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This review may contain spoilers
Came for Chi Cheng, stayed for Cheng Yu
I rarely commit to shows as they air since I don't like waiting weeks for them to finish, but this sped it up near the end so it wasn't unbearable. It had a lot going for it: uncensored Chinese BL, mature themes, scrumptious looking cast, 24 episode BL, and decent production to boot. What wasn't there to absolutely entice me? It even had the trope where the relationship begins one-sidedly as the other is hiding their true intentions. I love dark romance and that was a perfect enticer. Despite this, what went wrong for me to score it this low? I think that comes down to a few glaring issues I had with this series, but I'll start with the good first.
I really enjoyed how the story started; simple, yet effective. It introduces the key characters and gives you an idea of what their personalities are like as well as setting up the plot.
One way this story stood out to me was how the characters appeared. SW was not over the top to the point that I found him annoying or unsympathetic. On the contrary I really did sympathize with him and see him as a refreshing take on the BL protagonist archetypes. He wasn't a damsel nor was he someone that was invincible throughout the entire story. He existed and didn't allow everyone to step all over him, yet still managed to keep his wits about him. He knew how to use his abilities to his advantage and was willing to step out of his comfort zone if it meant he could progress in his goals. He could act immature at times but I didn't feel like I was watching a minor. And boy his smile could light up the whole room.
CC was shown in the very first episode to be someone who was morally questionable and seemed to engage in elicit activities. So, I wasn't exactly expecting a green flag, and I was okay with that. I love dark romance and CC's evolution toward how he treated SW made sense to me. He treated him aggressively at first because he was viewing him much in the same way he viewed his previous hookups; someone he just wants to rough up and move on with. It's cruel, but it made sense for his character. He then started to warm up to him as he saw how cute and endearing SW was, and it really shows on his face how enamored he became. The actor really portrayed his looks of longing well and the scene where it was first made clear his love for SW by him just smiling whilst only looking at him, completely zoning out from whatever SW is talking to him about, is swoon worthy. Though I have to admit that he personally isn't my type. And that's fine. I liked him at first through edits I saw, but that slowly changed throughout the story as the audience got to know him better. One of the things I really did like about this show was how despite me not finding the main two to be my "type" I can still appreciate their screen time. Also, "Wei Wei" is such a cute fucking nickname and I love it.
XS was a character that felt a bit misplaced in this story and that's probably because unlike the other three, his morals were almost mostly white. I liked him immediately from his introduction and his wholesomeness. I appreciated how his acceptance of his sexuality contrasted with SW's denial. He was committed to his goal of helping people and he wasn't a complete pushover. I found him to be the most relatable character in the show with how he wants to deny CY's advances and stay true to himself, but finds himself craving the attention he shows him. It really does speak to people with abandonment and trust issues. His inexperience in relationships also didn't upset me with how it is usually portrayed in romances either; he wasn't a pro, but he still had realistic reactions and expectations.
And now we have reached what ended up being my favorite part of the drama: CY. I fell in love with his character by the end of the story and it came completely unexpectedly to me. I started off not liking him as I thought he'd just be CC's even douchier friend that sexually harasses people and plays with others' feelings but I was wrong. From what we see OF him he is a complete romantic. He carried himself in a relaxed manner that put me at ease whenever he was on screen. Oh yeah, he had IMMACULATE vibes. He was easily the most mature out of the entire cast and he was confident but not in an obtrusive way. I really love how he devoted himself to XS and didn't want to force him into sleeping with him. That might seem like the bare minimum, but in BL Land it is not. He was the ultimate friend to the main three and was always there to lend a helping hand with anything serious happened. He EASILY had my favorites lines in the entire show. A few snippets are "They didn't; their next boyfriend did" like damn. He just took a shot at himself + this immaculate line in the final episode that he says "You are responsible for loving the world, and I'm responsible for loving you" in response to XS feeling like he hasn't contributed enough to CY. WHAT A SWEETHEART!! That is in my top 5 romantic lines of all time and idgaf what anyone says as context of the relationship is what gives that line weight. Xiao Shuai loving the world is what Cheng Yu appreciates, not undivided attention. The best he could ask for in their relationship is that Xiao Shuai doesn't compromise himself just to appease Cheng Yu. That would go against his meaning of love. Amazing. 10/10.
