This review may contain spoilers
Obsessed!
I'm another fan of this series that is totally obsessed with the actors and plot. I'm waiting impatiently for the next episode! HY is so handsome and I feel bad that he is being ignored by Shao You given how much love he has for SY but at the same time what he did to Shao You was not right so I can understand SY's anger towards him.The second couple, Gao Tu and Wen Lang are equally as interesting in their love story. I feel bad for Gao Tu for his unrequited love for Wen Lang but can't wait to see a turnaround of this (where Wen Lang accepts his love?) in the next few episodes (spoiler from Youtube).
So I think both couples will have a happy ending as the series progress?
I've read comments here that have really helped make sense of the story since I'm clueless regarding the omniverse world. For example, I didn't know that the only reason why HY pulled SY into the room was because HY was in a rut and he wouldn't have done so if SY didn't go to the hotel where HY confined himself/locked himself. And also another comment that helped was that the only reason why SY couldn't recognise HY was because the room was dark. The room was bright during the series shoot. Same with Gao Tu where the room was bright so I couldn't understand how Wen Lang couldn't recognise Gao Tu but in the novel, the room was dark. Also helped me understand that Wen Lang was "drawn" to Gao Tu that night because of the pheromones that Gao Tu released during his "heat".
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This review may contain spoilers
What the hell did I just watch?
Absolute gold, that's what. Okay, hear me out. Just like everyone else you have GOT to watch this wild f**king show. WARNING: while it's labeled an omega-verse story, if you are an avid omega-verse reader then this is not your normal story. They handle some parts of an omega-verse story well, but absolutely butcher other parts and it sucks. If you can survive that, then great! But there's more. Male Pregnancy. This is a pretty uncommon theme for romance readers but if you have read it, they do a TERRIBLE JOB WITH IT. Trust, you will laugh when you see how it's handled.Okay for the actual review. I absolutely loved the male lead characters. Once you learn who everyone really is, every interaction changes completely from the tone that is set. I could not stop laughing EVERY TIME Sheng Shao You played into Hua Yongs hands the scene was supposed to be romantic and sweet but in reality it's a cunning, manipulated interaction that just somehow...becomes comical. This is another villain love story, for the psychopaths.
The second male lead set however, that was the most TOXIC relationship I have ever seen. That was wrong from start to finish, and I am personally glad the writers did not put them together. Like WHAT THE F**K. Oaf, had to get that off my chest. Okay, you really can't help but feel sorry for those two idiots, but like what the hell guys. USE YOUR DAMN WORDS.
You have to use your imagination in a few scenes, like really suspend your belief, but it's absolutely worth it. The ending however, did not feel like an ending to a series. It felt like the ending to a season and was VERY abrupt. The main leads storyline was finished up well enough that it was acceptable, but absolutely not for the second leads. Be warned!
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Solid Story Undone by Bad Pacing
Overall, the story is strong and interesting especially between both main couples. The main downfall of this show is bad pacing, which is a serious disservice to the stories and characters. The setup for the plot is too long and there’s not enough time spent on fulfilling the actual romance in my opinion.Additionally, as many ppl have pointed out, there was small setup sprinkled throughout the episodes for LangTu which had no pay off, which completely gave the impression of bad pacing. I’m not sure if the show runners were trying to effectively pull of a great cliffhanger for a future spin off, but it’s just leading to viewers lashing out.
Personally, if they had extended the show to 18 or 20 episodes and aired twice a week I think the pacing would have been way better, both for storytelling and viewing.
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This review may contain spoilers
Totally overrated. I am shocked at the glowing reviews.
ABO Desire is one of the weakest BLs I've ever seen (out of many more than 100 titles so far). Those who gave it 10 stars: Were we watching the same show?Although I don't like mpreg content whatsoever, in judging this series, I put aside all my reservations and feelings about it in order to give it a fair review. I am not familiar with the omegaverse, but I think it's an intriguing concept when it comes to having an alternate universe in which people are so strongly driven by their animalistic sexuality (pheromones, mating rituals, sexual selection and compatibility) to the degree where they have "rutting periods" and can't stop themselves from forcing themselves on others. It's interesting, but it gives me one overwhelming expectation: That the series will be very horny. Given the premise, I expect a lot of sex. The series doesn't deliver it at all. Nothing sexual is shown, even the kisses are really boring. How do you have a show about hypersexualized people, and even the kissing is passionless? I understand that there may be censorship issues, but then maybe China isn't the place to realize a series like this, or maybe they needed to find a better way to get around it. It just doesn't work. I've seen shows with steamier scenes that are basically Hallmark romance plots.
