Nutmegfluff

Thanks for being one of the first people I've seen on this platform to properly address the difference between bromance and censored BL!

Outside of the fact that that was one of the most traumatic parent reactions I've seen in recent BLs, my first thought was: how is Shen Nan getting water/food? There's bars on the window and no gap in the door. Unless the father went through psychopathic levels to keep him in there, like sneaking in at odd times and making random schedules to prevent Shen Nan from rushing and over powering him, I saw no food in that room... I don't know why I'm even fixated on this...😅

I feel so sorry for the ML…every episode is just him being raked across the coals by the FL. I kinda don’t want him and the FL to end up together…
Atp, I either wish he would tell her about his condition. Or he dies in her arms so she can realize that her revenge has blinded her from realizing what’s really important. Their love for each other. Then she’ll know all this lying was futile and she should’ve just enjoyed their reunion and the brief time they have together…and then she has to spend the rest of her life living in regret.

Wow! This is definitely going on my watch list! I’m excited to see Pond in another BL so soon! But… that hair cut is… really something… it’s unflattering, startling, fake looking, shaggy, and at some angles, pretty? I’ve never been so confused by a hair cut before 😅

EP. 5 Timestamp: 13:00 minutes
And I quote (WeTV): Don't worry. I won’t tell Cheng Fengjie anything. I’m deaf and mute.
Gaga/IQIYI: I can't hear and I can't speak.
Idk what else to tell you. Other than that he's NEVER said I'm NOT mute.

Thank you 😊

He told Zi Xiang that he is mute, so I'm just going based off what he told him in the show, but I agree that it could've happened when he was so young that maybe he doesn't feel comfortable speaking anymore.
But also, you can muteness from severe viral or bacterial infections, like meningitis- which can cause permanent speech loss and deafness.
So whatever rendered him deaf could've also left him permanently mute as well. It's hard to say without more details.

Lmaooo 10 ft tall; so real tho! Shaopeng said he was deaf and mute in Ep. 5 :)

The emperor used the antidote/ cure for his illness by giving it SM and then died at the end, transferring power to the crown prince who made the country a better place. Truly the best emperor I’ve seen in a Cdrama in a long time. He set up a trap to destroy Prince Qing and the Empress all because of revenge for SM’s uncle. JY was actually good all along, but he worked in the shadows He always planned to root out the corruption of the country and only pretended to be on PQ’s side. He eventually retires from his duties as a minster to become a monk again and let go of his worldly obsessions. Turns out he didn’t repeat his past mistakes. WS never comes back on screen but he’s mentioned in passing as being restored to official duties and works hand in hand with the new emperor.
My favorite Cdrama I’ve watched all year after a line of stinkers.

I think you’re thinking about KMLM. They changed the ending from HE to BE. TSOPG never had a proper novel ending, unfortunately. I tried to read it so that I would find out what would happen to YZJ/if it had a HE to no avail… clearly, the screenplay writers took that at liberty and wrote the most unfulfilling SE ever…. I’m still bitter about both btw 😭

I agree that it's a bromance based on a bromance Korean drama, but sometimes it gets a little tiring to see Word of Honor being brought in as an exemplar bromance. It's situation is completely different compared to both School 2013 and High School Frenemy.
Word of Honor is, first and foremost, based on a BL (danmei) novel (i.e. their romantic relationship is canon), which, due to censorship, could not depict their relationship in its entirety. But the creators and cast tried everything in their power to keep the same sentiments despite the government censorship. They make it very obvious that their relationship is romantic in the best way they possibly could given their predicament. Everything from the censored dialogue, which can still be read from their lips (WKX literally says wo ai ni (I love you,) to ZZS before transferring his qi in the finale)) to the cut sleeves/tapping buns/catching two rabbits (all signs of homosexuality), the gift of a hair pin (a love token/engagement gift)etc. indicates to me that what they had in the series was truly a romantic relationship. It just takes more work to read between the lines, due to the censorship.
But neither School 2013 nor High School Frenemy are acting under those same suffocating rules and regulations, therefore, I think that while the subtext is very strong in High School Frenemy, I see their relationship as truly platonic soulmates. Which is also a beautiful thing and definitely possible too. Sometimes, people forget just how amazing true friendship is and it's just as valuable and treasured as romantic relationships 😊
Don't get me wrong. What is happening in High School Frenemy definitely dances on the line and I'm enjoying every second of it. But I find the circumstances behind true bromances, like this show, or my favorite, Devil Judge, and dangai dramas, which are based on censored BL works and had no choice but to be more "bromancy" (The Untamed (which also has another great lip reading moment where WWX asks LWJ if he romantically likes him, before laughing it off in Xuanwu's Cave) Guardian, Winter Begonia, Word of Honor etc.) to be fundamentally different due to their intent. Like there's subtext and then there's censored subtext.

I think he when he was brooding while drinking liquor, he hoped Wan would confess as a last chance. When he didn’t, I think he just wanted to take something for the road 😂

And possibly to cause Wan as much pain as Wan had caused him over the past few weeks. It was the ultimate revenge porn 😏

The highlight of Ep. 8 was seeing how meanly Pah treated Ba-Mhee after cheating. I'd be doing the same thing if I were in his shoes and had to watch my friend cry alone in the sound recording booth while blaming himself.
Pah was the MVP of this episode; I love how he had Tae's back.

