Addicted (TV Mini Series 2016– ) Poster

(2016– )

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8/10
Nicely surprised.
arcane1126 April 2018
I found this mini-series on imdb via "People who liked this also liked...". I looked it up on Wikipedia and it says "web series", so I guess the only way to watch this is on You-tube or related sites. I was a bit sceptical and did not expect much of it. However, I was very nicely surprised. First I have to say that neither Mandarin nor English is my native language and I had to make do with spoken Mandarin and rather poorly translated subtitles which disappeared very fast, so I may have missed many of the details of the dialogues. This series is almost exclusively about the rather special relationship between the handsome main characters Luo Yin and Gu Hai. They are related through Luo's mother and Gu's Father who, after both divorces, began a new relationship, but the lads do not know that. Luo is rather poor and Gu is wealthy. The two meet in school and in the beginning Gu is bullying Luo, but as the series proceed this stops and Gu gets more and more obsessed to Luo. It's an extraordinary combination of love and power. The constant attempts of Gu to conquer Luo and the sometimes faint resistances of Luo are very touching. The secondary characters are mostly decent as well, but Luo (Timmy Xu) en Gu (Johnny Huang) really make this series. It certainly has its downsides as well. Especially the music was a little inconvenient from time to time. Sometimes, for some reason I had to think of the computer game the Sims. Also, the frequent score of Brokeback Mountain was not in its place. Only the song of Twinbed in one of the final episodes was completely in its place. From time to time there were some scenes where I had a little doubts. Things like in class where Luo is sleeping constantly and the teacher doesn't say anything about it. But that did not bother me much at all. According to the info I have read on the internet this series has been cancelled and banned in China and the actors have been banned to do any future acting. This really is a sad fact and proves that there is still a lot of discrimination in the world. A few scenes were also censored (Can't understand why at all), but you can watch them separately on You-Tube. There are 15 episodes and I have enjoyed all of them. It has its flaws, but the main characters (and many other actors) are playing so well that I can easily forgive all of this. 8/10 for this unique series.
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8/10
Ridiculous For Banning Season 2
lia0002725 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
First time I heard of this Addicted series I couldn't care less about it much hoping that it will give me a new vibe of watching gay-drama (not bias but usually gay-drama shot on unfavorably plot, setting, actors). Still many netizens commented that Addicted is one of gay web-drama that worth to watch after Counterattack/Falling in love with the rival hence I reliant and tried to watch 1st episode. Dang 1st episode even though started slow but emphasize the problems of the main characters, starting 2nd-last episode I could barely stop myself from continuing watching it since the series turn out to be interesting, not mellow, masculine in a way, make sense, and the acting of the main actors is great.

From the synopsis it's already telling much of what was happening inside this drama but when I read the translated novel written by the famous Chen Jidan (known for her boy's love novels) I'm getting more excited since it can brush up my curiosity of what happen when season l left off. The acting of the actors mainly Jhonny Huang as Gu Hai really interest me to further looking of the next episodes while watching this drama, Wen Chen as Yang Meng is also not bad because he was portraying as a stiff character here.

To sum up everything is OK but still China's government banned this drama hence season 2 is cancel and the main actors cannot publicly seen together if not they will be banned too, but others are not ban and I hope will not be banned. Supposedly the reason of the banning is because China's government doesn't want the young people influenced by the bad things from this drama then it make sense since in here you can see a high school student bullying other kid then being beat off but the culprit was left for free, a high school kid whom dad was a powerful man ordered his thugs to kidnap his friend, etc but if the reason of the banning is because of the homosexual issue then I've got nothing else to write.
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8/10
LEFT ME WANTING FOR MORE , ONE OF THE BEST BL SERIES
shariijangleaz28 May 2020
It is not very ' in your face ' type bl , it's soft , light hearted .....left me wanting for more . Episodes felt shorter . So sad we can't get a season two . In many scenes I could feel a connection with those characters , and that's the best part of all of it The reason I gave it 8 and not 10 is .. Da hai ( if I name correctly ) in some moments felt pretensious .some scenes were totally wrong yet it ended well , which some could argue HOW ! ...
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10/10
Shang Yin/Addicted
scottmaceochaidh17 February 2021
This was an amazing show, especially for a web series (usually poor quality) the cast is great Xu Weizhou (Bai Lou yin) & Huang Jingyu (Gu Hai) have a great screen presence and a natural chemistry together which really helps to tell the story. It is a HUGE shame that the show was banned in China and that the actors are not allowed to be near each other all because it focuses around a gay love story which is very unfair as there is absolutely Nothing wrong with being gay, it's not a choice to be gay, you are born that way, why would anyone chose to be gay and put up with constant hatred and belittling being thrown at them 24/7 ?? Anyway apologies for the side tracking but China needs to lift the ban and accept everyone equally in their society and let these stories be shared because we need a season 2 of this show, it ended on an ENORMOUS cliff hanger and I need answers!! Come on people of China, please bring this show back.

