BL with a concept that has potential but ultimately falls flat

Cute actors, a nice song and relatively high production value do little to salvage a weak story that is conceptually quite fun.

There is some tension between two actors, Play and First, who are supposed to act as lovers in a series. They don't seem to get along very well but at the same time, they seem to be attracted to each other. This could have been a story about how Play and First develop feelings for each other while acting as lovers, with some sensitively depicted feelings of confusion on their part. However, it turns out to be a mess with scenes of squabbling without strong indications of their romantic feelings or other emotions.

There are also clichés and stereotypes. To make matters worse, the side characters' dialogues are often pointless or at least lost in translation. Although there are only 5 episodes in the whole series, a lot of time is used for unnecessary scenes.

The main characters are not properly developed and they appear temperamental and inconsistent. One minute First is laying his head on Play's lap and the next minute they are squabbling. The story pretty much begin in the middle of nowhere, and it is not clear how the two male leads meet, why they don't seem to get along and how they starting having feelings for each other.

Then a love triangle is thrown into the story as another guy, Pluto, is in love with Play. The love triangle isn't altogether pointless. Ironically, the Pluto/Play part of the story is told in a much better way than the Play/First part of the story. At least we know how they meet each other and Pluto's affections are unambiguous.

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Funnier than the main series

This special episode, which features only Adachi and Kurosawa, does not advance the story any further, but it is a nice addition to the series. If you like the series, this episode is a good addition to it, especially if you watch it immediately after watching the series. There's actually more humor in this episode than in the main series as we see Adachi and Kurosawa's colleague trying to find out why they are so close and draws and unexpected conclusion. I also like it that there's an indirect reference to Adachi's mind-reading power (which he has lost) as he now can't read Kurosawa's mind and find out what he likes but he is still slowly learning to understand Kurosawa better.

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A lot of recycled scenes as flashbacks, but used reasonably well

There are really too many "recap" scenes in this special episode as a journalist and Wakamiya go around talking to people related to past cases. But while the many recycled scenes are indeed excessive, I do think that they have been used strategically at times to show, for instance, Wakamiya's attachment to Shishio ("Sherlock"). It is just that there is really no need for so many of them or for them to be so long. The revelations of the other characters who are thinking back about the past will require some flashbacks, but they could often have been shorter.

The criminals' reactions to the journalists can be interesting, and the presence of the journalist trying to write something about Shishio is intriguing. But ultimately, we get more questions. Is the journalist up to no one or is she really someone who is grateful to Shishio for his help in the past? We don't have conclusive answers. Where is Moriya (the villain) and is the man claiming to be Moriya in the last episode of the series really Moriya? One thing we do know eventually is whether Shishio survives the fall into the sea in the last episode. This is revealed at the end, but again: what has happened to him? We don't know. More questions. So please give us a Season 2?

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Can there be more cuteness and sweetness in a BL?

Rarely do I find a BL that makes me feel equally for both the male leads. The character settings may sound familiar: we have a guy who has a crush on another but tries his best to keep it a secret, we have a guy who has little confidence in himself and sees himself as just a person who cannot be more ordinary and nondescript. But instead of putting both of these into one character and having the diffident guy as the one in love with someone handsome and popular, we have the handsome guy secretly in love with the one with a low self-esteem. And simply with this move, we don't have the usual trope of a practically toxic handsome guy finally falling in love with the long-suffering ordinary person. Instead, there is plenty of sweetness throughout.

I can empathize with the handsome man who assumes the other person isn't interested in him but finds it harder and harder to just remain colleagues with him, and I can identify with the feelings of the diffident man who assumes that no one would ever be interested in him. This story of two really nice people falling in love with each other and getting together is touching without making one feel miserable (well except perhaps for the fact that the fiction will not be one's reality). It is light-hearted without resorted to senseless humor.

The side couple is similarly cute though their personalities are different. And there's a cat. Two cute and sweet BL couples and a cat and a pretty good story: it is hard to ask for more when watching BL. Even the friendship between Adachi (the one who lacks confidence) and his best friend, Tsuge (one half of the side couple) is so adorable. And while one of the female characters is interested in Adachi, she is not used as some sort of evil woman who goes between the main couple. Instead, she is genuinely supportive of their relationship.

