Asian Addicts Anonymous

I love the OST to this drama. There’s the softer ballads, Alan Kuo’s rock theme “Ling”, and even the instrumentals work well! Successful dramas are a good blend of acting, chemistry, music, and more. I kind of like how we get hints of Kirishima/Tong Dao before he’s officially introduced. We don’t get these snapshots in the manga, but you get to know more about Tong Dao slowly before he meets with our main cast and I think that’s better for the drama version than with the manga where Kirishima’s character gets thrown into the mix in one of the main story arcs without much of an introduction.

We open with Ling getting scolded by Professor Shi for getting caught cheating on a test. How could Ling get the best score on the entrance exam and then have his scores fall so drastically that he even cheats? During this lecture, Ling has fun with the professor by saying all he really cares about his getting laid and bringing himself and girls to climaxes. Oy. LOL. That’s Ling for you—he’s quite open about his sexual escapades. Shi warns Ling that should he fail, Ling will be kicked out of school. No surprise there. Colleges, even though you pay them money, don’t want to keep you around if you’re failing everything. I had a friend who was kicked out of school after one semester for bad grades and the school’s response was she obviously was nor prepared enough for college.

After being lectured and teasing Shi, Ling heads out where he runs into Qi Luo wearing a bright red sweater—how unusual (remember she essentially wears dark colors or neutrals). Qi Luo replies all her clothes are dirty so she was stuck wearing her mother’s. Things are awkward between the two because of the kiss and aftermath. Qi Luo asks why Ling was called to Shi’s office and he says he’s scolded for being late because he stayed up watching porn. Qi Luo says that he doesn’t need to act crass in front of her like that. They are only friends after all because of the painting. She then explains that nothing will happen between herself and Da Ye. Ling says that Da Ye is essentially the only friend he has. You know that’s him saying he’ll choose his friend over her. Qi Luo says once the painting is finished their relationship will be as well. She walks away and Ling calls out after her saying that he heard they are both fools.

Later, Qi Luo is eating alone in the cafeteria. Da Ye sees this and turns to go back, but Ling stops him and drags him over to Qi Luo’s table. More awkwardness. Da Ye goes to leave, but Qi Luo stands and says she will leave instead. Having enough, Ling stands up and the other two sit back down. Ling then leaves them alone to sit by his ex-girlfriend. Da Ye and Qi Luo both watch this unhappily. When the senior asks why Ling is with a plain and boring girl, Qi Luo grabs her things and walks away. Da Ye soon follows. Ling’s ex asks if Qi Luo is better in bed than herself. Ling replies they haven’t done it yet and this shocks the senior since that’s all they did together. When Ling looks up and sees Da Ye and Qi Luo gone, his smile fades and he tells the senior that they only had sex because it was the only thing they could do together.

Da Ye walks with Qi Luo and explains that the senior is just one in a long line of girls that Ling dated (and who chased after him—Ling doesn’t chase after girls). Qi Luo says that Da Ye doesn’t need to explain on Ling’s behalf. Da Ye says that he doesn’t want her to misunderstand. It doesn’t matter since she’s not Ling’s girlfriend. Da Ye then tells Qi Luo to tell him that she likes Ling. Why? Da Ye explains he has a younger brother and sister and has always had to give way. The only thing he thought he’d never give up would be her. He always believed that he could make Qi Luo happy, but he’s realized she has her own happiness in her heart with Ling so why doesn’t she just confess? Because saying it aloud will do nothing!

“Don’t skip my question! Han Qi Luo!”

“What do you want?”

“I want to tell you that I won’t give up if you aren’t sure about Ling. I’ll keep trying until I’m worn out. I’ll chase you with my whole heart. I’ll use all means at my disposal until you promise me to let me make you happy.”

This speech from Day Ye does get Qi Luo to break down and confess her feelings to him. LOL. Guilting her into revealing her feelings…nice one! Since she’s said it to him, Da Ye wants her to bravely say her feelings out loud to Ling. Qi Luo of course beats herself up and degrades herself. Da Ye is having none of this. It’s thanks to Qi Luo that Ling has fallen in love for probably the first time in his entire life. She needs to realize she has the right to love Ling. She is a good person and she should be confident in herself. LOL. Got to love how he goes from trying to be her boyfriend to being her good friend and love coach! He even says he’ll give her advice to help with Ling’s somewhat difficult personality. The two part ways and Da Ye runs track and says goodbye to his one-sided crush.

Later that night Da Ye goes over to Ling’s place with beers. Time for a buddy drinking party. Da Ye does this to drink away his sorrows of willingly giving of Qi Luo and he does this to reiterate to his best friend that he’s giving up on Qi Luo so that Ling and Qi Luo can finally be together as a couple. LOL. These two do have a good friendship chemistry going for them. While we have our cute drinking scene, we see Tong Dao breaking into the records of the psychiatric hospital and pulling out Ling’s file with a creepy smile on his face. The next day Tong Dao is officially discharged. I like how they dress Tong Dao more like they did in the manga. He’s definitely dressed better than his Japanese counterpart who is stuck in horribly baggy clothes.

