DramaAjumma

I beg to differ. I think Qi Yan going off and living a carefree life with the woman he loves is the right ending for this show because it was what he always wanted for himself. He was saddled with the responsibility of defeating Qiu Ziliang after Morning Dew even though that's not really what he wanted. The fact that he's always telling her to live free and enjoy the flavours that he won't be able to is a clue that was his endgame.

Until now, I have no idea why they even bothered with Chu Chu.

I think they do these sorts of ending because they want audiences to continue guessing for a long time to come. It makes the drama unforgettable.

It's a while since I've cried so much in any drama. But the last 5 episodes were heartrending. The good part is that they didn't rush anything and resolved all the threads in satisfactory fashion. I don't know why C dramas love ambiguous endings but it is what it is and I choose to think positively of it.

For me, the plot, storyline and acting makes it one of the year's best C dramas. The final act was riveting.

The uncertainty that you have about him is important. It's best you just watch it right through. Otherwise it takes away from the suspense.

Gets better as the show progresses but I still don't see the point of Chu Chu (what an insult to a much better written character from the Imperial Coroner) except that she does serve her purpose in bringing Yuan Yalin into the story. Thankfully Cheng Yang shows some discernment in women is all I can say. But the case of the missing young women though convoluted was quite interesting.

I don't see what's the point of having the female characters if they don't really add anything to the mix except as romantic interests. And what's the point of the female constable Wen Yue taking a deliberately adversarial position to the main detective just to bicker with him? This is just garbage writing hiding behind tropes.
Otherwise the cases are okay.

This is one of those dramas where the so-called secondary romances are better than the primary one. The push and pull for the first went on far too long. Their issues should have been resolved much earlier. I don't think their romance was very well written or incorporated. It made Xiao Su much more unlikeable and the ending doesn't really make a whole lot of sense.

I have similar sorts of problems that you have about the approach taken by the show. I don't really find the conflict convincing particularly because they're trying to make Hye-jin the de facto "villain" here. I understand that she has to accommodate herself to local tastes but some of these prejudices make little sense in the age of tv and smart phones.
Basically what the show has done which I'm uncomfortable with is turn the townsfolk especially the elderly women into caricatures. That I find off-putting and cringeworthy.

Okay. Yes, I was referring to the comment that Yan Zhi wants QY dead. I've already seen all the available episodes. The benefits of being forced to learn Mandarin as a child.

I don't get that feeling from Episode 41 onwards.

In these early days my feeling is that I'm primarily watching this for the leads, both of whom I like. While I'm onboard with the premise of the fish out of water looking for a seachange I'm not overly impressed by the heavy-handed execution in the attempt to drive home some fairly obvious points. The comparisons with Camellia are inevitable but it's really counter-Camellia in how it frames perspective. So far I think Racket Boys (a more recent example) does a much better job with the city slicker vs small town folk dynamic because it subverts expectations which results in laugh out loud humour and charming unpredictability. Here, it's fairly obvious what's coming so the humour lands awkwardly or not at all.
Anyway, just my 2 cents. I intend to persevere in the hope that things take a turn for the better.

As I've said before down the comment section. She is a really key conduit for all the characters who really don't trust each other a whole lot even though they have similar goals. Because of this mistrust, they work against each other and their own interests. What she does is bring people together in ways that she doesn't even realise. When Yanzhi see her so devoted to Qi Yan, she wonders what Yu'er sees in him because she likes Yu'er. It makes her consider that there must be something more to Qi Yan. Because of Yu'er Qi Yan is able to learn to trust and work with others. It's taken a long time but it's finally happened.

Before this drama, I was not familiar with this actress. I saw a lot of negative comments about her when I started watching but I didn't feel the same way. As far as I can tell, she's holding her own against more experienced actors in this. As someone who has come from modelling and not from acting school, she's doing well. Her chemistry with Cheng Yi pretty good.

Not everybody hates her but I'd agree that she doesn't get enough credit for what she brings to the table because on some level she is a fairly typical optimistic, cheerful FL. However, in light of who the male lead is and what he's like, she is exactly what the doctor ordered as an antidote to his lonely dreary existence.

I love the FL too. I always have. In every way possible she's the right kind of companion for Qi Yan. She certainly in large part why this show really works for me. She might not have the same level of political savvy as the "chess players" but she does catch on quick.

But here on MDL compared with other C dramas, it's not got the same sort of traction. Personally I think it's better than the Long Ballad and that's a show I liked as well.

Thanks for saying that. One can only do their best. :D

No, he doesn't thankfully. Her name's Li Zening.

It's been a while since I've watched such a lengthy C drama and it doesn't leave me feeling that it's being drawn out unnecessarily. A lot of C dramas suffer the middle drag but that's really not the case here. It continues to be suspenseful and leaves me on the edge of my seat. The psychology of the characters are right on the money and the FL's development has been steady and consistent. The romance is very well incorporated into the larger story in terms of how it impacts the outcomes of different events and other players in this crowded chess game.
I have to give the leads their due for making their devotion to each other so believable that I'm sucked in hook, line and sinker despite the fact that rationally speaking they should be far more cautious than they are. There's a lovely moment in Episode 41 where Qi Yan cups the left side of Yu'er's cheek. It's an intensely intimate gesture and she responses by revelling in the moment. Her eyes closed as she feels the touch and warmth of his hand. It feels as if a deep longing is satisfied.

I think it's very underrated because it's not being seen by as many people as it should. The storyline actually has depth and complexity even if there are the usual editing issues. Furthermore, the characters are superbly drawn and acted. This is one of the better stories that I've seen this year.