Red Balloon
I'm really excited about this next review because I've stumbled across a BL treasure, the Taiwanese short series Red Balloon.
Summary: In 2003, high school student Chen has excellent grades and is an all-round star performer across many different fields. New student and photography enthusiast Wan transfers to Chen's school, under a mysterious cloud about the reasons for his transfer. Outgoing and friendly Wan draws the reticent Chen into a friendship that soon becomes much closer. An extreme decision taken by Chen's father has drastic consequences for the boys' friendship. Almost fourteen years later, Chen (now married) and Wan meet again, setting off a chain of events that could change everything.
I think I've come to realise that I prefer BL dramas that have a stronger leaning towards a more serious, original and romantic approach, rather than those that opt for the crowd-pleasing formulaic approach (ie, harsh or hateful character dynamics transform into love, with plenty of comedy, slapstick, jealousy, tantrums and obstacles along the way). It definitely helps if the story offers an original twist on the BL template as well. This is where Red Balloon excels. Its success possibly even rivals the monumental achievement of Grey Rainbow. Where that excellent series sometimes got bogged down in poor writing and padding, and almost self-destructs with its god-awful ending, Red Balloon trims out the fat and focuses almost entirely on quick straightforward character development and a cohesive central narrative. Its almost perfect structure is critically important to its effectiveness. It only contains eight episodes, each about 10 minutes long, so that's certainly one of the main reasons why there's no padding. But length is not a guarantee of quality by any means. So how does Red Balloon manage it?
One contributing factor is that the screenplay shifts into gear rapidly and never flags. There are almost no boring or unnecessary scenes, everything that's said and done has its purpose and achieves it concisely. As soon as Wan meets Chen and starts taking rather invasive photos of him without any hesitation, he wrests Chen out of his solitude and shyness firmly but gently and with lots of kind attention. There's no screaming, no fighting, no resisting, no tantrums. Just two boys coming to terms with their mutual interest in each other. That's not to say there are no BL cliches, but they aren't pointless or overinflated, and they don't detract from the natural flow of the story (I'm looking at you, Love Sick). There's a fistfight where Chen defends Wan from thugs; when Chen falls sick, Wan nurses him back to health; Chen is pursued by a pretty girl, which disturbs his already hectic emotional state; Wan lavishes attention on Chen, but fortunately it doesn't infantilise him, as such attentions usually do in standard BL. We are eventually given insight into Wan's rather sad past, which sets his present state within a tragic, heroic framework. They are all part of the experience of coming to terms with their sexuality as teenagers. I loved that there was no excess in any of these scenes, they played seamlessly into each other and, most importantly, enhanced the story as a whole.
The other important and unusual aspect of the story is that it twists time. We initially meet Chen and Wan in 2017 as thirty-somethings, then jump back to 2003 when they first meet at high school, then move forward to 2010 when Chen makes a soul-crushing decision that alters the course of his life, and again into 2017 for the final phase of the story. Normally this sort of time shifting can be confusing in a film, but it's always clear in Red Balloon 'when' the action is taking place. Starting in 2017 might not have been the wisest move though, because we are suddenly presented with suggestions of events from the past that we haven't viewed yet. In any case, major spoilers are averted and we can soon travel back in time to the beautiful sigh-inducing era when the boys fell in love at school, which is by now already rose-tinted before we've even met them. Nostalgia is a powerful romantic aphrodisiac, and this is the best reason possible for using the time shift device. It's one of Red Balloon's best achievements, and a great start for a romantic melodrama.
I've not seen a high school BL drama yet that pulls off what Red Balloon manages to accomplish in its short running time. It's all so wistful and romantic without being saccharine or overplayed. With the exception of one poor choice that I will describe later, there's nothing absurd or ridiculous that strains credibility. There are some really lovely touches in the 2003 scenes. I especially loved when Chen ordered a glass of milk at a bar that Wan takes him to; it spoke volumes about who he is without any need for exposition. The eventual avowals are adorably indirect without being too coy, and are beautifully underplayed. The only weak spots in this section of the series involve a subplot concerning a young student who is very cruelly bullied for being gay, and the character of Chen's father. In itself, the bullying subplot is very well handled and deeply disturbing, but I don't feel that it was necessary to include it. Even though it has an indirect influence on Chen and Wan, it distracts from the continuity of the fast-paced central storyline. But creating Chen's father as a gangster is a serious misstep. It's ridiculous and strikes entirely the wrong tone, in a series that otherwise avoids the outrageous and is tonally consistent. He does, however, bring about the extraordinary climactic scene in the 2003 episodes, with Chen frantic and in tears in the front garden at his house. You can expect to be bawling your eyes out at this scene, it's devastating.
