Once again, the Vietnamese prove their superiority in BL story telling over other countries with their big budgets and slick productions. Not only do they portray a human story, but, because of budget constraints, do so in a short period. Can you imagine if they had the money to put on full productions what these BLs would be like? And yet, the interest in Vietnamese BLs is obviously nowhere near those of Thai or Korean, which I find sad and disheartening. Why? Because most of these stories are relatable, connect to us personally, and genuinely touch us on an emotional level. This one is no exception to that axiom. It tells a deeply profound story not just in acting but in words as well. This is very well written.

Huyy (Huyy Pham) returns to his rural plantation home deep in Vietnam where the old traditions are still rigorously maintained. The plantation is operated by his rather strict elderly mother who rigidly adheres to the old rules. Huyy was sent away to study in the West because the family wanted to separate him away from his male lover. Almost immediately upon returning home, he catches the eye of one of the very handsome servants named Lat (Huu Duy). With such a large schism between the two of them in terms of status, education, wealth, and rank let alone both are men, the chances of success seem insurmountable. There is some brilliant writing in this series that shows and gets to the heart of these issues with great keenness and realism. To compound their difficulties, both the mother and the daughter of an influential family named Tuyen, who wants to marry Huyy, scheme to try to break up the relationship between Huyy and Lat. Some terrible things are said and done to Lat by both.

However, true to the nature of Vietnamese BLs, there is always a smart, creative way to solve the issue and Huyy with the help of his younger brother plot and manipulate a solution that is both satisfying, assuaging and allows for reconciliation.

This is obviously a labor of love for everyone involved in this series. This series is short but very intense and without exception all are great performers. If I had to give a slight edge to one, it might be to the actress who played Tuyen. (I am not sure of her name, unfortunately). She has to be rather demure one minute and then turn into a raging vindicative personality filled with jealousy over the relationship that Lat has with Huyy. Then revert to being a loving individual and do so without looking completely evil, which she is not. She, like them all, is a product of the repressed society in which they grew up in, but once she sees that there is more than one way to love, her world opens up. She shows great growth and reflection.

Surprisingly, this is a well-produced series. While I am not a great fan of the TikTok mode of filming, I understand its appeal. The costumes are quite good and really reflect rather well the characters’ status and privileges in life. The sound is also rather even and good. There is certainly a lot to pack in this approximately one-hour series and it gets to its point without a lot of belaboring nonsense.

I have sung the praises over and over about Vietnamese BLs. These remain, overall, some of the finest out there and even their misses are better than most of the so-called big production BLs from Thailand, Korea, and Japan. Why? Because they tell stories about real people who are relatable with everyday issues we can connect to and for those of us who are gay, have felt all our lives. They get to the point quickly, intensely, with resolution and commitment without nonsensical issues of constant miscommunication and/or other superfluous obstacles. No, not always with a fairy tale ending but one that is sensible and honest. I love how much we can relate to them. They are still my favorites even if the production quality is not up to the level of other countries. They make up for it in heart, spirit, and passion for their craft and art. They obviously do not do this for the money!

Well done!

Rating- 4.5 out of 5

Streaming on- Huy Pham YouTube Channel