Artehc

haha I skipped many of his scenes when he interacted with FL. For some reason, I can't stand looking at him

I admit this drama does have a very familiar feeling to the Story of Minglan. I see many similarities between the two dramas (regarding the Luo family's inner courtyard scheming). As a big fan of the Story of Minglan myself, I was a bit surprised and felt nostalgic when I first started the Rise of Ning.

But I would NOT say that it copied the Story of Minglan. It's more of an inspiration as only Yining's upbringing was similar. The premise of the drama, on the other hand, is very different. In fact, Rise of Ning is in the trope of Rebirth-revenge genre that plays with a fake sibling relationship.

Furthermore, it's not like the Story of Minglan owns that specific storyline and has a copyright that no other story shall not be remotely similar. So, let's not go into the hate and comparison territory and just enjoy a good drama that Rise of Ning is turning out to be.

I feel so exposed

I forgot which episode, but she's the first one to get married.

There was sth added to the tea. You'll see in Ep17. But whether it was added to only the pot of tea that her mother drank from or to the whole batch of tea, we don't know yet.

Spoiler alert:

After her marriage, Molan stops interfering (or at least has no more influence in) the FL's life. She won't appear as often anymore.

haha cool cool. I'm about to get into my third rewatch.

I know right?! It keeps getting better and better until the end.

No worries. I assure you, if you don't watch it, you'll miss out BIG time. If you ask me which C-drama I'll remember for my entire life, I'll say this one.

There will always gonna be scheming in the inner courtyard of an aristocratic family, but Minglan knows how to maneuver them. You'll see her journey of character development as she becomes better at handling them. It tells her story through a span of years from her childhood to her later years after having her own family.

What makes this even more fascinating than other dramas is that the subplots (other characters' stories) are also interesting and relevant to the FL's story. The FL and ML are on different paths of their lives at the start, but they will converge during mid-series as the culmination of their life choices bring them together.

You'd think 78 episodes would be filled with fillers, but not at all. Not a single episode did I ever feel bored (because all credits to the writing and the AMAZING acting from all the casts). You know the saying that the heroes are only as good as the villains. In here, the main leads are very brilliant, but the villains are excellent. You'll hate them, but you'll also want to continue watching them to see what they have in store. And it's not pure black. ALL the characters are gray (even FL and ML); they all have their own flaws. You'll have an opinion on their characters and decisions, but I think it's a reflection of what people irl would do too in such situations.

I don't want to spoil too much, but don't be scare to watch it. I love this drama, and I'm super grateful that this is the drama that introduces me to the world of C-drama.

this is exactly what i imagine He Yan would look like

I'm so excited(!!) for Female General. I love all the characters in there and Zhou Ye as He Yan (her poster pic as He Yan really sold it for me). At first, i was reluctant with Cheng Lei as Xiao Jue (cuz i just finished Till the Brink of Time, so i was stuck in the Zhou Ye & Neo Hou CP vibe haha). But after seeing Cheng Lei in "My Journey to You", i think he actually fits Xiao Jue's character well.

For Rebirth of Malicious Empress, I totally agree that the actor to play Xie JingXin is gonna have a LOT of expectations. Haha he'd better be gorgeous as f***, brave, cunning, and cheeky to truly and faithfully portray XJX. But one thing I'm concerned about the drama is the revenge scene(s) by the FL character. Her paybacks are very very gruesome for onscreen display (only R-rated that can do justice to what she would exact on her enemies).

I haven't read Di Daughters, but I have watched "the Double". I love it, but the ending did not give enough closure for me. Everything else was brilliant.

For this upcoming drama "The Glory", I think the novel was one of the author's earliest works, so I don't have high expectations for it. It wasn't as well-known, and the author hadn't perfected her storytelling for the revenge genre yet. So I think the screenwriters are gonna have their hands full in filling the holes. Nonetheless, I'm waiting to watch it still.

is Miles Wei playing a villain here?

This is one of the most heartwarming drama (happy endings, deserved lovelines, no third party/crazy ex, very supportive parents, no toxic colleagues, very captivating chemistry between the leads and second leads). This got all the ingredients for a joyful watch!

I advise new viewers to enjoy the ride and this gem! ignore the negative comments (those are just subjective. I believe FL's actions in the first few episodes are totally understandable. If my friend/sister/daughter faces that same situation, I'd hope she'd do the same things)

yeah no, i'm not berating or anything. it's just for me that rating wouldn't wholly reflect the drama. But that doesn't mean that i won't watch the drama; it's just I'd go in without any expectation or prejudice. I think i'd get a better experience that way

i wouldn't believe the ratings of any drama when only 1ep was aired.

I've read the novel of "Female general". it's called Rebirth of a Star General. The FL is strong, and the ML is equally strong. But i heard that the story in the drama adaptation will be changed to comply to censorship (no soul-changing or sth like that), so some characters may not exist in the drama. I'm excited but also sad at the same time.

For me:
- 9.5 for acting (esp love the chemistry between the main leads; the comedic moments and timing were ON point and not cringe at all)
- 9 for music (fits the theme and triggers the right emotions)
- 7 for too much cut of scenes which led to the rather short ending (i know it was to pass the censor. i heard they re-edited 3 times before they were given the pass to broadcast)
- 7.5 for story plot (the villains were not omnipotent, but it still perfectly showcased the pros and cons of Imperial power)

yes yes! I love Back from the Brink.
now excited for her performance with Cheng Lei in the upcoming "Female General"

yes all his wives. 1 is the main wife (Madam) while the other two are his concubines (Concubine Lin and Minglan's mother)

i never get tired of rewatching this series. *chef's kiss*