Stories like Shang Yin need to be told, it's 2021 the world is changing for the better, there are plenty of BL series being made in Chinese now even on big streaming networks like Netflix. So please bring this back, even if you have to film outside of China to do it
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10/10
Excellent BL film I have seen!
hthuc17 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
"Addicted' is one of movie that I like the most. It is based on "Are you addicted?' written by Chai Jidan. It was published in 2016 and became a phenomenon of web film series. However,it is banned by China authorities because of the sensitive plot.

The main plot is about Gu Hai and Bai Luo Yin. Gu Hai meets Bai Luo Yin when he has a conflict with his father and moves to a new high school. Gu Hai often teases Luo Yin to find his fun. But he realizes Lou Yin has a hard life. Luo Yin's mother left him when he was a child. Luo Yin's father is a clumsy person and his grandparents are old and have many diseases. He makes a lot of effort and tries his best to help his family. Moving to Gu Hai,he is a frank person who has a painful past. His mother passed away when he was 14. He always thinks his father caused his mother's death. Gu Hai and his father don't have any feelings towards each other since then. Gu Hai and Bai Lou Yin become classmates. Lou Yin is noticed by Gu Hai because of his personalities. They always tease each other. Then Gu Hai gradually understands Lou Yin . They become close friends and always go together. Gu Hai falls in love with Lou Yin, but Luo Yin cannot accept this. However, Gu Hai does not give up. He always takes care of Lou Yin and shows his love. Finally, Luo Yin feels the sincerity and they become a couple.

This web film series is so famous when the first episode was released . There were over 10 million views on the first episode within 24 hours. "Addicted" became popular and reached top trending in China and was famous around the world. It broke many record and was the most searched on Baidu, Weibo...(Chinese social network). This film also received many compliments from China news. This film is evaluated one of the greatest web series with 8.6 points on Douban com ,which is a popular review movie website in China . After 12 episodes, because of famous trending, Addicted is noticed by China authorities. It is prohibited after then. All episodes, behind the scenes, related TV shows were removed from Internet. The reason that China authorities banned the film was that it was supposed to be inappropriate. Part 2 of this film was stopped. It is really a regretful things .

The soundtrack is a primary factor to create this wonderful film. There are 4 mainly soundtracks in this series, two of which were composed by Timmy Xu (Bai Luo Yin). Their titles are "If Hai has Yin" and "Walk slowly". Both of them bring a lot of emotion to audience. The lyric of "If Hai has Yin" was written by Chai Jidan and performed by Timmy Xu and Johnny Huang. The music video "Walk slowly" had a lot views but It was banned and removed after a short time.

The cast is also a part of the successful film. Johnny Huang (Gu Hai) and Timmy Xu ( Bai Luo Yin) completed their character in an excellent way. They really bring original characters from the script. After published , the film brought many fans to them. They became famous around the world. They had many contracts and was representatives for many brands. But after the film was banned, their career path was depressed. The authorities forbade them to appear in a film or on stage. Up to now, they are still famous. Both of them have over 10 million followers in Weibo. Timmy Xu becomes an idol singer, a model, and a popular actor in China. Johnny Huang continued to be a talented actor. "Addicted" really is a great foundation for them.

"Are you addicted?" is a light novel that "Addicted" film is based on. Many people really regretted because of the uncompleted film. "Are you addicted?" is the next choice after watching film. When I read this novel, I understood deeply the plot of the film. I saw many problems around the love between Gu Hai and Bai Luo Yin and how they resolved them. The story brought me a lot of emotions such as fun, sadness, regret,... and the way people accepted their love.

The main reason why this film became famous is the humanity that Chai Jidan sent. People are equal. They have the right to love no matter who they are. We should not differentiate them. "Addicted" shows a new color of love. It makes our life become diverse.

