Let’s Talk about Chu (2024)

A heartfelt study of sex, love, and relationships

Don’t mistake this for a sex comedy, and please ignore the inadequate plot description above.

With full-bodied characters that move beyond cliches, this Taiwanese drama is a bold study of what makes our relationships intimate and meaningful. It’s beautifully made, with an excellent script and cast.

The story is told through one family. Two parents, three children.

The mother and father have allowed resentment to build up in their marriage for reasons that become clear later in the drama. The eldest son, Yu Sen, is a card shark in an unsatisfying open relationship with his boyfriend. The eldest daughter, Chu Wei, yearns for a deeper emotional and sexual connection with her distracted professor husband. And the youngest daughter, Chu Ai, is a wax technician and an influencer. She runs a YouTube channel that offers frank discussions about sex, while maintaining her key argument that love and sex are two separate things.

There’s another main character—the youngest daughter’s regular hookup and friend, Ping Ke, who is wrestling with hangups about dating culture based on his unconventional family history. The actor, Kai Ko, brings this character to life in a way that only he can. He carries the character’s emotional weight with his whole being and you truly feel for him.

Well, what happens?

A heartfelt and unexpected romance unfolds between the son and an uncouth gangster. For BL fans, this part of the story is for you. The eldest daughter and her husband rediscover each other after a challenge to their relationship. And the youngest daughter confronts a past experience that has influenced her opinion of romantic relationships. All of the characters grow.

A central message in the story is that it is harmful to repress our true feelings—whether about our intimate desires and needs or even our anger toward the people closest to us. The message is that our relationships become healthier when we share our inner thoughts.

The script dares to approach so many relevant issues that aren't always talked about; like choosing not to have children, despite pressure from parents; or sexual compatibility issues in gay relationships; or treating STIs without shame. These are just a few. The drama is clever in discussing these issues without being didactic.

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This was supposed to be a hard pass

Netflix decided to constantly remind me about the release of this series. After reading the synopsis and watching a bit of the trailer, I was sure that this would be something I wouldn't enjoy. I was way too bored to give this a chance, if I am being honest.

After its release and its very low rating here on MDL I was even more reluctant (even though I know that most of the times non-Korean series are rated lower).

One tiktok video later, I thought I could just watch the first five minutes and then just drop it or skip through it, mostly to indulge my curiosity. Those first five minutes turned into the first four episodes that I ended up watching till four in the morning...

I tried to think of something not to give this a perfect score, but in the end, I actually had no complains. This is the definition of a binge-worthy series with great acting, good plot and high entertainment value that doesn't fail to offer some emotional moments.

Noteworthy things:

=> No awkwardness detected
This is a series focused on (sexual) relationships. It has a lot of sex scenes and many references to sex from conversations to table lambs. That being said, all actors had great chemistry with one another and I didn't feel awkward at all when watching it. There was no stiffness. Everything felt very natural.

=> No romantic music playing in the background while the two leads first fish kiss
This series focuses on sex, lust (and love) while also giving us some swoon worthy moments, without it feeling like the ''too good to be true'' moments we usually watch in series where all the main characters are perfect in every way, shape or form and where holding hands is the peak of their relationship.

=> Educational
I will say that this actually had many interesting facts when it comes to sex with the videos during the credits (don't miss them) being a great example.

=> Everyone was interesting
I have this problem with series with multiple couples. Most of the times, the main one gets the most screen time and is boring as hell, while all the others are great with almost zero screen time. There was nothing like that here. Every couple and every character was interesting. Everyone had their story to tell. Everyone had their own difficulties and definition of a relationship. Everyone was there for a reason. For once, I didn't roll my eyes every time they showed the mains or generally any of the characters.

=> Nude scenes
Something that I found pretty interesting is the absence of nude scenes. Even though the series has lots of sex scenes, it doesn't really show that much nude.

=> Balance
This was the cherry on top. Everything felt ideal when it came to balance. There were the sad scenes, the funny scenes, the cute scenes, the ''oh my God I can't believe he did that'' scenes. I just felt very content watching this from beginning to end.

=> Different stages of life
We had like four main relationships, where the characters belonged in different age groups. Most of the times younger people are the focus on series about love/sex. Even though two of the mains belonged to younger age groups, we also had two other couples that were in a relationship for a very long time and belonged to different (and older) age groups. As a result we got insight in their life and how things can be after being with someone for a longer time.

=> This wasn't just a fun watch
The series deals with many issues without being over the top or too dramatic. Some of them involve homosexuality, loss of passion after marriage, love vs sex (and trauma), toxic relationships.

I am 100% sure this will be my answer at the end of the year in the ''which is the most underrated series of 2024'' question. This is a very well-made series that unfortunately doesn't get the attention it deserves and that is the main reason I am writing this review.

