A Show That Proves Not Every Relationship is Perfect

To start this off I have to say that this show was a pleasant surprise and I loved a lot of different aspects of the show. I loved that they were able to show a couple that doesn't necessarily fit into the normal BL couple dynamic box and shows what I would say is a realistic portrayal and is the type of relationship that some people experience in real life.

I loved the different character dynamics that were shown throughout the show and how Joe had to navigate his relationships with each of these characters, both before and after the body swap. I also found it incredibly interesting with his relationship with Sol in particular and Joe knowing that he had a better option in Sol, who had very deep feelings for him but he just could not help how much he loved Meen, for better or for worse. It really just goes to show that you cannot choose who you love even after everything that happened between them in the show. And trust me if Meen and done to me what he did to Joe, there would be a lot more punching than talking.

The acting in this show was also absolutely amazing and the show would not be what it is without it. Everyone in the cast did an amazing job, especially Poom and Up as Joe and Meen. I have seen both of them in their prior BL work and well they did a good job here, their work here just blows their other projects out of the water. Their chemistry is absolutely undeniable and I think the direction their relationship took would not hit nearly the same if not for the chemistry that the actors had.

Among the many things that I did like in the show though, one thing that I could not stand was Tong as a character and I do really have to thank Mek for doing such a good job making sure that I did not like him in this show. Tong as a character just made me very frustrated and while I understand that was the point, it felt to me that his presence in the last episode in particular wasn't really needed. I do not understand why May would stay with that man even after everything that he did and especially after he basically confirmed that he would have never been with her if she weren't rich. And I get that it could be because of the child but that just doesn't seem like a reason to stay with someone who's seemingly done nothing but hurt you and the people around you. But it could be that there's some deep cultural contexts that I don't quite get and if so then that's fair enough.

I also didn't really like the parents in like any way. Especially the mom though because while I get that she said she did it for the betterment of her son, I feel threatening him to the extent that she did wasn't really necessary and could have handled a lot better than how it was. And I'm also just kind of tired of the constant "parents not being accepting of their relationship until the very end and then everything's happy in the last episode" because it happens far too often in these BLs. And it also usually seems that the children are way too forgiving of the actions committed by their parents but that's nothing new with this show in particular.

Regardless, all this jumbled mess to say, I did rather enjoy this series and it was obviously not without its faults, but you could say that about literally any show. And I do hope to see some series that are similar in changing up the typical BL relationship dynamic because it can make the show so much more interesting and engaging even if you're not rooting for the main couple to say together. And I also wish Up, Poom and the rest of the cast the best of luck on their future work, whether in a new project together or otherwise. (But I would enjoy seeing Up and Poom as a couple in a show again, preferably with a healthier relationship dynamic this time.)

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A Reality Dating Show Done Right

When it comes to reality dating shows, I usually find that they are too overly dramatic and so it makes it hard for me to watch them. But with this show I did not have that issue at all.

It goes without saying that to some there is some appeal to the overly dramatic reality dating show but the overall calm nature of this show in particular was really refreshing to see and experience as the weeks went on. I would say that the format of the show made it to where you really cared a lot about the participants and their individual experiences. And yes some did get less screen time but I do believe that they made up for it, especially in the later episodes.

I also find that usually through editing they try to make someone the "villain" of the season and I think that the show did a really good job in trying to maintain the true character of everyone in the show. And because of this it made me feel for them a lot more during their experiences, whether it was through the ups or the downs.

While I know that everyone may not like or empathize with Shun and his actions, I do still really appreciate the commentators in trying to go about and explain reasonings as to why Shun may be acting the way that he did and why he went about everything with Dai in such a manner. It didn't overly vilify or dehumanize him but rather made it to where you could possibly see where he was coming from. If we hadn't gotten to know Shun as much as we did, I think that editing could have made his actions seem much more dramatic and made him seem like worse of a person and so I have to appreciate the fact that it wasn't done for the sake of views.

Overall I think that this show was absolutely amazing and while it definitely could have been improved with some more run time, I think that the version we got is still enough to leave me feeling satisfied with the way the show left off. And I would love another season and also for Netflix to possibly make some other shows like this because this was definitely a breath of fresh air in the reality dating show space.

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Must Watch Show That Deserves a Season 2

This show is really a must watch for anyone who enjoys BLs but especially ones that are able to tackle more realistic storylines. Well I don't think that everything was done perfectly I do believe that this show had a great cast of actors who were all able to properly portray their characters and really let them shine. The acting in lower budget dramas from my experience can sometimes be a little questionable and hard to watch at times but I think that everyone did a wonderful job in that regard.

One of my favorite things about this series is not only the representation that it had but also the manner in which it went about portraying it. With a lot of BLs they can tend to have a more idealistic approach to them which is definitely needed at times but also can get a bit repetitive if they go about them the same way. I do not think that this show had that problem at all. With that realistic approach it allowed for both the good and bad sides of being a member of the LGBTQ+ community to shine through and also how the circumstances in which one is brought up can affect their perception. And that is something that I really appreciate being portrayed.

I will say that one thing that I wish was better resolved which makes me think they're going to try and do in a season 2 is the dynamics that the main cast have with the adult figures in their lives. A lot happened in the final episode and so those plots still felt very unfinished and some didn't necessarily leave off with a satisfying conclusion. And so if the show doesn't get a season 2 I think that would bring the overall story down because there wasn't necessarily a "proper ending". But all in all with the show being a relatively shorter series I do think that some of the things that they were able to do with the time that they had in the show prior to that slightly make up for it.

But overall I really hope that more people are able to watch this show because it has some truly truly amazing moments and I hope that it can get the season 2 that it deserves to be able to further develop this amazing cast of characters.

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