108
211
5
4
4
4
2
16
5
7
3
5
30
2
2
2
2
2
1
4
3
2
3
10
36
13
10
Gripping, unsettling and frankly just a hell of a good time!
I absolutely loved Payback. It’s not often that a BL manages to give me a romance I can root for while also delivering a story that genuinely keeps me invested.
The way they introduced the story and Sun as the main character in the first episode immediately put you on his side, and he remained the emotional anchor throughout the entire series. Despite his dark past, there was an innocent naivety to him that made him feel like a kid who had to grow up too fast because of his circumstances. It’s not easy to make the audience care about a main character who barely speaks and has such a cold exterior, but Min did a fantastic job using his microexpressions to show Sun’s pain, vulnerability, and the small moments of softness underneath. Sometimes you could literally see his eyes become darker, and seeing the hurt he carried honestly broke my heart more than once.
Jay, for lack of a better word, was aura farming throughout the entire story, and rightfully so. Toptap carries himself with such confidence and authority that it’s easy to forget how young he actually is. One thing that made their relationship work so well for me is that Jay’s own pain allowed him to see through Sun and understand him in a way others couldn’t. He knows when to push and when to give him space, but considering everything he has lost, he was never going to simply stand by and watch Sun continue down a self-destructive path.
I also appreciate that the show never tried to pretend Jay and Sun aren’t morally gray characters. Jay can be hypocritical at times, bending his own morals when it benefits him, while Sun is still influenced by the shadows of his past because you don’t change who you are overnight. Their relationship worked so well for me because they were both broken in their own ways, and I loved watching them slowly become a safe place for each other. Toptap and Min play off each other effortlessly, creating not only incredible tension but also genuinely tender moments between them.
I loved that the show took the time to flesh out the side characters while also showing Sun slowly opening up and forming connections with them. Sky and Kajorn were two of the highlights for me. They brought some of the best comedy in the series while also delivering genuinely heartfelt moments. It’s important to show that a main character’s growth isn’t driven only by their romantic relationship, so I really appreciated the time they gave these bonds.
While I sometimes had to suspend my disbelief, I was having so much fun with the show that it never really bothered me until the final episode, where they pushed it a little too far. The ending wasn’t as cathartic as I had hoped and felt slightly rushed. I also can’t deny that there were some plot holes. It felt a little like a checklist of characters and plot points that needed to be wrapped up. That being said, revenge is rarely as satisfying as people imagine it will be, so I can’t say the ending completely failed to fit the story.
Despite these flaws, I personally loved this show. The dark and gritty tone, the characters, the music, and the overall atmosphere all worked incredibly well for me. Payback did something that not a lot of BLs manage to do: it kept me invested in the romance, allowed me to connect deeply with several of its characters, and still made me genuinely care about the main story. It reminded me how much I crave BLs with more serious and thought-provoking stories, and I honestly had a blast watching it.
The way they introduced the story and Sun as the main character in the first episode immediately put you on his side, and he remained the emotional anchor throughout the entire series. Despite his dark past, there was an innocent naivety to him that made him feel like a kid who had to grow up too fast because of his circumstances. It’s not easy to make the audience care about a main character who barely speaks and has such a cold exterior, but Min did a fantastic job using his microexpressions to show Sun’s pain, vulnerability, and the small moments of softness underneath. Sometimes you could literally see his eyes become darker, and seeing the hurt he carried honestly broke my heart more than once.
Jay, for lack of a better word, was aura farming throughout the entire story, and rightfully so. Toptap carries himself with such confidence and authority that it’s easy to forget how young he actually is. One thing that made their relationship work so well for me is that Jay’s own pain allowed him to see through Sun and understand him in a way others couldn’t. He knows when to push and when to give him space, but considering everything he has lost, he was never going to simply stand by and watch Sun continue down a self-destructive path.
I also appreciate that the show never tried to pretend Jay and Sun aren’t morally gray characters. Jay can be hypocritical at times, bending his own morals when it benefits him, while Sun is still influenced by the shadows of his past because you don’t change who you are overnight. Their relationship worked so well for me because they were both broken in their own ways, and I loved watching them slowly become a safe place for each other. Toptap and Min play off each other effortlessly, creating not only incredible tension but also genuinely tender moments between them.
I loved that the show took the time to flesh out the side characters while also showing Sun slowly opening up and forming connections with them. Sky and Kajorn were two of the highlights for me. They brought some of the best comedy in the series while also delivering genuinely heartfelt moments. It’s important to show that a main character’s growth isn’t driven only by their romantic relationship, so I really appreciated the time they gave these bonds.
While I sometimes had to suspend my disbelief, I was having so much fun with the show that it never really bothered me until the final episode, where they pushed it a little too far. The ending wasn’t as cathartic as I had hoped and felt slightly rushed. I also can’t deny that there were some plot holes. It felt a little like a checklist of characters and plot points that needed to be wrapped up. That being said, revenge is rarely as satisfying as people imagine it will be, so I can’t say the ending completely failed to fit the story.
Despite these flaws, I personally loved this show. The dark and gritty tone, the characters, the music, and the overall atmosphere all worked incredibly well for me. Payback did something that not a lot of BLs manage to do: it kept me invested in the romance, allowed me to connect deeply with several of its characters, and still made me genuinely care about the main story. It reminded me how much I crave BLs with more serious and thought-provoking stories, and I honestly had a blast watching it.
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