My Tooth Your Love (2022)

Le duo Jiang Rui Zhi et Lin Pei Yu tape (encore) dans le mille

Les dramas taiwanais ne cessent de me surprendre - notamment ces deux dernières années et pas seulement dans le BL. Aujourd'hui, c'est avec une certaine confiance que je m'y lance. D'autant plus lorsque les noms Jiang Rui Zhi et Lin Pei Yu sont associés. Après tout, on leur doit WBL.

Tout n'est pas parfait dans My Tooth Your Love. Mais le drama reste bon et généreux sur pas mal de points.
L'attraction entre Bai Liang et Xuan An est superbe (les baisers le sont aussi). Bien que je ne regarde pas pour le skinship ou les baisers en premier lieu, j'aime voir une relation saine et loin des clichés thaï avec les poissons morts ou la sensation de dégoût ancré sur le visage des acteurs.
Bref ! On est sur deux adultes (ça fait du bien), l'un est terrifié par les dentistes, l'autre est dentiste. Ça tombe bien. Les personnages sont agréables et mignons à suivre. La relation est jolie. Pas d'alcool, pas de "je vais mourir, je dois lui dire que je l'aime" etc. Bien sûr, nous avons droit à quelques scènes clichées, mais ça reste raisonnable.
Concernant les personnages d'Alex et He Qing Tian, je n'ai pas eu le syndrome du couple secondaire, mais s'il y avait eu quelques épisodes à leur sujet, ça aurait été agréable.
La sœur est également sympathique et le retour de l'ex agréable (ouais, je sais, c'est fou).

Le défaut notable reste (à mes yeux) la réaction des parents de Xun An. Sans trop en dire, c'était vraiment pour amener du mélodrame et probablement cocher la case des "détails inévitables".
Et malgré les quelques défauts, aujourd'hui, je me sens plus confiante lorsque je lance un BL taïwanais plutôt qu'un autre. J'ai beau avoir un amour unique pour les dramas coréens, une majorité de K-BL usent ma patience, car ils ne sont jamais honnêtes dans le genre qu'ils traitent, comme s'ils n'assumaient pas. Ou encore les dramas thaï qui ne sont que recyclage d'intrigues précédentes encore et encore quand ils ne frisent pas eux aussi avec le BL non-assumé (d'ailleurs, j'ai arrêté de regarder la majorité d'entre eux). Même les BL japonais sont devenus insignifiants pour la plupart, car de pâles copies des uns sur les autres parce que c'est tendance. Je m'égare encore et oui, je généralise, cependant y'a des exceptions comme toujours.

Bien qu'on note des défauts, il reste un moment agréable et nous évite un paquet de clichés que, personnellement, je n'ai plus envie de voir. Mature et mignon, je ne dis pas non pour une nouvelle collaboration entre Jiang Rui Zhi et Lin Pei Yu.

PS : qui a validé le bruit de fraise (ou peu importe l'instrument fou du dentiste) à la fin du générique d'intro ? C'est terrifiant.

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Well-rounded characters managing real-world problems

This series is a huge accomplishment with a misstep in the direction of the plot in ep 11, discussed below. 

First, some praise…

It has been a while since I've enjoyed a BL so much, and I think it's because this show felt realistic. It depicts well rounded characters managing real-world problems.

Bai Lang suffers from childhood trauma that affects his relationships with others. He is not just afraid of the dentist. He cannot fathom entering a romantic relationship because he thinks he brings bad luck to the people around him. Flashbacks to the past help the audience understand his trauma, phobia, and the coping mechanisms he's developed (like his cadre of plushies on his bed).

Xun An falls head over heels, and ardently goes after his man! To my surprise, he approaches Bai Lang as both a courting lover and a medical professional, recognizing that he needs therapy. I was shocked when the series brought therapy up. A cool plot development would have been to see him accept that he needs treatment and not just a lover. But credit is due for speaking favorably of therapy.

I saw some comments from viewers saying they were annoyed by Bai Lang's manic personality, but I loved that the show dared to show a truly messy, but good intentioned character who is grappling with the belief that he's too much for any lover to handle. Don't we all think that sometimes? I enjoyed seeing him accept that he's worthy of romantic love. Because he is. And when he realizes love is worth risking, he pursues Xun An in the most, hilarious charming way!

The stories of the two side couples develop more slowly, with little morsels included along the way that show the couples' dynamics and growth. I appreciated that we didn’t see insta love from Alex's perspective. Instead, we saw something more believable. The younger guy, RJ's, massive crush on the hot, older bartender. RJ did everything he could to send out romantic signals, trying to get Alex to see him as a man and possible boyfriend. The other couple, the hockey player and Da A, couldn't have been more adorable. The hockey player was so obvious in his pursuit of Da A, while Da A was confused.

