YiyanMeng

Happy to know that I'm not the only one. I went into this knowing there'd be romance and was looking forward to it. When I started watching, I found her character refreshing. But I started to get disappointed in the halfway point or so and it continued on...

Ngl, I wasn't even expecting the bromance at all surprisingly lol. I had only watched the trailer when it dropped, and the MVs that were released b4 the drama aired too, so I went into this not knowing much about it. So the bromance was unexpected for me, and it hit all the right spots! And like you said, I also really love the bond between the gang. I think because of this, and in addition to that, the bromance between the male leads that even surpasses the romantic tones, that the romance did feel misplaced like it was forced to be there. Like tbh dramas don't always need romance for it to work out.

Anyways, I do have a love-hate relationship with Wen Xiao, like there are things I like about her as a character and how she is kind-natured, but at the same time, I felt frustrated while watching her at times too. I hope GJM really starts writing his female characters better in his upcoming Veil of Shadows... I am praying for better developed characters for them!

I get how you feel. Tbh, when I started this, I was enjoying the drama, but at the same time, the comedy also felt off for me at times. I feel different about it now though after watching the whole thing. Now when rewatching clips I laugh now for some reason lol. And just like someone said, the comedy doesn't continue to be like this and will change near the second half of the drama. I see you're continuing it now. How do you like it so far? I personally did enjoy the first half myself but came to love the second half even more~ Such a beautiful story. I think you'll love it more too considering how you didn't like the constant comedic scenes in the first half. :)

The director really is giving us all these dialogues and shots and allowing us to interpret these moments differently and I love that. Some of these too are even obvious with what the director is trying to tell us. He is known for adding bromance to his dramas as well, so no one can deny that he's intentionally giving this to us and prob wants to tell us that the (love) story is between Yuanzhou and Yichen haha~

But wow, I did not think much about the tying the knot part... Thank you for mentioning it to me! I also didn't catch (prob don't remember more likely) how Yuanzhou and Yichen made their vows on that contract sheet. When I rewatch, I'll be sure to catch more of these queer-coded moments~~ It's most likely bc I just went right into watching and didn't really rewatch many clips from the first half of the drama~

Btw, this is random~ I was looking thru Tumblr and...
https://kseniyagreen.tumblr.com/
My guess is this is you bc you have the same name, right?
Wow, I didn't realize I have been reading quite a lot of your stuff if that's the case! You write so many interesting things and I love how you talk about the drama in-depth a lot~

Haha who wouldn't honestly put The Untamed in their list 😆 And thank you! I have yet to watch many of them lol!

Btw, I remember you once asked about the 100th drama (surprisingly) on my list (Fangs of Fortune)~ I still recommend it to you if you haven't watched it yet! Or did you already?

Anyways, the bromance between the male leads is insane, really... There's even a love triangle between them with another male character (imho)~ In general, the most queer-coded drama ever since Word of Honor 🫣

I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees it like this. I think it's also pretty obvious! I'd like to rewatch and pick up on new things in this drama and in their relationship.

Btw what's the battle dance? Do you mean their first fight together? Anyways, it's true the way they met literally in their first scene in the drama. And when you say "dance" well I gotta add about that sword dance too... It's really... I remember being surprised that Yichen made Yuanzhou sword dance with him. It was beautiful. But imagine they didn't cut any part of it, like that one where they're flying and spinning in the air facing each other (which can be seen in the "Return After a Long Dream" MV). Too many BL elements that they just had to cut out, but we were so lucky we still got so many surprisingly!

And, oh my gosh... Yes, Yuanzhou's flirting with Yichen... Did you think about that swing scene where Yuanzhou was pushing the swing for Wen Xiao and Yichen looked annoyed and jealous? Did it ever come across to you that he might've been jealous of Wen Xiao instead, bc the way Yuanzhou said smth like, "Oh, so that's why you're angry? Let me push for you then" which makes it sound like Yichen wanted to be pushed instead sjdksjdks

There is also the scene where he decides to heal him using his demonic energy, grabbing his hand / interlocking fingers with him, smiling as he does so, while Yichen looked startled and shy but just accepted it lol... and the time Yuanzhou said, "I didn't know you were so familiar with my demonic energy."

Also, let me just add... Whenever Yichen's sword lights up because it's able to detect Yuanzhou.... and when he sees it, literally tries to cover / hide it as if he doesn't want Yuanzhou seeing it too even if he does lol we can pretend (or not) that this is a detector of Yichen that shows that he likes Yuanzhou but doesn't want to confess it LOL

Anyways it's just beautiful how much their relationship grew from the beginning to the end. It is so profound, so evident that they have come to love each other so deeply. Even Yuanzhou once said to Yichen, "Having a soulmate makes life worth it," which can already be the answer to when Wen Xiao's master once told him, "I know I can't persuade you, but I believe that one day you'll meet the person who makes you want to live." Despite Wen Xiao being right next to him as he thinks about that, the scene transitioning to Yichen swordfighting feels like a foreshadowing.

