When you meet the person your heart is yearning for, do you reach for them? What if it feels like you shouldn’t?

Adapted from the novel Mou Mou by Mu Su Li, the new Taiwanese BL The On1y One challenges expectations while reaching for love. The first two episodes reveal an intriguing story of unexpected relationships and family dynamics. Sheng Wang (Liu Dong Qin) and Jiang Tian (Benjamin Tsang) are thrown into each other’s lives as stepbrothers after a rough start.

It’s a simple beginning and fairly cliché. Jiang Tian fits the classic tsundere archetype—a brooding loner with a mysterious edge that draws curiosity. Sheng Wang is a warm but awkward newcomer struggling with isolation. Their uneasy dynamic intensifies when they find themselves living under the same roof, with Jiang Tian seemingly indifferent to Sheng Wang’s presence.

And yet, there’s also an apparent growing interest in each other. The side glances and small attempts to include and help each other while pretending not to care tugs at the heart and sets the stage for a brewing romance between two boys who just became stepbrothers.

And that’s where the heart of The On1y One lies, in a forbidden trope concept about a newly formed family and a romance that could destroy it.

I’ll admit that while many will find the ‘forbidden’ aspect the reason they’re either drawn to the series or turned off by it, I’m more invested in the two main characters and why they fit so well together than their new family ties. Unless I’ve overlooked something in the translation and presentation, the relationship between their parents seems sudden and unexpected. The male leads have never lived together and have little reason not to find each other intriguing, especially when both have good reasons for noticing the other.

While it’s true that being forced to live in closer proximity may play a more significant role in bringing them together than if they lived apart, there is enough apparent chemistry and subtle interest in each other to surmise that, even if their parents were not to marry, these two would still be drawn together. This inherent interest makes it feel less forbidden and more complicated, making it evident that the biggest antagonist in the series will be society and their parents’ potential reaction to a same-sex romance between two young men who didn’t ask to be brothers.

The stepbrother trope is a breeding ground for angst, intrigue, and differing opinions, which makes it a plot that gets people talking. While that’s a major sales point, I hope that the story focuses less on that and more on two boys whose growing love makes them realize not only the feelings they develop for each other but also an inner look at themselves, their sexuality, and the trauma stemming from being from broken families. There are a lot of emotional nuances and impactful realizations the series can explore, and I look forward to seeing if the series explores them.

While I haven’t read the book The On1y One has been adapted from, the series is compelling enough to continue. The beginning felt rushed and disjointed, but it came together well by the second episode. Both actors fit their roles well, and while I find Sheng Wang to be an endearing character, I admit that Jiang Tian’s longing stares are the star of the series for me. Actor Benjamin Tsang masterfully conveys a wealth of emotion and unspoken tension through his subtle sidelong glances, drawing viewers in just as much as he does Sheng Wang. It leaves a lingering curiosity, which makes me eager to dive beneath his character’s stoic exterior. He does the tsundere trope proud. And I’m here for the moment he opens up.

For a series that looks to pit love against family and society, check out The On1y One now on Gagaoolala, Viki, iQiyi, and WeTV.

Rating- 4 out of 5