Stunning and Evocative

One of the most heart wrenching and beautiful stories I have ever had the chance to entertain. From the use of extended metaphor to the acting and overall societal lessons, this one is solid gold. I cried tears of pain and joy many times throughout the series. A masterpiece really.

The portrayals of betrayal and pain and pure bliss and innocence, not once was I unconvinced by every actor in this series. I truly felt that they were 17 then somehow 40 with the same exact faces. The dot/line metaphor that continues throughout the series felt totally uncontrived and natural, which I have seen hard to do with other extended metaphor. Self-acceptance is always much harder than we think and in that time of not accepting ourselves we lose and become self-destrucive. It’s a lifelong journey and this series did an amazing job of convincing me that it is a journey worth taking despite how difficult things become along the way. We are all dots seeking a cure to loneliness by connecting to other dots, but despite that the series begins every episode with that paraphrased idea, its the fact that we are on our own lines that is the hardest battle. Connecting can only be achieved once we straighten ourselves out.

Again a beautifully told story by all the people involved. Thank you all for this gift.

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Such an intriguing story

This was really an amazing movie. It was off to what felt like a disheveled start and there was maybe too much narration by the son in the beginning, but the story really starts coming together beautifully. The acting was magnificent and how they conveyed the depth of every character was really intriguing. You go into it with so many presumptions about the different characters, as they all seem like awful people, but when as the story unravels, I began to gain so much sympathy for them. There was a particular scene with the mother speaking to the therapist that was so well delivered and from that point on I felt as though I was living in through the whole situation with them. My heart clenched up and a lump developed in my throat.

Admittedly, I was a bit put off by the idea of the story. A family is ruined by a queer relationship. Its a touchy subject and one that if done wrong can come off crude and homophobic, but the writer did an excellent job finding humanity in each and every character. It was strange at times and other times I just couldn’t figure out why someone would behave in such a way — but at no point did I think it didn’t feel real. I definitely recommend for anyone looking for an ostensibly comedic but realistically tragic and ultimately heartwarming film.

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A lot in a little bit of time

I will start by saying that this show is really refreshing. I did not expect much coming into it after seeing the rating, but being familiar with both of the main actors, I was definitely curious. Also, the show is about a total of 64 minutes (shorter than a movie!) so It didn't take much to fly through it. I will say this, it was ambitious as all heck! There were a lot of things that could've been better developed if the show had the budget. That being said, it was an actual historical drama with actual BL content. Not just bromance. It obviously moved too quickly for anyone to believe that the two were truly in love, especially considering the marriage was arranged. It was sweet nonetheless. The moments where they assisted each other with various tasks and worked together to fool the family were absolutely cute. The main issue was pacing, which is why I call this drama ambitious. There were multiple issues that were resolved too quickly, but if you're looking for cute BL stuff and like the actors, then I would say watch it 100%. Waste an hour of your life!

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Unexpectedly poignant. A critical look at how bigotry can result in undeserved feelings of shame and guilt. An amazing story that has none of the camp I've seen in other BLs. I wouldn't even call this one a BL, but a realistic portrayal of a homosexual relationship that attempts to defy the standard. One of the most thoughtful and progressive series I've ever watched. The acting was also superb. The characters had depth and stories of their own that rounded out the series wonderfully. The use of death and betrayal was intelligent and naturally pushed the plot further. Every moment was interesting and necessary, from the shots of the landscapes to the descriptions of the history of Changmai. A wonderfully told story of perseverance, defiance, and, ultimately acceptance. 10/10.

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The acting was stunning, although the story was a bit cliche. It did not take away though from the raw emotion that these two expressed so elegantly. Unfortunately, the episodes and series were much too short to properly give viewers a strong foundation for this story to rest on. In addition, the characters did feel a bit underdeveloped. Still, I must give this show a perfect 10 because it was a masterpiece within miniseries. It is difficult to get people on board and evoke empathy within your viewers in such a short period, but ALL of the cast made this seem easy. The music selection was also deeply in sync with each moment. I absolutely loved it enough to say that it truly deserved more.

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