Is this technically a gay show? Even after getting through the whole thing, that's still kind of tricky to answer. There's never any physical intimacy shown between the two leads, not even a single kiss. What it gives you instead is something that goes way deeper than that. It traces an emotional bond that spans a full decade between two guys who are both dealing with their own baggage, and what they share basically amounts to being soulmates. The story moves across Japan, South Korea, and Berlin. Honestly, whether people want to call what they have a romantic relationship or not doesn't really matter to me. A relationship doesn't need a label like boyfriends attached to it to actually mean something. And closeness doesn't need to be physical to feel genuine. What this show captures is something quieter but way more powerful, a bond rooted in understanding, respect, and just showing up for each other. Across eight episodes, each running 35 to 45 minutes, this is one...
I've seen anime tackle the Omegaverse before, but this Chinese show Desire is really pushing the envelope by being one of the first live-action versions of an Omegaverse book. Just a heads-up on how this world works: Alphas are the aggressive, dominant leaders, with S-class Alphas being the best of the best. Betas are just regular, neutral working-class folks who don't really stand out. Omegas are the nurturing, submissive ones who can get pregnant whether they're male or female. Then there’s the rare, mythical Enigmas, who actually have the power to tame an Alpha and turn them into an Omega. This series is a massive time commitment with 16 episodes that run over 50 minutes each, so you really have to pay attention to the two main BL romances and the big corporate drama happening in the background.
The heart of the show is about Hua Yong and how obsessed he is with an S-class alpha named Sheng. Sheng is a total package—loaded, incredibly handsome, and a shark in the business world. He’s been doing anything he can to help his dad find a cure for an illness, even if it means teaming up with a rival company run by a guy named Shen. During a meeting, Sheng spots Hua Yong, who’s working as a secretary for Shan, and he instantly feels like this omega is the one for him. They meet up a few times, and Sheng keeps swooping in to save Hua Yong from trouble, which leads to them falling for each other. But halfway through, there's a huge twist: Hua Yong is actually an Enigma. He’s been manipulating Sheng the whole time, setting up all these dangerous "nefarious" situations just so Sheng would save him and fall in love. It’s a messy web of lies and deceit, all for the sake of Hua Yong’s "true love." Then you’ve got the second couple, the rival CEO Shen and his secretary Gao Tu. Gao Tu is an omega who’s been pretending to be a beta for ten years because he’s been in love with Shen since they were in school. Unlike the rich guys, Gao Tu is poor and lives in a total dump because all his cash goes to his sick sister and his dad, who’s a gambler. He has zero self-esteem, especially since Shen Wenlang hates omegas, making their story one of constant angst, longing, and an accidental pregnancy.
Sheng starts off as this confident player who’s used to having all the power, but it’s a shock to see the long game the "timid" Hua Yong was playing. Every single thing in his story was a move to get Sheng to fall for him, and honestly, the actor did a great job. He balances that shy, domestic omega vibe against his real, almost God-like Enigma identity with total ease. As for Sheng, he actually grows as a person, especially as he deals with the issues he has with his father. The second couple, though, is a perfect example of how not talking to each other ruins everything. There was so much happening there that I didn't even get why Shen was always screaming at Gao Tu, or why Gao Tu had to hide being a beta or why he was quite that poor. That said, Gao Tu felt the most relatable, and the actor really nailed it. I'm still confused about the link between Hua Yong and Shen and why Shen was helping him, since their plot felt rushed and just stayed open-ended.
Bringing the Omegaverse to live-action is a big swing, and it’ll take time for audiences to get used to it. I was confused a lot, especially with the talk about ruts, pheromones, and guys having morning sickness. Also, the business stuff took up like 50-60% of the show, which really threw me off since I just wanted to see the BL stuff and didn't understand the corporate logic half the time. The production team gets full marks for the amazing sets and world-building, but they used so many time jumps to cram in plot points that it got really heavy by the end. I honestly lost track of who got pregnant or where the kid came from because there were just too many subplots piling up. This whole thing is basically a soap opera that requires you to know Omegaverse terms like "heat" to even follow it. It’s a big leap for China to not censor this, and I hope it means they’ll loosen up on BL content, but this specific show is definitely an acquired taste that needs a lot of focus.
This is a full-blown Omegaverse soap opera that’s impressive in its scale but might leave you more confused than romanticized if you aren't ready for the heavy corporate plot and time jumps. It’s a bold, uncensored move for Chinese media that requires a lot of patience to get through. (5.5/10)
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