A Dark BL That Actually Understands Its Characters.
I made an MDL account just to write a review for this because, honestly, the overall rating does not do this series justice.I think a lot of people expect dark BLs to be purely about pain, trauma, and having some deep-rooted reason behind every toxic behavior. But this story is different. What I really appreciated was how each scene was crafted in a way that initially made you think the characters were simply acting according to the personalities the story had established for them. As the story progressed, however, it proved to be much more complicated than that.
I especially love how Bei Luqing’s character was developed, particularly in the latter parts of the series. A lot of BLs portray “red flags” as characters who simply hurt the weaker person in the relationship, but BLQ is written very differently. There is much more to his character than just being someone who causes pain.
Lu Xiaofan, on the other hand, was initially portrayed as weak and somewhat of a pushover. However, the writers did not stop there. They made sure Fanfan was not reduced to the stereotype that people might initially assume him to be. His character has much more depth than what his initial portrayal suggests.
The chemistry between the characters—both the main couple and the supporting characters—was also very clear. Even without a direct love confession, the series made sure that every interaction between them carried meaning and was portrayed in a way that not everyone might immediately understand. Sometimes, it was in the smallest details and interactions where their feelings became the most apparent.
This BL completely broke my expectations of what a dark BL should be. I think that is what captivated me the most. Not every red flag has to come purely from hatred, and not every toxic behavior needs to be explained in the most obvious way. Sometimes, the characters themselves are far more complicated than the labels we give them.
I really hope more dark-themed BLs are made with this kind of approach. This series deserves much more recognition than its current rating suggests.
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