Can we list all the clichés already included in the drama ? 😅- Aquarium date- Visiting someone sick- Kabedon…
I just realized around 80% of the JBLs I have seen had an aquarium scene lmao. Probably filming in aquariums is cheaper than filming in amusement parks or museums, idk.
While not groundbreaking in any sense, this short drama was such an easy watch. Jiakai and Dawei being very easy on the eyes also helped. Its one of those "empty your mind and just enjoy" binge watches. The only thing I did NOT like is that they saved Dawei's lifelong trauma for the very last episode and it was resolved rather quickly, which felt rushed and lazy. I hate Taiwanese BLs when they do stuff like this. I disliked My Tooth, Your Love back in 2022 for the very same reason.
Another BL trope that I really hate is when the two main leads discover that they have known each other since their childhood. Unfortunately Connecting to You also resorts to that trope.
There are other silly stuff here---like Jiakai seeing threads using only pictures, and that foreign girl who was groomed to be one of the big supporting characters but disappeared after Ep. 3 (she even got top billing in the opening credits!)--- but all in all I still enjoyed the whole package. 8.5/10
Most aesthetically pleasing work from this director but also his weakest tbh. there are moments that really moved me, but overall i feel that the story was too stretched out to its limits. The ending, all that stuff involving Brother Hong, didn't make sense to me.
Jed, Meng hsuan, Max and Lee Lee Zen who played Uncle He were very good nevertheless.
it was well made actually. 7.4 is too low. compared with the previous works of the production team i must stay I enjoyed this a whole lot. the contestants are quite mature for their ages... save for one, that is. i guess everybody already knows who that is. the words that came out of his mouth in those last two episodes? goddamn, Jinwoo truly dodged a bullet.
Heejin, Jinwoo and Sujin were my absolute favorites. I hope life treats them well. I wish I have people in my life like them.
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
Another BL trope that I really hate is when the two main leads discover that they have known each other since their childhood. Unfortunately Connecting to You also resorts to that trope.
There are other silly stuff here---like Jiakai seeing threads using only pictures, and that foreign girl who was groomed to be one of the big supporting characters but disappeared after Ep. 3 (she even got top billing in the opening credits!)--- but all in all I still enjoyed the whole package. 8.5/10
Jed, Meng hsuan, Max and Lee Lee Zen who played Uncle He were very good nevertheless.
Heejin, Jinwoo and Sujin were my absolute favorites. I hope life treats them well. I wish I have people in my life like them.
I have problems with the writing though, I though it was kinda weak. And the use of AI, particularly in the title credits, bothered me a lot.
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