Sammy's Children's Day

Honest Opinion

This is the kind of slow burn I’ve been looking for. The plot feels fresh and different. It’s not perfect, but knowing it was made on a small budget makes it easier to appreciate what it achieved.
At first, I kept complaining to my friends that the series was introducing conflicts it couldn’t fully sustain. But with a possible Season 2, I’m hoping it gets the chance to really deliver on those ideas.
And the chemistry between the two actors? Absolutely through the roof. Especially if you follow them on social media. It may be a slow burn in the series, but in real life, you definitely won’t be left starving.

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Hooked From Start to End --- But Left Wanting More

Well, I must say, watching the series in one go is absolutely amazing.
Yeah, I watched the whole series in one sitting: from episode 1 to 9.
I really appreciate the actors’ performances, their beautiful and elegant appearances, and their overall aura. I also loved the entire setup, the environment, the atmosphere, the storytelling, and the direction.
I haven’t read the novel; I started this series because of its positive and motivating reviews.
Still, I genuinely feel they should have given stronger BL vibes from episode 1. The interactions between the two leads felt more like bromance than actual romance at first. It was only after three or four episodes when He ChuSan kissed Lui Yi in his dream, that it truly started to feel like a BL series.
Also, the second leads felt a bit underdeveloped. Their relationship lacked depth, and the interactions between the cops needed more screen time and emotional intensity.
Even the second leads weren’t truly in love, but since their relationship was built on revenge, it should have been explored with more intensity and intimate moments to make it feel complete and believable.
Overall, the series shouldn’t have been limited to just 9 episodes, it needed more room to grow. And if it ends like this, then there has to be a Season 2.
I’m genuinely looking forward to it.

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Could have been the perfect Chinese BL but....

This had the elements for being one of my favorite Chinese BL's so far. We had very interesting set up for the couple, there was very much plot involved, with the story evolving trough the whole series, however unlike with some of the longer Chinese BLs, the plot was not complex to the point that it took away the entertainment value of the show. Unfortunately where this failed for me was the aspect of relationship development which is kind of the whole idea of a romance themed series.

As separate characters both He Chu San and Xia Liu Yi have complexity to them that ties together really well with the main plot. The characters actually evolve trough the show quite a bit, which we don't always see in the genre. Sadly it just feels like forever until things start developing the relationship part. I would understand the slow development arch, if this would have been another +10 ep Chinese BL. However, with nine episodes I expect to see a lot more than few kissing scenes and both of the characters just trying to avoid facing their feelings most of the series. Right when there is finally realizing of mutual feelings Xia Liu Yi gets dragged to prison and the show ends.... Considering that there has been some hints but not real confirmation on a sequel this type of ending as a viewer leaves more questions and then feeling of closure. With a fully confirmed season 2 I might have been able to be more lenient on the ending choice.

Aside from the first couple not delivering on the relationship side of things, the second couple desperately needed more on screen time. They should have brought them to the show earlier, bc right until the last episode it felt really unclear why they were even introduced to the plot and what the relationship between them was. Even after the very open ending to the show, still not 100% sure where they would go from the situation the show ended in.

Conclusion:
- Generally plot and length wise a perfect show, with great individual character performances.
- Unfortunately the romance part for both main and second couple leaves a lot to be desired.
- There is quite a bit of violence and other heavy themes covered in the show, so this is not for sensitive ppl.

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There better be a second season (and third?)

What just happened? Not one issue resolution in the entire finale!? This is killing me! I hope we get season 2, because otherwise I'm going to pine for closure for the rest of my days.

This show has me hooked. The leads are adorable. They have amazing chemistry and comedic timing. Liuyi's facial expressions are everything. The character is great. The actor, He Yan Zhao, is fire. He should change his headshot to the caramel-colored deliciousness that we see in this series. He looks divine. I don't know if the asian entertainment industry generally has figured this out yet, but many of us prefer a little melanin.

He Chusan is great too. Sweet on the outside and a fierce protector on the inside. And since were talking about beauty, actor He Chang Xi is also truly handsome.

I dont know how to feel about the second couple. But we can sort that out during season 2.

I love the supporting actors. The dad is great. The main lackey is great. The number 2 is great. I want more of them all.

So go ahead. Start production on season 2. I'll wait. And don't feel like you have to resolve everything there. I'll watch season 3, too. I'm just saying...

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Gangster x Nerd: A Perfect Slow Burn

This show is everything I’ve ever wanted from a gay love story - two strong individuals with their own identities falling in love. The slow burn is to die for. I went ahead and completed the novel after watching the third or fourth episode because it was that interesting. I loved the changes they made from the novel for the show. The two lead actors are breathtakingly gorgeous, incredibly talented, and have sizzling on-screen and off-screen chemistry. It scratched every itch in my brain. The collision of two worlds - the hot, fierce gangster and the hot, intelligent nerd - could it get any more interesting? 10/10. Strongly recommended.

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Could have been so much more...

Now, in general, I really wanted to like this show. Gangster BL drama hello?? sign me up. however, it did not live up to expectations... at all.
It started out quite well with the story building and Xia Liu Yi's introduction was the coolest. And we have some great scenes like.. Chu San getting a hard on when they're hiding from the gangsters ;) And Xia Liu Yi becoming the gang leader after the death of his sister. So the show has had it's moments, but that's it. From start to finish they were just circling around each other, which can be great, but there is a line like hello.
Somehow their most passionate kiss ended up being a dream in like episode 4??? And why did Chu San say he had a disorder that made him more womanish/childish? That was one of the many things that felt so unnecessary, like Chu San's confession in ep 9, which felt rushed and unnatural, like it was put into the storyline to quicken things up. And when Xia Liu Yi was going so crazy finding Chu San in the last episode I just didn't really believe it, because it feels like their relationship hasn't has a chance to grow at all. Like I wanted to see some development between them, some more explored feelings, something. I think that's also the reason why i loved the second couple so much more, because there was that push/pull factor that made them interesting to watch. But I will say, the ending where Chu San taught the gangsters how to make money was quite funny.

So all in all, this show had huge potential to be something great, but it fell flat quite quickly and was overall just frustrating.

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I really couldn’t get used to was the dubbing

A bromance heavy drama with just a tiny hint of romance.

The first half of the show was honestly great. It had that gang/gangster world vibe that made everything feel intense and exciting. But somewhere in the later episodes, it suddenly shifted into more of a crime investigation story with police cases, corruption, and political drama. The change wasn’t necessarily bad, but it did make the overall feel of the show a bit inconsistent.

It’s a short watch, so it’s easy to binge, but personally, I don’t think it’s the kind of drama that gets you deeply invested in.

One thing I really couldn’t get used to was the dubbing. The mismatch between the lip movements and the audio was super obvious and honestly pretty distracting at times. I genuinely don’t understand why they chose to dub it instead of using the original language.

If there’s a season 2, I really hope they keep the original language and voices, move the story into a more modern setting, and of course give us more romance or at least stronger chemistry between the leads, Inspector Xie, Officer Lu, and Dong Dong.

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