I really love Hirano and the way portrays his character. The story is beautiful, deep, and inspiring. The actors are excellent, and the place is gorgeous. Still, there's something missing in the production that leaves me feeling a bit unsatisfied.
It might be because Kono doesn’t get enough screen time, and we don’t see the depth of his character. He gives off a sense of distance, which is part of the role, and he does it beautifully—so I don’t think it’s the actor’s fault. I just think there’s something off in the production. Maybe they don’t show enough of his side of the story, or maybe things move too fast. There’s no real buildup of tension.
I'm obsessed with this just like I was with Addicted. It's hard to wait until Monday- it’s constantly on my mind. Chai Ji Dan is a genius. I wonder if she’s the one guiding them in the behind-the-scenes videos.
I have a theory about the white snake and the symbolic meaning of the snakes in the series. ********With spoilers up until Ep 8*******
According to Chinese tradition, there’s a famous legend called The Legend of the White Snake, which seems highly relevant here-especially since Chi’s main snake is white.
The white snake symbolizes authentic love, perhaps a first love, that is difficult to let go of. It was given to Chi by his ex, meaning it represents his emotional history—his identity before he surrendered to social and familial pressure.
The fact that Chi keeps only the white snake in his room shows a deep, private, and hidden emotional attachment. It may symbolize his sexual identity.
His father confiscates the other snakes, and both of his parents try to force him to "straighten out"—a clear metaphor for the suppression of his personal identity by family and society.
Yueyue tries to kill the snake—an unconscious attempt to erase his past and his true orientation. She’s part of the effort to shape him into a socially acceptable, heteronormative version of himself.
Wu, on the other hand, protects the white snake. He not only accepts Chi’s orientation—he respects it. He helps Chi preserve a part of himself without having to sacrifice everything. Wu’s act is a conscious sacrifice: he might be jealous, but he doesn’t try to control—he chooses to support.
Thus, the white snake represents hidden or forbidden love, and perhaps Chi’s true sexual identity—something that is protected only by someone who truly loves him, even if they are not chosen in return.
This interpretation is based on what we’ve seen before episode 9. It may develop further, but so far, it seems likely that the author deliberately used the white snake as a symbolic reference to the legendary tale.
Let me know if you'd like a shorter or more literary version as well.
Can anyone tell me what the message on Chi Cheng's mother's cell phone means? There is no subtitle and i can not…
In episode 7, it's Wu asking that her son stop harassing him because he's normal. And in episode 8, it says to stop forcing her son to get married and have children because they love each other. The second message is from the girlfriend, who scheduled the marriage registration for next month.
That’s me. And my review isn’t because I dislike snakes smh. I actually have several reptiles and amphibians…
As I mentioned—and it seems you didn’t actually read what I wrote—this is a romantic fantasy comedy, so it’s not meant to be logical. In my opinion they carry spiritual meaning in Chinese culture, and there’s a symbolic layer here that isn’t supposed to make sense in realistic terms, but rather operates on a conceptual level. The son is fighting for his identity and his desire to be gay. His family opposes it and wants him to be “normal.” He’s currently in conflict with himself—whether to let go of his parents’ expectations or give in to their desire for him to become “normal,” marry a woman, and keep the “snake” (Gayness) hidden on the side.
It’s very possible she even intended a deeper meaning with the snake as temptation.
Based on what I’ve seen of her previous series, I believe she does put thought into the messages she conveys, even if it might appear ridiculous on the surface. This series is more comedic than her first one, but I still think there’s meaning here.
You could try asking her directly—maybe she’ll answer.
In any case, your critique wasn’t substantial and didn’t take into account the full scope, which includes plot, acting, music—there are review categories points for a reason, and they should be addressed accordingly.
This message is for the person who gave the series a 1 star rating just because they didn’t like the snakes in the first episode:
This is a romantic fantasy comedy, original, unconventional, and written by a gifted author who is also involved in the production. She sparked a revolution in the BL world about a decade ago and is now considered one of the most popular Chinese creators worldwide. Each episode attracts between 3 to 4 million views and that is no coincidence. Audiences in China and beyond deeply connect with her dramas and novels.
