I also think they've cut out many scenes, especially towards the end of the whole drama. I believe the scenes…
Chinese censorship is kind of ambiguous. I don't think it's just the beast scenes that were cut, there seem to have been many gaps by the end. They also might have been hoping for a TV broadcast (while it was still the 50 ep limit, instead of 40 like it is now).
All right. I might write an actual review later, but I wanted to share some thoughts here first. This would be…
Why did I not get invested into MZX and Bo W. relationship. I don't believe it would have survived if they had a peaceful happy ending (and it seems like writers agree with me, since they killed them both). They never had an actual Relationship, all they had was a struggle, separation and hopeless last moments, constantly trying to make themselves into martyrs, instead of looking for better solutions or asking for help. This Romeo and Juliet type of "romance" never survives an actual peaceful everyday life. That is not to say it's not realistic, just that I don't really feel for them. I found Chu Kui really interesting. His character starts out as somewhat ambiguous and deteriorates as he gets more and more desperate for power. In the end everyone abandons him, because he puts his ambitions above everyone and everything else in his life. Ji Chong seems like a screenwriter's darling, they really did make him into a perfect dream guy. Well, no, he's not perfect. But he's all the better for it. Perfect people are boring. The one of the two times I was close to tears while watching this drama was when he told MZX, that he's letting her go. It was obvious for some time, that he knows he should do it, but just needs the time to come to terms with it. Bao Na really grew up by the end there. I wish we could have seen more of her. Yao Ji is the biggest a surprise. She started out very one-dimensional, but ended up the one character that I came to sympathize with the most. Her scene with Bo Wang (after they save him from slave camp) was another one that almost made me cry. The ending though... I was not impressed and really wasn't touched. As I said in the non spoiler part, their willingness to die/suffer for the other is really not something I find in any way inspiring. Wow, that got long... sorry :))
All right. I might write an actual review later, but I wanted to share some thoughts here first. This would be the "No spoilers" part. First, no matter how much I complain about this drama, I still like it very much. There are a lot things they could have done better, but the overall impression that it has left me with is very good. I was invested and rarely had the need to fast-forward. I like the pacing, most of the characters are interesting (even if I don't like them, they still are), the views are amazing and the overall storyline and relationship development is believable and it works. This is not the JOL type of drama, that focuses on the intricate political plot. The main focus here is people and relationships. Not just the main couple, but the people surrounding them, how they change and grow (or don't, for that matter). Actually, on me, the characters surrounding MZX and Bo Wang left a bigger impression, that they themselves did. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I've seen a relationship like theirs in real life and it didn't end well, maybe I it's my believe that people who love each other, instead of just being infatuated, should be more willing to live for each other, rather than die for each other (which it seems like they are constantly trying to do from the very beginning). MZX outside of her relationship with Bo Wang really shows a lot of growth as character. It is slow, really frustrating, but it happens. It does unfortunately fall apart as soon as Bo Wang is in the vicinity, like writers were trying to cutify (it's not a word, but whatever) her and ended up making he into a brainless simpering idiot. The cuts, that we all know are there, to me were the most obvious in the last 3 episodes. And the thing is, there are some really long useless scenes that could have been cut, and instead they seemed to have cut some important ones. It looked kind of messy and hurried because of that.
I understand what you are saying about the novel. But there is a reason it is called adaptation. It is a job of…
I don't know the whole story, so it's difficult to judge right now which supporting character is important, but in my opinion the pacing would have benefited from cutting out some of the characters that just come and go, or at least shortening of their backstories and making their interaction with the leads more concise. I really hope that further down the story will have more focus, without endless subplots, that I, honestly, can't follow.
I think it's important to remember that there are 51 episodes and like some others have said, in a setting like…
I understand what you are saying about the novel. But there is a reason it is called adaptation. It is a job of screenwriters to adapt what they have to the storyline that will work for the drama. A lot of the people watching this didn't read the novel, so they didn't need to worry about cutting out someone's favorite scene. On the other hand slow start doesn't mean it won't get better, so far, I'm hopeful, but not very much.
I've watched 12 episodes of this drama and the first word I feel like now it's a one time watch... I was waiting…
Omg, thank you! Those are my thoughts exactly! I was thinking maybe it's a genre thing... Can you give me a good wuxia recommendation, please? I want to see of maybe it's not my thing. I kind of stopped even trying to remember character names, too many of them and most are irrelevant to the plot. The main storyline is still kind of ok, though...
Well, every drama need to accept criticism from viewers, u cant expect n stop others to express their opinion..
I would have to disagree with you. As I've said in The Wolf comment section: this is not a Professional Drama critics committee. Barely anyone actually has objective reasons for liking or disliking (even when they try). Some people are just not feeling it or it fails to catch their interest, but others love it. Everyone is different. And also from what negative comments I've seen, most of them are polite and provide simple reasons. Some - I agree with, some - don't. But most of the positive comments are just exclamations about how "it's amazing!". If everyone has to be objective, then positive comments have to provide reasons too? No, they don't. I just feel like here, any negative review is taken almost as personal slight against ML or FL and that does not bode well for reasonable discussion.
Well, every drama need to accept criticism from viewers, u cant expect n stop others to express their opinion..
I don't think you understood what I meant. I don't care if people criticize the drama, it's not my child and everyone is entitled to their opinion. But the whole melodrama about negative reviews being left by ZLY or WYB haters and other discussions related to that are something that I would like to avoid.
I wanted to share my thoughts on what episodes I've seen so far, but this comment section looks toxic, everyone is seeing anitis and personal attacks everywhere. I think, I'll just watch the drama itself, and avoid the drama down here.
