1“Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island” is a different kind of BL drama from China. Since this is an independently produced web drama, it can avoid censorship and actually gives us some passionate kisses. This short drama has garnered great reviews on MDL, so I wanted to check it out.
The setting is beautiful with nicely shot scenes, great cinematography and the sounds of nature. Most of the drama happened on the island and It feels like a quiet slice-of-life drama. Viewers have the front row seat to the leads’ special summer on the island: exploring, frolicking, tasting delicious lychees, and most importantly, getting close to each other.
It took me a little bit to get used to this way of storytelling. It feels slow and weird, yet also feels different and interesting. The two main leads have great chemistry and the acting is solid. Plotwise, not a lot happened, to be honest: just falling in love, being brave and accepting of oneself. This drama reminded me a little of “I Told Sunset About You”.
I generally enjoy “Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island” except for the preachy island aunty. I am still not quite understanding who she is and why the boys seek her out for advice in life. At times, I like the prologue voiceovers, but other times I find the talk of the deep stuff a little pretentious.
I might not love this drama as much as many others, but I acknowledge its uniqueness and challenge of Chinese censorship. I still have a good time watching it and I love the chemistry between the leads in the last scene. I also really like the song that Chen Li was listening to, but I couldn't find it on Spotify.
Other Weird Observations:
1. The boy just put on a face mask, yet he washed off all the serum!!!
2. Rosemary is a mosquito repellant?
3. It was hard to tell how old Xiao Zhi was. Then I realized he’s a college student.
Completed: 5/10/2025 - Review #573
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The first half was fantastic.
The first half of this series was beautiful to watch, beautifully filmed, an air of nostalgia in a beautiful setting.But then the setting disappeared, and the "plot" was left unsupported, and the flat, predictable, and formulaic story had to bear its own weight, not helped by the strange decline of the sountrack.
It felt like the director lost interest halfway through and just had to tie it up and go home. The time jump wasn't as awful as these usually are, but it was also insufficiently supported and drained the narrative of what life it had left.
TBH, I barely remember this series. I binged the frist four episodes, and then had to force myself through the rest. It wasn't awful or painful, but it was difficult to pay attention.
This is short enough that it won't kill you to watch it, and the first half is beautiful enough to make it worth it, but a higher budget, better writing, and slightly longer run-time, and a longer attention span on the part of the director, could have made this a masterpiece.
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Simply beautiful.
Just watched all episodes in a row, not hard to do because they are not that long.It's just a beautifull story about love and giving in to feelings.
This story had happiness, sadness, longing, good kisses and all very well played by Yi Chen and Yi He.
I highly recommend watching it. I may watch it again in the future when i'm in the mood for a sweet short series.
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This review may contain spoilers
Friendship to undeniable connection—where emotions speak louder than words.
I absolutely loved Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island! The chemistry between the two leads, Liu Yi He and Hu Yi Chen, was off the charts. Honestly, I didn’t expect such a spicy BL coming out of mainland China, and the fact that they pulled it off was a huge surprise (I heard they sent the footage to Taiwan to be aired/streamed to get around certain restrictions, but don’t quote me on that). It’s a legit romance, no bromance nonsense, which was refreshing.The two leads shared a very close friendship with an undeniable romantic chemistry that you could genuinely feel through the screen—it made every interaction compelling and emotionally charged.
The only downside was that the episodes felt a bit short—I just wanted more! But that’s honestly a small complaint because the whole series felt like a well-made film. The pacing, the build-up, everything was just spot on. Plus, it has a happy ending, which is always a win in my book. If these two actors ever team up again, I’d be all in. Highly recommend this series if you’re looking for something spicy, heartfelt, and genuine.
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Touched my heart and made me laugh
„You are the best in your own world“ (quote from the final sequence)Wow, this (series + 3 special episodes) is one of the best things I have watched for a long time and it’s joining a place in my heart next to Love in the big city. I came across it by coincidense and I am glad I did. It made me feel everything, made me smile, laugh, feel anxious, happy, helpless and shed a few tears. I loved the vibrant green, the nature setting, the real rain (yes, finally some real rain and not some fake rain with sun in the background!), the summer energy, the story, the acting, the cinematography, the fact that we didn‘t hear the characters‘ thoughts, that some things were not explained, but we could still understand them (like the bathtub scene) if we switched our brains on, that the characters were not bland, that both of the leads had realistic human feelings and struggles and that both leads were equally strong and equally weak. The series and episode 6 especially had some very beautiful and poetic insights on life. I‘ll definitely watch the show again.
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Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island is the kind of slow-burn BL that stays with you.
Tender, poetic, and gorgeously shot—Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island is the kind of slow-burn BL that stays with you. Real kisses. Real feelings. No censorship. Just pure, queer storytelling from Hong Kong.✨ Dive into our full review on https://boysloveinsider.com/why-secrets-happened-on-the-litchi-island-bl-review/ and find out why this gentle coming-of-age story is making waves in the BL world!
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That was so slow, barely any type of conversation between cast, and if existed it's probably random stuff, I could sense some emotions here and there but it all feels so meh!
I probably don't fit the category of the targeted audience here because I don't think I like it ...
I won't recommend it either tbh, I've seen my fair share of slow healing BLs and dramas in general but this failed to keep my attention to it so, it's a big no from me.
However, I can understand if some people find it appealing, I guess it's just not for everyone, so me not liking it isn't because it's badly done, but because to me there was no story worth watching, and acting IMO isn't the best so there is nothing worth suggesting it for~
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"That summer was like a dream... permeating my entire youth..."
