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...
Gay film lovers are definitely familiar with the name Scud, a filmmaker who makes weird eccentric films and who's somehow still keeps getting money to make these films. IMO these are nicely packaged soft porn films, which are so not my type, but here I am again, watching his film and continuing to wonder, how do I find myself every time in this situation. I can just take solace in the fact that this film has been announced as a the final feature by Scud. Clips from previous works, mainly Adonis (2017), enter the story and blur the ever-so-fragile line between documentary and fiction, the actors and their roles.
The premise of the film itself is odd. The ghost of a young soldier who gets raped multiple times in a single night by men whom he loved, bids farewell to his mother and travels the world to see his transgender sister. By possessing living bodies, he meddles with the romances of unfaithful lovers along the way in Taiwan, Japan, Spain and Thailand. He meets a soul mate amid the massive protests of Hong Kong and they take shelter in a disguised garage, where human bodies are treated in a way beyond moral limits.
This film is no different from his other films. Almost every single scene has a completely naked man with his penis on full display, with all kinds of BDSM sexual scenes thrown in at multiple scenarios including penis shots at full glory. Yes, the men are hot and attractive but common , a film needs a lot more than just that to hold audience attention. It has everything that you would expect of a Scud film: poorly shot, awfully directed and played, weirdly written and edited. I mean, I was so bored and lost on this film and despite fast forwarding the film at multiple places, it still feels like a bad dream that is going to take time before I forget it. Some people may recommend you to watch the film for its beautifully sculpted hot men and their dicks and ass (I do have to hand it to the casting team to find these hot guys for this film); but then you could probably spend your time better in other avenues and means to satisfy your sexual urge. Don't feel bad if you do watch it and wonder why you don't understand the point of it. Scud's films have never made any sense and probably never will. (1/10)

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