I'm going to skip all the GL scenes going forward. I don't care for their cheater storyline.
While Ba-Mhee is the most at fault, as it's her committed relationship and not Judy's responsibility to save it, I especially hated how Judy kept openly flirting with Ba-Mhee in this episode, despite her still being in a relationship.
She's her boss and a grown-a** adult, but during this episode, she decided to add home wrecker to her resume.
I'd rather see Tae get a revenge boyfriend *cough* Jimmy atp.
I hope next week we get more JaneRyan. Feels like they've been taking a backseat amidst the cheating-love triangle drama 😅

I’m sorry for the slow response… I was preparing myself for school and my final trip… and then I was too pissed off after seeing Yamanami- sama’s (yes, he gets a sama) death to say anything lol

Even though the sequence was so well done and it was intentionally frustrating and emotional, I just peaced out mentally from the loss of my second favorite character using the same story beats as my first favorite character 😂

This sounds like an amazing book. Thanks for the link btw! Do you recommend I watch the drama first, as to not be disappointed by the poor resolution of a major conflict, or should I read the novel for more context of the characters actions?

From the very little things I know about LYF, I always felt that TSJ would be my favorite love interest (cute fox boy who is saved by the MC? Yes, please!), but the way he’s described by viewers is less than savory. It makes sense though that if everyone has reduced the characters to simply love interests that the natural progression would be to gloss over their positive attributes as individuals if they’re not the viewers’ OTP choice.

I love how you described XL and XY as soul mates, but not lovers.
A soul mate doesn’t have to be romantic. And throughout life, a person can find multiple soulmates, perhaps romantic or not. My Jewish friend describes our mutual friend and myself as one of her eighteen soulmates. Perhaps all four love interests of XY are her soulmates, however, only TSJ was her romantic soulmate.

The fact that everyone has different interpretations of the characters goes to show how multi-dimensional and well-written they are, which can be both beautiful… and frustrating 🤣
I still get into discussions with my friend about Fruits Basket years later (and she still fails to understand why the MC chose the ML as her husband 😂)

Maybe when Kyujuro and Daisaku fight on the pier, they also include the death of the Shinsengumi organization and then everyone will get a montage death scene, finally drawing this ‘dying organization’ to a close. Which I fully support 😂 Spoilers, I did watch Ep. 16, but after Yamanami died, and Daisaku sealed his fate against the Choshu faction, and Shinnojo decided to LEAVE THE SHINSENGUMI (good luck, bro) I stopped giving a damn who lives and dies. I’m with you. Let them all die atp!

Honestly, I think your prediction that the series will end with the death of Ito-dono, which will be the final hammer coming down (the last chance for the “talented” members to be whisked away to a better fate), and Daisaku’s death at the hands of Kyujuro, is pretty sound. I can’t imagine them squeezing in one more arc into the next 4 episodes. Unless they pull our legs and the series gets a second season, pt. 3 😩

If Okita does make it to the end, he’ll be out of commission physically. He retires to die “in peace” and I have a feeling he might have a regret monologue as he says goodbye to the cherry blossoms or something…

Spy Saito is not so good at spying, given how Ito caught him at the onsen 😆 But maybe he’ll improve by the end of the series.

Daisaku’s only goal is to return Kyujuro back to the pure-hearted boy who healed him beneath the stars lo those many months ago… after blaming himself for taking Kyujuro’s innocence, Daisaku’s sole purpose for living is to give back all the love Kyujuro poured into him and protect him at the inevitable cost of his life.
It reminds me of one of my favorite Bollywood movies, Jab We Met. Only difference is there will be no happy ending 😂
I did get a little sad when Sakamoto told Daisaku he had the saddest eyes, to which Daisaku responded he had no choice. After remembering their dream to run away into the mountains and start a tea shop, and watching Daisaku attempt to remove the hit on Kyujuro’s back by diverting it towards his own, thereby severing that dream entirely, I totally gave up on my fantasy that perhaps old age Kyujuro is talking to Daisaku’s grave, after burying him next to their shared tea shop… it’s hopeless…I know that, but now I finally accept it 😅

I thought Kyujuro was avoiding Daisaku because he was suspicious of him, but it turns out… no Kyujuro is still a dumbass and seemed to be avoiding Daisaku, because he wasn’t ready to face the truth of his actions. He became a murderer saving Daisaku, who then rejected his new “path” (which, as you discussed, he’s only on because it diverts and justifies his actions and enables him to ignore the gnawing guilt). It was too much of a slap in the face. And the fact that Daisaku wanted to remind him of his humanity, which would only serve to force him to face his actions and resulting feelings, meant that he ended up directing a lot of his aggression towards Daisaku. It makes sense. But I do wish Kyujuro could’ve pieced together that Daisaku is the spy… he could’ve saved Daisaku from making all these difficult decisions behind scenes…

Totally true. If manga Daisaku decided to save Kyujuro (which he did multiple times from so many different assassins who hated Kyujuro after he killed Shonai), I’d believe in him. But if Kyujuro’s life rests in drama Daisaku’s hands… we’re doomed 💀
The one positive about everyone being confused dumbasses, besides Shinnojo, is that they really do all act their age 😄

I think Daisaku was always a mature, sensitive character, but he “cut [his] heart” after the death of his friend and it changed him to be a volatile, closed off individual. Old Daisaku was a little emotionally immature compared to S2 Daisaku, in that he knocked anyone who got too close to his heart down a notch with his words and dismissive attitude.
Now that Kyujuro has returned his humanity to him, he’s finally his true self. A kind, learned, self-sacrificing individual.
It’s just more proof that single minded directives and senselessly following a principle or ideology reduces a person to their most base performance.

