I also agree that she shouldn't be as big of a role model as they made her to be. She was always right, never…
You put it so perfectly, especially about the arranged marriage trope! The whole charm of that trope lies in watching two flawed people slowly find a middle ground and build genuine intimacy through mutual understanding.
That's exactly why the consummation felt so out of place—there was no emotional resolution leading up to it, so it felt like a forced milestone rather than a natural progression. And I completely agree about the matriarchal dynamic, when a relationship only works if one person completely surrenders, it ceases to feel like a partnership.
Once that emotional core and equality were lost, all the dramatic death scenes—no matter how sad they were meant to be—just fell flat. It wasn't because the actors lacked skill, but because the story turned into a checklist of agendas rather than organic storytelling. Thank you so much for this incredible discussion! It’s been so refreshing and validating to break all of this down with you.
I also agree that she shouldn't be as big of a role model as they made her to be. She was always right, never…
That's such an insightful point about the gender dynamic. It really felt like the writing confused female empowerment with a total lack of grace toward the male lead, making his sacrifices feel completely undervalued just because of how their marriage began.
This makes me reflect a lot on real-world relationships. Forced or arranged marriages are undoubtedly terrifying, but in reality, what people often fear most isn't just how a relationship starts—it’s spending a lifetime with someone who refuses to compromise.
Looking at real-life generations before us, many ended up in forced circumstances, yet managed to build genuine mutual respect because one partner consistently chose to show effort, grace, and compromise. That’s why Jinqi’s trajectory feels so disheartening. Even after he yielded his ambitions and treated her with utmost respect, the narrative still framed him as an unforgivable offender.
What makes it feel so contradictory is that the script heavily demanded Jinqi to make huge, life-altering sacrifices to prove his loyalty, yet it never gave Lanxiang the narrative space to acknowledge those sacrifices as a valid middle ground. It leaves the relationship feeling permanently punitive rather than a shared journey.
I also agree that she shouldn't be as big of a role model as they made her to be. She was always right, never…
I couldn’t agree more. The drop in quality after that arc completely shifted my overall rating of the drama as well.
I was a bit sad that after the grave scene, Lanxiang didn't truly soften, she merely accepted her marriage to Jinqi by performing the three kowtows before her parents' graves. While I didn't expect her to instantly forgive him and pretend nothing happened, continuing to 'punish' Jinqi for everything he stood for—especially during that opera scene—felt a bit too heart-wrenching.
When she told him they were on different paths, the opera felt like a gentle reminder that Jinqi was walking the 'wrong' path and that HE was the one who had to bend and join hers. In any real-world relationship, no two people start on the exact same path—they compromise to find a middle ground. Here, the dynamic became quite imbalanced. It felt as if the drama was suggesting: once a stain is made, it can never truly be washed away, no matter how hard one tries to clean it. That’s what seemed to happen to Jinqi. Even by the end, people were still blaming him for the imperial decree, overshadowing all the goodness and sacrifices he made.
What makes it a bit baffling is how Lanxiang was able to show grace to Zhao Xingtang—who almost got her executed to cover up an affair and had Ji'er sold to a brothel—as well as Jinqi's mother, who was the reason Lanxiang was brought into the Lin household in the first place and who never fully accepted her as a daughter-in-law.
When you look back, almost everyone in the story carried their own flaws and mistakes. It’s just such a shame the writer didn't allow Lanxiang that same room for forgiveness when it came to Jinqi, the one person who constantly fought for her till the very end.
I also agree that she shouldn't be as big of a role model as they made her to be. She was always right, never…
Spot on! You expressed exactly what was bothering me in a way I couldn't fully put into words before.
That 'moral pedestal' point is so accurate—it made her feel less like a complex, flawed human and more like a vessel meant to always be in the right, which alienated her character even more. In fact, if you look at it, out of all the characters, Lanxiang actually had the least amount of true character development. Considering how deep her trauma was, it could have been so compelling to explore, but she kept focusing on solving external problems instead of doing any internal healing. That's why she came across as so cold and guarded—because she never actually tried to recover from her trauma.
That’s also why I disagree whenever people say 'Lanxiang never loved Jinqi.' I genuinely feel like she did love him, but she was just too terrified of losing 'control' over her life again if she allowed herself to fully show that love to the world. She never really recovered, and honestly, she never even tried.
