It seems we have a rare moment of collective agreement nobody likes her in this comment sectionš My issue with…
Right!? But I think what you pointed out about how sheās wondered in from another drama is ON POINT. I hadnāt thought about it like that, thank you for pointing it out! āŗļø
It seems we have a rare moment of collective agreement nobody likes her in this comment sectionš My issue with…
Yes, thatās it exactly!! It also makes no sense to me, from what weāve seen so far, that these two people are related, let alone siblings. Qingying is the most ridiculously naive and reckless character and Zaiye is paranoid and cautious to a fault. Unless they were raised in total isolation from one another, it doesnāt track that theyād be so different.
And even if they were raised separately, does it make sense that sheād return to the capital and he wouldnāt educate her about how to behave around the royal family? He is characterized as a meticulous planner and adept power broker, so I donāt understand why heād let his younger sister behave so childishly. Her actions clearly endanger his goals.
I feel like the third prince is being supported by Tao Hua's country and all the information she provides in order…
That was my thought too!! When he was trying so hard to get Taohua alone, I realized he doesnāt really have any motive to be interested in herā¦unless he knows more about her than she realizes.
I'm sorry but the river scene where she falls into a foot of water at the edge of a river and ends up 90 feet…
Yeah, could not agree more. It is also setting my teeth on edge that the ONLY times we see Taohua fail are opportunities where Zaiye can heroically rescue her. She doesnāt get stuck or find herself in REAL trouble otherwise.
The writing, itās painful. There have now been two instances when someone has said to someone else: ānot everything is black or whiteā. Please, Iām begging this writer to SHOW not TELL. In Episode 12, he has an internal monologue moment, admiring her for selflessly thinking of others when sheās so close to death, while one of the biggest problems with this drama is her characterās perfect flawlessness. Itās laid on ridiculously thick.
Having said all that, the directing, cinematography, more adult romance, sensual intimacy, and most ā not all! ā of the performances make it worth it. Just like you, Iām SO GLAD theyāre out of the bamboo village!! It was such a relief to be back in the world of court scheming that I could look past (most of) the weaknesses in todayās episodes.
Man I feel bad for Meng Zhen Zhen... I hope she gets her own happy ending
Same! There are aspects of Taohuaās character that Iām really struggling with, so I keep catching myself gravitating towards Zhenzhen and her brother because theyāre flawed and morally grey.
The fourth princeās acting also gets a lot worse around her.. is it just me?
No, youāre right. It also undoes some of his characterization, at least for me. In the first episodes, before they start spending time together, he comes off as very mature and quietly thoughtful, but when he spends time with herā¦not so much. I have a very different impression of him now than I did before.
I love this drama so far, but I do have one gripe: I wish Jiang Taohua was a more complicated character. Hopefully, weāll see her become more complex in the future, especially as her mission for the Empress and her feelings for her husband begin to clash.
Right now, her quick thinking, instinctual generosity, compassionate spirit, photographic memory, skillful deception, adept manipulation, deep intelligence, and selfless quest to rescue her brother ā and her maid! ā are kind of coalescing into a character that doesnāt have any relatable human flaws. If Shen Zaiye is her equal, then shouldnāt she share some of his ruthlessness? Iād love it if the drama chose to paint her as a more of a morally grey character going forward.
I did like the moment in Episode 8, when she was cornered by the Crown Princeās henchmen near a ravine. Maybe it was just me, but I thought that the drama was suggesting she might give herself up or commit suicideā¦? I loved that glimpse of defeatism because her resilience has been remarkably durable otherwise. It was lovely to get a bit of vulnerability from her, I only wish it had lasted a little longer.
Iām obsessed with the whole gambling sequence ā the aesthetics of it were phenomenal, especially those more surreal shots where sheās looking into a mob of masked faces when theyāre throwing dice. Everything lined up for me in those scenes: Meng Ziyiās performance, the cinematography, the thrill and danger of the scenario, the princes spying on the $500,000 bet from above, and Shen Zaiye popping up behind her to whisper āBigā like itās dirty talk.
