Lilly1008

Yes, that's what I thought after everything I learned about the novel, so far.
After all, Sang Sang got raised by and amongst soldiers. She definitly knows, how to handle them and how to snap back if teased. Her size has nothing to do with having a strong will and mind. That's what I miss a bit in the series.
There is a wonderful opera by Italian composer Donizetti.
It's named "The Daughter of the Regiment" and also tells the story about an orphan raised by soldiers - and I rather imagine Sang Sang to be like Marie rather than a frightened and spoiled little girl in need for guidance.

I think, they actually don't like the idea of Sang Sang being a small and thin girl with a rather dark complexion, a girl that grew up in a man's world, amongst soldiers, a girl that knows how to stand her ground because of this, a girl that talks back, a girl that's down to earth and straight forward, enjoying the worldly pleasures like drinking and eating.
It doen's fit the idea of a fine woman, humble, modest and beautiful, doing calligraphy and needlework all day long, and spending all energy on cultivating.
So, they turned her into a spolied little brat, pouting, whining and clinging to her "Young Master" as if she's unable to survive without him telling her how to breathe.
Actually, I think, Sang Sang is supposed to be a lot like Arya Stark in "GoT". Perhaps not so much a warrior like Arya, but definitely not a whining little baby at the age of 15.
I think, it would be way more fun to see a Sang Sang like depicted in the novel. If I'm right, she's not afraid to kick her young master's ass in the novel (at least a little).

I hate love triangles because they are so worn out over the centuries of novelwriting and over the decades of movie making and because there are not many which are really done well.
The novel wanted a bit of a NQ/MSS feeling but the screenwriters rolled it out for almost 1/3 of the series. As if this novel hasn't anything else to offer worth being told.
I mean, it's supposed to be a fantasy tale, not a love story. So, please, tell it as a fantasy story.
If "Ever Night" and "Novoland" want to be a Chinese answer to Tolkien's Middle Earth and Martins "GOT" it's still a long way to go.
Not for the novels, but for their adaptations...
Not for the actors, but for the screenwriters...
If they want to do high fantasy, love and romance are not the most important ingredients.
Tolkien wrote one of the most memorable lovestories of all times with Arwen and Aragorn and it only took place on a few pages in the novel and the appdendices. It didn't need 1/3 of the tale.

Great! Many thanks for making the effort to ask around.

Otherwise, simply ignore the suggestion.

Free broadcast ends on January 4th, which makes 6 episodes in 2019 and 54 episodes in 2018. I think, that makes enough episodes broadcast in 2018 to rate "Ever Night" as a 2018 drama series. VIP broadacst ends in December.

Best Chinese Drama of 2018:
"Bloody Romance", "Guardian", "Ever Night"

Best Chinese Movie of 2018: "Shadow"

Best Wuxia/Xianxia Drama:
"Flying Swords of Dragon Gate", "New Smiling Proud Wanderer"

Best Novel/Manhua/Webtoon Adaptation: "Ever Night"

Best Chinese Actor(and for which role?):
Chen Long as Wan Yu Lou ("Flying Swords of Dragon Gate"),
Zhu Yi Long as Shen Wei ("Guardian"),
Bai Yu as Zhao Yun Lan ("Guardian")

Best Chinese Actress(and for which role?):
Li Yi Tong as Wan Mei ("Bloody Romance")

Best Chinese Supporting Actor(and for which role?):
Wang Hai Xiang as Bu Tian Yun ("Myth of Sword"),
Hu Jun as General Xia Hou ("Ever Night"),
Zhang Xiao Chen as Helian Zhang ("Rise of the Phoenixes")

Best Chinese Supporting Actress(and for which role?):
Shi Si as Queen Xia Tian ("Ever Night"),
Jenny Xiao as Guyan ("Myth of Sword"),
Jill Hsu as Cha Luo ("Bloody Romance")

Best Couple:
Wan Mei & Chang An "Bloody Romance",
Bu Tian Yun & Guyan "Myth of Sword",
Ling Hu Chong & Ren Ying Ying "New Smiling Proud Wanderer"

Best Bromance:
Shen Wei & Zhao Yun Lan "Guardian"

Best OST(and for which drama?):
"Guardian", "Bloody Romance", "Ever Night"

I know what you mean and, yes, Ning Que is still in the process of growing up, but as many statements say from people who read the novel, he's not quite as interested in MSS in the novel as the screenwriters rolled it out for the script.
So, to me, this has nothing to do with showing his process of growing-up but to please the audiences and fanfiction-lovers need for the beautiful girl they can ship their hero with in their fanfics.
Personally, I don't think, Ning Que is immature, but I think, the screenwriters depict him as the typical immature lad if it comes to dealing with girls...
After all, in the series, Ning Que is mature enough to fight in to-death duels, he's mature enough to pass the academy's tests and rituals, he's mature enough to withstand seduction from the dark forces, he's mature enough to deal with generals, princesses, kings, teachers etc, but if it comes to Sang Sang him treating her worse than a dog at times is explained as being immature? That, I don't buy...no way...