Honestly wanted to love this, but the scriptwriting was such a mess. Squeezing 3 couples into a 20-episode run completely ruined the pacing and robbed the main leads of any proper background or emotional depth.
Because the writing and direction were so weak, the performances across the board took a noticeable hit—even experienced actors like Zhao Jinmai and Wei Daxun struggled to deliver natural chemistry, making their dynamics feel forced. On top of that, romanticizing that toxic second couple left a really bad taste. It honestly felt like a half-baked drama rush-delivered to the screen.
To be like LX all you have to do is try; try to learn, try to accept what you can't change and try to be a decent…
Honestly, same! The cancellation broke my heart, but on the bright side, at least we were spared from watching Matthew’s death... Following the book's timeline, Season 4 would have destroyed us all 😭
To be like LX all you have to do is try; try to learn, try to accept what you can't change and try to be a decent…
If you do decide to check out 'Anne with an E', just a quick heads-up, since it's a Netflix adaptation, the tone is much heavier, darker, and slower compared to the original books or older versions, featuring classic Netflix-style social conflicts. Anne's personality might also give you a bit more 'second-hand embarrassment' at times!
Even so, it is such a warm, deeply moving series—the kind of show that ultimately made me feel so grateful and proud to be born as a woman.
Haha, enjoy your weekend watch! 'The Princess Royal' is definitely a fun ride. As for 'Zang Hai', no pressure at all—taste is always subjective, but I hope you find something to enjoy in it if you give it another shot! Have a great weekend!
To be like LX all you have to do is try; try to learn, try to accept what you can't change and try to be a decent…
Thank you! I really appreciate that.
Ah, about 'The Glory'—the one I meant is actually a Chinese drama starring Chen Duling and Xin Yunlai, which focuses quite a bit on psychological and character depth. As for 'Anne with an E', it’s a Canadian television series available on Netflix! It’s a wonderful coming-of-age story.
Haha, no worries! I completely see your point about her background setup.
As for Zang Hai, his early mistakes and flawed decisions are actually why the writing works so well for me. A character who struggles, acts foolishly out of desperation, and shows real human vulnerability feels much more grounded. Please, this has nothing to do with gender at all. There are plenty of female lead characters with plot armor whose journeys feel completely natural to me—like Han Yan in The Glory, or Li Rong in The Princess Royal. It's all about character depth. When a character makes genuine mistakes, we get to see their actual growth instead of just seeing them breeze through everything flawlessly.
Exactly! On my second watch, I realized just how heavy her plot armor actually was. I think it stems from the original novel being a reborn story, but because of censorship regulations prohibiting the reborn theme, they changed it to her surviving the massacre.
The issue is, having all her brilliant knowledge attributed solely to her childhood reading as Shen Jialan doesn't add up—especially since she lived in poverty for 6 years after the massacre without even access to a writing brush. Classical Chinese literature, politics, and idioms are far too complex for a child to master so flawlessly without years of training.
In contrast, shows like 'Legend of Zang Hai' build a realistic foundation by showing the lead undergoing 10 years of rigorous training under specialized masters before executing his plans, or 'The Princess Royal' where Li Rong still makes human mistakes despite her reborn memories. Without that proper foundation, LX's perfection feels purely driven by plot armor.
To be like LX all you have to do is try; try to learn, try to accept what you can't change and try to be a decent…
Thank you for such a thoughtful and detailed response! I really appreciate seeing how you interpret the overarching themes and concepts of the drama.
I think our different takes come down to what we focus on as viewers. While you're looking at the grand philosophical framework, I tend to be deeply drawn to the smaller execution details—the dialogue, character framing, and the emotional space given to each scene. For me, lines like the second sister’s repeated remarks, the mother’s final words to JQ, or the way characters like the third sister’s husband were written made the execution feel a bit too forced and unbalanced on screen.
This is probably why I couldn't view it the same way, especially when comparing it to shows like The Glory (Chinese Drama), Anne with an E or When Life Gives You Tangerine. Those series handled similar themes of systemic injustice, ironies, and human struggle, but with much lighter, natural dialogue and balanced emotional weight. They gave us enough room to genuinely feel for every human being in the story without explicitly telling us what to feel.
