Anti Reset – Series Review & Episode Guide

Yi Ping is a history professor who recently hurt his arm in an accident. He must wear a cast for several weeks. His uncle, Wei Heng, is concerned about Yi Ping, who lives alone and struggles to look after himself. The uncle owns a technology company, Hengji Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. He is developing androids powered by artificial intelligence. Yi Ping's uncle lends him one of his robots as a test. The objective is to help Yi Ping recover from his injury while collecting feedback on user functionality.

Ever 9 is one of the nine humanoid robots developed by the Hengji Intelligent Ever Series. His name comes from being the ninth prototype. Ever 9 is designed to be a robotic caregiver. He accompanies his clients, helping them with daily errands and companionship. Ever 9 doesn't need to eat or sleep. He only requires regular maintenance at the laboratory, which updates his databases and irons out glitches.

Ever 9 arrives at Yi Ping's house, ready to serve as his caregiver for the next several weeks. Yi Ping's first reaction is shock because the android looks so realistic. Initially, he thought Ever 9 must be an actor pretending to be a robot. However, Ever 9 verifies he is powered by technology. Despite his humanlike appearance and mannerisms, he is AI on the inside. After settling in, Ever 9 helps cook, clean, tend the garden, and perform chores. He handles each task diligently. Yi Ping soon grows accustomed to his new companion.

The pair grows closer as they spend time together. Yi Ping recognizes Ever 9 as more than just a robot. He introduces his caregiver to various human traditions, from clothing to activities. Yi Ping also brings Ever 9 to school, allowing him to sit in during lectures. Even after his arm has healed, their relationship continues to strengthen. Soon, Yi Ping has grown emotionally attached to Ever 9. However, these feelings aren't meant to last since Ever 9 is only supposed to be a temporary companion.

My favourite part about Anti Reset is the innovative premise. I'm fascinated by the love story between a human and a robot. It reminds me of Are You Human Too, an older K-drama with a similar concept about artificial intelligence. That series had a covert BL subplot, fuelling my interest in unconventional sci-fi romances. With AI's prevalence in recent years, I'm thrilled to see another drama tackle this intriguing topic. Even before starting Anti Reset, I had high hopes for its storytelling potential.

Unfortunately, Anti Reset doesn't live up to my expectations. This series delivers a watered-down narrative that barely scratches the surface of its technological themes. It presents a few quirky scenarios of Ever 9 adjusting to human customs, but the storyteller doesn't examine more serious topics. You're sitting on a goldmine of unique plots. Why aren't you exploring all the implications of an android experiencing human emotions? Why aren't you addressing the ethical dilemmas of hooking up with a robot? Anti Reset misses so many opportunities to tell a thought-provoking story.

A human-robot romance is unusual, breaking all traditional conventions. Despite the intriguing premise, Anti Reset still portrays Ever 9 and Yi Ping as a generic couple. Their relationship moments feel formulaic, falling back on old tropes that you'd find in a typical BL series. The storyteller lacks imagination and can't create original scenes. Also, the series is too eager to make the characters fall in love quickly. You'd expect more inner turmoil before the human protagonist falls in love with his android companion, but this emotional journey is minimized in Anti Reset.

Most series shy away from the subject of AI technology since it's not easy to pull off. From props to special effects, the production team requires resources to depict the futuristic elements. Although Anti Reset tries its best with some creative ideas, it suffers from low budget constraints. The visual details seem unpolished, coming across as camp rather than realistic. Another issue is that the robot doesn't behave like one. Ever 9's mannerisms are so humanlike that he loses the character's novelty as an android. I wanted him to have more high-tech functionalities.

Ever 9's actor (Huang Li Feng) looks adorable! With an angelic smile and twinkling eyes, he exudes a wholesome charm I can't resist. 😚 He makes a cute couple with his costar (Roy Wu), and I see the vision behind pairing them together. Their BL content has a decent amount of physical intimacy. This sentimental series also conveys romance through inspirational quotes, dreamy gazes, and lovey-dovey affection. The schmaltziness works sometimes, making me smile at the tender moments. Other times, I wish it would tone down on the excessive sappiness.

Anti Reset worsens in the last few episodes, succumbing to too much angsty drama. All the conflicts are shallow and annoying without conveying meaningful messages. As a whole, this series has been underwhelming. Despite the ambitious concept, the story fails to capitalize on the potential and reduces interesting ideas into generic BL fluff. Still, Anti Reset gets credit for its boldness, exploring a complicated topic instead of a simple premise like most dramas. It's much quirkier than your typical romance, but just don't expect anything revolutionary from the plot.