Qi Luo is back to sketching Ling. He’s busy playing a game on his cellphone so he doesn’t fall asleep. Of course since he keeps his head down, this is not much better. She tries to get him to look up, but Ling refuses because he’ll die. He dies anyways when he was so close to beating the high score. LOL. Got to love Ling’s more child-like side. Ling asks about the painting Qi Luo promised to give him. She tells him she’s not finished, but then confesses she hasn’t even started because once she hand the painting over she’s afraid their connection will be severed. Ling says nothing and just continues to play. Is he listening? Ling folds up the phone and tells Qi Luo not to worry as such a thing is not the only thing that connects the two of them. Awww!

Of course, their happy little scenes is interrupted by the arrival of Cang Ze—a well-known senior and award-winning painter. Cang Ze tells Ling to go back to his original position. This ticks Ling off and he goes and rips up the sketch Cang Ze was drawing before walking away. Qi Luo actually does scold Cang Ze for not getting the subject’s approval before drawing a portrait. Cang Ze then makes a request of Qi Luo before she leaves to chase after Ling. Qi Luo explains who Cang Ze is and how great he is to Ling and then asks him to model for the senior. Cang Ze is willing to pay. This does make Ling pause for a minute to consider, but he’s not that desperate where he’ll sell his body yet. LOL. He thinks there’s something weird about Cang Ze’s request.

Qi Luo explains that it’s hard for an artist to find inspiration and takes Ling to see the painting of Cang Ze’s that won a regional award and hangs in their school. The two stare at the painting while Qi Luo praises the beauty and technique. Of course Ling can agree it is well-done, but it’s nothing to write home about. Cang Ze is behind them and asks what Ling means. Ling doesn’t want to tell him, but Cang Ze eventually goads him into it and Ling tells him point blank that it’s a beautifully empty painting that cant make anyone fell anything. Of course Cang Ze is upset by this since it’s true and he belittles Ling’s intelligence. Ling goes to leave and Cang Ze has the audacity to ask about his model request after the giant insult. Of course Ling refuses. Serves the arse right. I like how here Qi Luo doesn’t apologize as much as Kira did in the manga.

Qi Luo rushes after Ling to tell him not to take Cang Ze’s words to heart. Ling brushes it off that he doesn’t care what others think, plus Cang Ze isn’t wrong. Qi Luo insists that Ling is really so much more than all of that and again doesn’t want him to be hurt by Cang Ze’s angry words. Meanwhile, in the art room, Cang Ze throws Qi Luo’s sketch of Rei to the ground and berates it. He then sees something, but to create suspense, we don’t get to see what caught his eye.

Another day passes and Qi Luo wonders where Ling is. She asks Da Ye who is on his way to practice and learns that Ling has been studying hard in the library versus attending classes. Qi Luo visits the library and confronts Ling. This is all really to prove he isn’t as dumb as Cang Ze said, right? Ling insists that the senior’s words did not affect him in the slightest. Shi has told him that if he fails, he’ll be kicked out, so he’s got to study hard. As Ling keeps disparaging himself and his intelligence, Qi Luo becomes his staunch defender. She definitely believes in him and his intelligence—look how he made Professor Tang back down! Ling then explains it wasn’t just talk—he would have hurt or killed Tang if the English professor took on the challenge. Qi Luo, while rattle, scolds him. She doesn’t really know him does she? She knows enough and the Ling she knows is not a bad person—but very kind and warm.

Later Qi Luo looks for her sketch of the mother and child, but cannot find it no matter how hard she looks. Where did it go? The next morning the school is abuzz with Senior Cang Ze’s victory in a recent art show. The winning painting is based on the sketch that Qi Luo drew! She confronts Cang Ze who throws it in her face that no one will believe her over him and the most they can say is that Cang Ze had a similar concept. He walks away. When Ling hears the news and sees the picture, he sees red. He goes on the hunt for Cang Ze and starts beating him to a pulp in the senior’s classroom earning him a one week suspension.

Da Ye confronts Qi Luo about the incident since he knows Ling doesn’t go off for no reason. Of course, Qi Luo told Shi it was all because he found Cang Ze’s face annoying. LOL. Qi Luo explains that Ling didn’t confess the truth since nobody would believe Cang Ze would have to steal someone else’s painting. Meanwhile, Shi berates Ling for his outburst and Ling is unhappy to learn Shi called daddy. Shi also reveals that two years ago when Mr. Chen entrusted Ling to Shi, Mr. Chen told him about Ling’s tragic past. Ling goes to leave for his suspension and Shi does tell him that he doesn’t believe Ling beat Cang Ze for no reason. Awww. See? It’s not just Da Ye and Qi Luo on Ling’s side.

As Ling gets ready to leave a student says that Cang Ze is looking for Ling to talk. Ling goes with the guy and gets jumped. Turns out the guy is a lackey for school thug Ah Bin. A mutual friend gets Da Ye and lets him know. Da Ye immediately rushes off followed closely by Qi Luo. What will happen to Ling? Da Ye explains he’s not frightened about what’s going to happen to Ling, but to those other students. And Da Ye is right. Sure, Ling got beaten pretty hard (Ah Bin was teaching him a lesson for beating up a senior student), but when Ling started fighting back, no one was his match—not even the buff Ah Bin. By the time Da Ye and Qi Luo get there, Ling is free from the rope binding him and is trying to strangle Ah Bin.

You can see this really shake up Qi Luo, but I don’t think there’s really anything out there that can shatter her believe in how good a person Ling really is at heart.