Wait! Where did this drama come from? Well looks like another I need to wait for. Is it good so far? I know, you…
Tencent WeTV. recommended on my app feed, lol It is okay so far, I have not dropped it yet and think I'll watch through the 32 eps. But I am a moderate fan of Vin Zhang Binbin and I do not hate Janice Wu Qian either. So I'm here for these "idols", lol
“ The one who falls in love first is always at a disadvantage ” if you following the story then you would…
Bear with the little rabbit who probably confused arguing with discussing, a linguistic mistake that some non English speakers often make. And who looks to be indeed very young, since he/she (they?) dare(s) to say that he/she/they will disregard what others might feel about his/her opinion... lol isn't is grand to be able to vent like him/her/them? Ooof.
Otherwise, I also consider FL character to be rather far from selfish and instead insecure (surprisingly since she is not supposed to be a "spring chicken" any longer). There are many contradictory vibes in both characters behavior from my point of view, and that could tire and drive some audience away. Both have (until the point I reached) rather bizarre reactions to each other : one remembers all her favorite dishes and whims and perpetuates the memory, going out of his way to purchase canned meat and live crayfish for her. He, folds his woolen scarf around her neck in the cold Shanghainese night. He folds his arms around her and holds her tight to shield her from the sparse traffic on the street, but looks into the distance over her head, while she stands frozen like a statue despite the sterling occasion for a passionate kiss and embrace ? She spends nights to help him but is shy to reveal that she is not a pauper, when obviously no pauper could up and fly to him the way she did... I have not read the novel so I am content with watching along, thinking there may be a mystery that will be resolved along the way.
Given the previous dramas in which Wu Qian and Zhang Binbin, I don't really expect red-hot passion like in the "Forbidden Flower", rather the contrary. Probably a relationship akin to most of Allen Ren's often hands-off dramas ? (Ren Jialun made up for his "no open mouth kiss" famously rumoured contract clause, through the use of sizzling glances and eye contacts instead, Zhang Binbin almost did likewise in "Romance of the Little Flower" if I remember well). That's okay, I don't always crave for a sugar overdose 🥺 Enjoying Zhang Binbin's good looks, and seductive deep voice ❤️ Amused by Janice Wu's not unusual way of acting, although sometimes thinking that her ways of acting cute are over-the-top, when she grabs a fold of his clothes and bats eyelids at him.
Granted that Vin Zhang is not as well known an idol as Xiao Zhan (whose most recent upcoming drama is even slower in airing, since it is "postponed" at the moment. Last news I saw from XZ was about his leading the song "Chinese dream my dream", for an Internet event and that's already several weeks ago). Nevertheless, both Binbin and Wu Qian have fan bases, who follow their work, so technically they can indeed already be branded as "liulang" "traffic idols" too. The drama Here We Meet Again was in my WeTV suggested items and in the top billed selection there on my end (far away "in deep space", lol). You didn't answer my query about Bin Ge's "special appearance" in LO2O. Well, it was a long time ago. I could find it myself I suppose, if I have time to go through it once more (although this one is not my preferred drama). Have a nice day, or night, as applies.
