Secret Love (2024)

start at episode 56

Overall: this has one of my most hated characters, a character who is a total jerk to the supposed love of his life (and this time he sexually assaults him). Start at episode 56. 81 episodes about 1.5 minutes each. You can watch episodes 1-12 on their YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO-UMZQa-AK62FVuT4bTbaGya2tKvk9k-&si=URrj_dF5OPwK6hFH I initially watched on their website https://portal.qustory.online/ - the rest are behind a paywall. QuStory also has an Android app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bean.qunovel and seems to have mainly books.

Content Warnings: past murder, attempted murder, sexual assault, ptsd/trauma, manipulation, blood, non con kiss, fight, child abuse, unwanted outing, homophobia, drugging?

What I Liked
- story premise was understandable
- accidental fall and catch
- visuals
- kisses
- production value

Room For Improvement
- a character being Mr. Hyde outwardly but Dr. Jekyll internally, the sexual assault was awful and ruined their relationship for me
- didn't understand if the mom had a plan or what that whole thing was with the room
- what happened in episode 12
- cliche zero communication skills
- cliche overheard part of conversation and ran away
- four years apart after already having been apart for 3 years
- dodged physical affection after reuniting at the airport/in the car

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1 min

Previously stated, I'm not a fan of 1 min episodes. 81 of these were irritating. The plot was not riveting and neither the setting. The very limited budget was evident. The loud shrewish quarreling between the uncle and aunt would make you wonder if there was any love between them. This too was tedious. The acting could have been better as An movements were stiff and unnatural.

The mains complemented each other and this is what kept me watching. Their confessions made for a tender moment.

If a full version without the breaks be uploaded would make a better watch.

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From Chinese BL fiction to the colors of Southeast Asia

