PNR

The only drama that gives me similar vibes is Blossom - which is unsurprising b/c its the only other full length drama from Zeng Qing Jie. If this stays consistently good like Blossom did, ZQJ will immediate go in my S tier directors list.

So far this show has actually been a lot better than I was expecting. The plot is moving along at a decent pace and the leads are decently written. Also, in contrast to an earlier comment, I don't find the FL's voice unpleasant at all. I can think of a couple dramas I've dropped b/c the FL's voice was too cloying, but this definitely isn't one of them.

I'm just here to say that no matter how amazing everyone else in this drama is (and they are all amazing), DouDou will never not be the queen of my heart.

We'll see what happens, but I'm actually holding out hope (and with some confidence!) that there won't actually be a breakup. We know from the kiss calendar that there are kisses in ep. 23 and 25. So the angst will likely just be in ep 24 with a bit of spill over in either direction. Could that be a short breakup? Sure. But it could also be - and I think it would make more sense for it to be - the FL (and her dad) learning the truth about the ML's dad, dealing with her dad's negative reaction, and deciding to support the ML through it all. It's possible that's wishful thinking, but it seems like there's also been a bit of foreshadowing: (a) she was initially hurt by someone walking away from her, (b) when the male lead confessed she made him promise he wouldn't run away and would deal with their problems together, (c) when they were at the overlook, she promised that she would always be beside him and would hold him tight.

@KitKatdramalover It's one of the biggest surprises for me in a while. Usually I'm pretty good at anticipating how much I'll like a drama. But I went into this one with mid-level expectations and it's exceeded them in every way: Strong characterization, solid acting, and main leads who are individually competent & mutually enriching. It's really been excellent so far.

No love triangle so far. FL's fiancé breaks things off with her at the beginning of episode 1 and her relationship with ML has been growing steadily.

So far the ML carries the relationship (such as it is) in a big way. FL is (perhaps understandably, given how her character has been written) outwardly much more cold/distant.

Thanks! I think this point is probably at the heart of the disagreements between ppl like @AleksandraSucur @Night and @purplenight. The drama has a ton of different elements (household drama, regional/national politics, romance, etc.). Some people (like @AleksandraSucur) seem to be here mainly for the non-romance aspects. Others are here mainly for the romance aspect. Of those who are here mainly for the romance aspect, some of us (like me) don't enjoy unbalanced romances. Others do. Since these are matters of taste, we shouldn't expect everyone to agree.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to sound morally relativistic or anything. Our tastes/preferences can be well grounded or poorly grounded. If I complained about this drama because I like army battles and I think it doesn't have enough army battles, that would be a poorly grounded complaint. Why? Because while the drama does have action, nothing about the drama gives the impression that it is heading in the direction of multiple large scale battles. By contrast (I think), there were a lot of aspects of the drama in the first 10-15 episodes that made it seem like it was headed towards being a strongly balanced romance between two equally competent partners. So the complaints of people who are disappointed that it's turning out not to be that are perfectly justified.

I think you're right that, based on the way her character has been written, she needs more proof and, based on the way his character has been written, he's willing to give her the proof she needs. But I also think that makes my/Ash's point: right now the romance side of things is very unbalanced.

You're also right that we have 1/3 of the drama left, along with the capital arc and the mentor's daughter arc. So sure, it's possible that the romance could become more balanced. And I would love it if that happens. My worry is that - with all that ground to cover and only so many episodes left - it's likely to be too little, too late.

Here's another way to put my worry (and again, it's just a worry, not a criticism): we've had 22 episodes of watching ML be selflessly and openly devoted to FL, which are also 22 episodes of watching FL be charmed-but-cautiously-restrained towards ML. That means that as long as the ML doesn't turn into a complete jerk in the last 14 episodes (which would be terrible), the FL will have to show us A LOT of unambiguous devotion to ML to give us a sense of romantic balance between the two. Could that happen? Yeah. Would I love for that to happen? Yeah. Do I think that's likely to happen? That's where I'm not so sure. And that's the worry.

