does anyone know the name of the song? I love it and can't find it😭
OST : Secret of Love by Si Qi Man Cu (斯丹曼簇) Love is not True (爱不是真) by Zhang Lei Unicorn (独角兽) by Nicholas Teo Whale's Moan (离群的鲸) by Geng Si Han (耿斯汉) Waiting by Lauren Woo I Lie Awake by Ray Hou I Feel You by Lauren Woo
Baidu also mentions 7 other titles including the famous "Those Flowers" Pu Shu song.
Interesting perhaps is that the Chinese title of the drama on its Baidu page translates to "Roses are growing" or "Rose bushes" - so no wonder it's all a messy and thorny business ;)
"Chán Nǚ" (蝉女) title formerly translated as "Cicada Girls" : an "urban love drama" from a manhua, "Cicada Girl: Love Appraiser". 蝉女 was filmed in August 2023. I was curious about it since "A Journey To Love", when I did a short Profile of LYN in the Companion piece that I added at the time https://kisskh.at/discussions/a-journey-to-love/121473-a-journey-to-love-notes-on-production-location-dates-cast-characters-and-more?pid=2910411&page=2#p2910411 Watching it now, it is different from what I had anticipated from the title, but the beginning has some funny moments (the cleaning lady...) and the mix of adult comics inspired animation and acting is interesting. I seem to remember some Jiang Yifan lead character from vertical dramas, wondering if there was a connection to those medias too, which "exploded" in popularity since 2023? I should perhaps have read the manhua, but did not get around to look for it, and up till now, nobody has pinned it in the Discussions section.
"Chán Nǚ" (蝉女) title formerly translated as "Cicada Girls" : an "urban love drama" from a manhua, "Cicada Girl: Love Appraiser". 蝉女 was filmed in August 2023. I was curious about it since "A Journey To Love", when I did a short Profile of LYN in the Companion piece that I added at the time https://kisskh.at/discussions/a-journey-to-love/121473-a-journey-to-love-notes-on-production-location-dates-cast-characters-and-more?pid=2910411&page=2#p2910411 Watching it now, it is different from what I had anticipated from the title, but the beginning has some funny moments (the cleaning lady...) and the mix of adult comics inspired animation and acting is interesting. I seem to remember some Jiang Yifan lead character from vertical dramas, wondering if there was a connection to those medias too, which "exploded" in popularity since 2023? I should perhaps have read the manhua, but did not get around to look for it, and up till now, nobody has pinned it in the Discussions section.
Fang Muyang may look unbelievably patient with his crush, but his family and experience background make that life commitment perhaps believable. He does not doubt himself though, and finds ways to express his art, even in a room or on a blackboard or as unacknowledged paid artist in his future job for the Liánhuán huà company.
These Liánhuán huà illustrated storybooks were very popular in the 1960-70s, and could still be found at flea markets in the 1990s: they embodied the youth imagination of many young Chinese who learned the classic tales from literature, but also discovered foreign heroes such as Tintin through reading the small booklets printed on rectangular 12,5x10 cm pulp paper) As an article about an exhibition in Brussels, Belgium stated : "The first Chinese comic strip hero to make a regular appearance, was born in 1929, the same year as Tintin. And China’s most famous comic strip character, San Mao, was created in 1935, the year of first publication of The Blue Lotus, which recounts Tintin’s adventures in China." Btw San Mao the Shanghai orphan during the war of aggression by Japan was also featured in popular Chinese movies. There is a wall along Lane 288, Wuyuan Road in Shanghai where n°3 was the residence of Zhang Leping, the comic strip artist who created San Mao (the house can be visited). Here is a feature about Zhang Leping and his work : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWLe46HqdOY
Why the fuck are the parents blaming Fang Muyang for the fake marriage agreement ? Why don’t they ask their…
Why didn't they just quietly destroy that incriminating paper and get a quiet explanation in a more secure environment than an apartment where neighbors could listen in, without dragging in the stupid son and half illiterate daughter in law? They are not very bright, ok, but supposed to love and dote on their daughter and support her dreams from the start. So why the over-the-top drama by the mom? Presence of Fei Ting was totally irrelevant.
I get it that the author believed it was fitting so the couple would admit publicly their feelings, months later. But I feel that was very clumsy.
