CKDramaddicts

Ok, sounds like I need to add it to my (long) watch list!

Oh, I haven't watched that one, good to know, lol! All the one's I've seen have not turned out so great for his character. 😬

Curious, in the novel, is Alen Fang finally playing a character that gets a happy ending? Fang Yilun's basically like ... 1(?) for 100 so far on the Happily Ever After chart, lol. Please use spoiler tag, thank you!
(Edit: Updated from 0 to 1 😅🤣)

As I told a friend, JCW is solid here, and he's in nearly every episode. So if you want to appreciate and see him in something very different, Queen Woo is a good watch. But if you really just want to see him in his more typical leading man roles, then this is not it, and you won't be missing anything.

She was going to pick the 3rd prince, but he turns out to a vicious psychopath so she picks the 4th prince.

So, maybe my brain is just really slow, but were we supposed to figure out who really poisoned the King through the various clues or was that never answered?

No. This is loosely based on actual historical events, so it is as the synopsis describes - she picks one of the King's brothers. Eul Pa So is the prime minister. This isn't really a romance in the typical K-drama sense (although the Queen's back story with JCW can be considered romantic). It's really a dark and gritty political intrigue involving a zillion factions fighting for power and one badass woman's brilliant and strategic efforts to rise above them all.

Not sure there will be a S2, since the opening of the first episode takes place after the end of the last episode, and kind of implies the outcome.

Just started this and holy crap. Calling that character the Queen is meeting a monster would be too kind and death would be too generous. 😱🤯

Pretty sure it's live audio? There might be bits and certain scenes that are dubbed over, but it's definitely still FZX's voice.

I've never heard of quotas for specific genres, but studios/agencies can make their actors do dramas the company might be producing/investing in -- so some talented actors might end up always acting in duds, or certain types of dramas, or only starring in dramas their agency is involved in, for example. Their contracts are often really long too and not that easy to get out of (they can't afford the cost of terminating the contract), which can also be frustrating if an actor feels like their agency isn't treating them well (e.g. prioritizing the stars in their roster and ignoring others, or pushing one up and coming talent over another). And if there's conflict between the two sides, agencies can basically freeze your career until the contract is over. I believe that's essentially what happened with Song Weilong, Sebrina Chen, and some others. (A friend wrote a great deep dive that looks at some of these contracts. https://wuulongcha.wordpress.com/2023/03/05/the-rabbit-hole-c-actress-jiang-jia-en-is-mia/) The lucky ones who had a good agency or good relationship or the ones who have gotten big enough, etc. might create their own studio within or outside the company once their contract is up, which gives them much more creative control to pick and choose (Xiao Zhan, Wu Lei, for example.)

I haven't gotten to the other bits yet, but I did want to share a fun fact -- these birds are carrier pigeons, which can fly roughly 700 miles(!) in a single day -- longer if the trip is broken up. Reuters News Agency had a fleet of carrier pigeons in the 1850s they used to help deliver stock prices quickly across Europe.

Oh yes! I was so caught up on everything else that made this drama a unicorn that I completely forgot about the fact that they are using live audio instead of terrible dubbing, which in itselfalready makes this mini drama a huge step-up quality-wise, lol!

Yes, those were full length, but those roles seem rare (and not big budget productions). Maybe I am wrong, but I think given the way the Chinese industry works and how agencies operate, I am unclear how much choice some actors get sometimes, and I'm sure most would likely prefer to work on full length?

yes, give this guy a solid full length drama to lead! He can out-act a number of the top male actors out there.

I was going to wait until this finished airing, but I really have trouble being patient with FZX's dramas 😅

I am really enjoying it so far, despite lackluster reviews from China. Is it way over produced with all the slow mo and stylized shots? Oh, totally, but show me a Republican mini drama that isn't super over the top! 😂 But while other dramas end up feeling cringy when they over do it, everything still looks gorgeously shot here. Maybe I am just biased because of FZX and the screenwriter.

Also, a non-toxic Republican era short length drama? 🤯 The ML isn't pulling and pushing the FL around like a rag doll? There hasn't been 10 forced kisses in the first episode? He's not a powerful war lord? I have seen dozens of these dramas, Be Your Knight is practically a unicorn! 🦄😂 FZX's character shows you can be 🔥🔥❤️‍🔥without being an ***hole.

This made me snort-laugh 🤣🤣

Yes, I'm Chinese, so I definitely know there is a lot of cultural pressure unfortunately around appearances in Asia, especially among celebrities. I've seen all his mini dramas and I certainly don't doubt his hard work.

Glad to be of service! 😂 I normally try not to comment on appearances, but it was very distracting!

In case you are in Toronto Canada, it is being presented at the Toronto International Film Festival next week. https://tiff.net/events/escape-from-the-21st-century