#Yuan Du

[movienized-com]

Raid on the Lethal Zone

Raid on the Lethal Zone (2023) #HermanYau #YuanDu #JasonGu #YaoHuang #Kung-WeiLu #HaoOu Mehr auf:

绝地追击 Jahr: 2023 Genre: Action / Drama / Thriller Regie: Herman Yau Hauptrollen: Yuan Du, Jason Gu, Yao Huang, Kung-Wei Lu, Hao Ou, Bing Shao, Pengyuan Shi, Ting Wang, Guangyu Xu, Yong You, Haoming Yu … Filmbeschreibung: In den 1990er Jahren riskiert eine Spezialeinheit in Yunan unter dem Codenamen 8077 ihr Leben im Kampf gegen Katastrophen und Drogendealer. Während ihrer Missionen stehen sie…

[yinyuworld]

Then he said, “Oh, my phone’s lockscreen code is…”

“I know,” Luo Wenzhou said absently. “That date… The day you discovered your mom’s suicide.”

Fei Du’s footsteps paused a few steps away from him. “No.” Luo Wenzhou looked up in surprise.

Fei Du was watching him. Suddenly, he displayed a somewhat indistinct smile. Because he had his back to the light, it wasn’t clearly visible.

“It’s the day I met you,” he said.

📌 Zhang Xincheng in Justice In The Dark

✨ this quote is from book Mo Du Silent Reading by Priest (book 5 chapter 26)

[lunarriviera]

[movielosophy]

Go East ep 4 | I need money.

[xiaosean]

justice in the dark

“hello, is this the hospital? i picked up an old man here. feels like he’s not going to make it. may i ask how to hand him over?” 

[starcrossed591]

CDrama Year in Review 2023

I'm still very much a CDrama beginner--I just started watching them in the summer of 2022--but since this is the first year I got into them in earnest, I figured I might as well do a year in review a la @dangermousie (whose lists I have found incredibly helpful in deciding which CDramas I really, really need to go back and watch as part of my CDrama education--so thank you!). So, without further adieu, here is my ranking of 2023 CDramas, in order of least enjoyed to most enjoyed*.

(See also: KDrama Year in Review 2023)

*Disclaimer: *not* a measure of objective quality

10. Royal Rumours: This drama was not great? Meng Zi Yi and Jeremy Tsui were fun, but the story started out messy and got messier. For some reason I still finished it, I think because I had a lingering cold and it was all my brain could handle at the time *shrug*

9. Gone with the Rain: I actually really enjoyed this one! The pacing was inconsistent, but Zhang Nan was fun as the irreverent Mo Xi, and we love a grizzled general. Special shout to the teacher who was not actually evil, just a sad lesbian whose gf disappeared on her

8. Love You Seven Times: Intriguing concept, not a strong enough FL to carry it through. The reincarnation stuff really worked for me at first, especially in their first mortal tribulation (as people, not CGI animals), but I got tired of it pretty quickly. I admit, the gifs of Ding Yu Xi as a sexy cat demon *did* pull me back in, but not enough for me to actually finish the thing, alas

7. Destined/Chang Feng Du: Started out really strong, and then stalled out on me. I think I only got up to about episode 22 or so, after their epic desert crossing and new start in a new state--they lost all narrative momentum for me there. I stopped watching and then just...didn't start again. I do, however, remain a big Bai Jing Ting fan, and will be keeping on eye out for whatever he does next

6. Hidden Love: (Contemporary) Age gap romances are hit or miss for me, but Zhao Lu Si absolutely stole/carried the show for me in this one. Although more fun imo when the main couple are in the the will-they-won't-they phase than in the family melodrama after they get together, still the only contemporary CDrama to get me to give it a go this year--and I'm glad I did

5. My Journey to You: Featuring my favorite murder girlies Esther Yu as Yun Wei Shan and Lu Yu Xiao as Shanguan Qian! Gorgeous costumes and sets, sweeping cinematography, and plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. Full disclosure, I have not actually watched the last two episodes because I got busy and then saw weird chatter about them, so I have no comment on the allegedly weird ending

4. Till the End of the Moon: Look, I know the ending wasn't ideal, but for the majority of its run, this drama owned my entire soul. It also introduced me to Bai Lu as Li Su Su, who inspired my first actual tumblr post (that wasn't a reblog) because I was so obsessed with her. And everyone knows that Tantai Jin is the CDrama ML of the year. 10/10, no regrets at letting it take over my life (and the OST my Spotify) from April to May of this year

