Meu Dente, Seu Amor (2022)

I was watching this show thinking, it's too good to be true. Turns out I was right.

What I loved (because I really loved this show, it is mature, amazing and innovative in so many ways, and would gladly give it a 10 if not for episode 11):

- I have to say, I'm a sucker for equal, balanced relationships and this show is among the very few that really delivered. There is no "pursuer and pursuee", they just fall in love with each other and act upon that. They both initiate kissing, they both fight for each other, they both take care of each other. When Lang initially rejected Xun An and then confessed to him, I expected a teary scene when Xun An accepts him without a second thought. I was so pleasantly surprised when Xun An said “I like you, but it doesn’t mean that you can do anything you want to me,” it was so amazing that he actually stood up for himself!

- when Qi Ran appeared, I naturally expected him to mess things up, I thought Lang will get insecure and go back into his shell, that the presence of a former love will seriously damage the main couple’s relationship. Again, a very pleasant surprise, there was some jealousy, but Lang again acted upon it, talked to Xun An and then just confronted Qi Ran (the hug scene was so funny btw) instead of immediately assuming that Xun An is getting back with Qi Ran and running away.

- I love that the show approached mental issues seriously, PTSD was not miraculously cured by sex or similar nonsense, it showed Lang’s coping mechanisms and the way it affected his whole life. Xun An acknowledged Lang's issues and wanted to be there for him. I loved that he was angry at Lang’s sister that she didn’t do anything, didn’t force Lang to go to a therapy. Although it hasn’t been mentioned directly, I believe that Xun An would do that sooner or later.

- domestic fluff, little gestures, kisses, hand-holding, loving stares, spending time together – BL series often end when the main couple gets together, so it was nice and refreshing to see them at the stage when they are openly in love and in an actual relationship.

- side couples were nice, especially Alex and RJ, and I really hope we will see them in season 2. Only Qing and Qi Ran felt forced and it didn’t make much sense that they were a couple, in particular because earlier Qing said that she liked to be single and that happiness is different for everyone. It was such a nice inclusion, showing that finding a partner is not equally important for everyone and it’s okay, but then it was unfortunately abandoned.

There is only one thing that I hated and I guess it’s the same for everyone who watched the show. Xun An’s parents. I forced myself to accept that Lang’s sister punched Xun An, because I thought it was supposed to be a comedic element, perhaps a cultural difference, whatever, but I was livid after watching ep 11.

I don’t get the entire concept of Xun An kneeling in front of his parents’ door for hours to gain his father’s approval. It has never even been explained why his father was against his relationship. Was he homophobic? Was it a usual thing in their household when Xun An wanted his father to agree for something? HAS XUN AN BEEN BEATEN AND MENTALLY ABUSED FOR HIS WHOLE LIFE? It calls for a PTSD at least at the same level as Lang’s and it was just swept under the rug as if nothing happened!

Did Xun An really want Lang to have a family consisting of an asshole of a father and a passive mother who never offered any actual help? Did Lang really accept parents who hurt his partner so much? Why wasn’t any of this addressed?! It could have been a great example of choosing your own family, showing Lang who lost his parents and Xun An whose parents were unworthy of his attention, creating their own family together with people who really care about them. Honestly, it nearly destroyed the entire experience for me.

Overall, I recommend this show because it would be unfair to overlook so many amazing things because of one element. Just be prepared.

Leia Mais

Show with some fine characters and back stories

When you write a character for a show what he or she needs is depth. Without depth the character simply turns in to a caricature of whatever situation you initially put them into and that has to carry on throughout the series. And then for the purpose of creating some drama when you put them in difficult situations, we are unable to relate to them as their actions just seem forced.

What wins in this series is the depth of the main characters. On one side we have Bai Lang, a deeply damaged individual with clear mental issues forcing him to suffer from insomnia, self-guilt and manic episodes. This in my book makes him an intriguing character and a love story around this character when done well will be nothing but interesting. On the other side we have Jin Xun An, a dentist who is cold, appears unfriendly just to keep people away and has an abusive father. Another character who I would be invested in as the story progresses. When these two flawed characters meet and sparks fly, we would be in on a ride where we see them grow, understand and help each other while also having their relationship getting stronger.

