The Servant Prince – Series Review

Two years ago, Naoya Goto was running a subsidiary of his father's company, Goto Construction. Let's just say he wasn't employee of the month. Naoya screwed up badly, causing the business to shut down. Everyone blamed the incompetent nepo baby in charge, and this failure destroyed Naoya's self-esteem. Now, he's unemployed and estranged from his family. With no career or direction in life, Naoya spends his days drinking and hooking up with random strangers. He has hit rock bottom.

One person has remained in Naoya's life. Takaaki is his former high school classmate, although "friend" may not be the best word to describe their complicated history. Back in their teenage years, Naoya was one of the popular kids. He came from a wealthy family and strutted around school with his posse. Meanwhile, Takaaki was the quiet brainiac at the top of their class. Yet, Naoya treated him like a personal servant, constantly bossing him around. Takaaki obeyed everything. His loyalty was so extreme that Naoya once ordered him to lick his foot clean. Takaaki actually got on the floor and did it. Your wish is my command!

A decade later, their dynamic hasn't changed that much. Except now, they fuck. Naoya and Takaaki are casual fuck buddies who hook up whenever Naoya feels like it. Takaaki always shows up when summoned. Yet, Naoya starts feeling guilty about their arrangement. While his own life has fallen apart, Takaaki is thriving. He's now the CEO of Unicolab, a tech security start-up. Naoya worries that he's a loser holding back this successful businessman from finding happiness elsewhere. During one of their hook-ups, Naoya decides they should stop seeing each other.

Of course, the separation doesn't last. Naoya changes his mind and decides he wants Takaaki around after all. That's all the permission Takaaki needs to enter his domestic era. Suddenly, he's always hanging around Naoya's apartment and cooking homemade meals for him. This former foot-licking servant has upgraded himself into a full-time househusband! With Takaaki taking care of him, Naoya slowly emerges from his emotional slump. He feels motivated enough to get his life back on track. Naoya applies for a waiter position at an upscale restaurant, hoping a modest new job can give him a fresh start.

Being a waiter is a big step down from running Daddy's company, but Naoya is surprisingly good at his new job. His coworkers appreciate Naoya's strong work ethic. He also gets along well with the customers. Naoya befriends Mori, an older colleague who becomes a supportive mentor figure. For the first time in ages, everything seems to be going well. Then, Daddy shows up. Naoya's father visits the restaurant for a business lunch and is shocked to find his son working there. Instead of offering encouragement, he makes disparaging comments about Naoya's new career. The encounter sends Naoya spiralling and threatens his progress.

There's also something Naoya doesn't know. Takaaki has been doing business with his father behind the scenes. Unicolab is a potential candidate for a massive contract to upgrade Goto Construction's digital security. Getting this deal would be a huge opportunity for Takaaki's start-up. Unfortunately, Naoya's father isn't thrilled with the expensive proposal. He pushes back during the negotiations, but Takaaki refuses to budge just to win his approval. He's willing to lose the contract rather than compromise on his terms.

I like the premise behind The Servant Prince. Naoya starts the series as a nepo baby who tries to rebuild his life. This former prince ends up working as a servant, taking a humble job and learning to survive without his family fortune. The storyline is surprisingly motivational. Almost everyone wants to see him succeed, so his comeback has plenty of feel-good moments. My favourite scenes are when Naoya stands up to his toxic father and refuses Daddy's money. Watching this rich kid become independent is a satisfying character arc.

Despite the uplifting messages, The Servant Prince bored me. To be clear, I don't hate the series. It's better than the garbage BL dramas I've watched. Yet, I'm not emotionally invested. After finishing an episode, I never feel that rush of excitement to watch the next one. There are lots of little flaws sucking the life out of the series. A few scenes feel pointless. Some conversations sound dull. The mood often gets too gloomy. Like, why so serious!? Even Naoya's comeback story lacks complexity. The bad guys are obviously bad, while the good guys are obviously good. Every conflict boils down to black-and-white morality.

I'm annoyed with the love interest, Takaaki. He might be my least favourite part of The Servant Prince. His only character trait is absolute obedience. He worships Naoya and will do anything for him. Your wish is my command, master. Oh, I fucking hate this behaviour! Takaaki's blind loyalty to Naoya, who bullied him in school, makes him such a doormat. Takaaki also has no personality. This guy hides all his emotions. He never challenges his partner's thinking or disagrees with him. Takaaki reminds me of a robot who's just there to cook food and have sex with Naoya.

The Servant Prince begins with a kinky scene. Takaaki drops to the floor and licks Naoya's foot. His tongue makes full contact! I dunno how others interpreted this moment, but to me, it's hilariously camp. The foot licking cracks me up every time I see it. Unfortunately, the rest of the relationship isn't as entertaining. When Naoya and Takaaki get intimate, I feel nothing. Takaaki may be a supportive partner, but their dynamic bothers me. His blind devotion to Naoya is a red flag. I'm not excited by a romance where one guy always does whatever the other wants.

I have mixed feelings about Naoya's actor (Fuminori Ogawa). He does well in a few emotional moments, especially the crying scene at the end of Episode 1. At other times, his expressions look forced, like he's trying too hard to manufacture the emotion on his face. He has so many scenes that I wonder if the heavy workload made his performance less steady. His co-star (Toshiki Seto) has appeared in past BL dramas. Sadly, this is my least favourite role from him. Takaaki's character has no personality, so the actor just stands there with the same blank expression.

I wasn't a fan of the finale in Episode 8. After all that drama, the story tries to wrap up everything quickly, making the resolutions feel rushed and simplified. But surprisingly, I liked the epilogue special. The mood is more relaxed. The series shows some playfulness that was missing in earlier episodes. I also love seeing Naoya & Takaaki hang out with an older gay couple. The epilogue actually improved my opinion of The Servant Prince, but not enough to erase my other complaints. Ultimately, this BL drama just never clicked with me. I don't hate it. It's simply not my cup of tea.