babepiggie

I have been catching the season with Dilraba in Keep Running and just love seeing her in a real life setting. She was super sweet and cute in those episodes. I thought she made a cute pair with Lu Han but it seemed to me that he was crushing on Reba . I'm not sure why Lu Han fans hate her though (I had no clue who Lu Han is and how wildly popular he was at the time).

I've been camping out on You Are My Glory page the past week and am really looking forward to the airing of the drama in the upcoming days. The ML in YAMG is not a jerk; I found him very realistic and I love Reba's FL and anticipating their chemistry on screen. Please join us there to discuss - some fans here will be migrating there. :)

The problem lies with the TOXIC fans which exist for ALL artists and not only fans of Dilraba so reading your comment, I do not appreciate the insinuation of being lumped with these types of fans. Yes, some TLB fans here expressed disappointment over Rosy and Leo's pairing in the upcoming drama coming out the freshness of seeing their favorite Gesun couple on screen. However after some heated comments, people calmed down and soon moved on. Just to clarify, I was not part of this group being disappointed but read their comments so I am only relating what I read.

And to emphasize, Lusi is not the only artist who gets "hate" from opposing fan groups. Dilraba is constantly criticized for her looks, saying she is not Han Chinese enough in historical dramas. For accepting the role of Li Changge and her pairing with a younger Leo Wu, she was personally attacked with comments about her looking like his mother, her stunts were not good enough, she did not dress like a man when 90% of woman in disguise in dramas, none of the actresses looked like males. She was even criticized for the two strands of hair which was the signature look of Li Changge in the manhua. I could not believe that was even a criticism.

Yes, the hate is misplaced and yes it's wrong but such behavior is not specific to Dilraba fans because it exists in all fan groups even Lusi fans. There were many comments here from Lusi fans saying that Lusi saved this drama and she should have played the FL. I obviously disagreed on this point but you get my point, it's not one-sided in fan wars. It's unfortunate because I don't personally understand this toxic fan mentality in tearing others down to elevate their favorites. Why spend so much energy and time on something you hate? Just go support your favorites - that's the best thing a fan can do for his/her favorite artist(s). However, as artists, they do get criticisms because they are front and center in viewers' eyes and as they get popular, they garner more fans and also more haters. It comes with the territory. It doesn't make it right but it's nature of their occupation.

Another trailer? I felt like the first two are really good already and whetted our appetite for our main couple. Hopefully this new trailer focuses on other characters in the drama.

Thank you for the update!

I agree. I love our main lead but having a secondary romance will give some variety to the viewers. Like you said, something light-hearted, maybe a comedic couple (Pei Pei and her love interest) or innocent high school love with one of Jing Jing's sibling. I saw the cast consists of her siblings (not in the novel) and have been wondering if there was an intention to have other minor romances to appeal to a wider audience.

I came to the TLB page after you left and there were a couple of instances that made my blood boiled. Very unreasonable comments about Reba or criticisms of the Gesun couple in comparison to the second lead couple. It was very annoying and at one point I did want to leave the discussion page. However, once I calmed down and many people came to Reba and Gesun's defense, it was nice seeing how lurkers were signing up to combat these people. I'm of the mindset, if you don't have nothing good to say, please don't say it all. Just go spend your energy supporting your favorites, why spend so much time hating on someone else? That is why I have such admiration for Reba. I think she's constantly criticized (many times, very unreasonably) but she keeps on going and trying to improve herself. She has such grace in how she presents herself - that is why I root for her and is happy for her success. She has made me a fan ever since her TLB performance and the inner beauty she has displayed.

I think I will try to watch the episodes as they are being released rather than bingeing all at once. I'm really looking forward to the drama and I do want to participate in some of the discussions in the forum so it's probably best to watch the them weekly. I just need to figure what platform to watch the episodes in. I don't think my Chinese streaming service is carrying the drama.

In my attempt to keep my comments shorter, I will respond to a couple of points you made. :) First off, so very jazz to learn that you watched Hong Kong dramas too! That is such a rare feat for me to meet something one who appreciates such classics! I should explain my background first. I'm in my mid-twenties, living in US so my circle of friends and acquaintances rarely watched Chinese dramas, so HK dramas are even more rare. My parents, mostly my mother, grew up on 80s HK dramas and have been dissatisfied with HK productions for the past 10+ years and reverted to watching her classic HK drama DVD collection. So growing up, I am very familiar with many of the popular 80s and 90s HK dramas and love many of them. In fact, I was bemoaning the other day that I wish Chinese TV companies will make a true modern drama where the plot drives the story with healthy infusion of romance. The current Chinese dramas appear to be so love/romance oriented that I crave for a true modern drama like Looking Back in Anger or Blood of Good and Evil (I hope you're familiar with these works). TVB really did a good job with those types of dramas in the 80s and 90s but their dramas now (both modern and historical) are not good at all and lack creativity. IMO, the Chinese historical dramas are currently well done with great production value but I find Chinese modern dramas to be a bit lacking but still better than HK modern dramas, which explains why I turned to watching Chinese dramas the last few years.

