I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
Coming Out: Why do two people need someone else’s consent to love each other?” Chinese net celebrities Tu-do-Chun-yi-lang and Jun-yuan-bai are a pair of gay lovers who are planning to come out to their families. Their plans seem just a little away with the fairies; can their dreams of becoming ‘a family’ come true?
Secret Crush: “Having a crush is like holding an orange in one’s hand--- you can watch it rot, or you can peel off the skin and say hello.” How does an orange spark a boy’s first crush? He’s secretly watching him, and secretly feeling what he feels. Back then, love had to be kept in the dark for that handsome boy sitting next to you in high school…
Misunderstanding: “Puppy love is essentially an orgy of endlessly saying ‘I love you’—over, and over again.” Liu-bin and Zi-jian are a couple who are so madly in love, they simply can’t have a meal without kissing and can’t watch the television without holding each other in their arms. Everyday is as fun as the first. One day, however, an unexpected phone call and a ring disrupts their puppy love…
Lost: “A lonely person in our world may feel that the earth has stopped spinning. But love is something that pumps through our veins and never disappears.” He remembers every moment of their time together. How they hugged as they played the guitar; how they had loads of fun as they folded the clothes. But everything about Zhang Jia-hang is fading away from Yang Yi-yi. Today, Yi-yi decides to mount his motorbike and ride through that long, long tunnel.
Apart: “Long distance relationships aren’t for everyone. Love is not about biting off more than you can chew. It’s about finding what’s best for yourself.” Will our love be defeated by the long distance? Must love fade over time? Zi-sen left Lin-min to work; one lives in Beijing and the other in Nanjing. Their love breathes through their phones. With their care for each other fading every day, how is this relationship to survive?
Meet: “Some sparks, spark at the very moment of encountering. It is then verified through a series of tiny details, until it lights up in each other’s eyes.” Lin-min is a rookie in his department. He is the adorkable kind who can’t help himself from making little mistakes. Thankfully, the devil-like manager always manages to come to his rescue. As diabolical as he may seem, he sure has a pair of broad shoulders--- something that Lin finds irresistible.
Home: “Anywhere is home when I’m with you.” Zhuo-fei and Wang-kai are a bear couple who are out in the open, happy, and blessed by their families. One day, they are asked to take care of their niece. Two men and a kid, a situation that brings them to consider the meaning of ‘starting a family’.
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