That being said, I really enjoyed this exchange and seeing the story through a humanist lens from your perspective. Thanks for having such a nice and insightful discussion with me!
To be like LX all you have to do is try; try to learn, try to accept what you can't change and try to be a decent…
Thank you so much for pointing that out and sharing your perspective! I really appreciate your response, and honestly, I completely forgot about the opera plays she kept writing into her old age—that was indeed her unique way of trying to 'change the world' using her talent.
If we look at it strictly from Lanxiang’s individual standpoint, her choices make total sense given that she survived a near-death experience. My main issue is more about how the drama forcefully feeds specific morals to the audience toward the end, which feels uncomfortable for viewers like me who prefer subtle, implicit storytelling.
What I regret most about this drama is how it side-lines the suffering of the male characters, framing almost every misfortune as if it were purely the fault of men. As a human being, that depiction felt a bit too extreme. While it’s true that the patriarchial system was created by men, it doesn’t mean every single issue can be automatically blamed on or tied back to them.
For instance, take Ji'er's resentment toward Jinqi for not recognizing her. She blamed Jinqi for who she had become, but I respectfully disagree with her logic. Looking back, her path was largely shaped by her own parents—specifically her mother, who fed her expectations and pressured her to get close to Jinqi just to elevate their family's social status.
Anyway, thanks again for reminding me about the opera aspect! It’s really nice having a thoughtful discussion like this with you.
First of all, I apologize in advance if my perspective sounds a bit harsh or unpopular, as I know many people love this drama. I'm just sharing my personal thoughts and would love to have a healthy discussion without any hard feelings!
I spent a lot of time thinking about why I felt so uneasy and unsatisfied with this drama, even though I know the storyline was neat, the cinematography was top-notch, the action scenes were well above average, and the acting was undeniable.
In the end, I think I just couldn't fully accept the message the writer was trying to convey. I wouldn't want Xu Lanxiang to be a role model for anyone. She is a specific, exceptional case. I feel that if everyone were to follow Lanxiang’s way of living, the world would crumble without us even realizing it.
That might sound extreme, but to me, saving yourself is very different from turning a blind eye to your surroundings just to stay safe. And Lanxiang—along with the entire Lin family—did the latter. Despite being born as Shen Jialan, in the end, Lanxiang isn't all that different from Old Master Lin.
From what I’ve watched so far, if you want more focus on career and character growth, Twenty Your Life On is way better. But if you prefer something lighter and more about love and emotions, then this drama might suit you. Personally, I like Twenty Your Life On more, especially season 2—it’s much better than season 1. I haven’t finished this one yet though, so that’s just my impression so far.
I have drama friends who don't like OG overall or something in particular. I know not everyone likes it, and I…
I genuinely liked this drama, but I’ve got to admit—it still has quite a few flaws that could’ve been improved. And no, this isn’t just about the scenes or episodes that were supposedly cut. The core issue lies in the scriptwriting, which felt a bit weak, and the producers’ struggle to properly build the chemistry within the Qushan gang.
The actors clearly gave it their all, but they were let down by choppy editing, stiff and overly textbook-like dialogue, and a lack of narrative consistency from start to finish. At times, it just didn’t flow the way it should’ve.
That said, I truly appreciate the cast’s performances—they stayed solid despite the script issues. I might even rewatch the drama someday, simply because I enjoyed the characters’ diverse personalities so much.
Still, I can’t help but feel a little sad. This drama could’ve been so much better than what we ended up getting.
I know this might be a controversial opinion, but honestly, I’m glad this drama only has 24 episodes. I mean, even within those 24, there were already so many scenes and lines that felt unnatural, and the chemistry was kinda flat (except for Yingtao and Qiaoxi—they carried). A lot of the scenes and dialogues just felt unnecessary, dragged out, and not straight to the point. And this is a 24-episode drama. I can’t even imagine if it had 40 episodes—I’d have to sit through all that filler for even longer. So yeah, I kinda get why they ended up releasing just 24. That said, I actually really enjoyed the drama. I loved the characters' personalities, the themes, and seeing how they all grew throughout the story!!
I watch it season 2 before season 1. So I say No, but for better experience (in season 2, they didn't tell any…
Season 1 also really good, and if you watch season 1 before season 2, you will feel, the productiona and quality of this drama is really improve. Season 2 is really good.
