songfalcon

Agreed! Not only top of 2022, but probably will become one of my favorites of all time! Being a tea and music lover, I also appreciate how they incorporate these elements into the drama as well as have them both play such a huge part in not only the plotline, but also the character's arcs. It's such a new and interesting take. It makes the drama all the more beautiful to me! And the attention to detail too! The tea competition, and how Pan'er and the Tea Lane's tea master both used different methods to brew their tea. And also when Yinzhang was playing the pipa against the other musician, the differences can definitely be heard! Ahhh I'm ranting now haha. I just love this drama so much! :,)

I wasn't planning to leave a comment here since everyone has already spoken my exact feelings and thoughts, but there's no harm in sharing more love and that's exactly what I feel for this drama. From the plot and characters, to cinematography, to soundtrack, and storytelling, everything is woven together so beautifully. It's so refreshing to see such a great drama that is women centric. It feels so empowering and gratifying to see such beautiful women characters and dynamics portrayed on screen that all of dramaland has been lacking. It's already at it's half way point and I still have no complaints! Hope this drama will continue to surprise us and give us a satisfying journey for the remaining episodes.

Of course! Honestly speaking who wouldn’t be completely enamored by Changyi? Especially when he’s been portrayed so wonderfully by Allen! I may be on Yunhe’s side but in no way do I blame our Big Tailed Fish. They made him much more smarter and perceptive here in the drama lol, in the novel he was a bit more dense when it came to things concerning Yunhe.

I find him really hot and charismatic as Lord of the North, but definitely missed his pure innocence. It’s funny that you prefer his more innocent and naive side because one of my friends wasn’t really into him then, but was completely captivated when Changyi became all brooding and melancholic haha.

The thing about Yunhe is that this is a part of who she is and one of the key essences of her character. For her whole life, she has only shouldered things alone and kept all of the pain to herself. In the drama, we have Luo Luo who she shares some of her burdens with, and even then it's only up to a point. In the novel, Luo Luo was not present at all for most of the time. This is all Yunhe has known. Not only that but Changyi's previous statements to her were all rather bleak regarding how his kind would react towards lying and losing one's mate. Yunhe only did what's best with the only way she knew how. After she had gone through these things however, and learned from her mistakes, did she realize how wrong she was. We as viewers can assess the whole situation and come to a conclusion of what the best thing to do is. But Yunhe herself doesn't know everything. She keeps to herself and there already has been from the start a lack of communication between her and Changyi, which all accumulated to the everything that had happened thereafter.

I totally get where you are coming from, and there is no need to accept my stance. I'm just a hardcore Yunhe stan haha and her character is my favorite of all time. I just want to shed some light on the nuances of her character and defend her when I can. :)

Hopefully with subs out, there will finally be some more great discussion on here!

Hi, everyone has already explained to you everything from Yunhe’s perspective. But I just wanted to add something from the novel. One of the other reasons Yunhe doesn’t want to tell Changyi is because she knows how he feels about her. From her reasoning standpoint is that if he treats her this well now even with all the hatred pent up, this will all only be magnified and may even cripple him with guilt if he were to find out the truth. She understands that he is no longer just her Big Tailed Fish but that he is also Lord of the North now who is responsible for countless of lives and even the fate of the world. She doesn’t want to be a burden to him. But like someone else says, she later on comes to regret this decision and wishes she could’ve done things differently. And it is towards the later episodes that we see all of this growth in their characters. They now communicate with each other and have unwavering faith in each other no matter what.

How ironic that you're here wasting your time commenting on a drama page you don't even like. Another level of pathetic if you ask me.

Your comment means so much to me. It makes me so happy whenever I see someone who loves a character and get attached to them as much as I do. It's like finding a kindred spirit haha. Everything you said, I feel it just as much. Ji Yunhe is one of my top two favorite characters of all time and they're doing her so much justice through this drama. From episode one up until now, there hasn't been a single thing about Yunhe that I am unsatisfied with. Ever since knowing Reba would be playing her, I knew that I would not be disappointed. And rather than get disappointed, I was absolutely blown away and amazed by her. Having been a fan of Reba for so long, I knew that she would be great, I thought that there's no way I could be surprised by her since I already know what a great actress she is. Yet, here she had proven me wrong and had left me absolutely awestruck. What an actress and to have her play Ji Yunhe is truly a dream come true. I really hope this remains consistent like you said. Yunhe is too great of a character. We've waited for this moment, and I really hope they continue to do justice for her character.

