Exclusive Love

looked good but felt empty inside

Just when I thought Taiwanese BL dramas had set a consistent standard for me, Exclusive Love came along and shattered that streak. I started watching the first episode without much background reading, curious and open-minded. By episode two, I had to pause and actually read the plot synopsis and even then, confusion hit me like a truck.

Initially, I thought there was going to be a ghost element involved because of the prank in episode one. Turns out, that was the first and last time any “ghost” even remotely made sense. The entire funeral company concept, which should have been central to the story, was barely shown and poorly integrated into the plot. It felt more like a narrative afterthought than an essential part of the characters’ journeys.

As for the main leads, their performances were serviceable at best. Not terrible, but not memorable either. Their chemistry was almost non-existent. You’d think a strong character background would save them, but the execution was so scattered that you couldn't even enjoy it properly. There was no emotional hook to latch onto between the leads.

Surprisingly, the second leads offered a bit of hope. Their chemistry was more believable, enough to make me wish they had more screen time. Still, their subplot about sabotaging a wedding dragged the quality down even further instead of lifting the story.

There were TOO MANY missed opportunities. Important story arcs felt half-baked. Did Wang Zhan actually overcome his deep-seated fears? Did the brother die or not? Also, what happened to the "training" that was supposed to help the main character? If you call a one-day crash course “training,” then I guess they technically ticked the box, but not convincingly.

To give credit where it’s due, the cinematography was clean and visually appealing. You can tell they invested effort in the technical aspects. The soundtrack, too, was genuinely good. If anything, those were the only things that kept me from quitting immediately.

Overall, I've seen WORSE (yes I'm talking to you Sunset X Vibes), but that's hardly a compliment. Exclusive Love was more disappointing than entertaining. It wasted a decent premise and stretched 12 episodes into what felt like an endless loop of "what is even happening?" I even found myself skipping about 40% of it, and it still felt too long.

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Abs over plot

This is one of those dramas that you are sure to forget you watched as it is pretty mediocre, its not really bad and it does have some nice moments but honestly there is very little build up or process. Moods swing in the blin of en eye to make time for shower scenes slow mo shots of naked upper bodies, buttons gone undone, kisses and more buttons getting undone.

So if you just want to relax, watch hot n cold come together without much plot this is not a bad choice as the boys did indeed work on their upper bodies quite a bit and there is nothing really annoying or bad in this. Just do not expect, well anything and you will be fine,

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And way down we go

This started considerably well. Chaotic and nonsensical from the beginning, it was so light, cute and sometimes hilarious that I really liked it. The filming locations were shot very nicely and everything looked aesthetically pleasing, the OST was decent, the setting had a couple interesting twists to it, so this was my favourite thing to watch Friday nights to end the work week - until it wasn't. It had the potential to be a good "brain off" drama, but it would've needed a lobotomy to not notice how this drastically declined. You absolutely can't binge this unless you like to get things over with once you realize it's bad. Although then maybe you won't notice how nothing's really happening.

The acting sways between good and massively lacking and the plot is absolutely random. I imagine the writers had two spinning wheels in their offices, one for first or second couple, the other with random typical BL tropes. Whatever the wheels showed would be the next scene. This lead to scenes between both couples being widely unbalanced and the plot not having a single stringent line. Despite having a "happy end", it was all loose ends. Every scene that allowed for a bit of emotionality was either cut strangely short or presented in a way that was more cringe than anything.

The bed scenes were okay, but unneccessary. I assume the overall runtime of these was at least one full episode that the plot desperately would have needed for the relationships to actually develop to reach that point. After all, it seemed they decided to prioritize a tropey mess that decided to leave its potential untouched for a deep dive into fanservice.

Will you like it? If you find randomness and the most out of nowhere plottwists to be entertaining, I absolutely recommend watching. For a proper story, please use your preferred exit to go back to the main page and try to find something different to watch.

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One of the Taiwanese shows which disappoints...

This show started with one of the worst openings in BL history...
Force one of the boys to do things he doesn't want... It's just rape but mentally. Even when a show gets better after this, it can never ever be a good show. It was simply disgusting, regardless if it's a "fantasy" or not. It should not have a place in any drama imho.

As always the side couple is the more interesting one but their inability to communicate was a bit annoying. The rest of the plot was more on the boring side. The actors did the best with the script but Mr. Chang was not really believable,. The cinematography was the best of this show.

While I thought this will be a nice show, it's not. It's just banal and boring and you could have done something more interesting than watching this.