Ok. I've just binged 10 episodes, and this is charming. It took me 8 episodes to recognise that FL is from Dr…
Since I also follow Johnny Huang Jingyu's movies and dramas, I remember Sun Qian from "Love Story In Winter". Johnny's drama "Our Dazzling Days" is also airing simultaneously to "Love Story in the 1970s", btw.
As for CFY, well.... I think I only am missing to complete a couple older dramas aside from the present one now, and also watched a half dozen of his movies. The one drama I liked least was "Eat Run Love" (did not like the script and the FL of that business drama), which is totally disappointing after "Lighter and Princess" (tech and revenge drama with a fabulous OST) and before "When Destiny Brings the Demon" (xianxia). He was great in those two, although his lines delivery was perhaps a tad too slow in the latter, if I need to quibble. But great presence and chemistry with co-star.
So many dramas landing on screen. Peachey Blossom is so busy with translating for the MV lyrics videos that she has not put an alert yet in Discussions, but here are the total OST four songs already posted by her (support her work!)
Totally agreeing with the comment by Sunshineeeeeee below. I binge watched over the past few nights, not missing a second, guffawing at Fang Muyang's cheekiness to win the heart of his long time beloved, his scheme to get that room and make it into an art one, the quick retorts when challenged for illegal fishing, for not using the "things" handed out by the factory because of their size (!!!!), the romantic moment on the roof.... Many of the' scenes tastefully sketched in opening credit and linked by the "string line" or "paper flyer" have now got into live actions, but I am looking forward to the rest.
As a companion to this drama, I re-watched the Dai Sijie movie "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress" and put it into recommendations.
Chen Feiyu, although he did not experience first hand the period, surely read or heard the memoirs of his dad Chen Kaige from his time in Cultural Revolution Beijing. That 1989 book, unlike Dai Sijie's semi autobiographical novel from 2000, is not easy to come by now, but is also very interesting. It was first published in part form in Chinese, next translated to French, and I am not sure there has been a translation into English...
The ending of the novel and movie "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress" , adapted by the author, may baffle naive young watchers, but rings perfectly authentic to those who read, watched, and heard enough from the "scars generation" accounts, and how they evolved and put behind them experiences that were both enthusiastic and traumatic, to adapt to the New China of Deng Xiaoping and later, like the "Fifth generation" directors Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Liu Miao Miao. . It is definitely not to be dismissed as "arts house movie". although it is not a recent movie any longer. The story of the tooth there remained long with me....
The actress Zhou Xun gained fame and is still now among the "4 Dan actresses" of China because of her act in that 2000 movie and another more contemporary (then) themed movie (Lou Ye's "Suzhou River") : both gaining fame at the time..
Another movie, more recent 2022 "A Woman", by Wang Chao, can also be watched as a companion depiction of the struggles of an artist storyteller forced to spend part of her life in silence as a factory worker, with an unloved spouse, in these difficult bygone times. Unfortunately, only the trailer is available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdlIkF_Pn9I so I am only adding it to recommendation for those who may watch it in a Chinese movies festival now. There are many movies that fall through the grid because they did not get enough promotion, and are mostly watched by true blue Chinese movie fans who never miss some writer-directors works, lol. I admit to have been following all the 5th and 6th generation directors, meeting a few on the way...
I loved this movie when it first aired and was happy to rewatch it these days as a companion to "Love Story in the 1970s" ; the February-March 2026 drama featuring Chen Feiyu and Sun Qian.
Chen Feiyu, although he did not experience first hand the period, surely read the memoirs of his dad Chen Kaige from his time in Cultural Revolution Beijing. That book, unlike Dai Sijie's semi autobiographical novel from 2000, is not easy to come by now, but is also very interesting.
The ending of the novel and movie Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress , adapted by the author, may baffle naive young watchers, but rings perfectly authentic to those who read, watched, and heard enough from the "scars generation" accounts, and how they evolved and put behind them experiences that were both enthusiastic and traumatic, to adapt to the New China of Deng Xiaoping and later. It is definitely not to be dismissed as "arts house movie".
The actress Zhou Xun gained fame and is still now among the "4 Dan actresses" of China because of her act in the movie.
This is Shen Lan: https://duanjubaike.org/actor/5276 : )And yes she is confirmed as the actress: https://novelquickapp.com/series/yeseruhun712369619
Thank you, you are the champion ! :) Wishing you all the best while the CNY galloping festivities continue. They sidetracked me away from MDL and good wishes messaging on other social media...
