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 premise. I'm fascinated by the idea of a love story between a human and a robot. Wow, that sounds cool! It reminds me of Are You Human Too, an older K-drama with a similar concept about artificial intelligence. That series had a secret BL subplot, fuelling my interest in these kinds of unconventional sci-fi romances. Now that AI is everywhere, I'm thrilled to see another drama tackle this topic. Even before I started Anti Reset, I had high hopes for the story.

Unfortunately, Anti Reset hasn't lived up to my expectations. The story feels so watered-down. It barely scratches the surface of the tech themes it promised. We get a few quirky scenes of Ever 9 trying to fit in with the human world, but the writing never examines more serious topics. This series is 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 supposed to be unusual and break all the rules. Despite the cool premise, Anti Reset just treats Ever 9 and Yi Ping like any other generic couple. Their scenes together feel formulaic, relying on the same old tropes you see in every typical BL. There's a shocking lack of imagination from a sci-fi series. Where are the original ideas!? On top of that, the series rushes the romance. You'd expect more inner turmoil before the human protagonist falls in love with an android. Unfortunately, Anti Reset just skims over that emotional journey.

Many BL stories avoid AI technology as a premise. It's a hard idea to execute! Between the props and the special effects, you need serious skills to make the future look believable. The Anti Reset team tries their best by coming up with a few creative ideas. However, the budget constraints are clear. Many details feel unpolished, so the entire story comes 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 novelty of being an android. I want to see more high-tech features!

Ever 9's actor (Leo Huang) looks adorable! Between the angelic smile and those twinkling eyes, he has a wholesome charm that I can't resist. 😚 He makes a cute couple with his costar (Roy Wu), and I see the vision behind pairing them together. Their chemistry is decent, and they don't shy away from physical intimacy. This series is also very sentimental, leaning heavily on inspirational quotes, dreamy looks, and all that lovey-dovey stuff. Sometimes, these sweet moments can make me smile. But other times, I wish they'd tone down the sappiness just a little bit.

Anti Reset goes downhill in the last few episodes, because the angsty drama just takes over the series. Ugh, all the conflicts feel so damn annoying! Overall, everything has been underwhelming. It started with an ambitious concept, but the story doesn't capitalize on the potential. It reduces all these interesting ideas into generic BL fluff. Still, Anti Reset gets credit for its ambition, exploring a complicated topic rather than a simple premise like most dramas. It's much quirkier than your typical romance, but just don't expect anything revolutionary from the plot.