There are about a dozen photos of Wang Ziqi being absolutely adorable with the little guy at the booting ceremony. I came to this drama because of Wang Ziqi and Wang Yuwen's amazing chemistry. I didn't expect to have my baby clock triggered.
This started as an answer to below, but kinda balloon to something more so I put it as its own comment.
There were times that I found the FL one note where she decreased the energy of the scene. Others, and myself most times, liked her portrayal of the determined, professionally brilliant, but worldly naïve wide-eyed outcast. She is naturally cute. Although the series is named after her, in a sense, her role is much less central in the later episodes.
The series is an ensemble of great characters, each with a talent. The SML, Jing Yi, is hilarious with his expressions, but never try to fool this human lie detector. The actor is able to be layered without being smarmy which is a danger of this type of character. Outwardly a carefree, flirty playboy, but is serious about his job and protecting those he loves. And he loves the ML, Prince An, lol. I liked this bromance with their unspoken communication and one sided bets.
There is something about Prince An that inspires this loyalty. He is tactical, kind, just but also able to be decisive. Often, when a drama has a too-good-to-be-true character, he comes off as boring. But Prince An isn't perfect, he is physically weak, is a work-a-holic (and not the “what are your bad traits” interview question kind), and has the heavy weight of fulfilling justice on his shoulders. He can be temperamental when out of his comfort zone. The actor seemed slightly stiff at first, but then draws you in with his nuanced performance. There are still green moments, but his eyes, eyebrows, and tiny smiles are almost mesmerizing. Prince An’s intelligence, quiet strength, and his guarded but warm interactions with others makes him unique in recent C dramas.
Also different is his relationship with his brother, Jin Li. Jin Li may be the simple straight man, but he isn’t dumb either. He has an unexpected grounded wisdom which is deployed at the perfect times. It is so rare to have brothers who care about each other and aren’t fighting over women or power. The only debate is who loves Prince An more, Jing Yi or Jin Li?
It is funny and refreshing that the 2 aren’t fighting over Leng Yue. There aren’t any insipid love triangles in this drama. Leng Yue is independent, observant, and defends her friends. She said one of the most powerful lines, “women should protect women”.
These five fit together as necessary pieces of a puzzle forming strong friendships and along with the fantastic veteran actors and logically detailed script makes this drama special.
I saw this drama was rated high both in mdl and wetv. The plot was interesting despite being a bit slow paced,…
Hello,
To answer your question: Yes, the witch doctor is the princess's husband and person that Prince An wants to find. He was able to find him in Episode 21 and this was the story's emotional heart. This part was logically flawless with the details placed like crumbs throughout. There was a different ending song on this episode and it was chosen especially for this moment. It really packed such a powerful punch that the platform disable fast forward so that the viewers don't miss it. Perhaps, watch just this episode. The acting is still kinda green, but it was really satisfying.
I know you have given up on this drama, with valid reasons. Please see my answers above on my take of the characters. I think this did peak some interest for you to ask about the witch doctor, perhaps reconsider giving this drama or parts of it another try. There are light hearted and humorous moments with the second male lead, the second female, the brother and Prince An throughout. The romance in episodes 24 & 25 was really cute and sweet, especially from the ML. But skip since you can't stand the FL. The last 5-6 episodes were the culmination of a well written story. When Prince An finds out who the mastermind is in Episode 32, and his showdown with the Eunuch in Episode 34 were tense and well acted. The Eunuch actor is so brilliant. The finale was a bit rushed but intelligently executed.
If you like any other blanks filled it, please let me know. There are still very many mysteries and details that "can't be explained in a word or two". LOL.
How is he misogynistic? Thinking someone -who so happens to be female- is stupid doesn't make you misogynistic.…
@justine Anytime a male belittles a female it is because subconsciously, he knows he can get away with it. Society lets him. Try to remember when a male character calls another male dumb. It happens, but not as frequently. Because when men compete it is on "talent". When vs women, it is about intelligence - somehow men are still inherently thought to be smarter. This isn't just in this Chinese drama, it's a prevelant issue in many others and also life. We can enjoy a drama and love a character, but still call out its faults. Perhaps, that will cause the future writers to step back before they write such misogyny - overt or subtle. Then perhaps boys and men can watch these dramas without internalizing that it is ok to call women dumb. Perhaps girls and women can realize that being called dumb is unacceptable.
I still love Yin Si Chen and believe that he worships Xi Xi and thinks she is smart. He showed that with their first meeting. But the writing would have been perfect if he didn't say those negative words. Wouldn't you have preferred that too? I know he doesn't control it, but I hope future projects with this ML and all male leads in general wouldn't put down women.
How is he misogynistic? Thinking someone -who so happens to be female- is stupid doesn't make you misogynistic.…
I love this drama, absolutely love it. But he shouldn't have called her names. Most of the time it was with his assistant and not in front of her and one could excuse it as him trying to stop hiself from falling deeper in love with her, but it was unnecessary and misogynistic writing. He later showed how supportive he was in his actions and even with the second female he was a supportive friend (when she wasn't attacking his wife), but I wish the writers didn't have him call her dumb or that awful threatening to punish her for not learning Italian scene. That was inexcusable. I had to actively overlook these scenes because I really enjoyed the couple and their overall strong and encouraging relationship.
