Innocent – Series Review & Ending Explained

Story

Intriguing premise

Innocent has an intriguing premise with a terribly incoherent execution. I couldn't understand what was happening at first. The first episode was unintuitive, not explaining who the characters were or their dynamics to each other. At one point, I actually thought I watched the wrong episode. I started searching whether there was a prologue that I needed to watch first. That was how confused I felt.

With that said, I enjoyed Innocent once I finally comprehended the plot. Eventually, I figured out that Yu Shi and Noah were two separate identities that switched back and forth. Yu Shi is the innocent persona, whereas Noah is the standoffish personality. I like how the two roles are distinguished by whether the character wears his Clark Kent glasses. This detail reminds me of the BL visual novel Kichiku Megane, where the protagonist becomes a menacing top with his glasses on and a sensitive bottom with his glasses off. 👓

Poor storytelling

Innocent perplexes me with its inexplicable storytelling choices. The plot is structured so weirdly in disjointed fragments. For instance, we discover how Wu Zheng and Noah met each other during a flashback in the middle of Episode 3. This first encounter should've been the opening scene, clearly introducing the characters and their relationship. I shouldn't have to wait until halfway through the series to learn these guys are neighbours!

The series would be way more coherent if they followed a linear narrative from start to finish. Of course, that's not the only problem in Innocent. It also doesn't address a lot of details that would enrich the characterizations. We never find out what Noah does for a living, how he managed his condition in the past, or how he coped through life with DID. As intriguing as the premise was, the theme was only explored on a superficial level. It missed the opportunity to capitalize on so much potential.

Romance

Wu Zheng and Noah

In my opinion, the romance in Innocent is stronger than the story. While I don't think the relationship is that well-written, it comes with a few redeeming qualities. I enjoy the dynamic between Wu Zheng and Noah, who share a healthy mix of tension and flirtation.

Noah is a character archetype that I respond to immensely. His cold, aloof demeanour is a front used to hide emotional vulnerabilities. I love how Wu Zheng builds trust with him, breaking down his barriers through warmth and passion. Every time Wu Zheng makes a sentimental gesture and Noah tries to hide his smile, I get BUTTERFLIES. 🦋

I also dig the romantic encounters between the characters. Their emotional rapport is balanced with plenty of physical interactions, including kisses, embraces, and cuddles in bed. The scenes feel passionate even without being explicit. While I've seen better kissing in other BL series, I appreciate how Innocent emphasizes the physical attraction in the relationship. Plus, the actors look comfortable with each other, making their scenes engaging to watch.

Wu Zheng and Yu Shi

I'm not into the relationship between Wu Zheng and Yu Shi, which doesn't do anything for me. The romance with Noah works because it's a healthy dynamic between two consenting adults. Noah doesn't always reciprocate the romantic advances, but he can say no, stand up for himself, and communicate with his other half.

However, that's not the case with the other romance. It troubles me how quickly Wu Zheng initiates a sexual relationship with Yu Shi, who lacks cognitive ability. Yu Shi's mannerisms are so childlike and even the psychiatrist says he has the mindset of a five-year-old. Despite all the red flags, Wu Zheng proceeded to have sex anyway. His actions feel exploitative and I don't feel comfortable with their scenes together.

Jun Zhe and Shang En

I wasn't surprised by the Jun Zhe and Shang En romance since it was spoiled in the opening theme song. However, their pairing didn't make sense to me considering how little content they received. Their characters never interacted until the final episode. Even then, they only had two scenes to portray their "relationship". I must use quotation marks because I'm dubious about its legitimacy.

If they wanted to include a secondary couple, Innocent should have put more effort into their development. Either give them more scenes or simplify their romance. Since Jun Zhe and Shang En only share two scenes together, don't introduce last-minute conflict or make their relationship unnecessarily complex. Give us a quick and concise love story. Otherwise, just scrap this couple and use that extra time to polish other aspects of the story.

Acting

Decent acting

In my BL reviews, I mention how some actors aren't given enough material to showcase their talents. I think there's the opposite problem in this series. Noah's character is tremendously complex. Even though the writing for him could be better, there's still a lot of material to work with here. His performer gets to portray two distinctively different personas with a rich backstory of melancholy and trauma.

However, I think the actor (Bo Zhan Zhang) is just okay in his scenes. He's decent during the emotional climax in the last episode, but everything else is pretty ordinary. What should have been a multifaceted role is interpreted very literally, offering little in terms of nuance. When his character is upset, he furrows his eyebrows. When he's pensive, the actor stares blankly ahead of him. This series could've been an excellent showcase for his acting skills, yet he doesn't shine that much.

In contrast, his costar (Blake Chang) seems natural and gives a more charismatic performance. The actor carries a bit of swag and captures my attention in his scenes. I also like the rapport between the two leads, who look comfortable as they immerse in their physical interactions.

Ending

Happy ending

Innocent has a happy ending for Wu Zheng and Noah, who are still together three years later. Wu Zheng proposes to his boyfriend on their 1000th day anniversary, accepted with a smile and a kiss. They spend the night flirting with each other in bed as the ending credits roll. The final scene shows them holding hands as they go on a date, reaffirming their love for each other one last time.

Before this happy ending, there was an emotional scene where Noah describes his childhood trauma. Noah explains he was molested by a man in the park. The memory haunts him to this day. He created the Yu Shi identity as a consequence of that incident. Noah coped with his trauma alone all these years until he met Wu Zheng. "I give Yu Shi to you", Noah says with a gentle smile. Wu Zheng takes off his boyfriend's glasses. This symbolic gesture indicates Noah can be himself without putting on an identity. They share a passionate kiss afterwards.

Noah's confession is an excellent scene, poignant and straightforward without being overwrought. It's heartbreaking to hear what happened to him during his childhood. At the same time, I like how he opens up to Wu Zheng. "I give Yu Shi to you" is Noah trusting his boyfriend with his most vulnerable secret. Wu Zheng taking off the glasses is also a meaningful response, symbolizing that Noah doesn't have to adopt another identity around his boyfriend. Overall, the Innocent ending satisfies me. Plus, those steamy kissing scenes aren't half-bad either! 😘