I watched Sun Qian in Legend of The Magnate first. Thought she was solid. But her performance as Fei Ni made me a fan. She was so natural, so nuanced showing strength and grit one moment, then she shows her vulnerable sides. So good.
I loved Arthur Chen as Fei Muyang. A simple character on the surface, but so real. In fact, the whole cast was very strong.
Kudos to the director, writer, designers, the whole team 🌟🌟🌟 They brought a very well written story to life. Some parts of the writing were absolutely beautiful, even after translations into English ❤️
Such a sad, sad story PBG. Father from hell. Wish she had the ability to uncover his mask, but I guess the patriarchal society they lived in made it a futile attempt.
May the Fire Horse bring you much joy and success Catalyst1999!!!Swords into Plowshares is great - I really enjoyed…
Oooh looking forward to it. I usually enjoy Bai Yu's performances...strong actor. But I have yet to see him appear. Haha.
The villain in How Dare You was quite lame, especially the voice they used for him. I enjoyed the equal footing of the main leads though. I've liked Cheng Lei since My Journey To You, but this was the first time I liked Wang Churan. She has grown a fair bit. How Dare You was a much better written drama, compared to A Dream within a Dream. A lot of the humour were less slapstick-y. The FL's make-up didn't work for me...way too much :P
Take care of yourself. Being busy is good, just remember to have some balance <3
Hello PBG. Hope you've enjoyed the CNY festivities with your loved ones 🥰
I'm in the early episodes of Swords Into Plowshares, and it looks promising. So far, I've enjoyed How Dare You and Love Between Lines. Both were fun watches 😄
Awww - thank you for your kind words. I am a bit behind this year but will try to get everything up.😅
It's ok if you don't. Takes a lot of time to process a drama, and craft into a well written review like yours. Having said that, I love it when you put your pen on paper. Your choice of words and mastery over language, plus your depth of knowledge in Chinese history are always insightful for a banana like me.
Thank you for all that you do, PBG. Much love from Australia ❤️
Thank you for another insightful review. I've heard of some strategies, whilst others were new to me. Made me realise that some parts were very well written. At times it was better than Zang Hai (especially the romance bits was totally unnecessary in Zang Hai).
Yes, the Wang Pu arc waa good! I'm also with you on the plot holes. Why was ML's father betrayed by his people and army?What happened?!
Some of the acting were brilliant, but not Cheng Yi. He wasn't convincing enough; he did a better job than his recent drama though. My favourite performance was from Yin Zhu Sheng. I was moved to tears when he spoke about his son. His range in that single scene was phenomenal.
Looking forward to reading more of your reviews in 2026 😊
"I'm still in tears thinking of the characters and the challenges they faced in life."^ You are definitely…
Oooh I loved that final scene. Even with hubby interrupting me, I was still immersed in Xiuxiu's reverie and crying 😢
But I have to admit that I was annoyed with the actress playing Susu. I just couldn't relate to her especially when she was supposed to be 18 or thereabouts. Nevertheless I was saddened by the cruel twist of fate that Susu endured. Happiness was finally in her grasp...
Love, love, love your well-articulated review ❤️ Thank you for helping me process this drama, after completing it. I'm still in tears thinking of the characters and the challenges they faced in life.
Kudos to the creators, cast and production team. Totally agree that the mother-in-law and fathers were amazing. I didn’t see the actors, just the people they portrayed. The layered and complexities of their characters made them feel like real people.
Aren't we lucky we were not born in such interesting times?
Thank you for your good comments. I also found the first 5 episodes quite difficult. TBOY has a better dialogue…
I just read the first para in your review.."a loan shark innkeeper, an intrepid airhead and an irreverent monk"....what a wild collection of characters :D :D
Thank you for your good comments. I also found the first 5 episodes quite difficult. TBOY has a better dialogue…
I remember the first episode was set in a snowy place, and bald LXY. Somehow I got lost in the confusing story which involved a casket ;p Not sure whether I should read your review first; I usually go into dramas blind besides reading their genres and getting clues from posters.
Thank you for another insightful and well-written review, PBG ❤️ I tried and dropped this drama 3 times, but gave it a final go when I saw your rating. The premise of protagonist being an assassin coupled with Gong Jun’s flat acting made it hard to feel for the main character. But once I went pass 5 episodes, it got better. The ensemble cast was generally good, especially Su Changhe. The dubber elevated the character and I started to care for him 😆
So true that the writer has no finesse when it comes to romance. In fact, he’s anti romance. None of the couples had happy ending, aside from the weird time jump for the main couple 😬
Might give TBOY another go, when I run out of dramas to watch.
Interesting info, PBG. I love NIF, JOL and SSS. Love Eternal Brotherhood too, though it took 3 attempts before I could go pass Ep1 in S1. Actually, I persevered cos you rated S2 highly. Haha
Glad I did. Just finished S2, and now I'm reading your excellent take of the show. Hope they make S3! I need to find out why Xiu's eyes flashes red and why he could stop time :)
I watched the 2 seasons back to back. Good to see the actor playing SYL get better with his performance in S2. Yang Xu Wen was brilliant; he should be in more dramas <3 I like the long-suffering Bai Chuan more than Ning and Liufeng Shuang. Her interactions with Xiu are funny, and layered with respect, love plus frustration.
S2 highlights the details that go into building a functioning society. It's not just battles, and motherhood statements of protecting the people. Such a well written show (and book) <3 <3
Thank you for your review, PBG. Have missed reading your thoughts this year.
