Be Loved in House: I Do (2021)

It was Meh. . .

Be Love In House: I Do was one of those series that I watched because it was so highly talked about and praised on, so I had to give it a try. Unfortunately, I went in with way too many expectations and was left rather disappointed. The pacing of the main couple was way too slow, especially since they don't even get together until the very last few minutes of the 12th episode. This series brought about very good-looking actors, another cameo of the dude from History 3: MODC, and an okay plot.

Let's Dive In.

The production was good. The wardrobe was good, the lighting was good, the setting was good, music was great. A decent production for sure.

The plot was okay, except some parts ran on too long. The setups were good, like why Yu Zhen had the singlehood rule, why the Little Prince story meant so much to him, the scar on his stomach (which is actually real; now that's the story I want to hear). But the plot ran super slow between our main couple; so slow, that I could only watch an episode a day cause it made me super sleepy to stay up and try watching more. Their moments were cute but meant nothing if they were going to wake up the next morning and pretend as if nothing happened. Their chemistry was okay, it wasn't as strong as it should've been, but it was at least there. It more felt like two hot guys trying to f**k than it did two guys having a genuine love story and falling in love. The ex was an interesting way to end the last half of the series, not someone or something that I could care about (and if anything, it dragged on the already boring plot more), but for sure interesting. Their kiss was nice, their heat scene was nice, and we aren't going to lie to ourselves and say that they aren't fine as hell.

Onto the side couple, which is really why I watched, and why this show isn't rated lower than it is. As soon as they came up on the screen, I yearned for them. Actually, in some parts of the series, it felt like they were the main couple with how well their storyline was being handled. sadly, they get together in like the first 3-4 episodes, so then they start to wane down a bit with it just being some cutesy-dutesy stuff (although, my favorite being when Zhao Gang tickles Si Qi and his very tiny "this" that had me blushing like a crazy person). They were very well done, had a nice and quick get-together, and some very funny circumstances like Shi Lei finding out that they kissed. The only thing that caught me off guard was their whole marriage thing. They had only been dating for maybe 2 weeks by then, why were we moving so fast??

The other supporting characters were decent, except I didn't care much for the hetero couple. Actually, sometimes they felt like they were in the way. Shi Lei's mom was a good fit too, she brought about some nice and comforting moments.

Overall, this isn't the first Tawinese BL I would recommend, but, it was far from the worst (cough, cough, all of HIStory 1 episodes). Dude from History 3: MODC cameo was nice, I kind of wished he would've said something like "make it count" when speaking to Yu Zhen about wanting Shi Lei, but whatever.

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12 episodes of fluff and questioning the script

Sorry for not liking enough, I do like the actors as probably most viewers, but I feel this drama shows the BL public would watch and be happy with anything as long as it has handsome likeable actors making out (here comes our rewatch value). I guess people are attached to the actors thanks to their promotional fan service activities, but what about the production value of this drama on its own?

I would question the scriptwriter about too many cliches, stuck recording developments, inconsistencies, for not realizing the full potential of such a beautiful metaphor of the Little Prince story. To me it feels more like fan service than a drama when the characters cannot decide their life on their own and need divine interventions from the shipping crowd around; the bigger the crowd, the more helpless the script. This drama is supposed to portray adult characters into their early 30s apparently, not typical BL schoolchildren who cannot make a step without being steered by their ship's captains (to the teenage audience amusement). On the other hand, probably it cannot be a BL story without these cliches? So the question is, does this genre requires and promotes a quality script in the first place?

Casting is not without an issue - the ex has better onscreen chemistry with both main leads separately (and this is probably the biggest innovation and the only refreshing moment in this drama.) The ex stole the show for me and it feels weird when the series is reaching its conclusion and instead of being immersed into the main characters story, I'm mostly sorry that both of them were too modest in their nightmares. Once again I would question the script. Probably it means that a possible s2 could have more of the ex (which he clearly deserves), but s1 shouldn't have sidelined its main couple story development from theirs points of view first of all.

