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This review may contain spoilers
A great adaptation of an extraordinary story
I've read the novel several times and have rewatched the series several times, this is how obssessed I am with Fan Xiao, You Shulang and their story.
This is the BL of 2025 for me, no competition. We had two interesting, real, complicated, multilayered main characters who actually got to shine in their own story without any side plots and distractions, great chemistry, good production, tight script, and, as far as I'm concerned, a very good balance between angst and sweet moments, although I still wish they'd adapted the entire main story until chapter 106. My favourite episodes are, after rewatching, everything between 5 and 8, and episodes 10 and 14 for the angst.
Here's my take (aside from being a novel reader) about why I was rooting for You Shulang and Fan Xiao to end up together:
1. You Shulang's character. I think he might be one of my favourite fictional characers, like, ever. He's smart, strong, competent, resilient, has strong principles and fights, despite having had a hard life and being surrounded by people who are basically using him. I never stopped being impressed by him. He's also the only one capable to manage and deal with someone like Fan Xiao and bring him to a point where he wants to change by himself. He accepted Fan Xiao back at the end at his own terms and did not forgive him easily despite never forgetting him.
2. Fan Xiao understood that loving You Shulang means having to let him go, even if it took him a while. It was a slow and painful process, but considering Fan Xiao's upbringing and beliefs, it made sense that he needed time to get it.
3. They were, aside from what happened, a great, compatible, well-matching couple and had that special connection from the beginning nothing could break, not even Fan Xiao's toxicity and madness. I think this gets overlooked sometimes, obviously because of the way Fan Xiao reacted after Shulang left him, but throughout the series, whenever they were shown together during their happy times, they were harmonious in ways I've rarely seen.
4. Last but not least, You Shulang loved the crazy psycho despite everything, because he saw something in him no one else did. It's true that his love didn't save Fan Xiao, but it was the beginning of Fan Xiao to want to save himself and become a better person. Of course, Fan Xiao will always remain obssessive, possessive and manilupative, it's his character, but at least he's doing a conscious effort to be better and Shulang is not blind to his faults.
This is the BL of 2025 for me, no competition. We had two interesting, real, complicated, multilayered main characters who actually got to shine in their own story without any side plots and distractions, great chemistry, good production, tight script, and, as far as I'm concerned, a very good balance between angst and sweet moments, although I still wish they'd adapted the entire main story until chapter 106. My favourite episodes are, after rewatching, everything between 5 and 8, and episodes 10 and 14 for the angst.
Here's my take (aside from being a novel reader) about why I was rooting for You Shulang and Fan Xiao to end up together:
1. You Shulang's character. I think he might be one of my favourite fictional characers, like, ever. He's smart, strong, competent, resilient, has strong principles and fights, despite having had a hard life and being surrounded by people who are basically using him. I never stopped being impressed by him. He's also the only one capable to manage and deal with someone like Fan Xiao and bring him to a point where he wants to change by himself. He accepted Fan Xiao back at the end at his own terms and did not forgive him easily despite never forgetting him.
2. Fan Xiao understood that loving You Shulang means having to let him go, even if it took him a while. It was a slow and painful process, but considering Fan Xiao's upbringing and beliefs, it made sense that he needed time to get it.
3. They were, aside from what happened, a great, compatible, well-matching couple and had that special connection from the beginning nothing could break, not even Fan Xiao's toxicity and madness. I think this gets overlooked sometimes, obviously because of the way Fan Xiao reacted after Shulang left him, but throughout the series, whenever they were shown together during their happy times, they were harmonious in ways I've rarely seen.
4. Last but not least, You Shulang loved the crazy psycho despite everything, because he saw something in him no one else did. It's true that his love didn't save Fan Xiao, but it was the beginning of Fan Xiao to want to save himself and become a better person. Of course, Fan Xiao will always remain obssessive, possessive and manilupative, it's his character, but at least he's doing a conscious effort to be better and Shulang is not blind to his faults.
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