Eleison

I think I know what you mean. I felt that way at times, especially at first. It doesn't feel like writing or acting I've ever seen before, and the only way I can describe the quality of it that I felt while watching was it was almost as subtle as real life human interactions. Movies and TV always exaggerate things, while this drama didn't in ways I'm not used so that at times it felt emotionally colorless until I got used to the level of nuance.

There's a massive amount of extremely intentional and subtle showing, and almost no telling (it's so rare for entertainment to take its watchers THIS seriously).

The indicators that these characters were deeply connected to each other were very subtle (unusually so, which is how this drama blew me away), much subtler than typical entertainment (which usually shouts things at you so clearly that you can't miss it). It's in the little, unspoken details; in the way Chang Su plans and the factors he takes into account, the way he uses how well he knows someone to plan them into his strategy in a way that honors that person's values and abilities and then the way they recognize it and reciprocate his thoughtfulness in gratitude and devotion (similar with Consort Jing, she operates similarly to this). I think they're the sort of things that you notice more when you rewatch.

And it IS true much of the connections were already forged before we enter into the story, and that can make it harder for the viewer to understand WHY they care so deeply for each other. I think the way I see it is that this story wasn't about showing us why the individual characters each came to devote themselves to Chang Su personally and individually, but help US get a glimpse of the kind of person he is and why he's so incredible which makes us slowly become devoted to him, too. This is largely demonstrated through the way he turns Jingyan from a nobody, out-of-favor prince with no future prospects into the next Emperor (not just behind the scenes through his immaculate planning but also by empowering Jingyan with confidence to become the amazing individual he always has been and help him come into his own). What he has done with Jingyan he has done with others in ways unique to their situations, even though we haven't seen it. You can tell based on the way they interact with him.

The moment when all of Chang Su's friends were ready to stage a coup against the Emperor just to protect him from harm, and risk everything they'd done up to that point... 🤯 They were willing to risk Jingyan's shot at the throne (even Jingyan himself didn't blink an eye) and Chang Su's revenge just to make sure Chang Su was safe. 😭 Just shows how wildly devoted people are to him. I didn't get it at first, but by the end, I 100% did.

But, again, Season 2 might be more your cup of tea since you very much get to connect with characters as they struggle. Pingjing feels much like what Lin Shu might have become if he never got betrayed and turned into Chang Su through suffering and illness. Pingjing is not quite as brilliant as Chang Su (largely because he's much younger and much less sure of himself than Chang Su is in NIF) but you get to see why people love him and trust him as he grows into a dependable, responsible leader (as well as why people loved his father and brother who pass the mantle of championing justice and goodness without grasping for power onto Pingjing (which was passed on to them from Chang Su, really)).

Someone please fix the synopsis!!

Also, I kind of liked that they didn't jump to the past too much. Sometimes those jumps pull you away from the characters in the current story in a way that makes the present less impactful. I think that the present was meant to show why people cared so deeply for Chang Su (you slowly see how amazing he is, and his heart of gold), and show them rebuild old bonds so that Chang Su and Jingyan becomes friends AGAIN as adults and as different people. It just makes their connection to the past all the more special because they are clearly still like-minded (the way they finished each other's sentences and left General Meng completely lost when planning to thwart Prince Yu's rebellion, and then when Chang Su pulled out Jingyan's sword--uh, it was so good!).

If you want more of the emotional connection to the characters that might give you a glimpse of what Season 1 only references, try Season 2.

You watch the struggles (of characters who are several generations removed from those in NIF, as only a few characters feature in both dramas) in real time rather than hear about them in hindsight. It's more heartwrenching than Season 2, and has more action/large plot movements and arcs, but still very good in its own way. A bunch of lovable characters, just like in Season 1 (just know fewer of them make it to the end than in Season 1, so be prepared).

I love these sorts of Pro Tips! 😅

Have you seen While You Were Sleeping or I Hear Your Voice? I agree her pilots are very good, and because of that she maybe sets expectations that aren't met afterwards in quite the way you expect, but I have never thought of her dramas as "average." Compared to other Kdrama screenwriters, she's one of the most solid and reliable in the industry. Some of hers have definitely landed better than others, but to have no flops is really amazing. Poignant themes, lovable characters, and really powerful human momenta with beautiful gems that she leaves the viewers with. She's one of my favorite screenwriters for Kdramas. The two I mentioned at the beginning of my post are my all-time favorites by her. :)

Haha, "world cup for soldiers"-- so accurate! 😅

So weird. 😅

Yes, I liked it very, very much. Why doesn't this screenwriter write more dramas? She's absolutely amazing.

