Vida - Amor em Jogo (2020)

Stunning and Evocative

One of the most heart wrenching and beautiful stories I have ever had the chance to entertain. From the use of extended metaphor to the acting and overall societal lessons, this one is solid gold. I cried tears of pain and joy many times throughout the series. A masterpiece really.

The portrayals of betrayal and pain and pure bliss and innocence, not once was I unconvinced by every actor in this series. I truly felt that they were 17 then somehow 40 with the same exact faces. The dot/line metaphor that continues throughout the series felt totally uncontrived and natural, which I have seen hard to do with other extended metaphor. Self-acceptance is always much harder than we think and in that time of not accepting ourselves we lose and become self-destrucive. It’s a lifelong journey and this series did an amazing job of convincing me that it is a journey worth taking despite how difficult things become along the way. We are all dots seeking a cure to loneliness by connecting to other dots, but despite that the series begins every episode with that paraphrased idea, its the fact that we are on our own lines that is the hardest battle. Connecting can only be achieved once we straighten ourselves out.

Again a beautifully told story by all the people involved. Thank you all for this gift.

Leia Mais

Such a nice start kind of disappointed by how it turned out

This Drama started off extremely well in my opinion, I absolutely loved every second of the first episode. I was actually surprised by how much I liked it since I’m usually not that big a fan of Japanese productions. The fact that I liked the first episode that much may be the reason I was kind of disappointed by how the rest of the Drama went.
The higher the expectations the deeper the disappointment right?

The actors were all well chosen, fit their characters nicely and did a good job at portraying their roles.

In General there was nothing really wrong with the story line itself, however the execution was kind of off to me. The whole things seemed extremely one sided. We only get to see into one of the characters minds, which doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, but for this Series it took away a lot of potential I think. The whole story basically goes according to the one characters plans/wishes and thoughts. It kind of felt like the other character was more of a side character, that apart from being the main characters love interest didn’t really play any role at all, like his life just paused whenever he was not on screen.

To me this Series, by the feeling of it, the storyline, the characters/actors had a lot of potential to be one of my favourites. However it’s one sidedness in the portrayal of the characters sadly took away that potential.

I still liked it and don’t regret watching it at all, the music was great and fit the mood quite nicely most of the time.

Since it’s quite short definitely give it a go if you’re thinking about watching it. I would not say it’s a must watch though.

Leia Mais

Such a Refreshing Watch

Phenomenal. Absolutely awe striking. I loved every single second of this show, I would not have changed anything outside the fact that it might have been better if it were more than 4 episodes.

Though the series was great, I believe it would have had a bigger emotional impact if it had maybe 5 or 6 episodes? I would have loved to see more of how Ito and Nishi were like during their early thirties. Outside that though, the actors were amazing. The acting was so raw and real I had to pause several times because seeing these two characters go through something so tragic(though realistic) is not what I often see in the BL industry. It touches the realism of same sex couples which I don't often see in other shows, and for that I am grateful.

I don't write reviews, but I truly believe everyone should give it a watch. I might be a little biased because I relate to the characters to well, but trust me when I say you should not skip this. It is such a bittersweet and beautiful love story I believe nobody should miss out on. Check it out! You won't regret it :)

(I've seen people say they dislike the OST and i respectfully disagree, I loved it!!)

Leia Mais

If you are sad after watching HIStory 3:MODC, THIS IS A MUST WATCH

I really loved the concept of the line. They have beautifully portrayed being manipulated and emotionally blackmailed into following society's norms, and losing your own happiness over it.
It was also very refreshing and uplifting for me to see Yu Xigu and Xiang Hao Ting of HIStory 3: Make our days count. After that open and very confusing ending, seeing them together patched up my heart quite a bit.
It is a happy ending, despite what a lot of other people may tell you, so go ahead and watch it! You will gain a deep understanding of how hard it is for LGBTQ+ couples to be considered "normal", and also about how it is toxic for you to follow others' opinion on how one should live life.
Overall, it is a watch worth your time, and i say, go for it! :)

Leia Mais

Real Love

This series was incredible. It was one of the first series that I watched and it actually depicted a real relationship, and how they can sometimes be. The concept of the show was beautiful, and all acting was amazing as well. This served as my very first Japanese series, and they absolutely killed it, I'm so excited to dive in and see more of what Japan has to offer.

Let's dive in.

This is one of the first series that I’ve seen where the couple actually grows with each other and gets older. Seeing them go through high school and college and then adulthood really added some needed flavor to this series. I think that aspect of the story was the best, and it made me fall more in love with this couple as they progressed.

