Meari21

Yes, an older and grumpier Batman would suit him well. Too bad they opted for another gritty Batman reboot. They already had that with Batman Begins.

I remember that also happened with Michael Keaton's casting for Batman. He, too, was a comedian. He was Mr. Mom. lol But now they're all saying he was the best Batman. Personally, I didn't like him as Batman. He was better than the other actors who donned the cowl, though.

Yep, I heard producers are now eyeing him for roles. There's a rumor that his next project is Dilraba's leading man in her latest drama. From one female traffic star to another. Makes sense.

I'm not too familiar with theater actors but I did some digging and I found Michael Crawford. Is he the one you're referring to? If he is, I've just heard about him, I didn't see his portrayal of the Phantom. As for Heath Ledger's Joker, I actually didn't dislike his casting. I thought it was an interesting choice. Prior to that, I saw him in Lords of Dogtown where he was almost unrecognizable to me, so I figured he could probably pull it off.

Yep. Ruipeng was Bai Lu's choice. I don't think he would've been cast in the role if she hadn't intervened. He was a b-list actor whose only claim to fame was The Blood of Youth. I've read so many comments of fans criticizing the choice because he was known for his comedic and sidekick roles. They wanted a bigger name to play opposite her. I was a bit skeptical too at first but then I saw reuters of his styling and I was sold. I believe the first photo I saw was the fox clan look. He was unbelievably gorgeous in that! I knew he was going to get significant attention, especially if the drama becomes a hit. I'm proud of him! 👏

Yes, he has been trending on Chinese and international social media. His Weibo followers increased by more than a million recently. Even Datawin joined in and gave their report about his growing popularity. The last time I saw someone get this much attention really fast was Ding Yuxi when Love Game In Eastern Fantasy became a global phenom. His Intagram account is now at 80k+ followers and steadily rising.

I will start that one once all the episodes are out. I'm watching Blossom now. Hopefully, it can keep me interested.

More like they've already decided that the pairing wouldn't work and they refuse to change their minds about it. They already have someone else in mind so they can't accept Ruipeng being paired with Bai Lu and playing the demon king that they think only guys like Luo Yunxi, Zhang Linghe, or Wang Hedi could portray. They wanted a specific type of male lead and he just isn't it. But the majority have spoken, the CP is a hit and Ruipeng is now dubbed by C-netizens as 2025's Number One Husband. lol

And to think people were so quick to say this couple has zero chemistry, Ao Ruipeng looks like Bai Lu's younger brother or some little kid in the neighborhood, and their pairing is doomed to fail. Even the C-netizens have spoken. This CP is a hit!

Same here. Still patiently waiting for Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Sword and Beloved. Hope they release it this summer.

Agreed! I mentioned those points in my review as well. It's like he did a complete 180 after he found out she's Bai Xi and she was the one who sent all those letters to him. They could've handled it better. I wish they had made him fall for her when she was still Fu Ling.

I just feel that they knew exactly what they were doing when they picked Ruipeng for the role. They weren't aiming for a rehash of basically every red flag demonic character ever featured in C-drama. If they had chosen Luo Yunxi and made him the typical dark and brooding demon king, for example, it wouldn't have worked as Fan Yue is supposed to be 25 years old so they needed a younger actor, and fans would immediately complain that this is just another Till the End of the Moon. If they got Zhang Linghe and gave him a similar character like the one in The Story of Kunning Palace, then his Fan Yue will just be the demon version of that. I wouldn't want to see that personally and I'm pretty sure some people will complain because he'll basically be playing the same role, just with purple eyes. 😂 They wanted a demon king character that isn't like any of the existing ones, and they wanted the main couple to have a healthy and mature relationship with very few conflicts and misunderstandings. If they had gone for the red flag male lead, that wouldn't work because that type is often domineering, complicated, and even toxic. Maybe that's why some can't get into this pairing because they're basically a boring old married couple. 😅

"His aura was just too sweet"
--- Because he is supposed to be sweet. Fan Yue was a good kid with a sweet disposition who went through a tragedy and had to put on the mask of a great demon king to survive and protect his subjects. He is not supposed to be domineering, he is only pretending to be all ruthless and cold. This is the same guy who gathered refugees of demon clans that lost their homes because of wars between the kingdoms. And the one who took pity on an outcast princess and made her his personal bodyguard. Even Jingyuan was a playful and flamboyant demon lord, not the usual dark and brooding kind. I'm not saying that this is your case but I've noticed that those who take issue with his portrayal are those who are expecting a different kind of demon, the type with a dark sexy aura and they usually have guys like Luo Yunxi or Dylan Wang in mind. So when Ruipeng was cast, they were disappointed because he doesn't have that kind of appeal to them and his Fan Yue is nothing like what they wanted to see. Demons are not innately evil, they are more like fairies in western folklore. I think there's a misconception about what demons actually are in Chinese mythology. They are capable of both good and evil, so not all of them will have that sexy evil demon vibe. But of course, I respect your opinion as we all have our own preferences. I'm merely responding to your take for the sake of discussion.

I was talking about the story. I don't expect it to have the same vibe since it's a different production and set in a different country. Thanks for the information, though.

Then you will hate most Japanese dramas and movies because they almost always have open endings. lol

What do you mean exactly? Two high traffic actors? As far as I know, only one of them can be called that and that's Bai Lu. Ao Ruipeng was a B-list actor at best. This drama practically catapulted his career. The other two leads are up and coming actors. They also gained considerable attention because of this drama. And aren't you the same person who posted a long rant about how terrible this drama is and how much you hated it? I do remember that because you caused quite a ruckus here.

Everyone who sacrificed their lives for the cause will be brought back to life according to "Heaven". Fan Yue was only the first one brought back, the rest will come later on, they just don't show it in the drama. You'll just have to use your imagination.

That has more to do with cultural differences though. In ancient China, women were considered properties or tools to establish alliances between powerful clans. They don't get any real education save for learning how to manage households and take care of their families. It's a patriarchal society, after all. In western countries, women were more respected because that was the norm and men (and women) were expected to show proper courtesy in society.

Jingyuan came back when a fragment of himself that restrained the hidden heart of Moli broke off. As Fan Yue was supposedly dead (but not really dead, if he was, his body would've dissipated like for most demons), he took over his body. He left again because his whole reason for existence is Xingyue and when it was clear Bai Shou is not her, he had no reason to stay.

Cool! Thanks for answering my question.

I think he's the type of actor who would do better with antagonistic roles or a red flag male lead maybe when he learns to exude more masculinity and maturity in this performances like Liu Xueyi.