Am still stuck at 26, not thrilled enough to purchase into express and since kiss has not either, I will see if…
What had caught my attention then was not only the good case solving, but also the interesting explanations and summaries with animation. Season2 did not completely abandon that format, but with the cases getting boxed in like a Russian doll, it still would have been better if the last standing villain had not been so obvious from ... let's say too early on. It did kill some of the expectation, despite the addition of methods of doing away with some chess pieces that just dropped on the scenes in makjang fashion, with sudden appearances of characters that were border to annoying (Chu He among them: why did we need the bro to get involved ?) and some whose roles were not clear in acting and appearance. Even the 4 felt not really clearly defined, as if they had been stuck in half stasis since season 1 and the time clue of years passed had not made them feel better together as "married couples" (well it remained unclear to me if Jing Yi and Leng Yue were or not, although as support, it was not that important, I suppose).
What I took away from this season was revising my beliefs as concerns some facts that I had been taught about a certain VD disease. Like many here (I suppose) I had been taught and told it originated on the ships of Vasco Da Gama or even Columbus, but ... yea, it was much earlier, although we did not get info on exactly where it came from... We do learn stuff from dramas, and also leave with new uncertainties. After all, diseases are mysterious even with gene tracking : we still have conflicting theories about the origin of the deadly flu of the 1918-20s and a century later of that of the dreaded covid. So, despite warnings about the threats, pandemic early preparations do not really work as perfectly as touted : in "my times", the big doomsday illness expected was supposed to be avian flu, but SARS came out of nowhere, although it finally looked to be containable enough through isolation, given its sheer deadliness, like Lassa fever or Ebola.
But to get back to drama on hand, unless the last episodes really deliver (I don't really expect them to be different than the usual rush wrapping up), I am sorry to side more or less with the Douban rating, and will probably only allow an 8 here because I am as always lenient and don't want to gun down the project. The production and cast tried to revive the magic, but sometimes it cannot totally work. Oh yes, and the villain looked fine at first, but I can't even remember the actor's name without checking cast now, and won't look for him in new projects.
I looked through Cho Na's notes (up in Discussions part, with illustrations) to get an idea of the end chapters... Those notes are well designed, for the ones in a hurry to get spoilers. Usually it is not my way of watching, but perhaps I got tired of waiting too long for the new episodes after the drag since our heroes traveled away from court to border wilderness. So, it confirms what I feel now, just wishing it soon be over. Aside from trouble with plot heaping up and actors not really catching attention, puppet-like, suddenly appearing, or dropped too casually to make an impression, this way of slow down releasing episodes was counter productive to keep up attention and expectation.
Already moving on to other leisure drama watching, despite I don't have much time for them these days any longer.
Am still stuck at 26, not thrilled enough to purchase into express and since kiss has not either, I will see if I can finish this one later on my wetv mobile app (as of now, there are only teasers for the upcoming last episodes, and I don't like to watch those). It started OK, I liked that the initial 4 were back, but somehow they did not work their magic as in season 1, from which I had excellent memories of the secondary leads sharing a little brown jug on a rooftop, with a mix of light wuxia added to the case solvings.
Highly recommend the documentary someone posted earlier in the comments regarding the Doolittle Raid. Not sure…
The documentary is long (3hrs) but interesting ,of course. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt2MBEpM9vg Thank you to Xiang83 for pointing it out together with another document and opinions.
I was peeking at this drama that popped up haphazardly on my WeTV phone app which I had not used for a month or so, busy with other things... So came to this page to know more. Wow that it took 8 years to get this drama to us in 2026. Also first time for me to watch Edward Zhang (and the other guys who play here except some like Morning Chang).
Isn´t the case of the Mongolian actress still under investigation? If it is true, this type of fraud seems a…
I have not actively followed up on Nashi, and have not seen any update about her elsewhere, so perhaps the matter got resolved some way.
As for HYTT she was just young and foolish to let herself unawares be embroiled in controversy. She will be wiser now, and I don't think her career is at stake any more than Song Zu'er who got a rap because of a groundless tax evasion report. HYTT's parents are among very many, most anonymous and ordinary folk, that had more children than allowed at the time but got tacit protection from their community.
