Eleison

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! :)

At least in Season 2 it's Pingjing and Pingzhang, which look quite different. After making my way through Season 2, that's the only thing I think the screenwriter could have improved about Season 1. Ease us into the names. 😅 There were way too many names/people to keep track of at the beginning of Season 1 (you almost need to keep a chart with you!). 😂

No, I'm still pretty new to Cdramas. Only seen 7 or so, the really highly rated ones. 😅 I did that with Kdramas when I got into those and worked my way down, haha.

She does soften a bit as it continues (I think they actually write her character differently as it goes--she gets more pleasant! But I hear you. She's A LOT).

And I don't think it's accurate to call her a "strong woman" (in an admirable sense), though. I din't agree with people who say she's a girl boss or things like that. She (along with the ML and his brother) are people in need of healing and restoration. None of them are good pictures of healthy or whole people. They improve and grow a lot by the end, of course, but they all have a long way to go. (As real people, they would be very hard to interact with).

That's what I kept in mind and it helped me see things differently. So neither the ML or FL in my mind are good pictures of any kind of healthy dynamic, and that allowed me to view the FL more compassionately.

Yes, everything this screenwriter does is for a purpose, but I feel like her villains in Season 2 are much harder to figure out than in Season 1. They're more of a puzzle!

Yes, very much so! But also what makes is very sad... 😭

Yes, there were definitely tears when Pingzhang died. How could I help it? 😅

Waiting for some development with Pingjing. The Emperor just died and Pingjing is back in Jinling. I know dad is going to die soon, too. Poor Pingjing!! 😭