Kannadin

Well err... It's a bit too "above my tolerance level"... I think I'll never be in the right mindset then.
Hopefully they'll do another drama together.🙄

I think it has more to do with which dramas you've already watched. I stayed away from them for years because the few I'd tried to watch were either ending in tragedy or just weren't for me... But one day I stumbled upon Love Between Fairy and Devil and for me that was the game changer.

I haven't watched that many pure historicals ( I watch costume dramas but my favorite genre is fantasy) so far so my only recommendation would "Love like the Galaxy" as of now. I've watched others lots of people loved but which didn't resonate with me as much. Honestly this discussion is reminiscent of another... I must have answered you on the same topic a while ago.

I'm also currently watching "The Double"... I'm watching many series at the same time at present so it's been a while I haven't been back to it but this is the most amazing drama I've seen in like forever. Very intense. Which is why I can't binge it... But it's not a light comedy.

I've heard lots of good word regarding The Long Balad which will probably be my next stop.

Anyway I'm sure you can easily find a costume drama you'd like because they really tackle all genres with beautiful cinematography and costumes on top.

Just check that list: https://kisskh.at/list/3EEVm9b3

and check out whichever C dramas are at the top of the list. MDL is also made for that.

OH You know the end of a Scent of Time!
I did ask about a detailed answer on the show's page 2 days ago but nobody has answered yet...

If you could tell me in details what this terrible ending is about, I'll be really grateful ^^

Thank you in advance!

Well as I've spoiled myself the end...

SPOILER:

It's not that they don't get together. Basically Xue Jiao wakes up in the hospital, goes to the company she quit and see Zhi Hua. She learns that he just basically quit his job and she catches up to him in the elevator which shakes. By the power of C drama, she catches his hand in order to not fall but just as she is about to let go, he squeezes her hand and holds firm, and they look at each other.

So he remembers the dream and she remembers as well. SO I guess the show is telling us that ok, it was all a dream BUT now that they both remember it, they're gonna be able to make smarter choices for the next 10 years and turn things around.

The only issue is that, they haven't lived through 2024 to 2034 so I guess turning everything around is impossible, but they're sure going to try. Also the ex is a good for nothing and is probably not gonna change his ways, which is probably the only satisfying thing in this mess given the ML's best friend is not magically revived. He's 6ft under. Fortunately we didn't spend that much time with him to get too attached.

Still a shitty ending. Basically it's relatively OK-ish on the romance front but both main characters have lost their status, company, and all of their achievements of the past 10 years which is REALLY frustrating especially since the drama is all about how they basically made something of themselves.

I still argue the show is cute (though the kisses suck) and worth your time. Just forget the last 10 minutes.

If you're prepared mentally, I think it's an easier pill to swallow... At least that's how I see it. I still have 3 episodes left given how slow Viki has been with this show, but since I already know what to expect, I'm not too angry about it... contrary to people who got "pleasantly surprised" 2 weeks ago.

OH! It was already on my mental "To be watched list"... Won't watch it before next year though... Too many dramas I want to watch before.

Which drama was it? I can't recognize it with just the initials.

I agree with most of your comment but I do disagree regarding the C dramas overall.

Basically it depends on what you're watching.

If you're watching a Historical or anything Fantasy related, the Chinese are the best. There's just no competition with SK. Never was.

The biggest issue is when we deal with Modern dramas which tackle real Societal problems. Chinese censorship just prevents any form of deep societal criticism. It's not in China that you're gonna have a movie like Silenced, which literally led to changing laws.

That also explains in my opinion, why China produces so many Romance, which are basically mostly safe, censorship wise, and way less dramas set in Modern times. Of course there's also the very strong anti-Japanese propaganda that is honestly very jarring.

Hopefully, SK realizes their industry is going down the drain before it's too late.

Looks to me that Korean are trying to get more shares on the American market, not the other way around. Sure Americans are throwing their money in, but if their dramas are going downhill it's Koreans' own fault as far as I'm concerned.