Oh god. It’s definitely not a bromance. It’s a romance. At least from Daisaku’s end. This is just my opinion, but I think of Daisaku’s love as unrequited. But still very romantic and extremely angsty.
I don’t think Kyujuro has romantic feelings for Daisaku. Daisaku’s feelings clearly grew from that experience by the river. But I think Kyujuro views him as close friend and one to be grateful for. It could change as the series goes on… or he won’t realize it until it’s too late, as he’s very innocent.
But this is just my feelings. I don’t sense the same romantic sentiments emanating from Kyujuro.
And it makes sense too. Because Kyujuro has been a little too busy burying and mulling over other things haha

It’s understandable if people want to label it as queerbaiting too. But if it was a BL, its budget and vision definitely would’ve been limited.

Yeah, I think Kyujuro has just lived a very sheltered life and he doesn’t know how to process the intense violence and sadness he has experienced in the past year. Which I mean… how could most people, much less someone with Kyujuro’s upbringing. Like you said, he doesn’t belong there. And without Daisaku… he’d be very dead lol

Yeah, I think Kyujuro will one day realize how deep Daisaku’s love for him was and that it was romantic. But by then, he’ll be long gone.
And what else can Daisaku do, but continue to watch over and protect his loved one. It’s poignant and there’s a part of me that loves it from an enjoyer of unrequited love and pain, but I agree. It’s sad af.
It’s so much worse than I could’ve ever imagined when I first started watching this series.

I agree; I prefer S1 too. It was very unique. A sad, thought provoking Bakamatsu era drama is a dime a dozen 😂 I’m still waiting for a fluffy, slice of life Shinsengumi drama, but I’m about as likely to get that as I am a BL costume drama from China so ✌️

I have been meaning to watch Love Like the Galaxy. That sounds depressing af though. Although, Zhao Lusi and Leo Wu? Sign me up lol
Instead, I watched The Blue Whisperer, because it’s been on my list too long and omg… talk about angsty miscommunication 😳

Wow, there’s some similarities between Daisaku and XL, but not nearly to the same magnitude, I’m sure. That’s true love at its finest. Giving without asking for anything in return.
I also don’t mind the truth never coming out, as it’s not what the character would want and it excludes the purpose. Poor XL… I don’t even know this poor dude, but my heart is sad for him…

It looks like Daisaku has completely given up on his life as a spy and taking that Choshu rebel’s life has severed his ties with the Ishin shishi… to which I want to slap him… because omg… I feel like a lot of this is very avoidable. But, once again, as we’ve discussed in the past, that’s kinda the point… All of this is so frickin’ avoidable! ESPECIALLY YAMANAMI’S DEATH OMG ISTG I WAS SHAKING WITH RAGE! Ignoring history, Yamanami is the only person who 100% DESERVED that HE!

Poor Kyujuro and Namu. They’re really playing with the Big Dogs lol
Another aspect of the horrors of war that the show wants to highlight. The war between all the powers that be have consequences on the uninvolved Little Guy. They get drawn into a fight in which they have no stakes to begin with. Despite the fact that those in power imploded the Everyday Man’s entire existence, their lives and deaths are treated as little more than trinkets….

Yeah, in a different life, Daisaku and his friends likely would’ve been landowning samurai, but the Shogunate took that from them.
Katsura Kogoro made a good point in Ep. 16, that cute ideologies and friendships are nice and all, but in the face of those who have been burned and backed into a corner, they’re nothing.
The Shinsengumi’s lofty goals to finally be accepted as members of the samurai class, despite their backgrounds, together, as they promised in their youths, is all fine and good.
But against the wills of those who have been shit on by the Shogunate, they’re child’s play.
So long as the Shogunate continues to mercilessly wield their power, there will always be those, like Shonai, willing to lay their lives on the line to dismantle the current government.

🤣I’m laughing so hard at your comment about wanting to punch Kyujuro haha I agree…Daisaku’s feelings are so unequivocally one-sided that it’s painful to watch. He literally gave up his friends’ plights for that ignorant dolt, Kyujuro because he fed him oshiruko and rubbed his back (which I mean, fine, that’s a good thing overall. End the cycle of revenge blah blah).

Yamanami-sama’s character is extremely well written and the events leading to his death made lots of sense. I’m glad that someone actually took Serizawa’s words to heart haha
And it looks like Yamanami-sama’s words have impacted a couple of rookies. Thank god. Because there’s only so many times we can have a beloved, controversial character, spout ideologies and discredit the Shinsengumi before it stops losing its shine haha If Ito-dono also follows down the same path as Yamanami-sama and Serizawa, I will honestly laugh.
Despite having many of the same parallels as Serizawa, I thought his death was appropriate. He went down swinging for his beliefs. He wanted to make a point. It succeeded… in upsetting me haha

Yup, Okita definitely idolizes his older brothers and on top of that, with his death imminent, he wants to have a purpose for his short life and be remembered in the analogues of history (which, did happen, but at what cost…) I’m just waiting for him to drop dead atp too…

I miss Serizawa so much… I can’t believe I’m still missing him all these episodes later, but that was the impact he had on the show.
I’m glad that Sakamoto Ryoma finally decided to join the damn party after being missing for so long. It looks like he’ll finally start to have more of a role. It’s to be determined if he can match Serizawa’s awesomeness. But I’m glad to just finally see him involved after literally peacing out like 5 episodes ago lol

What’s interesting is that Yamanani-sama’s speech kinda mirrored Kyujuro’s speech in the manga. In the manga, Kyujuro kills many men before killing Shonai, but he only feels the guilt after murdering Shonai because he put a pause on his life after his dad’s death. Killing Shonai breaks the spell and results in him having this absolute existential crisis over every life he’s taken. Sakamoto decides to help Kyujuro because he finds the light on his own in a magnificent speech about how pointless everything is, but drama Kyujuro is a little dumber 😅 so it makes sense haha

Hahaha, Hijikata is a noble character and before he became so extreme in his actions (I was worried Kyujuro would start following in his footsteps for a second there…), there was a lot to admire, so I understand why you felt that way. Also, he really did have that perfect elder brother trope going for him (I’m glad your older sister is not going to follow in his footsteps lmao) Drama Hijikata is single handedly trying to drive the Shinsengumi into the ground….
While he is not my favorite person in history, Hijikata really believed in what he was doing… it’s too bad that it some awful consequences.

