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...
Hengly is like the bad boy of his class. He doesn't conform to rules and often blame onto everyone else except himself. On morning he runs into Same on his motorbike and the two have an altercation that doesn't end well. Same is a studious student who stands up for himself. After a few misunderstandings, their friendship starts to grow when it turns out that Same's brother is close friends with Hengly's cousin. They spend sometime together, and it seems like Hengley is almost flirting with Same. Same’s feelings for Hengly grows stronger and more overt. Hengly, more so unconsciously, is drawn to Same but for him, it is all still so ill-defined. He has always considered himself ‘straight’. Finally, Same confesses he likes Hengly and kisses him (very awkwardly). But Hengly, confused and overwhelmed, rejects him, even though his outward overtures towards Same have always been ones of closeness. Same is devastated and angry. Then a lot of episodes are spent in angst and self-reflection before Hengly also starts to realize that his feelings for Same may have just been more than platonic. Thanks to a close circle of friends, cousins etc, the duo eventually talk this out through.
Not evener one single moment was I able to connect with either the story or its characters. They acted decent for likley the material they were given, but it just did not work for me. The two kissing scenes were absolutely awkward and horrible and looked like they were kissing a dead fish. Like most BL series, towards the end we also have a third person enter the game who shows some liking for Same. This is what creates jealousy for Hengly and eventual realization. For a small production company, the only positives were that the show was totally focused on the main couple. There were no parallel multiple stories for no reason. But despite this, it felt quite stretched out to me. The actors were quite average to look at too , so not of an eye candy either. I think Cambodian BL will take a while before they start bringing on some really cool shows. They are still quite new in this department. I know I am being a bit harsh here but for now, this was totally avoidable. (2.5/10)
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