Addicted (2016)

So confused.

Edit: After taking the time to read one of the books this series was based on, I also highly recommend reading it. So much is explained in it.

There was nothing in this series that did not leave me confused and confounded.

Why YuoLin made his choices.
Why GuHai made his choices.
Why some stuff was cut by the censors and not other stuff.. which added to the confusion.
Why someone would need sleeping medicine at school.
Why none of these people can seem to take a hint even when it's outright stated.
What did I just watch? This was a story of the most lopsided relationship I've ever witnessed.
Just so many questions. I'd like my time back please.
Having said that tho, I'd probably watch a season 2 of this trainwreck for closure.

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Production Fault, Gu Hai and Yin Zi characters were performed well

This Drama Series Story had lots of potential to grow But the scriptwriter and director messed it up. There were lots of loopholes, and all the situations/scenes with supporting roles were left open. lots of the time you will be waiting for what will happen next but they totally cut down the scene from the last episode and just turn the story on the main character. character development was not enough. it felt like the main characters turned from classmates to good friends who live together. There was the potential of chemistry BUT dialogues between them were too general like close friends talking. Till the end, I was expecting to something happen but nothing happened, Simply put just too general.
This is not the fault of the actors but only the production's fault.

In Japanese setting dramas, they highlight the features of adults (teachers/parents' authority & strictness and feel proud in it but if you compare with Thai setting dramas they mainly focus on the main characters and the close relationship of the main characters, remaining actors, and situation become backdrops. which helps the audience to focus more on the story, production, and other things)

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You can tell this was a very low-budget web-series production. The progression of the story was very choppy, confusing, and incomplete at times (like what happened to the second couple?). However, the series made huge waves in the genre, which significantly changed how the topic was allowed to be shown in Mainland China (being banned and prompting censorship). This was one of my firsts within the genre as well, and I found the story pretty addicting. Although the main leads' story started out hella problematic, they eventually developed a loving and supportive relationship. I was forced to read the novel after watching the drama to actually understand what was going on. The drama left out a lot, but I'm glad they didn't follow some of the novel's plot points. The leads performed well, and they had great chemistry. I'm pleased to see that they paved their own way in the industry after this, especially considering the backlash they received. Good for them.

(Completed: 2016)

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Had potential.

When I began this series I thought it was shaping up to be something really great, and for the most part, I had fun with a good portion of it. Unfortunately, the last third of the series left me feeling uncomfortable and definitely confused. Overall my feelings about this series are quite ambiguous.

In the beginning, I enjoyed the irregular pacing. The breaks between scenes seemed natural, and seeing the little windows of their lives together gave it the feeling of real life. Unfortunately, as the story progressed, the segmented scenes felt fractured and disconnected.

The story itself has a lot of loose threads. I really loved the family aspect of this drama, and especially the dynamic between Luo Yin and his father. They also did a great job of displaying the emotional effects and dynamics of failed marriages.
This series is adapted from quite a long novel, so to fit into a web-drama would mean a lot of cuts (not to mention China’s ban on depictions of homosexual relationships). These cuts interrupted the flow of the story, as I often felt key details were missing, or if certain scenes & dialogue were included they ended up going nowhere. A lot of characters were brought in and ended up doing a whole lot of nothing. This was really unfortunate as I really would have loved to see more development for the supporting cast, especially Yang Meng.

Now looking at the most promising aspect, the romance between Luo Yin and Gu Hai. Both actors did an amazing job. There was a lot of tension between the two mainly due to their stubbornness and competitiveness, and clearly a lot of feelings under the surface. Timmy Xu did a great job showing Luo Yin’s silent affection. Johnny Huang did a great job portraying Gu Hai’s feelings as well. The chemistry was definitely there.
Now for the part which made me (and pretty much everyone else) the most uncomfortable: the non-con scenes. This really spoiled the great romantic tension between the two characters. Any intimate displays of affection were cut out, and all we are left with are straight-up jarring & uncomfortable non-con scenes. This led to Gu Hai and Luo Yin’s relationship to never quite feel fully developed. Not to mention the amount of emotional issues that were lost between the scenes and never felt truly resolved.