The initial few episodes do a great job at building these characters and we get to know who they are and the reasons for their peculiar behaviour. We see Bai Lang struggling to understand his feelings for Xun An only to try and stay away from him lest he pulls him in to his madness and Xun An breaking out of his icy cold exterior and allow himself to fall in love with someone.

Once this is established the series takes a turn for the cliche. Enter the ex of one of the characters as soon as they get close to each other. Now the budding relationship derails due to misunderstandings and a failure to communicate. This is around the period where I am pulled right out because all the character build-up that took place in the past episodes is conveniently forgotten to instead show angst and melodrama.

The story finally picks up steam in the last 2 episodes where we get to know more about Xun An but it feels a little too late and you are marching on just to get to the last episode. All the potential that the story has is washed off by cliche antagonist, under-developed love story of multiple other characters and the same old tropes of misunderstandings.

Showing that your characters have flaws makes them relatable but you have to follow through and try and resolve issues stemming from those flaws and when it’s about trauma special care has to be taken to address that and not use that as a prop or a quirk

The actors did a great job at portraying the characters and I just enjoy the song during the end credits.

In conclusion a good watch since it has some really great characters and the story is interesting in certain aspects.

Leia Mais

Perfect ending ♥️

I have watched many bl but ....this one is different i don't know how or why ....and the ending is the perfect.....the acting by every cast has its story and nice....I just feel that the story of other couple must b developed more. .....and the the best scene is when xun an hoes to get permission from his parents.....some of other watcher are saying it's domestic violence.....with no offense from my pov its not domestic violence...every parents beats thier child to teach or educate them specially Asian children can understand I think ?....n but it's not that I m supporting domestic violence but it's my pov....and the pychological problem was demonstrated or act very well by.

Leia Mais

Love eased their pain

What made this drama stellar are the actors. Good looks aside they portray their characters in a way that made me care for them. I love that the two main leads have their own successful businesses. They are liked and respected at work and this makes the power dynamic in their relationship more equatable than is often portrayed in couples (of any sexual persuasion).

There is plenty of romantic gestures, hugs, kisses, love gifts exchanged, meals prepared with cute notes and lovely banter between the MLs both before and after their love confessions.

Bl tropes are in evidence, however, a different slant is employed. For instance when Lang realises he was fearful and jealous of the ex two memorable scenes - the hug (haha) and Xun An putting in boundaries when he said “I like you, but it doesn’t mean that you can do anything you want to me,” stand out. Their long walk is also a master class in cinematography as the camera follows them.

There are lots of (too many) side couples all vying for screen time so I can only hope there is a 2nd season.

People are fragile egos so both come with their own baggage and these issues are slowly revealed.

Lang displays typical PTSD behaviours when triggers are set off. His toothache and a storm are the perfect environment for him to regress to the point of an early trauma. Xun An handles the situation and is kind and caring allaying Lang's fears temporarily. Xun An recognises that this has event had long-term effects on Lang and, whilst offering his support and protection. acknowledges it is upto Lang to get professional assistance.

Xun An is a fairly introverted character and has created a lot of life rules that moderate his more natural behaviours. this trait is more in evidence as the pair become closer and Xun An begins to relax and change. His own severe upbringing and parental expectations are also revealed. Unfortunately the scenes in episode 11 are jarring and brutal and over emphasise his earlier home environment.

- I will skip this when I rewatch and I believe this has good rewatch value.

Leia Mais

Watch it. Waaaaatch it, you wont regret it, I swear

Literally the best of all the BL ive watched (and remember lol). Side couples could have used more time, kinda got left behind but everyone was well fleshed-out, dynamic, and loveable. I love this. I love love love love this. I had a blast. I couldnt stop smiling. The trope that normally pisses me off didnt even get a chance before theyd cleared things up. I want to go back in time and unwatch this just so i can watch it the first time again. I teared up at the end and i deadass do not cry for a n y t h i n g. This is lovely. This is a must watch. This is my literal fucking kryptonite because i am pissing shitting crying that its over or doesnt have a second season. For once in my happily critical life, ive nothing negative to say

(Wait i lied the music choices in the first few episodes can be reaply deranged but it irons out)

Leia Mais

Le duo Jiang Rui Zhi et Lin Pei Yu tape (encore) dans le mille

Les dramas taiwanais ne cessent de me surprendre - notamment ces deux dernières années et pas seulement dans le BL. Aujourd'hui, c'est avec une certaine confiance que je m'y lance. D'autant plus lorsque les noms Jiang Rui Zhi et Lin Pei Yu sont associés. Après tout, on leur doit WBL.

