Ann

@phoe-enix I'm a new fan (more in the sense that I'm actually more interested in his work than really following him) but I totally agree with you both. These toxic fans are really annoying. It also annoys me a lot when they cry out as soon as he's seen playing a guy in love with a female character. And honestly, I don't care either way, what interest me is the story, what kind of role (doesn't matter if it's big or small) and the acting.

Living in Europe I can assure you that many european countries are also way too conservative in terms of LGBT+ rights.

Oh, I see. Thanks for the info! I don't know about the channel, it's the first time I've watched a video of him. I don't know the agency or Xnine that well. I haven't watched the show the band is appearing in either, that one with Shu Qi as one of the judges, so I don't know how the manager comments or behaves, or if what the ppl say are true. So, thanks for making things clear.
You mean, that he doesn't want to appear as someone more important, that he's just a regular guy? Sounds like him.:)

If the main lead delivers and the story is good I see no reason why the drama should fail, even if XZ is the second lead again.
A role is a role, I don't think that XZ really minds being the first or second lead, as long as it's a role he likes and that can make him grow as an actor.
The unfortunate thing in "Oh! My emperor" was also that the main actor couldn't act (no offense!) and lacked the presence to carry the role of the main lead. But that goes for almost everyone in the cast. I tried the drama because of XZ and I was curious about his earlier days as an actor. And I have to say that you could clearly see that he was inexperienced back then. Albeit better than most of the cast, his acting was quite wooden. It was a huge difference to his performance later in The Untamed. But still, even then he already displayed his immense charisma, and that's what differed him from the rest of the male cast. Though it didn't make me stay to finish the drama.
XZ said that the role in The Wolf was like an acting school for him so I'm curious about his performance in that drama.
I'm very sorry to hear how XZ was treated by his manager. Apparently, he didn't even get his own bodyguard and Yibo lent him his? But XZ seems quite a tough guy, judging from the interviews I saw. In the end he proved his talent through hard work and persistence. It's just a shame that he lost the law suit. How long is he bound to the company by the contract?

I've enjoyed the movie very much. It really feels like a Ching Siu Tung movie. I also appreciate that it feels more like a wuxia action movie than xianxia, the action scenes were mostly very well done, with the actors doing many of the stunts and moves themselves. The action scenes felt more dynamic and powerful and you could see the signature of Ching Siu Tung as action choreographer.

As for the perfomance of the cast, Xiao Zhan impressed me again with his natural acting, his face and eyes are very expressive, but he also knows how to use body language. I don't know why ppl would complain about Meiqin not being pretty or such, because I think she has a unique beauty with a certain fierce, but also energetic look that made her stand out and differentiated her from the other female leads, with one being the gentle and cute type, the other the distant, cold and etheral type of beauty. She also feels very natural, considering that she doesn't yet have much experience.

Yes, you may need to get used to the CGI effects, especially if you're more exposed to american movies, but for the most part, it's really well-done.
You do get the feeling that they tried to cram too much into a less than two hours movie, the last part was a bit too rushed and some parts felt out of place and unnecessary (like why showing the Dragon, it doesn't contribute much to the story). Some characters should've been fleshed out more (particularly Lu Xue Qi, her feelings for him and the ending would have more emotional impact if we had a deeper insight into her inner world and background). But I guess, and I hope, the second movie will improve on that department.
It's also nice that they casted some veteran actors to balance it out, I was particularly very pleased to see some veteran HK actors.

Overall, it's a movie that even non-readers of the novel can enjoy and it does make me want to rewatch it and anticipate the second movie.

Man! I've never thought that I would find a list with so many of the HK veterans from the golden age of HK TV!

He used to act in a lot of ATV shows. The Yang Family tv drama was one of the classics I've watched as a kid. So surprised to see him in Jade Dynasty movie. I thought he looked familiar lol.

Thanks!^^ Yeah, I agree! It's great that we have all these versions to enrich and complete the experience!

