It may not be pure perfection, but it's taken such a special place in my heart, I'm unable give it any other score.
I watched the series anxiously at the beginning of this year, cautious because I'm aware of how some BLs go. The summary of the plot made me worried of all the possibilities for non-consensual actions and toxic relationships, but god how glad I am I was wrong. Their build-up is complex and the slowly developing trust is beautiful.
I read the novel a few months back, which made me fall in love with the drama even more. The novel's best quality is how their emotional development is portrayed, from both perspectives, and for that alone I recommend it. However, the murder mystery aspect is much less developed - for one, Bun doesn't even know Jane, and the case is solved halfway through the book. The latter half is about Bun investigating who outed him to his ex, something nonexistent in the drama. It was still a nice read, but slightly anticlimactic. The show develops the mystery greatly, adds characters and gives depth and story to those already present.
I also couldn't not mention the ~vibe~ of this drama. All the forests and mists and wooden houses, the small town claustrophobic feeling of everyone knowing each other... I wanna live in Viangpha Mork, I don't care how corrupt it is.
I could talk about this show and what it means for queer represantation all day but I'll stop at this - it's a beautiful story of love developing in harsh circustances, between two well-written characters who have to balance their mistrust and life situations with how irresistibly they're drawn to each other. This is the healthiest romance where one person pulled a gun on the other, no question.