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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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Danny Will Die Alone: Season 3 (Web Series)

By Golu
Season three picks up right after that season two cliffhanger with Danny and his newly estranged ex Matty both thrown back into the New York City dating pool. Same format, six episodes, about twenty five minutes each. The sharp witty energy that made the first two seasons such a good time felt a little muted here though. The honest observations about middle aged gay life in NYC are still very much there and they still hit, but this season is more about Danny and Matt working through their issues with each other and figuring out if there's anything left worth saving. It also genuinely feels like the show might be wrapping up for good.

The biggest change this season is that Matt gets his own moments speaking directly to camera alongside Danny. Season two ended with Matt putting himself out there and asking Danny to be his boyfriend, Danny said no, and now both of them are walking around with a little bitterness about the whole thing. Danny starts seeing someone who's into polyamory and gives it a real try, but it doesn't work out. Matt keeps dating but keeps running into the same problem, nobody matches the easy chemistry and the fun role play he and Danny had together, and it's starting to get in his head and affect his sex life. A few episodes just follow both of them through the messiness of dating around and all the strange situations that come with it. One of those situations involves Danny getting tricked by a guy into filming them having sex, which ends up on a gay porn site that Matt happens to find, and he tells Danny to get it taken down. There's also a genuinely funny episode where both of them independently end up sleeping with the partners of a couple that's currently falling apart. Episode five is where the season really shifts gears. We finally learn about the one serious relationship Danny had in his past, how it ended, and how badly it broke him, and how that's been the reason he struggles to trust pretty much anyone ever since. The finale is set at an apartment orgy where Danny and Matt finally get a real conversation in, work through everything between them, and decide to actually give it a proper go.

The show keeps doing what it's always done, looking at modern gay dating and loneliness and intimacy with humor and real honesty. This season it gets into polyamory, dating people with big age gaps, secret recordings and amateur adult content, speed dating, old pain coming back up, and what it really takes to let someone in again. Some moments might not sit well with everyone but they all feel true to who Danny is as a person. He's got a lot of issues and the show keeps adding to that picture. The thing is even though every situation feels genuinely real, the wit and the sarcasm and that fun banter felt a little quieter compared to the first two seasons. Maybe that's just high expectations catching up. Episode five is a completely different tone from the rest of the show and Danny's raw breakdown while confronting the ex who hurt him is genuinely affecting. Anyone who has ever felt totally lost after a relationship ended and had no idea where to start again will find a lot of Danny to connect with. I also appreciated how they closed and reunited Matt and Danny back. There are no melodrama situations, just simple matter of facts. Even if you put the comedy aside, the show handles the specific insecurities of middle aged men trying to date again really well. That feeling of not knowing where you fit anymore while trying to put yourself back out there is captured with a lot of care. And through all of it the show stays warm, it never goes to a dark or heartbreaking place, it keeps nudging you toward finding joy and holding onto it.

The whole thing has a really sweet energy and the creator deserves a lot of credit for what he's built with Danny as a character. It's sexy and completely comfortable with that, and it finds real joy in being single without any guilt about it. Worth watching. (7/10)
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