Having already endured one vertical AI BL drama, I really should have known better before starting this second one. I kept it playing during my cardio session at the gym, and I was immediately struck by how much the plot mirrored my previous viewing. It features the exact same step brother romance angle, the same mystery girlfriend appearing near the end, and the same extra guy pining after one of the leads. The only redeeming quality was the runtime, as the entire production wrapped up in forty five minutes flat.
Because his mother married into wealth, Finn is forced to change schools, only to discover his new step brother, Aiden, attends the same institution. Despite being warned to keep his distance, Finn finds their initial encounter at school is as rocky as expected, yet an inexplicable pull persists between them. Finn tries to ignore the connection, especially since Aiden is straight and openly homophobic. The dynamic shifts when Finn is bullied, prompting the student council president, Ryan, to step in. Aiden warns Finn to avoid Ryan as well, but Finn dismisses the advice because Ryan appears to be a decent friend—until Ryan actually drugs him. Aiden arrives just in time to rescue Finn from the situation, and it is at this moment that their relationship turns physical. Ryan then leverages the incident to blackmail both of them, threatening to destroy their futures and blow up the family. Terrified of the consequences, Finn and Aiden force themselves to stay apart. However, when Aiden’s ex girlfriend kidnaps Finn in an attempt to permanently remove him from Aiden’s life, Aiden arrives with the actual head of the family, his grandmother. Ultimately, she ends up blessing the two of them and their future together.
Ryan manages to blackmail them using a dog caller from a gay club that Finn owns, which features a phrase regarding Aiden’s slave—the origin of the title. The editing was remarkably sloppy, which was a major standout for all the wrong reasons. Because the episodes felt poorly stitched together and were interrupted by odd glitches, I actually found myself watching the entire thing at double speed to prevent it from dragging. It made me wonder if I was watching an older production. My perspective on AI generated content remains the same; it feels hollow, as if something is perpetually missing, and I doubt this type of content possesses any real long-term staying power. Furthermore, the sex and kissing scenes lacked any build up, feeling as though they were simply tossed in at random. Most distracting, however, was how the three leads looked so much alike; aside from the glasses and blond hair, I would have struggled to tell them apart. While the runtime is short enough to allow you to try it and form your own opinion, it just didn’t land for me. The bottom line is that weak editing and a cast that blurs together drag this one down. (3/10)