[Mainland Chinese Drama 2019] Gank Your Heart 陪你到世界之巅

[skibbies]

On 1/3/2020 at 9:37 AM, raziela said:

@themarchioness @owlstarI totally agree with your thoughts on The King's Avatar.  I can't give as in-depth review as I dropped it but the characters just didn't feel believable to me at all. I just found them completely 2-D.  It seemed like they only existed to live for the game, play the game, talk about the game and none of their dialogue or interactions felt authentic. I didn't feel any genuine chemistry between the characters which is a pity as ragtag team of misfits coming together and winning is one of my favourite tropes when done well (for example, Gank Your Heart).  

You know, I think that's the thing. King's Avatar is all about the game, it's like a sports movie/series, the characters live and breathe it, their character exploration and development is through it. Ye Xiu, your resident OP protag is partially OP to essentially tell you how far the game can go, his time and love and encyclopaedia knowledge reinforce living and breathing the game.

 

The drama reduce the amount of gaming (it's seriously 95% of the book) and rewrote some of the character development, it's more natural in the book since it's so long, compared to a rather formulaic route the drama had to take, since it needed char intro + conflict + resolve to develop char. This doesn't get into the writing that obviously fell flat for most people here, or the unatural sharp swerve for dramatic tension. Hilariously enough, the book's fandom is so huge because it's known for massive cast of well developed characters, but I digress.

 

Whereas GYH is more characters who happen to be in the field, hell, the spend about 10% of the time on the game itself, which got it bashed in the beginning because general consensus is "esport players have no time for romance" + Qiu Ying bashing since she's clueless and peope are quick to judge and dismiss her as generic cute dumb girl. But that's fully intentional because there's a growing supportive relationship and arc for Qiu Ying. 

 

@themarchioness An Wenyi came to actually liking the game and want to support the team properly iirc. They played him too over the top (get someone else to rank you to the top and you can't debuff? excuse me?), but he was interesting because you don't see assertive support with an attitude. Luo Ji is like your data analysis guy on a regular esports team. It's just their team is too amateur to consider hiring him like one. XD He's vital for strategy planning but you don't really see it as much since that's the boring part of esports I guess. 

[black cat]

Where can i watch the special episodes please? Thank you

[themarchioness]

2 hours ago, black cat said:

Where can i watch the special episodes please? Thank you

 

 

[themarchioness]

14 hours ago, skibbies said:

Hilariously enough, the book's fandom is so huge because it's known for massive cast of well developed characters, but I digress.

 

Just by the fact that the book and its characters can have a whole Wikifandom (and an animated series), I definitely got the impression that things are more fleshed out in the book than in the drama and that there is a lot more story to tell.   

 

14 hours ago, skibbies said:

@themarchioness An Wenyi came to actually liking the game and want to support the team properly iirc. They played him too over the top (get someone else to rank you to the top and you can't debuff? excuse me?), but he was interesting because you don't see assertive support with an attitude. Luo Ji is like your data analysis guy on a regular esports team. It's just their team is too amateur to consider hiring him like one. XD He's vital for strategy planning but you don't really see it as much since that's the boring part of esports I guess. 

 

Yes, I know An Wenyi did come around to seeing the merits of the Happy team, which is why he stayed, and even felt a little bad towards Yifan (not that he expressed it anyway), and lost some of that chip on his shoulder, but I don't really recall him assimilating with the others either.  Basically, once he joined the team, I didn't feel like his character developed anymore.  There frankly was not enough shown to us of his character, which is why I went from "dislike" to "meh," and never 'like' with respect to him (nor could I bring myself to care about him).  As for Luo Ji, it's not that I didn't understand his role within the team or his importance.  My point was more that he felt like a window dressing character.  You need him to be there in the drama because there is such a position in the team, but as for who he is and how he gets along with/relates to his teammates, the drama doesn't really show us other than seeing him being dragged along.  (I don't even recall how he spent that break time when the team decided to split up and consider whether they really should stay together as a team.)  

 

Maybe it's different for you because you've read the book and are already familiar with the ins and outs of these characters.  But based strictly on the drama alone, my opinion is that it's best understood as a character introduction and something that lays the groundwork for a season 2.

 

14 hours ago, skibbies said:

+ Qiu Ying bashing since she's clueless and peope are quick to judge and dismiss her as generic cute dumb girl. But that's fully intentional because there's a growing supportive relationship and arc for Qiu Ying. 

 

Ugh, I have seen comments on other sites where Qiu Ying gets a lot of hate and I seriously don't understand it when they say they don't like her character.  I'm like, "You don't like a hard worker?"  I think the drama does a good job of explaining that the reason she's unfamiliar with the game is because this was not her original line of work.  She only got introduced to it after the two departments at Planet Video merged.  But what was admirable about her was that she actually wanted to take the time to learn the craft and improve her skill base, and it was her boss who kept pushing at her by saying that would take time she couldn't afford.  Similarly, a lot of the pushing she did to get an interview with Gu Fang, and more, was because she needed to keep her job and not because she actually she wanted to.  There were times she tried to push back against her boss.  But, ultimately, she also had her hardships and needed a paycheck and that is something Xiang Kong came to understand as well.  Both Qiu Ying and Xiang Kong were looking at each other through their own perspectives initially, and then it was as they interacted more and got to know each other better that their beautiful story started.  

