Let's Talk About Chu (2024)

A heartfelt study of sex, love, and relationships

Don’t mistake this for a sex comedy, and please ignore the inadequate plot description above.

With full-bodied characters that move beyond cliches, this Taiwanese drama is a bold study of what makes our relationships intimate and meaningful. It’s beautifully made, with an excellent script and cast.

The story is told through one family. Two parents, three children.

The mother and father have allowed resentment to build up in their marriage for reasons that become clear later in the drama. The eldest son, Yu Sen, is a card shark in an unsatisfying open relationship with his boyfriend. The eldest daughter, Chu Wei, yearns for a deeper emotional and sexual connection with her distracted professor husband. And the youngest daughter, Chu Ai, is a wax technician and an influencer. She runs a YouTube channel that offers frank discussions about sex, while maintaining her key argument that love and sex are two separate things and are better when separate.

There’s another main character—the youngest daughter’s regular hookup and friend, Ping Ke, who is wrestling with hangups about dating culture based on his unconventional family history. The actor, Kai Ko, brings this character to life in a way that only he can. He carries the character’s emotional weight with his whole being and you truly feel for him.

Well, what happens?

A heartfelt and unexpected romance unfolds between the son and an uncouth gangster. For BL fans, this part of the story is for you. The eldest daughter and her husband rediscover each other after a challenge to their relationship. And the youngest daughter confronts a past experience that has influenced her opinion of romantic relationships. All of the characters grow.

A central message in the story is that it is harmful to repress our true feelings—whether about our intimate desires and needs or even our anger toward the people closest to us. The message is that our relationships become healthier when we share our inner thoughts.

The script dares to approach so many relevant issues that aren't always talked about; like choosing not to have children, despite pressure from parents; or sexual compatibility issues in gay relationships; or treating STIs without shame. These are just a few. The drama is clever in discussing these issues without being didactic.

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