Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 Kokuto:

Reading some comments in the LYF S1 page.  I really have to wonder if I'm watching the same show as others.  And I'm not talking about a YaoJing post either.

It's really weird.  I know some of it may be a language problem but I also think some folks aren't paying attention or ... I don't know.  I mean, from the beginning, Jing lied about almost everything about himself and what he would do, and yet he's honest?

generation difference, idol fans and paying attention to detail play big role. 

Many young viewers now think that a sweet, devotion boyfriend like Jing would be better than having a violent, cold but handsome BF. 

I know that you feel the Liu-Yao affection from the drama. As a neutral, not young viewer, I did not feel much from XY side. I don't know if XL's expression affected your judgement. 

LYF is indeed not easy to showcase on drama since half of the story is hidden which requires extra attention for readers to trace it out. Thus this can have influence on viewers' comprehension of the drama content. 

 Kokuto:

Reading some comments in the LYF S1 page.  I really have to wonder if I'm watching the same show as others.  And I'm not talking about a YaoJing post either.

It's really weird.  I know some of it may be a language problem but I also think some folks aren't paying attention or ... I don't know.  I mean, from the beginning, Jing lied about almost everything about himself and what he would do, and yet he's honest?

For me, I seriously think it's a literacy issue--the ability to comprehend complex literary and abstract ideas in literature and film. LYF employs alot if beautiful filmming technique that is lost to people (young and old) hung on idol dramas. When your watching fast/mass produced dramas all the time, the only language that becomes familiar is the easy to see and easy to read kind.

I know I sound kind of standoff ish and snobby, but I just love storytelling and beautiful filmmaking too much. So I don't have alot of patience for people who just can't see all the hard work and efforts of the creators and artists.

 H19279:

generation difference, idol fans and paying attention to detail play big role.

Many young viewers now think that a sweet, devotion boyfriend like Jing would be better than having a violent, cold but handsome BF.

That's my point.  They aren't paying attention, if they think THAT is what the choices are.  And I truly fear for the younger generation if they are looking at such shallowness in romance -- sweet and handsome?

I can understand if someone's preference is for a 'green flag' boyfriend, but, again, those aren't the characters I see in the drama.  Cause I don't think a sweet, devoted boyfriend refuses to leave his family and instead treats their girlfriend like a sidepiece while stalking them.  That's not devotion or sweet.  This is my stumbling block.

 H19279:

I know that you feel the Liu-Yao affection from the drama. As a neutral, not young viewer, I did not feel much from XY side. I don't know if XL's expression affected your judgement.

Well, I do admit, that XL's expression affects my judgement regularly. lol!    But I do feel that Yang Zi captures XY's love for XL when she looks at him.  And just like CX, XY tries to save XL's life.  Plus their chemistry is off the charts.

 H19279:

LYF is indeed not easy to showcase on drama since half of the story is hidden which requires extra attention for readers to trace it out. Thus this can have influence on viewers' comprehension of the drama content.

Like I said, I can understand how some people don't get XL, but other stuff seems very obvious to me, that I don't understand why is getting ignored.

And some of it could be as basic as preferring Deng Wei's lovelorn pretty boy pining to Tan Jianci lol.

Iol... I take JCT pretty face over Deng Wei. JC soft features are way more attractive to me than Deng Wei'd chisel looks. Also, JC eyes and lips are just perfect. hahahaha.

I wouldn't put all the blame on the viewers though, I belive TH played a little too much with the words she used and even though I don't think that her initial intention was to deliberately cast so much confusion, it is obvious that once she saw people's different reactions towards her characters she pretty much chose to let it be. She is a fine writer, but honestly there were some aspects that she could have handle it better. 

 atmospheres:

And some of it could be as basic as preferring Deng Wei's lovelorn pretty boy pining to Tan Jianci lol.

Well, not my preference, but I understand it is others' choice.  And I understand if that's why someone likes Jing... but just because the actor is pretty, it doesn't change the fact that the character is not honest, or not the perfect "green flag" his fans say he is.

 plor20:

Iol... I take JCT pretty face over Deng Wei. JC soft features are way more attractive to me than Deng Wei'd chisel looks. Also, JC eyes and lips are just perfect. hahahaha.

I agree.  Tan Jian Ci's eyes are amazing, full of an universe of emotions and thoughts.  I far prefer watching his animated features that can swiftly move from silly to sexy.  Attraction and charisma requires far more than just physical features.

 atmospheres:

Me too, if I had to choose between the two, easy choice for me. But Deng Wei's look is considered peak male idol perfection by a lot of Chinese idol drama viewers' standards.

Their loss.  I still can't grasp anyone thinking Tan Jianci's lovely features aren't handsome enough.  He's gorgeous.

 Kokuto:

https://mydramalist.com/44985-lost-you-forever#comment-16194497

Though I understand how some people don't get Xiang Liu, since he hides so much and I can see how watching for romance might make a difference in which character you like, but what I don't understand is that the character they are describing, is not the character that is on the screen.

Thanks for the link Kokuto. It seems like a rather surface-level view of Jing without considering his less-than-desirable traits and actions. I think with this character, it's easy to get sucked in by his pretty words and promises - made all the more appealing because he is sincere in his feelings  - and because he comes across as so helpless and such a victim of circumstances, it's easy to feel sympathetic and pitiful towards him. From there, it's wanting to protect, and make excuses for him. Just like Xiao Yao does in the novel. I'm wondering if it's a case of people with strong boundaries and a sense of accountability/responsibility having less patience for this sort of pitiful/woe-is-me helplessness that Jing exudes.

 plor20:

For me, I seriously think it's a literacy issue--the ability to comprehend complex literary and abstract ideas in literature and film. LYF employs alot if beautiful filmming technique that is lost to people (young and old) hung on idol dramas. When your watching fast/mass produced dramas all the time, the only language that becomes familiar is the easy to see and easy to read kind.

 atmospheres:

I think a lot of viewers watch things on a very superficial surface level with only partial attention these days, so they miss a lot of the visual storytelling and what is shown between the scripted spoken lines. I also think a lot of people have a very binary, black and white, way of thinking,

I think there are truths in these comments. It seems like people are approaching this novel/story from that very young adult/conventional romance framework of love is everything and love triangles and whose team you're on. It's very Edwards vs. Jacob. Unfortunately, that's the framework that is prevalent in popular entertainment. Shipping wars are the norm and everyone is so busy proving how their ship is the superior one that they forget to read or consider anything else. To be fair, there is probably not much else to consider in these popular works of fiction. Differing opinions is fine, I just wish they would cut out on the moral judgment and personal attacks.

Speaking of literacy issues. When does it stop being a subjective interpretation and become a willful misinterpretation or miscomprehension of the work? I'm very much a "we all have our own way of looking a things" kind of person, but there are times when I'm truly baffled by some of the conclusions that some readers reach since it's at odd with the simplest comprehension of the work. While there are subjective differences at play, surely there is a certain degree of objectivity when it comes to the written words?

 H19279:

Many young viewers now think that a sweet, devotion boyfriend like Jing would be better than having a violent, cold but handsome BF.

 Kokuto:

That's my point. They aren't paying attention, if they think THAT is what the choices are. And I truly fear for the younger generation if they are looking at such shallowness in romance -- sweet and handsome?

This sort of reductive thinking is troubling. I truly don't understand how anyone can look at some of Jing's actions and not only do they not see how troubling they are, but praise them. You don't have to like Xiang Liu to see this. Jing's act of wanting to die with Xiao Yao alone should be a giant flag that this character ain't right in the head. I can only chalk it up to different values.