My Tooth Your Love (2022)

Well-rounded characters managing real-world problems

This series is a huge accomplishment with a misstep in the direction of the plot in ep 11, discussed below. 

First, some praise…

It has been a while since I've enjoyed a BL so much, and I think it's because this show felt realistic. It depicts well rounded characters managing real-world problems.

Bai Lang suffers from childhood trauma that affects his relationships with others. He is not just afraid of the dentist. He cannot fathom entering a romantic relationship because he thinks he brings bad luck to the people around him. Flashbacks to the past help the audience understand his trauma, phobia, and the coping mechanisms he's developed (like his cadre of plushies on his bed).

Xun An falls head over heels, and ardently goes after his man! To my surprise, he approaches Bai Lang as both a courting lover and a medical professional, recognizing that he needs therapy. I was shocked when the series brought therapy up. A cool plot development would have been to see him accept that he needs treatment and not just a lover. But credit is due for speaking favorably of therapy.

I saw some comments from viewers saying they were annoyed by Bai Lang's manic personality, but I loved that the show dared to show a truly messy, but good intentioned character who is grappling with the belief that he's too much for any lover to handle. Don't we all think that sometimes? I enjoyed seeing him accept that he's worthy of romantic love. Because he is. And when he realizes love is worth risking, he pursues Xun An in the most, hilarious charming way!

The stories of the two side couples develop more slowly, with little morsels included along the way that show the couples' dynamics and growth. I appreciated that we didn’t see insta love from Alex's perspective. Instead, we saw something more believable. The younger guy, RJ's, massive crush on the hot, older bartender. RJ did everything he could to send out romantic signals, trying to get Alex to see him as a man and possible boyfriend. The other couple, the hockey player and Da A, couldn't have been more adorable. The hockey player was so obvious in his pursuit of Da A, while Da A was confused.

I was disappointed the secondary couples didn’t get more screen time or resolution. We needed more, especially from Alex and RJ, at the end. Their story is incomplete. Season 2, please!

There was a misstep in the plot in episode 11. While earlier episodes hinted that Xun An’s relationship with his family wasn’t harmonious, the introduction of domestic abuse was an unnecessary and unmanageable addition. It felt tonally out of step with the rest of the series. With only one episode left, there just wasn’t time to treat this very serious issue. Instead, it would have been more fruitful to deal with Bai Lang’s mental health issues.

Another misstep was to include a surprise fourth couple in the final episode. Rather than this couple, or their wedding, I would rather see one of our established couples get married. At least we did have a sweet proposal!

Overall I'm amazed by the intricate storytelling and tight direction from Ray Jiang, with little details and finishing touches in each scene coming together to form a powerful series. The long take at the end of ep 8 was really impressive! Outstanding acting and OST.

Make sure to watch past the credits after each ep! There are bonus scenes and they matter!

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I blame my high expectations…

And writers who cannot grasp the idea they do not need to pair up all the characters in their dramas. It’s fine to leave some as single by the end. You do not have time to develop so many relationships and make them worth watching. Be smart, pick two and focus the story around them.

How great did this show start? How happy I was with some more realistic representation of trauma and mental health issues. How happy I was with them showing how it can truly impact one’s life and it was not just used to make the romance more “angsty”. And then… it went away. After all the talks and so many great and important scenes… the topic just stopped existing and it yet again seemed like a borderline case of love can cure you.

Here’s the thing - this romance had such great potential, because all the conflicts could have been based in the internal struggles the leads had, without adding any external over the top drama. So what did the writers do? Added external bullshit drama in the last few episodes. As if there was not a lot to unpack even without it and little to no time to make it happen in a proper way and give a decent closure.

Both Bai Lang and Jin Xun An were amazingly complex and flawed characters. It was interesting to watch them on screen try to figure out each other’s feelings, but also how they themselves come to terms with this new relationship.

The side characters were also well crafted, even if some of their stories were underdeveloped. I appreciated Bai Qing and even if I did not agree with her overprotectiveness of her brother, I still understood where it came from, and it’s all I could ask from a drama. RJ and Alex were adorable and it’s a crime they did not have more screen time. I also wished they were more clear about RJ’s home situation.

Production wise it was great. Quite a few screenshot worthy scenes. Same goes for acting - great. Especially Andy Wu, damn he delivered every line, every movement and every facial expression!

Overall, great first half, good 3rd quarter, pain of the last 2 episodes.

Also, just a small, but awfully painful complaint from me: how could they NOT give a reference later of Pink Lady? How could they set it up in such a perfect way, and then not deliver?

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