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this drama was litttt

Before starting the drama i came across a comment that said that liking this drama is based on individual taste and i really felt that coz many people kept saying the drama was boring and lacked potential .....but honestly ac to my pov this drama was so good and i would totally recommend it ..the chemistry between the leads were sooo good and in a world where leads make out in the very first few eps it felt good to watch a drama where efforts to understand each other first was priotised and they took it slow and steady before reaching to the NC scenes...i didn't came across a single ep tht was borring and I felt that they showed what needs to shown without any useless stretching which eventually makes the drama cringe and boring ...all in all I would totally recommend it

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Are they already dead?

The problem with Exclusive Love is that the formula being used is outdated. The storyline is actually interesting on paper, but the experience of it was not. Where was the drama? The well modulated tones of each actor seemed more of a sedative than an energizer. It does nothing to the performances that drag on for no apparent reason. 10 episodes in, and I was questioning why all this could not have wrapped up in 5. Granted, they're part of the funeral business, but they're not dead.

Moments are missed when the romance could have been enhanced but falls flat. TDZ asks WZ to lay on a table to show him how the dead, in their final moments before burial, are treated with respect. He proceeds to use oil to massage WZ. They're interrupted, and I happily say with good reason. It did not have the intensity needed and was as boring as paint drying. TDZ, who has feelings for WZ, was not affected by actually touching the pliant flesh being manipulated by his fingers.

The impending death of TDZ's brother brought no urgency to the story to push it further but more of the dull lackluster acting. On hearing that, Ian has feelings for him, WZ is shocked. I am truly grateful for the addition of Ian, as he is the only one who seems to still be in the land of the living. The second couple fared a little better but not by much. The subterfuge of JH inadvertently got YQ to the point of reaching the alter. A double wedding that fit well into the lifeless pattern of this series. The one aspect that really irked me was the living funeral. Why? Anyone will speak kind words when they know that you are dying. How everyone treats you in the course of your life is what should matter.

Taiwan used to produce intriguing storylines and enigmatic acting. Sadly, this is a reminder that everything changes and has an end. In this case, thankfully, also. 12 episodes was too much of this dribble. If after watching, your consensus is the same, don't say I didn't warn you.

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excellent visuals, weak plot (watch suggestions)

Overall: the visuals were amazing but the plot was lackluster - I think this should have been called "Exclusive Death" instead. 12 episodes about 27 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala (not available in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macau) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5093/exclusive-love-2025-e01 ; iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/exclusive-love-episode-1-g5451ifukg?lang=en_us ; Viki https://www.viki.com/videos/1257955v-exclusive-love-episode-1

Content Warnings: deaths, kidnapped/held against will, coercion, non con touching, bullying/near torture, fight/violence, manhandling, non con/dub con kiss, past death, mental health struggles, dub/non con kiss, non con kiss, past bullying, past fight, punches, non con turned consensual

Watch Suggestions (to focus on sweeter moments)
- start episode 1 at 16 minutes
- episode 2 watch 3-4:30, 7-7:45, 9-13:15, 16:30-22:45 and 24:10-end
- episode 3 watch 7:30-15:30
- watch episode 4
- skip episode 5
- episode 6 watch 5:30-9:30 (or keep watching if you like guitar playing/singing) and 16:30-24
- episode 7 watch beginning-4:45, 9:05-14:25 and 21:20-22:50
- skip episode 8
- episode 9 watch 16:30-22:10
- episode 10 watch 2:50-5:10
- episode 11 watch 3:45-6:10 and 7-9, 15:20-16, 19:10-19:35
- episode 12 watch 6-9:55 and 14-end

What I Liked
- visuals
- caring moments
- the final episode was pretty good (added a half point for it)

Room For Improvement
- one character's near torture approach in the beginning was awful and then stupidly blaming himself for something, getting angry at a character who was trying to be nice, ugh
- what they did in episode 10 was totally unnecessary, they could have had such a better plot with that character
- multiple love rivals and two people fighting over a person like he was an object and then suddenly the love rivals are all hunky dory
- I liked the side couple in the beginning but the idiot "plan" made it not enjoyable to watch them, they also occasionally disappeared (zero screen time in episode 10
- dub/non con kisses
- continuity error in episode 11
- nonsense stuff: if the guy didn't want to pursue that path and he was over 18 then he could go to the police and no one could force him (also he could hire people to run the business); all those guys with the sunglasses in ep 1 made it seem to be trying for humor but it failed; odd to require physical training for that job and the massage in ep 4; random and cliche plot in episode 3 (wasn't quite goofy enough to be funny); cliche plot in episode 4 of not telling someone something to avoid hurting them which hurts them

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Weak Plot and Dull Romance – Not Worth Your Time

Unfortunately, a boring and weak script. *Exclusive Love* is a Taiwanese BL drama about a grown man who ends up reconnecting with a much younger guy he once tutored. As their paths cross again, feelings begin to grow—but not everything goes smoothly.

