Advance Bravely (2017)

Took me forever to finish because the script and scenario was so silly and frustrating for me, all the talk about freaking birds lol how much torture can you take from a dumb storyline when I freaking love stalking trope! Something like Healer where the stalking makes sense, instead of Jason who was doing it BECAUSE HIS SISTER LIKED HIM . And I would have been fine if that was the only problem with the script! Unlike dramas like Waikiki and Teichi's country which have over the top humor in every scene but it's done exceptionally well. Here the 'silliness' was just frustrating. Boring af like I love 2 Moons and the couples and the actors, but it felt like they forgot to give Pha and Wayo a story arc so you just get bored and want to skip to Ming Kit or Forth Beam. Only here you can't wait because there is nothing there. Look, I understand entertainment is subjective and a lot of people liked this well to each his own, it just wasn't for me. But... the ONE THING that even kept me watching were the two main leads who were really gorgeous and those scenes were HOT.

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I genuinely really enjoyed this show. I at first didn't think I would like that it was more of a bromance than a BL but the writers and director did a good job. First the show was very funny and light and just kept you very much entertained with everything that was going on. Also the plot for the show was rather different and new to me when it comes to BLs and because of that it was a breath of fresh air. Secondly, the slow and steady growth of XY and YZ's relationship really made it easy for you to like the couple. The chemistry that they have with each other was portrayed so well that even though there wasn't a bed scene or a kiss scene the love that they have for each other and just generally their friendship was easily beautiful. Third, the relationship between PZ and LZZ. I would have loved to see more of them and their relationship. I think that if they were given more time we would have been able to understand and love their relationship more. Overall though the actors and everything about the show just made it so much easier to love because you didn't feel like anything was forced and it all just seemed very natural even without some of the aspects other BLs have so because it was so refreshing and enjoyable I can easily re-watch this show multiple times.

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A Classic Pre-Covid Gay Drama For Older Fans

"Advance Bravely" is a captivating slow burn gay drama with some elements of BL. Remarkably, considering China's conservative stance on gay dramas, it delivers compelling storytelling without explicit scenes. For those accustomed to gay western shows, it serves as an excellent bridge between western media and Asian BLs.

Xia Yao's portrayal of the rich, spoiled brat is impeccable, while Yuan Zong shines as the mature protagonist. Their chemistry is delightful, making them a captivating pairing.

I'm grateful that "Advance Bravely" was among the first BLs I watched, unlike many Westerners who discovered BL during the Covid lockdown through "2gether." There's a discernible difference between pre-Covid and Covid-era BL fans. The latter prefer fluffy BLs with happy, clichéd endings, while the former appreciate a wider range of compelling BL and gay drama content, avoiding formulaic tropes and repetitive plots.

This series is for a more mature audience and not tailored to schoolgirls. It offers a refreshing experience, setting it apart from juvenile productions with subpar acting and scripts. "Advance Bravely" truly shines as a captivating adult series in the world of BL.

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a bodyguard BL, got censored mid series, has a VERY weird end

Tropes & Quick notes:

E2L, bodyguard mixed with sports style romance workplace (gym) and home set.
Some action sequences.
Teacher/student, protector/spoiled prince dynamics.
Trigger for hazing, but there is no sexual contact between leads so it never gets into dubcon etc...
Themes of revenge, salvation, infiltration, and domesticity.

This is kind of a bodyguard romance, but it got censored mid series, and has a VERY weird ending. I actually kinda like this show (they VERY PRETTY) but it is very much chopped off at the d***, so to speak.

Basically?

Hottest bodyguard on the planet decides he must "protect" hottest spoiled prince on the planet from (no really, completely) unknown forces of evil, mostly shirtless and occasionally in the shower or rain (still shirtless).

China pretended this wasn't gay by putting them in bed together regularly and then dumping them into a lime pit and not allowing them to finish, so I won't either...

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This drama is the first BL drama that I enjoyed. Honestly, I'm actually not a heavyweight Fujoshi and just like seeing cute interactions between two men in one group of idols. I also feel uncomfortable with excessive interactions (such as kisses and quite extreme scenes between two men) Haha. I also don't like seeing BL because of the character of Uke who is sometimes too dim. However, this drama seems to change my perspective.

Initially, I saw this drama because I wanted to see Simon Gong. and apparently, he became uke in this drama. I was shocked and tried to see it. Finally, I became addicted !!

For BL big fans, this drama might be very ordinary. However, for me this drama made me jump into the trap of BL romance. The light story between the two men in this drama feels very funny as well as adorable. Plus, fanservice because of the many half naked scenes also cannot be ignored. : D Because of this drama, I became addicted to the BL drama and am now looking for other BL dramas that I think I can accept all the scenes (even extreme scenes on the bed! Wow!). Ha ha ha. Looks like I've become a pervert because of this drama.

