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

HIStory 5: Love in the Future is a Taiwanese BL series about a time traveller and his romance.

HIStory 5: Love in the Future is a Taiwanese BL series about a time traveller and his romance. One night, the protagonist is magically transported years into the future. While settling into his new life, he befriends a mysterious stranger who offers him a job and a residence. The two roommates bond as they learn about each other's pasts. Their relationship heats up once they work in the same office together.

The first half of HIStory 5: Love in the Future is incoherent nonsense. The convoluted plots, amateurish acting, and obnoxious characters constantly make me cringe. However, the series improves after the romances develop. While both couples suffer from annoying drama, their flirting and physical intimacy create affectionate relationship moments. Also, the terrible story becomes campy enough that it's ironically enjoyable.

HIStory 5: Love in the Future Summary

Title:

HIStory5 遇見未來的你

Series Info:

Taiwan (2022)

Length:

8 hours

Total Episodes:

10 episodes

Genre:

Fantasy

About:

HIStory 5: Love in the Future is a wild & intense BL drama.

Plot

Bo Wei and Han Yi befriend each other.

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 Trailer

HIStory 5: Love in the Future Cast

Characters

Bo Wei

Sean Chang (張碩航)

Bo Wei is portrayed by the Taiwanese actor Sean Chang (張碩航).

Bo Wei is an ordinary delivery worker. He has a close relationship with his grandmother. One night, Bo Wei is magically transported into the future and can't return to his original timeline. He must settle down into his new life, adopting the identity of "Johnny". Bo Wei befriends Hai Yi, who offers him a job and a residence.

Sean Chang

Sean Chang (張碩航) is a Taiwanese actor. He is born on August 23, 1995.

Sean Chang (張碩航) is a Taiwanese actor. He is born on August 23, 1995. His first BL project is the 2022 series, HIStory 5: Love in the Future.

Hai Yi

Linus Wang (王肇緯)

Hai Yi is portrayed by the Taiwanese actor Linus Wang (王肇緯).

Hai Yi is Bo Wei's roommate. Initially, they met because Hai Yi was dissatisfied with Bo Wei's customer service during a delivery task. Eventually, they cleared up their misunderstanding. Hai Yi hires Bo Wei for a freelance job, which involves tracking his ex-girlfriend. As Hai Yi and Bo Wei grow closer, they move in together and become roommates.

Linus Wang

Linus Wang (王肇緯) is a Taiwanese actor. He is born on September 14, 1990.

Linus Wang (王肇緯) is a Taiwanese actor. He is born on September 14, 1990. His first BL project is the 2022 series, HIStory 5: Love in the Future.

Wynn

Jason Tauh (徐韜)

Wynn's actor is portrayed by the Thai actor Jason Tauh (徐韜).

Wynn is Bo Wei's friend. He is a new office employee working for Poseidon Department Store. He develops a close bond with his boss, Vincent. However, the other employees are jealous of Wynn's relationship and bully him. Wynn is too kind and gentle to retaliate, even if his coworkers pick on him.

Jason Tauh

Jason Tauh (徐韜) is a Taiwanese actor. He is born on June 29, 1996.

Jason Tauh (徐韜) is a Taiwanese actor. He is born on June 29, 1996. His first BL project is the 2017 series, Red Balloon. He also stars in the 2022 drama, HIStory 5: Love in the Future.

Vincent

Anson Chen (陳璽安)

Vincent is portrayed by the Taiwanese actor Anson Chen (陳璽安).

Vincent is Wynn's boss at Poseidon Department Store. Vincent is a well-respected business leader with much company support. He grows fond of Wynn, the new employee. Vincent often shows preferential treatment towards Wynn, including breakfast in his office. The other employees become jealous of their relationship. They start bullying Wynn, to Vincent's dismay.

Anson Chen

Anson Chen (陳璽安) is a Taiwanese actor. He is born on October 30, 1987.

Anson Chen (陳璽安) is a Taiwanese actor. He is born on October 30, 1987. His first BL project is the 2022 series, HIStory 5: Love in the Future.

