Because of You (2020)

Amazing mini drama!

First of all, I never butter up to dramas just because they have BL. There were many BL dramas I didn't like and wasn't shy to admit it. I started this with not much expectations because of the salty comments, but ended up loving it more than I imagined I would. I'm so glad I watched it. I haven't watched such a good BL drama in so long. This was a mini web-series but gives the satisfaction of a (mini) mild makjang drama.

I felt like it was a combination of Korean and Taiwanese mild makjang mini drama, even though it was so short, it has the feel of a drama instead of a short web-series if that makes sense. It comes with all the flavors of a normal drama except that this is just 150min long (so you could see it as a movie instead of whine that its short).

The main korean character's acting and background story + personality feels just like your typical kdrama hot & cold male lead.

Even though the main lead (Jun Cheong) speaks mostly korean while the others speak taiwanese but they hint that the others understand his korean because the other characters say blend in korean words in their chinese sentences at times and at other times they even throw in full korean sentences (even tho their korean isn't good but Lin Xun's korean is surprosingly good). Also even Jun Cheong mixes some chinese words with his korean sometimes but just a word or two every now and then.

I heard many people on other platforms criticizing this mini drama calling it unsatisfactory, too short, no plot, full of fanservice, etc.

First of all, this is a web-series and its better than most other web-series so you can't call it too short lmao. Besides, its as good as a normal drama because it has all the flavors a long drama has, this is the first mini web-series that made me treat it as a drama. Yall are being too greedy.
Second of all, how doesn't it have a plot? Really? Just because it was short doesn't mean it doesn't have a plot! It started when they had a conflict that involved both leads in and they solved it then we see the relationship and feelings slowly develop. We watch as the side couples have their own unique and different romance stories. They even managed to tell us a little about each of the main leads' background stories and we even understand how their life has been like throughout the years and even present. They even managed to include little things like one of the main lead's birthday, things they like and dislike, their personalities are consistent with theor character yet we can see them grow and improve as a person all in just 10 tiny bity episodes.
Also the last 1-2 episodes are full of fan service?? Really? If there was really fan service, do you think they'll have all those kisses scenes? If that were really done for fan service then they would just have gay-baited us and we wouldn't even see any kiss scene!! they each of the 3 couples in the drama have their own unique romance and story, even some conflict and reunite is involved just like every other drama. Just because the couples are getting together later in the drama and being lovey dovey doesn't mean its for fan service! Heck, if that was really fan service then the last 4 episodes of "Her Private Life" are also fan service!! The last 4 eps in that drama were full of the main leads kissing so much and being way over the top lovey dovey to the point I wanted to vomit blodd!! But when couples in bl dramas get to also have some lovey dovey moments too when they finally get together then that's wrong and fan service?

I was surprise that for such a short web-service, the productions budget cost was obviously high, and the filmography was as good as kdramas. That's why I always prefer Chinese/Taiwanese/Korean BL whether the romance is censored or just the drama is short, because they have actual good stories and plots unlike Thai BL series that are being done in the mass to the point the stories feel to repetitive.

If they do it hot, you argue that you want it cold. If they do it cold, you argue that they do it hot.

What more do you want??

Also NO there is no incest and the brothers don't fall in love with each other ffs, there are 3 brothers only and the 4th one is mistaken as the 4th brother by accident but that gets solved quickly before any romance actually happens. Don't listen to the comments and watch it, you'll get to see each of the 3 brothers have a relationship that blooms beautifully.

Leggi di Più

HiStory but... a Taiwanese version?

*outline*
It really did give me HiStory vibes in the sense it seemed a little fantastical yet it also had a touch of reality in it.


*analysis*
STORY : The production was well-planned, and it really grew as the story progressed. There was also a good pace and buildup of emotions. And the thing I liked most about Because of You was the fact I was able to watch it all in one sitting as it was easy to watch with it only bein 15 mins per episode. This also kept the story interesting with only required scenes being included rather than the story being elongated annoyingly like some dramas (especially BL's) tend to be. The confessions were some of the cutest I've ever seen, and the kiss scenes didn't help in keeping me from cooing. The first kiss scene that I personally found best was Jundao's, with Juncheng's relationship being the funniest. Because it was so short and I was easily able to watch it all in one sitting, it also felt like a movie rather than a drama. But, the ending felt a little cut off as in I didn't get to see whether the brother's got what they truly wanted after all. The main purpose of the drama was to see if any brother would succeed in what he wanted, and instead the romance took all the attention of the viewers (which I have nothing against because I loved every bi of it) so I'm glad we are getting a Because of You 2. We honestly needed a second season.

