Fighting Mr. 2nd – Drama Review & Episode Guide

Story

The breakup

When I was younger, I remember watching an episode of BL anime Junjou Romantica, where the story started out with the couple breaking up. At the time, the easily impressionable BL Watcher thought this concept was so innovative. I was used to watching romances where the couple meets each other, develops feelings, and then they end up together. Any BL story that strays from the norm feels unpredictable, and I'm intrigued by what happens next.

That's the same feeling I get when watching Fighting Mr. 2nd. All these years later, I still enjoy a story where the couple tries to salvage failed relationship. I liked the premise of Fighting Mr. 2nd, and for the first two episodes, I was engaged with the volatile tension between the couple. The breakup added a new layer of complexity to their relationship dynamic. As they feuded, some of their scenes got quite serious and steamy, which were captivating to watch.

Dumb plot

Unfortunately, the stupidity in the plot took me out of the immersion. I always figured the reason for them breaking up wouldn't be believable, and that was pretty much the case.

Shi De broke up with Shu Yi because of the meddling from his father. The problem is why would Shi De be so dumb to trust Shu Yi's father and accept his ridiculous conditions? For someone as intelligent and as in-love as Shi De, I cannot believe that he'd ever agree to this arrangement. It goes against everything we know about this character, and I can't look past it.

I also don't understand the whole drama with his mom's pregnancy, or that American woman whose presence was never explained properly. I figured the woman was probably his sister-in-law, but it would've been nice to get actual confirmation during the series, considering she played a big part in the plot.

All these issues were quite trivial and could have been resolved with simple communication between the couple. Why didn't Shi De just tell Shu Yi about his mom's pregnancy? Or why didn't Shu Yi just ask Shi De about the woman and the baby? None of these scenarios would cause a normal couple to break up. Yet, they got blown out of proportion for contrived plot reasons.

Romance

Shi De and Shu Yi

The strength of Shi De and Shu Yi's rapport carries this series. The two of them are a versatile couple. They can be sweet and tender, or they can be sexy and steamy. This is a fun, dynamic pairing where the two characters bounce off each other well.

Their journey was fun to watch. At first, I liked the sizzling sexual tension between them. Later, I enjoyed watching them reconcile, rebuild trust, and grow together as a couple. In the last episode, they just seemed so happy together, and I’m glad we got many scenes of them just being adorable.

My favourite scenes are whenever they do a callback to the events that happened in the first series. It cracks me up every time Shi De impersonates Shu Yi on the bridge or at the swimming pool. 😆 The two of them built a lot of precious memories over these past twelve episodes, and I’m going to reminisce fondly whenever I look back on this BL drama.

Shou Yi and Zhen Xuan

Hmm, I don't really know how I feel about this couple. Am I intrigued or am I annoyed? That sums up how I feel about Zhen Xuan's character throughout the series. I go back and forth about whether I like this relationship or not. Sometimes yes, sometimes no, and sometimes I don’t know.

Their romance suffers from being told too choppily. We get the occasional flashbacks and a few scenes spliced in between the main storyline, but the flow doesn’t feel coherent. I didn’t feel like I got the full picture of their relationship, only the abridged version with some of the moments. Ultimately, Shou Yi and Zhen Xuan are not the main focus of Fighting Mr. 2nd, and it shows from the lacklustre development in their romance.

Bing Wei and Zhe Yu

There's nothing to say about Bing Wei and Zhe Yu because their relationship almost takes place entirely off-screen. Fighting Mr. 2nd is really determined not to give this couple any development, and you can count the number of their scenes together in one hand.

I didn't like how Zhe Yu described their relationship, treating Bing Wei as the donkey and he's the prized carrot. It's okay that his character is a little smug, but there needed to be a scene where he actually shows some vulnerability. Let him get emotional over the proposal, or give him a scene where he reacts positively to something Bing Wei does. Show us why this couple is actually together.

The engagement in the end came out of seemingly nowhere. We didn't even know these two were living together, and now they're engaged? I would feel happy for these two if I actually got to see any relationship moments between them, but this proposal might actually be their one and only scene together. Bing Wei and Zhe Yu's relationship is akin to the question of if a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound? In this case, it's like if a nonexistent BL couple gets engaged, should I feel happy for them? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Acting

Great chemistry

Overall, the acting is pretty decent in No. 1 For You. There's a very demanding scene in Episode 2, and while I don't think Shi De's actor (Sam Lin) nailed all the necessary emotions, his performance was good enough to make me feel immersed. Shu Yi's actor (YU) was a little too restrained, and I think he was holding back in some of the scenes, but his performance is still mostly passable.

I want to give a special shoutout to the actor playing Zhen Xuan's character (Chih Tian Shih). His soliloquy in Episode 6 was a challenging scene to pull off, but he did a great job with the material. There were tears coming out of his eyes, snot oozing out from his nose, and spit flying out of his mouth. It wasn't always pretty, but he made the emotions in that scene feel very raw and real.

For me, the strongest part about No. 1 For You and Fighting Mr. 2nd has been the chemistry between the two actors. The leads are very comfortable with each other, especially when it comes to kissing, and their connection is spot-on.

