If you've read as much BL manga as I have, you know that a big cliche of the genre is noncon, i.e., the romanticization of sexual assault between partners. I was disappointed to find it in Addicted, which is otherwise a great slice-of-life romance. For Americans raised on a very different set of sexual customs, these scenes of apparent non-con will be surprising or disturbing. I say "apparent" non-con, because I know that in some Asian cultures female partners are expected to put on a show of resistance to sex. This is a seriously problematic custom, and caused endless confusion for an American man I know when he was dating in Japan. But it's how I explain to myself the occasional "assault" scenes in "Addicted." I strongly believe that No means No, but I also get the sense these guys have never heard that.

The low budget, simple settings and slightly eccentric pacing give this show the feeling of real life. The characterizations are top-notch. Much of the tension comes from just how stubborn both of the main characters are. That they're able to rely on each other anyway is sweet, and makes them an interesting and memorable BL pairing. But the writer also portrayed a great father-son relationship and gave a humorous insight into the differences between China's poor and nouveau riche. The music is also good, and I often don't notice music. (The "It's Okay That's Love" shout-out in one of the musical selections made me very happy.)

The greatest flaw in this series is also the thing that makes it most interesting: the censorship of many scenes and the fact that China banned gay content before the series could be finished. The romance never feels fully developed because censors eliminated not only sex but kissing. The end result is a show where the guys talk about sex frankly (okay, Guo Bai talks about it, gotta love that cheeky bugger), but we never even see an affectionate kiss between them. And the story ends abruptly with a cliffhanger and a ton of emotional issues unresolved between the guys.