Addicted Heroin (2016)

Heroin is such an interesting BL Drama. It is not your typical series but I really into it. Overall Thailand has the most great gay dramas, but Heroine is the top of my list. I cannot describe the feeling that I feel when I watch this series.

Timmy (Zhou Zhou) is a very handsome young man that does really good at acting, despite being the first time acting. While Huang Jingyu also a new actor, but he completes the series. As for the other characters, there are some minor problems here and there but overall they did a great job.

The story is so touching. I am not the type that will cry over a drama or series, but if I do cry then that series is so good. Well, you have to watch it to find out how amazing the story is. But I must say that sometimes the stories are quite jumbled and cannot be comprehended so it is taking a longer time for me to understand the flow of the story.

For music, it is perfect. When they cue the background music just like Brokeback Mountain's music, I was getting chills up my spine immediately. There's so much aesthetic here and there, so the music just completes it all.

I already rewatched it three times, so I really recommend this series for you. But you will regret watching this drama because the story just end on episode 15 with a confusing plot. It's all because the series was discontinued and banned by the Chinese government so it was quite sad. I really hope they would continued the series with the same improved style, same music, same actors and actresses.

All love to the people who were making this series. We fans love you all and we hope you can make other great content for us to watch.

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I HAD TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT JUST TO VOICE MY DISGUST WITH THIS SHOW...

(SPOILERS! You have been warned!)

I simply don't understand the rave reviews here, did we watch the same show??? Maybe there was a version that edited out the KIDNAPPING and RAPE and REPEATED UNWANTED SEXUAL ASSAULTS?? Because the show I watched was not a cute romance, but a very problematic and cringe-inducing cautionary tale about obsession and possessiveness.

The whole time B.L.Y. looked disgusted by G.H.'s advances. Even if the intent was to show the downside and desperation of a person in such a situation, it was completely undone by "romantic" music riffs stolen from the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack and the band Explosions in the Sky, the rights to which I doubt the producers obtained legitimately. The music was only "good" bc they were ripped from Hollywood films/TV shows, but they were used in excess and at the wrong time to force a mood that didn't fit the scene.

Yes, the boys were cute, and they were decent actors, and the story had some promise in the first few episodes that made you want to ship them (and maybe that's why the positive reviewers wanted to like it so badly?), but after the kidnapping, everything turned way too dark for it to be a romance. I mean, their FIRST KISS was forced onto one of the guys WHILE HE WAS HANDCUFFED and TIED UP AGAINST HIS WILL!

Even in the last episode (15, was it the last episode?) when B.L.Y. FINALLY showed a little bit of interest in G.H. (after rejecting him for 14 and a half episodes), it felt like Stockholm Syndrome had set in and he reluctantly gave in. It was not the heartwarming moment the showrunners intended it to be.

Given the title referring to drugs and addiction, maybe it could have worked as a thriller like Fatal Attraction or something like that, but the director was clearly intending this to be a love story, and that simply does not work both ways. I haven't read the source material, but since the show was also apparently written by the same author, I'm going to assume the show and book are similar.

It's sad what happened to the show regarding the bans, and I hope for things to improve in China regarding the homophobia, but even then, that doesn't mean this show should be held up as any kind of a triumph for boys' love, because the relationship shown here? THIS IS NOT LOVE.

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Pros and cons

Slight trigger warnings: kind of sexual assault (forced kissing, not taking no for an answer)

So the trigger warning is a complex one because the forced kisses fit the story and the desperation of the character but they still made me feel uncomfy. Maybe it's just because I am sensitive to those things and I don't romanticize them at all.

With that out of the way, I like this show and I was disappointed that China's censorship laws put a stop to the show. It feel pretty complete though it was supposed to have another 3 episodes or something around that number. I enjoyed the character and relationship development from this show. I also appreciate how controversial it is (China's government is homophobic and even some of their apps have removed multiple LGBT+ tags and pages. I don't mean that all Chinese people are homophobic!) Now that that disclaimer is over, the Plot of the story isn't messy, it is easy to follow. I like both of the main leads a lot, but unfortunately they can't work together in the future due to the previously mentioned issues. BL dramas can be a bit too perfect (like relationship wise, life style wise) and this one is the total opposite and is very relatable.