Nice episode today, a lot of TCM informative information. I had a feeling the woman with the asthma/bronchitis/lung…
Oh : the product placement festival! Well, TV series often live up to their nickname of "soap operas", don't they, from the US to Brazil and everywhere? I once reviewed a sweet drama starring Liu Te which was a total product placement epic : they not only had the usual TCM cough granule boxes, the usual face masks, the usual yoghurts and slightly alcohol-laced Rio lemonades, the instant noodle or soup brands, including the dreaded luosifen, the usual beer brands, and car brands, and clothes brands, and phone brands, and how to use WeChat or Alipay to pay for stuff (which you can't easily order abroad unless you really need it and find a way to bootleg it in traveler's luggage lol) but that one even had kitchen appliance brands (Fotile)... It was actually very funny. There are the usual "drama tropes" to look for, as added "insiders" entertainment, with the way the se tropes get twisted this way and that ; and also these interesting foreign brands that you can't buy, so it's perfectly safe for your wallet ! The trip to food market is also always a source of nostalgic mirth to me, with the wealth of fresh vegetables that can't be found in many Western countries, and the live crayfish and fish swimming in tanks instead of left to rot on piles of ice. I even remember with nostalgia the live poultry that were brought home to be sacrificed and plucked and emptied, like my mom used to do long ago, purchased direct from friendly farms like in but far from China. The freshly pressed juice from long sugar canes, fresh pomegranates or dried persimmon, so much tastier than the candied ginger. The flowers to mix for healthy teas : blue cornflowers, chrysanthemum, rose and hibiscus petals, that could be purchased in bulk at the supermarket... Goji berries can be found in Western stores, when in China, artichoke was absent. In fact, in other countries' movies and dramas there are also ever so often product placements too, of chocolates, wines, Cognac, whisky, luxury perfumes or else, and cheese, foie gras, caviar, that are not common in China, so they like to get it as gifts. Cars, shoes and clothes of course sport brands that have become multinational. Looking with envy at the Tesla and other electric cars that can be recharged so easily in China, when it still is a hassle in most other countries...
Who couldn't notice Vin Zhang's charm, twinkling eyes and to-die-for deep voice? I am waiting for next episode while perusing his modeling pictures for Elle and Vogue, as collected on CPopHome where he now ranks 23rd among top Chinese celebs, after Zhang Jingyi and Yang Zi and before rising Cheng Xiao and Esther Yu with whom he played in "A Romance of the Little Forest". Listening to a few of his songs on YT. This handsome 江苏人 pairing with 吴倩 / Janice Wu drew me to this new drama (Janice did not play easy roles in her latest dramas, with LYX etc, but I can't forget her charm in carrying "The Brightest Star In The Sky" with Z.Tao, and she is now 38th on the celeb list, not bad, before Landy Li who so enthralled the audience of "The Starry Love" back in February). I am following "Here We Meet Again" on WeTV since I have VIP subscription, but noticed that the drama also reaches international audiences on YouTube where it is free to watch until ep6 at the moment : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbo-nGkgDPY&list=PLpOa-OrneXm0rvusu1VNEjuRO5CD9avW3&index=1 Trickling in at snail pace one episode a day, like on the free to watch part of WeTV. Liking it very much, so far ! oh, and since you seem to be into 彬淇淋, I have a question for you : do you remember in which episode 二彬 made a special appearance in 微微一笑很倾城 ?
I found one of the songs in the drama, the one by singer actor 胡文煊 Hu Wenxuan: 恩宠en chong (Grace). It is on Youtube with pinyin transliteration but no translation into English : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHjTZiy_T1M
As of May 26, it is fully subbed until Ep 15 on WeTV, in raw until Ep 23 on kiss or cool, but available as subbed until 12 on dailymotion where image is distorted. Lots of turnabout moments, some demoniac magic, some treason, a heartless and treacherous crown prince, an illegitimate other prince, some foreign princely "Kun" state that has perhaps an axe to grind with the rigid "Wei" emperor, some undead people... and a pretty girl who does not know who to trust and who to love. ML is maybe not the most handsome of the princes, but not bad looking either. Not boring. Short episodes, so binge-watchable as "dessert candy". Presumably, it will be released sometime after finale of today, as a "movie-edition" one.
