ashesinthewind

I'm speechless.

They really spent the last episode trying to find excuses for the actions of an obssessive, selfish, crazy, manipulative psychopath. People like that should be in prison and not forgiven.

I repeat: the entire episode was about Khing. The mains got maybe 10 minutes together, out of an episode that was an hour and a half long. I don't think there's more to say.

LDQ is absolutely gorgeous with these big doe eyes and lips of his and it suits his character. Benjamin has presence and charisma and the vibe is right for the character of Jiang Tian. I think the casting director knew what he was doing. I have no more to say about that.

I think some of the investors are Chinese, this is why it matters, at least partly. This is why it's important to watch the show legally on the official streaming plattforms.

I don't like Viki, it rejects my VPN and I've been holding a grudge because of it. Now I have one reason more to avoid it and stick to Gaga. ;)

From what I understood, the show was not officially released in China and many of the fans rated it low without watching it, because they didn't like that the actors were older and were not handsome enough, whatever that means. The director knows that. He seems to be well-informed from what I've read. If they make a second season, I don't think it will be released in China.

History 4 was the one with the stepbrothers in which the one got the other one drunk and raped him and they got together anyway? And this has a better rating than The On1y One? OMG.

If I understand your comment correctly, you did not like the show and didn't think it was a slow-burn romance, and although I absolutely loved it (except for the ending, because that was not an ending at all, it felt like another episode) and for me it was a slow-burn romance, I actually agree with many points you've made.

Developing the relationship between the mains for 12 episodes until the point when both are obviously very much into each other and then deliberately putting a stop on it like that, separating them and saying we have to hope for season two to see a confession, especially when this could've been easily avoided (I read the book and now I know they come together not long after what happened in episode 12) makes me feel sort of... manipulated? I absolutely would love the second season, because despite disliking the ending, this is the best BL series this year for me, but I can understand why people would not be happy.

I don't agree people are rating this high because they want a second season, though, I think they rate it high because it's a great series with good writing, good development of the relationship of the mains (not the side couple, I wish that love triangle would die) and the great acting. If anything, from what I've seen, several people have lowered their rating after the ending that isn't one, not the other way around. Of course, some people might rate it high because they hope for a second season, but generally, after episode 12 the ratings have been going down and not up, and it's understandable. The director is smart enough and should've calculated this would happen after deciding to end it like that.

Unlike so many here, I don't have high hopes for a second season. As far as I remember, very few BLs get a second season, and only one from Taiwan (We Best Love) has been so lucky. And after reading the book and knowing how close to the confession chapter they stopped, it makes me bitter, because they wasted the opportunity to give some closure to these characters in case the second season does not happen. I absolutely agree with the last paragraph you wrote that we can't judge the show on the novel. These are two separate things. I read the translation of the book I found and I know in the novel, there's a happy ending. Unfortunately, this didn't make me enjoy the ending of episode 12 more and I'm not comforted by knowing what happened in the novel.

That being said, I did not change my high rating, because even incomplete, this show remains the best I've seen in a long time. I can only hope I'm wrong and a second season will happen, but even without, the love story between SW and JT moved me, impressed me, made me laugh, cry, and deeply care, and I'm very grateful it has been written and I got the possibility to watch it, with or without a second season.

The rating should be higher, IMO, it should be at least 8.5, and I'm saying this as someone who didn't like the ending and can understand the people who would lower their rating because of it.

Eric doesn't get enough praise and he's perfect in the role of Sheng Wang. I see people gushing over Benjamin (deservedly so), but Eric deserves as much praise.

I want to thank you for your calm and reasonable answer to my comment even though mine probably wasn't. I really think that the only difference in opinion we have is about the ending and not about the series. I adored the series, seriously. It's the best I've seen this year and I loved the slow-burn, the friendship, the history, literature and physics lessons, Jiang Tian's total devotedness to Sheng Wang, and Sheng Wang himself, all his oblivious, dramatic, clumsy, adorable self. It was an amazing love story, it just feels incomplete to me with that ending, and this is what I tried to say. The series is still my number 1 this year, I just wish it would've ended differently and felt like complete series, and don't think this makes me "shallow" or worse. This is what my issue was about.

Let's just hope season 2 will happen. At this point, there's nothing more we can do.

Exactly, thank you. The story feels unfinished. The last episode doesn't feel like a finale, there was no resolution, not even in the teachers' relationship, despite the confession.

