Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 HeadInTheClouds:

Just like how YZ's fandom will protect XY and by extension DW's Jing since he's XY's "official partner" and disliking Jing is tantamount to criticizing XY and therefore criticizing ZY. It's a strange mentality.

I've noticed this too. All those "Zimis" usually prefer DW to Tan, so I'm guessing their sheep behavior is coming from supporting the official pairing. Welp, I already disliked her fandom a lot, so this extra incentive to steer clear from her dramas and her fans wasn't necessary :D

You should see the comments on Viki about her new drama. That whole thing apparently sucks, but one poor soul dared to mention how weird her acting was as a teenager and the Zimis did not like to hear such truths.

I came here to talk about XL after sitting with the characters but..

I want to further expand my thoughts about Jing since my comment was used as an example that had some interesting follow-up opinions. To me Jing really gives the vibes of the golden retriever that's been kicked one too many times and will just stick with the first person who sincerely gives him care without pretenses. After being tortured and humiliated for 3 years, it's a very understandable reaction to me. The adjective honest was used to describe how he directly confessed to XY.  He was also the first one to do so in a romantic way. When he became TJ again and had chances to describe his feelings to XY, he did. Unlike Cangxuan or XL (though both had their own reasons). 

From the perspective of XY, Jing indeed gave the most cute and feathery moments.  Jing and XY's love story used a lot of youthful scene direction. Not only that, a lot of their  one-on-one dialogue was very "I'll stay by your side forever. I'll do anything for you."  "Promise?",  "Promise.".   It's storybook because Jing really believes he could give up everything and  things would go his way just because he wants them to. What's most important: XY believed that. Promising to wait 15 years for somebody but also still pouty with jealousy at every turn is very rom com.  Queue Jing coming to make it up to her and the cycle repeats. They both are happily living in a fantasy though XY waits for the other shoe to drop. I agree that it's surface level but at the end of the day XY is allowing herself to follow that fantasy. She has hopeful pessimism.  That's why I still find what they had fulfilling and storybook because for a brief moment, they got to experience a wispy relationship and enjoy those moments for what it was  until the other shoe actually dropped ( the surprise pregnancy).  I find their romance fulfilling also because I saw a lack of depth from both of them. For where they currently were mentally and emotionally, the romance was fine. Jing still needs to face his family and XY still needs to deal with her trauma around abandonment. I think they were perfect for each other in the moment because neither were ready to unpack their baggage in a meaningful way.  Truly, only Xuan and XL were realistic about how their feelings merged with their current situations.

That's what I was  trying to say in my og comment.   Oh, I did  incorrectly use the word innocent to describe Jing. I should've used the word naïve to better describe what I meant.   Also, for someone who is on the newer side of cdramaland... this has got to be one of the most  interesting inductions to a fandom. Literacy level, age/maturity, and fandom association assumed in just a few comments. Cdramaland truly is the wild wild west (or east in this case).  Lol, Just wanted to get that out before I actually talk about XL (in a bit).  

 Elektraa:

I want to further expand my thoughts about Jing since my comment was used as an example that had some interesting follow-up opinions.

Welcome!  And thank you for dropping in and clarifying your comments on the main.  I try not to scare off new posters on the main, but brought up your comment here because you clearly didn't have a shipping bias, and yet were seeing things that I didn't, especially concerning Jing.  I know I am biased, so I do sometimes question my take on scenes, and folks here are happy to ... discuss and enlighten me, even if we still end up disagreeing.  lol!

Lots of interesting points and new takes, but I'm a slow thinker and typist.  I'll come to discuss in a moment.  Oh, and just a warning, we do have SPOILERS for season2 here, cause we do talk alot about the complete novel, plus we've talked extensively about the allegedly leaked season 2 script.

 Elektraa:

Also, for someone who is on the newer side of cdramaland... this has got to be one of the most interesting inductions to a fandom. Literacy level, age/maturity, and fandom association assumed in just a few comments. Cdramaland truly is the wild wild west (or east in this case). Lol, Just wanted to get that out before I actually talk about XL (in a bit).

I just started watching CDramas in January 2023, so I'm still learning lots myself.  That said, I've been on the main commentary board on Lost You Forever since it starting airing in July, and I've never experienced anything like it.  Things definitely blow up there regularly, and after lots of attacks and lectures, I've sadly lost a lot of my patience and sometimes assumptions are made.

 HeadInTheClouds:

Speaking of literacy issues. When does it stop being a subjective interpretation and become a willful misinterpretation or miscomprehension of the work?

It becomes a willful misinterpretation when someone blatantly ignores and invalidates everything the creator has presented. For example, I once got into an argument with someone on Facebook (OP) whose counterargument was that I was incorporating too much of my cultural background and attaching meaning to it. I was genuinely baffled by this because that's how I was taught to critically analyze art:

1. What, why, when, how, where.

2. How I interact with the piece through my lens of thought.

3. Its relation to general overarching popular culture and personal experiences.

4. Past artworks, literature, history, etc.

I seriously began to doubt my approach to art. I even lost sleep over it because she was so harsh; she completely invalidated all my training as an artist.

