Ash

Poor plot and lots of AI use!

Starting with the positives, there are a lot of good looking guys in this drama, the OST theme is good and there are a few moments where the drama does become interesting but overall it was quite disappointing.

When I first started the drama, there was potential and I could see myself rating it a 9. But the way it quickly became boring and disappointing was surprising to me. The leads start their relationship as a fling and both have some secrets. Soon enough these secrets become the cause of their constant fights. Also, Hui Leuk To clearly doesn't want anyone to know he's gay. So with all their problems, I don't understand why Mok Fei Foon keeps making up with him and giving him chances after chances. The repeated fights annoyed me especially since the way they make up is really quite silly. Why were you angry and avoiding each other to begin with?

There are a few moments that the show picks up pace and twists in the story perked me up only for it to turn immediately disappointing. You wonder how the problems conveniently resolved themselves without consequences. I was expecting more fights and action sequences but there is more gun violence and problems dying off.

It almost felt like the plot itself was written using AI. Almost all the flashback scenes were created with AI in manga style. The scenes could have easily used actors. It was quite frustrating to see AI being used in such a way especially since the production clearly had the budget for it and the scenes were not extraordinary to begin with,

I watched most of show in 2x because I just wanted to complete it after a certain point. The show did make me unintentionally laugh with some of the ridiculous writing, dialogues (beautiful ashtray) and scenes so there's that but I was laughing at them, not with them, so it's not a compliment.

Bottom line is that the story and execution didn't make a lot of sense which is why I landed at a 4.

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If you are not watching, missing out on something very good and gettng underrated...?

I really can't believe people are missing out on this because of this "Too much AI" thing. here is my honest verdict though. This has AI scenes. Which are flashbacks from past. And it was also my first time watching someting like that is a series. It made me surprised at first too.
but still you guys shouldn't miss out on this one! One of the best BLs ever, I can gurantee u that. With a plot + romance. I loved it so much. Honestly I was holding myself back when I also saw that reviews saying the AI doing a heavy lifting. Today I just finished it just in one go since I was tired from searching nonestop and give this one a go. Would have been a heavy mistake if I didn't start it.
So please judge by yourselves. It is okay to get an idea from other people's opinions, but we don't all feel the same way about somethings in particular.
So give this a chance despite other people's opinions.

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What's better than 1 pretty boy??

You know what's better than 1 pretty boy?

Two pretty boys...that kiss...each other!!!

Add in some action, a little toxicity and some sweetness in between and you've got a killer concoction in my humble opinion.

I came for the plot and stayed for the amazing chemistry and the eye candy🤭

I was obsessed from the first episode, going as far as to finish the novel in one night and re-watching the first few episodes SEVERAL times because I was THAT much taken by these two.

This drama really grabbed me by the throat like Loek To did to Fei Foon in that alley in episode 2 and has held me in a chokehold until the very end!

Because I read the novel pretty early on in the series, I kept comparing the drama to the events therein and, let me just say, my anxiety was through the roof the entire time! I was literally like 📈📉📈📉📈📉📈📉📈📉📈📉📈📉 throughout waiting for the worse! Thankfully, they had mercy on my poor soul and did a fantastic job transforming the characters AND the plot into something more palatable and likeable!

I'm so grateful to these guys (the fan service is TOP TIER and gave me all the delusions) for re-igniting my enthusiasm. What can I say? I like them a little on the darker side😏

Bonus for the sweet ending. I'm going to miss these guys🥂💜💜💜

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AI Usage doesn't Ruin The Entire Story. It's Worthy to Watch.

I think I probably can understand why the production team chose to use AI for those two childhood flashbacks scenes on episode 4.

Those two abusive/killing scenes involved 4 children.
For those who screamed anti AI in this series, have you ever thought about using 4 children to experience a 2 minutes abusive/killing scenes?

Only less than 5 minutes, yet the effects would probably big.

Perhaps the children might experience trauma, perhaps the parents would sue the production team, perhaps the people/watchers would condemn the production team for making such decision.

So many perhaps, but still possibly happens. Better safe than sorry I believe.

Children's mental health is way more important than this.

The AI usage on this series is not that much. Aside from those 2 scenes of episode 4, the other distinctive one is probably at the beginning of first episode.

The AI usage does not ruin the entire story, does not affect the characters' emotions, struggles, and chemistry that the series tries to convey.

In terms of story, from the first to the last episode, it's quite solid. No sudden changes in the mid episodes, and still true to the source. Milder than the book but still follow it through.

