HIStory4: Close to You (2021)

Enjoyable, if you ignore the stepbrother 'love'

I watched the drama instead of sleeping xD

After the second or third episode, I started to skip the stepbrother trope. That was the best decision, because I didn't have to watch this toxic and disgusting relationship. That's why i can only review Teng Muren and Li Cheng.

The actors had amazing chemistry, and even though their story was not the most complex or special, it was so adorable, romantic, funny and also sexy.
I am the type of person that cringes and gets secondhand embarassment easily.
But eventhough some scenes were cringe, the acting and vibe in general made it very enjoyable!

The top review criticizes this drama (and of course everything they said was true), but i recommend watching for the main leads!
They are too good to drop or skip the whole drama!!

another aspect, that deserves praise is the friendship between Teng Muren, Li Cheng and Xing Si. They were so adorable together and i really felt their affection and admiration for eachother! They seemed like real close friends!

All in all, the main couple showed nice chemistry and had a cute, easygoing story, that is worth watching!

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Love / hate relationship with this series

First and foremost, I am glad that I gave this series a watch even with all the negative reviews. Yes, I can see where people are coming from but there was enough to keep me intrigued and invested right up until the end.

Yong Je and Xing Si's relationship was just riddled with unlikable traits from the very beginning and I'm sorry to say but it never got any better for me. Even though the viewer is made to believe that all of the bad behaviour was in fact done "out of love and support," it was straight up ridiculous. And, despite insisting that he really did love Yong Je, I can't help but feel bad for Xing Si right up until the end. He was basically forced into this relationship and I never truly believed that, if he were allowed to make his own decisions without guilt, he would have kept family separate and found a new love. He was a great character who was given a sh*tty storyline.

The main couple, however, was the polar opposite. They were everything from start to finish. The actors played the roles really well and they were really the main reason I kept watching. Li Cheng's silliness had me laughing out loud more than once and there was a great balance of playfulness and sincerity to him. Teng Teng was simply amazing and it was hard to look anywhere else whenever he was on screen. Not just because of the eye candy, but he had great subtle nuances that added to every second of the scene. It's clear that the actors understood their roles and played them up effectively.

It was really hard to rate this because of the drastic contrasting feelings I had for the two main couples. That's the problem with shows that focus on more than one relationship... if one is really bad yet they get just as much screen time, it's hard to want to stick around for the other couple, even if they are pure gold. But on the other hand, their different situations created a balance within the show itself, which I guess was the main purpose. I just would have rather seen Xing Si get a better arc because he was great.

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Better to assume that there is only one couple

Hi there.
Being a fan of bl, I have watched quite a few and I have to say this is one of the best story in history series after trapped. But just like all the series, this series too has its flaws. Let me first talk about the good points

Setting:

Being an avid watcher of BL, I am kinda done with college and high school theme. So, this came as a very refreshing change. I loved how the setting was that of an office rather than high school or college. This makes the guys, adult and mature men and hence, you can pretty much understand that it is no hormone fuelled reckless rash romance but rather a mature love story which itself brings a very different feeling.

NO love at first sight:

God that pisses me off the most. No! NO! And NOO!! Love at first sight can't be so deep that you are ready to throw your life for the person. Once or twice, I get it, it can happen but it is like a trope in every BL. I am sick of it. You cannot see an emotional bond between the characters and you can't see the reason for the characters to be so invested in each other. BUT this series made a difference. They showed them to be frds for 5 years and sharing a deep frdship and emotional connection. So, you can understand the characters deep care and protectiveness for each other and you can truly feel their love that organically developed from the already existing deep emotional bond. So, when you see how the characters are prepared to throw their life or job for the other, or raise their voice against the authority, you can understand that it comes from the strong feelings they have for each other.

Confusion and denial:

This is something I feel is very necessary to be portrayed. I have seen in many of the thai bl, the guys quite readily accept the other guy's feelings but honestly, that doesn't seem real at all. Most of the time, this guys are even portrayed as straight character, so, I find it ridiculous that they don't even find it confusing that they are feeling something for someone of same gender. It is same as a guy who had known himself gay all his life and out of the blue he started to feel something for a girl. Isn't it obvious that the guy would be confused and not sure of what this developing feelings are? Many may take it in a negative connotation but I don't think it's negative, rather it gives a touch of realism to the story. I loved how both the main leads struggled to come in terms with their developing feelings for each other. In fact, that confusion makes their feeling seem more real. Here, one main lead was confused and another went into a denial mode as they couldn't immediately accept the change in their feelings. But soon the love they have for each other, help them overcome their confusion and denial and ultimately accept their feelings. I really loved how it was portrayed

Acting:

This deserves a solid 10/10. All the actors were really very good actors. They did a great job. They were so natural, there was no awkwardness or unnecessary silence or hot stares, but they had natural conversation, playful moment, even during the time when they were still coming to terms with their feeling and won't interact, it did not feel like 'well they didn't exactly talk to each other much anyway' but rather felt like 'damn what is wrong with them, why won't they talk it out' which goes to show how amazing their acting was and how natural their frdship and conversations was portrayed by the actors. Not only the main leads conversation with each other but also with other characters felt real and not forced or weird. I really LOVED their acting. Even the antagonist characters made you hate them and give you a foreboding everytime they came on screen. Some of the minor characters, did not acted well enough but I forgave it. They were anyway not a very impactful characters.

