#SOULMATE
Theres no word to really sum up my thoughts about this show. Coming into this, I was quite..well, weirded out in a sense that when I read the description, I was very very concerned and confused on how this would go. Do I regret watching it? Absolutely not.
STORY:
After his 20 year old grandson Xia Zefang reveals plans for a gender transition, 69-year-old Xia Cha tragically falls down the stairs with him. In the aftermath, Xia Cha’s soul awakens inside his grandson’s body. While Xia Zefang remains dead, Xia Cha must navigate life as a 20-year-old student. Now sharing a dorm room with Ye Haiyuan,who is at once his neighbor, classmate, and roommate, Xia Cha experiences everything he has not before. College life, dorm arrangements, even the unexpected romantic feelings.
The show raises questions: Do we love the soul or the body? The central romance challenges viewers to consider identity and emotional connection beyond physical form. Generational contrast adds an extra layer as Xia Cha’s traditional values collide with the freer, younger world around him, resulting in both comedic and deep moments.
This series breaks away from typical schoolboy romance by mixing fantasy, age-gap dynamics, and generational perspective. It's a more layered, genre-expansive addition to the well loved Taiwanese BLs. Although the concept isn’t entirely new with soul-swapping and age-gap dynamics, but the execution is what sets it apart. It's how it the story was told.
Before I conclude this, I just wanna say that in the end I did in fact feel bad for Quan Ri Qing even though I was upset at him in the beginning. Hai Yuan lost a guy who annoyed him, while Ri Qing lost the guy he inevitably loved. While it's sad, I sure do hope he finds the one!!
In the end, The Promise of the Soul is one of those dramas that leaves you unsettled in the best way, making you think long after the final episode ends. It’s messy, emotional, thought-provoking, and strangely beautiful in how it tackles themes most BLs wouldn’t dare to touch. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, for those who give it a chance, it’s a story that lingers, not because of its premise alone, but because of the heart, vulnerability, and sincerity poured into it.
STORY:
After his 20 year old grandson Xia Zefang reveals plans for a gender transition, 69-year-old Xia Cha tragically falls down the stairs with him. In the aftermath, Xia Cha’s soul awakens inside his grandson’s body. While Xia Zefang remains dead, Xia Cha must navigate life as a 20-year-old student. Now sharing a dorm room with Ye Haiyuan,who is at once his neighbor, classmate, and roommate, Xia Cha experiences everything he has not before. College life, dorm arrangements, even the unexpected romantic feelings.
The show raises questions: Do we love the soul or the body? The central romance challenges viewers to consider identity and emotional connection beyond physical form. Generational contrast adds an extra layer as Xia Cha’s traditional values collide with the freer, younger world around him, resulting in both comedic and deep moments.
This series breaks away from typical schoolboy romance by mixing fantasy, age-gap dynamics, and generational perspective. It's a more layered, genre-expansive addition to the well loved Taiwanese BLs. Although the concept isn’t entirely new with soul-swapping and age-gap dynamics, but the execution is what sets it apart. It's how it the story was told.
Before I conclude this, I just wanna say that in the end I did in fact feel bad for Quan Ri Qing even though I was upset at him in the beginning. Hai Yuan lost a guy who annoyed him, while Ri Qing lost the guy he inevitably loved. While it's sad, I sure do hope he finds the one!!
In the end, The Promise of the Soul is one of those dramas that leaves you unsettled in the best way, making you think long after the final episode ends. It’s messy, emotional, thought-provoking, and strangely beautiful in how it tackles themes most BLs wouldn’t dare to touch. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, for those who give it a chance, it’s a story that lingers, not because of its premise alone, but because of the heart, vulnerability, and sincerity poured into it.
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