The concept had potential, but the execution left a lot to be desired. The storyline was vague and never really committed to a clear direction. Sure, it’s meant to be a love story, but it felt hollow and aimless. The main romance failed to deliver, largely because the leads lacked any real chemistry. It was hard to root for them when their connection felt so forced.

One major plotline, involving the main character’s dying brother, was almost completely glossed over. It was supposed to add emotional depth, but instead, it felt like a forgotten subplot. The side couple, while cute together, seemed randomly inserted and their relevance to the main story was never made clear.

The repeated trope of a mature adult falling for a much younger, immature partner is getting old. It’s a dynamic that’s been played out far too often in Asian BL series, and here it felt especially tired and unoriginal.

That said, the production quality wasn’t terrible, and some supporting performances had charm. The cinematography was decent, and the series did have moments that hinted at emotional resonance, but they were few and far between.

I usually enjoy Taiwanese BL dramas, but this one was just too dull and forgettable. Honestly, I’m not even sure why I watched it to the end. With so many new BL series coming out from Asia, this is one you can safely skip.

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"Slow Burn", Stockholm Syndrome and Love Triangles

The reasons why a person can be kidnapped are numerous, as evidenced by the world of films and television series.
Perhaps the most common approach is that of kidnapping with the aim of demanding a sum of money in exchange for release. Another type of drama that centers its plot on the kidnapping of people is, without a doubt, those in which hostages are taken for various reasons: military, economic, even purely romantic, etc. And the third major category of fictional productions featuring kidnapped people and kidnappers is undoubtedly the one that directly refers to criminal psychopaths with the worst possible intentions, where the plot is always a race against time to escape or hunt down the culprit. It's very common to see in these films and series the crazy person who decides to hold passengers on public transportation —planes, buses, trains—, or isolated houses, against their will.
However, what's interesting about the Taiwanese series, directed by Chiou Hau Jou, known for his extensive production of films and series in both China and Taiwan, is that it presents us with a trope, both funny and dark, in which a kidnapper and his victim fall in love.
'Exclusive Love', which tells stories of postponed, forbidden, and even unlikely loves, proposes another very peculiar motive for kidnapping a person: a brother tries to force another to take over a funeral business he detests, and to do so he uses a kidnapper.
The story gradually reveals the motive that leads Wang Ying Xiu (Mozy Yu) to ask his friend Tang Du Zhi (played by Parker Mao) to kidnap his non-blood-related brother Wang Zhan (played by Chang Chia Sheng, in his first leading role), to force him to enter a funeral business that he has rejected for years because he is interested in becoming a professional singer and musician. It will also lead us to learn about the love that arises between kidnapper and kidnapped person in the midst of such a dangerous situation, where fear and the anxiety of reliving past traumas go hand in hand. Following in the footsteps of other BL series where victim and victimizer end up in each other's arms, such as 'Kidnap' and 'KinnPorche', among others, 'Exclusive Love' will captivate you with a romance story where the protagonists meet in the middle of a crime, but something unexpected makes them fall in love.
Although the name doesn't sound very romantic, as you delve into the story, you'll see how the spark of love slowly begins to grow between the successor of a funeral business and the character played by the actor known for bringing Xia Shang Zhou to life in the BL drama 'You Are Mine'), here a funeral director who commits the kidnapping.
However, what begins as a plan to force someone to accept being the business successor of a company ends up changing the lives of these two people completely. Literally: Wang Zhan not only falls in love with his kidnapper, but his love is reciprocated, and grows as he also begins to "love the dead".
For fans of the Enemies to Lovers trope, and more precisely, Stockholm Syndrome, watching the couple of Wang Zhan and Tang Du Zhi is a true joy, as there is nothing more exciting in this type of story than the moment when victim and perpetrator finally admit their feelings.
But it's the "slow-burn" trope that governs and shapes the two romantic relationships in 'Exclusive Love'. While the two main characters have long desired each other, clearly in love, it takes them a while to take the first step toward being together. In them, the romantic connection, emotional development, and real, true feelings develop gradually, through shared moments, deep conversations, and challenges they overcome together.
The writers recreate the development of feelings within the narrative to the point of exhaustion. But in my opinion, they have a reasonable excuse: the main characters have enough traumas that prevent them from acting on their feelings. Specifically, Tang Du Zhi experiences a trauma from his youth. He blames himself for indirectly causing the death of his parents and the disability of his brother in a tragic car accident, precisely on his birthday.
Being in a relationship with someone who carries past traumas isn't easy. Tang Du Zhi must first overcome them in order to accept the love that knocks at his door. Wang Zhan will have to be patient, understand, and accompany his loved one through this difficult process.
But there will be a third trope throughout the series: the love triangle. The cat-and-mouse game that runs vertically through the protagonists' relationship is exploited by Ian (played by Sun Mai Jie), a friend of both, who, attracted to Wang Zhan, tries to get him to set his sights on him.
Meanwhile, the story between Tu Jing He (Pu Ching Heng) and Zhang Yi Qing (Hsv Wei Tse), both making their acting debut, also simmers.
Tu Jing He and Zhang Yi Qing have a strong friendship that has been solidified since their student days, so their mutual longing gives rise to a slow burn. Their secret crush is threatened by the latter's arranged marriage. His parents demand that he marry, so they set him up on blind dates in search of his son's future daughter-in-law and wife. Zhou You Ning (Cindy Chi) is the third point in this love triangle, which risks turning into a love square (or rather, the definitive birth of a typical two-person relationship between the two boys) when the girl chosen to marry Tu Jing He shows interest in the female wedding choreographer.

