Kiseki: Dear To Me – 奇蹟 (2023)

First Thoughts

I’m a sucker for a yakuza, mafia, or crime syndicate drama. Throw BL into the mix, and it ticks all my boxes, making it a must-watch for me. I adored Kinn-Porsche, Manner of Death, and History3: Trapped. When I saw the premise behind Kiseki, I knew I wanted to watch it. The icing on the cake had to be the inclusion of Wayne Song and Chun Chih from History: Make Our Days Count. I pretend that Yu Xi Go went out for salt, thus ending the series. Or he decided the dish didn’t need seasoning.  If you get the reference, I’m sure you think like I do. If you haven’t seen Make Our Days Count, watch it, but skip the last episode – Trust me. Both actors are fantastic. Even though they aren’t the central pairing, it’s a lagniappe (Editor’s Note: I had to look it up: ‘An extra or unexpected gift or benefit’) to the mafia plot, so it sealed the deal for me to watch.

Where to Watch: Available on VIKI, IQIYI, and GagaOOLala

Synopsis from My Drama List

Bai Zong Yi, an exemplary student with dreams of becoming a doctor, is unexpectedly drawn into the world of an injured gangster named Fan Ze Rui. This unexpected encounter disrupts their tranquil routines and sends their lives into a whirlwind. Their initial awkwardness gradually gives way to familiarity and eventually blossoms into a heartfelt connection.

Just as their love story begins to unfold, Fan Ze Rui’s criminal past catches up with him, leading Bai Zong Yi to take the blame and be imprisoned. A twist of fate erases Fan Ze Rui’s memory, causing him to forget the person who sacrificed for him, and they drift apart. Four years later, Bai Zong Yi, who now struggles with memory loss due to a head injury, and the amnesic Fan Ze Rui cross paths once again, thanks to someone’s careful planning.

Adapted from the web novel “Dear to Me” (奇蹟) by Lin Pei Yu (林珮瑜).

Cast:

Hsu Kai as Fan Ze Rui

Taro Lin as Bai Zong Yi

Nat Chen as Chen Yi

Louis Chiang as Ai Di/Eddie

Wayne Song as Zhang Teng

Huang Chun Chih as Juan

Episode 1 – Thoughts

The episode starts us off with Bai Zong Yi and his friend. The time is March 2023. His friend’s older brother comes along in a car, grabs his younger brother, and puts him in the car. They both tell Bai Zong Yi to go home safely. The older brother warns the younger that he should avoid Bai Zong Yi if he doesn’t want Bai Zong Yi to get hurt. 

Bai Zong Yi looks at a notebook with his schedule and directions. He pulls out a pic of him alongside Fan Ze Rui and asks, how are you doing? It’s been four years. In response, we see Fan Ze Rui in an expensive building wearing a power suit. We assume he’s doing well. Both men are flipping a coin. The intro music begins.

We go back to November 2018—a coin links to their origin story. Bai Zong Yi sees a coin rolling from an alley and leans down to pick it up. In doing so, he’s grabbed by Fan Ze Rui, who is wounded and covered in blood. Fan Ze Rui pressed Bai Zong Yi’s hand with a bloody knife. Help me, or you will go to jail for murder.

Bai Zong Yi is a grumpy young man. He isn’t intimidated by the gangster Fan Ze Rui. As he reluctantly nurses Fan Ze Rui back to health, we see that Fan Ze Rui is charming, and Bai Zong Yi isn’t moved at all. The two men are very different. We have an appealing, charismatic gangster who is hiding out from a rival. Then we have Bai Zong Yi, who is serious, studious, and working hard to become a doctor. On scholarship, he lives alone and works a job at a restaurant, only studying and working.  He sells his notes to other students to help supplement his income. He is neither afraid nor impressed by the gangster living in his house.

There is camaraderie between the two men as they settle into a daily groove. I like the interactions between the two. The chemistry is good. I want to see where this story goes. We meet other important side characters, such as Bai Zong Yi’s friends from school and Fan Ze Rui’s gang members. I wonder if they will cross paths. That would be an interesting dynamic.

Wayne Song is the antagonist. He’s cruel and quite scary. It is a far cry from his adorable, fluffy character, Xiang Hao Ting. I can’t wait to see Chun Chih. Will he be a villain, a hero, or a bit player in this story? I’m just happy to see them again. Their acting in Make Our Days Count was fantastic. I wonder if they have improved and added layers to their performances.  I’ll watch to find out.

So far, it’s a good start to the series. The first episode didn’t really spend time explaining or setting up the story. Instead, it throws you into the future and then brings you back to the past. The action and dialog are tight, showing the chemistry between the leads. I hope it remains interesting. Let me know if you watched or are watching this series. I want to know your thoughts.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. [See our Review Guide]