The irredeemable script: ABO Desire felt like it must have been created from some very weak source material. I have not read the source material, I'm just assuming it's bad because this entire series was like watching a terrrible fanfic. Most egregiously, the plot exposition was often handled by unrelated people simply telling us what is going on. The worst were the moments when totally random bystanders would give us the plot points: "Can you believe so and so did such and such? I heard that..." This is not how you write a story. You show it, you don't tell it. Less offensive, but still so disappointing were moments like Hua Yong explaining Shen Wen Lang's entire backstory like a footnote (and the backstory didn't even give us an easily understandable reason for why he hates omegas that much). Finally, we had this random narrator suddenly pop up out of nowhere in a late episode when (I guess) they really couldn't find another way to explain certain events. What? You can't just introduce a narrator randomly. You need to start and finish with one, or have one throughout or intermittently.
Unexplained inconsistencies: Let's think about the episode where Shen Wen Lang forces himself on Gao Tu, and neither of them recognize each other. Okay, maybe it's supposed to be pitch black in the room, and we have to just imagine that we can't see anything even though we can see everything. But these two have been close for what, like 10 years? They don't recognize each other's voices or anything, while being as intimate as possible? Shen Wen Lang doesn't recognize that same omega scent that he keeps telling Gao Tu to wash off? It's so incredible. Meanwhile, Sheng Shao You doesn't recognize Hua Yong in bed either, who is... his actual lover, with whom he lives.
The acting: With the exception of Li Pei En as Gao Tu, I didn't find any of these characters believable or relatable. All the other main characters seemed constantly bored. When something upsetting happened, no one looked upset. Their facial expressions never changed throughout the episodes, no matter what was going on. It was totally jarring. The worst offender was probably Qiu Ding Jie (Sheng Shao Yu), who may as well have been a mannequin. He had one crying scene which was his only actual acting moment in the whole show, that I can recall. If your loved one is injured, you should show grief. If someone has wronged you, you should show anger. If you're kissing someone you want, you should show desire! These characters mostly show nothing, and because I'm watching other shows at the same time where the actors actually do act, I could not stomach all the blank expressions throughout this series.
The main romance: While Hua Yong's scheming was kind of interesting, the love story fell flat. One moment they liked each other, the next they were together, somehow skipping the most exciting part of a romance (when two people who like each other finally get together) and then we just had to watch all their petty disagreements and reconciliations for the rest of the show (and a lot of cooking and eating, for some reason).
The side romance: From reading other reviews, I know that I'm definitely not the only person who was bored by the monotonous main romance and much more invested in the side romance. Gao Tu and Shen Wen Lang did not get enough screen time, and their story was nothing but an endless conflict. Why? It was repetitive; as soon as a possible solution arose, so did a new problem (such as Gao Tu's father's scheming at the very end of the series, something that probably should have been introduced earlier). I don't know why it needs to be explained, but a plot should introduce conflicts with the goal of having the satisfaction of conflict resolution. Gao Tu and Shen Wen Lang were never able to work through their issues, things that could have been quite easily settled if they'd just tried to talk about them. All we got for conflict resolution with these two was, at the very end, a mere suggestion that things could possibly be fixed in the future. Not to mention, we now know that they'd already lost years together and that Gao Tu had to endure the presumably torturous pregnancy that Shen Wen Lang could have helped him with, as first years of child rearing without his partner (and that Shen Wen Lang is a stranger to his own child). We never had the satisfaction of seeing them reconcile or understand each other. You don't build up all these obstacles over the course of 16 whole episodes just to have them still remaining by the end.
In summary, I found ABO Desire to be a frustrating watch whenever it wasn't completely boring.