By the end of the series it had lost a lot of its original appeal, and I found my finger resting on the skip button for the last few episodes. I would've enjoyed more clarity on their relationship especially as it evolved from enemies to friends to lovers. I also would have enjoyed it if they didn't give up on the story in the last few episodes, but god knows what happened with the production towards the end.

The only thing that slightly redeemed the last episodes were the "A husband who doesn't want to sleep with wife isn't a good one!!!" engraved onto two nail clippers because it couldn't fit on one. Really. If I had a rich lover, this would surely be my first demand.

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The show is titled after a literal drug so don't come in with the greatest expectations

The first part was pretty innocent and refreshing, and this part is what I enjoyed the most. It was very reminiscent of Meteor Garden -- there is a rebel rich guy who has nothing better to do than bully the one he likes, and a spunky poor guy who just wants to live peacefully (plus points that he's smart too). Gu Hai and Bai Luo Yin's interactions and cat-and-dog banter are funny and their chemistry is undeniable.

Now the second part of the show which comprises of the last 5 episodes, is where the problematic parts have popped up. These have indeed made me uncomfortable and I personally like to pretend it does not exist lol.

Still, for the majority of the show that I thoroughly enjoyed, I'm rating this an 8.

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Shocked and disappointed...

Firstly I was totally shocked to have seen that Johnny did a BL?
Secondly I am pissed at this ending ? how earth can we be left hanging like that?
Thirdly this was really an amazing and easy drama, to watch and had funny moments, the main leads were totally awesome and the chemistry was off the charts, had it not been for such a cliff hanging ending it would have scored higher.

The plot had potential, high school students with all their problems, pranks, jokes and relationships, but i feel the writers lost it a bit and just went down hill after that, much of the tension comes from how stubborn both main leads were.

I honestly watched this cuz of Johnny in and was shocked to see him in a bl that didn't have any merit in.

And the bloody ending was definitely the worst of this drama.

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Attractive leads, natural acting, but ABSOLUTELY TOXIC AF!

SPOILERS AHEAD - READ AFTER FINISHING DRAMA

I think it may be possible for some to enjoy this show because both of the leads are attractive and their acting is skilled/natural but that toxicity just will not fly in today's age. Like I'm not gonna lie and say that they aren't attractive. Or that the chemistry isn't there. Because that wasn't true. And also that their acting was so natural that when that one part at the beginning of episode 9 popped up with the actors talking about a fan meeting that I was caught off guard because it truly felt like I was watching the characters live out their stories in real life. Although none of that can be denied, there were still several issues.

Gu Hai and Bai Luo Yin's (BLY) relationship is almost symbolic of a real-life abusive relationship because you know that there's a good side (Gu Hai taking care of BLY in thoughtful ways, caring for BLY's family, gift-giving, making sacrifices for BLY, etc.) but then there's also the bad side that outweighs all that (forced intimacy, blatant sexual assault, stalker behavior, unrelenting/violent pursuit of BLY, obsessive tendencies, frightening jealousy, uncontrolled rage, LITERAL KIDNAP, psychological trauma, drugging drinks, etc.) You might keep wanting to go back to experience the good side but then the bad side is there to damage you in ways that you yourself keep choosing to return to. I don’t know how BLY didn’t run away in fear of his life at some point. Anyway, romanticized toxicity is not cute so hopefully, all future dramas will hop on the consent train. It would be so much hotter than whatever this drama is trying to do.

Another issue: the women/girls in this show were all portrayed and talked to so pathetically. It was so disappointing to see these women pining endlessly over their crushes, being uncontrollably driven by their emotions, being unable to let go of the past, being described as having an "unwilling to forgive attitude", having their only worth and roles tied to a guy, etc. I didn’t feel that there was a single strong female lead. These dramas can do so much better than this. No person or group has to be put down to raise up the show's quality.

