Cute bl
I knew that this bl drama didnot have any kiss scene yet i tried it. And to my surprise it was perfect without even a kissing scene. The way both of them support each other and share the bed together is really good! The episodes are short. I find it really cute. The way they protect each and take revenge is realllyyy cuteee. I think this is underrated enough compared to the story plot and execution of the characters by the actors. All the actors did a very goood job according to me. This drama also has good visuals. All the boys in it are handsome and has a hot body tooWas this review helpful to you?
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If you're hesitating because of the rating and/or censorship: please don't! It's worth your watch!
It is a very sweet love story, yes there is no kissing scenes and no obvious love declaration... but the male leads' chemistry is OFF THE ROOF! There's no mistaking the way they look at each other or act with each other. Besides, they spend most of the drama half naked and/or in the same bed... (which is technically way more nudity than we see in other dramas and now I'm confused about how China decides what to censor and not censor haha)
I'm giving this a 9.5 because I spent a really nice week watching these men falling for each other, it was very cute and they put a silly grin on my face. The main CP is very pure and must be protected at all cost.
I'm now on my way to find the novel and read it
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This review may contain spoilers
A Classic Pre-Covid Gay Drama For Older Fans
"Advance Bravely" is a captivating slow burn gay drama with some elements of BL. Remarkably, considering China's conservative stance on gay dramas, it delivers compelling storytelling without explicit scenes. For those accustomed to gay western shows, it serves as an excellent bridge between western media and Asian BLs.Xia Yao's portrayal of the rich, spoiled brat is impeccable, while Yuan Zong shines as the mature protagonist. Their chemistry is delightful, making them a captivating pairing.
I'm grateful that "Advance Bravely" was among the first BLs I watched, unlike many Westerners who discovered BL during the Covid lockdown through "2gether." There's a discernible difference between pre-Covid and Covid-era BL fans. The latter prefer fluffy BLs with happy, clichéd endings, while the former appreciate a wider range of compelling BL and gay drama content, avoiding formulaic tropes and repetitive plots.
This series is for a more mature audience and not tailored to schoolgirls. It offers a refreshing experience, setting it apart from juvenile productions with subpar acting and scripts. "Advance Bravely" truly shines as a captivating adult series in the world of BL.
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a bodyguard BL, got censored mid series, has a VERY weird end
Tropes & Quick notes:E2L, bodyguard mixed with sports style romance workplace (gym) and home set.
Some action sequences.
Teacher/student, protector/spoiled prince dynamics.
Trigger for hazing, but there is no sexual contact between leads so it never gets into dubcon etc...
Themes of revenge, salvation, infiltration, and domesticity.
This is kind of a bodyguard romance, but it got censored mid series, and has a VERY weird ending. I actually kinda like this show (they VERY PRETTY) but it is very much chopped off at the d***, so to speak.
Basically?
Hottest bodyguard on the planet decides he must "protect" hottest spoiled prince on the planet from (no really, completely) unknown forces of evil, mostly shirtless and occasionally in the shower or rain (still shirtless).
China pretended this wasn't gay by putting them in bed together regularly and then dumping them into a lime pit and not allowing them to finish, so I won't either...
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Initially, I saw this drama because I wanted to see Simon Gong. and apparently, he became uke in this drama. I was shocked and tried to see it. Finally, I became addicted !!
For BL big fans, this drama might be very ordinary. However, for me this drama made me jump into the trap of BL romance. The light story between the two men in this drama feels very funny as well as adorable. Plus, fanservice because of the many half naked scenes also cannot be ignored. : D Because of this drama, I became addicted to the BL drama and am now looking for other BL dramas that I think I can accept all the scenes (even extreme scenes on the bed! Wow!). Ha ha ha. Looks like I've become a pervert because of this drama.
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first the story which matches well with the plot summary given. Everything starts slowly but you have to assume a lot of things throughout because there is no clear indication to what is happening. Do they love each other?? assume a yes. do the other couples fall in love?? we will never know. I think there were missing links because of the ban in china. therefore there were a lot of loopholes.
Second the cast. absolutely great. Good eyecandies as well as good actors. loved the chemistry even though there were no intimate scenes.
the music was pretty good.
i dont think im gonna rewatch it cause the ending leaves you confused and wanting for more. there was no closure to any of the stories. and there was some anime added towards the end i have no idea why that happened.
overall you can watch it for the actors as they are good but the story will leave you unsatisfied.
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So many scenes were cut
I was so excited to watch this drama at first but as each episode went on I could tell that so many scenes got cut out which is so sad and it left so many questions. I really wish it was censored cause I feel that this could have been great but with what I watched on Viki, I wouldn't call it a BL and I wouldn't say that it's worth watching when every couple of minutes the screen fades to black and we are at a whole new setting, a whole new day. and no context as to what happened in the inbetween time.Was this review helpful to you?
Watch it!!
I have no other way to describe this show than amazing!!! There is absolutely no story to this show and somehow it doesn’t matter! This was my first bl show and nothing every compares to it!! I have such a big love in my heart for both the leads! The acting is super, when I’m watching the show it feels like I’m not watching a show but someone’s actual life! There are so many cute moments in this show that will make your heart just burst!! There are a few uncomfortable scenes within the show that I feel are unnecessary, but overall fantastic!!Was this review helpful to you?
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.
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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.
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