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Hi Again, All!

This wonderful series will end in just a little over four days. If anyone wishes they could do something for Earth and Mix to show their appreciation, you could always watch Earth's OST video for the series:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYmRz0Qkwkw

It currently sits at 1,967,233 views. This was the first time that Earth has specifically asked if he could try to record a song for a show: so it's obviously something important to him. (He asked for the chance to record, even if GMM decided not to release it.) Wouldn't it be great if we could help it hit the 2,000,000 mark by the air time of the finale?

I also vaguely remember Mix mentioning the video in one interview but Earth seemed to be shy about saying how many hits it has received. That also says to me that it's meaningful, to him. Let's give them both our support, as Mix is also in the video, to thank them for what they've given us with 1000 Stars!

Alright. I trust you as confirmation that I probably wouldn't have liked it.

Possibly because that's the closest thing to explicit content that they've ever been allowed to see (?)

Maybe, for some of the Chinese viewers, that's the closest they've ever gotten to explicit content. I don't know if the Great Firewall keeps pornography out of the country...

Would you have watched it, otherwise?

I'm willing to give it some time, as well. If I feel, though, that it isn't getting confronted and addressed and that it looks more like the unhealthy "pathway to love" that's been peddled before in BLs I'll drop it like a hot potato...

I've not watched 2gether. I looked at comments about a pretended relationship and a very neutered approach that didn't sound appealing to me...

I'd have concerns about a second installemnt, as well. From what I've seen, they tend to take whatever relationship they established and put it in jeopardy again over yet another misunderstanding or act of infidelity. I wouldn't want to see Phu and Tian put through the wringer, again.

If they could come up with a storyline that showed them standing together in the face of ignorance and homophobia, that would be different, to me. I don't think that would be appealing enough, though, to many outside the LGBTQ+ community and we are not these series' main demographic. (Despite these shows supposedly being about us and our love lives.)

Is this about confrontation or sensationalism, though?

The approach to things like non consenual sex come straight from the YAOI mangas of Japan from the 80s and 90s. This, though, is 2021 and it's high time, to me, for some things to be left behind...

It seems to me that many around here, for example, are aware of what rape is and that many are further aware that it's a disturbing trope that gets used repeatedly in the genre and is too often passed off as some sort of bizarre gateway to love.

If the show decides to take that route, I don't feel that it should be given a pass because "people worked hard on the series." If you extend that logic, then no show, no matter what it portrays or how it portrays it, should ever be called out. I just don't think that concept withholds much scrutiny...

That may well be the case for you, but it obviously isn't the case for many others. Did you feel a need to put others down by being dismissive of their reasons (whatever they may be) for enjoying the series?

Parts of it are cute, but it doesn't have much in the way of a narrative. It just meanders from scene to scene where the primary concern seems to be how can we make Mai adorkable, this time? What will An Zi do to let slip his cold-hearted exterior, this time? And so on, and so on, and so on...

...until the love hotel scene came along out of left field and felt wholly tacked-on.

Their dynamic was, indeed, unique but it began feel like it was just repeating itself about half way through.

I really wanted to fast forward through it but I wanted to give it a chance. I don't need to see the second installment.

That's what I was getting at: the two of them make the same mistakes but come at it from different sides. This is why they have the potential to meet in the middle and better one another by doing so.

It's great that the show is inspiring for you! =)

If that's how it's going to play out, then I think it's woefully out of synch with the times. I'll give it an ep or 2 more to see how it trends...

I'd be curious to know, as well.

I don't think they'll let us down. =)

Historical convictions from a number of jurisdictions would disagree with that assessment. They didn't need to go there to serve up a sexy scene for impatient viewers.

Hot scenes don't need rape, though. The screen can be and has been set ablaze entirely without that aspect in other BLs. Tharn Type didn't go as far as this did with Tharn and Type, IMO. Even in the shower scene, Type could have pushed Tharn away or kicked him away. He still had agency. That wasn't the case with XS after being plied with alcohol.

I'll hang in for another episode or so, but if the whole thing gets glossed over, then I leave it to to others to continue with...

I've begun to think that Red Balloon was some kind of fluke...