Strong Special Episode

This is a very good special episode that focuses solely on Tsuge and Minato. They are the side couple in the main series, and it is nice to have an entire episode dedicated to them. In fact, out of the two special episodes (the other one is focused on Adachi and Kurosawa), this is the better one, showing the couple overcoming a problem in their relationship. Tsuge is a successful writer who has just won an award, and Minato is an aspiring dancer hoping for his big break. Seeing Tsuge's achievement, Minato feels bad about himself and does not dare to talk about what he considers to be the an achievement that may turn out to be nothing (get he gets into the final round of an audition). If the special episode for Adachi and Kurosawa had ended in a different way, it would perhaps be as good as this one in terms of showing some development in the relationship.

If you like Tsuge and Minato in the main series, this special episode is not to be missed.

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Understated and Underrated

We have here an atypical BL with pre-college schoolboys as the main characters. There is innocence, cuteness and sweetness, but this is certainly not a lighthearted BL. It's serious and melancholic, but it also manages to be moving without being excessively sappy. The youth of the main characters accentuates their sense of helplessness when it comes with coping with loss and separation that is all too premature but (perhaps) inevitable.

I didn't know what to expect at first though I was half-expecting something tragic immediately after I started watching the first episode. Let's just say it features a vehicle, the notorious bane of more than one couple in the history of BL. I wondered: Is it just a story that ends with the death of one of the main characters? Are we merely being shown the sad ending right from the start before a flashback to the past for the next seven episodes?

Then, soon enough, the apparently bizarre premise of a corpse that continues to be "alive" made me wonder if the story was some necrophiliac fantasy.

Yet, watching on, the story seems more plausibly a contemplation of the separation and loss that is inevitable in every relationship. Sure, no one in real life is going to have a boyfriend who appears to be alive in every way except for being physically dead and slowly becoming invisible to more and more people. (A corpse that even manages to have an erection, anyone?) Yet, isn't loss and separation inevitable in every relationship started (and we don't even know when they will take place) unless everyone becomes immortal? It's a truth that we know but don't consciously confront all the time, but how do we cope when we are made to confront it incessantly? Perhaps we would treasure every moment spent with those we love more, but perhaps the constant confrontation would also add more than a tinge of melancholy even in the most joyful moments of a relationship.

While the BL couple in the series is young (complete with youthful awkwardness at times), the intensity of their love comes across as being really strong. The fateful moment when Koichi pushes Mitsuru away from an approaching vehicle highlights the intensity of Koichi's love. It does not appear to be a conscious decision on Koichi's part but an instinctive one. He has yet to even display shock on his face at the coming vehicle but his hand has already pushed Mitsuru away to protect him. The poignance of the scene is also intensified because it comes after a conversation that sounds like Koichi is merely joking or saying something sweet to flirt with Mitsuru when he tells Mitsuru that he always stands on his left to protect him. It turns out that he really means it. On Mitsuru's part, his love is no less intense as it seems to be the reason Koichi continues to be "alive" after becoming a corpse.

What makes Eternal Yesterday unique as a BL series is the relatively understated way in which the love and bond between the couple is shown. There is no obvious lovelorn pinning on either of the main characters before they become a couple, unlike so many BLs where the attraction between the couples seem somewhat frivolous. The actors are look good, but the focus is not on their physical attractiveness and I think Koichi's good looks may even have been deliberately downplayed. In the synopsis, Koichi is said to be the most popular boy in school, but unlike many BL stories featuring a popular boy in school (you know, those characters with legions of hysterical fans in school, with camera angles, filters and make-up all meant to emphasise how perfect they are in terms of looks or some other department), Koichi is portrayed as a relatively ordinary person who tells Mitsuru he does not have anything to offer him. A lot depends on the direction, actors' performances and the viewer's sensitivity to the nuances in the scenes, and I think these don't disappoint. The short scene in Ep 6 after the couple bump into the driver of the vehicle that knocks Koichi down exemplifies this. The dialogue is simple and brief, and yet it is such an emotionally powerful scene.

