Synopsis

Cast & Crew

Episodes

Reviews (5)

In this tender and achingly real 21-minute short film, we meet Xiao Le, a university swim team heartthrob hiding a secret: he is madly in love with his best friend and teammate, Jia Liang. After a painful rejection, Xiao Le’s sister proposes a daring plan—disguise him as a girl at a party to discover whether Jia Liang’s affection is for the person or the gender. What unfolds is a delicate, bittersweet exploration of identity, desire, and the courage to reveal one’s true self. Set against the quiet backdrop of a Chinese campus, the film captures fleeting glances, nervous laughter, and the electric tension of a birthday dance that could change everything. With Mike Angelo’s vulnerable performance and a director who lets silence speak volumes, *Love in the Water* is a poignant time capsule of early-2010s queer cinema—raw, understated, and hauntingly honest.

Mike Angelo

Cast

Romance

Cast

Short Film

Cast

Episode data is coming soon.

5.6

out of 10

284

213

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cherry_blossom_shipper

March 2025

8/10

I went in expecting a typical short and came out with my heart aching. The birthday dance scene alone is worth the watch—Mike Angelo’s eyes say everything. It’s not perfect, but the raw vulnerability made me feel so much for Xiao Le. A hidden gem for fans of emotional, realistic BL.

logic_on_film

January 2024

4/10

I can see what they were going for, but the execution is so stunted. The cross-dressing plot feels like a gimmick, the dialogue is awkward, and the resolution leaves you hanging. For a 21-minute film, it drags. Only worth it if you’re a completionist or a Mike Angelo fan.

visual_cuts

July 2025

7/10

The cinematography surprised me—there’s this handheld intimacy that makes you feel like you’re right there on campus with them. The use of natural light and the muted color palette perfectly matches the melancholic tone. Technically impressive for such a small production, even if the story leaves you wanting more.

consent_matters

October 2024

6/10

I appreciate that this short tackles the anxiety of coming out and the fear of losing a friendship, but the sister’s ‘disguise him as a girl’ plan raises some consent issues. The film doesn’t really interrogate that—it just plays the emotional beats. Still, it’s a rare look at queer identity in 2012 China, so I’ll give it points for courage if not nuance.

ost_catcher

December 2025

7/10

The soundtrack really carries this short. Yoga Lin’s 'Fool' is used perfectly in that heartbreaking dance scene, and Mike Angelo’s own singing adds an extra layer of authenticity. The music choices elevate the film from amateurish to genuinely moving. I’d recommend it just for that moment.