MagnoliaCream

there is a Recent Discussions topic about this entitled "Why scenes were cut". This includes a statement from a member of the production team describing the challenges this drama went through to get aired

I see questions about cut scenes every day, sometimes more than once a day. So I searched for the statement from the production team about this from old comments and added it to Recent Discussions section (above the Comments section) under the topic "Why scenes were cut". Please feel free to add insights or other information you might have found relating to this.

Thank you! :)

glad to hear good news about this drama after reading complaints about cut scenes since ep 20

apparently, iQIYI is showing Republican-era dramas for Chinese New Year on Jan 22 thus wants this drama to finish before then.

Another thing, Dylan is part of the cast of a web movie entitled "Look Up and See Joy" that iQiyi , Tencent and Youku are broadcasting on Jan 22. Following is the trailer:
https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:4858268414312453?from=old_pc_videoshow

Great compilation of ancient scandals.

In another comment, a statement from one member of the production team said that aside from the theme (eunuch), another reason why the drama got strict scrutiny was because of Dylan's popularity. (Note: I just saw in twitter that Dylan got a Baidu award for the most popular actor in 2022).

Due to Dylan's popularity, this Level A (low-budget) drama was made a key project which caused it to be subjected to strict censorship.

I did laugh at that scene and dismissed the jarring feeling when the scenery suddenly changed.. There are other scenes that seem off, like when XD suddenly disappeared from YL's side during the lantern festival as well as the bloodless healthy, i.e. no sign of hacking, body of the spy the emperor viciously hacked, but I also dismissed them immediately. Same as the bath-tub scene. It was a bit jarring to see her in a tub when XD revealed his condition, but I knew that she already knew about it from her investigation into his androgen-inhibiting pills and I assumed she was aware that XD being a eunuch was used to seeing women in tubs thus did not mind when he, seemingly, burst into her room and confirmed what she already knew. Perhaps Tongyun blabbered about the investigation to Cao Chun-ang, who knows, the important thing is that XD finally told YL. It will be noted that around this time, XD was setting a trap for the Prince of Nanyuan, so I was more interested in that.

When the story is this good, filled with heart-fluttering romantic scenes, and with actors nailing their parts, I am prepared to dismiss a lot of minor flaws just as I do with almost all shows I watch.

The expectation for the cut scenes and hence, disappointment, was due to seeing the scenes previously, whether through the trailer or bts. Seeing the scenes upped the expectation meter. Actors have been complaining about their scenes being cut since time immemorial. I think it was a cdrama actor who said an intimate scene he filmed with much difficulty 19 times was cut. But was there an uproar about cut scenes like in UL?

it would be a shame for this list to get buried under thousands of other comments. this would be a great topic under Recent Discussions section. same with other lists you posted previously.

Regarding toxicity, I have a feeling that most of the haters are fans of Dylan's previous co-stars. I just read in youtube comments that a previous co-star (not in LBFAD) seems to be obsessed with Dylan or at least their CP status

oh, so the screening is done manually. I thought there was some automated algorithm Douban uses to screen out fake reviews. Kudos to Dylan's fans for their hard work..

for organized hater groups, doesn't douban have something that screens them out?

I feel the same. Viewers should separate the actors from the characters. I guess this is why one of the new C-Ent rules discourages couple marketing.

yeah, it's really gripping. the story is getting so intense

Oh, maybe that's how the steamy scenes got the reviewers' attention, coz they were featured in the trailers. In any case, I think the censored scenes should also have been removed from the trailers. Keeping them in set the audience up for disappointment.

There are other parts of the drama that have a choppy feel, not just where the scenes were cut (though I didn't feel those), like when byl asked for food and xd was suddenly shown telling his men to get food, but because no ruckus was raised about them, they were glossed over. And I'm sure other dramas also have these but as is often said, if one is looking for a fault, it will be found. Otherwise, not.

I think the ruckus about the cut scenes is caused by the scenes being made public. If the viewers didn't know about them, they would not have been disappointed. No expectations, no disappointment.

From the point of view of one who has not seen the cut scenes (though I got ideas of these scenes from the comments), I'm really enjoying this drama and think the romance is really sweet, tantalizing and titillating even without the cut scenes. You can feel the passion of the leads for each other, not to mention their heartwarming mutual love, respect and trust.

The development of the romance between Xiao Duo and Bu Yinlou, from being "sisters" (haha) to lovers, is told delightfully, with many funny and heart-fluttering scenes. The moment XD fell in love is captured so heartwarmingly. In another scene, when BYL got drunk and fell asleep on XD's lap, you could feel XD's happiness as he dared to touch BYL's cheek. In yet another scene, XD couldn't contain his feelings and kissed a sleeping BYL. BYL returned the favor another time. These and more are in the drama.

The drama shows XD, the ruthless Head Eunuch of Zhaoding Bureau, bringing his whole heart into his relationship with BYL. He couldn't care less who knows about it as long as BYL is not endangered. He doesn't care that he appears whipped. He doesn't care that his rival is the emperor. You could tell that she holds the most important place in his heart. The same is true of BYL's feelings for him. Though she held back at a crucial moment, it was to protect him.

So the drama is not without romantic scenes. It has a lot of heart-fluttering romance as well as other elements like comedy, mystery, palace intrigues and tear-jerking moments that are portrayed really well.

Having said that, it would be a great treat to viewers to have a director's cut of this drama with all the deleted scenes

Yeah, without censorship, we would have had all those scenes. But I don't mind not having them. The drama still shows XD and BYL being ecstatic and playful with each other. That's enough for me 😊

I'm contented to see them being sweet and in love with each other. Xiao Duo's blissful smile the morning after their first night is more than enough for me 😊 I just want them to be happy together after their tragic past

It would be a real test of Xiao Duo's love. Even if YL hates her dad, he is still her blood relative. However, I'm seeing BTS of eps 29 and 30 featuring XD and BYL being amorous. So I guess XD's love is THAT strong