Let's Talk About Chu – Series Review & Episode Guide

Yu Sen

I like Yu Sen a lot. He's an intriguing character for several reasons. Firstly, the story subverts our expectations. Yu Sen has a secret, but it doesn't have anything to do with his sexuality. He's already out to his family. Instead, he's lying to his parents about his job. They think their son works in a respectable career, but he makes money in poker games. I love having a gay character whose secret isn't defined by still being in the closet. Let's Talk About Chu defies the common trope.

Secondly, Yu Sen is in a niche profession. While not restricted to sexuality, a gambling career is rarely associated with gay love stories. I haven't seen many BL protagonists who are poker players, so there's a refreshing novelty. Furthermore, Yu Sen doesn't fit the job profile perfectly. He may seem poised when winning the matches. Away from the competitions, Yu Sen is quiet, socially awkward, and tense. He even has asthma, contradicting his calm, brooding persona. I appreciate Yu Sen's duality. He's a versatile lead with different sides to him.

Finally, I like that Yu Sen's storyline doesn't entirely revolve around romance. While he has relationship problems with his boyfriend, that isn't his only subplot. His gambling adventures unfold over a multi-episode arc. In contrast, other characters have less versatile development. Wei only seems defined by marriage troubles, limiting her depth. I'm glad Yu Sen has a more diverse arc that explores his nuances beyond his love life.

Henry

Yu Sen is dating Henry at the start of the story. Henry is a doctor, a respectable profession that would help Yu Sen with parental approval. His mom cares about job status. However, Yu Sen isn't happy in this relationship. Notably, the couple is incompatible during sex. Since both enjoy being the top, Yu Sen must compromise his needs by switching to a submissive position. He becomes sexually frustrated and daydreams about penetrating his boyfriend.

Ai believes her brother should break up. If Henry can't fulfill Yu Sen in the bedroom, that's a deal breaker! "It's no different than marrying a woman," Ai states. Yu Sen disagrees with her oversimplification. Sex isn't the only benchmark for picking a long-term romantic partner. Emotional intimacy may be more significant than physical affection for some people. That said, Henry is incompatible with Yu Sen in other aspects beyond sex. He's still closeted to his family. His social circle also doesn't get along with Yu Sen. Taking everything into account, Henry fails to make Yu Sen happy.

Incompatibility

Yu Sen ghosts his boyfriend and cheats on him with Yueh. In Episode 5, Henry tries to save their relationship. Yet, he doesn't understand why his partner is upset. He thinks Yu Sen's issue is not getting along with Henry's friends. In reality, Yu Sen is bothered by many pent-up frustrations. Also, notice how Henry presses his body against his boyfriend during the apology. The position resembles a top penetrating a bottom, another reminder that Yu Sen must be submissive.

Many problems in this relationship come down to the two of them not being equal. Yu Sen always yields to Henry. He switches sexual positions, hides their relationship, and mingles awkwardly with his boyfriend's social circle. Henry hasn't done enough to reciprocate. Worst of all, he's clueless. Henry doesn't know what's wrong in their relationship. That's the last straw. At this point, Yu Sen and Yueh aren't officially together yet. Nonetheless, Yu Sen decides to break up with Henry. He'd rather be single than stay with an incompatible partner.

Yueh

Yueh isn't a perfectly suitable partner either. For starters, a loan shark seems like an unstable romantic prospect. Yueh is involved with gangs, criminals, and dangerous activities. In addition, his personality differs drastically from Yu Sen's. Yueh is loud, cheeky, and aggressive, whereas Yu Sen seems quiet, calm, and brooding. Also, Yueh isn't an out gay man, just like Yu Sen's ex-boyfriend. Our protagonist finds another closeted love interest and faces a similar dilemma.

Initially, Yueh puts on a facade and passes off as straight. He makes lewd remarks, hits on bar hostesses, and puts on a show of asserting his heterosexuality. In his risky field of work, Yueh probably needs to hide his sexuality for personal safety. Later, Yueh reveals his tragic childhood. He has suffered physical abuse from his homophobic father. This deep-rooted trauma contributes to Yueh's precautions for the rest of his life. He doesn't feel comfortable with being gay in public.