I can consume media in any way I want and I really wish such "profound" and "deep" people like you seem to view yourself would stop labelling others as "shallow" or worse just because they feel differently. It's absolutely normal to have expectations and to be disappointed if they were not fulfilled. It doesn't mean I didn't love the series even though I disliked them ending it at the point they did.

I loved episode 12 and SW being totally in love and knowing it, but I have to agree with everyone here. Choosing to end the season exactly at this point feels unfinished, incomplete and won't satisfy anyone. We saw a journey of two people falling in love for 12 episodes without a satisfactory ending. I finally realise why they put these kisses in episode 2, which didn't contribute anything to the plot - it was to soothe the audience a little, I just think it won't work. Ending it like this without season 2 confirmed is not going to help the series, no matter how amazing it is. And even if season 2 had been confirmed, how many seasons 2 get cancelled and never happen?

That being said, the series, with that idiotic kidnapping SL in ep. 9 excluded, was absolutely amazing and moving and engaging from the beginning to the end and I still say that this is my #1 BL series this year, despite the ending.

The first episode is hard to watch and I nearly gave up, but ep. 2 and 3 were better. Also, the MLs are likable, especially the older one, who's very open, honest and straightforward, a rarity in BL dramas. Unfortunately, the female characters are just... urgh.

You can decide if you want to continue, but it gets better after ep. 1.

There are quite a few of us at that age who adore the series. I'm one of them. Age has nothing to do with it.

It's been a while since I've seen such an awful and unlikable ML as Elis. It's very unpleasant to watch. Why is Pat putting up with this? He does way more than a secretary should. Being obviously attracted to the a**hole is not good enough, he's supposed to be a grown up man.

This is what I saw, too. From what I've understood, the director has received so many messages about season 2 that his mailbox has exploded and fans were offering to crowdfund S2 if necessary. At the moment, they apparenty are negotiating with production companies, streaming plattforms, etc. Let's just say that I'm more hopeful than I was before. 🙏

There's nothing to defend here - either you see romantic chemistry or, as you say, you interpret their affection as friendly/brotherly, which for me very obviously isn't.

Have you seen episode 10? If you still think Wang and Tian's reactions to each other's presence and actions are brotherly, then I'm afraid that you'll never see it and the show is probably not for you, because they are into each other and will become a couple at some point, be it in this season or (hopefully) in season 2.

If you are asking for an obvious sign that Tian's feelings are not brotherly, you can watch the ending of episode 7 again, it's dead telling. Generally, you don't get a boner immediately after you see your brother or friend you're not attracted to and feel sorry for has a morning wood. Also, saying that Tian would drop everything and would do everything for Wang because he hasn't got a mother and he feels sorry for him is a real stretch. I don't want to generalise, but people don't act like that out of pity for someone, it would never go that far.

Thank you for making me check the trends, because I realised that Kidnap has trended in my country. I've never seen any BL trend in my country before and am honestly both baffled and happy. 🙂

OT, but: is Peaceful Property really a het show? I thought they were going to keep it strictly gen with no pairings. At least I haven't noticed anything romantic between any of the mains so far.

I'm even more impressed by Leng after this episode, the panic attack was really well done.

Glad to see James knew Min wouldn't kill Q, otherwise he would be the stupidest character ever written. Also, thankfully this kidnapping issue has been resolved pretty quickly and now Q is with Min voluntarily and not because he has no choice.

Love the series so far and can only beg they won't ruin it at the end like they did with The Trainee.

The only difference between episode 10 and earlier episodes is that SW finally started to realise his real feelings and was oblivious to them before. The romance was there all the time, it's just that SW didn't know. JT has been carering to SW's every wish since the beginning and would drop everything for him. You don't do that for someone who's supposed to be a friend only.

Of course, this is just my opinion, but I've been seeing romantic moments between them since the biginning, even before they decided to get closer. Just think of episode 2, when JT confronted SW in front of his room after just having had a shower. The tension was there even then.

Season 2 is not confirmed and they have to give us something in case it doesn't happen. Please, they can't give us a development and chemistry and deep love like that and leave us hanging. If I don't get my confession in episode 12, I'm suing them. Seriously, our MLs are whipped and gone for each other to a level that surpasses even committed adult relationships, and considering how young they are, this is impressive. I want my confession next week and won't accept anything less.