Dude… Namu and Shinnojo are doomed 💀 After seeing the Ep. 17 preview, THEY ARE BREAKING UP. AND EVEN THE PREVIEW TEXT DESCRIBED THEIR LOVE AS ENDING 💀Finally, they acknowledged its romantic love (they used the character for romantic love… AT THE MOMENT OF THEIR BREAKUP!! SCREW THESE CREATORS!!!) I’m about to bash my head against a pillar or slit my throat with a sword istg….
Serizawa’s death, the Ikedaya incident, becoming Ito-dono’s favorite, and now Yamanami-sama’s death… it’s all too much for Shinnojo. I understand why he’s leaving. And he doesn’t want to drag Namu into an uncertain fate that he knows will likely result in seppuku… but why… I totally agree. Shinnojo’s presence is necessary amongst these emotional young men, and Shinnojo and Namu’s relationship is still the shining star of this drama…
I’m so sad… I cried a little on the inside when Shinnojo said he missed laundry. All my dude wants to do is be Namu’s housewife in the mountain and life is cruel….I even spent all Ep. 14 crying on the inside at Namunosuke saying Shinnojo no longer needed him… in fact, he needs him more than ever…

It’s sometimes frustrating, because I want to treat this as a short form, light drama, but there is a sentimentality and earnest bittersweet mess that won’t allow me to blow this drama off. Maybe because real lives were at stake at one point… but as we’re coming to a close, I truly do become a little sadder with every passing death and separation…

Bro same. I just want everyone to die atp. I’ve never said that so strongly before.
Sometimes I like when one or two people can live on for those that are gone. But nope. I want insta death for everyone at this total lack of party….
When Daisaku said he wanted to see the fireworks… I was like: oh, you’ll see those fireworks alright, but not in the way you expect 😅

Wow, I might be in the minority, but I loved the ending and I’m satisfied that we never really know for certain whether Vee is Khun Wad’s reincarnation. Because, like the show said, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was San had chosen to give whole hearted love a second chance and start living his life again.

All of us have or will, at some point, lose a loved one. And likely none of us will ever be certain if we’re going to meet them again while we’re still alive, reincarnation or not, with our present memories intact.
We’ll all have to mourn that loss, but we can’t stop living just because our loved ones are no longer physically present in our lives.
San devoted his entire life to waiting for Wad. He did acts of service for the temple, but he avoided regular life, refusing to even be in family pictures.
He’d never even been to a theme park before Vee. He considered himself an anomaly. He was in stasis, paying penance for not protecting the person he loved. Vee dragged him out of his self imposed purgatory.

My interpretation is that San’s nightly pain was caused by his heartbreak, torment, and guilt, but it manifested physically due to the poison. It’s kinda like how we’re the saddest when we’re up at night, alone in bed, mulling over our darkest thoughts.
This entire time, I thought that Vee healed San’s pain every night because he was the real reincarnation.
But I think the real reason why San was healed by being in proximity and sharing the same bed with Vee is because he was falling in love with him/had fallen in love with him and was steadily moving on.
He no longer spent all night remembering and regretting, because he had someone else to love in his arms now.

I loved the message of this drama and was genuinely pleasantly surprised we never got a confirmation about who was the true reincarnation of Khun Wad’s soul. It’s up to our interpretation, but at the end of the day, all that matters is that San and Vee are happy, together at last.

I’ll really miss this show, warts and all! I'll especially miss all the relationships between the family members and friends. I hope Juu meets her soulmate soon; she was the best wingwoman every✌️

Also... A'Tao and Dr. Third anyone?

This drama is testing me as an international fan... uncut version on IQIYI Thailand, no subtitles on Kisskh, cut version on YT with broken subs on Ep. 1 Pt. 3...but, I'm hanging in there. I've been waiting for this project for too long to quit now!

Omg, same! I used to love watching Japanese movies as a kid too! Especially the samurai movies lol

Yeah, I’m a little newer to the idol/traffic stars dramas and a lot of them really don’t need to be over 40 episodes 😑
It’s also probably hard to discern which shows are deserving of the longer episode length, so a mandatory cut off was necessary, but I wish it had been stretched to 50 episodes, as you can totally tell when some stories were cut for time.
Eventually, I think the screenwriters will learn how to more appropriately pair down their stories, but the new laws specifying 40 episodes of no more than 45 minutes is relatively new and I think writers are just trying to figure out how to adapt without filler episodes lol

Hahahaha I love that honestly. Kill them all! That’s how I feel about this drama… just let all the Shinsengumi die already. If it wasn’t historical, I wouldn’t even want Saito to live, as I feel like it’ll be genuinely sad to see him as one of the last ones standing. Plus, he’s a killer, so…

