I rewatch this one on the regular
I watch a lot of bl. This is a really good one. I get the sense that some of the unimpressed reviewers should avoid (this brand of) Japanese bl because the flow of the story isn't for them. No disrespect to the haters here. It's just that there are different flavors of bl, and this can be both well done and not to your liking at the same time.For me, this series was spot on, and I miss these two so much. I cannot even remember how many times I've watched it already. I enjoy the story, which I do not think is about a toxic relationship. Clumsy, but not toxic. This is the arrangement they entered into. It's not master/servant, but it is dom/sub or brat tamer or something of that ilk. (I will leave the finer points of that assessment to someone with a deeper knowledge of such things.) If that's too much for you, ignore that piece and focus on the story: one person is desperately wanting to be reassured that they are loved and appreciated while the other wants to be reassured that their complete devotion is understood and reciprocated. It's actually very sweet and loving. And sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's heartwarming.
I also think the acting is strong, the production is good, and the writing flows. The leads are gorgeous and have good chemistry, but that won't carry the whole project without the other pieces in place. This is one of my all-time favorites. You should watch, especially if you like Japanese bl. And don't give up before the end! You need the entire story to truly appreciate this drama.
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This was a gem even with the constraints of censorship.
When I started watching this it felt a little wonky. But every episode made me want it more and more. I'm so in love with the main couple, and I'm so over the censorship issue! These actors did a great job, and I feel really cheated that they didnt get season 2 or a storyline in Love After Addiction. Their relationship was rough and tumble, and it could have come through as cartoonish or melodramatic. But for me, they portrayed it in a way that felt so believable and ultimately warm. Chinese bl is good, and China should celebrate that. Hats off to cast and crew.Was this review helpful to you?
The wind up was longer than I wanted but it really was worth it
So many episodes of unrequited love! It almost lost me, honestly. And Qin was actually pretty mean about it at times. I say that both as a warning and as encouragement to stick with it, because it really does pay off.Duang is earnest and genuinely sweet. I wasn’t fully on board with his fixation on Qin at first, but I came around. And once they decide to actually figure things out, they commit (as did I). There are still obstacles, but they’re not drawn out or overly contrived. It settles into a story about two men falling in love, which I appreciated.
The intimate scenes are fire—and not just for the obvious reasons. There’s actual dialogue, and something about the delivery and what they were saying made those moments land in a deeper way. The actors felt comfortable with each other, and the staging, especially in the final episode, was incredibly effective. It was intimate without feeling gratuitous, and it did a great job showing how close the characters had become.
I also liked how the second couple developed. Their progression felt natural, and I found myself invested in their story as well. The friend group added a lot of warmth overall.
Definitely worth pushing through the early episodes for me.
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