This is how you make a heartwarming BL series. You don't need passionate kissing scenes or tons of bare flesh or a story full of twists and climax full of tension. Just use this as a textbook example. I'm not even asking for a second season. I'm asking for more BL series like this. They are not going to be the only BLs I love or the only things I watch, but I do want such series around to watch when I'm feeling down and need something to give me some warmth.

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Thought-provoking but not a film with mass appeal

The Chinese title of this short film is "The Distance that Isn't Heard" (which can either refer to the distance between people who don't hear each other out or literally "inaudible distance"). We have the story of a gay couple in a society which has achieved (more or less) equal rights for gay people and in which people have become more accepting of homosexuality. But even without the hurdle of a lack of acceptance, can two men who are attracted to and love one another overcome differences in political outlook?

The good thing about this short film is that it does not have an in-your-face message or preach anything in particular. It shows the relationship between the two men, but there may not be a clear point to discern from the scenes which are nonetheless beautifully shot. The film is open to interpretation. Its strength may also be its weakness, however. It may come across as being a tad pointless or somewhat pretentious in adopting a needlessly disjointed narrative structure.

If we consider the film to be about love, it is easy to think that when one is in love with another person, one won't care about the other person's occupation. But is it love if one does not even know the other person's occupation or has not made an effort to find out? When one of the main character yells "I can't hear," is it literally that he can't hear what the other is saying because of the noisy environment or is it an indication of a refusal to hear another person out when the latter is on a different side politically? (There is perhaps an answer suggested in the scene where one shouts "I can't hear (you)" and the other shouts "I *also* can't hear (you)".

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Please cut out the recycled scenes

Who thought it was a good or even vaguely acceptable idea to include large chunks of almost random flashbacks (recycled scenes from Radiation House Season 1)? There really is no reason to do so except to lengthen this special episode to an hour and a half (without having to film that many more scenes) perhaps for the sake of having more time to give thanks to sponsors. That is to say, the only real reason to have so many recycled scenes is the worst possible reason.

That said, the special episode could really have been special. Because Season 1 ends with the male lead leaving the hospital, the special episode continued from there and out of necessity cannot repeat the same old structure the series has done for 11 episodes.

The special episode switches back and forth between the scenes in the hospital where the remaining staff continue life without the male lead and the scenes of the male lead on a plane. There is unfortunately no connection between the two different sets of events. The events in the hospital show the legacy the male lead, Igarashi, has left behind. He has basically changed the work culture in the hospital, and the radiology technicians are now more appreciated and have more initiative in their work. They now have the Igarashi spirit.

On the other hand, the scenes of Igarashi on the plane is more of the same old stuff. Of course there are a couple of medical emergencies on the plane and of course our hero saves the day. But he also seems to be a tad too heroized--yes, we already know that he's not just a good technician but also an ingenious doctor, so there is no need to belabor the point. There is another doctor on the plane, and we have the same old discrimination against technicians and the same old declaration that he won't lose to the main lead when they meet again. We get a sense of déjà vu despite the introduction of a new character.

Throw out the redundant recycled scenes and the episode will be shorter but better. The scenes that remain are adequate, but it is possible to add more to them. Instead of heroizing Igarashi further, perhaps he could have been shown to have learnt something from his stint in the hospital he has left too. Instead of showing Igarashi on the plane (it's not even clear if it's the trip to America after resigning from the hospital but it probably is), the story can show him already in America. There can then be indications of how he remains in contact with the radiology team in the hospital and indications of some development in the relationship between him and the love of his life. There are plenty of missed opportunities.

We still do have an ok-ish special episode. It doesn't impress but it isn't really worse than Season 1 itself, except perhaps for the all-too excessive flashbacks.

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Standard fare that entertains without being too heavy

Radiation House has, in my eyes, a niche audience. I'm a little averse to watching medical dramas because the illnesses alone can be rather depressing, and it's hard to strike a balance between light-hearted and being serious about the medical issues. In a way, this series strikes a nice balance--it is quite entertaining in a predictable way, and there are funny moments and yet it is something that can be taken seriously enough. After a while, the lack of ever-heightening tension and the repetitive structure of each episode can be comforting. Unfortunately, this also means that it is not going to work for people who hope for more nuanced characterization, plot development and a stronger discussion of social issues.