I modified the overview of Daoism in the discussion of traditional Chinese culture, to show the hexagram 31 and its interpretations from the Book of Changes, that Mrs Dong referred to in her conversation with Rebecca in Episode 22. If you'd like to have a peek, it's linked above or through this direct link https://mydramalist.com/discussions/hou-lang/100789-about-traditional-chinese-culture?page=2
Is this drama being promoted as a romance drama to begin with? I for one did not go into this drama expecting…
Same. I am a sucker for fluff once in a while as dessert, but wasn't expecting much of that sort in a drama about new generation pushed to new times, and TCM, and quite a big dose of realism. Wondering why people crave that much for romance in ALL dramas. Even if there is a mention of romance, it may only be a side story, and perhaps not really satisfying. Even the dramas strongly put forward as romances can end up unsatisfactory for the crowd that craves romance AND Happy End ever After (like in unbelievable fairy tales). I think we should be reasonable and just enjoy other things too. I like the Houlang drama as it is, mostly. Interesting confrontation of very traditional outlooks (gender-based work division) and Daoist faith (Ep. 18 - the Master : "How much help can we provide to patients? ... If we have faith [in ourselves, and/or progress] everything should turn out fine." This is a very Daoist outlook, consistent with the type of TCM he is teaching based on yin and yang interconnections.) I've added an overview of Daoism in "About traditional Chinese culture" discussion, in case someone is interested in the origins of that thinking, the ramifications in sects and places and texts and martial arts. And if you'd like to try coin-based divination with the Yi Jing too, lol, since the hexagrams are one development of the Taoist trigrams and bagua notions. Also pointing to Ken Liu (translator of The Tree Body Problem and gifted SFF writer himself) new translation of the Daodejing "scripture", available on Audible only, at the moment : Taoism looks like it is quite trendy, these days.
New outro? maybe I exited too fast: will go back to listen/watch :-).
Ah yes, now we have the Zhou Shen song "Also Very Worth it" for ep.14 end credits, instead of the Zhou Bichang "Ordinary Identity" like in episode 13. 😊 But the outro songs alternate since the beginning "Also Very Worth it"也很值得 (Eps 2, 4....14) "Ordinary Identity" 平凡身份 (Eps1, 3, ... 13)
I came across this in youtube. I don’t undestand alot of chinese so anyone who speak chinese can help me translate?…
The videos and first post are total gobbledygook interpretation. This is not speculating on what's upcoming. We've already seen those episodes!!! MengMeng never was sexually assaulted or seduced by TZ! I view her as a mentally unstable border nymphomaniac and PTSD sufferer from her previous relationship with a man (men? rapists? it never was clear) who knocked her up carelessly. Why she chose to cling to another male (TZ) is beyond me (unless she has a dangerous neurotic fixation on a male who looks available?). TZ is supposedly just trying to make amends for his early misdiagnosis and to view her as a regressive "child" in need of a big brother figure - or perhaps he is interested by her cute curly head and vapid eyes, since his behavior can be seen as quite ambiguous.
This is a part of the story that really lacks a lot of credibility : how could parents entrust (rather : abandon again) their hysterically ailing child to people who are neither friends nor family, nor trained psychiatrists, especially after these strange parents were so careless that they let her get into serious trouble causing her to be mutilated ? How could the master and his wife accept to take the girl in when she clearly can't be a student/disciple of TCM? They have no connection or training, with mental health care , nor agreement from authorities, nor run a monastery, and accepting to be burdened with her so informally can bring them trouble. Luckily, the rest of the story has many interesting and insightful features. And ZLS, of course.
Some apologies needs to be spoken in words not just assumed that it is done , meng meng storyline doesn't border…
pole? I think you mistyped and meant "pond" ? ( when the heartless "young master" abandoned drunk Cinderella on a bench some episodes back) Actually, Meng Meng's storyline does bother me, because it feels totally unnecessary to the plot and detracts from the realism in the story.
2 
5 
1 
1 
It is okay so far, I have not dropped it yet and think I'll watch through the 32 eps.
But I am a moderate fan of Vin Zhang Binbin and I do not hate Janice Wu Qian either.
So I'm here for these "idols", lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvGM2qh8qGw&list=PLpOa-OrneXm0rvusu1VNEjuRO5CD9avW3&index=6
Otherwise, I also consider FL character to be rather far from selfish and instead insecure (surprisingly since she is not supposed to be a "spring chicken" any longer). There are many contradictory vibes in both characters behavior from my point of view, and that could tire and drive some audience away.
Both have (until the point I reached) rather bizarre reactions to each other : one remembers all her favorite dishes and whims and perpetuates the memory, going out of his way to purchase canned meat and live crayfish for her. He, folds his woolen scarf around her neck in the cold Shanghainese night. He folds his arms around her and holds her tight to shield her from the sparse traffic on the street, but looks into the distance over her head, while she stands frozen like a statue despite the sterling occasion for a passionate kiss and embrace ? She spends nights to help him but is shy to reveal that she is not a pauper, when obviously no pauper could up and fly to him the way she did...