I don't watch Korean dramas so I'm not aware of how often kissing is among Korean artists in modern dramas. I rather not dive into that rabbit hole. I have my hands full trying to watch Chinese dramas so I don't want to start a possible addiction by starting a Korean drama. I think I should stay in one lane for now. :)

Time is going by slowly (for me) but only two more days to go! :)

Thank you for sharing the information on Power Star. :) When The Long Ballad was airing, I remembered reading in the discussion comments there is a ranking system in China for artists and it is typically dominated by Chinese actors. Dilraba cracked the top 10 due to her performance in TLB but from your comments, it appears she's the only woman consistently on the top 10 list. That is really impressive. I thought Yang Mi, Yang Zi or Zhao Yi Ling might also be in the top 10 too and am quite surprised to learn that not one of the three appeared in the top 10.

I have read all of Gu Man's translated novels but have yet to see any of the drama adaptations. My first drama to view and by far my favorite novel of hers is You Are My Glory. She is a really good story teller and her novels offer quite a bit of variety of characters and they are all very relatable. She has served as a screenwriter to all of the drama adaptations of her novels so I think that her personal involvement did contribute to the success of the dramas because she had a voice in the process. So like WK1 noted, I think we're in good hands with this one too.

Can't wait to listen to the soundtracks. I hope we have some gems to highlight the emotional impact of the drama. Thanks for sharing! :)

I like the character Pei Pei too but she only appeared in couple of the hometown chapters. I would love for the drama to expand her role by having Jing Jing's best friend living in Shanghai so her role will be more prominent. Perhaps, change the timeline to have her dating rather being married in Shanghai so there is a secondary romance developed in the drama. I think the drama can use a minor secondary romance, either Jing Jing's friend, assistant or one of her siblings might have a love line on screen.

Averaging a 10 is impossible. Even the cream of the crop Chinese dramas get low 9s and they are typically historical dramas. I think 8.5 rating is a very realistic average to achieve because there will be low ratings given as the drama will not appeal to all viewers and unfortunately, there are haters of the actors who will mark the drama low due to their biases. I wouldn't worry so much about the ratings because it's a flawed metric - not everyone has the same opinion of a performance and I have enjoyed dramas with average or even low ratings before. I've learned long ago that as the drama is enjoyable to me, that's all it matters.

Yeah, I’m still lurking around the TLB page but I came to the TLB much later. I waited until all the episodes were out and subbed and then I binge watched all 49 episodes. Afterwards I entered the discussion forum and met many interesting people who shared with me their takes on the drama. I had a good time and learned so many things from fellow TLB enthusiasts (I really missed some details on my initial run). I wish I have participated on the discussion threads much earlier because there were so many plot points and characterization to discuss but I really hate chasing episodes and become obsessed with a drama. Waiting for upcoming episodes feel like torture. I’m not sure how I will approach watching YAMG, if I should watch the episodes as they come out and be part of the discussion or doing my usual bingeing. I’m still on the fence about that one. I really hope my streaming service (Viki) carries this drama. So much to consider but at least the drama has an air date so I should be busy watching Jing Jing and Yu Tu fall in love in the coming weeks. 😊

I am very surprised to learn from you that some readers thought Yu Tu’s appeal to Jing Jing was his love of aerospace and she was upset with his decision to quit. I assume you are referring to outside the restaurant scene after their first fight where she left upset and he was MIA for a week or so? I did not interpret the scene that way at all. I think deep down she wants him to continue with aerospace because that is his love and passion. She wants him to be happy but she’s also fine with his decision whatever it may be. If he were to choose finance and they begin dating, I have faith that she will also be supportive of his new career. That was why when his mentor questioned his decision and guilt-tripped Yu Tu on his decision to forgo aerospace, Jing Jing stepped in and defended his reason. First off, his mentor should not have done that (good that he realized it and apologized afterwards) because Yu Tu’s decision is not just for himself but it is also what’s best for his family (his parents). And sometimes, sacrifices need to be made in life and he should not be shamed by others for making a decision that he thought was best at the time.

Like you, I think the important events in the novel will be portrayed on screen since the writer is also the screenwriter for the drama so I’m not as concerned in that area. I think my fear has to do more with expectations. The fact that I have read the novel and love these characters, I expect more weight to be given to certain scenes and do worry that I might be let down. My biggest apprehension is that Reba and YY lack the onscreen chemistry to bring out the dynamic of the couple and their personalities. After all, if their love story is not convincing enough, it will be a very long 32 episodes for me. However, from what I have seen of the trailers, I think they do have good romantic vibes and I hope they will become one of my favorite pairings of all time.

I don’t think there’s a right or wrong view of the drama either, whether one has read the novel or not. I am more interested in people’s thoughts of the plot and actors’ portrayal and I enjoy reading others’ perspectives of the relationships and how that has resonated with viewers. You and I have exchanged many views in TLB page so I know you’ll have opinions to share and am looking forward to reading your thoughts. 😊

It seems like the general consensus enjoys happy endings and kissing is desired for a couple. For me, I think it has to do with the expectations of the specific genre. For instance, for historical genres, I don’t necessarily need to have kissing scenes between couples because it is expected in a historical piece that couples act more reserved and do not show physical affection until marriage (not to say all couples abided by that rule). I grew up watching 80s Hong Kong dramas (my parents were big fans) and the lack of physical affection did not bother me at all. In fact, I was able to admire actors’ use of facial expressions and dialogue to indicate affection and love. That was convincing enough to me so it did not bother me at all when I was watching The Long Ballad the lack of smooching scenes. I think people might be ticked off by the use of the two parrots in place of the kiss. I personally would have left out the blurred kiss and the birds because without that scene, Gesun’s love was still very apparent to me.

