This review may contain spoilers
What the hell did I just watch?
Absolute gold, that's what. Okay, hear me out. Just like everyone else you have GOT to watch this wild f**king show. WARNING: while it's labeled an omega-verse story, if you are an avid omega-verse reader then this is not your normal story. They handle some parts of an omega-verse story well, but absolutely butcher other parts and it sucks. If you can survive that, then great! But there's more. Male Pregnancy. This is a pretty uncommon theme for romance readers but if you have read it, they do a TERRIBLE JOB WITH IT. Trust, you will laugh when you see how it's handled.Okay for the actual review. I absolutely loved the male lead characters. Once you learn who everyone really is, every interaction changes completely from the tone that is set. I could not stop laughing EVERY TIME Sheng Shao You played into Hua Yongs hands the scene was supposed to be romantic and sweet but in reality it's a cunning, manipulated interaction that just somehow...becomes comical. This is another villain love story, for the psychopaths.
The second male lead set however, that was the most TOXIC relationship I have ever seen. That was wrong from start to finish, and I am personally glad the writers did not put them together. Like WHAT THE F**K. Oaf, had to get that off my chest. Okay, you really can't help but feel sorry for those two idiots, but like what the hell guys. USE YOUR DAMN WORDS.
You have to use your imagination in a few scenes, like really suspend your belief, but it's absolutely worth it. The ending however, did not feel like an ending to a series. It felt like the ending to a season and was VERY abrupt. The main leads storyline was finished up well enough that it was acceptable, but absolutely not for the second leads. Be warned!
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Solid Story Undone by Bad Pacing
Overall, the story is strong and interesting especially between both main couples. The main downfall of this show is bad pacing, which is a serious disservice to the stories and characters. The setup for the plot is too long and there’s not enough time spent on fulfilling the actual romance in my opinion.Additionally, as many ppl have pointed out, there was small setup sprinkled throughout the episodes for LangTu which had no pay off, which completely gave the impression of bad pacing. I’m not sure if the show runners were trying to effectively pull of a great cliffhanger for a future spin off, but it’s just leading to viewers lashing out.
Personally, if they had extended the show to 18 or 20 episodes and aired twice a week I think the pacing would have been way better, both for storytelling and viewing.
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This review may contain spoilers
Totally overrated. I am shocked at the glowing reviews.
ABO Desire is one of the weakest BLs I've ever seen (out of many more than 100 titles so far). Those who gave it 10 stars: Were we watching the same show?Although I don't like mpreg content whatsoever, in judging this series, I put aside all my reservations and feelings about it in order to give it a fair review. I am not familiar with the omegaverse, but I think it's an intriguing concept when it comes to having an alternate universe in which people are so strongly driven by their animalistic sexuality (pheromones, mating rituals, sexual selection and compatibility) to the degree where they have "rutting periods" and can't stop themselves from forcing themselves on others. It's interesting, but it gives me one overwhelming expectation: That the series will be very horny. Given the premise, I expect a lot of sex. The series doesn't deliver it at all. Nothing sexual is shown, even the kisses are really boring. How do you have a show about hypersexualized people, and even the kissing is passionless? I understand that there may be censorship issues, but then maybe China isn't the place to realize a series like this, or maybe they needed to find a better way to get around it. It just doesn't work. I've seen shows with steamier scenes that are basically Hallmark romance plots.
The irredeemable script: ABO Desire felt like it must have been created from some very weak source material. I have not read the source material, I'm just assuming it's bad because this entire series was like watching a terrrible fanfic. Most egregiously, the plot exposition was often handled by unrelated people simply telling us what is going on. The worst were the moments when totally random bystanders would give us the plot points: "Can you believe so and so did such and such? I heard that..." This is not how you write a story. You show it, you don't tell it. Less offensive, but still so disappointing were moments like Hua Yong explaining Shen Wen Lang's entire backstory like a footnote (and the backstory didn't even give us an easily understandable reason for why he hates omegas that much). Finally, we had this random narrator suddenly pop up out of nowhere in a late episode when (I guess) they really couldn't find another way to explain certain events. What? You can't just introduce a narrator randomly. You need to start and finish with one, or have one throughout or intermittently.
