MareAzurre

They have a good storyline, but they decided for idols that are cute, sweet and really beautiful, with lots of chemistry but I am afraid they are lousy actors. So at moments was painful to see them go through the motions and not really feeling their characters. We have had idols turned actors that have delivered sound performances like Rei Sawamura in Happy of the End. It helps he was partner with Beppu who is a very good actor. Even Keito Keimura and Jyutaro, both idols, did a better job in Ameiro Paradox. I wish for everybody to pass from watching idols BL JP to those performed by seasoned actors like My Journey to Killing You and of course the recent 10 Dance. What a difference, doesn't it?

Was there not a video from the acting coach (the rich lady in the series) saying the company have already hired them for second production? It was a post in X.

Ep 11 & 12 - I wrote this in response to a comment after ep 11: YSL is a grey character. He could negotiate this coming back without having sex in the middle. He is living what he feels he is. He felt FX used him as a piece of meat so he is reacting like this. For YSL sex was an important part of his life. FX is many things but he would not climb on YSL if he is not sure YSL would not react with pleasure to this even if it is only a physical reaction. YSL does feel pleasure but also he feels even worse after this. In ep 12 YSL is even clearer: you are a piece of my bedding he tells FX. FX has a role in YSL bed. This is a dark story of desire in extreme circumstances. For both FX and YSL sex is a language in which both express their different levels of emotions, from dark to light. It is a" fighting demons" ground.

YSL is a grey character. He could negotiate this coming back without having sex in the middle. He is living what he feels he is. He felt FX used him as a piece of meat so he is reacting like this. For YSL sex was an important part of his life. FX is many things but he would not climb on YSL if he is not sure YSL would not react with pleasure to this even if it is only a physical reaction. YSL does feels pleasure but also he feels even worse after this. The Director of the series is trying to show us this in small gestures like when FX kisses him he respond kissing him back even if he is breaking him inside. It is a dark story of desire in the worst of circumstances.

I can't believe it, again? for to my shore? I have a bunch of insults for this mm (moral morons) but I am just going to calm down. There is enough with all the ones barking mad with their long posts in this forum (they don't have a journal or diary instead to "grace us" with their hystericals?) You could call Fan Xiao a red flag, but girl YSL is very grey too. His way of standing ground is not plain sailing either.

They look absolutely gorgeous in ancient costumes. I think they can pull both. Regarding modern Chinese dramas they are notoriously not very good and they even have been criticised by the government for promoting false values (poor getting rich, poor girl married CEO etc). So it is all depends if they find a good modern script and good characters to play. I like some of those that are not romantic like Sword Rose about the rescuing of trafficking children, or We Love in Spring, it is romantic but the characters are really multilayer. They have to be characters quite differently from their "real self" as they tend to come across as a bit goofy (though sometimes very sexy/flirty too)😂

You can pay 2.50 and watch the rest in the official YouTube Channel. You can withdraw your sub before the end of the month and you won't be charged again.
Most of us have watched this way, others through a sub with Gagaoola.

Is this a BL or Bromance? we have this question several time in this forum - It is a BL!!!
A beautiful, intense, passionate love story with the best kisses in a Chinese drama!
We have them in all shape and forms here. I think this is is what make it so endearing the diversity of the kissing depending on the mood and the storyline.
Here an edit, with a fraction of a second of every kissing scene
https://www.tiktok.com/@minoa38/video/7585068478151822612?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

If you prefer full proof, but not too much spoilers go straight to minutes 31:30 of ep 6 and stay with them until the end of the episode (this is the link to the official site), though I would recommend just to trust us here in the forum and don't watch it until you watch the previous eps, because this is a long scene and one of the most moving as it happens in a particular context .
https://youtu.be/3WFCm4JMAsw?si=_gHuD8rQT6p3vkuJ

Some people called it bittersweet. Think of Romeo and Juliet with a happy afterlife. The ride is quite intense. They love each other passionately, lovers to enemy to lovers this is how it goes.