Lol, yeah, it’s almost impossible to be a decent emperor in a Chinese drama. Even when they technically do nothing wrong, you still low-key hate them lol Comes with the territory.
That’s actually really interesting- I read in the spoilers that it’s called Lost You Forever because CX loses XY forever. Idk if that’s true, but I really didn’t assume they were cousins, based on him being a love interest (I realize it was a different time, but with my modern day sensibilities, it still throws me for a loop. All my cousins are nimrods and I watched them grow up lol)
Interesting how all these characters are interrelated to one another.
I really appreciate when stories are adapted 1:1, even if I’m not a novel fan.
The original book fans deserve to have their favorite stories unfold as they imagined, breathing life into their beloved characters. 
I can appreciate a good adaptation too, even if there are some liberties taken, but I feel like 1) if it strays too far into the realm of the unrecognizable, what’s the point? And 2) the changes often don’t serve to elevate the material.
It’s really cool that the author was a screenwriter and involved heavily in the project!

That’s really interesting actually. I definitely know that XL is the most popular love interest, especially in international circles, and that’s likely all I know about him too. And that he gave his heart blood (?) by tapping his chest like a tree gets tapped for syrup lol
It’s kinda beautiful to think that he was the only one responsible for carving his own path, even if that path led to a tragic end. I think we can all respect that level of conviction, to a certain degree (I guess it depends on what their legacy was in history though lol)
I’m interested to read the book to get to know XL outside of being the 3ML.
Where did you read the book? Did you find it on Novel Updates?
I saw another interesting comment that mentioned TSJ was like the story of a SML actually getting the girl, because CX is the ML and idk, that kinda made me laugh since I often times suffer from second lead syndrome.

Same. Unless I’m fully committed, then I’m a notorious Cdrama skipper. I hit all the highlights just enough to understand the basics…(I’m also that person trolling the comment section to pick up on all the things I missed due to my watching habits). I don’t understand people that can watch a bunch of Cdramas in a year to competition.

Wow, that’s quite the tagline 😭
… your destiny is to kill someone-even if it wasn’t the person you cared for, to be nothing but a sharp sword is a sad fate.
Hahaha, yeah, they made the pairings pretty obvious, but I’m glad they’re just leaning into it atp on the relationship chart. I refuse to look a ShinNamu as anything other than romantic.

Yeah, I freaked out when they introduced Ito Kashitaro and, I think, Mikisaburo Suzuki? Shit is about to get real lol

Kondo is definitely taking a central role in Pt 2 with Serizawa gone. I’m always a little surprised to see his more strategic, intelligent side now, after he spent so many episodes in Serizawa’s shadow, sitting, with his brush hovered over a scroll, never actually writing anything for the first half 😂
But you’re right. Kondo is not fooled by anyone. He was even strategic when asking Kyujuro to join the Shinsengumi. He saw that killing intent after the death of his father and likely thought: I can turn him into a well honed, sharp blade…it was his decision with Okita to place Daisaku with Yamanami too.
Definitely not a nice person… but then how can you be if you’re to lead the Shinsengumi. He’s more similar to Hijikata than he first appeared. The only difference is he doesn’t wear his ruthlessness on his sleeve.
Yeah, totally agree; it makes sense why Serizawa teamed up with Kondo. It was a gamble that ended poorly for him, but he probably wouldn’t have chosen a different outcome either way.

Yeah, it’s too bad background checks didn’t exist lol
Like you said, it definitely made sense Daisaku was willing to sever his soul to be a spy. I think anyone who’s a spy has the expect that it could be a mission they never come back from 😳 I wonder if Okita is also clued into Daisaku’s identity, but he’s just so busy with his illness he doesn’t have the energy to hunt him the way Hijikata does…
Absolutely true. As awful as a lot of Gengo’s actions were, it makes sense as both he and Daisaku were pretty much asked to throw away their humanity for the cause. For good or bad, Gengo never met a Kyujuro that re-lit his humanity, which is why Daisaku wishes they’d never met. Now Daisaku is clouded with doubt over his cause, which only complicates his situation, meanwhile, it’s like Kyujuro siphoned and absorbed Daisaku’s resolve from the first few episodes, and now he’s fully drank the Kool-Aid and committed to the Shinsengumi plight 😓
I definitely agree with your overall summation of their relationship and how Kyujuro broke down Daisaku’s walls. It’s unfortunate that the result of their connection had unintended consequences.
Kyujuro definitely wouldn’t have unleashed his bloodlust, as Kondo hoped, if Daisaku hadn’t been the catalyst. They’re never on the same page when it counts 😭

Yeah, if Hijikata knew knew who was the spy, he would’ve tortured Daisaku for info by now lmao
Kondo is holding onto the info because he knows he can use Daisaku later down the line and that Hijikata’s methods are way too extreme. Hijikata doesn’t think that way. The fact that Kondo bookmarks people for later use shows why he and Serizawa got along so well.

I agree. If Daisaku just spilled the beans, Kyujuro would probably be pissed, but I can see him letting Daisaku go. Probably have a whole Simba monologue: run away Scar, and never return 😂
Manga Daisaku was much smarter. He knew how the play the game. He always helped Kyujuro, but he never strayed from his path. Because once you’ve sold your soul, the price to buy it back is too high.
Daisaku is nuts if he thinks he can exist in the Shinsengumi with his emotions in turmoil. He’d be better off either running away (but he’d probably be hunted down) or killing himself atp (sounds cruel, but it would save him from more unimaginable suffering).

