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 kicks off with Geum Bok, a guy from the countryside who moves to the big city because he wants to be an actor, but he immediately gets scammed out of his apartment. He’s stuck sleeping on the streets until he has a random run-in with a stranger who protects him. This mystery man looks him in the eyes, grabs him for a kiss, and then just passes out. Right then, another guy named Gildal shows up and explains that the unconscious guy is actually Bihyung. Before he knows it, Geum Bok is living with both of them. We find out through some animated sequences that Bihyung is a centuries-old being—half-human and half-spirit—who can sense and destroy evil spirits, though his powers have faded because of a past heartbreak involving a master who left him. Gildal is his loyal bodyguard who used to be a village guardian stone for hundreds of years. When Bihyung kisses Geum Bok, who happens to look exactly like his old master, his powers suddenly come back. Gildal thinks this is great news, and over the next few days, a romance starts blooming between Geum Bok and Bihyung. There’s also a doctor in the mix who likes Geum Bok at first, but he eventually ends up in a love story with Gildal.
One thing I actually liked was the playful chemistry between the three leads. They all have these over-the-top, almost cartoonish personalities that are pretty fun. My personal favorite was Gildal—he’s basically a lovable dummy who has way more muscle than brains. Bihyung acts like he’s a big deal, and Geum Bok is a pretty snarky human. The show really leans into campy humor and isn't afraid to be silly, which kept me entertained even when the plot stopped making sense. But honestly, as soon as you start thinking too hard about the story, it just gets confusing. I felt like the makers weren't totally sure what they wanted the show to be; it felt like a standard BL that just had the folklore slapped on to make it seem deeper than it was. The acting was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Nobody was amazing, but they did alright. Geum Bok was great at the funny parts and held his own in the dramatic scenes, and Gildal was hilarious. To be honest, I thought the guy playing Bihyung was the weakest link; you could tell he was trying way too hard to "act." And how did the fourth guy fit in all this, from the folklore perspective, I couldn't tell. By the last three episodes, they started throwing in time travel stuff, and that’s where they really lost me because it just got way too messy. It’s one of those shows where the idea was cool, but the execution just didn't land. If it wasn't for the lighthearted comedy, it would’ve been really hard to finish this one.
It's a show with a potentially cool supernatural hook that ultimately trips over its own confusing plot, saved only by some genuinely funny character dynamics. (4.5/10)
Comments