zonzon_znnw
This review may contain spoilers
Not perfect, but an interesting BL
Like a lot of other reviews mentioned, I think this series had a lot of potential and while it didn't go above and beyond I wouldn't say that this serious is a waste of time. It has a lot of elements, plots, and character developments that are enjoyable if you're willing to overlook some of the disappointing stuff.
Story/Production
Right off the bat, an arranged marriage plot for a BL is already an attention grabber. I think the story started off strong but started to fall through a little when they put two separate angst plot points within the last 3 episodes of the series. Because they were put in so close to the end of the show I think they rushed to give a good ending that they kind of bypassed all the much needed relationship development that a couple in real life would need in order to resolve the problems that Kuea and Lian were facing. Basically what I'm trying to say is while the ending plots are pretty good tear jerkers for overly invested fans (aka me), if you're just casually watching the series, then maybe consider just skipping episodes 9-12 altogether.
That aside, because of all the messy drama near the end I don't think people are giving this series enough credit. The production value of this series was amazing, there were so many beautifully shot scenes. The dynamic of their characters made for an interesting story, one that I don't think I've ever seen in a BL before. There were certain messages that I didn't expect them to address, but I'm glad they did as I feel like it'll really set a standard for future BLs. The main ships' relationship isn't perfect but it does undergo a noticeable change from the first episode compared to the last. Could it have been better executed? Absolutely, but it's definitely not a bad watch.
Acting/Cast & Romance
Can I just say I love Nunew? Like, he really made this series. For a newbie in the industry he did an amazing job with this BL, especially with the NC scenes and angsty scenes in the last few episodes. And his cuteness!!! Ack!!!!! Like, if you are really looking for a reason to watch this series, watch it simply because Nunew is in it, I can promise you that you'll fall in love with him/the series immediately :))
Zee was amazing as always, if not better than his work on Why R U.
And these two are seriously a match made in heaven, like thank you to this company for putting them together, I don't think I could see either of them in any other pairing ever again >< Everybody talks about chemistry when it comes to BL pairs, but if you wanna talk chemistry with ZeeNunew, just know that they practically invented it. Their lovey dovey scenes make the series 100% more enjoyable to watch.
ALSO TUTORYIM DEBUT!!!! I was a little on the fence with this side couple at first but TutorYim totally proved me wrong with just how good of a pair they can be/are. Their story in this series, although brief, was super adorable and satisfying. Syn was such a cute character too!!! I'm looking forward to when they get their own series because honestly they deserve it the most.
MaxNat were amazing, but I can't really say much since I didn't particularly enjoy their side story in this series just for so many reasons but mostly because their entire relationship seemed toxic to me. I think Nat is a great actor, but I don't think he did very well as the innocent and submissive character in this series. I did, however, thoroughly enjoy the part when his character was angry with Yi, his acting skills when he was giving attitude were SUPER on point and I loved every second of it.
Music
I'm absolutely in love with Nunew's singing voice so I automatically loved any song he sang for the OST, especially his cover of Just Being Friendly. But really all the songs that were used for this series, whether the actors sang them or not, were great.
Rewatch Value
This is just a purely biased opinion but I'd give it a high rewatch value because all of my favorite actors are in this series so you'd definitely catch me rewatching it no matter what.
TL;DR
It's a good show with some flaws but it's definitely worth the watch from start to end if you're looking for a different kind of trope (arranged marriage), heavy romance, and heavy drama.
Story/Production
Right off the bat, an arranged marriage plot for a BL is already an attention grabber. I think the story started off strong but started to fall through a little when they put two separate angst plot points within the last 3 episodes of the series. Because they were put in so close to the end of the show I think they rushed to give a good ending that they kind of bypassed all the much needed relationship development that a couple in real life would need in order to resolve the problems that Kuea and Lian were facing. Basically what I'm trying to say is while the ending plots are pretty good tear jerkers for overly invested fans (aka me), if you're just casually watching the series, then maybe consider just skipping episodes 9-12 altogether.
That aside, because of all the messy drama near the end I don't think people are giving this series enough credit. The production value of this series was amazing, there were so many beautifully shot scenes. The dynamic of their characters made for an interesting story, one that I don't think I've ever seen in a BL before. There were certain messages that I didn't expect them to address, but I'm glad they did as I feel like it'll really set a standard for future BLs. The main ships' relationship isn't perfect but it does undergo a noticeable change from the first episode compared to the last. Could it have been better executed? Absolutely, but it's definitely not a bad watch.
Acting/Cast & Romance
Can I just say I love Nunew? Like, he really made this series. For a newbie in the industry he did an amazing job with this BL, especially with the NC scenes and angsty scenes in the last few episodes. And his cuteness!!! Ack!!!!! Like, if you are really looking for a reason to watch this series, watch it simply because Nunew is in it, I can promise you that you'll fall in love with him/the series immediately :))
Zee was amazing as always, if not better than his work on Why R U.
And these two are seriously a match made in heaven, like thank you to this company for putting them together, I don't think I could see either of them in any other pairing ever again >< Everybody talks about chemistry when it comes to BL pairs, but if you wanna talk chemistry with ZeeNunew, just know that they practically invented it. Their lovey dovey scenes make the series 100% more enjoyable to watch.
ALSO TUTORYIM DEBUT!!!! I was a little on the fence with this side couple at first but TutorYim totally proved me wrong with just how good of a pair they can be/are. Their story in this series, although brief, was super adorable and satisfying. Syn was such a cute character too!!! I'm looking forward to when they get their own series because honestly they deserve it the most.
MaxNat were amazing, but I can't really say much since I didn't particularly enjoy their side story in this series just for so many reasons but mostly because their entire relationship seemed toxic to me. I think Nat is a great actor, but I don't think he did very well as the innocent and submissive character in this series. I did, however, thoroughly enjoy the part when his character was angry with Yi, his acting skills when he was giving attitude were SUPER on point and I loved every second of it.
Music
I'm absolutely in love with Nunew's singing voice so I automatically loved any song he sang for the OST, especially his cover of Just Being Friendly. But really all the songs that were used for this series, whether the actors sang them or not, were great.
Rewatch Value
This is just a purely biased opinion but I'd give it a high rewatch value because all of my favorite actors are in this series so you'd definitely catch me rewatching it no matter what.
TL;DR
It's a good show with some flaws but it's definitely worth the watch from start to end if you're looking for a different kind of trope (arranged marriage), heavy romance, and heavy drama.
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