Loveless Society – Series Review

Nut works at a small marketing agency with his friends Mick and Sa. Mick is the designer, Sa is the photographer, and Nut is responsible for the project management. The three of them are close friends, working cohesively for several years. Their team has another graphic designer, an unpopular coworker called Bright. However, he isn't part of their clique and often clashes with them.

The creative agency has a new advertising project, potentially winning an award for the company. Nut's boss recruited an independent consultant called Guy to collaborate with the team. Guy has a successful reputation in the industry, earning himself the nickname "The Wizard of Ads". However, Nut doesn't like working with an outsider and their relationship begins frostily.

In his student days, Nut drew a picture titled Loveless Society. When Guy came across his artwork, he was inspired by the messaging and wanted to learn more about the artist. That's the reason why he wanted to collaborate with Nut's agency. Although Guy comes across as rude and arrogant, he is actually curious about Nut and develops an interest in him.

As Guy and Nut work on the project together, they ease their initial hostility towards each other. An attraction begins to form between them. However, Nut feels insecure about Guy's past reputation as a playboy. Another complication is Mick, who has harboured an unspoken crush on Nut for many years. Mick is uneasy about the growing bond between his coworkers, but he still can't gather the courage to give his love confession.

Loveless Society cannot be considered a good BL series. The writing feels rough, the romance has no spark, and the low-budget production is pitiful. However, the juicy soap-opera plots appeal to the side of me who is a messy bitch and lives for drama. Some emotional moments are surprisingly compelling, while other theatrical scenes are unintentionally entertaining. I don't think it's quite on the level of a guilty pleasure, but Loveless Society is still enjoyable despite its flaws.

In Loveless Society, the protagonist Nut must decide on his feelings between two men. One is his new colleague Guy, a successful business professional with a magnetic personality. The other is his best friend Mick, who had a secret crush on him for six years. I'm wary of BL love triangles since the final outcome seems like a foregone conclusion. You're meant to root for the designated couple over the other doomed pairing. In this case, the official romance is supposed to be Nut and Guy. Yet, I'm way more invested in Nut's relationship with Mick instead.

I'm pretty sure Nut and Guy are meant to be endgame, but their storyline is a complete bust. Guy is an unlikable love interest, appearing rude, arrogant, and sleazy in almost every scene. His characterization isn't balanced and the series goes overboard in portraying him too unflatteringly. Besides an unattractive personality, there's no chemistry between the leads. The characters feel forced together and I don't understand what they see in each other. Their relationship is not just loveless, but it's also joyless, passionless, and meaningless.

In contrast, Nut and Mick have a riveting dynamic. For starters, they share a complex history as long-time friends and coworkers. There's a richer context to their attraction than falling in love with the random new guy at work. In addition, Nut's feelings for Mick aren't spelled out explicitly. The ambiguity makes you speculate how he perceives his friend, creating a potent sexual tension in their interactions. Unsurprisingly, the most engaging scenes are the one-on-one exchanges between Nut and Mick. Loveless Society shines when it focuses on their intimate relationship.

I appreciate this series for including some workplace drama beyond just the BL romance. Unfortunately, the work-related subplots get executed clumsily and many scenes aren't written well. In general, Loveless Society suffers from a silly, inelegant script. The narrative tends to be ridiculous and tacky instead of realistic and down-to-earth. Sometimes, the writing quality reaches a territory of so bad that it's good. The characters behave recklessly and thoughtlessly, but at least they maximize the drama!

There are only four episodes in Loveless Society because its filming schedule got impacted by COVID. I won't judge the open-ended conclusion since the story is planned to continue through a second season. However, this series has a lot of room for improvement in its current state. Most aspects feel unpolished, from the amateurish acting to the crude camerawork. Nonetheless, the story is still occasionally amusing with its provocative melodrama. While far from perfect, I have a soft spot for Loveless Society and think it's an alright effort from a small BL studio.