ksk79

Interesting observation, @aplrbn. I hadn’t noticed that since I’d already read the novel. The adaptation shifted the perspective, changing how viewers perceive the reason behind the character’s reaction. Disclaimer: I am very curious about the creative processes of how the screenwriter adapted the novel to resonate with the series’ audience. The novel and the series are going in different directions so far.

@Lorien_cm Thank you for sharing your view. (It reminds me of a concept learned in a university Cultural Anthropology class decades ago).

@swagata As a former consumer researcher, I am pleasantly surprised and grateful to have read your "essay". My reaction won't likely be like yours as we have different demographic and psychographic attributes. We aren't robots molded and programmed from the same factory. ;D

@Lorien_cm So, you think that if he were injured in a work-related accident, his perspective might change? I wonder if most BL fans on the official platforms hosting this series would feel the same way. I wonder if you use the characters BLQ & LXF to create a case study, the East Asian gay community would have a different opinion on their relationship. But here, we're dealing with a BL series. What I am curious about, though, are what tropes make genre fans happy to consume the media. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

@Lorien_cm interesting case. Share what you think would have happened if that were the case. If LXF character exits the storyline in episode 8, the remaining audience for this series will likely change. Only sociologists and anthropologists, including me, will flock to see the remaining episodes eagerly.

@swagata Thank you for sharing your interesting interpretation. The series seem to focus too much on LXF, so viewers get an unbalanced perspective.

@ADark "the director kinda recreated popular scenes from her previous work" Why, assuming you’re a BL fan, don’t you like scenes that imitate her supposedly successful styles from past works?

@KSM4 I appreciate the feedback. As I read the comments, I find myself questioning what the “magical” elements in a BL series are that are attracting its target audience from a film production perspective. (I am obviously not the audience for this, but I am extremely interested as one who worked in the film industry). This was actually executed by a female director who has previous "success" in this genre. Personally, most BL tropes and visuals fail to engage my sensory perception; in fact, many evoke aversion and apprehension.

Producing a synopsis is tedious and unnecessary because we don’t know to what extent the adaptation deviates to appeal to non–East Asian viewers who are BL fans. The series obviously follows a different objective than that of the novel. It's perhaps similar to the series 'Feel what you feel,' which was radically adapted from the web novel. Those of us who had read and reread the novel saw that the series did not present it in its entirety.

@Truth Hurts I am also thinking of that, too. It looks like the adaptation is going that direction.

@joopis, I was startled too to see Romaji. I took Japanese for over 2 years progressing from Hirakana to Katakana, and then some Kanji. The Kanji part was where I stopped because I begged my father to let my siblings and me study Japanese because its scripts looked simpler than Mandarin!

It was Hong Kong Cantonese-dialect gay movie directed by an openly gay director and was released in 1998. A death occur because of deeply ingrained homophobia of the character. Other gay characters in the creative work did live on. 'Happy Together' was another Cantonese-dialect gay movie released a year earlier; here, no one dies; naturally, the ending did not fit the expected BL trope. Most gay viewers, I think, are satisfied with the ending considering the situation.

@stolenart Thanks for the info. Really appeared in BL before? And I thought this medium template was stolen from Thai evening melodramas, many of which according to media planners, are deployed to get particular viewers to their screen devices. It makes sense though since I discover the premises of BL for its particular audience.

@hansel714 Thank you for sharing that interesting fact! Although I had frequently visited Bangkok and L.A.'s Yaohan, I wasn't aware of the fictional drama associated with it.

@Jackie_the_ripper. I appreciate the humor! I am fascinated by how the BL creative team has transformed visual segments, bits, or parts of a BL novel into a profitable product. Although I personally respond negatively to BL elements, I am very curious about the crafting process that leads to a successful and marketable item.

@Jackie_the_ripper Thanks for the response. I didn’t realize it was also used in other cultures. I just remember this theme from evening Thai TV dramas during my high school days, even though I never actually watched the genre. In my work with a few media planners for the Thai audience, I recall several referring to this type of entertainment content with these characteristics. The curious question is whether the new generation of viewers now dislikes this drama template, or if it’s just a few people here on this platform.

@YogyYogii Thanks for the advance reveal as I am currently reading this novel primarily of the accurate Chinese social class differences portrayal.

I noticed an interesting similarity between this BL adaptation and the classic Thai heterosexual melodramas featuring a male lead and a very docile female lead. This formula must have been so popular with Thai audiences that it’s been reused often over the years. This BL follows that same pattern. Thai viewers, do you recall this successful drama template being repeated on Thai television for the past 3–4 decades?
Based on some comments below, I think some viewers do not enjoy this "classic" template anymore.

While I do not know but want to know the actual situation as to why this supposedly "disguised as a Bromance" is a grade or more better and more interesting than the many other Chinese BL productions not subject to its government censorship, I, as a consumer, will choose this any day.

Don’t forget that many people in a modern society endure situations or jobs they don’t enjoy just to earn money. (I am still traumatized from the death curse a 17-year-old teenage boy had made to me when I served him and his peers for a salary). So far, a significant sum of money has already been given to Xiao Fan’s family twice as of this 4th episode, and there will be more according to the novel. I’m not sure exactly what “traumatically sad way” means to you, but for me, Lu Qing not ending up with Wen Xi is a tragedy. My view comes from having read the novel.