Revenged Love

Loving the Leads, Hating the Message

I would wait until the end of the show to write a review, but halfway through this drama is good enough. I doubt anything will alter what I have seen so far. Here we go:

Besides everything I'm about to highlight, you will find yourself loving the drama and the incredible lively personality of the lead character and support character Wu Suo Wei and Jiang Xiao Shuai. I found myself gravitating to shipping these two, but 🤷‍♂️. I loved the other lead and support character too - great acting. Beside my critique in the following paragraphs, the rest of the story is good, and the acting and execution is decent and among the best for dramas of the same genre and culture and region.

But here's my real take: It's sad that this show learns nothing from many before it, and it's sadder that it got so popular yet rooted at its core is a glorification of rape culture. This reflects a disturbing pattern I keep seeing - too many BL productions have an unsettling fascination with abuse, assault, and romanticized Stockholm syndrome. Asian LGBTQ+ media seems particularly drawn to these harmful tropes, and frankly, it's gross and shouldn't be tolerated.

My heart broke watching sexual consent get thrown out the window in this series. Literally every romantic interaction - save for maybe one or two by episode 13 - was non-consensual. What the hell? Perhaps the community often consumes this content anyway because of severely limited representation on screen - that is at least true for me. And with so few high-quality queer productions available, viewers feel they have no real choice.

Why do writers, directors, and producers keep romanticizing rape? Is this supposed to be entertainment? What kind of fetish finds this content worthy of an 8 or 9 rating? The broader story has potential. But this needs to stop. This should be the last series that suggests forcing yourself on another person through threats, brute force, or manipulation is remotely acceptable.

I'm a BL fan, and I genuinely found myself enjoying parts of this drama. But these scenes and storylines robbed it of any special place in my heart.

While I should be talking about the funny moments in the drama, or portrayal of genuine love(don't hold your breath), nuanced societal and cultural themes on LGBTQ, good acting, I'm reduced to rant about how repeated rape could ever possibly be a show of love.

Oh, and this drama is another of those - gay person falls for a straight person who then "turns" queer.

irl, gay culture is often marked by experiences of inequality, societal ostracization, and lack of legal protection or acceptance worldwide - which unfortunately includes cultures of assault and abuse. This drama mirrors that reality and, worse, glorifies it.

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Came for Chi Cheng, stayed for Cheng Yu

I rarely commit to shows as they air since I don't like waiting weeks for them to finish, but this sped it up near the end so it wasn't unbearable. It had a lot going for it: uncensored Chinese BL, mature themes, scrumptious looking cast, 24 episode BL, and decent production to boot. What wasn't there to absolutely entice me? It even had the trope where the relationship begins one-sidedly as the other is hiding their true intentions. I love dark romance and that was a perfect enticer. Despite this, what went wrong for me to score it this low? I think that comes down to a few glaring issues I had with this series, but I'll start with the good first.

I really enjoyed how the story started; simple, yet effective. It introduces the key characters and gives you an idea of what their personalities are like as well as setting up the plot.

One way this story stood out to me was how the characters appeared. SW was not over the top to the point that I found him annoying or unsympathetic. On the contrary I really did sympathize with him and see him as a refreshing take on the BL protagonist archetypes. He wasn't a damsel nor was he someone that was invincible throughout the entire story. He existed and didn't allow everyone to step all over him, yet still managed to keep his wits about him. He knew how to use his abilities to his advantage and was willing to step out of his comfort zone if it meant he could progress in his goals. He could act immature at times but I didn't feel like I was watching a minor. And boy his smile could light up the whole room.

CC was shown in the very first episode to be someone who was morally questionable and seemed to engage in elicit activities. So, I wasn't exactly expecting a green flag, and I was okay with that. I love dark romance and CC's evolution toward how he treated SW made sense to me. He treated him aggressively at first because he was viewing him much in the same way he viewed his previous hookups; someone he just wants to rough up and move on with. It's cruel, but it made sense for his character. He then started to warm up to him as he saw how cute and endearing SW was, and it really shows on his face how enamored he became. The actor really portrayed his looks of longing well and the scene where it was first made clear his love for SW by him just smiling whilst only looking at him, completely zoning out from whatever SW is talking to him about, is swoon worthy. Though I have to admit that he personally isn't my type. And that's fine. I liked him at first through edits I saw, but that slowly changed throughout the story as the audience got to know him better. One of the things I really did like about this show was how despite me not finding the main two to be my "type" I can still appreciate their screen time. Also, "Wei Wei" is such a cute fucking nickname and I love it.

