K-Drama 
This review may contain spoilers
To My Shore: Fan Xiao, Portrait of a Monster
Disclaimer: Fan Xiao is a fictional psychopath. Any resemblance to your ex, your current stalker, or the guy who "just wants to know where you are" is entirely coincidental. Please do not accept gifts from strange men, and do not give out your door code. Let's respect each other in the comments.
When you start To My Shore, you don't get the impression that it is a romance—at least, not past the opening song. In that sense, the script doesn't try to coat its male lead in a golden varnish. There are no misunderstandings that act as "excuses" for his behavior. Fan Xiao is a beast. Let's acknowledge that first.
Fan Xiao is attacking on several fronts. He wants to tie You Shulang financially so he has the excuse to see him whenever he wants and a card to play against him. He is building a hamster's labyrinth, and You Shulang is the hamster. He seems to be helping him, even seducing him, but the goal is control.
But Fan Xiao adds his own twist: he seduces You Shulang as a game against him. If he can seduce Shulang, he has won. You Shulang is part of a game he doesn't even know he is playing. Bit unfair, isn't it? This is why I call Fan Xiao a coward: he wants to play games, but not on an even footing with his opponents.
In the end, Fan Xiao has a redeeming arc. He learns to put the needs of another person above his own. But his greatest atonement is not death; it's staying away from You Shulang for life. Because it was never You Shulang's task to reform a monster.
This is an excerpt from a longer analysis I wrote. You can read the full essay on my blog here: https://angryessays.substack.com/p/to-my-shore-fan-xiao-portrait-of
When you start To My Shore, you don't get the impression that it is a romance—at least, not past the opening song. In that sense, the script doesn't try to coat its male lead in a golden varnish. There are no misunderstandings that act as "excuses" for his behavior. Fan Xiao is a beast. Let's acknowledge that first.
Fan Xiao is attacking on several fronts. He wants to tie You Shulang financially so he has the excuse to see him whenever he wants and a card to play against him. He is building a hamster's labyrinth, and You Shulang is the hamster. He seems to be helping him, even seducing him, but the goal is control.
But Fan Xiao adds his own twist: he seduces You Shulang as a game against him. If he can seduce Shulang, he has won. You Shulang is part of a game he doesn't even know he is playing. Bit unfair, isn't it? This is why I call Fan Xiao a coward: he wants to play games, but not on an even footing with his opponents.
In the end, Fan Xiao has a redeeming arc. He learns to put the needs of another person above his own. But his greatest atonement is not death; it's staying away from You Shulang for life. Because it was never You Shulang's task to reform a monster.
This is an excerpt from a longer analysis I wrote. You can read the full essay on my blog here: https://angryessays.substack.com/p/to-my-shore-fan-xiao-portrait-of
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