Ikr! When I heard Daisaku repeat the line, I was like: so we all KNOW Daisaku is dying now, right? I didn’t see Kyujuro either. But maybe I’ll go back and rewatch to check.

Nope, Kondo didn’t. Which is why it’s so laughably cruel that Hijikata has charged Daisaku with finding the traitor WHILE Kondo was standing there, saying nothing. Once again, Kyujuro is being sent out blindly, totally unprepared for the cost of his loyalty. Meanwhile, Kondo doesn’t want to necessarily point Kyujuro at his friend atm. He wants to wait to see how it’ll play out.
It’s extremely twisted. I agree. Just another example of the older generation using the younger generation’s energy and abilities to mete out their own sick sense of justice.

I’m actually going to do what you did and angry clean when I have to watch Yamanami die… yeah, maybe Saito and Suzuki will be the final OTP 😂

Dude, I agree. 
Drama Katsuragi is so shrewd/ he has also severed his heart, so the lack of empathy he has towards his own men makes him just as sick as the Aizu Lord, but, as you said, I can get behind Katsuragi more because he likely has been treated like Kondo was in Ep. 12 by a bunch of opulent, spoiled brats and decided he had enough.
And sometimes, when your enemies fight dirty, you have to be willing to get down in the mud with them.
Also, yes, Shonai was important to the cause. It definitely makes sense he would ask Daisaku, Shonai’s bestie, to get revenge for him too. I don’t think it’s as psychologically twisted as say, asking Kyujuro to find and kill a spy, knowing that it is likely his best friend.

Me too. I understand the Ishin shishi. The feudal system dictated that the lives of the commoner was hardly better than an ant. Fat cats, like the Aizu Lord, were contemptible. Fuck the feudal system lol

Yeah… we really need Sakamoto Ryoma…. I’m hoping to see him Ep. 13, since, you’re right. This is the point at which Kyujuro would seek out his perspective… but, this Kyujuro is so far gone 😂 I don’t know how he can be Kyujuro’s “world teacher” rn 😆

Yeah, I don’t think they actually did it, but that is the reason why Kondo was beheaded. But I don’t remember anymore, so I’m trust you lol

I think Okita was ruthless, efficient killer because he truly believed that in the matters of dispensing true justice, you have to be objective. He literally just became a sword that Kondo could point at his enemies. I don’t think he really thought about right and wrong in the conventional sense. Irl, he was just a really talented teenager that remained loyal to role model.
When he says sever your heart, he is calling for the wielder to keep his heart free of passion. He doesn’t kill out of a sense of revenge, ambition, desire, or hatred, just like the blade. He clears his mind and swings his blade; only then can you clear your objectives. Whenever I see his sword in the drama, it always looks like pure steel, colorless and without motive. He’s the definition of putting your nose to the grindstone.
Whereas, I think Kyujuro has decided to be ruthless, like Shonai, because it’s how he protects his heart. Deep down, Kyujuro is the innocent tea shop boy, raised by his pacifist father. He knows killing is wrong. Revenge begets more revenge. But he is struggling with facing his actions, so it’s easier just “sever his heart.”
But he doesn’t do it with the same intentions as Okita.
He is stronger when his blade moves on behalf of others. But right now, he’s turning into an attack dog, indiscriminately killing all Choshu rebels.

I don’t think Kyujuro is aware Sakamoto is Ishin shishi until the end, when he has given up on the Shinsengumi. I think rn he just thinks his an eccentric, educated weirdo 😆

Definitely. Daisaku is getting jumped back into the cause for sure, but this time, two (maybe more) people are already suspicious of him… he’s not the best spy, right? 😂
Yeah, you’re right. Daisaku never tried to strangle Kyujuro in his sleep. Definitely they’ve added another dimension to their already complicated relationship… because nothing says complex like wrestling with killing the one you love 😅
The screenwriters really wanted to put Daisaku through the wringer…
Seeing the Shonai conflict really reminded me of Rome & Juliet, when Tybalt was murdered by Romeo for murdering Mercutio, with Juliet lamenting that her husband was her cousin’s murderer.
Yeah, they’ve really shoved down our throats how miserable the past of the Shinsengumi was and I’m like: dude, I get it. We know the tale.
I’m wondering if part of the purpose to prep the viewers for tragedy, as if to say, don’t be distracted by the dance numbers 😆 Nobody can be outraged by the ending, no matter how sad it may be, as they’ve been warned.

I think that is 100% my fault. I think I explained the ending very poorly 😅
The reason why I don’t really blame Kyujuro from the manga is because basically, Daisaku forced his hand first.
Hijikata charged Kyujuro with killing Daisaku, as it was his responsibility due to their friendship and not noticing his spying. It was to test his loyalty. Kyujuro went to Daisaku, and told him to run away, while Kyujuro would make up some excuses to distract the Shinsengumi. Daisaku said no, because 1) Hijikata would make Kyujuro kill himself for letting Daisaku escape, to pay for his friend’s crimes. And 2) Daisaku wouldn’t make it out of the city alive, with the entire Shinsengumi on his tail. He drew his sword on Kyujuro and forced him to fight him to the death. He didn’t want to see Kyujuro die for his choice.
I guess Kyujuro could’ve laid down his blade and let Daisaku spear him to death, but I’m glad that Kyujuro didn’t just give up and let the shittiness of the situation take his life. Not after he saw the light at the end of the tunnel and genuinely wanted to change his lot in life. Both of them were true warriors till the end. The fact that they fought brilliantly, despite having no choice, letting skill and chance be the decider of who lived, was the only choice they could’ve made for either to die with their boots on. They fought fair and square. Better to end by a friend than that douche bag Hijikata lol And taking their own lives would’ve been no different than letting Hijikata win or admitting Hijikata was right and their path was wrong.
With Kyujuro’s survival, I believe he truly expanded his horizons/uses his experiences and then one day comes back to help Japan usher in the age of peace and modernization.