"SLOW-BURN"

In most romantic series and films, true love is all about the spark. The protagonists often have little time to forge a solid connection. In these cases, the strength of the relationship is often measured by the speed with which two people can "connect". For this reason, audiences are accustomed to seeing love stories that develop fluidly, quickly, and at breakneck speed after only a few weeks or dates. Screenwriters champion the premise: "when they know, they know".
But not all love stories develop this way. In others, the characters take their time to go from being a "couple of friends", even enemies or strangers, to being in love. When love triumphs while simmering, it demonstrates not only that perseverance has truly led the loving couple to feel the purest love, but it also showcases the often overlooked power of the "slow burn".
The relationship between the two main characters is a slow burn because they both begin as friends after the events that led them to meet and interact with each other, and there was no initial element of passion, infatuation, or physical chemistry.
Meanwhile, the secondary couple's relationship takes a while to blossom because while Zhang Yi Qing and Tu Jing He have had a platonic connection since their high school years, various internal and external factors, such as peer pressure, doubts, misunderstandings, and family demands for one of them to get married, have caused their romance to take years to blossom. Here, heartbroken wedding planner Zhang Yi Qing helps his old friend Tu Jing He plan the wedding, but in reality, he wants to sabotage it.
Both relationships have a solid foundation in friendship, trust, and the experience of a love that deepens as the connection progresses. In both relationships, it seems more like a friendship with a small spark of attraction or passion, than a great flame of attraction and passion with a little bit of friendship.
Although the two relationships don't have the spark of love at first sight, although they basically spend a lot of time yearning for/denying each other's feelings while circumstances keep them apart, once that little spark turns into a flame, it's worth the wait.
In my opinion, slow burns are most successful when paired as a subtrope beneath an overarching story that provides obstacles for the characters to deal with.
From the script to the put on screen, the series delivers on its premise: between the funeral and the wedding, the four protagonists say goodbye to the pain and misunderstandings of their past and redefine love and life.

WHAT MAKES THEIR STORY SPECIAL?

The series has raised both pro and con voices on social media. In addition to the strong performances, a story that blends drama and romance, and also includes some thought-provoking life lessons, fans praise it for its narrative containing elements of drama, trauma, grief, and healing; for the attraction exerted by male protagonists with a strong, virile energy; for the chemistry between the actors; for the heated exchange of glances between the members of the two main couples, which apparently have raised the temperature among viewers.
However, it has found detractors among those who find the delay in consolidating the two romantic relationships as the 12 episodes draw to a close excessive; and for its violent content, such as forcing someone to overcome their fears in an unorthodox way; and for the handling of characters traumatized by everything related to blood and death. Unlike other kidnapping films, in this case, Stockholm syndrome manifests itself so quickly that the viewer doesn't have time to believe the boy is being kidnapped by a stranger. Moreover, the slow-burning romance leaves viewers in suspense, wondering if and when the love interests will actually unite.
Co-produced by LINE TV and Neptune Tianxi in collaboration with Poseidon Films and Advantage Global, 'Exclusive Love' is (ostensibly) the "first BL drama about funeral director etiquette", whose originality the creators seem strangely proud of.
With a visual aesthetic dedicated to highlighting the beauty of Taiwanese landscapes, the gloomy and somber spaces associated with death and funerals, and the shapely bodies of the protagonists, the series has been dubbed "HIStory 6 in Disguise" due to its close affiliation with the same production company and production team as the legendary BL series.
A cast that also includes Leo Cheng as employee Chi Hui Yu, among others, adds depth to the stories.
As I listen to Anson Poon's opening and ending themes "Glimmer" and "US" (想和你), respectively, "Dawn" (天亮), "Amanecer" (天亮), "Contour" (輪廓), and "Beside You" (在你身邊), I ask myself the following questions: How far can a serial love story go? How many layers of seduction and eroticism can be told? Why is it that the more unpredictable a new romance series is, the larger its audience will be? The object of desire? Why is it that the strangest, most surprising, forbidden —even improbable—loves are the ones that generate the greatest attraction?

