HIStory 5: Love in the Future – Series Review & Ending Explained

It's the year 2000. Bo Wei lives with his grandmother, an old woman who runs a stinky tofu stall every night. They have a close relationship. Bo Wei is a student and a part-time delivery worker. He must work on New Year's Eve, making late-night deliveries. Jin Hua worries about her grandson working too hard and not getting enough sleep. As Bo Wei drives home on a motorcycle, he passes through a tunnel. He becomes dizzy and loses consciousness.

Bo Wei is suddenly transported to 2022, twenty-two years into the future. His strange surroundings confuse him, from the new technologies to the pandemic guidelines. Bo Wei takes drastic measures and plans to injure himself to return to his old timeline. He's stopped by Fu De, a mysterious individual who offers him food, companionship, and guidance. Fu De is secretly responsible for transporting Bo Wei to the future. However, it was a mistake. Fu De never intended for Bo Wei to travel through time. There's no way for him to return.

Although Bo Wei misses his grandmother, he is stuck in this timeline and must adjust to his new life. Fu De occasionally appears in anonymous disguises, offering assistance to help the time traveller to settle down. Bo Wei adopts the identity of "Johnny", a single delivery worker with no friends or family. Bo Wei encounters Hai Yi during a delivery, but they have an unpleasant encounter. Hai Yi complains about the lousy customer service. Bo Wei seems determined to make it up to him. His sincerity wins over Hai Yi, who hires Bo Wei for a freelancing job.

Hai Yi wants his employee to search for Si Chi, his last girlfriend. Si Chi dumped his ex for being poor. Yet, Hai Yi wants to get back into her good graces. He enlists Bo Wei's help to locate Si Chi and make a connection. Bo Wei's socially awkward pick-up lines fail to impress Si Chi. She becomes aggravated by his advances. Si Chi plays a violent prank on Bo Wei. Hai Yi is horrified by his ex's actions and no longer wishes to reconcile. He moves in with Bo Wei, enjoying a cozy roommate lifestyle. Although they get along, both men hide their secret pasts from each other.

Bo Wei befriends Wynn, a new employee at Poseidon Department Store. Wynn quickly wins the support of Vincent, his manager. However, the other coworkers have noticed their close bond and spread rumours. Tony, an employee, is jealous of their bond. Tony instigates many bullying incidents against Wynn, intentionally making the work experience miserable. The gentle and naive Wynn accepts these hardships without retaliating. Vincent must step in to protect the new employee.

HIStory 5: Love in the Future begins with a convoluted time travel plot. The protagonist is stuck in the future and seems confused by his unfamiliar surroundings. Yet, he doesn't behave sensibly like you'd expect from someone in his situation. His random actions, bizarre logic, and outrageous circumstances create a chaotic start to the series. HIStory 5: Love in the Future gives the impression that it hasn't thought about the story carefully. Instead, many incoherent events occur without rhyme or reason.

After a sloppy premiere, HIStory 5: Love in the Future continues its muddled nonsense episode after episode. From confusing scenarios to ridiculous reactions, every eccentric scene breaks the rules of reality. In addition, the story's clumsy attempts at quirky humour are unbearable. I'm mortified by the idiotic jokes, awkward dialogue, and exaggerated acting. The only positive is that HIStory 5 seems so cringy that it almost turns hilariously campy. This atrocious series develops like a fascinating disaster, making me curious about how much worse it can get.

HIStory 5: Love in the Future improves during its second half. I don't want to set unrealistic expectations and claim it becomes entertaining. Nonetheless, the quality is slightly better than before. Thankfully, the series drops the time-travel shenanigans and silly hijinks. It switches tracks to a single overarching plot about corporate politics in the workplace. Although the events are cliché, the storyline gains momentum and builds to intriguing climaxes. HIStory 5 feels more comfortable as a standard office BL drama than its strange mishaps in the fantasy-comedy genre. 

The leads, Bo Wei & Hai Yi, have annoying personalities. They meet under odd circumstances and clash obnoxiously in the beginning. However, the relationship settles into a delightful rhythm after a while. From sassy banter to flirty teasing, the couple's interactions are surprisingly more enjoyable than expected. Once the romance heats up, their relationship scenes are actually quite charming. The secondary pair, Vincent & Wynn, seem awkward together. I'm not fond of the boss-and-employee dynamic or their hazy boundary issues. With that said, I don't mind them.

Both couples are physically affectionate. They have intimate encounters, indulge in deep kisses, and explore each other's bodies. The stars appear uninhibited, not holding back in their passionate scenes. The lack of modesty produces raw, romantic exchanges. Unfortunately, the cast struggles with their acting skills. They don't have the comedic chops to deliver upbeat jokes and over-the-top humour. They also can't cry convincingly or convey emotional expressions. Vincent's actor (Anson Chen) is okay, but the others give embarrassingly amateurish performances.

HIStory 5: Love in the Future has a happy ending for both couples. The finale presents a moral dilemma, forcing Bo Wei to choose between the past and the future. His ultimate decision cheapens the emotional impact of the plot, making everything seem stupidly shallow. I also hate that it brings back the worst pair from HIStory 4. Even in a minimal capacity, Yong Jie's character triggers me. Overall, HIStory 5 is a laughably bad BL series that amuses me as a campy guilty pleasure. I'd advise viewers to keep their expectations low and don't take this mess seriously.