XS was a character that felt a bit misplaced in this story and that's probably because unlike the other three, his morals were almost mostly white. I liked him immediately from his introduction and his wholesomeness. I appreciated how his acceptance of his sexuality contrasted with SW's denial. He was committed to his goal of helping people and he wasn't a complete pushover. I found him to be the most relatable character in the show with how he wants to deny CY's advances and stay true to himself, but finds himself craving the attention he shows him. It really does speak to people with abandonment and trust issues. His inexperience in relationships also didn't upset me with how it is usually portrayed in romances either; he wasn't a pro, but he still had realistic reactions and expectations.

And now we have reached what ended up being my favorite part of the drama: CY. I fell in love with his character by the end of the story and it came completely unexpectedly to me. I started off not liking him as I thought he'd just be CC's even douchier friend that sexually harasses people and plays with others' feelings but I was wrong. From what we see OF him he is a complete romantic. He carried himself in a relaxed manner that put me at ease whenever he was on screen. Oh yeah, he had IMMACULATE vibes. He was easily the most mature out of the entire cast and he was confident but not in an obtrusive way. I really love how he devoted himself to XS and didn't want to force him into sleeping with him. That might seem like the bare minimum, but in BL Land it is not. He was the ultimate friend to the main three and was always there to lend a helping hand with anything serious happened. He EASILY had my favorites lines in the entire show. A few snippets are "They didn't; their next boyfriend did" like damn. He just took a shot at himself + this immaculate line in the final episode that he says "You are responsible for loving the world, and I'm responsible for loving you" in response to XS feeling like he hasn't contributed enough to CY. WHAT A SWEETHEART!! That is in my top 5 romantic lines of all time and idgaf what anyone says as context of the relationship is what gives that line weight. Xiao Shuai loving the world is what Cheng Yu appreciates, not undivided attention. The best he could ask for in their relationship is that Xiao Shuai doesn't compromise himself just to appease Cheng Yu. That would go against his meaning of love. Amazing. 10/10.

The bromance is pretty compelling. SW and XS were BFFs. Their over the top planning boards, boy problems, and their double dates. As for CC and CY, I can't deny that I shipped it. I'M SORRY. I was so engrossed in their complex relationship because of how despite their frenemyship it was clear that they cared. Them pseudo-sharing guys was weird though.

Now that gets me into my messiest positive of this show: the shipability of every main dude. CC and CY's kiss scene made me feel things and their close relationship was exuding underlying sexual tension. I think they would have actually slept together at some point if they never got into committed relationships. As for how that scenario would go.....that shall be left up to each viewer's imagination. We were still robbed of a kiss scene between SW and XS though. I lowkey thought XS x CC and SW x CY had potential. CC was definitely attracted to XS, and in the novel SW and CY could've *almost* slept together in some weird circumstance.

CC's family was an interesting take on the rich in-laws trope. His dad actually being a big tsundere was hilarious and his wife that was stricter was entertaining when she scolded him. How their responses to CC and SW being together was handled actually decent. It made sense and didn't overtly piss me off. I actually found them surprisingly progressive with their thinking, all things considered. I was expecting worse from them considering their social status, age, and culture.

Bad:

YY was one-dimensional and her exit felt underwhelming.

The guy that YY was cheating with ended up showing up again after his car wreck and he came out of nowhere and was off-screened. There was no foreshadowing of his plans nor any depth to his character. It felt like an insult to the audience's patience by making him the final antagonist.

CC's dad was more of a fake villain so he wasn't so bad. That being said, he became annoying right at the end when he was acting fierce toward SW out of nowhere despite seeming like he wanted the best for him.

