13 Fireflies

what are the other rumored leads? Mark, Xingxu and Zhu Yawen have been the more heavily rumored ones. Then Li Yunrui for 2ML. The Wu Lei rumors haven't been that strong. I feel like currently everything's pretty much up in the air.

Seems this is really starting in December and the filming will take 160 days. I'm still super confused about the casting though, especially now that Mark is shooting another drama that will probably take at least 2-3 months to complete and I think CXX is free in 2-3 months as well. Most people insist it really is Yang Zi, but what about the Golden Hairpin reshoots?

Douban score finally opened: 5.8
Number of ratings, only 4,000+

oh, interesting..I haven't watched that one...I'll probably check it out now. It doesn't have a great score on MDL or Douban but I'm curious about the characterization and plot.

Dude...I follow C-ent and write about it as a side gig and have been doing so for years. I'm part of that same international fandom you're referencing. Nothing you're saying is news to me. That is NOT my point. Yes, Chinese dramas are shown and marketed across the globe in select markets...not even close to the way Kdramas are shown but yes they have a reach and yes...the main platforms have invested in tending to international audiences through their own streaming platforms. But the point is that none of that actually matters when it comes to these platforms' decision making nor does it matter to the actual actors. it doesn't matter if some of these dramas get licenced abroad or picked up by platforms such as Netflix and Prime...nothing -- and I can't stress this enough -- nothing is going to come close to the Chinese market which is truly all that matters to producers and capital. The reasoning behind everything is always "what will sell in China". We don't matter. Abroad popularity is very much a byproduct...a residual, and as I said already, some dramas may hold value as cultural exports but that's about it..a cherry on top. I honestly have no idea why this is so hard to comprehend. It isn't even something controversial for anyone who follows this industry closely. it's common knowledge. The entire reason I commented here was because OP said Li Qin was lucky that she got to play alongside people like Yibo and XZ because that made her known to international audiences but the truth is that international audiences are the very last thing in these actors minds -- if they even think about it at all -- because that's not going to dictate getting casted or getting more opportunities within China, which is the one thing that matters to them.

I'm going to kindly ask you to lay off my back. This isn't a matter to quarrel about, it's not saying that Chinese dramas aren't viewed outside of China, it's not my fault that the industry works the way it does?? Why you are so bent out of shape over this is beyond me. I didn't make the rules...I don't control how capital moves in China and the way they decide to tailor their operations. It is what it is.

I really disliked the novel lol, but there's clearly a good story buried there so I'm not surprised they're adapting it albeit changing quite a bit to make it suitable for the screen. There's a lot iQiyi mentions that is not in the novel, like the physical rehabilitation center where the ML works, the way he pursues her, the plot twists etc. and it seems iQiyi is also fleshing out the 2CP and 3CP which have such little screen time and development in the novel.

excuse me? what is arrogant about simple facts anyone who follows this industry closely knows and understands? this isn't a matter of arrogance, it's just...the way things are. China is such a massive market it doesn't need anything but its domestic audience. 1.4 billion people, second largest economy in the world. This isn't even a controversy. International fans tend to hold the common misconception that we matter a lot because, well, we are used to mattering but international markets don't represent but pocket change for Tencent, iQiyi, Youku. They won't live or die based on international fans and neither will Chinese actors and actresses. the vast majority are not interested in any kind of crossover, with few exceptions, they don't care about Hollywood as they only speak Chinese and even if they speak English they have vastly more opportunities in China. At most I'll concede that Tencent has a vested interest in promoting their dramas further in South East Asia, so perhaps SEA fans matter a bit more in the grand context of things. Going abroad and being hounded by fans in Europe gives you huge clout on Weibo which is something domestic fans use for bragging rights but that's about it. I feel strange having to defend this point, I really only intended to make a passing comment because I see this quite a lot and it's nothing but an illusion.

Don't be facetious. Support whatever platforms you want to support, just don't expect that to have any impact whatsoever on any decision-making that goes on. International operations of Tencent, IQiyi and Youku are ways for China to extend its influence but are the equivalent to a drop of water in the sea, is all.

I Read the novel as well and looking at all of iQiyi's promo, they completely changed the ML from a super shy, introverted, sunny doctor to a foxy, scheming, clever ML. Seems like they really beefed up his role in all aspects. The FL seems to have changed as well. In the novel she's mostly just a supermodel with some secondary roles in dramas and movies, but in the drama she's what's called a "vase actress", extremely beautiful but still trying to prove herself. I actually don't think I'd recommend reading the novel because it seems to be so different from what iQiyi is going for as per their own marketing materials.

With so many credited main roles it looks like they'll make it one

hi...thank you! Hope you're enjoying this one.

Not really. International fans don't matter at all, they only matter when a particular platform wants to market a xianxia as a cultural export, like in the case of The Longest Promise but that's not very common. All that matters is the Chinese market.

I just saw it will be released tomorrow but others say there will be an official announcement tomorrow, so I'm kinda confused.

Not trying to be mean but international fans don't matter an iota.

Why is the rating so low?

She's not like that at all in this drama.

I see Intense Love in the recommendation section...given how ZYX played an actress opposite a doctor ML in that drama but I doubt this drama's plot is anything like Intense Love beyond the occupations of the leads.

Haven't finished the novel yet but there's definitely two extra CPs: Wang Sen x Chen Hao Lan are the 2CP and Lin Xin Yi x Yang Bing Zhuo are 3CP. Lin Xin Yi' character, Ka Fei, is the FL's assistant. Chen Hao Lan's character is a friend who is also an actress. I think the drama will change a lot about the novel, especially when it comes to the ML's character, but the couples stay the same.

uh not at all???

The filming time could take less than that, according to melon owners. This doesn't start shooting until late December at the earliest, so in reality nobody knows who the ml is at the moment. It's undecided.