Finished it tonight. And I must say that this is definitely in the TOP 5 Kdramas for me. It started strong and kept it going till the very last frame. Even though I saw the twist coming from like the very first episode, the way the carried it through was just amazing. The writers knew what Big twist everyone would be expecting, so they do give you the Predictable big twist (a bit of an oxymoron I know) but they give you a bunch of small surprise twists accompanying that Big twist, which is just *Chef's Kiss*. There is not a single weak link in the cast. There is not a single weak moment in the direction, cinematography, or writing. This is a near perfect show. After STRANGER, this has to be the tightest Kdrama I have seen. If you have a head for psychological thrillers, and have a strong stomach, watch this. Dramas like these are not everyone's cup of tea, but truly, work like this deserves all the accolades and appreciation it can get. Lee Dongwook has finally convinced me that he is worth all the hype that surrounds him, but TRULY, I have always felt that he was a bit of a misunderstood actor, here he SHINES. This Drama is what it is because of his sheer charisma and unhinged perfection. Im Shi Wan is SUPERB as the flip side of the coin, and to stand out in a performance like this is truly a feat of PURE TALENT. He literally permeates under the watcher's skin and whatever he is feeling, you start feeling too. Also the chemistry and underlying tension (Sexual & psychological) is an absolute joy to watch. I highly recommend this to anyone who is into this genre. IT was GREAT.
I am only 5 episodes in and this drama has me on hooks. Usually Kdramas start with a really rosy and sophisticated view of Seoul. Does not matter what background the MCs come from there is always this idealistic love for Seoul that is apparent from the very first frame. THIS DRAMA THOUGH. The first scene and the tone is so unsettling. The WEATHER is so HOT, and the people are unfriendly and distant, the food is nauseating and the RESIDENCE... Oh dear. I love it when something starts with a total inversion of expectations. This drama makes me so squeamish but I can't stop looking...AHHHHHHH.
Hi can I ask what was the original novel does Beloved Enemy inspired by? I badly want to read it because the series…
Hi Adrian The original Chinese Novel is also called Beloved Enemy and an English Fan-translation of it is available on Novel Updates . I think 2 different groups translated it, so up to Chapter 28 is available on Wattpad https://www.wattpad.com/449577303-beloved-enemy-chapter-1
Please can anyone tell me how can i stan for sf9 i want to support them from the bottom of my heart till the very…
You can join twitter and look for the sf9 tags. Follow some of the biggest fan accounts and the verified Sf9 account for updates. That is how it's usually done. I am a VIP (BIGBANG stan) myself.
I started watching Eternal love with all the enthusiasm it seemingly deserved, but 12 episodes in, some one told me that the novel it is based on was plagiarized from an originally BL novel called The Peach Blossom Debt. And because it was a Gay Romance the original work's author could not sue due to homophobic govt. The stolen and appropriated story then became a phenomenon and the Drama became even more popular making unprecedented amount of money while the original creator of the story struggles to date. I do not know how much of it is true. At least not yet, because only recently has someone picked up the original BL novel and started to do a fan translation, which I am reading.
It soured the whole experience for me to be honest. And I have never gotten back to it since. At this stage, I don't think I ever will.
hi Heeraynii just have a dought . i just saw untamed. and i was really aaaw stuck . it was my first time watching…
Hi Ruba. Yes, your have the right Idea. Showing outright Gay relationships in TV or Movies is banned in China which is SAD, because China seems to have one the most active BL scene. From Webtoons (Webcomics) to Novels, there is a lot of BL content that is loved and cherished in China. The Untamed is the prime example of it. IT was a blockbuster BL fantasy novel, that was then adapted to a Donghua ( Chinese Anime) Also called GrandMaster of Demonic Cultivation, but it was so well-recieved that they straight away made a Live-action Drama too. Though they had to retcon the whole Romance. They still included a LOT, but you have to use a bit of your imagination. As for the recommendations you have asked me. It's a whole Genre in Chinese, My recommendations are as follows:
- Addicted Heroine ( The popularity of this show was the reason BL got banned on TV actively- It adapted from a novel by a very popular Chinese BL writer CHAI JIDAN, It's currently there on KissAsian, but the real romantic scenes you can find on Youtube, because they were censored. There was supposed to be Season 2, because we were hardly past One-third of the novel in season - Available on KissAsian.sh )
HIStory 1 + HIStory 3 - (Taiwanese) I took the liberty and went to check your list, and you have all the THAI BL and HIStory 2 done. I would Recommend both HIStory 1 and 3 as well. HIStory 1 has only 3 episodes a story per episode. HIStory 3 on the other hand is still airing it's second season (HIStory3: Make Our Days Count) But you can watch HIStory 3:Trapped. HIStory are pretty good in general, and pretty much uncensored. HIStory 3 is available on KissAsian.
