FC Soldout (2025)

a BL with a soccer backdrop

Overall: it was entertaining. I wish they had reduced the number of characters/side plots to have more time for relationship progression. 8 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI (U.S. for sure, not sure which other countries) https://www.iq.com/play/sqxdf59e7s?lang=en_us&sh_pltf=4

Content Warnings: past non con picture taking/sharing, unwanted public outing

What I Liked
- visuals
- CEO was a decent antagonist (I really disliked him in episode 1)
- laughed a few times like when he hugged a standee and the difference between interview questions vs. real life
- caring moments
- really liked the captain and the idol
- nice dreams
- good kissing (ie no dead fish lip presses with blocked angles)

Room For Improvement
- the back and forth timeline in the beginning of episode 1
- a nonsense plan/approach
- one short flashback wasn't clear in episode 4
- too many couples, the third couple vanished
- introduced more antagonists, should have focused on the main characters
- nonsense: how he didn't remember him from high school, I don't think that's how idols are recruited (but someone correct me if I'm wrong, I could see if it was a model being recruited that way), did not appear to be enough players for their match

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I am tired of dramas giving me plot points, rather than plotlines.

I honestly do not understand why writers, directors, producers - anyone and everyone who has any say in the final product, are so stubborn into adding so many unnecessary plot lines and characters, when the majority of the short shows would work so much better with minimal effort, serving just the good vibes.

What I enjoyed about the show: the dynamics between the leads. The tiny twist to “enemies to lovers” trope was done in a refreshing way - adding both the tension and comedy depending on the situation. I liked how consistent the characters were. Best example - the difference in their dreams, and how it then corresponds to reality. Tiny details that just made sense. I liked how they both had clear internal issues they had to work through, and how they unintentionally helped each other deal with them.

I also liked the initial disagreements in the team based on their completely different goals and motivations. Them slowly starting to work together when they understood they can both benefit from cooperation was for sure one of the highlights.

And that would be enough for an 8 episode drama to be good. Focus and develop just these two aspects of the plot. But no, you need to make it more complex than it needs to be, add more unnecessary external drama. Create a huge issue just to solve it in 5 minutes. Why? I am tired of dramas giving me plot points, rather than plotlines. Nothing is developed or truly explained, because there is not time to do that.

I love how the poster makes it seem like it will focus on football, and have a rather big cast of important characters, when in reality the football did not matter at all and half of the people we see in the poster are there to fill the space so the locker room will not look too empty. They used their phones to film content more often than they kicked ball. Where was the balance?

The performances were rather good. Nothing too amazing, but I partially blame it on choppy editing and not so smooth storytelling. For a tiny budget it apparently had, the production was good. For sure did not stand out in a negative way compared to the majority of the other k-bl from the past few years.

Overall, it was not bad, but it was not good? The type of a show you won’t regret watching, but it’s not exactly something you would recommend others to watch either.

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