I think they can fit all three dramas by Sep 30 if they air 2 eps/day; if not, then they have to move FIRD to…
sep 2 feels too early ngl, though i wish its like that. As for LIRD, it doesn't necessarily has to cram itself in september. Could be sep AND oct window
I’m so tired of Youku holding this drama hostage. The distribution license for Fire Investigator was obtained…
Looks like Youku has a deal with Netflix for exclusive dramas. I don’t know whether VIki can get rights IF Netflix airs this. But hey, as long as they release the drama I’m fine with anything coz at this point, it’s super frustrating
A few months ago a melon said 5th September. Pull Strings will finish around Aug 31st or first week of sep. 5/9 is very likely, unless something changes
Don’t know if this has any significance, but SOTB is placed second on the upcoming list after the Early Spring, which will air this week or next week. https://weibo.com/7881312738/5333972582405843
( This is from the script I read, the actual drama maybe the same or a bit different) Mmmmm I don’t think it’s called a love triangle. ML and FL has immense sexual tension since the beginning, and they go from disliking/ curious about each other to being allies real quick (like within 3-4 episodes). Then I would say they start to feel something more very quickly (It’s quite impossible not to feel anything coz ML is always flirting with the FL). By the time SML comes into the picture, ML and FL does feel clearly something for each other but they are not open about it because of their personal goals and past. In the middle ML and FL love eo, but FL always kept SML hanging just in case. SML only like the FL. Then a mini misunderstanding happens, FL decided to married SML, wedding chaos, ML FL marries and SML/SFL marries. SML initially did not like SFL, but he starts warming up to her at the end. FL never had feelings for SML like she did for ML, it’s just she decided to marry him for her benefit.
This must be a very special project for them to take so long to release it. After nearly two years, they still…
youku is tanking now. If it didn't have the alibaba backing, it would have gone bust last year. So they dont open projects that much, and they take their time releasing the inventory.
Then again, i hope they air out the oldest filmed dramas like FI, instead of recently wrapped up ones
A great weibo post about KaiKai's acting by 猜火车Trains
I recently caught up on Xu Kai's earlier dramas and wanted to write more about his acting, his character analysis, and the experience and immersion he brings to his performances.
It's true that young actors from period dramas seem to be naturally excluded from the discourse of "powerful actors."
It's as if their rise to fame is solely due to the narrative of the series, the benefits of a well-developed character, or the inherent advantages of their facial features. Then they're labeled, and all their hard work is easily summarized.
But this is unfair. If an actor can consistently deliver outstanding performances and evoke empathy in different types of characters, then popularity isn't a sin, but rather the attention and respect they deserve! Just like actor Xu Kai, what makes his acting so valuable? It's that he doesn't pursue fragmented, snapshot-like bursts of brilliance, but rather a nuanced, immersive experience.
Undeniably, *Story of Yanxi Palace* broadened his horizons, but what truly made Fucha Fuheng remain in the audience's hearts were the poignant pain conveyed in those iconic scenes. For example, in the scene where he deeply loves Wei Yingluo but severs their relationship to save her life, he suppresses his youthful helplessness and pain with unwavering resolve. All you see is the silence of someone crushed by fate. Including the scene after returning from the battlefield, where their sedan chairs brush past each other, Yingluo now the Consort Ling. The two gaze at each other from afar, with very few lines, but all the regret, longing, and the sense of destiny that they can never be together again are hidden in those eyes. That wasn't acted affection. It was the character's genuine, unspeakable tragedy at that moment. If Fu Heng represents the shattering of youthful spirit, then Li Yi in *Le You Yuan* represents the collapse after being repeatedly crushed by fate.
This character is underrated, and Xu Kai delivers a devastating performance. With his comrades dying one after another, and him bedridden with severe injuries, the way he handles that crying scene is heart-wrenching. We know that crying scenes usually require explosive power, but Li Yi was too weak, so weak that he didn't even have the strength to cry out loud. So what the audience saw was a person grieving but only able to sob incessantly, breathing rapidly and unable to keep up with the rhythm, the sound of tears weak, like a child completely drained in the face of immense loss. It was a conflict between physiology and grief, and Xu Kai delivered a heart-wrenchingly immersive performance.
This year, in "800 Meters Within Reach," it was a completely different story. Remember the physical shock he experienced after his first murder? It was chilling. Xu Kai immersed himself in the role, instinctively retreating after the kill, vomiting physically, his eyes filled with panic, staring intently at his hands covered in marks, especially the transition from anger to utter despair. Long stretches of silence, no dialogue, relying entirely on his eyes to portray the collapse of his worldview.
Do you see? Whether in period dramas or realism, Xu Kai never delivers a label, but rather the character's situation itself. He doesn't base his work on a persona, but on the character's psychological motivations at that moment. The panic of killing is physiological, the despair of a comrade's tragic death is a draining weakness, and the fate of losing a loved one is unspeakable. These emotions aren't "acted out," but rather traces of life itself. His performances possess a sense of breath, genuine physical reactions, and an immersive power that makes the audience feel breathless.
Therefore, Xu Kai shouldn't be defined by labels.
His performances deserve serious analysis, formal recognition, and wider appreciation. An actor's ability to consistently deliver outstanding performances is not accidental, but a skill. It's not luck, but inevitability.
Interestingly, there seems to be a subtle resonance between the labels attached to him and the characters he has played. Those characters who are limited, confined, struggling with fate, and lamenting their destiny—aren't they a reflection of his current situation?
But what actor Xu Kai needs to do? He doesn't stand still.