Best Character

Shou Yi

Anyone who read my review of No. 1 For You knows my obsession with Shou Yi's character. I was smitten with him back when he was the HOT DOCTOR. My feelings have not subsided even after he went through an inexplicable career change due to his midlife crisis. When men reach a certain age, they are faced with an existential crisis. Some of them buy a fancy sports car, while others opt for a younger romantic partner. And then there are men like Shou Yi, who quit their job as a doctor and suddenly start a new restaurant instead.

As I mentioned before, my reasons for liking Shou Yi is purely superficial. Honestly, I can understand why Zhen Xuan is so devoted to the guy for twelve years. I mean, just look at him. I get it. If this big brawny hunk came to my rescue, it would be love at first sight for me as well.

I can't say Shou Yi is a particularly well-written character. Out of respect, I won't comment too much about his affective disorder, which I know very little about. However, it did seem like his condition sprang up in the last episode out of nowhere. Like okay, did I miss something or was his character always like this? Was I just blinded by his hotness and didn't notice that he had this disorder all along?

Shou Yi and Shi De

One minor detail I love about Shou Yi's character is his relationship with Shi De. I love how there's a recurring gag where someone mistakenly assumes these two cousins are romantically involved. It happened with Shu Yi in Fighting for No. 1, and it happened again with Zhen Xuan in this series. What is it about these two that makes people automatically assume they are a couple? 😂

It kinda makes me ship this taboo relationship, just for shits and giggles. Yo, I am down for this cousin-on-cousin gay fantasy romance. BRING IT ON. 😝

Skin & Nudity

Shirtless scenes

Yes, there are a few shirtless scenes scattered throughout Fighting Mr. 2nd. Shu Yi gets shirtless within the first few moments of the series. There are also plenty of opportunities for Shi De to wake up without a shirt, or take a random shower in the middle of the episode.

Are there any triggers?

Aggression

You may not be entirely comfortable watching Shi De's drunken behaviour around Shu Yi in Episode 2. He gets very aggressive at one point, even slamming Shu Yi's petite body down on the sofa. The more Shu Yi tries to resist him, the more aggressive Shi De gets. His actions are shocking, provocative, and the character definitely crosses some boundaries of decency.

This scene is meant to get a rise out of you, stirring up a wide mixture of emotions in the audience. If you felt a little triggered during this scene, then the show probably succeeded in getting what it wanted.

Highlights

Drunk Shi De

Even though Shi De's drunken stupour can be triggering, it's also the emotional climax of Fighting Mr. 2nd. The tension between the couple is at an all-time high, which making their confrontation very explosive. Shi De begins this scene in a vulnerable state, grovelling and crying at Shu Yi's doorstep. When Shu Yi rejects him once again, something in him snaps. All of a sudden, Shi De's carnal desires take over him and he becomes a very different person, acting on his most primitive impulses.

As a character, Shi De always comes across as very poised and composed. He's a man with a plan, who stays pretty reserved, and doesn't always wear his emotions on his sleeves. It's surprising to see him act so aggressive and animalistic in this scene. We've never witnessed this type of behaviour before. You really get the feeling that Shi De was pushed to the edge, driven mad by passion, and lost total control of himself.

This scene was very compelling. I was at the edge of my seat, completely captivated by how far Shi De would go, and how Shu Yi will respond. The energy was pulsating with all sorts of wild emotions, from anger to confusion to desperation to passion. I don't think any other scene in Fighting Mr. 2nd reached the same emotional heights as this drunken confrontation.

Feedback

Secondary characters

Fighting Mr. 2nd only feels engaging when it focuses on Shou Yi and Shi De, whose relationship carries the entire show. Unfortunately, this drama still doesn't know what to do with its secondary characters. Bing Wei and Zhe Yu appeared in a total of twelve episodes and I still know very little about them. They get more character development in the opening theme song than the actual contents in the episode.

To be fair, I did notice they made an effort to give Zhe Yu more of a personality this series, which I do appreciate. Mind you, his sassiness is not very endearing, but at least there's some form of characterization. Poor Bing Wei gets scraps in this series. I can't believe he got better character development in No. 1 For You, where he barely existed, but at least he had more of a presence there.

As for the office employees, they were merely there to move the plot. The espionage plot in Episode 5 felt weak because we barely know or care about who works at the company. Who cares if the corporate thief is the guy with the shifty expression or the girl with the friendly face? They're merely props for the plot of the day, or at least that's how Fighting Mr. 2nd treats their characters.

Ending

Happy ending

Fighting Mr. 2nd has a happy ending. In fact, Shu Yi and Shi De already got back together a few episodes ago, so there's no more interpersonal drama or conflict between them. They simply spend the second half of the series as a happy, in-love couple, which is a nice feeling after going so much drama through the two series. Even though their relationship feels like it settled in these last few episodes, I did enjoy the period of bliss and tranquility between the pair.

In the last episode, there was also a decent scene between Shu Yi and his father, where they talked out their feelings in a level-headed way, as they reached a mutual understanding. I didn't love how they handled the storyline with Shu Yi's oddball father, who caused a lot of stupid drama, but at least the plot was tied up nicely. I'm happy with the closure they gave us between Shu Yi and his dad.

The relationship between Shou Yi and Zhen Xuan was left kind of ambiguous in the ending, after receiving a lot of focus this episode. This romantic arc feels unresolved and I'm not super keen with where they left their relationship. Maybe they kept this relationship open-ended to milk a Season 3 of this series?