MadelineMaureen

I've only just finished episode 24. And tbh i have skipped over the second couples story since they killed the dog off...because absolutely fucking not.

I knew I wasn't crazy

putting this is spoiler tag because I'm cursing up a storm. if you are enjoying the show keep enjoying it and skip this comment. if you have read the source material and are as confused by episode 24 as much as I am continue reading.


okay I'm now like officially pissed the fuck off by this director. What in the character assassination is happening here?
Completely going against fundamental elements of an IP for more drama & thus taking away parts that made them strong characters who love each other and support each other & are quick to communicate & mend misunderstandings with one another.
For those confused by my anger. let me explain how episode 24 fucked up royally...
Sang Yan finds out that Yi Fan was keeping the fact someone was harassing her at work. they get into an argument about her not opening up to him & he leaves his car behind & takes a taxi to the airport without his luggage to visit his sister.
BEFORE he can even get on his plane back to town Yi Fan shows up in YiHe to tell him everything and open up to him. This is the first time they sleep together as well....SHE WENT TO HIM. She did NOT disappear and go into fucking hiding. She used her words and showed with her actions & willingness to meet him in another city that she loves, & respects him. SHE BRINGS HIM HIS FUCKING CLOTHES.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what happens when men adapt romance, written by a woman, incorrectly.
I am so disappointed. like honestly ready to toss the fucking towel on one of my favorite IPs and actors because of the direction production thought was a good change. Im so sorry to people who are loving the changes....but this was supposed to be a healing drama by this point in the story. I keep rolling my eyes.
oh you thought her room looked too empty? sir(director) was there a particular reason you dumbed down one of the most emotionally intelligent characters in the show to have a "but what do we do now?" moment?

making characters go backwards to extend your runtime is so fucked up. the fact that SHE isnt the one to tell him what happen, that all of a sudden HE is the reporter looking & digging for information....this is not the characters from the novel I don't know who they are but they sure as fuck aren't Yi Fan.

The reason it makes me upset the most it that because of this change the director has dumbed down two characters in the process. Yi Fan for seeing he is security at her building and so she works alone late into the night. And then the little intern for not picking up the fact she's having a panic attack after interacting with said security guard.
Like seriously did I skip over this in the novel...was my translation so poor that I some how missed a felon working at her building and her co-workers not noticing her distress?

Someone correct me if i'm wrong. But in the novel didn't the aunt's brother have a criminal record? How this the actual fuck would someone with a criminal record be able to get a job as security for a news station? They do background checks....seriously director? What is this? Like I know that adaptations are going to take liberties and change some things...but like why this aspect?

They had a really big boom in performing arts education in the 2010s that is benefiting the up and coming generation of leading men and women.

Writing is one of the last things I look at when giving my first thoughts on a show. Mainly because writing takes time to develop where as cinematography, lighting, blocking, and editing are normally the best it's going to get within the first few episodes. As those first few episodes are where a lot of budget ends up to hook a viewer. The production quality might decrease overtime while the writing/storytelling can improve overtime thanks to character development and story arches getting proper follow through.

There are some very low budget shows that I love because the chemistry and writing were there from the jump and hooked me in. And then there are extremely beautifully crafted shows that just didn't have a good story.

Si Jin is leaning a bit into soapier writing than I personally prefer these days, but the overall storyline is still interesting enough to keep me engaged and wanting to know more. I wish their makeup department was better, special effects make up to be specific, as they aren't as consistent with injuries/damage as they should be. But again, it's got enough well done things to overlook the meh things.

Same, popularity can only get me so far into a show. It might get me to watch a few episodes but it doesn't mean I'll finish it. I just want people to enjoy what they enjoy and not let other's dictate their own measuring stick. There are some shows I love that, in all honesty are trash shows in one aspect or another, but because of what I was going through at the time when I was first watching it or one other aspect that brought me joy...i'm going to view it with a different lens. I call them my "No brain, no logic, watch" dramas.

They are the most domestic couple that aren't actually living together I've ever seen in a modern drama. All the other ones it's not until they are living together in some way that we get all this domestic bless chill vibe going. I love it.

I fear his lil cousin is going to be disappeared by SuYe if he interrupts those "thoughts" one more time😒😤(seriously Zhang Ling He's "i want to end you" look is the best)

found your other post😏🌶️

The car one? or am i missing one?