Supporting Cast

Fu De is portrayed by the Taiwanese actor Ouyang Lun (歐陽倫).

Fu De

Ouyang Lun (歐陽倫)

Momo is portrayed by the Taiwanese actress Elaine Ho (何紫妍).

Momo

Elaine Ho (何紫妍)

Bo Wei's grandmother is portrayed by the Taiwanese actress Naihua Lin (林乃華).

Jin Hua

Naihua Lin (林乃華)

Hai Yi's father is portrayed by the Taiwanese actor Scott Wang (王耿豪).

Hai Yi's dad

Scott Wang (王耿豪)

Hai Yi's aunt is portrayed by the Taiwanese actress Winnie Chang (張詩盈).

Hai Yi's aunt

Winnie Chang (張詩盈)

Tony is portrayed by the Taiwanese actor Nick Lai (賴煜鴻).

Tony

Nick Lai (賴煜鴻)

Si Chi is portrayed by the Taiwanese actress Isabelle Chen (簡莉紋).

Si Chi

Isabelle Chen (簡莉紋)

Mr. Wu is portrayed by the Taiwanese actor Jin Zong Guan (管謹宗).

Mr. Wu

Jin Zong Guan (管謹宗)

Mr. Tseng is portrayed by the Taiwanese actor Ted Liao (廖錦德).

Mr. Tseng

Ted Liao (廖錦德)

Xing Si is portrayed by the Taiwanese actor Michael An (安俊朋).

Xing Si

Michael An (安俊朋)

Yong Jie is portrayed by the Taiwanese actor Wico Lin (林嘉威).

Yong Jie

Wico Lin (林嘉威)

Hai Yi was young when he met Bo Wei.

Young Hai Yi

Cast Highlights

  • Bo Wei's actor (Sean Chang) appeared in a supporting role in the 2022 Taiwanese drama 49 Days with a Merman.
  • Wynn's actor (Jason Tauh) starred in the 2017 high school BL series Red Balloon.
  • Xeng Si and Yong Ji's actors (Michael An and Wico Lin) appeared in the previous HIStory installment, HIStory 4: Close to You. They portray the same characters.
  • Vincent's actor is Anson Chen (陳璽安). He is not the same Anson Chen (陳立安) who starred in HIStory 4: Close to You.

HIStory 5: Love in the Future Review

Review

Drama Review Score: 6.1

C-
Han Yi gives Bo Wei a kiss on the cheek.

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.

Summary

Bizarre story

HIStory 5: Love in the Future butchers its convoluted time-travel plot. The incoherent events and obnoxious humour create a bizarre narrative. This series regurgitates nonsense episode after episode.

Annoying romance

Although the leads have annoying personalities, they form a compatible romance. Their flirty banter wins over me after a while. Both couples appear uninhibited during physical intimacy scenes.

Amateurish acting

The amateurish acting is sometimes embarrassing. The leads can't emote or cry convincingly. Furthermore, they lack comedic chops and cannot deliver over-the-top humour.

Happy ending

HIStory 5: Love in the Future has a happy ending for both couples after resolving their conflicts. The finale offers a moral dilemma for Bo Wei. His decision is a cop-out, diminishing the emotional impact.

Decent artistry

The series is decently made with some pretty visuals during romantic moments. With that said, the production seems less polished than HIStory 4. It may be working with a smaller budget.

61%

HIStory 5: Love in the Future is a convoluted mess with an incoherent plot, teetering between cringy and campy. The series improves slightly in the second half as the flirty romances heat up.

HIStory 5: Love in the Future Episodes

Episode Guide

Vincent and Wynn flirt with each other.

HIStory 5: Love in the Future has a total of 10 episodes. Each episode is around 45 to 50 minutes long. The last episode is around 60 minutes long. Some versions of HIStory 5 split the 10 episodes into 20 shorter episodes instead. It is a long BL drama, and you can finish the entire series in around 8 hours. HIStory 5: Love in the Future started on December 28, 2022 and ended on March 1, 2023.