As much as I'm not a fan of how severe censorship is in China, you've got to acknowledge they protect their own culture and ways of telling stories. They cater to their own market and if other countries enjoy their content, they're happy about it but they don't go out of their way to seduce a new market by trying to appeal to Western audience.

Same with Japan. They have their animes and J dramas, which appeal to Japanese people and while J dramas are not necessarily very popular outside their frontiers, albeit for a few exceptions, animess are. If it wasn' t for international fans, animes would probably have stayed in Japan given how little effort they deploy to export their cultural content.

But look at what Korea does...
Lately most of their dramas have no substance whatsoever. Filmography is top notch, it looks good, lots of money in but their stories no longer have soul. Not all dramas... but most of them. Truly sad.

Whilst are mostly agree with your societal comment though, I won't engage in political talks and stick to dramas.

I'd say it's way less romance centered but according to those who read the novel, there's actually more romance in the drama.

I think it depends on whether you've really watched the drama or just watched snippets of scenes from the main characters.

Honestly lots of people loved it, and lots of people hated the drama, seems like there's really no middle, but all comments I read agreed that the chemistry between the mains was really good. Your comment is actually the first one I see complaining about the chemistry between the leads.

Personally I thought the way they showed how their relationship evolved was pretty organic especially since the ML was pretty much stoic most of the time at the beginning, so when he finally just cracked a smile because of the FL's antics, I was going crazy.

If you've only watched a couple of scenes here and there, I would advise to really watch the drama properly... But if you started the show and couldn't get into it, well can't help it I guess.

LOTFG does require a HUGE amount of suspension of disbelief... It also has some jarring plot holes. I loved the shows but I totally get why some people wrote rant after rant about it because it's not like they're wrong in what they're complaining about... BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT nobody complained about the romance part... ( apart from those who didn't like the show and thought there was too much romance).

I still think the show is good personally... I just can't connect with it emotionnaly (see comment below), but I can't really pinpoint why this is not giving me the "feels" if you see what I mean.

Yeah that's why I posted my comment... I wanted to know if there were some like minded people. It's not that the show is bad per say... But for instance Legend of the Female General had way less skinship and still the romance felt stronger to me... Maybe it's the transition from "He wants to kill her" to "He loves her" that didn't work for me...

There's just that little spark that just never ignited. I know what I'm supposed to feel, but I just don't.

I think the plot is very interesting and well written though, but since I can't really connect with the characters it leaves me indifferent. It's a weird feeling I rarely experience.

I can objectively say the show is good but on the other side I can't connect with it on an emotional level...

Was really excited in the beginning but sadly can't like this show as much as everyone. There's lots of skinship but it doesn't make my heart flutter either.

Shi Qian Lu is a sore thumb that also has too much screentime.

Still a solid show but it won't become a favorite... Right now ( episode 20 since I'm watching Viki releases) I'm fluctuating between 8 and 9 depending on which episode I'm watching.

Honestly there's not a lot to complain about... but something is not clicking for me.

Ep 20 is out on Viki...

Well I was psychologically prepared that the last episodes weren't the best (not mentionning the ending) but still. Seems like the last 3 episodes might be more annoying that I anticipated so for my own sanity, I think I'm gonna wait for them all to be available on Viki before binging them .

Thank God I'm not the only one who thinks that.

Will this drama manage to "beat" the rating of "When the Stars Gossip", there lies the question.

2025: Worse year in K dramaland since forever. I stand by what I say. Squid Game was a major success, it made K dramas known globally... and now American money is ruining the industry. By trying to appeal to a Western audience instead of focusing on their strengths, they're literally ruining the genre.

Chen Jin Ke and Johnny Huang are definitely exercising.
More my type as well... But as you can see... None of them have acted a lot or at all in costume dramas... and my guess is it's because of that weight issue.

