This was one of the most eeky things I had seen in VD bordering on pedophilia with child grooming by an adult. I get it- feudal China raised girls to be dumb and obedient like 7 years old on the surface but scheming and manipulative on the inside as only with hurting other women and fighting with them for the sexual favors of their masters (which gave them privileges in the household) and playing into men's desire/obsession they had any chance of survival and thriving. But the whole Master/Disciple attraction and Big Brother or Lover/Infantile Girl tradition with age difference and possessiveness, ugh-this is sickening. I don't care if the story makes it sound like a 20 year old courting 15 year old - there are behaviors that reek of sexual abuse and child molestation in here. I am moving on to less infuriating and depressing projects.
the mood and setting here is very similar to that in Under the Moonlight and revolves around lives of ordinary people which yields bleak and unhappy tone of the series, but unlike forced happy ending in UtM with really stupid ML getting the girl while another ML dissolves into the background, this drama does not pride itself in making the viewer happy. The director is doing his job very well with the interesting script and the actors are playing their hearts out. I have been giving this 8 from ep 1 and now on 18 it did not let. This is really good "debunk the supernatural" investigative plot where we are more engrossed in the circumstances, characters and their stories rather than the original plot/goal of the drama and the budding attraction between the leads.
For anybody who like me could not take all the abuse by ML of FL - I am recommending Eternal Joy with You. The same lead actors play very different dynamics, and it felt like Yan Zi Xian is trying really hard to make it up to He Xuan Lin for what his character here did. Personally, I like them in empowering roles with fun light side-and he had a lot of these this year while she is just shining wherever she goes. But that is my opinion.
Thanks for checking out my list! And Iām glad to hear you found some new shows and that we have similar tastes!…
I loved the whole thing music, acting, directing. I am screen recording OST if I can't find it elsewhere. And now I need to go back to it - since you mentioned it.š here is my original note under the 11 Left Bloody hell, how can a mystery sci-fi with virtually one actor and no dialogue create such an incredible experience? This is mini drama testing ground for content, execution and form! OST is amazing. I now understand why people praise Li Xian as an actor.
I liked your list. Sorta random but very much aligned with my watches this year. And I found a few things that I added to my PTW. Thanks! Not too many of people I befriended here watched 11 Left BTW
this man makes interesting projects. I was not able to finish The Mystery of Dragon Town, but The Dreamwalker is definitely an improvement since MoDT. Hoping he will continue refining his style, perhaps even in the way that will reach wider audience.
I like the plot with the magic/supernatural element and the fact that the ML is not in charge. The mood of the story is set beautifully with light, frames that are messy and unretouched - natural and raw. Grittiness of the characters and their plight matches the decor and costumes/makeup. So far (I am on ep 3) this is holding my interest.
Recently discovered this actor through his drama: Queen of Darkness. And wow! I am amazed. Now binge-watching…
he is redeeming himself in Eternal Joy with You after that awful Love & Bid Farewell character with the same actress. I love him in all roles except L&BF. He was really goofy in Moonlit Order which shows how good he is in any role!
YZX character and antics were too much and frankly without these overdrawn music-filled slow-motion scenes that were abruptly stopped only to restart, this was using the audience to create comedy like in Dream within Dream. Still not that impressive, although a good watch. Man all these actors are just cranking up dramas this year like the world it ending...
I am voting for Qin Tian Yu as ML! he was fantastic in Threads of Destiny and Fated Hearts playing different personalities so this double appearance as "two" men FL is in love with will be really up his alley. And as far as the 2ML I am hoping that Li Ge Yang could get it. He is aloof to start with but can play intense characters as well. FL on the other hand - can Na Yi transform from a delicate sheltered lady into blood splattering desperado? I know Huang Ri Ying could do it in an instant, so - let's see if this is going to be a star studded or short drama with less known actors. Tian XI Wei does not have the range of personality to play this. I had seen her do the same thing over and over again. š Given that big ticket mega dramas are now transformed into VD with much better result than the original (Prisoner of Beauty and Yield to You) I am hoping that my suggestions end up doing VD version of this and it will show all the important things in the relationship between the leads
Yes. She cures small pox - but the director doesn't think to show us how she did it!
the way they showed what happened with the orange and its presence during her trials with the medicine, I would say she either used penicillin from the orange or self-inoculation (I vaguely remember her dabbing with the scabs from the other girl, so almost preventive shot thingy. My speculation. Frankly, not important as a detail. She proved the point of a woman being smart. I am ticket though at her short-sightedness: if her mom was treated like dirt in the palace I would be making sure I have some backing before barging in to treat dowager. COW? I did not see it
Yes. She cures small pox - but the director doesn't think to show us how she did it!
I don't think it matters - artistic license. Think what if it was Covid... The fact that she is barking at emperor is rather silly in the context but I am going to slide that because this is costume and not historical drama, right?
3 
3 
1 
I get it- feudal China raised girls to be dumb and obedient like 7 years old on the surface but scheming and manipulative on the inside as only with hurting other women and fighting with them for the sexual favors of their masters (which gave them privileges in the household) and playing into men's desire/obsession they had any chance of survival and thriving.
But the whole Master/Disciple attraction and Big Brother or Lover/Infantile Girl tradition with age difference and possessiveness, ugh-this is sickening. I don't care if the story makes it sound like a 20 year old courting 15 year old - there are behaviors that reek of sexual abuse and child molestation in here.
I am moving on to less infuriating and depressing projects.
This is really good "debunk the supernatural" investigative plot where we are more engrossed in the circumstances, characters and their stories rather than the original plot/goal of the drama and the budding attraction between the leads.
here is my original note under the 11 Left
Bloody hell, how can a mystery sci-fi with virtually one actor and no dialogue create such an incredible experience? This is mini drama testing ground for content, execution and form! OST is amazing. I now understand why people praise Li Xian as an actor.
Man all these actors are just cranking up dramas this year like the world it ending...
FL on the other hand - can Na Yi transform from a delicate sheltered lady into blood splattering desperado? I know Huang Ri Ying could do it in an instant, so - let's see if this is going to be a star studded or short drama with less known actors.
Tian XI Wei does not have the range of personality to play this. I had seen her do the same thing over and over again. š
Given that big ticket mega dramas are now transformed into VD with much better result than the original (Prisoner of Beauty and Yield to You) I am hoping that my suggestions end up doing VD version of this and it will show all the important things in the relationship between the leads
COW? I did not see it
The fact that she is barking at emperor is rather silly in the context but I am going to slide that because this is costume and not historical drama, right?