There was another instance where the same OP claimed that the scene where FFB was reflected in XY's eyes was just her being surprised to see someone resembling XL. My brain nearly exploded. No director, cinematographer, or author would pay that much attention to a reflection in the eyes, demanding the CGI department to meticulously create a slow-motion scene just to show XY recognizing XL. Come on! The eyes are the windows to the soul. They are precious for human sight. This scene depicted XY falling in love with FFB for the first time and foreshadowed that he would become the apple of her eye, her most precious person, hidden deep in her soul. 

But you would have to be literate beyond reading and writing to understand this.

I only point out Deng Wei's reputation with Chinese idol drama viewers -- he and his career trajectory, even how he got his start as a  非主流 (net idol), is the perfect quintessential male idol: 90% about looks, 10% about acting ability/charisma/intensity. TJC doesn't quite measure up to that standard but what makes him special is that he's a non-idol actor who is transitioning into doing predominately idol dramas so of course he's going to be measured by idol drama standards and deemed not quite fitting appearance-wise but he is still highly regarded by idol drama viewers because he's one of the few real actors who is doing idol dramas and fits in well enough while bringing something extra to a production which is high industry reputation, professionalism, and credibility of acting skills.

I also have been thinking for a while that Deng Wei signed some kind of deal with IQIYI, that was almost confirmed in my mind when he didn't attend the Tencent Video Awards. I don't necessarily think he's actually signed with Super Up (although I don't know for sure because I don't actively follow his career), like Zeng Shunxi and Cheng Lei, but maybe some kind of multi-project deal like Zhang Linghe has (also IQIYI is a major shareholder in Zhang Linghe's agency Zhongxing Shidai).

And agreed that Yang Zi's new drama is just such a slow-paced, cliched bore. Her and Fan Chengcheng are such a casting mis-match, the only good thing about this show is Jin Shijia's guest role and, literally no one is surprised by this, the good chemistry he has with Yang Zi. They need to stop casting her opposite younger actors who can't act, she performs better and has better chemistry with actors who are around the same age range as her who have some acting ability. She is turning into China's Song Hye Kyo in terms of big name actress who always gets cast with  younger male idol actors resulting in no chemistry and making her look less accomplished too.

Anyway, sorry to take this thread off-topic with industry chatter, I usually keep that confined to the other thread about TJC lol.

 Elektraa:

That's what I was  trying to say in my og comment.   Oh, I did  incorrectly use the word innocent to describe Jing.

Perhaps naïve is a good word.  For me, it is a combination of DW's lack of acting repertoire and changes made to the character that brings out this sort of romantic story arc for YaoJing. There's a line in the novel that was not portrayed in the drama but was very clear in the novel: that this nice and naïve person is not all that there is to Jing, and it plays a part in why his brother, Hou, can't stand him. It's his ability to be two-faced. When XY went to nap after archery with FFB and she heard a voice that was like Jing and woke up expecting him. In the drama, they didn't delve to much into XY thoughts, but in the novel, she didn't quite discern that it was Jing; she woke up to check because she often realized Jing sometimes didn't sound like himself when he was talking to others.

 Elektraa:

Promising to wait 15 years for somebody but also still pouty with jealousy at every turn is very rom com.  

Thanks for helping frame YaoJing. haha...I have been trying to figure out the words for the past months...and all I could think of was cheap romance. I had a debate with someone who said that unspoken love was old and boring. However, rom-coms are overdone and every where. So I guess, if you prefer rom-coms you would prefer YaoJing.

 Elektraa:

. I think they were perfect for each other in the moment because neither were ready to unpack their baggage in a meaningful way.

We just finished a string of discussions about tackling thier emotional/psychological baggage. Many of us are disappointed, but maybe, your insights might help us better see it from a different perspective.

 atmospheres:

TJC doesn't quite measure up to that standard but what makes him special is that he's a non-idol actor who is transitioning into doing predominately idol dramas

Though he may have been a serious actor first, but he had always been an idol. By gosh, I getting to a point where I am going to forgo idol dramas because of the fandom nonsense. lmao. Fingers cross JC doesn't pigeon hole himself in idol drama land.

 HeadInTheClouds:

I just want to note that the comments that you noted here addressed CDramaland and fans and also some of the stuff that has been going on within the LYF board here for the last 5-6 months as a whole. CDrama fandom has its set of peculiarities that are fascinating to observe.

Yes, indeed.  Like I said, I've lost my patience with some people.  And learning about CDrama fandom has definitely been interesting.  I feel like such a slacker fan, now.  lol!

 HeadInTheClouds:

I can see where you are coming from with your clarification about Jing. When I read the novel, I was iffy about some of his actions in the early parts, but I can accept that it's part of the character set-up and necessary for the story and character development. My evaluation of this character comes from the entirety of the novel so his actions in the early part of the story take on a different shade when you consider everything that played out.

I still stand by my initial negative reaction to Jing.  Granted, some non-biased folks give Jing the benefit of the doubt, or don't think it's as big a deal, but I personally don't do well with that sort mess.  And with the parallel characters to Jing, I think Tong Hua has probably had some experiences too.  heh

That said, Elektraa has given my some food for thought as to role of the character, even if I still think his ending suxs

 HeadInTheClouds:

Anyway. Hope you have fun hanging around. We are a friendly and reasonable bunch :-)

Yep.  We don't always agree with each other, but we're fine with a variety of opinions.