An Intimate and Personal Story That May Surprise You
After finishing this BL I've been compelled to write a small review in hopes I may convince you to give it a try,The story centers around two high school classmates who reunite at college through the basketball team. Immediately you sense a strain between the two, as the story progresses it uses a fragmented story structure to help you piece together what caused the strain on their relationship, while in the present having the couple navigate their reunion. You don't know what is causing the strain but immediately you as the audience are enraptured into their story through the actor's lovely chemistry and very strong acting performances that never waver throughout. The story intimately captures this couple through a very personal lens. There is a side cast but they are very sparse. You mainly follow the leads as they navigate their complex feelings and reflect on their intimate past. What I feel like many BL lack is the proper build-up and tension between the leads, and this series completely embodies this through its very quiet moments of intimacy and the great camera work and script that knows not to explain with exposition but instead visually whether it captures their hands grazing, or the characters looking into each other's eyes. The narrative, camera work, and acting all cohesively use each other to create a story that is dramatic, but also very breezy and personal. If you really enjoy some angsty tension, yearning, and a smaller-scale BL story, I think you will really enjoy this series as much as I did.
Pros:
-Intimate Story with an angsty-filled script that was well done and had excellent build-up
-Interesting fragmented storytelling that feels more artistic than many other BL
- Wonderfully acted! Leads give each excellent moments of tension and yearning the script requires.
-Amazing visual storytelling using the camera to tell the story rather than just telling the audience.
Cons:
-A bit too short I think 10 eps would be perfect, I'd love to see a little more revelation in the final episode.
-The music was a bit too repetitive for my taste, wish music was thrown in a bit more sparsely.
-would love a little bit more with a certain side character.
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A premise that has been done but a feeling not many can convey.
This is a friends-to-lovers story from the outside but feel reaches the heights of what some of the best BL stories can offer. Some People may not appreciate its slow-burn style of storytelling but I believe it enhances every part of the plot from its characters to its story. There is so much character-building right from the start all the way to the end. You truly feel like you are a part of the world of the characters, as each week goes by more and more layers are added to its story and characters, its a universal show that has so many moments of relatability. It goes through the highs and lows of growing up as a queer person, the fleeting friendships, and just experiencing life. While it may be a premise that has been done I don't think any have felt as fleshed out as this, it's a sad series but equally shows us the happy moments, the important moments of love that help bring levity & realism to its story. It's one of the best depictions of life on screen. This series takes the audience seriously and expects us to take it slow and we were so rewarded for our investment! The story centers around friendship to the eventual lover relationship between childhood friends Cake (Santa) and Eiw (Earth). Eiw is a character you see as a person who is so introverted, so scared to put himself out there, and Cake a boy the complete opposite of Eiw. He's outgoing, has a lot of friends, and has a girlfriend. but because of their strong bond at birth, as they get older their dependence on each other begins to become something confusing for Eiw as they begin to leave adolescence behind. Despite their differences Cake is someone who is so caring, and gentle with Eiw & his feelings. Over the course of the series, you see the struggles of young Eiw discovering himself and his sexuality. As these revelations come to light for Eiw so do the conflicts and struggles that test the bonds and dependency of these two friends, You see Eiw evolve as well as see the complex character of Cake begin to wrestle deeply with his feelings for Eiw. It is a timeless tale but brought up new heights by its superb acting by both veteran actor Earth and new actor Santa, who completely brings depth and nuance to Cake that is hard for any actor to pull off but Santa delivers what I see is a breakout performance that rival many of the top actors in the Industry. Its themes are explored with care and nuance that I feel really makes this series sing. The directing adds some deliberate choices to enhance the story, as well as great music to bring out the emotions of everyone. Many BL stories don't get the proper time to develop the relationships between the leads and this slow pace made for the perfect and satisfying build of this relationship throughout the characters' lives. So I was much more invested. I think there is so much to love about this series, and if you can be open to its slow pace I do find the reward at the end is something worth taking this journey to see.Was this review helpful to you?
A psychological study that shocked me.
I normally dont write a review but if mine can maybe get one person to watch this show I find its worth it.Story:
Deep in explores the relationships of 2 complex couples in different worlds. One in real life and another in fiction. Gao Zhung and Fang Chi are a couple binded by the script but their story is equally compelling to the actors playing them. I appreciated how the story wasnt clean or without its complexity and moral ambiguity. The director gives it equal importance and time to explore its really dark issues that the show handeled very well. The story is told by side by side in mirrored themes and psychological dependecy. Zhe Xin and Zhao Zhun feel very diffrent both in set up and personality. As the actors begin to fall deeper into their characters their story begins to mirror the other and their minds become more and more fragmented. The direction does a great and subtle job of blurring the lines of what is real with the audience all the way from the aespect ratio, to smal lines of dialoug they say that could easily be missed. The story here is the reason to watch this drama, the audience isnt treated like children, the complexity gives the viewer alot to chew on and discuss and this was easily the most surprising aspect about Deep In. The ending so recontextualises the entire theme of the series in something I havent felt since seeing the Sixth Sense for the first time. It makes rewatchability a must.
Acting:
The acting is another reason to watch this show both Ollie and Shuyuan take on these difficult roles head in and without shying away from its provocative nature. While china has found a way around these restrictions, its still very risky to take part in explicit material But these two do it confidently and not acting scared. They remain 100 percent commited to bringing the characters to life and for being so young I see a bright future.
Music / Score:
Admittedly im not a big music person but I found it to be implemented well here i think the music really lends to expressing how the audience needs to feel during certian moments. Creating great atmosphere and tonally setting things up.
Direction:
This as far as im aware is a first time director and I think shines here, visually the show looks great even with is budget. I want to praise him for making the correct changes with the novel and adaptating it for a modern audience while still respecting the original works intention. He even contextualises these chages within the narrative so it makes sense and that is almost never done in any show. He knows not to shy away from the dark aspect but does soften them to make them a bit more digestible which I appreciated. The direction is focused and clear on delivering its concept while adding so much little details to mirror the scenes. He is the glue that keeps the series together.
Overall thoughts:
Deep in a series that surprised me more than I eever thought when it began and that depth isnt revealed right away. The show eases you into thinking its going to be one way but as they get deeper into filming. The more its complex ideas come to the forefront. Its a dark deeply sad show but I feel executed super well. The performances are wonderful and the NC scenes serve as important context, and they made alot of positive changes for the better. I hope you can give this show a chance becuse there is alot of fresh and new ideas here that make it stand out above the rest. I'll be excited to see what this director does next.
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