Outed

Despite his performance, Yueh gets outed in Episode 3. A random acquaintance greets him, claiming they've met in a gay sauna. Yueh instantly loses all his bravado. Yu Sen exchanges a knowing gaze at his companion because he understands the implications. A gay man like him could connect the dots and reach a logical conclusion. With his deepest secret exposed, Yueh feels vulnerable. He freezes on the spot and quickly leaves without saying another word. His damning silence confirms Yu Sen's suspicions. I know what you are…

After being outed, Yueh bounces back quickly. One of Yueh's defining character traits is his bravado. He masks his self-consciousness behind cheekiness and swagger, not letting anyone sense his insecurities. Yueh drops the heterosexual pretenses around Yu Sen. Instead, he makes suggestive remarks. From "Look at your pretty face" to "Tighten your asshole", these are all provocative comments a closeted gay man would avoid. Now, Yueh speaks freely to his companion. Using crass vocabulary feels empowering. It takes away Yueh's discomfort by owning up to his sexuality.

First kiss

Yueh wants to test the waters with his innuendos. He's curious about how Yu Sen responds to his sexuality. If his companion were homophobic, he'd react uncomfortably to the lewd antics. Otherwise, Yueh feels reassured his secret is safe with Yu Sen. Also, Yueh has another agenda. He's trying to flirt. In Episode 2, a drunken Yu Sen joked about backdooring. Humour often comes from prevalent thoughts in our minds. This moment signalled to Yueh that Yu Sen may be into men. Let's pitch a few pick-up lines and see if his gaydar pings!

Yu Sen & Yueh have their first kiss at the end of Episode 4. This spontaneous moment occurs after an eventful night. While the story could've fleshed out their attraction better, I enjoyed the ~shock factor~. What a surprise to see their sexual tension unleash at that moment! This episode reminds me of Shameless. Yu Sen and Yueh's story arc is like a page from Ian and Mickey's playbook. The gay couple goes through wild antics, only to follow up with an unexpected passionate encounter. Once I made the first comparison, I saw all the similarities between the two shows.

Pursuit

After sex, Yueh threatens Yu Sen to keep quiet. Don't let anyone know I'm gay! Despite coming out, Yu Sen is still affected by the insecurities of other closeted men. Their feelings of shame pass on to him. The story highlights Yu Sen's troubles with a visual cue. In Episode 2, there's a shot of him sitting alone in the dining room as he thinks about Henry. In Episode 5, he's in a similar position while mulling over Yueh. The parallels are intentional, implying Yu Sen feels bothered about repressing himself in both romances.

Fortunately, Yu Sen doesn't mope around. Our protagonist shows initiative and takes decisive steps to improve his life. Firstly, Yu Sen breaks up with Henry, a doomed relationship beyond saving. He smiles in the mirror afterwards, indicating no regrets. Secondly, Yu Sen travels and spends the day in Yueh's hometown. It may be a long trip, but he makes the effort anyway. Yu Sen realizes he's attracted to Yueh. Instead of repressing his desires, he learns to be assertive with his love life and actively pursues Yueh. Yu Sen's confidence will overcome his partner's insecurities about a romance.

Emotional bond

Yu Sen & Yueh spend meaningful time together in Episode 6. The couple bonds emotionally, getting to know each other beyond poker games or sex. Yu Sen meets the grandma, an important person in Yueh's life. Beneath his tough exterior, Yueh is a softie who earns money to look after his sick loved one. He behaves gently toward his grandma, allowing Yu Sen to see a different side to his love interest. Also, Yueh doesn't feel the need to put on a persona around Yu Sen anymore.

Yu Sen's visit demonstrates his sincerity. He has travelled all this way to spend the day with a dying hospital patient. The gesture exceeds what you'd do for a casual hookup. Yueh recognizes his companion cares about him beyond making money or having sex. One of my favourite moments is when Yueh leaves on the motorcycle, only to return and kiss Yu Sen. I like that he came back to express his affection! The couple's first kiss stemmed from physical desire, whereas this intimate moment arose due to their emotional bond. Both characters are falling in love with each other.

