The Love Never Sets

Problematic But Brave

As other reviews attest, it is far too easy to "punch down" in reviewing this series: its flaws are many and criticism is warranted. And yet, I didn't give up and actually looked forward to each week's episode release.

The script chose to tackle and address issues that many stories (BL or not) pretend don't exist: mental health, therapy, institutional/authority figure predation (and the willful ignorance around these predators), and forced prostitution and victim-shaming. I think art, even flawed art, that chooses to speak to power should be praised for what it gets right as well as criticized when part of the execution falls short.

The early episodes did a tremendously deft job in taking us on Ice's journey as he continued to heal. Some of the most outstanding scenes during the characters' workshop sessions were understated and they let the subtext speak volumes that the script did not. Their workshop scenes were heartbreaking and hopeful, and watching two fractured people attempt to create connection (while one is still reeling from the trauma of sexual exploitation) was masterfully done. In fact, I might go out on a ledge and say those scenes in particular are some of my most memorable from the 2025 season and the best acting executed by the leads.

Yes, the second and third acts piled trauma on top of trauma, trope on top of trope, to the detriment of the story that was offered in act one. To me, it felt like the production team had tremendous courage to tell a unique story as they started, but got scared and retreated into genre semantics and syntax as the story progressed. If they had had the courage to keep the story smaller, the plot contrivances fewer, they had a chance to tell a very aching redemption story for our two leads.

And the reviews citing Ice's toxic boyfriend as an unnecessary element, in my opinion, miss the point of that subplot. Ice still feels unworthy and "tainted" when he chooses that relationship- there is a part of him that wants to wallow there as those feelings are at least familiar. He specifically chose a partner that would create the feelings in him he felt he deserved. Moving past Warm was a sign of growth and healing for Ice. Too often, survivors feel unworthy of real, sustained happiness and will continue in relationships that keep them in their "normal" state of stress, self-loathing, and self-doubt. Did the writers take that arc too far? Absolutely. This is just one example of courage in act one that retreated into trope by the end of the series.

Overall, this definitely is not a "seek it out" kind of show. But if you're in a generous mood and looking to watch a flawed but brave series, indulge your curiosity.

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When the GL subplot is better than the BL itself...

"Ja" had something different in mind, when he left GMMTV. I do not care much for Mr. Ja, but I was happy to see "Tae" again, after his role in "Between Us" in 2022. But sadly the script was more crap than I could have imagined. First, if you know that someone was raped and abused, you would not cast him in a role which has an similar plot in the student short-film project. But even if you don't know all the details, the actor himself would not take that role when his trauma still lingers and has not healed. The more problematic part is, that Mr. Ja has no clue how to act in dramatic or sad scenes. He looks statuesque with no facial expression at all. There is no energy, anger or something else. It's like it does not matter to him. It seems the workshop did not really work. Besides looking handsome there goes nothing for him.

With such a poor acting performance his counterpart can't balance the performance. He tries his best, but it does not work. That's why this series is soooooo bad. The only highlight are the two girls, but if you watch because it's a BL, you won't care about the GL stuff. This may sound harsh, but it's the reality. I'm not a fan of mixing but normally it does not matter that much too me but it's even more sad, that this subplot made the most sense and was acted well.

I don't have to tell you there is forced drama in it, with the cliché "bad" father and house-maid which turns then 180° in a matter of minutes which does not make sense at all. Production quality is good, even the music is good, but the script/acting can't deliver. So sorry, I don't like this show at all and overall it's a waste of time.

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Explosive Start for a New Uni Enemies to Lovers BL

Yet another university enemies to lovers trope, but this one surprisingly starts with a big bang. I really enjoyed episode 1. There were no cringe moments or awkward background music like in many other uni BLs. The plot feels fresh and interesting, with the main couple already knowing each other and fate bringing them to share the same dorm room.

I’m so used to seeing Ja paired with First, having watched three series with them, so it’s refreshing to see Ja (as Saint) acting alongside his new partner Tae (as Ice).

Ice is cold, cocky, and incredibly talented. Can we take a moment to appreciate that he wrote and sang that song so beautifully? He can sing, play guitar, act, and he’s good-looking, a perfect match for Saint. Saint is gentle and caring, and it’s obvious he still has feelings for Ice. Their chemistry is electric. I loved the scene where Ice ate durian just to annoy Saint, yet Saint still washed and hung up his clothes. They’re practically living like a couple already.

Their chemistry is off the charts, and I can’t wait to see their hearts slowly find their way back to each other. The first episode had it all: romance, comedy, tension, and great emotional build-up. My Wednesday nights are going to be fun with this series until January 2026.