The bromance is pretty compelling. SW and XS were BFFs. Their over the top planning boards, boy problems, and their double dates. As for CC and CY, I can't deny that I shipped it. I'M SORRY. I was so engrossed in their complex relationship because of how despite their frenemyship it was clear that they cared. Them pseudo-sharing guys was weird though.
Now that gets me into my messiest positive of this show: the shipability of every main dude. CC and CY's kiss scene made me feel things and their close relationship was exuding underlying sexual tension. I think they would have actually slept together at some point if they never got into committed relationships. As for how that scenario would go.....that shall be left up to each viewer's imagination. We were still robbed of a kiss scene between SW and XS though. I lowkey thought XS x CC and SW x CY had potential. CC was definitely attracted to XS, and in the novel SW and CY could've *almost* slept together in some weird circumstance.
CC's family was an interesting take on the rich in-laws trope. His dad actually being a big tsundere was hilarious and his wife that was stricter was entertaining when she scolded him. How their responses to CC and SW being together was handled actually decent. It made sense and didn't overtly piss me off. I actually found them surprisingly progressive with their thinking, all things considered. I was expecting worse from them considering their social status, age, and culture.
Bad:
YY was one-dimensional and her exit felt underwhelming.
The guy that YY was cheating with ended up showing up again after his car wreck and he came out of nowhere and was off-screened. There was no foreshadowing of his plans nor any depth to his character. It felt like an insult to the audience's patience by making him the final antagonist.
CC's dad was more of a fake villain so he wasn't so bad. That being said, he became annoying right at the end when he was acting fierce toward SW out of nowhere despite seeming like he wanted the best for him.
WS and WZ were pretty interesting at first and I liked WS even before he appeared. It was obvious he was going to come back because of how foreshadowed he was and I love the "slutty ex" antagonists when they aren't one dimensional. I love a good drama queen and although most people don't like it, I actually like cheating or borderline cheating plots. I have no idea why either, I just do. I liked how although he was shown to misplace his anger and jealousy, he was still sympathetic and what he did was because of his insecurity that CC never loved him. Even I thought CC and CY acted questionably close so I understood his misunderstanding. What CC said in those clips recorded by WS really didn't help his case either. WZ was an interesting character that I wanted to know more about. His two-faced nature juxtaposed with how sweetly he looked at SW was fascinating and I was waiting for it to be elaborated on. But it wasn't. In fact, both him and WS just dip near the end and don't come back until CC is in jail in order for WS to make fun of the main two...then gets roasted by SW and leaves...then they come back in the finale for a WATER GUN FIGHT?! Their visuals were nice, the fashion could be questionable; my main issue was that WZ's dudebro tank top and jeans were so jarring compared to what every other character wore that it made me giggle. Something that I wasn't fond of was how they had sexual tension despite being step brothers. I dislike ships of any sibling kind so I was glad that it was never indicated that they got together because I heard it's implied in the novel.
Something that I am iffy on is the way darker themes are handled. Ex: CC is heavily implied to force himself on a lot of CY's partners out of spite and in the first episode he throws a guy to be sexually abused by a group of people + he gets a couple into a car accident just so he can get a fake gf. He threatens to assault XS and that was handled as a joke instead of a genuine threat. It was made obvious that XS was scared, but it was instead used as an excuse to get SW to sleep with CC. In general, it didn't sit right with me how overinvolved these guys were with getting others to sleep with their partners for the first time. If CC really didn't want to force SW then he wouldn't have wanted to coerce him into it through threatening his BFF. When it came to XS, SW and CC were deplorable to have faked domestic abuse to guilt XS into sleeping with CY. Their nosiness was insane. Love CY for not having it. Also, having SW future father-in-law literally KIDNAP AND TIE HIM UP is WTF.
The second half. WHY DID THE CAR ACCIDENT GUY COME BACK WITH NO FORESHADOWING, THE SECRETARY TURN ANTAGONIST, A WHOLE JAIL ARC, AND THEN A WATER GUN PUBLIC FIGHT END THIS SHOW?!