I have known many like that, amused to see one family with three girls sending them to study abroad, and funding the family from their excellent businesses that also supported many employees and local economy (I assumed they were Manchu, thus allowed more than one kid). Usually, the "exposing families" for "more kids than allowed" was not really based on any righteous grounds but mostly on jealousy to trigger a backlash about such peccadilloes. A very famous Chinese director had to pay fines, years later after having raised his own brood, because of a falling out with a former friend who reported him (who needs enemies with friends like that?). His wife later joked that their family just had anticipated the new, current, policies. They did not cause any dent in the economic system since they were anyway net contributors, tax wise and paying tuition for their well educated kids + of course contributing to charities. They are not blacklisted in any way (although that Chinese director is perhaps not a model for romantic drama ideals : his present family is not his first...)
China indeed does not care any more about "over quota kids in one child policy times" since there is a lack today of both sex children being born, and the government is now furthering help for new parents willing to have kids. The reason for the diving population trend is not past or present (I don't believe it still exists) aborting baby girls .Actually, many families have for decades welcomed girls as cuter than boys, there is no longer a view that they are less intelligent or just tokens to be sold to husband family: that's just a vertical c-drama trope surviving as a sort of joke - vertical c-dramas are outrageous in many ways, lampooning "outdated feudal" behaviors (the parents that sin selling daughters in those dramas are so much caricature and the jealous "green teas" that scheme are also there to be hated ☺️). Still these vertical dramas feature such handsome tall and even talented actors that they get a big following. They are not a mirror of present day behavior in Chinese families, but serve as permanent warning not to go back to such patterns, although they are not broadcast on big screens or main television, just on streaming for those interested. HYTT and Nashi don't play in this special register, although some mainstream actors, even some who do costume drama of bloodthirsty kind, do. Nothing is real of course in those imaginary plots playing on phantasms.
Just an aside about the power of imagination vs reality: I admired the other day a YT clip showing a guy in the PRC who made a show flying very realistic looking swords, actually drones, flying through streets (more about the feat here : https://futurism.com/robots-and-machines/china-flying-sword-drone) : comments were about flying on one, and it looks like this may become possible, but for now, we still have to fly over walls in imagination ☺️
So the reason for the dip in population is plain that young people (also in other developed countries) are very reluctant to raise kids for many (mostly money) reasons. But there are still families with kids and grand-kids, as in "several" though not more than 3, and I know quite a few personally in my PRC family and friends circle.
Wishing you and young Chinese engaged in C-ent a happy 2026 and a prosperous year of the Horse, upcoming Feb 17.
I'll add in costume dramas :2017 The Glory of Tang Dynasty - RJL as ML : Li Chu (Tang Dynasty Emperor Daizong)…
Ah yes, that truly was hard but yes, he managed to convert sportsman competitiveness that he had to give up, successfully into drive for new passions. It probably was important that he always loved music and dance... He may be more widely seen as actor than as musician, but I think both are what fuels him onward, apart from family duties of course. :)
I'll add in costume dramas :2017 The Glory of Tang Dynasty - RJL as ML : Li Chu (Tang Dynasty Emperor Daizong)…
For the wrap of the drama, it's endearing to see how RJL and the child actor who portrays ZaiZai, interacted as father and son even after end of shooting. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XQkwk7SWKcU
Of course, RJL is a dad in real life of a 7 year old boy born on or just before 2 February 2018 (date when he announced on Weibo his fatherhood with a small hand nestling into his), and in events where there are kids he shows his care and attention to them.
But he protects his family efficiently, as he should, not revealing his son's name, all the while having been so bold to let known early on his dating for 5 years Nie Huan 聂欢, whom he married probably in 2016. Her only involvement in c-ent is rumored to be monitoring her husband's contracts and forbidding too intimate kissing scenes 🤣 : RJL is known as the actor who only kisses with his eyes! With this not inconsiderable handicap, he is still an "idol" with 25.827 million followers on his Weibo social media and 1.5 million followers on his personal studio social media.
I have not seen any indication that he plans to retire? He has actually three albums released, some with video parts in "33" and "36". These days he is preparing for the end of year CCTV gala. He has appeared, singing and dancing, on quite a number of stages in 2025. More about him (mostly focusing on three dramas) on this already old 2021 "Ultra fan guide" from MDL : https://news.mydramalist.com/article/an-ultra-fan-guide-to-ren-jia-lun which could use some updating and completing info to be a true fan guide, but that is my opinion, it's an introduction which misses a lot ...