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
Episode 9
Episode 10

Episode Reviews

Episode 1

OMG. The dialogue and acting are really cringy. I appreciate HIStory 5 for doing a time-travel plot, but its execution is poor. The events after Bo Wei's arrival don't feel reasonable or coherent.

Episode 2

I can't decide whether the story is cringy or campy. The plot is so dumb that I can't take the characters or their antics seriously. Also, the amateurish acting gives me second-hand embarrassment.

Episode 3

We need a fresh slate of storylines. Whatever is happening with Hai Yi's ex seems unenjoyable. The secondary couple's scenes are cringy. Why are the boss and employee interacting like this?

Episode 4

OMG. Wynn's coworkers are evil! Why do they randomly gossip about their crime in the elevator lol? Bo Wei's storyline is dull. I don't care about his time travel, new identity, or whatever.

Episode 5

Vincent and Wynn are awkward together with an iffy dynamic. However, the couple is kinda cute after they start dating. The leads are also growing on me, but they need better storylines.

Episode 6

I enjoy this episode more than the previous ones. Hai Yi inheriting his father's company is a juicer storyline, giving the plot more direction. I also like seeing Hai Yi and Vincent's feud.

Episode 7

Hai Yi and Bo Wei's romance is more enjoyable than I expected. Initially, both characters annoyed me. However, their flirty interactions have grown on me. I feel giddy when they kiss in this episode.

Episode 8

OMG. So many steamy kisses in this episode! I enjoy Bo Wei and Hai Yi's chat outside the quarantine door. They make cute boyfriends with a healthy balance of physical and emotional intimacy.

Episode 9

OMFG. Not the demon spawn from HIStory 4! Don't bring him back! This episode gets an "F" review score because of him. Also, I feel uncomfortable with the misogynistic comments in this series.

Episode 10

I'm satisfied with how the corporate plot ends. Yet, the story takes an easy route with Bo Wei not returning to his timeline. It cheapens the emotional stakes. I like the scene with the grandma, though.

HIStory 5: Love in the Future Ending Explained

Ending

Happy ending

HIStory 5: Love in the Future has a happy ending for both romances.

HIStory 5: Love in the Future has a happy ending where both couples stay together. However, they face some emotional drama. In the finale, Bo Wei is given the option to return to the past. He plans to reunite with his grandmother. Yet, Bo Wei has developed feelings for Hai Yi and doesn't want to abandon his boyfriend. Nonetheless, he decides to leave. Bo Wei keeps his departure a secret from Hai Yi and meets with Fu De to teleport to the past.

Hai Yi learns about Bo Wei's plans at the last minute and stops him. Hai Yi reveals that Bo Wei's grandmother had died already. In the old timeline, Jin Hua missed her grandson so much that she died from a broken heart. Even if Bo Wei returns now, his grandmother won't be there to greet him. Bo Wei cries about not being able to say goodbye, but he decides to remain in the future with Bo Wei. The couple visits the cemetery to pay their respects. As Bo Wei introduces his boyfriend, his grandmother's ghost looks on enthusiastically. She approves of their relationship.

Vincent and Wynn

Vincent and Wynn kiss in the HIStory 5: Love in the Future ending.

In the past few episodes, Vincent seemed to be colluding with a rival company to overtake Poseidon Department Store. His shady actions disgust Wynn, who is loyal to the business. However, the finale reveals that it was just an act. Vincent and Hai Yi are in cahoots to expose the Vice Chairman's crimes. Vincent pretends to get chummy with the corrupt business executive, only to report all his findings to Hai Yi. They've finally collected enough evidence to bring down the Vice Chairman.

Vincent and Hai Yi kept up this charade to fool everybody, including Wynn. The gullible Wynn feels terrible for not trusting his boyfriend. They reconcile in a passionate encounter. Later, Wynn also discovers Vincent has been his benefactor at the orphanage. Previously, Wynn was thankful to Hai Yi's father for supporting him. However, it was primarily Vincent who helped behind the scenes. Vincent kept his history a secret because he didn't want Wynn to feel indebted to have a romance with him.

