AtsukoM

He will

It truly is the case...

Now, whenever I want to rewatch something to wind down, my go-to dramas are something like The Story of Minglan, where I can just let myself go with the flow. That's probably one of the reasons why TFJ instantly hits the home run for me as well.

Yes, that was the case, and also against the Empress Dowager claiming the throne for herself.

This is this, and that is that. Empress Dowager has close personal relationship with Ye Li's mom, and seems to be close with Ye Li when she was young as well.

But, politics and power is a separate matter. She needed to make an example to consolidate her power back then, because Lin Shang Academy which has disciples everywhere is opposing her path to power.

Because they offended the Empress Dowager big time, and she basically detained them on the mountain for all these years.

After ep 13, I'm holding myself back so much not to click those previews. ughhhh

I mean, I was responding to OP's question about 'how Guo Jin can set an eye to the throne'. I simply provided an example from real history as a precedent. Gou Jin doesn't need to be an exact recreation of Wu Zetian. It's not a drama about Wu Zetian after all.

Well, Wu Zetian did exactly that in Chinese history and became the only female Empeor of a dynasty. I assume this Empress Dowager was inspired from Wu Zetian.

Hard agree. Just these production and directing choices alone stand out so much already. I was also feeling fatigued by all the bright colors and noisy elements in recent dramas. This really is a nice change of pace for me, taking me down the nostalgic lane of earlier cdramas.

Compared to other bastards of its time, MJL looks like a gem. The bar is indeed low lmfao

It's excellent so far.

For this drama, recommend to watch till ep 4-5 to fully grasp the stories and characters.

I kinda feel the same. Let him just be an unscrupulous egomanic that he is, so that we can dislike him without reservation. haha

But, let's see how it'll develop further.

I get where you are coming from. It was indeed awesome to read a MXY who commands immense power that shakes the entire realm. I also low key hope the drama will develop to that scale later down the line even if the chances are low. haha

Like someone said, Ye Li is a hair's breadth away from being a villain—and an incredibly tough one at that.

She's smart, cunning, decisive, difficult to read... and knows how to use her feminity to get to the opponent, the textbook definition of a 'wolf in sheep’s clothing'.

If her alignment were flipped, she would very well be a beauty that topples countries, who watches the chaos while sipping tea.

To be fair, the novel would not have worked in today's drama formats. Consider the episode limits, the massive character ensemble, the budget, and the market demands.

Not to mention, the pre-marriage arcs are incredibly generic, and most of the subplots won't even have room for them in the drama.

Don't get me wrong, I love the novel and recommend it to others whenever I get a chance. But an exact adaptation is just not happening in today's drama market. That's the reality.

I beg to differ with your comment regarding Mo Xiuyao, though. Imo, he's largely the same as his counterpart from the novel in terms of characterization.

We usually recommend ppl to watch until ep4-5 because that's where everything starts to make sense. Since you were looking forward to the drama, why not give it a few more episodes?

Yes, it seems to be so. How much of what she says are truth or lie, we don't know yet. They'll be revealed later down the line.

That's the consensus so far, and likely the case as well.

Also, the fact that this director holds enough weight to negotiate this with the producers and investors speaks volumes. Given her track record, she definitely has the leverage to protect the storytelling.

I know that's not the case normally... it always breaks my heart whenever a very good source material is turned into a sloppy mess.

Your opinion is fine. Chemistry is a very subjective thing to begin with.

For me, this couple is doing absolute wonders. They show their care towards each other through subtle actions and the intent behind them. There is a very good comment down below explaining the current state of Ye Li's mind, and why she might not actually be in a romantic love stage yet.

Which is why I'm appreciative of the director and writer of this drama for pushing for this type of story, especially in idol drama space where visuals and instant gratifications are the dominant trends these days.