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...
The story centers on Nawa, a handsome and charming mixologist at a popular bar on a small Thai island. He’s secretly a merman, a fact known only to the bar owner, Phana, and his close friend. Everything changes when a flirty stranger named Phu walks into the bar, sparking some serious sexual tension. It turns out Phu is actually the new co-owner of the place. We also meet Phai, another merman who is like a brother to Nawa but is actually deeply in love with him and super protective. Phai doesn't trust humans at all because they’ve hunted mermen for years out of greed. As Nawa and Phu start falling for each other and getting intimate, Phai gets incredibly jealous. While the bar owner and Phu both try to keep Nawa safe, there’s also a side story involving a new intern named Ping. He ends up in a romance with the owner, Phana, and he’s the only one who truly wants humans and mermen to just live together in peace.
Even though the plot sounds solid, the main characters are barely developed. The biggest letdown is Phai; he’s the merman leader and clearly head-over-heels for Nawa, but he can't seem to say it and just drops hints instead. The second he sees Nawa falling for Phu, he starts picking fights and acting out. It’s only near the end that a big secret comes out: it wasn't humans who killed Nawa’s parents years ago, but a mistake made by Phai’s own father. The romance between Nawa and Phu is just a pile of clichés. Nawa is easy on the eyes, but Phu has almost no likable qualities and doesn't seem to understand the word "no." Honestly, the intern, Ping, is the only character worth watching. He’s got a real backstory, integrity, and a sense of humanity that makes him feel vulnerable and interesting. The rest of the cast spends half the time flirting and the other half drinking at a resort that strangely never has any guests. The show is just too driven by tropes and side characters that feel like carbon copies of every other Thai BL. The characters are pretty dull and lifeless, and the love scenes feel way too rehearsed and polished rather than real. There’s almost no chemistry between the couples, and the sexual tension feels light as a feather—it’s just not believable. While the actual merman scenes were actually quite good, there were so few of them that they felt like an afterthought. It’s a shame because it started with so much potential, but it drowned in a bad script and flat characters.
It’s a unique fantasy idea that unfortunately gets lost in a sea of boring BL clichés and characters you just can't bring yourself to care about. (3.5/10)
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