Love Place: Hakanaki Kata Omoi - Gaiya no Koi
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This review may contain spoilers
Sensitive gay story :ignore the low rating and nasty reviews
This contains spoilers about the endingI am so glad I gave this another chance after being put off by some poor reviews。 I love the tender moments and sensitive artistic touches that make up for limitations in production values、 so I view it as more an impressionistic drama and the MLs have very good chemistry。 unusual to see such open displays of affection in Chinese drama。 the low rating is really undeserved and a travesty ❤️
the emotional blackmail episode was not a surprise but was very rushed though of course it had to fit in a short series, the portrayal of gay love always ending in unhappiness or disaster is not original though no doubt remains true enough problem as this continues to exist not only in very socially backward countries like modern China though more obvious there: it is difficult to feel how this pressure must be like without having experienced it
I thought maybe the unhappy choice allowed it to get under the Chinese censorship as happened in early treatments in Western dramas from 50 years ago?but then this is contradicted by the final ending giving hope love wins❤️
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comments on the ending
?: just having seen the epilogue I think I can fairly see that my imagined ending reflects this and my disappointed review should be read in this mind as referring up to episode 36〜 I feel they could have included this ending somehow with the main final episode at same time though which would have made the series ending much more satisfying: still I am glad they made this epilogue though it could have been longer and shown more of how they came together again and their life together afterwards✳️✳️This review is only about the ending〜 I hardly know where to begin in reviewing the whole superlative drama〜 as it was for me!〜 especially how it captured the relationship of the two men (especially using your own imagination)in spite of the restrictions within which the producer had to work。 I have put off watching the last episode for some days as I did not want it to end.。The last episode very neatly resolved the various strands of the plot though the endings are rarely totally satisfying。 It was not exactly unexpected in terms of the ”quest” being an anticlimax like many similar stories or Cheng Ling as an adult being the ”heir” of the heroes、although the specific manner of the ending for Zhou Zi Zhu and Wen Ke Xing was unexpected。Of course I was very disappointed particularly as the closing song always promised they would be together for ever!The ideal of self-sacrifice is very noble but does not Wen consider it would be even more painful for Zhou to recover only to find Wen was no longer alive for him?? I suppose all you can say is that if Wen did not use the Six Combined Cultivation method it would be a case of him losing Zhou eventually 。Of course I hoped ーas seemingly promised at earlier points in the storyーZhou could be healed and they could both live together away from the pains of the World〜however I see them united in spirit in the Afterlife and maybe Wen even present in spirit with Zhou in this life and eventually coming together again as soulmates in a new incarnation〜for me however the ending of 「The Untamed」 was much better and happier although I found the relationship between the two during 「Word of Honor 」closer and more appealing to me than 「The Untamed」〜 but now with the epilogue 「Word of honor」 and 「Untamed」 are my joint favorites but I still feel the Word of honor better at suggesting same sex relationship as in original novel??
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For me perfect (even if nothing is really perfect)
I like this just as story but I think under the surface the mono-probe theme is really metaphor for minority identity and alienation and with the BL setting specifically alienation and search for identity of lgbt sexual orientation with one boy in school ”society” masking his colors and his full self and the other needing him to unmask to also unmask his own full spectrum of identity forced into monochrome by dominant society (not just mono benefits both need each other)〜I like the episode with the ”rainbow” prism being revealed to the mono 〜and I think the resistance of the mono boy fearing the probe's advances = refusal to accept your sexual identity because pressured to conform to dominant assumptions and attitudes for me this is a very original take。actually this is from my personal experience maybe others interpret otherwise。 if some aspects of surface story stay unclear this is not so important for me 〜maybe this is because life is unclear and we also have to read in to the story to create our own visionFirst rewatch 21/July
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I put off watching the final episodes 14 - 16 because I was reluctant for it to end. Now I've watched ep. 14 which is clearly sequel in nature. I have to say I found it a hard slog, the sparkle has gone, the interaction between Goblin, Grim Reaper and Deok Hwa sadly missing. If this continues I would have to say it was a mistake. They should have finished with ep.13 and maybe a brief "follow up" finish. Don't mean to be b*****, but the idea anyone or any supernatural entity would span the universe in eternal love to chase Kim Go Eun stretches credulity.
Taking the plunge again at Ep. 14 better but I find the central romance utterly unconvincing, partly because it just goes on far too long - there's a limit to the sweet endearments and exchanges you want to hear.
Finished at last! A suitably complex and, I'm glad to say, unpredictable ending. Ah, if only life - and death - were like that. Turned whimsical again at the end, but inevitable I expect. Isn't it wonderful also how time can pass in a camera shot in TV dramas? Preferred Grim Reaper and Sunny and Deok Hwa to Goblin and Eun Tak, though the latter did improve markedly towards the end when she stopped playing all "kittenish". Which reminds me, what happened to Deok Hwa amidst all the complex comings and goings at the end?? So annoying.
The production values, background scenery and camera work were excellent throughout and the fashion sense fabulous - but when my mind keeps going off the story to the clothes and background scenery, annoyingly missing the subtitles, desperately waiting for the next scene with Grim Reaper and/or Deok Hwa, it's clear that it's not entirely absorbing my admittedly volatile brain. Music almost entirely good. Re-watch value? well not any time soon, but the fashion, design and memory of the comic parts may tempt me. Still, there's nothing else for it, but to give it 10/10 for the overall achievement.
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Music? definitely helped
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Story - unoriginal, unbelievable
Acting/cast - on paper Miura and Sato ought to be a dream team, here they are more like a dead duck
Music - ?
Re-watch - unwatchable
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