There is something about a lot of Japanese series that charms me even when the series are not outstanding in any particular way. Maybe it's the little touches that make some characters endearing even when there is nothing very significant about the little touches. I like how the hospital's director "treats" members of the staff with a wide range of purportedly healthful beverages, including insect poop tea (this is not made up by the writers--there really is such a tea).

I think the series also involves quite a bit of medical knowledge even though it is probably very unrealistic about the way hospitals function. While the story has a focus on radiology technicians and the importance of their work, it is ironic that the "technician" who stands out turns out to be someone with a medical license, undercutting the message that the specific expertise of technicians is really important. What the story does succeed in doing, nevertheless, is emphasizing that the commitment to and the pride one takes in doing one's work, whether it is regarded by others as important or unimportant, can make a difference in people's lives.

It is hard to heap a lot of praise on the series. While the individual episodes can be forgiven for follow a repetitive and predictable structure without much development, the romance plotline that spans the entire series can be faulted for a lack of real development or a satisfying ending. This is despite the fact that the male lead becomes a radiology technician because of a promise he made to a girl as a kid.

Ultimately, this series is reasonably good entertainment. It's like street food that happens to taste good enough to be enjoyed, but if you judge it by the culinary standards of fine-dining establishments, you can find fault with it. It is best to know and appreciate it for it is. It's nice, and I will go back to the stall again (there's the second season), but I know there is much better food out there that perhaps one does not have the luxury of tasting every day.

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Supernatural powers, comedy and wasted potential

This can't really be considered Season 1 because it ends in the middle of nowhere.

In fact, it also starts in the middle of nowhere. The story is rather confusing at the start. Until now, I'm still wondering if there is an Episode 0 that I missed or something. There are too many things in Episode 1 that take quite a number of episodes to start making sense of. How Wei Yi Chen loses most of his supernatural powers is eventually explained but not really shown--there seems to be missing scenes. It would have been nice to see what Wei Yi Chen could do or had done prior to losing most of his supernatural powers, but there is nothing directly shown here.

It is possible to continue watching with some knowledge something about the protagonist's goal of finding his stolen notebook, until one pieces the fragments into a picture that remains incomplete. It isn't really a torturous experience to watch the series, but it seems to me that there is a relatively good story that does not get told fully.

The characters are often silly. This works to enhance the humor at times but also makes many characters hard to take seriously or feel a lot for. But all too often, something is set up only to be abandoned, like building a part of a nice building only to abandon the project. For example, the misunderstanding that Wei Yi Chen and Duanmu Hao are a couple is used to generate some humor but just when one is expecting this to be developed further, it seems to have been abandoned suddenly.

If you enjoy shows featuring people with supernatural powers while having some comedy, this may be for you. But you may have to brace yourself for confusing moments (especially at the start). You will probably still end up feeling that the show has a lot of wasted potential even if it is entertaining in some ways.

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Undefinable but rather entertaining comedy that could have taken itself more seriously

The ratings I'm giving are pretty much nonsensical. This series is pretty hard to review. It is a low-budget series that can be improved in quite a number of ways. The choreography of fight sequences, the editing and cinematography are not exactly impressive. On the other hand, there can be a lot of fun in story of a college for people with supernatural powers (which are determined by their star sighs).

The absurdist and often self-reflexive humor with frequent allusions to Chinese pop songs can be entertaining even though the extent to which it works in the middle of the more serious scenes is debatable. While it is often a good thing that the story is not presented as one to be taken seriously, it seems that the production team has gone a little too far with this at times. It feels almost as if they merely decided to have fun, thinking that they can't possibly make anything great with the limited budget and other constraints. Yet, if they had just moderated the absurdism somewhat, the series would have been much better. I loved how the series focuses on the more glamorous characters while making a statement about the underdogs who are ignored. The minor characters who refer to themselves as minor characters brings to mind how even people who are not in the limelight or center of attention are often neglected. There is also the a character with the power of invisibility to good effect--he appears only occasionally (enough for us to remember) and reminds invisible until Episode 28 when he is revealed to have been quietly protecting the main female character. In life, many people go unnoticed, whether it is because of their personality, their class status or other reasons, and this is shown in a suitably understated manner.