Giving the series a low rating just because of a brief appearance of snakes (which are animated, by the way) is neither fair nor constructive. Like any fantasy series, there are symbolic, surreal, or exaggerated elements. That is part of the genre and its charm. Yes, Chinese productions often use dubbing and somewhat cliché sound effects, which can slightly cheapen the overall production value, but beyond that, this is a clever and entertaining series. It deserves to be judged for its full comedic value, not dismissed over a minor detail in the opening.
I have mixed feelings. I actually like most of this show and its chaos. The chemistry and ridiculous plot points…
A very difficult scene that I skipped—it’s truly traumatic for the viewer. In my opinion, they should remove that disturbing scene. It is a rewritten version of the original novel that tones down the violence, because the screenwriter realized she had been too extreme and still.... She also issued an apology, acknowledging that she was too young at the time and didn’t understand the weight of what she had written.
In my view—and also based on my visit to China and from a YouTuber who has lived there for many years—the culture is very violent. My experience visiting clarified that this stems from the brutal dictatorship, which forces people to become harsh themselves.
That said, in the writer’s defense, there’s also something quite liberating about Chinese dramas in that they aren’t overly censored, and the courting dynamics are wildly unrestrained. I see it as something that reflects inner thoughts—like someone imagining doing something “out of bounds” and allowing themselves to explore it only in fantasy. It’s clearly not something that would ever be acceptable in real life.
It should also be said that films from other cultures can be very cruel as well, especially in other genres — including American, British, Russian, and Korean productions. There’s a lot of violence in their series too, maybe even more.But that kind of violence usually isn’t found in romantic series, and maybe that’s why there’s a sense of dissonance — between a show that’s supposed to be light and romantic, and the unimaginable cruelty that suddenly appears.
A few hours ago, I watched a long part of episode 7 on a Chinese channel that wasn’t the main one, and now I can’t find it anymore. I searched again and it was probably deleted. So frustrating.
The poor lead actor was swarmed at the airport because of his popularity. Who would've thought just a few episodes would cause such hysteria? Honestly, I’m obsessed with the show too — but attacking the poor actor? That’s just miserable. These Chinese fans have lost it.
The author who wrote the original novel behind the current series, Chai Jidan, stated that she regrets the themes in her early work—especially the depiction of "forced love," including rape, abuse, and other troubling content that was once widespread in Chinese online fiction. She explained that she was very young and emotionally unstable when she wrote it, and now, with greater maturity and in the wake of the MeToo movement, she finds much of that material unacceptable. Chai urged fans to avoid the original novel and instead follow the revised TV adaptation, which removes harmful elements while keeping the core story. Known for her creative control over her projects, Chai is also behind well-known BL dramas such as Addicted (2016), Stay With Me (2023), Advanced Bravely (2015), and Falling in Love with a Rival (2015).
It has a tag for violence against animals. What is it? Do you actually see it?
If you're watching an Asian series, never expect compassion toward animals (even though in the first episode it’s clearly Animation fight and not real). And if you're watching a Chinese series, don’t expect compassion toward humans either—like scenes of abuse or exploitation of young people. So the criticism is more about Chinese culture as a whole, not about the comedy series itself... but I definitely understand the distress.
This series is grotesque and funny (though it also reflects everything wrong with China—pimping, assaults, and more). But as long as it’s a comedy, you can’t really take it seriously. The two lead actors have insane chemistry and are both very attractive. The dubbing is unbearable, and so is the background effect music—but if you keep the volume very low, it’s impossible not to enjoy this Series.
I have mixed feelings about it. The first four episodes were very good, but the second half wasn’t as strong. I’m not sure if it’s because the characters felt too flat or because the scene order lacked consistency. There were sudden flashbacks at the end that came out of nowhere, instead of providing background earlier in the story. The series has some wasted potential, but overall, it was fun to watch.
1
1
The story is beautiful, deep, and inspiring.
The actors are excellent, and the place is gorgeous.
Still, there's something missing in the production that leaves me feeling a bit unsatisfied.
It might be because Kono doesn’t get enough screen time, and we don’t see the depth of his character. He gives off a sense of distance, which is part of the role, and he does it beautifully—so I don’t think it’s the actor’s fault. I just think there’s something off in the production. Maybe they don’t show enough of his side of the story, or maybe things move too fast. There’s no real buildup of tension.
