sulkytofu

Haha no problem! I think it was pretty obvious from Go Go Squid that they didn't expect to make a second adaptation/that having an adaptation of Xiao Bai's story would be dependent on the success of Go Go Squid. I think however they kind of hinted at this, when they noted how DT's major was in computer science and how he won a lot of cybersecurity/hacking competitions in university.

But I do agree, after reading the novels the change to robots and cybertechnology is a big one, and I'm excited to see how it turns out. Let's look forward to this drama releasing together ~

Anyone's thoughts/first impressions on the drama so far? I was really hesitant to start because I was a little wary of the acting and casting going into this one, but it also has a lot of tropes that I absolutely love, especially with cross-dressing and the historical time period.

I'm honestly so excited to see Wang Anyu's performance in this drama. He's really impressed me with his past projects despite his young age, especially in Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty, and he has a really boyish look (while also having a lot of presence). I wonder what role he's going to take, as I really hope that he has his own love line in this drama, and they do the same thing in Go Go Squid where they don't really have a second male romantic love interest.

It's not in the original novel! It's been discussed a little in the comments section, but does anyone remember the speech that Han Shangyan repeats throughout Go Go Squid when he retires from the gaming industry? Mo Bao Fei Bao added and created that as a completely original part of the drama, and there's almost nothing to do with "e-sports representing China" in the original novel Honey Stewed Squid.

In other words, there's been a lot of adaptation from the novel to the drama to imbue elements of nationalism and patriotism through e-sports and technology. Some of this could be for ease of passing through censorship restrictions, especially considering how only 10 years ago e-sports and gaming were considered pathological and associated with mental illness and addiction in China. But I personally think it's more of a deliberate choice by Mo Bao Fei Bao as well, to "bulk up" her original novel. As Go Go Squid already focused on e-sports, I'm sure that they've decided to focus on the cybertechnology industry instead to make the drama more relevant to current sensibilities on technology and cybercrime.

I don't really know much about Yao Chi, and he wasn't really who I envisioned as Jiang Cheng. But Wang Anyu's performances in the past have really impressed me especially for his age, and I think the decision to cast him (if this is kept) is absolutely top-notch.

Agree! The original story is famous because they're a reversible couple/both Gu Fei and Jiang Cheng subvert a lot of tropes when it comes to the "gong" and the "shou." Whether they keep this in the drama itself I'm unsure since in general most BL adaptations in China have been selective of the projects they take (i.e. Priest's works are always chosen specifically because they are plot heavy and therefore the "romance" is easier to censor).

The first four episodes (when 13th Prince was in the modern day era) were so crackly, fluffy, and adorable. In fact, I think the drama would have been so much more interesting if it had kept this as the initial storyline. Now that we've headed off to the palace, I'm still enjoying it so far, but it has lost a lot more of the focus on the "time travel aspect," while I find the palace scheming to be a little uninteresting.

I will have to say, however Landy Li and Wang Anyu do an amazing job in their performances. Both look quite young upon first impressions, but their portrayal of the characters are really naturally done, and I really like their chemistry so far!

Oh no, I'm so sorry I spoiled some of the story for you! Truthfully, the drama's plot and storyline is actually quite decent, and I think Merxat's acting and the FL in this one really make it a stand out. I definitely agree however that the ending is pretty devastating, and impacted the overall enjoyment of the show.

I'm sorry this was a drama you waited a long time for. I know many of us have been so excited to see Merxat in a lead role. Hopefully your next drama pick works for you!

DID ANYONE SEE THE NEW TRAILER THAT WAS JUST RELEASED? Zheng Ye Cheng looks so incredibly handsome, and Hu Yixian looks absolutely adorable. They already have so much chemistry together, and I'm excited for another fluffier historical romcom!

Prepare yourself! Let's just say that once you get to middle stretch, the angst will really hit you hard. I could really feel an obvious shift from the lighthearted first half (as if that's the "childhood/adolescence/youth" period) to the second half (when everyone is forced into "adulthood" against their will).

I was so sad for the storyline between Tang Wan and Dugu Cheng, especially as I really loved their chemistry. I'm honestly not really sure why they went with this ending, since it's like they tried to make it happy with the abrupt ending, and completely skirted over the fact that the entire last episode was setting up for the death of Jing'er. I think the saddest thing of all is that even without the implied notion of Jing'er dying, the drama is still sad, especially with the loss of so many lives.

Honestly, I loved Jin Wenxin a lot in her previous drama The Sweet Girl, and really hope that they don't dub her characteristically low and husky voice in this one! Not to mention it's a long time coming that Ji Xiaobing acquires a male lead role in a fluffy romance drama, especially after his performance in Fairyland Lovers. Can't wait for his upcoming projects and to see how he takes on such a project!

YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT EVEN WHEN HE'S THE MAIN LEAD MI RE CAN'T GET THE GIRL I'M SOBBING WTH IS THIS

Immediately after reading the comments I checked his upcoming projects on kisskh and he's not a main lead in a SINGLE ONE! At this point even more tragic than the ML of this drama is the fact that I need to wait again to see Mi Re finally get a happy ending in a romantic drama...