3. The Story of Kunning Palace: More Bai Lu is always a good thing, and she's extra fun here as the transmigrated former evil empress and totally-over-your-nonsense Xiang Xue Ning here. The reverse haremness of it all totally shows why Bai Lu is the chemistry queen, especially with the princess (Liu Xie Ning) and cranky, morally grey, would-fail-gym-class strategist Xie Wie (Zhang Ling He). So glad this drama made it out of the CDrama vault and didn't languish indefinitely in censorship hell

2. A Journey to Love: Finished this one two days ago as of this writing and am still not normal about it. Ren Ruyi (Liu Shi Shi) and Ning Yuan Zhou (Liu Yu Ning) lead an exceptionally strong ensemble cast in this wuxia that explores the complicated relationships between love, duty, loyalty, loneliness, and companionship. Ruyi and Yuan Zhou are far and away one of my fave OTPs of the year, but just as compelling are the relationships between friends/brothers/fellow assassins Yu Shisan, Yuan Lu (ugh my heart), Qian Zhou, and Sun Lang. This drama definitely has one of the strongest ensemble casts of the year. And the character growth of Yang Ying from little princess abandoned in the cold palace to who she becomes by the end will stick with me for a long time. Plus another 10/10 OST!

1. Lost You Forever S1: I'm not normally a reverse harem girl, but the longing, loss, and hard resolve portrayed to perfection by Yang Zi as Xiao Yao really did it for me here. This whole drama struck an emotional chord for me, and where TTEOTM consumed my soul, LYF took over my heart. Xiao Yao's relationships with her power hungry, overprotective cousin Cang Xuan; hot snake demon Xiang Liu/playboy archery shufu Feng Feng Bei; and perfectly devoted Tushan Jing are all equally compelling to me, and while I may know who she ends up with in the end, who I *think* she should be with changes based on who's on screen at any given time. And A'Nian, my favorite bratty princess who really just needs some strong parenting, holds a special place in my heart. I know we may never get S2, and even if we do, censorship means it probably won't be what the drama makers are capable of, but I'm so glad for this little piece of absolute perfection. And, again, a top notch OST!

Fave Drama: Lost You Forever, by just a hair over A Journey to Love. See above.

Least Fave Drama: Royal Rumours--truly why did I finish this, what was past me thinking

Biggest Disappointment: 2023 is also the year I read Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir, my very first CNovel! But then I didn't even bother checking out its adaptation, Romance of a Twin Flower, because it got rid of everything that made the novel such an addicting read, including a brilliant, strategic, ice cold FL and an ML who actually kind of sucked at the beginning, only to grow on you very, very slowly over time. I'm grateful that the chatter around the drama is what brought the novel to my attention, but other than that, hard pass.

Favorite Male Character: Lots of good ones this year, but I'm gonna go with Cang Xuan (Zhang Wan Yi) from Lost You Forever. The conflict he faces between getting enough power to protect the people he loves the most and that power making him incompatible with those loved ones is so compelling, and his yearning for Xiao Yao even when she's right in front of him is wrenching. Full disclosure, I also just really love the sound of his voice

Favorite Female Character: This could easily have gone to Li Susu (TTEOTM), Xiao Yao (LYF), or Ren Ruyi (AJTL), but I'm gonna go with Bai Lu's Xiang Xue Ning in The Story of Kunning Palace. Something I really loved about this character was just how jaded Xue Ning really was, even in her second go round at life. Yeah, she wants to make amends for the harm done in her previous rise to power, but that has hardly turned her into a good--or even pleasant--person. Instead, she's incredibly skeptical and still plays most things ice cold, especially with her family. As a bonus, we got plenty of Bai Lu's fantastic side eye as she basically had to do high school all over again when she gets called into the palace despite her very best efforts not to be.

Favorite Ship: Ren Ruyi and Yuan Zhao from A Journey to Love have got to be it. They balance each other out so well, and over the course of the drama, learn to communicate effectively with each other whenever they have a problem. They also recognize that not all problems can be solved by ~love~, which makes their relationship even more compelling when they decide to prioritize each other in a way that respects what the other wants from life.

Favorite Secondary Ship: Little princess Yang Ying and Yuan Lu absolutely broke stole my heart in A Journey to Love. Doomed love even more than the main OTP, these two's youthful romance was such much fun to watch, especially as they egged their respective mentors on in their own romance. Yang Ying's recognition that her first love did not have to be her only love is also something I always love to see, even as it broke my heart that (spoiler) she and Yuan Lu never really had a chance at an HEA. Their relationship really exemplified a key theme of this drama: that you should love the people you love while they're still with you because tomorrow is never promised.

