This review may contain spoilers
Could have been the perfect Chinese BL but....
This had the elements for being one of my favorite Chinese BL's so far. We had very interesting set up for the couple, there was very much plot involved, with the story evolving trough the whole series, however unlike with some of the longer Chinese BLs, the plot was not complex to the point that it took away the entertainment value of the show. Unfortunately where this failed for me was the aspect of relationship development which is kind of the whole idea of a romance themed series.
As separate characters both He Chu San and Xia Liu Yi have complexity to them that ties together really well with the main plot. The characters actually evolve trough the show quite a bit, which we don't always see in the genre. Sadly it just feels like forever until things start developing the relationship part. I would understand the slow development arch, if this would have been another +10 ep Chinese BL. However, with nine episodes I expect to see a lot more than few kissing scenes and both of the characters just trying to avoid facing their feelings most of the series. Right when there is finally realizing of mutual feelings Xia Liu Yi gets dragged to prison and the show ends.... Considering that there has been some hints but not real confirmation on a sequel this type of ending as a viewer leaves more questions and then feeling of closure. With a fully confirmed season 2 I might have been able to be more lenient on the ending choice.
Aside from the first couple not delivering on the relationship side of things, the second couple desperately needed more on screen time. They should have brought them to the show earlier, bc right until the last episode it felt really unclear why they were even introduced to the plot and what the relationship between them was. Even after the very open ending to the show, still not 100% sure where they would go from the situation the show ended in.
Conclusion:
- Generally plot and length wise a perfect show, with great individual character performances.
- Unfortunately the romance part for both main and second couple leaves a lot to be desired.
- There is quite a bit of violence and other heavy themes covered in the show, so this is not for sensitive ppl.
As separate characters both He Chu San and Xia Liu Yi have complexity to them that ties together really well with the main plot. The characters actually evolve trough the show quite a bit, which we don't always see in the genre. Sadly it just feels like forever until things start developing the relationship part. I would understand the slow development arch, if this would have been another +10 ep Chinese BL. However, with nine episodes I expect to see a lot more than few kissing scenes and both of the characters just trying to avoid facing their feelings most of the series. Right when there is finally realizing of mutual feelings Xia Liu Yi gets dragged to prison and the show ends.... Considering that there has been some hints but not real confirmation on a sequel this type of ending as a viewer leaves more questions and then feeling of closure. With a fully confirmed season 2 I might have been able to be more lenient on the ending choice.
Aside from the first couple not delivering on the relationship side of things, the second couple desperately needed more on screen time. They should have brought them to the show earlier, bc right until the last episode it felt really unclear why they were even introduced to the plot and what the relationship between them was. Even after the very open ending to the show, still not 100% sure where they would go from the situation the show ended in.
Conclusion:
- Generally plot and length wise a perfect show, with great individual character performances.
- Unfortunately the romance part for both main and second couple leaves a lot to be desired.
- There is quite a bit of violence and other heavy themes covered in the show, so this is not for sensitive ppl.
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