I think Eternal Yesterday is a series that deserves more love from BL fans. When a BL series like Cutie Pie gets a rating of 7.8 on MDL, I don't know why Eternal Yesterday gets a comparable 7.9. Perhaps it is the most underrated BL of the year (or more than just the year)!

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Not the most riveting story, but still a nice BL

A continuation from Star in My Mind with a focus on different characters, but this is better.

I enjoyed Star in My Mind a lot despite relatively weak plot because the leads are lovable. Sky in Your Heart is surprisingly better. The plot is still not exactly top-notch, but it is pretty good. Fah, a doctor, meets Prince, a volunteer teacher, and we know what will happen.

Perhaps because the characters are slightly older and this is not another BL series with a university campus as its main setting, there is a bit more unpredictability in the plot. Prince falling sick, however, is an overused plot device to get things going and the writers could have toned down on it. Nevertheless, the leads are likable, just like in Star in My Mind. We feel for Fah because he is unable to get over his ex, but the series doesn't make this sappy. There are many humorous moments in the series with the joke being on Fah. And though I wish Prince were more rounded as a character, he is the sort of character that's easy to love.

Compared to Star in My Mind, the side characters here are more distinctive. Whether it's Fah's friends (Mesa and JJ) or Yayah the young lady or the comical Ou (nicely acted by Toptap), the side characters each have something distinctive. (In Star in My Mind, there are many side characters, but there's a lack of distinctiveness for most of them.) It's a pity that the pompous Ou seems to largely written out of the story after his initial appearance. The character has the potential to play a bigger part in the story, especially because some of the best moments in the series are the funny parts. (Watch out for the scene in Ep 3 when Ou offers to take a photo with Fah and his friends as a "present" for them. When the photo is being taken, JJ turns his back to the camera. It's hilarious, but I think it's also a deliberate allusion to the rumored falling out between Toptap and Mike, the actors for Ou and JJ respectively.)

Dao and Kluen from Star in My Mind appear every now and then despite being in a totally different place from the leads. Most of the time, it doesn't really make a difference whether they appear or not, but I guess fans of the DaoKluen ship won't mind.

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A rather special BL series that I enjoyed

This series has the misfortune of airing after Bad Buddy ended, in the same time slot. The comparisons in invited with Bad Buddy are unflattering, but it is a fairly nice BL series in its own way. My only gripe with Bad Buddy is that, with such a wonderful team behind it, there could have been a been more risk-taking to create something more unique. There are some BL series that have more personality to them despite having more flaws, and Enchante is one of them.

In many ways, what we have is a story about growth. Akk and Theo are likable characters, but they are both flawed. Akk is quite clearly in love with Theo from the time they were children, and while he is a very good friend to Theo, but his main flaw is keeping his feelings to himself. Theo, on the other hand, is someone from a privileged background who doesn't put on airs, but he can be a little self-centered and isn't as innocent as he may appear at first. To end up together, each has to overcome his flaws.

The story may seem pointless to some as the focus on Theo's search for "Enchante" leads to practically nothing but a few wild goose chases. However, it is interesting to see the story of each of the fake "Enchantes" and who the real "Enchante" is. If there is a recurring theme, it is that things are often not what they seem. But this is also perhaps the reason trust Akk and Theo have for each other is beautiful. In a world full of deception, where even the most beautiful things may turn out to be illusory, it is rare to find someone you can trust without hesitation. Perhaps this is why Theo gets so upset when he realizes that Akk has hidden a certain truth from him, and perhaps his ultimate lesson is to accept that things are not always as straightforward as he would like. The story, especially with its many allusions to The Little Prince, can actually be pretty thought-provoking, though some may find it too slow-moving.

