Kiss or Kill (2026)

Bullets, Hidden Identities & Forbidden Chemistry Collide! Started With a Bang, Ended in a Mess!

Two mafia themed BLs were airing at the same time with a similar setup, Kiss or Kill and Ash, and both came out swinging from the very beginning.

I initially rated Kiss or Kill a 9.5/10 because the opening episodes completely hooked me. As the series progressed, I lowered it to a 9/10, and now that I have finished the entire series, my final rating is 8/10.

Unfortunately, the plot became quite messy towards the end, endless useless flashbacks and the unrealistic shooting and killing scenes in the finale were a bit of a turn off for me. I love action and I can suspend my disbelief, especially in a mafia series, but some of the final confrontations went a little too far and lost the intensity and realism that made the earlier episodes so exciting.

That being said, the fantastic acting, incredible chemistry and some seriously memorable NC scenes compensated for many of the weaknesses in the plot. Even when the story became messy, Chencan and Dadday kept me watching.

The episodes are listed at around 25 minutes on GagaOOLala, but once you take out the opening and the behind the scenes content at the end, the actual story is closer to 20 minutes. Even with that shorter runtime, the early episodes were packed with enough action, mystery and chemistry to keep me completely hooked.

Orion as Nie Chuan immediately caught my attention. His undercover introduction was definitely something I had never seen in a Chinese BL before. He tied up his client during a BDSM scene, and honestly, my jaw was on the floor! I was NOT expecting the series to open like that. He is absolutely stunning, but more importantly, he is such a strong actor. Then we have Dadday as Lin Yan, who is equally gorgeous and was clearly hiding something beneath that calm exterior.

I especially loved the flashback in Episode 2 showing how Nie Chuan and Lin Yan first met three years ago. The whole sequence with the soldiers, gunfire and chaos felt genuinely epic. Then came the rescue scene and Lin Yan being treated for his injuries, and THIS was where their chemistry really hit me. Their eye contact said so much without either of them needing to say a word. You could already feel the history, tension and unresolved feelings between them.

Episode 3 was another highlight. One moment they were about to make out, and the next, a bunch of men with guns suddenly stormed into the house with intense music playing in the background. The transition was insane!

That scene definitely lived up to the title Kiss or Kill. They were literally about to kiss, but if they had actually done it, they probably would have been killed! 😂 The timing was perfect and had me on the edge of my seat.

The action throughout most of the series was another huge highlight. The fighting and shooting scenes were intense, the story moved quickly, and there was always a strong sense of danger surrounding these two. With the undercover mission, arms syndicate, hidden identities, betrayal and their complicated history, the series had so much potential.

And can we talk about Episode 8? WOW! That kissing and intimate scene lasted over five minutes! I was NOT expecting Episode 8 to open like that. The passionate kissing, the chemistry and how long the entire scene went on completely caught me off guard. Chencan and Dadday were incredibly comfortable together, and their chemistry was easily one of the strongest parts of the entire series.

One criticism I mentioned earlier, which I also had with Ash, was the use of anime AI during the flashback. Yes, I still think it would have been better to use real actors, but it lasted less than two minutes and honestly did not take away from my enjoyment of the series. The plot, chemistry, acting and overall production were far more important to me. It may also have been a budget decision, and I would rather have a short anime flashback and still get the show than not have the show at all. Plus, this was not Chencan and Dadday's decision, so I would hate to see all their hard work overlooked because of a couple of minutes of AI.

My bigger criticism after finishing the series is actually the ending itself. The final part of the story became too messy for me, and some of the shooting and killing scenes felt unrealistic compared with the stronger action sequences earlier in the series. I wanted the finale to bring everything together and finish on the same high that the series started with, but unfortunately, it did not quite get there.

It’s still rare to see a BL attempt this much action, gun fighting, undercover drama and mafia conflict, so I have to give Kiss or Kill credit for trying something different. Most importantly, Chencan and Dadday absolutely delivered. Their acting, chemistry and intimate scenes carried the series through some of its weaker writing.

Overall, Kiss or Kill started incredibly strong but lost some of its momentum towards the end. I went from a 9.5, to a 9, and finally settled on an 8.5/10 after finishing it. The messy final plot and unrealistic shooting and killing scenes brought my rating down, but the great acting, intense chemistry, memorable NC scenes and strong earlier episodes still made this a very enjoyable watch.

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Wasted potential....

When AI is taking over for flashbacks the whole atmosphere of the show changes. AI does not do emotions well, it makes it's bits disconnected from the show, it was made lifeless. While the flashbacks should invoke the feel of dread and sadness it did nothing for me. It was a terrible decision to use AI in this form. It could have been done far better, but I guess they didn't have the budget.

The "military" actor is quite unbelievable too, both would fit an university narrative so much better. So I guess at least the "military" man was the wrong choices for the this series. It does not mean he acts bad, it just means I imagine something different when I see a military man or mercenary. He looks like he did not even do the basic training in the military. Maybe it's one of the stereotypes I grow up with and it's too much ingrained in me. That may be the case, but for me it does not fit.

And that's where the problems lie with this series. They can act great, kiss great and have sensible nc-scenes, it still is ruined for me. The theatrical end of this show does not help either. I wish I could have seen both actors in something completely different. They have the talent, but I don't think they tapped in enough because the script was their cage. At least it was not an hour long drama which would have gotten on my nerves for sure :)

So for me this is one the CBLs that failed. One of the few. Production quality is ok, but not stellar, the AI ruins most of it. It's still not bad, but it's not good either, it's just average. Again, cute faces, hot nc-scenes don't tell a story and don't let me feel anything. So watch it or not, your choice.

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