Amor Colateral (2024)

A fun show that is a big step forward for LGBTA+ stories in China, but with a thin plot.

While recent past BL drama adaptions are often heavily censored to work around restrictions (The Untamed, Word of Honor) or never even see an airing date in China (Immortality, Winner is King), it is with the joint efforts of a Thai team joining the roster that made Meet You at the Blossom able to limbo its way past such restrictions. In such daring a move, Meet You at the Blossom manages to pass as a Thai drama -- even though it is very much Chinese at its heart and maintains a large involvment from its Chinese team. It is a big step forward for uncensored LGBTA+ stories being shared in China, and that point alone makes me respect this drama and all involved very highly.

Meet You at the Blossom is a charming show. It's not perfect, and I would argue that the the 12 numbered episode run somewhat hinders the potential for what could be a great and more interesting plot. Yet while I personally would have liked to see and understand more of the political story that's going on in the dramas background -- especially as it seems to directly affect many of the characters we come to know in this show -- MYATB isn't a political drama. It very much focuses on the relationship between Zongzhen Huai'en and Jin Xiaobao; following them from their first meeting and story of falling of love, and how they have to face the struggles of betrayal and misunderstandings due to the circumstances surrounding them and the choices which are made (namely, Huai'en's choices). In terms of how much it works as an adaption from its original source material, MYATB follows the original story it's based from almost page for page.

I must warn however that the romance between Zongzhen Huai'en and Jin Xiabao may not be for everyone. Huai'en is possessive and jealous (he has his reasons), and in being so his actions at times toward Xiaobao can be seen as questionnable. For some this may be a trigger point, so do be prepared before going into this incase that's not for you. It doesn't help that the instances of when certain actions happen during this show are followed in ways that can be seen as dismissive or even taken as an aspect of comedy to laugh off the red flag behaviour. Again, the show has 12 episodes that average at 40 minutes an episode, and I feel like even just a few more shows could have helped flesh aspects of the story out better -- especially that of Huai'en's journey from never knowing love and affection from anyone in his life to finding and learning how to love someone through the way Xiaobao treats him.

Yet for the most part I enjoyed this show. It was nice to follow the episodes as they dropped and to have a less serious story to pick up and watch along with inbetween some of the bigger, more intricate dramas that have been releasing this year. I never felt that I wasn't enjoying the show at any point, and the critiques I have do not take away from what I did like. Again, for what this show is trying to achieve I respect it, and I do believe that if people are interested in seeing what Meet You at the Blossom has to offer, they should. The actors all did a great job, the costume and set designs are beautiful, and although the dubbing could be wacky at times, I didn't mind it. You can tell the show was on a smaller budget, but if anything it only added to its charm. Plus, it was a nice change to see a male and male couple that were allowed to show outward affection for a change and to kiss onscreen. I don't know if we'll see such a thing again soon from China, but perhaps the merging of two teams from two different countries is just the start of a work around on getting some of these stories to air.

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Titanically fun series to watch

I love history-period pieces, especially Asian ones since I know so little about Asian cultures and customs in general. For me, I romanticize the story even more and thus, it becomes pure escapism. I confess that I got completely lost in the complexities of the story and with the names and who is kindred to whom. I had a hard time following the lineage of who is related to whom and therefore the story for me got a shade complicated. However, I got the gist of the story and all I was interested in really were the main characters. They were not just entertaining. They were tantalizing. For some reason, decidedly handsome men in exotic period costumes add a greater dimension to the level of the portrayals of their characters they are playing. While at first the story seemed a bit juvenile, once it starts to evolve, it becomes an epic love saga, albeit a painful one. While this series has a swashbuckling feel about it, it is deeper than what it is given credit for. To be sure, there are some inane moments, and superficial scenes, but it never loses its mythos about the power of love.

