Out of a variety of JBL office romance I've watched, Fake Fact Lips goes straight to the top of the list. I love everything about this series. Rivals to lovers trope always has a special place in my heart because of how deep the romance develops. Without a doubt, you can love a person more when you first experience their quirks and weaknesses. I have to say, neither Ryo nor Zen completes the other. They are already whole individuals who excel at work. But when they finally get together, anyone can see how one enhances and let's the other shine more. That, for me, is true love. Moreover, I can't rant about anything including the runtime because the special episode was the cherry on top. All 10 episodes felt well-paced with great writing and amazing acting. There is just the background music during some scenes that felt off imo. Other than that, I'd be more than generous to say that this is the perfect drama for people like me who loves to see intense tension go from work to bed 🤤
I am so glad I lowered my expectations for the final two episodes. As a writer, I felt the story weaken midway. Too many loose ends make my rational mind rage. If not for the stunning visuals, I definitely would not have seen this through. I'm happy with the ending albeit it being surrealistic and deluded at best. That's honestly what I like about fiction. For even during such a short runtime, I escaped reality and enjoyed watching a hunk badass make love with a twink naive. Perfectly balanced dynamic, as per my taste. With all that blabbered out, I will not recommend this to those who are looking for a mystery-thriller which can challenge their critical thinking skills. Otherwise, you would need to have a high tolerance for nonsense to get past the plot and enjoy the visuals for what it is. I, for one, truly savored the eye candies after switching off my writer brain. One last thing before I run off to see if The Prosecutor's Proposal is any better, Seo Yi Do with the scar and silver eye contact lense will live in my mind rent free. He is dangerously hot. I want him shamelessly. Alas, I'm not a twink cop with an adorable, innocent face.
Y'all have GOT to be kidding me. At this point, with all the incoherence and plot holes, the visually pleasing cast is carrying this whole series. I love a good action-thriller romance but when some things just aren't adding up, it's hard to make sense of what you're watching. If the leads aren't so deliciously breathtaking, I would have dropped this already. Although I do have the tendency to overcomplicate what I think where the plot is going, I draw the line when the story has propped up too many lingering questions. Am I still going to continue watching? Absolutely. Again, the visuals are YUM. But will I trust there will be a satisfying emotional payoff at the end? It's a definite NO. Might I just say both leads' acting is quite tolerable knowing this is their first main stint. If I were to be more generous, I'd say I Do's (김승범) performance is comparable to that of more experienced and exposed actors. Anywho, that's all for my frustrated, emotionally-driven rant. I CANNOT wait to watch the final episodes.
I get that many would be disappointed in Tojo-san in the last few episodes; I was, too. But now that I have finished the whole series, I may have just been too idealistic with how I expected our 40-year-old cutie to develop. I will have to give him some slack; he was accustomed to living by himself for almost a decade. If you have never experienced this, then I'm sure it would indeed be hard for you to put yourself in his shoes. Now, regarding the "unnecessary" subplots, they were VERY MUCH needed, in my most humble opinion. The second half added more depth to the story and gave way to world-building. The list that started this all may have been set aside for a couple of episodes, but its eventual comeback made up for that absence. I would say it was intentional to ease us into the inevitable: the list is no longer necessary.
I will avoid comparing this to similar JBLs because it has a charm of its own. I definitely plan on rewatching the cute, fluffy episodes for that easy serotonin boost. I do wish we could have seen where Keishi lived to give us more of his personality. If it were up to my imagination alone, I could see his room having all sorts of posters, a bookshelf full of manga, and of course, a big wardrobe (if not a walk-in closet). This might just be the last JBL of its genre (office romance) I watched for a while. Any recommendations on other BL series with vastly different plotlines?
I'm only halfway through cuz I wanna savor every moment with Tojo-san and Keishi PLS WHY IS THIS UNDERRATED? More people need to see just how cute this couple is. Every interaction has me giggling my guts out.
