Wrong timing and a boring protagonist
Bittersweet Love had everything it needed to be a good BL: toxic, bold and hard to digest, yet with an interesting story full of twists.
However, that is not what we get here. The series starts with a certain impact but quickly sinks into a tiring plot led by a main couple with zero charisma and a completely confusing development.
Lu Qing is a confusing character. His motivations and behaviors change all the time. The series tries to create an aura of mystery and danger around him but he ends up reduced to a toxic, indecisive character who doesn't know how to communicate. And honestly, dumb and immature.
But nothing is worse than XiaoFan. It's hard to believe a writer would think such a pathetic, submissive, humiliated character with such low self-esteem could possibly be interesting enough to lead a series.
And the result, of course, is disastrous.
The series tries to pull off a plot twist with XiaoFan at the end that actually kind of works but the problem is: they miss the timing.
The revelation should have happened midway through the series, leaving time to develop the consequences and the plots behind XiaoFan's plan.
Yet even that isn't done right. His motivations only drag the character down even further and at no point do they change this perception of him as a pathetic character with no agency.
I wanted to see him getting revenge, speaking with confidence, proving to be an interesting character who knew how to turn the tables he was forced into.
That doesn't happen here; the ending is bland, emotionless, and rushed. There is no growth and the feeling is that we wasted 12 episodes watching a tiring story with charismaless characters.
However, that is not what we get here. The series starts with a certain impact but quickly sinks into a tiring plot led by a main couple with zero charisma and a completely confusing development.
Lu Qing is a confusing character. His motivations and behaviors change all the time. The series tries to create an aura of mystery and danger around him but he ends up reduced to a toxic, indecisive character who doesn't know how to communicate. And honestly, dumb and immature.
But nothing is worse than XiaoFan. It's hard to believe a writer would think such a pathetic, submissive, humiliated character with such low self-esteem could possibly be interesting enough to lead a series.
And the result, of course, is disastrous.
The series tries to pull off a plot twist with XiaoFan at the end that actually kind of works but the problem is: they miss the timing.
The revelation should have happened midway through the series, leaving time to develop the consequences and the plots behind XiaoFan's plan.
Yet even that isn't done right. His motivations only drag the character down even further and at no point do they change this perception of him as a pathetic character with no agency.
I wanted to see him getting revenge, speaking with confidence, proving to be an interesting character who knew how to turn the tables he was forced into.
That doesn't happen here; the ending is bland, emotionless, and rushed. There is no growth and the feeling is that we wasted 12 episodes watching a tiring story with charismaless characters.
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