LMAO that’s so true! Kyujuro really eats denial for breakfast every morning. If he stopped and thought about it for more than 2 seconds, he would’ve known like 3-4 episodes ago Daisaku was suss af. And then Shonai saying: traitor while facing Daisaku should’ve brought together all of Kyujuro’s combined experiences to a head. He should’ve known in that exact moment it was Daisaku, without a shadow of a doubt. Like c’mon dude. Observe! 😆
I do wonder if Kyujuro suspects it’s Daisaku deep down, but it’s too painful for him to entertain the possibility atm….

That’s true; he’s no longer innocent… maybe now that his innocence is stripped, he’ll finally figure it out!

Shinnojo read Daisaku like a book, even while he’s been distracted by Namu 😂
Sometimes, I think it would’ve been really interesting if they were the MCs. Not saying it would be better, but Shinnojo is truly such an interesting character to me. He has the most potential to grow. His family was murdered by the Shogunate, he was sexually abused by a shogunate fiend, ends up on the side fighting to protect the shogunate because of his former childhood love *cough* friend. Feels conflicted because the Shinsengumi saved him, but they also help represent the worst of Japan. Is torn between two rival factions, being personified in his two close friends. Wants to live peacefully, doing laundry and teaching children, but gets continually pulled into the fray by his innocent friend.
Shinnojo is an interesting character, because I think he knows exactly what he wants, but doesn’t have the power or blood lust to take it for himself. He has always known what he wants, but curses his fate that he’s always powerless to be completely independent.

I am really excited to see what the new characters bring to the table though!

I guess I really like Katsuragi irl, because of his strategy, innovation, and determination, but every time they show him, he’s just mean and shrewd, which kinda annoys me a little.
There were lots of bad rumors that floated around him because he chose the good of the country at whole, over just the Choshu domain, and I think that has plagued his legacy. Like the fact that you said he unfortunately has the mind of a general or someone in power, shows how the show has decided to depict him. When in reality, he was a big promoter of education and a constitutional government. But I guess that’s how they decided to depict all the Ishin shishi, since, like you said, they’re always hiding in some dingy hole somewhere lol

I think the reason why the Ishin shishi weren’t out and about:
1. the Ishin shishi were rebels, not legitimized by the govt. So they operated in the shadows to help the emperor, but what they were doing was a threat to the current govt.
2. There were many different types of rebels. There were radical ones, like the ones that plotted the bombing of the Gion Festival. Some were essentially terrorists/assassins. Kenshin, from Rurouni Kenshin, was based on Kawakami Gensai. There were many scholastic ones, that eventually educated many future leaders. The shishi generally were better at promoting their narrative to sympathizers of emperor or anti-Shogunate forces though, so slightly better propagandist lol
3. I think the general public felt ambivalent to both sides in equal measure- and in fact, people in Kyoto probably hated both sides, because both sides brought violence and bloodshed. Regular people weren’t thinking about the imminent threat of colonization or the struggle for the soul of nation, or whatever excuses either of them used, and were more concerned with their day to day business.

Meanwhile, Kyoto still belongs to the shogunate, unlike the far South, so even if people weren’t thrilled by the Shinsengumi either, they could legally be there.

Yeah, I 100% agree. We really don’t know the extent of his and Daisaku’s sufferings (definitely will in Pt.2). But it made for a somewhat sympathetic character. He was wrong for killing Kyujuro’s dad, and his merciless dispensing of “justice” lacked all context and nuance, but, based on Daisaku’s memories, he wasn’t born a villain. He was shaped and then enabled. I’m glad it was Kyujuro who ended his life, as repayment, but in no way shape or form am I happy this young dude- with his sad, short life- died via miscommunication 😭

Lol, I realize my comment was so dumb, but I guess I assumed that spies wouldn’t leave behind such an obvious paper trail, unless there was a purpose. Otherwise, I thought they could use like smoke signals or like coded speak, or leave like a pebble on a sign post, or something to clue the other spies into their bombing Gion Plan 😂😅 or even a cipher message, which would’ve then revealed Daisaku as a real spy, because if he went and betrayed them to Kondo, then Kondo would have to be like: so, you just happened to get this message AND you can break the cipher? (It’d be like the little boy crying wolf). I thought they gave Daisaku the letter expressly so he could give it to Kondo and lure him into a trap. But no, they just spilled the whole secret plan on the letter like that 🙃

Yeah, what you said makes sense. That Daisaku also spilled the beans to protect his promise to Kyujuro.
I thought maybe he was just feeling guilty because Kyujuro instilled a conscious in him again and he wanted to prevent bloodshed (and of course Kyujuro/his friends’ death), but honestly, the only person he cares about in the world, that he’s devoted to, is Kyujuro. So it makes more sense that he’d choose to help Kyujuro and save his life/the festival, in order to see those damn fireworks… little did he know his plan would backfire… ugh, bro, this Daisaku IS kinda dumb 😆

Where d’you think the timeline will end?