I really love this film because of the humane story. When I watched this series, I thought a lot. There were indescribable feelings in my mind. After watching this movie, I realized the value of life. We should appreciate our love. I also hope China government can open their mind and see the potential of the series.
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10/10
The BEST BL series
brex_review16 February 2021
The title is just fitting to this series. You will really get addicted to them.. even though its not finished, you can continue reading the book which you can search from wattpad and imagine timmy and johnny as you read the book.. it may never have a season 2 but knowing that these actors became successful now in their own career, thats will be enough and we can only wish that they are still friends and in good relationship as of to date.
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10/10
FEELING SAD FOR BAN
madeshuday-702066 August 2020
Really iam telling that iam about to cry the last 15th episode was unclear and this show got banned and the two actors are not allowed to see each other in public i dont know china is this much conservative and so poor in being open mined swear to god iam never going to see any bls from china China is the worst country that you can even ask for But wtever addicted is goodand didnt get the ending feeling sorry for you guys this show and its team deserved more than this but they are in China thats bad
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10/10
WHY!
taneesha-6647712 March 2022
I went into this drama without realising that it was cancelled at episode 15 because the Chinese government thought that it was not suitable for consumption I am now sitting with tears in my eyes because I will never know how this BL ends and I'm not okay with that .. I wish I knew that it was cancelled before I watched it but what I have watched has been pure entertainment it's been one of my favourites so far and definitely deserves 10 out of 10 but I wish it had a proper ending because I'm very much unfulfilled.
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10/10
Like a rough draft of an unfinished symphony
B243 August 2020
I make no pretense of knowing how this series plays in its own country other than through additional critical sources appearing on You Tube, where I found it with English subtitles. Nor do I think it likely ever to reach a large audience outside places where Mandarin Chinese is a native language. That is a pity, because it holds universal appeal in both story and visual authenticity.

That is not to say it is without faults. I had to watch it twice to make sure I got all the dramatic nuances and cultural elements just right. For example, the title in English is "Addicted (Heroin)" a very confusing construction that does not become transparent until late in the game when a casual conversation reveals that the Chinese equivalent of "heroin" can result from combining two literal configurations of the names of the two main fictional characters, thus establishing the premise that they have become "addicted" to each other. A bilingual viewer would presumably know that immediately.

Briefly, the plot centers on two high school students in Beijing falling gradually in love with each other over a period of several winter months. An element of suspense is created by having one of the students resistant at first to the advances of the other, then gradually finding that both are able to slough off earlier love affairs and interruptions in their daily lives to come together in the end. A partly original, partly borrowed musical score accentuates the story.

So much for that. What makes this series unique, however, is the critical and political firestorm it created. Originally conceived from a popular novel, a planned eighteen-part drama was cut short by official censors who presumably found its sexual content objectionable (though by Western standards no more than a likely PG rating). Nevertheless, the fifteen episodes that made it through to the internet have found an appreciative audience in the tens of millions across much of East Asia and into places where films from mainland China normally consist of flashy acrobatics and graphic violence.

As noted, viewers depending on English subtitles may have to juggle their controls a bit to jump smoothly from one episode to the next, but I think the result will justify the effort. This is a heart-warming narrative that, in my judgment , goes far in humanizing ordinary life in China, which makes it all the more ironic that the Chinese government so determined to present a favorable face to the world would have chosen to ignore its virtues.

Incidentally, if the two main characters seem a bit old to be high school students, at least one speaks of having completed his military obligation. I will leave it to others to ferret out bits of trivia.
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6/10
how men attract and bend each other
yoggwork19 February 2019
They live a little more than the princess. Neither the acting nor the plot is so pretentious. I can't evaluate how men attract and bend each other.
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10/10
My favorite BL ever!!
stefanyrjunges7 January 2021
This is everything I love in one single BL. I just couldn't stop watching it and I just LOVED the whole story, the characters, the romance, everything! It's so cute that made me want to throw up lol watch it guys!!
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10/10
The only Chinese BL I'll ever watch, but I've got no regrets
SaraSaysStuff16 October 2023
An absolute beautiful story of friendship, romance, family, and love and how you can find that one person that can become and give you all of the above.

I don't watch Chinese BL, but Addicted is my one exception. It harnesses a story that is so deep and so real, but also so very magical. I just so happen to enjoy a love story that involves at least a passionate kiss, which is why I avoid Chinese BL, because most often, due to rigid standards, that is not included in the packaging. But Addicted is a stand-out in the fact that it portrayed a very real concept of a blooming love with its own interesting concept of family intercepting with romance and how love can find that crack in the cement to grow from. Addicted is, in and of itself, that tiny sprout that found the sun to grow in even the darkest and harshest of environments.

