the initial episodes, the moments were nuanced and carefully built giving the story that depth and authenticity but as the drama progressed, the pacing seemed to speed up. This abrupt shift made the character arcs feel incomplete. The slower, more thoughtful exploration of their struggles in the beginning was what made their stories so compelling, but in the end, to me it felt like they didn’t get the conclusion they deserved.

The secondary couple Tan Yin and Liu Ming Yang, add a sort of a unique dynamic to the story. Their relationship develops in a subtle but meaningful way with Tan Yin’s persistence to pursue Liu Ming Yang.
Their interactions felt natural, and them navigating the struggles together was sweet. However, I do feel like their storyline could have been given more depth. The resolution of their arc felt a bit rushed, and it would have been nice to see it explored a little more. At times, their conflicts felt a bit forced, complicating things unnecessarily.

However, it wasn’t without its flaws. The editing felt pretty choppy at times, overall making things feel a bit disconnected. You could also tell the show had a low budget with some of the production values being a bit obvious. But the biggest issue though was how rushed the last few episodes felt. Conflicts popped up out of nowhere and were resolved off-screen which left the ending feeling a little weak. Don’t get me wrong I don’t hate the ending, but given how strong the drama started it definitely felt like it was wrapped up too quickly. It was as if the show tried to tie things up too neatly without fully exploring the emotional implications of everything they'd been through. The way the conflicts were resolved could have been handled much better.

Overall, I will still recommend giving this a watch especially since there aren’t that many Chinese BLs out there. Yes, it has its flaws but the fact that they took a brave shot at something with the censorship around deserves props. If you're into love stories and don’t mind a bit of indie, low-budget vibe then definitely check it out!

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finally, a real bl from China, and so beautifully intimate

Oh how I loved this show. I've seen so many mixed reviews and while I understand the complaints, this story was an absolute gem.

In an attempt to avoid censorship by airing this as a webseries outside of China, they started off strong by pushing out the first 4 episodes on iqiyi, but of course the censorship gods got to the series so they had to take a long pause and figure out how to get this back on air. Eventually we got it back on Gagaoolala (which is great bc no one is more suitable to air this show than a Queer Taiwanese streaming platform), and I'm so proud of this Chinese team for fighting so hard to get here.

The story-- Qi Lu is a rich student artist desperate to get out from underneath his father's abusive thumb, one day he coincidentally meets his muse, a poor student artist Qin Xiao who's rough around the edges. After some back and forth they end up becoming close and deeper feelings start to form. The friendships and family dynamics are messy and realistic, but the restless romance between our leads is sweet, exciting, and wholesome. Their story plays out almost like a slice of life bromance that naturally develops into a romance, and its absolutely beautifully done.

What I love about this show is how effortlessly intimate it is. When their skin touches, you feel a warm buzz rush through you and the tension of the scene is a tight knot in your throat.

The actors-- they do such a great job making you fall in love with the characters, no over the top acting or cringe dramatics from our main leads. Full transparency, I skipped over almost all of the second couple romance, their story was a major miss for me. Initially I liked that there was deaf representation and they seemed cute enough, but to be honest their story is a bit of a toxic mess and the chemistry just isn't there.

My only other complaint in the story is the end, while I'd say it's a happy ending, it felt rushed and didn't leave you feeling quite satisfied. I do wonder how much of that was within their control, and its possible they ran out of budget, support, or other essentials mid filming.

The production-- honestly it was great, you can tell that this show didn't have an endless budget, but that didn't stop them from making it beautiful.

Overall I may have rated this higher than most people, but I have to follow my heart here. I loved these two, my recommendation is to skip the second side couple storyline and just fall in love with our main couple's beautiful intimate chemistry.