In martial art shows were the cast is male centric and romance is not the main focus, their built is probably not a problem, quite the contrary, but as soon as the romance tag is there... directors tend to prefer leaner built.

Song Wei Long and Zhang Ling He typical look like the type of people who need to starve themselves to look the way they do. I'd argue they're more the same built as Chen Jin Ke for instance.
It's always complicated to see if the actors' weight fit their physique with all the makeup and filters they use onscreen. Starving yourself never makes you look good, but you can conceal quite a lot with the right filters, makeup and light...

That also refers to actresses. When you're too slim, it ages one's face but again, TV magic erases creases and early wrinkles.

But back to the main topic, some people are just naturally slim, even if they build up some muscles, unless they remove their T-shirt, they'll always appear pretty skinny. Bai Jing Ting is that type.
Course he's not a sporty guy, but even if he did buff up, I'd argue he'd still look skinny.

Directors choose actors also on popularity but sometimes I wish they took into consideration the built of their actors.

Like in SK, most actors and actresses are naturally taller and more muscular than in China... But you still see some actors such as Choi Woo Shik who are pretty lean. Has he ever been cast in a sageuk where he has to play a tough general or in some action role where he beats up people?

Nope, because he just doesn't have the built, and that's ok. There's plenty of other roles he can act that don't mind his skinnier built.

But in China? It's hit or miss.
I don't have lots of problems with that in wuxias because it's fantasy and they have super powers so whatev'...

But whenever I'm watching a Historical, I'm struggling because there's no super powers and if you look like you're gonna fly away with the next gust of wind, how am I supposed to believe you're able to walk for days in an armor weighting at least 10kg if not more and swinging a sword just as heavy for hours on end, days after days on a battlefield?

I've learned to look the other way... Sometimes it works... Some times it just doesn't.

Lol trust me he's just as skinny as the rest. It's just less visible. People are built differently, some people's natural built make them appear more "fat" than they are actually and vice versa.

Take me for instance I'm 158cm (around 5.2ft). Small but thick bones and naturally pretty muscular.
Every time I have to buy some drug at the drugstore, I get comment from the clerk reminding me that this or that drug must only be taken if you're above 50kg (around 110lbs)... One time I even had a clerk who didn't believe me and insisted to check my weight at the counter 😡
Except... I actually weigh around 60kg (132 lbs).

Been like that my whole life literally. One time, I had some personal issues, went down to 47 kg (103.5 lbs), everybody was commenting about how I looked like death itself and I should go to the hospital, when in fact this is a pretty normal weight for most people my height or even taller. But for me? Indeed that was too skinny. My face looked liked some cranium out of a horror movie.

If I was slimmer, I'd probably look skinnier than most people at the same weight... But conversely you also see people who are the opposite.

In real life that's not necessarily an issue, but if your job is acting and looking good is part of "the contract"... that can really be a problem if even at a healthy slim weight, you look "fatter" than you truly are.

This being said I get your comment. I watched Blossom and the main actor was supposed to be this seasoned warrior but he looked so skinny I just couldn't buy that he was this incredible general or whatever. Didn't fit physique of the role. On the contrary with Prisoner of beauty, the ML looked buffer, so he was more believable as a general.

These weight differences is mostly visible for men... not much for women though. They all have to be skinny period... When for men, some actors have gone to build some muscles and it makes them look way better so there's that.

Personally I like athetic men so as long as there's some muscles, the built doesn't necessarily matter. I've decideced to marry virtually with Cheng Lei. You can keep Arthur Chen 😎

I just learned from another member that the FL wakes up from a coma or whatever... Classic censorshit in action... I love both leads though so I was planning to watch that one...BUT
Now I'm not too sure...

So could somebody who has watched it tell me if in spite of her waking up from some weird dreams, she still gets with the ML in the end?

Thank you in advance!

SPOILER REQUEST

Ok thanks will do!