Overall, I liked the earlier episodes and where the plot was going, but the plot fizzled out as it went and the way the ending water gun fight felt damn near same as the season 7 lightsaber fight of the Flash. Iykyk. Will I read the source material? HELL no. I sampled a few chapters and I could SMELL the toxicity between the lines. I've learned my lesson after Kinnporsche.
I need a Guo Cheng Yu in my life. ʕ◉ᴥ◉ʔ
I really enjoyed how the story started; simple, yet effective. It introduces the key characters and gives you an idea of what their personalities are like as well as setting up the plot.
One way this story stood out to me was how the characters appeared. SW was not over the top to the point that I found him annoying or unsympathetic. On the contrary I really did sympathize with him and see him as a refreshing take on the BL protagonist archetypes. He wasn't a damsel nor was he someone that was invincible throughout the entire story. He existed and didn't allow everyone to step all over him, yet still managed to keep his wits about him. He knew how to use his abilities to his advantage and was willing to step out of his comfort zone if it meant he could progress in his goals. He could act immature at times but I didn't feel like I was watching a minor. And boy his smile could light up the whole room.
CC was shown in the very first episode to be someone who was morally questionable and seemed to engage in elicit activities. So, I wasn't exactly expecting a green flag, and I was okay with that. I love dark romance and CC's evolution toward how he treated SW made sense to me. He treated him aggressively at first because he was viewing him much in the same way he viewed his previous hookups; someone he just wants to rough up and move on with. It's cruel, but it made sense for his character. He then started to warm up to him as he saw how cute and endearing SW was, and it really shows on his face how enamored he became. The actor really portrayed his looks of longing well and the scene where it was first made clear his love for SW by him just smiling whilst only looking at him, completely zoning out from whatever SW is talking to him about, is swoon worthy. Though I have to admit that he personally isn't my type. And that's fine. I liked him at first through edits I saw, but that slowly changed throughout the story as the audience got to know him better. One of the things I really did like about this show was how despite me not finding the main two to be my "type" I can still appreciate their screen time. Also, "Wei Wei" is such a cute fucking nickname and I love it.
XS was a character that felt a bit misplaced in this story and that's probably because unlike the other three, his morals were almost mostly white. I liked him immediately from his introduction and his wholesomeness. I appreciated how his acceptance of his sexuality contrasted with SW's denial. He was committed to his goal of helping people and he wasn't a complete pushover. I found him to be the most relatable character in the show with how he wants to deny CY's advances and stay true to himself, but finds himself craving the attention he shows him. It really does speak to people with abandonment and trust issues. His inexperience in relationships also didn't upset me with how it is usually portrayed in romances either; he wasn't a pro, but he still had realistic reactions and expectations.
And now we have reached what ended up being my favorite part of the drama: CY. I fell in love with his character by the end of the story and it came completely unexpectedly to me. I started off not liking him as I thought he'd just be CC's even douchier friend that sexually harasses people and plays with others' feelings but I was wrong. From what we see OF him he is a complete romantic. He carried himself in a relaxed manner that put me at ease whenever he was on screen. Oh yeah, he had IMMACULATE vibes. He was easily the most mature out of the entire cast and he was confident but not in an obtrusive way. I really love how he devoted himself to XS and didn't want to force him into sleeping with him. That might seem like the bare minimum, but in BL Land it is not. He was the ultimate friend to the main three and was always there to lend a helping hand with anything serious happened. He EASILY had my favorites lines in the entire show. A few snippets are "They didn't; their next boyfriend did" like damn. He just took a shot at himself + this immaculate line in the final episode that he says "You are responsible for loving the world, and I'm responsible for loving you" in response to XS feeling like he hasn't contributed enough to CY. WHAT A SWEETHEART!! That is in my top 5 romantic lines of all time and idgaf what anyone says as context of the relationship is what gives that line weight. Xiao Shuai loving the world is what Cheng Yu appreciates, not undivided attention. The best he could ask for in their relationship is that Xiao Shuai doesn't compromise himself just to appease Cheng Yu. That would go against his meaning of love. Amazing. 10/10.
The bromance is pretty compelling. SW and XS were BFFs. Their over the top planning boards, boy problems, and their double dates. As for CC and CY, I can't deny that I shipped it. I'M SORRY. I was so engrossed in their complex relationship because of how despite their frenemyship it was clear that they cared. Them pseudo-sharing guys was weird though.