I hope he gets more recognition and success. He was great as Jiang Cheng. And he's super-adorable and funny. Also, he has a great singing voice!

Haha! I've read lots of yaoi mangas so I don't mind smut. I've heard that WWX is a lot darker in the novel and I also like the plot in the novel about how WWX and the Wens died, the siege of the burial mound, quite better than what the drama showed us.

Yeah, "crazy" is the right expression. Imo, the fans reflect the star they follow. Their behavior can therefore reflect badly on him, generating hate on him in turn, and that's what I don't want to see because he certainly doesn't deserve it either. Anyway, I hope you're right.

From what I gather, Li Qin is actually quite popular. And Ching Siu Tung is a the director, he did a lot of classics and is very well-known. I'm chinese and grew up with his movies.

Thank you! Yes, I meant the story in the drama. I initially thought too that LZ meant that he discovered that there was a mastermind behind the incident, but the timing doesn't seem to fit. LZ heard from WN that there was another flute playing when JZX died, but it seems to me he heard it from WN in the present time, not 16 years back.
Anyway, I think I need to read the novel to fill some plotholes.:)

Erm, you do know that there are other, and I'd say even more popular actors like Li Qin in it? And Ching Siu Tung is not a no-name, for your information. Plus, the novel the movie is based on is hugely popular in China, even XZ admitted the pressure he feels about being the MC of the movie adaption. And therefore, it seems unlikely to me that the fans who bought the ticket to see the movie wouldn't know that he would be paired up with his female co-stars (even in case they didn't know, it seems stupid to me to go to watch a movie only to be "heart-broken" when the majority of the main cast are actresses). Whether the movie is doing it justice or not, that I cannot say. And NA doesn't seem to be the best example of a good adaption, as far as I know.

No, it's not about control, but respect. And believe it or not, there are some very vocal fans. I see some nasty comments about his female co-star for his upcoming drama and I don't think that's okay. Even if the comments never reach them does that mean you can be nasty? And tbh I'm not so sure whether they are oblivious about all the stuff happening in the fandom.

For me, they are actors, and above all I respect them as human beings. I ship their characters in The Untamed, but not the real persons even though I love their chemistry off screen and their friendship. And as a fan who respects them as actors I want to see them exploring different roles and improving their acting/ showing their talent and versatility. If it means that they are paired with other female partners, I don't mind. I love their chemistry and would be happy to see them working together again ofc, but that doesn't mean that I want them to be stuck in typecasting.

I thought he went to the burial mound immediately after he probably heard of the execution of the Wens, meaning before the battle at the Nightless city. By that time, WWX was already awake from the coma Wen Qing put him into and on the way to the Jins, to see his sister. If LZ were to go looking for Ah Yuan after his grounding, that would be three years later, and by then Ah Yuan must be older and bigger, which he didn't look like. Besides, a child around 3 or 4 could never survive there for three years.
Which brings me to another question: In episode 32, when LZ appeared on the roof to stop WWX, he said that the situation has changed. What did he mean by that? My guess is, he wanted to tell WWX that not all Wens are dead (meaning, that he found Ah Yuan).

Finally, a voice of reason! Yeah, I think it's disrespectful to not accept them as actors and actual human beings and only see them as objects of their fantasies.

It's funny that quite a lot of ppl got to know about this drama just by stumbling over a song. My sis was the same and it was her who recommended it to me. I didn't want to start it at first cuz of the hype, and yeah I wasn't sure about the cast either. I used to read a lot of BL mangas, and listen to BL dramas (I understand japanese) and got tired of all the recurring tropes. But The Untamed was really different, the story is more than just about the main couple. The characters were well developed, the acting is altogether really good, especially considering the young and less experienced cast, the music splendid, and, aside from the cluncky effects sometimes, the props and camera work were beautiful. For a web drama it was really well done. You could tell that all the staff and cast put their heart and mind to it.

Do you need to read the novel to understand it? I hope it's going to be available for oversea audience too.