********With spoilers up until Ep 8*******
According to Chinese tradition, there’s a famous legend called The Legend of the White Snake, which seems highly relevant here-especially since Chi’s main snake is white.
The white snake symbolizes authentic love, perhaps a first love, that is difficult to let go of. It was given to Chi by his ex, meaning it represents his emotional history—his identity before he surrendered to social and familial pressure.
The fact that Chi keeps only the white snake in his room shows a deep, private, and hidden emotional attachment. It may symbolize his sexual identity.
His father confiscates the other snakes, and both of his parents try to force him to "straighten out"—a clear metaphor for the suppression of his personal identity by family and society.
Yueyue tries to kill the snake—an unconscious attempt to erase his past and his true orientation. She’s part of the effort to shape him into a socially acceptable, heteronormative version of himself.
Wu, on the other hand, protects the white snake. He not only accepts Chi’s orientation—he respects it. He helps Chi preserve a part of himself without having to sacrifice everything. Wu’s act is a conscious sacrifice: he might be jealous, but he doesn’t try to control—he chooses to support.
Thus, the white snake represents hidden or forbidden love, and perhaps Chi’s true sexual identity—something that is protected only by someone who truly loves him, even if they are not chosen in return.
This interpretation is based on what we’ve seen before episode 9. It may develop further, but so far, it seems likely that the author deliberately used the white snake as a symbolic reference to the legendary tale.
Let me know if you'd like a shorter or more literary version as well.
And in episode 8, it says to stop forcing her son to get married and have children because they love each other. The second message is from the girlfriend, who scheduled the marriage registration for next month.
In my opinion they carry spiritual meaning in Chinese culture, and there’s a symbolic layer here that isn’t supposed to make sense in realistic terms, but rather operates on a conceptual level. The son is fighting for his identity and his desire to be gay. His family opposes it and wants him to be “normal.” He’s currently in conflict with himself—whether to let go of his parents’ expectations or give in to their desire for him to become “normal,” marry a woman, and keep the “snake” (Gayness) hidden on the side.
It’s very possible she even intended a deeper meaning with the snake as temptation.
Based on what I’ve seen of her previous series, I believe she does put thought into the messages she conveys, even if it might appear ridiculous on the surface. This series is more comedic than her first one, but I still think there’s meaning here.
You could try asking her directly—maybe she’ll answer.
In any case, your critique wasn’t substantial and didn’t take into account the full scope, which includes plot, acting, music—there are review categories points for a reason, and they should be addressed accordingly.
This is a romantic fantasy comedy, original, unconventional, and written by a gifted author who is also involved in the production. She sparked a revolution in the BL world about a decade ago and is now considered one of the most popular Chinese creators worldwide. Each episode attracts between 3 to 4 million views and that is no coincidence. Audiences in China and beyond deeply connect with her dramas and novels.
Giving the series a low rating just because of a brief appearance of snakes (which are animated, by the way) is neither fair nor constructive. Like any fantasy series, there are symbolic, surreal, or exaggerated elements. That is part of the genre and its charm. Yes, Chinese productions often use dubbing and somewhat cliché sound effects, which can slightly cheapen the overall production value, but beyond that, this is a clever and entertaining series. It deserves to be judged for its full comedic value, not dismissed over a minor detail in the opening.
In my view—and also based on my visit to China and from a YouTuber who has lived there for many years—the culture is very violent. My experience visiting clarified that this stems from the brutal dictatorship, which forces people to become harsh themselves.
That said, in the writer’s defense, there’s also something quite liberating about Chinese dramas in that they aren’t overly censored, and the courting dynamics are wildly unrestrained. I see it as something that reflects inner thoughts—like someone imagining doing something “out of bounds” and allowing themselves to explore it only in fantasy. It’s clearly not something that would ever be acceptable in real life.
It should also be said that films from other cultures can be very cruel as well, especially in other genres — including American, British, Russian, and Korean productions. There’s a lot of violence in their series too, maybe even more.But that kind of violence usually isn’t found in romantic series, and maybe that’s why there’s a sense of dissonance — between a show that’s supposed to be light and romantic, and the unimaginable cruelty that suddenly appears.