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strong start

Overall: the tension/chemistry led me to first rate this as a 9.5, but cliched writing and a rushed ending lowered my final rating. I gave this a slight rating bump because it's from China, had kisses, the ending could have been worse and the creators managed to get it to air 4 months after it was removed from iQIYI. 12 episodes about 30 minutes each. Aired (not in Japan or Korea) on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4856/blue-canvas-of-youthful-days-2024-e01 ; YouTube (not in Japan or Korea) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTB73Ibi_X3HZZP24Z0cwpC1PhZUYKI1Q and Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40802c-blue-canvas-of-youthful-days?locale=en

Content Warnings: murder?, death, past death, grief, physical child abuse (very violent and shown), beaten up, manhandling, manipulation, blackmail/coercion, non con picture taking/sharing/outing, mental health struggles, alcoholism

Watch Suggestions (to get some moping/nonsense stuff in the later episodes)
- end episode 5 at 22 min
- watch episode 6 25 min to the end
- watch episode 7 7:25-10
- watch episode 8 7-13
- watch episode 9 19:45-24:40
- watch episode 10 beginning-4, 12-12:45, 16-end
- watch episode 11 19-21:30, 24:10-end
- watch episode 12 beginning-4, 7-10 and 28:45-end

What I Liked
- characters and their dynamics
- sweet moments
- a hard of hearing character (though some things related to this didn't make sense to me)
- clear premise
- supportive grandpa

Room For Improvement
- some nonsense plot things
- not sure the ages of two characters
- a character should have first asked/talked to another character about what he wanted
- not a fan of a flash forward and then going back to the past to start a series
- too much blur effect in scenes
- in episode 6 a character veered into creepy stalker
- why didn't they make a character a boyfriend instead of a brother, that was weird
- lack of communication between the leads, lying by omission about some giant things
- angry about what they did with a character in ep 11
- 2 noble idiot cliches
- large time jump with a very non realistic reunion (watch past the initial end credits)
- rushed finale, choppy editing, gang that appeared out of nowhere practically, written out exposition dump
- lack of consequences for a trash character

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A canvas that required more details

I'll start off with saying that I am so happy we were able to get a proper release of this after we all had that scare with it being up and then removed.

This story had potential to be great, but I think the series as a whole struggled to feel cohesive. I also think they wanted to tell too many stories and lacked focus and/or resources to pull it off well. The ending felt very rushed and even though there were bits at the end suggesting that they reunited eventually, I still wasn't really a fan of it. It just left me with so many more questions.

One thing can't be overlooked, and that was the cast. I think they did amazing and really brought these characters to life. I just wish the story had been told better to really do them justice.

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Chinese BL dramas are hard for me to watch I'm still not over Addicted from 2016! But after seeing so many TikToks about this series, I decided to give it a chance.

That being said, I have to admit I really liked the cast. The actors had amazing chemistry and looked stunning on screen. However, there was something off about the storyline. For example, Qi Lu’s parents’ behavior toward him was absolutely questionable and downright toxic, that’s putting it nicely. And don’t even get me started on Tan Yin’s relationship with the professor. Like, he reminds you of your deceased brother, but you’re romantically interested in him? That dynamic threw me off several times.

Then there’s the ending… those last episodes. They left me with no closure at all. The show builds up all these events and delivers a constant flow of bad situations, so you’d expect a satisfying, dramatic conclusion. But nope. The protagonists end up leaving and lying to each other. Then the series jumps to future clips, leaving viewers to assume they got back together. This is followed by a rushed explanation of seven years of their lives in quick text, capped off with just five minutes of happiness.

Again, while I love the cast, the storyline just didn’t work for me.

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a real chinese BL, an emotinal rollercoaster

After the first four episodes:

While I am not a fan that this show starts with the ending in the first scene, it's ok when the story makes up for it.
The dynamics of the characters is interesting, including marginalized people like a nearly deaf boy is also a plus.
While the story may not be as polished as I prefer it, it is much much better compared to all the Thai crap we get now. We get a serious mature story with some funny and fluffy moments as well. Acting is also good and cinematography is also well done. The only downside is a still one-dimensional abusive father.

So far this show is a must watch and done very well.

Update:

First, we were lucky to get this BL completed, after the snafu after 4 episodes. Why they need to get censored so heavily while all the thai shows are shown in China without censorship is beyond me.

