An Exceptional & Phenomenal Series!

It is contradictory, oxymoronic, yet completely genuine in its absurdity. If you seek answers to questions from and about this series, you will not find them. Is this a Theater of the Absurd performance? Perhaps so. All I know is that it is brilliant, a mastery of cinematic artistry, and one of the finest acted series I have seen this year. In order to appreciate this series, you must suspend your idealized notions about BLs and all comforts about conformity or logic, and simply go with what is presented to you. This is a remarkably fervent series to watch. The acting goes deep emotionally without ever explaining why, however. Everything about this series is pure artistry. This is an exceptional BL series with no answers and no real point. It is what it is. You will get it, or you will not. One of the best series in 2024. Completely under the radar but should not be.

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Ten Worlds Wouldn't Help Here

Frankly, it is irrelevant how many worlds this series had; even a half a dozen more would not have helped. It is just awful. I am sorry to say that as I so wanted to like this drama. However, this is again going to be one of those series that if you are a fan of the two leads (which I really am), you will perhaps enjoy this series. I tried, but for me the whole thing fell apart at the beginning – from the banal screenplay to production issues to vapid acting. All of it was just plain mediocre to subpar. The storyline was a good one, initially. I love transcendental legends, and this had all the earmarks of a great fantasy. his series was not well produced. The translations sometimes were hard to follow the actions and felt awkward. There were a lot of major glitches in the editing itself.

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Magnificent! A real gem

Magnificent! This was the first word that came into my mind after watching this short charming and beautifully done BL. It is obviously patterned off the South Korean model and it works! I simply do not understand the negative criticisms of this series. It is well acted, storytelling is engaging, and it is such a delicate love story that I think people mistook that delicacy for lameness. To be brutally honest, the only people who see it that way are not gay or those who have forgotten what it was like to struggle with acceptance. The intensity of its credence for each of us who had to face that is wildly different individually. Each persons’ journey is unique and soulful. This is a classic BL with such soft, gentle whispers that it almost glides under the radar unnoticed. But this is a beautifully done and very touching series that because of its delicacy, is mischaracterized. There is some fine acting here capturing all the various emotions of coming out, of being jilted, and suffering from an unrequited love. You can read my full review of this wonderful series at BLBliss.com.

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A Masterpiece and One Of The Best! Magnum Opus!

Undoubtedly, this is one of those series that will either be loved or panned, mainly because of the esoteric and metaphysical nature of its theme and its presentation as a Greek tragedy. It is allegorical with metaphorical representations of life presented in temperaments of profound introspection surrounded by an almost overwhelming sense of loss, guilt, and shame. It tackles all the hidden and unexplored and often times buried emotions of humans we do not want to face or find impossible to bear. It strips away for us to see and quite literally experience and feel. We see it through the eyes of a protagonist and an antagonist at the same time; with each character being both. This series is a thought-provoking, intellectually stimulating elegy that uses the language of words to embody love. If you want to see lust, or romps in a bed, or contrived love scenes, or soft rituals of love, this is not for you. If you want to see a deep, meditative, and, at times, profoundly poignant perspective of human nature augmented by the process of finding what the meaning of love is all about, then this is for you. There is nothing ‘cute’ about this transmigration at all. It is deeply solipsistic, pensive, and intensely mystifying. There is also nothing ‘clear’ about this series. It is symbolic with symbolisms of all kinds bombarding you. At times they overwhelm you. Everything has meaning. Even the smallest of details. Blink and you might miss it. You have to decipher their meanings. Much happens mostly through words but also through deep reflections in expressions of the faces, manners, and body language of the main two characters, as well as all the other characters in this series.
The rest of my review of this phenomenal series is posted at BLBliss.com.

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Great Synergy but Weak Individually

Perplexing. I really do not know how else to describe this series. It is indecisive yet oddly compelling to watch. The two main leads are strangely engaging together, yet individually, blend into the woodwork as part of the background furniture. This is completely a story of synergy. Honestly, this is a rather low-key drama that is underplayed and relies more on the screenplay than acting. It is surprisingly well written, which is expected as it is a story about a novelist. This is an entertaining story to be sure. Nothing deep but well written. Ironically the side couple provided way more interesting dynamics. This is easy watching.

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I want Them, All of Them As Friends

I watched these stories in totem and would recommend you do so as well, if possible. One can then grasp the full understanding of what transpires. It is not possible to summarize these stories simply; all one can do is give an impression of its impact on you, the watcher. I now feel lost and a bit melancholic; like I have lost a circle of friends. I have gotten to know these characters and feel sad now that they will not be a part of my watching milieu anymore. This is one of the few series that has a real longitudinal character development. A study not just for the main personalities but for all the supporting characters as well. It truly is a beautifully crafted and filmed anthology. I hesitate to call it a ‘BL’ but it really is; it is of a much older couple and obviously not meant for the mass audience in the BL world. Too bad. They would learn a thing or two about living and about love if they watched this as it ponders and deals with the topic we never want to hear in BL and that is – aging. And how it affects and changes and defines and, in this case, strengthens love.