I was disappointed the secondary couples didn’t get more screen time or resolution. We needed more, especially from Alex and RJ, at the end. Their story is incomplete. Season 2, please!

There was a misstep in the plot in episode 11. While earlier episodes hinted that Xun An’s relationship with his family wasn’t harmonious, the introduction of domestic abuse was an unnecessary and unmanageable addition. It felt tonally out of step with the rest of the series. With only one episode left, there just wasn’t time to treat this very serious issue. Instead, it would have been more fruitful to deal with Bai Lang’s mental health issues.

Another misstep was to include a surprise fourth couple in the final episode. Rather than this couple, or their wedding, I would rather see one of our established couples get married. At least we did have a sweet proposal!

Overall I'm amazed by the intricate storytelling and tight direction from Ray Jiang, with little details and finishing touches in each scene coming together to form a powerful series. The long take at the end of ep 8 was really impressive! Outstanding acting and OST.

Make sure to watch past the credits after each ep! There are bonus scenes and they matter!

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I blame my high expectations…

And writers who cannot grasp the idea they do not need to pair up all the characters in their dramas. It’s fine to leave some as single by the end. You do not have time to develop so many relationships and make them worth watching. Be smart, pick two and focus the story around them.

How great did this show start? How happy I was with some more realistic representation of trauma and mental health issues. How happy I was with them showing how it can truly impact one’s life and it was not just used to make the romance more “angsty”. And then… it went away. After all the talks and so many great and important scenes… the topic just stopped existing and it yet again seemed like a borderline case of love can cure you.

Here’s the thing - this romance had such great potential, because all the conflicts could have been based in the internal struggles the leads had, without adding any external over the top drama. So what did the writers do? Added external bullshit drama in the last few episodes. As if there was not a lot to unpack even without it and little to no time to make it happen in a proper way and give a decent closure.

Both Bai Lang and Jin Xun An were amazingly complex and flawed characters. It was interesting to watch them on screen try to figure out each other’s feelings, but also how they themselves come to terms with this new relationship.

The side characters were also well crafted, even if some of their stories were underdeveloped. I appreciated Bai Qing and even if I did not agree with her overprotectiveness of her brother, I still understood where it came from, and it’s all I could ask from a drama. RJ and Alex were adorable and it’s a crime they did not have more screen time. I also wished they were more clear about RJ’s home situation.

Production wise it was great. Quite a few screenshot worthy scenes. Same goes for acting - great. Especially Andy Wu, damn he delivered every line, every movement and every facial expression!

Overall, great first half, good 3rd quarter, pain of the last 2 episodes.

Also, just a small, but awfully painful complaint from me: how could they NOT give a reference later of Pink Lady? How could they set it up in such a perfect way, and then not deliver?

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it lost me

Overall: though the man m/m dynamic was not my favorite*, the first few episodes were set up and done well, but then the plot deteriorated and by the end I was angry. Note that there is an extra scene after initial credits. Aired on Gagaoolala and Viki.

Content Warnings: physical abuse/physical assault off screen but wounds shown, punches, non con kiss, mental health struggles, manhandling, manipulation, dentist/patient, age gap (10? years), if you have anxiety about dental visits then there are some scenes that might make it worse

What I Liked
- the sweet moments
- a few funny moments
- acting
- good kissing/continued physical affection
- dance scene at the end
- production value

Room For Improvement
- *the cold dentist and the vulnerable/traumatized (continuous) patient was not a favorite dynamic, I didn't like the side immature high schooler and reluctant bar manager either
- too many couples (4) most of which did not have enough development and 1 of which was extremely rushed
- the sister punching Jin Xun An twice and trying to punch him in the face was awful, you can care about your sibling but Bai Lang is a fully grown adult and you don't physically assault people, speaking of
- WTH was that with the dad, he's a total abuser but then on screen shown as a little grumpy and basically has no consequences (i.e. he should go to JAIL!!!!) This being glossed over was awful and it was totally unnecessary to the plot. He could have been the standard homophobe like the majority of BL parents.
- way too much time spent on flashback and showing an entire past relationship that I cared nothing about
- cliche ex enters the picture which leads to
- terrible communication skills for adults in their 20s/30s
- a straight wedding in the only Asian country where same sex marriage is legal complete with a bait and switch proposal had me fuming

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Started strong then lost steam

This started off wonderfully, with a fairly original plot and a lot of energy. I loved the interaction between Bai Lang, a restauranteur, and Xun An, a dentist. Bai Lang is terrified of dentists, and in fact suffers from serious PTSD. Until he doesn't.

