Be Loved in House: I Do (2021)

Disappointed

I am honestly disappointed in this drama. The CP didn't get into a relationship until the last half of the last episode. I liked the makeout session but it wasn't enough to wipe out my frustration. The CP had so much chemistry and I feel that it was completely wasted. It's a pity.

The acting was awkward at times especially when the two male leads were contrived to be in a compromising situation. That said, I loved Shi Lei's mum, she was the best. As for Shi Lei, his character especially during the first few episodes was not likable. However, he is so beautiful and his smile is infectious. He has cute ears and just looking at him makes you happy.

I loved most of the music. The lyrics for the music were also very good which I liked.
Overall, it was an okay drama with several highs and lows.

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If slow burn is your jam, this is the drama for you

It starts rough because one of the leads seems like a massive prick for about four episodes until we see that he actually has redeemable qualities and whole carousel of emotional baggage to unpack. There are high rewards for making it through the beginning though because then we get to see the characters really develop and open up to each other in the most heartwarming and fuzzy ways. Fluff with a healthy side of yearning and pining? What more could you ask for? Bone Apple Tea

But throughout, and I say this with a lot of love, there will be writing choices that will make you scratch your head and go, "Did this really have to happen? Did they have to write it like this?" Plot points will happen that will make you rub your chin sagely and say, "Ahhh. There is no other purpose for this other than to Advance Plot." And towards the end, the drama stumbles a bit and seems to lose its momentum, but the last episode brings it back together quite nicely.

It's really a cute watch. If you vibe with a burn so slow that it would give a sloth a run for its money, problems that are predominantly caused by the characters themselves, a slew of extremely supportive friends, surprisingly untoxic female characters (even the vloggers grew on me lol), and tooth-rottingly sweet endings, this is the show for you.

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Not gonna lie, I was initially drawn to it because of the visuals of the main leads. I haven't seen any of them in another series so this is my first encounter with them. Acting-wise, they portrayed their characters pretty well.

The leads' chemistry is explosive! It's a pity they waited until the final episode to give us fluff and butterflies. It would've been great if we saw more of it. I was smiling from ear to ear at the finale scene. One of the plus factor in this series for me though was the mom. At first I thought she's gonna be annoying but that coming out scene is perfect for me. Yey Mom! We love you! The ex though is an anti-climactic plot device and he irritates me everytime I see him. The second lead couple don't have chemistry but their relationship is so pure. I don't really care for them and they don't add anything to the plot.

Overall, it's far from perfect but I enjoyed it as it is.

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New Story but a tad rushed !

as expected, taiwanese series has new ideas for the story and the relationships.
This series was not an exception.
unlike most of the bl series, it's not based in Uni or high school but a workplace.

Pros :
very likeable actors with good acting skills. The plot and story was also good; The whole story takes place in a handicraft workplace and I liked how they have cared about the details and the skills which were included in the series. , though some things seemed a tad unclear. I mean sometimes I got this feeling that the writer initiated a idea but didn't know how to lead it.
I guess there was room for improvement.
I also like the Cinematography and color-grading.

Cons :
a bit rushed and confusing.
There was parts in which I found myself confused and thought I have missed an episode. one episode would end on a scene but in the next episode you couldn't say what happened and where that scene went.
I also found some scenes EXAGERRATING ! but those were pretty avoidable

Acting :
Good performances but there was room for improvements. The first character, Shi Lei had a very good performance tho.

Overall, I recommend this series(high).
I liked the story and casting

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Yes, it was a slow burn. But I still enjoyed it!

I have now finished Be Loved in House: I Do and I must say...I did enjoy it. I can see why people do not like it. However, I can see why people do. It does have it flaws. But as I have stated on numerous occasions, all BL's have flaws. Sometimes it might not be that big of a deal to the viewers while other times...yeah. That wasn't so much the case for me, though.

Story-7.5/10
I'm giving it a 7.5. Yes, it was slow paced that I will say I was annoyed in the beginning due to the fact that from episode three onwards it was one episode per week. However, something was there to keep my interest every week. Also, Shi Lei's mom was phenomenal for the episodes that she was there. She was so supportive and accepting to Shi Lei that it made me want to see supportive parents in other Taiwanese BL (*cough cough* looking at you HIStory franchise *cough cough*). And I must say, it was a nice journey for me to see these boys fall for each other, but not admitting it to each other.

I was actually surprised by the secondary BL couple Yan Zhao Gang and Wu Si Qi and how fast they progressed. That shocked me a bit. Also, I will say this- it was nice watching a series with no annoying ex (he was actually kind of the hero in this series) and no annoying female who likes on of the ML (I actually thought it was going to happen, but it didn't. And I was glad for that!)

