I’m just popping popcorn here wondering which C-dramas are going to pass the censors this summers what with the May bloodbath that sent a handful onto the shelves abruptly. Xianxia romance C-drama The Longest Promise was filmed two years ago in 2021 and has since then periodically discussed thanks to Xiao Zhan being the high profile male lead opposite Ren Min. But any discussion of potentially airing just passed the date with no movement until now – this week the drama officially got its airing permit with 43-episodes in one season. It will reportedly air this August 2023 now that the streaming platform Tencent has gotten permission. I hope to see actually promos soon because this is one drama I’m genuinely curious about, marking Xiao Zhan returning to period land and also curious about Ren Min who is discussed as quite promising but I haven’t had a drama with her that I wanted to watch prior to this one.
The Longest Promise already got its airing permit back in May 2022. There was a format change for airing permit last year so TLP’s older format permit didn’t show up on the updated search. They just converted the format this month so it shows up now.
Anyway Xiao Zhan’s current airing drama, The Youth Memories/Where Dreams Begin (梦中的那片海）is doing very well now, I highly recommend watching it. It’s interesting to see what Beijing was like in the 70s and gradually advance to current times. 70s-themed dramas usually don’t interest me and I normally see them as for oldies, but this drama is really different from them. The script is very well-written and the drama pacing is fast and tight.
I’m currently following Where Dreams Begin every day because of Xiao Zhan. The drama was set in the backdrop of 70’s in China soon after the infamous Cultural Revolution. I usually shun any Chinese period dramas, so-called 正劇, post Republic era not only because of the setting is too far from my own living experience but also those dramas unavoidably involve conflicting political views with my own ideology. It’s hard for me to relate to the society and some values those 正劇 trying to convey. Much harder than Kdrama in a totally foreign language, should I say? I’m 100% for sure I wouldn’t have watched any single 正劇 without Xiao Zhan whose acting talent I always appreciate a lot. Although I still don’t get that kind of brainwashed patriotism those young characters trying to exude in WDB, I think WDB is a quality drama that’s doing a good job in character development. WDB is in fact the best drama of XZ imo I’ve watched so far since the Untamed. The Untamed is always my favorite and WDB is my second favorite so far. The genre of WDB doesn’t seem to draw a huge following of international fans even though the domestic rating and viewership are pretty good. I may be wrong.
I hope The Longest Promise will appeal to a larger crowd of international fans. XZ’s performances always gave me pleasant surprises, making me really satisfied not feeling a waste of time online.
As expected, you always loudly proclaimed to be a XZ fan while lowkey inserting negativity into his articles here.
FYI 正剧 is a very broad drama genre in C-dramaland, historical dramas like Ming Dynasty 1566 is also a 正剧. TYM/WDB belongs to the 年代剧 category.
This drama talks about the 70s-80s era in Beijing. Patriotism and aspiring to join the army were common in that era, it is part of their history, so naturally these will be shown in the drama. If you can stop seeing through coloured lenses, you will start to look at things from the third-party perspective. This drama is just telling you a story, an inspirational story about a guy named Xiao Chunsheng and his friends overcoming obstacles and pursuing their dreams.
You’re literally delirious accusing me of faking XZ’s fan again without any reasonable evidence. You’re exercising too much mental gymnastics!
You’re really not tired of creating ruckus on a blog for ordinary drama fans like this, right? You have a fetish to stalk me like having no real life? Huhhh… Who do you think you’re? A police for XZ’s fandom? LMAO. I have no interest in fighting with a toxic lunatic always ready on a fighting mode to attack ppl with opinions you don’t like. I won’t mind reminding you of getting your mental state checked again though. LOL
READ MY LINES IN THE PRIOR POST AGAIN unless your English sucks beyond remedy! I meant what I said. I’d never watch any 正劇 post Republic era. I specifically said those 正劇 that are post Republic era. Did you really understand English? Get your reading comprehension passed before venting nonsense!!!!
Where’s negativity about XZ I have commented??????
