4 Minutes - Blog Posts

Favourite Trope: meeting before canon plot starts.

BL dramas where the characters either met as children or before the show plot started. (Will include spoilers for each show).

- Time of Fever.

This drama was beautiful. It portrayed two childhood friends who were separated for two years to then reunite in their late teens.

The show explores how they struggle to adjust to the new people they have become while trying to pick up where their friendship has left off. The introduction of new feelings and the personal struggles each character goes through in relation to this was explored beautifully. There was a real sense of long pining and teen awkwardness that both the actors and the cinematography displayed with effect.

It was a beautiful show that had me clutching at my plushies at frustration over the chemistry between the main characters. You get a real sense of depth in their relationship. There are many layers and history between them that just gives the show a more poignant feel.

Available on KissKH.

- Minato’s Laundromat.

I have mentioned this drama before and I will probably do so again. This is one of my favourite comfort dramas. While a bit cliche and unrealistic and clearly based off a manga, it is still a fun and capturing watch.

This show tells the story of a jaded man in his late twenties and the peace he has found running a laundromat and the young man who is pursuing him. Their dynamic is flirty, teasing and fun. The characters going through their own growth and learning about each other before they get together.

The added reveal that the main character saved the male lead from drowning as a child adds depth to the male lead’s stubborn pursuit of the main character. What was a memorable but ultimately past moment for the main character was a life changing experience for the male lead. Their first meeting before the show really adds backstory for the show plot and adds another layer to their dynamic.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- 4 Minutes.

This show was a whirlwind of second guessing plots. With plots layered on top of one and another the reveal that the main couple met as children, an event forgotten by both of them, served to be more of an Easter egg for the viewers rather than adding much to their story.

A Easter Egg that I and other viewers ate up. It was fun to watch their interactions as children and see them unknowingly play out similar interactions as adults. Since the majority of this drama plot involved the viewers having knowledge that the characters did not have themselves, the viewers having a omnipotent view of all the interacting events, this reveal into a bit of their childhood was a spoon of sugar to sweeten us for further angst.

Still, the scene was adorable to see and it only added another layer of ‘What if’ to the plot line.

Available on KissKH.

- We Best Love.

Instead of childhood friends to lovers, this is childhood enemies to lovers. Well, one sided enemies to lovers. That just means that their chemistry was that just bit more fiery than other dramas. And I love a good enemies to lovers dynamic. Especially one with lots of history as this one had.

Even in season 2, when they have gone from e-bikes to lovers to bitter exes back to lovers again, their chemistry has a passion to it that many dramas miss. The main couple love each other so much that it angers them. They simply cannot get over each other and even when fighting and manhandling, they are gentle and sweet. As a viewer you can really feel the history between them despite them not getting to know each other on a deeper level until university. The fact that they don’t truly learn about the other properly until they’re adults means that their relationship can develop further than it would have ever done as children. It was great fun to watch.

Available on KissKH and Bilibili.

- Mr Heart.

If you want one sided unrequited love between a silent admirer and someone who doesn’t know he exists, then Mr heart is for you. Adorable and sweet. The drama starts with Jinwon being properly introduced to Sangha and as it develops the viewer gets to see their backstory from both their points of view as the characters get tangled in their marathon careers and their backgrounds.

Well made with a sweet atmosphere despite the angsty parts, it is a wholesome drama with a lovely ending.

Available one Viki and KissKH.

- I became the main role in a BL drama.

This is a short Japanese bl, only 4 episodes. Yet it had such a funny and wholesome story. The character development between the MC and the ML is so sweet and perfectly explored despite the short run time. The side characters were fun and all of it was well acted.

The reveal that they met briefly when they were teenagers is the perfect backstory for the ML’s love and devotion to the MC. He accepted him for his differences and it left a lasting impression.

This show had me laughing.

Available on Bilibili and KissKH.

- Word of Honor.

While China made this a bromance, it’s still high quality gay (with all that flirting and long pining stares, how could it not be?). I love the slow burn and the mysteries that move the plot along.

Especially the mystery behind Wen Kexing’s past. That had me hooked for the majority of the show. The revelation that he and Zhou Zishu had met as children, that their lives were always meant to be tangled together was both lovely and bittersweet for me. Their lives both full of tragedy and trauma yet they still found each other. I did cry watching this show, more than once. Yet I still love it.

Available on Netflix and Viki.

- Kiseki: Dear to me.

While the main couple meet for the first time during the canon plot. The side couple are childhood friends to lover trope, but not without angst and separation and lots of drama.

In any other setting, with any other characters their dynamic would be toxic. It’s codependent and even with the separation, they are too obsessed and wrapped up in each other. They carry a history which is clear in all of their interactions and chemistry. Even though we don’t get to see know how they met, we know that their history is tangled and caught up emotions.

