Eleison

I finally finished this! It took me quite a long time; it's hard to binge because it's so long, but you also can't wait too long or else you forget important details since there are so many moving parts and SO many characters. I read somewhere that once a year China releases a Cdrama that has more people in one scene than a Kdrama has in the entire cast--so true! My word, I still can't get over the massive scale of this drama. It also looks like they were constantly battling rainy weather throughout filming since the ground in Luoyang is wet 75% of the time. 😂

Zhao Lusi was fantastic! And ultimately, I thought it was a super enjoyable drama. A tight script and story, great acting, beautiful cinematography, even though you DO have to suspend disbelief quite a few times (I've gotten used to this with Kdramas, though, so I was prepared). The cultural value system was tough for me to get--and also hard for me to get behind--sometimes, but they still managed to make me care about and root for the main leads despite their many flaws and the foreign system of ethics the drama had me navigate. For instance, as an American I don't have much context for the filial piety stuff and I thought it was strange to see "disobedience" used as the most powerful weapon to threaten every child into submission (also, a ridiculous amount of slapping (though this might just be a drama trope, not a cultural thing?) and what loving parent beats their daughter like that?); the irony is that our main leads got away with all manner of stuff that should have gotten them killed multiple times in that time and system but they somehow kept managing to escape serious punishment.

I loved how often the main leads used their wits to solve situations together (both were incredibly smart and perceptive; they were a great match that way) and the way they trusted each other at the end. I also love that Zisheng's interest in Shaoshang was piqued before he even saw what she looked like; she intrigued him from their first mysterious encounter.

It ended perfectly (or almost; it really was a bummer there was no wedding ceremony, and after all the drawn out parts with Empress Xuan (she was lovely, but she always took forever to say things and the scenes with her just went on and on!), I really think they could have spent more time showing them all happy).

I loved that they brought back all the characters we'd come to love and care about for the final two episodes and brought everyone's stories full circle (minus the third Uncle and Aunt). Though, we never do meet Shaoshang's older brother; wonder why they even bothered writing that brother in? 🤷‍♀️

While I loved all the parts for different reasons, I think the coziest, most nostalgic parts were when Shaoshang was adjusting to her home with all the new family members (and those epic run-ins that she had with her mom), and when she came into her own when she travelled to Hua County with her uncle and aunt. The last two episodes were pretty great, too, and getting to see Zisheng and Shaoshang constantly having to learn how to be a couple was also great to watch (though Zisheng was absolutely insufferable for a few episodes at the end of Part 1; I was right there with Shaoshang when she told him she'd had ENOUGH).

I will definitely revisit this sometime when I am in a slump and want something cozy that will last a few weeks. Will look back on this with great fondness!!

True, that's a great point. And when I really think about it, other religions are also portrayed inaccurately in Kdramas, so I'm probably being overly sensitive about this one's fantastical take on Christianity. That said, the portrayal IS a large part of why I didn't love it, so I think what I said can be helpful for some in trying to decide if they'll like this drama or not. A comment like this would have helped me know what I was getting into, and that this drama probably wouldn't be my thing. Hopefully that makes sense. :)

Thanks! There were definitely cozy things about this drama!

Definitely has a lot of conversations and moving parts; I personally find the conversations for the most part fascinating and complex, so while there's not a lot of "action," I find all these subtle interactions between characters, and the interplay as they make mistakes and grow, really interesting. Some of these interactions are more engaging than others. But I can see how that might not be everyone's thing. Some of the scenes are quite long!

One aspect I couldn't understand was why Ling Bu Yi was so vengeful for having his uncle killed and clan killed. I get it's awful and sad, but it just seemed over-the-top for someone as calculating and rational as Bu Yi. Finding out he was actually General Huo's son explained everything that confused me!

I just finished My Lovely Boxer and it is a lot like this one but less cutesy and fluffy and not quite as much romance. A little grittier, but heartwarming all the same. About boxing rather than weightlifting, but still a lot about athletes and the challenges they face. It even has the FL like the SML for half the drama like in this one!

100%. Give this fantasy religion a new name so you don't spread all kinds of ridiculous ideas about what Christianity is, cause this is NOT it.

Something about this one just did not jive with me, though the leads did a great job (this drama made me try to find more dramas with Kim Myung Soo, and he really gives a great performance in this!). I was also turned off by the abysmal representation of "Christianity" or whatever the religion was supposed to be in this. If they were actually going for any kind of accurate aspects of a religion that exist in the real world, this was an epic fail. Please, if you're not going to portray a religion properly, just make up a new name for the fantasy religion you invent.

Yes, the ML's brother has autism. Are you worried about the mannerism they give him and stereotypes about those with autism, or that he won't feel fleshed out and well-developed? I think the three main characters (FL, ML and his brother) are all quite flawed at the beginning in their own unique ways and all three go through arcs (specifically healing arcs) and grow together to become better, healthier, more stable versions of themselves. I thought it was well done, but I totally understand if it would be hard to watch.

How was it like a makjang?

I have a friend who's a boxer and she's very slight and thin. But she does have more muscle than these actresses, so in that sense I agree with you.

How would you describe a sports drama? Once I know that I can answer better. :)

ML doesn't die; he eventually gets his revenge, and KS gets to retire and she's happy and content. The ending with the main leads is short, but implies they are together, and there's even a small peck and a cute scene with them being happy together. It's literally in the last three minutes, though. Everyone gets a highlight of how their stories end.

Yeah, this screenwriter has a good track record, with her last three or four dramas being major hits (and all very different from each other); also, Kim Soo Hyun picks dramas very carefully, and it's been a long time since he was in a drama that wasn't a hit (hard to know if it's because he/his agency has a good eye for scripts/dramas or if he just makes the dramas a hit, haha; maybe it's both). These two things make me hope this will be a good one.

And I agree with the other comment on here, the premise for CLOY sounded dumb to me when I first heard it, and this screenwriter's other famous dramas (You Who Came From The Stars (KSH was the lead in that one, too) and Legend Of The Blue Sea are about an alien and a mermaid 😂; so far this drama's premise is an upgrade, though the main couple being married already is unexpected! So I'm intrigued).

Oh, and about the peck at the end: I remembered from zee22's comment below that KS admitted to TY she wanted to experience a kiss. Even though she did end up kissing the SML after that conversation, I think the peck was a nice way to tie things together and bring closure to their arc. 😏 It wasn't salacious nor was it stiff; just sweet and wholesome (which this drama has been from the beginning).

P.S. The part with the little celebratory explosions when she saw he read all her texts was pretty darn cute.

Definitely more of a bittersweet ending than a happy one. After some time went by I reconciled myself to it, and now I don't mind it and can rewatch it pleasantly, but I remember the first time being frustrated when the credits rolled, and huffing at my screen, "Seriously?" I was so invested. 😂

I've been to Albania and Kosovo! I thought the language was beautiful, and I enjoyed all the brightly painted buildings in Albania that I heard became popular after communism fell. 😊 Mirë pafshim!

Also, I enjoyed the episodes with the leads bickering the most, so I think I liked the first half the best, but I still enjoyed the whole thing!

What about the ending? That's it's happy or sad, or more specific than that?

It's very subtle and gradual, but I'd say the last three or four episodes. After Kim Hui Won dies.