WS and WZ were pretty interesting at first and I liked WS even before he appeared. It was obvious he was going to come back because of how foreshadowed he was and I love the "slutty ex" antagonists when they aren't one dimensional. I love a good drama queen and although most people don't like it, I actually like cheating or borderline cheating plots. I have no idea why either, I just do. I liked how although he was shown to misplace his anger and jealousy, he was still sympathetic and what he did was because of his insecurity that CC never loved him. Even I thought CC and CY acted questionably close so I understood his misunderstanding. What CC said in those clips recorded by WS really didn't help his case either. WZ was an interesting character that I wanted to know more about. His two-faced nature juxtaposed with how sweetly he looked at SW was fascinating and I was waiting for it to be elaborated on. But it wasn't. In fact, both him and WS just dip near the end and don't come back until CC is in jail in order for WS to make fun of the main two...then gets roasted by SW and leaves...then they come back in the finale for a WATER GUN FIGHT?! Their visuals were nice, the fashion could be questionable; my main issue was that WZ's dudebro tank top and jeans were so jarring compared to what every other character wore that it made me giggle. Something that I wasn't fond of was how they had sexual tension despite being step brothers. I dislike ships of any sibling kind so I was glad that it was never indicated that they got together because I heard it's implied in the novel.

Something that I am iffy on is the way darker themes are handled. Ex: CC is heavily implied to force himself on a lot of CY's partners out of spite and in the first episode he throws a guy to be sexually abused by a group of people + he gets a couple into a car accident just so he can get a fake gf. He threatens to assault XS and that was handled as a joke instead of a genuine threat. It was made obvious that XS was scared, but it was instead used as an excuse to get SW to sleep with CC. In general, it didn't sit right with me how overinvolved these guys were with getting others to sleep with their partners for the first time. If CC really didn't want to force SW then he wouldn't have wanted to coerce him into it through threatening his BFF. When it came to XS, SW and CC were deplorable to have faked domestic abuse to guilt XS into sleeping with CY. Their nosiness was insane. Love CY for not having it. Also, having SW future father-in-law literally KIDNAP AND TIE HIM UP is WTF.

The second half. WHY DID THE CAR ACCIDENT GUY COME BACK WITH NO FORESHADOWING, THE SECRETARY TURN ANTAGONIST, A WHOLE JAIL ARC, AND THEN A WATER GUN PUBLIC FIGHT END THIS SHOW?!

Overall, I liked the earlier episodes and where the plot was going, but the plot fizzled out as it went and the way the ending water gun fight felt damn near same as the season 7 lightsaber fight of the Flash. Iykyk. Will I read the source material? HELL no. I sampled a few chapters and I could SMELL the toxicity between the lines. I've learned my lesson after Kinnporsche.

I need a Guo Cheng Yu in my life. ʕ◉ᴥ◉ʔ

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Messy Love, Beautiful Chaos

Okay, this was an interesting watch. I must say, I’m so happy Chinese BL is improving and finding ways around censorship, because they often have really good plots, but the censorship ruins things a bit. Anyway, I think this series is a good one, and I’m going to be as honest and unbiased as possible—because I don’t believe it deserves a 10 or even a 9.

Before I continue, I want to say this is just my opinion and personal take on the show. Every opinion or review is valid; it all depends on your perspective. But here’s mine.

I don’t know if anyone else thought this, but this series reminded me a lot of Love in the Air—only if it had been done better. It had many similar aspects: the “two bottoms as besties,” “two tops as best friends,” one bottom with a traumatic backstory, Wu Suo Wei being “straight” at first (or so he thought), and the way the characters interacted with each other. It really gave off LITA vibes. Of course, it wasn’t exactly the same—many things were different—but honestly, it was kind of a mess at times.

I usually hate super messy or toxic plots. I just want everything to be happy and sunshine (jk), but seriously—don’t make half the series a complete train wreck while leaving plot holes unresolved. Maybe I’m alone in this, maybe not, but why did it feel like everyone in this show had insane chemistry? So many times I felt like any two characters could kiss and it would make sense. Honestly, it almost felt like everyone should’ve just entered a poly relationship: Wu Suo Wei, Chi Cheng, Guo Cheng Yu, Jiang Xiao Shuai, Wang Shuo… and even Wang Zhen. At first I didn’t want to include Wang Zhen because he’s related to Wang Shuo, which felt weird, but since they weren’t blood-related it suddenly felt very “China/Taiwan drama stepbrother trope” of them. So fine—add Wang Zhen too. A big poly relationship would’ve solved half the drama and they could’ve all just been happy together.

I’m not the type to hate on the whole “top and bottom” thing—idc about that. I just want a good story and strong chemistry. But why was this series so focused on who was a top or bottom, and on sex in general? It felt stereotypical. And then there was that comment about “once you like a dude you can’t go back.” Um, actually, Britney—you can go back. That’s literally what bisexuality is. Liking men doesn’t erase your attraction to women, and vice versa. Everyone’s journey with sexuality is different, but I hated the way the show treated it like a disease you can’t escape.

