Oh god, this was terrible. I'm much more interested in reading the novel now that I know it's riddled with nasty, down and dirty sexual perversion. The Chinese always take out all the good stuff when they adapt novels into plain, vanilla pablum like Stay With Me.
Question: Why don't Chinese production companies make smutty BLs for international distribution, and release a censored version of THAT within China? They can't make gay stuff even for distribution OUTSIDE China?
Either way, it's a bizarre situation. It's always seemed weird to me how Puritanical so-called "Communist" governments are. It's not as though they ever had the original "Puritans" from England landing on the shores of America back in the 1500s and polluting the culture to a degree that affects us here still today. What is it about Commies and sex that doesn't mix?
Forget a wedding, I thought they went riding dressed as if they were going to play a tuba for a marching band…
lol, hahaha
You're right...those outfits DO look like old-fashioned marching band uniforms! hahaha So what the fuck was that about? Seriously, I think for fans of these weird censored BLs, you're supposed to look for that sort of thing and find great meaning in it. Thus I thought, well maybe this is as close to a gay wedding scene as this show is going to get.
You know, I actually liked the whole vibe of that hair-cutting scene between SY and Doorknob...when Doorknob was cutting SY's hair and leering over his shoulder there was a passing air of real creepiness and physical threat in the room. Had the show generated that kind of weirdness surrounding the Evil Bro a lot earlier it would have helped a lot. What watered down the EB threat for me was that he didn't seem to like WB much, let alone lust for him (even though EB was clearly not into women), nor did he enjoy his company. He merely wanted to control him. But why?
Oh...the haircutting scene lost its sense of danger when we noticed Evil Bro was fake-cutting around in the air below SY's actual hair, not doing a damn thing. The crew actually did put some hairs on SY's shoulders but pretty sure it wasn't from real cutting. lol
Also, I laughed when Evil Bro said, "Oh sure, while I was in college, graduate and doctorate school and even though I was filthy rich and my family paid for everything, I took up lots of odd jobs to scrape by. One of them was barber-shopping!" lol
Well, in a BL made in another country we would KNOW why: He had the hots for WB and was a frustrated closet queen. But in these sad, censored BLs, where viewing one is all about detecting and analyzing little hints and clues here and there and filling in the gaps to come up with a fantasy interpretation in your head, all the urgency or angst is filtered out because they can't show anything to truly generate it.
Two more examples: 1. When WB went psycho about Mao Chong's headphones being left in SY's room, after which they were wrestling oddly on the living room floor. I don't care whose belt was off, that was not an attempted rape. lol They were "wrestling/fighting" in that silly way siblings do when they aren't serious about it and are laughing. The dad came in and SY ran out of the room. So that was supposed to be some intense, meaningful occurence. But the next time we saw SY and WB together they were on the couch joking around as if nothing happened and that was the end of it. 2. When WB overheard SY telling MC at school that "I tell WB he is the most handsome but I don't mean it; you have been the most handsome man in my life since childhood..." We see WB overhearing this and staring daggers at SY like a future serial killer. NOTHING comes of that; it's just dropped. 3. When Mao Chong decided he was in love with SY and wanted to sleep with and apparently f**k SY while WB was out of town. He spent the night, flirted, talked about how handsome each other was, then went to sleep. Again, NOTHING comes of this potentially interesting twist. It is just dropped.
Oh, an extra-hilarious touch was in the last episode when SY/WB are in the car. The footbrakes AND handbrake go out, so WB says to SY, "well, we have no brakes and will likely be killed within minutes, but I've got this, take a nap." And SY fucking TAKES A NAP!!! omg
Maybe if anyone cut the doorknob of Evil Bro's head he would drop dead. It is the source of his evil power....
The first volume of the novel ends here and it picks up with volume two, eight years later. That's why the show…
Well...there goes any suspense from the events of the last episode. lol I often wondered too what the purpose of the 2006 setting was in this show since its time frame didn't seem to affect the plot at all.
I've been dumping on this show for eight episodes during which what had been a promising story went to shite, but even I am a mess and don't know what to think.