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A gripping dive into the Omegaverse
ABO Desire is a 16-episode Chinese BL series set in the Omegaverse. The story follows Hua Yong, a rare Enigma posing as an Omega, who becomes entangled with the powerful Alpha, Sheng Shaoyou.As someone new to the Omegaverse genre, I found myself initially confused after the first episode. The whole concept with Alphas, Betas, Omegas, and Enigmas was completely new to me and a bit confusing. The series almost requires that you take some time to understand what the Omegaverse is in order to follow the story properly. I didn’t think I would like it at first, but I quickly got hooked. By the midpoint, I even looked up the original novel and read it, which gave the series an extra dimension since not everything from the book was included in the show.
The performances were solid, and the chemistry between the leads was really good, making their complicated relationship feel believable and engaging. The series is visually interesting with a dark, intense atmosphere that fits the story.
The only downside was the finale. It felt rushed and could have benefited from an extra episode to properly wrap things up. Still, despite the hurried ending, I really enjoyed the journey, got emotionally invested in the characters, and would recommend this series to anyone curious about the Omegaverse.
I’ve watched a lot of Thai series lately, so I wanted to try something new — and this was definitely that for me. It’s a completely different kind of storytelling, and if you haven’t seen similar series or films before, you need to go in with an open mind and definitely not compare it to Hollywood shows. I, for one, am now curious to watch more Chinese series and will definitely keep an eye out for more Omegaverse stories in the future.
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What a brilliant plotline
Update:This is now available on YouTube in its entirety and was so much more cohesive as a result though I still don’t know if Hua Yong ever revealed that he had Sheng Shao You’s grandfather’s watch. The plot line between the second lead pairing made much more sense and as a result I felt so much more empathy for Gou Tu and the situation he forced himself into though more could have been made of the reunion.
Would I watch again as it’s whole in one place? Absolutely, if even just for the shirt clips scenes. Phew!
Original post:
The world as we know it has been turned upside down by a virus that created three distinct groups of human - where Alphas rule, Omegas are their partners and Betas exist.
The story centres round two main characters a dominant CEO, Sheng Shao You who is a S-level alpha (top dog in the alpha hierarchy) and Hua Yong a seemingly timid young man who is one of the secretaries at a rival firm.
Over time their world unravels, truths are told and this new world order is turned on its head by the emergence of a fourth group of human, the enigmas. A group so rare that they are the stuff of folklore.
The two main actors, Qui Ding Jie who plays Shao You and Eliot Huang who plays Hun Yong are well cast and have sizzling chemistry. Even when the truth starts revealing itself there are sparks flying (though how Shao You ever forgave Hua Yong is beyond me and IMHO the more we find out the more of a creepy, obsessed stalker Yong becomes though the writers glossed over this little issue).
The supporting cast are also well chosen and the second pairing of Shen Wen Lang and Gao Tu are also convincing even as they fail to act on their feelings. One has obvious feelings and it is only after he disappears does the other realise what he has lost and what was under his nose all along.
I’ve really enjoyed both the concept and the delivery of this drama and it’s a shame it was banned in China but I’d like to think this will not prevent the actors from continuing to delight us with their talent in other productions.
Would I watch again? Probably not as there is so much more out there to watch and I had to scramble across several platforms in order to get access to all the episodes.
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Who would think: Somewhat of a fresh take on relationships in dramas?
To address your concerns: if the whole concept freaks you out, you could also take this drama as some form of a fantasy drama with humanoid creatures with special effects....Rather than ABO and desire and whatever fanfiction worlds have invented...Cos... I believe you should watch this one. I genuinely think it is a decent watch. The story introduced alpha beta and enigma plot in more of (d)evolution of human species rather than 'we are warewolves and we are horny all the time' trope. I thought they tackled that super well to not be weird or awkward about the genre. The pregnancy plot became only relevant in the last few episodes and it was non graphic and more a topic of discussion than anything.
There was some uncertainty and excitement as the leads float throughout the drama from dominant to submissive and so on. Their roles are not clearly defined, so I found that refreshing than the usual trope of dominant vs submissive. They played that beautifully in the whole ABO dynamic.
But to keep it real, it is easier to find a diamond on the street than a non-toxic character in this drama. Characterization was present, but not great or multilayered. Chemistry between Hua Yong and Shao Yu did feel natural and exciting. But it was obviously toxic and obsessive and insane. And while entertaining and exciting in a setting of a drama, it is indeed not a portrayal of anything that is admirable or some takeaway message about true love. May this one never find you (or me).
