u/Better_Original_2430

​I’m going to talk about some media products that have been paired up content-wise with Zhenjoo so far—because, why not? Plus, over the past 2 months, Codename got insanely hyped on TikTok. I mean, it gained traction way beyond the typical BL manhwa audience, which you’ve probably seen too. The "Bare Minimum" trend and Zhenya cosplays got absolutely insane numbers in both volume and likes (like, there’s literally one with 2.1 million likes). Anyway, let's get into it—and by the way, this isn't a ranked list, just writing them as they come to mind.

​1.)Zootopia (Judy and Nick): The coworker dynamic and that classic "sly fox, dumb bunny" line. Han actually even made an official art related to this back in the day.

​2.)Lucas Bergvall: During the World Cup season, this good-looking blonde player named Lucas Bergvall was being compared to look whit Zhenya. This had come up before, but back then it didn't really spread outside the fandom. (What’s particularly ironic for me here is that a friend of mine who’s actually into football and I ended up talking about and saying the exact same thing, lol). I'm not gonna say Haaland and Jude, btw, because I don't remember them being compared that much and talk.

3.)​Heated Rivalry: I haven't seen people comparing their relationship dynamics, but as you know, he’s a SEXY, GAY guy with a heavy focus on being RUSSIAN (there's definitely something going on with this Russian + Gay combination, but anyway...), has a sarcastic attitude, and a bad relationship with his family. (Not super crucial info, but Shane is half-Canadian, half-Korean)

4.)​Harry Potter x Draco Malfoy: An account on TikTok was making crossover videos featuring both fandoms, and again, it got a huge amount of likes. Also, an account that usually does live-action parodies of popular Gacha videos re-enacted this video. And Han has an official art made for this from back in the day as well.

5.)Veil:​Speaking of "Bare Minimum": Under the video, people were dropping stickers saying things like "Emma's song" or "Zhenya's song" and comparing Aleksander with Zhenya—basically dragging Zhenya through the dirt (like, "Aleksander and who?"). ​(Cry or Better Yet, Beg) Claudine and Zhenya Ship: I'm not gonna give this its own heading because the number of edits about it barely passes 10, and it seems mostly confined to Indonesia. Basically, a fan used a fanart of Zhenya as Claudine's future fictional boyfriend. ​Anyway, these are the ones that came to mind. Don't you think Codename gets brought up a lot for just a BL manhwa?

So, I just did the math. If Codename gets adapted at a rate of roughly 25 chapters per year followed by a 6-month hiatus (we’re not entirely sure about this yet since Season 2 hasn't wrapped up, but in Season 1 they released 50 chapters in 1 year and took a 1-year break, which basically amounts to the same thing), it could end in about 10–12 years. ​Now let's look at Passion. Passion started its adaptation in 2020 (Codename was 2023), and it's serialized at a pace of roughly 20–25 chapters per year + a 6-month hiatus per season. Passion has 13 volumes in total: ​Passion: 6 ​Diaphonic Symphonia: 5 ​Suite: 2 ​(Though I heard recently that Diaphonic Symphonia might be adapted by a different artist—not completely sure if that's true, so if anyone knows, please enlighten me! Also not sure if Taeui and Ilay are the only main characters there, anyway...). ​(Raga isn't included in this, btw) (and Codename is 10 volumes btw). But I counted them together, which makes 13 volumes in total. And its adaptation will take around 13–14 years. Since Passion started 3 years earlier than Codename, and has 3 more volumes, there's a very high chance these two giants will end in the exact same year. Both Codename Anastasia and Passion could come to an end between 2033 and 2034.

