Glad I stuck with it
After the first couple of episodes I was tempted to give up on this one. I thought it was lacking in lots of ways and really wasn’t keen on the flashbacks. I kept hanging on because I liked the actors and wanted to know Amber’s backstory. Also, it’s a long time since I watched a Taiwanese BL and I like the vibe. With a small budgets they rely heavily on the story being good as they don't have the money to gloss over / disguise a bad one. In this, they literally walk you through some scenes (the slow motion car crash for example - no spoiler - it's the very first thing you see) to tell the story. As a viewer, it is perfectly do-able to fill in the gaps and makes a refreshing change after being spoon-fed so often. It was imaginative with the way they framed the shots too - it’s a bit like reading a comic. Some of the things I initially felt were lacking in the production I decided to embrace as part of its charm. I sped through the flashbacks which are mostly at the beginning of each episode. By ep 6 I was into it, and after that it just got progressively better.Cast/characters:
I really liked Tannie Huang as Yu He. She's a bit in your face and surprised I didn’t find her irritating – but it was cute her being unfiltered and direct - came across very human. The way she behaved after discovering Amber’s secret was a disappointment to me but it was (sadly) the most realistic reaction. It was true to her friendship with Ah Le and maybe turned out to be the catalyst everyone needed in the long run. I liked how honest she was about her feelings and thought her relationship with her brother was really touching - esp during their conversations in episodes 9-10. The actor playing her brother is also in Plus & Minus but I'm finding his role in that a bit limp, so wasn’t expecting to like him so much in this.
The second couple were sweet and funny and wholesome. They didn’t dominate the story and I didn’t feel I wanted more or less of them but was glad they existed. Lin Wei Jie is so fricking cute.
In love with Eric Lin's performance as Amber. His acting was understated - and the character came across painfully lonely in his self-containment.
I don’t want to slag Lukas Huang's acting off because I got a strong sense of Ah Le as a character - I was convinced of his good nature and he carries this reassuring solidness - but the scenes in which he needed to convey extreme emotion seemed a little pained - particularly during the scene with his mum in the final episode. That conversation though was really moving – the words just kept rolling out of him. Really beautifully written.
The relationship between Amber and Ah Le is so gentle and pure - it's the main reason I liked this drama so much. Pre final episode (which I loved every minute of) my favorite part of the show was in episode 11 - their conversation and hug, followed by the teddy-shaped coffee. It felt like a real interaction and comforted me.
Also loved the music.
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A refreshing and original story.
This was a surprise - it went places I couldn't have predicted, and that's a pretty big plus in a genre where everyone can plot out the entire series with 95% accuracy after watching the opening credits. This also has a stronger LGBTQ+ sensibility than usual without leaving the BL genre.The main character, Le, is a sincere and unselfconscious nerd (a very handsome one), who doesn't waste a lot of time agonizing over his sexuality, only his mother's feelings. In fact, there's a twist to the story that reveals he loves someone because of their gender, not despite it, which is a nice reversal of the norm.
The acting overall is good. There are a few times where it was a bit much, but not often, and it's made up for in some very moving scenes which all of the main cast pull off well.
There is a standout side character played by Lin Wei Jie, who is so cute I can't stand it. I really hope we see more him.
This is well worth your time. There are a couple of eps in the middle that lag and where the series appears to abandon its originality and uniqueness, but it gets it back in a major way, so don't give up.
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A Queer Story Like No Other
This was an incredibly refreshing queer story. It told a brand new story in a unique but befitting way that, despite the slow pace, kept the show in my head and sent me re-watching episodes every week while it was airing. It didn't rely on dialogue to tell us everything that we needed to know, and it didn't need to. And the soundtrack, cinematography, and symbolism throughout makes it truly worth every re-watch.There were a few scenes that felt slightly over-acted - but they were in the minority. And I still feel like some plot points were breezed over in order to make a more, and unnecessarily, complex plot/climax. But overall, this is a show that I will definitely be going back to time and time again. And I look forward to the more diverse stories that this drama will help encourage.
