KSM4

I have zero interest in NC scenes.

Ah, thank you so much! We can both compete for the spot of the most addicted fan :D It's been so long, and I'm still obsessed.

These two actors should start filming a new drama by the end of the year; hopefully, it will be thrilling to at least a similar extent!

I think this series is terrible. The more it goes on, the more it feels like a fanfic written by a 13 year-old. A lot of people agree, so no, haters have nothing to do with why the rating is dropping. It's just people like different things.

People have different tastes, and it's normal. I think this show is a complete disaster that deserves a much lower rating.

I agree with every word, and I also started having doubts about this series around E2. It's interesting how so many people are only seeing the problems now: I think they were obvious from the beginning.

Payback didn't follow the novel in almost everything that counted, which is why it sucked. But I agree with what you said about Don't Be Too Emotional. The first episodes with tense atmopshere were the best, they're what kept me hooked, even though I suspected I won't like LJ early on.

I'm sorry, but this is just not true. Some things are subjective, sure, but not all of them. This show is terribly written and the world-building and character development are non-existent. And no amount of NC scenes would save it, although raw chemistry and attraction would certainly help. Instead, the characters act like they've been married 40 years and have lost all the sexual interest in one another.

Toxic BL means that the relationship is toxic. Both characters don't have to be toxic at the same time. As for the ending, I think they actually showed it pretty well. Fan Xiao didn't suddenly become a different person; You Shulang knew it very well, but he decided to give him another chance because he still loved him and because Fan Xiao showed willingness to change. These two factors, love and willingness to change, are what influenced his decision. Of course, every viewer will come to their own conclusion about whether he did the right or the wrong thing.

Also, I think the type of Fan Xiao's toxicity matters a lot. Like, how will he behave in the future? When they were together before the break-up he didn't abuse You Shulang. He was a caring, loving partner. He was too possessive, but it wasn't a huge flaw. Most of his terrible deeds came at the start, before he realized he was in love.

The next round of toxicity began when You Shulang broke up with him. Fan Xiao wanted him back obsessively, so he did terrible things to make it happen.

Now, after everything, will their relationship still be toxic? I don't think so, personally. Fan Xiao worships the ground You Shulang walks on; as long as You Shulang stays with him, he will likely behave. We have enough precedents from the past to believe it. If You Shulang tries to leave again... then all bets are off, yes :D

I tend to love the voices they pick for dubbing, but I so want to hear the original ones :( Hearing a voice and the emotions in it is so important.

Deep In is in this list, yes: great idea, but very shallow execution, in my opinion. No romance development, no proper backgrounds for the characters. It was entertaining, it stirred some emotions, but the depth was paper-thin.

But I also meant non-Chinese BLs , like Don't Be Too Emotional, Payback, Prosecutor's Proposal, etc. Of course they aren't like Knot, which is downright unwatchable, but that just makes it even more frustrating to me because they were so, so promising. The actors seem good, the music and picture quality are on point, but pacing, character development, well-written romance - no one seems to care about these things any longer.

Series like Revenged Love and ABO Desire, as well as a lot of older Thai BLs, were deeply imperfect, but they stuck to the basic principles of story-telling. The characters were all well-developed individuals with solid backgrounds, the romance featured a lot of non-romantic moments that brought the characters together. Now, all these things seem to get ignored in favor of badly done cliches and explicit NC scenes.

I agree that the more BLs are released, the worse quality they have. To me, the golden era ended with To My Shore; everything I saw after it suffers from the same issues. The picture might be beautiful but the lack of logic and the absence of romantic as well as individual development are grating. I placed a lot of hopes on Double Helix; I love the themes of coercion, obsession, and dark romance, but I don't think any of it was shown well here at all. I can see a lot of people liking these latest shows, but I honestly don't get it. I feel like these series are very shallow.

Sure! These are the clips + reactions.

1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od0AvWKQzMw&t=2s

2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjUgVPGODWk

3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAzyCnA_tkY

I agree. When I saw the trailer and that spaced-out look, I was actually excited and thought the actor would do an excellent job showing a drained, broken character. But he walks like that from the very start.

Yes. That's why I can't let go of this drama; I've never seen this kind of plot executed so well.

I think this kind of situation was shown perfectly in To My Shore. When You Shulang's younger brother messed up, Fan Xiao offered to pay instead of You Shulang. You Shulang refused but acknowledged that he'd ask for help if he felt like he couldn't cope on his own. When Fan Xiao went behind his back and paid anyway, You Shulang turned it into a loan, scolded him, and warned him against doing something like this in secret again.

But he also thanked him, and the whole arc was completed in 5 minutes because that's how mature adults behave. They appreciate each other, rely on each other, and understand that sometimes they need help and support - and it's normal. That's what partners are for. They definitely don't turn their backs on each other again and again just because their pride stings. That's not noble, that's selfish and stupid.

And You Shulang's from To My Shore :D

No, I think he's terrible in this :( He can pull off some moments, but for the most part he just keeps squinting in the same way over and over again. My Mom and I both really struggled when watching the emotional scenes with him. I also think the actor is much prettier than the way they styled him. Maybe I wouldn't focus on his acting so much if his partner wasn't phenomenal; when they are together, the difference between their skills is too stark.

Great idea, but very superficial execution. Who are these characters, what made them the people they are today? Why are they in love? What do we know about them? What do they know about each other? None of it is shown, they don't do anything other than jump straight to sleeping together and claiming to love each other. I also don't think they did the main premise justice. It never felt like the characters lost themselves to the plot of the show they were filming and that the boundaries blurred. For us, yes; for them? Not really.

I've been feeling like this since E2.

Yes. I feel like a lot of people are no longer interested in a well-written story or characters. Give them some pretty surface, and they'll love it.