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Journey With You (Chinese Series)

By Golu
I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
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The Proper Way to Write Love (Japanese Series)

By Golu

I was honestly pretty disappointed with this one. It felt like the show had some decent potential on paper—you've got the classic enemies-to-lovers trope, some high school drama, and a revenge plot—but the execution just felt really timid. The biggest problem for me was that I couldn't connect with either of the main characters, and they didn't seem to have any chemistry together at all. The only real saving grace is that, like a lot of Japanese shows, the episodes are short—just eight of them at 25 minutes each. But even with that quick runtime, the whole thing just felt boring.

The story goes back to high school where Hiro was this shy, loner kid who just wanted to hang out with his plants. Because he was so timid, he got bullied a lot, which left him with some pretty nasty memories. Fast forward to today, and he’s totally transformed himself into this stylish, pro hairstylist. Then there’s Natsuo, who went to the same school. Natsuo wasn't exactly a bully, but he was loud and clumsy, which really annoyed Hiro. One day back then, Natsuo called Hiro to the rooftop to confess his feelings, but when some other classmates showed up, Natsuo got flustered and pretended Hiro was the one who had invited him. Hiro felt totally betrayed and lumped Natsuo in with all the other bullies. Years later, they cross paths again. Natsuo is now this happy-go-lucky adult, but he doesn’t recognize Hiro at all. After getting a haircut from him, Natsuo asks him on a date. Hiro decides this is his chance for revenge, planning to date him just to break his heart and dump him. But, of course, Hiro starts falling for him instead, especially when Natsuo mentions that Hiro reminds him of his first love from high school. Eventually, Natsuo figures out who Hiro really is and feels hurt that he kept it a secret, but love wins out in the end.

As far as the acting goes, both guys do okay with the traits they were given. Natsuo really stands out as the innocent, cheerful type—the kind of guy who just wants to help people but ends up getting used, like in that scene where an old friend tries to scam him for money. On the other hand, I found Hiro to be kind of self-centered and not very likable. Even though he had a rough time in school, his character just didn't grow much. He says he wants revenge, but he doesn't actually do anything to make that happen. Meanwhile, Natsuo is doing all the work—cooking meals, taking him on dates, and trying to make him happy. The show could’ve really dug into Hiro’s bullying trauma or showed Natsuo trying to make things right, but the writing just felt flat. Plus, I don't get how Natsuo didn't realize who Hiro was until the very end. Since the chemistry wasn't there, I wasn't really sold on their relationship, and I was pretty bored most of the time. The finale was a huge letdown too, especially a scene where Hiro basically forces himself on Natsuo sexually, which just felt wrong. It definitely didn't live up to what I usually expect from a Japanese BL.

It's a pretty dull series that misses the mark on both the revenge plot and the romance, leaving you with two leads who just don't click. (4/10)

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