Hot Brother Next Door – Series Review & Episode Guide

Phuc is originally from Saigon. He's happily in love with his girlfriend, who lives in Hanoi. Tam works as a real estate agent and dreams of settling down with him. He plans to move in with her and start his new business there. That plan falls apart when he catches her cheating with another guy. He breaks up with her immediately. Now, Phuc is stuck in a new city with nowhere to stay. He contacts Cong and Han, his old neighbours from the area. They used to hang out as kids, but he hasn't seen them in years.

Cong and Han are siblings who share a small apartment. After their mom died, Cong raised his little sister on his own. Han is now a university student dealing with chronic health issues. Cong pays for all her medical bills, even though she feels awful about being a financial burden. She believes her brother has a part-time job at a convenience store. In reality, Cong works for a criminal organization and uses violence to scare people who don't repay their debts. Ha and An are his most loyal followers. The three of them move like a tight little unit, terrorizing the city.

Han invites Phuc over for dinner, clearly excited to see him again. She still remembers the neighbour who used to tutor her and help with homework. Cong also spent plenty of time with Phuc when they were kids. Back then, they were close. But things changed. Cong grew jealous of his friend, who was smarter, more successful, and comfortably middle-class. Meanwhile, Cong and Han were struggling with poverty and a seriously ill mother. Their differences pushed Cong away. Even now, Cong pretends he isn't happy to see Phuc. He keeps his distance.

Han is as friendly as ever. She suggests that Phuc rent a nearby apartment so they can be neighbours again, just like old times. The proximity helps bridge the distance between Cong and Phuc. Over meals and casual conversations, the two guys become close again. Phuc also finds out that Cong is gay. It wasn't a planned confession, but Cong doesn't try to deny it either. Instead, Cong starts teasing Phuc with playful flirting just to see how he reacts. Phuc gets flustered every single time, and Cong finds it hilarious.

Phuc opens a new bar in Hanoi, finally chasing one of his dreams. He loves making cocktails and wants to share his passion with others. Phuc pours most of his savings into the business, so there's a lot of pressure. If this fails, he loses more than just pride. Right as the bar launches, Cong receives a new assignment. A client is offering a huge payout to stir up trouble at Phuc's bar and push it into bankruptcy. The money is tempting, especially with Han's medical bills hanging over him. But this time, Cong isn't sure he can go through with it.

Hot Brother Next Door is definitely rough around the edges. Some storylines can be clunky. Plus, the plot is stuffed with clichés and problematic tropes. Despite all the flaws, I like this series more than I can justify. I have a soft spot for the messy characters and their bad decisions. I'm fond of the clumsy romance and the awkward moments. My brain is tapping me on the shoulder like, "You see the issues, right?" Even so, Hot Brother Next Door has left a bigger impression on me than some better-written BL dramas.

I love the two protagonists. Cong? A gangster who drinks juice boxes after beating up homophobes. Sorry, but that's iconic! Phuc? A hopeless romantic who takes photos of sunsets. He invests his whole fortune to make his dream come true. Both leads are scrappy underdogs. Cong grew up poor, so he makes reckless choices when money is involved. Phuc was betrayed by his girlfriend, who keeps exploiting his naivete. No, these guys aren't perfect. They mess up a lot. That's why I adore them. Watching flawed people stumble through life makes me wanna root for them and scream, "YOU'RE DOING YOUR BEST."

At first, the couple's dynamic is like slightly predatory gay guy vs slightly homophobic straight dude. Is it healthy? Not really. Am I entertained? Very much so. They bicker. They joke around. They have interesting chats. I love that they became proper friends before anything romantic happened. However, it takes SO long for them to get together. The slow-burn romance doesn't start until the last few episodes. At least the series rewards our patience. Oh, the iconic sex scene is worth the wait! I also adore the relationship montage in Episode 9, highlighting their sweet moments.

Cong's actor (Vo Van Thanh) is charismatic. He takes this low-budget gangster role and injects so much personality into it. The swagger? On point. The cheeky little grin? Dangerous. He has a natural confidence that draws your attention to his presence. His co-star (Truong Cao Khoa) turns Phuc into such a sensitive character. The vulnerability in his expressions gets to me every time. And then, there's the dimple… The sweet smile… The soft, slightly wounded gaze… I could get lost forever just looking at his dreamy face. Please cast this man in another BL drama immediately!

My least favourite part of Hot Brother Next Door is Phuc's girlfriend. Tam brings nonstop drama. She's homophobic. She throws around classist comments. She does sneaky shit behind Phuc's back. The actress (Luong Ngoc Diu) is decent enough, but the character feels one-dimensional as a villain. And then Phuc takes her back after she cheated… Sir. Stand up. That decision makes him look like a pushover. Tam also gets so much screen time that she drags down my enjoyment of the series. I'm tired of her annoying bullshit. Watching her is stressful and exhausting.

A few other subplots irked me. For example, Cong's financial crisis seemed severe. Yet, it was quickly resolved in the finale. If he can get money that easily, why were we stressing about it for so long!? With that said, I really liked Cong's confession scene in the last episode. "I'm a total fuck-up, but I wanna protect your dreams." And that is, weirdly, so romantic? It's hard to explain, but Hot Brother Next Door has a scrappy underdog vibe. The storylines are messy… The characters are flawed… Despite everything wrong with this BL drama, I still find it charming and compelling.