Yandai byway no.10 - Season 1 (2016)

Well, I've been doing some research on this show and I've reviewed quite a few peoples comments on it so I've come to this conclusion: The story line is a pet shop owner and an author dealing with love and friendship over the course of the series, not to much not to little. To me they tried to do a more "artistic confusion" i guess you could call it. One example is Queer Movie's "Butterfly" as well as "The Monster." But so long as you can grasp the concept behind it and keep up with the flow of the story then that's mostly fine. Sometimes that's way for the creator to get you to re watch it, so you can understand it better and say maybe "okay i get what they're saying, i kind of like it." That's how it was for me when watching this series and alot of other moves like "Futureless Things."

Now the series itself: I love how this series actually is different from what I've been watching its so cute. A pet shop owner falling in love with an author and how their love transpires over the course of the series, it has a little fluffy tone to itself and it is a more fluff based series. The characters were very entertaining, the friendship inside all of it was really nice. Most BL series are high school, a little dark, and little weird and normally just end sad or have an overly gripping story line that yeah you can relate to but seems to become the same staple for a series/movies like how car accidents or getting ran over is the staple in most k-dramas, that doesn't mean that I'm dismissing those staples because many of great works have those. This story line is still relatable, the conflicts are what people have gone through, still go through, and is still alive with others today it. I love the rising actions that take place, I got irritated with Liang Ze of course because most bottoms bother me in BL stuff but his character is a little different than most bottoms. I love the dialogue it's lighthearted and fun, the music was well placed for certain scenes, flat out i would recommend this as a nice beak away from a very serious show that you may have watched.

Now I don't give it praise, but i cant bash it either. Definitely, I love the fact that it's lighthearted and that it ends on a sweet note : (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywqp4Ve7qX8) (I do apologize that this has no subs but it's the ending part where someone mentioned that this is one of the BL series that ends happy) but truthfully the reason why i wouldn't give it all 10's is because the story line was simplistic the scenes weren't edgy and it didnt have as many transitions that reopened some foreshadowing in the series to uncover tension or a surprise for the viewers but honestly you don't need that all the time; a simply, delightful story structure goes a long way people. The series is really sweet but not like Moon Lovers, it's not like Diary of Tootsies, it's a short collection of episodes that you can watch when you cant decide on what to watch. It's really cute but then again everyone this is just an overall outlook from my perspective, my opinions. Some from a collective selections of other reviews and my knowledge gained from watching the series.

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It has no season 2 so far and you'll probably feel like you were abandoned. So that's a warning before you go watch it and get emotionally invested like me

The story is pretty realistic and believable. It's cute and straightforward as well. No drama or dragged scenes. No rivalry or annoying characters. You can sympathize with the main characters and their emotions. And the actors have done a good job portraying their roles. BONUS, the actors are all very handsome and young.
The music and scores playing in the back are calm and add an ambiance to this cute drama.
The colors and cinematography are really nice and soft.

Worth a watch.

Lire davantage

Yandai Byway is an overall good watch with a well paced storyline and good actors. The chemistry between the actors is amazing, which helps draw the attention and investment of viewers into the series. Although quite disappointed, I did enjoy the ending as the phenomenal performance delivered by Gong Zheng (Hang Hang), paired with the perfect use of instrumental music, helped set the scene. The series delves into a theme rarely touched by other shows in the genre (BL) and successfully delivers an entertaining piece worth watching.

I personally have rewatched the final episode multiple times, caught in awe at the amazing acting and emotion present in the final scene.

I highly recommend this series!

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STORY: Details above describe it well but I will add that the story is sweet and real. Hang Hang (HH) can't help but fall in love with Liang Ze (LZ) but LZ isn't able to fully comprehend what this means because he's straight. There are a lot of great moments in this series and LZ is irresistible; if only he truly understood what he does to HH. Some say this has a sad ending but I don't believe it was. It was a somber cliffhanger but it was real: nobody died, it wasn't a tragedy, but I hope season 2 happens cause this story ain't over yet folks!

Total run-time: 3h 17m over 10 episodes, about 20m each. But like the trend in these dramas, the opening and closing credit eat up 3.5 minutes each; so binge on.

