My DNA Says I Love You (2022)

Thoughtful New Topic, Great Ep 9-12.

It starts off weakly and builds really slowly, but at the same time I want to encourage people to watch it because it's a thought-provoking queer story and the romance is beautiful!

The last 3rd of the series (Ep 9-12) was a gem! The first 2/3rds were mostly slow, sometimes boring, and with an annoying secondary couple. The episodes are only 20-30 mins though so it was bearable with some fast-forwarding. Ep 9-12 were more tightly written, thoughtful and insightful, well acted, and extremely emotional.

The series sensitively explores a topic I've never seen in a show before. I knew beforehand what that topic was and my curiosity about that character, and the way he was well-acted, kept me watching through the first 2/3rds, and I'm really glad that I did! The last 1/3 was both heart-wrenching and heart-warming and ended very satisfyingly.

The cinematography was beautiful at times and the music was ok but not memorable.

TOPIC SPOILER and explanation below.

I know that translation can be difficult when there aren't exact matches for words, but I think 2 things are worth mentioning.
1) The English translators use the term "disease" when it isn't one; "condition" would have been more appropriate.
2) They didn't actually use the term intersex anywhere so I would have been a lot more confused with Amber's brief explanation if I hadn't read it in spoilers beforehand!

It's obvious to the audience early on that Amber has some kind of connection with Wen Wen, the childhood friend of Le Chien and Yu He. I had trouble getting into the series but the reviews were so passionate about it that I intentionally read some spoilers and learned that the character Amber is intersex. Intersex people genetically have both male and female chromosomes and often some combination of male and female internal reproductive organs and external genitalia. This is sometimes not noticeable until a child reaches puberty and their body starts to develop differently than expected. That's why Amber and his family thought he was female until puberty (genetic gender and gender identity are different things.)

The magnitude of what Amber and his family had to navigate mentally and socially, and how it effects his friends too, is really eye-opening and thought-provoking.

Side note: I strongly disliked how Yu He handled the information over time, but it's realistic too; I'm sure there would be some people who would make the same decisions in the situation she was in. I personally had a hard time forgiving her though.

I'm really glad I stuck it out and watched the whole thing; I feel that overall it was time well spent.

Leia Mais

Very good story

So as a series it wasn't the all round best so that's a minus one. Secondary couple I thought was weak in scripting but actors were good. The story about Wen-Wen being a girl who moved away when in grade school and came back as a young man in high school was very cool. As the story goes with Pu falling in love with Amber before he finds out that Amber is Wen was done well. What makes it for the entire series is the scene with PU and his mother. That was scripted very well and Lukas did an awesome job with it. Very believable. I felt his pain in his confession. Another plus is all of the secondary characters were great. Also, I was very glad that Shieh did not go crazy when she found out the Pu was in love with Amber. The music was great. Interesting story very worth watching but it could have been better.

Leia Mais

Worthy series that is as beautiful as it is thoughtful

I am absolutely in love with this series. The whole thing - plot, acting, direction, cinematography, music, the detailed continuity, and the attention to the costumes (worn items, correct clothing for students, etc). I cried buckets, but enjoyed every minute. Worthy of rewatch, and that’s rare for me. I put this in with my other treasures: ATOS, Trapped, Long Time No See, Manner of Death, and Semantic Error. There are subjects covered in this series that don’t get addressed in many dramas. The characters are fully drawn and interesting. I wanted more, but enjoyed fully what we received. Do not hesitate to watch.

Leia Mais

Unexpectedly Lovely

I didn't have particularly high expectations going into this drama. The synopsis sounded relatively promising and it was short, so even if it was terrible at least I hadn't wasted a huge amount of time on it. This drama, however, proved to be anything but terrible and is one of the best I've watched in a while. I literally stayed up until 4 am just to finish watching it.

The story for me was a fascinating combination of simplicity and complexity. The overall plot is fairly simple, friends who make videos investigating the paranormal. The complexity comes from how the character's lives interweave with that simple story and how their relationships with each other change and grow. Its truly beautiful to watch. I was never bored, despite there being a few parts during the middle when things were a bit slow, but I don't feel like those moments really take away from the drama either. My only qualm is that I feel like they could have used the mystery of the nunnery to better effect. I was really fascinated with it in the beginning and it just kind of fell by the wayside eventually and only cropped up when convenient.