We also have Alex the bartender who is pursued by the much younger RJ, who also works at the restaurant. This is quite refreshing as RJ is adorable and yet he's rather aggressive with the much larger Alex.

The story was well-written, funny, fast-paced, and full of vitality and chemistry, with beautiful and taleted actors.

Then it deflated like a sad left-over balloon a week after a party. Xun An's ex shows up and chews up an enormous amount of screentime in a dull and cliched story, Bai Lang sheds his complex personality (and somehow his PTSD, which is never heard from again), and then on top of that, it turns out Xun An's father is an abusive homophobe who beats Xun An for weeks, which causes him to draw away from Bai Lang for two episodes, which leads nowhere because Dad easily welcomes Bai Lang into the family.

Likewise, RJ has to leave and is absent for 4 episodes, so that storyline ground to a halt, although we had plenty of time for Xun An's ex to woo Bai Lang's sister.

It felt like the director really didn't want to do a BL, so he tore the partners apart so there didn't have to be too much icky gay stuff, and inserted a straight couple, which added absolutely nothing to the story. This is underscored by the series ending with a heterosexual wedding. Why? Gay marriage is legal in Taiwan! How is that not homophobic?

From the tight and focused writing of the first half, the second is a sloppy and dull mess.

I'd give the first half a 9 and the second half a 6. Do I recommend it? I guess it won't kill you to watch it, and the beginning really is delightful and the cast one of the most attractive I've seen - but prepare to be disappointed by the descent into mediocrity.

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This drama was surprisingly really good

When I first started watching my tooth your love I didn't have high hope because I did find the first couple of episodes a bit slow but alas I really started to get into it once the main characters started to show more of their chemistry and boy do they have a lot it.

I was so impressed by how much chemistry the two main characters betrayed, within the last couple of episodes it felt like they were a really life couple from how they were acting. Theres a lot of 'simple kissing' just little pecks here and there which real couples would do but its hard to find that in BL's sometimes without it having slow-mos, close-ups, soft music playing etc on all their kisses.

Within the series there are real topics touched one such as trauma and how someone might help you through it (I don't want to spoil it, so I'll just say that).

I was a little disappointed with the side couple as their romance story basically had no screen time and at the end it was hard to even conclude if there was anything romantic going on between them. I feel like as the second lead couple they should've had something else going for them. Secondly, I thought the story went a little side tracked in episode 11 and had an issue within it that either didn't need to happen or should've happened earlier and resolved a bit better, I feel like it happened a little later than it should've.

Overall, I definitely recommend that you give this show a watch I looked forward to it a lot every week and I am sad that it's finished. The two main actors have amazing chemistry both on and off screen and I hope to see them in upcoming BL dramas.

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Love the main romance but the rest of the storylines are underdeveloped.

Subjective Gut Rating - 8.25

I have no expectation coming into this and not really sure why I want to watch it. LOL. Perhaps because I’ve always had a pretty good experience with Taiwanese BLs and I am always on the lookout for BL dramas in non-school settings. This one fits the bill and I have a surprisingly enjoyable time watching.

Firstly, I enjoy following along the romantic journey of our two male leads. I was somewhat surprised at how flirty Jin Xun An is after the initial introduction of his character. But after knowing his first love story, I understand why he had to change his strategy. Bai Lang is a lovely and adorable character. Their romance is cute and sweet. I love every single moment that they had before they officially got together. I love how mature Jin Xun An is and really gives Bai Lang time to recognize his feelings. I am glad Jin Xun An made Bai Lang wait and work for his love. Both characters are complex with interesting stories. I just wish the drama would go more in detail about how Bai Lang overcomes his trauma, and not just saying how Jin Xun An would support him. I want to see more actions than words, not that the supportive words are not important. On the other hand, the drama didn’t really give us much information on Jin Xun An’s family. I see where he’s coming from and wanting to give Bai Lang a real family, but the situation at home came at a surprise without any forewarning.

RJ and Alex’s story is cute as well, but the drama doesn’t give them enough screen time to fully develop. I thought RJ’s family situation would have a bigger impact but then it sort of disappeared. Instead, the drama wastes time on BigA and Chi Ren Min. It’s a half-ass romance that is insignificant and doesn’t contribute anything to the general plot. Additionally, I also don’t like how they have to give Bai Qing a partner in the end as well (especially not that guy!). Not everyone needs to be paired up, and the drama should have spent the time to develop the other two romance storylines.

This is not a perfect drama but the romance moves me and I love every minute of it. Thus, I can overlook its flaws in other areas and give this an 8.25 rating.


Completed; 1/30/2023

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Call the dentist bc all this sweet stuff is hurting my teeth!