This makjang show was a fun watch, as long as we have the right blinkers on 🤣🤣
I was pleasantly surprised with Li Qin. My impression of her is coloured by the chicken loving girl in JOL. Easy role, just look pretty most of the time 😬
On the other hand, Chen He Yi was so bland. I thought he was more skilled.
Agree with you that Qin Tianyu was a scene stealer 😝
Finished it after binging the last 10 episodes and omg I LOVED this cdrama, it's on my top 3 faves of 2025! I…
Totally agrre with you. I thought Cheng Lei was going to perform similar roles to his other 2 dramas. So sooo glad he had more range to play with in this one. Now I'm convinced he's a solid actor. Looking forward to watching his gorgeous face in future works 😍
Thank you for your review, PBG. So happy to read your thoughts and analysis. They always give me food for thought.
I was totally surprised by the reveal. The dude didn’t even enter my shortlist, cos he appeared like a simpleton 🤣🤣
Your alternate ending is a great idea! Both sons working together to right their father's wrong.
Was going to rate this drama 8, but you reminded me on how good the first half was. Plus, the ensemble cast is not as strong as the team in Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty. But it deserves a higher rating 😊
1 
I watched Sun Qian in Legend of The Magnate first. Thought she was solid. But her performance as Fei Ni made me a fan. She was so natural, so nuanced showing strength and grit one moment, then she shows her vulnerable sides. So good.
I loved Arthur Chen as Fei Muyang. A simple character on the surface, but so real. In fact, the whole cast was very strong.
Kudos to the director, writer, designers, the whole team 🌟🌟🌟 They brought a very well written story to life. Some parts of the writing were absolutely beautiful, even after translations into English ❤️
Did the source material have a different ending?
The villain in How Dare You was quite lame, especially the voice they used for him. I enjoyed the equal footing of the main leads though. I've liked Cheng Lei since My Journey To You, but this was the first time I liked Wang Churan. She has grown a fair bit. How Dare You was a much better written drama, compared to A Dream within a Dream. A lot of the humour were less slapstick-y. The FL's make-up didn't work for me...way too much :P
Take care of yourself. Being busy is good, just remember to have some balance <3
I'm in the early episodes of Swords Into Plowshares, and it looks promising. So far, I've enjoyed How Dare You and Love Between Lines. Both were fun watches 😄
Here's wishing you a fab Year of the Horse! ❤️
I've always liked Lu Yu Xiao. Her performance in MJTY caught my eyes and she has continued to grow.
Chen Xing Xu, on the other hand, was just another cute face in C drama land. His acting was superb in this one. Much respect to him and the director.
The leads' chemistry was so natural. Fun one moment, fire the next moment and always filled with love.
The dialogue was another noteworthy element of this show. So beautiful.
Thank you for all that you do, PBG. Much love from Australia ❤️
That's how much I love your takes on dramas. Thank you!! ❤️
Thank you for another insightful review. I've heard of some strategies, whilst others were new to me. Made me realise that some parts were very well written. At times it was better than Zang Hai (especially the romance bits was totally unnecessary in Zang Hai).
Yes, the Wang Pu arc waa good! I'm also with you on the plot holes. Why was ML's father betrayed by his people and army?What happened?!
Some of the acting were brilliant, but not Cheng Yi. He wasn't convincing enough; he did a better job than his recent drama though. My favourite performance was from Yin Zhu Sheng. I was moved to tears when he spoke about his son. His range in that single scene was phenomenal.
Looking forward to reading more of your reviews in 2026 😊
But I have to admit that I was annoyed with the actress playing Susu. I just couldn't relate to her especially when she was supposed to be 18 or thereabouts. Nevertheless I was saddened by the cruel twist of fate that Susu endured. Happiness was finally in her grasp...
Kudos to the creators, cast and production team. Totally agree that the mother-in-law and fathers were amazing. I didn’t see the actors, just the people they portrayed. The layered and complexities of their characters made them feel like real people.
Aren't we lucky we were not born in such interesting times?
So true that the writer has no finesse when it comes to romance. In fact, he’s anti romance. None of the couples had happy ending, aside from the weird time jump for the main couple 😬
Might give TBOY another go, when I run out of dramas to watch.
Glad I did. Just finished S2, and now I'm reading your excellent take of the show. Hope they make S3! I need to find out why Xiu's eyes flashes red and why he could stop time :)
I watched the 2 seasons back to back. Good to see the actor playing SYL get better with his performance in S2. Yang Xu Wen was brilliant; he should be in more dramas <3 I like the long-suffering Bai Chuan more than Ning and Liufeng Shuang. Her interactions with Xiu are funny, and layered with respect, love plus frustration.
S2 highlights the details that go into building a functioning society. It's not just battles, and motherhood statements of protecting the people. Such a well written show (and book) <3 <3
This makjang show was a fun watch, as long as we have the right blinkers on 🤣🤣
I was pleasantly surprised with Li Qin. My impression of her is coloured by the chicken loving girl in JOL. Easy role, just look pretty most of the time 😬
On the other hand, Chen He Yi was so bland. I thought he was more skilled.
Agree with you that Qin Tianyu was a scene stealer 😝
I was totally surprised by the reveal. The dude didn’t even enter my shortlist, cos he appeared like a simpleton 🤣🤣
Your alternate ending is a great idea! Both sons working together to right their father's wrong.
Was going to rate this drama 8, but you reminded me on how good the first half was. Plus, the ensemble cast is not as strong as the team in Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty. But it deserves a higher rating 😊