2 
5 
1 
1 
1 
Secret of Love by Si Qi Man Cu (斯丹曼簇)
Love is not True (爱不是真) by Zhang Lei
Unicorn (独角兽) by Nicholas Teo
Whale's Moan (离群的鲸) by Geng Si Han (耿斯汉)
Waiting by Lauren Woo
I Lie Awake by Ray Hou
I Feel You by Lauren Woo
Baidu also mentions 7 other titles including the famous "Those Flowers" Pu Shu song.
Interesting perhaps is that the Chinese title of the drama on its Baidu page translates to "Roses are growing" or "Rose bushes" - so no wonder it's all a messy and thorny business ;)
I was curious about it since "A Journey To Love", when I did a short Profile of LYN in the Companion piece that I added at the time https://kisskh.at/discussions/a-journey-to-love/121473-a-journey-to-love-notes-on-production-location-dates-cast-characters-and-more?pid=2910411&page=2#p2910411
Watching it now, it is different from what I had anticipated from the title, but the beginning has some funny moments (the cleaning lady...) and the mix of adult comics inspired animation and acting is interesting. I seem to remember some Jiang Yifan lead character from vertical dramas, wondering if there was a connection to those medias too, which "exploded" in popularity since 2023? I should perhaps have read the manhua, but did not get around to look for it, and up till now, nobody has pinned it in the Discussions section.
I was curious about it since "A Journey To Love", when I did a short Profile of LYN in the Companion piece that I added at the time https://kisskh.at/discussions/a-journey-to-love/121473-a-journey-to-love-notes-on-production-location-dates-cast-characters-and-more?pid=2910411&page=2#p2910411
Watching it now, it is different from what I had anticipated from the title, but the beginning has some funny moments (the cleaning lady...) and the mix of adult comics inspired animation and acting is interesting. I seem to remember some Jiang Yifan lead character from vertical dramas, wondering if there was a connection to those medias too, which "exploded" in popularity since 2023? I should perhaps have read the manhua, but did not get around to look for it, and up till now, nobody has pinned it in the Discussions section.
These Liánhuán huà illustrated storybooks were very popular in the 1960-70s, and could still be found at flea markets in the 1990s: they embodied the youth imagination of many young Chinese who learned the classic tales from literature, but also discovered foreign heroes such as Tintin through reading the small booklets printed on rectangular 12,5x10 cm pulp paper) As an article about an exhibition in Brussels, Belgium stated : "The first Chinese comic strip hero to make a regular appearance, was born in 1929, the same year as Tintin. And China’s most famous comic strip character, San Mao, was created in 1935, the year of first publication of The Blue Lotus, which recounts Tintin’s adventures in China." Btw San Mao the Shanghai orphan during the war of aggression by Japan was also featured in popular Chinese movies. There is a wall along Lane 288, Wuyuan Road in Shanghai where n°3 was the residence of Zhang Leping, the comic strip artist who created San Mao (the house can be visited).
Here is a feature about Zhang Leping and his work : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWLe46HqdOY
I get it that the author believed it was fitting so the couple would admit publicly their feelings, months later. But I feel that was very clumsy.
As for CFY, well.... I think I only am missing to complete a couple older dramas aside from the present one now, and also watched a half dozen of his movies. The one drama I liked least was "Eat Run Love" (did not like the script and the FL of that business drama), which is totally disappointing after "Lighter and Princess" (tech and revenge drama with a fabulous OST) and before "When Destiny Brings the Demon" (xianxia). He was great in those two, although his lines delivery was perhaps a tad too slow in the latter, if I need to quibble. But great presence and chemistry with co-star.
* My You sung by Mao Buyi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdM_VNzyd-0
* Fireflies in the Night Sky sung by Liu Yu : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgPzW8jGtVI&list=RDkgPzW8jGtVI&start_radio=1
* In Time, sung by Hong Yinuo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvZeJfLiOGs&list=RDxvZeJfLiOGs&start_radio=1
* Reality sung by Duan Aojuan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAT0Zim3xQk&list=RDDAT0Zim3xQk&start_radio=1
Lyricist: Ning Huan Yu, Jin Da Zhou
Composer: Ning Huan Yu, Jin Da Zhou
As a companion to this drama, I re-watched the Dai Sijie movie "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress" and put it into recommendations.