*Please see my comment below for a note to all non-Mandarin speakers for once you get to a certain plot revelation and start to angry at the subtitles.
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This review may contain spoilers
This series has a lot of great things to offer, but in my opinion also a few lowlights. Among the great things is especially the reprensation of intersexuality, but I do not know how correct the whole thing is, because I have no personal experience with it.I also think it's great that a gay man is portrayed more flamboyant and extroverted than in the typical BLs, without being ridiculed.
But unfortunately the series suffers from too much slowburn in the middle and I was unsure where this was going.
Also, the possibilities with the stories around the temple were partly not used, which is a pity, because just the mysterious at the beginning I was very interested in the beginning.
Nevertheless, this series is more than worth watching and has a very emotional and sensitive effect, especially because of the great soundtrack.
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I find this drama very original and beautiful
I only write long reviews for shows that really touched me.First off id like to start off by saying i’ve been keeping up w this drama since it came out and it definitely peaked my interest from the beginning.
Starting, this drama it has this very “mysterious” indie vibe to it which personally i enjoy so much. The synopsis is very VERY vague and that almost made it better. It definitely started out on the slower side and they did progress the story a little too fast at times i will admit but even through all of that i consider this a top tier drama IN MY OPINION. I won’t spoil anything here but i’d like to say this drama is ART. I have cried many times while watching this series, and no it wasn’t like the oh someone died type of cry. To put it into words i have no idea why i cried it just felt very authentic, pure, and well beautiful.
I’ll end it here by saying check out this drama regardless of ratings, form an opinion of your own, and well enjoy (i know i did and i’m sad to be writing this review because it means the series has come to an end) TO WRAP IT UP AMAZING 🥹🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
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secret identity, reunion romance, queer family, bisexual awakening, sunshine/broken, healing, quest
I didn’t watch this one as it aired because the trailer scared me into thinking it wouldn’t have a happy ending. So I binged it after I was told it was safe.It was not only safe it was absolutely charming. It's 12 eps, 20 min each, for a 4hr total runtime and it’s highly bingable.
Like a lot of Taiwanese BL, DNA features two couples, but it is weighed heavily in favor of the primary one.
It opens with a pair of college kid paranormal investigators, Le & Li, who have a struggling YouTube channel and a dream. Let’s be clear, this is a weak central premise used to provide allegory for the relationships, and it doesn’t work to carry the weight of the initial narrative, but if you can stick with the show, it gets A LOT BETTER.
Pink-haired outgoing and outrageous Li is in an LTR with his boyfriend Gwan (grumpy/sunshine). But the story is all about his friend Le, a sunshine sweetheart with a loving single mother and a side job at a small cafe (with his childhood bestie).
The first episode is pretty much all set up and quite slow, we don’t even meet the love interest until the very last scene. Amber, said love interest, a returning expat, strays into the cafe and gets dragged into Le’s paranormal exploration adventures and also immediately obviously has massive crush - and a mysterious past.
Note: I’m pretty sure this show features some gay reenactments of famous Taiwanese (or even Korean?) het romance drama scenes, but I don’t get the references.
The side dishes are solid and sweet and I wish we had gotten more of their back story but it is the leads who shine and hold this narrative down.
While this is one of those series carried by (ostensibly) the sunshine seme character (Taiwan is always weak in seme/uke) and he does a stand-up job, Erek Lin, who plays Amber, is luminous. Very difficult to take your eyes off him.
Even knowing the twist, which I think it’s pretty predictable from about episode 2 on, I think this is a really enjoyable show. Amber‘s behavior is a lot more understandable if you basically understand his past. It makes him a much more sympathetic character. I don’t know if anybody else knew basically all along what was going to happen, but if you do realize it, I don’t think it will impact your enjoyment - the foreknowledge might actually improve it.