The music was really very heart touching and I loved how the characters developed with the story's progression.

Even with all the above positives there were some real issues with the story. I said story but not the actors. They really did a great job.

1) Incestuous relationship and drunk sex

Okay, I know the second couple was not blood related but I cannot help but feel very creeped out with the relationship they portrayed. I hated how the younger brother was SO possessive and stalked the older brother. Without even confirming his older brother's feeling, he pretty much forced him to it. Getting him drunk, sleep with him where the older brother's consent is dubious and making video of it...I am sorry but all this acts were criminal. I absolutely abhorred the younger brother's actions and wanted his older brother to punch some senses into him as well as put him into some therapy as none of his actions seem to be from a stable mind.

2) Incomplete storylines

The fact about transfer of that awful VP after being complained by Li cheng was only communicated through other minor characters and felt very incomplete. Another was during the end of the series where too the plot line of Li Cheng being accused of embezzlement and how he cleared himself of all charges and how Muren got the VP trapped was all communicated through minor characters. The conclusion of the consequence was never shown even the antagonist evaporated into thin air. It gave a feeling of incompleteness. I wish they had completed the whole storyline or at least shown it in some subtle manner rather than having been communicated through gossiping office girls.

3) Not all guys just you

This is a little overused. Okay I do understand there are other sexualities in the world and sometimes they do not restrain to any gender but this is really a bad way to portray it. I know am being a little nit picky but I can't help it. I would have liked it if Licheng or Muren had admited to being bi rather than saying it is specifically that person who they feel it for. It is fine if it is once or twice, but it is used in every BL I have watched. It doesn't make the story BL anymore but rather demi sexuality. Hence, I would like to see a story with characters being gay and have been falling for guys and not just "it is just him" thingy!!

Pretty much that's all the issues I had with the story but otherwise, I loved the main couple...I wish to see them in some other series again!! Loved their acting and their frdship.

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The bad taints the good a little too much in this series

HIStory 4: Close to You is overall a good addition to the HIStory series but the controversial portrayal of rape will inevitably casts a dark shadow on its reputation.

We can perhaps attempt an amoral and non-judgmental attitude towards the portrayal of rape. After all, good art does not necessarily convey themes that people find acceptable. Unfortunately, the portrayal doesn’t stand up to scrutiny even if we cast aside any moral objections.

The character of Fu Yongjie is full of contradictions, and not in a way that makes sense. At the start, he seems like a sort of psychopathic stalker who happens to be obsessed with this guy he is bent on “getting” that he would even attack someone who seems close to him. The object of his affections turns out to be his brother. Brothers with entirely different birth parents are quite common in BL, and I don’t think it is any bigger an issue here.

Yongjie has the potential to be an interesting character: he certainly has a dark side but is also devoted and even self-sacrificing when it comes to love. He shouldn't have been made to give off psychopath vibes at the start. And since he is someone who won't want to hurt the one he loves regardless of how badly he treats others, it does not make sense when he gets Xingsi drunk and rapes him—supposedly for Xingsi’s sake because he is hatching a plot to let the gay Xingsi come out of the closet and return to live with his family (something Xongsi longs to do but fears hurting his father’s feelings). I don’t think something as drastic as rape is necessary for the plot.

The series also seems to, for some reason, take pains to remind us that what Yongjie has done is rape. The rape scene shows Xingsi talking in a drunken stupor, but he is clearly not sober enough even he does not say no to the sex. Yongjie also clearly knows this because, when the drunken Xingsi asks why he does not kiss him, he tells Xingsi that he will kiss him when he is sober. And then, as if the audience might be mistaken that Yongjie has stopped after kissing and caressing Xingsi’s body, Xingsi later tells his friends that he is the bottom during the act. No matter what brilliant plans Yongjie has that is for Xingsi's benefit, there is really no reason to sexually penetrate this man he supposedly loves with all his heart. I can appreciate a darker character, but he has to be portrayed more convincingly even if I do not care about how moral the character is.

To make matters worse, Yongjie’s mother (by all appearances a nice, understanding lady who has no qualms criticizing the more unscrupulous side of her son) actually knows what he is going to do to Xingsi but abets his behavior—she apologizes to Xingsi later, but still thinks that maybe Yongjie has done the right thing. What??? In the end, the slightly homophobic father seems to have the most sane and reasonable reaction to the crap that is happening--until he has brainwashed into accepting it all.