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Let's talk about Sex with a lot of Sex, Heart and Chemistry.

Subjective Enjoyment Rating: 8.5

This is one of the rare dramas that I think the English title better describes the drama than the original one, at least for the international audience. “Let’s Talk About Chu” focuses on the relationships and sexual experiences of each member of the Chu family. The Chinese title (愛愛內含光) is the name of the Vlog channel of Chu Ai, and focuses on sex education and her ideals on sexual relationships. The title originates from one of the verses of a poem 「曖曖內含光」meaning those with talents and positive traits shine from within (a very loose translation). How do we look past the appearance to find that special person who is right for us?

I had a very enjoyable time watching this short drama. A lot is being covered and was done at a very fast pace. I guess one of its shortcomings is the inability to really delve into the complicated relationships and spend time exploring the backstory of each character. This is also to be expected when we only have 8 short episodes.

At first, I thought this drama is similar to the K-drama “Hit The Spot” as it also has a podcast focused on sex. “Hit the Spot” actually focuses more on the podcast than this drama’s vlog. The vlog also comes at the end of the epilogue of each episode. I watched a few of them and got bored of it. The vlogs were not done in a humorous way and I found them dry and preachy.

Luckily, the actual drama is full of love, laughter and emotional moments. The acting is great and all the characters have excellent chemistry. Ok, maybe the actual acting of the sex act could be better, but that’s totally fine as they’re not porn stars. LOL. Yes, there are many sex scenes, though nothing with full-on nudity. These scenes help tell the story and I don’t find them arbitrary or unnecessary. I like that women in this show are not afraid to talk about what they want in their sex lives. They get frustrated and are not afraid to accept the fact that they’re not happy. The drama also touched on how a past trauma can affect your view of relationships and sex.

Though I am not fully invested in all the storylines, I like most of them.

* Chu Ai and Chou Ping Ke - I enjoyed their story in the beginning. I found Kai Ko (who played Ping Ke) super adorable and hot. How come I don’t remember him being so cute in “Till We Meet Again”? I must have got distracted by the pink hair. However, Chu Ai and Ping Ke’s romance lost steam towards the second half. I think Ping Ke is way too good for Chu Ai. He should have let her grovel a little more.
* Chu Yu Sen and Lee Yueh - They are my favorite! They are such an odd pair, yet they complement each other in a way. Their story is interesting and unexpected and also with a lot of heart. I love the last intimate scene. It’s making love instead of having sex.
* Chu Wei and Lin Shi Chieh - A very realistic story about married life when the initial sparks are gone. How do you keep the romance going and keep working at it?
* Mom and Dad - Not my favorite story not because they’re older, but because it’s boring.
I love that mom is watching BL on GagaooLala but Dad has no personality. I wasn't curious enough to find out if Dad has an affair or not.

Overall, this is a quick and easy watch. It doesn’t have too much time to tell a very deep story. But it touched on issues in various stages/types of relationships.


Completed: 2/4/2024 - Review #400

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Cute mini series of sex ed..

This mini-drama is good!
The main cast.. the the family.
I did not expext it would be about a family and their struggles.
The brother's relationship tho.. I was shocked. I did not expect that as well.
The chemistry of the main cast is so kyut. Omg. The GUY IS SO FUCKI G HOT. INCLUDING THE BROTHER.. UGHHH.
Kinda lost at some point but eh. Hha. The older sisters' relationship is confusing sometimes. I wish the man expressed more emotions cuz I do not get him at all.
The twist of the older brother tho... I kinda knew ... but I did not expect it was actually going to happen. THEY CUTE THO. HEHE
OVERALLS, this drama definitely made me horny...LOL.
CUTE I LOVE IT.
1126PM
2224
kakabalik lng ng Canada HAHAH

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Only Sex, No Love...?

I wasn't expecting much and ngl I thought this was just another cringey raunchy netflix flick at first glance, but then I thought "eh, why not?" and... it was a fun watch!

This Taiwanese raunchy comedy centers around a messy but realistic family and their individual lives-- mostly their love and sex lives. A part-time vlogger girl who doesn't believe in love and has a friends-with-benefits with an unemployed guy who was born from an extramarital affair, her gay older brother, secretly a pro-gambler, who winds up signing a contract with a gangster dude, and the oldest sister who struggles with a sexually frustrating marriage.

A lot to unpack, just for 8 episodes. Each of the plots could've been fleshed out a bit better, but I get that the time constraint didn't allow much room for that. However, this was still very entertaining. Great acting, great chemistry between all the cast members and the raunchy comedy was very tastefully done, mixed with an adequate amount of emotional depth and sentiment. This drama might be a bit sexually graphic for some, but it made sense with the subject matter.

I do recommend this if you're willing to spend less than 8 hours on a steamy but heartwarming, hilarious but emotionally moving show! It's not perfect by any means, but it was definitely worth my time.

