Jakksen

Addicted was my first BL - I had seen a random clip of Timmy and Johnny acting far too gay to not be actually gay and thats how I found the show.

Had Chai Jidan found a way around the problematic content from her novel that was forthcoming in the series - and the show continued along the same quality to a slightly revised playing out of the time skip and what not, that show could have been a true masterpiece of gay storytelling.

Are you actually getting paid to do this?? Fr - that is a truly genuine question, do you get paid for this activity? What is it you are paid to do?

I can't actually understand behavior like this otherwise - you don't even seem to have an actual defined position or narrative that you are cleverly framing/pushing between your many, many accounts. What exactly is your agenda that explains the nonsense you've done to this page?

Is this all just so you can react and respond to other people's comments?

I've noticed you post Thai political issues. Do you have a connection with the show or the actors??

I think the reason we are shown so much of the masked man and know so much of his significance thru out ZH's life is so that we slowly come to realize that our mastermind is himself being played.

His sheer acceptance of the masked man as he was proves that he was blinded by his hatred and his lust for revenge, a pot his masters that raised him stirred frequently and kept at a simmer. Who trusts someone they have never seen the face of but have known personally, and have been alone with many times, for over a decade? Bc of his experience and consequential upbringing - he just readily accepts that everyone is out to assist "him" with "his" revenge.

He was raised to be a weapon. He was another's tool until the last few episodes and he didn't even know that. This is a revenge plot but its not depicting that in a positive light - hence the struggle and luck playing in. He ought to have died several times but his desires suited others interests - that is far more an accurate revenge story than most. His intelligence doesn't actually matter much - bc he can't see even what is right in front of him. Considering who the big bad is - the story is kind of a circle isn't it?

This is actual theme of this show, that revenge isn't worth it, and the writers went thru great lengths to tell and show why that is a true statement. ZH is shown multiple times refusing to change course and at the end he has only the women at his side he leaves with.

Antu is to humanize him - their romance isn't really necessary to the story and is something that ZH frequently denied himself in pursuit of his revenge despite a life with her being the right and better path. Her presence at the end is to give us to hope for their bright future but in reality she is merely the silver lining.

At the end, them showing him recalling walking into the city at the start was telling. Its more than simply how far he's come. Then his future, tho still darkened by his quest, was brighter than his future now - now he has attained all that he has sought after and great power, but that didn't make him happy. It never can bc he knows how foolish he was, how lucky he got - he wants distance between him and his mistakes. Had he not been so blinded by revenge and made different choices - him and Antu's children would have much different lives for example.

For him to be reflecting on all this already as he leaves - implies a weight upon his mind in the future. The rather rushed death of his master at the end was to really drive that point home. He merely changed one weight for another. He starts with nothing but hate, succeeds and finds that doesn't want anything that he attained, he now wants what he already had but lost due to his quest.

That is far, far more accurate a depiction of someone who has spent a life pursuing vengeance. That was as intended.

There is no direct media tie in any longer to the actual DMBJ series - that is correct.

This character is still Wang Zhanghai tho. This is still his origin story - the mastermind behind all the serious tombs in that universe.

"The Legend of Zhang Hai" - he just cleverly executed his revenge, that alone isn't all that legendary, as great as it was. That this is only the beginning of his story is what makes him a legend. In fact, what he is remembered for later, has nothing to do with any of this.

Just bc the commercialization of media means this now a stand alone character for corporate purposes doesn't mean his story can't still be canon within the universe - obviously taking certain naming conventions into consideration.

Haha, I completely understand. I had never seen anything like it before and it completely captivated me. The next one I'll recommend is also another bromance, so its going to be a similar subtle and understated romance (I get the cheesy romance 😅) and its also one of my absolute favorites - Word of Honor. I love the leads in that one.

Keeping with Wuxia - Joy of Life 1-2 and Snow Sword Stride - fantastic shows, very slight romance, and excellent casts. Guardians of Dafeng is a fun kinda over the top, almost anime style wuxia, slight romance.

I'll recommend one that is definitely a romance and it is a little cheesy in more ways than just romance even but its an example of maybe like "high/heavy wuxia" bc the genre has a wide range, you'll see light wuxia in a lot of Chinese drama - even ones that don't have that tag, essentially just fancy martial arts. Anyways, Fangs of Fortune is the one I rec for that - it has Neo being very emotional thru out the entire series.

Then there is like wuxia meets mystery genre - also slight to no romance in these and they are just very good shows - The Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty - all seasons, The Mysterious Lotus Casebook (Very good). I always recommend - The Longest Day in Chang'An - its like the series 24 and its epic.

I almost forgot - Nirvana in Fire 1-2, those are both quite good. NiF is often tossed around as one of the best Chinese dramas, its another Revenge plot - more political and if you like that style then that opens up a ton of very well done historical dramas. I could write a book 😅

I just really enjoy a lot of this bc its exclusively Chinese - there really isn't comparable media anywhere else. Its fun - I hope you enjoy!

I haven't been paying close attention here - it fr makes me a little sad that people are hating on ZH and XAT - I thought they were absolutely adorable on that boat ride, there were so many little cute interactions, it felt very much like a kind of first date. That whole scene was very well done. Both actors have done a fantastic job - they have chemistry and are cute together. Its also such a small part of the show - its not even that its forced or downplayed, isn't it almost natural?

