See You After Quarantine? is a Taiwanese BL drama that takes place during the COVID pandemic. The story is told through a series of video calls, in which the characters meet, converse, and flirt. Over time, romantic feelings develop between the two leads, even though they have never met physically in person.
Despite its unique format, See You After Quarantine is a pretty straightforward love story that feels short, simple, and sweet. The easy and effortless writing contributes to the warm, relaxing vibe of the series. However, I'm not particularly inspired or convinced by the long-distance romance, which requires some suspension of disbelief.
See You After Quarantine Summary
Title:
隔離後見個面，好嗎？
Series Info:
Taiwan (2021)
Genre:
Romance
About:
See You After Quarantine is a cute & sweet BL drama.
Plot
Bo Chun is a young Taiwanese university student with part-time employment as a delivery worker. He is passionate about photography and loves collecting vintage cameras as a hobby. Lately, he has saved up money to buy a Seagull camera, a cherished item that reminds him of his grandfather. As Bo Chun was about to buy the camera online, he got distracted and missed the purchase after the store ran out of supplies.
The last camera was acquired by Sato, a Japanese writer who wanted to gift this item to his ex. After buying the camera, Sato sends a message to his ex Haru. However, there was a mix-up and Bo Chun ended up being the recipient instead. Eager to get his hands on the coveted camera, Bo Chun pretends to be Haru and responds to Sato's message. He enlists his friend's help to get past the language barrier. However, Liying is reluctant to participate in this conniving scheme.
Sato travels from Japan to Taiwan for work, bringing the camera with him during his voyage. After arriving, he must stay in quarantine for two weeks. At the same time, the country of Taiwan is currently in lockdown due to a rise in COVID cases. Bo Chun and his friends must also follow stay-at-home orders, eventually missing their graduation ceremony.
Bo Chun and Sato continue their communications. Sato wants to talk to his ex, initiating a video call. Being a catfish, Bo Chun naturally declines the invite, which raises suspicions. Thinking fast on his feet, Bo Chun immediately asks Liying to pretend to be Sato's ex. Although reluctant, his friend agrees to help after Bo Chun offers to do Liying's university assignment. Bo Chun and Liying do a voice call with Sato, believing they will pull the wool over his eyes. However, it doesn't go according to plan and Sato discovers there is a fraud.
See You After Quarantine Trailer
See You After Quarantine Cast
Characters
Bo Chun Lance Chiu (邱治澔) Lance Chiu Instagram
Bo Chun is a Taiwanese university student who works a part-time delivery job. He is passionate about photography and loves purchasing vintage cameras as a hobby. Bo Chun is best friends and classmates with Liying. The two of them frequently engage in playful banter.
Sato Kawai Akihiro (河合朗弘) Kawai Akihiro Instagram
Sato is a Japanese writer who writes articles about social commentary. He travels to Taiwan for work, but must stay in quarantine for two weeks. Sato accidentally contacts Bo Chun about a vintage camera, unaware that he has the wrong number.
Supporting Cast
Liying
張雅惟 (Yawei Chang)
Sato's Friend #1
Aaron Lai (賴東賢)
Sato's Friend #2
Ouyang MAMA (歐陽MAMA)
Bo Chun's Friend
Ollie Lin (林鼎強)
Cast highlights
- Aaron Lai, who portrays one of Sato's friends, has featured in multiple BL projects throughout his acting career. Most recently, he was one of the leads in the 2021 BL drama Be Loved In House.
- Aaron also appeared in the 2017 series HIStory: My Hero, the first installment of the famous BL franchise.
See You After Quarantine Review
Review
Drama Review Score: 7.2
See You After Quarantine is a cute and compact BL romance set upon the landscape of the pandemic. Since the characters are self-isolating indoors, the story is told primarily through virtual video calls. They interact in person during a few scenes, but the norm involves back-and-forth conversations in front of a webcam. It's a pretty unique format that you'll get used to after a while. Whether you'll enjoy this narrative structure is a different matter though.
Maybe the pretentious film snob in me is being picky, but I'm not a fan of this storytelling technique. There are obvious limitations that See You After Quarantine cannot overcome. In BL, I enjoy looking at different scenery, analyzing cinematography, and picking up on body language cues as the characters interact. Unfortunately, these nuances go missing when you tell the story in an oversimplified format. This drama is sorely missing the face-to-face interactions that make the viewing experience come alive.
Still, See You After Quarantine does its best to work around the constraints. The different camera angles and dynamic graphic effects energize the story slightly, even if these efforts are nowhere near enough. The drama also benefits from a sharp script, involving fun and easygoing banter between the characters. You'll enjoy the casual, relaxing vibe in the series, packed with cute jokes, lighthearted mischief, and perpetual cheerfulness. Despite the pandemic, See You After Quarantine maintains upbeat energy and doesn't feel stressful to watch.
I have a difficult time immersing myself in the romance between Bo Chun and Sato. This series heavily pushes the concept of love at first sight, which is a tough sell. Maybe I'm too jaded and pragmatic, but is it possible to fall in love with a low-quality pixelated image of someone you never met? The whole basis of their romance is because Sato thinks Bo Chun looks like a tasty young twink. Perhaps a more accurate term to describe their connection is thirst at first sight.
