janec

And why exactly are you attacking me? The user asked a question, and I gave them an answer that contained nothing offensive toward any actor or their fandom, and yet you attack me? For what? What exactly did I write that was so terrible that you feel the need to go after me? At what point did I bring hate onto this site—could you kindly enlighten me?

As you can see, we agree on certain things, but there is definitely one point we do not agree on: “The only diminishing that is going on is Shrimps trying to trash the rest of the cast.” I’ve read many of your comments on this topic—maybe all of them—and while I agree with your reasoning, I ask that you refrain from using statements like the one quoted. I was a Shrimp for many years, and I know dozens of wonderful Shrimps who have never once said a bad word about anyone in the cast just because XZ is in it.

I understand that you have your own issues with certain Shrimps, but your words are aimed at the entire fandom. Your behavior is provocative, and then you complain when someone uses harsh language toward you and take it as proof that you’re a victim of Shrimps? What is the point of your whole argument with MeliSnow1005? You’re conducting it in a calculated way, doing it on a public forum as evidence that Shrimps are bad. Shrimps are not bad. There are a few overzealous or naive fans—I’m not pointing fingers at anyone by username—but you are clearly targeting the entire fandom, and I object to that.

The system on MDL is what it is, and either we as users accept it, flaws and all (you yourself wrote to give the moderators time and to be patient), or we leave the site. Picking a fight with one Shrimp to cast the whole fan club in a negative light has nothing to do with that and only shows your own personal hostility toward Shrimps. I hope that bystanders—if they even feel like reading this ridiculous, pointless thread—will understand your intentions.

I completely agree with you regarding fan behavior. I’ve been a fan of XZ since 2019, and I know he has repeatedly reminded fans never to harm other actors or their fans. But well, every basket has a few bad apples. As you can see, there are a few of them here too—not the entire fandom.

As for the issue of who is listed as a main role and who has a different status, the matter is a bit complicated. I’m allowing myself to reply because I’ve reported various changes several times before—some were accepted, some were not.

First of all, any user can submit a change and support it with an official link. Moderators are different, so sometimes they will check the link, and sometimes they won’t.

However, when it comes to who exactly has a leading role in this drama—well, a drama is not a book. I’ve seen adaptations where a character who was unquestionably the main protagonist in the original source was changed to a supporting role. We don’t know how significant a particular character will be in the drama itself, how much screen time they’ll have, etc.

Even in China, there are often ambiguities and changes, and sometimes one source reports things one way while another says something different. Some moderators on MDL will understand what’s going on; others won’t. Besides, they don’t have to know everything, because this isn’t an academic or professional site—it’s a fan-driven one.

And the fans who speak up so loudly in discussions and arguments come from different countries, different cultures, and different age groups. Many of them genuinely do not understand the actual situation—that there can be more than one person in a leading role.

But this is also partly MDL’s fault, because there is no distinction here for protagonist, antagonist, etc. Because of that, some fans believe the “Main Role” title belongs exclusively to the protagonist. Maybe it would be easier if there were categories like 1ML, 2ML, 1FL, 2FL, etc., but there would probably still be arguments even then.

And as Kokuto said: “Give it time. Every new popular drama gets flooded with edits, and there isn’t a lot of staff, who after all, are volunteers.”

I’m sorry, but I don’t agree with that interpretation. The discovery that the planet is trapped in the gravity of three suns was the core of the problem—the realization that on a planet so seemingly uninhabitable, life still emerged, and a civilization arose that found a way to adapt and survive. And now, as the planet itself is being torn apart by gravitational forces, that resourceful civilization has no choice but to find a new home.

I still maintain that the greatest source of suspense in the series is precisely the revelation that humanity is not alone in the universe—and that it will have to confront a dangerous civilization that intends to terraform Earth for its own needs. The whole narrative, the entire series, builds toward this culmination, this discovery: we are not alone, and those out there are not safe for us.

It’s simply a brilliantly executed piece of science fiction suspense, and it really works on me. It doesn’t have to work on everyone. Damn, now I feel like rewatching that drama again. It’s a genuinely great piece of cinema made for TV.

Fortunately, I didn't have a situation where nothing was visible on the screen. It might be some monitor settings or a different copy.

As for the video game, it was supposed to be understandable for humans in a human context and not suggest that it had anything to do with extraterrestrial beings. If they had shown aliens, it would have been obvious what it was about. The aliens didn’t want to reveal their existence; they just wanted to solve the problem—or kill people who were smart enough to solve it—I don’t remember, I watched it years ago. Besides, if I’m not mistaken, the game was created with the cooperation of humans, so its creators naturally worked with something they know and understand, not alien physics, which they couldn’t comprehend.

Thanks for the series suggestions. I’ll check them out when I have a free moment. The title rings a bell, but I can't place it at the moment.

