Omg, this is so random, but I just went to check your profile and we are the same for so many things! The first…
I remember also watching L&R and was really frustrated with the misunderstandings as well. I also hated seeing how much Si Feng suffered. It'd be good luck to me if I rewatch it again lol.
Anyways, for the love triangle in FoF, it's between Neo Hou (Zhao Yuanzhou), Tian Jiarui (Zhuo Yichen), and Yanan (Li Lun) :) You will feel like Yuanzhou and Yichen are the end game and Li Lun is Yuanzhou's ex lol but I really enjoyed watching Yuanzhou and Li Lun's backstory and wished we got more of it, and if it could be made into a prequel, I'd even opt for it lol. Anyways, the main bromance will be Neo Hou and Tian Jiarui! Their acting is really no joke. I could feel all the emotions they portrayed, and they did so well. You will come to love these two and their relationship.
Also, fun fact! Tian Jiarui and Yanan will be reuniting in a new drama together "Veil of Shadows" and I think we might be getting their bromance this time which is exciting!
This was my first xianxia drama (and one of the first cdramas I watched) and I remember loving this drama so much.…
Omg, this is so random, but I just went to check your profile and we are the same for so many things! The first C-drama we watched, the C-dramas (both of them) that first got us into C-dramas (xianxia dramas), AND we are STAYs?? Btw, I see you love BL dramas... I recommend Fangs of Fortune!! It honestly feels like one of those censored BL historical dramas yeah... The chemistry between the male leads is no joke... And you'll lowkey be seeing a love triangle between them and another male character hahahaskfjskfs
Btw, when did you first watch L&R? How much did you like it on your entire rewatch? I actually wanna rewatch it soon one day like maybe next year. I might plan to do it on my 2nd anniversary of watching it (watched it in early 2023). I know I won't like the misunderstandings again like I did the first time, we'll see how much I'll enjoy the second time tho lol!
These clips of Neo Hou, Yanan, and Tian Jiarui lowkey joking and teasing each other about the love triangle between their characters is just everything SKJFDSKFJS I can't get over it 😂 And the foreshadowing in the end LOL 😭
I was sad thinking about Xia Zhiguang being only a guest role and was hoping so bad he wasn't and omg... when they announced him as a supporting lead, you can't imagine how happy I was! LIKE YESSSSSSS!!!!!! 😭😭
What do you like? I'll just say, it's more of a bromance tho. If you watch, it'll be quite obvious. And for me, I really loved the bromance. It felt so strong and so real. There's even lowkey a love triangle between three male characters and even the actors who played them have shown to lowkey joke about it together lmaooo. Anyways, I see you love The Untamed just like me, so my guess is you loved the bromance there? If you like bromance, I think you'll really enjoy this one. <3
I see your profile is Li Lun 😆 Let's just can count Fangs of Fortune a BL in disguised (bc with the many signs…
Yesss omg please reunite you three 😭 At least we get to see Tian Jiarui and Yanan again for Veil of Shadows! I'm so happy!! Look at these two (including Joseph Zeng)! 🙈
It’s not just you. I really wish that they did not include romance in this. Or write it stronger if so. I agree…
Happy to know that I'm not the only one. I went into this knowing there'd be romance and was looking forward to it. When I started watching, I found her character refreshing. But I started to get disappointed in the halfway point or so and it continued on...
Ngl, I wasn't even expecting the bromance at all surprisingly lol. I had only watched the trailer when it dropped, and the MVs that were released b4 the drama aired too, so I went into this not knowing much about it. So the bromance was unexpected for me, and it hit all the right spots! And like you said, I also really love the bond between the gang. I think because of this, and in addition to that, the bromance between the male leads that even surpasses the romantic tones, that the romance did feel misplaced like it was forced to be there. Like tbh dramas don't always need romance for it to work out.
Anyways, I do have a love-hate relationship with Wen Xiao, like there are things I like about her as a character and how she is kind-natured, but at the same time, I felt frustrated while watching her at times too. I hope GJM really starts writing his female characters better in his upcoming Veil of Shadows... I am praying for better developed characters for them!
