Despite being super excited for HIStory to be back, I put off watching it this whole time because of the reviews. In the end, it’s HIStory and I wasn’t not going to watch it. I can’t believe I nearly missed out on Mu Ren and Li Cheng. They are ridiculously adorable. The acting is top notch, the soundtrack is really nice and not too invasive, there genuinely isn’t a boring moment. Even the parents are really enjoyable. Overall, I loved it. About halfway through I found myself thinking that it was all a bit predictable, but about tropes that I personally enjoy and was happy to see so I didn’t actually mind, but then they kept surprising me which was so nice.

However, I understand why the reviews are so divided. I hate the stepbrother trope so already this was off to a rough start. It was certainly frustrating watching Yong Jie and Xing Si and think “ah, they’re probably gonna end up together despite everything.” But Yong Jie is a complex character. He’s surprisingly honest and straightforward which caught me off guard every time. God, he’s a proper little psycho, though… It’s weird because on the one hand they talk about consent all the time; everyone’s very open about the fact that what Yong Jie did is messed up. And it’s not swept under the rug, it’s brought up for a long time! On the other hand, they pair him up with Xing Si who’s insanely sweet and too forgiving so it sort of works? Sort of. It’s a bit of a stretch. Let’s say it’s not totally unbelievable, partly because the other characters felt the same way I did. But they won me over, somehow. I think I was taken by the fact that Yong Jie is clearly troubled in some way (I felt like I was watching someone with Asperger's but we don't need to try and diagnose a fictional character) and Xing Si’s the one person who’s always stuck around to defend him and tried to understand him. It’s honestly clear that they carefully made sure not to leave anything unsaid. I loved that every time I thought “but what about this?”, someone eventually brought it up and it was well explained. Honestly, I’m impressed. Do I think they should have scrapped that problematic aspect anyway? Well yeah… Is it as bad as I feared it was gonna be? Initially the creep factor is high, but the more Yong Jie chills out, the more you just want Xing Si to be happy. I have a major soft spot for him, he's such a cutie.

Two things even them winning me over hasn't made me forget: the fact that the mom knew what Yong Jie was planning and Yong Jie showing the video. Excuse me? What the heck was that about...

Anyway, Mu Ren and Li Cheng for the win. They're actually perfect.