He consistently lets his characters speak for themselves, using each immersive performance to break down those ceilings that shouldn't exist. That's why I'm even more looking forward to *A Bowl of Spring*. I'm hoping he'll once again deliver a different performance. He'll make you believe he can do even more. And the best revenge for an underrated actor is always the next role. Xu Kai is still forging ahead.
the fewer fillers the better. but i hope it wont cut important scenes making the whole plot confusing. the most…
Hopefully soon. I heard normally dramas go through a second review right before the release. But for important dramas like FI, it could be different. They already went through two review process, first with the fire department and then the NRTA one, which gave the certificate. Then the production team adjusted some scenes again to 20 ep. Hopefully it will be soon
But hey, as long as they release the drama I’m fine with anything coz at this point, it’s super frustrating
https://weibo.com/1642592432/5334034545908258
Investment promo material says September
A few months ago a melon said 5th September. Pull Strings will finish around Aug 31st or first week of sep. 5/9 is very likely, unless something changes
Don’t know if this has any significance, but SOTB is placed second on the upcoming list after the Early Spring, which will air this week or next week.
https://weibo.com/7881312738/5333972582405843
Note- it’s from the script I read, anything can change in the actual drama.
Mmmmm I don’t think it’s called a love triangle. ML and FL has immense sexual tension since the beginning, and they go from disliking/ curious about each other to being allies real quick (like within 3-4 episodes). Then I would say they start to feel something more very quickly
(It’s quite impossible not to feel anything coz ML is always flirting with the FL). By the time SML comes into the picture, ML and FL does feel clearly something for each other but they are not open about it because of their personal goals and past. In the middle ML and FL love eo, but FL always kept SML hanging just in case. SML only like the FL. Then a mini misunderstanding happens, FL decided to married SML, wedding chaos, ML FL marries and SML/SFL marries. SML initially did not like SFL, but he starts warming up to her at the end. FL never had feelings for SML like she did for ML, it’s just she decided to marry him for her benefit.
Then again, i hope they air out the oldest filmed dramas like FI, instead of recently wrapped up ones
It's true that young actors from period dramas seem to be naturally excluded from the discourse of "powerful actors."
It's as if their rise to fame is solely due to the narrative of the series, the benefits of a well-developed character, or the inherent advantages of their facial features. Then they're labeled, and all their hard work is easily summarized.
But this is unfair. If an actor can consistently deliver outstanding performances and evoke empathy in different types of characters, then popularity isn't a sin, but rather the attention and respect they deserve! Just like actor Xu Kai, what makes his acting so valuable? It's that he doesn't pursue fragmented, snapshot-like bursts of brilliance, but rather a nuanced, immersive experience.
Undeniably, *Story of Yanxi Palace* broadened his horizons, but what truly made Fucha Fuheng remain in the audience's hearts were the poignant pain conveyed in those iconic scenes. For example, in the scene where he deeply loves Wei Yingluo but severs their relationship to save her life, he suppresses his youthful helplessness and pain with unwavering resolve. All you see is the silence of someone crushed by fate. Including the scene after returning from the battlefield, where their sedan chairs brush past each other, Yingluo now the Consort Ling. The two gaze at each other from afar, with very few lines, but all the regret, longing, and the sense of destiny that they can never be together again are hidden in those eyes. That wasn't acted affection. It was the character's genuine, unspeakable tragedy at that moment. If Fu Heng represents the shattering of youthful spirit, then Li Yi in *Le You Yuan* represents the collapse after being repeatedly crushed by fate.
This character is underrated, and Xu Kai delivers a devastating performance. With his comrades dying one after another, and him bedridden with severe injuries, the way he handles that crying scene is heart-wrenching. We know that crying scenes usually require explosive power, but Li Yi was too weak, so weak that he didn't even have the strength to cry out loud. So what the audience saw was a person grieving but only able to sob incessantly, breathing rapidly and unable to keep up with the rhythm, the sound of tears weak, like a child completely drained in the face of immense loss. It was a conflict between physiology and grief, and Xu Kai delivered a heart-wrenchingly immersive performance.
This year, in "800 Meters Within Reach," it was a completely different story. Remember the physical shock he experienced after his first murder? It was chilling. Xu Kai immersed himself in the role, instinctively retreating after the kill, vomiting physically, his eyes filled with panic, staring intently at his hands covered in marks, especially the transition from anger to utter despair. Long stretches of silence, no dialogue, relying entirely on his eyes to portray the collapse of his worldview.
Do you see? Whether in period dramas or realism, Xu Kai never delivers a label, but rather the character's situation itself. He doesn't base his work on a persona, but on the character's psychological motivations at that moment. The panic of killing is physiological, the despair of a comrade's tragic death is a draining weakness, and the fate of losing a loved one is unspeakable. These emotions aren't "acted out," but rather traces of life itself. His performances possess a sense of breath, genuine physical reactions, and an immersive power that makes the audience feel breathless.
Therefore, Xu Kai shouldn't be defined by labels.
His performances deserve serious analysis, formal recognition, and wider appreciation. An actor's ability to consistently deliver outstanding performances is not accidental, but a skill. It's not luck, but inevitability.
Interestingly, there seems to be a subtle resonance between the labels attached to him and the characters he has played. Those characters who are limited, confined, struggling with fate, and lamenting their destiny—aren't they a reflection of his current situation?
But what actor Xu Kai needs to do? He doesn't stand still.
He consistently lets his characters speak for themselves, using each immersive performance to break down those ceilings that shouldn't exist. That's why I'm even more looking forward to *A Bowl of Spring*. I'm hoping he'll once again deliver a different performance. He'll make you believe he can do even more. And the best revenge for an underrated actor is always the next role. Xu Kai is still forging ahead.
#TalkingMoviesOnWeibo #MoviesAreInSummer