I guess it takes significant efforts and team work to produce such a drama, wish the crew had a stronger foundation in terms of the script and direction. Or a better balance of the typical BL tropes cherished by the viewers.

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wouldnt recommend!

pros:
- there are some cute moments, and i think the actors had decent ish chemistry
- both leads are very pretty/handsome :)
- i do appreciate that they tried with the plot
- the cafe owner dude has nice vibes and so does yuzhen (the boss)

cons:
- the music is so annoying lmao there are only like two songs and they are played very loudly at every single moment they have
- some of the acting was quite awkward
- i feel like they tried really hard with the plot but it doesnt really go anywhere there arent any moments that stand out, everything is very generic lol
- i didnt really care for any of the side characters, and in general none of the characters were developed well
- a lot of unnecessary suggestive scenes that were quite uncomfortable to watch lol

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Dare I say boring ??Is it really worth it?? Second season ???

So this one is a love-hate relationship.

Kind of stupid from them to make us wait for only one episode per week, which it's okay if the episode is 1 hour long, i understand that, BUT this... I have no words.. beside the fact we are getting only one episode per week with only 30 min max which is not the case with every episode, this feels like torture. Like I said in some other reviews of mine, make 6-8 episodes with 45-60 min per episode and get done with it. The buildup at the end of some episodes was so promising and then again in the next episode nothing happens and they keep playing around each other.
Another negative thing about this is that it's so slow. Everything feels so slow. The story, the development of the characters...everything feels so slow.
We have only one episode till the end, and I feel like we are still stuck at the beginning.
The story feels alright, it's kind of refreshing to see other subjects being discussed rather than the same old teen problems from Thai dramas. At the end, everything depends on your personal liking. We have the same old shit with the triangle romance which is pure bullshit and again we have finding out about your sexuality, coming out. The side couples ended up together but not the main one, I guess we have to wait and see what will happen.
The actors are gorgeous. I had no problems whatsoever with their delivery of the characters and their emotions.

The music is alright. Not gonna brake any records.

_____-----------______

To sum up: Slow paced series with semi-decent plot. Most of the episodes felt like fillers episodes, and are easily skippable.
Same old love triangle ,trust issues, doubts and no communications. It's getting boring from time to time.
Lovely actors but that's basically it. Good acting and decent character delivery. No problem with that whatsoever.
Once this is fully aired, it will be easier for the viewers to watch it. Don't have to experience the torture for wanting more episodes.
Will I recommend this? I don't know, because it's so forgettable. Beside the good looking actors there is nothing special about this. So will I recommend this? No. Not worth your time.

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It was cute enough

I haven’t watched a BL since The Untamed so this poor one had quite the show to follow.

This show was cute enough. The main actors are very cute and they seemed to have good chemistry when it came to all moments (funny, serious, spicy).

The plot was meh. Kind of typical and a bit slow (felt liked it dragged a bit). I think when shows are slow, it’s because the supporting characters don’t give much to it. I didn’t hate the second couple, but they were a bit boring to me. Somehow they made more progress than the made couple, yet felt boring still. Also - any side character outside of them (besides the ex) were all pointless to me. I hated the work scenes because I just wanted to get back to the romance plot tbh.

Then the ex. Man, I actually hate how that last episode made me want to see a drama with the main and his ex, because their chemistry was so good. It was almost better than the end game in my opinion. I did think it was corny they had the ex come in like “I wanted to push him along to move on”. I’m sure he would have without his appearance.

Anyway, it was cute and I don’t feel like I wasted my time. But I don’t see this being on my re watch list.

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Letting a good opportunity slip away

With Aaron's return to acting after his major accident, I was greatly anticipating this drama and had high hopes for a great story. For those who don't know, it is a loose remake of the drama "Just You". While the bl remake idea was decent, the execution fell flat and the reason it failed had nothing at all to do with the cast. This drama is a great example of where you can have the best actors in your lineup, but if the writing, direction, and editing are subpar, even those talented actors cannot save it. Hank and Aaron are the only reason I kept watching, as I'm sure it was the case for many others, rather than the story itself. My overall score is pretty much me being generous for the sake of both Hank and Aaron's acting as they are what held this show together.