The music in the show is top notch and does a a great job, a bit like it was made as a movie sound track. The emotions are very well connected.

It is 100% worth the watch and I hope you get it a chance.

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I enjoy watching this show up to the point where the GH start molesting BLY. I mean it is fine for 2 men to sleep together in the same bed but when someone start forcefully touching you it is so weird that you will let him sleep same bed with you. Worst of all is the kidnapping BLY scene. How come this rape attitude is acceptable by so many viewers? After that scene BLY still accept GH and let him stay in his room. I mean what is this mean? Does anyone will still sleep together with their sexual molester and be friend with them? I really feel bad for BLY, his life already very miserable and he still end up in a abusive and "rape oriented" relationship. He does not deserve to be with GH. I wish they make the love story move more romantic and realistic like typical straight drama example"Boku wa Asu, Kinō no Kimi to Dēto Suru or proposal daisakusen etc".

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Addicted Heroin seemed (almost) to be one of the greatest BL web series out there, but some parts were sadly flawed due to a low-budget (although you won't really notice that it was low-budgeted due to the proper production) and newbie actors. There are five points to review this series; STORY, ACTORS, PROGRESSION, PRODUCTION and CHEMISTRY

STORY
THE STORY IS FUCKING GREAT but what I want to address is the amount of cliche this series has from the romance up to the background stories. The build-up was great, enjoyable and although conventional it still feels new. One of the things about their relationship that I do like is that they're both Masculine persons, no sign of being feminine or any sort. I like the way how it is paced, it was really unexpected that the two would really be a couple until it was revealed with a strong romantic build-up. YOU'LL GET ADDICTED WITH IT (still hoping for a season 2).

ACTORS
The actors did a pretty good job especially the two lovers, although the other potential couples had been plotted for a season 2-- it was cancelled. Their CHEMISTRY is a real bond and they really can make a good couple! The supporting cast seemed to be just paper cuts that can be strike down in a minute but still wouldn't be as they will be important.

PROGRESSION
The progress is really good with building-up, it makes an intense love-story between two locked out couples. The pacing is good EXCEPT FOR THE PLACEMENT OF EACH IMPORTANT SCENE. The last episodes where I feel like they are the important scenes to be followed on by next episodes.(which yet is now regretted by the director as it had been banned and MAY never be produced)
The romance starts at the middle episodes which can be said as exciting, the budding romance on the other half was too slow and can be summarized up to 1-4 episodes.

PRODUCTION
Some scenes were good, although the camera angles would be regarded as a little awkward but the places and lighting were really good. The way it is portrayed shall be applauded by the use of low-budget, especially the amount of time they were putting up on the spots of cold environment. KUDOS!

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So going into this series I knew nothing about it. I found myself getting recommended this series on every site I went on. As you can see I thought I must watch it for myself so I did. Even more I liked it a lot. The two mains are tall and manly looking which is different in BL Normally you get a tough guy and a softy but not this time which I really liked. It doesn't always need to be the same. So I really liked the fact it broke away from that. Moving on I'm really picky I get bored easy but I didn't with this. I just recommend watching it if your on the fence like i was.

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This is undoubtedly my number two in the BL dramas. To tell the truth, the Chinese are capable of making the best BL stories with the best actors, only that these BL become bromances and it's suffocating. Well, this drama is a real BL only... not finished because of the Chinese politics. So it's truly sad that a country with probably the best abilities to make beautiful, aesthetic, interesting and passionate BL stories with a wonderful cast, doesn't have the opportunity to realize it.
However, in this drama we can see such an amazing chemistry between the main characters that one can't give less then ten points, although it's not finished. Theoretically, the plot is very simple, an ordinary school story but the charisma of the main leads captivates you and doesn't let you go. I simply loved Huang Johnny's character as he, being so playful and manly too, created an incredible tension in his relationship with Bai Luo Yin. Somehow, you want to rewatch the show a lot of times because of an infinity of charming moments created by Johnny's character.

