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Fiction, Reality, And Everything In Between
This series is approximately 90% "Into The Role" (the drama being acted out within the series) and 10% "Deep In" (the actual drama we came here to watch).
I appreciate the concept of a drama within a drama, and I didn't necessarily dislike the idea itself. Usually, when I've watched series where the characters are actors playing actors, the production doesn't dedicate such a significant portion of the actual series to the fictional drama they're working on. However, this series decided to do exactly that. We weren't just watching one story unfold, we were essentially watching two separate stories simultaneously, and unfortunately, I don't think either of them had enough depth or development to justify that decision.
Because the series constantly switches between these two narratives, it sometimes feels as though we're missing important pieces of what's happening in both realities. Even writing this review, I'm struggling to organize my thoughts without making everything sound unnecessarily confusing. Discussing a drama within a drama is already complicated enough, so bear with me as I try to make sense of it all.
I guess let's start with "Deep In", because this is ultimately the story we came here for. Interestingly enough, if you look at the poster, you'll notice that it resembles the poster for "Into The Role", almost as if the production itself couldn't quite decide which direction it wanted to take. Setting aside the fictional drama being acted out within the series, "Deep In" is actually alright. We get to explore parts of Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun's relationship and see how their story gradually unfolds. However, because we're constantly jumping between two different narratives, the overall experience feels rather fragmented and, at times, difficult to follow. Perhaps that was intentional. Maybe the production wanted us to experience the same psychological disorientation as the actors themselves, showing how deeply they became immersed in their respective roles to the point where the boundaries between reality and fiction started to disappear. And, honestly, there were moments when even we, as the audience, struggled to distinguish between the two.
Now, let's talk about "Into The Role", the fictional drama starring Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun as Fang Chi and Gao Zhun, respectively. I have to say that I genuinely did not enjoy this storyline. Not only was it disturbing on several levels, but I also found its overwhelming presence in the overall series rather unnecessary.
First of all, the storyline itself was an absolute mess. We're dealing with a narrative filled with trauma, manipulation, and questionable behavior, including a therapist who desperately needs to have his license revoked. Because what exactly do you mean this man recreated an SA scene with the person he's supposedly in love with under the justification that it would help him heal from his trauma and replace the original memory? Even if Gao Zhun was the one who initially requested it, this was clearly someone who was deeply traumatized, emotionally vulnerable, and in no position to be subjected to something like that. Instead of approaching his trauma with the appropriate care and professional boundaries, Fang Chi repeatedly crossed lines that should never have been crossed. It honestly felt more manipulative than therapeutic, which made it increasingly difficult for me to tolerate this storyline.
And let's not even get started on the questions Fang Chi would ask Gao Zhun regarding his SA. He would ask him incredibly inappropriate and invasive questions about whether he experienced pleasure, if he came during it, if the r@p*st used protection and if he also came, how the perpetrator did certain things, and so on. I genuinely had to pause for a moment because WHAT??? At some point, I audibly said, "WHAT?" because what on earth was this series trying to accomplish? I understand that the storyline was attempting to explore trauma and the psychological complexities surrounding it, but the execution was extremely questionable. There is a difference between portraying uncomfortable subject matter and presenting deeply inappropriate behavior without handling it with the necessary care.
God, I genuinely don't know how to organize all my thoughts about this series. There's quite a bit I want to discuss, but it's difficult to put everything into words when the storytelling itself is so convoluted.
Moving on, I will say that the chemistry was good in both stories, surprisingly enough. The acting was also solid across both narratives, although I found the performances in "Deep In" considerably more natural and convincing than those in "Into The Role". The characters were also much more tolerable in the actual storyline, because why was practically everyone in "Into The Role" a walking black flag??? The music was decent as well, and there were a few moments when I genuinely enjoyed it.
Overall, though, I think the series struggled with its own concept. I understand what the production was attempting to achieve, and I wouldn't necessarily call the execution terrible, but I also wouldn't call it particularly successful. Had I not noticed the visual differences between the two narratives, I probably would've been completely lost. Whenever the characters were playing Fang Chi and Gao Zhun, the screen would become noticeably narrower, and there would occasionally be a beeping sound when transitioning into or out of those scenes. These little details were honestly essential in helping me understand which storyline I was watching.