Second, the only flaw of this show is that Tan is able to speaks too fast and too easily after getting his hearing aid. If you have not been able to hear, it would not be that easy to learn to speak.

After watching the first four episodes I thought we got the outcome of this show in the first episode, but that's not the case. It was just a flash forward to happy times but this show is mostly not happy at all. All leads did an incredible job conveying their characters and emotions to give this BL a realistic feel.

It was an emotional rollercoaster with lot's of very sad moments, especially the disgusting Father of Qi Lu who is abusive and such an disgusting asshole that words can't describe him. Both couples are leads here and both couples had their own story and neither was an add-on like in some other shows. The final left a bit to be desired story-wise and it is a bit confusing to know what really happend to Qi Lu if you don't read the text AFTER the credits. I would have wished they would have altered Tan for the final scenes, because he looks the same. The first couple sacrifices for their partner and the second couple have their happy end a bit earlier after overcoming some traumatic past of Liu Ming Yang.

Overall this show was a must see and due to the acting I rated it with the highest rating even when story-wise it was not perfect. Regardless the show was well thought out, well scripted, amazingly acted and with great execution, cinematography, OST and casting. I also appreciate the inclusion of a handicapped character, who is a minorty of a minority.

If you have not seen it yet, I highly recommend it even if you need some tissues over the course of the twelve episodes.

