En of Love: Love Mechanics – Series Review

Mark is an engineering student who used to have a crush on his friend Bar. However, he was recently rejected after confessing his love. He feels heartbroken and drowns his sorrow by getting drunk at the bar. Mark encounters Vee, an upperclassman and mutual acquaintance from the engineering faculty. Vee is concerned about his university junior and takes care of him throughout the night.

As Mark continues to wallow in self-pity, Vee distracts him with a spontaneous kiss. The next morning, they both feel embarrassed by what happened between them. Vee doesn't want his girlfriend Ploy to know about their kiss. He asks Mark to keep quiet about the encounter.

However, Mark still feels despondent about his rejection. Vee continues checking up on him to ensure he's feeling better. Mark behaves apprehensively and tries to maintain a respectable distance. Nonetheless, Vee is worried and keeps finding excuses to approach him.

One night, Mark sees Bar with his new boyfriend Gun. Although Mark pretends to have moved on from his crush, he's still upset. Vee steps in and tries to take his focus away from the pairing. However, Mark dismisses him and meets up with his friends for drinks. Once there, Mark notices a familiar face at the bar, leading to a scandalous discovery.

En of Love: Love Mechanics is the second chapter in a BL trilogy. Among fans, it's usually considered the best out of the three installments. Compared to Tossara (the predecessor) or This Is Love Story (the sequel), it's more vibrant and compelling. With that said, Love Mechanics suffers many of the same narrative woes as its counterparts. The writing is still terribly flawed, plagued with problematic tropes, and I wouldn't label it a good BL drama.

My favourite part of this series is the couple, portrayed by two charming leads (Yin and War) with a sizeable fan following. After completing En of Love: Love Mechanics, I totally understand the appeal of this pairing. Aesthetically, the actors look cute and compatible together. Chemistry-wise, they share a natural and easygoing rapport. From their flirty glances to their muscular abs, the BL package is very complete and presentable. For me, it's all about War and his heavenly smile. I like Yin too, but not as much as I adore War. 😚

However, what I enjoy about this romance has everything to do with the actors and nothing with their roles. My enthusiasm for this couple dies down whenever I'm reminded of the actual storyline. Even though there's a sizzling spark, the characters don't spend enough meaningful time together to depict an authentic connection. I'm perplexed why Vee acts so hung up on Mark. Dude, you just met him? His feelings seem disproportionate, like we're missing huge chunks of relationship development.

Mark and Vee are unsympathetic characters whose despicable actions make it difficult to champion them together. Mark gladly gets involved with unavailable men in relationships and then sulks about being the third party. Vee is a serial adulterer who cheats recklessly, only to grovel for forgiveness after getting caught. I also don't like how Love Mechanics perpetuates toxic behaviour and pretends like they are romantic. A glaring example is when Vee tells Mark to cover up his "revealing" swimsuit at the pool, raising red flags for control freak issues.

En of Love: Love Mechanics is packed with heated arguments and tearful confrontations. It resembles a soap opera, keeping me entertained as the melodrama unravels with constant twists and scandalous antics. However, the story is too rushed, resulting in an incoherent narrative where events suddenly happen with no buildup. Some crucial scenes are oddly missing, explained through a mere line of dialogue instead. I don't know if Love Mechanics ran out of time or simply couldn't convey an articulate plot. Either way, the storytelling sucks.

En of Love: Love Mechanics is marginally better than Tossara and This Is Love Story. However, even the best drama in the En of Love franchise is still a far distance away from decent quality. The bright spots are the two actors, who exude an enchanting magnetism as a BL couple. However, the crappy material limits their potential and they deserve a more solid showcase to display their charisma. I know Love Mechanics is getting a full-fledged remake with the same cast. Let's hope for significant improvements in their second attempt, fingers crossed.