A few things to keep in mind before watching, because I would've appreciated someone explaining this to me:
- Ollie plays Zhen Xin in "Deep In", while Zhen Xin plays Fang Chi, the therapist, in "Into The Role".
- Shu Yuan plays Zhang Zhun in "Deep In", while Zhang Zhun plays Gao Zhun, the therapist's patient, in "Into The Role".
- Yao Wang plays Wu Rong in "Deep In", while Wu Rong plays Zou Yun, the security/ r@p*st, in "Into The Role".
- Li Mei plays Qin Xun Er in "Deep In", while Qin Xun Er plays Zuo Lin Lin, Gao Zhun's wife, in "Into The Role".
- Pay attention to the screen ratio. Whenever you're watching the therapist-and-patient storyline ("Into The Role"), the screen becomes narrower. When it returns to the actual storyline ("Deep In"), the screen widens again.
- MAKE SURE YOU WATCH AFTER THE ENDING CREDITS OF EACH EPISODE! There are additional scenes, usually around one or two minutes long. They don't necessarily contribute anything groundbreaking to the plot, but they occasionally provide extra context and details that are worth watching, mostly on the last episode it really just tied the bow on this confusing series overall.
Another thing I want to mention is how the whole drama-within-a-drama concept affected my ability to connect with the actual story. Whenever the series returned to the so-called reality of "Deep In", I sometimes found myself becoming more aware of the acting rather than feeling completely immersed in the narrative. I think this is something that can happen with stories centered around actors playing fictional roles, because you're constantly reminded that you're watching people portray characters who are themselves portraying other characters. It creates an additional layer of separation between the audience and the story, and unfortunately, I experienced that quite a bit here. Rather than becoming fully absorbed in "Deep In", I occasionally found myself thinking about the production and the performances themselves. As a result, I felt somewhat disconnected from the overall experience.
But yeah, despite all of that, I wouldn't call this a bad series. It was watchable, enjoyable in certain moments, and certainly had an interesting concept. However, the execution was messy, the constant switching between realities made the storytelling unnecessarily difficult to follow, and dedicating such a substantial portion of the series to an entirely separate fictional drama ultimately took away from the development of the actual story.
Anyway, from a more objective standpoint, I could probably justify giving this series an 8/10. However, speaking strictly from my personal experience and enjoyment, I'd settle on a 7.5/10. I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoys more complex, psychologically driven narratives that require a little extra attention to follow. Just be prepared for a bit of a psychological brain fuck.
PS: I absolutely LOVED the last couple of minutes of the final episode, when Chen Zheng Sen and Qin Yao kissed in front of Qin Xun Er, and she just stood there like, "WHAT IS THIS WORLD?" LMAOOO. That genuinely made me laugh. Easily one of my favorite moments.
Another PS: I actually went back and rewatched the ending of the previous episode after seeing someone's comment, and I can't believe I didn't pick up on the details the first time around. I completely overlooked the names being mentioned and the fact that Zhen Xin/Fang Chi was wearing his glasses, which was an indication that we were actually seeing Fang Chi. Now that I've connected those details, I finally understand what that scene was trying to tell us. And honestly, this makes the whole narrative even more complicated than I initially thought. We're dealing with a story within a story within a story, and this makes me realize this is a story you watch a million times to fully understand.
One thing I genuinely have to give this series credit for is how cleverly it plays with the concept of fiction and reality. For the majority of the story, we're convinced that Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun are our protagonists, and that we're following two actors who gradually develop feelings for one another while filming a BL movie. But as it turns out, we've been looking at the story from the wrong perspective this entire time.
The actual starting point is Fang Chi and Gao Zhun. Their relationship is the foundation of the movie being filmed by Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun, an adaptation of their own love story that was brought to life through the involvement of their friends. In other words, what we initially perceive as the main storyline is actually a fictional recreation of someone else's reality.