The sex part also rubbed me the wrong way (pun not intended). Wu Suo Wei, Chi Cheng, Guo Cheng Yu, and Jiang Xiao Shuai all seemed way too eager to rush into bed with their partners. Like, if the other person isn’t ready, don’t pressure them and don’t glorify manipulation as if it’s romantic. That was messed up.

Also, Chi Cheng. Biggest red flag. Later, maybe he turned into more of a yellow or beige flag, but early on? Nope.

After episode 14, the show got super messy. The conflicts kept piling on, lies stacked up, and none of it was ever fully addressed. They’d stop talking, then suddenly act like nothing had happened. The lack of real communication made it frustrating.

I know it sounds like I hated the series, but I didn’t. The first few episodes were peak. But I always have trust issues with long series—they drag things out with filler and unnecessary conflict. This one definitely fell into that trap.

One moment that truly touched me was when the mother passed away. That scene hit hard because I lost my mom to cancer a year ago. Whenever I see that storyline, I feel the pain ten times more. I was honestly a little jealous of Wu Suo Wei, because he had support and a boyfriend to help him through it—something I didn’t really have. That part of the story was very emotional and meaningful to me.

Something else I noticed: lots of kissing early on, but then suddenly nothing. Apparently, that “famous” kiss in episode 20 was their real first kiss in the show, which means the series was filmed out of order. That explained some things, but it still felt strange. Especially in the final episodes, a kiss or two would’ve made sense. But nope—nothing.

By the time I got to the last three episodes, I had to watch them at 2x speed, and even then it was unbearable. So much unnecessary conflict, dragging everything out just to hit 24 episodes. Honestly, 12 episodes would’ve been enough—maybe 16 at most. By episode 21 (around the camping scene), the show should’ve ended. Instead, it just dragged on.

And let me just say this: no person in the world is worth selling the house where you grew up, with all your childhood memories, and where your late parents lived. That decision by Wu Suo Wei was beyond stupid. Chi Cheng had every right to be angry. His parents had money—they could’ve helped. But I guess it was meant to show the depth of Wu Suo Wei’s love. Still, dumb move.

So yeah—I know most of my comments sound negative, but I’m just being honest. I don’t think this show deserves a 9 or 10, and it’s definitely not the best BL of the year. But it did have its good parts: the slow-burn romance, the chemistry, and a few emotional moments. It just went off the rails later and starved us of happy scenes.

It definitely needed fixing, but overall it was a decent watch. My rating: 8/10.

And thank you to anyone who took the time to read my little essay of a review—your time is appreciated.

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waste of time

Since everyone keeps saying how fantastic this is, so I binge watched what’s been released so far (6 episodes). It’s terrible! I kept waiting for it to get good but it doesn’t.
The plot is ridiculous— I get he loves his snakes but wtf? The acting is horrible too! I honestly don’t understand how other people are watching the same thing I’m watching and saying the acting is amazing. Maybe people just like it because it’s Chinese BL which is normally shunned… but the maker’s perseverance in the midst of obstacles does not negate the fact that everything about the show is awful.
I’ve never been so upset with wasting my time on a bad show as I am with this.

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ITS TIME TO LET GO, BUT...

Imagine your ex leaves you for a wealthy man, and you believe the two of them are mocking you for being poor. At first, you plan revenge. But then, something unexpected happens—you start falling for the very man you once saw as your rival.

Revenged Love, also known as Counter Attack, is a Chinese BL drama adapted from Chai Jidan’s web novel.

The story mainly follows two couples. The first couple is Zi Yu as Wu Qi Qiong (also known as Wu Su Wei), a poor young man who is heartbroken after his ex-girlfriend leaves him for a wealthy heir. Angry and humiliated, he plans to take revenge by targeting her new man. That man is Chi Cheng, played by Tian Xu Ning—a rich, arrogant heir with a love for snakes, who is even forced into marriage with Wu Su Wei’s ex. Wu Su Wei originally sees him as the enemy, but as their interactions grow, he never expected that Chi Cheng would also develop feelings for him. What begins as a revenge plot slowly turns into an intense, complicated romance between two.

