Yong-Jiu Grocery Store (2019)
I was really enjoying this show, but sadly from ep6 onward it became a completely different drama, with weird tone changes that wandered into romcom and then dogsblood territory. It felt like episodes 5 and 6 were meant to be the natural stopping point that was meant to lead into the epilogue but they just dragged it on for a few more episodes.
The mother-daughter storyline was particularly disappointing as the escalated dramatics made the characterizations fall apart, ultimately absolving bad motherhood in a super lazy and stereotypical way. There were pieces in the mother's past that, though compelling, belonged to a completely different puzzle. This show was always about men (the main character, his grandfather, and his grandfather's friends), but the second half made it about men in a very unpleasant way in which women’s storylines were meant to complete the men's instead of existing on their own. So what was meant to be a really sweet and poignant epilogue scene ended up a bit soured for me. :( (Though I still really liked it!)
Acting-wise, the leads felt lackluster with little to no personality, but I'm unclear how much of that is the acting and how much of it is the writing and directing. Maybe a bit of everything.
This show also kind of tripped my SEAsian sensitivities (I'm very sensitive haha), but it's mixed with the show's lack of regard for women, and idk if that makes it better or not. ^^;
On the flip side, I did like learning how the Hokkien word for "kitchen" is written: 灶咖 (pronounced the same in Mandarin)! And the OST is still very very good and the whole thing is actually available for streaming internationally.
我五行缺你 (My Five Elements Lack You) chapters 25-35(Temporarily dropped again bc my brain stopped braining this week haha)
I have mixed feelings about the case writing from the semifinal arc (building murders) to the bridge arc (lesbians). It feels like the author is still trying to get the hang of nailing longer, twistier mysteries. The lead-ups always have me SO invested, but the final answers are not very convincing. For the tournament arc, where the emphasis is more on interpersonal dynamics, the quick wrap-ups make sense considering the limitations of the characters who are at not leisure to truly investigate. But I think some of the reveals feel more focused on piling up the drama and the twists, rather than the integrity of a short story. I think I was most let-down by the Bridge arc because it was set outside the shackles of a tournament, and I feel like it did not pay me back for the level of emotional investment I had in the f/f couple because I still had so many questions left, lol.
I Ship My Adversary X Me manhua - volume 8The latest chapter is showing us Lao Huang watching the variety show, so it seems we are not far from the end of the manhua. :(
I think this is the longest I've stuck with a danmei canon (I have been with these boys since ~2018 or 2019...)——the manhua really is just so good at keeping everything fresh. There's even an easter egg to the audiodrama-exclusive side couple ♥
Marry My Dead Body (2023)A good arranged marriage movie centered on the dead person's life, relationships, and struggles as a gay Taiwanese man, though I think it went, as many dramas do, a bit too far on the parental apologism (with very contrived rationales for bad behavior). Plot-wise, it's very straightforward and focused more on getting characters where they need to be. As far as messaging goes, the commentary on sexism in particular felt more effective than usual, maybe because it plays with the characters' PoVs and the consequences of one's assumptions.
Anyway, I have been forced to look at Aaron Yan's face again and lay my childhood fondness for him to rest. /o\ He at least played a character that felt... appropriate.
CW for the main character's homophobia and ACAB-ness, especially at the beginning. It's meant to be part of his character's arc where he does get consequences from his actions, and I think they did well in casting an actor who is charismatic and funny. But it's still kind of a lot. He also has temper issues, which are just unpleasant to see in a cop character.
The use of Jolin Tsai's music (an icon, an ally, and an enduring pop star) really bumped this movie up a notch for me!
C.S. Pacat, "Fence" vol1–5A graphic novel about fencing, boarding school memories, and... love?
Pros: ensemble cast; sports-centric; LGBT characters; homoerotic sports tropes are as homoerotic as they sound
Cons: the characters (except for Aiden) and the storytelling are not making this very engaging for me
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