ACTING/CAST: Amazing chemistry. Actor Luo Yi Hang (Liang Ze) is amazingly cute and he plays his part well, so well that I couldn't keep my eyes off him every scene he was in. The rest of the cast were also very attractive.

MUSIC: Good for a short web series. In fact, in the extra episodes, which you must watch, it is revealed that a popular Chinese musician (via a cameo) actually sings the theme song. Way cool!

REWATCH VALUE: Yes, I want more LZ in my life.

OVERALL: A nice, warm show that's not complicated but does have some funny moments and some very serious ones. I think the pacing is a little slow in parts but overall a good show.

MISC: Watch the end credits at least once...wow. Don't forget to watch the special too. Google Yandaixiejie Additional Chapters. There's a part 1 and part 2 on YouTube, each 10 minutes long.

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I tought this gonna end happily.
I felt like Hang Hang was the only one who showed his love and affection towards Liang Ze. How is this called? One sided love?
Since they made Liang Ze a novelist, what obviously comes with intelligence. Why couldn't they give him a more mature personality? It's so messed up. It's true, there has to be a contrast between the characters. But it made me so angry.
And now the good thing. The show is actually great. It's cute and there's lots of fluff. And also Hang Hang is really handsome, his face is so calming to look at.
This drama overall: Despite the sad end. It was really enjoyable.

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I wish movies would give us a real ending, one that is either a good one or a bad one. What I find unacceptable are inconclusive or deliberately confusing endings which maybe only the script writers themselves understand (or maybe not). Good or bad endings need not always be predictable, even if the rest of the story is. They can be cleverly written. The fact that such an ending is absent in this series demonstrates, if nothing else, the ineptness of the script-writing. The storyline is also disconnected in parts, but you tend to overlook these glaring faults, because the first few acts are fun to watch. Stinky ending, followed by a clueless 'post-ending' 11 minute clip. Why did they even bother with the last one?

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I found this series on Youtube and didn't expect much. It blew my mind immediately! My first thought: It's the best thing ever, even better then Heroin/Addicted. It was beautifully filmed, the music is great, the scenerey ... fantastic! It is such a soft and charming story with a very interesting character, a novelist who writes like an old men but is naive and behaves like a child. The actors are very charming, good looking too, I guess. It's all pleasant to the eye. I enjoyed especially how honest and straight forward the relationship was carried out. I thought the writer of the novel the series is based on must be a genius.

Well, then I watched episode 7. I had a very bad feeling at the end. I don't want to spoil, but the story goes in a direction I didn't enjoy very much. I'm a very open minded person so at the beginning I found the conflict very interesting, well executed and overall pretty original. It's something you don't see often and that's always a good thing. Reading the original novel (an English translation of course) I must say it's terrible written, I always wonder how they are able to create such beautiful series with such trashy source material.

So at the end I'm conflicted about the rating. There were some scenes I wish I had never seen. They planned a season 2 but I guess it will never come. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. But overall it was a good series worth watching. Well deserved 8.5 points. Go watch it NOW!

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I’m as confused as the male lead

The story is cute, male leads have a strong bromance that is enjoyable to watch. Backdrop of the pet shop is refreshing and unusual. There are also many outdoor/different scenes that showcase how comfortable the leads are with each other and how their relationship progress.

I like how Hang Hang knows what he wants and bides his time (mostly). Liang Ze working out his own feelings is the real challenge. Alan Luo channels this in an adorable yet frustrating way. His immaturity often shows and Hang Hang needs to rein in his impatience. As cute as this couple is, I also want to pull out my hair at times.

Might rewatch parts only.

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This is one of those short, fun dramas that doesn't require much brain power or time, but still manages to make the viewers feel emotionally, ethically, and socially conflicted. It is a story about two boys who have a few major problems in their relationship, but are otherwise quite cute together. I enjoyed it, I'll undoubtedly watch it again, and I will not hope anyone has the same troubles as the main characters.

The plot is very character-driven, and while it features quite a few bits of drama, it's actually quite calming, especially if you've been watching more intense dramas and need a break from that sort of thing. Each episode is only about twenty minutes, which is good for those who want to watch TV on the go. The side characters weren't given much development, but were still interesting and added to the setting.