I kind of forget about the poisoned needle situation, but I can't forget how Yuanzhou sets his eyes on Yichen before he dies. They both look at each other with tears in their eyes but with a smile. It was so beautiful but heartbreaking. Even during this scene Wen Xiao is crying and grieving for him but he wasn't listen and was so focused on Yichen. It shows that Yichen means so much to him, and seems to love him even more than Wen Xiao huhu. It can even be said for Yichen when Yichen was planning to sacrifice himself for his friends and talked to Yuanzhou last.

I'd also like to add a bonus. When Yuanzhou once lost all his senses and was losing self-control and was fainting, Yichen was the only person he could hear despite the other friends shouting for his name. And the way they focused on Yichen's reaction for the most part shows a lot about their relationship on a deep level.

I read them and it's beautiful~ It really shows the beauty of their relationship. But yes we could discuss / dig more into it 🙈

I really like your review and agree with basically everything!

Yichen is also my favorite character, with Yuanzhou second as well. I love their bromance so much. They had such a strong bond, and to me, they were definitely the heart of the series. They had a soulmate-like bond and it was the most beautiful thing ever. And ofc, I really love the found family relationship between the gang.

I couldn't agree more with your complaints on Wen Xiao too. I wished they had written her better. I did feel the same about her character in MLC too and was happy when the romance didn't continue there. Even Yuanzhou's relationship with Yichen feels stronger and deeper. In general, I didn't really like the romance here. Is it just me? I think it's obvious that Yuanzhou loved Yichen more (there are so many moments I can pinpoint that show this as well). Bc of this, I felt that the romance wasn't needed.

Because of everything we see in the drama, it really feels like Yuanzhou and Yichen have such a deep bond, the strongest of them all. I can tell throughout the drama how much they have grown in their bond that it started from hatred (from Yichen) to now profounding love between the two, that now they can't even imagine losing each other. Unfortunately, Yichen had to lose Yuanzhou, but it's the way he extracted his soul and went looking for it through every mountain and sea. Who even does that unless it's a person you love so deeply? You can tell by this that Yuanzhou has become so important to Yichen.

Fortunately, I can believe these two have their happy ending now after Yichen found the last shred of Yuanzhou's soul in the very last scene. I think the fact that the entrance of these two leads is them actually meeting and it ends with Yuanzhou's soul flying to Yichen (and not Wen Xiao) says a lot about their relationship. Am I the the only one who feels that bc of their deep profound relationship that feels like it surpasses the romantic tones, the romance was not needed and feels forced in various ways?

Anyways, I really love how you bring up these different tales and stories that Fangs of Fortune seemed to have gotten inspiration from. Your brain is... sooo amazing! I'd love to hear more of your insights on these two's relationship! I bet there's so much more behind it!

Ngl, I didn't see it, but fun fact~ He actually played the young version of his character in LGIEF!

OMG HE'S GONNA BE IN ONE Y'ALL YESSSSSSSS I'M SO EXCITED OMG!!!!!!

Xu Zhenxuan is really like Ying Lei, so carefree! Like look at these videos of him when fans are chasing him at the airport SKFJDSFKJS I just cant help but laugh and smile seeing how free he is (I mean, who even runs away like he's having so much fun in this situation)!! 🤣😆 And the way he interacts with his fans is so cute and adorable too! Can't get enough of this cutie pie! 🫣

https://x.com/dramaticath/status/1861460427873366171
https://x.com/dramaticath/status/1866289301652480375
https://x.com/dramaticath/status/1866292212129988989

So I remember being so excited for the drama and couldn't wait for it, watching the trailers and MVs when they came out... But the fact that the dream MV literally gave away even huge spoilers... I was so lucky I barely remembered a thing (which is usually bc I don't rewatch them when they get released, so I forget what really happened in them, but also never assume that what happens in them is like literally what will happen in the drama).

So just like you, I also went into this drama not knowing anything, which was so much fun. And dare I say too, the bromance was fire. I was literally already lowkey shipping the two male leads already in the beginning, but boy did I not see the bromance coming... A love triangle even? Literally between three guys that I did not know I needed until this lol...

