52
184
9
1
1
1
6
1
6
6
2
9
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
7
7
8
An OK watch of an Interesting general plot
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.25
Finally a CBL not about toxic relationships and black/red flags! Kiss or Kill is a short Chinese BL, though listed as a Hong Kong drama. The general plot is actually quite good, but as always, a low-budget drama must choose where they spend the money. And that might piss off some viewers, as the first tag of this drama is “AI-Generated Content”.
Plot:
A romance between a mercenary and an illegal firearm trafficker? That sounds pretty interesting to me. Nie Chuan saved Lin Yan 3 years ago but lost contact. They reunited and Lin Yan is no longer the war zone photographer he claimed to be, but one of the heads of an illegal firearm trafficking gang. I actually quite like the story about hidden identities, a cat-and-mouse chase between the two leads, and figuring out who is and is not telling the truth. However, the storytelling is hit-or-miss. AI is used extensively for almost all the flashbacks, except for the backstory of the leads. We’re not just talking about a few transitioning scenes or fake buildings or landscapes. I’ve seen comics or animation used in dramas in the past before the world of AI descended upon us. I assume those were actually drawn by human artists, which I am already not a big fan of. But these flashbacks are very likely to be completely AI-generated (I wish I am wrong and please let me know if I am). The pace of the drama is OK, but at times, there’s too much uninteresting talking, especially between the traffickers, that don’t quite move the plot along.
Acting:
This is the first acting gig of the two male leads, Orion and Feng Tian Hao. I think they did a decent job. They’re not excellent but I’ve seen worse and they will definitely improve if given the chance. They are both 29 years old, but appear quite young in the drama. I’m so glad Orion did not have the pale white makeup as a mercenary, though he doesn’t look hardened or gruff enough either. A little too happy-go-lucky, but I guess he’s really enjoying the freedom of his new profession. Feng Tian Hao plays a more introverted character. As he’s still so new, there are times when his facial expressions didn’t quite work to show subtle emotions. The rest of the supporting cast is ok.
Romance:
I guess my main criticism is the writing of the romance. It’s hard for me to believe a chance life-saving encounter for a day, really creates such a lasting memory for Nie Chuan to be looking for Lin Yan for 3 years. Do they really think about each other after that one encounter? The foundation is not strong enough for me. Therefore, the romance seems a little unbelievable. The chemistry is pretty good and there’s a lot of sexual tension. I like the flirting and the banter, though the kisses could be better. The NC scenes err more on the side of romantic-filter cinematography, instead of raw passion. When the kisses are not good enough to show the release of the pent up sexual tension, the NC scenes lack impact.
Production:
The dubbing is as bad as any other low-budget CBL. The action scenes are surprisingly decent and not cheesy. The leads look good in their outfits, or lack of outfits. LOL I have to say, the drama doesn’t appear cheap visually. I’ve talked about the AI stuff already, so decide if that will deter you from watching it.
“Kiss or Kill” is an OK Chinese BL. It’s not the best nor the worst. It’s short enough that I don’t mind watching it, especially when the general plot is interesting enough and it’s not another toxic romance. However, the execution could be better and I wish for better kisses.
Drama Completed: 9/20/2026 Review #724
Finally a CBL not about toxic relationships and black/red flags! Kiss or Kill is a short Chinese BL, though listed as a Hong Kong drama. The general plot is actually quite good, but as always, a low-budget drama must choose where they spend the money. And that might piss off some viewers, as the first tag of this drama is “AI-Generated Content”.
Plot:
A romance between a mercenary and an illegal firearm trafficker? That sounds pretty interesting to me. Nie Chuan saved Lin Yan 3 years ago but lost contact. They reunited and Lin Yan is no longer the war zone photographer he claimed to be, but one of the heads of an illegal firearm trafficking gang. I actually quite like the story about hidden identities, a cat-and-mouse chase between the two leads, and figuring out who is and is not telling the truth. However, the storytelling is hit-or-miss. AI is used extensively for almost all the flashbacks, except for the backstory of the leads. We’re not just talking about a few transitioning scenes or fake buildings or landscapes. I’ve seen comics or animation used in dramas in the past before the world of AI descended upon us. I assume those were actually drawn by human artists, which I am already not a big fan of. But these flashbacks are very likely to be completely AI-generated (I wish I am wrong and please let me know if I am). The pace of the drama is OK, but at times, there’s too much uninteresting talking, especially between the traffickers, that don’t quite move the plot along.
Acting:
This is the first acting gig of the two male leads, Orion and Feng Tian Hao. I think they did a decent job. They’re not excellent but I’ve seen worse and they will definitely improve if given the chance. They are both 29 years old, but appear quite young in the drama. I’m so glad Orion did not have the pale white makeup as a mercenary, though he doesn’t look hardened or gruff enough either. A little too happy-go-lucky, but I guess he’s really enjoying the freedom of his new profession. Feng Tian Hao plays a more introverted character. As he’s still so new, there are times when his facial expressions didn’t quite work to show subtle emotions. The rest of the supporting cast is ok.
Romance:
I guess my main criticism is the writing of the romance. It’s hard for me to believe a chance life-saving encounter for a day, really creates such a lasting memory for Nie Chuan to be looking for Lin Yan for 3 years. Do they really think about each other after that one encounter? The foundation is not strong enough for me. Therefore, the romance seems a little unbelievable. The chemistry is pretty good and there’s a lot of sexual tension. I like the flirting and the banter, though the kisses could be better. The NC scenes err more on the side of romantic-filter cinematography, instead of raw passion. When the kisses are not good enough to show the release of the pent up sexual tension, the NC scenes lack impact.
Production:
The dubbing is as bad as any other low-budget CBL. The action scenes are surprisingly decent and not cheesy. The leads look good in their outfits, or lack of outfits. LOL I have to say, the drama doesn’t appear cheap visually. I’ve talked about the AI stuff already, so decide if that will deter you from watching it.
“Kiss or Kill” is an OK Chinese BL. It’s not the best nor the worst. It’s short enough that I don’t mind watching it, especially when the general plot is interesting enough and it’s not another toxic romance. However, the execution could be better and I wish for better kisses.
Drama Completed: 9/20/2026 Review #724
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