As for characters, Wen Lang, was my fave because he was hillarious; he spoke outloud whatever the audience was thinking. But then he could have been developed better as his behavior toward Gao Tu was truly not in the character. Then I thought Hua Yong's actor was the perfect casting for the duality in the drama, even though at times his acting felt one layered with same expressions over and over again. The drop in Gao Tu storyline was abrupt and loose. Kinda ruined the ending for me.
Strong beginning, relatively good acting, and strangely engaging despite cringe moments, and more random useless dramatic plot points. A decent watch and a recommendation.
thanks for reading!
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This review may contain spoilers
I watched this show while it was airing and decided to give it a rewatch to see if I liked it. Honestly my rewatch made me realize how unbalanced the story is.
There are a lot of plot holes, and skipped scenes that somewhat seem necessary. The omega verse story is good and new and different from current BL stories that have been airing but its disappointing. This show was aired and promoted as 2 main couples. EXCEPT there is 1 main couple and a secondary couple. The main couple yes is the main part of the story but with how they promoted the show the second couple should have had more. There are more behind the scene videos of the couple then in the actual show.
The ending tho...
Whole different story. It caught me off guard that i thought i missed it. The ending was trash legit disappointing because it felt rushed and unfinished. My first thought was "thats how it ends". What happened to the second couple, are they together? what happened to the kids.
I would watch this to see what an omega verse show looks like but you might not be satisfied with the ending especially if you are a fan of the second couple.
I hope in future projects the second couple is given more, as there is a huge following behind them.
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Confusing
I knew nothing about the Omegaverse, and I can’t say it ever really appealed to me. When I saw that this series flipped the roles — the prey actually being the hunter — I thought, “Let’s give it a try!” While that aspect is interesting, it’s not enough to hide the discomfort I feel toward the genre itself: violence in intimate relationships, dominance, animalistic behavior, and so on. I can definitely say it’s not for me.As for the series itself: terrible direction, ultra-cheap special effects, and average acting. And to top it all off, it doesn’t even have an ending — literally. I’ve never seen a show just stop in the middle of nowhere like that!
Honestly, ABO Desire won't stay in my memory.
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A Long-Awaited Omegaverse Adaptation That Almost Gets It Right
As an avid omegaverse consumer, I was genuinely happy to finally see those elements portrayed in a TV series. The casting was excellent, the actors did a great job and the overall production quality was solid as well.The script could have been stronger, though. I understand the limitations caused by Chinese censorship, but my main issue was the pacing. It started off slow and then suddenly sped up. I think the story either needed better pacing or more episodes to fully develop everything the way it deserved.
It was a shame we didn’t get to see more of the second couple, their storyline ended up unfinished.
I really enjoyed the characters, especially because I love complex personalities that aren’t simply black and white. Huayong was fascinating to watch; he’s easily one of my favorite characters so far.
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This review may contain spoilers
Not bad, but Not good
Not bad, but not good.I have mixed feelings. For the first time in my life, I wanted the main couple not to get together. Hua, this is a BLACK FLAG!
There was real potential for this series, but all these situations where Hua, who is an enigma, made Alfie pregnant... For me, it's too much.
Plus, that jump forward in time three years later, where we don't get a happy ending for Shen Wen Lang and Gao Tu... Damn, that was so disappointing!
So.. I enjoyed watching it, but I watched it out of curiosity to see what would happen next and how the story would unfold, rather than for pleasure.
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~ never ending passion & desire ~
ABO LIVING UP TO IT'S NAME JUST WATCHING FILLS UP MY DESIRE GAUGE , definitely one of those shows most would probably need to read up on the whole alpha , beta & omega verse to get a better understanding but even so once you start watching & get into it I feel it becomes easier to understand anyway as you start to get the whole concept better. I was interested from the beginning but definitely the more episodes I watched the harder it was to put my phone down for sure , I really fell for the characters & their stories routing for them all the way. Eliots acting & how attractive he is has me on the floor , worth the watch ! please give it a try if you haven't🔥🩷Was this review helpful to you?