So, I just did the math. If Codename gets adapted at a rate of roughly 25 chapters per year followed by a 6-month hiatus (we’re not entirely sure about this yet since Season 2 hasn't wrapped up, but in Season 1 they released 50 chapters in 1 year and took a 1-year break, which basically amounts to the same thing), it could end in about 10–12 years. ​Now let's look at Passion. Passion started its adaptation in 2020 (Codename was 2023), and it's serialized at a pace of roughly 20–25 chapters per year + a 6-month hiatus per season. Passion has 13 volumes in total: ​Passion: 6 ​Diaphonic Symphonia: 5 ​Suite: 2 ​(Though I heard recently that Diaphonic Symphonia might be adapted by a different artist—not completely sure if that's true, so if anyone knows, please enlighten me! Also not sure if Taeui and Ilay are the only main characters there, anyway...). ​(Raga isn't included in this, btw) (and Codename is 10 volumes btw). But I counted them together, which makes 13 volumes in total. And its adaptation will take around 13–14 years. Since Passion started 3 years earlier than Codename, and has 3 more volumes, there's a very high chance these two giants will end in the exact same year.Both Codename Anastasia and Passion could come to an end between 2033 -2034.

basically a contested/fought-over Male Lead instead of the usual contested MC

For me, I think it was around March 2024 after I read the novel

In my opinion, it’s Lovely Meal—the new season's premiere and their reunion. I was honestly surprised by how much people missed it. ​In The Blossom of the White Night, the long-awaited smut scenes finally arrived, and Season 1 came to an end. It really feels like this series has the biggest hype right now. The high view counts on platforms like X and TikTok are proof of that. ​Lastly, there's Codename. Even though it’s a bit less hyped than the others right now due to a 2-month hiatus, I felt the need to mention it. It seems like its biggest supporters are the novel readers. ​Speaking of die-hard fanbases, the long-awaited chapter of Passion was released this week, but it didn't make as big of a splash as I expected (which is strange, considering it has one of the largest and oldest fanbases). And finally, I feel like the ending of Jinx was forgotten and wiped away so quickly—especially for a BL with such a massive lead in views. It’s as if everyone was just waiting for it to end, only to consume it and move on. Some works still maintain their content and fanbase even after they end, like R&C, for example. Surprisingly, Jinx couldn't seem to become one of them.

I’m sorry, but while adapting Codename, they should have at least read the previous chapters of the manhwa. They basically shot themselves in the foot and screamed to the world that they haven't read it. I’m not even saying they must read the novel—though I believe an adaptor should read it from start to finish to truly grasp the story and understand the previous adaptor’s style—but they should have at least read the first 50 chapters or taken notes on characters who would reappear later. ​Don't underestimate the power of an adaptor; it shouldn't be seen as a simple task like 'I'll just read it and draw a draft.' The novel must be read carefully and comprehensively. We also shouldn't forget that these people often work on multiple adaptation projects at once. Of course, an adaptor starting halfway through is going to face backlash because the audience suddenly starts reading a version blended with a brand-new perspective, and yes, this was felt very clearly in CNA. I guarantee that if they had asked a fan to do the adaptation, something much more meticulous would have come out of it. Vadim is introduced by Zhenya at the ball, yet you still go and tell them to draw him with blond hair. Are you for real give me a break ​And have you noticed??? With every new chapter, the number of tiny extra dialogues that weren't in the novel is increasing. While reading, I find myself asking, 'Wait, this never happened, right?' People used to say they weren't conveying everything from the novel well enough—and if I remember correctly, before this adaptor took over (around chapter 60), that was true; the lack of detail was obvious. But now, these little filler dialogues have cropped up. When you read a novel, you create a movie in your head using your imagination; here, we are seeing the adaptor’s own imagination blended in, which feels strange at first. I’m not overly bothered by it, but it has increased enough to catch my attention, and I wondered if anyone else feels the same. ​Lastly, on a separate note, there is an unbearable amount of hate being directed at the Codename artist. This has reached a truly intolerable level. Health and the right to life are a person's most precious rights, and no one but the individual themselves has a say in that. Whether it takes two months or six, the most important thing is for them to recover their health. If I were reading these comments while sick and encountered such reactions, I would be truly heartbroken.