Now that gets me into my messiest positive of this show: the shipability of every main dude. CC and CY's kiss scene made me feel things and their close relationship was exuding underlying sexual tension. I think they would have actually slept together at some point if they never got into committed relationships. As for how that scenario would go.....that shall be left up to each viewer's imagination. We were still robbed of a kiss scene between SW and XS though. I lowkey thought XS x CC and SW x CY had potential. CC was definitely attracted to XS, and in the novel SW and CY could've *almost* slept together in some weird circumstance.
CC's family was an interesting take on the rich in-laws trope. His dad actually being a big tsundere was hilarious and his wife that was stricter was entertaining when she scolded him. How their responses to CC and SW being together was handled actually decent. It made sense and didn't overtly piss me off. I actually found them surprisingly progressive with their thinking, all things considered. I was expecting worse from them considering their social status, age, and culture.
Bad:
YY was one-dimensional and her exit felt underwhelming.
The guy that YY was cheating with ended up showing up again after his car wreck and he came out of nowhere and was off-screened. There was no foreshadowing of his plans nor any depth to his character. It felt like an insult to the audience's patience by making him the final antagonist.
CC's dad was more of a fake villain so he wasn't so bad. That being said, he became annoying right at the end when he was acting fierce toward SW out of nowhere despite seeming like he wanted the best for him.
WS and WZ were pretty interesting at first and I liked WS even before he appeared. It was obvious he was going to come back because of how foreshadowed he was and I love the "slutty ex" antagonists when they aren't one dimensional. I love a good drama queen and although most people don't like it, I actually like cheating or borderline cheating plots. I have no idea why either, I just do. I liked how although he was shown to misplace his anger and jealousy, he was still sympathetic and what he did was because of his insecurity that CC never loved him. Even I thought CC and CY acted questionably close so I understood his misunderstanding. What CC said in those clips recorded by WS really didn't help his case either. WZ was an interesting character that I wanted to know more about. His two-faced nature juxtaposed with how sweetly he looked at SW was fascinating and I was waiting for it to be elaborated on. But it wasn't. In fact, both him and WS just dip near the end and don't come back until CC is in jail in order for WS to make fun of the main two...then gets roasted by SW and leaves...then they come back in the finale for a WATER GUN FIGHT?! Their visuals were nice, the fashion could be questionable; my main issue was that WZ's dudebro tank top and jeans were so jarring compared to what every other character wore that it made me giggle. Something that I wasn't fond of was how they had sexual tension despite being step brothers. I dislike ships of any sibling kind so I was glad that it was never indicated that they got together because I heard it's implied in the novel.
Something that I am iffy on is the way darker themes are handled. Ex: CC is heavily implied to force himself on a lot of CY's partners out of spite and in the first episode he throws a guy to be sexually abused by a group of people + he gets a couple into a car accident just so he can get a fake gf. He threatens to assault XS and that was handled as a joke instead of a genuine threat. It was made obvious that XS was scared, but it was instead used as an excuse to get SW to sleep with CC. In general, it didn't sit right with me how overinvolved these guys were with getting others to sleep with their partners for the first time. If CC really didn't want to force SW then he wouldn't have wanted to coerce him into it through threatening his BFF. When it came to XS, SW and CC were deplorable to have faked domestic abuse to guilt XS into sleeping with CY. Their nosiness was insane. Love CY for not having it. Also, having SW future father-in-law literally KIDNAP AND TIE HIM UP is WTF.
The second half. WHY DID THE CAR ACCIDENT GUY COME BACK WITH NO FORESHADOWING, THE SECRETARY TURN ANTAGONIST, A WHOLE JAIL ARC, AND THEN A WATER GUN PUBLIC FIGHT END THIS SHOW?!
Overall, I liked the earlier episodes and where the plot was going, but the plot fizzled out as it went and the way the ending water gun fight felt damn near same as the season 7 lightsaber fight of the Flash. Iykyk. Will I read the source material? HELL no. I sampled a few chapters and I could SMELL the toxicity between the lines. I've learned my lesson after Kinnporsche.
I need a Guo Cheng Yu in my life. ʕ◉ᴥ◉ʔ
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