There's a master class of acting that draws me into a story like a written novel; I see the story unfold as the third person in the room. In the west, there are a few mentions that deserve this honor with #1 on my list being Denzel Washington. His seemingly effortless ability to embody and become a character is somewhat otherworldly. In the Asian world, Zhang Ruo Yun is the person who has the ability to fuse himself to a character to the point it's impossible to see where the actor ends and the portrayal begins. When Xu Feng Nian is talking with his companion of three years, their words and body language is nothing short of genius. The discussion between these two characters in episode 6 is an example of brilliant artistry on a visible and moving canvas. Kudos to those involved with this production because it deserves every word of praise.
If only CENT industry could learn from this and Joy of life/Nirvana in fire etc. instead of churning out countless…
I saw where this is getting a poor domestic viewing and bad ratings on Douban. I've never seen Zhang Ruo Yun choose uninteresting material, so I'll definitely stick with it.
I would have rated it higher if they had dared to do a more realistic ending.🤷🏻‍♀️
There are so many times that I throw things when the ending is unnecessarily tragic. I loved the entire series except for the last sequence of them on the beach. In this historical time frame that viewed the female gender as a low value commodity , her gender bender crime would have been dealt with a swift death. To have them walking hand in hand, meeting their former companions with smiles and hugs was beyond the reach of my viewing imagination. For the first time, I wished they had ended it realistically to that storyline period of history.
LOVED your article and there's only one that makes me want to bloody the drama screen: "To Dear Myself", Chinese drama from 2020. The cast included Zhu Yi Long from "Guardian" and Liu Shi Shi. Should have been an extraordinary drama with the actors in it, but Zhu Yi Long's portrayed character gets mad at the female lead because she chooses to have a career, ends up cheating on her with a conniving second female who ruins Liu Shi Shi's business endeavors and then stays with her as she goes to jail. I know my blood pressure went up atleast ten points writing this.
Okay, I know nothing how Korean monarchy worked, but why can't Lee Hwi just kill her grandfather? What's stopping…
It seems (in many historical contexts) that being King could be equal to being someone's puppet. These historical dramas hook me in so tight that I read the actual story before and sometimes during air play just to get a feel for the real life circumstances. I loved "Mr. Queen" and when I read the history of the real King's situation, I got unbearably sad. Personally, if I was in line for any type of throne, I'd hide and never reappear.
SPOILER ALERT…and some thoughts…...I actually didn’t want this to end possibly “happy ever after with…
I agree wholeheartedly with your post. Her first position towards being single should be looking back and seeing what went wrong. This episode reflected so much of my life in a little over an hour. I had no clue, in my marriage, that I'd put myself second to accommodate my need for companionship and love. During their breakup scene at the restaurant, I almost cried when she said, "did you ever get more wet in the rain than I did?" My and her answer to that question was the same: no. My marriage ended when he started stepping outside for companionship but unlike her, I've reflected very slowly, on both the good and the bad, the reasons I felt and was invisible. I'm quite happy and content being alone right now; I have friends and a busy life but am no longer lonely. Contentment is something to be cherished and guarded, both inside and outside of a relationship. My commentary on if the PE teacher and she work out? I doubt it. Because she stayed with Min Jae for three years, she probably has a type she's attracted too. I think her statement of, "I'm don't feel the same way you do but I'd be disappointed if you didn't feel that way", was honest to both herself and him. She's ready to explore and kudos to the character for that.
Liu Shi Shi. Should have been an extraordinary drama with the actors in it, but Zhu Yi Long's portrayed character gets mad at the female lead because she chooses to have a career, ends up cheating on her with a conniving second female who ruins Liu Shi Shi's business endeavors and then stays with her as she goes to jail. I know my blood pressure went up atleast ten points writing this.
This episode reflected so much of my life in a little over an hour. I had no clue, in my marriage, that I'd put myself second to accommodate my need for companionship and love. During their breakup scene at the restaurant, I almost cried when she said, "did you ever get more wet in the rain than I did?" My and her answer to that question was the same: no. My marriage ended when he started stepping outside for companionship but unlike her, I've reflected very slowly, on both the good and the bad, the reasons I felt and was invisible. I'm quite happy and content being alone right now; I have friends and a busy life but am no longer lonely. Contentment is something to be cherished and guarded, both inside and outside of a relationship.
My commentary on if the PE teacher and she work out? I doubt it. Because she stayed with Min Jae for three years, she probably has a type she's attracted too. I think her statement of, "I'm don't feel the same way you do but I'd be disappointed if you didn't feel that way", was honest to both herself and him. She's ready to explore and kudos to the character for that.