He went from 4 dramas in 4 years to 4 dramas in 1 year. All with different characters and genres.
I grew up watching Wuxia, therefore I have a fondness for costume drama. Unfortunately, recent Wuxia have been disappointing. I do like costume dramas' ability to transport me to another world. Sci-fi would do the same but China doesn't really have many of those. But many costume dramas now are just vehicles for draggy romances without regard for the times they are set in. The Imperial Coroner stood out because of its details and proper balance of story, romance, and humor, with a dash of Wuxia. I wouldn't mind a costume like that again.
He went from 4 dramas in 4 years to 4 dramas in 1 year. All with different characters and genres.
Is that unusual? I didn't know. He has a supporting role in The Longest Promise and technically he was Xiao Jin Yu again for the Variety show and The Imperial Coroner epilogue, but yeah, no costume drama for a year or so. I wouldn't mind seeing him in a serious costume (not tortured romance focused) drama again.
There is an international Wang Ziqi fan club channel on YouTube that has some of his interviews subtitled in English. This video is cute with him showing off his new bow.
The cute couple:
https://youtube.com/shorts/_24wEMynEF4?feature=share
There were times that I found the FL one note where she decreased the energy of the scene. Others, and myself most times, liked her portrayal of the determined, professionally brilliant, but worldly naïve wide-eyed outcast. She is naturally cute. Although the series is named after her, in a sense, her role is much less central in the later episodes.
The series is an ensemble of great characters, each with a talent. The SML, Jing Yi, is hilarious with his expressions, but never try to fool this human lie detector. The actor is able to be layered without being smarmy which is a danger of this type of character. Outwardly a carefree, flirty playboy, but is serious about his job and protecting those he loves. And he loves the ML, Prince An, lol. I liked this bromance with their unspoken communication and one sided bets.
There is something about Prince An that inspires this loyalty. He is tactical, kind, just but also able to be decisive. Often, when a drama has a too-good-to-be-true character, he comes off as boring. But Prince An isn't perfect, he is physically weak, is a work-a-holic (and not the “what are your bad traits” interview question kind), and has the heavy weight of fulfilling justice on his shoulders. He can be temperamental when out of his comfort zone. The actor seemed slightly stiff at first, but then draws you in with his nuanced performance. There are still green moments, but his eyes, eyebrows, and tiny smiles are almost mesmerizing. Prince An’s intelligence, quiet strength, and his guarded but warm interactions with others makes him unique in recent C dramas.
Also different is his relationship with his brother, Jin Li. Jin Li may be the simple straight man, but he isn’t dumb either. He has an unexpected grounded wisdom which is deployed at the perfect times. It is so rare to have brothers who care about each other and aren’t fighting over women or power. The only debate is who loves Prince An more, Jing Yi or Jin Li?
It is funny and refreshing that the 2 aren’t fighting over Leng Yue. There aren’t any insipid love triangles in this drama. Leng Yue is independent, observant, and defends her friends. She said one of the most powerful lines, “women should protect women”.
These five fit together as necessary pieces of a puzzle forming strong friendships and along with the fantastic veteran actors and logically detailed script makes this drama special.
To answer your question: Yes, the witch doctor is the princess's husband and person that Prince An wants to find. He was able to find him in Episode 21 and this was the story's emotional heart. This part was logically flawless with the details placed like crumbs throughout. There was a different ending song on this episode and it was chosen especially for this moment. It really packed such a powerful punch that the platform disable fast forward so that the viewers don't miss it. Perhaps, watch just this episode. The acting is still kinda green, but it was really satisfying.
I know you have given up on this drama, with valid reasons. Please see my answers above on my take of the characters. I think this did peak some interest for you to ask about the witch doctor, perhaps reconsider giving this drama or parts of it another try. There are light hearted and humorous moments with the second male lead, the second female, the brother and Prince An throughout. The romance in episodes 24 & 25 was really cute and sweet, especially from the ML. But skip since you can't stand the FL. The last 5-6 episodes were the culmination of a well written story. When Prince An finds out who the mastermind is in Episode 32, and his showdown with the Eunuch in Episode 34 were tense and well acted. The Eunuch actor is so brilliant. The finale was a bit rushed but intelligently executed.
If you like any other blanks filled it, please let me know. There are still very many mysteries and details that "can't be explained in a word or two". LOL.
I still love Yin Si Chen and believe that he worships Xi Xi and thinks she is smart. He showed that with their first meeting. But the writing would have been perfect if he didn't say those negative words. Wouldn't you have preferred that too? I know he doesn't control it, but I hope future projects with this ML and all male leads in general wouldn't put down women.
Part 1: https://youtu.be/T94jllpEGZc
Part 2: https://youtu.be/pS9jCYswQ-Q
Part 3: https://youtu.be/1ZXwTPnVhC8
Part 3 doesn't have English subtitles yet.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkk1tzgnGQX4cwSkK6GogycdrddClyG1f
https://youtu.be/Ex9WAG2roSc