The second couple adds more sweetness to the drama. Zhan Xuan plays Guo Cheng Yu, Chi Cheng’s loyal best friend. While chasing after Wu Su Wei at a clinic, he crosses paths with Jiang Xiao Shuai, portrayed by Liu Xuan Cheng. Their chance meeting blossoms into another love story, giving the series a lighter and more romantic balance alongside the main couple’s tension.

𝗢𝗦𝗧
One thing that really stood out to me is the OST. This is actually the first time I created a playlist on my YouTube Music just for a drama soundtrack. Every song feels meaningful and emotional, and I enjoy playing it every day. The music really captures both the tension and the softer moments of the story.

𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗧
This is the first BL I finished this year and honestly it surprised me. I tried watching some Thai BLs but couldn’t complete them because they didn’t meet my standards, yet with Revenged Love I didn’t even hesitate. Normally I need to check clips first before committing, but this time I just pressed play without thinking twice. Some people called it cringe, but for me it wasn’t cringe at all, not even once, and I enjoyed every episode.

At first I thought it would be just another BL, short and rushed, maybe fun but nothing that would really stay with me. But Revenged Love proved me wrong. With 24 episodes, each over 40 minutes, it still managed to keep me watching until the very end, and the fact that I finished the whole thing in just 3 days shows how much it hooked me.

It wasn’t perfect of course. Some scenes felt choppy, the transitions were sudden, and sometimes it was obvious that parts had been cut, which pulled me out of the story when I really wanted to stay inside it.

Even so, I couldn’t stop watching. The characters, the chemistry, the emotions—they pulled me in again and again. When I reached the last episode and saw Chi Cheng’s parents finally accept them, I felt so warm inside, like everything had been worth it, but at the same time it felt too fast. I wanted more time with them, more moments of family, more happiness shared together. The ending left me smiling but also a little empty because I wasn’t ready to let them go.

Still, this drama made me laugh, ache, and care so much, and that’s why even with its flaws it gave me something truly special.

Overall Revenged Love may not be perfect, but it’s absolutely worth watching. It’s longer than most BLs, it carries real emotion, and it leaves a story that lingers even after it ends—and for me, I already miss them.

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Charming (THE FIRST HALF)

I decided to watch this series because of the hype it has. After the first episode I was reluctant to finish it and I dropped it. One month or more passed and I chose to continue it and see how it was. I don’t regret it but I didn’t find it flawless. I want to analyse this together with you, because I haven’t read the novel and in this case it seems crucial.

𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓘 𝓭𝓸𝓷'𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮/𝓘'𝓶 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽
- 🇫​🇮​🇷​🇸​🇹​ 🇵​🇴​🇮​🇳​🇹​. I don’t know what happened to the author in the second half of the project: everything starts to make zero sense. From the extreme, enormous miscommunication to how can Seo Wei direct a company and the main (completely nonsense) events in the last four episodes. It's like the author/director wanted to keep milking the story instead of letting it end. The final episode is the cherry on the top: it’s shorter and feeble, not comparable with the fierce, charm and energy seen at the beginning of the series. The plot is interesting at first, it feels like a real ‘enemies to lovers’…
- 🇸​🇪​🇨​🇴​🇳​🇩​ 🇵​🇴​🇮​🇳​🇹​. The very first episode, as I said, made me initially stop. The impression it passes down is one of the most toxic and childish I have ever gotten of a project. However, watching the whole work, I believe its purpose is to highlight the characters’ growth (Chi Cheng and Wu Seo Wei’s). Also, it well explains the initial situation, it clarifies all the facts.
- 🇹​🇭​🇮​🇷​🇩​ 🇵​🇴​🇮​🇳​🇹​. Wu Seo Wei claims to be straight. The comprehension of his sexual orientation never happens and the viewer feels confused. A conversation between friends is missing here, an official realization from the main character instead of the usual ‘I’m straight but I like him’.
- 🇫​🇴​🇺​🇷​🇹​🇭​ 🇵​🇴​🇮​🇳​🇹​. There is a significant dispute over the sexual interactions. This is a huge and sensitive topic, because ‘consent’ should be the most vital part of a couple’s intimate life, especially if we’re talking about something that runs on television. I read some other reviews regarding the main couple and, although it seems SA, people who read the novel claim that is BDSM. In my opinion, it isn’t clear: there are no clues about the alleged BDSM, if not one frame in the second half or another one where Wu Seo Wei is blindfolded. Due to this missing scene or conversation, people think is SA. It is true that Chi Cheng mentions several times ‘I cannot bring myself to force onto him’ when consulting Guo about it. And it is true that Wu Seo Wei clearly expressed his displeasure towards some of Chi Cheng’s actions. Furthermore, in a shoot during the second half, Chi Cheng backed off after seeing Wu Seo Wei didn't want anything. Finally, BDSM actually works that way (with the pain and ‘saying no’ stuff) and there is a specific word to use when you can’t bear with it anymore (that is not just ‘please stop’). What went wrong for me is the communication with the viewers who didn’t read the novel: initially I believed it was SA as well but, now that I have this new prospective, I’m starting to see the project under a different light. Indeed, considering my taste, I would have liked to see even more (if you’re into this you can watch ‘The Next Prince’ ep 8).
Anyway, these reflections lead to appreciate the director’s work about these exchanges. The sexual interactions, the kisses, the hands on the neck, the catches, the force all assume another form, other colours. Nevertheless, I still have doubts about the start (meaning I’m unsure about the rating as well): Chi Cheng’s approach is physical indeed, but he does nothing until is Wu Seo Wei to say ‘yes’ (except for one specific occasion, which Wu Seo Wei considers a proper SA).
However, few occurrences aren’t included in this analysis. For example, the reason why both couples have proper, complete sex. As I see it, the way they are led to it is one of the most unsafe I have ever seen. I'll let you be the judge. Despite this, both first time scenes is romantic and well acted; I, also, really appreciate the whole candle setting.
- 🇫​🇮​🇫​🇹​🇭​ 🇵​🇴​🇮​🇳​🇹​. Xiao Shuai and Wu Seo Wei’s friendship is difficult to frame. Should we appreciate the mutual back up even when the decisions are insane? I’d like to mention the very beginning (when Seo Wei came up with the idea of pursuing Chi Cheng) as an example. And isn’t it shocking that the same friend who sustains you is the one making you do things you don’t want to? I’ll choose the last part of the previous point as an example (‘For example, the reason why both couples have proper, complete sex’). Furthermore, they forget everything one another. From my prospective, this friendship is undefined (maybe because they have known each other for so long), limitless but also bilateral, therefore balanced. In the end, it seems a good thing: they both worry and care so much for each other.

𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮
I find the whole ‘snakes thing’ extremely fascinating. From what I’ve read, they symbolise Chi Cheng’s obsession, his link with the past and, through them, we can track the character’s growth. This evolution can, also, be see through locations: Chi Cheng’s first house is my second favourite setting (dark, deep, mysterious – just like him), but then he moves to a lighter place (guess why). Moreover, I find the snake a very sensual and charming animal, it perfectly represents its owner and his soul. But they can kill too; this is the discomfort, the anger, the grudge of this character. Despite the ‘sexual topic’ we just discussed, Chi Cheng’s character has an aura that enchants me (and his taste in bad is exciting). I believe he changes for Seo Wei and really cares for him. All the miscommunication in the second half is a huge shame.
Additionally, the support of Chi Cheng’s older sister is moving. It seems like they don’t see each other that much but she always looks out for him. In the beginning with Yue Yue, then with their father. Like her, Seo Wei’s mother has a crucial role in the story. She’s another lovely sustaining character that ‘understands the two of them’.
Lastly, there is a take I’m crazy about: the ‘firework scene’. It’s absolutely my favourite of the whole show. There is a stunning kiss in my opinion and everything feels so natural, calm and comfortable. The characters are smiling happily, fearlessly. The kiss is what charms me and catches me the most, it’s just so well shot and directed. Furthermore, its setting is my number-one location between all the places: Wu Seo Wei’s home, the house where his mother lives.

