SaySomethingWitty91

I think you’re still arguing against a position I haven’t taken.

At no point have I said fiction is an instruction manual, that readers are incapable of critical thought, or that every problematic relationship requires a narrator to stop and deliver a moral lesson. You’re responding to an argument about explicit moralisation, whereas my criticism is about narrative framing.

The fact that Akira viewed the relationship a certain way doesn’t automatically resolve the issue. In fact, that’s part of the problem. Victims of exploitation often don’t recognise what happened to them as exploitation. Simply presenting Akira’s feelings isn’t the same thing as the narrative interrogating those feelings. Those are two different things.

You keep saying the tutor is a narrative device meant to illustrate Akira’s vulnerability and isolation. Fine. I agree. But narrative devices are not exempt from criticism. If the tutor exists to demonstrate how vulnerable Akira was, then it’s perfectly reasonable to ask why the story spends so much time exploring Akira’s emotional attachment while spending virtually no time exploring the implications of the adult’s actions.

Likewise, I don’t think it’s “projecting” to discuss framing. All literary criticism is, to some extent, an examination of framing. We routinely analyse how stories present violence, abuse, trauma, relationships, power imbalances, and social issues. That’s not demanding a story become something else; it’s engaging with what the story actually chose to emphasise and what it chose to omit.

You say the story trusted the audience to notice what was happening. That’s certainly one interpretation. Another is that the story itself was so invested in Akira’s longing and nostalgia that it largely sidestepped the exploitative nature of the relationship altogether. Those aren’t mutually exclusive readings, and neither can be dismissed as objectively wrong.

More importantly, I think you’re creating a false dichotomy between “moralising” and “saying nothing.” There is a vast middle ground between those two positions. A story doesn’t have to stop and wag its finger at the audience to acknowledge a power imbalance. A single moment of reflection, discomfort, regret, or recognition would have fundamentally changed the framing without changing the story’s central focus on Akira and Kanata.

And that’s ultimately where we disagree. You view the absence of that acknowledgement as a deliberate artistic choice that strengthens the story. I view it as a missed opportunity that weakens it. Neither position requires the story to become a completely different work to it was just a failed/missed opportunity.

I think this is where you’re slightly misrepresenting my position.

I’m not arguing that the story had a duty to transform itself into a moral lesson about grooming, exploitation, or abuse, nor am I suggesting that this relationship needed to become the central theme of the narrative. Stories absolutely can contain unhealthy, exploitative, or morally questionable relationships without making them their primary focus.

What I’m arguing is that this particular relationship wasn’t some minor side note in the protagonist’s life. It was a pivotal event that directly shaped his development, his understanding of intimacy, and his journey toward self-discovery. Because of that, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect the narrative to show some awareness of the power imbalance involved.

There’s a significant difference between not centering an issue and failing to meaningfully acknowledge it. The story didn’t simply choose not to analyse the relationship in depth; it largely framed it through nostalgia, longing, and romance while offering little to no reflection on the fact that an adult entered into a sexual relationship with a child.

My criticism isn’t that the story didn’t stop everything and deliver a public service announcement. It’s that the narrative repeatedly had opportunities to introduce even a small amount of critical distance and chose not to. A brief moment of reflection from the protagonist, an acknowledgement from the tutor, or even a contrast between what he experienced and what a healthy adolescence should have looked like would have been enough.

I agree that a story’s failure to centre an issue isn’t automatically an endorsement of it. However, when a narrative consistently romanticises a relationship while minimising or ignoring the exploitative elements, it becomes fair to question what message that framing ultimately conveys to the audience.