This ep actually wasn't half-bad, for a censored/pseudo BL/Bromance thing. Question for Chinese viewers: Is that hideous little pigtail the Evil Brother wears on the back of his head an actual "thing" in China? Or is he just a complete dweeb? Question for Censored/Pseudo-BL/Bromance lovers: The horse riding scene with WB and SY in snow white outfits and Duo in a little white outfit...is that to be interpreted as sort of a "wedding" scene? I can't figure any other reason they'd be casually riding horses in such formal attire. Question for all viewers: When will someone pull out a revolver and shoot that douche bag Evil Brother? Another question: Is Evil Brother in love with WB? Anyone else think when WB looks jealous there's a hint of serial killer in his glare? I worry for SY's future if he makes a false step. Wouldn't be surprised if Mao Chong is found in a garbage can chopped to pieces after that "I lie to WB about him being handsome; YOU are the most handsome" comment from SY that he overheard. I love the little Fujoshi.
I'm fine with the politics, but I don't get the demand for "exposition" when the acting clearly tells you what…
lol Newsflash: Just because you say something "actually" is something else doesn't make it so. Do you believe Black folks in whiteface successfully fooled anyone? No, they did not.
Black people in whiteface weren't trying to fool anyone. It was obvious they weren't really white. Censored crap out of China tries to fool the censors by pretending it's not gay.
My analogy is fine. Whether or not you agree is another matter.
Question for anyone not trapped in China: Why not simply watch REAL BLs and REAL gay-themed movies instead of this "subversive" garbage? There are thousands of REAL gay-themed series and films available on the Internet. Why support entertainment that bends to the will of bigots?
If you live IN China, behind the Internet Iron Curtain, then watch this stuff if you must but please don't claim it's anything but what it is.
I'm fine with the politics, but I don't get the demand for "exposition" when the acting clearly tells you what…
"subversive?" seriously? lol
This is the type of series that ties itself in knots to conform to the draconian, homophobic, requirements of the Chinese government's bigoted standards for gay content, all with a wink and a nod and a lot of stupidity to bypass the censors.
Yes, I'd rather they quit making ridiculous, insulting, pseudo-BLs like this until such time as they can make a REAL one.
This is comparable to Black performers a hundred years ago in the U.S. Jim Crow South, wearing white-face makeup to perform in whites-only venues. Better to go elsewhere and quit humiliating themselves.
You don't "subvert" anything when you conform to its demands. Subversive would be making a full-blown, non-shame-based BL and releasing it outside China, uncensored.
This showed great promise early but descended into the realm of the comically bad. Lots of bad acting, some great acting. Excellent fight choreography and acting. Great blood/gore prosthetics and makeup. Story kept becoming more and more a satire; maybe it was supposed to be.
Loved the crazy little dude. Wish he and Dora had become BFs by the end.
May be you never experienced the real life of teenager of gay people in restricted asian countries 🤣I like…
It IS pathetic that the best years of your life were a time of frustration and sexual suppression for you, and yet you've convinced yourself they were wonderful. How can it be anything else?
"Entitled." Yeah, right, I spent my high school years in the closet too, but I'm not delusional that it was a great time, the "best of my life." Not by a long shot.
I repeat: Why can't two gay guys who love each other stand on an isolated beach in China or anywhere else, completely alone where no one will hear them, and scream "I LOVE YOU" without pretending they're talking to the water? Are they afraid they might hear themselves and spread rumors about themselves?
Look, I'm sorry you were raised and live in such a homo-hateful place, but brainwashing yourself into thinking it's all good just the way it is, is not the answer.
Also, using one's brain to think things through is not the same thing as being "entitled." I won't apologize for not being born in China.
I'm fine with the politics, but I don't get the demand for "exposition" when the acting clearly tells you what…
lol I DO avoid Chinese series, gay, straight or in-between, mainly on principle regarding the dictatorship's psycho ban on gay content. I started watching this one on the strong recommendation of a fellow MDLer I respect. I binged episodes 1-14 and liked it to about that point, when it all began to go to shit.
YOU should avoid Chinese series too, especially these stupid Bromances, as a boycott against the ban.
I'm fine with the politics, but I don't get the demand for "exposition" when the acting clearly tells you what…
You don't read well. I saw every silly little signal and hint they dropped in this silly series. I just think telling a love story through little signals and hints that people such as you build up in your mind into a fantasy of what you imagine is REALLY going on between the guys, is a sad, sard way to portray love.