The exact way the twist is handled (medically speaking) is a little disingenuous to a queer narrative (AKA they could have just GONE there) but I didn’t really mind it all that much, because all the characters around Amber act with such integrity. The female bestie (possible femme fetale but NOT) character was actually dealt a really fair hand by the narrative and the actress is superb.
(I have to say, Taiwan, in general, is consistently better about handling female characters in their BL than any other country.)
DNA is full of queer family representation and an unexpected amount of domesticity, plus it’s Taiwan, so the kisses are great. Some of the filming techniques used to get the story’s message across are a touch heavy-handed, and this series definitely drags in places (especially in the first half). I looked up the director to see if he was new, but it turns out he’s well established so I’m gonna blame post production. Although, both Taiwan and China, in general, suffer from bloated romance narratives (IMHO) so this may be a matter of cultural taste.
All that said, the last few eps of DNA really are special and life/love affirming - and the ending is big-grin charming.
Since this is also a queer story arc that other shows have systemically mishandled and made depressing, I’m giving it extra marks for its uniquely upbeat approach in that regard. I don’t want to spoil the twist, but trust me, you should watch this. Also, so far as my calloused unflappable arse could tell, no triggers.
VERY MUCH RECOMMENDED
You should give this little gem a try.
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Easily One of the Best Asian LGBTQ+ Series of 2022
This one knocked my socks off for sure cause I expected nothing and came out so overwhelmed that I sat in silence for a good half hour mesmerized by what I just watched. I decided to go into this one straight out the gate, no reviews, no comments, I read a snippet of the synopsis but went in with a clear mind so that I can enjoy this series for what it would bring. And damn, did it come through. DNA Says Love You is not just a gem, it's a treasure chest full of them. It was everything I needed and more.Let's Dive In.
I call DNA Say Love You an Asian LGBTQ+ series instead of a BL (Which it still is but on a way more important scale) because instead of being entirely about two guys following in love, it covers topics that most series have zero guts to do. Being the only country with legalized same-sex marriage, maybe they're the only one with the courage to pursue such a story. Le and Yu He work at a local cafe where they've grown up their entire lives. Every day they are waiting on their childhood best friend, Wen-Wen to come back from studying abroad. However, a mysterious guy named Amber shows up and dives into their lives while also exploring the long-term gay relationship of Li and Gwan.
One thing that makes this series so mesmerizing and perfect, yet such a shocker when you come to the realization of it, is that Amber use to be Wen-Wen. I was not expecting it at all, but then when episode 4 came around, it hit me like a truck and I stayed up another 2-3 hours to finish the rest, I couldn't stop watching. It was so thrilling and interesting, and they handled it with the utmost delicate and tactical care. They were able to tell the story of a gay intersex/trans-male like nothing else I've ever seen. His story was so heartbreaking that it was hard not to want to reach through the screen and give him a hug. But he's strong enough to be his true self and go back to the place that made him feel that way. But what I appreciate the most is that Le's crush on Wen-Wen was different from his crush on Amber. We see him fall for Amber in every interaction between the two of them, and he even explains in the end he didn't fall in love with Wen-Wen, he fell in love with Amber. And I was a wreck after that. Their chemistry was off the fucking charts. I was getting butterflies by episode two. They were able to keep such endearing contact with one another, physically and emotionally, that it tears you apart inside. By the end, you're screaming with joy because they're happy and in love, and it's the sweetest thing you'll ever see.
I really enjoyed Li and Gwan's story. The only thing that's not believable is how fast Li gives up on their 4-year long relationship after a simple misunderstanding. He didn't give Gwan time to respond and instead runs away and gets everybody involved in finding him. Of course, a beautiful moment on the rocks at night, but with anything being a misunderstanding or miscommunication, it becomes annoying. However, they do touch on the topic of being open and communicative and most series tend to skip over it, so I will give them that. But overall, I enjoyed watching them. They were sweet and fun and domestic. Lin Wei Jie also is just a fascinating actor and I hope to see him again.