But the series doesn't stop there. The final scenes take this concept several steps further. The couple appearing during the ending credits are the real Fang Chi and Gao Zhun, and the book Fang Chi is reading is none other than the story of Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun. Think about the implications of that for a second. A real-life relationship inspires a film, the actors involved in that film develop a genuine relationship of their own, and their experience subsequently becomes a novel that is read by the original couple who inspired the entire chain of events.
It's such an interesting narrative structure because the story essentially circles back to its own beginning. Fang Chi and Gao Zhun become the inspiration for Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun, but eventually, the latter's story becomes something that exists within Fang Chi and Gao Zhun's world. Each relationship influences the existence of the other, creating this fascinating overlap between two seemingly separate realities.
And just when I thought I had wrapped my head around it, I came across people mentioning that the novel apparently contains four additional chapters where all the characters meet. Which raises approximately a thousand more questions because HOW DOES THAT EVEN WORK??? I might need someone to sit me down and draw a diagram because clearly, I haven't reached the bottom of this rabbit hole.
And to finally wrap up this review (because at this rate, I'm going to keep coming back every five minutes after discovering yet another detail lol), my overall rating and opinion of the series remain unchanged. I don't think the complexity of its narrative necessarily makes it a bad series, in fact, I can appreciate the ambition behind a plot that requires viewers to piece together multiple layers of storytelling and reconsider what they've been watching. However, I also think that level of complexity won't appeal to everyone, particularly those who aren't interested in having to constantly dissect and reinterpret the narrative to fully understand it.
I found the concept much more interesting after discovering all these additional details, and I can certainly appreciate what the series was trying to accomplish. However, that doesn't change the fact that I didn't particularly enjoy the viewing experience for most of its runtime. I felt like I had to do a little too much digging outside of simply watching and following the story, and that ultimately took away from my enjoyment. That's not necessarily a flaw in the series, but rather a matter of personal preference. I can appreciate what it did without necessarily enjoying how it was presented. And sometimes, that's just how it is.
Rating: 7.5/10
I appreciate the concept of a drama within a drama, and I didn't necessarily dislike the idea itself. Usually, when I've watched series where the characters are actors playing actors, the production doesn't dedicate such a significant portion of the actual series to the fictional drama they're working on. However, this series decided to do exactly that. We weren't just watching one story unfold, we were essentially watching two separate stories simultaneously, and unfortunately, I don't think either of them had enough depth or development to justify that decision.
Because the series constantly switches between these two narratives, it sometimes feels as though we're missing important pieces of what's happening in both realities. Even writing this review, I'm struggling to organize my thoughts without making everything sound unnecessarily confusing. Discussing a drama within a drama is already complicated enough, so bear with me as I try to make sense of it all.
I guess let's start with "Deep In", because this is ultimately the story we came here for. Interestingly enough, if you look at the poster, you'll notice that it resembles the poster for "Into The Role", almost as if the production itself couldn't quite decide which direction it wanted to take. Setting aside the fictional drama being acted out within the series, "Deep In" is actually alright. We get to explore parts of Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun's relationship and see how their story gradually unfolds. However, because we're constantly jumping between two different narratives, the overall experience feels rather fragmented and, at times, difficult to follow. Perhaps that was intentional. Maybe the production wanted us to experience the same psychological disorientation as the actors themselves, showing how deeply they became immersed in their respective roles to the point where the boundaries between reality and fiction started to disappear. And, honestly, there were moments when even we, as the audience, struggled to distinguish between the two.
Now, let's talk about "Into The Role", the fictional drama starring Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun as Fang Chi and Gao Zhun, respectively. I have to say that I genuinely did not enjoy this storyline. Not only was it disturbing on several levels, but I also found its overwhelming presence in the overall series rather unnecessary.