 

Sorry, rant over.  I know that is like preaching to the choir to all of you here.  But this is just the rant reply that I never bother posting elsewhere because I know it'll fall on deaf ears anyway.   

[skibbies]

@themarchioness ah yeah most of the characters didn't develop further since it was more char ep + game ep (which shows the group dynamic & teamwork but it's all game centric). Qiao Yifan's develipment is better but it's still sort of back & forth and some can see it as wonky. It's very much game > characters kind of story. I've only read up to I think ep 10ish of the drama, so I don't actually know half the team. I actually feel in s2 they'd do similar thing, where you see them play against a team, and it goes into the other team's backstory and stuff, it's sort of like some shounen sports anime series (I don't really watch sports tv series so that's what it reminds me of). They might grow as a team but it'd be similar to the break off this season (which I believe is drama original, and I did like. Even if there's criticism about about them falling apart too easily just cos they lost/YX is gone). 

 

Re: Qiu Ying, that's the thing, they didn't watch further. A lot of people seem to have missed she's new to the industry too. The following them to the bar and filming in secret gave a pretty bad inpression, I think it's pretty understandable since she was desperate to keep her job, but they don't seem to see it from her pov? A lot of audience have seen too many terribly written female characters, so they are quick to judge (idol drama + clueless/naive) AND also judge female characters much harsher. I've seen other well written women being criticised left and right, and often different characters in the same drama for completely opposite reasons, guess no female characters are well written enough for them. 

[themarchioness]

Memories

 

 

[Lynne]

@themarchioness  aaahhhhhhh Xiang Kong or I would say Yibo with his bike... lols.. Miss him!!! 

And totes agree with you both @themarchioness and @skibbies ... 

 

 

 

[adalanane]

Guys in desperate need of help...

 I cant find Gank your heart special episode 1 (2019) . If anyone knows a place where i can watch the special episode subbed itll be a huge help. thnx...

[anonymous cookie]

Hello, 

Can someone tell me where can I read the novel for this drama? I have just started watching it and I'm hoping to read the novel. 

[anonymous cookie]

Hello,

is it possible to read this novel?

[skibbies]

On 4/16/2020 at 5:41 AM, anonymous cookie said:

Hello, 

Can someone tell me where can I read the novel for this drama? I have just started watching it and I'm hoping to read the novel. 

It's in Chinese only, under the name of 电竞恋人 by 南野琳儿, it was published as a book and not serialised online so you'll have to buy the ebook.

[Lynne]

@adalanane  Sorry... there's no sub on the special episode... 

[steph]

do you guys think there will be a season 2? i really hope so i love gank your heart so much i didnt want it to end

[Lynne]

@steph I don't think there'll be a chance for GYH.. unless Pei Xi's story gets adapted... and they did a cameo.. but things like these is slim to none..best not to hope too much... ahhh.. I'm sorrry.. I don't mean to be a downer...

Actually I'm happy to see many more people finding this little gem...  

 

Anyway... I forgot to share this before.... I found this cute Fan made video  the progression of XK and QY is told very well....  

 

[themarchioness]

On 4/20/2020 at 5:41 AM, lynne22 said:

@adalanane  Sorry... there's no sub on the special episode... 

 

Aw, I've been too busy to visit Soompi lately so it was a welcome surprise to log on and find some recent movement in one of my favorite drama threads.   

 

As for subs for the special episodes, @adalanane & @lynne22, someone did reach out a while back to say they wanted to tackle that project and use my recap as reference, if necessary.  I gave them my permission but I haven't heard anything since, to include whether that project ever continued.  But that does mean there's hope that maybe one day the special will be subbed.  Until that time, I offer my prior recaps which will help if you read them either immediately before or after watching: https://tinyurl.com/y5mptb9w

 

Finally, I found these two articles re: GYH that I thought I'd share. 

 

"Gank Your Heart: All the Reasons We Love Wang Yibo as Ji Xiang Kong"

https://filmdaily.co/news/gank-your-heart-ji-xiang-kong/

 

"All The Reasons You'll Fall in Love with Gank Your Heart"

https://filmdaily.co/news/gank-your-heart/

[thedancing petal]

It's been a decade since a drama made me as enthusiastic as now. In most of the cases, I will be simply satisfied with what's provided on-screen. That's not the case of Gank Your Heart. This drama has summoned my fangirling soul that I thought has gone extinct. I want to ramble about it so bad and this is an understatement.

 

I should give my gratitude for a person who posted FMV on youtube. I actually checked this drama out due to superficial reason: the casts look handsome and pretty (I didn't know their profiles beforehand). I really didn't expect the drama I watched randomly then turned out to be my newest obsession. In short, it's pleasant surprise how fantastic GYH is!! I even signed up to Asianfanfics just to read @themarchioness's fanfiction, since I found that earlier than this thread. I regret that I discovered this drama too late and couldn't engage discussion with you guys in real time.