The portrayal of Yongjie is a waste of the actor, who does a pretty good job handling the character with all his contradictory aspects. It also makes the portrayal of Xingsi a little strange. Xingsi, for instance, forgives Yongjie easily and even falls in love with him. The story would make a bit more sense if Xingsi and Yongjie are in love from the start, but Yongjie decides to show a footage of them making out to their father just to speed up Xingsi's coming out. It would still be terrible behavior, but it would fit in with the potrayal of the character who is impatient and wants to end his brother's struggles fast.

It’s such a pity that the characterization of Yongjie overshadows the nicer aspects of a series which portrays masculinities in rather refreshing ways. The friendship between Xingsi, Muren and Licheng is really cute. The initially straight Muren and Licheng (yes, this is conventional BL where any straight man can fall in love with another man) care for Xingsi in a way that would almost make one thing that they are vying for his affections. But no, they really just treat Xingsi as a close friend and do not even know that Xingsi is gay at first. While toxic masculinities are pervasive in the media, BL often presents masculinities that are so different, almost defiantly going against the grain. And this BL does it well.

Muren and Licheng later become lovers, and we get what are by now cliches in BL like “I don’t like men, I just like him” (fine, whatever you say). But the couple is endearing, and the story could have been good enough focusing on them. I would also rather the Xingsi and Yongjie pairing had taken the well-trodden path of non-biological brothers falling in love only to meet with parental objection. At least this would have suited the overall mood of the series.

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(So) Worth Watching to Make Your Own Opinion

Despite being super excited for HIStory to be back, I put off watching it this whole time because of the reviews. In the end, it’s HIStory and I wasn’t not going to watch it. I can’t believe I nearly missed out on Mu Ren and Li Cheng. They are ridiculously adorable. The acting is top notch, the soundtrack is really nice and not too invasive, there genuinely isn’t a boring moment. Even the parents are really enjoyable. Overall, I loved it. About halfway through I found myself thinking that it was all a bit predictable, but about tropes that I personally enjoy and was happy to see so I didn’t actually mind, but then they kept surprising me which was so nice.

However, I understand why the reviews are so divided. I hate the stepbrother trope so already this was off to a rough start. It was certainly frustrating watching Yong Jie and Xing Si and think “ah, they’re probably gonna end up together despite everything.” But Yong Jie is a complex character. He’s surprisingly honest and straightforward which caught me off guard every time. God, he’s a proper little psycho, though… It’s weird because on the one hand they talk about consent all the time; everyone’s very open about the fact that what Yong Jie did is messed up. And it’s not swept under the rug, it’s brought up for a long time! On the other hand, they pair him up with Xing Si who’s insanely sweet and too forgiving so it sort of works? Sort of. It’s a bit of a stretch. Let’s say it’s not totally unbelievable, partly because the other characters felt the same way I did. But they won me over, somehow. I think I was taken by the fact that Yong Jie is clearly troubled in some way (I felt like I was watching someone with Asperger's but we don't need to try and diagnose a fictional character) and Xing Si’s the one person who’s always stuck around to defend him and tried to understand him. It’s honestly clear that they carefully made sure not to leave anything unsaid. I loved that every time I thought “but what about this?”, someone eventually brought it up and it was well explained. Honestly, I’m impressed. Do I think they should have scrapped that problematic aspect anyway? Well yeah… Is it as bad as I feared it was gonna be? Initially the creep factor is high, but the more Yong Jie chills out, the more you just want Xing Si to be happy. I have a major soft spot for him, he's such a cutie.

Two things even them winning me over hasn't made me forget: the fact that the mom knew what Yong Jie was planning and Yong Jie showing the video. Excuse me? What the heck was that about...

Anyway, Mu Ren and Li Cheng for the win. They're actually perfect.

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Fun series, good acting, main couple is fun to watch.

Was a good series with the plotline but the only thing I was not to happy with was the brothers relationship, this was uncomfortable to watch and so was the r*pe scene. This was just not good for a 2021 series and writers should have progressed from this.

It still makes another good HIStory series installment but one of the weaker ones. The plot could have been better if there were more events but it was still a fun watch. I hope there are more HIStory series in the future. Both leads were fun to watch and there was some comedy and one spicy scene which were acted really well. The music was not memorable, it was pretty average.

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What year is it?

Hmmm, this distinctly reminds me of early 2000s yaoi. ESPECIALLY the brothers. And not in a good way lol.
Toxic, messy, dubious to no consent between leads, antagonists that just keep trying to rape people for some reason. Wild.
That being said it was kind of entertaining lol.