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just finished the drama. it wasn't a totally perfect drama but wasn't bad either.
first the story which matches well with the plot summary given. Everything starts slowly but you have to assume a lot of things throughout because there is no clear indication to what is happening. Do they love each other?? assume a yes. do the other couples fall in love?? we will never know. I think there were missing links because of the ban in china. therefore there were a lot of loopholes.
Second the cast. absolutely great. Good eyecandies as well as good actors. loved the chemistry even though there were no intimate scenes.
the music was pretty good.
i dont think im gonna rewatch it cause the ending leaves you confused and wanting for more. there was no closure to any of the stories. and there was some anime added towards the end i have no idea why that happened.
overall you can watch it for the actors as they are good but the story will leave you unsatisfied.

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This IS a love story. No doubts about that if you watch the uncut version.

Look, a major problem with (most) BL viewers is that they DEMAND that a male/male couple kiss or have sex explicitly for it to be actually BL. Well, that's now how it works, especially in China where productions have to work around censorship. Have no doubts: this IS a love story and it IS designed through romance lens and music. It may not have kisses and sex, but this show still works in every romantic aspect as possible, which I had no problem with. It was obvious enough for me and well done.

The only problems I have are to do with the things that crossed over from the novel (I assume). We all know that BL novels have certain archetypes and tropes and some of that did make it into the drama which I didn't care too much for. It made the drama absurd at times but you just have to shrug it off. There are also supporting characters that kind of fell off toward the end and so they could've had a better closure too, but alas.

And, of course, those last few minutes of the ending is weird and can just be ignored as not even being a part of the drama. I enjoyed the drama just fine and those last few minutes didn't make stop my happy feelings about this drama.

What carried this show is the main leads' chemistry and relationship. Yuan Zong and Xia Yao started on a rocky beginning, but they definitely become very cute, especially Xia Yao towards Yuan Zong. (Yuan Zong is your stoic cool guy who cares for his beloved through food and actions, so he's cute in that kind of way.)

Overall, this is a good BL drama as long as you adjust your expectations. This isn't a Thai BL production; this is a Chinese one that had to go through censorship. What we got thought despite censorship was pretty damn good. So, make sure you're watching the uncut version.

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Stunning cast, great acting, some bad writing

This series was adapted from the Chai Jidan novel of the same name.

I loved the main cast, notably Jason Xu Feng. He is so handsome and carried his role perfectly well. Gong Jun also did admirably well.

Unfortunately, the story itself is a bit cringy and goes nowhere. The versions of this series on YouTube were cut to death, literally, making it even more difficult to understand some of the story arcs. Even more sad is the fact that the series was banned BEFORE it could be released, and the series, made by the same author/producer behind Addicted Heroin series. Quite sad, really, for Advance Bravely is pure escapist fun and enjoyable if you can suspend your disbelief.

Asides that, it's extremely heart warming and an enjoyable watch, I promise you that.

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I love these stories but because of the BL aspect of them they are not allowed to end. I would almost prefer a death because at least the story will have closure. The Chinese studios/writers and produces never give the second season or at least a special episode to these series. If leaves me frustrated and frankly not very happy. From now on i will read the reviews so i know if the shows are cut off so i don't waste my time. I am sorry to be brat about this but there are too many movies and series out there that give me an ending whether happy or sad at least i get an ending.

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Just pretend the last scene doesn't exist

Even before I started Advance Bravely, I knew that the ending sucked and that the show got censored hard, so it influenced the quality towards the end. But, honestly, it would have been SO much better to just end it at the hospital or with a voice over saying that everyone is okay and landscapes/b-roll from the training facility. That animated scene is so random and out of nowhere that it’s, thankfully, easy to just pretend it doesn’t exist, so that it doesn’t ruin the overall show. I’d say that we can just pretend like the entire last episode, but the “confession” scene is the well is nice. But not as nice is the “don’t mess with my baby” from Yuan Zong’s revenge.

Yes, this show is not perfect, but I think they managed to get a few regular BL shot in there, like many Yuan Zong and Xia Yao doing romantic things and several scenes of them sleeping together. This show is basically carried by the chemistry between the two leads, since the main plot doesn’t make much sense. The ear bitting scenes are basically their version of kissing scenes, in this universe. The production used the songs in a clever way to say what the characters are thinking in those scenes where they couldn't go a step further, like the scene with the hot towel after the acupuncture.

The subplot between Da Yu and Wang Zhi Shui is not amazing but it’s not the worst either. Peng Ze as a whole didn’t need to exist because he doesn’t do anything at all. I’m still trying to understand what Yao’s job is and how did he manage to not go to work for many, many days and still have have that job. I liked the mom character.

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