From 'Da Ge' to 'Unknown': "In this infinite darkness, you are my only light"

Today, people are losing the rich habit of reading. Every day he spends more time in front of the screen, watching moving images. Both cinema and television have become the preferred leisure option in our societies, while books have been relegated to the background for many. Faced with this reality, television networks continue to rely on the decisive influence that literature has had on their future, which is why they will again and again resort to books or works published online to recreate television fictions.
Incestuous love has been brought to film and television in works such as 'Starcrossed' (2005), a very famous American short with a homosexual theme about gay love between brothers. Written and directed by James Burkhammer II, it tells the shocking love story of Darren and Connor, two brothers from a suburban neighborhood who are lovers.
'From Beginning to End' (original title in Portuguese: 'Do Começo ao Fim'), the 2009 Brazilian film, written and directed by Aluizio Abranches, tells how two male brothers from an upper-class Brazilian family maintain a special relationship, from children, which draws the attention of the adults around them, worrying their parents and family.
BL series such as the Chinese 'Stay With Me' (2023) tells the romantic story between two stepbrothers. Su Yu, a high school student, lives a simple life with his father, but faces a big change when his mother remarries a rich man and introduces him to his stepbrother Wu Bi.
In this effort to bring literary pages to the screens and also reflect a story of a love relationship between people without blood ties, but considered "brothers", the Taiwanese Youku opts for the novel '大哥 ('Da Ge'), 'Brother', by the talented Chinese writer known by the pseudonym Priest, whose work, published by the web publisher Jinjiang Literature City, covers a wide range of genres, from romance and martial arts to science fiction and danmei, with a quality and creativity that distinguishes her from other writers, due to her deep humanistic themes and her ability to capture the essence of life's struggles and joys.
The dramas 'Guardian', 'Legend of Fei', 'Word of Honor', 'Faraway Wanderers' and 'Justice in the Dark' are based on Priest's novels.
Under the direction of Ray Jiang ('We Best Love: No. 1 For You and Fighting Mr. 2nd, 2021, and 'My Tooth, Your Love', 2022), 'Unknown', based on one of the most acclaimed works of Priest, will immerse the viewer in a moving story that revolves around Wei Qian (Chris Chiu), a young man with a strong spirit who, since the age of thirteen, has carried family responsibilities on his shoulders by being the breadwinner for his half-sister, Wei Li Li. after the premature loss of his parents. Wei Qian's world takes an unexpected turn when he adopts Xiaoyuan (Kurt Huang), a street child who goes by the alias Wei Zhiyuan, as a brother. Living a life of loss, violence, poverty, helplessness and anguish, our characters face life, winning and losing, on a journey of self-discovery.
'Unknown', faithful to the original novel, is full of sorrows and pains, but also of small joys that illuminate the lives of its protagonists and lead them to build a beautiful and sincere relationship.
In this story, which is about human warmth, family, friendship, self-discovery and self-acceptance, and which defends the idea of ​​learning when to persist and when to let go, it shows a love between two boys more powerful than the water, deeper than blood. As if on a slippery slope to the top, 'Unknown' will draw a path for us and even alert us if we have to travel the path ourselves.
With a distinctive characteristic that its protagonists are young, the series addresses the experiences and challenges of the current generation of any country, since the themes exposed are universal. However, it is crucial to understand the codes that guide the plot. Individual conflicts, dreams, challenges and how they deal with life situations are explored. Although youth is reflected in various ways, the series highlights gay love, sensitivity, ways of loving, facing adversity, family situations, as well as the differences and contradictions present in all the characters.
With a capable and engaging cast, the drama is interesting and intelligent. The all-star cast of this captivating journey into the world of romance and human complexity includes Yankee Yang as Wang Jun Le / "Le Ge", Danny Liang (Xiong Da Fang / "Lao Xiong"), Kim Jae Hoon (Tan Yu / " San Pang") and Tammy Lin as Wei Li Li / "Xiao Bao", who weave, around the protagonists, a warp of surprising, complex and beautiful characters and relationships.
Chris Chiu, who pleasantly surprised both critics and viewers with his leading roles in the dramas 'High 5 Basketball' (2016) and 'Hello, Again' 2019), once again demonstrates character by playing a young man who puts his life at risk and works illegally to support his brothers. He will have the help of San Pang, his childhood friend, to get back on the right path.
His character is rich in nuances: He seems ruthless and cold-blooded, but he is sensitive and knows how to appreciate what surrounds him. He makes the decision to protect his brothers and stubbornly guards a place that increasingly looks like a home. He longs to be loved and sheltered, and to give, in turn, love and shelter. Wei Qian wages an internal struggle, a struggle that leaves him in a state of constant battle against the two opposite poles within him.
Ray Jiang, with his unmatched talent, brings to life a character who challenges stereotypes and shows that dreams know no limits.
For his part, Kurt Huang, in the role of Xiao Yuan, shows on screen the vulnerability of a child abandoned by his parents at birth and the suffering caused by the harassment of older boys in an orphanage, until he is picked up by a stranger who will raise him as a "brother." As a young man, he will admit to being in love with the person who raised and educated him.
In this series based on a Danmei. that could revolutionize the BL universe, both young people struggle with a dilemma considered taboo, such as the romantic relationship between brothers. However, they are not linked by blood. Will they cross that forbidden line and end up becoming lovers?
The series manages to combine the subtlety of Priest's prose and the care that the author puts into her heroes and heroines, and the construction of the characters designed from the script by Cai Fei Qiao ('Stay by My Side'-2023) , making the story very beautiful due to the way in which the characters develop and the events develop before the attentive gaze of the viewer. As the events unfold, he understands the characters and the world in which they take place.
If someone found the development of the story slow in the first part of the series, this is because the characters take the time to define their relationship, taking into account the previous bond between them. But once they do it, the actions gain in intensity. The romantic scenes in 'Unknown' are primarily narrative. Intimacy is a function of advancing the story, making it deeper. The sex scenes serve the characters, the narrative, and the tone of the film. But they are also there because they are sexy. But they do not hide the intention of being used to tell the audience how a character feels about their sexuality or identity.
This imperfectly perfect couple will be sustained by longing, desires, hopes, strangely wonderful coincidences, letters that are written from a distance with all the heart, with all the soul.
I do not doubt that the viewer will be able to remember 'Through the Gates of the Strait (Shared Universe)', another of Priest's novels.
Wei Qian, Wei Zhi Yuan / "Xiao Yuan" and other characters, as tools that they are, after all, are used by the creators to tell a story that will attract the attention of the most demanding viewers.
Will the series respect one of the characteristics of Priest's work, that of focusing largely on the plot and the construction of the world in which the characters operate, leaving romance as a secondary aspect? Doesn't this make the romance more epic, since it grows and evolves alongside the story itself, at the same time helping to avoid monopolizing the public's attention in sexual and romantic matters, as many danmei novels do?
Will 'Unknown' be faithful to 'Da Ge' in terms of not showing explicit sexual content and having a limited amount of romance, such as few vaguely described kissing and sex scenes? The series focuses its attention on romance, and it could not be otherwise because the novel on which it is based is romantic above all.
It may be flawed, so it doesn't fully develop the edges of its story, but the central relationship that holds the series together is so compelling that the rest hardly matters.

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A song to life and love

I have doubts about the strength of my arguments to convince someone that this is a great series, but I have plenty of reasons to, again and again, watch it with pleasure, to tell why that feeling of harmony and hope that 'Gray Shelter' provokes me and, of course, I am also completely convinced that it should be recommended. Attentive to the small and the biggest, the tight heart, the explosion of emotions and the confusion, this South Korean romantic drama will whisper in our ears about certain things that happen to people when they discover their inner self.
Cha Soo-hyuk (Jang Woo Young) is a boring adult whose only goal is to live without worrying about everything and everyone. While working as an external engineer at a cleaning company, he meets up again with Lee Yoon Dae (Lee Jae Bin), with whom he was very close in the past. Yoon Dae lived with his girlfriend, but now he has nowhere to go..., and they end up living together. The two remember domestic violence, running away from home and the days when they consoled each other by saying that they were not like each other's parents.
Korean director Lee Son Eum (이손음) signs with 'Gray Shelter' (회색기류 / Hoesaekgiryu) a significant work of contemporary relationships in his portrait of a same-sex couple, delicately addressing a theme common to all such as love , but here presented in unforeseen and difficult circumstances with a language that involves the viewer in the intimacy, complicity and fears of what is told: the story of two young people united by a past of brotherhood, whose brotherly affection evolves into a warm and deep love with the passing of the years.
Based on Son Eum's own script, the series, consisting of 5 20-minute episodes, explores the awakening of desire, passion and love of a boy for another man. It is, simply, a demonstration that feelings do not know gender. It is love without borders in search of happiness without labels visually narrated in a very lyrical way and assumed naturally.
The deep friendship and love of two men who meet again and begin to live together under the same roof. A journey that turns the viewer into a witness of the internal struggle, the confrontation and the love that they experience. Exterior landscapes of the environment that surrounds them and interior landscapes of the characters written in an agile and lyrical way. History, society, love, defiance of life's obstacles.
A broken family, a heterosexual courtship, a breakup, a friend from the past, almost a brother, a little older, and, suddenly, when everything seemed stable, in perfect balance, the heartbeat, the discovery, the awakening of desire , the feeling, the obsession, burst in with the same force as the denial, the non-acceptance; aggression, which can be both internal and external, and breaks what is established...
They both fall in love. They both see their lives turned upside down. Both are reunited with an unknown self that makes them happy, that gives them pleasure, that fills them with unmanageable pain and uncertainty, but also with love and passion. It is the happy encounter with their own natures.
Can the two young people together travel the roads of South Korea in search of an El Dorado where love, purified of all prejudice, is possible?
How can I describe what is happening before my eyes? Drama and reflection, as intelligent with its images as with its dialogues, turn 'Gray Shelter' into a hymn to life and love, above all, due to the way it approaches a theme, such as homosexuality, which, even when it has been portrayed on numerous occasions over the years in South Korean cinema and television, is still very scarce compared to what is produced in other latitudes or on other topics in the same country, since the taboo component for a A significant part of the population is still present, despite being civilly legal.
From the Heavenly network, this romantic drama that feels like an old movie in terms of color tone and harsh composition, returns Lee Jae Bin to the screen after his successful performance in 'Choco Milk Shake'. At his side is an actor who has also shown his incredible artistic talent in the films 'Phantom' and 'Baseball Girl'. A couple that shows a vibrant chemistry in a drama that excites and moves as it manipulates as only initiatory stories, owners and lords of an absolutely individualistic narrative voice, can manipulate.
Jang Woo Young and Lee Jae Bin bring two very different characters to the scene, but two who not only have a strong connection and chemistry, but also relate perfectly to each other's struggle. There is a healthy and affectionate love between them, it is also romantic, with great generosity, nobility and compassion at play. The sadness and melancholy that both bring is not the kind that makes viewers cry, but rather hits deeper, to the very core. It is not a typical anguish, but heartbreaking.
If at any point I might have thought that Lee Jae Bin would be pigeonholed into comedy, I must confess: I was wrong. If in 'Choco Milk Shake' he achieved a genuine naturalness in his performance, even in those most dramatic parts, which could suggest this would be the right genre for him, in 'Gray Shelter' the young and talented actor shows his versatility and possessing the gift of standing out for his ability and skill when it comes to embodying totally opposite characters.
I liked how he made it clear that he is an actor of race, of vocation, one of those who dares with comedy and drama, and puts himself at the service of the role in question with body, mind and soul. You have to follow his steps.
For his part, thanks to Jang Woo Young, Cha Soo-hyuk is a completely plausible, convincing and even beautiful character, in the sense of being absolutely different from those played by the same actor in his previous works. Everyday life has such a forceful beauty that when an artist is able to see and represent it, he achieves works that are not only solid, but also shocking.
With an acidically caustic tone, raw and direct, highly intelligent and subtle, and always based on the dialogue and organic behaviors of two characters with few filters, 'Gray Shelter' becomes a sophisticated story of a homosexual relationship. The narrative simplicity of the series is reflected in the filming style and is offset by the complexity of the relationship.
Although at times it crosses the border of frivolity, it is possibly one of the most elegant translations of contemporary South Korean dramatization of a story about homosexual men, which is nothing other than a great love story.
'Gray Shelter' is, in short, one of those gems that presents a world so wonderful that you feel sad when you reach the end credits. In short, a drama that captivates the viewer, in addition to the story and the way it is told, due to its attractive visual effects and its visual chemistry.
The drama turns out to be, then, a delicate story of everyday situations, especially those essentially linked to providing inclusive views to the debate on diverse identities and sexualities, while diluting the binary and sexual identity boundaries (man-woman). But, in addition, it recreates, with proverbial skill, especially in the dialogues, and also in the situations, a romance that is not just one more of those that South Korean audiovisuals have contributed since 'The King and the Clown' (Lee Joon-ik, 2005), 'A Frozen Flower' (Yoo Ha, 2008), 'Man on High Heels' (Jang Jin, 2014), to name just a few, but one current, daring, pure, in a series all time attentive to those shudders that perhaps strengthen our expectations of finding what we are looking for.
Lee Yoon Dae's confessions, the evocation of the past that unites them, the way in which the two men approach each other and establish a unique, explosive, fiery intimacy, make total sense through a delicate photography, capable of converting each shot of night exteriors in acts of love in the light of the sunniest day, in addition to managing the expressiveness of the composition and the framing placed even in a symbolic function (Cha Soo-hyuk healing Lee Yoon Dae's wounded face is filmed in a way that implicitly alludes to the major issues involved here); or music that is barely noticeable, and the composers of the songs know that this is a compliment when talking about musical soundtracks in film or television.
The cinematography is moving, with great use of color, particularly a dark, natural palette.
In addition to everything said, I also loved the tenderly filmed scenes of intimacy and sexual complicity. As for the general assessment, it must be said: Lee Son Eum pleasantly surprises us with a seemingly simple series, but which is ultimately a treatise on losses and breakups, on the one hand, and encounters, reunions and discoveries on the other hand, about the gone and the lost, about the found and the unexpected, about the search and finding of love and happiness, the clinging to illusions, to certain affections and feelings, by human beings so complex as well as sincere, animated by the real idea that perhaps they will find, very close to themselves, in their shared past and present, what they have always sought.
And if it all seemed like a lot to me, I am surprised by the beautiful animation by Jeon Seon Myeon that serves as the opening title. The animation shows the two main characters, Yoon Dae and Soo Hyuk, walking alone in the snow before ending up under a streetlight. Yoon Dae spreads out his scarf and wraps it around Soo Hyuk. The light turns on, illuminating their gray world, and they embrace as Ode's "Sleepless" plays in the background.
Few South Korean series have left me, at their end, with such an inexplicable feeling of melancholy and complete satisfaction. And that's why I decided to enthusiastically recommend it.

