I feel like it would have been a lot better had the parents/brothers conflicts not been so repetitive. If we could have gotten more internal growth from them that stuck earlier or not prolonged earlier scenes(if the conflict needed plotwise to end later) of their, downright idiotic behavior/toxic attitudes toward one another. It took way too long for my liking for anyone to realize that Shao Guang was slef harming. & that she was truly struggling with her feelings & place in the world that she's stuck in.(also on her for not communicating but she doesn't really have the best examples of good communication skills.) I will say this. The show does shin a light on how one generation can harm the next by their own example. The father doesn't listen to the mother's needs, their son in turn doesn't pay any attention to his wife or her likes/dislikes. The mother never communicates to the father about how she is struggling to find her place, the daughter bottles up all of her emotions taking on the families burdens and falls to self harming as an emotional regulator. Then poor niece is just getting abandoned left right and center, and yet she still notices that there are fences that need mending & goes about to build bridges for the stubborn adults in her life. marked as spoiler because long & some plot points are mentioned.
spoilerish so tagging let this be a lesson to all men what not to do. dont call your crush ugly to her face multiple times in her formative years. Just some advice.
At this point I couldn't care less about the FL's father or brother. If I have to watch a repeated scene one more time. And by repeated I mean the same selfishness and delusion over and over and over and over again with little to no growth only to backslide again into an ego they have no business having. It's the only part of the whole drama that is making me not only fast forward but skip through parts. It doesn't help that they are the only ones doing slapstick shit. It lost it's charm after the 5th time...and I think it's at like count 40. grow up open the holes on the side of your head and LISTEN. The family would 100% survive without either of them, but it would fall apart without the FL or her mother. The dad doesn't actually bring anything to the table that the mother/daughter can't just teach someone else. I've been trying to find anything redeeming about the father, and haven't really been able to. At this point i'm kind of hoping for him to see his own reflection in a lake and fall in. iykyk
Alright loves, time to start hitting that spoiler tag box/toggle when discussing the final episodes. A lot of people are behind because of the 6 episode express and some not having access to any new episodes for a few days. I know it's exciting to discuss all the things and get your questions asked. But if you have a spoiler question just reply to your own comment with the spoiler question example below.
og comment: "I have a question about ep. x in spoiler tag below..." reply comment with spoiler activated: actual question that spoils plot points/character development etc.
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I still have so many questions tbh. I'm tagging this one as happy for now instead of happily ever after.
To list a few(because my mouth/brain works faster than I can type) Who the hell is currently ruling over the other nation? How many bastard children did the emperor have with his ministers wives/daughters that will now be vying for the thrown? Ten years may seem like a lot, but is a very short period of time to recoup with many variables when it comes to actual leadership. What are those leadership ladders looking like?
Does the main couple even want biological children? If they do, does that mean they have to wait 3 years to have them? Would those children then be in line to rule?
Did YiXiao accentually abandon her disciples to be raised by others?
In three years what is actually going to happen?
Did they actually root out all of the officials that were not good?
Did they "take care of" AALLLLLL of the Murong clan? Cause me thinks leaving any of them alive is just stupidity at this point.
Why did we only get a vague 5 minute epilogue with expounding dialogue when we had to spend roughly 10 each with crazy ass empresses who die? Why the poignant slow-mo and multi angle spinning into madness screaming crying dying etc? I feel like I read an essay at the end of the show instead of being shown what happened with the characters. And with some character names it had been so damn long since we last saw them that it took me waaaayyyy too long to connect the dots. so yeah...questions. there are more but it's time for me to sleep.
I'm referring to Murong Yao for the majority but also the Empress. But mainly the stupidity of the Emperors(yes plural) not putting locks on damn doors.
Despite so many negative comments,it still managed to get an 8.7 . May be I should watch it. ...plzz answer me…
1. yes 2. yes, but you wont care about the love triangles as they are pretty clean cut in who likes whom and who is just living in delulu land. 3. yes...twice....I...yeah there is but both times the people remember in a "believable"/"plausible" way. 4. ep 17 5. Once they are together they remain together, though there is a slight hiccup that gets resolved. see #3
And to make things worse, she's the future empress of Su Sha. Like, seriously??
