Trouble-chan

Back hugs make go all smiley. :) Piggybacks are cute, but for me back hugs ALWAYS win.

On Viki there's the ability to make real time comments on episodes and some of them are hilarious - especially with the spinning segment! XD

There's also many people comparing it to the Korean version there too. But I'm not sure it's fair as they are two different countries.

However, I'm wondering if this version has been played this way, especially with Sheng Peter, because of Chinese traditions, etc? I know the kisses being what I call 'lip bumps' because, frankly, that's all they are - there's no way it can ever be called a kiss in any sense of the word. But this is the same in EVERY Chinese drama - lip bumps all round; even after long separations, etc! lol!

So perhaps that's why Sheng Peter is so 'stoic' through most of it? Whereas the South Koreans are much more open and affectionate and so their version is much more emotional and their kisses much more convincing? Or am I being too kind? lol!

Yup, the continuity is shocking in this - I'm assuming the continuity editor is either unemployed or was taken out the back and shot! XD

I am SO on your side with this - SERIOUSLY, WHY, WHY couldn't they have done this? As you say, so MANY possibilities just IGNORED. T-T

I actually agree with all you've said there - even not having Zhang Vin as Bai Hao; it does make sense. I think the issues with Bai Hao (from Sheng's acting to the actual writing of the role) is why I think, as the series progressed, more and more screen time was given to Yi Mu.

I do like both versions of the drama and both have their strengths and weaknesses (of which we know two. lol!). But overall I agree with you about Bai Hao, true I've got 6 episodes to go so he could suddenly make a jump before the end - but I'm doubting it. I'm guessing that, unlike his Korean counterpart who became cute, clingy and dorky (which made us all adore him even as our hearts bled for Si Won), we won't be doing that for the Chinese Bai Hao as he won't be changing that much.

I bought the DVD of the Korean version - as soon as I was able actually. But whilst I think I will do the same for the Chinese version, it won't be as soon as I can and it won't be because I adored the WHOLE drama as I did with the Korean version. More that I adored SOME of it and PARTICULAR characters within it. As you say, that's down to the writing and direction as well as the acting.

I have to say right now the one thing I LOATHED about the actual filming was the spinning camera in one of the episodes - dear GOD, talk about motion sickness! I nearly lost my damn lunch! lol!

Yeah I almost dropped it for the same reason, BUT if you fast forward their bits and just stick with the bromance/BL side story with Zhang Vin it's SO much better. LOL!

A lot of people were saying the same, me included, about 'Pretty Li Hui Zhen' - Shang Peter began to get his stride by episode 31, but Zhang Vin hit it IMMEDIATELY. I know Shang Peter is only 24 and VERY new to acting, so you have cut the poor guy some slack; but I honestly think if they'd put Zhang Vin in the 'Bai Hao' role and said 'play it like you played KO in 'Love O2O' he'd have ACED it and made it so much more believable.

The toughest part is the female lead is so much more natural with Zhang Vin, her delivery's better and the chemistry between the two is off the charts - so, when you see her with her 'childhood sweetheart' who she's supposedly madly in love with and she's clearly stiff and awkward and her delivery is very stilted, it makes it VERY hard to buy into THAT romance - difficult when THEY are supposed to be who we're rooting for...... :$

Basically agree with all you've said about this except about Vin play Bai Hao. In the Korean version, although the male lead, Seong Jun, was still a jerk his emotional transformation as he fell for Hye Jin. So by the end you were rooting for them to be okay together.

But in this version Sheng Peter just didn't really make that transition and so we were left STILL really rooting for Yi Mu. If Vin had played Bai Hao similarly to how he played KO (only a bit more jerky in the beginning) he would've been EPIC in the Bai Hao role.

In the Korean version Seo Joon was able to really put across his character's desperation and frustration with the whole team and so, even before we knew why, we were curious as to why there was this sense of urgency to everything he did and why he was such a bully generally and also so evil to Hye Jin in particular.

In this version Sheng Peter didn't do that - there was no underlying feeling of urgency and so his attitude came off as narcissistic show off to the team in general and arrogant bully in particular to Hui Zhen. That was even why Yi Mu called him out on it when he kept on about their ideas - "you keep asking us, what about you?" I thought that was SO brilliantly done. I also remember crying when Seong Jun yelled at Hye Jin about the hole in her sock in the Korean version; I didn't with the Chinese one becaus Sheng Peter just made me irritated at his idiocy rather than angry to the point of tears at his bullying arrogance.

I think Sheng Peter REALLY needs to get more experience in minor roles for a while before tackling an emotional romantic MAJOR role like this again. Vin REALLY showed up not only Sheng's errors but also his general lack of emotional engagement with anyone - especially the girl he was supposed to have loved since a small boy; he rarely smiled let alone anything else. Vin laughed, glowered, smirked, looked heartbroken - his face reflected his feelings even if he didn't say anything. Sheng just looked like a robot most of the time. I also agree with what you said about his portrayal of Bai Hao, it really was VERY similar to his portrayal of the CP in GPG. Okay there, but NOT here.

But I think you're absolutely right; once he improves, I think Sheng Peter will be a very good and capable actor. :) You can see he's got the talent, just not the ability to show it well right now. More MINOR roles for him to gain experience will be a big help.

Oh me too.....I have the dvd and whenever I feel down I watch the Shin Se-gi parts and I laugh. He was epic and SO in love with Ri-jin. She should really have chosen him.....T-T

I will, thanks naccu. :)

@Domo - I will definitely watch it - but you have to watch him as KO in 'Love O2O' and Yu Mi in 'Pretty Li Hui Zhen'....... :D

@Keikin - I hear that!

