Johanna Linnea Karlsson

Some events are based on historical events, but we don't know for certain if they played out over 3-4 years, or they shortened the time frame. Certain travels they all did took weeks, to months. They didn't really show seasons passing in a dramatic way, so we can;t gauge by any way, other than the time distance, indicated by characters.
Certain characters will say, this trip will take 5 weeks, or so,and then someone says 'we have to make it faster than that'.
A'sun generally gets to places faster than her, due to superior transportation.
Depending on how they imagined events taking place, the time frame could be 2 to 4 years.
Historical events support 4 years more, but if they consolidated time and events, as few as 2 could work.
In my opinion, 2 or 2 and a half, seems about right.
Spending no more than a couple of months in any 1 place, in some cases less time than that.

This is one of the reasons why I love this man.
He wants, and needs her to be on the same page as him.
He doesn't need her to be his wife, to the point where he's doing things with her, that she's not ready for.
She's slower than him, when it comes to feelings and naturally sexual maturity, as she's 5 years younger, and starts her journey at the age of 15.
He isn't even interested in owning her body, he doesn't want any part of her, if she doesn't come to him knowingly.

He's in full control of himself, in a way no other leading man I've seen, has ever been. They all just awkwardly throw themselves at the leading lady at some point.
He needs to see her 'knowing' shining in her eyes, or he will just leave it.

He's just a good man.

I feel confident in saying, A'sun's kink, is Chang Ge's consent.
Not just willingness, he understands willingness is in the moment, but her UNDERSTANDING and wanting things.
Them being on the same page for these big things, is some kind of Nirvana to him.
Physically possessing her doesn;t really matter.
She's just said the magic words; 'All that matters, is that I'm with you'
Which is the only thing he needs from her.

Well, he looked her up and down, then said; 'We have time'.
It's cleverly done, because individuals too young, won't understand that, but those who are old enough cannot unsee it.
It also immediately highlights how she doesn't quite get it, and as such, isn't old enough either.

I have seen over 400 dramas, and this is the least toxic male lead, I've ever seen.
It's not a learning curve for him either, it's just who he is from day 1.
I don't know how else to explain this. This is man who was raised properly, in every way.
His insecurities don't let him down.
His insecurities are never in areas that could hurt anyone else.
It's so refreshing, it's been too much for us all, and now we're stuck in this universe.

This guy doesn't need 'fixing', he's not someone we need to get hurt over, so he can get his shit together. He has a solid personality and a solid psyche.
We can just sit back and enjoy this man.

Thanks for being hot on my screen, and not reminding me of every ex I've ever had.

Now every man, woman and ENTITY who's ever loved men, have new standards, this is a little taxing.
But there's just no dialing back on the standards now.
Pandora's box of standards in a partner.
Maybe we should be a little scared after all, I just scared myself.

There was systematic down voting of this drama, in the first week of airing.
It was so sudden and such an avalanche of down voting, as it just began to air, that we were sure the paid antis were here.
Since then, it's not been as bad, but it's been difficult to recover from that.

Fact of the matter is, a lot of people just want to re-experience the same romantic formula, time and time again.
This doesn't fit the typical stereotypes, for anybody.
The women don't work against each other, on any level.
The men aren't all inherently toxic.

It's very confusing for a lot of people, who've been fed a certain type of stereotype, that it's ok for men to push you forward, or drag you forward for that matter.
Some men in this drama, for a large part, take on a passive, reactive role, because not all men want a pet, or an accessory beside them, but a partner in crime, so to speak.

The point, that the women of this drama, are more than 'just a pretty face', comes through, loud and clear. Their thoughts and ideas are respected, thoroughly and seriously.
Leyan, who's role is undoubtedly a little different in this drama, is also NOT QUESTIONED, when she wants the command token,and a plan for rooting out spies, they don't demand she explain her ideas either.

The women in this drama, are just not treated like second rate humans.

This drama makes you realise, just how common it is for women and girls to be treated like SECOND RATE HUMANS, in nearly every single drama we watch.

Even in my favourite dramas, women are not given the same consideration, as they are in this drama.

https://1stkissmanga.com/manga/chang-ge-xing/chapter-0/

To quote one of the Chinese bird eggs, Chang Ge Xing is indeed a child wrapped up in love.

Has anyone posted this comment section on weibo yet?
Maybe we could get some Chinese bird eggs here too

In the drama he doesn't care, he doesn't wish to needlessly kill people of this origin, because he is of this origin, but he loves his foster Mother and Father so much, that he doesn't care to find out who first abandoned and/or died on him.

MORE VOTES

The production team has succeeded with something I've NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
The ML and SL couples,have completely, COMPLETELY switched their purpose in the drama around.
Watch this from the point of view - that the second leads are the real leads here.
Imagine - WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT- that the ML couple is just the side story, because, really, it is the side story, a bad one at that.
SL couple's story, is panning out to actually be SOMETHING.
ML don't have a story, I have more ACTUAL history, with the leftover pizza crust, under my bed.