The cancellation is very disappointing fr! I guess I'm not certain how show production and episode releases work but if I had the choice, I would've just ended it after the phone call BLY makes to his ex confirming he has Gu Hai in his heart now. Other than that I mainly just wanted to see how they'd end the show, but also kept in mind everything that was problematic about it. As an instructor, I'd definitely use this in a sex ed class on what to do and what not to do in a relationship.

But yeah watch at your own risk. Maybe "it's just a show" but the stuff you consume really can influence you. They say your thoughts become your words which become your actions which become your habits which become your character so just be careful. :)

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This is not the right recipe for happiness!

What the hell did I just watch?!?!? I have seen some highly toxic and unhealthy things, but this one takes the top spot! Well, at least they did not lie in the title which is actually Addicted . Heroin is the translation of the word you get when you put their names together, as explained in the series.

The drama tells the obsessive and possessive, highly toxic love Gu Hei has for Yui Zi. Gu Hei was fascinated with Bai Luo Yin ever since they met for the first time and he never left him in peace since. He started first with pranks in school, than he pretended to be poor, then wormed his way into his family, slept with him in the same bad but trying to get more in a kind of round about way, flung his wealth and connections around manipulating lives of people close to BLY, kidnapped him, tried to rape him repeatedly. Gu Hai basically showed behaviour worthy of a psycho. He was addicted to BLY, to his kindness, intelligence, level headedness and therefore tried to control him, own him, cutting him from his friends and family with jealous insistence. That is why I do not understand when BLY finally succumbed to GH pressure and let him do whatever he wanted with him, which is the only thing GH was interested in, apparently!

The series is based on a danmei book: so basically this is the result of a female fantasy writing. Love, generally speaking, can provoke this kind of obsession even in the straight couples. But it does not mean that it is right. Usually when you have a similar kind of a relationship in movies, it never ends well. This kind of obsessive relationship never ends well in real life too. I am glad we are finally moving away fro these kinds of tropes in BLs: this is not a recipe for happiness . Addicted was pulled off air unfinished, after the very steamy episode 15!. But it seems that there are another 3/4 of the book left, not covered by this series. The series ended with them in a sort of relationship but do they get their happily ever after at the end of the book? I hope not!

There are a lot of side characters with unfinished stories: a couple of crazy ex girlfriends, a crazy cousin, controlling or laxist parents, school friends' possible second couple romance... The actor playing BLY's father was the most handsome of the lot. The two playing GH & BLY are obviously too old for the roles: they are supposed to be teenagers (I guess around 18 seeing them driving cars and getting drunk but still in high school: go figure!!!) but they are obviously much older. You end up getting used to it by the end but it felt really strange at the beginning! They were OK but no more than that!

The series looks very low budget: it was clearly made in a week! Just look at the weather throughout the 15 episodes: it is always gray and cold (steam coming from actors' moths when they talk)! Once they actually discussed what they would love to eat for a holiday which falls the following week, on August 15th: while the trees outside the window were bare of leaves and as steam was coming from their mouths! Global warming and drastic climate change evidently!
Costumes tell the same story: everyone is wearing two same outfits throughout! Music was the best about this series!

Recently, I've been watching dramas I never really wanted to see (especially chinese ones). This one is a legend, the unfinished one, the one which brought on the demise of chinese BL and the birth of bromance c drama. But is it good? NO! But it is a gulty pleasure watch. I understand that. I can watch it once but never again!

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Loyal to source material

I watched the series twice already, from the beginning to the end consecutively, before I discovered, it was formerly a book. I had to know what happened after the last episode, so I begun reading the novel. I just wished it ended as it should have been, not dropped midway.

All that aside, I loved the chemistry of the main characters, their relationship dynamic, the fact that they are both strong "alpha" males, also the craziness, I was here for it.

Even if the budget seemed low, the execution was in my opinion top, so that I still want to watch it again in the future.

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