A disappointing watch

I have tried hard to watch this drama but it's a real challenge. The script is exceedingly talky and most episodes drag by as the characters just rehash the same things over and over. There are some good performances but not from the lead actors. Zhang Zhe Han in particular is very wooden and his character lacks any kind of organic emotions. He stares off into the distance like a piece of wood until the script says 'smile here' or 'cry here' and then goes back to staring off into the distance.

From the Priest drama adaptions I have watched (this being the third) I know she has a lot of tropes that form the basis of her stories and one of the worse seems to be messing around with the true identity and nature of the characters. But when you find the characters difficult to invest in, and their emotions are more 'say' than 'show', it becomes a real challenge to stick around to episode 20 to start finding out their sad back story.

There are so many missed opportunities here that it a frustrating watch. There is little tension in scenes where things should be at stake, the story flow is often confusing, and this is partly because what should be big emotional turning points for characters just don't have any impact. The character actions don't seem to mesh with what they are saying in the dialogue. I know nothing about the director but it is a pity that so much of the dialogue is not dialogue between characters but lines recited to the scenery like a stage recitation.

This is also definitely the first BL adaption I've seen that does not give feelings of a deeper connection past 'bromance'. These two lead characters are just lonely mixed up boys who need a friend, certainly not capable of deeper emotional bonds.

And as a viewer I'm just as mixed up as they are - and that's such a disappointment.

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