May be you never experienced the real life of teenager of gay people in restricted asian countries 🤣I like…
"I know you want more romantic things but the series is not adult romantic heterosexual series..."
Seriously, why write seemingly stupid things like this? The last thing I want to see is a heterosexual romance...I've seen enough of those, thank you.
And I think you're delusional to pretend your high school life was like this series. lol You're confusing fantasy and reality.
Tell me, if you were on the beach early in the morning with a guy you loved and he loved you and absolutely NO ONE else was anywhere nearby, would you yell "I LOVE YOU...beach?" Why hide your feelings when there is no one to hide them from?
It's sad that your high school life in the closet, afraid of being exposed all the while, was "the happiest time of your life." Pathetic. What? Are you now married to a woman, with three kids and pretending to be happy?"
1 
1 
Question: Why don't Chinese production companies make smutty BLs for international distribution, and release a censored version of THAT within China? They can't make gay stuff even for distribution OUTSIDE China?
Either way, it's a bizarre situation. It's always seemed weird to me how Puritanical so-called "Communist" governments are. It's not as though they ever had the original "Puritans" from England landing on the shores of America back in the 1500s and polluting the culture to a degree that affects us here still today. What is it about Commies and sex that doesn't mix?
I like Neo and Khaotung as actors.
I don't like this show.
Out after 32 minutes.
Dropped.
1/10
You're right...those outfits DO look like old-fashioned marching band uniforms! hahaha So what the fuck was that about? Seriously, I think for fans of these weird censored BLs, you're supposed to look for that sort of thing and find great meaning in it. Thus I thought, well maybe this is as close to a gay wedding scene as this show is going to get.
You know, I actually liked the whole vibe of that hair-cutting scene between SY and Doorknob...when Doorknob was cutting SY's hair and leering over his shoulder there was a passing air of real creepiness and physical threat in the room. Had the show generated that kind of weirdness surrounding the Evil Bro a lot earlier it would have helped a lot. What watered down the EB threat for me was that he didn't seem to like WB much, let alone lust for him (even though EB was clearly not into women), nor did he enjoy his company. He merely wanted to control him. But why?
Oh...the haircutting scene lost its sense of danger when we noticed Evil Bro was fake-cutting around in the air below SY's actual hair, not doing a damn thing. The crew actually did put some hairs on SY's shoulders but pretty sure it wasn't from real cutting. lol
Also, I laughed when Evil Bro said, "Oh sure, while I was in college, graduate and doctorate school and even though I was filthy rich and my family paid for everything, I took up lots of odd jobs to scrape by. One of them was barber-shopping!" lol
Well, in a BL made in another country we would KNOW why: He had the hots for WB and was a frustrated closet queen. But in these sad, censored BLs, where viewing one is all about detecting and analyzing little hints and clues here and there and filling in the gaps to come up with a fantasy interpretation in your head, all the urgency or angst is filtered out because they can't show anything to truly generate it.
Two more examples:
1. When WB went psycho about Mao Chong's headphones being left in SY's room, after which they were wrestling oddly on the living room floor. I don't care whose belt was off, that was not an attempted rape. lol They were "wrestling/fighting" in that silly way siblings do when they aren't serious about it and are laughing.
The dad came in and SY ran out of the room. So that was supposed to be some intense, meaningful occurence. But the next time we saw SY and WB together they were on the couch joking around as if nothing happened and that was the end of it.
2. When WB overheard SY telling MC at school that "I tell WB he is the most handsome but I don't mean it; you have been the most handsome man in my life since childhood..." We see WB overhearing this and staring daggers at SY like a future serial killer. NOTHING comes of that; it's just dropped.
3. When Mao Chong decided he was in love with SY and wanted to sleep with and apparently f**k SY while WB was out of town. He spent the night, flirted, talked about how handsome each other was, then went to sleep. Again, NOTHING comes of this potentially interesting twist. It is just dropped.
Oh, an extra-hilarious touch was in the last episode when SY/WB are in the car. The footbrakes AND handbrake go out, so WB says to SY, "well, we have no brakes and will likely be killed within minutes, but I've got this, take a nap." And SY fucking TAKES A NAP!!! omg
Maybe if anyone cut the doorknob of Evil Bro's head he would drop dead. It is the source of his evil power....