While it's slightly disappointing to leave all this young love behind in 2003, the 'future' scenes are just as effective. They are, if anything, too short. (A sequel is needed!) The focus is on the adult Chen and the changes in his life since school. And while the finale might be predictable and a little too subdued by adult practicality, there's just enough of the spark of youthful romance to leave you wonderfully happy with what you've just watched.
So while Grey Rainbow far outclasses Red Balloon by having much grander ambitions and an impressive emotional breadth, the latter is actually better made and a more polished product. Does this in fact make it the perfect BL series - or quite possibly the best? I can't decide, but as it stands, it probably isn't. All I can say with certainty is that Red Balloon is genuinely exquisite, and created so as to let its subtle power and nostalgia gently glow over time and warm your heart. There's profound pain and tragedy in the boys' lost time apart, but the strength and purity of their childhood love outlasts the cynicism and cruelty of love in the time of adulthood. As Wan says, "such selfish and cruel love belongs to adults; it can't properly be called love, no matter how beautiful it is. True love is a part of youth". This arresting observation expresses the very best reason for the existence of Boys Love drama, both as cinematic art and as a tribute to the purity and innocence of youth, and the fact that it's portrayed so beautifully in one of the finest examples of BL ever made is even more of a reason to cherish it.
Rating: 16 out of 20. Must see.
Ending: Subtly happy.
Best scene: without question, the extraordinary garden scene.
UPDATE: I forgot to point out Red Balloon's incredible soundtrack; it's one of the very best in a BL drama. Mellow singer Evangeline has not just one but two incredibly beautiful, powerful ballads in the soundtrack. But even better that these, the initial few bars of the track by Gao Kai Wei "If I can be more beautiful" 如果我能更美麗 that plays over the opening credits in each episode is almost angelic in its perfection. It's the pure essence of the nostalgic romanticism of Red Balloon. I get tears in my eyes whenever I hear it!
Summary: In 2003, high school student Chen has excellent grades and is an all-round star performer across many different fields. New student and photography enthusiast Wan transfers to Chen's school, under a mysterious cloud about the reasons for his transfer. Outgoing and friendly Wan draws the reticent Chen into a friendship that soon becomes much closer. An extreme decision taken by Chen's father has drastic consequences for the boys' friendship. Almost fourteen years later, Chen (now married) and Wan meet again, setting off a chain of events that could change everything.
I think I've come to realise that I prefer BL dramas that have a stronger leaning towards a more serious, original and romantic approach, rather than those that opt for the crowd-pleasing formulaic approach (ie, harsh or hateful character dynamics transform into love, with plenty of comedy, slapstick, jealousy, tantrums and obstacles along the way). It definitely helps if the story offers an original twist on the BL template as well. This is where Red Balloon excels. Its success possibly even rivals the monumental achievement of Grey Rainbow. Where that excellent series sometimes got bogged down in poor writing and padding, and almost self-destructs with its god-awful ending, Red Balloon trims out the fat and focuses almost entirely on quick straightforward character development and a cohesive central narrative. Its almost perfect structure is critically important to its effectiveness. It only contains eight episodes, each about 10 minutes long, so that's certainly one of the main reasons why there's no padding. But length is not a guarantee of quality by any means. So how does Red Balloon manage it?
One contributing factor is that the screenplay shifts into gear rapidly and never flags. There are almost no boring or unnecessary scenes, everything that's said and done has its purpose and achieves it concisely. As soon as Wan meets Chen and starts taking rather invasive photos of him without any hesitation, he wrests Chen out of his solitude and shyness firmly but gently and with lots of kind attention. There's no screaming, no fighting, no resisting, no tantrums. Just two boys coming to terms with their mutual interest in each other. That's not to say there are no BL cliches, but they aren't pointless or overinflated, and they don't detract from the natural flow of the story (I'm looking at you, Love Sick). There's a fistfight where Chen defends Wan from thugs; when Chen falls sick, Wan nurses him back to health; Chen is pursued by a pretty girl, which disturbs his already hectic emotional state; Wan lavishes attention on Chen, but fortunately it doesn't infantilise him, as such attentions usually do in standard BL. We are eventually given insight into Wan's rather sad past, which sets his present state within a tragic, heroic framework. They are all part of the experience of coming to terms with their sexuality as teenagers. I loved that there was no excess in any of these scenes, they played seamlessly into each other and, most importantly, enhanced the story as a whole.