Bravo to every single person who made this show and didn't hold back to let viewers behold such a passionate love. It's honestly a travesty that a season 2 of this series, with the same cast, will never see the light of day. But it's also a frickin incredible feat that this series even aired as many episodes as it did before it had the plug pulled. Even still, here we are, seven years later, and China disallows same-sex kissing on screen. But no matter any of that, Addicted exists and is loved by so many, including me, because it spits in the eye of every dinosaur out there that would prefer to pretend that love has to be held within certain gender specifics.

This is a beautifully acted, well-done, incredibly wonderful story of two Chinese men who found love, regardless of familial and societal standards, and overcame their hardships, misunderstandings, and seemingly insurmountable odds to give the care and adoration that they so greatly needed, and receive the love that only the other can give, in a setting that made it all feel so very natural and real.
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8/10
Very good BL live action series that isn't at least cringe worthy!
Irishchatter23 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
So my degeneracy self watched this last night from 11pm to 5am in the morning because I heard from someone online that this series is controversial due to the Chinese government being restrictive on showing gay love on TV. I won't get into it so I'm gonna talk about how I felt about the series

I have to say, this Yaoi series was so moving like this is my 2nd live Chinese BL series to watch like the bois in this were spot on. I like how Gu Hai is the rich flirty mischievous lad who wants to get to know Luo Yun better. Luo Yun on the other hand is pretty much a tsundere from a working class background with his dad. They then find out later on that they are step brothers and it pretty much gives the relationship a boost so yeah I'm sure I don't need to know that there'll be definitely a happy ending to the series lol.

Even though the fight scenes were comically weak af, watching the whole 15 episodes was just worth it tho. I do wish I was able to see the uncut of the "hot" scenes but I couldn't find them, oh well.. You get the idea tho what's going on xD

Yup so that's all I have to say, I give this series 8/10 ^^
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8/10
Cliffhanging...
visual_addict1 November 2021
Altogether, I liked this BL. The story was loosely bound but was fine, roles were beautifully acted, there were some side stories which felt irrelevant like the plot between You Qi and Yang Meng, Gu Hai's brother and some other side plot lines too.

It leaves you an a cliffhanger because probably its second season was supposed to come out but China banned it...which I read about was actually a blessing in disguise because the BL novel that the show was based on didn't have a good story after this.

So, it is a good one-time watch or even more if you like the chemistry between Gu Hai and Bai Luo Yin.
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9/10
One of the landmark movie
Mndbwn8 March 2022
Well let's not compare to novel. Novel is too great. However, this standard set by China in the early days is actually quite high. Storyline is the best, i mean this is mainly based on the novel. The acting of the main actors are so spot on. The choice of two main actors must be given compliment. It does give off the vibe of Guhai and Luoyin in book. This is highly recommended. The sad part is the ending. China has effectively killed BL productions. So this one season is all we have got.
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10/10
i hate you chinaaa!!
punyetak10 April 2021
I hate u china forever !!!! Im really hurt and devastated about thisss i love you johnny and timmy ill search for you.
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10/10
After all, it's hard to calm do.
mdqjghwq28 March 2024
The story is beautiful, but it is not finished, which may be a reflection of many realities. Of course, people always like to make their lives perfect in film and television dramas. For an introverted gay, Gu Hai's role is really very popular.

The whole plot is very romantic, but it is really sad that the Chinese government prohibits it from continuing to develop. I also heard the music of Broneback Mountain, and I like both works very much. It's always regrettable that beautiful stories stop abruptly. Maybe life will always be full of regrets.

Finally, after reading the novel, he said that the protagonist of the TV really matched. Their combination was perfect, and the government had no choice but to forcibly separate them.
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10/10
Bit biased but who cares...
sayalg-650313 May 2021
I love this Bl so much. The story built off was great and very charming. This show is kind of addicting... wished rest of the episode was released :<. They chemistry behind the camera was priceless. One day, I hoped to see them together performing or acting in a same show.
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10/10
Addictive
fionakatu29 August 2021
If there's ever a bl any bl fan should never think twice before opening, Addicted takes the first place. I loved the chemistry between the two, I loved the story line, laughed, blushed and smiled every second from beginning to end. A drama I can rewatch so many times and never get enough of..... Yes it's that good.
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