heerayni
The novel is so much more convincing when it comes to the main relationship, the Beloved Enemies because in it Gu Qing Pei is actually gay and is extremely attractive to other gay men that surround him (His foxy cunning is so alluring). Yuan Yang is young and brash and initially has non consensual sex with GQP, but the passion in their relationship gradually is very convincing. But that is the novel.
This Drama is a separate beast altogether. Though the main relationship remains explosive with unresolved sexual tension that is very palpable, in absence of actual sex a real mentor and pupil relationship comes to a forefront and the progression of said relationship is very realistic. As a rule the story deals with two very different and lonely people who have no one they can trust, as they are thrust into a situation they both don't want while being chained by their temperaments and positions., And the show does very well with the options it got. I mean, I would watch it for the suiting (costumes) and visuals alone, but it also has an intriguing plot and some good arcs and a great eye-candy cast. So kudos to this. I know it's futile, but I hope that one day we will get a proper BL adaptation of this too... *sigh*
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I watched this for the first time a year back and though at that time I found it Okay, it stuck with me for some reason. So I decided to sit down and watch it again a few days back and let me tell you, this movie improves ten-fold on the re-watch. Once you get into the sensitive pace of things as they unfold in this movie, you will really feel the gravity and the attraction that makes it feel like a sweet dream unfolding in front of you in slow-motion.
I hear a lot of people say that Hirose is stiff, and strange in the role, I admit, he seemed that way to me in the first viewing too, but when I watched this again, I realized just how nuanced and quietly emotional he is as Seryou. Seryou is beautiful, aloof to most, strange, sensitive and lonely. He is a beautifully perfect foil to Yamada's rough, pretty, misunderstood and straight-forward Yuzuru. The chemistry is there definitely, and is used just the right amount to make your heart beat a little faster every time their eyes linger on each other.
This is a beautifully shot movie, a slice of spring in the city and timelessness of youth and that first love's blossom is so beautifully shot and carefully executed, but what really brings the whole things together, and stayed with me (which I did not realize a year ago at all) is the gorgeous music in the film. Keep an ear out for it, because it is subtle enough to never over-power any scene but once you notice it, it is so perfectly matched in its delicacy, modernity and sweetness that it will definitely pull at your heart-strings.
The reason I take away half a mark from this perfect little gem is the kissing. Its a little lacking, not in passion but in the act itself. The buildup to it is perfect but the action itself feels as if there were some constraints, which is strange. Choices were made that were not necessarily the best.
Overall, 7 days is a sweet, delicate, atmospheric romance that is classic and modern at the same time.
Two thumbs up!
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House of Perplexities.
The best way I would describe this series is ... PERPLEXINGBut not in the way you are thinking.
I finished today, and it ended on a CLIFFHANGER, so I suppose there will be a second season. But even if there isn't, the cliffhanger itself is sort of a conclusion and will be OKAY as an ending.
I think the reason this drama does not reach its full potential is because some of the actors are really NOT good at acting. And in a Drama about ACTORS that was really bothersome. I mean, if you are casting for a Drama about actors, even if they are supposed to be "Not good actors" you should cast BRILLIANT actors to play Bad actors because then they will be convincing as a character and as a bad actor. It takes an outstanding actor to play a bad actor. But sadly this drama...
Still, something kept me hooked and brought me back to it week after week, so you can have that as my recommendation. If you dare LOL.
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