ACTING / CAST : The most important thing I have to mention is nothing felt fake, even for a single second. Everyone (even background actors) stuck to their roles so well that it felt like I was watching Jundao's biography (except it was obviously much more interesting than the usual biography). Juncheng, though, played his role so well as a drunk... yeah, sure, it was a little typical but it definitely was more than amusing to watch. The characters were also very interesting in the sense they had quite typical goal as heirs but the twist was it seemed they made the whole show theirs when it was their screen time. One thing the director or scriptwriter must've be very passionate about, though, was the fact opposites attract. Sure every brother found their partner, but all the partners were like... literal opposites from them. But the roles were quite cute and the couples suited each other way too well so I have nothing against it. AND- the CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT?? Boi, I literally forgot to mention this in my draft review. And how could I?? The brothers came such a long way in such a short period of time. The character development was real.

MUSIC : The intro was super catchy, especially the last two lines. There was also a nice contrast between the featuring of Korean and Taiwanese music. One thing that made me laugh a little to myself whenever an OST came up, though, was the fact the songs sounded like OSTs you'd find in straight korean dramas, especially the OSTs played during the love scenes.

REWATCH VALUE : Apart from the cut-off ending, the story was really interesting throughout. I don't see myself missing the character because although they were legends, there wasn't much to remember them for. They weren't too special. But if I went through my "COMPLETED" list and re-read this review, I do see myself rewatching this for the sake of the sweetness, cuteness and the subtle coos an laughter.



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Leggi di Più

This is short, sweet, and to the point.

Because Of You centers around three half brothers who eventually pair off with their respective partners. It left a smile on my face and had me laughing at some points. This is not a deep, explored plot so don't expect to get a lot of world building. The length is more like a movie turned mini series. I really wish we had gotten to delve into the story and character/relationship development with this one. It was far too short for my liking as I would have happily watched more of the cute couples. The ending felt a tad abrupt just because there was no time for filler get to know you episodes, but the ending is sweet so I'm not upset. The alternating Korean and Chinese dialogue had been brain in knots, but it was cool to hear the two integrated so seamlessly.

All in all, a cute and short watch that's good if you're looking for something light with no strings attached. Definitely give it a try.

Leggi di Più

I liked it! It was short, cheesy and sweet, and very heartwarming.

Lee Si Kang’s character was honestly hilarious and fun to watch but empowering as well with his boldness and confidence. Muji Xu played a very grounded, responsible character who was also a delight to watch, even if his relationship development was somewhat rushed. The couple’s interaction was funny and magnetic, so even though their conclusion was rushed, it’s still fun to watch them. The other two couples were also really heartwarming, especially since they had known each other beforehand so had time to develop their feelings.

Although I usually find family in BLs quite weird, because often there’s a touch of incest that doesn’t quite cross the line but is still dodge - like with stepbrothers - this drama portrayed a powerful family who was all learning to love. There were also way fewer notes of ‘I will dominate you’ coming across from the characters in their relationships - Lee Si Kang’s character even says he won’t try to dominate, control, and own his partner which is so much more of a healthy view than is often played out in BLs.
Of course, I wish this drama were longer but I enjoyed this little taste of a story.

Leggi di Più

cliffnotes BL

the story moves So Fast and without any real sense of actual reasonable time or movement. I think the show's clock was broken that resulted in the plot being what it was.

I don't know. All of the couples have good chemistry, which makes up for the absolute lack of sense that the plot makes. I'm not sure why they put in three separate storylines for the couples but they all kinda got equal screentime? which on one hand is nice but they all lowkey made about as equally little sense as the other.

I actually kinda enjoyed it, but no, it did not make much sense. It was cute, and it was kinda funny to have two characters having a coherent conversation even though they were both speaking in two completely different languages that aren't mutually intelligible. It really is like watching a series that was made in cliffnotes and nothing else.

Leggi di Più

Good, good audio and video quality.

The stories were nice and the actors seemed to get along quite well.

I would probably rewatch this if I am bored or need to refresh my memory before a sequel. The soundtrack is not amazing so other than when I watch it, I am probably not going to listen to it again.

The issue I have with it is that I don’t think it delves enough into all the relationships and they don’t really face any real issues as it is very brief. It’s not bad, just not very memorable. I think it would be much better with some sort of sequel to help the audience form a better connection to the characters.