The acting was so good. Erek Lin in particular as Amber was amazing. Every time he was onscreen, I was just riveted by his performance. The depth that he managed to portray with simple looks was truly impressive. Lukas Huang as Le was also quite good. Where I could really feel Amber's pain and distress and believe it, I didn't find Lukas as believable when having to portray more extreme emotions. I really noticed at the end when he talks to his mom. The scene and dialogue are beautiful, but his acting just feels a touch forced and inauthentic. Otherwise though, I really enjoyed his portrayal of Le. Tannie Huang also did a lovely job as Yu He. She portrayed a character that could very easily have been annoying but she managed to find a balance that really worked and I ended up really loving and feeling for her character. Lin Wei Jie and Leo Guo were equally good as Li and Gwan. Though I found Li's portrayal to be a bit over the top at times, he was overall a loveable guy and not too terribly annoying. Gwan sometimes felt like he was just kind of there and I felt like Leo could have used his facial expression to better effect at times, but overall enjoyed his performance as well.

One of the things I loved about this drama was how overall well-rounded the vast majority of the characters were despite its short length. Particularly the characters of Le, Yu He, and Wen-Wen. I know a lot of people found the flashbacks to be annoying, but I personally found them to be very interesting in comparing their personalities as children and then as adults and seeing the ways they were still the same and the ways they had changed.
- Wen-Wen aka Amber obviously had the biggest change, both physically and mentally. Even when he is first introduced as an adult, you can see how mentally and emotionally fragile he is. He is no longer the carefree child. But what is also obvious almost from the get go, is his love for Le and how that has never changed. He is such a sweet character and his story is so unique in terms of BL stories, I've never seen one with a similar character. His rawness and vulnerability are so beautifully portrayed by Erek. And his fear of being found out and rejected is almost palpable. I honestly spent half the drama just wanting to give him a hug. I really enjoyed watching his relationship with Le grow, in a different way from when they were children. The ending with the two of them was just so heartwarming and I was so happy to see him accepted and loved unconditionally.
- I knew I was going to like Le from the first moment; everything about him just screamed that he was an honestly good person. And he did not disappoint. He was a bit of a typical BL guy in that he wasn't interested in anyone and wasn't really looking for love. His sexual preference is never really overtly discussed. Wen-Wen was his childhood sweetheart, but aside from her, there's no impression given that he's ever liked anyone else. But there is an obvious connection between him and Amber pretty much from the first. He's protective of him and far more affectionate towards him than his other friends. While its obvious to anyone else that he has feelings for Amber, he's oblivious to those feelings until Yu He talks it out with him. I think all of it is handled very well. His confusion regarding his feelings is understandable. Are they because he loves Amber for Amber or is it because Amber reminds him of Wen-Wen? And what I love is that he's able to separate the two. He loved Wen-Wen because of who she was when they were children, but he fell in love with Amber because of who he was before he even knew he was once Wen-Wen. Their conversation at the end when they're in the forest was just sheer perfection and really showed to me how far Le had come.
- I was not sure what I was going to think of Yu He initially. Her loud mouth and big personality gave her the potential to be annoying, but this drama did what a lot of BL dramas don't and actually utilized their female character. Instead of having her serve no other purpose than comedic relief or just to push the story along, she was her own person with her own hopes and dreams. I really came to love her character and to appreciate the hard situation she found herself in. I truly admired and appreciated the grace with which she gave up her love for Le, which had to be so incredibly hard since she'd loved him since they were children. They could have turned her into an absolute harpy and used her to hurt both Amber and Le but I'm so happy they didn't. Her reaction to finding out about Amber was completely heartfelt and I really liked that their friendship, though definitely changed was still intact. With that in mind, I can't agree with everything that she did, but I never felt that her intentions were in any way malicious. She came across as very human and relatable. She was just an all around fantastic character and I wish BL dramas had more like her.
- I'm going to lump Li and Gwan here together as I didn't have particularly strong opinions about either of them. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed them and I thought they made a cute couple, but I wasn't hugely invested in their story and they kind of faded out after their little tiff and making up. There just wasn't a whole lot there to really interest me. What I did like and found unique was having a secondary couple that was already established; they'd been together for four years. And with that was the simple domesticity of their living together. Most dramas are so fraught with the drama of the couples getting together that scenes like that are few and far between if present at all so I did like that addition.
- Le's mom was frankly awesome. She was such a tolerant and supportive mother and that last scene with her and Le was just so heartwarming. I also just loved how she was basically everyone's mom and always welcoming and caring to all of Le's friends.

I really enjoyed the music. The opening song was fun and catchy and the song they used for closing several episodes was really beautiful.

Gorgeous cinematography. Sweeping view of Taiwan's stunning country will never get old.

I adore this drama. It was beautiful and heartfelt and so worth the watch. It had a few minor bumps, but overall I felt it was a well-rounded, well-told story with characters that truly drew you in. I highly, highly recommend watching it. The first couple episodes are maybe a tad slow, but its well worth sticking it out.

Leia Mais

Unique plot and cinematography

This is a bl series unlike any other I have seen recently. While it’s not entirely devoid of the typical “oh no I tripped and you caught me” or “I slipped and fell on top of you” these moments are not the key driving factors of the show; which I think is very important.