Non-2023 Dramas that I Watched: Two non-2023 dramas I watched that deserve a special shout out are Love and Redemption and The Sword and the Brocade. Love and Redemption prepared me to really appreciate the big swings that Till the End of the Moon took, and The Sword and the Brocade went a little way to filling the Story of Ming Lan shaped hole in my heart. The Sword and the Brocade also had absolutely searing critique of the concubine system, even as it featured one of the most genuinely good-hearted FLs I've seen. Would recommend both!

Most Looking Forward To: Yes, I'm a sucker and the censors (not to mention the characters) will probably break my heart, but I'm still crossing my fingers that Lost You Forever S2 will live up to the promise of part one. See above: still a CDrama beginner, have not yet had all the optimism knocked out of me. Sue me.

[zhouszishu]

– You’re fussier than my cat.

JUSTICE IN THE DARK 【光·渊】 (2023): EPISODE 03

[notfreetoday]

China's censorship of Justice in the Dark - some FAQ

photo cr @ 白夜飛行家 on weibo

Also known as The Abyss/Mo Du/Silent Reading (link goes to a great carrd made by a Mo Du fan) by Priest, the same author who brought us Guardian. The show was dropped on Youku China on the 18th of February and is now on Youku International (VIP needed from ep 3 onwards). 8 episodes have been released. There is no official release schedule yet, though the rumour is 5 episodes every Saturday at 10am China time. Total of 30 episodes, ending on the 11th of March (Yes rumours are this specific).

The English subs are AI generated, and they are not great. I hope they improve the subs as the show gains traction. (I watch on the China ver of the app, but I'll post any egregarious subbing errors if I come across them)

Changes made from the novel

The title, character names and premise has been changed. The ages of the some of the side characters/victims have also been changed. It's clear that scenes have been re-edited and re-dubbed, because some dialogue doesn't match the lip movements (WOH flashbacks anyone?) This is all to get pass censorship. A lot of the story, including the dialogue, has been preserved, and the changes aren't jarring.

Seems like there was a lot of uproar regarding the changes?

The show has been trending on weibo every day since it dropped, for good and bad reasons. Many book fans were upset with the changes on Day 1 and didn't bother watching pass the introduction of the premise, and there were complaints about the suitability of the actors' looks. By Day 2 the comments turned to "hey this isn't so bad??" And now everyone is just badgering youku for the next few episodes, cause they've literally released nothing else about the show since they dropped the episodes.

Has the story been sacrificed to pass censorship?

After watching 8 ep, I don't believe so. The novel covers sociopathy and the darkness of humanity - the show uses a "nuclear accident" as a reason for "genetic changes" in 1.3% of the population - causing these people to lose the ability to empathise with others. This is actually a very smart move because by blaming everything on a fictional, genetic mutation, the show can actually get away with showing the darker, more questionable parts of humanity, without having to censor it too much. The first case of the show mentions drugs and even has a short clip that heavily implies someone seizing from an overdose (you'll miss it if you aren't paying attention). There are underaged victims, and if they continue in this vein there will be more trigger warning worthy scenes from the book included. These things just don't get shown or talked about in c dramas - even if we don't talk about the BL, it's pretty crazy they managed to get this stuff out after the recent censorship changes.

Is the BL still.... there?

There are 8 episodes out so far and to me, it's working. We're not talking WOH level of chemistry here, but ep 3 onwards is when our CP starts paying more attention to each other. There is more than enough "candy" to find if you know what you're looking for. That said, it is not and will never be BL, just an adaptation.

Ok what am I looking for?

Glad you asked! Take for example the show's name change - from 深渊 (shen yuan) to 光•渊 (guang • yuan).

深 - deep 渊 - deep (often referring to a pool, so a deep dark pool, like in a cave) Shen Yuan comes from the novel and is translated as The Abyss, and represents Fei Du (Pei Su in the show)

光 - bright light Guang•Yuan is not a proper term by itself - it's a mash up of the words for bright light and deep pool. The light represents Luo Wenzhou (Luo Weizhao in the show), the one beam of light that penetrates Fei Du's darkness. Hence the English name "Justice in the Dark" is a pretty good translation.

The new names of the characters are Pei Su 裴溯 and Luo Weizhao 骆为昭. See the last character of each name? Su has the radical 月, for Moon in it, and Zhao has the radical 日, for Sun in it. The moon is considered Yin, and the sun is Yang. Together, they are Yin and Yang.