Acting- 8/10
The acting was good, I must say. I enjoyed it. They were able to tell a story. I felt the emotions that Shi Lei was going through when he and his mother was talking. Good acting all around!

Music-10/10
I don't care what anyone says. The music was slapping. and I know that I am going to miss the hell out of it!

Rewatch Valu-7/10
Hmm. After some thoughts, I think I can give it a 7. This is due to the fact that there was some good scenes in this series that I don't mind watching again. Also, I liked the chemistry between Shi Lei and Jin Yu Zhen.

Overall-8/10
As I have said before- yes this series is slow paced, so it may not be for everyone. Heck, it annoyed me in the beginning. But something was there to make me keep coming back every week to watch it. so! If you like a slow paced BL, I would most definitely recommend this to others.

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When I started the drama I wasn't expecting much but a couple minutes into the show and I instantly fell in love with the show--it is a little different from our average bl series. I love when we move away the university theme honestly. I loved how the show was a bit of a slow burn--for 13 episodes they got together episode 12? but it was worth it honestly. I do think they could've gotten them together sooner but yi zi helping shi lei out kinda surprised me because usually exes try to sabotage their ex and their lover new relationship ya know? This show was refreshing honestly--the ending did feel little rushed but it still will give it a high rating because i like the show and cast a lot

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One of my favorites!

This was a really solid drama! I genuinely enjoyed nearly everything about it.

Notes:
1- lead couple chemistry and development
The chemistry between Yu Zhen and Shi Lei was top notch, really nice to watch. The development was kinda stinted at times and felt like it made a couple big jumps in certain spots, but given all the other things that I enjoyed about this drama, I personally don't find it a big issue since it was fairly mild.

2- side couple
Really cute! Honestly one of my favorite side couples I've come across.

3- backstories
My biggest gripe with this drama is that due to the short length and relative slow pacing, it feels like the hints at both Yu Zhen and Gang's backstories were wasted. We were given just enough about Yu Zhen's backstory to be lead to believe it would be a major block in his and Shi Lei's relationship, but it wasn't except for the existence of the Single Rule. There was wasted potential in specifically Yu Zhen's backstory and would have provided an opportunity to further develop Yu Zhen and Shi Lei's relationship.

4- Shi Lei's mom
Oh, I'd die for this woman. It was really refreshing and just NICE to see a mother in a BL encouraging her son. Shi Lei's mom deserves the whole world, and that scene with Shi Lei and his mom killed me.

5- relative low secondhand embarrassment
This is a personal pet peeve I have in dramas, but I find them unwatchable if the secondhand embarrassment is too high. It was fairly low with this one - it was mostly just awkward interactions that are normal with the person you like.

I really enjoyed Be Loved in House: I Do. It's one of my favorites and definitely does retain rewatch value for me personally.

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Mostly good...?

I can't say that I didn't enjoy myself, but I also can't say that I'm entirely satisfied with this series.
The premise is good, and I actually thought that the pacing wasn't bad at all. It's an obvious slow burn and I was already expecting to wait for the two main characters to actually get somewhere with their feelings. The mystery around Yu Zhen is what drives the plot for the most part, and Shi Lei slowly unveiling it kept me engaged. Still, I feel like there were elements in the plot that were set aside in favor of others that were less interesting. Some things were introduced and not explained, some other things were introduced and explained but also discussed so thoroughly that it got kind of annoying. I'm being vague because I don't want to spoil anything, but I believe that it could have felt much more satisfied if the story was more coherent with its message and its various elements.

The main couple is very good. I believe that both actors did a pretty good job and there are specific moments that really let their acting shine bright. Their chemistry is also pretty good - I had my doubts at first, but they fit with each other quite well.
As for the second couple, unfortunately I can't say much about them. They are cute, both individually and together, but there's little to nothing about them. Nothing happens in their romance either, it was just a straight line with no events, so they were one of the least interesting parts of the series to me.
The supporting characters were all quite good. I wish Xiao Qian and Wang Jing were shown some more, especially since the dating ban affected them the most out of all the characters. As for Yi Zi Tong, to be entirely honest I think he had way more screentime than what was actually necessary.

The montage was good, but there was nothing especially interesting about the way the scenes were filmed. The music did its job well most of the time, but there were also many times when the songs played felt completely out of place and even stopped me from enjoying the scene, especially when the song played too loudly and out of nowhere.

Overall, I can say that it was mostly a cute and enjoyable series, but I can't help feeling mildly disappointed about it too. Watch at your own risk.

