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...
I really didn't see this dark and gritty Japanese BL coming, and honestly, it wasn't a pleasant surprise. The whole plot centers on a Yakuza bodyguard who gets the order to take out his young boss. While that sounds like a cool setup for a thriller, the way they actually handled it was just bizarre. The show is packed with major red flags like extreme violence, abuse, and moments of sexual coercion that made it really hard to watch. It eventually tries to turn into a romance, but it’s mixed in with a bunch of nonsense that just doesn't work. Luckily, it's a short one, with only six episodes that wrap up in about half an hour each.
The story follows Kataoka, a respected Yakuza leader whose old boss is getting too frail to run the show anymore. Leadership ends up passing to the boss's son, Keito, who brings in Odajima to be Kataoka’s new handler and keep him on a short leash. Kataoka is a total loose cannon who treats Odajima like a servant, even forcing himself on him sexually. Every now and then, he shows a softer side, but it’s buried under a lot of aggression. Odajima stays totally stoic and keeps his feelings locked down, but he’s hiding a massive secret: Keito actually hired him to kill Kataoka and make it look like an accident. As they spend more time together, Odajima starts second-guessing his mission. We eventually get flashbacks showing that Kataoka is actually the old leader's illegitimate son, which is why Keito wants him dead. To make things even messier, Odajima has his own grudge because he blames Kataoka for the death of his best friend.
You’ve got Kataoka, who’s flashy and full of himself, being forced to go into hiding with Odajima, who is basically the human version of a rain cloud—totally drained and gloomy. The show tries to contrast this violent, bloody crime world against a sunny beach backdrop, but it totally lacks the charm needed to actually keep you interested. I just couldn't get on board with the idea that a guy who is desperate to murder his boss is suddenly going to fall in love with him; the logic just wasn't there for me. Plus, the show starts off with a scene where the lead gets on top of his partner while the guy’s eyes are closed and he’s totally unresponsive, which is just not okay. The Yakuza elements felt really rushed and poorly put together. I found myself rolling my eyes at all the senseless brawls, the constant physical abuse, and the toxic vibes. Between the guns everywhere and the over-the-top trauma, none of it really worked for me. By the time the show actually started to get a little better, I had already checked out and stopped caring about what happened to any of them. Even Keito’s character felt like a half-baked idea. At the end of the day, this was just a total waste of time, and the whole Yakuza-meets-BL genre felt like a complete fail in this case.
This is a toxic and poorly written series that relies on uncomfortable tropes and messy logic instead of actual storytelling. It’s a gritty misfire that's hard to enjoy, even if you're a fan of dark crime dramas. (2/10)
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