Miracle (2023)

my new favourite!

Im really happy i came across this drama... It literally has got everything! A lot of handsome guys - in a totally innocent way i'd say - but also with huge talent. The plot is entertaining, side action is too. Nothing too dark nothing too shallow. The chemistry of both couples is unbelievable! I dont know who to praise more... the mature teen falling for the gangster, the gangster whos a math prodigy, the short guy acting like a rag doll when drunk, the introvert young gangster... So heartwarming and serene. Im totally in awe!
Also, it's so beautifully filmed, but in a discreet, nothing-too-obvious manner, and dialogues are not too much, not too little!
Masterpiece if you ask me!
Taiwanese cinematography doesnt cease to amaze me.
Rewatch? You bet!

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Near and Dear

Kiseki: Dear to Me is a lovely little drama that I found thoroughly enjoyable. While not without its faults, it largely makes up for them with an eclectic group of characters, a decently told story, good music, and some excellent acting. It does get a little bit busy and would have benefitted from a more streamlined and cohesive plot, but it's not to the point of being unwatchable. It thoroughly drew me in and I have zero regrets after watching it.

In it's simplest form, this is an enemies to lovers story but the premise is unique enough that it doesn't feel totally cliche. Bai Zong Yi is a studious, rather grumpy student whose life is upended when the charismatic and mischievous gangster Fan Ze Rui blackmails him into taking him in and treating his wounds. There's no sense that one has more power than the other and that contributes to the interest and entertainment as the two learn to live together and eventually fall in love. I appreciated that the time frame was made clear. There's no question of whether a scene is past, present, or future. It begins in the present with a short little scene and then jumps to four years previously in 2019 and carries on from there. However, there's a lot going on and while the developing romance between Zong Yi and Ze Rui takes the front, there's also the ongoing fighting with a rival gang and trying to sniff out drug dealers at the local school. It's a lot to pack in and the story suffers for it. A decent amount could have been condensed or cut completely to allow more time for character development, providing more detailed information and world building, or giving more time to the episodes set in the present. For example, it would have been nice to have a more clear understanding of the gangs and how they worked. Things jump forward four years after Episode 8 and while I don't generally like time jumps, I understand the necessity of this one. Now set in the present day, the story becomes more, not less convoluted. There's not much time to get everything wrapped up and some things are left hanging. The memory aspect was a big one for me. Both Zong Yi and Ze Rui suffer brain injuries, but with Ze Rui it's unclear if he truly lost his memory for a period of time or if he was just faking it the entire time. With Zong Yi, he suffered short term memory impairment which was not explored or well explained. He uses a notebook to jot down important events, but it doesn't seem to effect his life too much and is largely forgettable. There are also some irritating moments where dramatic or misleading things happen but turn out to be nothing. Two primary examples would be when Chen Yi got shot and that served as a cliffhanger but was ultimately nothing and the last episode where an attempt is made to trick the audience into thinking Ze Rui has died. Both instances were cheap and unnecessary. The pacing was all over the place, but generally felt rushed. Again, just trying to fit in way too much. Particularly towards the end, there were a lot of moving parts and scenes that should have held significance weren't given the time they deserved. There needed to be a better balance between episodes focused on the past and then the present and that just wasn't there.

I am generally not a fan of romances between adults and minors. There's too much room for the adult to take advantage of the minor and manipulate them. However, I was less bothered here because there was an element that it was necessary to the story. Also Zong Yi was seventeen and while he did have some young, impulsive moments, his feelings for Ze Rui did not feel impulsive and their love did feel genuine. And Ze Rui did have clear moments of conflict and he did try to create distance. All of that combined evened things out for me. I know the teacher/student aspect bothered a number of people, but personally, due to the nature of the circumstances surrounding it, I didn't have an issue with it.