Unexplained inconsistencies: Let's think about the episode where Shen Wen Lang forces himself on Gao Tu, and neither of them recognize each other. Okay, maybe it's supposed to be pitch black in the room, and we have to just imagine that we can't see anything even though we can see everything. But these two have been close for what, like 10 years? They don't recognize each other's voices or anything, while being as intimate as possible? Shen Wen Lang doesn't recognize that same omega scent that he keeps telling Gao Tu to wash off? It's so incredible. Meanwhile, Sheng Shao You doesn't recognize Hua Yong in bed either, who is... his actual lover, with whom he lives.
The acting: With the exception of Li Pei En as Gao Tu, I didn't find any of these characters believable or relatable. All the other main characters seemed constantly bored. When something upsetting happened, no one looked upset. Their facial expressions never changed throughout the episodes, no matter what was going on. It was totally jarring. The worst offender was probably Qiu Ding Jie (Sheng Shao Yu), who may as well have been a mannequin. He had one crying scene which was his only actual acting moment in the whole show, that I can recall. If your loved one is injured, you should show grief. If someone has wronged you, you should show anger. If you're kissing someone you want, you should show desire! These characters mostly show nothing, and because I'm watching other shows at the same time where the actors actually do act, I could not stomach all the blank expressions throughout this series.
The main romance: While Hua Yong's scheming was kind of interesting, the love story fell flat. One moment they liked each other, the next they were together, somehow skipping the most exciting part of a romance (when two people who like each other finally get together) and then we just had to watch all their petty disagreements and reconciliations for the rest of the show (and a lot of cooking and eating, for some reason).
The side romance: From reading other reviews, I know that I'm definitely not the only person who was bored by the monotonous main romance and much more invested in the side romance. Gao Tu and Shen Wen Lang did not get enough screen time, and their story was nothing but an endless conflict. Why? It was repetitive; as soon as a possible solution arose, so did a new problem (such as Gao Tu's father's scheming at the very end of the series, something that probably should have been introduced earlier). I don't know why it needs to be explained, but a plot should introduce conflicts with the goal of having the satisfaction of conflict resolution. Gao Tu and Shen Wen Lang were never able to work through their issues, things that could have been quite easily settled if they'd just tried to talk about them. All we got for conflict resolution with these two was, at the very end, a mere suggestion that things could possibly be fixed in the future. Not to mention, we now know that they'd already lost years together and that Gao Tu had to endure the presumably torturous pregnancy that Shen Wen Lang could have helped him with, as first years of child rearing without his partner (and that Shen Wen Lang is a stranger to his own child). We never had the satisfaction of seeing them reconcile or understand each other. You don't build up all these obstacles over the course of 16 whole episodes just to have them still remaining by the end.
In summary, I found ABO Desire to be a frustrating watch whenever it wasn't completely boring.
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A gripping dive into the Omegaverse
ABO Desire is a 16-episode Chinese BL series set in the Omegaverse. The story follows Hua Yong, a rare Enigma posing as an Omega, who becomes entangled with the powerful Alpha, Sheng Shaoyou.As someone new to the Omegaverse genre, I found myself initially confused after the first episode. The whole concept with Alphas, Betas, Omegas, and Enigmas was completely new to me and a bit confusing. The series almost requires that you take some time to understand what the Omegaverse is in order to follow the story properly. I didn’t think I would like it at first, but I quickly got hooked. By the midpoint, I even looked up the original novel and read it, which gave the series an extra dimension since not everything from the book was included in the show.
The performances were solid, and the chemistry between the leads was really good, making their complicated relationship feel believable and engaging. The series is visually interesting with a dark, intense atmosphere that fits the story.
The only downside was the finale. It felt rushed and could have benefited from an extra episode to properly wrap things up. Still, despite the hurried ending, I really enjoyed the journey, got emotionally invested in the characters, and would recommend this series to anyone curious about the Omegaverse.
