The historical bl of our dreams
It was a refreshing year for Chinese bl dramas.... Revenged Love and ABO Desire understandably are the most hyped and talked about tv shows this year from China - however - there were some silent and insanely strong contenders alongside those popular dramas. The first Chinese BL I watched this year "Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island" felt like something out of a picturesque dream - it was whimsical, poetic, soft but filled with turbulent and changing emotions. A coming of age story that was so well directed, produced and acted, it transported me to an idyllic village where i gazed at the fire and feelings of youth and their passionate first love. I thought story, direction and pacing wise it would be hard for another BL to 'top' how SHOTLI made me feel.Kill To Love blew my expectations out of the water - it is the turbulent, passionate, ill fated star-crossed lovers historical drama of my dreams. As a die hard Untamed fan, my little mind could never comprehend the explicit and toxic and perfect love that I would get to witness between Xiao Shuhe and Duan Ziang. I have to truly applaud Zhang Zhexu for his dedication to bring Ziang's character to life because I didn't know if I hated or loved him more from how much his character tormented me. Mi Jin was the star of the show, he brought angelic doll faced Shuhe to life and stole all our hearts. The chemistry between them was palpable, the story was intriguing, Ziang's character journey and growing obsession was such a treat and delight to watch. After watching the actor's interviews about how the show came about despite constraints and a very small budget, I'm wildly impressed at the impact this show left on me. The caliber of acting that Kill To Love gave its audience is completely indebted to the cast who put their hearts and souls into this project and to the small crew who made everything else possible. 10/10 show, I would recommend everyone to sink themselves into this historical fantasy!
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