Where have all the Chinese Bromances gone?

 

Being a Hero (2022): Five years ago, Wu Gang was killed by a drug trafficking organization named "K", and his son Wu Zhen Feng was expelled from the police force. Utterly dissipated, Wu Zhen Feng boards the bus to the borders while his best friend Chen Yu chases after him relentlessly. Along the journey, the two were almost kidnapped. While saving his best friend Chen Yu, Wu Zhen Feng was brought away by the drug traffickers, and there has been no news of him ever since. When the two meet again, Chen Yu becomes a narcotics policeman while Wu Zhen Feng is now a famed murder suspect known by the nickname "Addict Lord". Ignoring public dissension, Chen Yu sets out to find the truth and clear Wu Zhenfeng's name, but he gradually discovers that Wu Zhen Feng's return has another purpose. The two best friends begin a game of cat and mouse.

It's true the Chinese Government has really cracked down on the bromance in their dramas which is quite sad. As some might know Yiebo is King of the bromance drama! Here we just get a Love/Hate relationship. Thankfully, we have Zhang Yuan Ang writing at the helm and she is one of my favorite screenplay writers! But she is not alone in the drama. They have a male perspective too. [If you want to see one of her latest fantasy dramas check out Immortal Samsara!] 

Being a Hero doesn't have that passionate persona that AGE OF LEGENDS did which was about narcotics too. You just don't have William Chan (and his Man Bun). I feel Yiebo just doesn't have Chan's charisma. Yes, I feel he should be playing the bad guy instead of Chen Xiao, yet he is a good 10 years older than Yiabo and I feel well seasoned. Yiebo (25) still has that fresh out of BootCamp vibe. And of course, the youngsters love this dude. Still, I imagine they feel like I do, "God, there's a bunch of old farts in this police force."

Luckily, we have Liu Yi Jun who plays such complicated villains. Yet, in the last drama, I saw him in he was a good cop in RESET. In reality, he's 52 and always has a way of making his presence known in a Chinese drama. 

And of course, Yiebo's character can't trust anyone. Especially in the narcotics unit. So the drama has a lot going for it. Just 32 episodes!