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IF Y'ALL DON'T SET ALREADY!!

It's such a shame these two had visual chemistry, but the romantic chemistry of a pineapple, cuz every time their lips touched it felt like someone rubbing two sandpapers together. And why the eff, was this so painfully LONG? At one point I wanted to jump into the screen and threw a goddamn sunflower at them and yell, 'Here, here's your stupid happy ending, now shut the eff up and set already, I am tired!'

Listen, this drama felt unnecessarily long! The plot dragged, was all over the place, chasing its tail like a headless chicken, and the characters were as interesting as chalk. Really, that gl couple... just give it a rest, and the second bl cp bored me pass. That bottom was so annoying, and that top felt too loud whenever he was on screen. He was literally standing there, filling space and I still felt like he was yelling at me. What is you, Bob?

The main couple were just... they were nice to look at. In the beginning of the series, they even felt compatible and watchable, but after this snooze-fest dragged on for a hundrend and three years, whenever they were on screen, I did that face. You know that one where you don't even have the strength to judge their existence. Like, why you look so good together and have the chemistry of a long division? Literally, they were kissing and I was wondering if one of them was toothless. Imma need directors to stop casting people based on their visuals cuz this was painful to watch. And the kisses looked so dried. Dude brought out blindfolds and I was like...wow, I have better chemistry with my landlord, and I owe that dude money, so I never make eye contact.

The plot. Frankly, it seemed like they had ten plots and twenty uninteresting characters, and each of them felt equally as boring and unnecessary. The parents in this drama sucked. That wife was so dense it was borderline ridiculous, why you so dumb, Sharon? Like who the hell won't even investigate an accusation like that? And why the eff that teacher was still at the school? And that whole stupid arse plan to bring him to justice, first with that ridiculous attempt with Ice and his 'oh, no, look at me I am definitely hiding a camera' plan, and then the one where they decided to live stream it instead of, I don't know, have the police literally on standby in the next room. Like, was everyone on that show taking stupid pills, cuz that father was just standing there watching instead of I don't know, call the effing cops, heck drive to your son you noob! In hindsight, with the characters combined IQ of a potato, I shouldn't have expected much.

I don't know, that drama within the drama they shot felt like an interesting story, show me that one instead, this one was draggy, boring and could have been shorten to eight episodes. Heck, three episodes in and I was wondering if all the characters were necessary and why I should care about them. Spoiler alert, I didn't. And the thing was, they had a powerful main plot that could have been done very well, connect with viewers emotionally and leave an impact, instead we got whatever mess this was that wasted my time and electricity.

Meh. If you like any of the cast, give it a go, your favs so you might enjoyed it. I felt it was draggy, and could have been better. Hopefully, their next work is an improvement from this snooze-fest.

Happy New Year.

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The Love that Never Rose

This is no slow burn, this was a no burn.
It went on and on without actually going anywhere or towards anything.

The plot picks up with Ice returning to university after being dismissed a year ago, and Saint has been tasked with taking care of him, making his student life easier. They've actually known each other for a while though, not talked for several years because of something that happened in the past, but now that they're back together, Ice hates Saint, and Saint wants to win Ice back.

Their entire relationship has been riddled with problems since the beginning - everyone is opposed to them being together for some reason or the other, and the entire story is basically how they get over their past to heal as individuals and a couple, and face all the other obstacles to be with each other.

It's a well established, character driven plot, which always has the potential to be great! But my goodness the pace moved slower than a turtle. Whether it was the conflict resolution or the movement of their romance, it felt like I was the one moving heavy furniture across a room, each episode was a push and a pull, and so much of a struggle.

It's not the worst blunder, especially if you can write brilliant characters. Except..
They weren't really written to be the best.
No argument that both Ice and Saint were quite complex and flawed characters who had good development, but what use is it when the writers seem to have a trauma complex that neither of them can get past?
Saint is always perturbed by his father's presence in his life, which is suffocating, annoying and straight up infuriating. His father's actions made him lose the love of his life, and when he meets him again, the aforementioned love wants nothing to do with him. He has to gain back Ice's trust and defy his father's orders to ensure he doesn't get trapped again. And he was written well.

