Desperation is a funny thing. It either sends us into an abyss we can’t escape from or sends us running headlong into a race of endurance and survival. The reward is making it closer to the finish line while holding up the people we love.

Adapted from the web novel Da Ge by Priest, the Taiwanese BL Unknown delves into desperation, abandonment, and loss all while struggling to make it out alive with the people lead character Wei Qian (Chris Chiu) loves.

From the beginning, I found an immediate connection with the series leads. I grew up below the poverty level, abandoned at twelve years old by an alcoholic father and raised by a mother who did desperate things to get us off the streets. The entire backstory of Unknown felt dangerously and agonizingly familiar.

The first two episodes lay a lot bare, from Wei Qian being the breadwinner of his family after the loss of his parents to the way he takes in the homeless and abandoned Wei Zhi Yuan (Kurt Huang) while working illegal jobs to support his sister, Wei Li Li (Tammy Lin), and later, Yuan. There are flashbacks of Qian’s past abuse and fear of intimacy with women and glimpses of Yuan’s painful, unrequited feelings for Qian.

There is a lot of pain to unpack, a lot of confused feelings and trauma that grows like a weed to not only impale the characters’ hearts but that of the viewers.

The acting is strong, the script is well written, and the dark cinematography pairs well with the darkness that Qian and Yuan are trying to break free of. It’s in startling contrast to the brightness they’ve managed to shine on their sister’s life. Despite living inside the same home as her brothers, Wei Li Li has lived inside a bubble her brothers have managed to build around her. She is the light inside the dark world they’ve known, creating a stark comparison that puts Qian and Yuan’s situations into a deeper perspective.

The first two episodes are about surviving, and the cast and crew do a great job conveying this, from the sacrifices made to the immediate bond between Qian and Yuan. Despite their age difference and the ‘brotherly’ setup, it’s evident from the beginning that Qian and Yuan’s relationship is anything but typical. Who they are to each other is borne from a mutual desperate abandonment, from fear and a clinging need to help each other. While Qian is in a better position to take care of Yuan initially, it’s apparent that Yuan is always aware of this.

From the moment Qian ‘adopts’ Yuan, Yuan also ‘adopts’ Qian. Despite how they present themselves to the world and how the supporting characters perceive them, I never quite felt the brotherly relationship they try so hard to convey to those around them.

And that feels intentional.

Nothing is untoward between Qian and Yuan, but a more profound connection binds them. From the beginning, Yuan spends his days finding ways to help support Qian and to make him happy. Even to the point he collapses. From the beginning, Qian helps Yuan while also trying to push him away. And yet, he finds himself clinging to Yuan, even risking his life to protect him.

And that’s the backbone of the story for me. Two kids who latch onto each other one night in a dark street. Alone. Abandoned. Desperate. Two kids, one older and the other younger, who find themselves determined to hold onto each other. They give each other purpose and reason to keep trying.

The series opens with a present shot of a drunk Yuan kissing Qian. It’s a painful scene full of feelings left to grow over many years. Qian hits Yuan to make him stop confessing. Using his fists is how Qian protects himself. He’s kept himself aloof from his life, even as he’s worked so hard to create the family he has. All that is displayed in a scene between two men where neither quite knows what to do with their feelings, feelings Yuan has held onto for too long and Qian never explored.

Unknown ticked all the boxes for me, from great acting to an impactful and emotionally compelling story that never drags. And I am excited to see how it develops from here.

For a gripping series that tugs at the heart and questions itself in a realistic, raw way, check out Unknown now on Youku.

Rating- 4 out of 5