VIP Only (2023)

A love that surpasses the arc of time and the lives of the two lovers

Liu Li is a BL-themed novelist who wants to love vehemently, so that he can then express his thoughts in writing. Under the pseudonym Morris, he has published two best-selling novels based on his real-life experiences, but today, after the rejection of his platonic love, he suffers from writer's block and cannot find inspiration to write the third book, which he has already demands his editor.
Seeking inspiration, he sits at the same table every day at Old House, his favorite meat noodle and hot sauce shop, located in the lower part of the building where he rents an apartment, and where he makes blue origami birds for hours, while waiting for the arrival of the muse.
Gu Jin, or Boss Gu, as his employees call him, who was a successful advertising executive until his resignation, caused by a scandal involving his despotic mother, decides not to give up in the face of adversity and takes advantage of his culinary vocation to set up his own restaurant. business as chef and owner of Old House, where he will meet Liu Li.
Starring Stan Huang as Gu Jing, and Chen Xuan Yu as Liu Li, 'VIP Only' (保留席位 / Pao Liu Hsi Wei (Bao Liu Xi Wei), the Taiwanese LGBTIQ+-themed romantic comedy-drama spins in around the love relationship between the handsome and attractive chef who owns the creative and retro restaurant, and the shy boy with a vocation as a novelist who, although he has never been in a relationship, recognizes that as a writer he has many ideas about what it means to be in love.
Director another dreams of continuing to promote his career as a writer.
Based on the script written by Cai Fei Qiao, Xiao Yi Wei and Chen Liang Ci, 'VIP Only' is a tender and delicious story of love and improvement marked by literature and cooking, a relationship that arises between stoves and tables restaurant; a chef with high culinary skills and a regular customer.
Vidol is the Taiwanese streaming platform that makes this and other BL series such as 'Stay by My Side' (2023), 'Anti-Reset' (2024) and 'You Are Mine' (2023).
Like many of the dishes prepared by the chef, the love between the two young people simmers. It all begins when Gu asks Liu Li to go on dates with him to stimulate his imagination and inspire him to continue his work as a writer.
This is how in the middle of a role-play in which they both date each other and pretend to be in love, love surprises them.
Between plates of food, Gu reading Liu Li's novels, hearing about each other's lives while folding origami, or the novelist's determination to learn to cook because Gu is very passionate about the culinary art, both boys will leave getting to know each other and becoming closer, until they discover that they have much more in common than they think, since they were friends in childhood.
Liu Da Ren (Tim Cheng) and Lai Dai Yi / "Lai Tsai" (Kurt Huang), Gu's employee at the restaurant the first and Liu Li's friend the second, will help the two boys in their romance. However, their love will be put to the test when Wu Shin (Kevin Chang), the boy the writer was in love with, returns and tries to win him over.
The cast is completed with the performances of Hsiao Hung as Yao Shun Yu, and Parker Mao in the role of Xia Shang Zhou, protagonists of the Taiwanese BL drama 'You Are Mine', in which they embody these same characters.
The chef will also hallucinate with joy/madness when he discovers that Liu Li thanks Wu Shin for having inspired him to write two best-selling novels, and for teaching him to be brave and confess his love to the person he loves, and chooses him.
The love that unites Liu Li and Gu will surpass the arc of their lives and time, through the book written by the former and inspired by the latter and the romance they live.
Almost everything in 'VIP Only' could be on the verge of crossing the thin line of cheesy, or vulgar melodrama, but it is redeemed by the tenderness of its story, the truth of characters who support each other and manage to overcome difficulties while experiencing personal growth, the chemistry between the two protagonists and the interpretive flexibility of Stan Huang and Chen Xuan Yu.

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Sweet and Enjoy-able

Mini drama series yang mempunyai cerita sederhana, menghibur, dan menemani waktu luangmu terutama di malam hari ; inilah series yang sangat cocok. Menceritakan seorang novelis BL Liu Li dengan segala macam masalah kegalauannya mengenai putus cinta yang membuatnya mengalami art-block untuk berkarya menulis cerita novel BL, kemudian dia menemukan seseorang yang membantunya melewati itu ; dialah seorang boss pemilik kedai mie yang termasuk koki di dalamnya, kisahnya perlahan membaik ; dia sekarang mampu menulis cerita novelnya dengan lebih menyenangkan. Cerita sederhananya mungkin seperti itu, namun sebenarnya tidak sesederhana itu, kalian perlu menontonnya langsung ; ini sangat bagus!. Dari segi dialog mudah difahami, alurnya jelas dan sederhana, ringkas dan padat - sejujurnya series ini tidak bertele-tele ; walaupun punya konflik yang sederhana, namun tidak membosankan, resolusinya juga jelas dan tidak berlebihan. Romansa dari series ini sangat menyenangkan, dibumbui beberapa scene menyedihkan, mewarnai series ini menjadi lebih dinamis untuk disaksikan. Dari segi warna, memiliki warna klasik vintage dengan warna yang tidak terlalu konsisten, terkadang terlalu vibrant, terkadang terlalu pastel. Series ini memberikan pengalaman sederhana mengenai proses move-on, serta menemukan cinta sejati. Beberapa scene mungkin bagi sebagian orang menganggu terutama dibagian masalah Gu Jing dan orang tuanya. Menurutku Series ini rekomdasi banget untuk di tonton.

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For When You Need Some Adorable Fluff

This is not a terribly deep, complex story by miles, however it’s not trying to be.

VIP Only is more of a slice of life story of two people falling in love It is quiet and takes its time. It meanders through affection to love. It’s very sweet. Conflict is minimal but does last a couple episodes due to their short length.

Stan and Xuan have great chemistry together. Not the very thirsty, sexy chemistry one may expect from or look for in many Thai BLs, but rather a very cozy and comforting chemistry. These are actors who very much feel at ease together and who create a very believable picture of two individuals who will ultimately create a long lasting life together.

Liu Li can be pretty oblivious and dense, I won’t lie. He has that sweet, dumb puppy kind of personality but that isn’t all there is to him. It’s easy to dismiss or discount him but you see the layers if you’re looking.

Gu Jing can be reserved and even standoffish but the warm, fuzzy bits shine through when he’s with Liu Li. This is someone who shows how he feels through actions rather than words, gifts or grand gestures.

Ren is a grumpy, very sassy curmudgeon. Yet he grows on you and eventually shows glimpses of his soft bits and the way he cares for others under his prickly nature.

If you want a thought-provoking story, this isn’t what you’re looking for. If you want hot, rip each other’s clothes off chemistry and NC scenes, this isn’t what you’re looking for. If you want a lot of twists and turns, tension and suspense, well this is definitely not what you are looking for. But if you want a show that makes you feel the way a warm cup of cocoa or a big bowl of your favorite soup makes you feel on a chilly day, then this is worth watching. If you want a love story that feels like a blanket right out of the dryer, then this is a good bet.

Sometimes you just want something sweet and simple to give you a dose of happy. For me, that’s what this show is.

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