The only thing not working for me at this point is the Liu/Tan Yin thing. I don't sense any chemistry there, and don't buy that the sensible Liu would be attracted to the child-like, Cupie-Doll TY. It made sense while Liu was subconsciously seeing his brother in TY, but with that put to rest, there's nothing left that I can see for Liu to be so wrapped up in.
Age gaps don't bother me, but if there is a significant one to overcome, there has to be a powerful, core attraction driving things. I don't see that here. I don't get a pedo (a term wildly overused and misunderstood on MDL) vibe from them; I get an "ummm...but why?" vibe.
Before moving on to watch episode 9 tonight, I want to remark on the beautifully-acted scene about 3/4 of the way through episode 8 where our MC is out on a cold evening stroll. Beginning from their convo on the park bench and onward, the acting and the feels are deeply moving. Their dialogue and actions are realistically unhurried and spontaneous; there is that wonderful sense of being privy to a private conversation, the magic that is captured all too infrequently in live-action fiction, especially BLs, in which I often feel I'm being acted AT.
The bit with QX moving slowly, gently in for what I assumed was going to be a kiss but which turned into a gentle, tender nuzzling of QL's neck and cheek was especially effecting and brought tears to my eyes. Given that we'd already seen they're not afraid of enacting a true kiss between their characters, this charming bait-and-switch came off as far more romantic and emotional than a kiss might have been.
Wanted to throw that out there. Their bit with parting ways at the end of their walk was perfect too.
Understanding that the lines have blurred - would you say this is a BL or a LGBTQ series? Also, is it very angsty,…
Don't worry about arbitrary categories and definitions. This is a unique and mostly well-told story, especially after episode 3, so just dive in and enjoy!
A better choice for the ending would have eliminated the last bit under the bridge.
That said, and all else considered, highly recommended.
Terrance Lau is a terrific actor. Excellent work here. His performance is better than the movie as a whole. He is likeable on sight here. I took note of him opposite Fandy Fan in "A Balloon's Landing," and he lives up to first impressions. Cecelia Choi does fine work here as well. Her characterizations are entirely distinct from each other and crucial to making the story work.
A few unlikely plot devices, but nothing I can't overlook.
Why do you believe a mental disorder with a physical cause (by the way, can you provide a link of two to this "enzyme imbalance" theory? Thanks.) is nonetheless, a mental disorder? Clinical depression is often caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. It too, is a mental disorder; as are bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, PTSD, borderline personality disorder, and many more.
It is wonderful that your father, your brother, and you have adopted a perspective on your mental disorders that emphasizes the positive, which makes a lot of sense. I have wrestled with clinical depression all my life and am accomplished in numerous creative fields. I believe my depressive nature is linked to my creativity, as it seems to be in so many others I know. That doesn't mean my depression is not a disorder, but as you describe the choices you and your family have made, I treat the negatives and make the most of the positives.
And I agree...if being one hundred percent free of depression came at the cost of losing my creativity, I would choose to stay depressed.
Ah, you like it! 😁 I've been keeping low with my opinion on this one but seeing you here makes me reevaluate…
It has significant problems, plot and writing-wise, and there are way too many lazy tropes/cliches, but the good stuff is making it worth the watch, particularly past episode 3. Before that point, I had serious doubts and was finding it a slog to watch.
Everyone here is forgetting the dude had severe psychological symptoms as a result of PTSD when the movie began…
hmmm...now you're trying too hard. Are you asserting that was a natural skin tone? lol
Most Asians ARE pale-skinned, except for those who work in the sun, which is why the upper classes, especially women, in China, Korea, and Japan, have for centuries avoided the sun, so as not to appear to be impoverished peasants who have to drive oxen for a living beneath its blazing rays. This is the reason you see zillions of umbrellas on the streets of Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo on the sunniest days. Those folks aren't worried about rain later in the day, they don't want a f**king tan.
Or...maybe the colonel obtained his all-over tan while fighting the Viet Cong in the jungles of Vietnam...naked, eh?
Please share time stamps to the scenes in which the colonel worked the rice fields, drove oxen, or fought battles while naked. Thanks, I'll wait.
Everyone here is forgetting the dude had severe psychological symptoms as a result of PTSD when the movie began…
I love brown skin...sweetie.
No one maintains a body like that without almost daily workouts, regular visits to the tanning booth, and a high-protein, low-fat diet; least of all while drinking copious amounts of alcohol and smoking like a chimney. Now perhaps I missed it, so can you give me some time stamps to the scenes where the ripped/tan colonel lifted weights and fried himself without panties in the tanning booth? Thanks.
Even if he did those things, he would have had a bottle of whiskey next to the weight machine and a cig in his mouth the entire time. I don't remember those scenes.
Also, can you do me a favor, "sweetie," and quote me where I said sex addiction (lust) is not a thing? Thanks, I'll wait. That said, sex addiction generally presents as banging multiple, anonymous partners regardless of who they are; not imagining you're "in love" with one person and banging only them...sweetie. You're coming across like you don't know what you're talking about and putting words in my mouth so you can respond to things I never said.
Actually, we are nearly in 2025 and hyper-sensitive, self-righteous, judgemental MDLers now consider "typical" and "clueless" to be "crude and petty language." lol
sigh...you completely ignore what we were shown near the beginning of this flick...the colonel is having serious…
lol Since the "MDLer" shoe fits, you have to wear it. "Well, I didn't understand the plot and had no idea what was going on, but I formed a personal opinion anyway, therefore you must respect it." Got it. No clue what "this is my account" is supposed to mean, but this is not your comment thread so if you don't want to run the risk of having your personal opinions challenged, stop posting them.
This isn't the greatest flick I've seen, but it's pretty good. Well worth the watch.
