IKR! Some of the scenes literally made my jaw drop lol. They were so obvious!
I’ve only watched a couple Chinese live action dramas so far, so I’ve not heard of it, but I’ll definitely put it on my watchlist! 🙌 Did they have a lot of screen time in the show?
Holy shit they're actually so in love and I'm not even joking!! I only just finished episode 16, but the smitten…
Same lmaoooo!! I kept rewinding and cackling to myself like 'you guysss....' I swear they were SOOO having a moment and, in my mind, they definitely would've kissed if they hadn't been interrupted! 😂 Also, do you maybe wanna be mutuals on here? 👉👈 I've never done that before and you seem so cool!!
Holy shit they're actually so in love and I'm not even joking!! I only just finished episode 16, but the smitten…
They must've, lucky us lol! 😂 I'm on episode 22 now and it keeps getting better, that talk about the future in this episode, I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GUYS!! And Yuan Hong is cheesing so hard every time Zhao does anything adorable LMAOOO GAYASS I love them a lot 😭♡
Bromance? More like bromance without the b at this point!!I can't with this, it's gold 😭🙏
Holy shit they're actually so in love and I'm not even joking!! I only just finished episode 16, but the smitten way Yuan Hong is looking at Zhao Shao Shang throughout the whole episode needs to be studied, it's taking me out!! 😭 Happy this passed the censors LMAO 🙏
I just made it past ep 8 (first kiss....which was super hesitant, sensuous, and filled with so much promise)..…
Definitely a slow SLOW slowburn haha!! I also usually like these if done right, but I still need to feel the chemistry and I personally just didn't feel it with this one! I hope you have lots of fun with the rest of the series! <3
And yes, even by episode two I could tell the side couple was moving to break a world record lol love that for them! 😂
This is not a fast burn like 99% other BLs and the romance is handled in a different way, across three lifetimes,…
I know how slowburns work I promise 😭 I actually LOVE slowburns, and I generally prefer stories where romance isn't the main focus. Some of my favourite shows barely have any romance at all, or have couples who never even kiss. I also really dislike insta-love or stories where the characters immediately get together because it tends to feel shallow to me. So I definitely wasn't expecting them to be making out by episode 2, haha.
My issue with Khemjira wasn't that the romance wasn't moving fast enough, it was that I personally wasn't feeling much chemistry between the leads. That's obviously subjective, and I'm not saying my perception is objectively correct or that everyone else should feel the same way. There were definitely scenes that were trying to establish that chemistry, I just wasn't feeling it myself. And after over two hours of watching, I think it's fair to say that the show hadn't managed to hook me romantically.
I also don't think I look at this purely as a BL. I watch BL because I enjoy queer media, but it's not the only genre I watch and certainly not the only reason I watch a show. And honestly, the romance alone probably wouldn't have made me drop it anyway. Like I said in my original comment, I really loved the premise, the cinematography and the sound design, and I agree that it's such a unique show even outside of the BL genre!
The DV storyline was the bigger issue for me, and it's specifically the FRAMING that bothered me. I'm not against the storyline existing, and I don't think the husband necessarily had to remain an irredeemable monster forever. My problem was with how his remorse was presented to the audience.
For example, the scene where the husband bows before the master with emotional music playing. That really stood out to me. The music, the way it was shot and then the reveal that he’s going to the city to work and pay off his debt all made it feel very sentimental. It made it feel like we were being asked to see this as a moment of a man realizing his mistakes and trying to change... Personally I found that really uncomfortable given what he had done to his wife. There wasn't enough emotional distance from his actions for that scene to work for me as a redemption moment.
I also really didn't like that the victim was made to apologise to him. Even if she was possessed and trying to hurt him in that moment, that doesn't erase the fact that he had been abusing her beforehand. For me, having HER apologise to HIM in that context made the scene feel like the person who was abused was being asked to fix the damage. I found that really uncomfortable, especially since we had just watched what he had done to her earlier.
