ShortCircuit

It might be the first version of the subs (I see the titles aren't TLed, but some of the honorifics are - like they're using Senior Sister / ShiJie for YanLi instead of her name, as in the "official' TL - WWX NEVER calls her YanLi, as it would be disrespectful, he's always calling her ShiJie, and some of the idioms are there, but there are a few lines that are missing and the like, too.) Or maybe they'd adapt along the way :D (I watched it a few months after it first aired, because I slept on this drama, LOL, so when I got to it the kinks had been straightened out of the fansubs, mostly :D)

But the basis is there. I like the flow of the TL, and it's a lot closer to the meaning (comparing to the novel's TL) than it ended up in some of the scenes in the official TLs.

In SK, either the police or the prosecutors could investigate a case. Here though, the police did it, invented all the evidence, coerced him into confessing his guilt, and the prosecution only had to present their case to the judge and it was over. From a procedural POV, they did it by the book. Now that it's come out the evidence is fabricated, they threw the case out (but since both actual killers are dead, there can't be a trial placing the blame on them and punishing them for their deeds. You can't put a dead person to trial.)

So everything that they could do was to throw out GJW's sentence and expunge his record and that would be it.

TBH I never heard of any trial in SK that went against the state or its institutions for not doing their jobs correctly. It's always against actual people and if there's any civil liability it's settled by compensation of some kind in most cases.

I think they made her dump Natsu because their own personalities definitely don't match, even if they like each other a lot. She's a bit controlling (or very controlling IMHO), a bit dismissive of Natsu's own feelings on matters - I think he has a type, LOL, since Mizuki is basically the same), and pretty impatient - she wants it as she wants it and she wants it right now.

I guess they wanted to show how it would look like if Mizuki stayed with Natsu and raised their child together - she's more impulsive than Yayoi, but the selfishness is still there, and also there's that part where she's certain she knows better than him and decides for the both without informing him on anything. Both of them are pretty calous like that, treating him as if he's an appendice (the cute/handsome guy who's dependable but a bit boring, he'll be there for them if and when they need him).

So he needs time to decide on important things - WTH, don't we all?! I am pretty mad on his behalf for both women calling him irresolute or something. I too get impulsive (especially when shopping) but for important matters, I take a lot of time to consider. They put him in front of a decision they had already taken and asked him for an instant response... Neither took him as an equal partner, much.

So I'm not sad he didn't get a whole family, Yayoi isn't the one for him - and not the one for Tsuno either. Both need someone they can talk to and decide things together.

*totally serious* Definitely.

(The smallest font possible: that thing about stress... errr... might be a liiiiittle bit exaggerated.)

Sadly, I don't know if the fansubs still exist somewhere. I watched the drama initially not on NF or Viki, but that site is gone, and subscene is also gone now. But the subs were awesome (and added a lot of nuance and a certain charm to the story itself). I mean, how precisely like WWX to moan about his bad luck in such a colourful way, right? (that's why it stuck to my memory, LOL).

They might be somewhere on dailymotion or some other non-legit sites... but since NF and Viki are available (for a while yet, in NF's case), who knows if the fansubs got replaced with higher quality (and non-hardsub) versions everywhere...

Yeah, all the best fighters or renowned Jianghu people have titles and all those titles translate to something that describes them in some way. Other than Hanguang Jun, Zewu Jun, Sandu Shengshou, you also have Lianfang-Zun for Meng Yao, which means Hidden Fragrance Lord - I don't know if MXTX wanted to imply he stinks LOL - and Chifeng-Zun (Red Blade Lord) for Nie MingJue, master of Baxia. (Still my favourite blade in the whole story, even before Suibian and Bichen). Madam Yu also went by her Zi Zhizhu title (Violet Spider) but that got TLed basically the same everywhere, and also Nie HuaiSang's nickname (Head-Shaker).

It's just the little details that add a lot of subtle context and extra explanations for anyone who isn't deep in the lore yet. For me, it was kind of a big part of getting addicted to cdramas (and danmei novels, too, LOL, all hail the TLers!)

ETA BTW, Sandu (the name of his blade) means Three-Poisons or Three-Bane, so JC's title is Master of Sandu, not that he's a poisoner LOL.

Also, Yayoi: Oh you sneezed? This reminds me I need to get MYSELF some cold medicine.

Yeah, well, people like him exist (he was freaking preparing to go to med school, there's a saviour complex right there, too). As for reckless/stupid - he was already alone against the world, what did he have to lose anymore? After getting out, he had to try anything to either learn what actually happened, or learn to deal with it.

Not like the whole town was against him or anything.

The best subs were the fan-made subs (overimposed the Chinese hardsubbed eps). They knew to keep the little idioms in (things like WWX woe-is-me remarking he should've checked his horoscope before getting out the door when he runs into Jiang Cheng AND LWJ right after fleeing Mo Manor). In the NF and Viki subs, it's adapted into something like "this is so unlucky" or whatever.

Also the fansub TLed all the titles (no Chinese-sounding Hanguang-Jun that tells the int'l fans nothing, if they have no ear for Chinese and some previous knowledge - but Light Bearing Lord, which tells you WHO he is. Basically ALL their titles - Sandu Shengshou - Three-Bane Divine Hand, for Jiang Cheng, or the title of Sanren for the Wanderers, like WWX's mother, or Zewu-Jun, "Brilliance Overgrowth Lord" for LXC***, etc.) For someone who hadn't read the book before watching the drama, that added a whole layer of detail to the story.