I’ve watched a lot of Thai series lately, so I wanted to try something new — and this was definitely that for me. It’s a completely different kind of storytelling, and if you haven’t seen similar series or films before, you need to go in with an open mind and definitely not compare it to Hollywood shows. I, for one, am now curious to watch more Chinese series and will definitely keep an eye out for more Omegaverse stories in the future.
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What a brilliant plotline
Update:This is now available on YouTube in its entirety and was so much more cohesive as a result though I still don’t know if Hua Yong ever revealed that he had Sheng Shao You’s grandfather’s watch. The plot line bets the second lead pairing made much more sense and as a result I felt so much more empathy for Gou Tu and the situation he forced himself into though more could have been made of the reunion.
Would I watch again as it’s whole in one place? Absolutely, if even just for the shirt clips scenes. Phew!
The world as we know it has been turned upside down by a virus that created three distinct groups of human - where Alphas rule, Omegas are their partners and Betas exist.
The story centres round two main characters a dominant CEO, Sheng Shao You who is a S-level alpha (top dog in the alpha hierarchy) and Hun Yong a timid young man who is one of the secretaries at a rival firm.
Over time their world unravels, truths are told and this new world order is turned on its head by the emergence of a fourth group of human, the enigmas. A group so rare that they are the stuff of folklore.
The two main actors, Qui Ding Jie who plays Shao You and Eliot Huang who plays Hun Yong are well cast and have sizzling chemistry. Even when the truth starts revealing itself there are sparks flying ( though how Shao You ever forgave Hun Yong is beyond me and IMHO the more we find out the more of a creepy, obsessed stalker Yong becomes though the writers glossed over this little issue).
The supporting cast are also well chosen and the second pairing of Shen Wen Lang and Gao Tu are also convincing even as they fail to act on their feelings. One has obvious feelings and it is only after he disappears does the other realise what was under his nose all along.
I’ve really enjoyed both the concept and the delivery of this drama and it’s a shame it was banned in China but I’d like to think this will not prevent the actors from continuing to delight us with their talent in other productions.
Would I watch again? Probably not as there is so much more out there to watch and I had to scramble across several platforms in order to get access to all the episodes.
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good start for omegaverse shows
being the first Real omegaverse show, desire is both very fun and a good entrance into the trope. (well, ignoring the enigma part lol since that's not very common - but it's done well here!) I don't know that I loved all of the world building, but on the whole, it was very interesting and I could push past any weird things (like, we find out in ep 1 that all people with AB blood died?? ... okay...). there were cringe moments here and there as all shows have but it really wasn't that badsomething to know going in is that this show is very much centered on the first couple, sheng shaoyou and hua yong. if you don't like them, it's going to drag a lot, because the second couple do not get a lot of screen time. I definitely was more interested in the second couple (shen wenlang and gao tu), and was disappointed in how little we got to see of them. for reference, one episode only gave them about 3-5 minutes of screen time. so, manage your expectations there. and before anyone comes at me, I did like ssy and hy - I think they were 100% better acted than the second couple, and they had a lot of interesting tropes. I preferred swl and gt but either way, this is a show I would recommend BL fans watch!
on a final note, justice for gao lele!!
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Wow! My first journey into the Omegaverse!
PLOT: A handsome Alpha-S (ML, CEO, of course) is being courted by a gorgeous, fragile "Omega" with an orchid scent (MC). The MC is secretly being helped by ML2 (Alpha - CEO of another biopharmaceutical company, which owns a drug that could save ML's father). ML2 has a very close secretary (ML3), an Omega who pretends to be a Beta, in love with ML2 (who hates Omegas). However, the fragile, orchid-scented Omega, obsessed with ML, is hiding secrets :)This completely unfamiliar world initially seems outlandish, incongruous, absurd... But the actors are brilliant and manage to draw us into this fantasy. Kudos!!
+++ Amazing actors
+++ High-quality production (costumes, sets, lighting, framing, props), everything is meticulously thought out.
+++ It's actually quite fun to see all the twists and clichés of classic dramas transposed into this world where gender roles are assigned differently.
