FinaNa

How popular is this drama in the mainland? Is it a hit and does it live up to its hype?

But it's because of the things you don't like that this novel is unique and different from other cliché plots. So, why wouldn't it be liked by the general audience? Haha, maybe they'll be annoyed by the two main characters, but the plot is stronger and more engaging. And if this book is that bad, and only liked by 83 people, why would they adapt it into a drama, and even a S+ drama with a famous cast?

even if they were to avoid censorship, they shouldn't have turned a 'playboy, cunning player' into a 'pure, innocent' person, right?

Oh, maybe I missed that part? But in the novel, MY was supposed to use his real face because there's a situation where MY is afraid of being recognized by his teacher and friends. And in the novel, it's clear they've never met before, because when JBZ first entered the arena, MY was already injured and unable to participate.

Yes, their tension in the novel is intense, heated, full of tricks and games. Both are equally cunning and clever at playing games. JBZ is a playboy, while MY is a seductress. And here, they ditch that.

It's a matter of taste, perhaps? And I prefer the tension in the novel. And there are some differences from the novel that I think could be plot holes. 1. The opening scene, where JBZ and MX have already met, fought, and Bozai has even seen MY's face, so how could he forget when they meet again later? In the novel, clearly, JBZ and MX have never met before. 2. JBZ's character is portrayed as pure? In the novel, he's truly a cunning playboy who uses women as a cover, but that's where he's unique and interesting, in my opinion (making the tension between MY and JBZ more palpable), not just a cover that's already mainstream in the world of cdrama. 3. There's one scene that I think takes away from the essence of their characters in the novel. I don't hate the actors, I just regret the production team changing them too much.

And yes, I'm starting to feel sorry for this author because the three dramas adapted from his novels have lost their essence and changed completely. Haha

They changed too much, didn't they? Their memorable initial encounter became typical of Chinese dramas, and Ji Bozai's playboy character somehow became pure? Of the three historical dramas airing (Fated Heart, Yummy 3, and Love in the Clouds), this was the one I was most looking forward to since news of it being adapted into a drama. Then there was Yummy 3, with its intriguing premise. Finally, Fated Heart was the one I was most skeptical of, but now I can't finish an episode of LITC and Yummy 3, while I'm addicted to Fated Heart, which I didn't like before. It's not the actors' fault, but LITC changed too much from the novel (I was a fan of the novel). In Yummy 3, the father and older brother characters were incredibly annoying (in other words, this kind of comedy drama isn't my cup of tea). Meanwhile, FH, which I disliked the novel for its ridiculous portrayal of YuXiao, turned out to be the most successful adaptation compared to the original.