I checked out this drama as a fan of the original Addicted Heroin, curious to see what they would be doing with this remake, and I ended up quite disappointed with the romance. I have absolutely no problem with shows selling me romance in a subtle and non-explicit way - WangXian is still my Chinese BL OTP til today, and Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei are not far behind - but it does require remarkable acting and chemistry to sell it, which was, in my opinion, not the case here. I rarely felt like the actors actually conveyed the romantic dimension of their love towards one another, except towards the end. It was obvious they were extremely close and cared a huge deal about each other but the chemistry was, most of the times, more brotherly than romantic to me.

It did not prevent me from enjoying their relationship at all, as I soon came to discover that Stay with me, unlike Addicted Heroin which was more romance-focused, is a family series. Family is not just a plot device here, it's the overarching theme of the show, what drives most of the characters' actions and what they find meaning in. Both Su Yi and Wu Bi working through their complicated family relationships, and Wu Bi finding his place and his family in Su Yi's own, were some of the most wholesome journeys to watch this year. This drama is brilliantly written and acted when it comes to family relationships, by the main leads and the supporting actors alike. The actors playing Shu Yu's father, Aunty and Duo Duo in particular gave stellar performances and I loved their characters. The pace, the camera language, the music choices also complemented the series well.

All in all, it was a warm and full of heart watch.