I have not read the novel so I am content with watching along, thinking there may be a mystery that will be resolved along the way.
Given the previous dramas in which Wu Qian and Zhang Binbin, I don't really expect red-hot passion like in the "Forbidden Flower", rather the contrary. Probably a relationship akin to most of Allen Ren's often hands-off dramas ? (Ren Jialun made up for his "no open mouth kiss" famously rumoured contract clause, through the use of sizzling glances and eye contacts instead, Zhang Binbin almost did likewise in "Romance of the Little Flower" if I remember well). That's okay, I don't always crave for a sugar overdose 🥺
Enjoying Zhang Binbin's good looks, and seductive deep voice ❤️
Amused by Janice Wu's not unusual way of acting, although sometimes thinking that her ways of acting cute are over-the-top, when she grabs a fold of his clothes and bats eyelids at him.
Nevertheless, both Binbin and Wu Qian have fan bases, who follow their work, so technically they can indeed already be branded as "liulang" "traffic idols" too.
The drama Here We Meet Again was in my WeTV suggested items and in the top billed selection there on my end (far away "in deep space", lol).
You didn't answer my query about Bin Ge's "special appearance" in LO2O. Well, it was a long time ago. I could find it myself I suppose, if I have time to go through it once more (although this one is not my preferred drama).
Have a nice day, or night, as applies.
I once reviewed a sweet drama starring Liu Te which was a total product placement epic : they not only had the usual TCM cough granule boxes, the usual face masks, the usual yoghurts and slightly alcohol-laced Rio lemonades, the instant noodle or soup brands, including the dreaded luosifen, the usual beer brands, and car brands, and clothes brands, and phone brands, and how to use WeChat or Alipay to pay for stuff (which you can't easily order abroad unless you really need it and find a way to bootleg it in traveler's luggage lol) but that one even had kitchen appliance brands (Fotile)... It was actually very funny.
There are the usual "drama tropes" to look for, as added "insiders" entertainment, with the way the se tropes get twisted this way and that ; and also these interesting foreign brands that you can't buy, so it's perfectly safe for your wallet !
The trip to food market is also always a source of nostalgic mirth to me, with the wealth of fresh vegetables that can't be found in many Western countries, and the live crayfish and fish swimming in tanks instead of left to rot on piles of ice. I even remember with nostalgia the live poultry that were brought home to be sacrificed and plucked and emptied, like my mom used to do long ago, purchased direct from friendly farms like in but far from China. The freshly pressed juice from long sugar canes, fresh pomegranates or dried persimmon, so much tastier than the candied ginger. The flowers to mix for healthy teas : blue cornflowers, chrysanthemum, rose and hibiscus petals, that could be purchased in bulk at the supermarket... Goji berries can be found in Western stores, when in China, artichoke was absent.
In fact, in other countries' movies and dramas there are also ever so often product placements too, of chocolates, wines, Cognac, whisky, luxury perfumes or else, and cheese, foie gras, caviar, that are not common in China, so they like to get it as gifts.
Cars, shoes and clothes of course sport brands that have become multinational. Looking with envy at the Tesla and other electric cars that can be recharged so easily in China, when it still is a hassle in most other countries...
I am waiting for next episode while perusing his modeling pictures for Elle and Vogue, as collected on CPopHome where he now ranks 23rd among top Chinese celebs, after Zhang Jingyi and Yang Zi and before rising Cheng Xiao and Esther Yu with whom he played in "A Romance of the Little Forest". Listening to a few of his songs on YT.
This handsome 江苏人 pairing with 吴倩 / Janice Wu drew me to this new drama (Janice did not play easy roles in her latest dramas, with LYX etc, but I can't forget her charm in carrying "The Brightest Star In The Sky" with Z.Tao, and she is now 38th on the celeb list, not bad, before Landy Li who so enthralled the audience of "The Starry Love" back in February).