I’m not outraged but definitely jarred at people defending this and that’s why I responded. But uh don’t know why YOU are so outraged or even bothered by people stating the obvious. It’s like you personally cannot take criticism more than anything 👀 People can watch whatever they want and read whatever they want and it common practice to voice your public opinion on a body of art that is why any award / rating system is based on criticism. Do some inner work and lay down the sword cause this is only an attack if you personally are offended by people’s criticism of adult / child relationships, and that’s just not a good look on any person 🙂‍↕️. The body of work isn’t something I’m criticising as a whole I’m mentioning a very specific topic that should’ve been addressed and that’s indefensible and it’s gross seeing people still try and defend this. Go touch some grass and smell some flowers cause people have written and criticised body’s of fiction much more notorious than this BL (Pretty Baby and Lolita as examples) and I think at this point in 2026 we should all be able to collectively agree on this criticism “Adult & children having sex is not ok” whether it is in fiction or irl. It shouldn’t be normalised and left as an unaddressed device plot. 🫠👀

Stop justifying this morally bankrupt character for the sake of artistic expression. You could win the Nobel prize and even be the president of the USA 👀and it wouldn’t change the fact that an ADULT having sex with a CHILD is not ok in any context. Akira’s character is a sophomore in this series when stuff happens so yes, it was gross to perpetuate and leave this unaddressed in the series. It should’ve been made clear how this was NOT okay. I don’t need artistic vision / insight / higher moral compas or any other hoopla to understand this, just a developed enough brain and reasoning skills to deduce that this was wrong and I can like a BL and still see its faults. 👀

Uh no… it was most definitely grooming and if you are past the age of your brain and decision making processes being developed, you would see that👀. Yes Akira was and is a vulnerable teenager who went through a lot of emotional heavy stuff with rejection and isolation from an important peer figure in his life and the tutor was mature enough to understand and offer emotional support so he should’ve been mature enough to also understand how inappropriate AND predatory it was to start a romantic/sexual relationship with a 14-15 year old. Any decent functioning human being should realise that consent in the context between a CHILD (teen or not if they are UNDERAGED they would be classed as a child) and an adult, should never be taken lightly just for the sake of story telling , artistic expression or even worse if you actually support this irl. This was weird af behaviour from the tutor and any person actually in support of overlooking this is just gross. Stop perpetuating this ideal publicly please cause it could actually harm other vulnerable kids who may be reading your comment and then assume this type of relationship dynamic might be ok 😭 we can like and support a BL whilst also acknowledging it has faults and this was defo a fault.

So I couldn’t find it either so got creative and watched it through the web browser on the webcast app on PinoyFlix (has lots of ads though) but downloaded the English subtitle’s separately (Google easy to find was one of the first links just download the zip file per episode). The app allows you to add your own subtitles, so I literally cast the episodes to my TV and added the downloaded file for the subtitles for each episode and happy watching … happy to walk you through this but not sure we’re allowed to share links and such on dramalist 😅

Just finished watching this as a substitute for not watching ‘Hidden Love’ for the 3rd time (need to let it cool so I can get the feels like I did during 1st watch) and yes it was cute but no way as good as ‘Hidden Love’ 😅

I guess the poster should say it all already but this is very very much school oriented drama with some character development and minor angst sprinkled throughout. It’s sweet and has its ‘twist your stomach in pained sympathy love’ moments but I felt the friendship and coming of age aspect of this drama, more than I did their love story.

I did not like the abrupt shift of FL giving it her all in the name of love (regardless of how endearing it is from hopelessly romantic and LOYAL part of my psyche), to then the sudden shift of ML now having to do the same … it felt unjustified to me for whatever complex ML had going when they first reunited. The whole ‘can’t be with you cause it’s the best way I can protect you’ 😩🙄 went on longer than it should’ve and felt defo undeserved. A ‘solid friendship’s sudden fragility when faced with love’, is a trope I can get behind, but only if there is a legitimate reason for objection. ML did not like FL thinking herself less than him but then goes and proceeds to act exactly the same 10x worse😅😅😅 okay….

It’s a good watch if you are after a slooooooow burn mostly school oriented, I am still going to hunt for a drama equivalent of ‘Hidden Love’ … just hitting a miss with this one to fill that particular void.