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BL, GL and internalized homophobia: Characters and different points of view on love about to collide

'My Strawberry Film' is a Japanese youth romantic crowd drama about the intertwined feelings of four high school students with very different personalities and views on love, attracted by a mysterious movie.
This is a coming-of-age drama about four teenagers, ages 17 or so, realistically observing moments in their lives, moments that all of us could have experienced or will experience at one point or another.
The drama, likewise, covers serious and mature themes while presenting them in a comedic and dramatic manner.
Screenwriters Kobayashi Keiichi and Takahashi Natsuki, and director Takeda Karin, manage to mix friendship, love and longing, while complex feelings cross the hearts of the characters.
Also appearing as director and screenwriter is Ryo Kawasaki, a proven master of BL, who was the director of the drama 'Minato Shoji Coin Laundry 2' and writer of the script for 'Zenra Meshi', both from 2023.
The music of Yuya Mori and the opening themes "Flashback Memories", by Kubota Kai, and "Cropping", by Quw, for the closing, converge to delight the audience with the story in which four high school students, each one with their own feelings, they face heartbreaking emotions as they pursue a mystery.

PLOT

In their second year of high school, Ryo Ichikawa (Ryusei Fukada), Hikaru Toyama (Rei Yabana) and Chika Nakamura (Mizuki Yoshida), live a seemingly peaceful school life while harboring hidden emotions.
One day, Hikaru and Chika are penalized for being late to class. To fulfill the punishment imposed, they must clean an old warehouse behind the gym. Faced with old and used items stored in the shed, Chika comes up with the idea that she could sell the valuables on an auction site. Immersed in his search, he finds an 8 mm film kept in a small metal box. As they pass the tape through the projector, the image of a dazzling girl appears before them. Hikaru is captivated by the beauty of the young girl (Ririka Tanabe) that could be seen even through the rough particles.
Perplexed and fascinated, Hikari declares to his best friend Ryo: "I want to meet the girl from the movie." Isn't he dancing and laughing on the same rooftop of the school where they go in their free time? Doesn't the film show images of an old building known to them? So, the young woman has to be a former student of the school. Didn't you also wear the same uniform as theirs? From this moment on, they will show her face to the former teachers to see if any of them recognize her.
If the girl must have been known by the most senior teachers, several were even students at the school decades ago and, therefore, they must know all the young people who passed through their classrooms, why does no one recognize her? What is the mystery surrounding the young woman? Why do they seem to prefer to remain silent and not identify the girl and tell them where to find her or tell them what happened to her?
Together with Hikaru, Ryo and Chika begin to search for clues about the enigmatic creature reflected in an 8 mm film. Are your feelings for that special person love, friendship or respect? is the question that floats in the air.
The very next day a transfer student arrives at school. The three friends will be surprised when Minami Murasaki appears before them, a young woman who looked exactly like the girl in the movie.
The feelings of four people that are intertwined with the mysteries hidden in the film are represented in this youth group drama: Hikaru chases the shadow of the mysterious girl, Ryo worries about Hikaru and Chika has feelings for Ryo, while Minami's gaze seems pass by.
Finally, in an unexpected turn of events, the series also drifts towards Girl Love (GL) and internalized homophobia, since the girl in the video is actually Minami's mother, who was filmed by the student she loved. and this, despite loving her, could not reciprocate.

OF CHARACTERS AND STARS

This Fuji Television drama, with an original script, shows people with feelings that cannot be named in their hearts: they cry, fight, laugh and desperately try to seize the moment that is now.
Quattro, who plays Ryo Ichikawa, perfectly captures his role as a boy who is not good at interacting with people, is seen as cool by those around him and is popular among young girls for his beautiful appearance, but he does not like to stand out and does not show no interest in girls. His passion is making music.
His time in 'Kenisasu Life' (Nippon Television) and 'Dragon Zakura' (TBS) confirms the constant evolution of this popular actor, now in the role of giving life to a high school student in full struggle with many emotions such as love and friendship. The nostalgic and sensitive, but also romantic, audience can identify perfectly with the character.
Rei Yabana, the member of '7MEN Samurai', shines in his first leading role, playing Hikaru Onada, a beloved and energetic boy who is sometimes insensitive, with great communication skills and easy to get carried away, but also fickle when not having anything that excites him and without love experience.
Ductile playing a young man in his phase of discovering and describing the sweet and bittersweet youth that only a high school student can experience, his characterization makes the viewer live or relive, as the case may be, that "youth" as if he had lived it with previously or somewhere. I don't doubt that it will awaken memories and emotions that the audience may have had.
Who we saw in 'Nare no Hate no Bokura', on TV Tokyo, confirms with his performance that he is an artist who not only has the talent to play a wide range of instruments, such as the guitar.
For his part, Yoshida Mizuki manages to convince the most demanding viewer in his role as Chika Nakamura, a young member of the badminton club with an active personality and knowledge of ancient tools. As a bright girl who cares deeply about her friends and sometimes has trouble expressing her true feelings, she makes the audience identify with the character.
Yoshida Mizuki, who has demonstrated her talent by starring in the films 'Atsui Chest Sawagi' and 'Kamuy no Uta', as well as her role in the Netflix series 'Alice in the Country', penetrates with conviction into the skin of an objectively girl cute but lacks self-confidence and has secret feelings for Ryo.
Ririka Tanabe, who like Mizuki Yoshida is an exclusive model for "Seventeen" and has also appeared in popular works such as the drama 'The Best Teacher: 1 Year Later, I Was Treated by a Student', shows great sensitivity when characterizing a devilish girl who has her own vision of the world and her own rhythm, and never tires of unconsciously manipulating everyone around her.
As Minami Murasaki, she shows her artistic skills as a transfer student who looks exactly like the beautiful girl in the film and seeks to unravel her late mother's past.
With her role in 'My Strawberry Film', Mitsuki Yoshida shows her extensive stage skills, as she did when starring in 'Alice in the Country' (Netflix), 'Dragon Zakura' (TBS) and the play 'Three Thousand Moles' Gather'.

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'When it comes to love, the second time is better'

Everything starts (or should I say "continues"?) thanks to chance. Miyata Akihiro (Hasegawa Makoto) and Iwanaga Takashi (Furuya Robin) meet again when the former, a business magazine editor who has just begun the tenth year of his career, must start a new column and hires a popular university professor from the Faculty of Economics, who turns out to be his first love of youth.
Takashi has changed his name from Hoshizawa to Iwanaga after being adopted by another family after finishing high school and the two having separated. This is the reason why Akihiro Miyata does not relate the boy he loved in the past with the person he is trying to locate to propose to be in charge of the new section in Tokyo Business magazine.
They immediately recognize each other. A decade has passed since they were dating and today they are around thirty years old and life has taken them on different paths and treated them in different ways. They look at each other, talk nonsense to avoid remembering the past, while they decide what topics will appear in the publication.
This is how 'Koi o Suru Nara Nidome ga Joto' begins, the live-action dramatic adaptation of the popular manga by Keiko Kinoshita that was serialized in "Chara Selection" (Tokuma Shoten) from 2018 to 2022.
Directed by Yuka Yasukawa, known for the drama 'Jack Frost' (MBS) and the film 'Yodaka no Unrequited Love', the series will tell us that that love story was not overcome by time and boredom, and the new meeting, Initially professional, it will begin a love relationship that is both old and new.
Skilled as usual when it comes to entertaining and awakening the audience's empathy, the director invites us to a series that lives up to the plot intensity proposed in the script by the talented Aya Watane, who worked on 'Yokai Share House' and 'One Room Angel', this time with Yasukawa himself.
Rich in hidden feelings, in hidden frustrations that will be revealed through the conversations of the protagonists and the evocation of times gone by, as well as current conflicts, such as editorial work, teaching work and university scientific research, the crisis of couple and the desolation behind a breakup, 'Koi o Suru Nara Nidome ga Joto' is told with great detail and care, and the music adds an overall air of reflection and empathy.
With a well-cared for story, full of hidden twists that are revealed to the extent that the paths of the two protagonists cross again, we will immerse ourselves in this journey of searching for happiness, reconciliation and, why not, forgiveness. .
The sound design, original music, editing and photography round out the script's discourse, making use of very interesting shots and high-flying staging solutions.
Regarding the drama adaptation, Keiko Kinoshita expressed: "As a viewer, I was able to see the monochromatic story of the manga colored by the hands of many people, including the cast and staff, and told in a different way in the form of images."
In his desire to achieve a "total split", in which each character he plays is unique and different from the others, has led Hasegawa Makoto to face a wide range of characters and challenges throughout his career. In this, his first leading role, he plays a serious boy who is very enthusiastic about his job as an editor, but when he reunites with his former love, his life falls apart due to his own dark history/trauma.
Likewise, in a constant search for diversity and authenticity in his acting work, Rotoshi Furuya, in his debut in a leading role, plays a university professor with a judicious and calm personality, who shows simple expressions of love when he reunites with Miyata, who has a personality completely opposite to him.
The relationship that the two will experience is very endearing and provoked a variety of moving emotions in me.
'Koi o Suru Nara Nidome ga Joto' shows two talented young actors, for the first time as co-stars, recreating an atmosphere of love and executing their roles with honesty. As they deepen their bond day by day, the viewer will be able to appreciate the pleasant changes in their expressions.
With lush and beautiful visual expressions, characteristic of Yuka Yasukawa's work, this realistic depiction of an adult love story follows ex-lovers who meet again for the first time in more than ten years, with a touch of reality exclusive to those in their thirties. .
One of the most romantic and exquisite Japanese dramas of the BL genre that, in addition to making you laugh and cry, will make you wonder how we deal with the loves of the past, those that appear by surprise and that, in many cases, we have not yet forgotten, because its protagonists are a couple that rekindles their relationship after more than 10 years.
How many times has Miyata wondered what happened to that person with whom he had a great love story during his adolescence and early youth? How many times did Iwanaga think what would happen if he saw again the person who has been and is his only love? Will they both be aware that first loves are never forgotten?
And Akihiro Miyata and Takashi Iwanaga loved each other very much, big time, and promised to elope in their high school years, but they made fun of it, which led to their eventual breakup. And that is why, throughout the 6 episodes, while they share time at the publishing house or outside, having dinner or enjoying a walk, those moments they spent together will come to light but also what led them to separate.
Initially, Miyata treats Iwanawa coldly, as a business partner, having promised never to fall in love with him again. However, he continues to appreciate her beauty, her talent and that character that he fell in love with when he was practically a teenager. Everything is intact, there, within reach of your eyes and your hands... your entire body, your entire being. And the other yearns for the same.
Because yes, they separated and their lives took a 180 degree turn: Akihiro Miyata, who also actively participates as an actor in The Rampage, is today an adult, serious and responsible man who is incapable of being honest with his first love again. after a decade of breaking up with him. Meanwhile, Takashi Iwanaga lives immersed in his work as a university professor and has a mature and relaxed personality. Both are still single and have problems facing maturity. Is it perhaps that they secretly hoped to meet again at some point in their lives?
But, despite being separated, they know that they are still the perfect couple, it is as if time has stopped for them and they continue enjoying the same songs they listened to on their headphones in high school, watching the same romantic movies lying in the floor of one of the two's rooms or playing a video game on their cell phone, while they kissed secretly from the others. Until something happens that will make the smiles and romance between them end up giving way to a series of reproaches related to what could have been and was not.
However, their characters do not exude bitterness or resentment, and, although they assume that loving each other is sometimes not enough and that "love stories only end well in the movies," they will fight with all their might so that, now, after meeting again and discover that your love has remained unscathed over time, the time has come to express: "When it comes to love, the second time is better" and make your love also like a movie... or rather, a television series .
Little by little, through seductive looks and tender gestures and subtle smiles, the lovers of yesteryear will reconcile with their past, to which they refer with flashbacks and sound evocations.
One of the strong points of 'Koi o Suru Nara Nidome ga Joto' are the dialogues between Akihiro Miyata and Takashi Iwanaga. Through what they say and what they keep quiet or hint at, we learn about their shared history and the personality of each one of them.
Sprinkled with a nostalgia that emerges throughout the series to make us recover that lost youthful feeling and the confusion caused by the arrival of adulthood, this would be the occasion to ask ourselves: What will happen to the boy over 30 years old who no longer Can you be as honest as before when you meet your soulmate again? What will happen to this "second" love, full of tactics and approaches with which it is expected to bear fruit and consolidate?
Note: With permission from the MDL administrators, I will leave the review open to, if appropriate, continue rating the series as the following episodes are broadcast.