I'm not sure where the series was shot, but the scenes look very beautiful--almost unreal, in fact. (Did they really film the scenes of the university in an actual university?) The cinematography and setting make the series seem almost like a fairy tale. We could say that the point here is that in a world that seems so beautiful, there can be unpleasantness--or perhaps we could say that in a world with so unpleasantness and deception, we can still try to create a space of beauty for ourselves.

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Good storytelling, Interesting Characters

This is a cross-genre series of sorts, with elements of mystery and zombie apocalypse and even a bit of sci-fi. The premise is rather interesting if a tad bizarre--a cult is scheming something evil. It must be stopped, and ultimately, the main characters must stop them.

The story may not draw viewers in that well if it were not for the interesting characters and their relationships. The dynamics between main characters, Gup De You and Ding Mao, are engaging without being cloying. Each of the four main characters, as well as most of the secondary characters, is interesting in his/her own right, and this is something quite rare.

The story would probably have been better without the obligatory quasi-scientific posturing. The seemingly supernatural occurrences must be scientifically explainable even if the explanations are implausible. This is thanks to China's censorship laws as usual, but I also wonder if there is a subversive mockery of the censorship itself. After all the scientific explanations, portrayed as a Western import, ultimately fail to account for everything.

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Could have been a better series if the entire team had better days

Although the main action takes place during a lockdown, whoever came up with the story could not help throwing in a couple of characters who seem to turn up in spite of lockdown rules in the series. This is perhaps a sign of a lack of confidence with pulling off a series of six episodes featuring only the two main characters.

The story is actually ok in some ways: two childhood friends meet each other again after many years ; there is is palpable master/servant class difference between them, but they do have genuine affection for each other. Kian decides to play a prank on Aron by pretending not to recognize him--it is only a prank, but the prank works because of the inherent power difference between them. While Aron is saddened that Kian seems to have forgotten him, he can't really be assertive here. The potential of the "friends with unequal power" angle isn't fully used, however. We see how it manifests in the different way each expresses his jealousy upon seeing the other with someone else as Kian throws a tantrum while Aron has a more muted response. Yet, how do they overcome it? There isn't much development here.

As if to make up for the lack of eventfulness in the story, Kian gets news that his father has passed away in the final episode, but there isn't really any exploration of how this impacts Kian's character or future. To be fair, the death isn't altogether unexpected: from early on, it is revealed that Kian's father has been hospitalized. But one would be hard-pressed to think of a good reason why it is included.

The series does manage to have some moments of BL sweetness, particularly in the final scene. The ending scene is rather good. There is no sudden passionate kissing or cloying confessions of love, but Aron takes the initiative to hold Kian's hand. It is a happy ending though not an unambiguous happily-ever-after ending. The couple may have to be apart soon, but there is hope that they will overcome challenges that come their way. If the quality of the ending scene had been maintained throughout, if the series had focused on the two characters' struggles with their increasingly undeniable romantic feelings for each other from the start, perhaps the series would have been much better.

This is a series I wouldn't mind having a sequel to, nevertheless. Although a sequel does not seem likely, it may well make up for the shortcomings of the original six episodes.

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Maybe the series is not getting attention because the English title isn't very catchy and the official YouTube videos don't even show the English title. But I'm glad the series is subbed. It's one of the more unique series that I have watched from GMM, starting with the idea of a supernatural shop that sells things for someone you hate.

It is ultimately not the shop that is frightening, but how people make use of it. The shops customers can be petty, vindictive, psychotic, manipulative and downright selfish. At first, the series seems to relentlessly show how everyone has a dark side, as if to emphasize that human beings are really ugly and horrible creatures. One character sends gifts to harm a girl he "loves", hoping to manipulate her into loving him back. A politician, in an incredibly heinous act, sends his own daughter gifts that kill her so that he can advance his political goals.

