A Bold Gamble
Hmmm… This is one of those dramas that is tricky to review.
It feels designed for a very niche audience within the rainbow community who would truly appreciate this genre. For a Chinese production, that is a bold gamble. Given the subject matter, the drama is highly unlikely to be broadcast or streamed openly in China . That is a massive domestic market lost at the starting line. Unless you have a VPN, good luck finding it. Well on this matter, I cannot find it streamed anywhere outside of China, except on YouTube.
I cannot help but wonder if the actors knew from day one that this was a BL drama. If they did, hats off for their courage—because the career risks are real. If they did not, well… surprise. Either way, they could face their future projects being blocked in China. Hopefully, they were paid handsomely for taking the plunge, though I doubt anyone is retiring early off this.
On the bright side, the drama does have some strong points. The male lead is exceptionally handsome and delivers a solid performance—his talent deserves much bigger stages. The ending theme song is melodic and the costumes are visually stunning (as Chinese costume dramas rarely fail in this department). The sets look authentic, and the cinematography is commendable.
But now for the less flattering parts.
Firstly, while I am not homophobic, the extended same-gender kisses and sugary displays of affection just did not work for me. Honestly, I would have preferred if Duan Zi-Ang had been written as a female character. That would have made the romance far more convincing in my eyes, being not in the target niche.
Secondly, the story is painfully simplistic. Who would really risk starting a war for a same-gender lover?
Thirdly, the background music was poorly balanced—rather than softening during dialogue, it often competed with their lines.
Lastly, the stiff, awkward acting from much of the supporting cast makes it all falls a little flat. Then again, I have seen Luo YunXi in a much worse drama before (not BL, simply a very poorly produced show with weak co-leads and support cast). Thankfully, he has since risen to become a well-established name, and I remain a fervent fan of his work.
Compared with The Untamed or Word of Honor, which handled BL themes with subtlety and finesse, this one is like a sledgehammer where a paintbrush would have sufficed. The production quality cannot compete either, which only makes the comparison starker.
As for its origins, this drama was produced in China, even if it was distributed in Singapore to dodge the censors. Some fan insists it is “Singaporean” because of the investment. But that is like saying Teslas made in Shanghai are American cars just because Elon Musk is American - by this logic, Trump should have taxed them twice.
If Singapore is indeed becoming the safe harbour for dramas that cannot pass Chinese censors, then please—by all means—give us Immortality next. Fans have been waiting far too long for its release.
It feels designed for a very niche audience within the rainbow community who would truly appreciate this genre. For a Chinese production, that is a bold gamble. Given the subject matter, the drama is highly unlikely to be broadcast or streamed openly in China . That is a massive domestic market lost at the starting line. Unless you have a VPN, good luck finding it. Well on this matter, I cannot find it streamed anywhere outside of China, except on YouTube.
I cannot help but wonder if the actors knew from day one that this was a BL drama. If they did, hats off for their courage—because the career risks are real. If they did not, well… surprise. Either way, they could face their future projects being blocked in China. Hopefully, they were paid handsomely for taking the plunge, though I doubt anyone is retiring early off this.
On the bright side, the drama does have some strong points. The male lead is exceptionally handsome and delivers a solid performance—his talent deserves much bigger stages. The ending theme song is melodic and the costumes are visually stunning (as Chinese costume dramas rarely fail in this department). The sets look authentic, and the cinematography is commendable.
But now for the less flattering parts.
Firstly, while I am not homophobic, the extended same-gender kisses and sugary displays of affection just did not work for me. Honestly, I would have preferred if Duan Zi-Ang had been written as a female character. That would have made the romance far more convincing in my eyes, being not in the target niche.
Secondly, the story is painfully simplistic. Who would really risk starting a war for a same-gender lover?
Thirdly, the background music was poorly balanced—rather than softening during dialogue, it often competed with their lines.
Lastly, the stiff, awkward acting from much of the supporting cast makes it all falls a little flat. Then again, I have seen Luo YunXi in a much worse drama before (not BL, simply a very poorly produced show with weak co-leads and support cast). Thankfully, he has since risen to become a well-established name, and I remain a fervent fan of his work.
Compared with The Untamed or Word of Honor, which handled BL themes with subtlety and finesse, this one is like a sledgehammer where a paintbrush would have sufficed. The production quality cannot compete either, which only makes the comparison starker.
As for its origins, this drama was produced in China, even if it was distributed in Singapore to dodge the censors. Some fan insists it is “Singaporean” because of the investment. But that is like saying Teslas made in Shanghai are American cars just because Elon Musk is American - by this logic, Trump should have taxed them twice.
If Singapore is indeed becoming the safe harbour for dramas that cannot pass Chinese censors, then please—by all means—give us Immortality next. Fans have been waiting far too long for its release.
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