Chen Feiyu, although he did not experience first hand the period, surely read or heard the memoirs of his dad Chen Kaige from his time in Cultural Revolution Beijing. That 1989 book, unlike Dai Sijie's semi autobiographical novel from 2000, is not easy to come by now, but is also very interesting. It was first published in part form in Chinese, next translated to French, and I am not sure there has been a translation into English...
The ending of the novel and movie "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress" , adapted by the author, may baffle naive young watchers, but rings perfectly authentic to those who read, watched, and heard enough from the "scars generation" accounts, and how they evolved and put behind them experiences that were both enthusiastic and traumatic, to adapt to the New China of Deng Xiaoping and later, like the "Fifth generation" directors Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Liu Miao Miao. . It is definitely not to be dismissed as "arts house movie". although it is not a recent movie any longer. The story of the tooth there remained long with me....
The actress Zhou Xun gained fame and is still now among the "4 Dan actresses" of China because of her act in that 2000 movie and another more contemporary (then) themed movie (Lou Ye's "Suzhou River") : both gaining fame at the time..
Another movie, more recent 2022 "A Woman", by Wang Chao, can also be watched as a companion depiction of the struggles of an artist storyteller forced to spend part of her life in silence as a factory worker, with an unloved spouse, in these difficult bygone times. Unfortunately, only the trailer is available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdlIkF_Pn9I so I am only adding it to recommendation for those who may watch it in a Chinese movies festival now. There are many movies that fall through the grid because they did not get enough promotion, and are mostly watched by true blue Chinese movie fans who never miss some writer-directors works, lol. I admit to have been following all the 5th and 6th generation directors, meeting a few on the way...
Chen Feiyu, although he did not experience first hand the period, surely read the memoirs of his dad Chen Kaige from his time in Cultural Revolution Beijing. That book, unlike Dai Sijie's semi autobiographical novel from 2000, is not easy to come by now, but is also very interesting.
The ending of the novel and movie Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress , adapted by the author, may baffle naive young watchers, but rings perfectly authentic to those who read, watched, and heard enough from the "scars generation" accounts, and how they evolved and put behind them experiences that were both enthusiastic and traumatic, to adapt to the New China of Deng Xiaoping and later. It is definitely not to be dismissed as "arts house movie".
The actress Zhou Xun gained fame and is still now among the "4 Dan actresses" of China because of her act in the movie.
Wishing you all the best while the CNY galloping festivities continue. They sidetracked me away from MDL and good wishes messaging on other social media...
What I took away from this season was revising my beliefs as concerns some facts that I had been taught about a certain VD disease. Like many here (I suppose) I had been taught and told it originated on the ships of Vasco Da Gama or even Columbus, but ... yea, it was much earlier, although we did not get info on exactly where it came from... We do learn stuff from dramas, and also leave with new uncertainties. After all, diseases are mysterious even with gene tracking : we still have conflicting theories about the origin of the deadly flu of the 1918-20s and a century later of that of the dreaded covid. So, despite warnings about the threats, pandemic early preparations do not really work as perfectly as touted : in "my times", the big doomsday illness expected was supposed to be avian flu, but SARS came out of nowhere, although it finally looked to be containable enough through isolation, given its sheer deadliness, like Lassa fever or Ebola.
But to get back to drama on hand, unless the last episodes really deliver (I don't really expect them to be different than the usual rush wrapping up), I am sorry to side more or less with the Douban rating, and will probably only allow an 8 here because I am as always lenient and don't want to gun down the project. The production and cast tried to revive the magic, but sometimes it cannot totally work. Oh yes, and the villain looked fine at first, but I can't even remember the actor's name without checking cast now, and won't look for him in new projects.
I looked through Cho Na's notes (up in Discussions part, with illustrations) to get an idea of the end chapters... Those notes are well designed, for the ones in a hurry to get spoilers. Usually it is not my way of watching, but perhaps I got tired of waiting too long for the new episodes after the drag since our heroes traveled away from court to border wilderness. So, it confirms what I feel now, just wishing it soon be over. Aside from trouble with plot heaping up and actors not really catching attention, puppet-like, suddenly appearing, or dropped too casually to make an impression, this way of slow down releasing episodes was counter productive to keep up attention and expectation.
Already moving on to other leisure drama watching, despite I don't have much time for them these days any longer.
Thank you to Xiang83 for pointing it out together with another document and opinions.
