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...
Will is a poet and he lives with his boyfriend Lee who is a musician. They have occasionally worked together and indulge in sexual flirtations but Lee is definitely more involved in relationship than Will is. When Lee realizes that his romantic feelings for Will cannot be fully reciprocated due to Will's sexual confusion, Lee abandons Will and moves back to his rural hometown. A year later, Will, alone, has lost motivation in his work. Lee has seemingly got himself on the right track, and has held out from relapsing on his relationship with Will. One night, Will drunkenly reaches out to Lee, leaving a video message on his phone. Lee responds by inviting him and their mutual friend Jo up to his parent's country home for the weekend. Lee struggles to decipher between his repressed feelings for Will and his hurt feelings, while Will seems preoccupied with drugs and stealing from the beer store he works for. The two navigate through a weekend of fighting, drinking, poetry, music, and reconciliation.
Yes, thats what the film pretty much is. But even this paper thin plot is hard apparently to be presented on the screen. There is no characterization. The story arc is flimsy and very underdeveloped too. You may be able to relate to a few traits of other of the two protagonists, but only if that was enough. While relatability is an important quality, perhaps stronger writing and more developed characters would have aided the film’s deeper narrative themes. The film keeps jumping back and forth and also some supporting characters keep showing up, who really add no value to the overall setting. Even the lead actors do not have the charm and charisma to hold audience's attention. Both these actors are also co writer-director of the film, so one can see how internalized this project was. We have seen films about conflicting gay relationships before but it would take much sharper writing to keep us interested in yet another variation on the theme. (2/10)
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