BLISS RATING: ★★★★+
“Love cures people, both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.” – Karl Menninger, MD
The premise for this series is nothing short of innovative and provocative. It is an endearing series in its simplicity but that also causes it to falter a bit. In its defense, this is one of the strongest and best representation of what true love really is. This is a BL story worthy of distinction. And for that reason, I shall not diminish its importance by what I think are my own trepidations.
It is a story of Wu Zeng (Blake Chang) and Zheng Yu Shi/Noah (Da Dian Yi). The story is not told in a sequential manner, so it entices you with its confusion. Yu Shi seems like two different people and, in reality, he is. He suffers from Disassociated Identity Disorder or more commonly known as multiple personality. He is Yu Shi and Noah, an alternative protective personality for Yu Shi. It is an utterly captivating story of how and why he became two people.
When he was a child, he was kidnapped by his father’s friend and does not remember much about what happened to him. (We can only speculate). One of the first persons he meets after being rescued is a boy named Noah and hence the name. This shock has traumatized him so much that he left at the age of 12 and survived on the streets.
Their world became black and white, never being able to see color. One day while walking in the park, they see Wu Zeng who appears to them in color. They cannot help themselves but to feel a connection to Wu Zeng. One day, someone grabs Yu Shi and terrified he runs to Wu Zeng for help and collapses, acting as if he is a 5-year-old child. Feeling a certain need to help him, he takes him in and rescues him off the streets. He realizes that he is different and knows that his characters interchange. But through this empathy and caring, he develops a strong connection and attraction to Yu Shi.
Yet Noah is always questioning his motives for doing so and his true commitment to wanting to be with Yu Shi. Wu Zeng falls deeply in love with him despite the mental illness. In a significant scene, Wu Zeng takes Yu Shi/Noah to meet his grandfather who raised him and Wu Zeng introduces him as the individual most important to him. While confused, the grandfather accepts the reality as he brought Wu Zeng up to happy and to follow his own path.
Wu Zend has a doctor friend, Yu Shang En (Chin Ting Lee) who helps both to discover the complexities of this mental illness diagnosis.
There is a adjunct story of Shang En having once had a relationship with Wu Zeng’s friend and business partner, Tang Jun Zhe (Yu Shao Lee). Initially, it was a bit surprising that when he explains to Jun Zhe that he was attracted to Yu Shi, he did not seem surprised or shocked. Now we know. He is gay also. While cute and an incredibly handsome couple, it is a bit too cryptic with no seemingly understandable development and sort of feels empty. I wish that had been explored more.
Suffice to say that this story ends upbeat and concludes happily. They deserve a round of applause for tackling this subject matter and making it real and mainstream. That earns an extra plus. However, having worked in the mental health field, this story is just a bit too polished and its realism questionable. There is a line uttered by Noah that is not only perceptive but prophetic. “You will give up on us sooner or later. In the end, you will leave us behind.” While this story does not end that way, this deep-seated and very difficult mental hearth diagnosis is very difficult to overcome in a short period of time.
For years, Yu Shi has walled himself up, shielded himself from the outside world, and when he does shine through, he is 5 years old. The complexities of all of this is so significant. It is glossed over towards the end when Noah realizes that Wu Zeng genuinely loves Yu Shi and will take care of him. Thus, he tells Wu Zeng, “I give Yu Shi to you.” And Yu Shi becomes whole once more. Honestly, I wish it were that easy and quick. It makes for a great love story, but the reality is, if not now then later, or even intermittently, will run amok.
This is a long-term issue and Wu Zeng’s commitment to him will be the bridge to helping him heal. Understand that Yu Shi was no doubt raped or at the very least traumatized, never was effectively dealt with as a child, soon turns into multiple personalities to cope with life, ends up living on the streets to avoid commitments, and only recently finding security and love. Much still needs to be learned. This has nothing to do with the story, but I do not want readers of this to think this is either typical or common. It is not. It usually is what Noah describes – sooner or later you will leave us. What is displayed in this incredibly poignant and thought-provoking story is a testament to what real love looks like and should be. Wu Zeng has made a complete commitment for live, whether he knows that or senses that.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. the series? There is only one individual for this distinction. It is Da Dian Yi as Zheng Yu Shi/Noah. What a remarkable role and challenging one that he met with both depth, intensity, and realism. I completely bought his character and his characterization of the two different personalities. It was astonishing to see him so seamlessly and effortlessly go from Yu Shi to Noah and back. If you want an in-depth picture of that this world is really like, seek out the 1957 movie classic called “The Three Faces of Eve’ starring the iconic Joanne Woodward. You will then understand the depth Da Dian Yi had to go to be these two and to portray they are different, thought differently, acted differently, yet understood they were the same individual. This is remarkable acting, and he did it with incredible understanding of what it is like to be split. I could have watched his role in this for many episodes so I could observe his methods of showing how each of the character grows and develops. Genuinely, this was an incredibly moving performance and worthy of note. What he did, was not easy. And it looked, felt, and to me, was real. Kudos! Just brilliant acting!
In my opinion, I do wish this series had been longer with more from all, so we can see the difficulties I think they will encounter. Dear God, there is no one who wants more than for this story of deep love to survive!
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