Starts out good, goes downhill
I was so disappointed with this series. It started out good, then became slow and kind of boring.I know this was Chinese which restricts the bl, this series I wouldn't even refer to as a bromance, there was nothing remotely suggesting that these two guys were even attracted to one another.
The storyline is just not that good, the series has a really sad tone throughout most of it, with nothing to break that up it just becomes repetitious. It's too bad really, because I think it could have had the potential to be a good bl.
The series centers around corporate business, which was not really interesting, and most of the side characters had little acting skills.
From previews I thought this was going to be worth watching, I usually avoid Chinese bl's, I should have avoided this one as well.
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BL made CIS
If you have ever read the novel Shui Qiang Cheng is good at making love and hate the 188cm gang. unfortunately this adaption did NOT do her justice. Thus is a BL story without any BL. It is missing so much from the novel tbat are key elements to drawing you in to this world she created. It felt like they ripped her work and stumped on it. Even of they censored they boylove parts it could've made it better they just took it completely out. I won't be watchung it again but I do look forward to her works with other companies/ studios to make her works come to life.Was this review helpful to you?
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Bromance
The story is actually very good. Before anything else, this is a Bromance. But like I always say, remember that China is very particular about BL shows. They have tons of red tape to the point that if you show kissing and it’s considered explicit, then they will cancel the show… Just for a kiss scene. Saying that, I would love to see the show but with a cast of Thailand or so. The story is so good that It made me wish that they put some rated R scenes, at least some kissing and actual affection.Overall, this is a great show, and the story is so different that it got me hooked. A must watch! Again, BROMANCE…LOL.
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This review may contain spoilers
I have a love-hate relationship with this one ; Or is it Hate-Hate?
So...I just finished the show and... - I'm confused.[I will warn when spoilers appear]
First of all, I am somewhat disappointed since I started viewing this one since it was hardly recommended on Advance Bravely's page (and I adore that one despite de chinese censorship since it still has the essence and the feeling in between the leads is undeniable) so I was hoping for something different than what it came out to be.
My expectations for BL content weren't too high because, once again, this is mainland china, there's obviously gonna be a whole wave of censorship. However, I was still disappointed that there weren't even any hints, any kind of connection in between the characters which in all aspects was a relief for me due to Yuan Yang's character but I will get there later.
Before that I really wish to commend the actors. The story isn't the best, the characters are a bit all over the place due to some things being changed from the novel to the series. But the actors did an amazing job. Especially the two main actors, Shang Bai (Gu Qing Pei) and Gao Ming (Yuan Yang), despite not having overwhelming chemistry (something that could have happened with other cast), the two actors when seen individually aced the show. Shang Bai did a great job portraying Gu Qing Pei and his business manner whereas Gao Ming did amazing portraying such a difficult character that is Yuan Yang. So I must really congrat them for that.
[SMALL SPOILER WARNING]
Now onto the characters. Gu Qing Pei is okay, he's likeable and a great businessman, however, he's too forgiving. It makes no sense that he let people toy with him the way they did, especially Yang. Oh, Yuan Yang, how much I dislike him. If you like Yang please let me know why so I can stop disliking him. But you know what? I don't really wanna like him. He's such an awful character and person. I like flawed characters but he's just too much and he doesn't even have a stable excuse. Excuse me but I can't pity him. What he did to Gu Qing Pei, the fact that he drugged him and did all that regards him as an awful person and I'm sorry but having daddy issues doesn't make it any less bad. He may have problems with his father and all but PLEASE he could not wreck other people's lives and then get mad everytime something doesn't go his way. Seriously- he's 50 shades of bad. Only starting from episode 11 or so did I start disliking him a bit less but for me to like him I would either have to forget all he had done till then or he would have to very well explain why he did those (which he would't be able to). ~
What really irritates me as well is the fact that he hated his father so much that he wanted to destroy his career but the moment the later goes to the hospital he is all freaked out and calls him dad with a super soft voice. HIS DAD ALSO. I dislike the man so much. And I dislike his character development. aftereverything, at the end he just ends up all nice and smiley to Yuan Yang and suddenly changes to a better person and actually starts caring about his family. I'm sorry but no, that doesn't happen that easily. You can't just make a character be bad and mean for 14 episodes and then just turn him into a super caring father and person on the last episode.