Tout n'est pas parfait dans My Tooth Your Love. Mais le drama reste bon et généreux sur pas mal de points.
L'attraction entre Bai Liang et Xuan An est superbe (les baisers le sont aussi). Bien que je ne regarde pas pour le skinship ou les baisers en premier lieu, j'aime voir une relation saine et loin des clichés thaï avec les poissons morts ou la sensation de dégoût ancré sur le visage des acteurs.
Bref ! On est sur deux adultes (ça fait du bien), l'un est terrifié par les dentistes, l'autre est dentiste. Ça tombe bien. Les personnages sont agréables et mignons à suivre. La relation est jolie. Pas d'alcool, pas de "je vais mourir, je dois lui dire que je l'aime" etc. Bien sûr, nous avons droit à quelques scènes clichées, mais ça reste raisonnable.
Concernant les personnages d'Alex et He Qing Tian, je n'ai pas eu le syndrome du couple secondaire, mais s'il y avait eu quelques épisodes à leur sujet, ça aurait été agréable.
La sœur est également sympathique et le retour de l'ex agréable (ouais, je sais, c'est fou).

Le défaut notable reste (à mes yeux) la réaction des parents de Xun An. Sans trop en dire, c'était vraiment pour amener du mélodrame et probablement cocher la case des "détails inévitables".
Et malgré les quelques défauts, aujourd'hui, je me sens plus confiante lorsque je lance un BL taïwanais plutôt qu'un autre. J'ai beau avoir un amour unique pour les dramas coréens, une majorité de K-BL usent ma patience, car ils ne sont jamais honnêtes dans le genre qu'ils traitent, comme s'ils n'assumaient pas. Ou encore les dramas thaï qui ne sont que recyclage d'intrigues précédentes encore et encore quand ils ne frisent pas eux aussi avec le BL non-assumé (d'ailleurs, j'ai arrêté de regarder la majorité d'entre eux). Même les BL japonais sont devenus insignifiants pour la plupart, car de pâles copies des uns sur les autres parce que c'est tendance. Je m'égare encore et oui, je généralise, cependant y'a des exceptions comme toujours.

Bien qu'on note des défauts, il reste un moment agréable et nous évite un paquet de clichés que, personnellement, je n'ai plus envie de voir. Mature et mignon, je ne dis pas non pour une nouvelle collaboration entre Jiang Rui Zhi et Lin Pei Yu.

PS : qui a validé le bruit de fraise (ou peu importe l'instrument fou du dentiste) à la fin du générique d'intro ? C'est terrifiant.

Leia Mais

Didn’t expect this much sweetness

To those who hesitate to watch the drama, im here to say GO On Try it ♥️ you will gonna love
So much sweetness even my teeth got cavities ??
I didn’t expect much but the drama turns our so sweet and fluffy
The actors have done their job well and how they portrayed the emotions and all are very good!
I really enjoyed the drama and all the sweet moments
Its really a good drama to watch to make yourself relax a bit..
I recommend everyone to watch it for a little candy and sugar!
Well don’t expect things like love in the air but the sweetness is thr

Overall I enjoyed well
I kept smiling throughout the drama
Its nice and lighthearted

Give it a try
Wouldn’t get disappointed <3

Leia Mais

Lovely Taiwanese drama

The leads' chemistry is on fire, their cute moments makes you wanna scream at God and the world "When is it my turn?!" and then fall in despair because the answer is: probably never.

The plot sounds rather unprofessional: a Doctor and his patient? Surprisingly though, given all the other circumstances I didn't mind as much. Their progress is rather slow though if you look at the number of episodes but it certainly didn't feel like it. It's enjoyable to watch, the plot a bit on the heavier side with dealing with trauma.
You will be rewarded though by their cuteness. It's worth it.