But Ice.. oh Ice.
He wasn't even the lead in his own story.
He meets someone he loves in a life where he has no one to love him, and gets told that this guy doesn't want him either. He is assaulted, thrown out of space that should've kept him safe, faces the consequences of someone else's actions and comes back to university as a broken man, only to continue breaking everyday because he's dating a POS, and the people who ruined his life the first time around are back in it.
The writers took a hold of this and went 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳?
The man could not catch a break, shots from every direction at all times, like the writers actually hated him. Everytime I saw a glimpse of growth, they just dumped more trauma on him to wreck him more and more until I could take it no more.
Honestly, I reduced my rating just based off of the fact that they absolutely butchered a character who should've carried the story.

If it wasn't for Ja's absolute knockout of a performance as Saint - adorable, charming and enigmatic - I would once again be rating this much lower, but thank you Ja. The rest of the actors were not bad performers by any means, but they barely had the chance to actually showcase their skills or flesh out their characters.
Especially Tae as Ice.. who was the actual main character and deserved much better writing than he got (as covered above) but he did a decent job.

The frustration you feel towards all the characters never really goes away though, because of the bad plot. The affinity towards some of them may come from the fact that they are leads, but the amount of conflict itself is off-putting. Did we really need the dirtbag ex? Or the movie shoot that spans for episodes in a bid to bring the leads closer, only to push them further apart? Or the father who has no boundaries and is an insensitive manipulative jerk just because he cares about his son? Noo
(On that note - let's also stop writing terrible parents a redemption arc? I pray all things in holy BL, let's stop giving horrid human beings redemption just because they shed a few crocodile tears)

The most frustrating thing is not the conflict, but how each one was handled. If you're going to have soooo many things they need to overcome, why not start with actually having the leads talk to each other? If your story is going to be riddled with problems that you can easily face together, why not do it? Or if it's your burden to bear, why avoid the confrontation? It's right in front of you!! Again, the character writing taking a serious blow, we get one step forward and ten steps back for 12 episodes.

The finale was the miserable now that tied it all together - a happy ending for all for the sake of giving one, or forgiveness I guess? This show was filled with horrid, horrid people who should have rotted in prison or in their own misery but yay to extreme pardoning complexes I guess.

This love should've set seven épisodes ago, but oh well. Don't waste your time on this and if you absolutely must? 2x speed is your friend.

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The Pain (Almost) Never Ends (watch suggestions)

Overall: note that this series and my review may have triggering content. 13 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/the-love-never-sets-episode-1-2edr2dc2xxw?lang=en_us

Content Warnings: past (rape shown 27-30 ep 1 and 29-34 episode 2 , grooming, drugging, non con video taking/sharing, miscarriage, blood, manipulation, intimate partner abuse/violence, near suicide, child abuse/violence), current (beaten up/fight, held against will, slaps/punches, grooming, trauma/PTSD, intimate partner abuse, manipulation, sexual assault multiple times, drugging, multiple past suicides mentioned)

Watch Suggestions (to focus on sweet/happy)
- episode 2 watch 16:15-26:20 for cute backstory, 37:30-46:05 GL
- episode 3 watch 21-27:35 cute backstory
- episode 4 watch 23:10-26:10 maybe side couple, 32-38:20 GL, 55-58:45
- episode 5 watch 21:45-24:30 and 44:30-46:15
- episode 6 watch 19:30-25:20
- episode 7 watch 22:30-39and 58:45-59:05
- episode 8 watch 9:30-12:30 and 50:25-52:20
- episode 9 watch beginning to 36:30 and 38:40-40:10
- episode 10 watch 18-19:15 and 34-end
- episode 11 watch beginning-2:30, 5:30-10:05, 13:30-20:25
- episode 12 watch 29-end
- episode 13 watch beginning-18:30, 34:30-39 (or continue if you enjoy singing), 45:20-end

What I Liked
- visuals
- sweet moments in the past/present
- the past miscommunication was a bit more realistic than similar situations in other series
- that Ice at times stood up for himself like when he told Saint that he was two-faced
- the GL escalated very quickly, but I enjoyed them quite a bit
- someone went to jail in episode 8

Room For Improvement
- exposition dump in ep 1
- it seemed that Saint knew what happened to Ice before reading the diary so him restraining Ice like that in episode 1 was awful (and then a later conversation about not needing consent was terrible too, I don't think the production talked to any survivors)
- the bullies felt very cookie cutter
- multiple poorly done redemption arcs
- the friend knew what happened to Ice yet put him in a situation she should have known would be triggering
- cheating
- stupid drinking duel in episode 7
- kissing someone when they were drugged
- in episode 8 a character could have easily had a mutual friend explain what was going on
- bunch of nonsense stuff: staff didn't notice higher rates sooner/had a student access data, instant pepper spray recovery, police took forever to get somewhere, deleted evidence, into a coma from being stabbed, singing woke a person from a coma

