Avançar Bravamente (2017)

This IS a love story. No doubts about that if you watch the uncut version.

Look, a major problem with (most) BL viewers is that they DEMAND that a male/male couple kiss or have sex explicitly for it to be actually BL. Well, that's now how it works, especially in China where productions have to work around censorship. Have no doubts: this IS a love story and it IS designed through romance lens and music. It may not have kisses and sex, but this show still works in every romantic aspect as possible, which I had no problem with. It was obvious enough for me and well done.

The only problems I have are to do with the things that crossed over from the novel (I assume). We all know that BL novels have certain archetypes and tropes and some of that did make it into the drama which I didn't care too much for. It made the drama absurd at times but you just have to shrug it off. There are also supporting characters that kind of fell off toward the end and so they could've had a better closure too, but alas.

And, of course, those last few minutes of the ending is weird and can just be ignored as not even being a part of the drama. I enjoyed the drama just fine and those last few minutes didn't make stop my happy feelings about this drama.

What carried this show is the main leads' chemistry and relationship. Yuan Zong and Xia Yao started on a rocky beginning, but they definitely become very cute, especially Xia Yao towards Yuan Zong. (Yuan Zong is your stoic cool guy who cares for his beloved through food and actions, so he's cute in that kind of way.)

Overall, this is a good BL drama as long as you adjust your expectations. This isn't a Thai BL production; this is a Chinese one that had to go through censorship. What we got thought despite censorship was pretty damn good. So, make sure you're watching the uncut version.

Leia Mais

Assurdo e confuso, ai limiti del grottesco

Di questa BL - si fa per dire - ho apprezzato solo l'idea alla base condivisa nell'incipit della trama: il protagonista che entra nel mirino della bella ragazza di turno, la quale coinvolge l'aitante fratello... e così facendo la fanciulla diventa sostanzialmente il terzo incomodo della coppia BL.
Idea simpatica, ma davvero il drama non si salva su nessun fronte: le motivazioni sono assurde, esagerate e spesso insensate, prive di buonsenso e rigor di logica; sembra davvero di stare all'asilo, in tema di maturità di azioni e scelte. Domina il non-sense, e le scene assurde diventano anche a tratti imbarazzanti (la ragazza sembra una capricciosa bimba delle elementari, il fratello - dipinto come un uomo tutto d'un pezzo, responsabile e a capo di un'azienda - diventa peggio di uno zerbino e si presta ad inseguire/tormentare l'oggetto del desiderio di lei (ovvero l'altro protagonista). Già letta suona allucinante, ma trasposta sullo schermo rasenta davvero l'assurdo. In aggiunta, gli eventi procedono confusi, lo sviluppo della storia - ovviamente censurata - tra i due protagonisti non è propriamente l'emblema della chiarezza, tanto che sembra manchino proprio dei passaggi tra la scena di un episodio e la loro scena successiva di qualche episodio più avanti (sembra di giocare a "unisci i puntini", insomma). Attori esteticamente apprezzabili, soprattutto quello che interpreta Yuan Zong, ma livello di recitazione decisamente migliorabile. Anche i personaggi secondari li ho trovati un po' tutti simili, non nascondo che in molte scene mi capitava di non capire immediatamente di chi e di cosa si stesse parlando. Ciliegina sulla torta, in senso super negativo, il finale: tranciato brutalmente non solo a metà di una scena ma di una scena che tutto può essere tranne un momento di epilogo. Consigli di visione: tempo assolutamente sprecato.

Leia Mais

Stunning cast, great acting, some bad writing

This series was adapted from the Chai Jidan novel of the same name.

I loved the main cast, notably Jason Xu Feng. He is so handsome and carried his role perfectly well. Gong Jun also did admirably well.

Unfortunately, the story itself is a bit cringy and goes nowhere. The versions of this series on YouTube were cut to death, literally, making it even more difficult to understand some of the story arcs. Even more sad is the fact that the series was banned BEFORE it could be released, and the series, made by the same author/producer behind Addicted Heroin series. Quite sad, really, for Advance Bravely is pure escapist fun and enjoyable if you can suspend your disbelief.

Asides that, it's extremely heart warming and an enjoyable watch, I promise you that.

Leia Mais

I love these stories but because of the BL aspect of them they are not allowed to end. I would almost prefer a death because at least the story will have closure. The Chinese studios/writers and produces never give the second season or at least a special episode to these series. If leaves me frustrated and frankly not very happy. From now on i will read the reviews so i know if the shows are cut off so i don't waste my time. I am sorry to be brat about this but there are too many movies and series out there that give me an ending whether happy or sad at least i get an ending.

Leia Mais

Just pretend the last scene doesn't exist

Even before I started Advance Bravely, I knew that the ending sucked and that the show got censored hard, so it influenced the quality towards the end. But, honestly, it would have been SO much better to just end it at the hospital or with a voice over saying that everyone is okay and landscapes/b-roll from the training facility. That animated scene is so random and out of nowhere that it’s, thankfully, easy to just pretend it doesn’t exist, so that it doesn’t ruin the overall show. I’d say that we can just pretend like the entire last episode, but the “confession” scene is the well is nice. But not as nice is the “don’t mess with my baby” from Yuan Zong’s revenge.