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Cute Period Drama

I was skeptical of it on episode 1. I was like umm.... Then it got better lol. You have to get past the first episode or 2.
What's with the dubbing? Aren't they all Chinese so figured they would speak Chinese too but they actually speak Thai? None of their bios says anything about Thai so I was confused lol.
I hate dubbing series, I could tolerate this BECAUSE I basically watched it on low volume or none at all cause it bothers me when the lips and words don't add up 🤣 I don't know the language but I can tell it isn't Chinese by their lips and dubs. They'll stop talking on screen but the dub keeps going. I hope you all understand what I mean. I don't understand why they dub series. JUST USE ORGINIAL VOICE. That or get actors who all speak Chinese or whatever the language the series is suppose to be based on lol.
In the beginning, Wang Yun Kai acting was eh but it got better. Don't expect much cause it's his first acting role. I wouldn't say its terrible. I've seen much worse.
Anyways Xia Bao got on my nerves at times. He was wanting Huai En from the beginning then it was like I don't like you anymore after Huai En already fell in love with him. I get why Xiao Bao acts like that, I mean his family fell BUT going as far as wanting Huai En to die?? Xiao Bao won't let him explain anything which makes it worse. When Huai En finally found Xiao Bao after everything, his confession and him wanting to be with Xiao Bao forever. Then said I love you. I got butterflies BUT Xiao Bao basically said screw you and was giving him a wtf face 💀
I wanted to slap Su Yin cause quite frankly, it's none of his business to interfere with their relationship. Basically encourages Xiao Bao to hate Huai En. He was sketchy to me too. I thought he loved Xiao Bao as more than a friend then he's like 2 men together is wrong etc etc. So I'm thinking ummm I guess I'm wrong.
I didn't like Shao Yu. He always was disgusted of Xiao Bao and Huai En. I thought he was homosexual too cause I mean, look at the way he is towards Su Yin and just his actions. Huai En and Xiao Bao doesn't even show signs before but Shao Yu....I questioned from the beginning 🤔
One of my favorite characters was the Miracle Doctor, Que Si Ming. He instigates. He would sit back and watch EVERYTHING with a smile or smirk because it never involved him, just a bystander 😭 He didn't care what he said. When he said "you're ex lover is here" to Xiao Bao 🤣 I wish it shown more of him and Jin Bao relationship. It was adorable how he became a doctor hoping to find Jin Bao one day. He would turn his nose up or roll his eyes if he seen Huai En and Xiao Bao close. Don't even, don't act like you don't love another guy as well, your dear Jin Bao. 🤣 I'm very curious of what Si Ming's "hobbies" were.
This is VERY petty of me to say this, Xiao Bao big ass tacky necklace and his nails 😭😭💀 That necklace was way too big and didn't really match lol. These are my pet peeves so I always notice them.
The stabbing scenes though. They barely do it. If you want to do terrible damage, do it more than just an inch 💀 Xiao Bao thinking he ki**** Huai En. You barely stabbed him. 🤣🤣🤣
On the last episode, I wanted to slap the little sister cause she wouldn't give them any alone time. Literally was EVERYWHERE. Like stop you little brat. I know you're doing it to spite and tease Huai En but there comes a point when you gotta stop.They are finally together. GIVE THEM SOME SPACE.
Some are saying Leslie Li's acting was bad cause of emotions etc. I think he acted perfectly. Huai En character is known to be cold and not care about anything. I mean look how he was raised, to basically hate everyone and everything just for revenge which is the only thing in his mind (before meeting Xiao Bao) so he won't have any expressions/emotions. After meeting Xiao Bao he still wanted to steal the book FOR HIS FREEDOM. You could tell he was iffy about it when he started liking Xiao Bao but had to for his piece of shit dad. If not, he probably would have beaten Huai En until he was black and blue or go as far as to k*** him. Therefore I'm not that angry at Huai En.
He does smile at times when it involves Xiao Bao. He's not always straight faced.
If you all are gonna talk about his expressions, it's the EXACT same as Wang Yibo in The Untamed. His character's emotions are similar to Huai En so....🤔 I'm not saying the characters are alike cause they are VERY different BUT just some of the emotions I'm comparing.
Also, I LOVE Chinese period dramas. That's what I mainly watch when I'm watching Chinese series. I also love BL so I'm like omg my favorite 2 genres in one series 😅 I always wanted a period drama BL. There is The Untamed etc BUT they aren't actually considered BLs...
I watched weekly from episode 1. I rarely do that. I always wait til the series end but I couldn't wait. Each week it ended in cliffhangers. I was so eager for the next week.
Overall I enjoyed it. I laughed and cried. Some might have not cried at all and are like wtf are you talking about. Usually when a character cries, I cry with them 💀
I'll definitely rewatch my favorite scenes. Some parts I wanted to strangle the characters but then I'm like it's just a show 🤣 It deserves more than a 9.5 BUT not a complete 10. Although I did all 10s.
I recommend if you like period dramas and/or BLs. Its considered a BL but its not your typical BL. So don't expect to have kiss scenes and all. They imply they do stuff though. Their chemistry is off the charts which makes it even better, even though they don't show anything. Personally I wish it shown more, had more kisses, even just pecks BUT we know they love each other deeply and chemistry is amazing so it's enough for me. 🥰❤️