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Firstly the original author has done a great job in producing these characters. While they do border on the traditional "Forward and unrelenting" and the "reluctant and angry" couple featured in BL series, the underlying story of their relationship and how it develops is something I personally have not read or watched before.

Story: I believe it develops nicely although due to the censorship the progression of time does seem off, however that is not really something that can be helped all of the time. If there was a uncut version released I believe the story progression and development could very well reach near perfect.

Acting: I believe the two main actors play their parts well. They have not stepped back from the characters personality, specifically that the feelings develop nicely and do not get turned on like a switch out of the blue.

Music: The opening song is very nice, during the show the music is not overpowering.

Rewatch Value: I think you could very easily watch this over and over again because you are made to feel sad, empathetic, happy, embarrassed and shocked across all of the episodes. I found myself laughing at the characters and sometimes that is difficult to give to your audience.

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stop condoning sexual harassment !

the behavior of the main lead is not normal. NO is a NO, when will bl dramas stop romanticizing sexual abuse.. I loved the acting. they were super good at portraying the characters but the plot is a huge NO for me. the kidnapping, the non consensual touching.. there are so many things wrong about this drama,, i can't believe why this drama is not criticized as much as it should be.. the ratings are too high. could have done better with the plot if they stopped with that weird forcing in this.. all the other part of the plot including the relationship with their parents, the bond between family and the love hate relationship with mom and son.. they all r soo good. why did they have to ruin such a nice plot by that... the world would be a better place if we all speak up against sexual abuse..

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I don't think there are any spoilers here, but there are plot themes & events referred to vaguely.

First of all, for people who had trouble with the darker aspects of this series, well, the title should have given you a clue. This isn't a sweet tween drama - Gu Hai's feelings for Bai Luo Yin are over-the-top, obsessive, and unhealthy - like heroin is. This isn't meant to be an ideal relationship - relationships can be complicated, even toxic.

Many reviewers have said Luo Yin doesn't reciprocate Gu Hai's feelings, but he really does - it's just that his expressions of love are subtle. When Gu Hai asks him if he likes him, he says "you already know the answer, so why ask?" Plus, Luo Yin invited him to live with him and sleep in the same bed, so that's another hint.

- Loved the cast. Timmy Xu who plays Bai Luo Yin is so beautiful it's painful to look at him. The acting is very solid.

- The writing is unusual, as it skips the saccharine quality of a lot of BL and actually gets a tad dark - you'll know what I mean when you see it. It's played for humor, and the Chinese title of the series is "addictive", so it does make sense, but some people will not find any of it funny. The power imbalance was kind of hot, to me at least.

- Although both boys have (semi- and ex-) girlfriends, this isn't the major and consuming obstacle to the main pairing like it is in many of the earlier BLs. Here, the girlfriends here mostly serve to help the mains figure our their sexuality, and they both fit into the addiction theme.

- While you have to wait for it, there are a couple of hot consensual love scenes, at least in the uncensored version. One of the characters is way more aggressive than the other, and in a couple of cases semi-forces the other, although never for anything more than a hand-job . In one scene the more passive one was clearly parading himself in an effort to drive the other crazy, but "he was asking for it" is a bit cringe-inducing even if it's two guys.

- If there's a flaw, there is some repetition, (although common to most serial dramas), especially rejection of physical intimacy. It later turns out there is some fear of pain involved, but hand and blow jobs don't hurt. Also, the main actors are clearly way too old for high school, although I'm not complaining about that.

Ironically, the censored version is more transgressive than the full version - there are physical scenes where cutting out just as it's starting makes it look like one raped the other whereas in the full version you can see that they didn't even have sex.

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