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When second parts are better

'Ossan's Love Returns' continues the adventures of the Japanese gay couple Maki and Haruta after the events of the first season, 'Ossan's Love: Ossan zu Rabu', broadcast in 2018, and the following film, 'Gekijoban Ossan zu Rabu Love or Dead', 2019, from TV Asahi.
Ironically, even after years of being together, the two men, already close to forty, have a couple of things to learn about life itself and relationships, since they have passed professional issues with high marks.
Luckily, the entire cast of the original series is present to offer life lessons to the young couple in their marriage experience. Haruta, in need of all the help he can get from his friends and co-workers, on how to maintain a loving relationship and how to treat his husband, will need to learn from the lessons that can be given to him. .
The popular Japanese BL that was overwhelmingly addictive to many since its initial season, returns to the small screen with a new sequel in which Kento Hayashi, Kei Tanaka and Kotaro Yosida reprise their roles as Ryota Maki, Soichi Haruta and Musashi Kurosawa, respectively, who, along with the other characters, portray the varied dynamics that move our main protagonists.
The show features a cast involving Iura Arata (as Ko Izumi), Miura Shohei (Kikunosuke Rikudo), Uchida Rio (Chizu Arai), Kaneko Daichi (Utamaro Kuribayashi), Ito Shuko (Maika Arai), Kojima Kazuya (Teppei Arai ), Mashima Hidekazu (Masamune Takekawa) and Ohtsuka Nene (Choko Kuribayashi) in supporting roles.
Considered one of the first Japanese television series of the Boys' Love genre aimed at a general audience, it is not the adaptation of a previous manga, although it was serialized between 2018 and 2020 by Umebachi Yamanaka for the manga magazine Be Love. It is also appreciated for serving as an influential model for audiovisual adaptations of the same genre produced both in Japan and internationally.
In fact, due to its good acceptance and criticism, what was initially a special episode broadcast on December 30, 2016, with the title 'Ossan zu Rabu', was expanded into a franchise. The aforementioned special chapter has the peculiarity that in it Haruta's romantic interest is his kohai Hasegawa Yukiya, played by Ochiai Motoki. The original cast, with some changes, was part of the seven-episode series, considered the first season.
Added to this universe are the 8-episode series 'Ossan's Love: In The Sky (Ossanzu Rabu: In The Sky), from TV Asahi, from 2019, and Ossan's Love HK, starring Kenny Wong, Edan Lui and Anson Lo in the main roles. Directed by Kwok Kaa Hei and script written by Tokuo Koji, this is considered Hong Kong's first BL drama.
'Ossan's Love Returns' manages, as a sequel, to recover the magic of the original, while offering something new to maintain the interest of viewers. To do this, the characters just have to be who they were in the first season, but with a more anime style.
The series also respects one of the characteristics of both anime and Japanese live-action works by exaggerating and making improvised mood swings, whether in dream sequences or in fantasized worst-case scenarios. Haruta being a very imaginative man, in many moments of his hyperactive shouts, different and overly expressive voices and internal thoughts, his directors, Yuki Saito and Ruto Toichiro, excel in the exquisite camera work in the close-ups; moving the focus directly onto the face of actor Kei Tanaka, who characterizes Haruta ridiculously well.
Kento Hayashi, her sensible husband Maki, is not far behind in loving her foolish husband, but also showing a side of annoyance with the man who even today, five years after the relationship began, does not do the housework and, To make matters worse, he frequently gets drunk and loses the gifts they give him.
The series describes the “newlywed life” of Haruta and Maki, after the latter's return from Singapore, where he had gone for work. Haruta, who has been dealing with his long-distance relationship, waits for him impatiently, but fails to arrive at the airport in time to see him get off the plane, as was his intention, indicating from the first scenes the comedic tone that characterizes the Serie.
With increased responsibilities in the workplace, the couple has difficulty dividing and accomplishing household chores. To save the situation, Haruta comes up with the brilliant idea of ​​hiring some online cleaning services to make her home life easier. But the person who appears at the door turns out to be none other than his former boss. This will be the person in charge of cleaning the home you share with Maki. In this way, Musahi Kurosawa, played by the fantastic Kotaro Yoshida, Maki's eternal love rival for the love of her foolish husband, re-enters the lives of the two young people.
Kurosawa, who had retired early, now works in a company dedicated to domestic work. As a “housekeeper,” while visiting the couple, her old feelings for Haruta are rekindled.
Despite stating that he has changed his intentions to conquer Haruta and now only comes to play the role of “mother-in-law” in the effort to make the young couple happy, he does not miss the opportunity to argue with Maki and cast her jealous glances, animosity or resentment for “having taken the man she loves” or for “making him suffer for preferring to be with other men,” as she often thinks, without knowing that Maki, who loves Haruta madly, is a victim of misunderstandings and absurd setbacks. , like leaving her engagement ring embedded in a baked ceramic vessel, which she and Haruta had molded hours before.
In this original “fatherly love”, while Kurosawa hurts Maki in subtle ways, a foolish Haruta is not able to notice what is happening around him, achieving moments of humor also with other situations, which will not be lacking in the series.
The three main characters, as well as the rest of the cast, are adults and handle their nonsense in a script that has plenty of intelligence and good workmanship.
With a plot ably written by Tokuo Koji, it's no coincidence that audiences can experience the series as a sexless Yaoi: the characters act with the same kind of bombastic, chaotic energy you see in anime. An example of the above can be seen when a jealous Kurosawa, in a sort of “drama queen”, passes a rolling pin over the fingers of a helpless Maki, unable to react in time, when he comments on her cooking.
If as an obsessed lover “the boss” is a stalker, as a mother-in-law concerned about Haruta's happiness he is also a stalker, a kind of sweet and tender sociopath who will make even the most demanding viewer laugh. In this way, the chaos and drama rise to a divine level, which will make everyone laugh during each episode.
For their part, Haruta and Maki bring tenderness in their fun ways. As husbands, they have dealt with and overcome so many problems, thanks to pure love and faith towards each other.
However, this series, which belongs to a particularly Japanese comedy genre, whose type of humor is not always understood and enjoyed by the audience, is undervalued by many outside the borders of the nation of origin.
However, each episode is a true work of craftsmanship with its chaotic plot and, to top it all off, a satisfying ending. Every time I think that the entire cast, both technical and artistic, cannot surpass the last episode, they do it effortlessly in the next one, reaching greater heights.
In this fantastic show, with excellent characterizations, creativity flows and the audience never yawns. Quite the contrary, he settles in front of the television screen to enjoy the mysterious secondary characters neighboring the main couple, or the performances of the rest of the people who surround Maki and Haruta.
If at times the ghost of 'Ossan's Love: In The Sky' assails me, of which I admit I don't like the ending, and I think that the lack of communication, the work entanglements that tend to keep Haruta and Maki apart, or the fact that Since they both have such opposite personalities, and that's why they both have to take different paths, I really enjoy each scene being more explosive, tender and joyful than the last.
The two protagonists have grown a lot as people and the writing reflects that growth.
Tanaka Kei is fantastic with his facial expressions and body movements. The genuine relationship he has with his traveling companion, Hayashi Kento, is a key piece in the resounding success of the series. The two actors prove to be completely comfortable next to each other.
The complicity, trust and camaraderie of both, as the basis of every romantic relationship, is enhanced with the incorporation of scenes of intimacy, of genuine and spontaneous kisses and hugs, of hands held in public, of restrained tears due to missing the other. , and tender laughter that demonstrates mutual love, as we have rarely seen in Japanese series.
I only hope that around our universe, that of humans, that other universe, fictional, but no less human, which is titled 'Ossan's Love', continues to revolve.