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IMHO

I loved the acting of both leads, and they did what they were supposed to do in all the scenes. They did not seem to shy away from the intimate scenes, and they played their parts well. But can I ship them? No. I couldn't find the chemistry that others seem to think was there. I thought Shi Lei had better chemistry with Stone and the waitress than with Real.

Shi Lei's mom was GREAT! I loved how she supported him.

I liked this drama, but I would not rewatch it. Hank Wang, however, is cute as a button, so I'll be looking out for him in other productions.

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Slow Burn with Not Enough Pay Out

While I enjoy a slow burn, I'd like the ending to be worth the wait. Some reviewers are saying there were too many episodes without character growth, and I agree. Then we get Jin Yu's ex boyfriend returning to throw a wrench in things, and when the two main characters get together, the love scene and ending aren't enough to quench this viewers thirst after the long wait. Adding to that, I watched it on Viki, and they tack the special onto the end as ep. 13. So, after watching the whole thing and being slightly disappointed, I was treated to the special, which was full of Jin Yu and his ex.
Jin Yu took too long to get his head together, and it felt contrived in order to keep the viewer in the dark about what was really going on.

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It had Potential, instead it was just plain boring

First things first I enjoy Slow Burn. I dont mind slow pacing and dialogue heavy plots. On the contrary I usualy enjoy it since the focus lays on building the emotioanl conection between the characters rather than just sexual tension. But for some reason in this show it just…didnt…hit. I was waiting and waiting for some kind of tension between them to build but at ep 6 I had to resign that the show is just boring. NOTHING HAPPENSS!
The actors were good, the chemistry was there, music and film were good so i dont know where they went wrong with the plot. Rather than focusing on healing and getting over a past lover it just felt like the plot was kind of trickling along with some comedy relife on the side. And dont get me started on the end. Like no i was soo anoyyeed. Why does it need the ex to come back for them to finally act on theyr feelings? No just no.

That being said not all was bad. Some of the scenes between the mains were very cute and i liked how they showed intimacy between two people in small gestures like remebering the drink someone likes and the cuddling scenes were adorable. But it just wasnt enough to wheigh out all the boring rest.
I also really enjoyed the scene with the mother. Those were adorable.
But by the end I was getting so annoyed with all the characters and their indecisiveness and i just wanted the show to be over.

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The (Sexy) Little Prince and his (Be-Dimpled) Fox

Be Loved in House I Do is one of the first BL series that I’ve watched and it got me hooked to this genre.
Since the first few BL dramas I’ve seen were Korean, Be Loved was a visual delight to my newbie eyes. Two gorgeous men falling in love, one with abs that you can wash your laundry with, the second with that bedazzling dimples that mesmerizes. Then after watching those sweet virginal korean BL, this Be Loved finally satisfied my voyeuristic desires of seeing the passionate lovemaking of Yu Zhen and Shi Lei in the end. My newbie BL heart was in heaven.

Despite the passionate kisses that the series finally dished out, Be Loved is sweet and wholesome. The episodes before the finale is a build up that leads to the satisfying explosion of emotions at the end. If you want your BL mains to establish a relationship in the middle and encounter humps testing their love, then this will be frustrating. Because the plot of Be Loved is to capture the heart and trust of our wounded Sexy (Little) Prince, Yu Zhen. This seemingly impossible task is taken on by our ultra-charming fox, Shi Lei, innocent and clueless, with a golden heart, armed with a 1000watt be-dimpled smile, with a loving mother as his fairy godmother, and a number of pesky minions to cheer him on. Despite this armory, it took the whole series to finally win our gun shy but totally worth the price Prince.

Be Loved’s script is a different take on the Little Prince with the fox taking a bigger role in the Prince’s life. So the Vain Fragrant Rose that pierced Yu Zhen has to understandably come out and be compared to Shi Lei. Zi Tong’s return is the last challenge for Yu Zhen to finally live his life again and leave his past and aches. A lot who saw the series said that Zi Tong entering the blooming relationship between Shi Lei and Yu Zhen just disrupted the couple and slowed down the drama. Had Yu Zhen and Shi Lei reached their understanding earlier on, we would have more tender moments between the two… but the screenwriter is probably an old soul and loved a challenge. The tables were turned, and two sexy men are now vying for …. Shi Lei! Our Sexy (Little) Prince is fighting the Smouldering Rose for the be-dimpled innocent fox. For me, this extra effort of wooing assured Yu Zhen that he has moved on, no second doubts. But like the other viewers, I wish the contest between the Prince and the Rose was shorter to give us more time for the bl moments between Shi Lei and Yu Zhen.

Be Loved has one of my fave theme songs and I dance to the tune everytime I rewatch Yu Zhen and Shi Lei. Obviously, this sweet series has been rewatched numerously.

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