Alex Mcca

I love your spot-on observations on sets and clothing of this series! This director whom I assume is gay (from his portfolio and look) is still an amateur filmmaker who even has to promote this series through his personal youtube account, from where I knew about this series.
He wants to make gay series but doesn't have the skill and financial resources which are unfortunate given the ban on such genre in China. I hope he could learn a thing of two from other successful overseas BL series while retaining the chinese essence and storytelling.

I'm biased towards mainland Chinese series too probably because I understand the language and culture well enough. I'm a 4th generation Chinese diaspora in Malaysia and many of us here speak and read 3 languages (Malay, English & Mandarin) and a few Chinese dialects (Cantonese, Hokkein, Teochew).
I used to watch mostly US gay themed films and series since teenage years until I accidentally stumbled upon Addicted and Like Love, both of my favorite, 5 years ago. I find the storylines rather similar to my experience or what I witness during my all boy Chinese high school years. We have probably the same taboo like china being a majority Muslim country but I was never doubtful of my sexuality because I read a lot about it once I found out my proclivity. I was out of closet after the internet age and experienced BL since puberty.
Anyway, you might remember I mentioned teenage boys playing genital grabbing around are common and following or finding out where your admired boy went or did is not "rape" or "stalking" if you do no harm as many SJW have come out in full force to downvote Addicted.

I don't think they are related from their looks. They probably just have the same surname. Chinese surnames are not as numerous (around 100 most common ones in 1.4 billions people) as western surnames with many different European surnames along the English ones.

It should be the Sichuan dialect which is mostly similarly to standard Mandarin with slightly different pronunciations for some words and sometimes different intonation. It is therefore not a different accent from standard Mandarin but a different dialect instead.

From Northern China, Central West to South Western China, the local dialects are grouped as Northern Chinese as they are mostly intelligible among one another whereas Southern Chinese which have many more different dialects such as Cantonese, Hakka, Shanghainese are mostly unintelligible among one another.

They look mature due to hair styling, the curly hair makes Bu Po Wen look mature who was hot and cute in another high school drama.

While the soft and subtle music scores make the story flow enjoyable, I really wish a dramatic music score similar to the one in Yanxi Palace has been used (whenever consort Guo makes angry accusation, lol)!
The few climatic scenes have no punch!

It is definitely from mainland china with distinctive accent that most Taiwanese actors cannot emulate well. There are still several budget films that have been released on web platform after the ban as long as they are not heavily promoted within mainland.

I know many western women could not stand unconsensual kiss or groping but it's very different when it happens between two guy friends than BG friends. Many boys play in such a way especially during puberty. I'd only call rape if this action is done repeatedly and after much resistance or any forced anal intercourse.
Will you call it rape if some naughty girlfriend grab her friend's boob out of curiosity or for a laugh?

How about another Japanese film, The Dangerous Drugs of Sex?

Those looking for innocent Boy Love storyline, please stay away from this movie. Otherwise, you can skip / fast forward the initial rape scenes and watch this movie which tells an unusual story (not the BDSM part) which happens to some people leading to their suicide/lack of will to live.

When Kent Tsai smiles and in some angles, he looks like the young version of Xiao Zhan!

I wonder why many of commenters here feel the Addicted vibes with this drama. The school blue tracksuit like uniform is the standard one worn in public school in mainland China.
The storyline is already different from the beginning where two ML are childhood friends and the setting is not like in old Beijing as seen in Addicted. The low budget of this drama suggests the classroom & principal room were shot on studio or some houses and not an actual school, lol. The same can be said with the director's previous drama Captive Lover where the office looks nothing like those we see in regular Chinese dramas.

As a Mandarin and Cantonese speaker, I can assure you this is a mainland Chinese production where standard mandarin (not Beijing accent though) is spoken. There have been some PRC BL short dramas that have been released since Addicted ban that are openly gay and involve kissing or sex scenes, the key is they remain on web release or not broadcast on major tv station.
I have seen a few Hong Kong BL dramas/movies, they tend to be dark, gloomy and tragic, so I still prefer ones from PRC, and I am a Chinese Malaysia, not mainland Chinese.

No subs for those of us who understand Mandarin, we could watch them at Dobuku or Italianonlinenetwork.

Loving the drama so far up to episode 18. It's better to have slow burn romance especially because the FL is the boss and 10+ years older. I can't stand the old troupe of CP falling in love after "accidentally" falling into each other's body.

He is so damn hot in The Long Ballad! From street singer to viral YouTube singer to OST singer for many great dramas, his look in this drama really showcast his defined features and tall slender body. Hope tk see more of him as main lead.

I didn't know this singer can act and cute. He has been singing many drama OST with amazing voice!

The easter eggs are YBY and ST from Ratan. If you understand mandarin, it's quite funny! ?

https://youtu.be/2ozebHWDOEE

I saw the two pillows of both of them in different postures, the kissing one must be fake, haha!
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Haha, I only rewatched episode two for that scene, I believe it should be a stove with pot for stew or boiling soup/herb. The fatty detective was looking for food in this area which is the kitchenette. Heater should be placed in the middle of the room.