This is your typical indie coming-of-age tale about a teenager, though it’s clearly working with a very tiny budget. Set within a migrant family living in Southern California’s Coachella Valley, the movie digs into how fragile old-school traditions and expectations can be. We follow a teenage son as he goes through the process of coming out and struggles to find acceptance while dealing with homophobia, domestic abuse, and a messy love triangle that involves his own sister. Goyo is seventeen and just about to graduate from high school. Since he’s been a bit more feminine since he was a little kid, he’s always had to deal with emotional and physical transition from his dad, Ramon, who is obsessed with him being "a man." The only real love he gets is from a lady next door who actually respects him for who he is. The family lives in a Mexican community where everyone works on a grape farm, but things get shaken up when a new guy named Lucio arrives. Lucio basically seduces Goyo ...
Qiu Zi Xuan was an excellent volleyball player in the past, but he had to give up on on his dreams due to his injuries. He now manages and coaches the school team, his only way to stay connected to his dream. One day he meets one year junior boy, Xia Yu Hao, a guy with a really bad temper who gets easily infuriated with people that make him angry. Xia Yu Hao had to transfer from another school due to his anger issues. Zi Xuan sees potential in Yo Hao and decides to recruit him for the volleyball team. After seeing how passionate Zi Xuan is, Yo Hao starts to like the sport and wants to win it for Zi Xuan. Xuan also offers to tutor Hao so that he can pass his exams. The two boys learn more about each other during the training sessions and tutoring, and stronger feelings inevitably develop.
We also have another couple, step brothers Wang Zhen Wen and Wang Zhen Wu, who both have feelings for each other, but are afraid of coming out with it.
Even though the story initially feels like one centered around sports and volleyball, its very refreshing to see how a cute somber love story slowly emerges out of it between two unlikeliest of people. There's a humble joy to be found in this series just by walking alongside the two leads and experiencing their journey to love. There are quite a few scenes between Xuan and Hao, that makes you go aww and wow. The way their relationship slowly grows was done very well. I also liked when Xuan's sister comes to confess her love for Hao but very gently how he tells her how she is not the right person reciting all the qualities of Xuan that he admires without taking his name. As I have mentioned before, the very tight script and no room for random fluff helps keeping audiences attention and interest live in the series. Although the side story of two step-brother is something, I feel could have been completely avoided. I would have actually liked to see how the final volley ball match plays it and how Hao wins the cup for Xuan. But none of that was shown and the series ended, when the two boys finally confess their love for each other. To be honest, I felt a little robbed of a good finale that I was hoping to expect. Xuan's best friend, who also happens to be the captain of the team, was a character that I quite enjoyed. He is goofy, very close to his best friend but also tough when needs to be. Lets also not forget to talk about the two very beautiful and passionate kisses between the lead pair, that seals the deal. The boys are all gorgeous, and extremely handsome , can act and emote really well and their parts come naturally to them.
This particular series is not trying to be too ambitious. In fact it is a simple love story, but its this simplicity, without the burden of any tense melodrama that makes this show so remarkable and absolutely worth watching. My only complaint is the rushed ending, and I just wanted to see more of their relation grow rather than an abrupt end when finally Xuan also confesses his love for Hao. (7/10)
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