The plot begins when An's world is shaken after Jin, his adoptive brother and platonic love, returns to Thailand from the United States, after several years geographically and sentimentally distanced.
In this way, those who, between laughter and games, and without having any blood relationship, had grown up within the same family, meet again. But they are not children anymore. They are two university students. The reunion gives rise to the fact that, while both discover that some powerful and intense feelings unite them beyond being "brothers", An immerses himself in a journey in which he realizes a shocking truth from his past.
We are talking about 'Secret Love', a BL genre miniseries, directed by Content, the Chinese-Thai adaptation of the Asian giant's novel danmei, by J.W. "Secret Planet Series".
Produced by Bebravehud, 'Secret Love' leaves the viewer with a carnival of events, secrets, betrayals, revelations, adoptions, childhood traumas, reconciliations and love affairs.
It is a short miniseries of the BL genre presented by QuStory, with 81 episodes of 2 minutes each.
Among the points to highlight, it is necessary to keep in mind the schedule for which it was conceived in Thailand, its country of origin. 'Secret Love' was not created for primetime requirements, but to be shown on Saturday and Sunday evenings in that Southeast Asian nation.
The fact that it is a short drama does not represent a serious problem for me: I watch the 20 weekly episodes, in a subtitled edition, one following the previous one, and between one and the other I have previews of the next one. The transition is much more enjoyable than the boring and unproductive promotions of Thai products that usually appear after the Next Break in any BL series from that country.
On the other hand, the sum of all the episodes broadcast between Saturday and Sunday add up, in their entirety, to the approximate 40 minutes that the BL series that we frequently enjoy usually have. In total, the 81 episodes would represent four episodes in a series of this format.
That a poor boy is adopted by a rich family after surviving an accident, at age eleven, in which his parents died; That the cause of his orphanhood is the same person who welcomed him into his home, and he ends up in love with his adoptive brother, may seem unlikely; but in the vision of its creators it is nothing more than a functional resource that is inserted into an imaginative and traditionally light dramaturgical conception. This is not the case with the allied and almost fraternized villainy, whose plans to do as much damage as possible to innocent people, often helpless, have sometimes bordered on the absurd in so many similar productions, especially in the final stretch of the series.
Although Gu Hao Wei, the CEO and friend of An's parents, and his wife, have upset more than one, a point in their favor is the overthrow of their negative attitudes by the growing love between the young orphan and Jin, the son of this marriage.
The fact that it is a short drama does not represent a serious problem for me: I watch the 10 weekly episodes, in a subtitled edition, one following the previous one, and between them previews of the next one. The transition is much more enjoyable than the boring and unproductive commercial promotions of Thai products that usually appear in the Next Break in any BL series from that country.
On the other hand, the sum of all the episodes broadcast between Saturday and Sunday add up, in their entirety, to the approximately 40 minutes that the BL series that we frequently enjoy have. In total, the 81 episodes would represent four episodes in a series of this format.
We also have Turbo Chanokchon Boonmanawong among the cast, an actor known for playing Camp in the story 'Friends Forever', from the BL series 'My Universe', and Anda in 'Love Stage!!', who plays in this one. occasion to Lan; and Tee Vitsarut Suwinijjit, popular among genre lovers after starring in 'Restart(ed)', now adding the role of Tong to his resume.
The flashbacks that lead the viewer to understand An's past, the gloomy settings and, at times, the soundtrack of 'Secret Love', underline the dark elements of the story.
Despite some timorous performances (to be developed in the immediate future by the two protagonists), and the lack of depth in the story, the latter being a typical feature of short plots and low-budget productions, both in music and in dialogues, the viewer will also find a beautiful story of love and reconciliation, especially with oneself for hiding an atrocious family secret for years. All of these elements immerse us in engaging entertainment, and debuting stars Tle Matimun Sreeboonrueang, as Jin, and FirstOne Wannakorn Reungrat, as An, are especially charming.
Casting directors take note: Tle and FirstOne, in their respective first roles in their young careers, are two actors to be reckoned with, capable of conveying subtle shades of inner turmoil, of discomfort at finding themselves in love with someone of the same gender, then of his time on the 'TV Show DMD Friendship the Reality', Domundi's artist training program.
They both need a little more acting skills, confidence in front of the cameras. I have no doubt they will win in this regard.
The protagonists of 'Secret Love' had already participated in the 'TV Show SosatSeoulsay', precisely in episode 237, a television program that follows the protagonists and actors of Thai dramas.
In the script, which adapts the Chinese BL novel of the same name, the ingenuity of Wang Tinglian and Ding Wuen must be highlighted, by taking the original work and transferring its setting to Thailand, where the centers move between lavish mansions, companies and the university, with its pertinent allusions to studies, to obtaining the family company as an inheritance and to the search for success at any price, no matter if through crime.
And, if we talk about society, the series explores in a sensible way (and with high doses of sensitivity) certain topics such as male homosexuality, the emancipation of children from their parents, the breaking of taboos, self-acceptance and friendship.
The miniseries, with Chinese narrative inspiration and a warm mix of Thai essences, manages to satisfy the public thanks to the combination of melodramatic elements in an agile, light and attractive story.

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Disappointing Drama with Missed Potential

Overall, the drama isn’t THAT awful; it’s watchable, but there are several issues that stood out to me.

First, the format is a real problem. With 80 episodes that are only about 2 minutes long each, it felt like the creators didn’t know how to properly edit the scenes together and just decided to go with this format. The pacing sometimes is too fast, and some scenes feel abruptly cut, which makes it hard to stay engaged.

Second, I struggled to feel any genuine connection between the main characters. They hint at a mutual interest, but they dont show us how they fell in love. It’s as if they just decide to like each other with no emotional build-up or depth.

Third, I cannot understand why r*pe scenes are still being included in 2024. I thought we had moved past that. T
An even has trauma afterward and is afraid of Jin touching him, but the show barely addresses it. There’s one scene that acknowledges the trauma, but then it’s completely ignored for the rest of the series. What makes it worse is that Jin wasn’t even toxic up until that point; he had the potential to become a great character. Honestly, I found An to be more toxic than Jin. An had zero communication skills and refused to talk to Jin, even though Jin repeatedly encouraged him to open up.
Also dont get me started on the side characters, like the Aunt and Uncle.
The story had potential and so did the character BUT they ruined it.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this drama, nor would I watch it again. There are just too many issues for me to overlook.

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