Like imagine how deeply Yuanzhou and Li Lun must've loved each other after spending 34,000 years growing up together, but then ended up breaking apart later on. And when Yichen entered Yuanzhou's life, despite knowing him for not that long, their bond quickly became so strong. Which shows that time doesn't define the depth of a relationship but rather a shared connection and growth together. Which is why we see Yichen as Yuanzhou's end game (lowkey) and not Li Lun. Though I would LOVE a prequel of Zhuyan and Li Lun's story (tho ofc we're never getting it, and I feel ROBBED XD)

And yea, the OST... just BEAUTIFUL!! I listen to it nonstop I swear! It's all I've been listening to ever since Fangs of Fortune began airing... I am that obsessed and have many favorites in the OST that it's hard to choose just one. And you're right about the lyrics. They really tie in with the story so well. Love it even more knowing that the entire (8) cast actually sang the majority of the OSTs.

Oooh so you know about the kid becoming dark (and I will tell you there's more to it that you don't know yet)! So you've decided to start! I'm nervous but excited for you~ I hope you end up liking it! I would like to hear from you what you think about it as you watch!

For the analyses:

1) The first thing I did generally is go on Reddit and find discussion posts whenever episodes came out and someone made one for a certain range of episodes, then read everyone's comments about it. Here's a link where someone put links to each post (unfortunately can't seem to find episodes 26-34 though):
https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1ghiy5u/comment/lxqv1ql/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

2) I came across a tumblr post which analyzes some past scenes to the last scenes that connect with each other. I won't give that to you of course as to not spoil the ending. This is a link to their posts which use the Fangs of Fortune tag in chronological order. I haven't looked thru the whole thing but they seem to talk about a lot if not all the episodes. There are reactions and also analyses. Anyways, the few things I've read from them was really fun to read and really makes me dive deeper into the drama!
https://dreamingsnowflake2013.tumblr.com/tagged/fangs%20of%20fortune/chrono

3) I found another person's Tumblr who analyzes the episodes as they air! It looks fun and interesting! I just came across it as I'm typing this~ May plan to read this one too as I rewatch!
https://hyog-blog.tumblr.com/tagged/fangs%20of%20fortune/chrono

I also just sometimes stumble upon many different people's Tumblr posts analyzing different things which is fun to read. Maybe you could do that once you finish the drama. I hope you end up enjoying it! Good luck!

Ofc and tysm for even checking it out! 🥹 Ty for anticipating on the next ones too! 🥰🫶

Ofc and tysm for even checking it out 🥹🥰

I really love all your favorites! Of your favorites mine would be "Return After a Long Dream" and "Heaven and Earth are Unrivalled"! I think if we take a look at "Return After a Long Dream" and "Plants Do Not Grieve" it's giving Yuanzhou and Yichen's story for me, but in other ways it could be telling different things depending on how we interpret it. For "Heaven and Earth are Unrivalled" since it's sung by Yanan (who plays Li Lun) I can tell it's telling his (conflicting) story with Yuanzhou.

Anyways, I love how beautiful the songs are and their meanings too and how they relate to the characters so perfectly which can be seen when you watch the drama. Maybe with this it could also help you enjoy the drama with how you love the songs!

Since you've never got into these dramas, maybe in general it isn't for you. Wonder if there will be a drama that would ever catch your attention for the first time? Maybe since it's two dramas you've only tried watching you have yet to still explore and find what you like, that could be it. But I'm not sure since you seem to have never been into these kind of (genre) dramas.

Based on the themes you enjoy in a drama, I'm surprised to find that all the ones you've mentioned are actually included in this drama actually~ There is a chance you might end up liking Fangs of Fortune. Of course, we may not be the same, but I do personally feel like this one is special and different from other dramas out there. It's also one of my top favorite dramas now as well~ Again, of course we may be different though. What kind of special are you looking for? For me, this one hits home. Although of course there are some cons to it and some things I wished turned out differently, but overall, I really love this one.

But anyways, you are totally right about the cinematography... I mean, literally everyone says it that I would be surprised if I see even one person say it's bad skfjdsfksjs I have yet to see one bad comment about it which shows how good it is! The director is really good when it comes to this kind of stuff. This is a bonus too for me... the cinematography being this good makes me love the drama even more honestly haha. And yes, the outfits are beautiful too. I love how much they pay attention to these things in the dramas, bc I find they are important too!

I didn't watch the short summary specials but tbh I do plan to read analyses about the drama for each episode for my rewatch to get a deeper in-depth understanding about the drama leading up to the end of it, which will be lots of fun. Are you enjoying the summary specials? Maybe if you're enjoying it, maybe you'll enjoy this drama after all, even if it may not be perfect for you?