The other important and unusual aspect of the story is that it twists time. We initially meet Chen and Wan in 2017 as thirty-somethings, then jump back to 2003 when they first meet at high school, then move forward to 2010 when Chen makes a soul-crushing decision that alters the course of his life, and again into 2017 for the final phase of the story. Normally this sort of time shifting can be confusing in a film, but it's always clear in Red Balloon 'when' the action is taking place. Starting in 2017 might not have been the wisest move though, because we are suddenly presented with suggestions of events from the past that we haven't viewed yet. In any case, major spoilers are averted and we can soon travel back in time to the beautiful sigh-inducing era when the boys fell in love at school, which is by now already rose-tinted before we've even met them. Nostalgia is a powerful romantic aphrodisiac, and this is the best reason possible for using the time shift device. It's one of Red Balloon's best achievements, and a great start for a romantic melodrama.
I've not seen a high school BL drama yet that pulls off what Red Balloon manages to accomplish in its short running time. It's all so wistful and romantic without being saccharine or overplayed. With the exception of one poor choice that I will describe later, there's nothing absurd or ridiculous that strains credibility. There are some really lovely touches in the 2003 scenes. I especially loved when Chen ordered a glass of milk at a bar that Wan takes him to; it spoke volumes about who he is without any need for exposition. The eventual avowals are adorably indirect without being too coy, and are beautifully underplayed. The only weak spots in this section of the series involve a subplot concerning a young student who is very cruelly bullied for being gay, and the character of Chen's father. In itself, the bullying subplot is very well handled and deeply disturbing, but I don't feel that it was necessary to include it. Even though it has an indirect influence on Chen and Wan, it distracts from the continuity of the fast-paced central storyline. But creating Chen's father as a gangster is a serious misstep. It's ridiculous and strikes entirely the wrong tone, in a series that otherwise avoids the outrageous and is tonally consistent. He does, however, bring about the extraordinary climactic scene in the 2003 episodes, with Chen frantic and in tears in the front garden at his house. You can expect to be bawling your eyes out at this scene, it's devastating.
While it's slightly disappointing to leave all this young love behind in 2003, the 'future' scenes are just as effective. They are, if anything, too short. (A sequel is needed!) The focus is on the adult Chen and the changes in his life since school. And while the finale might be predictable and a little too subdued by adult practicality, there's just enough of the spark of youthful romance to leave you wonderfully happy with what you've just watched.
So while Grey Rainbow far outclasses Red Balloon by having much grander ambitions and an impressive emotional breadth, the latter is actually better made and a more polished product. Does this in fact make it the perfect BL series - or quite possibly the best? I can't decide, but as it stands, it probably isn't. All I can say with certainty is that Red Balloon is genuinely exquisite, and created so as to let its subtle power and nostalgia gently glow over time and warm your heart. There's profound pain and tragedy in the boys' lost time apart, but the strength and purity of their childhood love outlasts the cynicism and cruelty of love in the time of adulthood. As Wan says, "such selfish and cruel love belongs to adults; it can't properly be called love, no matter how beautiful it is. True love is a part of youth". This arresting observation expresses the very best reason for the existence of Boys Love drama, both as cinematic art and as a tribute to the purity and innocence of youth, and the fact that it's portrayed so beautifully in one of the finest examples of BL ever made is even more of a reason to cherish it.
Rating: 16 out of 20. Must see.
Ending: Subtly happy.
Best scene: without question, the extraordinary garden scene.
UPDATE: I forgot to point out Red Balloon's incredible soundtrack; it's one of the very best in a BL drama. Mellow singer Evangeline has not just one but two incredibly beautiful, powerful ballads in the soundtrack. But even better that these, the initial few bars of the track by Gao Kai Wei "If I can be more beautiful" 如果我能更美麗 that plays over the opening credits in each episode is almost angelic in its perfection. It's the pure essence of the nostalgic romanticism of Red Balloon. I get tears in my eyes whenever I hear it!
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