The music is really fun. The opening and closing theme songs sound like old David et Jonathan songs from the '80s, and the "here's-a-sad-scene-where-there-should-be-a-sad-song" song is also really good. The opening theme song really gets you pumped up the watch the show, while the closing theme song is poignant in that it sings about the need for courage, something a lot of LGBTQIA+ people can identify with.

Now to the deeper stuff!

Liang Ze and Hang Hang, as characters, were very well balanced in their differences and similarities. Liang Ze is naive and often gets taken advantage of (in more ways than one), but is genuinely sweet and friendly. Hang Hang can come across as slightly cold and unable to express his feelings, though he quickly warms up to certain people and loves taking care of them. Honestly, the two main characters were both extremely precious, and it's good seeing a show where both male leads are in general gentle, kind, and respectful.

My main issue with the relationship between the two boys is their difference in maturity, especially concerning romance and sexuality. Hang Hang seems to have already matured and takes relationships seriously, but Liang Ze, despite being grown up, still has the mentality of a teenager (a catcalling, icky graphic T-wearing, heterosexual teenager, specifically). The arguments between the two boys can be so frustrating, because, while I want them to get together in the end, they both just want such different things from each other.

Who should watch this drama? People who want something fun, fluffy, and short to watch where the drama isn't too gripping but is still there.

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Their interactions were sooooo good but sometimes the plot wasn't very cohesive. But I do like the plot because it's very cute and light. I love/hate the ending. I know not all love stories have to follow the same pattern but I wish they had explored the characters' feelings more. Yeah, I wish they had focused more on what the characters were feeling all throughout the show because I usually like to know what's inside their heads and in this drama it's not clear enough for me (this applies to the secondary characters too even if they did not interfere that much). The cast was great though! I adored the woman who worked for hanghang, for some reason? The last thing hanghang said was heartbreaking and I'm not sure I'll get over it anytime soon haha.

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Final péssimo

Bem, minha primeira impressão sobre essa série foi péssima, e confesso que tratando-se da China, não espero menos do que uma raiva enorme.
Depois que assisti a segunda vez, consegui ver detalhes que não havia percebido (por causa do ranço kkk).
A série conta a história de um rapaz chamado Liang Ze, que procura um pet shop e acaba tornado-se amigo do dono, Hang Hang, e posteriormente seu namorado, porém um namoro meio que unilateral da parte de Hang Hang, pois mesmo admitindo sentimentos e atração. Liang Ze não tolera a ideia de fazer sexo com um homem.
Vou passar pano para Liang Ze. Estamos falando da China, no ano de 2016 (seis anos atrás), então, é totalmente compreensível que um jovem se sentisse totalmente inseguro nessas circunstâncias. Liang Ze ficou confuso, preso em seu próprio preconceito e nos padrões de relacionamento impostos pela sociedade, em detrimento de seus próprios desejos. Junte isso, ao fato de que pela fala de seu irmão e cunhada, ele já tinha uma personalidade difícil e costumava afastar as pessoas com quem se relacionava, não posso achar um absurdo seu modo de agir, não se muda toda uma mentalidade da noite para o dia.
Da mesma forma, Hang Hang, mesmo apaixonado não aceitou ficar ao lado de quem amava se não fosse em um relacionamento estável, preferiu ir embora do que perder a dignidade e aceitar uma vida de sofrimento, e sim, ele foi um exemplo de empoderamento. Apesar de tudo, ele se conhecia, se entendia e se aceitava, não se permitia estar em posição inferior aos outros por causa de sua opção sexual.
Dito tudo isso, eu passei a ver a história com outros olhos, é apenas uma história que poderia ser real, uma história que se repete todos os dias em qualquer lugar do mundo, e o que nos dá raiva, que é ver a situação de cada personagem, é justamente aquilo que muitas vezes presenciamos na vida real, alguém que nega seus sentimentos por causa da família ou sociedade, e alguém que mesmo sofrendo prefere deixar ir e seguir em frente.
A produção é boa, tratando-se de 2016, a ost é bem bonita e a atuação impecável. Minha crítica é apenas o final da série, que termina em aberto, dando a abertura para um ep especial ou segunda temporada que nunca aconteceu.
Recomendo essa série, e se não entender o conceito, veja de novo, como eu fiz.

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