You might be pleased to know that the main characters have physical interactions, even if these scenes are scarce. The Sato and Bo Chun romance definitely wins back some points for their affectionate kisses. Whether online or offline, all the actors do a formidable job. See You After Quarantine might be a glorified table read, but everybody delivers their lines with vigour and enthusiasm. A surprising detail is that these actors can speak both Mandarin and Japanese, so it's fun to hear two different languages simultaneously.
Overall, See You After Quarantine is a decent take on a light and wholesome pandemic love story. Admittedly, it's not my favourite BL series ever and I don't think it goes beyond an average tier of quality. The snobby critic within me finds some elements slightly pedestrian, such as the trivial storylines or the low-budget production. If you're looking for a meaningful drama, you won't find it here. However, See You After Quarantine is still perfectly acceptable as a sweet and superficial romance with a happy ending.
Story
Basic story
Pandemic love stories have been very trendy in the past year or two. Everyone is jumping in front of a webcam and becoming a rookie filmmaker in their homes. This trend also applies to the BL genre, and I've seen a few series from the Philippines that follow this structure. BL must go on, regardless of the pandemic. Miss Corona won't be able to defeat the power of Boys Love fans!
I think it is possible to tell an excellent story through virtual video calls. However, I don't believe See You After Quarantine reaches that level of storytelling. Sato accidentally contacts the wrong person, Bo Chun tries to catfish him, and they fall in love. I won't say the plot is boring, but it feels banal. As pleasant as the series might be, I don't feel excited by the events that unfold.
Taiwan
Taiwan experienced a unique situation with the pandemic. When the coronavirus struck the world in 2020, Taiwan was one of the most fortified countries and suffered a minimal impact. There wasn't a lockdown, cases were rare, and life resumed normally for the Taiwanese citizens. Recently, in the spring of 2021, there was a sudden spike in cases, prompting the country to go into lockdown for the first time. It lasted for a few weeks, coinciding with the time when See You After Quarantine takes place.
Taiwan tried acquiring Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines earlier this year, but the purchase was blocked due to politically driven interference from China. Imagine buying vaccines to save millions of lives, only for an authoritarian country to undermine your efforts. I'm astounded but not surprised by the news, because China has a long history of cruelty towards Taiwan:
- In recent months, China has flown many warplanes in proximity to Taiwan, escalating in frequency at an alarming rate. China flew 77 military airplanes over Taiwan's airspace in early October 2021.
- Due to China's coercion, Taiwan can never compete under its official name or country flag in the Olympics and international sporting events. This October, a diving competition (AIDA) removed Taiwan's flag from the broadcast results, prompting outrage from the athletes in other countries.
- Despite its exemplary pandemic response, Taiwan is excluded from the World Health Organization (WHO) because of China's aggressive influence. Taiwan cannot receive the same flow of healthcare information as other WHO members.
China's hostility towards Taiwan is atrocious and it will continue getting worse. Please pay attention every time Taiwan gets bullied, undermined, or threatened in international news. Show your support to this democratic country and their progressive leader Tsai Ing-Wen, who is a powerful champion of LGBT rights.
Romance
Bo Chun and Sato
See You After Quarantine is super adamant about the idea of love at first sight. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to sell the inexplicable attraction that forms between Bo Chun and Sato. In normal circumstances, you don't fall in love with a total stranger online, let alone a fraudster who tried to catfish you by pretending to be your ex.
Sato falls for Bo Chun because he looks like a cute twink. Typically, you expect your catfish to be ugly, so imagine Sato's surprise when he sees a baby-faced ingenue kneeling on his knees. Damn, I'm sure some adult films begin in the exact same position. 😳
I understand Bo Chun's appeal and believe that Sato is immediately attracted to him. However, I'm not convinced there's enough content to substantiate a romance. These two characters don't have anything in common. They are from unrelated walks of life, have different cultural backgrounds, and share no overlapping interests. What could they possibly bond over every time they do a video call? I have a really hard time believing a romance could take place between them, and see no evidence to refute my claims.
Acting
Enthusiastic acting
I'm not convinced by the plausibility of Bo Chun and Sato's long-distance romance under such unusual circumstances. With that said, I believe the two lead actors do a stellar job with their affectionate scenes. Their kisses are the highlight of the series, and Sato was devouring that twink like he hadn't eaten a delicious meal in weeks. Seeing their passion dispels some of my initial skepticism about their relationship. I'm more receptive to this couple after they interact face-to-face.
Besides the physical scenes, I also think the See You After Quarantine cast is pretty enthusiastic as a whole. The actors deliver all their lines with lively gusto. Plus, their playful banter feels authentic, as if these are actual friends talking to each other online. They have a casual, easygoing vibe that makes it easy to follow along with their conversations.
Ending
Happy ending
See You After Quarantine has a happy ending where Sato and Bo Chun finally meet up after their quarantine periods. Previously, Bo Chun had a health scare because there was a confirmed COVID case in his apartment complex. He fell ill and was sent into quarantine. Fortunately, he only had regular seasonal sniffles and his COVID test results came back negative. He's safe, healthy, and feeling a lot better.