Falling In Love With A Rival - (Chinese) Is a Webseries. It is also an adaptation of Chai Jidan's novel, but it also was a victim to censorship after it was made. So the relationship of the main leads is GAY, no doubts, but there are not any romantic scenes. The subs are not great, but you will most probably get the gist of the story. It's funny.
I Love You As A Man (2014) - (Chinese) Is a movie. It has a sequel too. These are pretty uncensored, but it's really tricky to find the Uncensored version. The budget is really low, and the acting and pacing is weird at times, but it's a cute story. It's kind of fascinating in the way to see that this is where the whole Chinese BL craze started. If you search for it on MDL, in the comments of this series/movies, you will find a good working youtube playlist.
Seven Days - (Japanese) Japanese BL stuff is a whole different Vibe than Chinese stuff or Thai, and they are the real Pioneers when it comes to BL. Seven Days is ONE story broken in 2 parts( Seven Days Monday - Thursday )+ (Seven Days - Friday - Sunday). It's LOVELY and I highly recommend it. It's beautifully acted and the casting may seem a little odd at first, but give it a chance. It's really sweet and beautiful.
IF you find it difficult to find some stuff, shot me a private message and i;ll help! Have a good time.
What quality and class! I am so happy that you decided to highlight this Drama for us all. I highly recommend it. There are already some really nice changes and expansions in The Untamed that I have witnessed, and I am still on episode 13, which keeps the thrill fresh for me. The best thing about Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Grand-Master of Demonic Cultivation) is that the original AUTHOR (Mo Xiang Tong Xiu) does not drop the ball with the NOVEL, not for a second, and every adaptation that has since followed has wonderfully followed the same pattern. The Donghua (Anime) is absolutely TOP-NOTCH, the Manhwa is great, the Radio Drama is FANTASTIC and now the Live-action DRAMA adaptation of the novel is also the absolute best quality that you could get. There is not-surprisingly, as far as I have watched, not a lot missing in the name of censorship. And it's mainly because the novel handles it so perfectly. It's basically a Fantasy adventure novel with a BL romance in it, not a BL romance with some adventure and fantasy in it, which is why neither The Untamed nor the Donghua suffer much which I am thankful for. The emotional punches are all there though and they hit pretty hard. I am so glad I stumbled upon this gem last year. I have been ecstatic since because this is the YEAR of MO DAO ZU SHI, as it well-deserves to be.
can anyone tell me if wei wuxian ends up with wei wing? came here with a pretty strong ship wei wuxian and lan…
I think they will keep it really subtle, before censoring the thing or side-stepping in the end. The romance aspect in the novel is also not very blatant through out, there are perhaps 2-3 scenes in the whole novel, before the actual climax that can be counted as Romantic scenes, other wise, the novel itself is plot and adventure heavy.
IT IS ALSO MY FAVOURITE *high five* lol XD Official english translated episodes are up on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMX26aiIvX5pYn98zge18X88sfeYbnhTr
High five! I really am liking the casting so far... Thank you for linking me!
I cannot believe that I did not know that the Live-action adaptation of my FAVOURITE Chinese Novel ever was in the works. GrandMaster of Demonic Cultivation is my absolute favorite, Can anyone tell me if their is any chance of it being subbed? And even if it's no subbed where I can actually watch it?