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Done by Adolescents Making It Special

How can you possibly not love or at least fall in love with this sonnet of adolescent love defined by the sparkle of the light from stars in the sky? The story is as old as time perhaps and to a degree overdone but still manages to capture our hearts, especially if it has a modicum of sincerity to its presentation. And this does. Mainly because the actors are so young themselves and their lives are so full of anticipation that it is reflected in their acting. It is surprisingly well done and very believable. This is a cute and adorable series that is just a joy to watch. The editing is a little suspect to me, and I do wish they would have made the transition between the scenes a bit cleaner and clearer. Things changed so abruptly that it was hard to follow at times. The sound on occasion was a bit uneven as well. But it is well worth your investment to watch this short series and take note of three rather outstanding young actors who are on their way up in the BL world.

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Bittersweet Yet Hopeful

This story itself is far from simple. Although it has a unique quality of seeming like it does, it is quite complex and very deep, and I loved it because of its deceptiveness. The story is bittersweet and profoundly sad in parts yet focused on making life worth living. This is a very odd story and one that ought not to have worked. There are very unpleasant and shocking realities in this series that are painful to watch. What the beauty of this series has done has turned the ugliness of those realities into redemption and allows for the simple acts of relating to each other in soft, gentle, everyday ways to reignite our love of life that was lost. I know this short weird rather unorthodox hesitatingly named a BL which it is not, but that does not mean it has no imagery of love. It is impactful, heartfelt, and mournful but in an oh so quiet, tender, and moving way. It touched me deeply.
You can read my full review of this stunning series at BLBliss.com.

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And It Did Not Quite Reach Me

It is so well written and so well produced and has such adorable moments, I just wondered why I was not more moved by it. And ironically, who captured my heart were two individuals that were supporting characters, both showing more personality and more gravitas than the two main actors. In addition, with the theme of this story having been done so frequently, it has lost its mojo, so to speak because it just did not stand out enough. The friends-to-lovers-in-high-school is so overdone, that there is nothing creative about the premise anymore. I was only entertained at the beginning and at the end of this saga. I loved the two supporting characters the most as they gave this story a sense of purpose and direction and they filled the middle of this story. However, the theme of this story has become too trite to be interesting anymore. I really wanted to like this series more. Sigh.
You can read my full review of this series at BLBliss.com

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Lost Its Way

This is a touching, sentimental journey of young love that was brilliantly done in the beginning but then got lost in its time journeys to recapture its past. While in some ways the story was exceptional, its execution was unfortunately lacking in logic. Initially it had me hooked on the strength of its young actors playing the parts of their younger selves. Simply put, they were brilliant. This is a story of destiny but not on a linear trajectory. It is a destiny of love between two young men who were meant to be together but had to traverse different directions to get to the promised land. Something seemed missing and to was obvious that the physical age of some of the actors was definitely not compatible with the characters they were supposed to be portraying and it showed in the uncomfortableness of the chemistry of the performances. The ending seemed empty to me as well. Unfulfilled to be sure.
You can read my full review at BLBliss.com

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Buyer Beware!

We have an American expression that adroitly sums up this BL. ‘What you see, is what you get.’ The title puts in a nutshell what the series is all about. It is a story of two K-pop stars who are joined together to form a “Business Gay Performance”. I must further admit I was intrigued by them and its story. Perhaps because their acting is surprisingly entertaining and good and while I am guessing it is not much of a stretch for them to play K-pop stars since that is what they do, they were still rather convincing on screen. Honestly, this series overall is entertaining. It could have been better had it been longer and had a greater commitment to its message. For when it came to the actual fulfillment of the relationship, there was none. My further warning to viewers is: Buyer Beware!

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Could Have Been A Masterpiece

What a joy this series is to watch. It is soft, gentle, touches the heart with its warmth, child-like innocence. Yet, there is something initially very sad about it. It makes you think about how fast children must grow up and sometimes miss out on their childhood; only longing to want to return to it when they discover its pleasures. Its message is a bit cryptic and hidden behind a façade of childlike behavior, but underneath is hiding a child really wanting and needing to be – a child. But the flaw in what otherwise would have been a near perfect series is the astonishingly clumsy and deflated kissing scene. It is awkward and deliberately filmed so as to not show the mouths touching in either kiss. That was a cheap shot and diminishes completely the caliber of this series and its intent. I am not a fan or artistic trickery to show a kiss.
You can read my full review of this otherwise great series at BLBliss.com.

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Magnum Opus!

Sheer perfection. Without exception, this is one of the best acted and most talented ensembled cast of actors/actresses I have seen in a long time, perhaps ever. This is a love story between two young men. I know it comes from mainland China and it is not supported to be a love story let alone a BL, but it is, and they know it is. It is way too obvious to be otherwise. It is a story of love from the beginning. Sure, it ebbs and flows like a river, but the one constant is, like any river, it flows in one direction. And that direction is always towards a deeper and more profound love not only for each other but for life in general. You cannot possibly summarize this series that would not equal the length of this series. All you can do is try, inadequately, to capture its impact on you. But surprisingly, it is not so easy to do. Yes, it is pure artistry, but it also has a magical quality about it in the sense that it makes these characters come to life. Every single one of them. You feel them. You sense them. You ARE them.
To read my full review, pleas go to BLBliss.com.

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