Skibbies

https://www.bilibili.com/video/av82802357 slide the blue slider at the bottom to turn off the comments. It starts with him saying the lines, then there's two more lines around the middle, it's very apparent. It's mostly his diction just isn't very good, rip. He also have fairly apparent accent and the emotions aren't coming across very well. (Just compare with everyone else's lines) I think his last line "i'll be enemies with the entire world" while swiping his arms across is decent.

I think he filmed JoL first, then Untamed, JoL was his second drama. His character is more stoic rather than lively in Untamed. Although plenty of people have been criticising his acting on c!net, I think he was alright, not excellent, so he tends to pale if someone far better is next to him, but he didn't pull me out of the scene so it's fine for me. If XZ returns in s2, we'll likely see improvement for acting + character exploration/development.

pretty sure he's dubbed, which is for the best. they released a clip with his own voice and it didn't go so well with the audience.

The synopsis is wrong, looks like the synopsis from 2014 or 2015 by either Yu Zheng (producer) or Tang Ren (production company), where they dumped the fake dynasty onto a real one (happens a lot with web novel adaptations, basically most of them). The property was passed onto the current production team in late 2016/early 2017 i think.

Guo Jia nuo, 郭家诺, he plays minor characters in popular dramas. Ze Tian Ji, Advisor Alliance, Ming Dynasty, Rush to the Dead Summer (I can't believe they kept that questionable title....). Looks like he's in yet to release Dou Luo Da Lu as well. weibo: https://www.weibo.com/u/2128725745

30% romance I'd say? more friendship than romance but there's still some.

no. strictly 1v1.

the scriptwriter is busy writing Joy of Life s2, Dou Luo Da Lu and another wuxia/politics epics is also by him. So he's getting chased left and right for s2 since this aired and will be for next few years I think.

ep 2? 4th is intel gathering lead by Yan Ruo Hai, 6th is assassination led by shadow. Someone faked an order and got 4th to assassinate Fan Xian, he "killed" the assassin (Teng Zijing). Since it was a fake order/wrong intel and they actually tried to kill one of their own (Fan Xian is part of 3rd since his teacher is & consider Chen Ping Ping is protective of him too. oh the internet says FX is considered second to CPP, so he's above head of all of the division, lol, but most people don't really treat him as such), Yan Bing Yun had to go to Bei Qi to head the foreign intel squad as punishment. If FX killed someone from 6th, it could be bigger loss (fighting power wise) and it could have been harder for him to walk free (TZJ is non sequential to the 4th), it could also mean that it's been infiltrated rather than a mistake.

1 is monitoring all the government officials in the capital. 2 is analysing intel + providing military plans. 3 is making all kinds of meds/poison + weapons. 5 is black knight that protects CPP. 7 is responsible for extracting information from/torturing prisoners/prisoner of war. 8 is for controlling information released to general public, kind of like pr? opening a bookstore and such needs their permission. CPP himself mentioned that the office was originally built to monitor the government in way (its chinese name clearly indicates it), but you can see it's been sort of changed/adapted by the society.

Yeah Si Lili has a massive crush on FX, but I think to survive or whatever, she was bethronedto the emperor (it's hinted in the drama, she asks FX about Wan'er). It's not going to go anywhere in the drama, but you can read the book.

ahh like I said, on paper it was my kind of drama, historical mystery thriller with multi party allegiance, bit of history, lots of cultural bits, but it just didn't click. I've watched far slower and heavier dramas too. It's just weird.

It's a Barrett M82A1, sniper rifle. In the book, I think the inner case had to be open by using wubi, a chinese typing system to type out Wu Zhu's name, In the drama, it's been changed to a bizzare/random voice command? I thought there was a smartphone in there, yknow.

Re what's in the box in ep 28, they actually filmed it, but it's been cut to air on TV (which ultimately end up not happening so lol). It can be seen in some of the behind the scenes videos.

God that drama. It had everything that should have worked for me on paper, but every time I watched it, I wanted to fall asleep. It's a well produced drama that should have been paced tighter, particularly the second half, I think it fizzled off towards the end. I didn't really care for the main cast (they are decently written, just didn't work for me), my favourite characters were two minor characters. It just end up being one of those dramas I can appreciate from afar but that's about it. Book fans also swear the book is far better, as they often are, but I'm not sure if it's translated. (It's a regularly published book, not a web novel, the author also wrote Antiques Mysteries & Secret of Three Kingdoms)

She needs an heir, and he has good genes. She likes him well enough (as a person), but not in love with him. Don't like him enough to be together with him or give up the throne or anything for him. She likes Si Lili more.

No idea, since I didn't read the book. I just got spoilers.

- Chinese Paladin 1
- Chinese Paladin 3 (the characters are different, so don't worry about the order. I prefer 1 though so I'd rec that over 3, but 3's main cast are all popular/well known these days)
- Legend of Condor Heroes 2017
- Young Blood
- The Rise of Phoenixes (netflix, slow start, leans heavy on politics so might not be your thing)
- Bloody Romance (? I haven't seen it but it's well received)

I second the rec for NiF and Ever Night. Ashes of Love & Love and Destiny is good rec for TMoPB too. There's other Jin Yong wuxia dramas I'd rec but they are all older versions, idk about the subs, the newer ones (from this decade) have mostly been lackluster. Ming Dynasty & Royal Nirvana are both palace dramas, the latter is rather depressing. Sword Dynasty and Under the Power are the lighter/adventurey historical that's airing. (I've watched none of the other airing dramas, just know the general plot/how well received they are)

The Qi emperor drugged FX and slept with him for a baby, does that count? That's not going to fly in the drama.

my rough estimate for s2 is mid to late 2021. The novel is hilariously long. So up to you.

End of volume 4. Although it's strongly recommended you started from the beginning, as certain character trajectory have been significantly changed, Fan Xian himself is pretty different too.