Broadcasting passion to join PLA is CCP’s state propaganda that has been prevalently seen all over all political/police/military genres of C drama (although the list here isn’t exhausted), specifically in the so-called 正劇 post Republic era. It’s an undeniable fact to every savvy drama fan except for those who always blindly or voluntarily position themselves as idiotic mouthpieces for the egregious CCP regime. THATS EXACTLY THE MAIN REASON WHY I DISLIKE 正劇 post Republic era. I already knew this kind of blind patriotism was gonna advertised again in WDB like Ace of Troops before watching the drama. But I’m still following WDB every day all thanks to my favorite actor XZ and I just disregard that kind of comical (so obvious) state propaganda to enjoy the drama otherwise.
Stop replying to me and just 好好過妳自己的日子, get yourself a real life as XZ advised! Banana!
Chill dude, why are you so worked up? Unless I hit the nail on the head? And you literally just posted more negativity. Who’s stalking who? I posted here first, mind you. I did warn you previously that I’ll keep pointing you out whenever you attempt to drag negativity and political matters in while pretending to be a XZ fan.
If you’re gonna talk about English, perhaps you should review your own grammar instead. Your exact words above were “…shun any Chinese period dramas, so-called 正剧, post Republic era not only because…” A comma is used for indicating a division in a sentence, as in setting off a word, phrase, or clause, especially when such a division is accompanied by a slight pause or is to be noted in order to give order to the sequential elements of the sentence. It is also used to separate items in a list. So it’s your fault for adding those commas which resulted in a sentence that’s different from your intended meaning.
Since you proclaimed to be his fan, shouldn’t you follow XZ’s advice to stop spreading negativity instead?
Are you so brainwashed that you can’t digest any form of critical thinking about idols you like? I read the comment above and it doesn’t say anything negative about XZ in particular, just the genre of dramas WDB happens to fall under. Why do you have to resort to personal insults when someone expresses their own opinion?
@Lilith This Somebody is seriously so annoying, always rambling about political stuff here even though this is an entertainment blog. I bet even Xiao Zhan also wouldn’t want fans like her. Which true fan will keep dragging their idol into political hot waters?
@Polaroid, I wonder if you guys are from China so that you’ve been used to the kind of mentality blind to political atrocity under the CCP that is real, even you physically are living in a democratic and free society. You have to adjust yourselves to be more tolerant of different points of view. Being a fan of an actor doesn’t imply I have to rave everything about his works all the way to the moon, let alone I’m not even criticizing XZ’s acting or whatnot, but just being critical of the political system he’s unfortunately living under that always stretches its muscles everywhere including entertainment. I’m exercising my freedom of speech as a US citizen! If you can’t take it, then just move back to your f*cking motherland and feel comfortable all you wish as a submissive nobody!
@this toxic Lilith again. Your last comment simply reveals how incompetent you’re in comprehend English! Get a good command of English first before rambling rubbish online!
comprehending English.
BTW, Polaroid, XZ won’t be dragged into any quagmires or hot waters unless fans like you and busybody Lilith are as stupid as those who got him into 227! Do you want to report me to your beloved CCP authority? Go ahead! LOL
@Polaroid Exactly. This guy must be scared of Xiao Zhan’s international popularity, so he keeps trying to associate political matters to Xiao Zhan, probably to deter international fans from liking him?
@nynaeve Personal insults? Where? And your way of speech is so similar to that Somebody, LOL.
@Somebody, No. It’s “fans” like you. The fact that you still think 227 is caused by his fans shows that you are definitely not his fan. We all know 227 will still happen regardless because it’s a setup from rival agencies from the very beginning. And you have the most atrocious English and character that I’ve ever seen for someone who claims to be a US citizen. You’re only good at barking online, I bet if anyone points a gun at you in the US, you’ll just piss in your pants.
@Lilith, She’s got a screw loose somewhere. I really pity XZ and XFXs, to have to deal with such lunatics.
@Polaroid She’s got a screw loose somewhere. I really pity XZ and XFXs, to have to deal with such lunatics.
