Black and White Is Real – Series Review & Episode Guide

There are two different stories. The first focuses on Tian You and You Zi, a pair of high school friends. As they get ready to graduate, they exchange bracelets. Even You Zi's girlfriend has pointed out how close they are. One night, Tian You catches You Zi off guard by almost kissing him. Their lips are only inches apart, but neither of them dares to cross that final line. After that, they quietly act like nothing ever happened and go back to being just friends. The moment is buried, but their feelings remain unspoken.

The second story follows Bai Xing and He Yan, two young stars with growing fanbases. They keep running into each other at industry events, but things are a little awkward. Bai Xing's manager, Xiao An, and He Yan's manager, Bing Chen, can't stand each other. They have a long-running petty feud. Because of that tension, Bai Xing and He Yan end up keeping their distance too. Even though they move in the same circles, the two never really get close. Still, some fans are rooting for both guys and wish they'd interact more.

Recently, Tian You and You Zi were called in for an audition. The creative director, Qiao, is looking for a male co-star for her commercial, which has a romantic storyline. She has already cast Sha Sha, a high-maintenance actress with an attitude problem. Before the audition even starts, Xiao An tells Bai Xing not to get his hopes up. Sha Sha and Tian You are signed to the same agency, so Xiao An assumes Tian You is the obvious pick because of that connection. In his mind, this audition is a learning opportunity for Bai Xing. He's not actually expected to land the role.

The auditions finally begin, and Tian You does well. On the other hand, You Zi, clearly lacks experience and gives a rookie performance. Things take an unexpected turn when Qiao grows fed up with Sha Sha's unprofessional attitude. She no longer wants to work with the actress. Instead, Qiao replaces Sha Sha with You Zi. The commercial is no longer a BG romance. She rewrites it as a BL couple instead. Bing Chen immediately objects since this isn't the type of role he agreed to for his client. Surprisingly, He Yan steps in and overrules him. He wants to be part of the project.

Before shooting even begins, the team decides that Tian You and You Zi need to get more comfortable with each other. They ask the two of them to live together for a while and complete a series of bonding missions. Cameras will be around, capturing their interactions for behind-the-scenes content. Living in such close quarters forces the two celebrities to get to know each other for the first time. You Zi quickly notices that Tian You seems nervous. To ease the tension, he fills the silence with casual chatter and does his best to lighten the mood.

Black and White Is Real has the same actors as Fight for You. I really liked the leads in their previous drama, so of course I was excited to see them again. Second project together? Oh yeah, I was ready to be impressed. Well… That optimism didn't last. Sadly, this series feels like BL slop. The kind that gets churned out because they know fans will watch low-quality crap anyway. The writing is lazy, while the romance feels contrived. Black and White Is Real is a massive downgrade from Fight for You. Sadly, I enjoyed it a lot less.

At first, the series began as a standard high school romance. A few episodes in, it suddenly switches to a different plot about two celebrities. Boom, new characters! Zero warning. I thought there was a time skip, but it took me too long to realize this was a separate story. Midway through, it reveals the twist. Gotchya! The two stories are actually related. The concept? It's cool to find out the connection. But the execution? Not great. The transition is a mess, causing unnecessary confusion for the viewers. It's hard to focus on the brand new characters when I'm still wondering what happened to the first couple.

Director Joe Tsai delivered unusual concepts in her other BL projects. An undercover cop in Fight for You. An old man stuck in a young man's body in The Promise of the Soul. Even if those stories weren't perfect, they had quirky ideas. By comparison, this series lacks an original premise. Celebrity romances are too common in BL. We have all watched some version of this before, so you can't just show up with a generic plot. Black and White Is Real recycles many cliches with predictable conflicts. The writing is also weaker than other dramas, making it even less interesting.

Whenever Bai Xing and He Yan start flirting, those scenes are the highlights. There are even a few spicy moments. Nothing scandalous, but enough to remind you that both actors are comfortable getting close on camera. Yeah, their juicy chemistry from Fight for You is stronger than ever. As much as I want to enjoy the BL content, the story puts the couple into these painfully contrived situations. Instead of feeling organic, every intimate scenario is clearly staged. Ugh. It's a turn-off. A cute romance stops being cute when you can see the obvious strings behind the fanservice.

Both leads give fine performances. Bai Xing's actor (Nelson Ji) is still a cutie. And yes, I'm absolutely melting over that sweet smile and those twinkling eyes. His co-star (Andy Ko) has gotten better at yearning. He looks like a man quietly in love, with longing gazes and restrained expressions. Yet, I hate how the whole series is filmed vertically. I'm constantly squinting into a narrow little frame. It's like peeking at a drama through your phone notifications, so everything ends up looking cheaper than it should. The acting feels smaller, while the production appears basic.

For a vertical drama, Black and White Is Real is surprisingly long. I spend enough time with these characters to feel mildly interested in their relationship. I did enjoy the flirting and kissing, so some moments still resonated with me. This series isn't a total dumpster fire. But it also never wins me over. The longer it goes on, the more I realize how empty the story feels. If you already love the couple from earlier, you might enjoy this series because it showcases their chemistry more. Otherwise, I recommend sticking with Fight for You, which remains the better BL drama.