Issues with the story:

1. What has bothered me most while watching this drama was the fact that they had two great main leads who work well together, yet they weren't given many opportunities nor had much to work with plot-wise to show off their talent. We are already on a time limit. There are 12 episodes, about 24? minutes long, meaning it's crucial to convey the storyline and also build the relationship between our main leads Shi Lei and Yu Zhen. But rather than focusing on our main couple, many episodes were instead wasted on side characters (2nd couple, work employee couple) and business cases that didn't push the plot forward. The 2nd couple had miles of progress in their relationship straight from the jump, while our main leads barely had anything. Whenever it seemed like we were finally getting a breakthrough, they just ended the episode and then we had to wait a whole week and repeat this torturous cycle of nothingness. Their progression was the slowest up to the very end of the show. Waiting every week for a super short episode with little to no progress in Shi Lei's and Yu Zhen's relationship slowly built the irritation and disappointment over time. The few times Hank and Aaron were given a chance to increase the romantic tension between their characters to build a closer relationship, their chemistry was through the roof. It's a real shame that the poor writing/directing is what held them back and also held the drama down from being something better.

2. The poor editing of almost every episode created a disconnect with the flow of the story, which made things either confusing or the scenes felt out of place, didn't make sense, or were unnecessary. The same goes for the music. They had nice songs, but sometimes they were mismatched in certain scenes. The lyrics are sweet, yet nothing is really happening between our main leads and over time it felt like those songs were for the 2nd lead couple since they seemed to be the only ones in an actual relationship throughout the show.

3. This isn't an issue persay, but there were so many cliche moments. If you've watched dramas for awhile, you can easily predict what will happen. People tripping and being caught, accidentally touching/kissing the other person, etc. The same goes for the ex who they threw into the mix towards the final episodes to add drama. Very predictable, also wasn't really necessary. I feel if they were going to add his little arc, then it should have been earlier in the series and ended maybe around the 6 or 7th episode. Doing so would have given more time to show Shi Lei and Yu Zhen being in an actual romantic relationship after finally getting rid of those ridiculous rules and without the ex or anyone else in the way.

I think many of us gave this drama a couple episodes to prove itself, thinking the relationship between Shi Lei and Yu Zhen would be a slow burn, but thanks to the director it was barely kindled. The moment it finally flourished, the drama was over. For this being Aaron's comeback drama, I personally feel he deserved way better, but nevertheless this is still a decent, light-hearted watch and am happy to see him acting again. It's also hard to not like how cute Shi Lei and Yu Zhen were together. I'd love to see him and Hank work together again in another drama in the future as they seemed to have a great relationship both on and off-screen. On a final note, Wayne's sudden cameo hurt my heart! lol it was bittersweet

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It started out well, the last third is awful.

The first few episodes of this are really cute and wonderful. And then it drags, and drags, and drags a little more, then an evil ex is dropped into the story really late in the game, although at least for once it was a male ex, and not the cliche scheming female.

The main characters stop interacting at all a little more than halfway through, and so the ending is sudden and not built up to, and it also makes no sense.

The story is dependent on failure of communication so implausible that it will just make you sigh with exhaustion. There are 6 other characters that want them to get together, that somehow fail to bridge the gap between them, and the solution is so bizarre and convoluted that the only reaction is "hunh?"

Positives: The cuteness of the first few eps. It ends when they don't have to share a room anymore, so if you want to imagine they get together at that point and live happily ever after, that's a good place to drop the series, instead of suffering through the rest.

Hank Wang is so cute I can't stand it. Then he takes a shower and he's so hot I can't stand it. I love this man. The other men in this are attractive too, but not like him. When Yu Zhen reveals when he fell for him, he gives a reason that is incompatible with what we've seen earlier, but it makes 100% sense, even though it's less romantic.

The side couple is cute, but a little too self-consciously so, and the hair ruffling is starting to grate on my nerves - it's infantilizing, as if ukes aren't useless enough as they are. The straight couple is there.

