Love Conceals Its Blade – Series Review & Episode Guide

Chanon works at a hospital as a doctor-in-training. Three years ago, his mother was an innocent bystander who was accidentally killed in a gunfight. The shooter, Raykin, comes from a wealthy family with shady criminal ties. Raykin's younger brother, Leo, helped cover up the crime. His henchmen, Wut and Thakun, falsified reports and hid the body. Leo even funded the entire operation. Due to all his money and power, Raykin walked away without a scratch. Zero charges. No prison time.

Chanon can't move on from his mom's death. He has spent the past three years investigating the murder and building the perfect revenge plan. His idea is simple on paper. Seduce Leo. Get inside his inner circle. Once he has access, he'll take down his mom's killer and everyone involved. One by one. Of course, it isn't that easy. When Chanon first approaches Leo at a bar and introduces himself, alarms go off immediately. Within seconds, he has guns pointed at his head. Leo and his crew don't trust him at all.

After that failed introduction, Chanon tries again. He secretly stole Leo's wallet at the bar and set up a meeting to return it. Leo shows up, but he's on high alert. He has already looked into Chanon's background. He knows Chanon is a doctor at a hospital funded by Leo's family. What he doesn't know is the connection to Chanon's mother. Still, Leo is convinced this stranger has some hidden agenda. Chanon plays it cool and claims he wants to get to know a handsome guy better. Leo doesn't believe him. He pulls out a gun and threatens Chanon's life.

Chanon and Leo's tense showdown gets cut short by a sudden assassination attempt. A random woman rushes in and tries to stab Leo. Turns out Chanon isn't the only person with a revenge fantasy. Her plan fails. Chanon jumps in to protect Leo and takes the knife himself. Chanon is badly injured, though he survives. By shielding Leo from the attack, Chanon earns Leo's trust. Leo starts to believe that maybe this doctor really is innocent. Or at least, not a threat.

Soon enough, Chanon becomes Leo's lover. Leo is all about control and sets strict rules. Do not leave the house without permission. Be loyal to him and only him. Chanon insists on keeping his independence and continuing his career as a doctor. He refuses to be locked away. Ironically, that backbone only makes Leo more interested. Leo eases up and gives him some freedom. Yet, Leo expects their relationship to become physical right away. Chanon has to swallow his pride. To earn Leo's trust, he's willing to sleep with the enemy.

Leo falls hard for Chanon. When the others still believe that Chanon might have ulterior motives, Leo shuts it down immediately. He refuses to hear a bad word about his lover. Chanon knows how to use the relationship to his advantage. He plays the devoted partner, saying all the right things. But none of it changes his endgame. Despite the physical intimacy, he never wavers from his original plan. Revenge is still the goal. Wut. Thakun. Raykin. And yes, even Leo himself. Chanon is ruthless and plans to take them all out with his own hands.

Love Conceals Its Blade begins with a hilariously deranged plot. I'll get revenge against my mother's killers!!! 😠 But first, I must hook up with the killer's brother… 😘 I was entertained from the get-go. Any revenge manifesto that involves sucking dick already sounds legendary. I cracked up at the absurd scenes where Chanon sneaks out at night, murders a bad guy, then snuggles up to Leo like nothing happened. Just your average Wednesday evening, y'know? Watching this sociopathic mastermind pull off his plan is so much fun!

Does the series seem realistic? Hell no. Not even close. Are there plot holes? Yeah, every episode has some illogical nonsense that should completely break the story. But whatever! I don't care! If it stays fun and campy, I'm happy to go along with everything. I'm fully Team Chanon on his killing spree. Thank god all his enemies are dumbasses that let him get away with murder. The bad guys are cartoonishly evil. These one-dimensional villains make it easy for me to go, "yeah, that guy can FOAD." My conscience stays spotless every time he pulls on that black hoodie and goes hunting. You go get 'em, serial killer boyfriend!

Chanon's plan is to make Leo fall in love with him and gain his trust. I thought this might take a while, since Leo seemed cautious at the start. But then? The guy folded SO fast. Whatever sorcery Chanon pulled during sex, it worked too well. Leo is already dickmatized after one hookup and trusts this random guy completely. The story missed an opportunity here. Make Leo harder to crack! Show us how Chanon tears down his lover's barriers one by one, physically and emotionally. That slow-burn seduction and psychological warfare would have been juicy content.

Chanon and Leo's relationship gets super physical. There are plenty of sex scenes, but their emotional connection feels shallow. They barely know each other. Yet, Leo becomes so lovestruck that it's annoying. He'd stand ten toes down defending his man, even when others raise valid concerns. Hey, don't you think it's suspicious that people keep dying after your new boyfriend shows up? Leo won't even entertain the idea that something is off. His blind loyalty makes him a less interesting character. We want someone smart and savvy who can match Chanon's energy.

This couple was dysfunctional from the start. Chanon literally wanted to murder Leo and his brother, so let's not pretend the romance was ever healthy. At least they had some gentle moments in the first half. But then? Their relationship turns SO toxic. The story nosedives into really dark territory. We're talking violence, rape, suicide… Their dynamic makes me feel deeply uncomfortable. It's impossible to root for them when they're hurting each other. And it's not like they have a deep bond in the first place. All this bleak drama makes their romance even less appealing.

I wish Love Conceals Its Blade ended sooner, because the story's second half drags on for too long. There's so much angst that the episodes stop being fun. By that point, I was fed up with Chanon and Leo's toxic drama. Just kill them both already so we can be free from this nightmare relationship! The finale is absurdly over the top. But the rest of the plot is equally ridiculous, so at least it's consistent. If you're searching for realism or complex storytelling, avoid this series. If you like camp and theatrical melodrama, Love Conceals Its Blade might be kinda enjoyable.