The character development was pretty decent and was certainly present. Not as much with the main leads as I would have thought though, at least not positively. I did find the second couple of Ai Di and Chen Yi to be more interesting and satisfying to watch. The largest issue with the characters was an overabundance of them. There were too many side characters and relatively insignificant characters to try to keep track of.
-Zong Yi starts out grouchy and closed off, but once he falls in love with Ze Rui, it's like he has a personality transplant and is suddenly largely kind and gentle. While he has a few grumpy moments, they seem largely for show. I would have preferred a more gradual change to his character and I would have liked to see him retain some of his original characteristics rather than becoming a whole new person. He's also a little too perfect. Aside from the last episode when he's pissed that Ze Rui didn't think of him when he was stabbed, he doesn't express any anger or resentment towards him for what happened in the past. That felt unrealistic. He should have felt something other than regret that he couldn't protect them both.
-Ze Rui remained largely the same throughout. While he expresses guilt and regret for what happened in the past with Zong Yi, he doesn't appear to really change. He's still a manipulative person but he has a good heart. Frankly, I thought he got off way too easy. Zong Yi suffered a lot because of him, from serving jail time to having permanent brain damage that dashed his dreams of becoming a doctor. Ze Rui didn't apparently suffer any permanent damage from his head injury and aside from being stabbed by Zhang Teng's sister which doesn't seem to actually be that serious, there are no consequences.
- Ai Di in particular was a delight and hands down my favorite character. He was small but mighty and I loved his attitude. He was fiercely loyal to his friends and to Chen Yi, who he'd been in love with for years. Forced to play second fiddle, he nonetheless stays by Chen Yi's side to help him even sacrificing himself to protect him and do what's necessary after Zong Yi is injured in prison. What's so great about him is that he does grow and develop, yet he remains true to himself. There's never any doubt that he is Ai Di.
-Chen Yi starts out in love with one of the gang's bosses and only becomes aware of Ai Di's feelings when he and Ai Di sleep together after he's been drinking. He also discovers the birthday presents Ai Di had gotten for him over the years and eventually comes to realize both Ai Di's and his own feelings. His attempts in the present to win over Ai Di are both humorous and adorable. Once they get together, it's like nothing's changed and yet everything has changed. Their dynamic is the same, but they're obviously in love. They balance each other out very nicely.
-The other characters were largely unimpressive. Although I did love Zong Yi's father and sister and how loving and supportive they were. Their interactions were so wholesome. The boss and his man were an interesting addition. We don't generally see older BL couples, so I appreciated that they were included from that perspective, however, they were not well utilized and they had so little screen time that they felt superfluous. Zhang Teng was a pretty boring villain. I didn't really find the lollipop to be off-putting, I just found him to be over the top and non-threatening. There needed to be more to him to make him feel like a viable threat. Even his history with Ze Rui felt incomplete and rushed. Suh Ning as his sister out for revenge was not a well developed plot point. It was obvious she was up to something, but there needed to be a greater buildup.

The acting was well done, but the undisputed star of the show was Louis as Ai Di. He was so committed to the role and he was a stand out in every way. He had great chemistry with Nat whose acting was more understated, but still good. Hsu and Taro were both pretty strong, though it was obvious at times that this was Taro's first role and he's still young and green. They both did a fair amount of acting with just their eyes and I was impressed with their chemistry, especially considering their 10 year age gap. I did enjoy the cameo of the actors from Be Loved In House. I keep hoping they'll get another series. And it was nice to see An Jun of HIStory 4 again. He had more than a cameo role and he did a good job. There was also a cameo from two of the actors of Plus & Minus, though I wasn't a fan of that drama so I had to go look them up to figure out why they looked familiar.

The production quality was a mixed bag for me. There were some really great transitions and cuts and then there were some pretty subpar ones. The lighting was sometimes too bring and other times bordering on too dark. There was just a general lack of consistency. I did like the costuming, particularly for Ai Di. The man was a style icon. I loved his unique look and how well it fit his character. The music was also good and worked well where used.

It's not perfect, but it's fun. It's not a drama you can look at too closely because once you do, things start to unravel. But if you just go with it, it's a great ride. This is definitely one I would recommend and one I will be rewatching in the future.