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Jazz and internalized homophobia holding hands

'Jazz for Two' is subtle in mixing several themes to bring us a romance between two boys, with the world of jazz as a context, marked by internalized homophobia in one of the members of the couple.
A lover of this rhythm, Song Soo Lim, known for directing 'A Shoulder To Cry On', adapts the popular Clazju webtoon in live action, published in Lezhin Comics in 2017, offering us a romantic and musical drama with a complaint against a problem which can lead members of the LGTBIQ+ community to feel ashamed of their identity and question their own validity as people, as well as making them feel isolated and alone, which can lead to mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress.
With its unique combination of music, romance and drama, the series, produced by MODT, confirms the growing appeal of BL dramas and webtoon adaptations, both by fans and the industry.
With the inclusion of jazz music themes, the series is not just a story of high school students, but a testament to the power of storytelling to explore universal themes such as love, identity, friendship, grief, musical studies, personal improvement, the discovery of sexual orientation, the process of overcoming complexes and traumas, acceptance, intolerance, homophobia, internalized homophobia and internal family struggles, in its narrative arc about a journey of discovery for the four protagonists .
In an intimate tone, the series is structured around Han Tae Yi (Jee Ho Geun), a cold, scheming and expressionless musical prodigy who has brilliant trumpet skills and a captivating voice, and Yoon Se-Hun (Jin Kwon), a jazz otaku who wants to be recognized for his music and has just transferred to Wooyeon Arts High School.
When the gaze of Yoon Se-Hun, playing the piano with a slight smile on his lips, and that of Han Tae-Yi, surprised, from the door of the old music room, meet, a dazzling visual combination occurs. This eye contact will be enough to change their lives. We are facing a spontaneous piano recital that is actually the overture to romance and seduction.
Have you ever met someone who makes you feel restless and calm at the same time? Have you fallen in love with a person who, although beautiful, seems complex and mysterious to you? Have you crossed your life with someone who keeps your heart rate at 112.5774 beats per minute?
If this happens when you listen to jazz, it also happens when you meet the love of your life. Se-Hun's arrival at Tae Yi's school represents an alteration in the latter's routine, where the hours in which he does not study or make music are spent immersed in his thoughts, among which an apparent hatred towards him stands out. musical genre caused by the suicide of his brother, who was a genius jazz pianist, which is why he lost the will to live. On the one hand, Se-Hun's brilliant appearance contrasts with his own, while on the other, he has been shocked by his piano performance.
The attraction between them does not take long to materialize and little by little we witness how the surly and cold Tae-Yi opens up to the feelings that invade him, slowly but unstoppably revolutionizing his life emotionally. However, he rejects Se-Hun's feelings and distances himself from him.
If the reason why Tae Yi's brother commits suicide has always been a mystery, I am even more intrigued by the young man's question to his uncle: "Was my brother weak (in character)"? This made me think early on that both had had sexist and even homophobic teachings from their father. Would Han Tae Joon's (Byun Sung Tae) death have been related to this cause? Why does Tae Yi reject all approaches from Song Joo Hee (Kim Min Ah), Song Joo Ha's (Kim Hung Ha) sister? There was no doubt in my mind that Tae Yi was gay before Seo-Hu came into his life.
In this way, a very sensitive topic that is rarely addressed in BL is introduced in such an open and stark way: internalized homophobia. Marked by trauma, having to comply with what is demanded of him by a conservative country with strong patriarchal and heteronormative traditions, with an internalized homophobia that prevents him from admitting his own homosexuality, in a fascination that reflects his struggle of feelings: hatred and desire, Tae Yi rejects the boy he loves over and over again.
Tae Yi has all the cards against him: traumatic and painful experiences, such as bullying, physical or emotional abuse, the loss of friends and family. Tae Yi is a victim of the discrimination, rejection or shame that some LGTBIQ+ people feel towards their own sexual orientation or gender identity. It is a common problem among people who have grown up in societies that stigmatize or repress sexual diversity.
The series, for my taste, is a very subtle and interesting criticism of the discourse that seeks to suffocate minorities by stating that being homosexual is something abnormal and depraved. But instead of taking you down the path of vindication in search of conquering our rights, Song Soo Lim directly shows us the consequences that something that seems so general has on a normal person.
In theory, something that would not have to affect Tae Yi, who spends his days at school, his house or his uncle's bar, oblivious to everything and everyone, except forgetting his deceased brother. But it does affect him, because after meeting Seo-Hun his whole world collapses, feeling a fascination for him that borders on obsession. Tae Yi transforms into another person, but he doesn't know how to react to him. He doesn't know what the consequences will be of his actions of admitting to himself that he loves another man.
How to repress and hide a part of yourself that is suffocating you little by little and eating you away from the inside. But also, this inhibition not only affects you, but all the people around you who are also swept away by that gale.
'Jazz of Two' is a series that proposes us to reflect on internalized homophobia, on the many generations that have been affected by that intrinsic message that society constantly sends you and that tells you that you are not normal, that there is something wrong with you and that you have to hide, make yourself invisible. How you learn to put certain feelings or opinions in a box and wear a mask to feel safe, at the cost of never being your true self.
And I really liked that the drama portrays this process realistically, not in a perfect entity, but in a fallible young man, who is struggling with his reality, who makes mistakes, who takes steps back and is afraid. Tae Yi lives two separate worlds. That of the talented high school student, that of a genius with a trumpet on his lips, on the one hand, and that of a gay boy in love with the jazz-loving student, on the other.
It might seem for these reasons that we are talking about a dark and depressing series. But it's not like that. Its director also shows us what it means to build community and how your queer family, especially the other three young protagonists, and their uncle, can be there for you in difficult times.
'Jazz of Two' is sometimes a mirror that many have found difficult to observe. It will remind us of so many moments in which people who carry a great deal of internalized homophobia within themselves feel just as uncomfortable as Tae Yi, with the same feeling of hopelessness and helplessness.
For this reason alone it is worth giving great recognition to the series, to the members of the technical and artistic team. How can we not consider the series timely, revolutionary, provocative and innovative in a country like South Korea, where relationships between people of the same sex are not yet recognized and equal marriage is not legal, when in the United States, a nation supposedly less conservative, every day states pass laws that seek to bring LGBT+ people back into the closet, or in Spain a children's movie is censored because it shows a lesbian kiss.
But it's not just the main couple who is damaged by internalized homophobia. The second, made up of Song Joo Ha and Seo Do-yoon (Song Han-gyeom), two other students at the school and the latter's friend of Tae Yi, will also suffer for this reason. And even a third, made up of Yoon Se Jin (Ko Jae Hyun), Se Hun's brother) and Han Tae Joon, Tae Yi's brother, composer of the jazz piece that gives the series its title.
Just like that of the main couple, the chemistry between Seo Do-yoon and Song Joo-Ha is also unique. Both characters show their passionate emotions, capturing the viewer's attention. It also adds curiosity about what type of relationship there would be between them through the question posed by the first: "What happens if I cross the line?", incorporating new tensions and questions to the story of four sensitive and pure teenagers who go through friendship. and love.
The viewer can appreciate that it is not a simple plot, as it may seem at first glance, by showing us the social reality of South Korea, to which is added a homosexual love relationship marked by internalized homophobia, with jazz music as background.

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BL and debate on a complex and novel social issue in the genre: male prostitution

It is estimated that almost 3 million Thais are in prostitution out of a population of 65 million inhabitants where, although prostitution is illegal, culturally, contexts of tolerance have been established, reaching the point of creating favorable scenarios to encourage economic growth. based on trips and sexual tourist events.
Bangkok's nightlife scene is majestic, with its lounges, such as The Pimp, Sherbet, Pegasus, St. Moritz or Le Pent, which copy the model of Japanese host bars in high-net-worth environments. Large, elegant nightclubs, with shows and luxury in abundance. You enter a place like this and at the door you already see that the matter is going to be expensive. They are places frequented by the upper and wealthy Thai class.
Inside, it's all tables where you watch the local guys drink high-priced liquor, accompanied by customers, both men and women, extremely smiling and pleasant. The hosts say whatever nonsense. The customers laugh. One drops the glass of drunkenness. His partner wipes his shirt and caresses his cheek.
Designed to receive groups of friends, and when I say friends I mean all male, the waiters of the also known as gentlemen's clubs greet the visitor with two cards. The one for drinks and the one for the hosts. But it's not a brothel. Hosts are not on the menu for sexual reasons. If you pay the high price, what they will do is sit with you at the table, serve you drinks and make you laugh all night. If you pay good drinks, you might touch some meat, kiss, munch, and you can even bite the neck and leave a mark as a souvenir. But no taking something home, at least at the price listed on the menu. It is paid by the company.
There is certainly some similarity with Japanese host clubs. But while in Japan you sit down with your rented girl or boy to tell her your sorrows and what stresses you about work, in Thailand it's for dancing and getting drunk. The hosts entertain the client by making them play rock, paper, scissors while laughing, or a video game on their mobile phone. Whoever loses, drinks. And the client always pays.
Of course, all this has a price. The guys in the lounge are carefully selected and have to be fun as well as remarkably attractive. Don't expect to drink a cheap beer either. The normal thing is to buy reserve whiskey.
How much can a joke mean in a lounge? Quietly about 5,000 bahts, 125 euros, if you don't lose control with what the hosts ask for. And that's knowing that, unless a miracle happens, they will go home like almost everyone else in a normal nightclub. Alone.
I think of all this when I watch 'Deep Night' ('Khuen Ni Mi Khae Rao'), the Thai series that bears the indisputable seal of "Cheewin" Thanamin Wongskulphat, the actor, director and owner of Copy A Bangkok, the production company and agency of casting, who is credited as the first producer of the Y series in Thailand, and who also made successful works such as 'YYY' (2020), 'Why R U?: The Series' (2020), the three seasons of 'Make It Right: The Series', all from Line TV, and 'Love Sick', his first drama, from 2015.
I think of all this when I watch 'Deep Night' ('Khuen Ni Mi Khae Rao'), the Thai series directed by "Cheewin" Thanamin Wongskulphat.
The series tells the exciting and stormy story of Khemthis, played by Shogun Paramee, the latest letter of introduction of GMM 25 in full ascendancy in his first leading role, who plays the beloved son of Madame Freya (Tanya Thanyaret), the owner of Deep Night Club, the most important host bar in the country, and Wela Ratthakorn, characterized by First Piyangkun, an already established figure within the genre with dramas such as 'War of Y' and 'Y Destiny', always in leading roles, this time representing no not only the number one artist on the trapeze, but also the host preferred by clients.
The series will attract the attention of many for different reasons, including the incredible chemistry in front of the camera of the two main characters.
A new aspect for BL fans is the social and cultural landscape of Bangkok nights and, especially, the elegant nightclub that represents the setting, a kind of acrobatic cabaret that serves as a backdrop to address a topic. new within the world of BL: male prostitution and escort services, since Wela and the other club hosts are auctioned and offer sexual and companionship services to clients who pay for their attention, without reaching penetration.
'Deep Night' shows us a form of male prostitution typical of Thai nightclubs. Since prostitution is illegal, these establishments seek to hide this social phenomenon when the prostitute, here called the host, is not paid directly or in cash, but rather through the payment of sexual services to the establishment and through the purchase of alcoholic beverages with those in which the client manages to spend the night being accompanied by the young sex worker.
The series shows how Thai rentboys are auctioned off in nightclubs. The hosts of the Deep Night Club are sex workers, although they only participate as mere companions or escorts. Who says that a person in the conditions shown in the series who receives money for their services, for not having penetrative sex, does not practice what is known as the oldest profession in the world?
Wela cannot do anything to prevent the provision of sexual services that the client demands. You can't do anything to avoid a drunk who insults you, someone who bites your neck, mauls you, touches you in an impudent manner, kisses you, and puts their hands under your clothes.
You can only ease your luck a little by frequently asking the client's permission with the excuse that you need to go to the bathroom. The host needs to ask permission from the person who paid, and justify leaving his table, even for a few minutes, hoping that the night goes by quickly and he is finally free.
The client acts like the client of any prostitute in any brothel anywhere in the world. He is the owner of the situation gained by punching bills or gulping drinks, which in this case is the same thing. The legal limits are set by the club. The sex worker cannot be a minor or be an undocumented alien or other violation of the laws.
Being exposed, Wela is forced to recognize that he has had to carry out this work in order to obtain the money that would allow him to pay off the debt left by his father. Then, new approaches arise: The main annoyance, anger and wound of a person in his place is due to reasons that the series hides, denies or ignores: the suffering of the prostitute for having to get ahead with his life, pay debts, be able to carry a plate of food on the table, being able to dress and put on shoes for his son, being able to pay for his elderly mother's surgery or his little brother's studies through this job.
Wela never questions the reality that life has brought him to. Wela never has a thought about what she is doing with her life, whether she has chosen the right path. He knows it's not the right way. For some reason, he has been hiding everything related to his work from his mother and everyone else for years, because he is aware that it contains both illegalities and shameful, defamatory, degrading, immoral content.
Instead of questioning himself about his behavior, of making the viewer understand why he has been forced to prostitute himself, which would be consistent with a person in his place, what he does is praise his sponsors, applaud the good things he has done. the club has been towards him or how kind the owner of the club has been in giving him the job.
The series does not offer us lessons, which would be extracted from focusing on specific issues like these. The main character does not give hope to people in his place. Wela does not redeem herself, she does not find redemption. He does not seek redemption.
I don't like that the series has approached this whole phenomenon of prostitution so lightly, in a festive tone, in which we will never get to know the human suffering behind the fact that a person decides to enter the world of prostitution .
And I understand that the creators have decided to face the issue in this way so lightly, so superficially, and not with crudeness, with realism, as the problem deserves to be exposed, because otherwise the series would be moving away from the BL genre to become an LGBT+ drama with greater depth, realism and complexity than this other genre would propose.
I also regret that the majority of fans of the genre prefer to ignore the obvious, and instead of joining the debate and reflection proposed by the creators and producers, they dedicate themselves to commenting on whether Japan would look good in a sequined suit or if Dai should touch up her hair. beard frequently.
With his resignation as host No. 1, Wela will no longer be bitten on the neck by a client, nor will he be groped, groped, kissed or touched in his private parts by someone who paid to do precisely this with him.
When the time comes, Freya has to admit mistakes in allowing prostitution in the club and apologize to the hosts "for the chaos that was previously in our club until today's special event occurred."
Whether or not it was their interest, the creators have given their opinion regarding the debate that is being waged today within Thai society about whether or not to legalize prostitution.
To all of these, I was hoping that Japan and Seiji would save the series from my disappointment. If Seiji always considered Ken only as a friend, if he had thousands of occasions to have a romantic or sexual relationship with him and he was never interested because for him Ken was nothing more than a friend, why does Seiji's sudden interest in Ken? ? When did Seiji realize that he loved both of them at the same time, when he always showed interest in Pan and never in Ken, despite the latter's constant hints first and statements later?

