ksk79

Thank you to whoever recommended Kdrama series in the Recommended Section. I've found two that I'll switch to and drop this one, as it is not for me.

@Heronima Thank you for bringing that up as I instantly thought of that, too. But this series strove to show a mostly realistic slice-of-life approach to storytelling.

I’m surprised the director didn’t cast Hei Ze as the male lead, as this choice would have attracted a much larger, gender-specific audience. From a male viewer's perspective, Qing Lian’s decision to save Qi Shi while giving up her son was an act of altruism. If she hadn’t made that sacrifice, Qi Shi might never have grown up around her family, the Cao. The Cao owe her a debt of gratitude for her selflessness. That's in a fantasy realm, as it's unlikely any parent in the Sinosphere would act that way. However, viewers outside the Sinosphere are likely to interpret these incidents through their own cultural lens as 'toxic.' This perspective is valid; it is precisely why universities offer courses in Anthropology and Sociology.

@Aidyl, the production team knows how to draw viewers in with its casting, so I agree with your 10/10 on casting.

Hopefully, this BL drama will provoke school administrators, many of whom likely consume BL media, to install CC camera in all areas of the school where they work to record visual evidence for legal prosecution of the teenagers who eventually break the laws against harassment and causing physical harm to others. As an adult who worked in such an environment, I found myself lacking visual evidence to present to the police or prosecutors twice to ensure those who break the laws are accountable for them.

@L5V2R I have just requested a "friend" connection with you so we can exchange opinions about BL away from this public forum; this is so we won't incur the ire of BL fans.

@L5V2R Thank you, bro, for your reply which gives me some insight. As a gay creative individual, I want to explore the “BL” magical elements for this audience in an analytical way, since I can’t personally relate to the aspects so adored by devoted fans. With social media enabling laypeople to create definitions, “queer” has come to encompass anything outside heteronormativity. From my perspective, “BL” feels quite removed from the lived experiences of my ethnographically-defined gay communities. To me, it’s simply a commercial medium that even cisgender gay creatives work to understand as we also produce “BL”-themed content. It's like saying a diabetic baker also has to make cakes and cookies laden with sugar for the buying consumers.

@L5V2R Would you kindly define what you mean by 'queer'? BL and Slash media are technically categorized in the layperson's 'queer' umbrella. But, in social research, they and gay genre are totally different in their approaches in content. As a researcher in gay men studies, I am genuinely curious and would like to hear your perspective, please.

I was so mesmerized by Cho Seung Woo's performance in 'Life' that I decided to watch this series. His performance is on par with Ji Sung's in 'Innocent Defendant.'

Making my way through it slowly, as the female characters feel too stereotypical. After nearly a decade, it’s clear that women in China are no longer seen as the weak, male-dependent figures they were once portrayed as. The workplace politics in this series mirror a conservative East Asian work culture. Still, in real life, it’s refreshing to see the younger generation calling out these unproductive practices on social media. Today, in real life, the younger-gen staff working in such establishments with unproductive East Asian practices will happily quit and find work at competitors' establishments.

I am looking forward to season 2. I would like to see Kang Shi Young move on from her fixation on Dr. Cha and instead develop an interest in a new doctor at the hospital where she works. Additionally, I hope the show focuses more on the camaraderie between Dr. Lee Yoo Joon and Dr. Cha Yo Han.

A great mix of idealism and a few doses of reality makes this a great series that should continue.

Would love to read the novel or its script. If anyone knows, please share.

@Uwusita77 I'm surprised no producers have bought the script and adapted it into a BL series yet.

@stolenart I am starting think you and I are on a somewhat same wavelength. ;)

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.