Human minds are biologically wired to be drawn towards the "unknown" and I must say that this has unintentionally worked excellently in favor of this series. Since this has never happened before with any other series, the audience had a "novel" experience.

"Novelty" is also something that human minds are biologically wired to be drawn towards. It is clear that the creators did not anticipate or expect such a high rate of success and such an overwhelming response from the audience.

I have always liked watching stories with the enemies to friends/lovers trope, but this one does it exceptionally well without being explicit about what exactly the relationship between the leads is. It dangerously but effectively treads the fine line between friendship and romance which drives the audience crazy.

It is this "unknown" factor of their relationship that keeps the intrigue and engagement of the audience ongoing, as this "unknown" factor gives room for interpretation and imagination of the human mind to run wild.

Thus objectively speaking, the interpretation depends on the perception of the person who is watching it. My subjective interpretation based on my perception is that, this is a strong platonic bond of love between 2 boys.

Now that the elephant in the room is addressed, I would like to talk about specific points that I feel important to say.

I somehow feel that this series would not have been able to achieve this amount of success on the basis of its plot alone. The plot is definitely good and addresses some serious social issues, but it does have its shortcomings.

Not all issues are effectively or convincingly resolved. Also, one has to suspend disbelief in certain situations to be able to enjoy it to the fullest. I felt that some of the side characters did not have enough screen time to resolve certain conflicts convincingly (Peeta, Peeta's Mother, Ken, Ken's Father, Knot, Nate). Some of them lacked depth in their personalities (Thiu, First, Tangmay, Ging)

It is actually the actors and their performances that have stood out and have made this series a success. All the actors are great in their roles, even if some of them do not get enough screen time or lack depth in their personalities.

The chemistry between the leads is extraordinary and magical. Their acting talent is amazing and the portrayal of complex emotions just through the expressions in their eyes, facial features and body language even without voicing them, are outstanding and mesmerizing. Their screen presence alone oozes charisma and magnetism.

There is no way that the audience would not be affected by such awesomeness. So I'm not surprised that this series is a massive hit.