Joanie

So much for it not being banned because of the BL...

I never gave up hope. 🙏

I don't think it's being released in China. From what I understand, they seem to have worked their way around the censors by only doing an internatinal release outside of China. So those ban restrictions are probably still in play for those BL adaptions like you mentioned, and for BL series we would normally come to expect from there.

Thank you for doing some deep dive research. I have to admit, trying to uncover the mystery behind whether this is full BL or not has been exciting. It's also made watching it every week without truly knowing if it is more thrilling. I feel like episode 5 and 6 were really toeing the line toward BL territory as well. So I remain hopeful, because I'm starting to feel like this show has major potential to be one of the best.

Yes, it's definitely there. I managed to pick up on that myself, but this is normally what we would consider 'censored bromance' elements. Where they will only go so far to imply that a romantic interest exist between the two without overtly confirming anything. I think we wll be fine on that aspect of their relationship being explored, it's the more overt stuff that I'm hoping we get to see here.

Because I really need a good BL series from China after being screwed over with Justice in The Dark getting cancelled early.

This is very true. So I wouldn't bank on it being a BL based on the fact that it's on Gaga. But there have been BL series that were made in China that weren't censored. In Your Heart was one of the most recent ones, and from what I understand this series may be following in their footsteps with its release. So it can really go both ways.

It's quite good so far. Aside from that scene with the boy cryingfor what seemed like an eternity, I loved every minute of it. I really hope the BL part about it is true because it would be a shame to waste the potential of this couple on bromance. But even if it turns out that way, I'm already too invested in the characters and will enjoy it for what it is.

I'm happy I could offer my perspective to you, and I agree that there's no need for that sort of behavior here.

I guess your response didn't offend me like it did for others because I can understand it. I think your frustration to the situation is warranted. It sucks that all of these great stories have to be censored, and it would probably be better on some level that they don't touch them until these issues are dealt with.

But at present, I personally believe we shouldn't shy away from those that are trying to make an effort to tell these stories creatively, and respectfully. and I think there's power in keeping these stories popular when the push by the Chinese government is to hide them.

But again, I'd like to stress that I don't want this to be a permanant thing. I don't want this to become the standard for Chinese BLs. I just think for now, it's a fair alternative.

I agree with you.

I think it's much more complicated than just queerbaiting. Many of these series are developed to still imply the romance and relationships between the characters. The difference between queerbaiting and what's happening here, is the developers simply aren't allowed to overtly convey those relationships even if they wanted to, due to censorship laws. In most cases, it's more like they're giving us a chance to still enjoy these stories with creative subtext.

For me, it depends on the series and the effort that is made to keep those relationships in tact. If they're just stripping the stories and introducing new female characters to turn them straight, then I do take issue with that. Since it would feel like they're stealing queer stories and profiting off of them without the queer being involved. So it becomes a bit of a bastardization for me(just my personal opinion).

However, in most cases that doesn't seem to happen from the shows I've watched that are based on BL novels: Guardian, The Untamed, Word of Honor, Beloved Enemy, Killer And Healer, S.C.I, the sleuth of ming dynasty, etc... And of course, there are Chinese bromance shows that aren't based on novels that do good work to still imply the romance too, even though I hold those to a lessor standard. The series 'The Best Friend for example, almost clearly shows a relationship between the two male leads.

I just think it's unfair to shame the developers or even China's modern society for having such outdated regulations. It's not something that is in their control. If they were against it, BL wouldn't be popular over there. Period. And even with censorship, I think it's important that there's still some queer stories being told and represented in some fashion in their public spaces. With its popularity, you still get people to go back to read the original novels anyway, like you pointed out. The censorship wins if those stories are completely stopped.

So it's a win for everyone involved(the original author, the adapters, and the fans), despite the circumstances, and a lose for China's outdated regulators since they fail to quell its popularity.

I do think there's its own problems with settling for something that is less than ideal. But it is what it is.

Gutted to hear that this has apparently been put on some sort of hold. This one feels quite extraordinary so far and blends all of its elements so well. The cases have been so engaging and the chemistry between the leads is great(they're also amazing characters). One of the few series that have compelled me to check out the novel(I heard the series has followed it closely). I'd like to thank all the folks who provided the news updates, links, subs and coverage. Hopefully we will get to see the rest of this soon.

I can name a few that I don't see on your watchlist:

The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity(which has one of the actors from this series)
https://kisskh.at/53307-qing-ya-ji

Young Blood
https://kisskh.at/29866-young-blood

L.O.R.D. Critical World
https://kisskh.at/29094-l-o-r-d-critical-world

Soul Snatcher
https://kisskh.at/38941-spring-river-flower-moonlight-night

I enjoyed this through and through. The production value was amazing and gorgeous. The cinematography, costume, set designs, locations, coloring, ost, etc. were mesmerizing. The elaborate murder mysteries were also especially outstanding. And I think the cuts and limited episode count might've done some good here, since I found the pacing to be really good; Never lost a bit of interest despite going on numerous binges.