AND EVERYONE FREAKING FORGIVES EACH OTHER
(pArdOn mY irOny)
Gu Qing Pei to Yuang Yang - "yeah you almost killed me, almost ruined my career, made my life a living hell and all but since you're cute and did help me a few times after u urself screwing up I'll let it go and I'll help you with your spoiled project"
Gu Qing Pei to Wang Jin - "yeah u betrayed me and I told u that I considered u my friend and would never work with u again but u know what? It's okay it's all business so how about we work on a lot of other projects just because? oh but I don't want to have anything to do with your company" - *proceeds to let everyone get the idea that he is working for Wang Jin's company and can't tell the guy a NO*
Wang Jin to Yuang Yang - "we don't really know each other but yeah, u screwed me and my company up, you're a snake and you've hurt my friend. I have the means to confront you but u know what? I'll just forgive u cause that would be too much screentime for a support role"
Yuan Yang to his father - "okay so, u've been controlling me my whole life, made me do things I hated or didn't want because u only care about yourself and I hate you and I'm gonna ruin you cause no one opposes me! Oh you're in the hospital? You know what? nevermind, you deserve father of the year, #bestfather (not)"
AND THERE'S A LOT MORE
LIKE ??????
[END OF SPOILER]
Overall this series wasn't a super great experience. Story could be better, development could be better, music is bad and could use some serious work. I won't rewatch it probably.
So why am I ranking it a 5? Well, because, although all this exists, I still enjoyed it and quite a lot actually so I feel like it deserves at least a positive rating. My google sheets suggested an overall rating of 5.5 acording to my ratings on different areas but because my high ratings have to do with enjoyment and acting, not the actual thing in itself, I don't want to give that extra 0,5.
When I had time I watched up to 5 episodes and only stopped because it was already too late. And right now it's 1 am while I'm writing this review. So yeah, it is intriguing and unhealthily adicting.
If you're looking not for a great show but for a hardly decent one, with good actors, enough fighting scenes, business world theme and a bunch of scenes to boil your nerves this is your show!~
Honestly though, you might want to give it a try, it's not perfect (far from it) but it's still a good watch ^^ depends on ur mood however.
- eve ~
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This review may contain spoilers
Just to fall with the door in the house ... terrible in 1 word.I might have thought something of bl in it but there is just really nothing. When the series started I immediately hated pei. What a nasty guy that was.The things he did were just horrible. Unfortunately he stayed that way and there were a few episodes where I liked him but that was actually too little. Furthermore, the ex wife did not add anything. No chemistry, no romance at all. While advance braverly, no more bl was , the chemistry splashed.
So for me I would never watch him again. I didn't even notice the music. Most players were so forgotten. Even some storylines were not solved properly in my eyes. A father who only thinks of his own and when there something happened, everything is forgiven. No, unfortunately I hope to see a nice bl series again soon with real feeling in it. They don't have to touch each other but you have to feel that they like each other.
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Taking advantage of people is NOT romantic
I know about the original novel but I would like to review this drama as an independent product.At first the show was quite intriguing but then 4th episode happened. It showed plot's biggest flaw — Yuan Yang character. The problem is that motivation behind his actions doesn't justify them or at least makes me care about him.
Yuan Yang decided to do business because he promised it to his grandmother but we know so little about their relationship, I don't have any idea what did that promise mean to him. Flashbacks told as almost nothing and we can't see him as a man of principle (like Gu Qing Pei). The whole hotel situation is inexcusable as things GQP did and the "lesson" YY decided to teach him are NOT the same. The fact what he started blaming GQP for what happened makes the character more unlikable. Yes, YY understood what it was wrong later but he almost didn't get any backlash for this.
The kidnapping episode despite showing that "new" YY hasn't improved and continued using violent and non-legal actions to solve his problems is completely meaningless. YY hated that GQP was contacting with a member of another company. However when he was fired because of video that YY has filmed (he also knew that his father was planning to replace him), he had a chance to continue working with them. So he literally didn't have a right to be mad at GQP. Another thing I've noticed that YY hasn't improved traits which GQP was scolding him for: he continued using violent methods, we never saw him understanding real value of money and etc.
So in the end his improvements are little and he didn't pay for his actions.