Feng Nong is quite notorious in writing toxic/tragedy/sad ending yaoi/josei books.

Just watch if you don't mind AI usage but no need to bad-mouth it just because you dislike AI.

Really, this series is realy worth to watch.

Several HK/Chinese production BL have been broadcast, but only some are worth to watch. This one is definitely very worthy.

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AI RUINED THE DRAMA FOR ME

This series was doing well on its own but they just have to ruin it by including ai, and a cartoony ones at that! I mean, if they were actually mindful about exposing child to such terrible scenes, they could have just go with telling the story instead of describing it with ai, like old times.

Although the ai put me off, I think the actors deserves praises for their performances. I really liked their characters and this push and pull things going on between them. They are so flirty too, I especially like the expressions in Kingston’s eyes. His eyes are smiling and when he tease the ml, his eyes got even more expressive.

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I came for the story

stayed for the Eye Candy! sue me!
the premise of the story is nice. Learning that this is both the actors' first role is impressive! but that's it!
both are SUPER handsome, doing their part well, but the direscting is obviously amateur and the execution in general is boring, and they are obviously not comfortable doing intimate scenes, but both are hot! so i stayed for an eye cleanse.
that's it!

I think they would both do WAY better in a high budget drama and i see them shining in the future.

I wanted to drop it, but i thought i can just hang on for 9 episodes.

I wanted to give a bad review, but the actors deserve the good publicity! Give them a better script and higher budget and they will SHINE

I might sound harsh or inappropriate, but i literally stayed for seeing how pretty and well dressed and poised they are, nothing else is worth watching, I'd even keep the sound on mute and just see them, existing!

I hope they don't have an MDL account and see this 🤭🤭🤭🤭

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I love To never gives up on finding Fei Foon ?

It made me soooo sad that it ended 🥺🥺🥺but I love the series and the characters as well To never stop till he found is love of his life Fei Foon 💕💕💕🫶🫶❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💕💕💕💕💕💕🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶💕💕💕🫶💕🫶💕💕🫶💕🫶💕🫶💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

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Great showcase of Hong Kong talent

I am writing this before next week because i know that after the end of the show, i will have to drag myself out of the rabbit hole with great difficulty.
I am pleasantly surprised to see this production after "Sammy's children's day". It doesn't shy away from the story of the location, use local talents where visible, and this truly pays off and gives an authentic feeling of the show. More importantly, the action scenes are slick (comparing to KP from BOC), story lines are sensible (comparing to the novel), supporting cast is professional, and makeup is natraulistic (a bit on the heavy side but at least they matched the foundation to the actors skin tone). I don't actually want to mention that the leads are gorgeous and their acting is of an acceptable standard, because I feel that's something I normally "accommodate " when watching productions in this genre, which is a shame. The whole thing shows how, despite that Hong Kong tv/film's golden era in the 90s has long gone, local talents remain and are just awaiting the right opportunity and investment.
A couple of things can be improved. The NC scenes feel a bit vanilla and staged to my personal taste. But then again, although Hong Kong has a great tradition of category 3 movies, they're mostly sex comedies, so maybe that's not where local strength lies. The music writing can really do better. Apart from Kingston's cover of a late artist's song, the others can really do better. I am not asking for full revival of the glory of Cantopop but at least don't just copy and paste a few notes to the background music because you want 3 more seconds of arm caressing, it just bothers me, who is not all that into "free jazz".
Overall it's an entertaining watch, and for me personally, to have a BL series in my native dialect is a treat.
Outside of the series, LeoKing pull out all the stops and faithfully play their lovers role in both reactions and dating vlogs, and I find myself mindlessly watching them play camping after a hard day's work. That's the main reason why I will need to drag myself out of this after next week.

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Amazing drama. Felt we needed more episodes to add depth

The drama was really good despite the use of AI. Unlike others who suggest it shouldn't be used at all. I feel used within a limit is just fine. That way many low budget dramas get a chance to air. The only places they used ai was the intro song (similar to prosecutor's proposal), back stories and background. Which I feel is reasonable as it saves them cost while also keeping the traditional acting alive.

Coming to the drama the plot is pretty interesting although i doubt it will remain memorable. I absolutely hate Luek To like he loosed foon twice in the drama and never learns 🙃. Foon for me was such a sweet heart. The last episode was probably the best of all the episodes. One thing i felt was if they had more episodes they'd probably do a much better job cz here things go by pretty fast. They did cover all the parts the romance, the revenge and the obsession but it did go fast.

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