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labcat
This review may contain spoilers
Consider this series underrated even at the current 8.4 MDL rating
My impressions may not be accurate, but it feels like not that many people out there are raving about this series. Or at least there should be more people raving about it.
Amongst all the BL series, censored and uncensored, that I have watched over the years, this is one of the few transcends the boundaries of typical BL series and is deeply moving. Although I watched the uncut version, which has longer episodes, the series feels much longer in a good way. The plot and character development are done impressively well.
The bulk of the series is set in the 1920s, which facilitates the treatment of issues like homophobia and the subjugation of women in society. There are LGBTQ characters, but the series does not give the impression that it is including lesbian and queer characters as a token act of inclusivity, to generate hype or as a means of creating humor. Even relatively minor characters are presented with nuance. Impressively, the series even broaches potentially controversial issue of reproductive rights, with one female character deciding to get an abortion when she finds herself pregnant after a traumatic incident of marital rape. One may also appreciate the added layer of complexity when the issue of class differences enter the relationships that are already taboo due to sexual orientation.
If I have to specify a flaw in the series, it is that the story is incomplete. We see Jom traveling from 2023 to the 1920s and meeting Yai. However, it is hinted (actually quite directly shown, especially at the end of the uncut version after the closing credits) that Yai has a previous incarnation before the 1920s. A monk they meet also say that the two of them are destined to meet each other. Unfortunately, at the end of the uncut version, we catch a glimpse of Jom traveling to the unspecified era before the 1920s (assuming he's not dreaming or anything). This also means that Yai will inevitably be separated from Jom in two of the lifetimes. There is obviously a Season 2 tease, and I hope Season 2 gets made.
The seemingly happy ending of the current season leaves one feeling a little perplexed because it is unexplained. How does Yai turn up in the house where Jom is? Has he traveled to the future (impossible since the belongings he left behind suggest that he does not meet Jom again in his lifetime)? Is he a ghost? Is he a reincarnation of Yai (but how would his reincarnation know about Jom)? In the end, the saddening truth we know is that after Jom disappears from the 1920s (and returns to 2023 involuntarily), Yai spends the rest of his life pinning for Jom.
Amongst all the BL series, censored and uncensored, that I have watched over the years, this is one of the few transcends the boundaries of typical BL series and is deeply moving. Although I watched the uncut version, which has longer episodes, the series feels much longer in a good way. The plot and character development are done impressively well.
The bulk of the series is set in the 1920s, which facilitates the treatment of issues like homophobia and the subjugation of women in society. There are LGBTQ characters, but the series does not give the impression that it is including lesbian and queer characters as a token act of inclusivity, to generate hype or as a means of creating humor. Even relatively minor characters are presented with nuance. Impressively, the series even broaches potentially controversial issue of reproductive rights, with one female character deciding to get an abortion when she finds herself pregnant after a traumatic incident of marital rape. One may also appreciate the added layer of complexity when the issue of class differences enter the relationships that are already taboo due to sexual orientation.
If I have to specify a flaw in the series, it is that the story is incomplete. We see Jom traveling from 2023 to the 1920s and meeting Yai. However, it is hinted (actually quite directly shown, especially at the end of the uncut version after the closing credits) that Yai has a previous incarnation before the 1920s. A monk they meet also say that the two of them are destined to meet each other. Unfortunately, at the end of the uncut version, we catch a glimpse of Jom traveling to the unspecified era before the 1920s (assuming he's not dreaming or anything). This also means that Yai will inevitably be separated from Jom in two of the lifetimes. There is obviously a Season 2 tease, and I hope Season 2 gets made.
The seemingly happy ending of the current season leaves one feeling a little perplexed because it is unexplained. How does Yai turn up in the house where Jom is? Has he traveled to the future (impossible since the belongings he left behind suggest that he does not meet Jom again in his lifetime)? Is he a ghost? Is he a reincarnation of Yai (but how would his reincarnation know about Jom)? In the end, the saddening truth we know is that after Jom disappears from the 1920s (and returns to 2023 involuntarily), Yai spends the rest of his life pinning for Jom.
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