Yet, there is more to the show than simply saying that human beings are terrible. Despite their disturbing behavior, we may still find ourselves empathizing with the characters at some points. For instance, Khim, the teacher who wants to kill a corrupt politician partly to take revenge and partly as a form of vigilante justice, is by turns creepy and pitiable. Num, who goes overboard and kills several potential enemies because he doesn't know who is after him, is a caring and loving brother. Chut, the policeman who is the only unambiguously good main character for a large part of the story, eventually succumbs and sends death-causing gifts to two of his superiors. However, with corruption so entrenched that there is absolutely no way for him to bring the perpetrators of certain crimes to justice, what options does he have? He does not believe in vigilantism, but his only other option is to let injustice be perpetuated.

In an interesting plot twist in the final episode, it turns out that Ploy, the politician's daughter, has ordered gifts for all the customers of the shop. They get gifts labeled as Level 4 gifts (those that kill the recipient). But it is obvious that there is no way she has enough years left in her life to buy the gifts for so many people--payment for the gifts is in years in the buyer's life, not dollars and cents, and her own father's life already costs 80 years of life. We can understand, then, that these gifts are not the usual gifts from the shop despite how they are labeled. Indeed, inside the gift box is simply a piece of paper with the word "hatred". It is a reminder that what the thing that really kills others is hatred, not the gifts or the shop. Ploy's father becomes so guilt-ridden that he kills himself. Of course, not everyone really hates those they buy gifts for, but I guess hatred becomes a sort of term that also encompasses other negative human traits like ambition, vindictiveness and selfishness.

The ending of the series is somewhat disturbing but realistic. The shop continues to exist. There will always be hatred in people. But the characters ultimately have to live with their decisions. The shop does not force anyone to buy gifts, and every prospective customer can decide to say no. So even if one feels hatred, one can decide whether to act on one's hatred.

A lot of accomplished within ten episodes for a story with such heavy themes. There are quite a number of characters, but the story does not become confusing (even if a second watch will make certain things clearer). I'm particularly impressed by the acting of Ying who plays Khim, the teacher, but the actors have generally done a good job too.

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Censored BL with a naughty title

This could have been something more interesting, but it clearly has been censored or self-censored until there is barely a story.

I won't go as far as to say that the BL has been transformed into bromance. In fact, romantic feelings are quite strongly hinted. However, it is quite inconsistently done. In one episode, Nan Bo Wan acts like he has been "bent", but after that acts like his usual self again. In the last episode, the romantic feelings are hinted at again. The randomness is particularly jarring in the last few episodes.

Ultimately, this is a someone insipid BL that can perhaps be forgiven because we know the censorship situation in China. The title (Bai Li Tiao Yi) is perhaps the most BLish thing about the whole series. It refers to the names main characters, Bai Li Qian Chuan and Nan Bo Wan (which sounds like Number 1). You are certainly not imagining things if you suspect that the translated title has some sexual innuendo. The playful double entendre is also present in the Chinese title, which means Bai Li Selects 1 or Bai Li Selects (His) Top.

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So bad, in so many ways

Some series are bad because of a weak story. Some are bad because they try to tell the story of multiple couples, shifting uncomfortably from one couple to another. Some are bad because of haphazard editing despite a story that is ok. Some are bad because they are exploitative. Some are bad because of an uneven tone. Some are bad because they pretend to deal with interesting themes only to disappoint. Rarely do we get a series that is bad in all these ways. But Hit Bite Love is one of those rare gems that is bad in all these ways and probably more.

There are three sets of main characters, and although the characters are all schoolmates, the drift from one set of characters to another is tiring. There are some hints every now and then at a major event that happens later in the story, but they are barely enough to sustain interest. In fact, viewers might even wonder if they are random scenes (the characters being interviewed by police officers) that represent their state of mind.

