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Journey With You (Chinese Series)

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...

Tide Of Love (Korean Series)

Most Korean BL shows usually have a decent story to tell, even if they aren't always filmed perfectly. But this one is just cringey. None of the things the characters do make any sense at all. The writing is terrible, the "romance" is actually pretty creepy, and the main guy is a total controlling jerk. A lot of scenes make abuse and power trips look like they're okay, and the show tries to pretend this messy relationship is actually romantic. Instead of being sexy, the intimate scenes feel more like a scary hostage situation. From start to finish, the whole thing just made me feel really uncomfortable. It’s a short series with 10 episodes that are only about 12 minutes each.

The plot is about Kim, a broke art student who is desperate for money because his mom needs a surgery he can't afford. As a last resort, he gives up his pride and becomes an escort for a rich businessman named Han. Han is a very closed-off guy who is heavily into the BDSM lifestyle. He wants total control and expects Kim to be completely submissive, even making him sign a contract that says he can't see anyone else. Han always shows he’s the boss by dominating Kim in bed and telling him he can't make any friends. He forces himself on Kim whenever he wants using different BDSM moves, clearly loving the power trip. For some reason, Kim seems to stay into it and even signs on for more time. When they aren't in the bedroom, they eat together and talk. Kim starts to see that Han is actually pretty lonely and feels sorry for him, and somehow that turns into love.

Watching this was just really weird. The characters don't get any time to actually grow. Instead, they spend most of their time on screen just staring into space, like they’re waiting for a personality or a good line to show up—but it never happens. This could have easily just been a short movie. The story is written so badly and the "romance" is honestly disturbing. I get that Kim needs the cash, but Han’s behavior makes him look like a total psycho. His power trip is just ridiculous! It’s hard to understand why a drama would make a love interest so gross, and why Kim would ever fall for someone like that. You really have to wonder about his head space because the show doesn't explain it at all. I know he needs the money, but falling in love? No way. The relationship here is just toxic and totally unhealthy. Both actors are good-looking guys, but neither of them gets a real chance to actually act. I can't believe a production company tried to make such a problematic story look like a sweet romance. It’s a total mess, and my best advice is to just stay far away from this one.

It's a disturbing and poorly made series that tries to make a toxic, abusive relationship look like a love story. (1/10)

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