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Lo mejor de dos mundos

Es la primera vez que veo un drama en colaboración entre China y Taiwán y aunque no sabía que esperar, termino siendo una gran combinación, con toda esa magia de la cultura china con sus dramas históricos, pero sin la cencura que es la que muchas veces no nos deja disfrutar completamente de las historias bl.

La historia me gusto mucho, una buena mezcla de romance, drama, diversión y amistad; Xiao Bao es un protagonista adorable, super dulce, un niño mimado y un poco travieso y muy enamoradizo, me morí de amor con ese niño, al igual que con su familia y amigos, tenía un círculo cercano que lo amaba mucho, con un padres y hermana cariñosos, sus guardaespaldas leales y super divertidos que hacían un equipo fenomenal, así como Su Yin, otro amigo fiel que aunque era algo estricto, lo quería tanto que se arriesgaba completamente con tal de protegerlo. Lastimosamente el otro protagonista no contaba con el mismo apoyo, ya que su "padre" era un ser miserable que lo torturo toda la vida y lo convirtió en un asesino, solo contaba con el apoyo de sus leales guardaespaldas; hasta que conoció a Xiao Bao, desde ese momento conoció el verdadero amor y la vida de ambos cambio radicalmente.

Crearon un vinculo muy fuerte, lleno de altibajos; ambos sufrieron y con ayuda del otro y de las personas a su alrededor crecieron como personas y maduraron bastante. El final fue muy bonito, después de tanto sufrimiento, ya era hora que todos fueran felices.

No les doy 10 estrellas, porque aunque evidetemente los protagonistas tenían mucha química y se amaban profundamente; no soy muy fan de las relaciones posesivas 🚩 y sé que aunque el pobre de Huai En es resultado del maltrato de su padrastro, no justifico que por sus celos obsesivos le causara tanto daño a Xia Bao y a personas inocentes; para mí un amor más real, puro y devoto era el de Su Yin, que aunque nunca confirmo que sintiera amor romántico por Xiao Bao, si demostro con hechos y acciones lo importante que era para él, siempre lo protegio y lo apoyo, buscando lo mejor para el inocente príncipe, incluso cuando no estuvo de acuerdo con su elección final, siguio deseando lo mejor para su vida... Su Yin es un hombre maravilloso y espero que tenga una vida increíble y que encuentre a alguien que lo ame y lo valore como lo merece (probablemente ya lo encontró, solo le falta darse cuenta y educarlo un montón 🤭)

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A missed opportunity to make something remarkable

This series made a bold attempt to blend historical drama and wuxia in to a BL romance series and while it succeeded in some areas, it failed in others.

The story revolves around a rich and naïve Jin Xiao Bao who mistakes Huai En to be a girl and falls head over heels for him. What starts as a mistaken identity slowly develops in to love. Their relationship is tested time and again, while a sinister plot of revenge looms in the background.

The series excels in its visual presentation. The cinematography and costumes are praiseworthy. But at the same time the character development is superficial. Huai En,
portrayed as a mysterious figure, remains enigmatic without substantial depth. The plot, despite intriguing premises, suffers from rushed pacing and predictable outcomes. The potential for a captivating love story between Jin Xiao Bao and Huai En is squandered due to a lack of chemistry and compelling interactions.

Although the series has its shortcomings, it has its moments of brilliance. The character of Jin Xiao Bao was played well by Wang Yun Kai and Li Jun Liang did justice to the character of Su Yin.