While I think everything @AleksandraSucur and @Jinnie77 have said in response is true, I also think @Ash's main point stands, and I agree with it. It's true that RSB is (a) hemmed in by external circumstances and (b) conditioned by her past to suppress her emotions, all of which make her choices understandable. It's also true that, working within those constraints, RSB has does some things that show she cares for LJL. But the fact that her choices are understandable given her character and circumstances doesn't change the fact that - at least up to this point - the romance is significantly unbalanced.

And that's where matters of taste enter the picture. Some people enjoy watching romances that lean in the direction of being one-sided. Tons of K-dramas and C-dramas are like that. But I've personally had my fill of those. I really do want to love this show. It's rare to find a drama where the leads are so well matched when it comes to intellect, foresight, expertise, etc. But until there's a better balance when it comes to the romance side of things, I think the most I'll be able to say is that I *like* the show. And seeing as we're already more that 2/3 of the way through the drama, I'm starting to worry that we might not get there.

This show is hilarious. It's chaotic in all the right ways, but it never goes overboard.

So . . . I just finished episode 4 and I really don't get all the praise for Madam Li. She's basically been horrible so far. I'm open to a redemption arc of some kind, but it will need to be pretty drastic. As of now her character has been defined as (a) thoughtlessly violent, (b) wildly emotional, (c) constantly dependent on her daughters to placate her, and (d) a genuinely terrible "mother" to Qiong Nu.

I get that she's had a hard life and had to take care for the girls on her own, but that doesn't excuse any of the above.

You say "no one would place the same emotional expectations on a man who marries into fatherhood and doesn’t immediately bond with his stepchild." I think a lot of people would. Or at the very least they would expect him to act with love, even if he doesn't quite feel it yet. And they'd be right to do so. Because when you marry someone with a kid you aren't just gaining a wife, you're also gaining a son or a daughter.

Also, just to cover my bases: I agree that the society in which the drama is set was misogynistic. I also agree that misogyny is wrong. The thing I'm objecting to is labelling any objection to the way the FL treated the stepdaughter as "misogynistic." If the FL later comes to regret how she treated LZ (which I suspect she will), she won't be internalizing a misogynistic system, she'll just be recognizing the (true) fact that she should have been a better stepmom, and that LZ didn't deserve to be treated like that.

Just to be clear: I agree that if someone's disapproval of how HY treated LZ were dependent on the fact that HY is a woman, then that would be misogyny. What I disagree with is that ANY disapproval of how HY treated LZ is automatically misogyny. Personally, I think we're going to see our FL reflect on her treatment of LZ, regret it, and strive to be a better stepmom moving forward. That regret and disapproval of her former action won't be misogyny.

Hard disagree. It's not misogyny as long as it's not uniquely about women. Parents have an obligation to be parents. Doesn't matter whether you're talking about mothers or fathers. And that obligation includes giving love, care, and parental energy. If you don't do that, you're being a bad parent and failing to fulfill one of the most basic, most human obligations we have. Do people have baggage and wounds that make them unfit/unable to be good parents? Sure. Does that excuse them for being bad parents? Absolutely not.

So, I'm confused about something: is FL 18 years older than Jiang Dong?

Does anyone know who the actress is that plays Shen Yu Rong's sister?

I'm think that's basically confirmed at this point. In ep 5 when the gigantic wedding picture falls and knocks over the box of old photos, isn't that a picture of Ji-uk and Hae-yeong's mom that the camera briefly focuses on?

Yeah, definitely rare. The only other one I can think of is You are My Glory. The scenes where Jing Jing introduces herself to Yu Tu's parents, and where he introduces himself to her parents are hilarious. And everyone involved is super supportive

How many men was the FL intimate with? She didn't date in high school, right? And wasn't she with her ex-bf for like 6 or 7 years, starting sometime in college? Maybe I'm wrong about that, but if I'm right, then doesn't that mean that at most the FL has been with 1 more person than the ML?