-- Story --
Either they didn't know or didn't care but business part of the drama is kinda weak. It seems to me that it was written by somebody who has basic image of how business works. Maybe our focus should have been mostly on romance but because of censorship we were left with this.
The best that this drama has is female characters. I like ex-wife's storyline, it was properly ended and she improved quite realistically, the scene on a roof really touched me. The colleagues were quite nice and Wang Ran is awesome.
--Acting/Cast--
Shang Bai (the actor who plays GQP) is one of the reasons I continued to watch drama until the end. The actress who plays ex-wife is good too, I could feel all the pain her character was feeling.
--Music--
Kinda okay. However music when YY was coming back for GQP is completely out of place.
--Rewatch value--
I personally wouldn't rewatch this, as there aren't moments that worth it. Chemistry between characters is really weak and sometimes they behave themselves completely illogical (especially GQP, sometimes during watching I thought that he had some kind of Stockholm syndrom).
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dysfunctional
Finishing this drama I think it divided into two with first 5 to 6 episodes about the relationship of sensei/student between Gu Qing Pei and Yuan Yang but which does not really work because for me the violence is too unrealistic to the point I nearly dropped this：no one would accept that treatment and carry on the connection whatever the money or business reward〜then it starts to become more interesting as the two different characters work together to get results from around episodes 6〜 then after only about two episodes big disappointment because it was as though it totally lost that bromance or gay plot line and became mainly a business and family contact drama with Gu Qing Pei and Yuan Yang relationship in background and so twisted around I did not know what it was supposed to be。 I enjoyed the story andit kept me wanting to know what happened next and I binge watched last episodes but I do not think the two halves fitted together that well and so the drama as a whole lost direction and as for the relationship theme it was like premature ejaculation〜 it never happened in more ways than one。 quite good acting and drama flow（it sometimes gets slow or disjointed with Chinese drama I feel）。Production values only average but actors made the best of what they were given music very good Overall enjoyable watchWas this review helpful to you?
Read the novel instead!
It wasn't bad, but I couldn't finish it, it didn't felt right, there was a lot of plot holes and unresolved tension, so I decided to read the novel, and let me tell you... it all started to make sense, the novel is so much better in literally everything . Please if you watched this show, you need to read the novel asap, it's so good! nothing like the show where they censor EVERYTHING in a way that as the episodes go by, you start to get frustrated because nothing is happening, and you just KNOW nothing is going to happen. You don't know the masterpiece you're missing, the show doesn't make the novel justice at all. I appreciate the actors, because you can feel this sexual tension between them building up, but nothing really happened and it's not their fault, and also they fit their roles pretty good so kudos to them. I really think it would be one of the best bls ever if they would have stick to the novel, but china's censorship took away that opportunity from them. I feel like this show kind of disrespected the novel's author in some way by removing and changing so many important details, situations, characters, and obviously the beautiful relationship they had in general, but if this show wouldn't exist, we wouldn't have Gu Qing Pei and Yuan Yang the way we know them, so I'm thankful regardless.Was this review helpful to you?
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Taiwan Could’ve Made This Better
This gay drama from China was quite disappointing, especially for those who had read the novel. The story remained unchanged, revolving around a rich son being groomed by a company man chosen by his father to fulfill his role as heir to a conglomerate. However, as expected with Chinese gay dramas, it was watered down to a mere bromance, lacking the depth and romance of the original source material.On a positive note, the acting and cinematography were commendable, but like many fans of the novel, I longed for the authentic romance that was missing. I didn't require explicit scenes for it to be a good gay drama; instead, I wished for the essence of the original story to be preserved.
Although I liked the series to some extent, I couldn't help but imagine how exceptional it could have been if produced in Taiwan during the time of the HIStory series. Regrettably, it fell short of greatness, leaving me feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
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the chemistry between these actors was amazing. Although they didn't officially end up dating, you could just tell that they were already a couple in the last episodes. The beginning was amazing because you could clearly hate each other but as time passed they grew comfortable with each other, they even started joking with each other and laughing.
Another cute thing about this drama is that Yuan Yang (one of the main actors) is very protective and worried over Gu Qing Pei (the other main actor). It just a beautiful relationship between them.
Its an amazing hate then love drama. I really enjoyed watching it, so you should tooo. ;) :)
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