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Deep In follows Zhang Zhun (Shu Yuan), a struggling actor finally getting his shot at a leading role, who lands the film "Deep In" and gets pulled into a relationship with Zhen Xin (Ollie), an already-established star. Within the film, Zhang Zhun plays Gao Zhun, a deeply troubled patient, opposite Zhen Xin as Fang Chi, his psychiatrist, an unethical dynamic built on dependency and emotional manipulation. As the filming blurs into their real relationship, Zhen Xin's intrusive behavior sends things spiraling between the both of them to the point where neither of them can tell which feelings belong to the characters and which belong to themselves.

This drama has changed my entire perspective on dramas/BLs. Everything I thought I knew about my own taste has changed after this. I usually don't care for or dislike certain tropes such as: infidelity, SA-victim storylines, anything overly toxic because they're rarely done well. I tried a few Chinese BLs before this one, and they weren't to my taste either, so I'd basically written off the genre for myself. Then this drama proved me wrong.

What stood out to me is how the show handled tropes I normally don't like. The difference between other shows I've disliked for these same tropes and this one is in how it's handled . Deep In is unapologetically toxic and doesn't try to dull anything down, but at the same time, it acknowledges that toxicity and actually sits with it instead of dismissing it. The show never lets its characters easily off the hook for their behavior, which makes the whole characters blurring thing even more interesting. The scene where Zhang Zhun talks to Gao Zhun through the mirror gave me goosebumps. You can really see how blurred the line between the actors and their characters had become.

CHARACTERS
- Zhang Zhun — An actor low on opportunities who finally gets to act in a queer film. He already has a girlfriend, yet he can't control his feelings for Zhen Xin. Raised by his grandmother, he's terrified of disappointing his loved ones, and that fear stays with him and influences his thoughts a lot.
- Zhen Xin— A well-known actor who had already met Zhang Zhun before and was interested in him. He falls hard for MC and doesn't care about the consequences. Like Zhang Zhun, he also has a girlfriend, though his relationship with her is far more shallow.
- Gao Zhun— A rape victim carrying deep trauma. He goes to see his girlfriend's ex, a therapist, starts treating him as a safety net and becomes very co-dependent on him.
- Fang Chi — A psychiatrist treating Gao Zhun, who torn between his desire for his patient and his professional ethics.

None of them are green flags. They're all problematic in their own ways, which makes them more compelling.

ACTING
Ollie and Shu Yuan each had to play multiple characters. You can really separate all four characters, and the way they perform each character's struggles and pain is simply fantastic. I can't believe this is their debut show.

OVERALL
This has become my top BL of all time, surpassing all of my old #1 favorites. This show has opened my eyes to what a true 10/10 feels like. There's absolutely nothing I would change about it. It's perfect to me and has no flaws. With every other 10/10 I've given, there's always a thing or two I don't fully love, but not here. It's a superior 10/10. I'd give it a higher score if I could.

I will say you kinda have to turn off the morality brain to truly see the beauty behind this show. There's manipulation, infidelity, non-consensual acts, a doctor-patient relationship, co-dependency, and a bunch of other dark topics. It's both morally and ethically problematic, but that's part of what makes it so fascinating to sit with and watch. This is a deeply psychological drama that needs to be watched until the very end to fully understand how the actors' relationship, the "in-film" dynamics, and problematic topics blend in with each other. Truly an unforgettable show!