And that's why I don't think the storyline itself needed to be changed. The exact same basic story could have worked for me if the framing had been different. He could regret what he did, decide to change, go to the city to work and pay off his debt, etc. All of that could still be true, but I don’t think the show had to present those moments with such a sentimental emotional framing. Even something as simple as changing the music or shifting the emotional emphasis of that scene could have made a big difference. His remorse can be acknowledged without the narrative asking me to find the moment heartwarming, if that makes sense.
As for "I'd definitely not be able to stomach" later sensitive topics: I think that's a pretty big assumption based on what I actually wrote 😭 My problem isn't that the show contains upsetting material. I actively seek out angsty, disturbing and emotionally heavy stories. A lot of my favourite shows are crime dramas, and two of my favourites deal with domestic abuse, sexual abuse and human trafficking. I watch true crime as well, and even my last term paper at university was on Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery", which isn't exactly light reading. So sensitive subject matter itself really isn't a problem for me. I'm a grown-ass person, I can handle dark topics! I just didn't like the way this particular storyline was handled. There's a difference between "this topic is too upsetting for me" and "I think this topic was handled poorly"
And honestly, I don't mean any of this as an attack on the show or on people who love it! I'm actually glad if you enjoyed, and I can absolutely see why people would love it. I'm also really happy that we live in a time where queer media can exist and flourish to this extent, and where there's enough of it that we don't all have to force ourselves to finish something that doesn't work for us.
I was mostly just surprised by how differently I reacted to Khemjira compared to so many other people, especially because on paper it really did seem like something I'd love. So I was genuinely curious whether anyone else had dropped it for similar reasons. 😊
I'm on ep3 and it feels like a slooooooooow burn. But I can't say yet. Ep 3 you start to see hints of affection......…
thanks for the info!! i think i'm done with this show for now, there is probably no point in frustrating myself and possibly upsetting people who actually love this show (power to them honestly, happy they like it!). maybe I'll try again in the future.. i hope you'll end up loving this though, who knows maybe it'll pick up!! <3
Am I the only one who had to drop this show after episode 2?? I feel like I'm going crazy. I really thought I’d love this show because on paper, it is exactly my cup of tea: I love horror, I love BL, and the basic premise is fascinating + the cinematography and sound design are top-tier. But some things completely fumble (for me).
For starters, the pacing drags to an exhausting degree, and the chemistry between the main couple is drier than stale bread to me. I know this is a slow burn, but I really wasn't feeling the chemistry. I checked out after the second episode because I simply couldn't bear it any longer.
But way worse than that and my absolute dealbreaker is how abysmal the handling of domestic abuse is in episode 2. Don’t get me wrong, I love toxic storylines, angst, and heavy drama. The issue for me here isn't the presence of abuse, it’s about how the narrative frames it. The abusive husband is given entirely too much grace by the narrative, and it made me upset. I wanted to like this so badly, but the framing gave me a headache.
I'm sorry for the rant, but I feel so alone in this opinion. Did anyone else drop this out of sheer frustration? 🥲
News 
They sound awesome, will definitely give it a watch!!
(Also, do you maybe wanna be mutual? I’d love to connect with more people on here and you’re fun to talk too!! 🙌)
Did they have a lot of screen time in the show?
Lucky us, the censors were on vacation that day ✨
Also, do you maybe wanna be mutuals on here? 👉👈 I've never done that before and you seem so cool!!
I'm on episode 22 now and it keeps getting better, that talk about the future in this episode, I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GUYS!!
And Yuan Hong is cheesing so hard every time Zhao does anything adorable LMAOOO GAYASS
I love them a lot 😭♡
Happy this passed the censors LMAO 🙏
I can't with this, it's gold 😭🙏
And yes, even by episode two I could tell the side couple was moving to break a world record lol love that for them! 😂
My issue with Khemjira wasn't that the romance wasn't moving fast enough, it was that I personally wasn't feeling much chemistry between the leads. That's obviously subjective, and I'm not saying my perception is objectively correct or that everyone else should feel the same way. There were definitely scenes that were trying to establish that chemistry, I just wasn't feeling it myself. And after over two hours of watching, I think it's fair to say that the show hadn't managed to hook me romantically.