Plotwise my biggest problem is how they dealt with Xin'an's father. What was the point of incorporating his disapproval (and physical abuse) if it's resolved by him just staying silent for 10 minutes? That was not done well, unfortunately.

Regardless, a lovely watch, I would recommend to my friends!

Leia Mais

Likable series with a lot of wasted potential

I really enjoyed about two-thirds of this series and was just ok with the last one-third or so.

At first, the series is a nice balance between being light-hearted and serious. Bai Lang's psychological issues and the dentist Jin Xun An's growing concern and attraction for him is sweet without being banal. The back story of Xun An's previous relationship is also nicely done (at first).

Unfortunately, at some point in the series, something goes wrong. I think it starts being somewhat perplexing when Bai Lang (who wants to reject Xun An's love at first because of his own psychological issues) starts behaving as though he does not know whether Xun An likes him.

I also think the series becomes much less interesting about the time the main couple become a couple. First, we have the strange objection of Bai Lang's sister to the relationship and then her change of heart, which is almost as sudden. Then we have the objection of Xun An's father--taken on its own, it doesn't seem to bad, but it feels out of place in the series. It feels as though the story is continued for the sake of being continued.

I also don't know why there seems to be a compulsion to squeeze in as many couples as possible when there is obviously not going to be time to give the other couples enough attention. In the end, we have two other BL couples and one straight couple thrown without contributing much to the series.

There are moments I like, such as how the story veers dangerously close to clichés but doesn't degenerate into clichés. At one point, I was thinking that Xun An's ex, in telling Bai Lang about the foods that Xun An does not eat, would cause Bai Lang to be so insecure that it causes a break-up, but it doesn't happen. I was also half expecting Bai Lang to see Xun An together with his ex (of sorts) and misunderstand Xun An. Thankfully, it doesn't happen either. And yet, I'm not sure whether to give credit to the writer(s) for this. Perhaps there is simply an aversion to heightening the tension in the story further. All too often, things get serious but then fizzle out quickly. In a way, this is both the strength and the weakness of the series.

With a better focus on the main couple and a greater willingness to delve into how Bai Lang's psychological issues could pose a problem in the relationship, the story would have been much stronger. Sure, some of the light-heartedness would be lost, but it would still be possible to have the same happy ending while making the story more moving.

Leia Mais

Enjoyable but doesn’t reach its full potential

The first half of this drama is pretty great - interesting characters, good chemistry between the leads, and compelling themes around grief, healing, and living with mental illness (which is not what I expected based on the very silly name). Unfortunately, the writing is pretty muddled, and the second half is bogged down by unnecessary, tropey plot points (ex boyfriend interference, disapproving family members, etc) that I thought added very little and really distracted from the original narrative. There are also multiple side romances, none of which get enough attention to actually work, so it all just detracts from the main story in the end.

It was an enjoyable watch but ultimately disappointing because the potential to be great was right there and they didn’t take it.

Leia Mais

Sweet toothed drama with cavities towards the end

DISCLAIMER: Apparently episode 12 was leaked so this review is after completing the drama although it was only due to air in 3 days. I watched it on Viki but it's also available on GagaOOlala and WeTV in some regions.

Synopsis:
A story of bar / restaurant owner Bai Ling who is scared of the dentist and then meets his new dentist who is a friend of his sister. The reason for his fear is revealed and their new friendship develops. It's a slow burn initially.

I love Taiwanese dramas and when I heard this was made by the same team as we best love I was excited. It's 12 episodes which is healthy and each are about 30 minutes long. Way better than KBLs. Initially I was impressed by the storyline as it focused on family issues, traumas from childhood, ex loves and I thought I was going to score it 9s and 10s.

The issues are:
a) too many couples, some of whom only really came to life in the last 2 or 3 episodes. It needed more from some for sure.
b) a random family story which again was late in the day and didn't fit in with the rest of the drama
c) it was a slow build up at the beginning and then really rushed at the end

Overall:
It's definitely worth a watch and there are some really cute scenes throughout the drama. It feels a little like Beloved in the house I do where production may have interfered with the production and steered it as opposed to the story. I don't think there is much re-watch value apart from favourite scenes but it could easily have a season 2 or spin off with more from 2 of the other couples.

Enjoy!

Leia Mais