As is the case with most Chinese Bromances these days, Stand by Me premiered without much fanfare. It’s like most Chinese production houses are bidding their time to drop new releases without much promotions/marketing; especially if they are bromance/brotherhood related. It wasn’t surprising; what surprised me more was the classic pairing and the overall look as well as feel of this miniseries. If you love Republican era dramas, then you are in for a treat. Unlike “Winter Begonia”, which had a magnanimous setting and popular casting; Stand by Me does fall short of these things. However, it makes up for the loss with a storyline that is tight lined and actors that have a great chemistry. Obviously, Bromances are marketed based on the subtle, barely there romance between the male protagonists. We know it is there, we can see it, but because of Chinese censorship; we choose to ignore it. Tencent’s Stand by Me does live up to that premise; it is a beautifully orchestrated love story between two compatriots, who are also best friends. Let’s dig deeper and figure out if this short web series is worth your time!
Category Archives: Chinese Reviews
“Stay With Me” Series Review (Ep.4 to 24)
How often do we see or read something that takes time to adapt or to process and then leaves us feeling lonely after we finished watching or reading it? Lots of BL dramas and movies are released every year, but only some of them leave a meaningful impact. Stay with Me is one of such dramas that left a deep impression on me. I was hooked from the first episode until the last one. Everything about this series starting from the story line, characters, settings to the direction, was topnotch. Like most of the people, I went into watching the series, thinking about how amazing and well-received the original Addicted was and I never thought that anyone can make a better version of the original show without ruining it. And I am very happy and glad to be wrong. As I had already mentioned in the first impressions- watch the show without comparing every little thing to original one.
“One In A Hundred” Series Review (Ep.1 to 12)
Starring Liu Zi Rui as Baili Qian Chuan and Lu Dong Xu as Nan Bo Wan
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“Stay With Me” First Impressions (Ep.1 to 4)
“Stay With Me” is a Chinese BL/Bromance drama based on the novel “Addicted” by Chai Jidan. Anyone who is a BL lover and likes to explore things is already aware of the novels written by Chai Jidan.
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“Advance Bravely” Series Review (Ep.1 to 30)
When a novel has a series or movie version, expect it that it wouldn’t be exactly as the original content. Particularly if it is being adapted from Danmie/BL literature. Due to Chinese censorship restrictions, the love between the lead characters becomes platonic or bromance. It will then depend on the chemistry between the actors and their on-point acting skills to hook the audience to the said series.
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“In Your Heart” Series Review (Ep.1 to 8)
This is an astonishing and brilliant exercise in cinematic adroitness that has been, unfortunately misunderstood and misinterpreted, but not necessarily incorrectly. Does that sound like an oxymoron? Perhaps.
“Under The Skin” Series Review (Ep.1 to 20)
If I were to describe “Under The Skin” in one word, it would be- “Compelling”
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“Rebirth” Series Review (Ep.1 to 6)
It does say that it’s based on an unknown king in the past—so fascinating.
“In Your Heart” First Impressions (Ep.1 & 2)
This drama surprised me because, with all the current restrictions on Chinese BL shows, I was wondering if we will even get a real storyline or a facsimile of one. In Your Heart is based on “Childhood friends to Something more” trope and honestly I’m not sure how I feel about it yet. We are only two episodes in and the chemistry is quite subtle.
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“The Untamed” Series Review (Ep.1 to 50)
Adapted from a novel by Mo Dao Zu Shi titled Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, The Untamed is a xianxia fantasy that stole the world’s heart.
The BL Xpress 