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That's exactly why the consummation felt so out of place—there was no emotional resolution leading up to it, so it felt like a forced milestone rather than a natural progression. And I completely agree about the matriarchal dynamic, when a relationship only works if one person completely surrenders, it ceases to feel like a partnership.
Once that emotional core and equality were lost, all the dramatic death scenes—no matter how sad they were meant to be—just fell flat. It wasn't because the actors lacked skill, but because the story turned into a checklist of agendas rather than organic storytelling. Thank you so much for this incredible discussion! It’s been so refreshing and validating to break all of this down with you.
This makes me reflect a lot on real-world relationships. Forced or arranged marriages are undoubtedly terrifying, but in reality, what people often fear most isn't just how a relationship starts—it’s spending a lifetime with someone who refuses to compromise.
Looking at real-life generations before us, many ended up in forced circumstances, yet managed to build genuine mutual respect because one partner consistently chose to show effort, grace, and compromise. That’s why Jinqi’s trajectory feels so disheartening. Even after he yielded his ambitions and treated her with utmost respect, the narrative still framed him as an unforgivable offender.
What makes it feel so contradictory is that the script heavily demanded Jinqi to make huge, life-altering sacrifices to prove his loyalty, yet it never gave Lanxiang the narrative space to acknowledge those sacrifices as a valid middle ground. It leaves the relationship feeling permanently punitive rather than a shared journey.
I was a bit sad that after the grave scene, Lanxiang didn't truly soften, she merely accepted her marriage to Jinqi by performing the three kowtows before her parents' graves. While I didn't expect her to instantly forgive him and pretend nothing happened, continuing to 'punish' Jinqi for everything he stood for—especially during that opera scene—felt a bit too heart-wrenching.
When she told him they were on different paths, the opera felt like a gentle reminder that Jinqi was walking the 'wrong' path and that HE was the one who had to bend and join hers. In any real-world relationship, no two people start on the exact same path—they compromise to find a middle ground. Here, the dynamic became quite imbalanced. It felt as if the drama was suggesting: once a stain is made, it can never truly be washed away, no matter how hard one tries to clean it. That’s what seemed to happen to Jinqi. Even by the end, people were still blaming him for the imperial decree, overshadowing all the goodness and sacrifices he made.
What makes it a bit baffling is how Lanxiang was able to show grace to Zhao Xingtang—who almost got her executed to cover up an affair and had Ji'er sold to a brothel—as well as Jinqi's mother, who was the reason Lanxiang was brought into the Lin household in the first place and who never fully accepted her as a daughter-in-law.
When you look back, almost everyone in the story carried their own flaws and mistakes. It’s just such a shame the writer didn't allow Lanxiang that same room for forgiveness when it came to Jinqi, the one person who constantly fought for her till the very end.
That 'moral pedestal' point is so accurate—it made her feel less like a complex, flawed human and more like a vessel meant to always be in the right, which alienated her character even more. In fact, if you look at it, out of all the characters, Lanxiang actually had the least amount of true character development. Considering how deep her trauma was, it could have been so compelling to explore, but she kept focusing on solving external problems instead of doing any internal healing. That's why she came across as so cold and guarded—because she never actually tried to recover from her trauma.
That’s also why I disagree whenever people say 'Lanxiang never loved Jinqi.' I genuinely feel like she did love him, but she was just too terrified of losing 'control' over her life again if she allowed herself to fully show that love to the world. She never really recovered, and honestly, she never even tried.
Because the writing and direction were so weak, the performances across the board took a noticeable hit—even experienced actors like Zhao Jinmai and Wei Daxun struggled to deliver natural chemistry, making their dynamics feel forced. On top of that, romanticizing that toxic second couple left a really bad taste. It honestly felt like a half-baked drama rush-delivered to the screen.
Even so, it is such a warm, deeply moving series—the kind of show that ultimately made me feel so grateful and proud to be born as a woman.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend too!
'The Princess Royal' is definitely a fun ride. As for 'Zang Hai', no pressure at all—taste is always subjective, but I hope you find something to enjoy in it if you give it another shot! Have a great weekend!
Ah, about 'The Glory'—the one I meant is actually a Chinese drama starring Chen Duling and Xin Yunlai, which focuses quite a bit on psychological and character depth. As for 'Anne with an E', it’s a Canadian television series available on Netflix! It’s a wonderful coming-of-age story.