+++ Excellent OSTs
### The ending is too rushed, especially for CL2. Their reunion is hinted at, but the viewer would have liked to see more!
=> A surprising but delightful discovery :)
( • )( • )ԅ(≖‿≖ԅ) ******( • )( • )ԅ(≖‿≖ԅ)******* ( • )( • )ԅ(≖‿≖ԅ) ********* ( • )( • )ԅ(≖‿≖ԅ)
Wahouuu ! Ma 1e plongée dans l'Omegaverse
PLOT: Un bel Alpha-S (ML, CEO, bien entendu) est courtisé par un magnifique, fragile "Omega" au parfum d'orchidée (MC). Il est aidé en sous-main par le ML2 (Alpha - CEO d'1 autre Cie bio-pharmaceutique, détenant un médicament pouvant sauver le père du ML). Le ML2 a un secrétaire (ML3), oméga, très proche, qui, amoureux du ML2 qui déteste les omégas, se fait passer pr 1 bêta. Cependant, le fragile omega au parfum d'orchidée, obsédé par le ML, cache des secrets :)
Cet univers, totalement, inconnu, semble farfelu, incongru, absurde, ... dans un 1e temps. Mais les acteurs sont géniaux et arrivent à nous faire adhérer à cette fantaisie. Kudos !!
+++ Acteurs géniaux
+++ Production high-quality (costumes, décors, lumières, cadrages, accessoires), tout est pensé dans les détails.
+++ C'est finalement très amusant de voir transposer tous les twists / clichés des dramas classiques dans cet univers où les genres sont attribués différemment.
+++ Excellents OSTs
### Le final est trop rushed, en particulier pour le CL2. Leurs retrouvailles sont suggérées, mais le spectateur aurait aimé en voir davantage !
=> Une découverte étonnante mais savoureuse :)
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This review may contain spoilers
this was so good ,never thought i would see a man pregggg
this was so amazing ,hua yong and sheng were so amazing to watch i loved the omegaverse wen lang did make me angry for how stupid he was but i hope we get a season 2 where gao tu and him end up together and the fact it was only 16 eps made me so mad but it was one of my first ever bls or considering how this is omegaverse maybe straight show but i really enjoyed it NJ sisters we need a SEASON 2Was this review helpful to you?
Wolf substitutes
Don't get me wrong - I understand the concept. I've never read or watched an omegaverse story and I'm not sure I will watch one again.The acting was mainly good, but there were chunks of the story that I just didn't get. I understand the hypermasculinity of the Alphas (although sometimes it just came across as being an insecure idiot) and the submission of the Omegas, but what's the purpose of the Beta? What is their role in this universe? Do they represent balance? Were the secretaries all Betas?
The unfolding of the relationship between the two MLs was interesting to watch. The back stories of some characters made sense but I couldn't see the motivation behind the behaviour of others. I know it's entertainment and not a psychological case study, but I'd still like to understand.
The actor who played the character of Hua Yong was so good and portrayed all the characteristics well. He was devious, manipulative and determined. I felt like I was watching a psychopath in action (which, I'm guessing, was the point).
What I liked: Huang (Eliot) Xing is a great actor. The portrayal of his character (Hua Yong) was so good and the duality was spot on. Li Pei En (Gao Tu) portrayed, really well, the nervousness and anxiety of a person in his position. He was my favourite character.
What I didn't like: the pacing was wrong - such a slow middle section and then a rushed ending. I have no idea what happened to the second couple - how did that story end?
I feel like I've missed something, but don't care enough to go back and work out parts of the story.
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This review may contain spoilers
I watched this show while it was airing and decided to give it a rewatch to see if I liked it. Honestly my rewatch made me realize how unbalanced the story is.
There are a lot of plot holes, and skipped scenes that somewhat seem necessary. The omega verse story is good and new and different from current BL stories that have been airing but its disappointing. This show was aired and promoted as 2 main couples. EXCEPT there is 1 main couple and a secondary couple. The main couple yes is the main part of the story but with how they promoted the show the second couple should have had more. There are more behind the scene videos of the couple then in the actual show.