I think she had the best arc though. From the start to the end she was the only of the one of the "villains" to kind of learn her lesson and still get an appropriate krama. As she will not be able to bear the next ruler. So I believe that there will either be another power vacuum in the future or one of her nieces or nephews will chose to take on the crown prince/princess role. Still not a clue who was left to rule the other nation. Maybe little bro and little sis could help run the country together. As he is kind, and she is cunning. She's shown that she cares about the people even though she was selfish and stupid. I think she was young enough and had a come to jesus moment early enough that she wont repeat her past. I just can't see either the ML or his lil bro taking multiple wives for a balance of power. As one has someone he loves and the other has seen what happens when there is jealousy and betrayal. But either way big bro will protect them and remain loyal. Seriously loved the trust and love the brothers had for each other. Not a moment of doubt in one another.
Very light spoilers ahead. Solid 8. If I would have taken off points every time the writers made a character stupid just to further the plot it would have ended up at 0/10. But writing is only part of my overall score of a drama. The acting 10/10, chemistry 10/10, stunts 10/10, CGI/visual effects 9/10, storyline 9/10, writing 4/10, cinematography 5/10* These are just 7 of the 14 categories I usually rate my shows on.
This is the best depiction of a female general I've ever seen from an idol drama. And I've watched at least 4 within the last like 3 months.
This is also the best enemies to lovers idol drama I've ever seen. They gave back what they got and the writers actually did do a good job at establishing their trust of one another. They never made the leads "stupid in love". They always trusted each other to take care of themselves and then had the other's back once they finished off their "portion" of enemies or if the other was in actual danger/overpowered.
I really wish I could have given it a 10 out of 10 but the logic of some of the supporting characters episode 27 and onward was just....not it.
*Also I have a serious beef with this director and his high key lights, zoom-sweep pans, over echo usage, and the oddest choice of lenses(camera lens) I've seen in an idol dramas. There is a difference between a personal style and being repetitive in one's work. He plagiarized himself a few times in this one.
Okay once again, not stripping traitors of their access to the palace grounds is fucking wild to me and bad writing. It's not a thing. There is NO reason for certain characters to be not only able to entire the palace walls but make their way aaaaallllll the way through the imperial palace into an inner courtyard without being stopped. Even more so if they have already been stripped of their power over the imperial guard. Take their tokens, put a ban on entering the palace..etc....hell, most rulers had a fucking curfew for the palace for a reason. But nope in this world people just get to plot and kill and stroll around like they own the place after commenting regicide.
Don't know if I'll eat my words but I'm loving sassy Lady An. Like what an entrance. So funny. I don't know what she felt in Yi Xiao's pulse, but so far sassy queen is amazing.
I can't stop laughing with the Princess & Lin Yan. Li Yun Rui played her late husband in Perfect Match. & not sure what their on screen relationship was for Reopen My Journals as I have gotten a chance to watch that one. but I just giggle & cackle with glee anytime they are on screen together.
I wonder when will the family realize ml is not the ancestor, i hope its not towards the end, i really wanna see…
does the audience know yet? I know in the first episode they say assumed or something along those lines to indicate he isn't but has more information been given?
oh no...i can already tell my rating is going to be lower than it originally was going to be.😐🙃 writers really need to pull from a different well. for the love of all that is holy open up a history book & plot out your royal palace/court politics better. & i thought for once we wouldnt have a double amnesia situation. but alas...🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
okay they have slowmo smiled too many of ML's men in the beginning of this episode(27). I think ive seen this film before, and I didnt like the ending. shit shit shit shit shit....I dont think I have it in me to cry hard right now. I just....nope. I know what it means to celebrate with more than 10episodes to go. too many smiley happy faces...if this goes the way of Story of Pearl Girl imma be 😫😭😭😭😭
once again, there is a reason people whose family commit treason & are killed for it either are imprisoned, banished, enslaved or killed themselves. Never trust a person who watched their own family member die in front of them by your own hands/making. also no way in hell would an Emperor as ruthless to his own child, would have actually let a traitor into his chambers alone. this is quite literally the stupidest most make the plot work at any cost, contrived bs. neither of the people outside the Emperor's study would have even been allowed in that courtyard. the man wouldnt have even been able to get into the palace. the Empress should have already been locked in the cold palace with no one to attend her. writers...stop making your characters stupid just to further your plot.
episode 29&30 will have the consequences of their actions coming back tenfold.
sort of, but not able to go very deep because they had a lot of things to tie up at the end. being young & it being taken out of his control by his parents etc. its complicated and the show could have been another 10 episodes in dealing with the emotional fallout. but the adults know they were wrong & do try to mend things & create a new normal. there is more that makes it even MORE complicated & tragic.