The beginning of each episode reflects on Amber and Le’s childhood but you’re left perplexed until the later episodes when you truly understand what’s going on. The plot is weaved in a fashion that could have gone multiple directions and is not immediately predictable.

Additionally, this show does not shy away from actual LGBT representation. There is an existing relationship with the side characters where they undergo relationship issues that they must resolve, everything is not constantly sunshine and rainbows for them. When Le determines that he likes (dare I say loves) Amber, his immediate thoughts are about how he will tell his mother, who thankfully receives him with whole hearted support.

Don’t even get me started on the cinematography! It is out of this world. Seriously, watch this series. The chemistry is insane and it is worth waiting for the mini make out session final episode offers viewers ;)

Leia Mais

slice of life series

Overall: this is what I would call a slice of life series, i.e. more true to life versus a romanticized version. Though I was put off at the beginning of the 1st episode with the flash forward and the first few episodes were especially slow going, I'm glad that I stuck with the series. Watched on Gagaoolala (also on iQIYI).

Content Warnings: distant past suicide mentioned, punch/bullying, stalking, outing, manhandling

What I Liked
- some cute moments
- there were actually customers in the cafe at times and the cafe workers were actually working
- a character dreams different kdrama scenarios (I think one was Crash Landing On You) which was fun
- a character said that people who love each other should be able to marry
- the female friend wasn't a cliche evil wannabe girlfriend, though I don't approve of how she handled something
- representation (although I think the writers could have had a more realistic explanation/explained things better)
- Le's mom
- that nose ring, I think it's the first nose piercing I've ever seen in a BL, the hair was fun too
- the friendship between Le and Li

Room For Improvement
- I wish they portrayed the relationship between Li and Gwan differently. At first, I wasn't even sure what their relationship was. It didn't seem that they really even liked each other as friends with the way they treated one another.
- cliche "let me explain" then does not explain with side couple
- the main couple/side couple screen time was odd. Li and Gwan had an entire episode and then pretty much vanished.
- a bit choppy when they were in the forest the first time
- slow pacing
- I think the title "DNA Says Love You" should be "My DNA Says I Love You", I see it's listed as an alternate title but I wish this was the main title
- the pronouns appeared incorrect a few times, but I think this was a translation error (I didn't take off review stars for this)

Leia Mais

The Most Underrated Drama I Have Watched

There are two things to remember when starting to watch DNA Says I Love You: the first couple of episodes are a little rough, and the flashbacks are more important than you might realize. After getting through the first couple of episodes (mainly the first), it was almost as though the rest of the episodes were written by a different person (this is a very good thing). Regardless, this series turned out to be amazing. Without giving anything away, the storylone was refreshing, the supporting characters actually had depth, and the topics were explored with care and dignity. This series is more than worth your time amd attention.

Leia Mais

One of the best BL series of 2022

2022 has been a great year for BL series and this one can be ranked as one of the best. This is so much more than just a simple story about 2 guys falling in love. It dared to venture in to places that no other series has gone before and has handled those topics masterfully.

In 12 episodes, we get to learn about the 5 main characters and their relationship and the journey they go through and their struggle of making sense of the situation they encounter. The back stories of the 3 kids at the start of every episode gives you a glimpse of the strong friendship they share and this explains the strong bond that they still share when they grow up. Their take on the relationship between friends, siblings, family and lovers is truly believeable and kudos to the great actors that brought that to the small screen. The kids acting is sub-par but that is easily ignored because of the strong performances of the rest of the cast.

Instead of being preachy about how love transcends gender and time, you get to see the struggle of the main characters and how they come to terms about their feelings from past and present. Certain topics regarding gender identity is managed with utmost care and stitched in to the storyline with such preciseness it opens up a different world of romantic story telling.

You might find the first few episodes to be a drag as characters are being introduced and not much happening but if you stay, you will certainly be rewarded with a great story and fabulous acting. Do give this one a watch and you will see yourself returning to it over and over.

Leia Mais

The best bl ever released?

everything about this show was such absolutely amazing, the climax of this show was really good and the storyline was incredible, I love the fact that they didn't rush the relationship between the 2 main lovers, i really like that it was kind of slow paced. I really thought amber was a trans man, was kind of disappointed when he wasn't but besides that, everything about this show was very well written and the acting was very realistic, did not feel awkward even once watching them. It is definitely rewatch worthy but it is honestly most enjoyable on the first watch, it is best when binge watched, that way it is more fun.

The best thing about this show was that it wasn't awkward or weird with le and amber, they both looked comfortable around each other and didn't look weird or awkward, the casting was really good and the couple matched well, even with the side characters, they were all very well fitted in the show, probably the best part about the show is the casting.