𝓵𝓮𝓽'𝓼 𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓮𝓬𝓱𝓷𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓵 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽
- 🇩​🇮​🇷​🇪​🇨​🇹​🇮​🇴​🇳​ 🇦​🇳​🇩​ 🇸​🇪​🇹​🇹​🇮​🇳​🇬​🇸​. I read that the director and the author are the same person. I think I can see that in the final result. The way the scenes are shot, it’s like I can identify her ‘touch’ somehow. For example, in the symbolism of few locations (Chi Cheng’s apt) or in the characters’ interactions. This is an important detail that the director took seriously into consideration since she’s also the writer (I talked about this before in this review).
- 🇻​🇮​🇸​🇺​🇦​🇱​🇸​ 🇦​🇳​🇩​ 🇲​🇺​🇸​🇮​🇨​. The photography and colours aren’t exciting. Most of the tones seem flat except, for example, that blue tone you see in the cover (that is from a specific scene in the show) or the pastel colours you see at Seo Wei’s home (idyllic environment). Except for two locations (Wu Seo Wei’s home, Chi Cheng’s first apt), the other settings are, again, nothing exciting, just normal. I fell in love with the opening and that moving guitar theme. Overall, I like the songs, and the sound is also good.
- 🇦​🇨​🇹​🇮​🇳​🇬​ 🇦​🇳​🇩​ 🇨​🇱​🇴​🇹​🇭​🇪​🇸​. The actors’ performances are generally good; I see enough chemistry between the two couples. One thing I don’t like is the crying scenes. Personally, I find it so difficult to act naturally and seem realistic. Not everyone can do it. In particular, Zi Yu’s acting (in crying scenes) doesn’t impress me much, and he cries a lot. Liu Xuan Cheng’s representation also doesn’t amaze me. I slightly prefer Zhan Xuan and Tian Xu Ning’s interpretations. The casting is great: aesthetically, the main couple is perfect. Tian Xu Ning and Zi Yu look extremely nice together. I can't really explain how, but both their faces and bodies are somehow an impeccable and ideal match. Especially, their visages. In particular, their moles (on the face). Although, as I said, I don’t really like the colours, the clothes are marvellous. Specifically, I’m addicted to Chi Cheng’s white shirt with black flowers. I'm literally so obsessed I wanted to buy it.

𝓡𝓮𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱 𝓥𝓪𝓵𝓾𝓮
I think I’m going to watch again just one or two scenes. I’d recommend the show but just the first half? The second one makes so no sense that I don’t know what to say. It’s such a shame. It is indeed interesting at first…
This is one of those times when I really am sad about it.

𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 <𝟛

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Acting was great but narrative could have been tighter

The chemistry between the leads was palpable. The first 18 or so episodes kept me engaged, and then the plot took unnecessary turns that they could not justify with narrative or budget. They could have kept this to 16 without issues. So why stretch it? It had a lot going for it, but I forgot everything good because the story became more and more ridiculous as it went on.

Actors did a great job, overall. There was a standout and it was the actor behind Chi Cheng. I, by no means, have found him appealing or attractive before seeing his acting. But afterwards, I was just waiting for his scenes. I think he may be a truly promising actor. His mannerisms and reactions seem just so appropriate to his character. Also friendship between Chi Cheng him Cheng Yu was wholesome. Altho why is it so deep was unclear.

I cannot fully trash the story as I appreciated subtle mature moments, such as the way they overcame the main hurdle of the plot. Also Xiao Shuai as the doctor was cute and interesting.

So you see I am full of confusion. I would recommend this drama as a watch. Output was pretty decent and I agree, it was decent. I would watch both leads in dramas again, this drama deserves a rewatch as well, it just was not particularly memorable as a whole.

Thank you for reading.

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A worthy adaptation! ❤️

I absolutely adored it.

Firstly, I'm super amazed that the drama is so close to the novel. Really, all major events that are important for the stroy were included! Less important stuff, fillers or elongations were cut or shortened.

You could say the drama is shorter, cleaner and softer than the novel, making it less frustrating lol. It totally kept the essence (and more), making it a worthy adaptation of one of my favorite novels. I love both, novel and this drama, equally. 🥰

So the story is about a guy who wants to take revenge on his ex gf by seducing her current bf. Yeah, you're asking now: who would even come up with an idea like that? None other than our MC, Wo Suo Wei! hahaha.

Wu Suo Wei one of the few characters I actually genuinely find funny and fun to watch especially. All because of his dramatic ass being stubborn and scheming. 😂 And I must say, Zu Yi portrayed him very well! I could see him come to life! Such a delight!

Of course I also loved our Chi Cheng 😘. Tho I found him less intimidating than in the novel. But that is not criticism. Just a remark. Tian Xu Ning did also amazing here 🥰. They matched so well together anyway. <3

I read some people thought the acting wasn't that good (especially of the 2nd leads), and I can't deny it. But it didn't bother me. In this case, I was too absorbed in the story to care. 🤷🏻‍♀️ The transitions to black were a bit weird ansd I'm sure there were other flaws. But I was mostly blind to them xD

I didn't notice much about the music either. No, I didn't watch on mute, if you're wondering.^^ The music was fitting, but didn't get a spot in my summer playlist - for now.