So,novel ideal, but hear me out,
Just watch this, as if the SL are the mains, and don't spend too much time on the leading couple.

Deng Wei's beauty is really interesting and I could look at him all day.

I'm questioning if Dylan can act at all? He didn't really act in Ever Night 2.
Meteor Garden, he just had to portray a really exaggerated stereotype, this feels the same.

It's already mutual by ep 25.
In fact, it's mutual before ep 11.
But life happens.
They never be like 'oh I love you moochikins!'
In the 30s they're undeniable and extremely obvious,
but by the very early ep, when he suggest she comes to the Grasslands, and she teases she knows nobody there, and he says 'You know me', that's his confession, and we can see she likes it.

I just didn't enjoy Nokdu the same way I'm enjoying this.
Bossam has just the right pace, continuously.

I want to start with, the past month has been only The Long Ballad for me, and I can't seem to move on from that drama.
This is the ONLY drama that I can focus on, because this has solid leads.
Let me explain.
Although she has her weaknesses, she's a genuine strong female lead character.
She's not Buffy The Vampire Slayer, or Xena Warrior Princess, but she's an honest badass everyday girl, who rolls with some surreal punches.

This is honestly really good -this far.
Historical kdrama has been lacklustre for years now.
The story is good, bossam is somehow fresh.
ML is ofc such an extraordinary actor, FL is doing a spectacular job.
I'm surprising myself with how much I'm enjoying both story and acting, so far there's no 'bloat' and filler, how is that possible?
We're only so far in, however, so maybe I should hold back enthusiasm.
The OST is really, really good. OST's have been so bland, for so very long, but this is so fitting and atmospheric, it's a relief for the ears.

Politics and everything is in moderation, not so much that you fast forward, not so little that you begin to think you're watching a second rate drama.

This is better than most historical kdrama's, that we've seen in the past 3 years.
It flows much, much better.

I love especially the makeup department, they've not gone for idol drama feel, but people look 'ordinary', although beautifully ordinary. Tremendous effort from styling.
The ML hasn't been this HOT to me, for .. I can't actually remember when.
His persona just screams MAN here.

IF he has no relation to the current king, then it means the current king helped to kill his family, on the path to become king.
Previously, this chancellor did all the dirty work, so the current king to get his throne.

The romance is in the room, whenever the main leads are in the same room together.
Takes a bit longer for second couple.

It's fairly consistent in history.
Men were oftentimes assholes and ruined the lives of girls and women, daily.
Without much thought.
They of course ruined young men too, who then grew up to ruin others in turn.

This drama is very confrontational with this.
It highlights how problematic the past, and the present is.

These few GOOD men.

There's still places in this world, today, where it's custom to kidnap girls to marry.

It felt a little off, like a redemption of a man who knows he's dying.
It's a common thing.
He's suddenly kinder, were he perfectly healthy, maybe he'd still be a manipulative bastard?
He's raised his son so anxious to displease, he'd previously never dare.

I like Mujin's face however, and he's slightly more 'anxious housewife' in this.
Mimi is supposed to piss you off, because she's the normal girl, in all of this.
A normal girl, in extraordinary circumstances, can be annoying to watch.

I don't know if you ever watched Buffy or Game of Thrones, but all individuals in these dramas were annoying, until they 'powered up' somehow.
Some of them never did, cause they died.

I'm sorry what?

She's just wearing clothes, not to be naked, especially in this episode, because naked would be weird, looking 'fly' would be weird too.
Normally she preferred finer men's clothing for herself.
Dresses were mostly for her mother.

She's trying to look like a commoner, not homeless, but not a gentleman or gentlewoman either.
She's supposed to be the type of lady, who delivers, whatever they pretend to have on that cart, when She'er opens the door.

Stylistically for this part of the drama, it's a great choice.

Her man is about to die, any minute now, and she's ANXIETY.
If she stopped to check in a mirror, you'd question if she ever even liked him.

I didn't dress up to give birth, that was also a bit of a stressful time, shit I didn't call my birthing partner, it was life and death and there was a million things I didn't do.
She's in a life and death situation, involving the love of her life,
She's not thinking fabric thread count

She's thinking NO MISTAKES, 'doi look the part?', more anxiety, waiting, scared.

I remember when people I knew, were dying, I didn't care what I had on either, I didn't change for days.

The more I think about it, this choice was intentional and very 'life like'.

If I was dressed too well, and looked too nice, I wouldn't pass as a lady who drags a cart at this particular back gate, I won't get inside, and my love will die.

Something Women's Lib. about it.
I like their confrontations post ep 7.
Her incredulousness, that he would sell her, I don't know why it feels fresh.
She doesn't just lay down and cry about it, or accepts her lot in life,
she confronts him, full of venom, and it's surprisingly well beyond the time era.
For that matter when she GRABS him, shakes him and says
' this is the rest of my life!'
I'm not sure she's even had her coming of age ceremony yet, which signifies she's 15.