179
424
12
1
4
8
10
1
18
12
4
1
5
31
1
15
2
1
8
6
3
8
19
9
17
27
"Desire" to rewrite the second half again! A mess but a hot one!
I will keep this simple. Starting with positives-
✅ The Concept: My first proper dive into the ABO universe, and I will give credit where it’s due... it’s ambitious and intresting. A world ruled by pheromones, hierarchy and biological destiny isn’t an easy thing to pull off, especially in a Chinese production where censorship is a constant obstacle. The setup promised layers of politics, biology, identity, control and even if it didn’t deliver all of it, the foundation was fascinating enough to keep me curious.
✅ Hua Yong: Easily the most consistently written character in the drama. If I have to describe HY it would be manipulative , psychopath and effortlessly cunning! He doesn't chase control, but he is the control. He was the type who smiles while calculating outcomes, who comforts you just to see how easily you fall apart. Everyone else gets lost in their emotions, but not him. Somehow the little black flag was always one step ahead and disturbingly steady.
All this may sound like I don't like him, but I love him! Haha he was most consistent character who stayed true to his nature until the very end!
If the red flags of the BL world had a conference, Hua Yong would be the keynote speaker and Jaemin from secret relationships , Ming from My Stand In and Vegas from Kinnporche would be in the audience!
✅ OST
Now for what didn’t work (oh boy!)
❌ The Second Couple: This was the Achilles' heel. A colossal waste of potential. Gao Tu and Shen Wen Lang had a setup that could have explored prejudice, deception and redemption. Instead, we got a subplot that felt like deleted footage stitched together. Their chemistry was barely developed and the emotional moments were rushed.
I do get they were the second couple and won't get 50-50 screentime but this was 95-5! I would have not complained if they listed them as side characters and not mains! And those 5% felt like dry leftovers. we are watching them chase their own tails in perfect circles...no growth, no progress, just filler vibes.
If the original source material lacked depth and scenes for them, then adaptation SHOULD HAVE filled that gap, not AMPLIFY it. I don't think this should be an excuse for the ending they gave us. Marketing them alongside the main couple was misleading because realistically they didn't even appear in few episodes together.
And Shen WenLang's backstory never saw the light of the day! Years of trauma was fed to us in normal day to day conversation with Hua Yong in barely a minute! His hate for omegas just felt like comical gimmick!
Again to the bed rock of my question, if you didn't want to address it , why introduce it ???!!!
❌ Both the alphas Shen and Sheng as characters were flat and frustrating. Considering S-Class Alphas are top of the food chain, they both were easy to deceive.
While I liked their chemistry with the their opposites, as an individual character i don't think they have any distinctive qualities to be remembered.
❌ Editing & Direction: Lighting choices were baffling. The editing felt choppy in the second half. I am sure censorship has a big role to play in this.
The fighting scenes between the two alphas were plain comical. While I appreciated the use of CGI for pheromones visuals, the balance was off.
❌ Writing & Pacing Issues: The drama started off so strong like peak potential, every scene hitting just right. But halfway through it started dragging or maybe it was a "me" issue. Don't get me wrong, there was so much going but yet it felt like nothing was actually happening. We are circling the same plot but never moving forward! I kept watching out of hope, not hype.
❌ All the business talks were boring and like background noise. Again, could have used that screentime for maybe something better!
⚠️ I understand this was ABO universe where consent doesn't work like human world and that is okay but the aftermath was never properly addressed and it took me out a bit! I have questions about the lore behind the NC scenes and it was never explained on screen.
⚠️ Acting: Not the worst I have seen, but far from great. Huang Xing as Hua Yong carried the drama with subtle menace and Li Pei En as Gao Tu was excellent in playing the damsel role a little too well while the other two alphas were hit and miss, mostly miss. You could feel the effort, but not always the conviction.
Overall, the concept was great but with weak execution. But it was a fascinating mess! I know it paved the way for ABO concept in BL world and it will always be remembered for that. However, the flaws cannot be overlooked.
Will I recommend it? That's a difficult question. For the new concept , definitely but go in with tempered expectations. As they say, it's better to be surprised than being disappointed.
Legend -
✅ : I loved it !
❌ : Better luck next time.
⚠️ : It wasn't entirely bad but could have been better!
