I just realized this is Sho Sakai, the kid from Living with Him. From doing a very general audience BL to something batshit crazy such as this... you gotta hand it to him lol
Perhaps the relatively low rating came from those people who are expecting a BL because this show is definitely not one. It's such a shame it only lasted for 6 episodes, but at the same time I think 6 episodes are already enough for this kind of story. Great performances, particularly from the actors who played Hasegawa and Naomi. The guy from School Trip is also here and he's still such a fun one to watch. Writing hits hard, especially Hasegawa's monologues.
The last episode though could have ended better. It felt like we were suddenly cut off. But perhaps that was fully intentional.
It was delightful. Not gonna lie, I wasn't much into it in the beginning, but it got really good when these two dorks finally realized they had feelings for each other. Hirai Amon and that fuckass bob were surprisingly great additions too. What can I say about Kaito Hori? He's proven himself again and again as one of the most capable actors in the JBL genre. Yusuke, who I really found dull in Mr. Unlucky (don't come at me), there's not much to say about his acting but there are certain episodes where he was really good (he truly shined in Episode 5, which fully focused on him).
Just watched it on and off so I couldn't understand, why did Lu Guangming want to exact revenge on both Liuyi AND Jiahua for the death of his brother? They don't seem to have direct involvement?
Actually it felt a lot like Depth of Field --- two students who don't know each other regularly meet up in a forbidden zone and become each other's source of inspiration. What I loved in Contrast though is that we were not subjected to that endless torture of two boys fighting off the feelings they have for each other. Kanata and Akira are in love. The end!
Haruhi-channnn... you are so GREAT in this and I can bet that you have great things ahead of you! He truly shines the most among the cast, it's very hard to look away! I also loved Inoue Sora here despite his short time on screen. His character may initially seem disturbing but Sora played it with so much tender loving care, I actually ended up feeling sorry for his character.
I have seen a lot of JBLs this 2026--- and we are not halfway done with the year yet! --- and Contrast wins the #1 spot for me by far.
Could have been better to be honest. it had great photography and music but still lacking so much. The writer has so many things to tell but did not have enough time, so the narrative felt all over the place. Such a shame because the MC's lines kinda had a poetic feel to them. There were interjections that felt completely random (the 9/11 announcement? What was that about?). Loved Sun Caizhen, he looks so dedicated to the role, I wish I could say better things for the supporting couple but they have been victimized by their short screentime (Huang Huaiting, I need you to get another BL role as fast as you can!).
It didn't make any waves, and I can see why. It's a very innocent story among teenagers set in an era that won't resonate among modern audiences, and people have largely moved on from this genre. 7/10
i actually watched because I was planning to visit Lijiang and wanted to see what it looks like in film but I got none of that lol
anyway i thought it was a fun for what it is, it's not perfect. I kinda wish the homewrecker and the jacked up guy had more intimate scenes though, they make a sexy pair
- that He Jin guy just brings the mood down each time he appears, it's quite funny
- the very obvious skincare line promotion, I can't ðŸ˜
- anyone getting bothered by the pacing? it feels like we're jumping from one scene or another, there's no smooth "transition" in between. but then again a lot of C-dramas I've seen also had this problem
this drama needs more Inspector Xie and Guangming. They literally just appeared in one ep so far and we are already in Ep. 6 😤 don't tell me we'll end up with another ghost side pair
Oh man. i'm not the type who'd scrutinize factual errors/inconsistencies in narratives like a lawyer would tear apart testimonies but the ending of AMA was so, so bad, it ruined the whole thing. episode 8 was a curse and i should not have seen it. Normally I would excuse plot holes for sci-fi/fantasy productions but this drama left SO many questions unanswered.
I still liked Jeongyu and Jihan's chemistry. Not a fan of them in A Breeze of Love (overrated tbh), but I praise this drama for letting me see a "better" side of them. 6.5/10
I liked episode 1, it shows a lot of promise. The actor playing Yu Lei has the same charming enthusiasm that I really like in BL leads. But in episode 2 there is a noticeable drop in quality -- some of the editing was met with raised eyebrows and the out-of-sync dubbing sticks out like a sore thumb. as a result, it felt rushed and uneven.... if you have watched a lot of low-budget C-dramas and short films, you'd understand what I mean...
I wasn't a fan of these two from A Breeze of Love (still don't understand the hype for it) but I'm really glad they got the opportunity to work together again and show a different side of themselves. Jeonggyu especially -- he rarely (or never) even smiled in ABOL and I realized just now he is so attractive when he does it! There's also huge improvement in Jihan's acting, I would never have guessed he can pull off comedic roles really well based on what I have seen in his previous BL.
The last episode though could have ended better. It felt like we were suddenly cut off. But perhaps that was fully intentional.
2026 truly is the year for JBLs.
Haruhi-channnn... you are so GREAT in this and I can bet that you have great things ahead of you! He truly shines the most among the cast, it's very hard to look away! I also loved Inoue Sora here despite his short time on screen. His character may initially seem disturbing but Sora played it with so much tender loving care, I actually ended up feeling sorry for his character.
I have seen a lot of JBLs this 2026--- and we are not halfway done with the year yet! --- and Contrast wins the #1 spot for me by far.
It didn't make any waves, and I can see why. It's a very innocent story among teenagers set in an era that won't resonate among modern audiences, and people have largely moved on from this genre. 7/10
anyway i thought it was a fun for what it is, it's not perfect. I kinda wish the homewrecker and the jacked up guy had more intimate scenes though, they make a sexy pair
- the very obvious skincare line promotion, I can't ðŸ˜
- anyone getting bothered by the pacing? it feels like we're jumping from one scene or another, there's no smooth "transition" in between. but then again a lot of C-dramas I've seen also had this problem
I still liked Jeongyu and Jihan's chemistry. Not a fan of them in A Breeze of Love (overrated tbh), but I praise this drama for letting me see a "better" side of them. 6.5/10