Overall, this is good but it’s more of time-filler for when there’s nothing to watch. Yes, the main plot idea seems quite unique and interesting but other than that it’s not really anything special.

Leggi di Più

Short and Sweet

The slight spoiler is at the end, but here’s my thoughts on the show:

The first couple carried the show for me. They seemed the most comfortable and real. I found myself saying “they’re so cute” like every 10 seconds because they’re chemistry was good. And I liked the addition of a Korean character, even though it threw me off at first.

The second couple was good as well, but it wasn’t as interesting to me. I really liked Yang Xiang (played by Guo Yu Chen). Something about him was very friendly and warm and made me want to root for him.

The third couple wasn’t it for me. From the beginning I knew I wouldn’t really like them. Like...I would skip their scenes if the series wasn’t so short. The chemistry wasn’t there, and don’t even get me started on the sister. Worst character confirmed.

Overall even though this drama lacks depth, I think with the length of it being considered, it’s worth the watch. The main couple was sooooo cuteeee like I want to rewatch it just for them.

Spoiler: The kidnapping thing gave me “Addicted” flashbacks though, I didn’t really like that, but after that they were cute.

Leggi di Più

Fun quick watch!

This was a quick show to fill my afternoon with. Each episode is only about 15 minutes, so it's really easy to binge all at once, which is exactly what I did. This is probably the first BL I've watched where I've been invested in all the relationships. Usually there's always one that I feel the urge to skip when they're on screen, but that wasn't the case here. I loved each of these characters equally and loved every bit of screen time I could get with any of them. When it comes to plot, there's honestly very little, but I think that's kind of the charm of the show. It was short, sweet, and not too dramatic in ways that would be pointless. I wish there were more episodes though because I want to see more of these relationships. I'll definitely be watching this again in the future

Leggi di Più

Too fast.

I thought this drama would be more focused on the korean guy and the taiwanese guy relationship, because they only have 10 episodes and the duration is only 15 minutes per ep, turns out no. Even korean bl drama with 8/9 episodes still lacks on storyline though they focused only on ONE couple. But this drama have 3 COUPLES with those very limited duration, there are so many lacks in story line, don't see any clear 'developments', everything went too fast.

Actually the main plot is interesting and not-so common. But if only they have longer duration... Yeah.

Heard that they'll have the second season of this? I hope they doing it better. But if they still pushing it like this 10 episodes/15 minutes per ep with 3 couples and 3 different stories? It won't do.

Leggi di Più

Watch this to de-stress!

What can I say?
It's not your normal deep plot full of (unnecessary) drama. It's fun, really short, fast paced and only watch it with no expectations whatsoever.
The actors are handsome, that's for sure and my favorite is Lin Xun. He's gorgeous and his role fits him perfectly.
Overall, the story was really rushed. It would have been great to see how they fell in love, considering almost all casts were straight. The chemistry is really important and it was lacking here. I can do away with bed scenes (I think) but I need to see the awkward moments when a straight guy suddenly has feelings for another guy and how they get to accept their feelings and fall in love. There was also no time for each cast to be fully immersed in their character.
All in all, it's funny and a good time to relax and unwind after a hard stressful day.

I wonder though, was the budget really tight? It would have been a great drama since the plot is really interesting.
Oh, and what happened to the uncle who attacked Yuan Jun? Where did that storyline disappear to? 😕

Anywho...skip it if it's not your cup of tea.

Leggi di Più

No geral Taiwan não costuma decepcionar no quesito qualidade, e essa série não fugiu aos padrões. Apesar da história ser um pouco surreal, os atores são excelentes, as cenas de luta são bem coreografadas, a ost muito boa e a química entre os casais é ótima.
Os três casais se desenvolveram bem, não posso dizer que de forma igualitária, já que existia uma ênfase no casal principal, mas os 3 tiveram desfechos satisfatórios.
Ficaram alguns furos? Sim! Gostaria que fosse mais bem explicada a história entre a mãe e o pai, o que aconteceu no passado, e o desfecho do tio bandido. Também gostaria que fosse menos óbvio que o quarto filho não era legítimo, para deixar uma suspense sobre o romance dele e do suposto irmão, mas fora esses pequenos detalhes a série não decepcionou, eu recomendo! Gostaria que tivesse uma continuação, saber o destino dos personagens após o fim da temporada, mas não creio que vai acontecer (esperança é a última que morre).

Leggi di Più