I was peeking at this drama that popped up haphazardly on my WeTV phone app which I had not used for a month or so, busy with other things... So came to this page to know more.
Wow that it took 8 years to get this drama to us in 2026. Also first time for me to watch Edward Zhang (and the other guys who play here except some like Morning Chang).
As for HYTT she was just young and foolish to let herself unawares be embroiled in controversy. She will be wiser now, and I don't think her career is at stake any more than Song Zu'er who got a rap because of a groundless tax evasion report. HYTT's parents are among very many, most anonymous and ordinary folk, that had more children than allowed at the time but got tacit protection from their community.
I have known many like that, amused to see one family with three girls sending them to study abroad, and funding the family from their excellent businesses that also supported many employees and local economy (I assumed they were Manchu, thus allowed more than one kid). Usually, the "exposing families" for "more kids than allowed" was not really based on any righteous grounds but mostly on jealousy to trigger a backlash about such peccadilloes. A very famous Chinese director had to pay fines, years later after having raised his own brood, because of a falling out with a former friend who reported him (who needs enemies with friends like that?). His wife later joked that their family just had anticipated the new, current, policies. They did not cause any dent in the economic system since they were anyway net contributors, tax wise and paying tuition for their well educated kids + of course contributing to charities. They are not blacklisted in any way (although that Chinese director is perhaps not a model for romantic drama ideals : his present family is not his first...)
China indeed does not care any more about "over quota kids in one child policy times" since there is a lack today of both sex children being born, and the government is now furthering help for new parents willing to have kids. The reason for the diving population trend is not past or present (I don't believe it still exists) aborting baby girls .Actually, many families have for decades welcomed girls as cuter than boys, there is no longer a view that they are less intelligent or just tokens to be sold to husband family: that's just a vertical c-drama trope surviving as a sort of joke - vertical c-dramas are outrageous in many ways, lampooning "outdated feudal" behaviors (the parents that sin selling daughters in those dramas are so much caricature and the jealous "green teas" that scheme are also there to be hated ☺️). Still these vertical dramas feature such handsome tall and even talented actors that they get a big following. They are not a mirror of present day behavior in Chinese families, but serve as permanent warning not to go back to such patterns, although they are not broadcast on big screens or main television, just on streaming for those interested. HYTT and Nashi don't play in this special register, although some mainstream actors, even some who do costume drama of bloodthirsty kind, do. Nothing is real of course in those imaginary plots playing on phantasms.
Just an aside about the power of imagination vs reality: I admired the other day a YT clip showing a guy in the PRC who made a show flying very realistic looking swords, actually drones, flying through streets (more about the feat here : https://futurism.com/robots-and-machines/china-flying-sword-drone) : comments were about flying on one, and it looks like this may become possible, but for now, we still have to fly over walls in imagination ☺️
So the reason for the dip in population is plain that young people (also in other developed countries) are very reluctant to raise kids for many (mostly money) reasons. But there are still families with kids and grand-kids, as in "several" though not more than 3, and I know quite a few personally in my PRC family and friends circle.
Wishing you and young Chinese engaged in C-ent a happy 2026 and a prosperous year of the Horse, upcoming Feb 17.
Of course, RJL is a dad in real life of a 7 year old boy born on or just before 2 February 2018 (date when he announced on Weibo his fatherhood with a small hand nestling into his), and in events where there are kids he shows his care and attention to them.
But he protects his family efficiently, as he should, not revealing his son's name, all the while having been so bold to let known early on his dating for 5 years Nie Huan 聂欢, whom he married probably in 2016. Her only involvement in c-ent is rumored to be monitoring her husband's contracts and forbidding too intimate kissing scenes 🤣 : RJL is known as the actor who only kisses with his eyes! With this not inconsiderable handicap, he is still an "idol" with 25.827 million followers on his Weibo social media and 1.5 million followers on his personal studio social media.
I have not seen any indication that he plans to retire?
He has actually three albums released, some with video parts in "33" and "36". These days he is preparing for the end of year CCTV gala. He has appeared, singing and dancing, on quite a number of stages in 2025.
More about him (mostly focusing on three dramas) on this already old 2021 "Ultra fan guide" from MDL : https://news.mydramalist.com/article/an-ultra-fan-guide-to-ren-jia-lun which could use some updating and completing info to be a true fan guide, but that is my opinion, it's an introduction which misses a lot ...