I actually liked the main couple, it’s really the brothers that I didn’t care for much. Li Cheng is a total himbo, what a king. Numerous occasions I was like, “damn you’re dumb, but in a good way” lol. His dynamic with Mu Ren is pretty solid. Himbo x ice king pairing. They’ve got great chemistry and overall their relationship was fairly healthy other than a couple slightly heated arguments.

Now the brothers…. Is the plot kind of interesting? Yes. Should Xing Si probably press charges? Yes. His brother literally got him wasted so he could assault him. Plus the stalking and beating up his friends? Holy shit dude, sociopath behavior. You need counseling.

Quick question, at the beginning of the show, Mei Fang mentions MODC (the show), but then the MODC characters exist in the canon of this universe…. Someone please explain how that makes any sense loooool.

Anyway, would I recommend? Honestly I don’t know, I wasn’t particularly offended by it. Chemistry is solid. If you’re fine with a little mess?

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Opinions and Thoughs about Drama

I'm not sure if it may contain spoliers or not since I need to mention parts of the plot so people understand my thoughts and opinions about it.

Anyway! The main couple storyline is an intersting one per se. It has it's typical friends to lovers trope with the whole "I only like him" trope too. However, with that aside, it is really cute and funny and thankfully their communication skllls when they are a couple are great!! It also showcases the idea of showing affection in public as a gay couple and how they deal with that. Overall, this couple is good! I give them 8/10

The second couple is not great in my books. I feel like they should have showed a better view on how this "couple" could've handled the situation that occurred between them in the beginning . It wasn't really healthy. My wish for them was forgiveness, learning, and understanding that what happpened between them was not right. My other wish for them was to find their own love with other people as well as the young step-brother getting the help he needed. While I was not happy but okay with, the coming out to the parents scenes was interesting and good to watch, it showcases the fear and the unknown when people want to come out to the parents. Overall, I give them a 5/10

SPOLIERS FOR SURE:
I would re-watch the show again for the main couple and the appearances of the MODC cast/characters. I love how they added them in the end and showing that there are happy endings for everyone no matter who they love! I also believe that this drama gave the alternative ending of the main couple from MODC; and even though they don't show up in the show, they mention that one of the main is abraod, indicating that it's a reference to the Alaska scene from the Japanese BL drama, Life: Senjou no Bokura. This might be for me though...giving myself that alternative ending than the actual MODC ending lol.

Watch at your own discretion!

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I am only assessing the part of Li Cheng and Mu Ren

I've watched this drama five times already. Each time I omitted the topic of the second couple, which was problematic for me. Stepbrother and rape ?! No thanks. On the other hand TengTeng and Li Cheng are one of my favorite couples, I love them. Their characters complement each other, they make a really lovely couple. I'll rewatch again and again for them many more times.♥️ Of course apart from that awful second pair lol I pretend they're just brothers in the canon. I am a bit sad because I know that this couple destroyed the reputation of this drama :( I recommend you to do as I do and watch only the story of Li Cheng and Mu Ren.

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H3:MODC gang is a plus-point

This is my 5th HIStory series and this is my first time that I haven't received any emotional impact from its storyline. The length of this series is too long. LiCheng-Muren's relationship development is the main stronghold. The rest of the plots is mid and decent.

Bringing the cute couple (BoXiang-ZhiGang) in HIStory3: Make Our Days Count plus the cool gang is a very good decision. This is an interesting side plot that brought the continuation of the couple's happy and romantic relationship. I haven't also realized that one of the H3:MODC gang is the main lead in Plus & Minus. Thanks to H4:CTY for shaking my forgetful brain. The only problem is it outshined the main leads that were supposed the highlight of the ending.

Overall, this is a decent series. Without H3:MODC, this will just be an average BL series. You might hate it if you watch this without watching H3:MODC first.

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I've rewatched so many times!

I've lost count how many times I've rewatched this show, mainly for "Teng Teng x Li Cheng". It gets FUNNIER each time I rewatch. I don't even know that this is possible. They are my go=to couple when I need to recharge after running out of what to watch or tired of other BL.

Their chemistry both on and off screen is spot on!

I love how funny and close they are as friend, and how sweet and loving they are as a couple!

Their silly argument, especially over who is top or bottom, never gets old, as well as so many other silly arguments that make a couple, a couple.

Yet, at same time, we have sweet and even sexy moments in the show.

I especially love the scene when Li Cheng sings to Teng Teng, melts my heart 100x! That song is so beautifully written, check out the lyrics, u guys, its SO GOOD! I wish someone would sing that to me, lol.

The main OST is good too, I actually watched the episode without skipping intro, which is rare!

Overall, I enjoy this couple a lot, not necessarily the entire show, because I skip the other couple.

I really wanna give the show 10/10 but I simply can't because of other couple in the show. Otherwise, Teng Teng and Li Cheng would deserve even more than 10/10!

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