Love Bill (Vietnamese Series)

What a roller coaster ride this series is. The big winner here is two very charming leads and the quirky and energetic chemistry thither share. It is very endearing and magnetic, but the clunky narrative bogs the show down heavily. The story is touching and was being handled well and I was all into the show but man oh man, was a disaster it was in the last three episodes. A really bad editing job and constant back and forth took away all the goodness and the huge promise that the series shows in its first half. Despite all this, thanks to it charming leads it is still pretty decent, but will not be as great as it could have been with a straight forward narrative. The show is 10 episodes of 35-45 minutes each.

Nghia is a rebellious teenager of rich parents. One day when he loses a lot of money in gambling, he is given an ultimatum and thrown out of home. Since his friends all abandon him at the time of need and Nghia has no money, bBefore leaving home, he finds a bill stating that someone in the village owes his dad money , so he thinks that maybe that can help. When he arrives ta that home, he meets Thien, the debtor's son who has no knowledge. But Thien and Nghia come to an arrangement that he can stay there for free for Thien to pay off debt. Thien is a screenplay writer who has been trying to sell his gay love story but constantly keeps getting rejected. The two new roommates clash over various differences. Nghia is unsettled by Thien's habits since he lives like a slob and never cleans up after himself. Similarly, Thien is annoyed by Nghia's immature behaviour and juvenile personality. Once Thein's gay friends visit him for a couple of days, Nghia sees them together as a couple in bed and starts pondering about gay couples and even his own sexuality. He starts making a move on Thien and eventually kisses him but Thien doesn't encourage it because he knows Nghia is a kid, curious and just exploring his sexuality. It turns out that Thien's ex-boyfrind had a similar story where he was straight, in love with THien but eventually broke up with him owing to social pressure. Eventually the two guys talk over the issue multiple times and are a happy couple and Thien drops his wall to protect himself. But when Nghia's mother finds out about his, she asks him to come back and makes him promise her he will leave. Since the mother has a medical condition, Nghia agrees but never tells Thien the truth of reason for breakup. Its not until the end that Thien finds out that Nghia himself had a serious medical condition because of which he broke up with Thien so he doesn't end up leaving him completely devastated.

Lets start first by how amazing of a couple Thien and Nghia eventually become. Their chemistry is off the charts. They make a fun couple with snappy banter, silly antics, and sexually charged relationship scenes. The show thrives whenever it focuses on the two charming leads and their delightful rapport. The relaxed, charming chemistry that they share is the highlight of the show and their colorful relationship dynamic is brimming with charisma, humour, and personality. Full marks for picking the right actors and the director for extracting such wonderful performance. The story starts with somewhat of a unbelievable premise where two strangers randomly start living together, but eventually we as audience given in. Despite the growing attraction, Nghia and Thien don't immediately get together. Nghia hesitates because he's confused about his sexuality. Likewise, Thien worries about the age gap, class disparity, and his previous heartbreaks. They both have legitimate concerns, not just for themselves but also for each other, and these are shown in most realistic ways possible. As long as the show focuses on their stories, the series is a glaring hit. But the two annoying side actors, Thein's ex and annoying neighbor Hung; they both bring in unnecessary side plots and are a a bit annoying.

Lets talk about editing here. I think there are some serious issues with some random scenes coming out of nowhere and then constant going back into flashbacks to explain the significance of a particular scene. It is sloppy and choppy and the timelines sometimes get very confusing. This just doesn't work. The sloppy writing lacks polish and doesn't flow coherently. The narrative is riddled with inconsistencies. Some characters suddenly change their behaviour for no reason. The last three episodes in my opinion are a train crash of epic proportions. Nghia suddenly becomes hostile towards Thien (and this is before his mother calls him back) , but then again he is all full of love. And some similar events happen time and again with no explanations. The show was going so well till then, so it is a huge disappointment when it took a nose dive. Still I would rate the show quite high only because of the two leads, who are not just handsome but exude a great chemistry. The way they play around each other, tease one another, cuddle and fool around is something you would really expect between a teenager and a young adult. Those scenes were as real as they can get. The intense personal dialogue and interactions between Thien and Nghia are laid back, cautious, and always hesitant. Thien’s emotions run extreme but are reluctant to show them and keep them well hidden. Oh and the kisses they have are thankfully real, full of love and passion, unlike you know who!! The ending is sad, which I saw coming somehow but overall this Vietnamese show came as a pleasant surprise out of nowhere. I'd have rated the show much higher had it not been for the things I have mentioned already. (7/10)