Hanyuu

I see it's about perspective. Since you've probably read the novels, I have a question: Is this adaptation true to the source material? This plot seems simple enough for 16-20 episodes. Even 25 episodes, like HL, feel a bit stretched. But C-dramas usually run for over 30 episodes, and I often think they're just adding filler to meet time slot requirements. (like forced misunderstandings and the main leads constantly running away from each other)

Yeah. I created it on believeme.org. LOL. JK
And I believe you for real. Good work. 👍

Thank you. My petition finally worked after only 2 years, even though it had 100k+ signatures. :)

Yeah, perspetive might be the case. Explain one more thing. In Hidden Love, DJX first met SZ when she was in middle school. DJX and SY were probably still in high school then, not university yet. That makes sense because SZ used SY's move to the university dorm as an excuse to see DJX. But in this show, DJX shows up in university, and he's completely missing from the high school storyline. Am I forgetting something here?

My only issue so far is that Sang Yan in this show isn't the same character we saw in Hidden Love, even though it's the same writer. In Hidden Love, he was funny and talkative, always smiling and having fun. In this show, he's sad, quiet, serious, edgy, and sarcastic. At first, I thought maybe it was because we had never seen his love story before, so his serious attitude made sense with what happened with Wen Yifan. But in the 9 episodes I've watched so far, he acts the same way with his friends too. A friend asks if he's coming to dinner, and he just walks away without answering, like that friend broke his heart and made him this way. And this seems to be happening around the same time Sang Zhi is about to start university. I don't mind characters like this, but the problem is it's supposed to be the same person. If this show wasn't connected to Hidden Love, I wouldn't care.

Why is Hidden Love mentioned as a shared universe?

About the first point. I first discovered Bleach anime in 2008. The third ending song, "Houkiboshi" by Younha, had such a powerful, mature voice. Years later, while rewatching Bleach, I decided to download the song for my playlist. I was shocked to see it was performed by a young, cute girl. That's when I learned about Younha and her Korean background. Later I found out Korean companies had rejected her as a solo artist because of her looks. She then went to Japan, and became successful, and only then did Korea accept her. This really bothered me. A singer should be judged only by their voice, vocal control, and other singing-related skills, not their appearance. "Houkiboshi" came out in 2005, so Younha was probably rejected in Korea around 2003-2005. This was before K-pop idol culture became so dominant (or should I say K-pop cult), and she wasn't even trying to join a K-pop group where you need to be the jack of all trades. This showed me how strict and awful Korean entertainment's beauty standards were. I'm grateful I can enjoy my Jpop without focusing on looks and appreciate artists like Ado and Minami who never show their faces, as well as the many talented VOCALOID producers.

Oh no, the grand master plan has been exposed! China is secretly toppling democracies one romantic drama at a time. First, they make you cry over tragic love stories, and before you know it, bam! one-party rule. Quick, list some of these diabolical propaganda shows so we can alert the free world. Zionists, Trumpy fans, and defenders of democracy must be warned before it's too late!

I have the same issues with many of these shows. I hated these tropes in Ancient Love Poetry and many others. I also dislike episodes being dragged out just to fill time slots. Not to mention that Chinese dramas tend to run for 40-50 episodes when the story could be told in much less. Reset is a perfect example - a great show in just 15 episodes. Hidden Love is my favorite and even that could've concluded in 20 episodes, though 25 is fine too. If they had dragged it to 40 episodes, I probably would've hated it. It's good to see someone with a similar mindset - I thought I was alone considering how highly rated some of these shows are.

Thank you for saving my time. I freaking hate all these tropes.

I was really enjoying this drama until episode 10, which nearly ruined it for me. I'm unsure if I can continue watching if it maintains this direction.

I dislike shounen anime-type heroes in Cdramas who are afraid of real romance with the female lead, even after marriage, or vice versa. I hated this in other Cdramas and dropped "New Life Begins" for this (and some other reasons). Although they were married for 20 years and I didn't mind the hollow two-year deal talk to escape the reality (as they clearly have feelings for each other and get jealous, especially the ML), It was time to show courage, fall deeper in love, and reflect on past mistakes. I wanted the ML to show courage when she asked him to get in bed. Instead, he not only revealed the deal to the SML but also planned her marriage in four steps. This felt like NTR/cuckold sh*t. While the story might change after this episode, it left a very bad taste.

I just finished episode 23, and the story has so many flaws that I don't even know where to begin. The biggest issue is Li Chengge wanting to have her cake and eat it too. Thanks to the plot shield, she's getting her way every time, and it's not just annoying, it's making me root for the bad guys. With so much left to go, I’m honestly wondering if I’ll even be able to finish this. I just hope I don’t hit my breaking point.

The thing is, his character and acting in *Joy of Life* really feels like that of an Emperor. In other dramas, the Emperor is the most useless govt post, just sitting on the throne and knowing nothing.

No, S2 is a continuation of S1. You'll miss the entire plot if you skip it.

The heroine undergoes an impossible brain surgery without any bandages on her head or hair loss. The hero gets run over by a car and then shot with a shotgun, but can lead the trial a few days later. The whole drama around memory loss was temporary, and they were bound by fate, born in the same hospital, in the same ward, with both mothers' beds next to each other, separated by a thin cloth. In the Neonatal Unit, their cribs were next to each other (missing part spoiler, available in director's cut). What a beautiful love story.

The Queen's final words: "Life as the queen is extremely hard." And we come to realize, "Life as the king is utterly useless."

The king emerges as the most ineffective, weakest, and poorly written character in the entire series. While everyone else possesses some form of power, the king seems devoid of any. He remains oblivious to the ongoings in his household. The Queen has a full CIA at her disposal, the Queen Dowager is well-informed, ministers and the entire castle are privy to gossip, while the seemingly sage King is isolated, engrossed in solitary contemplation about birds in his room. Until the very end, he was the last person to know what was going on and required someone else to make decisions for him.

The most disappointing character was Lang Hua. Growing up with Bai-Feng Xi, she should have known her the best. However, she was easily swayed by someone when her father went missing, ultimately stabbing Bai-Feng Xi when her father was killed, without even hearing her out. Although Bai-Feng Xi was miraculously saved by the flower, the way Lang Hua was easily forgiven did not feel well-written.

Thanks

The biggest delulu I have ever seen.

In which episode did Taozi create the medicine that Cui Lin took, leading to her appearing as if dead?