First of all, the storyline itself was an absolute mess. We're dealing with a narrative filled with trauma, manipulation, and questionable behavior, including a therapist who desperately needs to have his license revoked. Because what exactly do you mean this man recreated an SA scene with the person he's supposedly in love with under the justification that it would help him heal from his trauma and replace the original memory? Even if Gao Zhun was the one who initially requested it, this was clearly someone who was deeply traumatized, emotionally vulnerable, and in no position to be subjected to something like that. Instead of approaching his trauma with the appropriate care and professional boundaries, Fang Chi repeatedly crossed lines that should never have been crossed. It honestly felt more manipulative than therapeutic, which made it increasingly difficult for me to tolerate this storyline.
And let's not even get started on the questions Fang Chi would ask Gao Zhun regarding his SA. He would ask him incredibly inappropriate and invasive questions about whether he experienced pleasure, if he came during it, if the r@p*st used protection and if he also came, how the perpetrator did certain things, and so on. I genuinely had to pause for a moment because WHAT??? At some point, I audibly said, "WHAT?" because what on earth was this series trying to accomplish? I understand that the storyline was attempting to explore trauma and the psychological complexities surrounding it, but the execution was extremely questionable. There is a difference between portraying uncomfortable subject matter and presenting deeply inappropriate behavior without handling it with the necessary care.
God, I genuinely don't know how to organize all my thoughts about this series. There's quite a bit I want to discuss, but it's difficult to put everything into words when the storytelling itself is so convoluted.
Moving on, I will say that the chemistry was good in both stories, surprisingly enough. The acting was also solid across both narratives, although I found the performances in "Deep In" considerably more natural and convincing than those in "Into The Role". The characters were also much more tolerable in the actual storyline, because why was practically everyone in "Into The Role" a walking black flag??? The music was decent as well, and there were a few moments when I genuinely enjoyed it.
Overall, though, I think the series struggled with its own concept. I understand what the production was attempting to achieve, and I wouldn't necessarily call the execution terrible, but I also wouldn't call it particularly successful. Had I not noticed the visual differences between the two narratives, I probably would've been completely lost. Whenever the characters were playing Fang Chi and Gao Zhun, the screen would become noticeably narrower, and there would occasionally be a beeping sound when transitioning into or out of those scenes. These little details were honestly essential in helping me understand which storyline I was watching.
A few things to keep in mind before watching, because I would've appreciated someone explaining this to me:
- Ollie plays Zhen Xin in "Deep In", while Zhen Xin plays Fang Chi, the therapist, in "Into The Role".
- Shu Yuan plays Zhang Zhun in "Deep In", while Zhang Zhun plays Gao Zhun, the therapist's patient, in "Into The Role".
- Yao Wang plays Wu Rong in "Deep In", while Wu Rong plays Zou Yun, the security/ r@p*st, in "Into The Role".
- Li Mei plays Qin Xun Er in "Deep In", while Qin Xun Er plays Zuo Lin Lin, Gao Zhun's wife, in "Into The Role".
- Pay attention to the screen ratio. Whenever you're watching the therapist-and-patient storyline ("Into The Role"), the screen becomes narrower. When it returns to the actual storyline ("Deep In"), the screen widens again.
- MAKE SURE YOU WATCH AFTER THE ENDING CREDITS OF EACH EPISODE! There are additional scenes, usually around one or two minutes long. They don't necessarily contribute anything groundbreaking to the plot, but they occasionally provide extra context and details that are worth watching, mostly on the last episode it really just tied the bow on this confusing series overall.
Another thing I want to mention is how the whole drama-within-a-drama concept affected my ability to connect with the actual story. Whenever the series returned to the so-called reality of "Deep In", I sometimes found myself becoming more aware of the acting rather than feeling completely immersed in the narrative. I think this is something that can happen with stories centered around actors playing fictional roles, because you're constantly reminded that you're watching people portray characters who are themselves portraying other characters. It creates an additional layer of separation between the audience and the story, and unfortunately, I experienced that quite a bit here. Rather than becoming fully absorbed in "Deep In", I occasionally found myself thinking about the production and the performances themselves. As a result, I felt somewhat disconnected from the overall experience.