Some things that worked for me and some that didn't! For one, this drama was really hilarious. The comedic timing is absolutely great — and many of these scenes are not dialogues, but instead play off of character's personalities (one of my favourites being when Yang Jin sits in his chair, completely poker-faced, while holding a huge Moomin doll in his arms). I think I also love the chemistry the main cast have with each other as roommates. In a way it's a drama where there's romance, but it also gives off the feeling of a "ragtag bunch of different roommates working together to solve cases," so that keeps the plot fresh and interesting.

I found some arcs and stories to be boring, but the one arc where Jeremy Jones Xu was in (the cooking one) was very well done and incredibly touching. I think this is a good drama for something a little different and unique from a fluffy romance drama. It spans so many different genres, from republican, to historical, to modern because every story/case they solve is different. If there's one thing I didn't like, it's that I find the main character personalities to be quite stock-like — Bai Qi's coldness I think is a disservice to Bai Yu's acting skills, while I sometimes find that Lin Xia's personality and her head-first approach to cases can often get her into trouble. Not to mention that I found Hei Qi to be a much more compelling and interesting character. On the other hand, Ji Xiaobing's performance as Yang Jian was a real treat, and Marcus Li did an adorable and amazing job as Bai Qi's loveable assistant. Overall I liked it as a watch for when I didn't have anything else on my drama list, but I didn't find the chemistry to be explosive or felt the tension to always keep watching.

For those who are interested, Tingting Hu and Cathy Yue Wang just published an AMAZING academic article on this drama, that analyzes aspects from the interviews between the actors to the actual drama itself. For those of you who want to read it, it's called "Who is the Counterpublic? Bromance-as-Masquerade in Chinese Online Drama—S.C.I. Mystery." If anyone wants to read it but can't get pass the paywall, let me know and I'll send you a copy!

I think you'll like this! It's pure fluff and sugar in every episode, and it was really the cute palate cleanser that I needed!

I think it benefitted a lot from a lack of competing dramas, but also I've heard Kabby Hui is slowly acquiring more popularity in China. I think the series did well because of the fluff, but it would be really interesting to see the differences towards drama reception between Chinese fans and international fans!

Finally, had the heart to start the series knowing just how tragic it was. It's been really addictive to watch so far, and honestly a complete shocker that at the time of the series Chen Xingxu and Peng Xiaoran were rookies in the acting field (I've heard rumours that it was supposed to be Chen Kun and Fan Bingbing who were starring in this series!)

Both are doing an amazing job. I admit it's also really difficult to keep the fact that this is a tragic show in the back of my mind, because I am still on the "fluffier" parts in the beginning. If I hadn't known ahead of time, I would have really thought that this was going to be a historical adorable romcom.

If I had to give a drama that had the same feelings, I'd probably say Ballad of the Desert, which is one of my all time favourites, except that drama is the much less tragic and much more healthier? romantic version of this. Not that Ballad of the Desert didn't have angst either, but I can tell that this series is gorgeously dark, tragic, and watching just how evil the ML will become is a treat that I have yet to see in any other drama.

Just in case, not sure if this clarification was needed, but I was REALLY confused about Meng Hui's condition at first. I thought this was going to be like Kill Me Heal Me where she has DID, and cannot control her different identities. But instead basically the premise is that whenever stressful events happen, Meng Hui "changes" to become exactly what she wants most deep in her heart, in order to achieve her innermost desires. And I think this is really interesting — what would you do if instead of holding your words back and being restrained, simply acted on what you wanted to do?

Also, I think the strength of this drama is that normally I start to lose interests when the main couple gets together. But in this case, there's still a lot to see because of Meng Hui's condition. For those who read web novels, even though everything is in the same storyworld, it feels like each of Meng Hui's changes are like an "arc" — i.e. we have Meng Hui who wants to date, CEO Meng Hui, little sister Meng Hui, etc. It keeps you watching especially because you want to know what happens!

Props to how loveable all the side characters are as well! Each of them play an important role, and I really appreciate the trio of best girlfriends (and then the trio involving their boyfriends). It's also very clear to see that this is the same scriptwriter as The Romance of Tiger and Rose as well as Unexpected — the chemistry between the entire cast is very similar, but there are also lots of jokes and introspective moments characteristic of the scriptwriter in this one.

I think it's also interesting because it's really clear that this drama is one of those that fits into a "niche" - that being fluffy, cliche, not angsty romcom. By no means is this a plot masterpiece, and it was specifically for this reason that I enjoyed this a lot, because I knew it would fit into this specific category and it was what I was craving for. I really think it's a matter of expectations, as this drama was overall quite solid for what it meant to do and what audience it was targeting. And as someone who wanted something to take my mind off, even with all the plot issues and things I didn't like about the drama, this was a good fluffy watch for me to pass my time with!