In conclusion, the series had a lot of potential and showed glimpses of a deeper story waiting to be explored. Alas, it was marred by lazy writing and lack of ambition to make it a truly remarkable wuxia themed BL series

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Actuaciones y química de los actores de alto nivel

No tenía expectativas, simplemente quería apoyar el primer proyecto de adaptación Danmei sin censura, sin embargo me llevé una muy grata sorpresa. Las actuaciones son muy buenas y los protagonistas pueden transmitir todos los sentimientos de los personajes a la perfección. En las escenas más dramáticas me hizo llorar lo cual no es frecuente y la química entre los actores realmente te hacía sentir que están enamorados.
Después leí la novela escrita en la que está basado y es muy fiel, los cambios que hicieron (como la edad del personaje de Huaien) me parecieron muy pertinentes. Puedo decir que el drama es mejor incluso que la novela.
Me enteré que son actores novatos, realmente no lo noté mientras veía; que espero que tengan muchos más proyectos.

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Si no tuviera esas escenas de non con seria perfecto

Me tarde en verla pero estoy muy feliz de que que al fin tengamos una adaptación de danmei sin censura. La historia me gusto y la pareja principal tiene varios tropos que me gustan mucho. La serie me entretuvo y la pase bien.

Los dos personajes principales tienen un desarollo notable a lo largo de la historia, principalmente Xiaobao. Aunque la pareja ya esta establecida en el capitulo 5 casi, no senti que estuviera apresurado. Eso si, hay ciertas escenas que pudieron haber sido cambiadas.
Las escenas esas con consentimiento dudoso te la bajan un poco mucho. Encima no es una, ni dos, tres veces. La primera me parecio rarisima re gacha life 24 horas en celo que onda. La segunda te la dejo pasar. La tecera es un horror.

Las parejas secundarias son una mierda. Sentia que a uno lo infantilizaban mucho y realmente no tenian nada que me llamara la atencion. Por eso Su Yin y el doctor debieron haber terminado juntos.

Decido gaslightearme y pensar que las escenas non con y las parejas secundarias no existen porque posta ame esta serie aaa

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I LOVED IT!

Guys… I’m so happy. I haven’t rated a BL show a 9/10 in a LONG WHILE. But this did it for me, like oh my god I just loved it. I’ve noticed I tend to like BL’s with a traditional setting more regardless of the plot, like it’s just a huge preference for me so I should definitely approach BL’s like that more often. But yeah, let talk about it! I want to appreciate the beautiful scenery in every episode, and the beautiful actors as well. They were all in a face card war cause Jesus they were all beautiful, mainly the mains. The outfits are absolutely stunning and detailed, it just made them look even better. The story was okay, a little confusing, but honestly it was a bit understandable once you reached the end more and more but still some questions. I don’t watch a lot of Chinese BL and I think this is my first traditional setting BL from China, because of the obvious laws in China, and I’m a HUGE physical touch person, it’s a bit controversial but it does make it more interesting to watch. I know this isn’t the most physical touch BL but I loved it regardless, the kiss at the end was worth it, and their chemistry was pretty good. I just loved the whole vibe. In other shows I would probably drop or skip through a lot because honestly the story was a bit mediocre but somehow it kept me hooked, idk what it was but I was hooked. I watched every single episode without skipping or fast forwarding, and that’s like so rare with shows these days, I have to at least fast forward in the last episode or last couple episodes. But here they managed to hook me in each episode, everything perfectly balanced. I really do hope in the future they have more traditional settings in BL’s it doesn’t matter where, either Korea, Japan, China, or Thailand. I know China has a lot of them but they’re very censored, but I mean a BL that’s something like this or even more would be the DEATH of me. Anyway, there really isn’t much to criticize here, other than I wish Zong Zheng Huai En and Jin Xiao Bao had a bit more of screen time being happy, a lot revolved around the drama going on rather than their relationship but at the same time it was enough, honestly a special episode of them just being together for like 20 minutes would be lovely, and last thing to mention is how Zong Zheng Shao Yu (The 2nd prince I think) had a VoiceOver in the show, he is Thai irl so idk if he was speaking Thai which explains why the VoiceOver did not match what his mouth was saying, but like they could’ve done better in that, it’s not super distracting, just something you can notice. But yeah that’s all, really good show I recommend it, I want more of them and I want more BL with a traditional setting and a HAPPY ending, can’t leave that out.

PLEASE SOMEONE STOP JIN XIAO YOU FROM NOT LETTING THESE TWO LOVEBIRDS KISS UGH!!!

=-.Fav Quotes From This Diva.-=

“Why are you scolding him for no reason, instead of sucking your mother’s milk.” - Jin Xiao Bao

“Look at your creepy eyes, you must be a weasel.” - Jin Xiao Bao

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