As for Zang Hai, his early mistakes and flawed decisions are actually why the writing works so well for me. A character who struggles, acts foolishly out of desperation, and shows real human vulnerability feels much more grounded. Please, this has nothing to do with gender at all. There are plenty of female lead characters with plot armor whose journeys feel completely natural to me—like Han Yan in The Glory, or Li Rong in The Princess Royal. It's all about character depth. When a character makes genuine mistakes, we get to see their actual growth instead of just seeing them breeze through everything flawlessly.
The issue is, having all her brilliant knowledge attributed solely to her childhood reading as Shen Jialan doesn't add up—especially since she lived in poverty for 6 years after the massacre without even access to a writing brush. Classical Chinese literature, politics, and idioms are far too complex for a child to master so flawlessly without years of training.
In contrast, shows like 'Legend of Zang Hai' build a realistic foundation by showing the lead undergoing 10 years of rigorous training under specialized masters before executing his plans, or 'The Princess Royal' where Li Rong still makes human mistakes despite her reborn memories. Without that proper foundation, LX's perfection feels purely driven by plot armor.
I think our different takes come down to what we focus on as viewers. While you're looking at the grand philosophical framework, I tend to be deeply drawn to the smaller execution details—the dialogue, character framing, and the emotional space given to each scene. For me, lines like the second sister’s repeated remarks, the mother’s final words to JQ, or the way characters like the third sister’s husband were written made the execution feel a bit too forced and unbalanced on screen.
This is probably why I couldn't view it the same way, especially when comparing it to shows like The Glory (Chinese Drama), Anne with an E or When Life Gives You Tangerine. Those series handled similar themes of systemic injustice, ironies, and human struggle, but with much lighter, natural dialogue and balanced emotional weight. They gave us enough room to genuinely feel for every human being in the story without explicitly telling us what to feel.
That being said, I really enjoyed this exchange and seeing the story through a humanist lens from your perspective. Thanks for having such a nice and insightful discussion with me!
If we look at it strictly from Lanxiang’s individual standpoint, her choices make total sense given that she survived a near-death experience. My main issue is more about how the drama forcefully feeds specific morals to the audience toward the end, which feels uncomfortable for viewers like me who prefer subtle, implicit storytelling.
What I regret most about this drama is how it side-lines the suffering of the male characters, framing almost every misfortune as if it were purely the fault of men. As a human being, that depiction felt a bit too extreme. While it’s true that the patriarchial system was created by men, it doesn’t mean every single issue can be automatically blamed on or tied back to them.
For instance, take Ji'er's resentment toward Jinqi for not recognizing her. She blamed Jinqi for who she had become, but I respectfully disagree with her logic. Looking back, her path was largely shaped by her own parents—specifically her mother, who fed her expectations and pressured her to get close to Jinqi just to elevate their family's social status.
Anyway, thanks again for reminding me about the opera aspect! It’s really nice having a thoughtful discussion like this with you.
I spent a lot of time thinking about why I felt so uneasy and unsatisfied with this drama, even though I know the storyline was neat, the cinematography was top-notch, the action scenes were well above average, and the acting was undeniable.
In the end, I think I just couldn't fully accept the message the writer was trying to convey. I wouldn't want Xu Lanxiang to be a role model for anyone. She is a specific, exceptional case. I feel that if everyone were to follow Lanxiang’s way of living, the world would crumble without us even realizing it.
That might sound extreme, but to me, saving yourself is very different from turning a blind eye to your surroundings just to stay safe. And Lanxiang—along with the entire Lin family—did the latter. Despite being born as Shen Jialan, in the end, Lanxiang isn't all that different from Old Master Lin.
The actors clearly gave it their all, but they were let down by choppy editing, stiff and overly textbook-like dialogue, and a lack of narrative consistency from start to finish. At times, it just didn’t flow the way it should’ve.
That said, I truly appreciate the cast’s performances—they stayed solid despite the script issues. I might even rewatch the drama someday, simply because I enjoyed the characters’ diverse personalities so much.
Still, I can’t help but feel a little sad. This drama could’ve been so much better than what we ended up getting.
That said, I actually really enjoyed the drama. I loved the characters' personalities, the themes, and seeing how they all grew throughout the story!!