It’s safe to say that the second couple stole the show for me. I wish we got more of their backstory.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- Old Fashion Cupcake.

Another excellent 4 episode drama from Japan. This show is the love story between a 39 year old office worker and his 29 year old coworker. Since the characters are adults there is a softness that is sometimes lacking in other dramas. They are independent and do not need each other. That makes the moments of vulnerability and affection between them that much sweeter.

Their shared history and the flashback of Nozue interviewing and hiring Togawa just add more history to their bond. I love their romance and their bond. One of my favourite comfort shows.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

This took far longer than I expected. Hope you like the recommendations.

Feel free to comment any trope recommendations you want next.

In the middle of nowhere , just the two of us.

BOC loves this theme

So he's reliving his past while he's probably dying due to a heart attack. The great at death's door is somehow changing the circumstances. This is so interesting and confusing. I can't wait to see where it goes.

I don't think Great can actually jump through time, I think everything in this series has already happened and he may be at death's door wanting to re-write all his wrongs.

You are really on to something here

I'm almost positive the aggressive sexual visions Great is having is because his future self, the one flatlining in the hospital, is trying to push him towards Tyme faster. Almost everything the visions have allowed Great to correct lead him to Tyme, save lives, and more importantly, establish to Tyme that he has a much better character than the one he saw in the first timeline.

Great helps pick up the papers instead of dashing off.

Great leaves the flowers to be delivered, instead of going in the room, pressuring the woman, and taking a photo.

Great saves Dome, which will have doubtlessly allowed Tyme to overhear that Great was intervening to save a life during his argument with Title, establishing that he isn't like him. It also allowed Tyme to gauge his personality much sooner, as when he gives him stitches, he gets to see a fairly shy and quiet character, and not a mafia don.

For a character that seems to have a bone to pick with Great's family, Great getting to go back and establish he's a good person that just got in over his head feels important. I think that's why episode 2 took care to establish Tyme could fight before showing him intervening to protect Great. I think him protecting Great was a distinct change in their previous timeline. I think future Great was counting on past Tyme to do this with the benefit of hindsight at his disposal.

I think future Great wants to correct the mistake of handling too much on his own, because it's quite clear this is a very isolated and internal character. A lot would have probably been different if he'd opened up to Tyme sooner and made better choices. Given Tyme is also suffering the consequences of the choices made, I really do think future Great is making himself miserably horny using the visions to push his past self into Tyme's path quicker. I think that's why in the clips of the NC scenes we see, particularly the one where Great is riding Tyme, we see his sex face during the exact moment Tyme finally gets it in. I think it's the visions telling him, "Look how great it'll be if you just give in." He's quite literally breaking himself down, which is dark and I love it.

It seems like future Great believes he can protect them both if he puts out sooner, is basically what I'm saying.

This is a truly blessed year for BL.

I want bible in a comedy asap

Let me see the wound.

4 MINUTES (2024) - Episode 2

That was an amazing first episode , watched it more then 3 times now ( for analysis of course ). The colours, the sex and the ass wow.

Now for the point of this post , the time travel. I have so many questions. I know it's only the first episode and as expected the time travel hijink is a mystery.

Great is not just seeing the images or flashes of the future, he's experiencing it. He's scared after the accident and abandon the women. Then we see it was just a vision. But it's not shot in a way that we feel like he's having a vision , it's shot in a way which makes it seem like he's given a second choice. Like the universe is telling him you are going to make a bad choice asshole, don't do it and go make a better one.

It happened the next time too with tyme. He just runs away after bumping into tyme(lol) , after hearing the women's monologue about the son his age" (chekov's gun ). Then after he gets the vision ( foresight or a warning ), he changes his choice to see the women , sees tyme and gets another vision of them having sex. Of course he gets interested. It's so funny. " Hey I am having these traumatic visions I don't understand but one of them shows me having back breaking sex with a hot doctor so I am going to find out what it's about. "

And tyme's response to both is interesting. In the future vision he's like who's this asshole. Afterwards he's like who is this gorgeous angel that bumped into him.

We know dude , Bible has that effect.

Another interesting point , great makes morally right decision after the visions. Like I said above, it's like he's given a second choice. Expect in the beginning of the ep we saw tyme with a wound ( lmao that name ) and who I assume is great having an cardiac arrest. Somehow his second chances are going to run out.

It could be that the editing and the way the time vision is shown is just creative liberty and I am thinking too much. But it doesn't change the fact that great is making morally right and different choices which is having a positive result in his life. Now will it remain positive is the question ?

God this series is a mindfuck and I am loving it.