Desconhecido (2024)

The real family is not only made up of blood relatives.

I didn't expect this series will get under my skin like this. It was full of tears, emotion, beauty, innocence, cheerfulness, but also pain, endless desire and patience (!), huge responsibility and the effort to achieve something good. The beginning of Qian and his sister's life was very bitter, painful and sad. And he also took home a boy from the street. I admire that he has grown into such a good and smart guy. The living conditions of all the children were terrible. Nevertheless, they grew up to be great people and a close-knit family together with their external brother San Pang ?. Qian was incredibly selfless, caring and kind. He preferred his "siblings" to himself and they were his driving force. On the other hand, he suppressed a lot of emotions inside him, as if he thought he didn't deserve to be happy. And he was also afraid of his feelings. Apparently things didn't go the way he thought they should. And Yuan certainly did not help him in this. Nothing shook his feelings. He was solid as a rock. From the beginning when he was young, terrified and troubled, but after his return an incredible change. The calmness with which he talked about his feelings and how he treated his "brother"... It was fun to watch how their roles changed and Qian fight with himself. Excellent performances by both the main actors as well as the supporting ones. At the end of each episode, a beautiful reflection on family.

Leia Mais

An unknown person becoming one's everything

Didn't have any high hopes when I started this but damn this series took me on the best emotional roller-coaster ride and showed me a magnificent firework show of how love can be beautiful even if it's forbidden and doesn't fit into the accepted societal terms.

The story without any spoilers — The ML has had an abusive childhood and is struggling to raise himself and his sister. One day out of kindness he helps an 'unknown' boy and later adopts him as his brother. He is a smart person, who takes calculated risks at each step of his life because he doesn't want to drag down those who depend on him. When the adopted brother expresses his feelings for him, he reluctantly holds himself from letting himself venture into this 'unknown' relationship road.

The show shows the characters' journey from the struggle between not being able to control who they fall in love with, questioning what's wrong with oneself for falling in 'forbidden love', not being able to suppress it, coming to terms with it and acknowledging it, gathering up the courage to express it to the loved one, acting okay after getting rejected, trying to get over that person and miserably failing it, and settling to always love that person even if it was un-requited was incredible.

They beautifully portrayed that love isn't a feeling that can be erased nor should one be embarrassed of it. You can't force whom you love nor can you force someone to be with you.

Everything about this series was brilliant — the story, casting, acting, narration, dialogues, and ost. And a special mention to the cinematography of this series because it was top-notch. The use of lighting, mirrors, and frames to set up the background for each scene and thereby subtly conveying the atmosphere was fabulous.

I loved how they focused only on the main lead and that allowed them to show layers of their emotions and their personal battles which allowed them to face the situations maturely.

Honestly, as a BL fan, I rarely come across dramas that deal with complicated relationships and complex emotions. This drama clearly showed how the characters confront their feelings of 'dangerous brotherhood love'. Highly recommend everyone to watch it.

Leia Mais

A real masterpiece.

I just don't have enough words to express how good this series was, it wasn't just about the romance between Qian and Yuan, it's about surviving and figthing for a better life, finding a family when you least expect it, confronting your fears, getting to know yourself and your feelings.
My only complaint is that's already over.
Don't listen to those people who said the series got less interesting, they're those types of people who were mad about not getting a kiss or nc scene as soon as they wanted, give it a try and enjoy this masterpiece.
Chris and Kurt have all my admiration, they gave their best and gifted us one of the best perfomances ever in a series, I wish they get to work together again if the opportunity arise.

Leia Mais

Masterpiece: storytelling that took my breath away acting that stunned me

I am speechless. I thought it would be a bit boring, since it wasn’t that original and was kinda cliché, but boy was I wrong. This show absolutely took my breath away, and I cannot wrap my head around how much I miss the show already. The acting was supreme. I seriously don’t know what else can I say about the two main leads other than they were amazing. The same goes for the storytelling. Honestly, you could tell the whole plot ending from the beginning. But it doesn’t matter. It consumed me from the minute I started watching. The execution was just super perfect. I mean seriously I am at a loss of words. It was just perfect, the tension, how they captured their feelings, the acting was exceptional. I just wish I could forget it and watch it all over again.

Leia Mais

Love OF a brother or love FOR a brother?

I'm gonna be honest, when I first started this, I wasn't quite with the idea. I haven't seen much of the "forbidden love" type drama (from the tags), but I was worried I'd end up dropping it. But in the end, I absolutely LOVED IT. I found myself wishing away my days just for the next episodes to come out, and here we are.

STORY:
Wei Qian took has been taking care of his sister, Wei Li Li, ever since the loss of their parents. After meeting Wei Zhiyuan, he took him in after some time since he seemed to be an orphan. Qian works alongside a gang to help provide for his family but once they all begin to grow up, he quits. Zhiyuan, whose had a long time crush on Qian, makes a move and results in angering Wei Qian. Yuan gets sent abroad for his actions, but did it really make things better, or did it make things worse?