This was a really beautiful story that was told. Ito Akira had me feeling so bad for him, but at the same time, I was so upset with him and society. He saw all of his other coworkers getting married and having kids, and he felt like he couldn’t do that with a man, no matter how in love he was. Raiku did an amazing job at paying Nishi. My favorite characters are always the ones that are the happiest and the bubbliest and I fell in love with him as soon as I saw his childlike ways.

My favorite part was definitely the end when they meet back up at the northern lights. It was also nice to see the little cameo of Wayne and Huang from MODC, it was definitely not expected.

The only thing I would argue about is the fact that Nishi had the exact same hairstyle for 20 years. Even though he is childlike and always bubbly, he still had a maturity growth somewhere in there, and even though this is a bit nit-picky, I just really wanted to see more of his growth throughout his adulthood, and some of that starts in his hair.

The show was real and raw, but cinematically perfect. This is definitely now one of my all-time favorite series.

Leia Mais

It has been a while since I've watched this but...

⚠️HEAVY SPOILER ⚠️
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It has been a while since I've watched this but i really felt the need to write my review on this BL. So all I remember is that Itou betrayed his boyfriend (Nishi) by leaving him for a woman to built a family because of his mom (if I'm not mistaken). And that alone, makes the story, sadly, so realistic. The 2 things i remember not liking was the way Itou ''pressured'' Nishi to kiss him/ be his boyfriend, than has the audacity to leave Nishi like an old smelly sock. ? And i didn't like the ending, because they shouldn't have gone back together. But overall it was great, i don't regret watching it but i won't rewatch this again.

Leia Mais

A satisfying watch

Unlike most short dramas that feel 'too short' ...this drama was actually able to give me the satisfaction, which I always expect from most short dramas.
This drama felt complete. (I won't mind a sequel though...)

The character development was so on point I believe. The character from whom I expected the outmost maturity, cheated on me.... nevermind...but one thing I learned from this drama: those innocent child like people feel way more than those of the mature kind. So...

It was such a beautiful... heartbreaking....heartfixing....love story.

A worthy..binge watch.

A perfect way to end your weekend...

- Maaya

Leia Mais

Nice but...

It was a beautiful journey to follow Yuki and Akira. I love this kind of stories "slice of life" both sweet and painful.
I specify that I read and reread the manga and necessarily I compared the two.
I really appreciated that they respect the original story. It was so soft, and real. It is the story of two people who love each other, who tear each other apart, who make choices, who find themselves ...

At the beginning, I was not very convinced by the performance of the two MLs but I found them later much better. However, I was not as touched as reading the manga. There was a good chemistry between Shirasu and Raiku but I missed an "je ne sais quoi" to melt me ​​completely. But this is a very personal feeling.

I liked the pace of the production, like the passing of time in the series. I regretted that they do not show the last scenes of the manga which make all the beauty of the story and which make me cry sometimes (I confess) but I can understand the technical constraints that that implies.
The last episode was completely pleasing.
The OST was beautiful.
I really really appreciated the cameo of Wayne Song and Huang Juan Zhi. It was a very pleasant surprise.

In short, in the end, a very nice series, very well done, very well played even if it was not the roller-coaster of emotions that I expected (I repeat it is my feeling) but I really encourage you to look at it !

Leia Mais

Ligne blanche / ligne de vie

C’est assez rare de suivre une histoire sur une telle échelle de temps. Rencontre hésitation relation malentendu réconciliation et puis hop c’est terminé. Ici on va tellement plus loin.
La pression de la société, l’idée d’un relation « normale » ou plutôt socialement normée, homosexualité et parentalité (relation avec ses propres parents mais aussi désir d’enfant).
J’ai aimé aussi suivre le fil de l’histoire de la sœur d’Akira. Une autre relation à l’encontre de la norme sociale.
J’ai moins accroché avec le personnage de Yuki trop naïf-innocent pour moi. Ce trait qui me semble exagéré fait perdre de la vraisemblance à l’ensemble.
Ça reste une très belle histoire et j’ai une pensée pour l’idée simple, efficace mais chaleureuse de la jeune femme à la fin.

Leia Mais

Beautiful Japanese love story

What can be said that has not already been said here? Seriously, this is a must watch! One of the most bittersweet, romantic dramas i've seen in a while. It's amazing how much story they put into just 4 episodes.

Well acted by the two main leads and you go on a journey through the characters lives. Ups and downs and insecurities are wonderfully portrayed. You will feel every type of emotion (yes you will laugh and cry) and bane of societal pressure that can be so smothering.

This had great direction and one of the most beautiful shot scenes that has been put onto screen. It was revelatory between the characters and you will know it when you see it. Simply beautiful!

Leia Mais