K-Drama 
MiMo:
There’s clearly more to his character, so I’m curious to see how the writers handle it. He has a lot to make up for…
It's weird. I'm in the middle of Ep 8. ML/FL are in the refugee camp speaking. Previously ML was playing with the little kids and he brought them to the camp that morning, so he clearly has a soft spot for them. But when talking to FL he seems to be purposefully saying things to make her hate him. Why? Is he pushing her to see if he can break her or is he trying to heal his demons and find someone who will love him with all his faults? There has to be a reason, because he's not as evil as he makes himself out to be.
¡Eso es lo que hace que Changxuan me resulte tan interesante! 👀🫶🏻 Es evidente que tiene un lado tierno, sobre todo cuando lo vemos con los niños, así que no creo que sea tan cruel como quiere hacerle creer a Pingjun. A veces me pregunto si la aleja porque no sabe cómo lidiar con sus propios sentimientos. Pero con este hombre, nunca se sabe qué le pasa por la cabeza...
I feel like Chang Xuan shows Ping Jun the worst side of himself as a way of testing whether she'll choose him despite everything. After what happened with his father, he has some serious abandonment issues. So he's caught in this push-and-pull dynamic: “I want you to love me the way I love you,” while also pushing her away because deep down, he believes she won't stay by his side.
This is what makes Changxuan so interesting to me! 👀🫶🏻He clearly has a softer side, especially when we see him with the children, so I don't think he's as heartless as he wants Pingjun to believe. I sometimes wonder if he pushes her away because he doesn't know how to deal with his own feelings. But with this man, you never know what's going on in his head..
I think he definitely doesn't know how to deal with his feelings. I'm not even sure he wants these feelings. And I don't think he had a lot of good role models growing up having a father who apparently only saw him as an ecumbrance and having lost his older brother. When he was at his brother's memorial tablet he told him there were so many things he didn't teach him before dying.
AdriC93:
I feel like Chang Xuan shows Ping Jun the worst side of himself as a way of testing whether she'll choose him despite everything. After what happened with his father, he has some serious abandonment issues. So he's caught in this push-and-pull dynamic: “I want you to love me the way I love you,” while also pushing her away because deep down, he believes she won't stay by his side.
Hmm, interesting point! You’re so right about the abandonment issues part! 🙌🏻👀 I’m just not sure he’s consciously doing it to test her. I feel like his commander side kicks in here. 😂 He’s used to the battlefield, where he knows he has to take charge, strategize, and fight to win. And I think he approaches Pingjun in much the same way because that’s what he knows best. When he wants something, his instinct is to go after it and find a way to get it.
But feelings are a whole different battlefield, and Pingjun gets under his skin in a way he probably isn’t used to. He knows he wants to win her over…but he’s fighting a whole new kind of battle, one he doesn’t know how to navigate because feelings are unfamiliar territory for him.🤭
Hi
I’ll love reading your thoughts as you make your way through the drama! I’ve already watched all the episodes that have aired. As for the characters, it’s pretty typical of C-dramas to introduce so many that sometimes it’s hard to keep track of them all.
As for Yu Chang Xuan, his obsessive love for her is going to drive him to the brink of madness. But I trust the writers to give him a redemption arc and meaningful character growth. I think it was a great decision to spend these first few episodes showing us things from his POV, allowing us to try to understand his psychology in the midst of such a turbulent and cruel era.
Oh I'm so glad you commented. This is a great drama for discussion!
It's taking me awhile to watch each episode because I have to stop and google who people are and their place in the drama. I've always had a hard time sorting characters out and this one has a lot with a lot of back stories that they are only giving us piecemeal. But I'm finding that writing out my thoughts here is helping me pay more attention to what's going on. I haven't been this riveted by a drama in awhile.
I so hope your trust in the writers is prove true, because this is a really well-made drama, the cinematography is so good and the acting is great.
but he’s fighting a whole new kind of battle, one he doesn’t know how to navigate because feelings are unfamiliar territory for him
That's a good point. Between his father having no time or interest in him and his brother dying he really had to push his feelings down in order to survive. He's so conflicted and maybe he doesn't even know why he treats the FL the say he does. I hope the writers can sustain this level of tension and find a good resolution because it's a lot and there are so many ways they could crash it.
He’s used to the battlefield, where he knows he has to take charge, strategize, and fight to win
Exactly. He doesn't do it consciously, but his fear of not being chosen makes his jealousy that much more intense. He's like a raging bull. Chang Xuan is a man of action. He's decisive, and he uses what he knows best, commanding troops, to deal with a feeling he's never experienced before. On top of that, Ping Jun is the one variable that doesn't fit into the order and structure he's used to in military life. And that drives him crazy