And of course, the compelling characters. Lan Jue and Zhang Ping went through a lot of growth throughout the course of the series, and I'm of the camp that believe their choices made sense in the long run, given they both found a new leader that they could trust to be fair to the people, free of the horrible influence that the Empress Dowager had brought about for an entire dynasty. Both learned the lesson that true justice is living by the example their teachers taught to them and knowing when to let go. At the end of the day, the people who should know, know the truth, and the people who did those evils are no longer around to spread more of it.

I'd also like to give special praise to Wang Duo, who is starting to become a favorite of mine. And I think it's worth mentioning that the bromance is especially good among many of the guys here(Lan Jue/Zhang Ping, Lan Jue/Wang Yan, Lan Jue/Gu Qing Zhang, Zhang Ping/Emperor Wang Xuan, Zhang Ping/Chen Chou). I'm so grateful this got released and feel the wait was worth it.

I was thinking Frequency(2000). It's had tons of remakes/adaptions, even one in South Korea(Signal: 2016), but I just found out 'The Lake House' movie is actually a remake of a SK film called 'Il Mare(2000)', So both films actually introduced this concept around the same time(with one originating from SK). I find that interesting, since this drama pulls elements from both films.

Are they even confirmed to be coupled in this? From the teasers I've seen Phayu seems to be paired with the girl(Baibua). Maybe she will be a third wheel?

I do see a lot potential with Rain and Phayu as a couple though and agree that they have the most interesting dynamic of the couples presented thus far(if they really do turn out to be one). They both struggle with their father's prospects. Rain also seems really attentive to the way he treats Phayu and his status at their home.

I liked it mostly because of the main and supporting cast. Joseph, Yu Ning, Baron, and Meng Zi Yi are from other projects that I've seen and enjoyed in the past. So they are who attracted me to the series, along with it being a Wuxia drama.

I also liked the cinematography and ost. I liked some of the fight choreography too, but there were critical moments that weren't done well or were glossed over entirely. I ended up feeling like the fight scenes were a mix bag overall. Some were great, some were okay, while some really sucked... The story dragged at points and some of the better characters' arcs started to become stale too. It just wasn't well executed overall. There were numerous plotholes and plot conviences that just didn't sit right with me.

The brotherhood and the friendships were the standouts in this series though. The drama and teamwork were very compelling. The final episodes were great, but I wasn't satified with any of the conclusions of their arcs. The cast did a wonderful job with what they were given though and gave us some great moments. Yang Tong as Di Fei Jing and Yi Xuan as Xiao Yao were nice new experiences for me. I would love to see them in future dramas. I also liked Yu Bin's Wuxie

Overall, I don't regret seeing this. For those interested in watching it, I would just suggest keeping expections to a reasonable level. This wasn't a masterwork, but there is plenty to enjoy here.

There's some irony here, since they both played characters in the Lost Tomb series that were said to share similar features. Leo Wu's character(Tomb of the Sea) was said to favor a younger Wuxie, which was played by Joseph in another Lost Tomb series(Ultimate Note).

Good point, but I think I agree with Saveria. In hindsight, I think Saint was probably just teasing/testing Soh since I believe Soh mentioned he may like the person he was buying those lollies for(which Saint knew was Mon).

I don't think I really had any issues with Saint throughout the series. He seems like a good kid that probably struggled with his sexuality back when he was still in high school with Mon. I think this was probably why he clashed so much with his father/coach, even though they didn't really elaborate on why they didn't get along.

It's tragic that he didn't really get to share his point of view back when he had more of an opportunity. I do hope Saint is able to move on and find someone more suitable for him.

Yes, you pretty much summed up my stance on it.

If Cooper were 15, and despite the age of consent in Thailand, then I would definitely have a personal issue with this for obvious reasons.

But I think him being 18 isn't really problematic. Their real age could be a problem if this were a real life relationship, or if this was promoted as a couple with the actors' real ages in mind. However, I don't think Pide is playing as the real age of his character in this.

I went back and did some research, and Q mentioned to Mickey that he was still majoring in Engineering, which suggest he's probably still an undergraduate at the university. In Thailand schools, that would probably place him at no older than 21.

So not a major enough age difference to be a problem for me here. I like them as a couple so far and wouldn't mind seeing more of them.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. They're well appreciated. :)

I actually agree with what you said, especially for the reasons you highlighted here. It very well could be a generational thing, since I too couldn't see how Mon would develop feelings for Saint within any reasonable amount of time. I could see it if they were exs, but Mon made it pretty clear he pretty much despised Saint up until well after he started developing feelings for Soh.

So, as it stands, I couldn't really see them becoming anything more than friends before Mon would properly get over Soh. It wasn't really about who had the better chemistry for me either like you mentioned. It had more to do with how the story had developed the characters. I think Saint missed his chance back when they were still in high school together, which is unfortunate.

And I wouldn't blame you for struggling in a dilemma like the one Soh was facing in this story. Long distance relationships are tough, and Soh only wanted to protect Mon's heart. Clearly, he realized he was wrong and tried to correct his mistake.

How old is Q supposed to be in this? I don't think the actor's age should be a reference point since Soh mentioned he was only a year older than Mon in Ep9. Mhing(Soh's actor) is actually much older than the character he plays for example.