Jungshooky

Is 0.5 mil good? I've never really paid attention to ratings and such before.

Also I don't know how TV networks work in China, but would it work similarly to the US? Most American network TV shows air on TV first, and then are uploaded shortly after or the next day for streaming on whichever platform has the rights for it. I don't know how ratings are affected by streaming though.

I contemplated trying to read the novel before the drama airs . . . but I think I want to come into this show with a blank slate and no expectations for how things will be adapted. If I like the show and it seems to be a relatively faithful adaptation of the novel (based on comments/reviews), I'll probably read it.

I did that with the Untamed (watched the drama first, then read the novel), which worked. They're different, but I'm able to appreciate both for what they are as separate entities haha

From what I understand, when BLH's existence/memory was erased from the world, he had to be replaced by someone. He was erased but his past actions couldn't be. So he was replaced by JZ in everyone's memories - they made a point multiple times to show Hengdao Sect's confusion over JZ - XY asked him to make her grass puppets, and when JZ couldn't, she expressed confusion saying "But you've made them for me before!" QF and XW also seemed troubled over JZ, and QF even said "I feel like our relationship should be closer."

I'll have to pay more attention during the rewatch if they actually call him by name - or if they use other terms (e.g., older sect brother, younger brother, etc) which often get translated to the character's name since there isn't an English equivalent that doesn't read awkward. Even if the name is kept the same, the actual person that BLH was is completely erased from existence

I don't think there was a Jin Zhao before BLH exchanged his life for him - I think his entire existence was created in order to resonate with Qi (which is why he had no memories to retrieve - he's only existed for 3 years). BLH's resonance wasn't strong enough and he was severely injured, hence the need for a "better" candidate.

The stipulation of the Dragon Pool is that the number of living cannot be changed - but it's not just limited to people who have already existed, you can create a new life in exchange for your own. The guardian of the pool told BLH to hold his wish in his heart (or something like that) - which I'm sure was to create someone who resonated strongly with Qi. The fact they have the same face is unclear - maybe it's because he's a new existence, so he was modeled from the one for whom his life was exchanged. Or BLH didn't want to be completely erased, and created him in his own image to leave something behind. (Or XK was up for playing a dual role, and saved the production team money on a second actor - who knows? lol)

But please, someone with more knowledge of the game, correct me if I'm completely off base! Time travel always messes with my head haha

I don't know if all the accusations of data manipulation from Tencent against XK in particular are true - but based on what I've been seeing around the internet, it seems fairly likely - but it's not just targeted at XK. There's apparently a lot of evidence of data manipulation from multiple platforms (not just Tencent) as well as individual actors for both falsely inflating views/reservations/followers/etc as well as suppressing data for other shows. I went down an internet hole I wish I didn't. Although I've been watching C-dramas for a while, I am very much a noob when it comes to understanding the politics of c-ent (and I kind of don't want to it seems so toxic), so my opinion isn't worth much.

I appreciate XK as an actor and have really enjoyed most of his dramas, so I do consider myself a fan now. In the end, I just want XK to be successful enough that he continues to get projects - good ones and ones that he's interested in. I can tell that he enjoys what he does and is striving to be a better actor, but he can only do that if his projects do well enough - and it would be a shame if he's suppressed not because of his "lack" of talent but because mindless haters hold more power over ratings than actual drama viewers do or because platforms just don't care enough about his dramas to promote them properly.

I think "dropped" ratings may be weighted more heavily than we initially thought. Maybe once more people complete the show, as long as the score stays relatively the same (8.4-8.5 mark), it may bump up the rating. But yeah, the way the score distribution is right now doesn't make sense at all. I feel like is should have at least bumped up to 7.9.

All in all, what matters is that we enjoy the show - and hopefully people who come to this page to investigate the drama will pay more attention to written reviews and comments than the overall rating . . .

When I first joined and started adding all the dramas I've seen, I was honestly surprised at how many dramas I really enjoyed and consider favorites had low scores. So all in all, I just don't trust ratings anymore - if a show looks good based on synopsis, trailer, and/or I like one of the lead actors, I'll watch it regardless of the rating.

Don't quote me on this, but I think I read somewhere (probably further down in the comments) that they are shooting for 130 days, and they started in early January. So probably for a few more months.

Based on the turnaround time for c-dramas I've noticed, this likely won't air until early-mid 2025 at the earliest and if we're lucky.

I also just binged 32-36 in one sitting and now I don't know what to do with myself. It's late where I am and should go to bed but I am too emotional at the moment ^^'

Although she's listed as a support character, I do think her character is in between a main and support character based on her screen time. She has her own storyline, character development, and although her romance is definitely a slow burn, she gets a satisfying ending. I don't want to spoil too much - but I do hope you decide to watch. Who knows, maybe you'll enjoy more than just her part :)

Wow, what an excellent show. My prediction was right - I bawled like a baby. It wasn't until Qi broke down over that bowl of noodles, but wow, that's some good catharsis

Although I'm more of a fan of a straightforward happy endings (like WoL), this ending just fit perfectly for this show. I know in my heart YJZ and YQ start a new and joyful journey together <3<3

Thanks for the explanation - it just makes that final scene more perfect in my opinion.

I’m planning to binge the last few episodes tonight!

Mostly antifans of XK and Esther probably

I also (Google) translated a random 1-star review for kicks and it was the most vile/sexist thing I’ve read in awhile. So just random malcontent, hateful netizens that have nothing better to do than hate on everything and everyone

Dude, BLH's final farewell to Xuwei in the past was also absolutely heartbreaking for me. XK's eyes are just so expressive - I could feel the deep sorrow at a visceral level

Oh believe me, I'll be rewatching once it's all available on Viki, so I can enjoy it on a nice big screen haha

It'll also be nice to watch it in a more concentrated way - only watching 2 episodes a day with multiple days break interrupts the flow for me, so I think I'll have a better appreciation for the storyline/plot

Fortunately, I also have an iPad so my screen won't be AS tiny

So I caved and bought the fast pass on Tencent (you can only watch it through the mobile app though and can't cast onto a larger screen T__T). I can't finish the show until tomorrow though - curse real life responsibilities haha

It also helps that ABAY looks downright fluffy in comparison to the angst and sorrow I am experiencing right now (as of episode 29). I really hope it airs soon!

yeah, i should just avoid this page altogether before I finish this series (I'm so desperate to see the end, I'm probably going to get WeTV VIP and fast pass this, then cancel my subscription lol)

All I want is a HE, but it doesn't look like we'll get one this time based on what I'm seeing T___T

Man, I just finished episode 28 . . . and I can tell this drama will make me physically cry, which very rarely happens.