Oh THANK YOU - thank God I'm not the only one who thinks like that. I LOVE *ALL* the dramas; I watch them from Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Hong Kong. IF I don't like it, which isn't often, I just stop watching and move on. BUT, I DON'T avoid ALL that countries dramas. I've seen brilliant AND terrible dramas from EVERY East Asian country. But I still ALWAYS watch ALL the dramas I want to from ALL the East Asian countries.

The ONLY beef I have is with China for not accepting LGBT into the entertainment community UNLESS it's to say 'being LGBT will end in total tragedy for you and everyone love'. IF a film maker/actor/writer/etc does NOT follow that brief and instead allows the gay couple, etc to have a 'Happy Ever After' then the drama gets banned and the actors, etc get blacklisted. NOT the message to send.

I love both - for me it's the theme, the chemistry between the actors and whether a favourite actor I like is in it. ANY of those, especially the latter, and I will watch it. For me my bias in Jdramas is Saito Takumi - if he's in something, even a really minor role, I will ALWAYS watch it without fail because he's such a brilliant actor. Other Jdrama actors I like to see are Kimura Takuya, Takenouchi Yutaka, Miura Haruma, Matsumoto Jun, Matsuzaka Tori - any of them in a major role, I would usually watch the drama as they're such good actors. In Kdramas if it's got Gong Yoo in a major or supporting role, I will automatically watch it because, like Saito Takumi, he's a FANTASTIC actor. But there's a ton of Korean actors I like and will watch too. For me there's also Taiwanese actors, Chinese actors and Thai actors I will always watch because their work is always faultless.

The same can be said about the dramas - there's writers, producers and directors I will always like and watch their work.

I do think the writer of this article is being a bit harsh on 'Rinsho Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri ' - it's NOT supposed to be a 'slick production' as it IS supposed to be a more 'off the wall' drama. It's the same as 'The Memorandum of Kyoko Okitegami' - not very slick production values, but REALLY interesting.

I think we need to remember that ALL the Asian countries are different; each one has plus points and each has negative points - NONE of them are worse or better than others. What I WOULD say about China in a negative way is their complete refusal to accept LGBT dramas that have happy endings. I'd say the BEST for these are both Japan and Thailand, with Korea and Taiwan coming next. But China's BL/Yaoi dramas are ALWAYS sad - if not the censors, on government orders, ban them and even often go so far as to blacklist the actors.

But, other than that, I don't think, as a drama addict myself, that ANY East Asian country has better or worse dramas than the others; they're merely DIFFERENT. I will say this though - East Asian dramas knock Western ones into the WALL of Blah.

I watched it on KissAsian and they're the still the same over there - it's fine, I don't mind making up my own dialogue!! XD Where did you see it?

This does NOT 'veer FROM tragedy', it veers INTO a head on collision with it. I had to hide in the bathroom and sit on the floor to watch the final few minutes, because it was 3am and my poor half asleep husband kept patting my leg and telling me not to cry as the dog hadn't died. God only knows what he was dreaming about, but I felt super guilty and hid! Good film, but SO, SO,, SO, SO, sad and just as unfair to both of them. Beware, you think it's going to be a bit of a fluffy romcom.......THAT'S when it strikes and tears out your heart...T-T

If you STILL want to watch it, or maybe you're masochistic enough to WANT to get your heart shredded, go in with the following if you want to live-

3x bottled water (dehydration is a serious risk with this you will cry so much)
2× chocolate (I'm not talking the teeny ones, I mean what we call the 'break up slabs')
2x box tissues (get the BIGGEST boxes you can find)
1x small tub vaseline (to stop your nosing turning rudolph read as you constantly wipe it from crying)

You have been WARNED!

Sorry, but in 'Pretty Li Hui Zhen' she was STUNNING, even when she was supposedly 'ugly'. In fact I PREFERRED her hair when it was curly and wavy and her freckles (although quite obviously DRAWN on with an eyebrow pencil). lol!

She had insane chemistry with her second lead in 'Pretty Li Hui Zhen', Zhang Vin, which put her so-called 'first lead romance' with Sheng Peter (who played the male lead, and her so-called childhood sweetheart) Bai Hao.

If she's ugly then I am Quasimodo's uglier twin sister, Quasimona........nice to meet you all.

Having seen Zhang Vin as KO in 'Love O2O' and as Yi Mu in 'Pretty Li Hui Zhen' I am already adding this to my watch list - he's a BRILLIANT actor and I genuinely think he would've been better as the main lead Bai Hao in 'Pretty Li Hui Zhen'.- he and the female lead Li Hui, played by Dilmurat Dilraba, had INSANE chemistry; whereas she had NONE with the main lead Sheng Peter.

I hope he's as good in this.....

Anyone got the storyline for it? Just 'Based on the 12 part novel series U-Prince.' Doesn't really tell us much.....

Same happened in the Chinese version - 'Pretty Li Hui Zhen'.......Yi Mu (played by the BRILLIANT actor Zhang Vin) and Li Hui (played by the very cute and adorable Dilmurat Dilraba) were SO wonderful together - their onscreen chemistry basically SIZZLED and poor Sheng Peter (playing the main lead) just faded into the paintwork in the scenes the three were in together. ❤️❤️

Really? I remember watching that episode and she walked away with her hand clenched, but when the camera panned back it was still on Hye Rin's dressing table.....it looked as if she'd thought about it, but changed her mind. Maybe I blocked it out, because she annoyed me so much - but Ha Ri is STILL a ton better than Xia Qiao!! XD