The Miracle of Teddy Bear

I'd been trying to find a way to watch The Miracle of Teddy Bear for a while, but I could never find one with English subtitles, until recently! After months of searching, I finally found a streaming site with subs, and I binged the whole thing in just 2 and a half days (yep, that's 24 hours total). It honestly felt like it took forever, though, probably because it's the longest series I've ever watched.

At first, it seemed kind of childish, talking objects with faces and all that. It brought out this nostalgic, childlike side of me, reminding me of cartoons from my childhood. But right when I was about to brush it off as a light and fluffy show, it completely hooked me. I thought it'd just be a cute story... lol, I had no idea I was signing up for an emotional roller coaster.

Now, this isn't a straight-up BL. It's more of a drama with a BL thread woven into the story. The first few episodes actually focus a lot on Nut's mom, so if you're looking for a full-on romance from the start, this might not be your thing.

Nut's character is... tough to like at first. He's grumpy, clearly dealing with anger issues, and acts like he's carrying the weight of the world. While I get that flawed characters are part of good storytelling, him physically hurting Taohu was too much for me. On the flip side, Taohu, when he becomes human is exactly what you'd imagine a teddy bear to be: sweet, gentle, a little clumsy. But he's not just innocent; he's curious about human emotions and has a surprising depth and awareness that adds real heart to the story.

Nut's mom is another standout: warm, kind, and loving, but battling mental illness. Her storyline really adds to the emotional weight of the series.

Even though the series left me emotionally drained, I don't regret watching it. The pacing is solid, no pointless filler scenes, and the performances including Khuenchai the dog? Top-notch. The actor who played Nut got under my skin (in a good way, it means he really nailed the role), and Taohu's actor was just as impressive, playing the innocent charm perfectly. The actress who played Nut's mom is outstanding as usual. I've seen her from other series and her acting was always solid. The OST is chief kiss. I really like the rhythm.

The drama digs deep into family dynamics, LGBTQ+ themes, and identity. Some parts are a bit cliché, but the overall plot feels fresh and meaningful.

Nut's character development is slow, and even though he starts to open up to Taohu his anger still gets the best of him especially when he leaves Taohu alone on the street. That moment had me yelling at my screen. Honestly, Taohu ends up seeming more mature than Nut by the end. The show's long, and a lot happens, which made it exhausting at times but I stayed engaged the whole way through.

Some takeaways from the show that really stuck with me:

✅ Marriage isn't something you should rush into. It's not the ultimate goal in life. Being single doesn't mean you're incomplete.

✅ Don't force yourself into a relationship or marriage out of guilt or obligation.

✅ Love should be mutual. You don't marry someone just because they love you-you should love them too.

The Miracle of Teddy Bear might look cute on the surface, but it's actually a deep, emotional drama that explores love, trauma, family, and societal expectations. Watching this series was like I am climbing the highest mountain, exhausting but rewarding. Definitely not your typical fluffy series but one that's totally worth the emotional ride.

Honestly, when the trailer came out, I didnt expect much or should I say, I wasn't quite looking forward to it. Even when it came out, I couldn't bring myself to watch it as there were so many choices out there. But, I must say, I was so wrong. This has been a wonderful and a memorable watch. The story itself is quite unique and they've put in an effort to keep it as real as possible even if the whole premise is pure fantasy. The leads and the supporting cast have all done so wonderfully to keep me glued with them. The Teddy Bear is as much an integral cast as the humans. Nut and Pa have portrayed their characters so wonderfully. The strained relationship of mother-son is so convincing. And we have Tofu (both the teddy and human), the human Tofu's dialogue delivery is just right given that he's actually a Teddy Bear. I was addicted to his 'haaa' after almost every sentence he speaks. Song and Gen were adorably addictive. Jan delivered her character very convincingly. And Saen and Sib (I don't know if they are twins IRL) both have done a great job. There are many things to learn from this series. How a family's response to a child's sexual identity impacts the child to the importance of communication in a family. I could go on and on. As much as I loved Bad Buddy (arguably the most popular BL series this year), personally, this series exceeded in terms of deliverance, especially in story department, for me. What worked for this series probably must be that people didn't have much expectation but it exceeded by leaps and bounds. I was apprehensive when I started given the probability of a happy ending, but, just like the series tells us, we have to be able to live happily without having to rely on miracles. Overall, I just loved loved loved it. To write this review itself is a testament on how much I loved it. Highly recommended!

I watch many BL dramas, and this one exceeds all in many ways. The drama story line is rather complicated with psychological. Religious, and moral overtones. Acting, directing, editing, and photography are all first rate. Character development is well done with two of the most attractive young men as main characters that you will find anywhere. I especyally appreciated the way these actors use their eyes in their emotions. I 've never seen it done so well. The story is captivating, though sometimes drawn out to fit episodes. The story ends with tremendous emotion transferred to the viewer. Asian productions are demonstrating that they have more than matched the drama of the old Holly wood days now seemingly lost.

The story is really good. The miracle that happened in the Nut's life changed not only his life but also his mother's and the people around him. If in real life also people could start thinking like Tofu, I guess life would have been so different and clean. But I guess not all people can think the same and live the same life. Hence we are born differently.

But about the last episode, I still can't get why he has to die so that Tarn can live. Tofu awake because Nut cried. Though Tarn was the one who gave that teddy. And didn't Tofu was the one Nut started liking, left his past life behind to live in the present with Tofu who gave him happiness again that was the moral of the story, wasn't it? And it is still a mistery why Tofu teddy had Nut's first love face when Tarn was the one that gave.

Two less star because of the ending.

I have been addicted to Asian drama in general, and bl drama in specific, since Covid started. But this one is special. It brings together my very favorite genres: fantasy, romance and bl. It tells a different story really well, with great chemistry between the leads, and still teaches us a lesson or two between the lines. Highly emotional at times, e.g. The time where Nut sends Tohu away because he thinks he's lying, or Gen's remark about parents being tolerant towards other people's children..... we don't get a lot of bl series in the Netherlands, same sex marriage is legal here, so I guess there seems little left to fight for. But this way of fighting, explaining why loving another person is beautiful regardless of that other persons gender, and without making it too obvious that a fight is being fought.. extremely impressive. And much needed in the world.