Lizzy

Yah there isn’t a whole lot of shows that are on the same level as TPoB. I am watching Fated Hearts now and it definitely has potential, but it’s too early to tell if they can sustain the excellent writing like TPoB did. You may like Blossoms in Adversity - it very heavy on Girl Power and more progressive in that sense, if that’s your thing. The main leads are great and mature and capable. Legend of the Female General is also really good, and it’s also a bit more progressive. OHHH there is also Shadow Love, which also has a female general in it. I dunno if you ever tried the xianxia genre (fantasy, magic, CGI heavy), but my second favorite show of all time is When Destiny Brings the Demon.

She was AMAZING. One of my favorite FLs from any dramas I have seen and Song Zu Er did a phenomenal job. I don’t want to ever get tired of this drama, so I have to space out my rewatches. This is my favorite drama out of all of them so far.

Cry a lot

LOL 🤣And soon she will be saved by it too! bahaha love it so so much

😂But if given the option TO have a sugar daddy who loves you very much and treats you right, who wouldn’t want take that free lunch? 😂Have you finished the show yet?

Yeah exactly. 🙏 There is so much material there to be developed with the FL that isn’t being used. Like how about how her family history has impacted her ability to form relationships, or does she believe that she needs to be “useful” to the ML in order to be cared about? Or that her “usefulness” is the only way to keep him or her friends around? There is soooo much I wish they would develop with her.

More time with Love in the Clouds? I’m trying 😂 I am almost done with episode 11, and I know she’s gonna keep lying to him, even after the thunder scene. I am just pulling back and watching for the eye candy and the aesthetics of the show at this point. I might tune back in emotionally once the full truth comes out and the deceit ends. WDBTD is my second favorite show under TPoB. It’s gonna be hard to top those ones.

So is it a confirmed HE or SE yet? 🫣

Fated Hearts is FANTASTIC 😍 I am only on episode 6 though, but I have been itching to get home to watch more.

I LOVED WDbtD!! 😍 Struggling with the plot and character development with this show, though. It’s the gorgeousness of the characters, costumes and scenery that keeps me going 😂Soooooo much eye candy ❤️

Yes exactly. If the ML in this show was written more true to the novel, then the FL’s actions would fit a lot better. Unfortunately, as I think a lot of these shows are geared towards hetero female audiences, oftentimes it seems the FL’s development gets sidelined in favor of stirring the feels for the ML. Which is silly, because it really wouldn’t take that much work to put equal effort into developing them both 🙄. The best shows have both leads well-written and well-developed, where the audience is privy to their individual journeys and internal growth. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Does it have a happy ending 😂? Ironic because I don’t like sad endings, and yet I complained about the FL never really struggling with her own mortality haha

Absolutley, and I appreciate the discussion. She obviously isn’t a nasty, malicious person. I just think the writers are under-developing her character at this point. As I have said in other posts, I just really want more focus to be on her internal struggles. With the plot being focused on how the ML has been impacted by his past, his struggles trusting others, and the writers highlighting the fact that everyone else just wants to use him for what he can give them - it does a disservice to not also develop our FL’s side of the story. Right now due to the lack of development with the FL and her internal turmoil, it’s easier for some to group her in with the rest of the jerks who are trying to use the ML, and to sympathize more with him than with her.

Thanks 😊 This is all I’m saying, you just put it more succinctly.

I appreciate your perspective and I totally get why she would take a longer time to develop the feelings. I don’t think that I wish she would fall for him faster, but more so that I wish we got more insight into her internal struggles like we do with the ML. That’s the character development I am wanting with her. The writing seems unbalanced, as we get a LOT more insight into what’s going on inside the ML and not as much from her. Although we see the genuine connection emotion reflected in some of her actions, we are not getting the deeper insight or the inner turmoil of what she’s using him for vs the feelings she is developing. Tension with one person taking it slower is fun to watch for sure. And if it’s a matter that she just isn’t connecting the dots that she has romantic feelings for him, then let’s see that confusion in her thoughts or private conversations with another trusted character. Let’s hear her realize that she’s had to lie about her identity her whole life and is afraid to be honest with the ML. Let’s hear her talk to another person about some guilt / unease that she may be starting to feel. Let’s have her reflect more than a second on how he’s not the person she thought he was initially, and her feelings about her continuing to deceive him. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I just want more internal character development from her side.

Yeah I just finished that scene and the last couple of episodes were really good. I have said several times that I understand the FL’s reasoning, but I wish that they showed more of that internal struggle in her inner world like they do with the ML. Anyone who tells me that she thought he was a villain, she’s dying, she’s lived a false identity her whole life, etc. I completely agree and understand! I just wish we saw more of that side of her development. More of those internal struggles, the fear of him finding out, the fear of him leaving her if he discovered her identity and that she’s been using him, the conflict between developing feelings for him also also lying to him, etc. That’s all I’m saying 😂 The writers seem to be putting much more effort into developing the ML by giving us access to his internal conflicts, his past history of trauma, etc. They haven’t been giving us as much access into her private thoughts. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I am not trying to argue with anyone lol

Wow yeah this makes sense. If they had stayed truer to the ML’s character in the novel, then my whole perception of this dynamic would be 💯 different. I would be blaming the ML a lot more than I am currently, and have a lot more sympathetic feelings toward the FL. Damn, it’s too bad that they changed so much of his characterization, and yet I probably wouldn’t enjoy the show if he was an asshole for most of it 😂 Thanks for sharing, that makes sense.

I wish I could do that too 😅But if you’re saying that the Second Prince’s mother is actually calling the emperor “husband” or “my lord”, then IQIYI just messed up the English translation.

So what you’re saying is that IQIYI messed up the translation of that word? My subtitles seem to be translating her calling him “Father”.

See, we are getting much more insight into the ML’s internal struggles with his deception than with hers and it’s unfortunate. With him, we got to see him reflecting on the advice he got from a friend to “trick her into marrying him”, we also got to see that moment of internal turmoil as he considered the advice and hesitated, and then we got to see him drinking and reflecting on the FL’s words that they can separate as soon as the mission to save her friend is over. Earlier, we got to see him seeking advice from a friend on how to make it up to her that he’s been lying to her, showing that he’s feeling the dissonance. Btw, the ML needs new friends 😂

Whereas with her, her inner thoughts have largely been how she can continue to manipulate his feelings to get what she wants, whether it’s helping him with something or throwing herself and affection at him. It doesn’t paint her in a good light, even if the actress can show through glimpses in her acting that she may be developing genuine feelings for him. The problem is that we aren’t seeing it in her private thoughts like we are with the ML. We are mostly left to guess and make assumptions with her based on what we know of her history. With her private thoughts being those about manipulating him, it’s harder to not be a little more biased toward the ML. I think I also hold her a bit more accountable than him because it was her plan from the very beginning to insert herself into his life and manipulate him (even if the reason made sense). He didn’t seek her out, he just decided to take advantage of the opportunity that she provided.

The writers are making an extra effort it seems to make the ML the person we sympathize for. They’re showing us his history as an abused slave since childhood, his desire for revenge, his heartbreak about the death of his master (I am in episode 10 and he’s with his master in the pool and practically crying 💔oh my gosh my heart 💔). We see his difficulty with trusting others, and others using him for the golden millet dream. As I type I am in the illusion realm with the ML fighting off the clones in the pool. “It’s fake! Everything is fake!” is what they are telling him. Sadly, she’s lying to him too and I feel for him 💔

The character development is not balanced, which is sad. I wish they made more effort to develop the FL’s character, as she has a rich history that isn’t being developed to its full potential.