Trauma

Episode 7 explores Yueh's past and present trauma. Sadly, he must return to his hometown to host his grandmother's funeral. The visit brings back painful memories for him, including his dad's homophobia, domestic abuse, and accidental death. Yueh also resents his aunt, who outed him in the past. During a tense confrontation, he loses his temper and makes a scene at the wake. Yu Sen tries to soothe him, but Yueh redirects his anger at the nearest target. The couple gets into a fistfight.

For a moment, Yueh risked turning into his father. The trauma of his childhood abuse caused Yueh to respond to distressing emotions with violence. Thankfully, he snaps out of his self-destructive spiral. Yueh offers an unconventional apology by allowing Yu Sen to punch him back. They almost get into another fight, but it turns into a steamy encounter instead. I gotta say, having sex at your grandmother's funeral is hilariously ICONIC. 😆 Before her death, the grandma worried Yueh was still haunted by his dad's homophobia. As this sex scene demonstrates, he has moved on quite vigorously!

Flexibility

Yueh follows the advice from his grandma and Yu Sen. Instead of holding an unhealthy grudge, he allows the aunt to attend the funeral. This flexibility indicates his character growth. However, Yueh doesn't admit to his change of heart and makes up an excuse to justify his decision. By now, Yu Sen sees through his partner's bravado. He knows Yueh is a softie beneath his tough exterior. As Yu Sen teases Yueh, the couple has a playful moment where they horse around.

An interesting imagery arises during this scene. Yueh grabs Yu Sen's body from behind, forcing his partner to bend over. The position resembles penetration, with Yu Sen assuming the submissive role. Before, he was upset about being a bottom. He agonized whenever Henry pressed his body on him. Yet, Yu Sen doesn't mind when Yueh poses similarly. The story alludes to how Yu Sen is happy in this relationship, regardless of sexual compatibility. His personality meshes well with Yueh's, so whether he tops or bottoms isn't an issue. Like Yueh, Yu Sen learns to be flexible.

Commitment

Yu Sen's first romance failed because the ex-boyfriend wouldn't compromise. Henry dictated all the decisions, from sexual positions to social circles. The lopsided power dynamic made Yu Sen unhappy. In contrast, his relationship with Yueh is give-and-take. When Yueh punched him earlier, he allowed Yu Sen to hit him back. Although violent, this gesture is a sign of reciprocation. Yueh respects Yu Sen as an equal and values his autonomy. Both don't overpower each other.

Another meaningful gesture is when Yueh lends money to Yueh. The former loan shark offers him the cash without a deadline, interest rates, or urgency. This generous act highlights the mutual trust between the couple. They have evolved from a financial contract to a personal favour. In addition, Yueh overcomes the insecurities with his sexuality. He meets Yu Sen's family and doesn't mind when introduced as a love interest. From the monetary support to the home visits, these positive signs indicate Yueh's commitment to Yu Sen. He wants to establish a long-term relationship.

Future

Yu Sen and Yueh have sex in the finale. They pause during the encounter when Yueh comments on the foul odour in the room. Yu Sen replies, "You won't smell it once you get used to it." This line alludes to Yueh's dysfunctional background. He comes from an unpleasant history of abuse, trauma, and criminal misconduct. With so much past baggage, Yueh thinks he isn't an ideal romantic partner. However, Yu Sen doesn't mind. Like how he can tolerate the stench, Yu Sen accepts Yueh unconditionally, flaws and all.

Despite his partner's support, Yueh still wants to rehabilitate himself. He reports to the police and serves jail time for his wrongdoings. This momentous decision helps him get a fresh start away from the criminal world. Upon his release, he plans on switching to a respectable career. Since meeting Yu Sen, Yueh has transformed significantly. He drops his tough persona, doesn't repress his desires, and uproots his old life. Most of all, Yu Sen inspires the former bad boy to pursue a better future for himself. The power of love is the best motivation for change.