Double Take: Doppelgangers from Hollywood to Hengdian

I grew up mostly watching Western TV, but my television diet over the last several years has basically become 99 percent Chinese and Korean dramas. Every once in a while, I’ll come across an Asian actor whose overall looks, appearance from certain angles, or mannerisms remind me of a Hollywood counterpart I used to watch. Here are just a few doppelgangers that spring to mind. Do you see the resemblance too?

Counterpoint: I'm not quite Falling Into Your Smile

I wasn’t planning on writing anything about Falling Into Your Smile, but the particularly high rating it’s gotten on MyDramaList and Rakuten Viki by a statistically significant enough number viewers compelled me to offer a counterpoint.

Reflections, Part II: Xiao Zhan one year after the AO3 incident

Xiao Zhan shared a lengthy and deeply personal message exactly one year after the “AO3 227” incident that nearly killed his career. It’s heartfelt reflection on what happened a year ago and the fallout that followed. But why would he even draw attention back to the event at a time when his career appeared to finally be recovering?

Reflections, Part I: Xiao Zhan, AO3, toxic fandoms, and China's idol economy

Chinese actor Xiao Zhan penned a very personal open letter about what happened to him a year ago in the AO3 227 incident and what followed. It is a case study in toxic fan culture, China’s idol economy, and the rise and fall — and rise again, of a star.