I also don't think I look at this purely as a BL. I watch BL because I enjoy queer media, but it's not the only genre I watch and certainly not the only reason I watch a show. And honestly, the romance alone probably wouldn't have made me drop it anyway. Like I said in my original comment, I really loved the premise, the cinematography and the sound design, and I agree that it's such a unique show even outside of the BL genre!
The DV storyline was the bigger issue for me, and it's specifically the FRAMING that bothered me. I'm not against the storyline existing, and I don't think the husband necessarily had to remain an irredeemable monster forever. My problem was with how his remorse was presented to the audience.
For example, the scene where the husband bows before the master with emotional music playing. That really stood out to me. The music, the way it was shot and then the reveal that he’s going to the city to work and pay off his debt all made it feel very sentimental. It made it feel like we were being asked to see this as a moment of a man realizing his mistakes and trying to change... Personally I found that really uncomfortable given what he had done to his wife. There wasn't enough emotional distance from his actions for that scene to work for me as a redemption moment.
I also really didn't like that the victim was made to apologise to him. Even if she was possessed and trying to hurt him in that moment, that doesn't erase the fact that he had been abusing her beforehand. For me, having HER apologise to HIM in that context made the scene feel like the person who was abused was being asked to fix the damage. I found that really uncomfortable, especially since we had just watched what he had done to her earlier.
And that's why I don't think the storyline itself needed to be changed. The exact same basic story could have worked for me if the framing had been different. He could regret what he did, decide to change, go to the city to work and pay off his debt, etc. All of that could still be true, but I don’t think the show had to present those moments with such a sentimental emotional framing. Even something as simple as changing the music or shifting the emotional emphasis of that scene could have made a big difference. His remorse can be acknowledged without the narrative asking me to find the moment heartwarming, if that makes sense.
As for "I'd definitely not be able to stomach" later sensitive topics: I think that's a pretty big assumption based on what I actually wrote 😭 My problem isn't that the show contains upsetting material. I actively seek out angsty, disturbing and emotionally heavy stories. A lot of my favourite shows are crime dramas, and two of my favourites deal with domestic abuse, sexual abuse and human trafficking. I watch true crime as well, and even my last term paper at university was on Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery", which isn't exactly light reading. So sensitive subject matter itself really isn't a problem for me. I'm a grown-ass person, I can handle dark topics!
I just didn't like the way this particular storyline was handled. There's a difference between "this topic is too upsetting for me" and "I think this topic was handled poorly"
And honestly, I don't mean any of this as an attack on the show or on people who love it! I'm actually glad if you enjoyed, and I can absolutely see why people would love it. I'm also really happy that we live in a time where queer media can exist and flourish to this extent, and where there's enough of it that we don't all have to force ourselves to finish something that doesn't work for us.
I was mostly just surprised by how differently I reacted to Khemjira compared to so many other people, especially because on paper it really did seem like something I'd love. So I was genuinely curious whether anyone else had dropped it for similar reasons. 😊
i hope you'll end up loving this though, who knows maybe it'll pick up!! <3
For starters, the pacing drags to an exhausting degree, and the chemistry between the main couple is drier than stale bread to me. I know this is a slow burn, but I really wasn't feeling the chemistry. I checked out after the second episode because I simply couldn't bear it any longer.
But way worse than that and my absolute dealbreaker is how abysmal the handling of domestic abuse is in episode 2. Don’t get me wrong, I love toxic storylines, angst, and heavy drama. The issue for me here isn't the presence of abuse, it’s about how the narrative frames it. The abusive husband is given entirely too much grace by the narrative, and it made me upset. I wanted to like this so badly, but the framing gave me a headache.
I'm sorry for the rant, but I feel so alone in this opinion. Did anyone else drop this out of sheer frustration? 🥲