MadelineMaureen

Please tell me im not the only one who about died laughing when the 2nd ML, who is supposed to be a chef, brought out that plate of an egg-in-a-hole on top of a salad. 🤣 it looked like regular white slice sandwich bread, not even a homemade artisan variety. I was like, of all the food styles in the world to choose from they chose what i think of a toddler food.(bland/basic)
This reminds me of the trend that was going around in China about white people food.

Im rewatching the Korean one just to see the differences. I love that we aren't having to pause for 3-4 minutes of an episode for an "ad break" in the Japanese version. The advertising in Kdramas always throws me out of the show for a bit. There is still going to be that local/domestic pride when it comes to products/food mentioned in the Japanese version but not "pause, while we over exaggerate the ability of this coffee cube to wake us up".

This one seems to be cutting a lot of the fat that the Korean version had to fill up the 16 plus hours. & with the adaptation changing things for cultural reasons & timeline I think it keeps it at a nice pace.

There are few actors that overlap with the cast of 'A Dream Within a Dream' and every time I see them in a flashback or just straight up the emperor I have this moment of 'wait a minute...'

Also the fact that an actor who previously played the ML's loyal side kick is now trying to kill him in this one...styling is different, but watching shows so close together with essentially the same troop of actors makes me have to kind of Etch A Sketch my mind. It might erase the previous image, but there is still a faint outline left behind.

It's not as bad as watching The Double and then The Perfect Match back to back. I think the final count ended up being like in the 20s or 30s with actor overlap. Don't get me wrong all the actors are great...it's just you have to kind of erase your memory but sometimes the wigs or styling is the same so yeah. I can pretty much bet that a producer is the same on both productions. And with the way things are filmed/released in China there have been times where the same supporting actor is showing up in like 5 airing dramas. The younger version of the FL's little brother was in 3 shows I was watching last week. This one, Reborn and A Dream Within a Dream, making it a total of like six or seven shows I've seen him in in the past six months. Just looked it up it was 8 shows because I rewatched some other shows he was in a few years ago recently.

I haven't started this one yet. Lately, within the last few years, I've noticed that the 16 episode Kdramas just aren't structured as well. So I'm waiting to see if I'll even enjoy the journey.

There have been a few that balance 16 to 20 episodes well by having the story structured in a way that jumps around in a longer timeline. Shows that come to mind are 'Moving' and 'When Life Gives You Tangerines'. Shows like 'The Glory' also jumped around a bit and had a clear midway point for tension and pivot. All the other recent Kdramas I've completed haven't gone passed a 12 episode count.

I think writers really need to consider better storytelling techniques when it comes to these 16 episode with 80 minute episodes(about 21 hours total). For contrast the average Cdrama is anywhere from 30 to 40 episodes with 40minute episode lengths(so about 20 to 27 hours). Trying to fill up 80 minutes at a time instead of 40-45 starts to unbalance the tension building. I guess the filler doesn't stick out as much, at least to me, when it's only taking up 5 to 10 minutes of runtime an episode verses 20 to 30 minutes an episode.

I just don't know if they are able to storyboard this stuff out in advance with the option of cutting the fat after and just letting the show be as long as it needs to be. I'm not sure why Dear Hongrang was only 11 episodes, but it worked for the story they were telling. I wish there was a bit more flexibility for the network shows.

I hate when iQiYi and Tencent just stop releasing episodes once express is released. It's so freaking annoying. I have sites I can finish the show on, but like come on. At least keep a regular schedule after express for people watching the show and paying for your subscriptions. Why are our only options watching it on a damn cellphone or pirating the content?

Reminder to those starting this show. The FL is supposed to be like 16-18 for the majority of the show aka high school aka high school in China aka you're not going to get a romcom vibe from this show.

This is a coming of age, family drama with an epilogue. The focus is family dynamics, overcoming misunderstandings when parents keep things from their children thinking it will protect them, finding truth, and healing and being able to let go and be free.

So, though there is a romantic element interlaced within the main story, the romance is NOT the main focus. So if you are someone who likes a slow burn you will have no issues watching this one. If you are someone who mainly or only watches romance this one might not be for you. I would still recommend it, but maybe have a stress ball or someone to vent to, because fair warning, you will want to straight up murder some characters with your bare hands through your screen. Enjoy!

This show mainly focuses on family dynamics and the "leads" are just the support for each other. More so him supporting her. He has his own stuff going on. But this isn't really so much a romance as a family/mental health/PSA with some romance/unrequited love underneath for about 98% of the show.

Y'all back at it again putting site names without spoiler tags. Y'all just don't like having access to free things, huh?

yeah the dad can straight up die tomorrow and I'd throw a party. the mother is at least trying to save the only daughter she has left.

not me cackling so loudly in the first 5 minutes of episode one that I wake the house up. my bad fam. 😆🤣🤣🤣

When was this made? There is such a difference in FL's appearance between this and Youthful Glory imo. Don't know if it's the make up or what, but I feel like this was made at least 2 to 3 years prior to recording Youthful Glory.

can't figure out why this isn't showing up on my tencent app.

im so excited this is the second show this week that will be filming with previous leads that I liked in 2024. they had great chemistry in Melody of Golden Age.(just hope the writing is better in this show)

The end of episode 10 when Qing Yu comes out of the bridal chamber into the early morning light....she looked like an avenging angel. Amazing...10 out of 10 cinematography/lighting.

With the teaser for episode 13 I'm hoping that when Qing Yu gets caught by the neighbors that Ming Seung stays back. I can tell she was telling him goodbye upstairs and trying to distance herself from him but got caught very quickly when trying to leave out the back way. I just hope that he's smart enough to stay back and be ready later. Because if he tries to step in only Qing Yu will face consequences and a ruined reputation. Also people would be watching him more closely and he wouldn't be able to help her like he has been. Sworn sister MuMu might pop back up to say they were together.

dude the Mothers are similar in those & this one. I would just wait until it's done so you can skip the scenes without the couple. It's very light on romance & more about righting the wrongs done to her sister atm. her father & his family are all trash too. I had to take a lap mid episode 9 because I wanted to rip her family into tiny little pieces. but they dont actually exist so I ate a snack and breathed through it.

(disclaimer i am feeling a bit extra emotional so my language is a bit spicy & my sarcasm a bit more cutting)

Why call the police when you can just throw away your child's clothes & bring in a different female relative to help at the sho?...yeah that will prevent your child from "going down the wrong path" of BEING HARASSED. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️
This mother's logic is so fucked I can't stand her. Your eldest daughter was a VICTIM & instead of helping your only living daughter left, you close her off from the world & bury your head in the sand all while making sure with every one of your actions that she will be bullied & othered at school.

I swear if they try to "redeem" either of the FL's parents this rating will be low as all hell from me. I will not care how amazing the cinematography & acting are by that point.
I hope she grows up, moves away & never speaks to her family again, and they die knowing they failed all their children.

only 4 episodes in and I can say with my whole chest i hate both of her parents. her father is so hand off of everything, he's useless. the mother is so suffocating & ignorant that her children suffer. the mother is also a hypocrite, she abandoned her daughter to relatives & then pretends she never existed because she died because of the circumstances that the mother & father put her in. 🙄😒

Thank You!