Defo agree with that moment! Especially his confession when he says he couldn’t trust anyone to take care of her 🥹🥹🥹 completely melted at the confirmation he most definitely returned her feelings. 🥰

Also my absolutely fave thing about ML (this is maybe more Chen Zhe Yuan shining through) is that curious head tilt and smile he does sometimes where he just looks in wonderment at her like he’s just discovered something new and is trying to figure it out but also absolutely besotted by it 🥰 maybe it’s just me that noticed that or read into this though 😂😂 but got me every single time 😍

I have officially rewatched this drama 2x (no regrets) and keep ‘stumbling’ across countless of YouTube videos of their cutesy moments (my algorithm is giving me life 😮‍💨🙌🏽) I still can’t move on 😩 it was just soooo good for being on the simpler side of story line! The paring, the chemistry, the ACTING … my poor heart ♥️

My all time favourite moments living rent free in my head and with a devout type of energy trying to join my regular rotation of dramas I can’t stop rewatching:
(In no particular order)

1) Duan Jaxiu and Sang Yan being total sweet but clueless boys trying to help out Sang Zhi with her monthly visit (second hand embarrassment be damned they played it off so well!!)

2) Sang Zhi paying for her drink to help out Duan Jaxiu cause she’s worried about him and Duan Jaxiu catching her afterwards. It was so clear how touched he was by her and I know some pride must’ve been brewing but he handled it so well and saw the kind gesture for what it was at the time even if he couldn’t accept it.

3) Sang Zhi’s heart break at the airport both the first and last one were just as heart breakingly tender and her character just putting it all on the line in a reckless but clearly deep devoted love… I could never but that’s why I can rewatch this over and over an live vicariously through the story

4) Sang Zhi’s scenes of giving up on her love and packing everything away after spending a good amount of time ugly crying … (same girl same) I think this scene resonates a sense of maturity I don’t believe many teen girls would reasonably possess, cause I most definitely did not and would’ve dragged my feet with the giving up and turning my back bit 😅 would’ve gone masochistic and wallowed in self pity and stared at all the reminders a little longer before shutting it all down 😅

5) Their re-encounter after the 2 years… my heart dropped and hurt at the same time and I felt my stomach just float with the air of all that was painfully left unsaid and was not properly addressed. Girl left him on read for the sake of self preservation and he just lost a little sister / family member for 2 years unsure of what he had done wrong … just all around ouchies 🤕 for the characters but in the best possible angsty drama fan girl way 😎

6) Sang Zhi’s birthday surprise for Duan Jaxiu and knowing he barely ever would’ve had anyone celebrating him since his mothers passing and the situation with his dad … my heart could not cope with how sweet this dinner ended 😍🥰

7) Take my heart and stomp on it cause it wasn’t all sweet and Duan Jaxiu was essentially a painfully abandoned orphan at a young age, so when his dad passes and young Sang Zhi’s consoles him espescially after he utters the words “Am I really getting that old now? Why are my parents no longer here?” … FML if my heart didn’t break with him and I didn’t ugly cry alongside him 😭😭😭 hits so hard to even recollect this moment 😭

8) Sang Zhi feeling low key (or high with perspective) betrayed by her parents pre-judging Duan Jaxiu… it’s the defining ‘ride or die’ moment for me where she genuinely felt hurt for him in the most respectful way … IRL I’d have gone a lot more tempered with my response even when it’s coming from a place of love, care and experience … there was no actual reasonable excuse for them to have any misgivings if you ask me … boy was pure victim of his circumstances and he excelled beyond what would’ve been expected for him. I was glad to see her packed and ready to go!

Lols did not expect the list to go this far but I need to stop before I go any further 😅😅 anyone else have stand out moments occupying real estate in your headspace? This is a safe space 😂🙌🏽

I would like to say that she maybe developed her own aspirations to go to Yihe DESPITE her unrequited love being left just that and maybe just seek her own dream there unrelated to him since it was clear she had no actual intention of meeting up with him.

