Saffy88

Can't find the link now - it was an old interview. I think if I'm not mistaken the host asked:
"A friend says to you "Let's date." What will you say?"
ZZH: "Man or woman?"
Host: "??? No limitation."
ZZH: "Seems unlikely, but if I like them I will go out with them."

Anything they promote right now will fly off the shelves - I mean someone actually coughed up 30,000 USD for WKX's costume.
Have you come across that interview too where ZZH basically implies he's ok dating either man or woman as long as he likes them? Way cool............

He truly does! Ayyy I look forward to the day when we can go beyond binary gender roles and assumptions..........although I think ZZH/GJ already managed to do that in their Tom Ford lipstick shots :)

Yeah, it's a pity we still have to find ways to compartmentalize them when really doesn't framing a wuxia story with BL liberate us from that? We hardly ever see a true relationship of equals in a traditional wuxia drama (or at least in recently-produced wuxia dramas) - just because it is set in ancient China, the male/female stereotypes still have to play out with all its implied restrictions - ie woman can never be too forward, bold etc even if she can kick ass or she risks being condemned at some point and/or she can kick ass but still reverts to some stereotype of femininity in the end. So instead we find the equality we want as modern audiences in a couple like ZZS/WKX - neither of them has to take shit from anyone or each other because of their gender. The point is not to view everything in binary way or to put people in neat little boxes - but we don't really have the mainstream language/vocabulary to do that yet either.

For me it does rank as one of the top wuxia dramas in recent years. I read on twitter someone's list of wuxia elements as well and there are many - not surprising cos of the source material and the screenwriter is hardcore wuxia fan. Interestingly it's been pointed out both by that commentator as well as ZZH that in a typical wuxia CL would be the main focus since he fits in with the kid whose family is wronged/killed and has to go through many trials to attain martial arts and get revenge............
For me, ZZS has from the beginning always exuded more of a "masculine" vibe than WKX so I still really don't see him as a "wife", but also in a relationship of equals, am not particularly interested in whether one has to be the wife or the other the husband.

Since Youku's post production is neverending, I wouldn't be surprised if they gave us a complete ending in the YT version of ep 36 ie without the need for the bonus clip...........you can also find more info in the ongoing discussion about the ending in Recent Discussions above.

Cenosred? Not at all. Perhaps the more appropriate description would be "with restrictions" but then those restrictions apply to all c-dramas particularly costume dramas produced in mainland China.

This drama was not censored and does not hide its BL theme. Yes, some of the scenes were reshot before being sent to censors but essentially what you see on screen is what they sent to the censors.
Note also the actual hidden lines under the overdubbing which have been decoded by avid netizens and which have content which would probably not even have passed censorship in a BG drama. (The actual lines have been analysed by Chinese star news, Avenue x etc etc. I think fans may even have redubbbed them. Can find most of these on YouTube. The most important point here is that the production team obviously wanted them to be decoded since they a) went ahead with filming the original lines and b) give us shots of their mouths as they say them hence enabling lip-reading).
Note also the many gay/romantic couple references which are in plain sight, for eg the scene with the shaobings in ep 2, the cut sleeves not once but twice, the wedding rituals etc etc. (Again much analysis has already been done on YT and soc media.)
Not only wasn't it censored, Youku is now adding in small but oh so significant scenes between ZZS & WKX in their just released YouTube versions which emphasize their intimacy. For eg Ep 6 special version - not seen by original audience in China, or indeed original audiences anywhere. And Ep 20 YT version - also not seen by the original or I should rather say, advance, audiences. This makes it the most exciting, evolving, neverending post post post production ever, which is why many of us early fans are still rewatching avidly. Youku is also releasing all the BTS so you can see some of the scenes that were reshot.

Totally. Inasmuch as can be shown in a period drama produced in mainland China. All the evidence and clues are there and not very hidden either - even straight Chinese/Western men get it immediately (see twitter/bilibili). See my further comment in spoiler below.

There wasn't any censorship - which is why it has taken us by storm. See my comment in spoiler below.

Zhou Zishu put the nails in his body but he didn't do it all at once - by doing it gradually he can retain 1/2 his kungfu but he has to suffer longer. Which two are you referring to? Wen Ke Xing and ZZS? Yes, they met each other when they were kids, but WKX was using another name then and ZZS doesn't realise it's him. But WKX does. Yes people will die, but our two leads will survive and become "immortal".

Yes. One by one the flowers going red represent his fallen comrades/fellow disciples.

Really? I don't follow K-drama/Kpop etc so not aware of that. Yeesh - even crazier than China fandom. This blurring of lines between fictional works or entertainment and real life is really distrubing.

Re Li Shimin - I was wondering about that too. Historically he took over as Emperor just two months after the coup. But it's a bit of an unexplained jump in the drama especially if one is not aware of the historical events. Perhaps they shot it and edited it out - I think if they did, they should have included it cos it's not terribly obvious until you hear him being addressed as "Bixia".

A better prequel would be something based on Qi Ye (cos that would involve ZZS backstory) or YBY............

You are not alone in that. Most of us feel they are a really creepy pair - can’t imagine why they want to produce a prequel on them. But apparently there are a lot of fans of Scorpion King......

Not all fans in Asian countries - it’s mainly the mainland Chinese fandom that does these things (in c-dramaland). The rest of us in Asia including Overseas Chinese also find them OTT and can’t follow their train of thought sometimes. Personally I find they can be extremely harsh in their criticism with a tendency to sidetrack and focus on crazy little things - like whether two strands of hair spoil the main lead's beauty etc........

Yep ZZS worked it out - remember he is basically chief of the CIA/NSA/Mossad etc and has been analyzing WKX from the beginning :)

Don't worry there's a good ending.

No typo..........watch marcus sim's latest drama roundup.