BLISS RATING: ★★★★
“Do not walk into a relationship with memories of the past. Leave the baggage from the past alone. Focus on today and look forward to tomorrow.” – Unknown
This series got awfully close to be a Thai-clone. But did not – just barely. It started out that way but, in the end, it twisted and made itself unique and therefore a bit more entertaining. It is your standard BL series with sidekicks, a nasty new boss, a rescuer, and later, a former boyfriend. It hooked me from the beginning but just marginally. The story starts out with a yawn and rather mundane.
The new owner and subsequently the new director of this struggling design studio, Jin Yu Zhen [Real] (Alan Lai), is filled with a dedicated but unfocused and undisciplined staff. The previous head or leader of this group, Shi Lei (Hank Wang) is bewitching and arrestingly handsome. There is no question that his boyish charm and ability to read people has benefited him. He can be a risk-taker sometimes based on pure emotional energy.
At first, we know little about the new director except that he puts up a Single Rule for the office to follow – romances are not allowed in this office. “Employees are not allowed to have spouses. If any of the above holds true, please voluntarily resign from the company”. THAT hooked me and I became intrigued. (Such a rule here in the United States would be a blatant violation of Civil Rights and essentially unconstitutional. Yet, such rules did exist in the United States not that long ago. I remember as a child, female teachers were not permitted to marry; if they did, they would lose their employment).
But mainly, I wanted to know why he would make such a rule and have such an aversion to romance. That is the hook to the story that develops and blossoms into a rather intriguing and interesting relationship between Jin Yu Zhen and Shi Lei.
Since, Jin Yu Zhin now owns the domicile where Shi Lei lives, he appropriates the master bedroom and kicks out Wu Si Qi (JN Yu). Homeless, Wu Si Qi is befriended by the manager of the local coffee shop where they congregate and eat. Yan Zhao Gang (Wei Po Liao) is an interesting character and spews out pearls of wisdom like a candy dispenser. He is familiar with what is going on at the design studio and by coincidence is a former school mate of the new director.
This obvious pairing between Wu Si Qi and Yan Zhao Gang is cute, but honestly not believable. It is like watching Ken and Barbie dolls (if you know what they are) living in a playhouse. Wi Si Qi is this meek character who acts like an innocent naïve teenager – shy, demur, and wholesome. Yet, he is a hard-working studious person, perceptive in other matters except what is right in front of him. I am sorry I just did not buy their relationship at all, and it was painful to watch their kissing scenes. They both acted as if they were kissing hot plates and needed to remove their lips from each other as soon as possible. I do not know what their orientation is, nor do I care, but if you are going to kiss as if you were in love or attracted to someone, then KISS. You are supposed to be in love and talk of getting married and yet you both act as if kissing each other is simply a chore you have to do as an obligation.
I am sorry but gay men do not kiss like that with an air of unctuousness or grazing lightly against lips. You are in love, horny, and yet the kissing appears as if you are hesitant and completely uncommitted to the concept of love or even affection. It is better to show nothing than to insult us by play kissing or simply showing us a contrived and obvious ‘we have to do this’ scene. This is not a criticism about their acting but about the poor direction and lack of devotion to showing and displaying love, especially if you profess to be in love. They did exactly what they were told and nothing more. Therefore, it falls flat.
The relationship between Shi Lei and Jin Yu Zhen drones on for a number of episodes with an obvious underlying tone that they like and are attracted to each other. It is slightly more intense and a more believable and do make a hot couple. But it is somewhat mundane and predictable until Jin Yu Zhen’s old boyfriend, Wang Jin (Xi Teng Chen), who is a perplexing almost sinister individual. Initially, he appears to have evil intent. Yet at the end, we realize that all his actions were to help both him and Jin Yu Zhen move past what they had in times gone by and both now concentrate on their future. In that sense, that aspect was fun.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. the series? This was an easy choice. This distinction goes to Cai Hua Wang as Lang Juan, Shi Lei’s mother. She is ‘mother’. Her presence showcases her maternal instincts, and she can control both her son and the aloof Jin Yu Zhen, or as she called him Little Zhen. For her, this term is a term of endearment, not ridicule. We grasp by her actions that what she is doing is trying to foster what she knows is happening right in front of her. Quite literally, she senses and understands that they are attracted to each other and deeply care for each other that is beyond friendship. She begins to treat them both as sons and enjoys doting over them and fostering her relationship as ‘mother’. When she is ready to leave, she senses and knows that Shi Lei wants to tell her something. Being the ever-supportive mother, she draws out of him with her warmth and compassion what is bothering him, although she already knows. She senses the pain her son is going through to confess his love for Little Zhen, and she says in her accepting warm smile and embrace, to love who he loves. He asks if he is ‘selfish’ and she smiles, shakes her head and in a comforting voice and bright look, says, “It is time for you to be selfish”. Cai Hua portrays this character with all the warmth, support, grace, beauty, and compassion that any true mother would have for her son. It is a stunningly good scene and it made me tear up, as I wish I had had the ability to have a conversation like that with my own mother.
While this series is filled with very, very good-looking actors (especially Hank Wang), it is not enough to sustain its entertainability. Yes, there are some moments (especially episode 13) that are good and a few even poignant, and a very nice twist at the end, but it lost its way in the middle and became just another ‘Thai-like’ BL. Cute. But oh, so predictable and prevailing. It was just too pedestrian.
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