Jason_17_

I completed my second rewatch yesterday, and I'm trying to see if I could find other dramas like this where characters are emotionally well connected.

No, what I meant is that during filming, the drama gained massive hype and recognition through Reuters, official stills, and teasers.

While it started out as a low budget project and planned accordingly, Love for You secured a significant amount of sponsorships far more than what they expected.

From my understanding how Cdrama production works, the sponsorships secured after the initial buzz might not have gone into the shooting itself but were likely allocated for marketing materials and even into increasing salaries for certain people.

Yeah, it's because of both leads and their explosive chemistry. They created so much buzz that sponsorships poured in and we got insane photoshoots and other promotions. The attention among C-citizens was so strong that, compared to other recent releases, this was the only idol drama to cross 1 billion plays across the entire network within the first week after its airing ended.

It even became the drama of the month.

It's sad that it's kind of a common occurrence for them; they constantly suffer from one hate train to another, and honestly, most Cdrama actors face this.

Yeah, I've seen many others having beef with the editing of this drama, but I have to say that I'm a bit confused because I think the editing was good given what they have and what they were trying to show. I'm not saying it's amazing, but I do feel that the editing choices were deliberate and were used to tell the characters POV. Maybe it's just me; maybe my brainwaves kind of matched the editing.😅

I'm more annoyed about the scenes that didn't make it into the final version. Oh, sorry, I guess we can put some blame on the editing department, but isn't it mostly the director's or the platform's responsibility to decide what to keep and what to cut?

I agree, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that the story continuity was lost; it's just that a few scenes could've used more context.

Yeah, I noticed this happens from time to time in C-dramas. They start out with a low budget, so they plan for that rate expecting a certain amount of sponsorship, but then they gain sudden massive hype and get more sponsors than they expected. That kind of messes up their planning when they are already halfway through finishing the shoot.

Tuli goes to CenYe to find out more about MiaoJing and ChenYi's relationship.

I also saw a post on X regarding a fan Q&A session with the scriptwriter about this. When asked, the scriptwriter explained that CenYe actually tried to make a deal with Tuli to break up ChenYi and MiaoJing, but Tuli refused. Later, when CenYe brought MiaoJing to ChenYi's house and saw Tuli there, he assumed Tuli had accepted the deal. That is why CenYe tried to act proactive in that scene but MiaoJing shuts him down.

Additionally, many scenes were cut, and the six-year time jump involving MiaoJing, along with other good scenes, weren't filmed due to low budget constraints.

Anyway it's still a great show.

She died six years ago in the fire incident.

Maybe, I would have really enjoyed this drama if I had known its tone beforehand. Instead, I went in completely blind expecting a serious and a good story, only to get hit with a full on illogical comedic tone that I couldn't properly appreciate.😢

Yeah, the plan didn’t go the way they wanted. Miao Jing definitely knew that her plan would not go as expected, and she was still ready for that, so I don’t think MJ needed Chen Yi to do that at all and take it upon alone and put himself in danger. So after what he did and acting like NOTHING HAPPENED, that whole situation triggered her, reminding her of what happened six years ago.

I am not blaming Chen Yi for the bridesmaid situation. I am just trying to say what I felt Miao Jing was thinking.

So my comments were about her POV and not his or the viewers POV.

Anyway, tnx for sharing your thoughts.

I don’t think Chen Yi saved her; he was simply afraid that Zhang Bin might notice her investigating the smuggling. Miao Jing isn’t stupid enough to just wait for Zhang Bin to kill her off and not think about her safety.

Was the situation dangerous? Of course, and she knows the stakes. Chen Yi didn’t save her in that moment. He simply imagined that Miao Jing doesn’t realize the full extent of the danger. After what happened in episode 17, he imagined a worse situation because of his experience and understanding of Zhang Bin. He acted as her shield, just like he always does.

As for the bridesmaid situation, it happened right after Miao Jing asked him if he had ever thought about their future. She was expressing her frustration with his way of doing things.