I also love Pinocchio (which I always have trouble spelling haha!). I want to watch Cheese in the Trap, but I'm…
Dude! - Go ahead and watch Cheese in the TRAP. It does have it's dark character moments, but I think it's more realistic than anything else. You should definitely give it a try. - If the first few episodes of W could not book you in, then rest assured, you will not like the rest of it either. IT REALLY IS A MESS. Drop it. Watch "Romance is a Bonus book" instead. LJS is human version of the most luxurious cheese cake... YUM! - K2 could have been such a masterpiece if not for Yoona. What a missed opportunity. JCW btw, looked like a dream in "Suspicious Partner" - My ID is Gangnam beauty was unexpectedly great. So was "I am not a robot." So I highly recommend those. I am currently watching "Her Private Life" and loving every second of it. What a beautiful fluff piece! Highly recommend it!
Jang Hyuk's Kang Pil Joo in Money Flower is so perfectly nuanced, tragic, evil, smart, cold, warm, deadly, silent and mysterious all at once that I still can't get over it. You can't help but root for him even though you know it's wrong to root for him. There is no LOUD shows of emotions, no scream show downs, no losing tempers, NONE of that, yet in every instance you can see the storm brewing inside. What a MASTERPIECE! Good list and article BTW! I am currently watching Scarlet Heart Ryeo, and I totally agree with that description.
Such FRESH writing! But truly, your year was not well-lived in the K-drama world if you did not find yourself in mortal peril by actually watching "The Guest" - NOT Well-lived indeed...
It started strong and kept it going till the very last frame.
Even though I saw the twist coming from like the very first episode, the way the carried it through was just amazing. The writers knew what Big twist everyone would be expecting, so they do give you the Predictable big twist (a bit of an oxymoron I know) but they give you a bunch of small surprise twists accompanying that Big twist, which is just *Chef's Kiss*.
There is not a single weak link in the cast. There is not a single weak moment in the direction, cinematography, or writing. This is a near perfect show. After STRANGER, this has to be the tightest Kdrama I have seen.
If you have a head for psychological thrillers, and have a strong stomach, watch this. Dramas like these are not everyone's cup of tea, but truly, work like this deserves all the accolades and appreciation it can get.
Lee Dongwook has finally convinced me that he is worth all the hype that surrounds him, but TRULY, I have always felt that he was a bit of a misunderstood actor, here he SHINES. This Drama is what it is because of his sheer charisma and unhinged perfection.
Im Shi Wan is SUPERB as the flip side of the coin, and to stand out in a performance like this is truly a feat of PURE TALENT. He literally permeates under the watcher's skin and whatever he is feeling, you start feeling too. Also the chemistry and underlying tension (Sexual & psychological) is an absolute joy to watch.
I highly recommend this to anyone who is into this genre. IT was GREAT.
Usually Kdramas start with a really rosy and sophisticated view of Seoul. Does not matter what background the MCs come from there is always this idealistic love for Seoul that is apparent from the very first frame. THIS DRAMA THOUGH.
The first scene and the tone is so unsettling. The WEATHER is so HOT, and the people are unfriendly and distant, the food is nauseating and the RESIDENCE... Oh dear.
I love it when something starts with a total inversion of expectations. This drama makes me so squeamish but I can't stop looking...AHHHHHHH.
The original Chinese Novel is also called Beloved Enemy and an English Fan-translation of it is available on Novel Updates . I think 2 different groups translated it, so up to Chapter 28 is available on Wattpad
https://www.wattpad.com/449577303-beloved-enemy-chapter-1
From Chapter 27, another translator picked it up and translated until the end,
https://rosyspell.wordpress.com/beloved-enemy/
I do not know how much of it is true. At least not yet, because only recently has someone picked up the original BL novel and started to do a fan translation, which I am reading.
It soured the whole experience for me to be honest. And I have never gotten back to it since. At this stage, I don't think I ever will.
Yes, your have the right Idea. Showing outright Gay relationships in TV or Movies is banned in China which is SAD, because China seems to have one the most active BL scene. From Webtoons (Webcomics) to Novels, there is a lot of BL content that is loved and cherished in China. The Untamed is the prime example of it. IT was a blockbuster BL fantasy novel, that was then adapted to a Donghua ( Chinese Anime) Also called GrandMaster of Demonic Cultivation, but it was so well-recieved that they straight away made a Live-action Drama too. Though they had to retcon the whole Romance. They still included a LOT, but you have to use a bit of your imagination.