Chill people it's not real and actors personal lives have nothing to do with you.
So, I've seen 2 episodes. With subs, my Chinese is not good enough to watch without. So far, I don't have a problem with the pacing and the acting (at least the leads) is fine, as far as Chinese dramas go (not that I've seen many). There are some minor things, like Fei really does look the same age as her mother, Wang Yibo's dubbing voice really doesn't fit the character and I am kind of lost with the amount of people introduced in the first episodes (but usually it gets better later, so that's fine). But, as I said those are minor things and if I like the drama, I can easily ignore them. I do have a question, though. For people who watch more C-Dramas than I do (any dramas actually, I've seen, like, 3 and a half, maybe?). Is overdramatic acting, profound speeches and irrational behavior a xianxia/wuxia genre trait that every drama of the genre follows? Cause it's annoying af and really makes me want to fast forward through it.
This is not news, but just my thoughts on possible air date. Probably February-March 2021. Tencent is airing You Fei right now (which finishes February 2021), I don't think they'll air another drama that's has basically the same genre and general idea at the same time. At least I hope not :) But since Duoluo was brought by Korea already, it's likely to air soon. Or Tencent will go for broke and air everything at the same time :))
I find it very fitting that the one lead with a stable family is the most mature character in the drama (besides…
And also quick note: even though, I do like Ji Chong more as a character, I don't want him and MZX to end up together. I think he deserves more than to be a second choice and she really won't be happy with him.
I found Chu Kui really interesting. His character starts out as somewhat ambiguous and deteriorates as he gets more and more desperate for power. In the end everyone abandons him, because he puts his ambitions above everyone and everything else in his life.
Ji Chong seems like a screenwriter's darling, they really did make him into a perfect dream guy. Well, no, he's not perfect. But he's all the better for it. Perfect people are boring. The one of the two times I was close to tears while watching this drama was when he told MZX, that he's letting her go. It was obvious for some time, that he knows he should do it, but just needs the time to come to terms with it.
Bao Na really grew up by the end there. I wish we could have seen more of her.
Yao Ji is the biggest a surprise. She started out very one-dimensional, but ended up the one character that I came to sympathize with the most. Her scene with Bo Wang (after they save him from slave camp) was another one that almost made me cry.
The ending though... I was not impressed and really wasn't touched. As I said in the non spoiler part, their willingness to die/suffer for the other is really not something I find in any way inspiring.
Wow, that got long... sorry :))
First, no matter how much I complain about this drama, I still like it very much. There are a lot things they could have done better, but the overall impression that it has left me with is very good. I was invested and rarely had the need to fast-forward. I like the pacing, most of the characters are interesting (even if I don't like them, they still are), the views are amazing and the overall storyline and relationship development is believable and it works.
This is not the JOL type of drama, that focuses on the intricate political plot. The main focus here is people and relationships. Not just the main couple, but the people surrounding them, how they change and grow (or don't, for that matter). Actually, on me, the characters surrounding MZX and Bo Wang left a bigger impression, that they themselves did.
Maybe it has to do with the fact that I've seen a relationship like theirs in real life and it didn't end well, maybe I it's my believe that people who love each other, instead of just being infatuated, should be more willing to live for each other, rather than die for each other (which it seems like they are constantly trying to do from the very beginning).
MZX outside of her relationship with Bo Wang really shows a lot of growth as character. It is slow, really frustrating, but it happens. It does unfortunately fall apart as soon as Bo Wang is in the vicinity, like writers were trying to cutify (it's not a word, but whatever) her and ended up making he into a brainless simpering idiot.
The cuts, that we all know are there, to me were the most obvious in the last 3 episodes. And the thing is, there are some really long useless scenes that could have been cut, and instead they seemed to have cut some important ones. It looked kind of messy and hurried because of that.
I really hope that further down the story will have more focus, without endless subplots, that I, honestly, can't follow.
On the other hand slow start doesn't mean it won't get better, so far, I'm hopeful, but not very much.
I kind of stopped even trying to remember character names, too many of them and most are irrelevant to the plot.
The main storyline is still kind of ok, though...
And also from what negative comments I've seen, most of them are polite and provide simple reasons. Some - I agree with, some - don't. But most of the positive comments are just exclamations about how "it's amazing!". If everyone has to be objective, then positive comments have to provide reasons too? No, they don't.
I just feel like here, any negative review is taken almost as personal slight against ML or FL and that does not bode well for reasonable discussion.
Chill people it's not real and actors personal lives have nothing to do with you.
So far, I don't have a problem with the pacing and the acting (at least the leads) is fine, as far as Chinese dramas go (not that I've seen many).
There are some minor things, like Fei really does look the same age as her mother, Wang Yibo's dubbing voice really doesn't fit the character and I am kind of lost with the amount of people introduced in the first episodes (but usually it gets better later, so that's fine). But, as I said those are minor things and if I like the drama, I can easily ignore them.
I do have a question, though. For people who watch more C-Dramas than I do (any dramas actually, I've seen, like, 3 and a half, maybe?). Is overdramatic acting, profound speeches and irrational behavior a xianxia/wuxia genre trait that every drama of the genre follows? Cause it's annoying af and really makes me want to fast forward through it.
Probably February-March 2021. Tencent is airing You Fei right now (which finishes February 2021), I don't think they'll air another drama that's has basically the same genre and general idea at the same time. At least I hope not :) But since Duoluo was brought by Korea already, it's likely to air soon.
Or Tencent will go for broke and air everything at the same time :))