I kept pondering for weeks on how to introduce this special genre. The reason is very simple. You either love it or hate it from the beginning. I ended up with a Taiwanese production which I realized is my favorite one.
Based on a book, this 2021 drama has already released the first two parts and a third season is on discussion.
We Best Love: No.1for You
We Best Love: Fighting Mr 2nd
Stars:
Gao Shide ( Sam Lin) and Zhu Shuyi (Yu Teng) meet in the 5th grade. Up until then Zhu Shuyi had always been the No.1 student. After Gao Shide's appearance he becomes No.2 since Shide excels in everything. When they enter college, Shuyi feels that finally he will not be overshadowed by his rival and he will manage to become No.1 again. However, Gao Shide appears once more in his senior year. But is Shide's struggle for the first position out of rivalry? No! For him it's the only way to endure all those years of his secret unrequitted love for Shuyi and to keep watching him from afar.
"If first place is the only way to make you see me, then I will never lose to you before you fall in love with me." (Shide's quote)
The actors of this drama are beyond description. For Yu Teng it's his first acting effort since he is a singer. It was his song, Aqua Blue, that was initially chosen for the series soundtrack and then the production team decided to cast him for the role of Shuyi. The result was beyond their expectations. The chemistry between the leading actors is what has ranked this drama as the Nr 1 BL for every viewer. Every single step of their relationship is unfolded with a delicate intensity and makes us hold our breath watching them experience a series of emotional outbursts especially during the second season. "Fighting Mr 2nd" takes place 5 years later, where the two heroes work at the same company. I will not make any reference to the plot since it will be a spoiller, but this second part offered the oportunity to these two actors to master their acting skills. For the most important scenes of this part they were told to improvise and indeed the result cannot be described unless you watch it.Sam Lin and Yu Teng do not act, they experience every second of pain and desperation until their emotional climax.
Even the song Aqua Blue (initially written for "Call Me by Your Name" but fortunately was not used) was destined for this BL masterpiece.