Ugh don’t know what happened while I was replying just now. Typed my own name instead of @Polaroid. I bet that lunatic’s going to say both of us are the same person now LOL.
@Lilith 😂
Oh geeezz! I know the Chinese are always way more vocal in terms of number. LOL. But being louder doesn’t override the values prevailing in the free world under democratic system that allows you to spit rubbish here without being censored. There’s definitely idiotic/brainwashed patriotism promoted in WDB although the drama itself is good in terms of directing, plot development, character development, and cinematography etc. Can your indoctrinated mind tell that? LOL. Ppl saying me not a fan of XZ nor watching WDB exhibit the sign of jaundiced paranoia that I see very common among many pitiful Chinese people.
I know many fans of XZ living in their own mentally twisted cells have been trying to advertise conspiracy theories shifting blame from their own moronic fault to other parties. As an international fan of XZ and I believe I’m not the only one observing this kind of idiocy in his Chinese fandom, I attribute 227 bully XZ had suffered to the pathetic Chinese culture under inhumane ruling of their terrible government.
No surprise to me there’re always brainwashed oversea Chinese who are living a double life; they physically enjoy (to the extent, abuse) all benefits (including freedom of speech) living in a free world, reluctant to return to their motherland China, while passionately but ignorantly defending/advertising the communist’s system/culture in all occasions possible.
LOL. I’m talking about you, lunatic Lilith們! You even admitted yourself got a screw loose somewhere. LMAO
Give you an honest advice! Just go back to your motherland and speak of anything in favor of your own government! Inside the great firewall, you don’t have to worry about fighting with people like me online. LMAO
@nyaeve, now you got it why I insist Lilith has mental problems? Her wild imagination has led her to a pathetic state!
I’m glad Koala did not moderate comments so that everyone can see how ludicrous these people are, Lilith in particular! Not only do they have no ability of critical thinking, but also their mental health is questionable.
@Psychopath Go on, continue. I love it when you start your babbling, it helps to prove my words about you to be true.
Be my guest! LOL. You initiated this deluge of asinine but amusing exchanges. If you feel insulted, that’s all brought upon by yourself! The foolish invites insults!
Nevertheless, XZ is my favorite C actor and that won’t change regardless of numerous idiotic ppl in his Chinese fandom.
@Psychopath “The foolish invites insults” Well said! I think @nynaeve above claimed that I was throwing personal insults at you? So you admit you’re the fool LOL.
Huh? I watched but there’s no brainwashed patriotism? Or did we watch different drama? If you talks about those individual values and principle of staying true to their ideal yes. But that’s just human value though. And why is being patriotic towards one’s country considered wrong and brain-washed?
Because being patriotic when you are Chinese is bad while being patriotic while American I awesome. That is their twisted logic.
Not to mention it is very obvious that person is not watching WDB that is full of subtle and not so subtle critique of the Cultural Revolution. There is no propaganda in that drama.
There’s state propaganda in ALL so-called 正劇 post Republic era. Chinese people have been too used to the inherent advertisement from the CCP to be even aware of it.
You’re delusional to deny that I’m currently following drama just because you Chinese aren’t comfortable with my criticism of your government! I finished ep 30 yesterday in which after Xiao Chunsheng was set up by his childhood buddy and left the custom agency, he was being persuaded about potential collaboration with a jade businessman who was saved by him along with his ex girlfriend and military pal years ago.
I know all the single details of WDB up to ep 30 because I’ve been following the drama since day 1 of its premiere.
Lilith, lol, Polaroid, you have been rambling all kinds of ridiculous nonsense because of your huge ego and paranoia. Get yourselves a break from excessive mental gymnastics! LMAO
This one I’ll watch, for sure.
KB Ara h ye drama
Watching WDB that is the best Chinese drama I have seen in a long time. Xiao Zhan is incredibly good in it but everyone is and the writing is excellent. I don’t know if I believe this will come soon but some yxh have started saying August. If that happens then this will be a very good year, especially as he is filming with TH.