But yeah, despite all of that, I wouldn't call this a bad series. It was watchable, enjoyable in certain moments, and certainly had an interesting concept. However, the execution was messy, the constant switching between realities made the storytelling unnecessarily difficult to follow, and dedicating such a substantial portion of the series to an entirely separate fictional drama ultimately took away from the development of the actual story.
Anyway, from a more objective standpoint, I could probably justify giving this series an 8/10. However, speaking strictly from my personal experience and enjoyment, I'd settle on a 7.5/10. I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoys more complex, psychologically driven narratives that require a little extra attention to follow. Just be prepared for a bit of a psychological brain fuck.
PS: I absolutely LOVED the last couple of minutes of the final episode, when Chen Zheng Sen and Qin Yao kissed in front of Qin Xun Er, and she just stood there like, "WHAT IS THIS WORLD?" LMAOOO. That genuinely made me laugh. Easily one of my favorite moments.
Another PS: I actually went back and rewatched the ending of the previous episode after seeing someone's comment, and I can't believe I didn't pick up on the details the first time around. I completely overlooked the names being mentioned and the fact that Zhen Xin/Fang Chi was wearing his glasses, which was an indication that we were actually seeing Fang Chi. Now that I've connected those details, I finally understand what that scene was trying to tell us. And honestly, this makes the whole narrative even more complicated than I initially thought. We're dealing with a story within a story within a story, and this makes me realize this is a story you watch a million times to fully understand.
One thing I genuinely have to give this series credit for is how cleverly it plays with the concept of fiction and reality. For the majority of the story, we're convinced that Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun are our protagonists, and that we're following two actors who gradually develop feelings for one another while filming a BL movie. But as it turns out, we've been looking at the story from the wrong perspective this entire time.
The actual starting point is Fang Chi and Gao Zhun. Their relationship is the foundation of the movie being filmed by Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun, an adaptation of their own love story that was brought to life through the involvement of their friends. In other words, what we initially perceive as the main storyline is actually a fictional recreation of someone else's reality.
But the series doesn't stop there. The final scenes take this concept several steps further. The couple appearing during the ending credits are the real Fang Chi and Gao Zhun, and the book Fang Chi is reading is none other than the story of Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun. Think about the implications of that for a second. A real-life relationship inspires a film, the actors involved in that film develop a genuine relationship of their own, and their experience subsequently becomes a novel that is read by the original couple who inspired the entire chain of events.
It's such an interesting narrative structure because the story essentially circles back to its own beginning. Fang Chi and Gao Zhun become the inspiration for Zhen Xin and Zhang Zhun, but eventually, the latter's story becomes something that exists within Fang Chi and Gao Zhun's world. Each relationship influences the existence of the other, creating this fascinating overlap between two seemingly separate realities.
And just when I thought I had wrapped my head around it, I came across people mentioning that the novel apparently contains four additional chapters where all the characters meet. Which raises approximately a thousand more questions because HOW DOES THAT EVEN WORK??? I might need someone to sit me down and draw a diagram because clearly, I haven't reached the bottom of this rabbit hole.
And to finally wrap up this review (because at this rate, I'm going to keep coming back every five minutes after discovering yet another detail lol), my overall rating and opinion of the series remain unchanged. I don't think the complexity of its narrative necessarily makes it a bad series, in fact, I can appreciate the ambition behind a plot that requires viewers to piece together multiple layers of storytelling and reconsider what they've been watching. However, I also think that level of complexity won't appeal to everyone, particularly those who aren't interested in having to constantly dissect and reinterpret the narrative to fully understand it.
I found the concept much more interesting after discovering all these additional details, and I can certainly appreciate what the series was trying to accomplish. However, that doesn't change the fact that I didn't particularly enjoy the viewing experience for most of its runtime. I felt like I had to do a little too much digging outside of simply watching and following the story, and that ultimately took away from my enjoyment. That's not necessarily a flaw in the series, but rather a matter of personal preference. I can appreciate what it did without necessarily enjoying how it was presented. And sometimes, that's just how it is.
Rating: 7.5/10
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