The ending/last episode was incredible and they ended the show perfectly, a lot of shows end the show every badly or rush to end it, but it really didn't feel like that with this show. I'm really happy with the ending and don't need another season, with aq lot of shows, i need another season or more eps cuz I'm not satisfied with the ending but with show, the ending was really good and happy that I really son't need another season.

I will definitely be watching this show again soon, this show was just too good and i was giggling and kicking my feet every ep, was not bored at all and that is really rare, i was enjoying each episode as there was always something to look forward to.

Thank you to all the cast members and the crew. This is one of my fave shows.

Leia Mais

A very original plot, with mature development and quite a nice cast.

I was really pleasantly surprised by this BL series. I suppose the main reason is the originality of the plot. Everything starts with a certain focus on some friends trying to develop a vlog channel, when a "newcomer" enters the scene. Then slowly our attention shifts on the new relationships develop, and equally importantly, on how these ones affect the old ones. When secrets slowly get revealed, the plot thickens. What I really liked about this particular aspect, is that the secrets themselves, although they trigger changes, it is not their revelation per se but rather their effects on which the story concentrates.

The acting is quite good. Perhaps not stellar, but then again it is not needed. This is one of the rare cases in such series, that the emotions of the characters are adequately described by their actions, and therefore overly emotional outbursts are not really necessary (which does not mean that the characters are blunt, it is simply that the series does not rely exclusively on the chemistry between couples). I also liked the side couple's story, which beyond filling air time also supports the plot (having been an established couple for four years). All characters are mature (in the sense that they adults and use their heads, but also grow as time passes by. Perhaps they are all a little bit too good-hearted, but then again this does not save them from pain (which for a change does not stem from a crooked world or a particular big bad wolf).

Perhaps some viewers will be perplexed about the existence or not the temple our adventurers are looking for, but in my opinion this is completely irrelevant. The quest more than adequately serves its purpose in offering material for the vlogs - it gives the backbone but not the flesh and blood to the plot. It is nice to occasionally have a story which is different, in that it makes you think a little bit, and not just brainlessly cry your eyes out.

Compared to the overall rating of the series, I give it a relatively low rating for the rewatch value. This is no contradiction, it is simply a consequence of the genre. It is neither a comedy, where one wants to listen to funny lines again and again, nor a sweet romance, where one simply wants to enjoy passion. Here we are dealing mainly with realizations, which per definition are absent in any subsequent second run.

Leia Mais

I found this drama fascinating.

Push through the odd beginning and make allowances for some of the script meanderings and you will be rewarded.
The cinematography is first rate.
There is a twist in regarding the 2ML that is handled well with sensitivity and understated use of flash backs and vague language.

(I have not seen this topic depicted in dramas previously and it prompted me to do a little research).

The friendship of the three main characters from childhood to the present day is emphasised and their different personalities are well defined by the actors.
I love that the FL has to self reflect on her motives and her reluctant acceptance of the role she can play in this trio of friends.

The budding love relationship of the two MLs is gently depicted in their actions rather than words. It lacks any sizzle but has a solid yearning feel.

The ML is slow to comprehend his feelings of love yet when he does he unambiguously takes action and the scene of coming out to his mother shows his deep caring and love for their relationship. He comes across as brave and protective and very straightforward.
The 2ML has returned, ostensibly, to renew his friendship with the trio but quickly realises his ulterior motive is to remain close to his first love. His past experiences have made him secretive and afraid of others reactions so he guards his identity from the ML.

A truly lovely BL with many layers and some fun scenes where Ching Lung fantasizes the two ML leads in two well known K-drama scenarios.

This is a short drama and has short episodes so I recommend binging.

Leia Mais

Full of refreshing elements

This series includes multiple tropes that aren't easy to find in other shows with similar premises: a group of friend with amazing chemistry all the way through, a secondary couple that is already in an established relationship, and the tackle of other themes that aren't common to find in a BL (and some are just very unusual overall).
The main couple is simply adorable. I really liked the development of the relationship between Le Jian and Amber as they share common interests at first, then end up becoming best friends in a short time because of how comfortable they are around each other. The love and affection just ooze from the characters without them having to say anything specific, which is the best thing to see in any film or show: by the time their feelings are put into words, it's already blatant how they feel.
The pacing was probably the only thing I really didn't like about this show. The beginning is sweet and tender and all, but it can come off as a little slow, and I can see myself skipping or fast-forwarding in case I were to watch it again; on the other hand the ending felt more rushed than I would have liked it to be. Overall it was still enjoyable though, so I can't say it was a huge flaw.

In conclusion, I found it cute and very interesting under many aspects, but if you aren't into coming of age stories and slice-of-life pacing, this is probably not for you.

Leia Mais