Ina_2021
This review may contain spoilers
Rooting for such a genre of BL being incorporated into a bigger whodunit story
Just discovered this drama in 2021 and registered here to write my lengthy love letter of appreciation. Could we please have more like this?
What's to my liking:
1) a BL story is incorporated into a bigger whodunit detective framework, with elements of comedy, action, melodrama and real-life problems (why indeed the police are underpaid?) altogether.
2) it's about grown-ups, not students.
3) hate-to-love relationships are bound to have good character development.
4) bits of food philosophy throughout the series (yummy!)
5) Good acting from all the cast, and the actor playing Tang Yi shines in this drama in particular. Amazing how much his younger character from 4 years ago and Tang Yi as a mob boss feel like so different people. Gorgeous looks needless to say! And I really liked Unit 3 captain's acting as well. These two actors were cast perfectly.
Honestly, I didn't find Meng Shao Fei likeable at the beginning, then I realized that his character just was written this way, a bit childish, quick-tempered, but sincere and enthusiastic, since I made a journey similar to Tang Yi to start to appreciate and understand his character more, it turned out to be involving after all. With the gangsters' characters we discover their multidimensional/vulnerable sides going from their negative presentation - but with the police it is vice versa.
6) I'm not a diligent disciple of a BL genre, so probably don't know well, but I admire how natural, touching and not forced seemed all love scenes and tender moments between main characters in the middle and to the end of the series (Rewatch value: 10 out of 10).
In contrast to a number of trite cliches in the beginning (a guy falling into hands of his future boyfriend or medicine application - ?). IDK, probably it's a double-edged sword: sweetness and soothing predictability of BL are impossible without such cliches?
7) Like the job done by the costume team: obviously stylish clothing of Tang Yi and his childhood female partner in crime, but for some reason I liked even more how the clothing of the police unit 3 shows how... well... they live on a budget, quite palpable.
What I would have probably changed?
1) As a boring law-abiding citizen (not of Taiwan, but this is universal), I'd love police officers to be depicted at least as competent as career criminals. Two naive childish police officers in one unit - a bit too much imo.
2) Not a problem at all, just a thought. We, girls, love it and since I'm not from Asia maybe I don't know how it is there in real, but, I'd love confessions scenes among male characters to look a bit more natural - less full of nice heartfelt words. IDK, in my part of the world men normally don't expected to be able to express their feelings verbally in lengthy well articulated sentences. The actors delivered it sincere and moving nevertheless.
3) Few thoughts on the ending. Attention, SPOILER, for those who haven't seen yet, please don't read further.
I think Meng Shao Fei owes Tang Yi the biggest possible apology at the end. Really. He has been chasing him for 4 years for the wrong reason. The real evil and culprit was in his own backyard. Shorty at least was obviously shaken by this discovery that good guys turned out to have rotten apples among them, worse than bad guys they were chasing.
Also I don't understand why Meng Shao Fei so readily accepted Tang Yi's birth father. It's really only up to his son. And, since we know he doesn't tolerate drugs at all, basically for the older man it was a choice: either his son or he goes with the flow.
As for Meng Shao Fei's late mentor. Well, looks like she was neither a knowledgeable police officer when it came to her private life, nor she was a good mother when her 12 years old run from his adoptive father's home - she was away from work for whole 3 days, wow. Is it possible for a mother to live her life not trying to find out whereabouts of her child? I think it's not. Ok, I understand, it's difficult for the plot to be flawless and without gaps. In general, the plot is complex (not black and white but some characters are multifaceted) and engaging anyway!
What's to my liking:
1) a BL story is incorporated into a bigger whodunit detective framework, with elements of comedy, action, melodrama and real-life problems (why indeed the police are underpaid?) altogether.
2) it's about grown-ups, not students.
3) hate-to-love relationships are bound to have good character development.
4) bits of food philosophy throughout the series (yummy!)
5) Good acting from all the cast, and the actor playing Tang Yi shines in this drama in particular. Amazing how much his younger character from 4 years ago and Tang Yi as a mob boss feel like so different people. Gorgeous looks needless to say! And I really liked Unit 3 captain's acting as well. These two actors were cast perfectly.
Honestly, I didn't find Meng Shao Fei likeable at the beginning, then I realized that his character just was written this way, a bit childish, quick-tempered, but sincere and enthusiastic, since I made a journey similar to Tang Yi to start to appreciate and understand his character more, it turned out to be involving after all. With the gangsters' characters we discover their multidimensional/vulnerable sides going from their negative presentation - but with the police it is vice versa.
6) I'm not a diligent disciple of a BL genre, so probably don't know well, but I admire how natural, touching and not forced seemed all love scenes and tender moments between main characters in the middle and to the end of the series (Rewatch value: 10 out of 10).
In contrast to a number of trite cliches in the beginning (a guy falling into hands of his future boyfriend or medicine application - ?). IDK, probably it's a double-edged sword: sweetness and soothing predictability of BL are impossible without such cliches?
7) Like the job done by the costume team: obviously stylish clothing of Tang Yi and his childhood female partner in crime, but for some reason I liked even more how the clothing of the police unit 3 shows how... well... they live on a budget, quite palpable.
What I would have probably changed?
1) As a boring law-abiding citizen (not of Taiwan, but this is universal), I'd love police officers to be depicted at least as competent as career criminals. Two naive childish police officers in one unit - a bit too much imo.
2) Not a problem at all, just a thought. We, girls, love it and since I'm not from Asia maybe I don't know how it is there in real, but, I'd love confessions scenes among male characters to look a bit more natural - less full of nice heartfelt words. IDK, in my part of the world men normally don't expected to be able to express their feelings verbally in lengthy well articulated sentences. The actors delivered it sincere and moving nevertheless.
3) Few thoughts on the ending. Attention, SPOILER, for those who haven't seen yet, please don't read further.
I think Meng Shao Fei owes Tang Yi the biggest possible apology at the end. Really. He has been chasing him for 4 years for the wrong reason. The real evil and culprit was in his own backyard. Shorty at least was obviously shaken by this discovery that good guys turned out to have rotten apples among them, worse than bad guys they were chasing.
Also I don't understand why Meng Shao Fei so readily accepted Tang Yi's birth father. It's really only up to his son. And, since we know he doesn't tolerate drugs at all, basically for the older man it was a choice: either his son or he goes with the flow.
As for Meng Shao Fei's late mentor. Well, looks like she was neither a knowledgeable police officer when it came to her private life, nor she was a good mother when her 12 years old run from his adoptive father's home - she was away from work for whole 3 days, wow. Is it possible for a mother to live her life not trying to find out whereabouts of her child? I think it's not. Ok, I understand, it's difficult for the plot to be flawless and without gaps. In general, the plot is complex (not black and white but some characters are multifaceted) and engaging anyway!
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