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BL and the vertical format: a marriage for the future already in the present

It is a pleasure to see Park Hyeong Seop, the popular YG model and actor, and Lee Sang Min, now as protagonists of 'Please Teach Me', the Korean romantic comedy from Top Reels, Korea's newest streaming platform. , after discovering the first playing Simeon (Chim On), in the drama 'Jun and Jun', and the second playing Woo Sun Woo in 'Why R U?', the Korean adaptation of the 2020 Thai series, and Ji Seung Min in 'Star Struck', all from the year 2023 and from the BL genre.
Rookie actors Kwak Hee Joo, Ji Jong Ho, and Lee Young Joo also join the star cast.
Produced by Astin Camel (formerly T2N Media), the drama is a collection of Korean BL shorts with 50 episodes of approximately 1 minute in length.
Its director and screenwriter, Yoon Hye Ryeom (Holy Class, 2014), is known for writing and directing the short film 'My Daddy Is a Bellydancer' and the unitary 'tvN O'PENing: Summer, Love Machine Blues', from 2023.
In addition to highlighting Park Hyeongseop's histrionic qualities, I would like to congratulate him for his humanism and commitment in the fight for the rights of the LGBT+ community and against homophobia. Specifically, I will refer to the actor's attitude when, on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at the press conference for the official launch of Top Reels and the presentation of the series trailer, he faced some questions that those present and followers of the KBL considered homophobic.
When asked by a reporter about the "challenges" the actor faced in filming, as the series depicted a romance between two men, Park responded: "Since our drama is the same as any romantic drama, I didn't feel any burden or difficulty during filming.
I find it interesting that it was decided to film the series in vertical format, and it is in this aspect that I will place the greatest weight of my review.
South Korea has joined the Chinese dramas, as these are the first to make the leap to be designed and recorded specifically for smartphones and their screens, therefore, exclusively vertically.
And the script, content and format of 'Please Teach Me' are specifically designed for consumption on smartphones, due to its ease of consumption.
Since 2018, Tencent introduced short series such as 'My Boyfriend-ish Sister' (Boy 的 男友 力 姐姐) and 'My Idiot Boyfriend' (我 的 二 货 男友), and iQiyi launched 'Ugh! Life!' (生活对我下手了) and 'Arg Director' (导演对我下手了), in 2019, the list of series shot vertically has been expanded.
And it will continue to expand, because among the characteristics of these dramas, comedies and other productions, it stands out that they are not limited only to adapting their content to the vertical format, but also adapt many more details.
Let's start with the length of the episodes. An episode of a vertically shot series should be between two and five minutes long, so the action happens as quickly as possible. The creators and producers of 'Please Teach Me' know that their potential audience is young people, so the episodes will be consumed over coffee in a bar, on the way to university or back home, on a break between classes or the school soccer game or even before the images of a film begin to shoot in the cinema.
Every line of dialogue, every conversation and every joke is meant to come and go, offering seamless dynamic viewing. The episodes will thus be easily consumable and will satisfy the television appetite of young people. Thus, the goal is for the viewer to consume many episodes in a row and they can be mixed with those of other series without major difficulties.
'Please Teach Me' was even designed for the audience to use their hands to watch the chapter and move to the next, which is why the content is brief. We always take the cell phone with one hand and always with the purpose of looking at something casual. Can we imagine long content that was also in vertical format? It would be unbearable to visualize it.
On the other hand, the vertical format in 'Please Teach Me' was conceived as a genre and not as a simple format, since the length of the episodes requires it to be even faster. Being a series characterized by comedy and humor, these same characteristics fit perfectly in this format, since they are ideal for a fast-paced pace. Even the television narrative itself adapts better to this context than the cinematic one.
Doesn't comedy follow the same pattern as a vertical video? The producers took this quality into account, making this format ideal for transmitting joy and fun in small, easy-to-digest bites without special emphasis on the script.
That is to say, by its very nature of generating small gratifications in the form of a joke, the vertical format is perfect for generating a more frenetic pace than that of a conventional series that we consume horizontally. 'Please Teach Me' proves it.
Furthermore, not everything fits in the vertical format. Intricate dialogues, internal dialogues, abrupt plot twists or especially complex stories have no place in this format. That is why 'Please Teach Me' presents a coherent rhythm, composition and way of teaching its content. The vertical format requires thinking about all this and although comedy is not the only one that fits into this formula, it has proven to be the most comfortable to adapt to this format.
Finally, vertical series have a fragmenting visual language, so the narrative is full of quick cuts, screens that slide or split to offer two different perspectives of a story. 'Please Teach Me' manages, in this sense, to increase the number of shots consumed by the viewer and offer more information in less time.
For this, the producers and creators took into account that although the settings and in general the context of the visual space are not well used in this format, the condensed visual information is.
We cannot ignore that these works usually have quick camera cuts, split screens to see the face or the situation in which two characters are involved, funny transitions, etc. Yes, it is true that the viewer loses in spatial content, but gains in visual information. This is how in 'Please Teach Me' the scene counts much more since it focuses much more on what is important. Therefore, the experience thus turns out to be dynamic and fluid.
While large movie screens try to put the audience into a world and an experience, vertical screens, and especially smaller ones, help the viewer to more easily believe what we see in the images.
The vertical format transports us not to a world, but to what we want to see on the screen, and giving it to us in faster doses and with more information sometimes makes it more enjoyable. The creators and producers of 'Please Teach Me' know this perfectly.

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Food and care: couples therapy for the fulfillment of a promise

Directed by Tadaaki Horai, who we know for his participation in the live-action adaptation of the popular manga 'My Love Mix-Up!', and the 2021 BL drama 'Kieta Hatsukoi', and script by Takeshi Miyamoto, writer also from 'Old Fashion Cupcake', from 2022, Fuji TV ('The Novelist', 'Mood Indigo' and 'Playback') produces the six-episode series 'Perfect Propose' (パーフェクトプロポーズ).
Adapted from the manga of the same name by Tsurukame Mayo (鶴亀まよ), the work stars Shunya Kaneko ('Ultraman Trigger', Rent-A-Girlfriend, live action) and Kota Nomura ('Shup Up', 'Shin Shinchō Kōki', 'Classmate wa Sengoku Bujо̄' live-action) in the lead roles of Hirokuni Watari and Kai Fukaya, respectively.
The creators have allowed themselves changes to the original plot in order to give a more realistic vibe to both the characters and the story.
The main song is "Daydream", by the group OCTPATH.
Additional cast includes:
Jingi Irie as Kaneko, senior at Hirokuni's company.
Ayane Kinoshita as Hiyori, a junior employee at the company.
Rio Takahashi as Tatsumi, a junior employee.
Yuta Hayashi as the new employee, Sakamoto.
Ryo Iwase as Hirokuni's boss, Sato.
Toshiyuki Kitami as Kenji, the restaurant owner who taught Kai how to cook
Kotaro Tanaka as Koji's son.

With a mix of the popular JBL 'My personal Weatherman' and 'Old Fashion Cupcake', Hiro and Kai's romance will take us into a world of complex relationships with tender moments and a love story that will defy expectations. Two souls battered by life and circumstances will find comfort and forge an unforgettable and unbreakable bond.
Why has Kai been searching for Hiro for twelve years? How true is Kai's alleged old promise to “get married and live together”? Has Hiro forgotten that “he has been engaged to his friend since adolescence?” Has Kai taken the promise seriously and makes it his life's mission to make it a reality? Will Hiro be willing to keep his word given in the past? Will the two of them be happier together or apart?

PLOT

Hirokumi is on the verge of a nervous breakdown due to the stress caused by the deadlines for work tasks assigned by his demanding boss, as an employee of a corporate company. He feels that life can't be worse. But just when he thought things couldn't go any further, he meets again with an unexpected visitor: Kai, a childhood friend that Hirokuni used to babysit, who comes to make true a promise made by the two in the past.
It's been twelve years since they last saw each other. The circumstances under which the reunion occurs are not ideal. While Hiro is about to faint from the workload, Kai is homeless and asks for help. He, despite his reservations and with no other option, reluctantly allows Kai to move in with him. Soon his friend will reveal to him that he is gay. What Hiro would never suspect is that this circumstance will lead to an unexpected connection that challenges his preconceived notions.
Positioned in his new domestic life, Kai proves to be an expert in the culinary art, and makes delicious plates of home-cooked meals. The phrase “love enters through the kitchen” has never been better said. Hirokuni soon understands that being cared for and pampered isn't such a bad thing after all.
Kai's caretaker in the past, Kai will now take care of him. Kai becomes a caregiver fully willing to take charge of Hirokuni's messy life. This, a little clueless in matters of love, along with an optimistic and self-confident Kai, make the perfect couple in this series that skillfully combines drama and romance.
The unconditional power of love, acceptance, intricate threads of vulnerability, self-discovery, compassion and personal growth, surrounded by a warm environment of healing therapy and delicious food are woven into a tapestry of emotions that may not seem like much to us.
We will witness Hirokuni's metamorphosis from a lonely and exhausted man to one who finds solace and inner peace in the presence of Kai and their blossoming love.
As their lives intertwine, a new dynamic is produced that will enhance well-being and reduce problems in the strange relationship between the cool, handsome guy with remarkable domestic skills and the work-weary salaryman who lives a lonely life. .
The classic tropes of friends becoming lovers or old promises to keep will not detract from, on the contrary, they will enrich this fun and moving Japanese drama.
If you asked me to define 'Perfect Propose' in a few words, I would say that it is a healing gastronomic drama, a couples therapy in rescue of two souls wandering in pain. I would add that it is possible to become absorbed in the depth of the characters' emotions, the nuanced details of their interactions, and the beautifully rendered images that bring this love story to life.