Hey maybe you think that's pushing it, but welcome to the life of a BL adaptation fan 🤣🤣

[shijiujun]

JUSTICE IN THE DARK 光渊 (2023) | Zhang Xincheng as a gorgeous, perfect Pei Su (Fei Du)

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Life after Life (2024)

Gifs of Intro & Ending of cdrama "Life after Life"

MULTISUB 【FULL】 EP01 青幽渡 Passer by in a Memory #李子璇 #张赫 (1＆2)

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga9lYBYGU3w

[gravitydefyingtears]

(Justice in the Dark / Guang Yuan / Mo Du Live Action first impression…)

I was planning to wait for more episodes to air before binging but alas my self-control is non-existent so I’ve watched all 8 eps that are out. Disclaimer, I only listened to the audio drama and haven’t read the novel yet which I hope to correct sometime in the future. And obviously these are my own personal opinions.

Pros

Good acting! Good chemistry between main cast!

I like the aesthetics! (and I know nothing about cinematography etc. but I have nothing bad to say about this aspect)

Is following the original plot MUCH closer than I expected!

Lang Qiao (now Lan Qiao)! I love her.

Tao Ran (now Tao Ze)! Cute!

Cons…?

So that whole thing about genetic predisposition for crime…when that intro popped up, I was like “oh NO” buuut so far, I think I see what they’re trying to do with that and hope they can pull it off well.

The name changes. I guess it was for c*nsorship reasons that I don’t fully understand. I’m conflicted about this but it’s not preventing me from enjoying the show.

Weird inconsistent audio quality, i.e., you can hear when they dubbed over some parts and there is an obvious change between one line and the next. Not uncommon in cdramas but ugh. Though I do appreciate the main actors using their own voices.

So far, I like the dynamic between the main pair. However, I am not feeling any romantic chemistry and don’t feel any urge to ship them. Will have to wait and see if this changes as their relationship also develops.

Yeah, so I saw mostly negative reactions from both the EN and CN fandoms which is not surprising. After watching, I hope minds are changed? People were joking/complaining about it turning into a “sci-fi” but this is not the case?? There are no sci-fi elements…unless I’m missing something… It’s just that they’ve done that AU thing a la Guardian but it’s much more innocuous than Guardian’s fantasy to sci-fi lol.

And the name change thing… On one side, you might consider this disrespectful to the author and original material. On the other hand, if novel fans prefer more separation between the novel and drama, this may be a good thing? Like if someone says Pei Su and Luo Weizhao, you know they’re talking about the drama and not the novel. Tbh I see the benefit of that, especially if there are some more major changes in plot later on…

Anyway, I hope the drama can keep up a good quality so I can enjoy it as a crime mystery show, at the very least. It probably helps that I have low expectations for the romance aspects so I will just wait and see how far they will go with that.

[its-chelisey-stuff]

I cannot believe such a short scene gave me so much to feel

Oh! this is such a nice detail. FeiDu was about to play the song for the millionth time but decides not to at the last moment. He doesn’t need to. He is okay. I’m gonna cry.

I know the whole drama is a visual representation of the novel, but this right here is the visual representation of the influence, the light, LWZ brings into FeiDu’s life.

And it just rained, there’s no more clouds, the sun is out, the birds are chirping, and Fei Du just rolls down the window and smiles, a real smile and not the cunning or flirting smile he throws at everyone and I swear I feel like that meme poetic cinema, because this is just such a clear visual of the whole relationship between these two and how it makes FeiDu feel. Like there’s plenty of room to breathe in and fill your lungs. Like there’s a way out. Like there’s no need to relive his trauma every minute of the day playing that song. And that he’s not alone. He has a whole future to look forward to. *cries* God, I love this drama so much. I hope it comes back to us.

[lunarriviera]

rip jitd, 2023-2024.

a year ago today, youku streamed the first 8 episodes of justice in the dark, a dangai based on priest's danmei mo du (silent reading). a few days later, the episodes were taken down again. they're pirated now and you can find them all over the distributed network, but at this point i don't think we'll ever get to see the other ≈30+ episodes, and that absolutely crushes me. there are so many ways it's hard to be a queer person anywhere, but in china it's also difficult to be a fan of queer media—not least because the industry won't let you have very much. rip, justice in the dark. you were perfect to me—based on a magnificently literary novel; an insanely complicated police procedural, and an overwhelmingly romantic queer love story; as well as dealing with powerful issues of healing from unspeakable trauma. i'll always be sad i never got to see where you and your characters were headed.

[movielosophy]

Go East ep 7 | I don't want to work.

[xiaosean]

justice in the dark | sus manhandling 

[effulgentpoet]

When Is the Son Off (2021-2022)