FunnyBunny1026

The Knockout is rated 8.5 the last time I checked on Douban. Not sure about now. But that one is really really good. Totally different genre. In China, TK and especially the villain Gao Qiqiang has reached a cult-level LOL

Hahahaha at the very least, we get to enjoy great acting!

😂😂😂

😅 maybe it's just ZSW trying too hard to make ZZF a more 3D character. Argh! I feel like I betrayed him as his fan 🤣 I'm sorry ZSW! BUT yes, let's have some patience. Just 8 eps more to go.

I Googled coz I'm so free today LOL. They started the ROC calendar from Jan 1st 1912.

There's no bad blood between them. ZZF is just a traitor and he knew Gu papa will never agree to be a Japanese puppet so why waste time on him? He disagreed with Kondo on putting effort to impress Gu papa. I forgot if it's Mr Li's wish or his own but he wanted to put the Wang guy as the magistrate, someone on their side who would listen to them. So he has to get rid of Gu papa at all cost. As for ZYW HAHAHAAA you're right abt his acting in this drama! I thought the same. Why ZYW why?? Almost all Cdramas will portray the Japanese as dumb or just one dimensional evil just because...it's a Cdrama.

People mainly have issues with script-writing and not the acting. My guess is there won't be any happy ending for GYZ with the 2 FLs. He will be alone and they might show him moving forward to other missions - alone, leaving Suzhou. Or an OE where one FL dies and one still alive but might rejoin him in other places where he continues his mission. Dramas based on this era rarely has a HE but despite it all, I'm still looking forward to the next episode.

I was hoping for a plot twist but at Ep 26, nothing much has changed so I'm guessing they're just gonna make him the enemy of CPC all the way till the end until he's killed. Which will be boring and a huge waste of talent when they can make use of him to play a more complex character. I was thinking about his role in the drama. He became hugely popular due to The Knockout WHILE they were still filming ALHJ. So he probably wasn't meant to be a 2nd lead in this drama. It might have supposed to be a drama between ZSX and CDL. That would make sense if ZZF's character has no major development written for him. It's only because of his popularity after TK that production and iQiyi started emphasizing him on posters and promos, maybe even editing the drama to have more ZZF scenes than the 2 FLs. Which is why the plot suffers now as people start wondering where this is heading. All that I said here except the filming schedule are my personal speculations. Whoever's reading please don't blame the production, platform or actors.

🤣 I LOLed at your last sentence coz there are moments when I also think so. They emphasized so much about the beauty of Suzhou, but like I read earlier abt the historical persons some characters are based off on, like Li Shiqun for eg, he did die in Suzhou. And I read somewhere that some things happened in Suzhou too(sorry I'm too lazy to go dig them up again haha). ZZF doesn't hate GYZ's dad. He doesn't even hate GYZ but he has to sacrifice them for his own security and controlling power. He hates Huang Xinzhai and the Japanese. I think Mr Li and ZZF are not faithful to any sides. We're starting to see what Mr Li is I guess from the latest episodes, ZZF is foolish to work for him. GYZ survived everything and is tolerated by Kondo because he's the lead actor🤣. Also maybe Kondo loves pitting GYZ against ZZF. He did tell GYZ that he hates ZZF.

🤣 it can be confusing.

Ah I went to check the letter. It says Republican Era Year 30 which is 1941. They use a different calendar at that time which I think is still being used in Taiwan now.

Haimo is no longer quiet now 🤣

It should be filmed around end of 2022 to early 2023 as I remember when The Knockout got popular and people were paying attention to Zhang Songwen, he was in the midst of filming this drama. Zeng Shunxi was a lot better in Mysterious Lotus Casebook which was filmed right before ALHJ(correct me if I'm wrong). So I think it's just that this genre is more challenging for him as compared to other genres.

Aye aye, I'm far from a historical expert either as I was only lowkey obsessed with the Republican Era up till the end of Cultural Revolution during my college years. Historical aspect aside, what I think is the biggest problem(for me) is that the drama gradually loses its direction and pacing. I'm still happily watching but I'm aware that after Ou Xinping died, the drama seems like it doesn't quite know where it wants to go. Maybe it just wants to be a lonely boat floating aimlessly along the Suzhou canals.

The Rebel wasn’t that tight historically either but it got a lot more love. In any case, Douban ratings I noticed are either very accurate or highly unfair 😪

😂 I remember his other drama that I liked a lot was Ultimate Note where he had greater chemistry with the male actors but this aside, it wasn’t just problematic when it’s on romance but on many scenes today where he could have a lot more complicated micro expressions like what ZSW’s good at for eg. but he didn’t. I’m not saying he’s bad, he’s a pretty good actor among the younger actors, but this is something he lacks which could’ve made GYZ a more impressive character.

That part I know. I just don’t remember if we’re shown what Gu papa said to Haimo 🤔

I see all the problems but I do have the ability to adjust my expectations between dramas 😂

Yup this drama isn’t the best Republican Era spy drama and is starting to falter a bit in recent eps. but if ppl expect it to be on The Knockout level of a great drama, that’s their problem imo & they should blame their misplaced expectations. The Knockout was almost cult-level good that rarely happens in Cdramaland. There were so many amazing actors in it unlike this drama where the gap between older actors’ and younger actors’ skills, talents & experiences were huge. I started watching without any high expectation & only hoped for a good plot. It does helped me enjoy this drama. I still think a big reason it gets that low a rating is due to lots of antis giving it a low rating on the first days it aired.

Like GYZ. Shot at the heart at close range but still survived 🤣 But I still enjoy watching this drama!