If they had cut it down to 6-8 eps and left out the ex, this could have been delightful - but it declined from the show I most looked forward to each week to a reliable disappointment. The situation already had enough drama built into it and didn't need anymore, but BLs can never let characters and relationships develop - they just trip and catch one another and stare at each other until they're in love, then have to get past obstacles to be together.

Then the special episode happened. You would hope in an epilogue that you'd get to see the main couple interacting as a couple - or I would have been happy with a Behind the Scenes. But instead we got backstory entirely about the ex, and got 30 seconds of awkward interaction between the main couple with a kiss you might see between children playing, while Hank leans stiffly away from Aaron as if he's being made to do something he didn't want to do.

I gave this a 5 even though the "suggested overall" was 4.5, It was actually higher before the special ep, but that knocked down the story slightly and reduced the rewatchability to almost nothing. Maybe I'd go back and rewatch Hank's shower scene, but that's about it.

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One of the best BL leads out there !!!

This is the first BL I couldn't resist watching weekly. I usually wait for the whole thing to drop before binging the shit out of it, but this was different, and the reason being the actors.

Now let's talk about what I liked the most :

Honestly, it was about damn time for Aaron Lai to get the lead in a BL where he can show off all his talent. After History My Hero... well let's just say that wasn't his best work. Apart from being eye candy, he has a big range of emotions as an actor, and he knew how to play the role of Jin Yu Zhen in a way that makes you feel for the character. Over all, 10/10 for his acting.
Hank Wang (who I discovered for the first time in this series) was equally as talented. Whenever he smiles tho *-*... that smile of his is still hunting my dreams... in a good way. Jokes aside, also eye candy, and also really good with his facial expressions. I'll definitely be on the lookout for his future projects, I'm sure he's gonna have lots of them because of this gig.

Now for the chemistry between them both... 10/10. Nothing to say, just perfect. Whether it's a fight, cute or intimate scene, they both gave it their all, and both did awesome, to the point where sometimes watching them feels like I'm somehow intruding on their private life, I'm sure many of us felt that at some point with them or other BL couples (honorable mention : Tutor and Fight "Why R U?").

As for the side couple... the only two words that come up in my mind when trying to describe them are "cute" and "fluffy". Their scenes brought warmth to my cold heart, and made me all fuzzy inside UwU. Now I don't know about the whole proposal thing at the end, it seemed a bit rushed (but I guess they needed an excuse to include the title in the series lol); but even that moment was hella cute, despite being a bit random.

Ok so Yi Zi Tong (played by Deyn Li) was a very detestable character at first, with his smug face and that smile that makes you wanna brake his face, but to be honest, and altho a lot of you won't agree with this, he really did come around at the end. His motives were good at the end of the day, and yeah you might think that he was delusional for thinking that the world revolves around him, but he came back, after leaving seven years ago without saying a word, to get closure not only for Jin Yu, but I think also for himself. How many ex boyfriends you know do that ? Most Exs in BL are toxic, mean for no reason, and overall cinge worthy. After all, the only reason why Jin Yu confessed is because he was scared of loosing LeiLei to his ex. The actor did a great job in miss leading us into thinking that he was back make trouble, but all's well that ends well, and him coming coming back was important for Jin Yu to get over his past, and for the main couple as a whole to take the next step.

The story, I must say, had a lot of potential. The plot of the Singlehood Rule lost its point for me tho at some point in the series. It was just something convenient that was there to keep the lead couple from being together until the last episode. And talking about the last episode, they couldn't have ended it in a better way. And for all those who say that they dragged the kiss for too long, just remember that ATOATS (which is considered one of the best BLs of the year) also had their first kiss in the last episode, yet nobody was complaining. I agree that the pace could have used a bit more work, but the conclusion was very satisfactory for me (not to mention the hot scene was truly.... just 0_0, so freaking hot).

All and all, a great BL that was fresh, cute, and very well portrayed by the actors. I would 100% recommend it, and for me as far as raking goes, it's up there with the History series.