2 
I will say this. The show does shin a light on how one generation can harm the next by their own example. The father doesn't listen to the mother's needs, their son in turn doesn't pay any attention to his wife or her likes/dislikes. The mother never communicates to the father about how she is struggling to find her place, the daughter bottles up all of her emotions taking on the families burdens and falls to self harming as an emotional regulator. Then poor niece is just getting abandoned left right and center, and yet she still notices that there are fences that need mending & goes about to build bridges for the stubborn adults in her life.
marked as spoiler because long & some plot points are mentioned.
let this be a lesson to all men what not to do. dont call your crush ugly to her face multiple times in her formative years. Just some advice.
og comment: "I have a question about ep. x in spoiler tag below..."
reply comment with spoiler activated: actual question that spoils plot points/character development etc.
og comment: "My thoughts on episode x"
reply comment with spoiler activated: "blah blah....plot twist this; plot twist that...blah"
Who the hell is currently ruling over the other nation?
How many bastard children did the emperor have with his ministers wives/daughters that will now be vying for the thrown?
Ten years may seem like a lot, but is a very short period of time to recoup with many variables when it comes to actual leadership. What are those leadership ladders looking like?
Does the main couple even want biological children? If they do, does that mean they have to wait 3 years to have them? Would those children then be in line to rule?
Did YiXiao accentually abandon her disciples to be raised by others?
In three years what is actually going to happen?
Did they actually root out all of the officials that were not good?
Did they "take care of" AALLLLLL of the Murong clan? Cause me thinks leaving any of them alive is just stupidity at this point.
Why did we only get a vague 5 minute epilogue with expounding dialogue when we had to spend roughly 10 each with crazy ass empresses who die? Why the poignant slow-mo and multi angle spinning into madness screaming crying dying etc?
I feel like I read an essay at the end of the show instead of being shown what happened with the characters. And with some character names it had been so damn long since we last saw them that it took me waaaayyyy too long to connect the dots.
so yeah...questions. there are more but it's time for me to sleep.
2. yes, but you wont care about the love triangles as they are pretty clean cut in who likes whom and who is just living in delulu land.
3. yes...twice....I...yeah there is but both times the people remember in a "believable"/"plausible" way.
4. ep 17
5. Once they are together they remain together, though there is a slight hiccup that gets resolved. see #3
Maybe little bro and little sis could help run the country together. As he is kind, and she is cunning. She's shown that she cares about the people even though she was selfish and stupid. I think she was young enough and had a come to jesus moment early enough that she wont repeat her past.
I just can't see either the ML or his lil bro taking multiple wives for a balance of power. As one has someone he loves and the other has seen what happens when there is jealousy and betrayal. But either way big bro will protect them and remain loyal.
Seriously loved the trust and love the brothers had for each other. Not a moment of doubt in one another.
Solid 8. If I would have taken off points every time the writers made a character stupid just to further the plot it would have ended up at 0/10. But writing is only part of my overall score of a drama. The acting 10/10, chemistry 10/10, stunts 10/10, CGI/visual effects 9/10, storyline 9/10, writing 4/10, cinematography 5/10* These are just 7 of the 14 categories I usually rate my shows on.
This is the best depiction of a female general I've ever seen from an idol drama. And I've watched at least 4 within the last like 3 months.
This is also the best enemies to lovers idol drama I've ever seen. They gave back what they got and the writers actually did do a good job at establishing their trust of one another. They never made the leads "stupid in love". They always trusted each other to take care of themselves and then had the other's back once they finished off their "portion" of enemies or if the other was in actual danger/overpowered.
I really wish I could have given it a 10 out of 10 but the logic of some of the supporting characters episode 27 and onward was just....not it.
*Also I have a serious beef with this director and his high key lights, zoom-sweep pans, over echo usage, and the oddest choice of lenses(camera lens) I've seen in an idol dramas. There is a difference between a personal style and being repetitive in one's work. He plagiarized himself a few times in this one.
once again, there is a reason people whose family commit treason & are killed for it either are imprisoned, banished, enslaved or killed themselves. Never trust a person who watched their own family member die in front of them by your own hands/making. also no way in hell would an Emperor as ruthless to his own child, would have actually let a traitor into his chambers alone. this is quite literally the stupidest most make the plot work at any cost, contrived bs. neither of the people outside the Emperor's study would have even been allowed in that courtyard. the man wouldnt have even been able to get into the palace. the Empress should have already been locked in the cold palace with no one to attend her.
writers...stop making your characters stupid just to further your plot.