AleksandraSucur

I can confirm your statements.

this is the reason I'm so excited to see if (and if, how?) the scriptwriter will set some additional strategic goals to FX. 😎 If he does this, the S2 has a potential to be a masterpiece.

Tbh, my admiration for the scriptwriter is... immense. a few days ago I've noticed smth was "off" with that "fake death" from which FX tried to districate for 4 and 1/2 eps - too much time. As the scriptwriter didn't change since S1, I've decided to read 50 chapters in the middle of the novel and was quite surprised discovering that the messy plot in the novel was completely re-written. But it was the only reasonable and right decision. Exactly as you, I haven't read the whole novel, but, those 50 chapters were such a useless trash that they were painful to read. My conclusion was: rather than giving up or using unpresentable plots, which would certainly badly damage the overall drama (and FX as a character we know and so well delievered by the ML), the scriptwriter repaired it at the cost of time the "reparation" would inflict to the narrative structure and the main character (who practically completely lost his moral compass in those chapters of the novel). The scriptwriter also used some of "the inner plots" in the novel, modifying and recombining them: the ML's inner struggle (what is good if I'm powerless) and the brothel story of his brother, smoothing greatly Sizhe character from the novel (in the novel, Sizhe is 100% criminal, aware he was doing bad things and after beating - occurred only to clean Fan's family reputation - FX helps him as nothing happened).
This scriptwriter turned shit to gold, imo.

well, a few days ago I've noticed smth was "off" with that "fake death" from which FX tried to districate for 4 and 1/2 eps (it was simply too much time for the narrative structure of JOL as we know it from S1, no wasting time, right?). As the scriptwriter didn't change, I've decided to read 50 chapters in the middle of the novel and was quite surprised discovering that the messy plot in the novel was completely re-written. But it was the only reasonable and right decision, I haven't read the whole novel, but, believe me, those chapters are such a trash that they were painful to read. After discovering this fact, I admire the scriptwriter (and other creators of this drama) even more: rather than using an unpresentable plots, which would certainly badly damage the overall drama (and FX as a character we know and so well delievered by the ML), he repaired it at the cost of time the "reparation" would inflict to the narrative structure, logics and the main character (who practically lost his moral compass in those chapters). The scriptwriter also used some of "the inner plots" in the novel, modifying and recombining them: the ML's inner struggle (what is good if I'm powerless) and the brothel story of his brother, smoothing greatly Sizhe character from the novel (in the novel, Sizhe is 100% criminal, aware he was doing bad things and after beating, FX helps him nevertheless). Well, if in the novel he is out of peril, I think this drama's "smoothened" Shize will be spared, too. Both from the ambush - 2nd prince's men will ambush wrong person(s) and let's wait and see how this detail will be useful for the plot in the drama, and he will arrive safely to Beiqi, where he has a business to do.

in the novel fan sizhe was never ambushed, he arrived in Beiqi

so you were referring to a character-growth? I agree with that (but neither his improvement in that sense can determine the "change of vibe" - the different vibe can be decided only by the authors: mainly, the scriptwriter and the director), he will be obliged to display his strategic-tactical talents in full swing, the struggle to survive in the surrounding full of sharks will be tough.
Now when we speak about that, I wonder will this fight also include some "strategic goals", beside the mere survival. What do you think?

I didn't get that feeling. They have a healthy father-son relationship, he can trust his father will always try to protect him.
I've got the feeling he was softly coaxing him after his parental pride was a bit hurt by the fact CPP told his son things which he was intended to say to him, as a father

I also expect S2 to be great, but disagree with your wordings.
It is the story (and not the vibe) which will become - "more political" should be the term, imo - therefore, probably deadlier -> darker.
But the vibe will remain entertaining, comic and filled with unexpected. The "vibe" (tone, spirit) is given by the method of narration (i.e. type, genre), not by the story: you can tell extremly cruel stories in a funny way and they become entertaining... being a Tarantino fan, you certainly remember scenes of torture, killing and "cleaning after" in Reservoir Dogs, not to mention Pulp Fiction etc. Roberto Benigni was granted with three Oscars and a series of other international awards for a poetic story of a man conveying happiness to his son in a Nazi concentration camp (Life is Beautiful). An impossible story but a great movie. And so on.

You are wrong, it's the opposite. S2 has the very same vibe, humour and quirkiness, sudden and unexpected twists and turns, but it's the storyline that have changed. For the half of S1, the plot was dealing with his background and basic (family, friends, frenemies and potential enemies) relations, while the other half dealt with his first mission as an imperial official which took place in a rival country where he learned that "the greatest enemy is usually hidden in our own countries".
The plot in S2 will test FX's capabilities to deal (and solve problems) with this latter kind of threats (internal enemy) and till this point we see he still preserves the same out-of-the box way of thinking and dealing with problems. So, it's a different storyline (I don't care about the change of two actors in side-characters roles or the change of OST, they are not important for the story or how it is told), but there's a great continuity because the vibe remained the same and I think this very fact should be (and actually is) greatly appreciated.