Yu He is a darling character. I loved her to death. I also love the fact that she didn't let her ignored feelings from Le overtake what she knew him and Amber had. Instead, she becomes a supportive best friend of both of them and I adore her for that. The only thing I would've liked to be a bit more clear was that Le and Yu He weren't siblings. It might've just been me, or maybe I wasn't paying great attention to that part, but I believed up until the last few episodes that they were brother and sister. She gave looks every now and then, but I thought she might've been curious about Amber. Also, it might be an honorific thing I didn't quite understand because she called his mom mom too. Either way, it wasn't too much of a bothersome, just a better clarification.
Everyone deserves a mom like Le's mom. He was so worried about disappointing her, but she came out supportive and bright and I was a mess for that one too.
Rating:
Story: 9.5 - I loved it so much. It was perfect to the T and kept me engaged the entire time. It never once fell off track or became filler, everything that we see was important to the plot and to the characters. it all moved steadily and I like that we see a lot of Amber and Le together and that they handled such an important topic with grace.
Acting; 9 - Everyone did a fantastic job. Erek (Amber) stood out the most, with Li's actor right behind. But everyone did amazing, even the kids.
Music - 8 - Went well with the scenes. I mostly noticed it during Li and Gwan's story, and it was good.
Rewatch value: 5 - as much as I loved this, with everything in me, I could probably never gain the nerves to watch it again. I was a mess, and a mess for a while while the sun started coming up.
I highly recommend this series. It has now become my favorite BL from Taiwan and I'm still debating if this is my number one of all BLs or if ATOTS still holds that position. if anything, this one will be on my top list for sure.
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Just an orange...
This drama is a bit like the process of eating an orange a bit hard to get in to, some bitter parts here and there, some souer parts too, but overall pretty sweet and juicy... Or it could also be that it seems to be sponsored by the orange lobbyists of the world... Making me think of oranges...The male leads ate a bit like oranges too.. as they have very sweet ores but seem to need quite a bit of help to let that sweetness out.
There is some pretty decent representation of several parts of the LGBTQIA community. however which parts may be a spoiler so I will just say that the representation was pretty decent (and write more under the spoiler tag) , however I do not know if it was something lost in translation but while most of it was decent. Again this could be due to something lost in translation/subbing but there is a part that is highly questionable (again more under spoiler),
The friendships, and relationships shown in this drama are both lovely and interesting, the mom is not the typical drama mom but is rather very lovable and the type you just want to hug and send to all those kids who may need her.
Bingabilaty: High
Annoying elements: too many flashbacks + repetitive montages but characters are all good.
Romance: 8
It does get some added points for oddly unique plot line even though it does have a whole bunch of tropes...
Defiantly worth a watch, but beware of the first couple of episodes.
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Something NEW in the BL genre!
This series has managed to do something NEW in the BL genre. Don't be deceived by the first few episodes. The show is just settling into to one of the sweetest, most original series I've seen. It's about close friendships, acceptance, and love. It's a slow burn but worth every second!The drama addresses a serious topic and it could have gone really wrong...but it didn't. Pretty early on, the audience is meant to understand that Amber and Wen Wen are the same person, but we don't know the circumstances of what happened yet. When it is revealed, the characters approach Amber's changed gender identity with acceptance and care. Le even asks what name Amber prefers. It's also clear that he fell in love with Amber before realizing he's their childhood friend, which helps the audience understand that he loves Amber just the way he is.
The side couple is adorable and, although I've seen some people suggest that they aren't important to the plot, I disagree. While the pacing of their story could have been improved, the couple shows that this group of friends already has important queer members among them. In a way, their relationship sets the stage for Le and Amber to have the assurance of acceptance regarding their relationship and Amber's identity. It's also just nice to see an established, long-term gay couple overcome challenges in their relationship.
Important note: In the translation I watched on Viki, I saw people commenting disparagingly about the characters not using proper pronouns for Amber. This isn't the case! Mandarin only has one pronoun for he/she/it, so the fault lies with the translator. Don't blame the characters.
