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Sluggish plot saved by strong world building, production, characterization and my love for the cast.
Let's face it : this series is not without flaws : the main one being its lethargic pace. It felt so slow at times that I am pretty certain that putting the show in speed ×2 would make the dialogs seems to be at regular speed....The scenario is not dense enough for the duration of the drama and the story could have been covered in 8 episodes of 1 hour rather than 12 episodes of 1h10 to 2h. Despite me loving the main cast that I first encountered in DoMunDi Friendship reality show, I couldn't help feeling their acting was also a bit unequal depending on the individuals.
Having said that, I LOVED the atmosphere, the world building, the soundtrack. This series has its own color with a real artistic vision. Its esthetics felt very cohesive and the various special effects, costumes and make-up were solid. It is really setting itself apart from other BLs I have seen and felt fresh. The overall story was really interesting even if slow-paced : for once, I felt that redemption when offered was deserved as it was the outcome of well-written ill-fated relationships. The karmic burden, the white and black magic, the previous lifes : it was captivating. The opening generic as well as the soundtrack were work of art in themselves, setting up perfectly the small traditional village and fantasy atmosphere.
The chemistry between the main couple Peem/Khem (played by Keng and Namping) as well as the secondary couple Chan/Jet (played by Tle and FirstOne) was also great, with the secondary couple being my fave of the series. I feel the characters of Charn and Jet were the heart of the drama, they were animated and charming : their bounds really made me swoon so much. I cannot wait to watch Tle and FirstOne as main leads in another work : both their chemistry and acting was super convincing ! Peem and Khem had also some very nice and hot moments but I was less invested in them than in the secondary couple. It is partially due to their characters being more closed off but also unfortunately to some less convincing acting, mainly by Namping. He felt sometimes bland here, which is a bit of shame because I expected more of him from the previous title I saw him in. It might be linked to the role/directing, so I will definitely keep an open mind for his future performances.
I would recommend this to people looking for a dark fantasy BL drama. While slow-paced, it takes the viewer into a well-rounded journey featuring characters with motivations that made sense. The romances were very well-built as well, with a lot of fiery chemistry, angsty slow-burn and butterflies inducing moments.
Having said that, I LOVED the atmosphere, the world building, the soundtrack. This series has its own color with a real artistic vision. Its esthetics felt very cohesive and the various special effects, costumes and make-up were solid. It is really setting itself apart from other BLs I have seen and felt fresh. The overall story was really interesting even if slow-paced : for once, I felt that redemption when offered was deserved as it was the outcome of well-written ill-fated relationships. The karmic burden, the white and black magic, the previous lifes : it was captivating. The opening generic as well as the soundtrack were work of art in themselves, setting up perfectly the small traditional village and fantasy atmosphere.
The chemistry between the main couple Peem/Khem (played by Keng and Namping) as well as the secondary couple Chan/Jet (played by Tle and FirstOne) was also great, with the secondary couple being my fave of the series. I feel the characters of Charn and Jet were the heart of the drama, they were animated and charming : their bounds really made me swoon so much. I cannot wait to watch Tle and FirstOne as main leads in another work : both their chemistry and acting was super convincing ! Peem and Khem had also some very nice and hot moments but I was less invested in them than in the secondary couple. It is partially due to their characters being more closed off but also unfortunately to some less convincing acting, mainly by Namping. He felt sometimes bland here, which is a bit of shame because I expected more of him from the previous title I saw him in. It might be linked to the role/directing, so I will definitely keep an open mind for his future performances.
I would recommend this to people looking for a dark fantasy BL drama. While slow-paced, it takes the viewer into a well-rounded journey featuring characters with motivations that made sense. The romances were very well-built as well, with a lot of fiery chemistry, angsty slow-burn and butterflies inducing moments.
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