In the last episode, Sato and Bo Chun also hit a rough patch in their relationship. Sato wouldn't confess his feelings for Bo Chun, leading to a cooldown period between them. Although the two characters mope around for a while, they eventually call each other at the same time. Sato finally gives his confession…and then Bo Chun hangs up on him! 😲
Don't panic! It turns out Bo Chun's power went out at the exact moment of Sato's confession. Bo Chun immediately calls Sato again to confirm that his feelings ARE reciprocated. The two characters agree to meet up after the quarantine period. Days later, they have their first date and hold hands in public. During their ending credits, we get quick flashes of their time together as a couple. In the final scene, the couple shares a cinematic kiss outdoors and Bo Chun takes a photo of his boyfriend using his new camera.
Ending review
The ending is cute! The leads are happily together. Plus, Bo Chun is finally reunited with his beloved photography memorabilia. I laughed when Sato asked his boyfriend to choose between him and the camera, because I wondered the same thing too lol. Boyfriends come and go, but vintage cameras are much harder to come by!
Of course, I would've loved to see more of Bo Chun and Sato after they get together as a couple. All the best BL moments are crammed after the ending credits, which isn't my ideal arrangement. If the lockdown restrictions aren't an issue, I wanted to see the characters interact more in person. Expand on the relationship scenes instead of making them an afterthought in the series!
Also, I wonder about the longevity of the couple. Since Sato is only visiting Taiwan for work, he has to return to Japan at some point. Obviously, See You After Quarantine doesn't need to address every logistic detail. Still, a part of me wonders about their future together. Is this meant to be a short-term fling just so Sato could feast on some Taiwanese twink? Or do they have enough in common together to last as a long-distance couple? 🤔
See You After Quarantine Episodes
Episode Guide
See You After Quarantine has a total of 10 episodes. Each episode is around 7 to 10 minutes long. The last episode is approximately 12 minutes long. It's a short BL drama, and you can finish the entire series in under 90 minutes.
See You After Quarantine aired its first episode on September 17, 2021 and finished on October 6, 2021.
★☆☆☆
★★☆☆
★★★☆
★★☆☆
★★☆☆
★★☆☆
★★★☆
★★☆☆
★★★☆
★★★☆
⭐ Best episode
Episode 7
Episode 7 had a healthy mix of romance, comedy, and drama. It begins wonderfully with an extended kiss between Sato and Bo Chun. Even though this moment is only a fantasy sequence in his head, I'll take it! Kissing makes BL Watcher happy! 😚
Afterwards, Bo Chun and Liying are invited to chat with Sato and his friend, who drones on about financial advice. Liying thought she would spend quality time with Sato-san, but got stuck listening to this random weirdo instead. Her secret chats with Bo Chun are funny, similar to how you might bitch with your friends about someone you don't like.
Finally, the episode ends with a tense moment when the friend reveals that Sato had an ex-boyfriend. The revelation is intentional, meant to help Sato come out and dissuade Liying from pursuing her crush. However, she doesn't react well and quits the video call immediately. Bo Chun also leaves without a word. I was compelled by this saucy drama and wanted to find out what would happen next.
💪🏻 Episodes with skin
Episode 6, 7
Sato has a lengthy shirtless scene in Episode 6. Bo Chun initiates a video call and Sato just happens to be coming out of the shower. As Sato dries his body with a towel, Bo Chun is totally distracted and can't tear his eyes away from the screen. Hey Bo Chun, his eyes are UP here!
Later in the episode, Sato has an erotic fantasy of Sato, who shows up without a shirt. The dream continues into Episode 7, so Sato shows up shirtless in both episodes.
💋 Episodes with kissing
Episode 7, 10
Although most of See You After Quarantine takes place via virtual calls, Sato and Bo Chun interact on a few occasions. Near the end of Episode 6, Bo Chun fantasizes about Sato entering his apartment unit. It's an erotic fantasy with Sato leaning in for a kiss. We get a "To Be Continued" message right before the actual kiss happens.
Episode 7 begins immediately where the fantasy left off. We see Sato and Bo Chun kiss passionately at the start of the episode. Keep in mind it's a fantasy though and the characters don't actually meet at this point.
Bo Chun and Sato share their first real kiss in Episode 10 after their quarantine is over. They exchange a few quick kisses during the ending credits montage. However, there's a proper kiss in the final scene of Episode 10. Make sure you stay tuned after the ending credits to catch this scene!
See You After Quarantine Interview
See You After Quarantine Information
Links
- Gagaoolala See You After Quarantine Gagaoolala
- KKTV See You After Quarantine KKTV
- MyDramaList See You After Quarantine MyDramaList
- Viki See You After Quarantine Viki
- YouTube See You After Quarantine YouTube
Brains
Brains Entertainment (腦漿娛樂) is the Taiwanese BL studio that made Be Loved in House (2021). Its portfolio also includes See You After Quarantine (2021).
this drama was relatable to me in many ways so it remains a favourite 😅