When she was asked to be the bridesmaid, she looked at Chen Yi. Then, Tu Li stepped in to take the role, but Miao Jing kept her eyes on Chen Yi. Later, when Miao Jing was asked to say a few words, she talked about the groom's promise to do things together and be there for each other, emphasizing that a relationship should not be a one-sided dynamic.

She repeatedly expresses her feelings, but Chen Yi never responds to them and tries to act like nothing happened.

Regarding her using Cen Ye to make Chen Yi jealous: even people who grew up in normal environments do this. Miao Jing grew up mostly alone, and she did it based on her specific understanding of Chen Yi, and it worked on him. She didn’t do it because she enjoyed it.

I also understand the dislike for characters using another love interest to spark jealousy, but Miao Jing is a character who grew up with trauma and lacked proper guidance. She had some guidance, but still… she had to navigate a lot on her own. At the end of the day, both Miao Jing and Chen Yi are flawed characters.

I wouldn’t say he deserved it, but he definitely needed it. He had already given up on being with MiaoJing three years ago when he came out of the underground. So after episode 18, even though he looked like someone who wanted a relationship or was at least trying to, he was just following along and wasn’t putting anything of himself into it. His mindset remained unchanged.

I totally get your frustration, but ChenYi honestly needed that cold shoulder from her. After what he did in episode 20 or 21, he just acted like nothing happened.

MiaoJing literally waited worried outside the house for him, and when she asked, 'Why are you always like this?' ChenYi didn't even realize what she was talking about.

Like ChenYi, if MiaoJing had just pretended everything was fine, it would have taken way longer for their relationship to move forward in a positive direction.

They needed to get to a point where they could actually walk together and relying on each other, instead of this being a one-sided protection dynamic.

Even during the wedding, you can see ChenYi hesitate to tie the red string, so MiaoJing had to be the one to step up and tie it. Right after that, when he's asked to make a vow as the part of the ritual, all he says is that he wants her to be safe and happy. He completely leaves himself out of the equation.

Later on, when MiaoJing asks if he's ever even thought about their future together, he struggles to give her an answer. To make matters worse, right at that exact moment, when MiaoJing is offered the bridesmaid role, Tuli dashes in to take it over just so she can stand next to ChenYi. And ChenYi just stays silent. Of course MiaoJing felt jealous and frustrated over the whole situation.

I could go into way more detail about her actions, but my main point is that ChenYi absolutely needed that wake-up call from her to actually change and evolve their relationship dynamics to not repeat the history.

But Change takes time.

I think the cut they made was good because it shows how MiaoJing felt about the whole situation. Before the cut, MiaoJing's POV was smooth, but once she learned about the fire, everything became a mess. The rapid cuts reflect her internal state: one moment she was in a shop, and the next, there was a sudden fire accident and she was forced to leave. She had no information about the mess ChenYi was in because he kept her in the dark and made her leave. As a viewer, it is indeed frustrating, but I understand the intention behind the edit.

As for her life during those six years, I heard the screenwriter actually wrote those scenes, but they couldn't shoot them due to budget issues and they also cut lot of scenes that could've added so much more depth and viewers experience.

You're welcome! Feel free to ask me any questions you have doubts about.

Yeah, she is investigating two things: one is about ChenYi's past, and the other is her work, which is also related to ChenYi.

She came prepared because she knows that ChenYi would force her to leave.

She is playing a game to provoke him and make him confront his feelings, and she knows exactly how far she can push. If she didn't provoke him and instead let her presence slowly heal him, it might take ages for him to make a stand and stop trying to push her away.

There will be no courting in this story since they already know exactly what they mean to each other. Instead, it's about them stepping out of their shadows to be together and openly be each other's light and home.

I mean, he's naturally a good-hearted man, and since he's the host, he felt he had to take care of her as a host and a friend. Later, he also made it clear to MiaoJing that Linda is not his girlfriend.