Thank you for reading my review! If you liked the drama, please take this review with a grain of salt and one of the many opinions! :))
Please note - none of the criticism is a personal attack or HATE on the actors or the whole Desire team. I applaud the effort but somehow it didn't entirely worked for me. :(
✅ The Concept: My first proper dive into the ABO universe, and I will give credit where it’s due... it’s ambitious and intresting. A world ruled by pheromones, hierarchy and biological destiny isn’t an easy thing to pull off, especially in a Chinese production where censorship is a constant obstacle. The setup promised layers of politics, biology, identity, control and even if it didn’t deliver all of it, the foundation was fascinating enough to keep me curious.
✅ Hua Yong: Easily the most consistently written character in the drama. If I have to describe HY it would be manipulative , psychopath and effortlessly cunning! He doesn't chase control, but he is the control. He was the type who smiles while calculating outcomes, who comforts you just to see how easily you fall apart. Everyone else gets lost in their emotions, but not him. Somehow the little black flag was always one step ahead and disturbingly steady.
All this may sound like I don't like him, but I love him! Haha he was most consistent character who stayed true to his nature until the very end!
If the red flags of the BL world had a conference, Hua Yong would be the keynote speaker and Jaemin from secret relationships , Ming from My Stand In and Vegas from Kinnporche would be in the audience!
✅ OST
Now for what didn’t work (oh boy!)
❌ The Second Couple: This was the Achilles' heel. A colossal waste of potential. Gao Tu and Shen Wen Lang had a setup that could have explored prejudice, deception and redemption. Instead, we got a subplot that felt like deleted footage stitched together. Their chemistry was barely developed and the emotional moments were rushed.
I do get they were the second couple and won't get 50-50 screentime but this was 95-5! I would have not complained if they listed them as side characters and not mains! And those 5% felt like dry leftovers. we are watching them chase their own tails in perfect circles...no growth, no progress, just filler vibes.
If the original source material lacked depth and scenes for them, then adaptation SHOULD HAVE filled that gap, not AMPLIFY it. I don't think this should be an excuse for the ending they gave us. Marketing them alongside the main couple was misleading because realistically they didn't even appear in few episodes together.
And Shen WenLang's backstory never saw the light of the day! Years of trauma was fed to us in normal day to day conversation with Hua Yong in barely a minute! His hate for omegas just felt like comical gimmick!
Again to the bed rock of my question, if you didn't want to address it , why introduce it ???!!!
❌ Both the alphas Shen and Sheng as characters were flat and frustrating. Considering S-Class Alphas are top of the food chain, they both were easy to deceive.
While I liked their chemistry with the their opposites, as an individual character i don't think they have any distinctive qualities to be remembered.
❌ Editing & Direction: Lighting choices were baffling. The editing felt choppy in the second half. I am sure censorship has a big role to play in this.
The fighting scenes between the two alphas were plain comical. While I appreciated the use of CGI for pheromones visuals, the balance was off.
❌ Writing & Pacing Issues: The drama started off so strong like peak potential, every scene hitting just right. But halfway through it started dragging or maybe it was a "me" issue. Don't get me wrong, there was so much going but yet it felt like nothing was actually happening. We are circling the same plot but never moving forward! I kept watching out of hope, not hype.
❌ All the business talks were boring and like background noise. Again, could have used that screentime for maybe something better!
⚠️ I understand this was ABO universe where consent doesn't work like human world and that is okay but the aftermath was never properly addressed and it took me out a bit! I have questions about the lore behind the NC scenes and it was never explained on screen.
⚠️ Acting: Not the worst I have seen, but far from great. Huang Xing as Hua Yong carried the drama with subtle menace and Li Pei En as Gao Tu was excellent in playing the damsel role a little too well while the other two alphas were hit and miss, mostly miss. You could feel the effort, but not always the conviction.
Overall, the concept was great but with weak execution. But it was a fascinating mess! I know it paved the way for ABO concept in BL world and it will always be remembered for that. However, the flaws cannot be overlooked.
Will I recommend it? That's a difficult question. For the new concept , definitely but go in with tempered expectations. As they say, it's better to be surprised than being disappointed.
Legend -
✅ : I loved it !
❌ : Better luck next time.
⚠️ : It wasn't entirely bad but could have been better!
Thank you for reading my review! If you liked the drama, please take this review with a grain of salt and one of the many opinions! :))
Please note - none of the criticism is a personal attack or HATE on the actors or the whole Desire team. I applaud the effort but somehow it didn't entirely worked for me. :(
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