I don’t fully understand your question. Do you mean that the aliens arrive on Earth so late, or that even though they arrive that late, they should still be shown so an impatient viewer can see them?

Because in my opinion, the fact that they aren’t shown is exactly what makes it so good—it builds uncertainty, tension, and anticipation. And yes, I liked the dark atmosphere, because that’s the whole point of the story.

The aliens are coming. The aliens want to destroy us. They’re already killing our greatest minds. And we know almost nothing about them. How can we fight an enemy we know nothing about—when we don’t even know what they look like?

For me, that really hit the mark, though of course it doesn’t have to work for everyone. I just love atmospheric sci-fi, and I really miss it in a world of instant gratification and immediate answers.

In my opinion, the lighting wasn’t bad at all. It was perfectly suited to the interiors and the mood of the scene—very cinematic, giving the scenes an unsettling depth, especially at the beginning of the season. Just like in a well-crafted suspense drama.

ah, yes :D

so LoZH is not an actor. And I was wondering, who the h*** are you talking about. Sorry, my bad.

Yes, me.
And who are you talking about?
Who is LoZH.
You know, it’s a bit rude to jump into another actor’s thread and act like you’re asking a question when you’re really accusing and pointing fingers, implying that one of his fans is behind it.

Good instinct :)

There’s no need to feel bad. There’s nothing wrong with accepting someone as a friend or giving her/him your real name. There’s no loss in that. But that’s how it starts. Who knows at what point that person might start encouraging you to buy something or offering you a job because you’re a “special fan.” Fans just need to be careful, that’s all, because scammers are everywhere. And this isn’t the first case of someone impersonating XZ, though it’s the first one on MDL that I know of.

Good response :)

But a few years ago, a lot of people fell for something like this on Instagram, and many on some platform in China (not Weibo), so it's better to be safe than sorry.

I ignored the message, and now I see that this person has disappeared. Maybe someone told them directly to get lost.

To all fans of XZ: if someone has sent you a private message like this:

“Hello my dear friend 👋 I'm Xiao Zhan and I want to thank you for accepting my friend request and welcome to my private MDL account. I’m here to appreciate all the amazing fans who support me. Your kindness means a lot. If you don’t mind sharing, I’d love to know your real name and where you’re from. Sending you my warm regards. ❤️”

please be cautious. There isn’t even a 0.00001% chance that this is the real Xiao Zhan. Either the person has an identity crisis, or they are hunting for naive fans.

Be careful. Do not share your real personal information. First they’ll ask for your name, then a little more, and eventually your email address, or perhaps something that could turn out to be dangerous for you.

The real Xiao Zhan would never speak like this.

I wish him all the best.

It’s not a rule, but more of a pattern: in BL dramas, two actors star together, one becomes super popular, and the other runs into some kind of misfortune. Addicted, Guardian, The Untamed, and Word of Honor are the best examples.

If an actor is clean, like Xiao Zhan, they can recover thanks to their fans. But if there’s any kind of scandal — even a small one, but clearly their fault — things can get really difficult. An actor involved in a moral scandal is a risk for any production, so now that the C-ent industry is struggling and many actors are out of work, directors and producers prefer to choose someone safer rather than a potential grenade — sure, it might explode and make a lot of noise, but it can also cause damage, especially to those standing nearby.

I’m not saying that’s the case with him — it’s just that the situation feels familiar.

I’m actually watching something right now. Maybe that’s the reason?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4mpl_AvLZg

I usually watch Kill Me, Heal Me once a year. Every time, I’m just as moved and amused. That drama is pure perfection. And Ji Sung in it? Wow, just wow!

Wow, I hate this drama, really, but to go as far as claiming that Ji Sung isn’t well-known or isn’t a good actor? Sure, beauty is subjective, but he’s an award-winning actor for Best Actor. He’s outstanding and versatile—it’s just that this role is weak (in my opinion). This drama is bad for me, and it is for you too, but I suspect you’re not Korean and don’t have a deep understanding of their mentality or real tastes. Ji Sung is one of the most respected and beloved actors in the world of K-dramas and among global audiences—as evidenced by the numerous positive comments on this forum praising him above all. I’m not Korean, I’ve never been to Korea, I’m European, and Ji Sung has been my favorite Korean actor for years. I give every drama of his a chance. So, with all due respect to you, don’t insult an actor you know nothing about.

The script is way below average. The dialogues are stiff and generic, as if they were written by AI. Zero stakes. The editing is way below average. The music is below average—it’s not tragic, it doesn’t give me a headache, it’s just nothing. I painfully watched five episodes, there was one somewhat interesting scene, and I already don’t remember it. The drama is horribly boring. Even Ji Sung can’t save it because his character is simply unbearable. I can’t watch this. I dropped it.