At its best, the series makes use good use of whatever resources it has. The product placements, for instance, are often used in a way that enhances the humor. Apart from the premise of a battle of people with supernatural powers, there is the romance between the main male and female characters and even hints of BL in a comedy that is rather hard to define. I think the story was a little too rushed in the last few episodes--the beginning contains too much unimportant stuff related to the competition in the college and could have been made more compact so that the story can end properly. Perhaps a Season 2 was being considered, but I doubt it will be done.

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Good basic story that isn't delivered all that well

It may be worth noting that a number of the characters in this series seem based on the characters in Gu Long's Chu Liu Xiang novels, but the names have been modified. The protagonist, instead of Chu Liu Xiang, is now Chu Yun Xiao. Those who have been acquainted with Chu Liu Xiang may just be able to enjoy the series more than those who start watching with a blank slate.

The series starts somewhat abruptly, without spending time for the exposition of the main character. This is one of the instances of having a protagonist that the audience may not care much about. Perhaps those who know Chu Liu Xiang would have a different reaction. Other aspects of the production also make the series less engaging than it could have been. For instance, the dubbing isn't very good--it's not that the voice actors are bad, but this is one of those series that keep bringing to my consciousness that dubbing has been done.

The characterization also seems a little haphazard. We know Chu Yunxiao is really close to his two buddies, but we don't see why. One of his buddies, Hu Wan Hua, isn't a very consistent character, but not in the sense that there is character development. Ji Xuan Yuan, the other buddy, is more consistent (and probably the most likable of the characters). Chu Yun Xiao himself switches from being frivolously flirtatious to being faithful and devoted in love. Chu's love interest, the female physician, Leng Xing Chen, also vacillates between being jealous and being understanding when she sees Chu with other ladies whom he has no interest in.

The weaknesses above are rather unfortunate because they get in the way of what is overall quite an interesting story. Although the revelation of the identity of one of the villains in the last episode doesn't come as a surprise (we can practically see it coming starting from Episode 1), there is a nice revelation about how and why he has become villainous. It is just that the delivery of a nice story in concept may leave quite a lot to be desired. The pacing is fast, which is not a bad thing, but it is also so hurried towards the end that there are loose ends that are not tied.

If you can overlook the shortcomings of the series, it may well be worth a watch. However, it is probably necessary to moderate your expectations.

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Lacks originality but quite decently done

I was reminded of Love & the Emperor when I started watching this series as both are about a female protagonist who enters a game world. While Love & the Emperor suffers from some problems with its switches between "reality" to the game world, My Queen largely avoids such problems at the expense of making the "real world" quite redundant. Why not just tell the same story without making it a story within a game the protagonist is playing? Sure, there won't be the moments when the protagonist is self-consciously analyzing the plot and commenting on the clichés, but that's not really a big loss. If the plot is full of clichés, it doesn't really help to have the protagonist openly calling a spade a spade.

The series has its entertainment value--expect some laughs, but don't expect it to move you to tears or make you think deeply about life. (That can be a good thing if all you want is something light enough to escape into.) One of the countries in the world of the game is supposedly one in which women are dominant, but don't expect any interesting feminist thought coming from the story. Somehow, even in a world where women are dominant, women from the palace somehow have to go out dressed as men? Think too much about the story, and you will likely be disappointed. Just sit back and enjoy the flight of fancy if it happens to be your cup of tea.

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A bit of lighthearted fun with some twists and turns

Love's Outlet is this company that exists in a parallel universe of sorts. It has the power to sell you love from the person you want love from, in exchange for one of your positive attributes. There's quite a bit of fun that is possible from such a premise.

The story has some interesting turns but they don't always work well. The BL that turns out to be nothing, for example, doesn't really work. In the first place, if Xiao Chuan (second male lead) likes the same girl (female lead, Jing Xue) as You He (first male lead), the scene of Xiao Chuan waiting forlornly for You He in the rain doesn't quite make sense. Additionally, there is only a rather weak explanation for You He's temporary shift from being in love with Jing Xue to being in love with Xiao Chuan. Supposedly, it is because Xiao Chuan bought Jing Xue's love after You He bought it, so Xiao Chuan will get You He's love first, according to the contract. Even though the terms of the contract may be ridiculous, there is really no reason for Love's Outlet to include such a clause when it can simply make the second buyer wait for his turn.