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SI APRECIAS TU TIEMPO NO LA VEAS. UNA RED FLAG CON PATAS

Que cosa mas mala. Mira que tiene una idea muy buena porque eso de un bl de un gangster que se enamora de una persona fuera de la banda, pero ya esta todo lo demas fatal.
Los actores son pesimos, todos sin excepción actuaciones pesimas que te digo que parecen de una parodia, tanto las peleas como todo en si, los momentos tristes como todo , es que no he empatizado nada con la historia.
Hay tantas red flag; que si se enamora de un menor y tienes relaciones con un menor (por mucho consentimiento que haya . Tio las putas relaciones de poder que hay en ese pedazo de gap age), que el otro toma la culpa y se va a la carcel (en parte por el otro y en parte para poder conseguir el transplante del padre, que mas chantaje no puede ser ), que luego el otro deja que este se vaya a la carcel y luego esa 'venganza' que iba a hacer que me parece una mierda sinceramente , que su amado se ha comido la carcel y encima le han dado un golpe que le ha dejado tonto para siempre y ya no puede cumplir su sueño de ser doctor es que alucino, como todos al final le perdonan, es que yo ni de coña , a mi no me rompes mis sueños y encima pago tus pecados y luego juegas conmigo pretendiendo que no me conoces. Es que de verdad la historia en si es una red flag muy grande.
Luego la segunda pareja es que mas malcriados e inutiles son pueden ser.
Todos se pasan mas tiempo follando que nada , lo que he aprendido es que si estas en una banda de estas, primero de todo huye y luego que todos son gays . Mira que sorpresa eh.
Por cierto Taiwan no deja de sorprederme con la misoginia en sus BLs, siempre la madre es la mala que les pega y tienen miedo de las mujeres y por eso su pareja tiene que ser un hombre. Pues sorpresa se puede tener una relacion sanisima con tu madre no tener ningun trauma con las mujeres y ser gay o bisexual pero que tu pareja sea un hombre. No soy homofoba, soy abiertamente aliada pero es que paso con la misoginia que estoy viendo en los BLs taiwaneses, quiero dos pavos que se quieran sin que odien a una mujer.

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A nice little drama

It took me quite a few episodes to get into this, but by the end I thoroughly enjoyed it, though it was the second couple that won me over.

The second couple does the "flipped" trope perfectly, and the chemistry is great; Taiwanese dramas are also not afraid of skinship and intimate scenes, which makes everything feel much more real. If there's anything I would rewatch it would probably be their scenes.

The main couple is fine and they have their moments, but I admit I don't care as much for them; the chemistry is fine, but the tropes seem more cliche, and I think they're hampered by the "gangster" plot, which tries to be serious but doesn't really manage to establish its high stakes due to low budget and short runtime.

Overall though, still a nice little watch.

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Another epic Taiwanese BL show to put at your re-watch list

This show really amazed me. FINALLY !! we got to see something fresh in a BL series. The story is unique and keet us entertained in every episode. I really like the diversity of the story between both the couples and other characters and how they are put together in the same story.
The storytelling was good, the script was great and really hatts off to the casting. Every actor in this series gave their best.
Starting with the leads Both the couple's had great sizzling chemistry. They made me feel every emotion of their character with their acting .

My personal favourite is the story of the second couple. I was literally obsessed with them. I mean , I can guarantee for those who have watched this series and have not felt pain in the prison scene with the cake. Also, for the scene of their first time doing it. They just delivered us pure raw emotions that stabbed our hearts along with some other beautiful scene. Every episode felt too short and me wanting to see more of their story. I really want to see more of them, like how they grew up together and how they missed each other during prison time.

Ai di is my favourite character in the whole show. According to me he literally was one of the character who stood out the most in the show. !!!!

I literally was excited for the show to see Wayne and Chun Chih back together, after the trauma I was left after History 3: MODC and wanting them to finally see happy together, but eventually it didn't happen again ?.
Apart from that, thanks to the team for giving us the cameos in the drama that we all wanted to see. I really enjoyed this series.

However, i was a bit disappointed with the ending (final episode). The stabbing felt a bit unnecessary and since this plot was introduced the ending felt a bit rushed. I hope we get a special episode for the series.

