The Nipple Talk – Series Review & Episode Guide

Pony is a single woman living in Taipei. She is close to her two best friends, Leslie and Xuan, whom met each other during university. Pony is straight, Leslie is gay, and Xuan is a lesbian. Together, the trio spends their evenings at AS Bistro, a gay bar owned by the flamboyant MAMA. Known for extravagant outfits and wild stories of past sexcapades, MAMA loves chatting with Pony, Leslie, and Xuan. Their group talks about everything, from relationship advice to candid conversations about sex.

Pony is confident in her sexuality and hosts a relationship podcast called The Nipple Talk. She enjoys casual hookups with attractive men through apps. However, she has no interest in settling down. In fact, commitment disturbs her. When a guy once called her wifey, she was immediately repulsed. Whether she breaks up with someone or gets dumped, Pony brushes it off, moves on to the next guy, and often boasts about her conquests. Despite her openness, she has clear boundaries. She never hooks up without a condom and is always picky about her choices.

Like Pony, Xuan is single and enjoys casual relationships. Her view on commitment is so casual that she once married a woman to enjoy the perks of a couple's honeymoon package. She got divorced as soon as the trip ended. Her relationship history includes a brief romance with a famous actress, though it didn't last. Xuan works as an entertainment reporter, writing tabloid stories about celebrities. Her job often introduces her to interesting women.

Unlike his friends, Leslie values commitment and believes in staying faithful. He has been in a steady three-year relationship with Marc, a photographer. They live together as a long-term couple. While Leslie is ready to take the next step toward marriage, Marc seems oblivious. Marc's recent distant behaviour has Leslie worried their romance is cooling off. His friends suggest ways to reignite the spark, including trying a sexy little number.

Recently, Pony meets Jeff, a handsome guy on a hookup app, only to realize they have previously slept together. Despite the surprise reunion, they hit it off. Pony finds herself drawn to Jeff for his sweetness, like buying supplies to help with her periods. Her determination to stay single wavers for the first time as Pony wonders if she might actually like him. Meanwhile, Leslie's relationship with Marc hits a rough patch. He finds comfort in bartender Jie, a kind-hearted confidante who listens to Leslie's problems, but only as a friend.

SEX, SEX, SEX!!!!! That's exactly how The Nipple Talk begins. The first episode opens with a montage of people doing it everywhere. Here are two naked gay men hooking up, and look at those horny lesbians getting frisky. Meanwhile, the female lead gushes about orgasms, vibrators, and dick pics. This series is proud to show its liberated stance toward sex, almost to the point that it won't shut up about its favourite subject. The Nipple Talk wants to grab your attention by highlighting how it's saucier than other dramas.

The Nipple Talk seems sex-crazed in the beginning, but it calms down after a while. This series shifts its focus to various topics about dating, from open relationships to long-distance couples. There are quirky subplots, such as hooking up with a porn star, which add some spiciness. However, many episodes contain short anecdotes instead of long-term arcs. Over time, The Nipple Talk feels more like a collection of random moments than a cohesive narrative. Once each storyline finishes, it moves on to a new love interest without following up on meaningful consequences.

Xuan's subplots are shallow. She meets random women who disappear after their one-episode stints, few with a lasting impact. Pony suffers a similar issue. Her boyfriends are more memorable, but they still blur together as a revolving door of hot guys. Out of the three protagonists, Leslie's storylines have the most variety. At least he isn't solely focused on hooking up. The good news for BL fans is that the gay lead has the best character development. But ideally, I'd like everybody to be well-rounded, not just one of them. I don't want to feel bored during Xuan's scenes.

As a progressive drama, The Nipple Talk focuses heavily on LGBTQ+ themes. Unlike in the past, the lesbian and gay characters aren't just sidekicks to the straight protagonist. The story pays equal attention to everyone's love lives, never shying away from physical affection. You'll be pleased to know there's a lot of eye candy. I live vicariously through Pony, who hooks up with one hottie after another. My favourite scenes are MAMA's over-the-top sexcapades, which come with hilarious props and outfits. The series often entertains me with its delightfully camp humour.

With vibrant visuals and stylish camera work, The Nipple Talk always looks polished. I love everyone's wardrobes, especially MAMA, who struts around like a fashion extravaganza. Performance-wise, Pony's lead (Cosmos Lin) is decent, but her two co-stars don't impress me as much. While Leslie's actor (Bryan Chang) is cute and has a superb body, he emotes awkwardly in several scenes. Likewise, Xuan's actress (Lucia) lacks energy in her performance. With that said, the cast shares a natural chemistry. As they joke and banter, their camaraderie feels believable.

Despite a few compelling moments here and there, neither Xuan nor Pony's storylines hold my attention. While I enjoy Leslie's scenes more, even his arc feels basic. He ends up dating a nice guy, though their romance is somewhat vanilla and doesn't develop deeply. The couple seems forgettable compared to the vastly better BL dramas available. On paper, I should adore The Nipple Talk for its progressive plots, playful comedy, and sex positivity. Yet, nothing stands out as exceptional or remarkably original. I feel bad for my lukewarm response, but this series is just average.