Perhaps there was an intention to let the story take a BL turn, but for commercial reasons, this was not done. After all, the potential audience may be smaller. Also, to keep viewers guessing how the story would turn out, the series cannot be marketed as BL, but BL is usually marketed as BL and drawing non-BL fans into the series only to give them a BL series is likely a move that is too risky commercially. I still like how the story turned out, but I think the whole story would make more sense if it had a BL turn. The potential for plot twists would still be present even if the series is BL.

(On a side note, Jiang Dian is really charming as Zuo You He. I see a lot of people swooning over Wayne Song who has a supporting role, but I find Jiang Dian cute as the male lead.)

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All the building up to idontknowwhat

The abilities and resourcefulness of the main villain (or is he--we are kept guessing throughout) are very much fantastical despite being framed as some sort of scientifically explainable phenomena. If one gets past this, one could appreciate the story a little better. Then again, case after case of serial killings seem to be a build-up for something bigger as the cases are always half-solved, and it seems that the main "villain" is planning something big--perhaps something that would even call into question his supposed villainy. Then the series ends. It seems that there is supposed to be a Season 2, but I cannot help feeling that there should be more to Season 1.

The censoring of the BL content isn't helping much. In a way, the BL has been sublimated into bromance, but that is rather thin too. The two main characters clearly care a lot for each other--Bai Yutong's concern for Zhan Yao, in particular, is obvious. But their quibbling seems a little random. The story starts with them being rather hostile to each other, but suddenly they also seem to have good rapport. Then, randomly, they start being hostile to one another. With better exposition at the start regarding the sort of relationship they have, the vacillation between rapport and hostility would have made more sense. The side "couple", Bai Chi and the magician, actually work better, with more overt hints of romance though it cannot be too obvious thanks to censorship.

It seems that there will be a Season 2, and I'm piqued enough to watch it if it ever comes out. But I don't know if I will lose my patience if it turns out to be more building up without amounting to anything.

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One of the more unusual BLs coming from Taiwan this year

This mini series is unmistakably a BL series because of how apparently straight men can fall in love with other men and how there can be additional BL side couples as long as there are enough young male characters in the story for their existence. Yet, the story is more unusual than many recent BL series as it focuses on the relationship between a man with dissociative personality disorder and his once-straight neighbor.

The dissociative personality disorder part isn't meant to be taken seriously although there is a short spin-off, "(Not That) Innocent", directed by a different director, that further explores the issue of whether one can be in love with two different personalities but only one person. What we do have here is a story with a lot of sweetness. Yu Shi is a grown-up man who behaves very much like a child--his personality is stuck at the time he was a boy and assaulted by a man. A second personality, Noah, has been created as a sort of protection--I think Noah is the main personality who ensures that the person can function normally day to day as an adult before the neighbor takes him home. The two personalities seem aware of each other's existence and do not fight for dominance: it's probably not scientifically realistic, but it's ok.

I like how Noah is at first much stronger and more assertive personality than Yu Shi, but we can see him becoming more similar to Yu Shi without entirely losing his grown-up sensibilities. This signals a sort of personality integration, which can help to resolve the issue of which one Wu Zheng (the neighbor) really loves.

I think the series could have opted for all-out fluff because that's ultimately what it is. The frequent switches in timelines due to flashbacks seem a tad pretentious and the story could have been told with more fewer flashbacks and in a more linear fashion. This would make it less confusing and allow the audience to immerse more in the BL fluff.

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Quite good because you likely won't expect much anyway

While this isn't going to be an unforgettable BL series, it doesn't pretend or try to be anything more than an excuse to bring three guys together and have us wonder which of the other two guys our protagonist will end up with. The premise is simply that a is guy looking for a roommate but ends up living with two roommates competing to be the chosen one. Who will he choose? The events, such as how the three men sleep on the same bed, make little sense. But somehow, they are not presented in a way that would make you roll your eyes and stop watching, maybe because you won't be lulled into expecting more than what the series has to offer.

The series succeeds at presenting a largely lighthearted episodes with a few good looking young men in BL situations. It's not the sort of series that makes anyone expect a good story and nuanced characterization, and it gets away without offering such things. This makes it better than those that pretend that there is a story and offer one with loopholes and endless digressions to insignificant characters and scenes.

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