What can I say about this other than it was a masterpiece? At first I was concerned for the whole brother thing, but over time it grew on me. "Unknown" is something you can easily get attached to with all the characters and the interesting story. I must say, I think I cried a little bit when the gun scene came around, as well as the nc scene. I had been waiting EPISODES for that scene ever since I found out about it and I think I cried for the fact I was like "FINALLY."

LIKED:
-The character development of both Qian and Yuan.
-The story overall
-Sam Lin??
-The love for one another (the caring that each character had for each other)
-Flash backs
-No genuine love rival
-Confidence of Yuan a lil over halfway through the series

DISLIKES:

. . .


OVERALL:

Unknown is just a great series and deserves a lot of recognition for its cinematography, story, and actors. I loved the development through the episodes as it went on and the chemistry between the two actors. If I could watch this for the first time again, I would.

"People come and go in life. Being fortunate enough to have someone who stays by your side through thick and thin is a blessing. I've lost. I've found. I've found a home, a family, and a person I want to love for the rest of my life. You taught me that I should learn to carry the burdens of my own actions, just as you carried Lili and me, and kept the path to home, open. And I'll follow you down this road I chose, no matter how difficult it may be, life or death, no regrets. No matter who you are to me, from now on, no matter what happens, till death do us part. " -Wei Zhiyuan

Leia Mais

One-sided love and the other’s feelings are unknown

It feels like some of Taiwan’s production teams in the entertainment industry are obsessed with incest-like romance. I know that China’s hit series, Addicted (Heroin), plays a big influence in the market but they need to stop since it wasn’t a good storyline to be used nowadays. Many people seem to love this and that’s okay since people have their subjective perspective on a show.

Wei Zhi Yuan’s roots in romance were understandable since he felt the warmth from being accepted and sheltered in a family. But Wei Qian’s love was silly; he acquired romantic feelings for the man he treated his brother for a lifetime and I felt like it wasn’t authentic. In the same way, San Pang grows an intimate relationship with the MC’s sister, Wei Li Li. It is unnecessary to let everyone end up and be paired together, especially in a small cast of characters. I might be hated on this but I can’t push myself to like the show.

Leia Mais

This might be the highest-rated Taiwanese BL for me besides We Best Love. The acting is spot-on, and the cinematography and music are really great. I even prefer the cut version over the uncut one—it feels more artistic and cinematic. I love how Qian is made more realistic, especially with him being so protective of his younger sibling that he’d die for them. Yuan’s character also matures after coming back from America, which I really liked.
However, Bao and Sanpang, the side characters, don’t get much screen time. Also, some scenes, like the Russian roulette with the thugs, seem unnecessary if the goal is just to show Yuan’s willingness to die for Qian.

I forgot to note when I watched this, though, because it’s only available on Youku, and I had to subscribe just to see it.
Overall, I highly recommend it and hope to binge-watch it once all the episodes are out. I can’t imagine how tough it would be to watch it week by week

Leia Mais

A touching and hearfelt story

As I'm writing, I've just rewatched the last two episodes and my feelings are the same as before, I loved it!

I have to admit, at first and in particular, when I've started the first episode, I was quite confused and skeptical by the story but then, without knowing it, I was little by little drowned and somehow addicted / attracted by the story and its characters. It was indeed ordinary yet it was very engaging, the urge of knowing what's going to happen next between them, their decisions, their choices, and most importantly, their feelings, that was gripping.

I feel like and I also have been noticing that Taiwanese are quite the best to make us relate some things, to throw some plot that would be heartwrenching but also heartwarming and this is not an exception!! This is why, "Unknown" is one of my favorite.

In addition, the acting was top-notch, I really feel every emotions (yeah I might exaggerate) but that's still true, I felt it, they were really convincing and of course I would mention the main leads, Wei Qian and Xiao Yuan. By the way, I feel like, since it seems the serie mostly focused on these two, sometimes I forgot the side characters and even their sister, Xiao Bao / Lili lol

Lastly, OST are so great to listen and easily on repeat. Taiwan is also the best in this part, when it comes to release such a beautiful, heartfelt and touching song which suits the serie, it's quickly a banger.

Leia Mais

Comme ma sauce piment-doux favorite...

Unknown est un drama curieux qui m'a rappelé ma sauce piment-doux favorite. Peu importe si le lundi elle m'arrache la bouche, et le mardi elle est trop sucrée, j'y reviens toujours. Ce drama est un peu similaire. J'aime sa douceur et son côté piquant qui fait que je ne peux pas m'empêcher d'y revenir pour connaître la suite. Pour cette raison, j'étais au rendez-vous tous les lundis (ou presque) pendant les semaines de diffusion.