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I turn on my computer thinking that Li Xi, the young film director and producer from mainland China, at 27 years old, seven of them dedicated to her profession after enrolling in a degree in Directing at the Beijing Film Academy in 2017, already has his name written within the Chinese and global film universe after creating works such as the short film with a theme of young love "When the fish meet the sea", nominated in 2022 for the Sixth Pingyao Film Festival "A corner of Pingyao".
While I explore the internet to locate the LGBT+ themed series directed by Li Xi that I want to see, I remember that it also won other awards, such as Best Actress and Best Film at the + MADRAS + International Film Festival, Best Film at the Festival Sunbender International Film Festival and Best Film at the Diamond Bell International Film Festival. And even more recent, the success of his original children's dramatic short "The First Grade Under the Lens", from 2023.
I start downloading the first episode of the web series, original, like the rest of his work. "Passing Through the Blue of My Youth", that's what it's called and that's how I like it: download the file to view it when and how many times I want.
"It seems that Li Xi has joined so many other renowned Chinese filmmakers and television directors who have portrayed homosexuality in their films, series and short films, with works such as 'River Knows Fish Heart', 'East Palace, West Palace', 'Spring Fever', 'For Love, We Can', 'Looking for Rohmer', 'Wu Yan – Speechless', 'Shangai Panic', 'Kinematic Theory', 'The Ambiguous Focus', Boss, I Love You, Find You in the Crowd 2, Find You in the Crowd, Find You in the Dream', and many others", they had told me hours before in the Editorial Board, and I wanted to confirm it.
I sit in front of the computer with a steaming cup of coffee and prepare to watch the first four episodes. "Chinese national beauty! Tanmei! Two male protagonists! Two couples of boys in love! The passion and visual talent of the Chinese director were ideal to bring the series to fruition," I jumped for joy in my seat.
There's another reason I'm drawn to 'Blue Canvas of Youthful Days', I think, as I sip a sip of the fiery black liquid: it's one of those Chinese homosexual dramas that have become something more, a sociological phenomenon.
I remember the precedent of 'The Raccoon', the gay film by Tang Shi, starring Weng Hai Bin and Wu Di in 2015, about two young Chinese university students who live in the same student residence and meet through a mistake with a blanket, and after being declared enemies or adversaries they gradually discover a deeper connection that transcends the initial animosity.
Well, I have already settled into my seat, and the images begin to flow. Each episode is more than 27 minutes long, and Xi Li is not in such a hurry as I imagined, she takes her time, from the first scene to the last.
'Blue Canvas of Youthful Days' also evokes in me the Chinese drama film of the romance and yaoi genre 'Nan She Nan Fen' ('Hard to Give Up'), filmed in 2016 by Hisa Ho, an adaptation of the famous novel 'Men's Men's Points'. There is also a painter, Su He, about 30 years old, who is having an affair with the young Er Meng, his model for drawing artistic nudes, while he prepares for an important exhibition in Japan and another in China, with a collection of works with the title "Difficult to abandon" or "Difficult to give up."
He tells me about the romantic relationship that arises between Qi Lu and Qin Xiao. The first is a talented 18-year-old painter in his last year of high school, who comes from a rich family of artists, who is forced to learn to paint since childhood under the controlling influence of his father. The second is Qin Xiao, a village boy, two years older, living in the city and equally an artistic prodigy with paintbrush in hand. He did not enroll in a university degree at the time because he was burdened by family responsibilities and financial difficulties from an early age. Now he is determined to enter a house of higher education.
Despite his poverty, Qin Xiao is cheerful, brave, and optimistic, while Qi Lu is the reserved, quiet, and pessimistic type, due to his mother's absence and his father's abuse. However, there is a transformation in the character since he joins his life with that of Qin Xiao.
The crucial moment of the meeting of the two protagonists occurs around the first 20 minutes of the first episode, which is not much time for what really happens. However, Li Xi manages to make the time barely noticeable, thanks to the use of a beautiful city landscape, intelligent editing and a very effective use of my expectations, that I know what is going to happen but not when. This entire first act is used to introduce me to the two protagonists, but also to tell me where and how the fall in love between them occurs.
With great changes and unexpected turns, I come to know that by rebelling against strict education and a father who beats him, Qi Lu decides to secretly attend Bo Xa Art Studio, to complete his preparation before entering University. There, in the classrooms of the young master painter Liu Ming Yang (Yao Xing Hao), he meets Qin Xiao. Despite starting out as archenemies, the two quickly break the ice and form a bond.
The episodes go by and the series captivates me even more. In a plot twist, I witness that to Qi Lu's surprise, Qin Xiao turns out to be the online artist "Lan" (Blue) that he has been looking for. Feeling unintentionally responsible for a punishment imposed on Qin Xiao, Qi Lu struggles to muster the courage to confess that he has discovered his secret, but does not wish to upset the seemingly irritable Qin Xiao, whose personality seems to be totally different from that of the artist he admire.
Therefore, he chooses to approach Qin Xiao in the hope of becoming friends. As they break the ice and grow closer, Qi Lu and Qin Xiao weave an indestructible bond.
I find it very beautiful that while Qi Lu admits to being in love with Qin Xiao, this boy experiences the process of self-acceptance. So we will see him suffer, walk anguished, as if he had no direction in life and was stumbling, while exploring his feelings and emotions. It seems like he wants to hug and kiss Qi Lu, especially when he realizes that he suffers from physical and psychological abuse from his father, but an invisible power holds him back. Until when? Will the time come when he will spread his wings and fly free?