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Declaration of love and farewell with gay fairy tale ending

The holidays come to an end, summer says goodbye to return next year in a small fishing village in China. It is time to say goodbye to the beach, the heat, rest and, above all, to the person you love.
The camera follows the face of teenager Leaf (Xinyi He). You rush to brush your teeth and wash your face: you need to look and smell good. He has arranged to meet Qing Chen (Jianan Yang), his childhood friend, to spend the remaining days of the summer period in his company. His friend will soon leave for Shanghai to study. He also dreams of going to a university in that city or in Beijing or Guangzhou, but he must remain in the village by the sea to take care of his elderly grandmother (Xiaojing Liao). To get ahead, he has set up a small and thriving hair salon where locals flock.
The camera now "watches" Leaf and her friend from a distance. This is the way chosen by Meicen Meng, the director of the Chinese short film, 'Beyond the Green Mountain', to give visuality to the mood of the two protagonists.
That detachment that is farewell can be, perhaps, one of the most dramatic or significant moments in our history, because although sometimes goodbye can be accompanied by an optimistic undertone because it implies closing one story to open another, the emotionality is It appears through our tear ducts at the fact of seeing a person leave without being able to do anything other than observe how their silhouette fades with each step, before the uncertainty of not knowing if we will see them again in another chapter of our existence.
The faces of the two boys cannot be seen, since it is night and they are now positioned with their backs to the lens, while they talk about dreams, desires, the opportunities they could find to study or live in big cities, philosophical beliefs, gods. and goodbye.
The camera follows Qing Chen who can finally show his beautiful face. In order to reveal his repressed feelings and with unshed tears, he arrives at the doors of Leaf's humble house, but he does not dare to knock. It is evident that she needs to bring out all those hidden emotions that she keeps inside and tell them to the boy who is now back at her side, but her grandmother prevents this by inviting the visitor to dinner.
This film, made by queer people for queer people, breaks the patriarchal binary lens that has been dominating world cinema, to tell us how these two young people, who have known each other since they were children, merge in glances of fascination in each encounter, and they have been filling that void that haunts their lives, because it could not be without the presence of the other.
Although in more than one moment it seems that they are going to take the next step, it never happens, so the only thing they have left is to wait to say goodbye to the imminent departure of one of them.
Later, as they lie in bed, they look at each other's faces in the dark, but they don't dare to state their feelings explicitly, but Qing Chen expresses them subtly: "I will never be able to see so many stars in Shanghai." His words would rather say: "In another place, far from you, I will only find infinite darkness. You are the light of my life."
The film tells a story of pure first love through a pure narrative about these young characters who fall in love without realizing that loving each other romantically is even a possibility. However, feelings don't lie. To an untrained heart, these feelings are overwhelming. Confusion, doubts, insecurity and pain form a dark subtext. Love is pure, tender, sweet and beautiful, that is why the young Chinese director seeks to represent how love shines through the darkness that represents a goodbye or the two lovers being separated.
There are two days left until the farewell. Leaf, sitting on the beach, takes Qing Chen's diary, left by him in the sand. Unaware of his action, he is about to discover his most intimate secrets, but Qing Chen snatches it from his hands at the last moment, before hurting him to the depths of his being: "The damn villagers have no manners." He cannot express his regret for the hurtful words. Leaf doesn't give him time and runs away with tears of pain.
In this story about youth, friendship and love that blossoms in the summer breeze, the camera focuses again on Leaf's face as she brushes her teeth and washes her face the morning before saying goodbye. The ritual now will not be to reunite with Qing Chen. Perhaps the objective is to make visible the necessary act of releasing from within you the sadness that still persists and is reflected on your face. The bond between the two cannot end this way.
But he does not pay attention to the complaints of his friend, who persists in asking for forgiveness, when there are only a few hours left before leaving on his trip.
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning. How long will this childish tantrum of yours last?" Qing Chen confronts him. As they roll on the floor in a silly fight, a passionate kiss surprises them. They hug each other tightly. Their bodies orbit around each other. They would like time to stop. But Leaf reacts and abruptly separates. What will grandma think if she knows that I love another boy? How will she face the neighbors? Will she still be proud of me?
The next morning, Qing Chen, as if he were a sleepwalker who has not been able to sleep a wink all night, crawls towards the car in which his parents are waiting to take him to Shanghai. Almost about to get on it, a scream from Leaf stops him. In silence, the boy forcefully draws towards him the body of his former friend and now lover, and they passionately embrace.
With a beautiful Chinese landscape as a backdrop, the farewell between the character of Xinyi He and Jianan Yang is capable of causing a lump in our throat because of how significant it is that these lovers have had the opportunity to say goodbye and express their love, although it was the same way they communicated it throughout the film: through silence, gestures, emotions and looks.
Qing Chen's parents, a few meters away and who can't even see each other inside the car, will never know what the boys said to each other in that silent hug. Only they will know.
The piece, only 15 minutes long, reminds us that, regardless of aesthetic issues, filmmakers can resort to a powerful tool: our need to understand what we see, regardless of the language or the articulated word.
Throughout the film, which is nothing more than an immense and constant declaration of love, Meicen Meng weaves a visually evocative narrative that captures the internal struggle of the two characters in their struggle to discover and accept themselves, while exploiting our emotions by giving us perhaps one of the most iconic farewells of the seventh art.
With a powerful and healing representation of the community building inherent to the film's creation process, the filmmaker also explores emotions and universal intimate human connections, using characters traditionally little seen in world cinematography, such as two teenagers from a fishing village, who dream of loving and empowering themselves through studies and the realization of their professional and work dreams.
Perhaps much of the charm of this film lies in the fact that despite the palpable romance of the protagonists, at no point do they manage to consummate their love, not even at the moment of farewell, however, it underlies, latent, perceptible, in each scene. .
The internationally renowned Chinese queer cinema knows perfectly well how dramatic the farewell act can mean. That's why Meicen Meng, the award-winning non-binary filmmaker of that nationality, wrote, directed and produced her thesis film 'Beyond The Green Mountain', to address topics such as sexuality, love, self-acceptance and identity.
Due to its ethical and aesthetic values, it was chosen as one of the five finalists of the prestigious 2018 Coppola Short Film Competition by Gus Van Sant, a queer filmmaker of great international fame.
The film also screened at the Museum of the Moving Image as part of the First Look Film Festival and was the winner of the Best Indie Short award at the Indie Short Fest in July 2019, among many other awards.
In this captivating cinematographic journey that explores in such a beautiful way the emotional labyrinths of its protagonists, humanity and human connections, it concludes with a dreamy and hopeful Leaf who directs her sight towards the sea, beyond the mountain that gives it its title. to the movie, as if he were looking into the future, before turning his face when he hears approaching footsteps, and drawing a smile on his lips: everything seems to indicate that his beloved is returning and, finally, they will be able to open themselves fully to love .
We generally associate goodbyes with the outcome of a story, and in most cases this is the case. However, 'Beyond the Green Mountain' goes to the other extreme and in the final scene conveys hope, the idea of ​​a shared future between our heroes. The comforting and tender fact of seeing each other once again contains a message: they both know that they will have a fairy tale ending.
I hope my review serves to motivate the viewer to see a film so recommended for its exquisite narrative and visuality.

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Therapy and love in the Kansai dialect

From 'Gokusen' (2002) 'to Kimi wa Petto' (2003), 'Ichi Rittoru no Namida' or 'Hana Yori Dango' (2005) or, more recently, 'Otonari ni Ginga', 'Watashi ga Himo wo Kau Nante ' or 'Sweet Moratorium', and many more, Japanese dramas have captured the attention of audiences around the world with their splendid landscapes, the richness of that nation's culture, the way they approach romance, as well as the physical attractiveness of its actors and actresses.
Although many recognize in them the same formulas used over and over again in the plots of Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipino and Thai series, these works captivate the viewer due to the exotic components of the narrative, the precious photography, the use of the sets, the makeup, the hairdressing and the costumes, but, above all, for the possibility of viewing an idyllic and even unreal representation, on many occasions, of a country with an ancient culture and with an aura of mystery for the inhabitants of other regions of the planet.
For decades, the representation of homosexual couples and erotic scenes between men in television audiovisual productions was scarce, if not nonexistent, in correspondence with a policy of showing only the traditional family model and censoring any attitude or preference that escapes from the conventional, in nations such as Japan, Thailand and Korea, where LGBT+ people continue to be discriminated against today.
However, BL plots, the abbreviation of Boy's Love, originally defined as "male love from a female perspective", managed to make their way and prevail in markets in Japan and Taiwan, where there are numerous manga and anime stories with romance themes between guys.
BL have become both entertainment and a cultural, social and political phenomenon, for visualizing the struggle of LGBT+ groups in these countries.
Thailand is a separate case, since the BL of this country has as its purpose the profit of television companies and talent agencies, promoting advertisements for the marketing of various products, such as cosmetics, and the exaltation of the country as a paradise destination for homosexual tourists.

PLOT

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka' ('好きやねんけどどうやろか') is a worthy example of the glamor characteristic of Japanese BL productions. Like so many others, it falls on a fairly well-worn theme in the universe of Japanese and Asian romantic dramas in general: Hisashi Soga, a divorced office worker who has been transferred from Tokyo to Osaka, surrenders to the love of Sakae, the 26-year-old years, owner of Tamae, a small restaurant located in the alleys of downtown Osaka that serves delicious and cheap home-cooked meals. The two will have to overcome a series of obstacles and overcome the obvious differences between them to stay together.
Kasae, who speaks the Kansai dialect perfectly, is friendly to everyone equally. Their cozy shop is always bustling with people. One day, Hisashi Soga goes to eat at his restaurant. Kasae can't take her eyes off his every move. Moved by his attitude, he falls in love with him.
Soga, who has not yet gotten over the divorce, only thinks about working, mastering Osaka speech so he can communicate better with the locals, and getting through the day. One of the things he enjoys the most is going to Sakae's restaurant and eating the delicious food he makes. Soga doesn't know that Sakae sees him as more than just a regular customer.
This series, practically responsible, along with so many others, for the consolidation of the BL genre in the Japanese drama market, addresses the complexity of the situation that heterosexual men face when they fall in love with a homosexual. And so a relationship that begins as a game of cat and mouse, or a simple friendship, little by little evolves to become something very special. Sakae has loved Soga since he met him. It's love at first sight, but Soga is heterosexual, in addition to having a recent divorce. As they spend time together, Soga will begin to develop feelings for each other.
From the first scenes, the connection and rapprochement between the protagonists becomes a reality. Sakae is more open to establishing romance, but Soga, who heals his broken heart, has only been in Osaka for a short time and has not yet gotten used to life in the area, much less loving another man, will find it difficult to recognize that He has fallen in love with his new friend. The relationship will take time and will to build.
The audience is faced with a simple love story between an office worker recovering from a divorce and the owner of a restaurant who cures him with food, walks around the city, games of squash and lessons in the Osaka dialect and, above all, with lots of love.
The sparks between them are undeniable as their relationship blossoms. It is deeply moving to witness loving couples whose unchanging feelings must coexist in a world of changing realities.
Kan Hideyoshi, in the role of Matsumoto Sakae, displays all his charisma and attractiveness to play a kind and hard-working young homosexual. Meanwhile, Nishiyama Jun's Hisashi Soga personifies the typical, heterosexual office worker, attracted by the smile, grace, kindness and flirtation of a homosexual man.
The television adaptation of the eponymous work by the famous Japanese writer and illustrator Chiba Ryoko, published in 2013 by Kaiousha Publishing House, is titled in English 'Although I Love You, and You?'.
The director, Shibata Keisuke, and the screenwriter, Morale, give us a media product with an undeniable communication effect, which is already being a success both for BL fans in Japan and beyond its borders.
Since I read its synopsis, several questions crossed my mind: Is Soga bisexual, a gay who deep down hides his homosexuality or a heterosexual who falls in love with a man? Will these two very different people have a future in common? What can connect an athletic type from Naniwa with a cultural type from Tokyo?
The chemistry of the protagonists and the delicacy of the story are gratifying. The audience, whether interested in BL themes or not, will definitely enjoy the romance between the two actors.
Social networks and Japanese media are echoing and, since its premiere, they have selected the five best charms of this drama. Although there may be several while the series is broadcast, these are:
1. The look of popular actor Kan Hideyoshi, who showed great acting skills in his role as Sakae.
2. Nishiyama Jun's believable portrayal of office worker Soga.
3. The construction of Soga's sexuality from heterosexuality to homosexuality, giving complexity to the story.
4. The music used that reflects the mood of the protagonists.
5. The detailed account of Sakae's feelings for Soga.
The opening theme is "I'll Be There" by GENIC, with lyrics written by its members Joe Nishizawa and Atsuki Mashiko. JBL lovers will be pleased: Acchan, the actor who plays Yoh in the 2023 series 'My Personal Weatherman', is co-author of the song that rolls the opening credits of 'Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka'. Precisely, the piece talks, as in the drama, about a boy who falls in love with a boy who speaks the Kansai dialect.
Many of the scenes take place in an office or office workers spend time inside a restaurant, with a young chef preparing food, while his customers eat and drink sake. And to top it all off, the poster announcing the series features a plate of TAKOYAKI! Well, I have no doubts: we are in the presence of one of those hybrids between office BL and food BL.
This series has another original point in its favor: the tendency of Japanese BLs is to pair an experienced actor with a less experienced one. Well, this time, the main couple is represented by a very talented and experienced actor, such as Nishiyama Jun, with one of the most popular, charismatic and talented actors in Japan, Hideyoshi Kan.
While Nishiyama began his artistic career in 2006 with the film 'Forbidden Siren', which was followed by the drama 'Sushi Oji!', on TV Asahi, and from there he has developed a dizzying and ascending career until today, Hideyoshi Kan is the current master and lord of the Kamen Rider universe, with titles such as 'Kamen Rider Geats', 'Kamen Rider Geats: The Movie', 'Kamen Rider the Winter Movie: Gotchard & Geats', and many more. He also acted in 'Ashita no Watashi e' and Dekiai Cinderella'.
The manga (available now in the Kindle Unlimited catalog) from which this series is adapted is of the yaoi genre. It has kisses and sex scenes, so, considering the story and the actors chosen, experienced and professional, we should expect to see a good representation of the intimate scenes.
His time in the BL series Kiss x Kiss x Kiss must serve as an experience for Hideyoshi Kan in the genre. With him as the protagonist, the manga could very well be adapted to television successfully.
I would also like to point out that the title of the series is in the Kansai dialect, so '好きやねんけどどうやろか' would translate to 'I love you, how are you?' or 'I love you, do you (love me too)?' However, the mangaka uses 'Although I love you, what about you?' in the original translation, which appears to be a transliteration of the Japanese title into English.
This very interesting story, a sure classic of the comedy-romance genre, with a very funny and at the same time dramatic plot, invites you.
If I had to define the work in a few words, they would be: “A therapeutic atmosphere and a moving romance in the Kansai dialect.”

