Chinese BL - from Taiwan, Hong Kong and China

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This + sequel, were quite popular when they came, but they aren't my cup of tea. Probably largely due to the fact that I really don't find the slick, metrosexual type of guys a´la Chinese/Korean boyband, appealing... Nor does the melodramatic type of story-telling suit my taste.  I prefer down-to-earth, simple kind of love stories in everyday type of settings, with your everyday type of normal guys. 

But if you like that type of guys and that type of stories--sure. The flicks in themselves, aren't that bad--but not good either. 

Sequel to "A Round Trip to Love".

So precious, a classic. 

Of the adaptations of Chai Ji-Dan's novels, this would be the most "realistic" in both story and how it's told. (Compare to "Counterattack"--also called "Falling in Love With a Rival", and with "Advance Bravely"...) The novel is crazy, yes, but not QUITE as crazy as her other works. (All of them are EXTREMELY dirty, though. But that part is sparse in this one, as well as "Counterattack", and completely absent in "Advance Bravely", due to Chinese laws.)

The dramatizations of the ones before mentioned, are flat/boring/bad--and very glossy--respectively--but this one has a different feel. A more mellow coming-of-age type of story, that relies more on the dynamics and developing relationships between the characters, than everything that goes on around them. Two (fairly...) normal teen boys falling in love. It's charming and the chemistry between the guys is soooooo nice.

The drama only covers about half of the first book (of two), since it was discontinued. The reasons are a bit unclear but probably the Chinese media ban on LGBTQ content, was a big part of it.

But if one wants to know the full story--both novels are fan translated and available here and there--on Wattpad, for example. Be sure to support Sai's "official" translation (she has permission from the author of the novels, Chai Ji-Dan) and has worked very, very hard with this. I know, since I helped out with the editing for a while. 

Taiwan is supposedly making a reboot, which made the fans go ballistic, (especially since Taiwan are allowed to show actual gay content and therefore can include at least some of the VERY graphic content from the novels) but it turned out that the story is a free adaptation and does not include these guys. But it'll probably still be worth a watch. The Taiwanese usually manage to produce decent--to amazing--stuff.

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