Reading through comments, it's clear that the biggest part of the main premise went over most MDL viewers' heads. Everyone here is forgetting the dude had severe psychological symptoms as a result of PTSD when the movie began. He was on medication for same, and was drinking heavily despite being told specifically not to do so. He was not in his right mind from the beginning, which is why he became irrationally OBSESSED. If you missed that, you missed the movie, people.
colonel kim is so pathetic i was laughing at him by the end of this film. the absolute audacity of this piece…
Did you by any chance notice he was suffering mental illness/PTSD from the very beginning of the show, was on meds, and abusing booze despite being warned in the strongest terms not to do so? The guy was off his rocker and totally irrational as a result.
I agree with some of the other comments. This was just ok. Not terrible but certainly not good. The main couple's…
It was not a relationship; it was an OBSESSION. That's the point. He was suffering from major PTSD, on meds, and abusing alcohol. This was made clear multiple times throughout.
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The only thing not working for me at this point is the Liu/Tan Yin thing. I don't sense any chemistry there, and don't buy that the sensible Liu would be attracted to the child-like, Cupie-Doll TY. It made sense while Liu was subconsciously seeing his brother in TY, but with that put to rest, there's nothing left that I can see for Liu to be so wrapped up in.
Age gaps don't bother me, but if there is a significant one to overcome, there has to be a powerful, core attraction driving things. I don't see that here. I don't get a pedo (a term wildly overused and misunderstood on MDL) vibe from them; I get an "ummm...but why?" vibe.
The bit with QX moving slowly, gently in for what I assumed was going to be a kiss but which turned into a gentle, tender nuzzling of QL's neck and cheek was especially effecting and brought tears to my eyes. Given that we'd already seen they're not afraid of enacting a true kiss between their characters, this charming bait-and-switch came off as far more romantic and emotional than a kiss might have been.
Wanted to throw that out there. Their bit with parting ways at the end of their walk was perfect too.
That said, and all else considered, highly recommended.
Terrance Lau is a terrific actor. Excellent work here. His performance is better than the movie as a whole. He is likeable on sight here. I took note of him opposite Fandy Fan in "A Balloon's Landing," and he lives up to first impressions.
Cecelia Choi does fine work here as well. Her characterizations are entirely distinct from each other and crucial to making the story work.
A few unlikely plot devices, but nothing I can't overlook.
8.5/10
https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/mental-health-schizophrenia
There are a hundred other similar links online.
Why do you believe a mental disorder with a physical cause (by the way, can you provide a link of two to this "enzyme imbalance" theory? Thanks.) is nonetheless, a mental disorder?
Clinical depression is often caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. It too, is a mental disorder; as are bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, PTSD, borderline personality disorder, and many more.
It is wonderful that your father, your brother, and you have adopted a perspective on your mental disorders that emphasizes the positive, which makes a lot of sense. I have wrestled with clinical depression all my life and am accomplished in numerous creative fields. I believe my depressive nature is linked to my creativity, as it seems to be in so many others I know. That doesn't mean my depression is not a disorder, but as you describe the choices you and your family have made, I treat the negatives and make the most of the positives.
And I agree...if being one hundred percent free of depression came at the cost of losing my creativity, I would choose to stay depressed.
Have you ever seen the American film "A Beautiful Mind?" I think you would find much in it to admire and relate to.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268978/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_a%2520beautiful%2520mind
https://fsharetv.co/movie/a-beautiful-mind-episode-1-tt0268978
Most Asians ARE pale-skinned, except for those who work in the sun, which is why the upper classes, especially women, in China, Korea, and Japan, have for centuries avoided the sun, so as not to appear to be impoverished peasants who have to drive oxen for a living beneath its blazing rays. This is the reason you see zillions of umbrellas on the streets of Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo on the sunniest days. Those folks aren't worried about rain later in the day, they don't want a f**king tan.
Or...maybe the colonel obtained his all-over tan while fighting the Viet Cong in the jungles of Vietnam...naked, eh?
Please share time stamps to the scenes in which the colonel worked the rice fields, drove oxen, or fought battles while naked. Thanks, I'll wait.
Get a mind and the rest will follow.
No one maintains a body like that without almost daily workouts, regular visits to the tanning booth, and a high-protein, low-fat diet; least of all while drinking copious amounts of alcohol and smoking like a chimney. Now perhaps I missed it, so can you give me some time stamps to the scenes where the ripped/tan colonel lifted weights and fried himself without panties in the tanning booth? Thanks.
Even if he did those things, he would have had a bottle of whiskey next to the weight machine and a cig in his mouth the entire time. I don't remember those scenes.
Also, can you do me a favor, "sweetie," and quote me where I said sex addiction (lust) is not a thing? Thanks, I'll wait. That said, sex addiction generally presents as banging multiple, anonymous partners regardless of who they are; not imagining you're "in love" with one person and banging only them...sweetie. You're coming across like you don't know what you're talking about and putting words in my mouth so you can respond to things I never said.
Whotfc am I? I am Etoks21.
Since the "MDLer" shoe fits, you have to wear it.
"Well, I didn't understand the plot and had no idea what was going on, but I formed a personal opinion anyway, therefore you must respect it." Got it.
No clue what "this is my account" is supposed to mean, but this is not your comment thread so if you don't want to run the risk of having your personal opinions challenged, stop posting them.
Reading through comments, it's clear that the biggest part of the main premise went over most MDL viewers' heads. Everyone here is forgetting the dude had severe psychological symptoms as a result of PTSD when the movie began. He was on medication for same, and was drinking heavily despite being told specifically not to do so. He was not in his right mind from the beginning, which is why he became irrationally OBSESSED. If you missed that, you missed the movie, people.