In the case of a modern romantic drama like You Are My Glory, I do expect fiery kisses because when reading the epilogues of the novel, there were many suggestive scenes that indicate Yu Tu and Jing Jing have a passionate and physically affectionate relationship (nothing explicit was detailed in the translated novel but enough description to give readers the idea they are very much a modern couple). So, I think it comes down to expectations from the viewer in relation to the particular genre.

I am also of the mindset that a tragic/unhappy ending is not necessarily a bad thing as long as it makes sense. Not everything in life are rainbows and sunshine and I like that dramas can make me smile and revel in the wonders of love and yet prompt me to burst into tears and question the fairness of life. When watching a drama, for me, I just want to be moved by the story, whether it is a happy or sad ending. Sorry, I didn’t mean to make this post about drama viewing experience. 😊

All in all, I echo your sentiments. YAMG drama seems to be delivering what the general population wants - a good romance with kisses and a happy ending. If they were able to check off the list with compelling portrayals, I expect the drama to do very well.

Can you please elaborate on the metrics that were used to determine that Dilraba is number 1 in China? Is it a poll that changes weekly?

I believe the writer, Gu Man’s work is very well received and her previous novels to drama adaptations are quite successful (hopefully, this bodes well for You Are My Glory too). So, I’m sure fans of hers will follow this drama in China and abroad. In fact, I remembered reading news when the announcement was made that both Dilraba and Yang Yang were to star in the lead roles, Weibo blew up and the topic trended very high. So, there was great anticipation for the drama from the very beginning. There are so many positives going for this drama and I am hopeful that the lead performances resonate with the audience and it becomes a mega hit in China and internationally. 😊

No doubt, YAMG is a very straight forward love story and its plot is simple compared to TLB. I don't expect the level of discussion as we both had experienced in TLB page, but do look forward discussing with others on their impression of the drama/novel. I already had a couple of good discussions with others here on this page so I'm looking forward to reading other comments and their takes on the drama (including yours since you have not read the novel). Your viewing experience will definitely be different than mine so I welcome your thoughts too!

I do like other viewers' cautionary comments that this is not a gaming drama because it levels expectations and not disappoint others who expect it to be similar to other gaming dramas. I think the YAMG drama should be heavy on the romance and people can anticipate a wonderful mature love story.

Oh gosh, we're so like-minded when it comes to this novel. I just love reading your comments and I agree with you, both characters resonate with me so much! Growing up in an Asian household, I completely get Yu Tu's position. We're raised to choose the practical, well paid career path and for someone like Yu Tu, who is so bright and talented and have other options (he did double major in finance too), it is a hard choice. To follow one's dreams or pick the safe lane in life. I get it and I understood his struggle. He is fortunate to have met Jing Jing who supports his career choice, whatever it may be. She encourages him to follow his dream but also defends his position if he were to choose another career path (her defense to his teacher at dinner). I think many adults here empathize with Yu Tu's inner conflict and finds it so very realistic..

About our leading lady, I also love her personality and she is one of my favorite female leads in a novel. She is so brave and direct and put her heart out there for Yu Tu. She is a ball of sunshine - sassy, sweet and despite her celebrity status, very down to earth. She is exactly what Yu Tu needs in life. He's a deliberate thinker and planner while she is mischievous and spontaneous and complements him in every way. I love reading the epilogues to see his witty and light-hearted side and their cute interactions with each other. I also love the quote, "you are a rabbit that has seen many stars". it made me teary eyed when I read it too. :)

If the drama stays true to the novel and our leads are able to deliver poignant performances and capture the nuances of the characters, it will be a very good drama. From the trailers, many memorable moments in the novel are captured so I think the heart of story is there but am curious how the "flavor" is added. I'm not opposed to changes because what is written in a novel might not translate well on screen so changes are expected. As long as the main story is intact, I welcome the extra flavoring to enhance the story. Looking forward to our upcoming viewing experience and discussing more with you and others when it happens.

I just went through the cast list and saw casting for Jing Jing's grandparents and siblings and was a bit surprised! There is no mention about her family (other than her parents) in the novel but the addition of her siblings might prompt a secondary romance in the drama? I also think it might be cute to give a little romance to Jing Jing's assistant. I don't mind other romances but hope they are well written and brief to not take away too much screen time from our main leads.

Jing Jing really didn't care that their relationship might be exposed. LOL I think it helps that Yu Tu's workplace values confidentiality and the paparazzi cannot disclose Yu Tu's identity. I did find it funny when his coworkers and friends realize his girlfriend is a famous actress. Their reactions are hilarious.