I am trying, reallllly trying to like this, but there is this disconnect stopping me. One of it being the many…
I get how you feel. Tbh, when I started this, I was enjoying the drama, but at the same time, the comedy also felt off for me at times. I feel different about it now though after watching the whole thing. Now when rewatching clips I laugh now for some reason lol. And just like someone said, the comedy doesn't continue to be like this and will change near the second half of the drama. I see you're continuing it now. How do you like it so far? I personally did enjoy the first half myself but came to love the second half even more~ Such a beautiful story. I think you'll love it more too considering how you didn't like the constant comedic scenes in the first half. :)
1. Those first fight scenes we got between Yuanzhou and Yichen where Yichen wanted to k!ll him to avenge his family...…
The director really is giving us all these dialogues and shots and allowing us to interpret these moments differently and I love that. Some of these too are even obvious with what the director is trying to tell us. He is known for adding bromance to his dramas as well, so no one can deny that he's intentionally giving this to us and prob wants to tell us that the (love) story is between Yuanzhou and Yichen haha~
But wow, I did not think much about the tying the knot part... Thank you for mentioning it to me! I also didn't catch (prob don't remember more likely) how Yuanzhou and Yichen made their vows on that contract sheet. When I rewatch, I'll be sure to catch more of these queer-coded moments~~ It's most likely bc I just went right into watching and didn't really rewatch many clips from the first half of the drama~
Btw, this is random~ I was looking thru Tumblr and... https://kseniyagreen.tumblr.com/ My guess is this is you bc you have the same name, right? Wow, I didn't realize I have been reading quite a lot of your stuff if that's the case! You write so many interesting things and I love how you talk about the drama in-depth a lot~
Haha who wouldn't honestly put The Untamed in their list 😆 And thank you! I have yet to watch many of them lol!
Btw, I remember you once asked about the 100th drama (surprisingly) on my list (Fangs of Fortune)~ I still recommend it to you if you haven't watched it yet! Or did you already?
Anyways, the bromance between the male leads is insane, really... There's even a love triangle between them with another male character (imho)~ In general, the most queer-coded drama ever since Word of Honor 🫣
1. Those first fight scenes we got between Yuanzhou and Yichen where Yichen wanted to k!ll him to avenge his family...…
I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees it like this. I think it's also pretty obvious! I'd like to rewatch and pick up on new things in this drama and in their relationship.
Btw what's the battle dance? Do you mean their first fight together? Anyways, it's true the way they met literally in their first scene in the drama. And when you say "dance" well I gotta add about that sword dance too... It's really... I remember being surprised that Yichen made Yuanzhou sword dance with him. It was beautiful. But imagine they didn't cut any part of it, like that one where they're flying and spinning in the air facing each other (which can be seen in the "Return After a Long Dream" MV). Too many BL elements that they just had to cut out, but we were so lucky we still got so many surprisingly!
And, oh my gosh... Yes, Yuanzhou's flirting with Yichen... Did you think about that swing scene where Yuanzhou was pushing the swing for Wen Xiao and Yichen looked annoyed and jealous? Did it ever come across to you that he might've been jealous of Wen Xiao instead, bc the way Yuanzhou said smth like, "Oh, so that's why you're angry? Let me push for you then" which makes it sound like Yichen wanted to be pushed instead sjdksjdks
There is also the scene where he decides to heal him using his demonic energy, grabbing his hand / interlocking fingers with him, smiling as he does so, while Yichen looked startled and shy but just accepted it lol... and the time Yuanzhou said, "I didn't know you were so familiar with my demonic energy."
Also, let me just add... Whenever Yichen's sword lights up because it's able to detect Yuanzhou.... and when he sees it, literally tries to cover / hide it as if he doesn't want Yuanzhou seeing it too even if he does lol we can pretend (or not) that this is a detector of Yichen that shows that he likes Yuanzhou but doesn't want to confess it LOL
Anyways it's just beautiful how much their relationship grew from the beginning to the end. It is so profound, so evident that they have come to love each other so deeply. Even Yuanzhou once said to Yichen, "Having a soulmate makes life worth it," which can already be the answer to when Wen Xiao's master once told him, "I know I can't persuade you, but I believe that one day you'll meet the person who makes you want to live." Despite Wen Xiao being right next to him as he thinks about that, the scene transitioning to Yichen swordfighting feels like a foreshadowing.
I kind of forget about the poisoned needle situation, but I can't forget how Yuanzhou sets his eyes on Yichen before he dies. They both look at each other with tears in their eyes but with a smile. It was so beautiful but heartbreaking. Even during this scene Wen Xiao is crying and grieving for him but he wasn't listen and was so focused on Yichen. It shows that Yichen means so much to him, and seems to love him even more than Wen Xiao huhu. It can even be said for Yichen when Yichen was planning to sacrifice himself for his friends and talked to Yuanzhou last.
I'd also like to add a bonus. When Yuanzhou once lost all his senses and was losing self-control and was fainting, Yichen was the only person he could hear despite the other friends shouting for his name. And the way they focused on Yichen's reaction for the most part shows a lot about their relationship on a deep level.
I really like your review and agree with basically everything!
Yichen is also my favorite character, with Yuanzhou second as well. I love their bromance so much. They had such a strong bond, and to me, they were definitely the heart of the series. They had a soulmate-like bond and it was the most beautiful thing ever. And ofc, I really love the found family relationship between the gang.
