“You Are Mine” started out as your typical office romance, which, although overdone, is an easy and reliable (vanilla) romance story. While the story had a strong set up, by the 3rd or 4th episode, it was clear that there was barely anything solid to the story, which undermined the chemistry between the main characters and left us with a flavorless romance. The chemistry between the leads was unfortunately not enough to carry us through the show that barely had any plot. Considering the caliber of the BL series, we have in 2023, and in Taiwan, this was a rare miss.
Category Archives: Taiwanese Reviews
“Kiseki Dear to Me” Series Review (Ep.3 to 13)
“Kiseki Dear to Me” had such a strong start, the plot and the time jump that was established earlier on was a strong foundation for the show to bring the whole story together, and yet, somewhere in the middle it managed to lose momentum, focusing on the wrong points and ended up giving us a bland story, which certainly did not match up to the strong start the show had. The story doesn’t quite pay off as much as it could have, and despite the actors’ strong chemistry and the overall compelling nature of the characters’ stories, there was something missing in the story. It was not developed well.
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“Boys Like Boys” First Impressions (Ep.1 to 3)
Queer dating shows seem to be the norm these days and they are trending. Following into the footsteps of their popular predecessors “Sparks Camp”, “His Man S1 & S2” and “Merry Queer”, Gagaoolala has rolled out the red carpet for their exclusive dating show “Boys Like Boys”. Promotions are in a high swing with the first episode available for free on their YouTube Channel. The reality show is a collaboration between Gagaoolala and HahaTai. It is also the first non-scripted LGBTQ+ and BL dating reality show from Taiwan.
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“You Are Mine” First Impressions (Ep.1 & 2)
“You Are Mine” is your typical office romance with the uptight boss who finds himself with a well-meaning naïve assistant, about to improve his life. Although riddled with BL cliches such as the slipping and falling into someone’s arms, watching them sleep and realizing they are cute, spilling food on their clothes and then removing the said clothing item, the show and the actors’ chemistry quickly engage the audience and you pretty much know what you’re in for from the beginning.
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“Stay by My Side” Series Review (Ep.3 to 10)
“Stay by My Side” is a very adorable show and the actors’ chemistry really shines through, making this fluffy series worthwhile. The show is a bubblegum show, doesn’t really give you much, but it is fun and sweet, as such it’s important to review it for what it is. “Stay by My Side” focuses on Bu Xia (Hong Wei Zhe) and Jiang Chi (Yang I Hsuan); since there aren’t any secondary couples, it allows the show to focus on these two leads and their relationship. Although the show has supernatural elements, which are used to cement Bu Xia and Jiang Chi’s relationship (because the ghosts that torment Bu Xia are only silenced when Jiang Chi is close to him), the supernatural world isn’t really tackled with but only used as a vehicle to establish the two’s relationship and then to bring the two closer.
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“Kiseki: Dear to Me” First Impressions (Ep.1 & 2)
Like most of the Taiwanese BL series, “Kiseki: Dear to Me” takes us on a rollercoaster of emotions and the first two episodes have set the ball rolling for us. The show has action, drama, comedy and romance packaged into 25 minute episodes. The pacing and plot of the story, together with the characters’ chemistry, already pops from the first two episodes.
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“Stay by My Side” First Impressions (Ep.1 & 2)
Bu Xia (Hong Wei Zhe) is a timid, playful and seemingly superstitious boy, whose family seems to be in touch with their spiritual side, with his sister having taken over the family shrine since the death of their grandfather. After several encounters bumping into him on campus, Bu Xia meets Jiang Chi (Yang I Hsuan), who becomes his roommate, despite Bu Xia wanting to have his own room. Jiang Chi is quite the opposite of Bu Xia, he is more serious, stern and tidy, which creates disputes between them. Although they start out with various conflicts, it doesn’t take long before both of them realize that they can be more accommodating and begin to get along reluctantly.
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“Oh No, Here Comes Trouble” Series Review (Ep.1 to 12)
The adage ‘home is where the heart is’ isn’t just a proverb to turn to when emotionally lost, it’s about finding hope in something the heart understands when nothing else makes sense.
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“HIStory 5: Love in the Future” Series Review (Ep.1 to 20)
Regardless of where the series or drama originated, the Boys Love genre’s ongoing development in the performing business continues to have a significant impact. Today, we’ll talk about a specific BL Series that explores time travel. Yes! You’ve got that right! This BL is about time travel!
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“HIStory 5: Love in the Future” First Impressions (Ep. 1 & 2)
Taiwan’s new HIStory series, Love in the Future, is here, the fifth installment a fantastical journey in time with two promising couples.
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The BL Xpress 