The quality and cinematography were really good imo. Especially the coloring of the club scene or the very last scene. Or the setting of Wu's old home. They all looked very pretty.

What I love the most about the story, is Wu's development, or 'his road to gay' if I may call it like that hahaha. From "I won't ever be together with a man" to "I can't live without Chi Cheng" is quite a long (and beautiful!) way. It's so fun how he tries to get Chi Cheng attention while trying to keep a physical distance at first. And Chi being irritated but very interested haha.

Packed in such a gorgeous comedy, the story doesn't get boring and keeps you entertained throughout. Of course, later there will also be sad parts, hurtful parts and serious parts. It catches almost all your emotions one after another.

Chai Jidan did another amazing work with this one. This and Addicted are staying in my heart rent-free forever. Thanks ❤️

Now, let's go rewatch hahaha! ;)

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Will trigger strong reactions ......

Due to censorship laws Revenged Love is not officially airing on mainland Chinese platforms. Produced by Vision Moments Media Ltd., a registered production company based in Singapore, they have managed to circumvent this restriction and I am so glad they did.

I was turned off by the implied brutality in episode 1, however, I continued and I will be ever grateful I did. The relationship between the two male leads is like a masterclass of acting. their use of body language, micro expressions and tonality gave masterful and subtle acting skills. I became totally invested in this production. I stalked the BTS clips waiting for the next episode. I became super fearful China would step in and ban the series, I was also concerned at the invasive Chinese fans who stalked the two stars.

There are scenes that broke me. Hats off to the director and the reinterpretation of the original drama and story-line. There are flaws, of course but the pace and immersive experience pushed me along so that they didn't detract from my immense appreciation of this drama. Some scenes obviously tampered with to get through censorship and too many issues for this short drama to make sense of.

All is well and the series finished on a fairly mild note after the emotional wringer I was put through. This has raised the bar in BL, no damn it in drama per se.

I wish these two actors heaps of success and I will watch anything that pairs them again as a love interest or not.

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Perfect show for people with undeveloped frontal lobes

If you’re looking for cringe-heavy, Wattpad-style entertainment tailored for media-illiterate teenagers, complete with rubbish dialogue and constant second-hand embarrassment—all fueled by a concerning amount of smoking—this is the perfect show for you.
Everything about this series is extremely lackluster. Calling it one of the best BL (Boys' Love) shows in existence is distasteful and disrespectful to truly incredible series. However, I must give praise where it's due: as one of the first Chinese BLs, they certainly broke ground. Even if they failed the technical aspects, representation matters.
Maybe I’m being overly critical, but you should only watch this if you don't care about the plot making any sense at all.

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Not a bad watch ... except for the normalisation of sexual assault ffs.

I enjoyed rl - had to ignore some things to do so ngl. I will admit some parts were very triggering. I stayed for the chemistry but this drama would've been so much better if they didn't fucking normalize sa. I personally loved wsw's acting btw.

Let's dive to cc tho, he was a red flag. Ps, I know I'm a bitch for saying this but he's very handsome tho. Back to the point however, firstly, I can't believe how in the 1ST EPISODE, he literally indicates one guy to be gang raped and said "just don't let him die". I was hoping that wasn't what was happening but then I saw them taking off the dude's clothes in the background, I felt so triggered and disgusted. Cc was forceful. Okay, I get that he stopped but come on, it doesn't excuse that he WAS forceful. Remember, it's only cuz he couldn't force himself FULLY (keyword here) upon wsw that he used the next approach; went to jxs to demand that wsw has to sleep with him or he'll assault jxs. Disgusting. Most of the characters in this drama kept talking about using force to make the other person submit, which indicated that they believed force and assault was okay... if it was not clear from the first fucking episode.

The second couple were more of a green flag then cc. Gcy waited until jxs was safe and I respected him for it. I still believe that he'd wait and not force himself on jxs, had cc and wsw not planned anything.

Do I think this drama is overrated? No. But I think the sexual assault here is absolutely ignored. I don't see anyone talking about it and it hurts how they've normalized it. Sa is a serious topic.

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