Music, especially the theme song "We" (我們), by Chinese arranger and composer Yan Er, helps to enhance and recreate this process that can be long, difficult and terrifying when a young person tries to keep their true self hidden from both others. others as well as himself.
Producers Wang Wen Yin and Li Jue Xuan ('Hi! My Mr. Right', 2023), also an actress who plays Sun Xiaorui, the only member of the young cast with experience in front of the cameras, pleasantly surprise me with the excellent music, perfectly combined with the canvases and the laughter of the two boys that I soon begin to hear.
Despite the appearance of various characters throughout the series, Qin Xiao, a role played by Zhang Xuan Yu, and Qi Lu, played by Guo Jia Le, are discovered as full protagonists who symbolize something much more allegorical such as affection, the warmth, the physical attraction of two young people who without realizing it discover their homosexuality.
Both actors get into the skin of their characters and do what only real actors can do: bring a fictional character to life.
The director's skill lies in the fact that she focuses the main plot on the narrative act of the protagonists' discovery and acceptance of their sexual orientation, while they intertwine a beautiful story of friendship in which painting plays a transcendental role. Xi Lin moves me by transmitting the joy and love that the protagonists feel, through subtle resources that are gradually exposed.
I enjoy a feeling of placidity and tenderness through the images, images where the protagonists themselves discover themselves visually small before the greatness of love and pictorial art that surround them.
One of the keys to this transmission of love towards the person who has burst into his life is achieved through the essential performance of Zhang Xuan Yu: saying with his eyes, with his gestures, with his silences, much more than what his express mouth. The actor builds a well-rounded character, full of security expressed through small doses of aggressiveness and tons of tenderness that the character carries in his chest; of a body language that is both rough and tender, very elaborate. He has suffered, but he also knows the love of his grandfather and his friend Tan Yin (Xiao Zi Zhuo), and the kindness of painting teacher.
This actor's role manages to captivate and excite me. The actor manages to give real life to the character by creating a character and personality of his own, something that not many actors achieve. The series has great moments, all of them loaded with moving drama, scenes such as when the character vents his pain against a brick wall at the possibility that his grandfather, with Alzheimer's, has suffered an accident, or when he cannot contain his tears when seeing him safely back after getting lost when leaving home to watch a game of street chess in a nearby park, or how symbolic a photograph taken on a day visiting the zoo can be, great moments starring Zhang Xuan Yu.
Against this, Guo Jia Le plays the role of someone more extroverted and sensitive. I see how he rebels against his father in the television interview after winning an important prize in a painting contest, or when he flees from abuse and finds not only refuge and a place for artistic creation in the classrooms where Qin Xiao studies.
However, although on the surface they are opposites, both have deep inside a great desire for freedom, self-improvement and love that each one is capable of transmitting through their perfect interpretations.
"How is it possible for these rookies to achieve such magnificent and memorable performances?", I ask myself as I pour myself some more coffee from the container in which it is still warm.
"And this other character, Wei Jiayu (Hu Ze Ming), who I thought was the typical abusive and problematic student and then turns out to be a good guy, while he joins forces with the protagonists and falls in love with the also haughty painting student Sun Xiaorui”?, this question arises in my head.
The series, as a corpus, is capable of germinating warm fragments of humanity, in which I discover the most vivid features of the human condition of LGBT+ people.
Its plot, populated by areas of light and shadows, with climate, nerve and dramatic meat, places its emotional core in everyday situations inhabited by real human beings - in all the extension and connotations of the term - who expose their intimate dramas in a very realistic, very natural tessitura, without forcing emotions or managing empathy at all costs through melodramatic underlinings or cheap script blows.
The series, although at a certain point it is not complete and still requires much more rigor in certain areas, deserves all my admiration. There is too much creative talent, dreams, and desire to do involved in its existence, to avoid or undermine it.
To the good character study of 'Blue Canvas of Youthful Days', add its fortunate acting defense. Its story progresses, in part, thanks to the reflections of its creators on very recognizable human conflicts in today's world, and thanks to its performers (it is impossible not to make a special mention here of the histrionic competence of Xiao Zi Zhuo, the actor who plays Qin Xiao's hearing-impaired friend and tenant, and who takes care of Qin Xiao's grandfather when he is in the classrooms at Bo Xa Art Studio, and Yao Xing Hao, who plays painting teacher Liu Ming Yang. These two characters will make up a second couple.
'Blue Canvas of Youthful Days' breathes art from all sides in a literal way. That is why its presentation and farewell cannot be any other way than through the application of the pictorial and photographic universe to cinematographic language in terms of color and shape, sharing a common grammar, fulfilling the requirement of imitating pictorial and iconographic values. to get closer to the artistic.
I turn off the computer thinking about Qin Xiao and Qi Lu. There is both love and pain in her story; It is as tender as it is sad and addictive, as happy as it is heartbreaking and romantic, that I think I will never be able to forget it.
I turn off the computer and my Internet connection. I look forward to the next episodes.
The leftover, untasted coffee has cooled in my hands.

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