How beautiful XuJin were as ShuHe and ZiAng, I normally don't post edits but lately some comments make me thing that people are blind to how mesmerising they are. For me no other C BL CP has been as handsome as them with the exception of Zhan and Yibo in The Untamed. (This clip is mainly from the scene in which ShuHe got drank)
https://x.com/artxeditz/status/2000116091394343031?s=20

It is indeed @River, we were really craving for a good C BL delivered with unshakable acting, not making concession towards a mediocre acting because the plot was somehow "hot". ZheXu and Mi Jin broke that barrier with his amazing performances and chemistry. I am so glad that the next C BL we are watching is To My Shore such committed performance by the two leads. This is what we should expect from a C BL not just a good plot but also excellent acting.

The official channel - first 6 eps are free then it is only 2.50 less than a coup of coffee. You can withdraw your sub in less than a month and won't be charged again.
https://youtu.be/P12OjrBkjtw?si=bM32G-EGUtdXiAei

otherwise with a Gagaoola sub

Because this BL is so loved by so many now, people who come later to the viewing experience are expecting a wow factor along the lines of BLs they traditionally like. Maybe this is your case. This BL is very rich in language, there is a lot of good things to say about the script. However, in trying to compress a very interesting storyline in 12 eps they cut the dialogue and the understanding in the first eps, but it is a super BL and ZheXu and MiJin the main CP come from the best performing academies in China. They did not have MLs experience before, so they had to push themselves fast and furious to reach ep 6 and onwards and deliver. I found them tremendously beautiful, particularly Mi Jin (ShuHe) even with the very basic wardrobe. Their chemistry in and out of the screen is bullet proof. I admire actors that are capable to adapt to the challenges and create iconic characters. Yun Qi performing as Fan Xiao (To My Shore) with 23 years old is a revelation. He is not only young, he also is a new comer. Very much the same with ZheXu and MiJin 24 and 23 when they start filming such emotional demanding roles. For me they do it impeccable. I will ever be grateful to them and to the whole production team.

So interesting. I would have liked to see the link between the murder of the Duan's family and the murder of ShuHe's mother. I think they were done by the same group of people. this adds another emotional layer between the lovers. Yes, ZiAng's mother what was that twisted love story about it? We needed more.

3) I would give the north kingdom and HY the benefit of the doubt and say that it was something like steroid but worse. I could not agree more in 1) there is a gap there in relation to Minister Gu.

I would like to add that I totally understand the suffering of ShuHe, ZiAn put him through hell on earth "to protect" him. He was even horrible injured by whipping because of this, but in terms of production and added scenes, I would have liked to see more ShuHe's emotional upheaval. ShuHe deserved that time because as you say it took a long time for him to come to terms with his feelings.

I could not agree more @River, looking at the devastation of the South Kingdom would have added so much depth to the storyline and understanding why ShuHe thought of ZiAng as deluded.

I totally agree with what @Boho and @Xie Lian have added here, particularly the following points:
1 - As viewers, we deserve to have more avenues to look into the truth about Hai Yi, ZiAng brother. this could have been a very rich side storyline.
2- Agree as well that we deserve to know about Shu Qian's feelings towards ShuHe (I was not interested about this intended 2nd CP with the guard, as it never took form, I feel that time was wasted on them that could have been invested on exploring more ShuQian and ShuHe relationship. Mi Jin (SH) and Chen Fang (SQ) have lots of chemistry in our screen as well.
3 - After being so obsessed with the lovers storyline, I would say I needed more time to watch the thought process of ShuHe -in the second part- surrendering to his own desire and finally love for ZiAng. These characters were multilayer. I needed to see ShuHe waking up next to ZiAng after he slept with him for first time in captivity (I believe it was around the "red" bath scene). I needed to see the space in which he looked into his own heart trying to make sense of this inner turmoil. We actually see more of ZiAng own process of self-deception about ShuHe becoming his lover again so I could understood perfectly why his heart broke in a thousand pieces when ShuHe tried to escape after the night market stroll. At the moment it was airing I asked a question that @Yerisina responded very well -thought she is still pondering this- why ZiAng did not say I love you expressly, like ShuHe did, yet for me it is ShuHe that left me with more questions than ZiAng.

Both so true

Very interesting points Boho.