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A violent encounter between two cultures, two sexes, two Chinas, two generations.

Wai Tung (Winston Chao) is a Taiwanese-American man who is happily settled in New York with Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein), his American boyfriend. Already close to 30 years old, Wai-Tung has not yet married, and his Taiwanese parents are impatient with the fact that they want to see him married and have children.
But what shines is not the golden and cheerful champagne, but a sad and sordid story. Wai-Tung has not dared to confess his homosexuality because his father has recently recovered from a heart attack, in addition to coming from a conservative family and he fears that they will not accept that he is a gay man.
Wai's parents, unaware of the situation, have found him a girlfriend from Taiwan and gotten him engaged; and they plan to travel to the United States to introduce the girl and celebrate the nuptials. From there, the crazy dizzying entanglement: While Wai must announce that he already has a girlfriend, Simon proposes celebrating a wedding of convenience with his Chinese roommate Wei-Wei (May Chin), a young immigrant who needs a green immigration card. to remain in the United States.
With its Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, a Golden Globe nomination in the same section, and six nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Film, all in 1993, 'Xi yan' ('The Wedding Banquet ') won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, shared with the Chinese film '"Woman Sesame Oil Maker'
With a lot of ingenuity and a good dose of humor and drama, the success of the film is guaranteed by the truthfulness of the story and the way in which the creators do not seek melodrama and basic humor, but rather do justice to the characters. .
In this well-conceived, bittersweet, funny and very entertaining film, which never stumbles, it tells us how Simon's strategy, which seemed to be safe, causes even more problems when Mrs. Gao (Gui Ya Lei) and her husband, Mr. Gao (Lung Sihung), Wai-Tung's parents, arrive in New York to celebrate a big wedding with Wei Wei. As a result, all kinds of emotional conflicts and human relationships happen behind the Chinese-style wedding banquet.
Friendly and surprising film of cultural shocks that launched Lee to universal recognition, the multi-award-winning director demonstrates a certain creative maturity as an author. Halfway between comedy and social melodrama, he bases his story on the critical-testimonial subtlety of situations and dialogues, which range from hilarity to touching sentiment, managing to overcome cultural barriers and achieve, in this way, international recognition. . As a curious fact, Lee participates as an extra among the guests at the wedding banquet.
With sequences as successful as the wedding banquet - following Chinese traditions - that titles the film, the humor comes from both the characters and the situations, giving rise to a funny and emotional unusual comedy.
'The Wedding Banquet' offers a sharp study of mentalities and points out the problems of Chinese emigrants in the United States, in search of an identity and that "American dream" that most of the time will not be realized.
With a low budget, so it was filmed with natural light, and dialogues in English and Chinese, the film talks about the confusion of identities, traditional family values ​​and their clash with modern life. Not in vain did the Taiwanese director say in this regard: "It is a violent encounter between two cultures, two sexes, two Chinas, two generations. Also, in some way, a clash between Eastern and Western society."
With this very skillful and entertaining social comedy, turned satire on the middle class with more heart than bite, Lee seems to have the objective of breaking spears in defense of homosexuality, with his dialogues and erotic situations very explicit in this sense.
Hence Lee recognized: "it is an important aspect in this film, because American cinema has traditionally treated homosexuals and also the Chinese badly. I would like them to be respected more. (…) in America it is seen as something comical, but in Taiwan it would be a drama. I wrote it based on my own experience, because it was also an act of rebellion for me not to get married, and in real close situations," referring to the fact that he was inspired to write the story by a couple of his friends.
Due to its emotional charge, with this film, the Taiwanese director, screenwriter and producer continues, as he did in previous films, such as 'Pushing Hands' and 'Eat Drink Man Woman', his exploration of the relationships and conflicts between tradition and modernity. , eastern and western. Lee also deals with repressed and hidden emotions in many of his films, including 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' 'The Ice Storm,' 'Hulk,' and 'Brokeback Mountain.'

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A gay romance with fantastic touches and the whitewashing of the homophobic Thai Police

The Sign is a captivating drama that stands out among other BLs for its ability to balance multiple stories and themes. Broadcast on Channel 3, this production by renowned Thai director and screenwriter A Natthaphong Wongkaweepairod, perfectly intertwines elements of gay romance, the complexity of first love, religiosity, the exciting world of fantasy, the supernatural, the resolution of crimes and political and police corruption.
This unique combination of genres, its compelling narrative, the pair of irresistible protagonists and a direct story of love-overcomes-adversity, guarantees that 'The Sign' will hit the mark among fans of BL products, always in search of a series that show an engaging and exciting experience. All this positions the audiovisual among the most outstanding in the BL universe of all time.
Professional critics and fans alike praise its emotional depth and the cast's sincere performances.
Its director has to his credit the dramas 'My Hero Series: Spell of The Swan Mark', from 2018; 'School Tales The Series', 2022; and the lesbian 'GAP The Series', from 2022, and 'Dream', to be released in 2024. In addition to directing, he is also the screenwriter of the serial 'Lipgloss Spy' and the film SLR', both from 2022.
Based on the great success of 'GAP The Series', its first GL series, the Idol Factory company put all its effort into producing a BL criminal investigation project. This is how 'The Sign' comes about. The series is a television adaptation of I-Rain-Yia's novel of the same name, with a literal translation into English, Premonition, which was produced by Saint Suppapong of 'Love By Chance' and 'Why RU?'.
Billy Patchanon, star of 'Secret Crush On You' and 'War Of Y', and promising actor Babe Tanatat, are in charge of taking on the main roles. I have no doubt that both because of their on-screen chemistry and their genuine performances, the two young actors will consolidate themselves as a ship within the BL universe.
The story centers on two young people who loved each other for centuries and were separated in several past lives, but in a twist of fate they were reincarnated as Phaya o Sakuna (Billy Patchanon Ounsa-ard) and Tharn Wansa (Babe Tanatat Phanviriyakool). This allowed them to meet at an academy where future police officers are trained, in order to enter the Investigation Detective Force (IDF).
During their training, they both experience unique visions related to their pasts and common future, which ignites their romance as they embark on the investigation of some criminal cases shrouded in mystery. Phaya and Tharn's love will be tested by an enigmatic man.
Other talented actors and actresses bring the characters to life in a way that has resonated with audiences.

Brief characterization of the characters

Tharn: He is the cheerful and kind young officer of the IDF. He loves Phaya, with whom he has a romance from the past. That is why he constantly risks his life to save him from the danger he is in. He has a strong sense of "instinct."
Phaya: He is the young, handsome, intelligent, cool and upright IDF officer. Love Tharn.
Khem (Tack Pongsakorn) is the young officer who has a flirtatious personality, likes to have fun and plays with all the other IDF members, especially his boyfriend Thongtai.
Thongtai (Poom Natthapas): Khem's boyfriend. He studied psychology and has a good sense of duty. He is a very observant young officer.
Yai (Gap Jakarin) grew up alongside Tharn since childhood. They both consider themselves brothers. He is a young member of IDF.
Singha (Surprise Pittikorn Siripornsawan) looks weak on the outside but is the brains of the team.
Doctor Chalotorn (Heng Asavarid) an attractive psychiatrist who is close and protective of Tharn.
Captain "Akk" Akkhanee Assawawaisoon (Akk Akarat Nimitchai), leader of the investigation team.
Wansarat (Freen Sarocha Chankimha): The GAP The Series actress is part of the cast as a Guest.
The resounding success of the series has led to the creation of other content, such as The Sign Special and Behind the Sign.
A must-see drama for fans of the BL genre and those who enjoy a good mix of romance, mystery and the supernatural, The Sign brings a captivating story that, together with its talented cast and unique combination of genres, will leave a lasting impression on the spectators.

Underlying reality of the series

On the same day of the premiere of The Sign, after watching the first episode, I wrote in MDL: “I find it commendable that in a hostile, sexist, homophobic environment, which exalts masculinity, as the Police Force of any country is supposed to be, tell a story (maybe two, if we take into account Khem and Thongthai's relationship) of a romance between boys. But I wonder if this series is not a 'whitewash' for the Thai Police. I hope that the series is not a tool to apply cosmetic touches to a Police accused of repressing members of the Thai LGBTQIA community.”
With these words I meant that homosexuality is still illegal and considered taboo in that country. Same-sex unions are not recognized under Thai law, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. This prevents gay couples from applying for bank loans or joint health insurance. It also prevents the possibility of adopting children. Thai homosexuals do not enjoy the same rights as heterosexuals. Thai law denies transgender people from changing their sex on their national identity card.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1956, but was considered a mental illness until as recently as 2002. Many Thai Buddhists believe that homosexuality is a punishment for sins committed in a previous life. Thai homosexuals suffer physical and verbal harassment in the classrooms by their classmates, and discrimination at work, under the permissive gaze of society, despite the image of tolerance towards this group in order to attract tourism to the country. The Thai Police, the result of the Military Juntas that emerged after successive coups d'état, is accused, both by the local population and internationally, of being corrupt, torturing and repressive.
The Royal Thai Police is the most corrupt state department in the country with tens of thousands of complaints annually, according to regular reports from the Ombudsman's Office, and many of these complaints come from members of the Thai LGBTQIA community, who go unheard mostly.
The high-profile crime and dismemberment of the Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta, known as the “Daniel Sancho Case” (name of his confessed Spanish murderer) confirms this. This macabre murder once again brought to public attention the dynamics in the Asian country, the excesses, the parties and the mechanisms of privilege when the victim is a homosexual.
The LGBTIQIA collective is openly discriminated against and even with criminalizing laws, which, to wash its face before the international community, welcomes all those foreigners who will be part of the collective, but without displays of public affection
At a legislative level, Thailand has much more permissive LGBTIQIA policies, but at a factual level, there is discrimination, taboo and extensive stigma. Perhaps that explains the media treatment that has been given to the Sancho case from within the country itself: half-hearted, without fully clarifying the relationship that the two men had, and the eagerness that the police have shown to close the case. In addition to trying to maintain the idyllic image of the country before Thai and international public opinion so that tourism is not scared away.