Perhaps one could give the series credit for daring to cover themes like BDSM and teenage sex, but there is a difference between sensitively dealing with such themes and using them as excuses to sexualize teenagers. The actors are very young (some below eighteen) and the characters are even younger. Yet, the seems to be no hesitation in bringing in gratuitous scenes of sex and bare skin. Even the most innocent and youngest couple, Burger and King, was given a bed scene with some suggestion of penetrative sex--while the characters do not have sex, someone seems to have found it appropriate to let King's mother be mistaken and show what is going on in her imagination.

The series could have dealt seriously with some themes, but it did not. There could have been a sensitive portrayal of Ken's predicament when he has to decide between coming out of the closet because of his boyfriend, Shogun, and remaining in the closet because of homophobia in the society. Unfortunately, the characterization is all over the place. He is selfish and sometimes seems to only want sex from Shogun. And for someone who is afraid that people will find out that he is gay (or is he??), he seems to be uncannily daring in trying to make out with Shogun in places when his schoolmates can suddenly appear. What's even worse is that at first he seems to be dating a girl to cover up his homosexuality, but later it is shown that he has not only have had sex with that girl but another girl as well. So perhaps he is bisexual or whatever--I don't think it really matters. Everything is just not very coherent, and it is thus too difficult to sympathize with this character or to see any important point being made about the difficulty of coming out in a homophobic society.

Then someone also decided that it was appropriate to throw in some BDSM into the story. It would still be fine if the point were simply that BDSM is just a sort of fetish that some adults engage in consensually. It's not something that everyone is into, but I am fine if some people enjoy it. However, the story goes out of its way to emphasize that the characters involved are considered too young for it and yet ALSO present them engaging in BDSM in scenes that can be considered sexploitation. And did I mention that Shogun is basically pressured by Matteo into engaging in BDSM in exchange for securing budget for the music club? I can't be convinced that Matteo really loves Shogun after this, but that's what the series tries to persuade us of anyway.

The only saving grace in the series is Burger and King, but guess what? There is an uncanny similarity between Burger and King's story and the Japanese BL series, My Love Mix-Up. And even then, the copying isn't that well done.

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Not really bad

I actually enjoyed this one overall although it isn't exactly impressive.

I don't quite have a great reason for my enjoyment. Perhaps it is because of the likability of the characters, perhaps it is because of the great looking actors playing the leading roles, perhaps it is because the execution is pretty decent in general.

Muyeong's belief that his love for Seon Ho is one-sided is portrayed sensitively even though the situation could be clichéd and even silly. The flashbacks to Muyeong's experiences in high school help to make him a character we can feel for. Of course, the fact that we know that Seon Ho is attracted to him too makes the scenes quite lighthearted. There is something to appreciate about how the series is generally lighthearted without degenerating into utter banality.

Perhaps the most disappointing part of the series is the last episode. The main couple did end quite well, but while the characters have been generally lovable, Seon Ho suddenly turns a little toxic in the last episode, threatening Muyeong that he (Seon Ho) would never see him again if he goes off and look for his friend. Muyeong's friend, Jun Seok, is also a little off character in the last episode, suddenly becoming a little manipulative. Additionally, Jun Seok is an interesting but underdeveloped character. His feelings for Muyeong are hinted at fairly early on, but the ending does not leave one satisfied.

Despite its flaws, this isn't a terrible BL series. It is likable but the story is somewhat weak.

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Moving but beware the ending

Moon Ji Yong, the actor playing Jae Woo, looks particularly good when he smiles, but he doesn't smile very often in this series. It's perhaps very astute casting as the contrast between the moody Jae Woo and the person he could possibly be if not for what has happened to him at the age of ten.

What sets this series apart from many BL series is the way the sweetness of the couple comes with minimal fluff. The cinematography and the music are really commendable, but I wish the editing had sometimes been a little difference. Given how short the series is, there is really no need for scenes to be repeated, such as when Episode 2 doesn't take the story further from Episode 1 but merely provides additional details.