But it’s likely just a trope probably all to further the plot and have them meet again since he is based there 😅😂

Haven’t seen it yet but now I feel like I kind of have to 😂😂

Not only does the ML get killed in the end, and I wish that was my only spite, but FL is the one to get raped by evil nephew …. Like tf …. Any mentions of rape is something I stay clear from in dramas such as this, as a personal choice because for me this is one of the most awful things you can do to a human being and to use it in anyway, as some sort of plot device in an already tropey drama is just ugh 😖😣 total overkill in the worst way possible … if you were going to kill off the ML did you really have to go leave FL with such deep emotional scars that would suddenly justify her hardened shell in a 2 min time jump at the end …. Nah you could’ve kept your role reversal ending and saved FL from the quadruple trauma … she already lost her entire family… was horrifically abused as a maid… and then lost ML at the end of this all anyway 😑 so why not just leave it at that 😑😑😑 ….

Anyway simply my opinion, so please don’t retaliate, I will probably agree with all other opinions on the acting skills and story line tropes discussed outside of what happened to FL it’s just that this really irked me on a new level 😅😩

Naaaaah should’ve skipped the full reviews and gone straight to the comments section 😩😩 I don’t care for UHE like this and skipped through episode 9 and 10 but wish I would’ve omitted those completely from my watching experience … yes ML lead is hot AF and that’s putting it lightly… I am, as we speak, in the process of hunting down more of his projects for the viewing experience alone but it was not worth the time put into the series for me personally …. going to significantly spoil why in my own reply but for those needing to know what they are getting themselves into like I would’ve have wanted before investing in this show, I warn you to proceed with caution 😅

I didn’t think the series was overhyped but I will admit I had this at the very backplate of my ‘must watch’ list. Trust me I am kicking myself for it as well 😅 The comments are almost entirely all right, this series was the right amount of sweet, nostalgic and superb acting chops! I loved the songs and how many of the cast members took part in singing, and Fourth and Gemini both did a fantastic job as leads! The cast and crew clearly threw in their umph to produce such a great show and I am so glad I set everything aside this weekend to watch this beginning to end.

One moment that will always stick out to me in this series will be the dichotomy of emotions portrayed by Fourth for his character after the first round for the Hot Wave competition and Gemini’s ability to match a maturity in Tinn’s own character of a comforting and encouraging presence as he supported Gun. Fourth really took me aback when he so clearly conveyed Gun’s conflicting emotions of happiness/sadness. No words were needed and I immediately understood how much of his past he laid to rest in that moment 🥺🥺 There aren’t a lot of moments that leave such an imprint and I hate the comparison games cause actors are deserving of their own accolades without having to be constantly held at someone else’s standard, but in that moment I only had one thought for Fourth, ‘damn that boy is going places…’ 😌🙌🏽👏🏽

It was a fantastic ride and can’t wait to re-watch!!

Just finished the series and I am a total wimp when it comes to endings like this, I evade them like I’m an undercover CIA agent 😅 But I decided to give this series a go because my watchlist was getting too lengthy and this was rated high enough that I couldn’t pass it on forever… I have to say I’m in a puddle of tears but it was definitely not as bad as I thought it would be … we know from the get go what the story will entail so I feel like it allows you to grow fond of the characters and still live through the storyline, whilst simultaneously preparing you for the inevitable. It was beautifully told and it was indeed bittersweet but in the best and most sensitive way possible. Does my heart hurt … yes … did emotional damage occur … yes … was it worth the watch … absolutely! I wish we all had the opportunity both Koichi and Micchan had which makes the tale all that more beautiful…


Ok let me go lick my wounds with a more upbeat BL … any recs? 😅

Did anyone ‘not’ read this with the accent it was intended 😂👀

Legit had to come here to find some compassionate people to empathise with before I continue because I can’t even look straight at the tiny screen I’m watching this on cause I can’t risk being walked in on midst nsfw scene … like get me some paddles or some virtual CPR cause I’m deceased with second hand embarrassment ☠️😅