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Ai Di and Chen Yi steal the show

Once again Taiwanese series do not disappoint, I really enjoyed this.
The main actors are quite good, but I have to say for me the second couple stole the show. I particularly liked the character Ai Di.
Storywise I enjoyed how the series is structured with it starting in the present and then going back to the past to show us how we got to this situation just to then follow the story from there.
It's a very well-written show I really liked the way the characters are written particularly the way the second couple's romance progresses. Louis did an amazing job of portraying Ai Di's feelings towards Chen Yi, the pain in love and most importantly the feelings of dejection and hopelessness of their situation.
I also enjoyed how the main couple's relationship developed and how they faced the age gap between the two characters.
This show is beautifully filmed, I truly enjoyed the sets and the colour grading of the interior scene in particular the bar scenes and the night scenes in Ba Zong Yi's room.
Although part of the script falls into a very well-known troupe I think that it worked for this series so in this case I am not mad at the use of this very overused plot point.
Completely unrelated to the plot of the show I appreciated the cameo of some other BL actors from series I previously enjoyed in this series.

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Kisah yg menarik dengan dibumbui mafia

Menurutku, ini adalah bl yg bagus untuk segi cerita. Ini juga bl pertama dengan tema mafia yg kutonton. Ada hal paling mengganjal yaitu aktor utamanya dimana mereka kurang cocok untuk memerankan peran itu . Untuk pemeran pembantu/ Second lead( ai di & chen yi ) itu lebih dapat feelnya daripada pemeran utamanya. Bukan hanya itu, rolenya pemeran utama ( zerui & ba zongyi ) juga terbalik imo jadi kalo nonton main actor agak gimana gitu but secara akting bagus walau agak kaku dikit. Overall, bagus, cukup menarik untuk ditonton karena juga intimacy nya sangat intim seperti seseorang yg saling mencintai, bener bener bikin hati deg degan dan mlenyot melihat ketampanan mereka, lol. sangat direkomendasikan but not to expecting too much, takut nanti kalian agak kecewa dikit, tapi jangan risau, mungkin kalian juga bakal puas deh karena ceritanya enggak boring. Begitulah ulasan aku, terimakasih telah membaca bye bye....

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Romance? Passion? Chemistry? Pacing? What more could we possibly ask for?

What a great series!!! Everything we could possible want, we got in spades!

I loved the story of Bai Zong Yi and Fan Ze Rui. How these two lonely people whose paths unexpectedly cross steadily form a relationship from being enemies to unwilling caretaker/pestering patient, to friends, and then lovers. The buildup of tension between the two as their feelings for each other started to develop was immaculate ????. Between when they finally become lovers, are separated and reunited, the love, lust and longing they had for each other was so palpable it was almost too much to watch. Episodes 7 and 11 still have me in a chokehold. My favorite thing about BZY was his honesty and straightforward personality. He wore his heart on his sleeve and was direct with his feelings for FZR. My fave thing about FZR was his eyes. His eyes told so much and always looked at BZY so lovingly. When watching two people GAZE at each other makes you shy, you know you've found a gem.

Where BZY and FZR were intimate and loving, Ai Di and Chen Yi were explosive and intense. Both pairings were so passionate but it was expressed in completely different ways which was great to see. AD and CY's romance story was also beautiful to watch; finally seeing, AD who had been waiting over 4 years for CY to reciprocate his love, find his own happiness was for sure worthwile. For all of AD's aggressiveness, he is such a softie on the inside, especially to those he loves, a classic tsundere so his character was very fun to watch and I loved his dynamic with CY.

Overall, in terms of romance, Kiseki: Dear to Me 100% delivered. The driving gang plot itself too was also good and brought lots of angst that allowed our couples to develop their feelings even quicker. I appreciated how the story didn’t drag at all throughout the series. (Though, I did wait for the series to end before binging so the pacing seemed great to me, all the cliffhangers would have had me STRESSED had I watched this live xD). Everything was paced well and I didn't feel any relevant plotline was particularly underdeveloped. Although, I wouldn't be opposed to getting bonus episodes of BZY and CY's married life, too much to ask? ???????. Acting was also superb from the main cast. I did not feel one bit of discomfort/awkwardness in intimate scenes between any of the pairings. They all had great chemistry. The only poor acting was honestly mainly from Wayne's character lmao, and other small side characters.

Anyway, so happy with this series and I wish the best to all the actors. I had a great time watching it and I'm sure if you decide to pick this up, you will too!

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