There is a bond between the two main characters that becomes stronger although the bulk of the romance does not take place over a long time frame. Jae Woo's first feelings are gratitude towards Ji Hoon for saving him when he is young and remorse about how Ji Hoon has sacrificed his life to save him. However, when he travels back in time as an adult to the time he is ten, his romantic attraction to Ji Hoon is quickly apparent. Yet, it is obvious that the time the couple has together is limited.

When it dawns upon Jae Woo that he can perhaps do something to save Ji Hoon, the situation does not become much more hopeful. First of all, there is the likelihood that Jae Woo is unable to change the past and save Ji Hoon. Secondly, if he does, we will end up with a paradox: if Ji Hoon does not die, then adult Jae Woo will not travel back to the past and meet Ji Hoon in the first place. In short, a happy ending for the couple seems unlikely. Still, one hopes . . .

Spoiler:

In the end, Ji Hoon discovers that adult Jae Woo has traveled back in time and is trying to save him. However, he decides not to be saved because his logic is that if he doesn't die, then Jae Woo the kid will die (with no one to save him) and the adult Jae Woo who travels back in time and falls in love with him won't exist. (But if so, who will travel back in time and save him then? It's one of those paradoxes of time travel stories that one should probably not think too much about.)

Perhaps in a bid to soften the impact of a sad ending, there is the suggestion (which does not make a lot of sense) of time infinite loop and/or split timelines. It more or less goes like this: the Jae Woo we see throughout the series (let's call him Jae Woo A) goes back in time and does not save Ji Hoon, but because of JW A's time travel, we already have a slightly different version of the past. This means that a split timeline emerges with the Jae Woo who is saved when Jae Woo A travels back to the past, so there's a Jae Woo B (who has slightly different childhood experiences from Jae Woo A). Jae Woo B will grow up and then travel back to the past and meet Ji Hoon in this split timeline, and this will lead to the creation of yet another timeline with Jae Woo C and so on.

I don't know if this really softens the impact of the sad ending for the couple. After all, it would seem that there can be infinite versions of the Jae Woo/Ji Hoon tragedy.

If I get my way, I would simply have the adult Jae Woo helping Ji Hoon save the kid Jae Woon. Let the two grown men fight and overpower the killer. They can even call the cops beforehand or something. And then the kid, who is saved, can be told what to do to travel to the past when he grows up.

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More of the same old, but you won't dislike it if you liked Season 1

AKA: A Man Who Defies the World of BL Season 2

When I reviewed the first season, I said that it might get better in Season 2. After all, Season 1 is largely about the protagonist's gay panic as he realizes that he is a character in a BL world. Although there are many couples featured, the main character himself only comes to terms with his love for another guy at the end of Season 1.

I thought then that Season 2 would be more interesting because there may finally be development. Unfortunately Season 2 is more of the same old stuff. It starts where Season 1 ends (i.e. where the protagonist confesses to another guy his love). Unfortunately, the confession amounts to nothing as this other guy's ex-boyfriend appears and our dear protagonist runs away.

So he basically reverts to his previous self, resisting all possible ships with other men. Until he meets that guy he has confessed to again.

In a way, perhaps there isn't really much of a way out of it. The series would undermine its basic premise if it does not do more of the same stuff. (The protagonist is supposed to be a man who is aware that he is a BL character and tries his darn best to resist being shipped with another man. So if he no longer resists, the series either ends of takes on quite a different character.)

Nevertheless, the mini series is still quite delightful as a BL series that is able to laugh at itself. There is humor and lots of cuteness. And being rather short, it doesn't feel at all draggy. Some might even be craving for more.

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Sweet gay-themed comedy

Yaoi or Boys Love series may be very popular now, but it seems to be increasingly rare to see an actual gay-themed short film that doesn't pander to yaoi fans. We Are Both Grooms is special in this regard, and those who are thinking of watching it should know what to expect. There are no passionate sex scenes or even kissing scenes. There isn't dramatic sexual tension between the characters the moment they meet. The story is not set in a world in which any random straight man can suddenly become gay.