An artistic coming of age story between a sensitive yet strong Xiao Zhi falling for this caring yet hesitant ge Chen Li. Most of the episodes are short, and are really a perfect example of "Show, Don't tell" cinema. There is great symbolism including nature, fruit, birds, and books. You find yourself constantly reading between the lines and get rewarded in later episodes.In the beginning, there was a youthful feel to the story, but as the characters interacted more, the vibe shifts to ambiguous tenderness, and there are little touches and eye contacts here and there, and it feels like they live in their own world.
Xiao Zhi is just a beautiful soul. He feels a lot, and is the type to cry over books and movies. But, he's also unyielding when he has to be and I really appreciate that about him. Chen Li cares for Xiao Zhi both physically and emotionally, and you can see how he's always paying attention to him. But, he struggles with his identity and it felt like he was fighting his feelings, so it was really interesting to see them being, and I quote, "suffering, yet passionate."
Huge shoutout to the actors. They communicate a lot with their eyes, and I can tell what they're about to do just by looking at their expressions. They also have great chemistry together. And shoutout to the cast behind the screen, every detail mattered and I could tell they took it seriously.
I really enjoyed the music as well. It was a good fit for the theme of the series.
I particularly loved the story-telling aspect of the show. There were quotes by the characters in the beginning and ending of the episodes. I have to say I was put off by the subtitles because till this day I have no idea what was written in the beginning since the font was really hard to read (If anyone has an idea or link pls let me know), but my favorite was,
"He can understand my paintings,
knows I dislike being defined,
and is always considerate of my delicate emotions.
I wish he were just like me."
There are short special extra episodes that you can find as well. They add a lot to the story, I fell in love with the characters again through them. I wish they were longer but I'm also very satisfied as there aren't really any loose ends.
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Pure Cinematography And Art
This short series is just lovely, love the places it takes place and how each episode is filled with green it feels like you're in there with there, I can feel the rain, the breeze, the scent of the leaves, it makes you forget your even watching a series to begin with, for a second I was like "idc about the plot I'm just here to admire this beautiful scenery in every episode" but the story was also captivating, simple but cute, it's like a coming of age story, with a love thats so pure and wholesome, it's interpreted so beautifully and in such an artistic way I just couldn't stop watching. I also need to appreciate the fact that it's short so everything is balanced super well. I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to watch the special episodes once they're all fully released.Was this review helpful to you?
Summer love and nature
What an amazing series. The lust of a summer love which history lasted for years combined with the waiting till the feelings get mature enough to realize that its mutual was so beautifully pictured. I loved that Xiao Zhi was straightforward and not afraid to show his feelings. He knew who he was and what he wants in contrast with Chen Li who was unsure. The scenery, the nature, sounds and colors were so beautiful and magical. They passed the vibe of the summer in a village/mountain area, which is a free and quiet period living in the moment, while every day that passes means it will end sooner than planned. And thats the critical point of summer love stories. Will they last when the winter comes or will they stay as unfulfilled? Lastly, it gave me some "Call me by your name" vibes the whole time.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Breathtaking Cinematography
Similar to masterpieces like ITSAY, the Paradise of Thorns, and GELBOYS which Boss Kuno has specifically said aren’t a BL I don’t know if I would label this a BL too since this was just a simple story of two gay men in a coming of age mini series. I enjoyed the cinematography of this and what set this apart from a BL was that it was free of tropes and very realistic. Especially the scenes with homophobic roommates. I was able to keep up with the story but I think I marked it down a little bit because the subs were way too tiny. I’m sure if I watched it elsewhere it would’ve been bigger but I wanted to support the actual channel. Overall an amazing series and I hope we see more like this.Was this review helpful to you?
A Fleeting Summer, A Lasting Impression
When I started this series, the first three episodes had me thinking: “No way I’m going to enjoy this.” It felt rushed, like we were thrown straight into the deep end with zero introductions or buildup. The pacing was so fast that I wasn’t sure if the story would even stick. But then episode four hit, and suddenly everything started clicking into place. I found myself surprised by how effective it was. Instead of dragging things out with unnecessary fluff, the show just went straight to the heart of the relationship and somehow that directness worked beautifully.What really pulled me in was how natural the connection between the leads felt. It wasn’t about flashy drama or overcomplicated plot twists. Their relationship unfolds in quiet, subtle ways through glances, moments of silence, and shared little experiences. It’s almost like the show trusted us to feel the emotions without spelling them out, and that made it hit harder. By the time the tension broke, I was fully invested, and it felt so rewarding.
My biggest complaint is the duration. It’s way too short. With just a handful of 7 episodes running under 25 minutes each, you’re left wanting more. There’s so much room for deeper exploration of the characters and their struggles. It feels like we only got a glimpse of something that could have been even more powerful if given more time to breathe.
Still, the brevity didn’t stop it from leaving an impression. The cinematography is absolutely stunning. The use of natural scenery (like orchards, sudden rain showers, quiet countryside roads) turns the setting into more than just a backdrop. It becomes part of the mood, reflecting the characters’ emotions. Those soft earthy tones and lingering shots of nature gave the whole thing a calming, almost lyrical vibe. At times it reminded me Call Me By Your Name, not in story but in how the visuals and atmosphere do half the storytelling.
I also appreciated the sincerity of the performances. Nothing felt overly rehearsed or fake. The awkwardness and messiness actually made it more real. The chemistry between the leads builds slowly, like a low simmer, and when it finally boils over, it’s so worth it. Honestly, I didn’t expect a short series like this to carry such emotional weight, but it did.
Of course, it’s not perfect. Aside from the short runtime, the pacing in the beginning might put some people off. And yeah, the subtitles could definitely use some work (I nearly gave up squinting at them at one point). But at the end of the day, what really matters is the heart of the story and that’s where this show shines.
I personally would say this series is like a small but beautifully wrapped gift. It’s not polished to perfection, but it feels genuine, heartfelt, and refreshing.
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