That been said, there is actually, in the storyline of S2 - I don't know how to call it - "not very smart decision", probably, to dedicate 4 and 1/2 starting episodes to his districation from his "fake death". It simply took too much time and some of the dialogues (eg. when FX, the Beiqi princess and WQN were trying to convince the members of the delegation in order to orient their messages to the capital) also suffered, but I remember there were such moments even in S1, but they didn't come after four eps, that's why they were not a big deal. For the story like JoL, the audience expects it to flow through "course of actions" (standing for right/good things and beating/outsmarting the evil), you can't waste 4,5 eps/36 for some side-dish which doesn't even make an arc on its own, so, yes, this "not very smart decision" was basically an error, I've also immediately pointed it out.

I've tried to understand the reasons for this error (because the main crew is always the same), so, I've browsed the novel... with more than 700 chapters, I can only say the author tried to compete with Tolstoi's War and Peace with his 580 characters in it - a terror of every high school student since the times when this novel was introduced as obligatory literature in the schools. But the author is definetely not Tolstoi, he arranged chapters with Chinese-boxes technique of writing as if his (or hers) intention was to be transfered on screen, so, scriptwriter (who is the same from S1), cherry-pick at your liking. Chinese-boxes technique is a story-telling method from ancient times (used eg. in Thousand and One Night, with continuous narration in which one of the characters narrates its own story, then one of the characters in his/hers story starts to tell side story and even in that side-story some character starts a second.side story and so on, which reminds Chinese boxes of different sizes put inside bigger ones), it's a collection, "a drugstore of stories" many of which are similar to each other and are not original either (pirates, merchants, local powers, eunuchs, prostitutes... just browse, and you will understand, it is not a high literature but a drugstore in which the scriptwriter must make "a wise choice" between "products" which will make FX alive).

was it from a preview?
Unfortunately, in Europe we are banned from JoL2 on we-tv, but if you share a link maybe we bypass the ban. I don't mind being spoiled. 😍

As expected, The Idiot totally chickened out.
But the whole picture of "family dinner" is: The Good, The Bad, The Worse, The Bully and The Idiot. Chinese version of spaghetti-Western, lol, love it. 😂

It looks like FX is coming to know his four brothers: The Bad, The Worse, The Bully and The Idiot

it's ok, I'm glad I've clarified 😊

It was me, but I didn't say it was dragging (because it was not). Imo, it took a bit too much time in the plot for FX to districate from a fake death. If you focus just on the plot, on the "course of actions", you'll probably notice that this "course of actions" relating just to a "districation" took 4 eps.
I didn't say these eps were draggy or bad, I've even said I've appreciated the same vibe from S1, it's always the same JoL's humour, with its twists, wittiness (who will outsmart who), metaphores (FX on his knees in front of the emperor while watching a bug lying on its back and desperatly trying to turn around) and unexpected or weird details (even in soundtrack, who would expect yodeling?).
But, remember, JoL S2 has its own purpose and its own story to tell and the "real" (I didn't say "serious") story started only in ep 5.

Finally, I never rate any drama before it finishes (and I manage to watch it till the end, I never rate any drama I drop), so I'm not among persons who downrated it.

I refer to the pleasure house arch, the courtisan, the new prince... even the very twist to outsmart LCZ was not gripping and convincing enough.

Well, this season finally aired and my only complaint is: the new plot for this season starts only in episode 5, the four eps to explain how Fan Xian districated from a false death are a bit and unnecessarily dragged too much. And when it finally started, the subs were 🤮
On a brighter side, the JoL vibe is here again, lets hope the C-production didn't forget their "original intention"....

I agree all three of them are too stick to the past against the overwhelming tide, but would like to add two elements to your discussion about these characters in this historical environment, which support my opinion this drama contains elements of wuxia, despite not being a wuxia:
1) All of three are so stick to the past and their principles because they are deeply resented, They were all hurt by some kind of "systemic injustice" they try to overcome or overturn, that's the reason why they are even pitiful. Instead of fighting the system in decay, as Tongmenghui, they try to fight for their principles within the system, being a part of the system which wronged them (MSD as an imperial official, WJL as a rigid constable, ZBF as a sect leader who works for the prince who wants to overturn the existing establishment).
2) ZBF is not a "running dog for the court", he is aware that the court and prince Qi are not on the same side and that this alliance is only temporary. Sect people were Han, they were differently dressed, refused Manchù imposed pigtails (ZBF makes remarks in that sense) and perceived the Manchù-led officials as foreigners in the same way as they perceived Japanese or Western people. So, fighting "for the country & people" meant also overtrowing the ruling class (and the empire itself). The empire will collapse because the revolution was a national uprising (against "foreign domination"), too, that was the geist of the time.

Once I've tried to explain to a friend (who doesn't like him: too simple plots and flat characters, too much blood, fightings, cheap comedy...) that the world is divided in two: Tarantino's fans and the snobs. 😎

So, it seems another thing we have in common is that we both like Tarantino... 😎

(W)an(g)-di-stroyable 😂😂😂