When they tell you things are being lost in translation, they're not making a quip. This happens.

Which is why I LOVE the fan TLs of famous danmei, particularly those who take the time to explain the idioms, or suggest an adapted sense to the idiom, or include pictures to show you how things should look, and generally are enthusiastic about what they're doing. I already have quite a few of fan TLers that I appreciate a whole lot, they're making this a better world :)

ETA *** BTW, Brilliance Overgrowth doesn't imply light, but water and how it nourishes everything around it into abundant growth, LOL. For me it remained forever linked to the part of the story where they have to calm a Waterborne Abyss, and LXC just goes and plays his flute and starts on the (long) ride to contain and clean it up.

It gets extremely good by 14-15 (when the tragedy starts), but for me it got good in the opening scene, LOL. Maybe it's not your type of drama - but if you stick with it, you might be surprised.

Thanks for the article!

I've watched most of the BL dramas in the list (except for Eien no Kinou because I don't want to cry), and Liar Game and Fuujinshi were on my radar... I just haven't picked them up yet, LOL.

For longer series (as in ep length - also, not BL), BORDER is really good and also the recently ended Umi no Hajimari!

One of the girls was his FRIEND (nothing romantic) so he wasn't "hung up" on her. People do care for their friends, you know. The other one was his lover - and you're allowed passionate and illogical love at 18 (and at all ages actually).

Also, people are acting like true friends even toward persons who turn out not to be as honest in return, it happens all the time. Not to mention one-sided love happens, too.

This is based on a novel, and the adaptation is very good (I also read the novel). This is one of the pretty rare adaptations where the drama is better than the book.

NaGyeom... supported him?! He wouldn't have lost ten years of his life if it wasn't for her!

You aren't too advanced in watching the drama, maybe, or you wouldn't say that, LOL. Or do you mean he doesn't know what she did, so he HAS to fall for her because she was supportive?!

He doesn't OWE anyone anything, especially not "love". One feels what one feels, it's not forced through services rendered. That's the "gratitude" she expects from him, and he doesn't have in it him to give it to her.

They meant the drama is on the whole better than the novel - and it is. The ending is pretty similar (considering all the little and big changes they did to the story). But the drama focuses a lot on the victim of the conspiracy (which the novel does not, being part of a series where the MCs are the two detectives investigating this case too), and it's way more emotional than the original story (which is written by a German author in a very German manner, LOL - pragmatical and to the point.)

And there's a much longer aftermath than in the novel, that is pretty satisfying.

It's a different system in SK. He wouldn't be able to sue the state, only (maybe) sue the wrongdoers. It usually goes by compensation (his own parents had to sell a lot of what they had to pay compensation to the victims' parents.) But who would compensate him anyway - the doctor is dead and HGT's money (if any) would probably go to SuOh, so he'd be asking for it from SuOh's estate.

And the killers, both of them, are actually dead - the doctor and Minsoo's dad. It would be tricky trying to sue the remaining family.

1. Because he himself didn't know if he had done it or not. And she's not stupid, or one of those tiger parents who will defend their children even if they do atrocious things.
2. IIRC he had a stroke or something. Probably caused by stress.
3. He didn't walk freely, he did some time (maybe not a lot, but I don't know how much they could charge him with - obstruction of justice, mishandling of evidence, whatever). His life in anything related to policing (including his promised security job) is now over.

It's a good stress reliever. Watch this and nothing else will stress you ever again.

I don't know, it looks like there are some ongoing efforts to make a second season. The bad news is that actors (including some in the main cast) are from the mainland, I wonder if they're going to be able to return for a second season, if it happens.

We'll see if / when we get there.

The novel is always available, anyway.

Dasi! Dasi!!!!... Daaaassssiiiiiiii!!!!!!

The way he looks so ready to flee if she says Again - again, hahaha~

And that small voice "I wanted to be the One and Only" OMG LOL

And Director OH!!!!!!!!! He was their biggest shipper, I wonder who he would be in the original world, maybe the most faithful reader of the novel :D

And he sings, too!

This was better than the parent story, LOL. And they had the courage to include (some of) the spicy scenes, hahaha~

I am very happy they made it, I just wish it was longer.

What does Mizuki have going for her other than good men falling in love with her because of reasons? Little Umi getting so sad her dad wasn't in her life for the first 8 years because her MOM didn't choose to even inform him he has a daughter? Mizuki breaking up with him because she decided - all on her own - he wouldn't want to change his life to accomodate for a child? And he being the kid from a broken marriage who had to get used to a whole new family while his father went basically missing from his life - does she know so little about him that she can choose for him?!

And then she pretended she loved him?! That's not how love works. She's just finding excuses for why it wouldn't work, instead of even making the try to see if it will work or not.

Same with Yayoi. I kind of suspected that was where it would end - she only wanted to play mom with Umi, but then she let a stranger's words (coincidentally Mizuki's) inform her decision to abort, and in the end, it's still Mizuki's words that make her decide to break up with Natsu, because she wants to live for her own self? We all do, lady, but those who want relationships ALWAYS place some of themselves in the middle, and risk being hurt (but maybe not, too), because that's how relationships work!

Oh well. At least there's a whole network of friends and family around Natsu and Umi, so they won't have to go at it the hard way.

I am just so, SO glad they didn't put in a last-minute Tsuno/Yayoi relationship. First because he's too good for her, and second, because it would be way too soon. But we were spared that.