Yes, this show is not perfect, but I think they managed to get a few regular BL shot in there, like many Yuan Zong and Xia Yao doing romantic things and several scenes of them sleeping together. This show is basically carried by the chemistry between the two leads, since the main plot doesn’t make much sense. The ear bitting scenes are basically their version of kissing scenes, in this universe. The production used the songs in a clever way to say what the characters are thinking in those scenes where they couldn't go a step further, like the scene with the hot towel after the acupuncture.

The subplot between Da Yu and Wang Zhi Shui is not amazing but it’s not the worst either. Peng Ze as a whole didn’t need to exist because he doesn’t do anything at all. I’m still trying to understand what Yao’s job is and how did he manage to not go to work for many, many days and still have have that job. I liked the mom character.

Leia Mais

Pretty Good Until the Middle When Story Started to Make No Sense...

Overlong. Messy. Nonsensical especially in its last 10 episodes. Like there's literally no logic. It felt like the writer was just trying to throw random plot points at the wall and see which ones sticks. Props to China for using unique concepts in their BL's like Advance Bravely, The Untamed and Guardian, unlike Thailand which are always set in university. Though I do immensely love Thai BL's, it would be nice to have some different settings and concepts. It is unfortunate about China's censorship on LGBT relationships in films and TV shows though. They are censoring great works of art that could be immensely better if it weren't for the ban. I'm really surprised that this series passed the sensors to be honest. It's quite homoerotic and blatant in its portrayal of gay love, unlike say like The Untamed who is more subtle. A coming out scene to the parents would have been nice at the end but that would mean being blatantly gay, thus not passing the sensors.

Yuan Zong is literally the perfect boyfriend and the interactions between the two main leads were quite cute and adorable. However, The series does drag a bit in the middle though as nothing important happens. Even though the series is 30 episodes long, their relationship seemed a bit quick. Xia Yao went from being nervous around Yuan Zong to staying with him overnight, wanting him to scratch his back in like the span of a few episodes.

A few questionable plot points throughout the series though like why Da Yu would not know that he was carrying a stranger and why he would let the random stranger sleep over. It does provide comic relief though. And why is Da Yu so obsessed with Wang Zhi Shui. Or Da Yu being extra when an instructor kicked Xia Yao. Or Xia Yao being held against his will because the sister wanted to treat his 'premature ejaculation.' WTF?! And all the people helping her?! It makes no sense at all! Or when and why Yuan Zong and Xia Yao started to live together all of a sudden? There was zero talking about this. They just randomly started to live together and sleep on the same bed shirtless. This show is more light-hearted than I was expecting. The poster promotes a very different type of series; one that is more epic and wuxia.

Random plot points that don't make any sense like the random charity towards the end, a movie being shot where Wang Zhi Shui is the star. Xia Yao's random trauma of guy legs. Like wtf?! And it never got resolved. Or Xia Yao helping children cross the street in an inch-long flood. Or utterly stupid life-and-death scenario at the end when the construction workers asked random people in cars to help try to rescue a worker who fell down a well and the 'super selfless' Xia Yao decided to help them and then got stuck down there. Uh what?! Like could the construction worker like throw down the rope to him after pulling up the worker who initially fell down the well? And how the eff did Yuan Zong and the other bodyguard members get there before the firefighters? It makes no sense at all! And that animated ending which was literally one of the worst ending that I've ever seen in my entire life!

Even at 30 episodes, the story felt incomplete. Literally Nothing was resolved! None of the characters’ stories were complete! I've read that the original version of Advance Bravely had 35 episodes but the BL scenes were cut due to the broadcasting restrictions. I wonder how the censorship affected this show’s production. The censorship was implemented December 2015. I'm guessing that this show was filmed before the restriction. But does it take 1.5 years to edit since it began to air August 2017? Still, even with the restriction, the story could have been so much better and the animated ending could have easily been scrapped. Another series ruined by China censorship. Addicted Heroin. Advance Bravely. The Untamed. Ugh, China...

Leia Mais

Censored Snoozefest

**Brief Synopsis**
B (Bodyguard): Yuan Zong
T (Rich Kid): Xia Yao

- Beginning: B is an athlete and T is a rich kid. They are from two different worlds. Their universes collide however when B’s sister as B to approach T so he can ask T if he would consider her and T’s sister asked him to approach B so he can ask B if he would consider her. At the beginning, B really didn’t like T, but end up having to spend more time with him.

- Middle: As they spend more time together, they start developing feelings for each other and starting a relationship.

- End: The series ends with T saving B’s life by getting B out of well. They both end up in the hospital but reconciled.

**My Opinion**

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT:
- I really like the concept of enemies to lovers with an added twist.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT IT:
- The acting is just terrible. It’s so awkward and cringey to the point I really don’t want to watch anymore.
- The plot is super boring and the show is censored in many ways to make it more bromance than BL.

**Conclusion**
This is a show I will never touch again.

Leia Mais

演员团都挺好的 演技也不错 故事剧情也不赖 主题曲片尾曲都很好听 可是最大的缺点就是 收尾的部分...这收尾也太随便了吧..我不介意大陆耽改有多清水 没有吻也没关系 但至少也得把这故事线好好走完吧？治水的打火机被袁纵拿了 然后呢？这动漫式结尾是啥？造成夏耀对美腿有阴影的男人被发现了就揍几顿好了？😐好吧 没事的 追大陆耽改的姐妹们都要对这种事有心理准备的 所以评分我没给很低. 这换做是其他国家的耽改剧 我直接把一麻袋的刀片寄过去给他们慢慢切菜

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