 

The foremost reason why I love GYH is that it does great job at balancing shounen and shoujo spirits. Not only it showcases the passion and dream that people have for the games, it also explores the human relationship outside the games. It makes me feel as if these characters are real people with real jobs, living their life somewhere out there.

 

I also love the way this drama introduces many different but related occupations (pro-gamer, commentator, live streamer, e-sports reporter, internet cafe owner/waiter), prompting that e-sports is one big industry. In top of that, all of these occupations are modern, stylish, and quite fitting for a drama that came out in 2019. (We have got enough drama with doctors/lawyers/businessmen in the past)

 

There are actualy more reasons, but I don't know where to start. This drama gives me way too much feels. I'll adress them once I can gather my thought.

[themarchioness]

Happy anniversary to one of my favorite Soompi threads!  A year later and I'm still grateful to @lynne22 for creating this space that became my home and haven for so many months this past year.  It was a such a joy to be able to share in the excitement of the drama with each of you here (and even make some friends along the way!  ).  And even though I've been mostly absent from Soompi these days (pesky work and all that), it's still fun to check back in from time to time and find that people haven't forgotten about Gank Your Heart or are just discovering it for the first time. 

 

@thedancing petal, your post was especially well timed, as it was made on the one year anniversary date of the drama's airing!  Even though you weren't with us during the height of the discussion, I'm still happy to engage whenever you've gathered your thoughts and return to share them.  Already, I loved everything you had to say about the drama, so I'll keep checking back.   

[thedancing petal]

@themarchioness Whoa! I’m so happy about the accidental well-timing.

 

Anyway. I promised to give a follow-up to my previous rambling ... but it’s been suspended for a month by now. I don’t forget about this drama at all—actually, it’s on the contrary. Everyday I wake up then watch this drama then brainstorm fanfiction ideas about the ultimate OTP.

 

(Although, regretably, I haven’t found the right feeling yet. Blame Ji Xiangkong for being too complex character, lol. But then again, his complexity is what makes me falling in love. I ended up exactly like what femaledaily wrote: coming for Wang Yibo and staying for Ji Xiangkong.)

 

Oh—oh. Before I forget, I want to share this happy news: lilypad has picked up the translation for the novel. You can find it on Novel Updates under the  title “Accompany You to the Top of the World”.

 

Enough with OOT-ness, let’s go back to the real discussion.

 

I love that GYH’s writing not disjointed in the slighest, albeit having so much plots on hand. And the rearrangement and alteration of original materials have been done with so much justice, to the point that I want to kiss the writer’s brain (because—can you imagine what will happen to us if there’s no Sun-ge x Wen-jie, or Pioneer’s OT5, or bickering Yixuan x Yiyi, or Xia Ling as sweetest little bro ever?).

 

There are some things that I find a little disturbing. For example, Miya’s thought on “Qiu Ying looks like me 5 years ago” is no longer refreshing at some point, because it has been mentioned too often. Still, in general, it is great writing.

 

Next is telling vs showing.

 

Pardon me for comparing it a bit with Go! Go! Squid. In my opinion, GGS is an example when drama has trouble in that regards. Take the female lead, for example. Said to be genius, her action proves otherwise. This really makes my brain hurts, as if I’m constantly told a fruit is an apple, when it’s visible that it’s an orange.

 

In GYH, there’s never any contradiction between the telling and the showing. Ji Xiangkong likes motorcycle: there are many scenes he’s seen riding that. Ji Xiangkong likes strawberry milk tea: there are many scenes he’s seen gulping that.

 

And not just that, this drama has given us more than it has promised. For example, even without being told, we can already tell how the main couple falls in love, and why they are perfect fit for each other, because that can be seen on-screen.

 

As an arrogant, conceited, self-important audience, I feel the happiest when a drama has faith in my intelligence—in my ability to judge something with my very own eyes. And that happens with GYH.

 

Yep. Since this post has been too long, I better cut this off here.

 

I doubt this rambling needs any more continuation. My opinion on the rest of things, like character development and such, may not be too much different from what’s been talked. It won’t give any novelty to this thread, I think.

[Lynne]

@thedancing petal awww do go on!!!! Gank Your Heart has been a delight for me to talk too.. and reading everyone's comment new and old always make my day.

7 hours ago, thedancing petal said:

I love that GYH’s writing not disjointed in the slighest, albeit having so much plots on hand. And the rearrangement and alteration of original materials have been done with so much justice, to the point that I want to kiss the writer’s brain (because—can you imagine what will happen to us if there’s no Sun-ge x Wen-jie, or Pioneer’s OT5, or bickering Yixuan x Yiyi, or Xia Ling as sweetest little bro ever?).

And totally agree with this one... this is one of the rare cases where drama adaptation is better and expand the novel to a better place. And yeah.. hahaha, the plot is pretty tight, so many things happen in an episode. I love it! 

Altho I'm pretty happy to be able to read the book because there I can understand his hardship even further and why he feels so regretful to Miya and grateful to QiuYing.