I couldn't agree more with your complaints on Wen Xiao too. I wished they had written her better. I did feel the same about her character in MLC too and was happy when the romance didn't continue there. Even Yuanzhou's relationship with Yichen feels stronger and deeper. In general, I didn't really like the romance here. Is it just me? I think it's obvious that Yuanzhou loved Yichen more (there are so many moments I can pinpoint that show this as well). Bc of this, I felt that the romance wasn't needed.
1. Those first fight scenes we got between Yuanzhou and Yichen where Yichen wanted to k!ll him to avenge his family...…
Because of everything we see in the drama, it really feels like Yuanzhou and Yichen have such a deep bond, the strongest of them all. I can tell throughout the drama how much they have grown in their bond that it started from hatred (from Yichen) to now profounding love between the two, that now they can't even imagine losing each other. Unfortunately, Yichen had to lose Yuanzhou, but it's the way he extracted his soul and went looking for it through every mountain and sea. Who even does that unless it's a person you love so deeply? You can tell by this that Yuanzhou has become so important to Yichen.
Fortunately, I can believe these two have their happy ending now after Yichen found the last shred of Yuanzhou's soul in the very last scene. I think the fact that the entrance of these two leads is them actually meeting and it ends with Yuanzhou's soul flying to Yichen (and not Wen Xiao) says a lot about their relationship. Am I the the only one who feels that bc of their deep profound relationship that feels like it surpasses the romantic tones, the romance was not needed and feels forced in various ways?
Anyways, I really love how you bring up these different tales and stories that Fangs of Fortune seemed to have gotten inspiration from. Your brain is... sooo amazing! I'd love to hear more of your insights on these two's relationship! I bet there's so much more behind it!
1 
1 
https://x.com/milahkasan798/status/1867593177139482891?t=IYBd_BxITd3GBQQGmzlD9w&s=19
Another one saying Neo Hou and Yanan too sksjsksjks I live for this 😝
https://x.com/Greenlife_007/status/1867546157431619658?t=QG-TeSe9y0F1f6qcPA0E9Q&s=19
So who is in a love square like our Yuanzhou, seriously? Everyone loves him so much 😭
https://x.com/dramaticath/status/1868853168182050835?t=R9Yyyy-wBprOcM1s6ceK9g&s=19
Edit: Also, why didn't they release this instrumental OST? I want it so bad 😭
https://x.com/dramaticath/status/1859221192453800072?t=Ya7SqQD7lK0-Aum-jBqYwA&s=19
Anyways, for the love triangle in FoF, it's between Neo Hou (Zhao Yuanzhou), Tian Jiarui (Zhuo Yichen), and Yanan (Li Lun) :) You will feel like Yuanzhou and Yichen are the end game and Li Lun is Yuanzhou's ex lol but I really enjoyed watching Yuanzhou and Li Lun's backstory and wished we got more of it, and if it could be made into a prequel, I'd even opt for it lol. Anyways, the main bromance will be Neo Hou and Tian Jiarui! Their acting is really no joke. I could feel all the emotions they portrayed, and they did so well. You will come to love these two and their relationship.
Also, fun fact! Tian Jiarui and Yanan will be reuniting in a new drama together "Veil of Shadows" and I think we might be getting their bromance this time which is exciting!
Btw, when did you first watch L&R? How much did you like it on your entire rewatch? I actually wanna rewatch it soon one day like maybe next year. I might plan to do it on my 2nd anniversary of watching it (watched it in early 2023). I know I won't like the misunderstandings again like I did the first time, we'll see how much I'll enjoy the second time tho lol!
https://x.com/dramaticath/status/1868490894279872904
https://x.com/CHANDEARDO/status/1868220652886634701?t=_aFEyh9Rgc1lBmKFQHnVxA&s=19
https://x.com/dramaticath/status/1868301171322241464?t=dvmVpm2OVVQXeVIgQFpjXg&s=19
Ngl, I wasn't even expecting the bromance at all surprisingly lol. I had only watched the trailer when it dropped, and the MVs that were released b4 the drama aired too, so I went into this not knowing much about it. So the bromance was unexpected for me, and it hit all the right spots! And like you said, I also really love the bond between the gang. I think because of this, and in addition to that, the bromance between the male leads that even surpasses the romantic tones, that the romance did feel misplaced like it was forced to be there. Like tbh dramas don't always need romance for it to work out.
Anyways, I do have a love-hate relationship with Wen Xiao, like there are things I like about her as a character and how she is kind-natured, but at the same time, I felt frustrated while watching her at times too. I hope GJM really starts writing his female characters better in his upcoming Veil of Shadows... I am praying for better developed characters for them!
But wow, I did not think much about the tying the knot part... Thank you for mentioning it to me! I also didn't catch (prob don't remember more likely) how Yuanzhou and Yichen made their vows on that contract sheet. When I rewatch, I'll be sure to catch more of these queer-coded moments~~ It's most likely bc I just went right into watching and didn't really rewatch many clips from the first half of the drama~
Btw, this is random~ I was looking thru Tumblr and...
https://kseniyagreen.tumblr.com/
My guess is this is you bc you have the same name, right?