ZH goes to the capital, meets a ton of people, becomes important, lives there for awhile, and has frequent interactions with a young women - who is single, attractive, capable, intelligent, rich, and into him - bc he, ZH, is Xiao Zhan and that just makes sense - it would almost be more unrealistic if XAT wasn't interested in him. Tho I will say, I have wondered about Mister 8 😉Otherwise tho, this is really a tale as old as time and its quite well done, understated - is by no means center stage. I really have thought that it feels natural.

This was in a Chinese newspaper? I agree with like all of it. Tbh, I'm really liking the rhetoric and language coming out of China lately - hatred is displaced by higher ideals, those are what we should strive for, not revenge. I actually was sus on this being the direction show was taking already a few episodes ago. XZ is just such a phenomenal actor, you can almost see his doubt even while he is actively pursuing his revenge. I've been very impressed with Huang Jie also - I've not seen much of him before - those two play so well off each other.

Back to the newspaper tho - I can't believe this is a review for a series. That reads like a fine art review - "The dual narrative’s immersive depth sparks debate, yet such discourse reflects audience hunger for genre innovation where gratification meets introspection." - fr, I don't think that the majority of Americans could take anything away from that sentence. If they were still following by the word introspection - that's where they would fall off, as that not a quality most Americans possess. Its a little incredible to me that they using this kind of language to review a TV show made for mass distribution.

I actually just went to EW and read 5 random reviews - one for Dune, a highly political and intellectual series. I did the see the word archetype once - not on the Dune review, that was abysmal.

Haha, I'm caught up now and I completely understand - I agree even 😅

I obviously made an assumption - its why you shouldn't do that. I've just been surprised/happy about how many people have discovered Chinese media after The Untamed and this is the 1st time they've really encountered XZ.

I just want to make sure everyone knows he's like a really big deal 🤣

Xiao Zhan is one of the most famous celebrities on earth - I'll bet he is very high on the list of globally recognizable people under 40. He should only get more famous based on his acting here.

I do get it tho - I remember when I was like, "The Untamed? What is a wuxia? Who is this Sean guy? He's pretty cute, maybe I'll check this out" 🤣

That perfectly sums up my reaction to reading that.

Yeah, like @Val W is saying - this is set far far in the past of the DMBJ universe. I'm on episode 9 and so far, outside the feng shui that is more related to just tomb building of the era in general, I've only noticed a few significant tie-ins to the events that happen in the future - without spoiling anything, the biggest DMBJ universe reveal happened early in the first episode.

I'm really not sure how much we will see of anything else. I wouldn't be surprised if a Zhang shows up at some point. I think in theory it could be ZQL even but I'm not exactly sure where this fits into the timeline other than being before much of it 😅

Definitely check out The Untamed - it made him globally famous and brought many people to Chinese media. If you haven't been introduced to Wuxia yet - its good for that too.

Awesome pfp btw fr 💯

I'm sorry you feel like this is what winning is. I feel even worse for you knowing that my saying this to you, will be interpreted as some sort of success rather than exasperated pity.

I'm hoping, for your sake, you are just really young and this is just a phase you will grow out of. It could also be that you are young and raised somewhere that validates/allows/promotes your "point of view" - as you grow up, you'll encounter more people, from more places - you will become more understanding and open minded without even realizing or meaning to.

People just naturally become much more open and accepting of new things than the old people that filled their heads when they were young. Eventually, you will have to think for yourself and accept who you are. Its fairly obvious to everyone that you "doth protest too much" - its a rather sad state of delusion, but we've all been there. You can do it!

I wish you all the best figuring yourself out.

Well said.

Wow, I've seen Fang Jinlong around but I had no idea he was such an incredible musician - that was truly incredible on the pipa. ZXC is very talented - that was the first I've heard what I'd a modern style of Chinese Opera and he killed it!

Thanks for sharing 😄

This is a great drama, like this isn't just a great censored adaptation or a great BL. Priest has written a fantastic psychological story, with an original setting, and an original plot in a very saturated genre. I'm just impressed from the gate with this drama. The cast is perfect - their acting is superb. I really enjoy the music. There is very little about this show I'm not liking. Very well done!

Liu Yi Hong is ridiculously cute.

I appreciate!

You've touched on an aspect of the censorship that isn't widely discussed - the non-sexual content that is also not OK. The OG ban of Addicted I feel was actually more about the portrayal of the CCP and the corruption that was so blatantly shown thru out the show. The gay content was obviously not well liked by the CCP but there was no way they could allow the entire world to think thats how China works.

I love that everyone is going off about how there isn't any young eye candy in this series. The lead is an attractive man - he is an adult man tho. Men change in their 30s, thats just how it is. Leo and Neo are going to be men like this someday too, all of them will - doesn't mean they stop being attractive 😉 I haven't seen this, I'm basing my assessment of the lead off of his performance in Longest Day in Chang'an (absolutely fantastic watch btw) - in that drama the lead here was the bad guy, a very handsome bad guy.