Effie_Joon

Oh no, sweetie, he's a pain in the ass in the series too! I honestly don't know how you ended up defending him. His personality is the complete opposite of likable. He's a spoiled brat who, at the end of the day, only cares about himself. The only person I actually feel sorry for in this series is Qin Lang 😅

I haven't read that one yet. I've heard it's pretty toxic, so it might be right up my alley 😅
I just started Gold Glass Fighter by Pao Pao Xue Er. I picked it up right after finishing Chusan's Liuyi Children's Day, but honestly, I'm struggling to find another danmei that grabs me the way that one did.

Well, it was supposedly filmed with the intention of multiple seasons. Of course, if you don’t know that, it can easily seem like the second couple wasn’t developed properly. But the truth is you actually miss a lot of the main story if you don’t follow the second couple’s arc, since they play a really important role in the plot.
I think with the second season, when it eventually comes out (personally I loved the show so the word “if” feels a bit heavy for me, even if we still don't have an official confirmation 😅), a lot of your questions will probably get answered and you'll enjoy it much more 😊

I don’t really think the drama gets messy or "ridiculous" like you said as it shifts tone and leans harder into genre expectations in the second half, especially once it starts building toward a bigger arc and setup for later payoff.

A lot of the stuff mentioned can honestly just be read as pretty standard for this kind of crime melodrama. The knife vs guns thing for example is something you see all the time in action driven shows where choreography and tension matter more than strict realism. It’s not really unique to this drama, it’s usually there to keep fights more personal and visually intense.
On the 80s setting, I also think the show cares more about atmosphere than strict period accuracy. Even though it starts in the late 80s and moves into the early 90s, by the end it’s already around 1991-92. Still, things like slightly modern looking props or inconsistent fashion show up a lot in productions like Sammy’s Children’s Day, especially when the focus is more on character dynamics than historical detail. And with Kowloon being portrayed as this chaotic, lawless space, some of the “how did they get away with that” moments kind of come with the territory rather than being straight up plot holes.

And regarding the second couple, I actually think the bigger issue is not that you were not paying attention, but that the series does not integrate them cleanly into the main narrative. Even if you follow their scenes closely, they still feel structurally separate for long stretches, so the confusion is not only on the viewer side. It is also a pacing and editing choice that delays their payoff.

That’s such a great way to put it! Exactly that feeling of this version of Lu Feng “healing bits and pieces of the trauma” left by his version in the book. And like you said, the Yi Chen in the show is also a much stronger character, which personally makes him more likeable to me than the Yi Chen in the novel.
I’m a bit conflicted about the series for all these reasons, even though I’m enjoying it more than the book overall. I actually think I would have enjoyed it even more if I hadn’t read the novel first. I still don’t really know how I managed to get through it 😅 Well, actually I do. As disturbing as it was at times, I just couldn’t stop reading it. It was a bit of a guilty pleasure, I’d say 😁

Yeah, I really like it too. In fact, I like it more than anything else I'm watching right now.

Hahaha, sis, now the real fun begins. 🤣
To be honest, I've been waiting for the younger brother's scene forever. I just can't feel sorry for him at all. He was and still is one of the most insufferable characters I've ever watched/read 😅

I agree, I'm enjoying the series more than the novel. But once again, the way they're portraying Lu Feng in the series feels like they're getting a little too close to romanticizing him. That's the one thing that bothers me. I don't like that part of me actually ends up feeling sorry for him. At least in the novel, as raw and cruel as the story was, I couldn't stand any of them right up until the very end. 😅

I'm in for the ride, but I'm a little annoyed that they toned the story down so much. Then again, if they had stayed more faithful to the original, it would've been almost unbearable to watch.

Can't wait 🤭

Hahaha! True!

No matter how many times we say it, it still won't be enough! I can barely say I felt sorry for what happened to him 😅

I don't know, at this point they've toned Lu Feng down a lot... I kinda think they're going to romanticize him, and that would be such a bummer.

Unfortunately, I haven't. I wouldn't even know where to start looking. Maybe Discord? I have no clue, but if you come across anything, please let me know 🙃

Hang in there, sis. You're not alone. I have faith, we'll get it. At this point it’s less that we can’t move on and more that we don’t want to. They must hear us out this time.

One can only hope 🙏
I'm manifesting it like my life depends on it 😅

Fourth Friday without them... 😔

Same 😩
I'm really enjoying Double Helix so far (definitely more than the novel), but nothing can fill the void SCD left behind... Still, I like it more than anything else I'm watching these days.

From what I’ve seen, XiZhao are actually doing pretty well in mainland too. They definitely have a growing mainland fandom, especially on Weibo and Douyin, and their CP content gets a lot of engagement there. International fans are louder on Twitter and TikTok so it can sometimes feel like all the hype is overseas, but Chinese fans are supporting them a lot too.
And same! YunYi and XiZhao are my absolute favorites 💛

I guess everyone has different “tastes” (or maybe “kinks” is the more accurate word 🤣)
Anyway, don’t feel bad about it. I don’t even consider it normal myself that I like him better covered in blood, even if my psychologist friend says there’s nothing wrong with me 😅