It also felt thoroughly in character for the Crown Prince to make a reckless gamble to win her ā a woman who had come into āhisā space, dominated the game she was playing, and then slowly began to lose to his superior dice skills. I think the actor who is playing the Crown Prince is delivering such a solid performance. The awful scene with his cousin deepened and complicated his character in ways that made him more interesting to me. One-dimensionally psychopathic villains become boring and predictable really, really fast, so Iām glad to see that isnāt whatās happening here.
I assume our main couple is going to escape the immediate threat of the Crown Prince and eventually face off with him later on, and Iād love it if Jiang Taohua handled him. Her confrontation with his bullshit in the fabric store was one of the most viscerally satisfying moments in this show so far.
Episode 8: Okay, this is definitely a more nit picky thing, and I feel a little bad complaining about it because Iām enjoying the drama as a whole, butā¦
It really broke my immersion in the story when Jiang Taohua escaped the city in a barrel and then was hiding in the woods, without a smudge on her face or a single hair out of place. After they spent the night in a cave, roughing it, they also came out looking perfectly put together. The whole sequence looked unrealistic to me because of that, and it wouldāve been such an easy adjustment to make on set. š¤·š»āāļø
Do you know the nature of the complaint? (Or is it plagiarism related again?)
I wouldnāt be surprised if this was true. After My Journey to You came out, Esther Yu gave an interview about the weight loss regime GJM put her on and it was scary.
And even if they were raised separately, does it make sense that sheād return to the capital and he wouldnāt educate her about how to behave around the royal family? He is characterized as a meticulous planner and adept power broker, so I donāt understand why heād let his younger sister behave so childishly. Her actions clearly endanger his goals.
The writing, itās painful. There have now been two instances when someone has said to someone else: ānot everything is black or whiteā. Please, Iām begging this writer to SHOW not TELL. In Episode 12, he has an internal monologue moment, admiring her for selflessly thinking of others when sheās so close to death, while one of the
biggest problems with this drama is her characterās perfect
flawlessness. Itās laid on
ridiculously thick.
Having said all that, the directing, cinematography, more adult
romance, sensual intimacy, and most ā not all! ā of the performances make it worth it. Just like you, Iām SO GLAD theyāre out of the bamboo village!! It was such a relief to be back in the world of court scheming that I could look past (most of) the weaknesses in todayās episodes.
Right now, her quick thinking, instinctual generosity, compassionate spirit, photographic memory, skillful deception, adept manipulation, deep intelligence, and selfless quest to rescue her brother ā and her maid! ā are kind of coalescing into a character that doesnāt have any relatable human flaws. If Shen Zaiye is her equal, then shouldnāt she share some of his ruthlessness? Iād love it if the drama chose to paint her as a more of a morally grey character going forward.
I did like the moment in Episode 8, when she was cornered by the Crown Princeās henchmen near a ravine. Maybe it was just me, but I thought that the drama was suggesting she might give herself up or commit suicideā¦? I loved that glimpse of defeatism because her resilience has been remarkably durable otherwise. It was lovely to get a bit of vulnerability from her, I only wish it had lasted a little longer.
It also felt thoroughly in character for the Crown Prince to make a reckless gamble to win her ā a woman who had come into āhisā space, dominated the game she was playing, and then slowly began to lose to his superior dice skills. I think the actor who is playing the Crown Prince is delivering such a solid performance. The awful scene with his cousin deepened and complicated his character in ways that made him more interesting to me. One-dimensionally psychopathic villains become boring and predictable really, really fast, so Iām glad to see that isnāt whatās happening here.
I assume our main couple is going to escape the immediate threat of the Crown Prince and eventually face off with him later on, and Iād love it if Jiang Taohua handled him. Her confrontation with his bullshit in the fabric store was one of the most viscerally satisfying moments in this show so far.
It really broke my immersion in the story when Jiang Taohua escaped the city in a barrel and then was hiding in the woods, without a smudge on her face or a single hair out of place. After they spent the night in a cave, roughing it, they also came out looking perfectly put together. The whole sequence looked unrealistic to me because of that, and it wouldāve been such an easy adjustment to make on set. š¤·š»āāļø