Wow, I didn't realize I have been reading quite a lot of your stuff if that's the case! You write so many interesting things and I love how you talk about the drama in-depth a lot~
Btw, I remember you once asked about the 100th drama (surprisingly) on my list (Fangs of Fortune)~ I still recommend it to you if you haven't watched it yet! Or did you already?
Anyways, the bromance between the male leads is insane, really... There's even a love triangle between them with another male character (imho)~ In general, the most queer-coded drama ever since Word of Honor 🫣
Btw what's the battle dance? Do you mean their first fight together? Anyways, it's true the way they met literally in their first scene in the drama. And when you say "dance" well I gotta add about that sword dance too... It's really... I remember being surprised that Yichen made Yuanzhou sword dance with him. It was beautiful. But imagine they didn't cut any part of it, like that one where they're flying and spinning in the air facing each other (which can be seen in the "Return After a Long Dream" MV). Too many BL elements that they just had to cut out, but we were so lucky we still got so many surprisingly!
And, oh my gosh... Yes, Yuanzhou's flirting with Yichen... Did you think about that swing scene where Yuanzhou was pushing the swing for Wen Xiao and Yichen looked annoyed and jealous? Did it ever come across to you that he might've been jealous of Wen Xiao instead, bc the way Yuanzhou said smth like, "Oh, so that's why you're angry? Let me push for you then" which makes it sound like Yichen wanted to be pushed instead sjdksjdks
There is also the scene where he decides to heal him using his demonic energy, grabbing his hand / interlocking fingers with him, smiling as he does so, while Yichen looked startled and shy but just accepted it lol... and the time Yuanzhou said, "I didn't know you were so familiar with my demonic energy."
Also, let me just add... Whenever Yichen's sword lights up because it's able to detect Yuanzhou.... and when he sees it, literally tries to cover / hide it as if he doesn't want Yuanzhou seeing it too even if he does lol we can pretend (or not) that this is a detector of Yichen that shows that he likes Yuanzhou but doesn't want to confess it LOL
Anyways it's just beautiful how much their relationship grew from the beginning to the end. It is so profound, so evident that they have come to love each other so deeply. Even Yuanzhou once said to Yichen, "Having a soulmate makes life worth it," which can already be the answer to when Wen Xiao's master once told him, "I know I can't persuade you, but I believe that one day you'll meet the person who makes you want to live." Despite Wen Xiao being right next to him as he thinks about that, the scene transitioning to Yichen swordfighting feels like a foreshadowing.
I kind of forget about the poisoned needle situation, but I can't forget how Yuanzhou sets his eyes on Yichen before he dies. They both look at each other with tears in their eyes but with a smile. It was so beautiful but heartbreaking. Even during this scene Wen Xiao is crying and grieving for him but he wasn't listen and was so focused on Yichen. It shows that Yichen means so much to him, and seems to love him even more than Wen Xiao huhu. It can even be said for Yichen when Yichen was planning to sacrifice himself for his friends and talked to Yuanzhou last.
I'd also like to add a bonus. When Yuanzhou once lost all his senses and was losing self-control and was fainting, Yichen was the only person he could hear despite the other friends shouting for his name. And the way they focused on Yichen's reaction for the most part shows a lot about their relationship on a deep level.
Yichen is also my favorite character, with Yuanzhou second as well. I love their bromance so much. They had such a strong bond, and to me, they were definitely the heart of the series. They had a soulmate-like bond and it was the most beautiful thing ever. And ofc, I really love the found family relationship between the gang.
I couldn't agree more with your complaints on Wen Xiao too. I wished they had written her better. I did feel the same about her character in MLC too and was happy when the romance didn't continue there. Even Yuanzhou's relationship with Yichen feels stronger and deeper. In general, I didn't really like the romance here. Is it just me? I think it's obvious that Yuanzhou loved Yichen more (there are so many moments I can pinpoint that show this as well). Bc of this, I felt that the romance wasn't needed.
Fortunately, I can believe these two have their happy ending now after Yichen found the last shred of Yuanzhou's soul in the very last scene. I think the fact that the entrance of these two leads is them actually meeting and it ends with Yuanzhou's soul flying to Yichen (and not Wen Xiao) says a lot about their relationship. Am I the the only one who feels that bc of their deep profound relationship that feels like it surpasses the romantic tones, the romance was not needed and feels forced in various ways?
Anyways, I really love how you bring up these different tales and stories that Fangs of Fortune seemed to have gotten inspiration from. Your brain is... sooo amazing! I'd love to hear more of your insights on these two's relationship! I bet there's so much more behind it!