Curious: Are you an international fan or do you live in China?
I often wondered too what the purpose of the 2006 setting was in this show since its time frame didn't seem to affect the plot at all.
I've been dumping on this show for eight episodes during which what had been a promising story went to shite, but even I am a mess and don't know what to think.
This ep actually wasn't half-bad, for a censored/pseudo BL/Bromance thing.
Question for Chinese viewers: Is that hideous little pigtail the Evil Brother wears on the back of his head an actual "thing" in China? Or is he just a complete dweeb?
Question for Censored/Pseudo-BL/Bromance lovers: The horse riding scene with WB and SY in snow white outfits and Duo in a little white outfit...is that to be interpreted as sort of a "wedding" scene? I can't figure any other reason they'd be casually riding horses in such formal attire.
Question for all viewers: When will someone pull out a revolver and shoot that douche bag Evil Brother?
Another question: Is Evil Brother in love with WB?
Anyone else think when WB looks jealous there's a hint of serial killer in his glare? I worry for SY's future if he makes a false step. Wouldn't be surprised if Mao Chong is found in a garbage can chopped to pieces after that "I lie to WB about him being handsome; YOU are the most handsome" comment from SY that he overheard.
I love the little Fujoshi.
Black people in whiteface weren't trying to fool anyone. It was obvious they weren't really white. Censored crap out of China tries to fool the censors by pretending it's not gay.
My analogy is fine. Whether or not you agree is another matter.
Question for anyone not trapped in China: Why not simply watch REAL BLs and REAL gay-themed movies instead of this "subversive" garbage? There are thousands of REAL gay-themed series and films available on the Internet. Why support entertainment that bends to the will of bigots?
If you live IN China, behind the Internet Iron Curtain, then watch this stuff if you must but please don't claim it's anything but what it is.
This is the type of series that ties itself in knots to conform to the draconian, homophobic, requirements of the Chinese government's bigoted standards for gay content, all with a wink and a nod and a lot of stupidity to bypass the censors.
Yes, I'd rather they quit making ridiculous, insulting, pseudo-BLs like this until such time as they can make a REAL one.
This is comparable to Black performers a hundred years ago in the U.S. Jim Crow South, wearing white-face makeup to perform in whites-only venues. Better to go elsewhere and quit humiliating themselves.
You don't "subvert" anything when you conform to its demands. Subversive would be making a full-blown, non-shame-based BL and releasing it outside China, uncensored.
Lots of bad acting, some great acting.
Excellent fight choreography and acting.
Great blood/gore prosthetics and makeup.
Story kept becoming more and more a satire; maybe it was supposed to be.
Loved the crazy little dude. Wish he and Dora had become BFs by the end.
3/10
Certain things are what they are, whether you like to hear it or not.
Your Chinese rulers have done a good job washing your brain.
"Entitled." Yeah, right, I spent my high school years in the closet too, but I'm not delusional that it was a great time, the "best of my life." Not by a long shot.
I repeat: Why can't two gay guys who love each other stand on an isolated beach in China or anywhere else, completely alone where no one will hear them, and scream "I LOVE YOU" without pretending they're talking to the water? Are they afraid they might hear themselves and spread rumors about themselves?
Look, I'm sorry you were raised and live in such a homo-hateful place, but brainwashing yourself into thinking it's all good just the way it is, is not the answer.
Also, using one's brain to think things through is not the same thing as being "entitled." I won't apologize for not being born in China.
YOU should avoid Chinese series too, especially these stupid Bromances, as a boycott against the ban.
Seriously, why write seemingly stupid things like this? The last thing I want to see is a heterosexual romance...I've seen enough of those, thank you.
And I think you're delusional to pretend your high school life was like this series. lol You're confusing fantasy and reality.
Tell me, if you were on the beach early in the morning with a guy you loved and he loved you and absolutely NO ONE else was anywhere nearby, would you yell
"I LOVE YOU...beach?" Why hide your feelings when there is no one to hide them from?
It's sad that your high school life in the closet, afraid of being exposed all the while, was "the happiest time of your life." Pathetic. What? Are you now married to a woman, with three kids and pretending to be happy?"