C'est un point mentionné en long et en large, or, je vais malgré tout le mentionner une nouvelle fois. C'est une histoire que vous apprécierez ou non en fonction de votre propre opinion. Techniquement, l'inceste n'existe pas. Mais les limites de certaines situations sont propres à nous-mêmes. À titre d'exemple, Addicted et History4: Close to You mettaient en scène des relations incestueuses - ce qui m'a fait les détester. En revanche, ce n'est pas le cas de Unknown. Bien que septique au début, mon avis s'est consolidé au fil de l'histoire. Pour moi, les deux zozos ne sont pas frères. Maintenant, que ceci est dit...

Le casting est excellent ! Chris Chiu (Qian) dépeint un personnage authentique et poignant, tandis que Kurt Huang (Zhi Yuan) délivre une large palette d'émotions. Qian est têtu comme un âne, mais il réfléchit beaucoup et est très prévenant. Zhi Yuan aime beaucoup trop écouter aux portes. D'ailleurs, Zhi Yuan part aux États-Unis en tant qu'adolescent, mais il revient (quatre ans plus tard) dans la peau d'un adulte/homme. Cela change complètement la dynamique, et c'est ce qui rend l'histoire encore plus excitante.

Unknown possède une intrigue émotionnellement chargée. Cependant, je ne peux pas m'empêcher de mentionner que le caractère de Zhi Yuan m'a rendu perplexe plus d'une fois, remettant ainsi en cause leur relation. En fait, j'ai souvent eu le sentiment que Zhi Yuan était maître l'art de la manipulation affective. Le fait qu'il conte Fleurette à Qian sans discontinuer a sûrement joué là-dessus. Parfois, j'étouffais devant mon écran, et je me sentais mal pour Qian qu'on voit être au bord du gouffre plus d'une fois. Il est perdu dans ses sentiments et Zhi Yuan en rajoute toujours une couche. C'était intense ! Ouais, c'est le mot, intense.

Pour les petits défauts, la musique bien que jolie prenait trop le spectateur par la main. Lorsque les personnages ressentaient quelque chose, il y avait toujours une chanson pour nous l'expliquer. Le début de l'épisode 11 était un choix fortement discutable (/étrange), il est donc préférable de voir la nouvelle version. Enfin, le dernier épisode m'a quelque peu déçue pour une raison que j'ignore. En réalité, pour moi, il manque quelque chose, reste à savoir ce dont il s'agit.

Taïwan gagne en terrain sur les BL. Je me répète une nouvelle fois, mais ils sont plus audacieux avec des castings exceptionnels, ainsi que de bonnes histoires qui tiennent la route. D'accord, le chapitre de la mafia n'avait aucun intérêt, mais l'idée était là.

Pour résumer, Unknown s'amuse des limites de chacun, mais parvient à offrir un drama entraînant avec une romance passionnée. Porté par un duo solide partageant aussi une alchimie frappante, il rappelle joliment que parfois les liens les plus forts ne sont pas nécessairement ceux du sang.

Leia Mais

This will be memorable - for a long time

When I first read the MDL summary for Unknown I literally rolled my eyes at the prospect another step bros in love kind of pulp . At first I thought I will not watch it. But then I thought why not give it a choice? Thank god I chose to give it a choice.

Because I'd have lost a gem if I had not gotten over my prejudices. And what a delivery! What a masterpiece this series has evolved into. Let's talk about the story, adapted from a novel which I have not read, the screenwriting team has done an exceptional job. Visual storytelling is at its finest. When I saw the premise of how they became stepbrothers or let's not call it stepbrothers because that is completely wrong. How they became "brothers" through shared traumatic life, it made me understand their story better.

The acting is so so good. Each of the eye rolls, forehead crunches, screaming , look of anger, shock and disbelief, pain and visceral fear when Qian thought he may lose his family is acted so so well!

except the story, there are two more things that I absolutely dig. Cinematography and Music. Both have won in this series. The cinematographer and director are very clear on what they want to show. The soft moody and dark-ish lighting, focus on the faces, and frames inside frames (seemed like director and cinematographer's top choice of composition) with minimal bgm. And usage of the OST . Everything was perfect to create a sombre feeling . And also it glows more and lights are added when the full family is happy. Personally I feel like this series is a great case study for people who love cinematography.

The diction is very on point. Especially at the end of each episode, the small reminder on what families are really like warmed me to my core. There are age gaps, there are a lot of ruminations, there are quintessential yet well timed humour.

I saw some discussions regarding the intimate scenes. Some liked it , some did not like how it was edited. Personally I loved that scene. It was the culmination point of Yuan's feelings and his waiting for all these years. It was the point when Qian finally lets go of all his worries and accepts Yuan. They showed their struggles, mostly Yuan's throughout the years to show us how much he suffered and now finally he has the love of his life he always wanted. Because for Yuan it was just not sex, it was "making love" in it's truest essence. And the music alongside and it's lyrics were apt. The intimate scene is also very tastefully and artfully shot. I found the similar vibe of the intimate scene of Toothpari between Doctor Roy and Rumi.

This show has a special place in my heart now. A huge round of applause for the whole team.

Leia Mais