You're not wrong about Neo Hou~ He is such a great actor. I can tell he's improved in this one compared to the other ones I've watched (tho I still have yet to watch even more of him tbh lol), and this is his best character and role yet! And I'd like to add about the second male lead too. Tian Jiarui has impressed me so much with his acting and it's only his second drama! I think because of these two actors' acting skills they made me feel like they were the heart of the series. Although of course I adore and love every other character here and there. If you do watch, you'll also be impressed by the child actor Lin Ziye, and you'd know what I mean if you did. He's just 13-years-old and he's already so good.

Btw, do you like comedy at all? Some people will feel off about the comedy here. Tbh, I did feel like this when I started but still continued since I was enjoying the show. But now I've gotten used to it that it makes me laugh most of the time. And I think with how this story goes, it's great to have a mix of the comedy throughout the drama.

And woah, based on what you've seen, you may rate it a 9? That's a pretty good score considering how you're not into this kind of genre. Maybe give a try in watching the full drama? It's your choice of course. Don't forget to watch the special episode (34.5) because it really ends the drama on a good note compared to just up to ep 34. :) Overall, I think you should maybe try watching the full thing so you're not missing out on important details and other unforgettable moments. You might come to appreciate the drama more. I hope so! What do you think you might do?

Hey everyone!! I'm a little late but I wanted to cover one of Tian Jiarui's OSTs for our birthday~ It may not be perfect but I wanted do this for him and Zhuo Yichen❣️ So, I uploaded and finished one some few days ago if you guys wanna maybe listen to it~ 🤗

I actually also covered his theme song with Bai Jiu and can't wait to share it once I've uploaded it too~ I'll try this week! Just want to share my love for this drama too with these covers while it's still newly aired hehe~ And honestly, I will definitely try covering some of the other songs too in the near future 🙈

https://youtu.be/VPmwH1hxxE8?si=NQ5OgO_cv9pDlvPt

I haven't started but man am I convinced to start it while it's just airing after seeing positive comments and posts about it... I'm definitely starting tomorrow! I'm so excited! 🙈

I haven't watched the ML b4 but dang am I excited to watch him here! I've watched the next 5 actually b4 and the last 2 of the 6 (Yan An, Li Baihui) as a couple / lovers in two other dramas (there even in more dramas together even...), so wow am I even more excited!!

Yes, so it's like 8 songs out of 13 of them is sung by the cast, which is crazy already xD It's like more than half. Makes me appreciate the songs even more! :) And woah only second OST, like OST from a drama, in full, you've listened to? Wow, that's even more amazing! Shows how great this OST is! I also really love the drama "The Blood of Youth" but tbh I am not really into the OSTs that much either, but I really love the fighting song "Wind" by Yu Zhaoyuan!

From this link of the Fangs of Fortune OST, the first 5 are sung by other singers while the last 8 are by the cast (each picture corresponds to who is singing, except the last one, the group song, is sung by the entire 8 main cast members)!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLaG0k-PXfnd2jSwSUgGt28IU7_zzHRdH

Btw, which one's your top favorites? I'm curious! Tbh, I can't exactly choose bc I love so many of them. My top favorites are mostly sung by the cast, and I can't even pinpoint which one is my favorite LOL but when it comes to a non-cast member then it'd be "Return After a Long Dream" for sure, it's too beautiful!! It's really cool how this song led you to listening to the rest of the OST~

So I'm curious what do you like most about / in a drama, and what kind of genres / elements do you like for them to have? What also makes you not like these dark fantasy dramas? Idk if you'll like this one based on your taste, but you can still try watching. Maybe you can try since you came to love the OST and see how it goes for you? If in the end you feel it's not for you, then that's okay to since we all have our own taste. But in my opinion, I really love the story, the relationship between the entire gang, and especially the strong bond between the two male leads!

And about the whole cast singing the OSTs and how they're all able to, I am not even sure tbh if they were chosen by their singing talents, but I gotta say their acting skills are also really great, so maybe yes and no? But I'm not entirely sure. I do find it amazing how every single one of them can sing well to even have their own OST! Tbh, I don't even remember one other drama I've watched (I've watched over 130) where all the main cast (+ main supporting cast) even have their own OST in the dramas, so it's quite rare!

I see your profile is Li Lun 😆 Let's just can count Fangs of Fortune a BL in disguised (bc with the many signs we were given, we can't deny it was intended) 🫣 Yuanzhou X Yichen X Li Lun, the true love triangle 🤭

Okay, but frrrr... We neeeeeed this drama... I already can tell it's gonna be one of my top favorites ever! Really hope they can release it eventually like 😭