OH HELL NAAAHHH. I just said I hate how short the original series is and finding this is making me FURIOUS. They cannot be serious. And with that cliffhanger? I know we can safely assume Nozue answered how we all know he would, but but BUT WE HAVE TO SEE IT. I'M A VISUAL LEARNER FFS AAAARRGHHHH
ugh I hate it. I HATE HOW SHORT IT IS. I also hate how I can simply say it's short but sweet. It really is that simple yet effective a series. I never knew I'd get so many giddies from a couple with a significant age gap. Call me an uncultured fudanshi, but hell, was I doubtful of their chemistry in the first episode. This will be going in my list of easy-to-rewatch, instant serotonin boost JBL series. I NEED MORE.
Despite the limited runtime, I would consider this complete. It is complete in the sense that it doesn't have to push for more episodes to explain a few plot points that others may see as unstrung. I believe the story accomplished getting its main message through to its target audience. That said, Love Begins in the World of If could have gone awry at the end, had it clumsily attempted to string us back to the whole "parallel timeline" shenanigan. It was nothing but a plot device that served its purpose. The way I took it was that the mirror or whatever mythical/supernatural power was behind the alternate world only intended to help Kano realize that change had to come from within. Kano was never meant to stay in that timeline, if we could even call it that. The fact is, whether or not we let the plot device complicate the way we perceive the story is entirely up to us. My interest was piqued, as someone who is easily fascinated by such fictitious themes, but I stayed present in what the story focused on. I have enough imagination to fill in the plot holes whenever I have nothing better to do. All that aside, I have to admit that I felt immersed, which made for an easy binge-watch. Frankly, I only started watching for the eye candy that is Ogami and how cute the height difference he has with Kano. So if you're into that, go give it a try. Enjoy!
so glad the story didn't force a redemption arc for hew sjink although I consider him a catalyst for the eventual endgame. FWYF is going in my shortlist of slowburn BLs that had me questioning my life choices related to family. much like how a pressure cooker slowly tenderizes meat to bring out its full, savory flavor, the plot REALLY took its time to stress just how much love Yu Lei and Chen Ke have for each other. definitely not one of those easy to rewatch but this series had some lovely visuals. I look forward to both Sun Cai Zhen and Liang Bei Yi's upcoming projects. They did a phenomenal job considering this is their debut drama.
I came here somewhat expecting the worst as someone who was traumatized by Once Again. To say the least, I'm happy with the ending. The plot definitely had holes you just can't ignore, but I have enough imagination to fill those in for myself. With that mentioned, I will be starting a discussion to also help me get through post-series depression.
Season 2. Now. Please. PLEASE. I. AM. BEGGING. AAARRGHHHHHH
That's enough to say that I absolutely LOVED this series. A sequel would make me LOVE IT MORE, if done right. I beg of the Japanese BL Gods, hear my plea. The actors had AMAZING chemistry. The writing was ALMOST flawless. The progression was paced JUST RIGHT. I just need to see more of them in their dating era. That's right, NEED, not want. I will die if it doesn't happen this year. PRAY WITH ME.
Beautifully concluded. I would love to see the special episode/s showcase how great a chemistry Fan Xiao, You Shulang, and TianTian have as a found family. I'm sure it would make me cry. Also, just wanna mention if no one has already, OUR TIANTIAN IS SET FOR LIFE! Fan def did not think twice before transferring all his wealth to Shulang, who, in turn, is holding on to that great fortune for their adopted son. I never would have imagined, having witnessed the black flag commit despicable and almost unspeakable deeds. But something in me feels that Fan Xiao is gonna be a good father to TianTian, whether or not he's acknowledged. PLEASE GIVE US THE FAMILY SCENES!!!
I will avoid comparing this to similar JBLs because it has a charm of its own. I definitely plan on rewatching the cute, fluffy episodes for that easy serotonin boost. I do wish we could have seen where Keishi lived to give us more of his personality. If it were up to my imagination alone, I could see his room having all sorts of posters, a bookshelf full of manga, and of course, a big wardrobe (if not a walk-in closet). This might just be the last JBL of its genre (office romance) I watched for a while. Any recommendations on other BL series with vastly different plotlines?
That's enough to say that I absolutely LOVED this series. A sequel would make me LOVE IT MORE, if done right. I beg of the Japanese BL Gods, hear my plea. The actors had AMAZING chemistry. The writing was ALMOST flawless. The progression was paced JUST RIGHT. I just need to see more of them in their dating era. That's right, NEED, not want. I will die if it doesn't happen this year. PRAY WITH ME.