In the HIStory 5: Love in the Future ending, Vincent quits his corporate job. He wants to pursue his aspiration of living by the beach. Surprisingly, Wynn also resigns from his dream job. Although he once vowed loyalty to Poseidon Department Store, Wynn realizes he's devoted to his boyfriend. He'll follow wherever Vincent wants to take their relationship. The couple reaffirms their love for each other and kisses tenderly on the beach

Xing Si and Yong Jie

Xing Si and Yong Jie get engaged in the HIStory 5 ending.

Unfortunately, the worst couple of HIStory 4: Close to You returns in HIStory 5: Love in the Future. I usually get excited about any guest cameo in BL dramas, but Yong Jie's character is the exception. Seeing this demon spawn again fills me with dread and agony in the pits of my soul. I thought the trauma of HIStory 4 would've simmered during the past two years, but apparently not. Oh my god, I hate him so much. Get this awful creep away from HIStory 5!

When Yong Jie first appears in Episode 9, he introduces himself as "I'm Xing Si's little brother, and also his boyfriend!" I'M SCREAMING. Why would you describe yourself like this!?!? He's so proud of his incestuous history, wearing it like a badge of honour. Unfortunately, this couple gets a minor subplot in HIStory 5. In the final episode, Yong Jie proposes to Xing Si. His partner accepts. All the characters gather for an engagement party on the rooftop. It's supposed to be a joyous occasion, but I'm aghast.

Ugh, this is the WORST TIMELINE confirmed. Before HIStory 5, I could still imagine that Xing Si came to his senses and dumped his rapist stepbrother off-screen. Now, their marriage is an undeniable part of the HIStory canon. Xing Si, why are you marrying your abuser!? Why are you so committed to this hellish relationship with the demon spawn!? I was sympathetic to Xing Si's character last season, but he doesn't love himself. This man is a lost cause and has fallen tragically into the sunken place. We can only save those who want to be saved. 😞

HIStory 5: Love in the Future Information

CHOCO Media Entertainment

CHOCO Media Entertainment (巧克科技新媒體有限公司) is a Taiwanese studio famous for creating the HIStory franchise.

CHOCO Media Entertainment (巧克科技新媒體有限公司) is a Taiwanese studio famous for creating the HIStory franchise. It has produced many BL series, including HIStory 2: Crossing the Line, HIStory 3: Trapped, and HIStory 4: Close to You. The company used to be CHOCO TV, a streaming platform in Taiwan. After its services ended, the HIStory team continued making BL dramas.

Director

Nancy Chen (陳怡妤) is a Taiwanese director. Her first BL project is the 2021 series HIStory 4: Close to You and Papa & Daddy. In addition, she directed Papa & Daddy 2 (2022) and HIStory 5: Love in the Future (2022).

  1. This review is spot-on, as usual. Although there were moments when I enjoyed the leads' romantic interactions, their personalities were otherwise annoying and this plot was utterly incoherent (Was the angel a good guy or a bad guy? What was the guarantee that if Bo Wei traveled back, he would land in a time before his grandmother's death? etc.). Bo Wei's cop-out was a downer too. The best part for me was the plot twist in the second half, and although their boundaries were murky, I enjoyed Vincent and Wynn as a couple. I am glad they are not boss and junior employee anymore.Wishing them happy ever after in their beach hotel.

  2. Is good to have somebody so objetive doing such a wonderful review. I decided to watch it setting my expectations sort of low. Probably because I knew the shortfalls ahead and probably because I am bleeding heart, I was blinded by the beauty of the series and I was in awe with the side story from the stepbrothers of History 4 at the end. I know the connoisseurs are more demanding but for me it was just beautiful.

  3. In a word, this HIStory ep 5 was just … annoying! Sean Chan constant overacting was awful to watch and would have stopped after the first chapter if it wasn't for the second couple. Even then, it really was an struggle to finish it. Personally I would got rid of the first couple all together… This episode really ruined the quality of the HIStory series in my opinion. It was bad, bad, bad…Rating C-? sorry but I cannot agree with you on this one… it should have been like M or N or even P!! lol

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