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Gorgeous Men, Sizzling Chemistry… and a Plot That Did Them Dirty

Okay so... I just finished Exclusive Love and my brain is melting but also mildly raging?? 😭

First off, let’s talk visuals. ALL FOUR main guys? Literal walking perfection. Like, did the casting team just raid heaven?? Tang DuZhi and Wang Zhan had me staring at my screen like 🫠 every time they shared a scene. And don’t even get me started on Zhang YiQing and Tu JingHe—those high school flashbacks?? TOO CUTE, I was kicking my feet fr.

And episodes 11 and 12?? MA’AM. The NC scenes were 🔥🔥🔥. Steamy, emotional, intense—the chemistry between both couples was insane. I was living for every second.

One scene that broke me: Tang DuZhi secretly listening to Wang Zhan sing after losing his parents. Like?? The pain?? The love?? He never even told him. I was curled up in a ball sobbing.

BUT—and this is a big but—the plot? Baby what is you doing?? 😩 The whole "he’s a funeral director and he gets kidnapped" angle was… unnecessary. He’s a grown man, why are we doing this? It felt like a weird excuse to get the story rolling.

Also... WHY are both couples acting like they're in a slow-burn soap opera when they've already admitted feelings??? Tang DuZhi and Wang Zhan playing emotional ping-pong, and YiQing still going through with a marriage after confessing to Tu JingHe??? It’s giving frustration. Just kiss and be together omg.

And don’t even get me started on that ending. 12 episodes and they CRAM everything into the finale—confessions, NC scenes, then suddenly both couples are married?? No proposals, no proper resolution?? Girl, I needed at least two more episodes for that emotional payoff!

I’m giving it an 8/10 because the cast and the chemistry CARRIED. But man… this was a waste of such an insanely beautiful cast. Give them a better script next time 😭

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A really underrated series!

To be honest, I don't understand why the show received negative reactions. I do love a lot of aspects of the series. For instance, the chemistry between the couples, the acting, the music, and the plot twists. There were just a couple of things I didn't like: how little the relationship between Wang Chan and his brother was explored, which took a toll on Wang Chan's character, and the lack of background for Ian's character, making it difficult to understand his intentions.

A very positive aspect of the series is the representation of how people deny themselves the chance to love because of trauma and guilt. Some consider this topic exaggerated, repetitive, or inconsequent for a BL production. I can understand that some topics may not resonate with all audiences, but that's what makes our world diverse, and we have the right to express our genuine feelings. I just hope that someone reading this will give the series a chance. 🤗🤗🤗

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Why Did I Watch This Show???

Even good actors would fail at saving a bad script with abysmal storytelling!

Can you fall in love with your kidnapper? Makes you wonder if the said victim Wang Zhan suffers from Stockholm Syndrome or he is simply finding comfort in the arms of the man who puts him through a gruelling routine for three quarters of this show. Wang Zhan & Tang Du Zhi’s love story is quite questionable; Wang Zhan is afraid of ghosts and obviously funeral rites scare the bejesus out of him. Ironically, his family business involves running a funeral home and he wants absolutely nothing to do with it. A runaway wannabe, playing music on the streets, Wang Zhan is content with his life. Until, his older brother’s lackey Tang Du Zhi forcibly brings him home and starts training him to takeover the family business. They have a lot of differences, opinion clashes and yet inevitably in the midst of all those disagreements, they slowly grow closer. But Tang Du Zhi has personal demons and baggage to unpack, while Wang Zhan has to face his own fears. The show doesn’t make a lot of sense in certain aspects, the pacing falls back in some places and in the second half, you feel utterly bored. This is one of those shows that starts good but ends miserably!

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2025/06/06/exclusive-love-series-review-ep-3-to-12/

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