Haha when he came back and freaked out over Namu’s unconsciousness body, I positively cackled, realizing that he had just completely wandered off 😂
I totally agree with the parallels of Shinnojo and Daisaku! It’s really sad, because both Shin and Namu, at the end of the day, just want a place to call home (I think Namu even said the only reason why he was in the Shinsengumi was for food and shelter… so Namu 😆). They really don’t care much for any ideology. But Namu’s servant mentality and simplicity means he’s happy trading his labor for the aforementioned things, meanwhile, Shin had a much more complicated upbringing and a longstanding distaste for violence. Shin also doesn’t have a choice, as he has no capital, connections, or abilities to survive elsewhere, nor does he wish to displace Namu due to the uncertainty of leaving.
I also really want them to be happy too… they’re my favs….

Same. I wonder if we’re going to see the end of the Shinsengumi in a matter of 8 episodes 😳

I’m not sure if he was actually at a Han school. Just hypothesizing, since it seemed like some kind of school/dojo teaching young men to be future samurai.
Omg…. Yes, Shinnojo did get kicked out, right? I forgot about that… Were they in the same school?!
I think I saw Kyujuro deliver what seemed to be a critical blow to Daisaku in Ep. 1. I really think they’ll kill him at the beginning of Ep. 12 and then the rest of the episode will be dedicated to briefly wrapping up everyone else’s stories. 

100% true; thanks for breaking down all the future internal monologues from the characters. Yeah, how does even Rose and Jack have a better ending haha

I’m really surprised by how many Hijikata and Kondo scenes we got in Ep. 12.
I’m guessing they’re going to focus on Hijikata taking down another rival for his affections for Kondo (jkjkjk) 

Yamanami is totally gonna die… and maybe his death will be the wake-up call his little unit needs to see the truth of what they’ve gotten themselves into 😭 And then they ALL escape and run a dessert shop in the mountains!!!!

It always amazes me how quickly the the turnover is from filming to airing for some of these dramas. But you’re right, the show doesn’t need much work in post (likely because they don’t have the budget lol) Lol, yeah, the Shinsengumi coats, for example, look like they could’ve been sold at a Dollar Tree lol (But I would still buy faux-silk camo haori if I saw them at the Dollar Tree 😝)

I have mixed emotions about the costumes and accessories. On one hand, I really love the attention to detail and how novel all the set designs and costumes are. The world building is phenomenal in many of the dramas. On another hand, I do wish they cared more about general storytelling. Sometimes, I really think some of the Cdrama writers are brainless. Like if they just thought about their characters for longer than 5 seconds, they would realize how stupid their actions were (normal humans don’t act this way, guys!)….But then when you get the perfect story with great visuals, it’s magical lol 

Yeah, the runtimes are convenient for both this drama and I Hear the Sunspot. Also the episode length keeps everything manageable.
My Stand-In somewhat fell apart in the last two episodes, but it wasn’t enough to damage my overall opinion of the show. And I agree. I didn’t find Joe to be too annoying either. He is a person that was born too kind for the world, on top of being love starved too.
He’s also a fictional character; they tend to be more extreme versions of regular people.
There are enough watermarks of genuine relatability, which grounds them in our hearts. But for the most part, taking character’s like Joe’s personality in full, he represent the 1% of people. I think there are less than two handfuls of people IN THE WHOLE WORLD that can live through three lives (yes, spoilers, he dies again in Ep. 11) and still be that good natured, but it’s beautiful when taken in the capacity of the show, so we can overlook it 😆

I agree. It’s by no means my favorite drama, but I overall think it’s pretty solid. They’ve mixed bromance, beautiful visuals (I really am surprised by how well choreographed the fight sequences are given how small the budget looks), historical relevance, and an interesting story together pretty seamlessly. And it’s way better than I thought it would be tbh!

Same, I’ve almost completely lost hope about receiving any more dangai dramas (ugh, don’t remind me about Immortality lol)… The Spirealm threw me a bone, but I think that’s the last we’ll see…
Thanks for your responses too! It was great talking with you!

Yes, totally agree! I wasn’t sure how to articulate my opinion and I know some people have more vivid imaginations when reading, but for me, it becomes more real when people put it to practice…Thankfully, they’ve used many cut-to-scene edits, but it does get a little harder to watch Huai’en abuses Xiaobao with every passing episode…

Absolutely! I’d love an MDZS adaptation, but including censored scenes like the blindfold kiss etc. or, since we’re never getting Eternal Faith, a TGCF adaptation would be incredible!
Like you said, the entire genre has so much untapped potential outside of even MXTX, and even though MYATB isn’t amazing, I still missed seeing more complicated plots, that include imperial intrigue and beautifully choreographed fight sequences.
Imagine how awesome it’d be to see works like this every year 🥺
Yes, as long as we continue to support these series, the production quality will only improve. Every foray into the BL industry started somewhere 😅
…I will be incredibly sad if I’m 82 by then…😭

You took the words right out my mouth! This episode was particularly jarring to me.
And even while I’m semi-familiar with the author Shui Qian Cheng and expect some level of toxicity, there are certain things that are easier for me to read than see, if that makes any sense…
But I’m going to let this go, due to the fact of that the author must’ve signed some rights for adaptations in Thailand to some capacity (looking at My Stand-In) and also, this work is very old, in an era where toxic yaoi tropes were more mainstream.
And under normal circumstances, I would be digging deep as to whether I could continue this drama, but I desperately want more historical/wuxia/xianxia BL dramas and I don’t care which work or however convoluted those means may be- a Thai company, with a Chinese cast, and Taiwanese director- sure! I have a list of danmei novels that exclude SA and are significantly better plotted which NEED to be adapted into live action dramas! And if this is the pathway to seeing danmei adapted into dramas before I hit the age of 50, then so be it!