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Soo much potential went downhill mid series.. i barely stopped myself from dropping this one

Ok had to review this one while it's ongoing. It's good. I started watching this because it had a unique plot. Romance between a "ex-porn star" and a university perfect guy. Being Tae's 1st drama as a lead he's done an amazing job potraying ice. Yes he still looks a bit stiff during the NC scenes but not like their chemistry sucks. I hope to see more dramas of them together. I've usually seen tae do happy go lucky characters so this one was something new i saw in him. I think he'd do well in sweet innocent kinda characters too🤭🤭 cz his doe eyes is really adorable. Especially in the lollipop scene in ep 8.

As for Ja we all know no one can beat him when it comes to green flag characters he's done a good job as saint. But i think he has potential in toxic characters too. Saying this cz he did well as Kit (the character he plays in the short movie) we gotta see him play 1 toxic character. He was really good.

Overall the story is really good it shows how SA victims think and the problems they face really well but yes there are scenes where it was kinda confusing like cut off but then they do explain why it happens but then you might feel weird till the explanation comes in. Like saint ignoring ice and also flirting with him at the same time cz of the father's spy. I was like whats the point of ignoring ice if you're gonna flirt with him infront of the spy😆😆 The actors are good but overtime especially after ep 8 the director and screen writer has messed up and it's like you get the story but you feel it could be done better.

And yes our 2nd couple kinda dumb but kinda cute pair🤭🤭 I'm loving their story too.

Ok I'm at ep 10. After ice and warm's breakup the story gets dragged. This should have been a 10 ep drama but it's 13 so they're just dragging it to the end to fix the father problem.

Finished the drama. Skipped till the end🙃... there was nothing much going on anyways so.

Overall watch it. If u liked fortpeat in love in the air. This is similar probably a bit intense than their story at times but then it kinda goes downhill after a point, u won't regret it not watching it and if u do u gotta skip a lot after WarmIce breakup.

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Redemption arcs

Although the drama dealt with heavy topics, there were some light moments as well. Some characters received their due and were punished; some received significant redemption arcs reinforcing the theme of SLI, the company Saint and Ice have formed with their friends.

SPOILERS BELOW

Things I liked:
1. Despite feeling abandoned by his mother, Ice reconnects with her and becomes a part of her new family. The healing he gets from this is significant.
2. Saint standing up to his Dad, who is then forced to face his own demons and, through therapy, becomes the Dad Saint needs. Amazing redemption arc.
3. Broad overview as well as details on how LGBTQ+ youths are treated and suffer in society, which give rise to suicide and suicide ideation.
4. Mentioning mental health, therapy, the company Saint and Ice formed about artists with a past are positives that people can act on.
5. Ice and Saint finally communicating well to say what they needed to. Second Chance Love is one of my favorite tropes, and I thought it was executed here.

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Pain, Healing, and Choosing Each Other

The Love Never Sets was honestly something different. It hit hard right from the beginning and never really let go. Saint’s past, especially everything with his dad, was so important to the story and made his character feel real and painful in the best way. Ice’s past hurt just as much—seeing what he went through and how it shaped him made me understand his walls and his fear of love. What I loved most was how they didn’t give up on each other. No matter how heavy things got, they kept choosing each other, and that made the ending so satisfying and emotional. Watching them survive everything together made the whole series feel worth it. This story definitely stayed with me. 💔❤️

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One positive…I LOVE Ja

The Love HAS Set!

I’m giving up on this one because the story is lacking, entertainment value is nil, and it doesn’t feel very fresh.

Sad, though, because I DO Like Ja Phachara, but he’s completely wasted here.

I’m sure there are people, out there, who are probably loving this, but different strokes for different folks. It just feels like waste of time & energy to watch any longer.

Once the setting went back to 1997, with the two male leads as other characters—they lost me, completely.

There was ZERO chemistry between Tae and Ja. Tae didn’t even look like he was kissing in the kissing scenes when they were dating, before all the trouble began. Either he doesn’t like kissing or he doesn’t know how.

The back story of the sexual assault and abuse was not believable or logical. They went from very dark matter to a complete black hole of a storyline. It was all over the place and nowhere, and none of it was very interesting. I abandoned it, after giving it an overly generous chance.

I try to see the positive in every BL series, but there wasn’t much in this. Even Ja couldn’t save it. I don’t think the direction was very good, nor was the story, nor was Tae.

It was pretty terrible.

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