This is the second vertical AI BL drama I've sat through, and honestly I went in knowing better. I had it on while I was doing cardio at the gym, and what struck me was just how much the plot echoed the last one I watched. Same step brother romance angle, same mystery girlfriend showing up near the end, same extra guy pining after one of the leads. Genuinely the only thing going for it was the runtime, the whole thing wrapped up in forty five minutes flat. The setup kicks off with Finn moving schools because his mom just married into money. He finds out his new step brother Aiden goes to the same place, and he's warned to keep his distance from him. Their first run in at school is rocky, just like you'd expect, but there's this odd pull between them neither can shake off. Finn keeps telling himself not to read into it because Aiden's straight and openly homophobic. Things shift when some kids start bullying Finn and the student council president, Ryan, steps in to ...
I gotta say, this story actually kicked off on a decent note—even though I’ve definitely seen something super similar before about a guy traveling back in time. But man, it didn't take long for it to just turn into your typical, cliché high school love story. It hits every single BL trope that’s been done to death over the years. You're basically expected to just throw logic out the window for everything that happens, but honestly, even if you manage to do that, the storytelling is just so mundane, boring, and unoriginal. It’s ten episodes long, and each one runs about 45 to 50 minutes.
So, the plot follows Win, a young student who’s trying to put together a high school band. He ends up falling for Nut, the guitar player. But here's the twist: Nut has a brain tumor, and neither the band nor his parents have any clue. He somehow talks his doctor into keeping it a secret, promising he’ll come clean right after the band's big competition, because winning one of those has always been his dream. Right in the middle of their performance, Nut faints and gets rushed to the hospital, where it becomes crystal clear to everyone that he’s dying. He passes away shortly after, and Win is just torn apart with regret because he never told Nut how he felt while he was still alive. And of course, Nut never got to say if he felt anything back. Flash forward about 20 years, and Win is stuck in a boring job. He’s visiting Nut’s grave when he runs into Lin, who was supposed to be Nut’s girlfriend. They're hanging out at the gravesite reminiscing when Win gets into an accident and suddenly finds himself back in time, right when he was first starting the band. This is Win’s big chance to save Nut. He gets the band back together and starts slowly trying to win Nut over. Lin shows up again, and their parents totally expect Nut and Lin to end up together, but things don't go that way. Win makes sure Nut stays on top of his health this time. Then we have the side couple, Ek and Chai, who are also in the band. Honestly, like 40% of the show is spent on their love story. Ek comes from a rich family with parents who actually support his music dreams, which is the total opposite of Nut’s family. Chai is a poor guy. Anyway, back to the leads: Win does everything to make the band a success, stays glued to Nut’s side, confesses his feelings, and they finally become a couple. They stay on top of the health checks and eventually win that competition.
The main couple had absolutely zero chemistry in this show. I’m serious, the side couple’s story was way more interesting to me. Their relationship felt a bit more poetic as it grew, and it was just a lot more believable because it was played out better. Chai is a really handsome, thoughtful guy who takes Ek, the drummer, under his wing. Ek is this super shy, sheltered kid who’s incredibly wooden and awkward around other people. On the flip side, I didn't feel a single thing for the main couple or the "quasi-lesbian" couple. We’ve seen a million versions of this "go back in time to fix things" trope, but this one was just dull. I expected Win to really sweep Nut off his feet, but even as a love story, it felt very timid. Honestly, my favorite person in the whole show was Win’s dad. Finally, we get a character who actually acts his age—he’s understanding, supportive of his kids, and just a gentle soul. I loved every scene he was in. In total contrast, Nut’s father was just irrational. He treated his son like garbage with no real reason behind it. I honestly don't get why these kinds of series keep getting made. Relationships don't even happen until the very end, and they feel so prepubescent, without even an ounce of sexual tension or intensity. I wish they'd just stop and start writing stories that people can actually relate to.
It’s a boring, trope-heavy time-travel story that fails to deliver any real chemistry between the leads. Unless you really love side-couple subplots, this one is a skip. (3/10)
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