What we have is more of a gay-themed short film that deals with the issues faced by gay people. The leads are ordinary people (a teacher and a farmer) and certainly not the idealized characters we often see in BL. We don't even see that much about how they fall in love, but we can see that they are in love. The problem: Ryosuke is going through a wedding ceremony with Mizuki, but none of his guests (including his family) knows that he is marrying a man. The premise is somewhat implausible, but it perhaps does not matter so much because it is a comedy in which things like that can happen. There is empathy for the way the main characters behave, such as when Ryosuke plucks the courage to tell his parents that he is marrying a guy and shows them a photo, but they mistakenly think that he is marrying the girl in the group photo. Once that moment of courage is lost and his parents start commenting in relief that they had suspected that he was gay, it became so much harder for him to come out.

A non-linear structure is adopted to tell the story, and it can seem a little messy at first, but the story is competently and economically told. Appropriate details are revealed through flashbacks at the right times. It may not be the most interesting story ever, but it is engaging enough.

I wish there were more support for productions that portray gay people without making themselves, strictly speaking, BL. There's a certain risk taken because BL fans may not be really into them.

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A BL with a somewhat atypical flavor

This little series seems to be underrated. Visually, it is beautiful. As a BL series, it gives different vibes from a lot of BL series.

Without knowing it, Eun Ho travels back in time and meets Heon, an ex-crown prince on the run after being falsely accused of treason. Geum is his loyal guard. The couple is cute, but the cuteness is not excessively emphasized. There is sweetness, but the series doesn't become cloying. The scenes are tinged with melancholy because of Heon's plight.

The story is there but there is a lack of development. (How on earth does Heon become accused of treason?) Some of the action that takes place can be more fully fleshed out. At times, there are forward jumps in the narrative with can be slightly confusing. However, it is a likable short series.

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Good, but censorship results in unfulfilled potential

This series deserves more attention. The story is pretty interesting although it is flawed, e.g. some plot devices are repeated a little too frequently, like the way characters are killed and brought back to life with someone's blood. Certain things like the powerful weapons and the magical blood are not adequately explained, but they don't really mar the story in general.

What makes the story weaker is the censorship of the BL elements. I don't mean that the story would magically be better with BL included. However, the censorship has unintended effects:

- The earlier episodes with moments of innuendo between the two male leads work quite well, but in the later episodes when the relationship is probably supposed to have developed much further don't work so well. The things the characters would do for each other need to be explained by romance or even bromance, which is hardly developed on.

- In censoring the BL. the series commits the mistake of replacing BL with straight romance by making the two characters interested in the same women--unconvincingly too, for they suddenly take an interest in her out of the blue. Tip for anyone making a censored BL: you can imply the BL or remove it, you can turn it into bromance (just no literally between brothers, please), you can even have the characters profess their interest in women, but never ever make them genuinely in love with one (or worse, more) women.

- The clash between the BL that is being hinted at and the two male leads' interest in the same woman can be glaring. E.g. In one scene, Long Yao rushes towards Shi Jing Yao to explain things to him when Shi sees him behaving intimately with a woman. Then VERY soon after, they are showing interest in the same woman. Is that the epitome of denial on Long Yao's part or is that a symptom of multiple personality disorder?

In general, the story related to the disappearance and seeking of a superweapon is good. There are some twists that are truly interesting. There is quite a bit of humor, but things do get serious and exciting as well. The only significant problem is that in some episodes (I think about Episodes 9 to 10 in particular), the editing/going back and forth in time is not always necessary and could have been minimized.

There is a clear hint of a possible Season 2 after the closing credits of the final episode, and I'm hoping to see one. The characters are likable enough and there seems to be potential more. If the production team avoids making the same mistakes that make Season 1 flawed, and circumvent censorship with cleverly suggested BL, it may just be great.

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