It can't just be me haha! I am also looking forward to your commentary and thoughts once subs come out! Let's engage and have fun together like back in our TLB days! :)

It is great to see you here friend! You've definitely spoken what I feel for these two characters and their dynamic. It is and remains to be one my most favorite relationship dynamics ever written. I can see why you are disappointed because it is indeed a shame to see such a compelling and dynamic relationship, as well as character be turned into something that plays into the popular romance trope. But, thankfully although not as layered as in the novel, Yunhe and Haoqing's relationship is still an interesting one to watch, and I myself am intrigued to see what else they have in store for us.

To answer your question, Lin Canglan did die in the drama, however, it was for a much more noble cause to garner more empathy from the viewers. Haoqing did not kill him unfortunately, but instead the sly old man had died due to the same frost poison that Yunhe has in the drama. Due to lack of subs, I can only grasp so much based on the acting and what I can comprehend. I still don't know how to feel about this change as I have not gotten a full grasp of the storyline and don't want to judge too quickly. However, as of right I am a bit disappointed with the direction of Haoqing and Canglan's characters.

And you are all good haha! We're all kinda grasping at straws here trying to understand what is going on without subs lol. So your guess from watching clips is just as accurate as anybody can manage based on what is shown. Lin Haoqing's compelling character although is a loss in the drama, there are still other aspects that are very closely adapted to the novel and other changes that make the drama more enjoyable and appealing to watch. I am quite satisfied as of right now and am viewing it really positively. The acting is outstanding and is the highlight here! But of course you probably already know that haha. Once we finally get subs, I'm really excited to see if whether both of our opinions change and to hear more of your thoughts.

The pain and heartbreak I felt while watching recent episodes are unmeasurable. The sorrow, anguish, betrayal, heartache, I felt it all. Felt it to my very core. That cliff scene was everything I had hoped for. The battle, although short was intense and thoroughly executed. The acting by Allen and especially Dilraba absolutely blew me out of the water. But despite the epicness of it all, tears, streams of tears relentlessly flowed down my cheeks throughout every scene with Changyi and Yunhe. The sacrifices they have made for each other, the way they protect each other, it is too pure. The purest of love. It is because this love is so powerful, that it will only make Changyi's hate towards Yunhe later on all the more strong and heart wrenching. But yet despite the hate, we know that this Big Tailed Fish is still deeply in love with her.

Ji Yunhe, the complexity of this character and the way Reba portrays her is just so brilliant. The sacrifices she had made to protect those she loved, the lengths that she had gone through to ensure their safety at the expense of her own life. She fought until her very last breath and with every ounce of strength she had left. What a character she is. I can't commend Reba enough for how she portrays this role. I am absolutely taken by her acting and her breathtaking beauty and charisma. Ji Yunhe is so precious to me. To witness her pain and suffering was too much for my fragile heart to bear. Similar to Haoqing in the novel, I had forgotten that Yunhe could be weak and helpless. I was so used to seeing this demon master be so dominant, in control, and headstrong that when she had finally let her vulnerabilities show, I was left speechless. When demon master Ji Yunhe had died on that cliff, a part of my heart had also chipped away and died along with her. The Ji Yunhe who had yearned for freedom and a life of her own, in the end had ultimately given it all away to return a jiaoren his freedom and life. The Ji Yunhe who always remained so strong and powerful, had let her vulnerabilities that she had hidden so deeply over the years surface now because of Changyi, her Big Tailed Fish. This is the character that I have patiently waited for so long to finally come alive on my screen. Truly an amazingly crafted and well-written character.

I share the same sentiments. Their relationship was so complex yet endearing in the novel and I was saddened to see that they had changed it in the drama. This change had also altered some of my favorite scenes in the novel such as the two whipping scenes that were both done by Lin Haoqing. Yet in the drama he doesn't whip her at all and doesn't even want to. However, the direction and arc of his character so far isn't bad. And despite the changes I am still enjoying it. His overprotectiveness of Yunhe is just as endearing to see and I'm excited to see what other changes they may have done to his character.

This is partially because I feel like they had changed it to him having a crush on her because viewers would not be able to understand or empathize with Haoqing's character as how he was written in the novel. In the novel we get internal monologues and thoughts as well as more background between the characters. We see the cruelty that Haoqing had suffered under his father's tyranny and manipulation which was very toned down in the drama. We see the love/sibling/companion relationship he had with Yunhe that was shifted into hate, jealousy, yet also admiration. He did this to protect himself and also in a way Yunhe. Because if he doesn't, his father could do much worse. So if the Haoqing in the novel were to be portrayed exactly like that in the drama, rather than empathize and understand his character, viewers would find it difficult to and see him as more of villain.

