Meari21

I actually saw the news on Weibo via the Super Topic. I don't quite understand how it works, though. But that was early Saturday. Maybe because it was Weibo Night so the hot searches focused mainly on the event and the stars attending.

Really? Not sure about this because both Bai Shou and Fan Yue have been topping the Douyin character list. I think yesterday it was Fan Yue at the top with Bai Shou coming in a close second. The day before that, it was Bai Shou at number 1 then Fan Yue on the third spot.

Any idea how their characters are doing on VLinkage?

I try not to get bothered by it. I read manga that have been ongoing for years and some events are often explained hundreds of chapters later. For ongoing manga that are released weekly or monthly, you can say that the manga authors sometimes fix plot holes as they go along, especially when there are complaints from readers. But these dramas were written and completed months or years before airing, we cannot call them plot holes simply because the explanations came later. Sometimes things aren't revealed until later because that's what the writer wants and there might be a purpose for it. Like the revelation about how the Cloud Spring Demon King got into the Outlander's territory was supposed to show the extent of their betrayal and give it more impact. If they had revealed it earlier on, then the deception would've been revealed too early. The audience are not supposed to find out until later. We could only speculate about it until it is confirmed. I normally don't complain too much about the writing until I've seen everything. But yeah, I get why it can be frustrating sometimes.

Their VIP can enjoy 4K resolution now. That must be the reason why.

It's not a plot hole when there's an eventual explanation for it. It becomes one when the drama ends without explaining that bit at all. So for long series such as this one, I normally reserve judgment until I've seen everything before I conclude that there are plot holes, retcons, suspend-your-disbelief stuff, and such because some of the things that don't make logical sense at first might not be so illogical later on.

He normally does comedic and playful roles. He displays a range of facial expressions in these roles. I was beginning to think he was getting typecast. I wasn't quite convinced he could pull off the stoic tsundere type but he proved me wrong. I didn't think he could make effective use of micro expressions.

Oh well, I will use that time to catch up on my other dramas then.

He, Neo, and Zhiguang were the real love triangle there. Just saying. lol

I just ended up watching that drama for them. I took one look at the promotional photos and that was it, I was sold!

Ah yes, I liked his bromance with Xin Yunlai's Mofang. They were the only ones I enjoyed in that drama tbh. I really don't like xianxia, but for some reason I like Moonlight Mystique. lol

Not related to your post but I just realized your profile pic is He Yu. lol Loved him in Dashing Youth. I gotta send you a friend request!

He is exactly that. He seems to be the reluctant leader who didn't really want the responsibility. But court politics is brutal and many would want to overthrow him as well as other demon kings eyeing to conquer his kingdom. So he has to put up a cold and ruthless front to give the illusion that he's not to be messed with. He is formidable but he's not like the other kings. He cares about his people and his subjects are clearly loyal and devoted to him. I mean, he got a powerful and idealistic princess to work for him as his personal guard. That counts for something. As others have said, he's like the Beast in Beauty and the Beast. Formidable and intimidating but a big softie deep down. That's why he never tried to break Bai Shou's spirit and completely dominate her. In fact, every time she opposed and defied him, you see admiration in his eyes. You never see him becoming furious by her audacity. He only got angry when she was being reckless.

This is not the same story, though. The characters are not the same either. They didn't even use the same names for the gods because of copyright restrictions. This is meant to be a standalone story. You don't need to watch Ancient Love Poetry to understand this. As much as I love Liu Xueyi, I do understand the need for them to change the actors as they are merely reincarnations of the characters in ALP. Not to mention that they probably wanted to get a bigger name for the female lead and a fresh face for the male lead. To me, it makes sense that they chose different actors here. It's not like they're recasting the roles as they are actually different ones.

That's why I said "almost". Their features are not common in Asia. Those who have similar features usually have mixed ethnicity.

Yes. I like that he never complained about princess carrying Bai Lu even though it took them several takes to shoot that scene. Bai Lu made fun of him sweating but he just laughed it off. Other actors I've seen would complain that the actresses are so heavy or joke that the women should lose more weight so they can lift them more easily. He was such a gentleman. Plus he let her playfully beat him up. 🤣

Yep. Hope he starts posting more stuff soon. Apparently, he is blowing up in China now. He has been trending on Douyin. He ranked third just behind Yang Zi at second and Bai Lu at first. He ranked higher than Wang Hedi and Tan Jianci and to think those two are way more popular than he is.

Here you go! https://www.instagram.com/aoruipeng1995/

I've also read comments that he's not male lead material, that he's just for second leads or wacky sidekick roles. I can't agree with that because most formidable male actors working today start out as second leads or sidekicks. They transition from supporting actors to leads over time as they grow more confident and gain more experience in acting. This is Ruipeng's first major break and his first S+ drama starring opposite a bonafide superstar, but he's holding his own. For someone who only started acting some 5 years ago and had humble beginnings, he's subverting expectations. His character Fan Yue is now trending on Douyin, only third to Bai Lu's Bai Shou at number 1 and Yang Zi's Flourished Peony character at number 2. That's huge for a B-list star like Ruipeng.

I don't get C-ent and their fans either. I don't understand why fans have so much power over the entertainment industry. They can make or break actors and have a say whether a project gets made or not. And the competition and jealousy, it's all so toxic.