So I’m posting this fully knowing this may be controversial but … ok here it goes … I wasn’t entirely sold on Sky/Peat acting 😅

I loved the sassy mystery surrounding him in part 1 and I think the very last episode had some very important shifts in his acting chops that were hitting the right mark with the disassociation after that type of trauma his character was experiencing … I expect there to be some distancing to core emotions when it comes to trauma because it can be quite overwhelming to deal with and confront completely but I found it too hard sometimes to connect to Sky’s vulnerability because I could not be sold on his crying scenes … they felt much more forced and I hate saying this cause again it must be incredibly hard to key into this as an actor but when you come off watching My Only 12% and Earth (and frankly the whole cast) pulling at the very core of your heartstrings with their incredibly realistic crying scenes, the standards are set high for me personally at least …

For me the contrast became very clear when Prapai/Fort sheds tears for Sky and that immediately gave me the feels … it felt a lot more raw and real to see his level of empathy and he pulled off that scene incredibly well in my opinion

The show in its entirety was great though and I really enjoyed how they pushed the boundaries with some of the story lines but personally I think it is incredibly important to follow up on a story involving something as serious as r*pe … like we know the aftermath of this all for Sky after the first time this happened, from how the story began and his immediate distrust and cynicism. However, they then branch out into him experiencing this once more in the worst way possible, in a place he had deemed safe and well cared for, whether it actually happened or not he was in an incredibly vulnerable position and having the show end and wrap things up the way they did, felt very unrealistic. Even if this was all Mame gave in her version of the book, they could’ve done better with this… like enter a short scene of him being picked up from therapy by Prapai or something to show that this poor guy got the help he needed to heal from this or just something more then what we got 😅 just sharing my opinion and thought though and feel free to disagree just as I have expressed my view on this 😊…

This reply from a staff member is over the top 🫠.

I get what you are trying to say but the way you are projecting and delivering your frustration over this incident with a reply like this one and the other one in this comment thread, sends shivers down my spine from a managerial and site user perspective 😅 I only came to check and see what the difference would be between directors cut vs normal cut, yet here I am feeling ‘triggered’ enough (of the unjust kind) to respond on how there are kinder ways to deliver assertive communication.

I have been watching international dramas for years with complete respect over diverse cultures and I frequent this site often to educate myself through these diverse opinions and views about the shows I am enjoying but this is the first time I have seen an interaction between a staff member and site user where the level of rudeness was so blatantly unnecessary that it stopped me in my tracks, especially after an offer of apology.

You can deliver a point and still deescalate the situation and this reply was passive aggressive instead and therefore incited a fair response 🫣😬 hopefully we can do better than this? I mean this constructively so take it or leave it I suppose, but this was just very unpleasant to read from my perspective 😅

Didn’t even mean to reply to you I think I might have clicked the wrong reply button as my comment was intended for the original post but ok 😅 it really isn’t that deep not everyone can adjust to the sudden shift of portrayed sexuality even if it is just a job 😅 as long as a fan isn’t posting hurtful comments and they are just expressing their honest opinion of finding it difficult to adjust, I don’t see why they should seek therapy? I found your comment to be more hurtful then OP tbh 🤔

“hey I have issues adjusting to this…”

Well

“You are clearly not well for this, so seek therapeutic help” 😅

You may have not intended it but I felt like that was an immediate escalation directed to OP 😅 but I understand that there are fans out there who take the shift from BL to het way too serious in a toxic way but I honestly did not feel like this was blatantly clear in OP’s comment. I could be wrong though so hey ho 😂

I’m just trying to keep perspective at the forefront and stay honest that I personally would need some time to adjust if one of my favourite het actors did a BL, yes it is just a job but what can I say…. I would never intentionally imply what others should think or feel, just stating that personally would need to adjust 😅 hopefully I’m entitled to have an opinion… surely 😂