Yeah I am aware haha. I have been a long time fan of Reba and have watched most of her dramas. I've also seen her movie Mr. Pride and Miss Prejudice which is a joy to watch. She has great comedic timing there. Anle has been on list since it was announced that Reba would be the lead and the novel in also on my reading list. I've only seen him in One and Only but he was amazing there. Truly a great actor.

Yes I agree with you here. Although there are many good actresses out there who can also play these roles very well. The only one who can actually make the characters unique and differentiable is Reba because of her unique skill to make each character her own. It is as if with each character she plays, Reba inserts a part of herself into her characters as well which is why they're all so memorable and feel like they are so real.

There's absolutely no roll that she can't play! Each of her characters differ so greatly, and she makes it so by adding certain charms to each individual character making them so clearly distinguishable even if they may have the same personality/characteristics. Charming and flirtatious Qiao Jing Jing is completely different from charming and flirtatious Ji Yunhe, and innocent virgin Chang Ge is completely different compared to innocent virgin Ji Yunhe haha. I am enjoying each of her characters and Reba always somehow makes me fall more in love with the characters every time I watch them. She is really the type of actress that becomes her characters with each role she plays and leaves no trace of Reba or any of her previous characters visible for viewers to see. Once Reba plays a character, you only see that character.

Allen is also an ace on his own! He plays a benevolent, noble general perfectly who has a commanding presence and manly charm. Now he plays a pure, innocent, and honest Jiaoren who loves as hard as he hates. The details that Allen adds to his acting and the nuances of his facial expressions are just as commendable as Reba's. The two have exploding chemistry and compliment each other really well. I am ready to be hurt by these two and I won't regret it one bit.

Finally had the chance to catch up and watch all 9 episodes without subs. And even though I couldn't understand most of the dialogue, the acting, bgm/ost, cinematography, storytelling, and directing has been so splendidly done so far that I have been moved to tears multiple times. Having read the novel, there is not much that I could complain. For a drama adaptation, this is one of the best I've seen and it follows the source material very closely despite minor changes in events that take place as well as character dynamics. Watching the drama so far has been a dream come true and I am continuously amazed by the acting of Dilraba and Allen as well as everyone else within this cast.

Ji Yunhe is a character that is very dear to me and is one of my top two favorite female leads of all time. Seeing her brought to life by Dilraba is truly an experience as I feel myself falling harder and harder for Yunhe each time she is on screen. She's charming, charismatic, quick-witted, can be empathetic, and extremely loving and protective towards those she cares about. She is such a well written character and Reba brings her to life so seamlessly and somehow manages to add her own charms to this favorite character of mine that makes her so much more lovable. This is my second time watching Allen and he does not disappoint. He plays this innocent and pure hearted Chang Yi too well. Changyi from the drama differs from the novel quite a bit, but down to their essence, they are the exact same. Honest, true, and pure, and Allen plays out these traits of Changyi perfectly. No complaints for this man and I absolutely adore him and am grateful that he was the actor to play my beloved Big Tailed Fish.

Although with just 9 episodes out and without any subs, I am greatly impressed by this drama so far, and can't wait to see what other surprises they may have in store. It's been an amazing watch up til now and I have no doubt that once subs come out I will once again be crying a bucket of tears for this tragical masterpiece.

same here! would appreciate it greatly!

I told you I wouldn't miss the grand opening HAHA

Was definitely expecting something much more dark lol. This gives off more playful and light atmosphere.

Finally get to see my powerful demon master Ji Yunhe and Big Tailed Fish on my screen after a year of waiting!!! This drama will be EPIC!! If they follow the novel then it is for sure going to be a masterpiece!

There’s a saying that there is no love without hate. And within Youngro’s position, there is a huge amount of both. Why? Because from the very beginning, we knew that for her it was love at first sight. And with every meeting and moment that they shared from then on, her feelings for Sooho only grew. So of course when she found out Sooho betrayed her, the love that she had for him turned into hate. The more love she had for him, the more the hate. But like someone else had mentioned, there is always that part deep inside of her that still had feelings for him. Because when it comes to love or even liking someone it is hard to get rid of your feelings just like that. Even if they hurt you, one’s feelings cannot be tamed.

There’s also the fact that some of the hate that Youngro felt was also hate towards herself, and hence all of the hatred was projected towards Sooho who was the one other person she could blame besides herself. We should also remember that a lot of Sooho’s actions differ from what he says. So Youngro was also confused by what kind of person he truly is. It wasn’t until when he got shot for her, did she slowly begin to piece things together and her hatred for him slowly eased away.