Guan yu wei zhi de wo men

This Taiwanese BL series was adapted from a book which is banned in China. Pfft... China banning everything about homosexuality, what else is new? I'm so glad to see the book was being adapted into a beautiful series. This story is thick with family drama, which can easily be boring, but not in this case. The main lead of this series is a big brother who adopted a little orphan who was abandoned on the streets. His life was polluted with crime when the main lead got involved with a gang in order to provide for his little sister and adopted brother. His struggle and love for his family is the main focus for the whole series. For those who are worried about the ending, I'm telling you not to fret. Because the ending is very satisfying. Remember, it's a Taiwanese BL series, not Chinese. It doesn't end with death or separation. Or both, like how the Chinese government have always forced their film makers to do in order to get past their myopic censorship abuse. Is it any wonder that people are more supportive of Taiwan being freed from the monstrous clutch of China?

This Taiwanese series is a gem, a wonderful series that, along with the music, photography, and incredible performances, provides the perfect framework to showcase this tremendously human and profound story. It is undoubtedly one of the memorable series I have come across this year. This series tells a story of deep familial love, growth, and resilience where a clan of children survives and matures in love. It has fascinated, thrilled, and deeply moved me. The good script, direction, and excellent casting are evident. Actor Mao Di shines as the older brother who takes on the responsibility of caring for his sister and this child whom he embraces wholeheartedly as part of his family. I absolutely recommend it.

I really love it, it's one of my two favorite stories (for those who want to know the other is the Thai drama - I said sunset for you/I promised you the moon). And I think this is because it is realistic and gives vibes without pretentious tension, the story is very good and not fast in telling but with good character development. First the two main actors and others also have perfect chemistry and the emotions are not forced but genuine and I feel like it's a story that could have happened somewhere near us. Not because it's bl, but because it's really worth watching, I definitely recommended it.

Taiwanese actors are really in the elements. This is especially true for the the main actor of Wei Qian. While the scripts of some other actors are kinda out of place, it is negligible. Fun fact, the teacher of the adopted brother that paid them home visit is actually Wei Qian biological elder brother in real life. The other cameo worth mentioning is Dr Lin. He is one of the main lead in another popular BL series. With only 12 episodes (30 mins each), storyline is rich but a bit lacking when it comes to the two male main leads. Some part of the storyline is fast forwarded too much. I wish there is a second season or a supplementary episode to compensate for this. Good works to actors and all the personnels involved. This is truly an enjoyable series.

Unknown isn't just a BL romance - it's really a story about life. It gives a raw look into what it's like growing up without parents and the emotional scars that come with it. The story takes you on a roller coaster of feelings. We see We Qian trying to survive from a young age, doing whatever it takes just to get by. As an adult, he ends up adopting Zhi Yuan and Lili - probably because he knows exactly what it feels like to be alone.

I'm not sure if this counts as "forbidden love" since they're not biologically related, but I really liked how much Yuan cares for Qian. It honestly feels like Qian is his entire world. Meanwhile, Qian is this selfless guy who works so hard for the little family he built.

I had mixed feelings about this series. I loved the first two episodes - they just hit different. But the super slowburn really tested my patience. Still, I stuck with it because I needed to know if they would actually end up together.

The story is easy to follow, but it's emotionally heavy at times especially when it comes to Yuan, who falls in love with Qian, but seems to get stuck in the "just a brother" zone. It was kind of frustrating that Qian took so long to acknowledge his own feelings. Either he was too afraid to admit them, or he just buried them deep. Most of the plot focuses on Yuan dealing with those one-sided feelings, and Qian not reciprocating (at least, not right away). It honestly felt like it took forever for Qian to finally show how he really feels - we don't get that until episode 11 out of 12! 😁

This is actually my first time watching a BL with this kind of setup since I'm usually into Thai BLs, so it felt fresh and different. But the slowburn romance almost made me give up.

That said, the acting was amazing, and while the chemistry between the leads wasn't explosive, it was believable. One of the soundtracks sounded familiar - I think it's been used in other Taiwanese BLs before.

If you're into slowburn stories with depth and emotion, and you don't mind waiting for that romantic payoff, this one's definitely worth a try.