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came for the m/m romance, stayed for the rest (need a spin off/season 2)

Overall: I heard about the m/m romance (I was worried at the beginning but then really enjoyed), but overall liked this series that looked at love, sex and our complicated relationships with other people. 8 episodes. Aired on Netflix.

Content Warnings: death, grief, past parental abuse, homophobia, beaten up/fight, sexual harassment, non con video recording/sharing, cyberbullying, drugging, body shaming, alcoholism

What I Liked
- mix of comedy with poignant parts, there are some truly breathtaking moments when nothing is said but everything is felt, not even sure how to describe this
- realistic problems (though it's definitely fictional since a family wouldn't have all those issues at the same time)
- some mystery/characters thinking they know everything, but not having the whole perspective/information
- production value (music was excellent, interesting camera shots)

Room For Improvement
- I found myself bored by some of the plots, in particular the younger sister
- the fact that everyone was pretty awful at communication, wanted at least 1 or 2 characters who said what they wanted

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Now let's talk about Chu

"Let's Talk About Chu" follows the story of a family and their struggles, trying to find "their place in the world". There are several storylines being told at the same time; Chu Ai and Ping Ke - who are in a friendship plus; Chu Ais brother finding (true) love; The sister and her husband, as well as their parents struggling with their marriage.

While I did enjoy most of the drama and I would recommend it to everyone in search of a more mature Asian drama, there still is some room for improvement. But first of all, let's start with everything this drama did right:

First, the drama feels like a cute mix of "Sex Education" and "The Warp Effect" at first but it soon becomes unique in it's own way! The drama does a great job of combining serious topics while mantaining the overall more light feel of the story. Talking about STDs or sexual desires never feels out of place, it's nicely put together, never feeling like it was just added to put it out there.
The characters feel well-built, having a real personality, their own problems and mistakes. Their relationships feel genuine (and certainly not picture book perfect) and I couldn't help but root for all the characters. The cinematography, the soundtrack and the acting are all good - helping the story come to life!

But now to the things that bothered me at times:
Sex scenes often times feel more like watching a sex comedy (especially the ones of the brother) which I personally find odd at times considering how good the drama handles talking about the topics. But considering that this drama isn't about these scenes most of the time; that's a point I can look over at any time.
The duration; with only 8 episodes (with about 40-45 minutes per episode), some storylines feel like they haven't been explored as much as they could have been, making them also feel a bit rushed at times.

Nevertheless, "Let's Talk About Chu" is a great choice when searching for a fun and enjoyable watch over the weekend!

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Important messages throughout

The cast did an excellent job of portraying their characters
Yu Sen's story is by far the best as it is simple yet elegant and loved how it was a chance encounter with Yueh. The scene at the funeral was just well done as it showed passion but also hurt. Is it just me or was the grandma watching them?
Would've loved a bit more screen time for his story.
The youngest was relatable but remember if you are getting inappropriate messages or trolling go to the police. I feel she discovers who she really is as you can't love others without loving yourself.
She sometimes bottled problems up which is never good.
A married couple the husband needed more communication on his side. The wife was interesting especially when she went on the retreat to understand her body but glad they learned what they really wanted through the tests.

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An admirable effort to make the modern case for love and relationships . . .

Men - they can be worth it maybe? This series following the Chu parents and their 3 children as they navigate modern love and romance. All 4 relationships are given roughly equivalent screentime. The majority of the episodes are devoted to establishing all the ways relationships in our era go wrong and all the ways we can engage (or not engage) in sex. Just as you are about to despair that all the relationships are trash, the series turns a corner; it's worth watching all the way through.

Note: The cheating, abuse etc. all turn out to be 'misunderstandings.' I though that was a cheap resolution. The abuse storyline, especially should not have been 'don't judge what you don't understand.' Surely the child of an abusive relationship has some insight on to whether or not his father treats his mother appropriately beyond walking in on them one time?

The acting is great to the point where you feel like you are watching a documentary instead of a fictional series. I also thought a lot of the sex scenes were well done. The music was excellent and set the tones/moods of each episode. Cinematically and production wise it was competent with a few sublime moments.

All in all, I'm glad I watched this. It's very different from your normal drama fare, but I wish the payoff was a bit better towards the end.

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It surprised me by being so good

I thought I'd just watch a bit of what looked like a raunchy drama expecting to not really like it. I was wrong, it was great. Held my attention and made me feel for all the characters. I especially enjoyed the gay couple and I don't generally look for that so good job portraying such a cute couple. I'm not sure what else is like this drama. It had sex but very little nudity. It had emotion, connection, love, honesty. It should also be mentioned that it was a tight 8 episodes so no extra side distractions or plot twists out of nowhere. It really made it so much better. Anything else out there like this? I watched it twice, well, my favorite scenes anyway.

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