I just about forgot that “Our Blooming Youth” is actually a Korean adaptation of a C-drama (originally a novel) that has yet to air, and just how fast the production of “Our Blooming Youth” dissociated itself from the Chinese drama after only saying it once in the VERY initial stages of production that it’s actually an adaptation of a Chinese work

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    😳 omo … why not acknowledge (and honor) the source material⁉️

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      The Chinese source material— specifically the Chinese drama remake of the original novel— had Kris Wu as the initial male lead. Filming with Kris Wu had just completed and the announcement of the drama was made by the production, and then his scandal broke out not long after. And not long after the announcement of the Chinese version wrapping up production with Yang Zi (the FL) and Kris Wu, the announcement of a Korean version—based off of the Chinese drama, and not the original Chinese novel— was made, and my guess is that at the time, the Korean producers hadn’t gotten the news about Kris Wu yet. Not long after THAT, the Korean producer’s finally realized about the whole Kris Wu situation, I guess, and were very quick to distance themselves from the Chinese production, even before the Korean production had an official press con about their own production

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      Well, it was complicated lol.
      The cdrama and kdrama adaptations of the source (the wonderful Chinese historical mystery novel (available in english) “The Golden Hairpin” by Qinghan CeCe had given me and many others agita.
      How do I keep it short:
      1. The novel was dramatized in China into a 60 episode series with Kris Wu as ML scheduled to air in 2021. Then the Kris Wu scandal blew up. That shelved the drama from airing. There are reports that TGH is on its way to finally being released.
      2. When I first heard that there was to be Korean adaptation of “The Golden Hairpin” with Park Hyung-sik as lead I thought PHS was perfect casting for the Prince (ML). Things started to fall apart. Off the top of my head I recall SK/China tensions which made a straight adaptation not possible. TVING’s OUR BLOOMING YOUTH (2023) (Viki US) was the final product. Somewhat based on the original novel but very different. I made it through 14 of the 20 episodes and pulled the plug. A huge negative to me was making the Prince in the original into a Crown Prince in the SK version. In the original the Prince lived and operated outside the palace not so the case in the SK version.
      The original novel was obviously set up for a sequel which I believe has been published. Iirc that is where any romance would have developed.

      @cera, I wish the SK version had ‘honored’ and stuck closer to the source novel.
      If and when the cdrama is sprung I will watch it if it is available on a legal stream.
      (I am recalling this somewhat from memory. If others can fill in the blanks please do.)

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        While I was composing my comment Bebe ⬆️ filled in the back story.

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        Thank you for helping me understand. I find it very upsetting when an entire production has to suffer because of one person but at the same time I also understand how disrespectful it would be to continue because of that person. This is really a catch 22.

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          Yea, when there’s so many moving parts— such as the production of something in showbiz— and so many livelihoods are on the line—because, let’s face it, as glitzy as showbiz is on the outside, at the end of the day, it really is still a job for many who work behind the scenes— it really is difficult to find a balance. All there can be done is to minimize the damage to try to contain the damage to a minimum

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    Wow, I tried twice to reply and both time my comments were inexplicably flagged. Not sure how to comment now. But I liked your post and did have a supportive reply 😀

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      Aww thank you 🥰
      Yea, I think DB has been getting glitchy with comments on Fan Walls again. If it was a longer reply, breaking it up into shorter and separate sections and posting that way might help mitigate the issue for now

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    I read the novel, and I like it better as a Tang Dynasty story. However, it didn’t translate well to Joseon, IMO. I wish they had kept it in the same era. Pick Shilla, Baekje, or Goguryeo. It’d work with either one.

    I’m still waiting for the original to air.

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      Comment was deleted

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      Oh, I totally understand. What I thought “Scarlet Heart: Ryeo” did surprisingly well was finding an appropriate era of Korean history that matched up with its Chinese drama counterpart. I totally thought that OBY is on Netflix—which is where I would be watching it— but I just came to the realization that it’s not 😑 I am switching gears and am watching “Soundtrack #1” for the time being—because I have come to a tipping point and need Park Hyung Sik back in my life, somewhere somehow some way—as I weigh my options for how I’m going to watch “Our Blooming Youth”— either get the stupid Vicki subscription or go to the Dark Side (i.e. illegal sites) to watch it. I’m begrudgingly leaning towards the former, just because I really do not want to nor do I like to utilize illegal sites if I do not absolutely have to. It’s an occupational hazard— I come from a Public Relations/Communications background—and it’s been ingrained in me since university that the main channels are the way to go; it’s less fuss, less sketchy, and is the more ethical way to go… And the PR/Communications industry is heavy on the ethics, which I can actually understand and appreciate

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        I loved Soundtrack #1! It’s short, but it’s beautifully produced. Personally, I loved the simple and sweet story. And it’s perfect for PHS fans 😉

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          I like dramas like this—not just “Soundtrack #1”— wherein it short and sweet, but the writing and the acting—sometimes it’s even solely just the acting— just sucks the viewers even without a full backstory, but because it’s so good, a backstory doesn’t even feel needed. I’ve had this great experience with some short K-dramas that are even shorter than “Soundtrack #1”— the one that sticks out most from the top of my memory is the short drama, a KBS Special, “If We Were a Season”, starring Chae Soo Bin, Jang Dong Yoon, and Jinyoung (former member of B1A4, not the one from GOT7 haha)

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