And I could totally see how NIF 2 would be preferred. More romance, more accessible in its format and presentation of characters, and a lot more action with a lot less talking.

My dislikes or gripes weren't poor writing, just characters more painful to watch that made me squirm.😅

It was a fantastic drama in its own right, and I loved the characters just as much as in Season 1. NIF felt slower to me, and it took longer for things to come to fruition (but it was so rich, and Chang Su is just on another level of fascinating and brilliant). A more contemplative, drama, maybe? NIF 2 felt like a drama of action (with everyone being slightly less brilliant than Chang Su 😋, which of course allowed for more mistakes and things to go wrong, to my great distress! 😭).

I actually felt like NIF 2 had a more satisfying concluding arc, though it really was such a bummer to think of how many people Pingjing had lost by the end, just one after the other. In Season 1 I actually felt for all the other people Chang Su left behind (AGAIN); he had a horrible life with so much suffering (even worse than Pingjing, I'd say) but I didn't feel it as acutely because by the time NIF begins Chang Su has clearly made his peace with the past and has "overcome" it, while in Season 2 it was agonizing to watch Pingjing lose people (precious, lovely, endearing people) before your eyes in real time as opposed to hearing about it as a wound of the past. I hadn't come to care for Chang Su's family and loved ones who died like I did for the Changlin family in Season 2.

To me it also felt like NIF's climax happened several episodes before it actually ended, whereas NIF 2 built to its climax up to the end and still managed to conclude in a satisfying manner that didn't feel rushed.

It's so fun to stumble on some new, good dramas. I've been scraping the bottom of the barrel for good Kdramas since I've now seen most of the ones worth watching. 😅

Love it! Such a fun little detail at the end.

Yes, thank you! I started putting some of these pieces together, but still your explanation is helpful and interesting!

Someone posted on the last episode of the YouTube version that it was satisfying to think that Pingjing IS actually supposed to be the emperor. TingSheng was the son of the Crown Prince (before he got framed for treason), and so if TingSheng became Emperor, then Pingjing would have inherited after him. (But then, Lin Xi and PingZhang would never have been in the ChangLin's lives, because their fathers became friends with Ting Sheng due to their sword dance/fight against the Northern suitor of Ni Huang...)

Also, was ChangLin Mansion really Jingyan's palace repurposed? Since it still had the secret pathway/chamber between the houses? I loved that nod. Chang Su still helping everyone (TWICE in just the last episode or two!) even after he's gone. 😭

Also I love that Baishui's dying words were him just admitting the Emperor needed Changlin, and knowing Pingjing was their only hope. Got the chills! He learned his lesson too late.

So different from Season 1, but still so beautiful (but definitely more heartbreaking; I cried way more in this season than the first. A word of advice: if you watch this, prepare your heart...).

Loved everything about this but the villains (they were far more annoying than the villains in Season 1), and I just absolutely fell in love with Changlin everything.

Also loved all the tiny nods to Season 1, especially in the last few episodes. They were perfect.

This is how a sequel is done! Fresh and different but with the consistent, strong writing just like in Season 1. It actually worked really well that all these characters are mostly new and not carry-overs from Season 1. The stories still connected really well even despite the gap in the timeline.

Even though it's 4 episodes shorter than Season 1, it felt way longer, like I spent a lifetime with these characters, and grew up with Pingjing (who is just so great; every government needs their Chang Sus, TingShengs, PingZhangs and Pingjings (oh, and their Fei Luis, Mengs, and Feizhans). Then everyone could sleep in peace). 😅

(It's also kind of awesome and heartbreaking that watching Pingjing is like getting to watch who Lin Shu could have been. 😭)

Also, watching generations carry on a legacy from their ancestors was so satisfying to watch.

Lastly, I love that both seasons show us that people don't just "become good" on their own, they become the amazing people they are because people loved them, supported them, and fought for them. People need inspiring role models to instill these timeless values in them and model them; such an experience is a gift to cherish.

So. Good.

Yes, she's one of my favorite screenwriters. This still has some of my favorite moments from any Kdrama. Glad you liked it!

I got into it after the first five episodes. :)

It's good, just dated.

This screenwriter loves to take some of her leads through a lot of growth as the drama progresses. I hope you enjoyed it!

I'm definitely crying more watching NIV 2. 😂 In NIV I didn't hate/skip the villains (I wanted to watch everything), but there are a few villains in NIV 2 I can't abide. They're awful.

Thanks for all this; very helpful!

It reminds me a bit of Russian names and rules around surnames and all the nicknames they have. 😅

I didn't want to use a chart because I was afraid it would spoil me about reveals! But gosh, it would have helped. 😅

Oh, and I like your username! :)