10/10. One of the best series I’ve seen and not just in the BL genre. The storyline is original and the dynamic between the two leads exceeded my expectation. Their chemistry is very natural and all of their intimate moments seem so comfortable and real. The way they shot some of the scenes was so creative (that deep convo they had while walking through the neighborhood). The conversations are very heartfelt and intimate. You’ll be glued to the screen. The visuals of all the characters are out of this world.


The relationship between the leads are very mature and they deal with very serious conflicts not just petty ones. I love the built up to them getting together and once they are together, they’re sweet as ever.

Spoiler!

THE ENDING IS TO DIE FOR. I love that we got to see their married life. Ugh my teeth hurts from all their sweetness.

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Somewhat Disappointing

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

It’s been a while since I was disappointed with a Taiwan BL Series. Overall, it is not a bad series. It just could have been much better. I appreciate the majority of the characters were working adults. It has some interesting story concepts, but suffers from poor execution. The script started off good but began to slowly unravel by episode 6. It completely came undone by episode 11. See spoiler alert at the end of this review for more information. The actors were great with what they were given. It’s not their fault that the script was greatly lacking in many areas. The cinematography was great, but had an excessively long picture montage at the end of each episode for some reason.

Random Note: Don’t stop watching after the excessively long picture montage at the end of each episode because there is an additional scene after it.




******Spoiler Alert******

Although it had a happy ended, episode 12 was bizarre. It tried to minimize a series situation from episode 11 to make it seem like it was no big deal. It also throws in a random wedding for a side couple that is introduced in this episode.

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Fluff with a bit of angst

Couple of episodes in and I had a strange feeling of déjà vu, the vibe this drama was giving was familiar. I eventually looked up the production crew and, lo and behold, the same ones who made We Best Love which, in spite of some incoherencies in the plot, is one of my favourite series! So please forgive my bias as I am indulgent here. And also, I enjoyed the ride! Though I feel like I should not have!

What I liked:
- the mechanics of love relationship
- the comedy
- the dentist, cold and serious with a beautiful smile when he wants
- the bartender& his helper
- the music (why is it always so good in taiwanese bls?)
- cinematography&post credit scenes
- plushies
- the kisses
- the boy band!

What I did not like:
- the bar owner hiding his trauma behind his happy-go-lucky attitude
- the hugs
- mental health issues solved by LOVE?!?!?
- misunderstandings and lack of communication
- the blast from the past
- the father
- last minute couples

I liked how they developed the relationship: they both were very clear about what was happening between them though their reactions were the opposite! While the bar owner prefered to lie to himself, the dentist knew exactly what he wanted from the get go! The second couple was sweet and funny! But then they went on and introduced the dentist's crush from college who created unnecessary drama (without him, the series would have been shorter!).
The actors all had quite good chemistry and they were cool with kisses! On the other hand, every time they hugged each other, it looked like they were embracing a plush toy with a strange, uncomfortable smile...very weird ! And speaking of soft toys, why is the bar owner still sleeping with them even though he's in a solid relationship, 8 months later (the obligatory but unnecessary time skip!).
The best part was music especially when they played Pechelbel's Canon on piano, my favourite piece of classical music! Cinematography was correct and the little scenes after the end credits giving the other side of the story are an extraordinary good idea!

In conclusion, this was not a bad series: light, fluffy with a bit of trauma thrown in, funny but trying to deal with serious issues(trauma, anxiety, family pressure...) that could be rewatched easily!

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Loving the chemistry

*happy ending* for the main couple

What to love:
- the chemistry of the main couple on and off screen is off the charts. The acting. Everything is just chef's kiss. I felt how they are both so comfortable with each other and how they enjoy each other's company.
- the acting felt like I was not watching the series, but instead is watching like a bystander. I think its because of how the camera work flowed throughout the series.
- I really like how they are both pursuing their own careers.
- I really liked what Jin Xun An did in the last few episodes for Bai Lang. I really felt how he really kept in mind lang lang and his future woth him
- I really loved the sister a lot. And I can relate so much to her. Though I didnt like how the series just pushed her to this single guy like a scapegoat. Not everyone needs a love story to be happy and I hoped they focused on that instead.
- Jin Xun An's employees are the best.

What might need a few tweaks:
- Personally, the Chi Ren Min and Big A couple does not really work for me. I also didnt see the significance of putting that story plot in the series really.
- I felt that the physical abuse part was swept under the table? It felt that there was unjust justification with the whole thing.
- I hoped to see development with Bai Lang's trauma. For instance, did he finally went to therapy?


This is one of the best comforg BLs to watch. So, if you are looking for something fluffy, and sweet, this is a good recommendation for you.
Planning to rewatch this again soon~

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