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I really liked this drama - until the finale, that is.

Like I stated before, I don't like coffee shop romances, they're all fine and good in fanfics but I need some real conflict, something that in a way carries the fluff, and though it looked like this drama would have that, it was just a red herring, that was all. I kinda felt cheated.

Also, that the people closest to Yu Zhen manipulated him and made him think he was being left behind again? Made him chase after his love even though the last time he did that - chased after a man - he got in an accident and almost died? That rankled. Instead of Shi Lei telling Yu Zhen, "Look, I get that you're really bad at communicating for understandable reasons, so sit down, shut up and let me do the talking!" they played this... game on Yu Zhen? Uh.

I'm curious about the special next week and about where Yi Zi Tong's story is headed, true, but I would lie if I said that the conclusion of BLIHID didn't disappoint me.

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Lovable, frustrating, and sweet

A cute, slow-burn romance, with a few weaknesses, but for me it was worth the time.

I found that the majority of the reviews with low ratings is because people watched the show while it was still being aired. If you binge it like I did, the watching experience is definitely a whole lot better than watching it episode by episode. There were a few plotholes, some unnecessary shots, but overall it is a solid show saved by the main lead's chemistry.

Both Yu Zhen and Shi Lei excelled in their character roles - Yu Zhen skilfully portrayed the cold, unreasonable man whilst revealing his softer, more vulnerable side to the audience which you can't help but adore and sympathise with. Similarly, Shi Lei's acting makes you want to root for him throughout the show; he is headstrong, determined and stubborn yet is also completely tender with Yu Zhen. Not to mention he has the prettiest, dimply smile ever.

The music was great as it helped capture the atmosphere of the scenes and enhance the emotions of the characters. The side characters also did great in their roles, however the inclusion of Yu Zhen's former lover wasn't the best plot device to drive the main lead's relationship forward.

Still, a lovely show with well-portrayed characters and decent music. Ignoring the small inconsistencies, the story itself is not bad at all. If you want to embark on a rollercoaster of equal frustration, laughter, sadness, desperation and joy, this show is for you!

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Cute Little Story

Without a doubt, this is a lovely little cute series.
There are very less BLs with working lead characters, this is one of them. I would love to see more working professionals BL series.
About the story
Even when the story is something which we have seen time and time again where one person hating another later falls in love.
It would have been better to cover some plotholes, including the one speaking to the backstory of Shi Lei and the company.
Sie couples were ignored a bit, would have been a bit better to showcase their life and their perspective.
About the acting
Loved the acting of both main leads, especially Shi Lei, his cuteness was adorable.
Please ignore my music rating.
I believe ending could have been better.

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Enemies to lovers + forced proximity with a boss/employee grumpy/tsundere pairing, damaged seme

Following in We Best Love: Fighting Mr Second and HIStory 4: Close to You’s footsteps this was Taiwan’s 3rd office-set BL in as many months. They’re horning in on Japan’s territory and I’m DELIGHTED, it’s not like Japan is doing anything with it. (Can you tell I’m STILL bitter over Docchi mo Docchi? Seriously it’s been 7 years! I gotta let this go.)

This one was super soft, and Taiwan doesn’t normally do soft which made it slightly awkward for everyone concerned, but lovely and sweet in the end. The plot felt quite contrived, but that was really its only flaw. Everything else was pitch perfect.

By far BLINID’s best quality was that the tsundere uke’s tsundere-ness was entirely sympathetic, he was utterly likable from the start. As the narrative progressed the seme’s grumpiness becomes more sympathetic too (as we and the uke learn more about him).

This meant that audience and tsundere were on the same journey, softening towards the seme at the same time. Taiwan isn’t usually this clever about BL (that’s Korea’s jam) but this one was smart, and leaned on some great acting and beautiful trope execution to carry it. (There was a LOT of crash into me, though.) Grumpy/tsundere is a HARD pairing to execute well, so I was impressed.

A cute classy little BL with a few plot raised eyebrows, but no other concerns. It gets high marks from me, I loved it.

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