I'm not at that point of the story, yet, but this romantic intermezzo NQ/MSS is going terribly on my nerves.
As I understand from what readers of the novel say (and what I enjoy very much) it's NQ/SS till the end.
So, I don't understand what for this romantic entanglement between Ninq Que and Mo Shan Shan was needed for at all.
In my opinion it just got rolled out that intense because the screenwriter actually wanted NQ to end up with a beautiful, pure, intelligent and flawless woman instead of a small, thin, little girl without cultivation that grew up amongst rough soldiers.
This rolled out romantic storyline solily served to saten the screenwirter's and the fanfiction lovers' wish to change the story that actually can't be changed.
So all the explanations, it just happens in Mo Shan Shan's dreams/imagination are so weak and pathetic that it makes me wanna barf!!!
In my honest opinion, the original intention of this intermezzo was that people should favour MSS instead of SS - and if so, it was wrong, annoying and boring to the core.
It cost screentime (about fifteen episodes), it added nothing, absolutely nothing, to the main story and took screentime away from way more important characters and storylines than Mo Shan Shan's.
Blergh!

Oh, by the way, Ning Que is an enormous jerk and dork when he takes Mo Shan Shan with him to Sang Sang! The typical immature guy who doesn't care at all...the way he drools after MSS as log as they are in the wilderness...dropping her as soon as his actual love interest is in reach again...if I'd be one of the women, I'd grace his head with a frying pan made of cast-iron!

Haha! Nothing wrong with it.
Generally, I'm not much interested in romance anyway, because in my opinion, it too often manages to ruin even the best movie / drama / series.
But as we all have different likes and tastes, I've no problems if others enjoy it.
I confess, I'm way more interested in the two Generals Xia Hou and Lin Ling and in Chao Xiao Shu. :D

Hey! As promised, I'll be back with thoughts on the series.
I reached episodes 37 and 38 by now, but I'm a bit confused at the moment.
The girl Long Qing is with in these episodes is the girl in red, Ye Hong Yu.
So, if he tells her that he cares for her but that he doesn't love her is no surprise for me as she's NOT the one he's in love with.
His lover is the flower girl Lu Chen Jia whom he propsed to before he went to the wilderness...

Oh man! That Ning Que/Mo Shan Shan storyline is boring me to death.
That part of the series is definitely miles away from the high class and unique high fantasy storyline of the beginning - at the moment (from their meeting in the wilderness onwards) it's just another variation of the typical love triangle stew we got a thousand times before.
Why do writers always struggle so hard to keep a story/series electrifying over its whole bunch of episodes???
Or better, what did the writers of "Shaolin Wendao", "Water Margin", "The Stand-in" and other dramas do differently that their stories remained thrilling all the time???

If you don't mind watching the Cantonese version - here are the first 36 episodes subbed in very good quality:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNMYDxYPuyE-8u2wILOvmM-rO0ZvswOT

If you don't mind watching the Cantonese version - here are the first 36 episodes subbed in very good quality:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNMYDxYPuyE-8u2wILOvmM-rO0ZvswOT

If you don't mind watching the Cantonese version - here are the first 36 episodes subbed in very good quality:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNMYDxYPuyE-8u2wILOvmM-rO0ZvswOT

If you don't mind watching the Cantonese version - here are the first 36 episodes subbed in very good quality:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNMYDxYPuyE-8u2wILOvmM-rO0ZvswOT

Somtimes, I really enjoy that I don't care about romantic subplots at all in the different series I watch. This way I can totally focus on the acting and the important storylines...

Great choices too!
Actually, the whole cast is amazing, but I think, we all need this handful of characters we just have to take under our wings for some extra loving and caring. :D

Hehe, and yet I'm still searching for a cast able to match "Water Margin" (2011)...
I don't think I'll see this happen within my lifetime.

Fave characters, so far:
Hu Jun as the "Black Knight" General Xia Hou and Lu Xin as his loyal comrade General Lin Ling - never has being sinister been that hot!!!
Andy On as Chao Xiao Shu - he's hot like hell. <3
Jin Shi Jie as Yan Se and Yao An Lian as Tang official and Lord of the Southern Gate Li Qing Shan - they are so funny together. :)
And, of course, Sun Bo Yang as the cute Captain Xu Ching Shan.

Totally agree on every single word.