I am following "Here We Meet Again" on WeTV since I have VIP subscription, but noticed that the drama also reaches international audiences on YouTube where it is free to watch until ep6 at the moment : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbo-nGkgDPY&list=PLpOa-OrneXm0rvusu1VNEjuRO5CD9avW3&index=1 Trickling in at snail pace one episode a day, like on the free to watch part of WeTV.
Liking it very much, so far !
oh, and since you seem to be into 彬淇淋, I have a question for you : do you remember in which episode 二彬 made a special appearance in 微微一笑很倾城 ?
Not boring. Short episodes, so binge-watchable as "dessert candy". Presumably, it will be released sometime after finale of today, as a "movie-edition" one.
If you'd like to have a peek, it's linked above or through this direct link
https://mydramalist.com/discussions/hou-lang/100789-about-traditional-chinese-culture?page=2
and as a commenter on Youhug noted : "Congratulations to Houlang for breaking through... 10,000 popularity."
Wondering why people crave that much for romance in ALL dramas. Even if there is a mention of romance, it may only be a side story, and perhaps not really satisfying. Even the dramas strongly put forward as romances can end up unsatisfactory for the crowd that craves romance AND Happy End ever After (like in unbelievable fairy tales).
I think we should be reasonable and just enjoy other things too.
I like the Houlang drama as it is, mostly.
Interesting confrontation of very traditional outlooks (gender-based work division) and Daoist faith (Ep. 18 - the Master : "How much help can we provide to patients? ... If we have faith [in ourselves, and/or progress] everything should turn out fine." This is a very Daoist outlook, consistent with the type of TCM he is teaching based on yin and yang interconnections.)
I've added an overview of Daoism in "About traditional Chinese culture" discussion, in case someone is interested in the origins of that thinking, the ramifications in sects and places and texts and martial arts. And if you'd like to try coin-based divination with the Yi Jing too, lol, since the hexagrams are one development of the Taoist trigrams and bagua notions. Also pointing to Ken Liu (translator of The Tree Body Problem and gifted SFF writer himself) new translation of the Daodejing "scripture", available on Audible only, at the moment : Taoism looks like it is quite trendy, these days.
But the outro songs alternate since the beginning
"Also Very Worth it"也很值得 (Eps 2, 4....14)
"Ordinary Identity" 平凡身份 (Eps1, 3, ... 13)
Btw did you notice Peachey Blossom has posted another OST songs translations after the initial five? The discussion part https://mydramalist.com/discussions/hou-lang/100551-gen-z-full-ost-with-eng-subs where they are listed needs to be updated to also list the latest one: "Like I Once Loved" (Yan An) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-3OMG1-KoQ !
I was still wondering about the intro tune. So, this one is 大道如环 Dàdào rú huán (Road like a ring), by 解男 Jie Nan on this "complete OST" playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgCvtouQJsE
This is not speculating on what's upcoming. We've already seen those episodes!!!
MengMeng never was sexually assaulted or seduced by TZ!
I view her as a mentally unstable border nymphomaniac and PTSD sufferer from her previous relationship with a man (men? rapists? it never was clear) who knocked her up carelessly.
Why she chose to cling to another male (TZ) is beyond me (unless she has a dangerous neurotic fixation on a male who looks available?).
TZ is supposedly just trying to make amends for his early misdiagnosis and to view her as a regressive "child" in need of a big brother figure - or perhaps he is interested by her cute curly head and vapid eyes, since his behavior can be seen as quite ambiguous.
This is a part of the story that really lacks a lot of credibility : how could parents entrust (rather : abandon again) their hysterically ailing child to people who are neither friends nor family, nor trained psychiatrists, especially after these strange parents were so careless that they let her get into serious trouble causing her to be mutilated ? How could the master and his wife accept to take the girl in when she clearly can't be a student/disciple of TCM? They have no connection or training, with mental health care , nor agreement from authorities, nor run a monastery, and accepting to be burdened with her so informally can bring them trouble.
Luckily, the rest of the story has many interesting and insightful features. And ZLS, of course.
Actually, Meng Meng's storyline does bother me, because it feels totally unnecessary to the plot and detracts from the realism in the story.