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THE FADING OF THE DAY INTO TWILIGHT IS NOT THE END, BUT THE BEGINNING OF LIFE AND LOVE

'Last Twilight' is a coming-of-age story of self-discovery that will surprise and excite you through the two young protagonists, played by Jitaraphol Potiwihok (Jimmy) as Mork, and Tawinan Anukoolprasert (Sea) as Day, whom we have already seen leading the cast artistic of “Viceversa” and “Our Skyy 2”. With this, their third leading role, the young actors seek to consolidate themselves as a ship within GMM25.
Written and directed by Noppharnach Chaiwimol (Aof), renowned director, screenwriter, producer and actor who has dramas such as 'My School Presidente' and 'Moonlight Chicken', both from 2023, among others, presents us with a story that not only seeks to make LGBTQ+ people visible, but also seeks to represent blind and visually impaired people, as well as the reintegration of the individual into society after spending time in prison.
Has Aof realized the dramatic potential of blindness and visual impairment to bring us a story on the subject? The social image of blind people has gone through different phases and, to a certain extent, has overcome the usual negative and stereotypical attitudes. Television is also responsible for the perceived public image of disability. Therefore, the representation of blind people in television programs contributes to the general perception that society has of this group.
Will it be Day's destiny to inspire pity, compassion and marginalization? Will the story focus on his struggle to overcome his limitations? Will the series revolve around the facet of his rehabilitation from a hopeful perspective? Is it intended to offer the image of a person who rehabilitates himself and lives a life that tries to get closer to the most normal that his circumstances allow? Will a story prevail in which the blind character seeks social integration? How to make a story with these characteristics, when in current filmography it is rare to see the person with a disability like any other person? Isn't it due to the fact that audiovisual productions show disability as a medical issue rather than from a social perspective? How to succeed in the process?
Aof has drawn on the changes produced in the way visual disability is represented in film and television. He also knows how society has evolved in its understanding of disability.
Taking all of the above into account, it would be appropriate to ask ourselves: to what extent does the series portray a blind character from a positive perspective? To what extent does it represent, and therefore promote, the progressive inclusion of visually impaired people in society? Is one of the purposes of 'Last Twilight' to contribute to enhancing the general perception that society has of disability? Does Day have a fully developed personality or is her character fundamentally defined by her disability? Does the series reflect Day's character as a unique and distinctive personality or is his disability the main focus of the plot? Is Day's personality unique because his character expresses the desire for independence and not wanting to be pitied?
What is Day's level of inclusion in the community? (considering that this includes areas such as inclusive education, employment, residential environment, community participation, recreation and social activities). What are Day's interpersonal relationships like with the people around him? Will your character move away from the stereotypes with which the visually impaired have been reflected in film and television?
TECHNICAL-ARTISTIC ASSESSMENT
Aof makes a triumphant return behind the cameras to create an entertaining product that had a sufficient dose of credibility in its cast for this plot to revolve between cold and warmth, between detachment and tenderness, suffering and illusion, discouragement. and optimism, darkness and light, although the viewer can, at times, decipher the story for themselves, including the final twist. I don't even doubt that this is one of the reasons why 'Last Twilight' is watchable and enjoyable. It is in its own way dreamy, in its own way hopeful, thanks to Jimmy and Sea's chemistry and the questions it seeks to answer.
With a pair of irresistible protagonists and a straightforward love-overcomes-adversity story, 'Last Twilight' hits the spot for the BL fan market. Others will also be able to enjoy it. Aof tries to fight for the desire that his work show a universal feeling, that knows no genres, and is close to anyone.
Although present, sex is not the mainstay of the relationship. Instead, Aof highlights looks, words, silences, gestures as a connection of feelings. In this sense, the series moves away from a common cliché in gay-themed cinema, which rarely seems concerned with delving into the emotions of its characters from a perspective that does not necessarily imply an immediate sexual attraction.
Without superficialities or exaggerated fuss, 'Last Twilight' tells a romance without causing discomfort and trying to find a universality that brings it closer to a majority audience. The series will touch the hearts of many people because it comes with a suggestive and different narrative when we talk about love stories and gender issues.
The mixture of captivating fiery and total trust between the two men is represented in the photograph, totally serene and at the same time always active, but very subjective.
There is no doubt: the public is faced with an irrefutable fairy tale that can win many followers due to the lyrical way of capturing the concerns of youth. Its episodic rhythm allows us to easily access this story about identity and sacrifices, about breakups and reunions, about pain and hopes.
The series cleverly emphasizes the sensual aspects of a coming-of-age story. Strokes of humor, tearfulness, self-improvement, sacrifice and fantasy give a welcome texture to the softness of the romantic novel. Audiovisual in general works despite its formulaic layout and loose ends.
This ambitious series, well shot, without shame, manages to maintain the charm of a plot made to please lovers of the genre. Premiered on November 10, 2023, the entertainment production company is committed to continuing to be a pioneer and leader in the creation of BL series, both originals and adaptations, with 'Last Twilight'.
Also in its good work with the cast, in addition to the aforementioned leading actors, Aof has other well-known faces in the company, such as Tipnaree Weerawatnodom (Namtan), as Phojai, Mohk's ex-girlfriend and friend; Pakin Kunaanuwit (Mark), as Nigh, Day's brother; Premsinee Ratanasopa (Cream), as Ramon, Day's mother; Thipakorn Thitathan (Ohm), as August, Day's sports partner and first love interest; Rachanun Mahawan (Film), as Gee, Day's friend and badminton partner, Kunchanuj Kengkarnka (Kun), as On, Day's friend and also a blind person, among others.
The series follows the love story of a young athlete who has lost his sight after suffering a traffic accident, and his caregiver. When Mhok, burdened by debt, agrees to be the caretaker of a blind boy named Day, they will both know true love. The two characters maintain a complex relationship, since each one is tied to a problematic reality.
The protagonists of this youth drama that promises and at times declines with a predictable course of events, brim with charisma. The story, which could have been told better, has plenty of heart. I would criticize him for saying that he is rich and he is poor, because to political correctness it would seem like just another melodrama.
Not exempt from melodramatic clichés, the program is original. Its director avoids the pitfalls of the typical audiovisual production of homosexual initiation, and presents us with a beautiful and tender story that will inevitably make you fall in love. Mohk and Day's relationship demonstrates that many people in the LGBT+ community are united by their sexuality, but they are also united by love, and it is a love that they have fought for and won.
Playing on the series' title and the name of one of its two protagonists, contrary to the fading of day into twilight, the effervescent nature of young love is deftly captured in 'Last Twilight'.

PLOT
Day, a player on the Thai national youth badminton team, has begun to lose his sight after suffering a traffic accident. Faced with the impossibility of having a normal life, he accepts Mohk as his caregiver because he senses that Mohk does not feel sorry for him. As the young people begin to get to know each other and get closer, Day will know that in approximately 180 days he will lose his vision completely.
Day considers that his disability represents a burden on his family and society, as he is unable to take care of himself. Hence the need to have care personnel and supervision by a psychic. He believes himself incapable of living a successful life. That is why he permanently abandons his studies and sports, and withdraws from his friends, from whom he hides his blindness.
Day has been rejecting all of his previous caregivers, because he does not want a person by his side who treats him like a sick person and feels sorry for him. After losing much of his vision and thus his autonomy, Day begins to treat everyone with disdain and turns his warm and kind personality into a colder and more distant one. He practically lives locked in his room and maintains contact only with his mother, on whom he is very dependent, his brother and his friend On. He blames Night for the tragedy he experiences. He will meet his father, as he divorced his mother when Day was still a child and was raised without his father's presence.
“I don't know what he looks like, all I know is that Mohk is the only one who doesn't feel sorry for me. “It doesn't make me feel like a disabled person,” says the character played by Sea to those close to him, while Mohk reads him the novel that gives the series its title and they strengthen ties.
That's why Day opts for the mechanic who was involved in a fight and just got out of jail after serving a one-year sentence for a misdemeanor. He will hide the fact that he has a criminal record and that is why he cannot find work in his profession.
Mohk will understand the challenges that a blind person faces.
This is how Mohk will initially become Day's mentor, guide and protector. He understands, like no other person around him, his need to relate to the physical and social world. It teaches you techniques to orient yourself and move in space, as well as to acquire habits of personal autonomy. His primary priority is for Day to know and accept his visual situation. For this, communication and complicity between the two is vital. He judges that Day needs empathy from his peers, above all.
His eyes are going to be Day's eyes. Your voice gives you confidence. Mohk will be in charge of creating soundscapes that will allow Day to imagine the world around him. Their hands, intertwined or attached to the rope as they run, create an imperceptible route that Day automatically makes his own.
Mohk is the first to discover that he is in love, but he keeps his love a secret. Some of the reasons why Day may feel insecure about himself will be the same reasons why Mohk begins to love him.
This relationship will be tested when August, Day's friend, reappears and enters his life once again. The dormant feelings are reborn and Day will confess to Mohk that he has had feelings for his sports partner for a long time. Initially, the caretaker will help Day chase August, but August will end up recognizing that he sees Day as just a friend.
That's when Mohk will confess his love, but Day is still heartbroken. It needs time to heal. The bonds between the two protagonists will continue to strengthen as one cares and the other grows as a person, until Day finally opens up to love. Physical attraction will soon turn into a deeper emotional bond.
From two different worlds, although, at first glance, they do not seem to be the most suitable person for each other, little by little they will get along until they forge a friendship as solid as it is unexpected. This will give way to an unusual love relationship that makes sparks fly and light up the night.
Mohk would become to Day the same as the rose to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's little prince: although it resembles the other roses in every way, his rose is unique because he has chosen it. And like the fox in that novel, it will allow itself to be “tamed” by its caretaker. Mohk will take responsibility for what he has tamed, while Day will take responsibility for his rose. The strategy used will be the same one proposed by the fox. They will sit on the floor at first a little far from each other. They will look at each other out of the corner of their eyes and say nothing. But every day they will be able to sit a little closer...
By domesticating it, then, they need each other. Mohk will be unique to Day, while Day will be unique in the world to Mohk. This is how Day will come to understand that happiness must be understood as a reward and not as an end. As the main character in 'The Little Prince', Day will understand that no one is ever happy where they are.
Mohk will be someone capable of taking care of everyone, not just Day. She recovers her sister's car, her only legacy when she died, and defends Pohjai from her abusive boyfriend and gives her shelter in her house. He will take care of her unborn child. Meanwhile, he will find work as a chef to prove that he can protect Day. Pohjai will become an accomplice in the passion shared by these two boys.
For Mohk there will only be one situation in which he feels unable to help his lover: he cannot save Day from completely losing her vision. Day will compensate, if it can be said that way, for his dedication and love, choosing his face as the last thing he sees before being totally blind. Mohk will cry out of rage and helplessness at not being able to help him under these circumstances. However, their destinies will be inextricably linked forever.
The trite phrase “love at first sight” has no place in the relationship between the mechanic turned caregiver and the blind athlete. In matters of love, the first has more experiences, while the second is a self-conscious person because, on the one hand, he has never been able to see the face of the boy he loves, and on the other, this is his first love experience, which he would have to add that the same is with a man.
The two characters are totally different, but that won't stop them from loving each other. In addition to the differences in social classes, one of them is still suffering from disappointment in love, while the other, a heterosexual boy who is very popular with women, is not happy because he has not been able to find the right person. They both need to regain the strength of love.
As they find love in each other, Day also gains independence, gaining self-confidence. That pathetic and pitiful person who believed that because of his disability he would be incapable of living a successful life, ceases to exist. In other words, stop being your own worst enemy. Smile again. Little by little, his bitterness will give way to joy and the desire to see all the sunrises.
But Day will face a dilemma: would he allow a beloved, free-spirited person like Mohk to end up tied to a disabled person? Was I being selfish? Wouldn't the right thing be to let him go so he can live his life without a burden like he is? “You want to push me aside even knowing that I love you. Grab your dreams and live them with me. Don't let them survive us,” is the message from Mohk, who sadly sees how the boy he loves abandons him. Will they travel different paths? Will the same love separate them? Will Day understand the meaning of the phrase “What is essential is invisible to the eye,” said by the fox to the little prince?

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