As for the recommendations you have asked me. It's a whole Genre in Chinese,
My recommendations are as follows:
- Addicted Heroine ( The popularity of this show was the reason BL got banned on TV actively- It adapted from a novel by a very popular Chinese BL writer CHAI JIDAN, It's currently there on KissAsian, but the real romantic scenes you can find on Youtube, because they were censored. There was supposed to be Season 2, because we were hardly past One-third of the novel in season - Available on KissAsian.sh )
HIStory 1 + HIStory 3 - (Taiwanese) I took the liberty and went to check your list, and you have all the THAI BL and HIStory 2 done. I would Recommend both HIStory 1 and 3 as well. HIStory 1 has only 3 episodes a story per episode. HIStory 3 on the other hand is still airing it's second season (HIStory3: Make Our Days Count) But you can watch HIStory 3:Trapped. HIStory are pretty good in general, and pretty much uncensored. HIStory 3 is available on KissAsian.
Falling In Love With A Rival - (Chinese) Is a Webseries. It is also an adaptation of Chai Jidan's novel, but it also was a victim to censorship after it was made. So the relationship of the main leads is GAY, no doubts, but there are not any romantic scenes. The subs are not great, but you will most probably get the gist of the story. It's funny.
I Love You As A Man (2014) - (Chinese) Is a movie. It has a sequel too. These are pretty uncensored, but it's really tricky to find the Uncensored version. The budget is really low, and the acting and pacing is weird at times, but it's a cute story. It's kind of fascinating in the way to see that this is where the whole Chinese BL craze started. If you search for it on MDL, in the comments of this series/movies, you will find a good working youtube playlist.
Seven Days - (Japanese) Japanese BL stuff is a whole different Vibe than Chinese stuff or Thai, and they are the real Pioneers when it comes to BL. Seven Days is ONE story broken in 2 parts( Seven Days Monday - Thursday )+ (Seven Days - Friday - Sunday). It's LOVELY and I highly recommend it. It's beautifully acted and the casting may seem a little odd at first, but give it a chance. It's really sweet and beautiful.
IF you find it difficult to find some stuff, shot me a private message and i;ll help!
Have a good time.
The best thing about Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Grand-Master of Demonic Cultivation) is that the original AUTHOR (Mo Xiang Tong Xiu) does not drop the ball with the NOVEL, not for a second, and every adaptation that has since followed has wonderfully followed the same pattern. The Donghua (Anime) is absolutely TOP-NOTCH, the Manhwa is great, the Radio Drama is FANTASTIC and now the Live-action DRAMA adaptation of the novel is also the absolute best quality that you could get.
There is not-surprisingly, as far as I have watched, not a lot missing in the name of censorship. And it's mainly because the novel handles it so perfectly. It's basically a Fantasy adventure novel with a BL romance in it, not a BL romance with some adventure and fantasy in it, which is why neither The Untamed nor the Donghua suffer much which I am thankful for. The emotional punches are all there though and they hit pretty hard. I am so glad I stumbled upon this gem last year. I have been ecstatic since because this is the YEAR of MO DAO ZU SHI, as it well-deserves to be.
- Go ahead and watch Cheese in the TRAP. It does have it's dark character moments, but I think it's more realistic than anything else. You should definitely give it a try.
- If the first few episodes of W could not book you in, then rest assured, you will not like the rest of it either. IT REALLY IS A MESS. Drop it. Watch "Romance is a Bonus book" instead. LJS is human version of the most luxurious cheese cake... YUM!
- K2 could have been such a masterpiece if not for Yoona. What a missed opportunity. JCW btw, looked like a dream in "Suspicious Partner"
- My ID is Gangnam beauty was unexpectedly great. So was "I am not a robot." So I highly recommend those.
I am currently watching "Her Private Life" and loving every second of it. What a beautiful fluff piece! Highly recommend it!
Good list and article BTW! I am currently watching Scarlet Heart Ryeo, and I totally agree with that description.
While being MIA..
KING!!!!
NOT Well-lived indeed...