The ending tho...
Whole different story. It caught me off guard that i thought i missed it. The ending was trash legit disappointing because it felt rushed and unfinished. My first thought was "thats how it ends". What happened to the second couple, are they together? what happened to the kids.
I would watch this to see what an omega verse show looks like but you might not be satisfied with the ending especially if you are a fan of the second couple.
I hope in future projects the second couple is given more, as there is a huge following behind them.
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Confusing
I knew nothing about the Omegaverse, and I can’t say it ever really appealed to me. When I saw that this series flipped the roles — the prey actually being the hunter — I thought, “Let’s give it a try!” While that aspect is interesting, it’s not enough to hide the discomfort I feel toward the genre itself: violence in intimate relationships, dominance, animalistic behavior, and so on. I can definitely say it’s not for me.As for the series itself: terrible direction, ultra-cheap special effects, and average acting. And to top it all off, it doesn’t even have an ending — literally. I’ve never seen a show just stop in the middle of nowhere like that!
Honestly, ABO Desire won't stay in my memory.
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Fun but not in the way I expected
While I am no expert, I am a pretty big consumer of danmei novels. When these books are turned into dramas, my fancy is tickled. While I never read the source novel for ABO Desire, in a moment of boredom, I turned the drama on.Less than 24 hours later, I completed this…..not masterpiece, not shlock, not….well, let me explain.
ABO Desire is a LGBTQ+ story set in the omegaverse. If you are not familiar with that type of genre, please google it. Just know ABO stories are typically the most toxic excuses for fiction out there.
Yes, I watched anyway.
Yes, it did have ABO toxic elements.
So why did I complete it in a day?
It may have something to do with having the time off of work to binge. Perhaps it was the long cold almost-winter’s night. This story had me laughing at all the wrong parts and hating every single character that graced the screen.
If a show can make me hate everyone on the screen while finding the characters sympathetic, it is worth watching at least once.
Characters:
Truth be told, if I say too much about the characters, it will be a spoiler. Just know that Hua Yong is probably one of the topmost memorable characters I have ever watched on the screen. Played beautifully by Huang Xing, Hua Yong sucks me in from the first moment I see him and I…..just……can’t……look…..away.
Watch this show just to see all the very interesting things Hua Yong manifests in all sixteen episodes.
Please know that if you are a human with a moral compass, all four leads will make you uncomfortable with their less than righteous choices…….very uncomfortable.
The main couple’s story was the most interesting where the second couple was borderline silly.
That said, if you’re looking for romantic chemistry, I did not find it anywhere in ABO Desire. If you desire (pun intended) stomach-fluttering-passion, watch Revenged Love not this show.
The one character that I will give detail on is Shen Wen Lang played by Jiang Heng. This was basically Jiang Cheng (notice the name is almost the same) from The Untamed. The actor looks like Wang Zho Cheng, he sounds like Wang Zho Cheng and he plays Shen Wen Lang if it were Jiang Cheng. The very essence of this character is Jiang Cheng played by Wang Zhuo Cheng, but not. It is UNCANNY!
I noticed other viewers commented the same thing.
Story:
I won’t go deep into the story because I’ll be honest, if I get too deep, it will spoil it. Just know it is about corporate China with an ABO story line that contains EVERY ABO and cold-CEO cliché known to Chinese dramas……yet, turned on it’s head.
And I laughed.
I laughed so hard at all the dramatic moments, I really do hope the screen writer meant for everything to come off as satire, otherwise, this is some really bad writing. I am grateful for the humor. It made this ABO mess just shine as something a little bit different or outside of the norm.
MUSIC:
The music was more than forgettable. This series is very low budget. Most of the money was spent on the clothes and cars. Everything else was passable.
OVERALL:
If you are looking for ABO on the screen, here’s your chance. If you long for clichés galore, turn it on. If you need a good laugh, I recommend binging the night away. Truly, Hua Yong’s character is the only one where I think the acting was spectacular, unless you consider the Jiang Cheng-impersonator.
Classic story, top notch writing…….not so much, but it sure was entertaining.
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