Amazing OST. Gorgeous cinematography. Stellar cast.
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A Genuine Surprise!
This series tricks you. It lulls you into thinking it is going in one direction, only for that to be a ‘red herring’. Or maybe not? That is what made this series so immensely enjoyable and entertaining to watch. This is honestly a beautiful series to absorb because it takes you from the expected to the unexpected. More importantly, you feel these characters.This is ground-breaking in a sense that it tackles a fairly common condition with dignity and gives it a plausible ending. This is often a misunderstood medical condition and hopefully this series will shed some light on something that often brings pain, aguish, guilt, and confusion to an induvial no matter what direction the person has chosen to lead.
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A slow but great drama
This drama is kinda slow so to anyone who wants to watch this should have a little bit of patience since in some episodes nothing was really happening. But despite that, the story is great. Its refreshing. Its tells the story of an intersex person who got gender reassigned into a male. It does well in showing the troubles and hardships of someone going through this. Also, they handled the romance really well by making the guy fall in love with both Wen-Wen and Amber. They made Le chien fall in love with Amber without knowing he was wen wen. The story about the second lead also is nice and its nice to see that the female character is not evil or has like little to no importance in this drama. The actors were also so great and did the characters justice. They portrayed the characters emotions very well. No cringy or overacting. The music of this drama is also so nice. The ost they played when the 'moments' come made the moments even more sad or cute. This drama is really good. Though it is slow which is the reason it has like low rate but its still great.Was this review helpful to you?
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It's Actually Very Well Done, a reccommended watch!
This is a genuinely good story. From what I've seen in comments and such, I think there was a bad translation or some people misunderstood Amber's condition But if you watch a good translation and also if you understand Amber's condition, I think only then can this story really be appreciated. Here's my breakdown;THE GOOD;
- The acting is great, the chemistry is great, no complaints about anyone. Not about the friendships or pairings.
- The pace for this was GREAT. Some people said it was slow but I disagree. The topic of this series was not something where the main couple needed to fall in love in a heartbeat. It would have been unfitting. I was very glad there was no abrupt or premature romantic physical interaction. This story included a pretty complicated situation and it was handled well.
- Original story idea in this genre, very refreshing. I admit I started to figure out Amber's situation around episode 5, the hints they were dropping were not that small after all, but yet it was still quite subtle in its own way.
- Overall music and atmosphere of the show was suitable.
I have no 'BAD' or 'UGLY' to mention, so I will just address;
THE SHORTFALL;
- It was not explained well enough that Amber is intersex. In the translation I watched, Amber explains to Yu-He that he 'was always male' and that he was born with a 'chromosome abnormality'. To me, this made it obvious he was intersex-genetically male, but in general, it doesn't explain much to a general audience. Even though some people would know what he meant, I think the show would have benefited from explaining it to all viewers more clearly.
I think though, that maybe they kept it vague because explaining too technically would have ruined the atmosphere of the show for some, so it was a double edged sword in that way.
It's barely a shortfall though, because I still thoroughly enjoyed this. I was feeling feels, especially in episode 11, man. Damn.
Side note about Amber for anyone who wants to read:
Amber was born intersex-genetically male, which means he was likely born with ambiguous genitalia which appeared more female than male. In the show he says 'I have a chromosome abnormality which was why I looked like a girl'. I think he was not referring to his outward appearance of dresses and long hair, he was referring to something more specific. So after being examined by doctors as a child, they probably realized the outside didn't match the inside (i.e; genitalia appeared more female but internally he was male). He also says something about learning how to be a real male, so I assume the 'treatment' he underwent likely referred to the process (both mental and physical) of making his genetic male sex status more predominant, since he'd been raised as a girl for several years.
For more info, if your interested, Google 46,XY DSD.
This is a good show, I'd enjoy a sequel if they make one, but it's fine as it is.
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