Episode 22 trailer....our boy Su Ye is having some thoughts...😉😏

HSY smells of old money and YH of "new money" iykyk

Recent ones that come to mind are Blossom, Love of the Divine Tree, and The Best Thing.
So Blossom's director did a really good job of setting up lighting for specific shots. He never needed to over light his scene for multiple cameras because he already had the final edit in mind when he was shooting the scene. So he was able to carefully craft the lighting and framing every time. He used real candles and mirrors to reflect warm light on to the subjects in the shot, instead of relying on overhead studio lighting that has a bluer tone. Similar lighting techniques were used in Flourished Peony. It gives drama and reality to root yourself as a viewer in. They never went season 8 Game of Thrones darkness.

Currently watching a night scene in Si Jin in episode 6...every subject is so "well" lit that I can see every last hair on their head and where everyone's makeup ends....this should not be happening. They are lit from every side and from above and below....there are maybe like 3 candles in the room glowing orange, but every actor is lit with a pale blue florescent light source.

With Love of the Divine Tree they used "atmosphere" (light smoke to ad depth to a scene. The color grading remained consistent for their A team production(main leads storyline vs secondary lead's storyline, a different director covered the side story) They shot on real sets and in nature whenever possible and stayed away from overusing a blue screen studio. This added a reality to the very fantasy heavy show.

Okay, so "voice", strongest one that I'm currently watching is The Best Thing. The director is approaching it from a "first love" POV. The slow steady shots that linger. When the FL is going through emotional distress the technique changes to the mood, making it feel internal and darker focusing on breath within the sound mix and camera focus. You can take almost any shot from that show and go "Oh that's The Best Thing" based on color grading, camera focus and overall styling. If "first love" was a visual it would be this show.

Another modern show that has a distinct "voice", though in my opinion the director needs to pull back on a bit, is The First Frost. The director shoots a lot of scenes through another clear/reflective object and uses lens flares/projectors. A windowpane, mirror, water etc. It refracts the light showing a physical/emotional distance between the subject and the others in the shot. It's not as well done as I've seen before, but it remains throughout the production. (I'm saying he's heavy handed as in film language he should have eased up a bit once the FL and ML started to let their walls down again, but he didn't so it makes the overall impact less....meaningful.)

I need to find you a good video essay on Youtube to link you.....There was one done recently on America Horror Story and all of the seasons and how it lost it's voice when they went from film to digital....https://youtu.be/4A51c2cs_ko?si=esIuUbe9bA_umC91
FOUND IT! This young creator did an amazing job at articulating how production value can decline depending on the instruments being used.
I was going to link another video by a person who works in the film industry but I can't find the video anymore. I've spent the majority of this time looking for it. anyway. I hope some of this helps.

Okay disclaimer....do not read my comment if you are very much enjoying all aspects of the show. Keep enjoying it & don't let my critique hinder your viewing experience. Not trying to yuck anyone's yum, just giving my opinion on rating systems from the POV of a production nerd.

I don't agree about the rating needing to be higher. It's a very basic costume drama at this point(Im 5 epiosdes in). Please understand what about to say is not to be mean or contrarin, but coming from someone whose niche interest is film & television production. It is something I have been interested and studied since I was a child.
The editing, transitions & flashback techniques used are not very good when compared to other dramas in the same category & budget.
The acting is there & maybe the storyline, im not far enough along to judge this aspect yet.

Styling wise, there seem to be many people whose clothing just does not fit them properly within the supporting cast. The set design is fine, but because the cinematography is not really bringing much it is not captured in a way that makes it standout in a good way. The lighting is giving city street at night time in the 21st century, not period piece drama.
The color grading keeps going in and out making the scene look completely washed out & desaturated out of nowhere. There are certain camera techniques that, although interesting, seem out of place in the context of the overall style of the show.
Think of it like the camera is another voice in the show. Some shows have a very distinct voice, and you could pull any clip from it & know that it belongs to x show. This show's "voice" is not very strong & could be confused as other productions. (I don't know if I'm explaining this well or if you are even still reading)
Im not saying all of this to neg on the show, but from a production stand point it is middle of the road. For many viewers this factors into their rating of an overall production.
As someone who has watched many a redo period piece/girl boss/investigation plotted shows, it's getting the job done. Others have done it better but others have done it worse. So an 8, to me is an above average rating. Which, I believe, is correct, it is above average, but not S tier.

So glad they gave Bai Bing Ke a mature voice for this one. Couldn't stand what Liu Qing did with her character's voice for Everlasting Longing. (Liu Qing is a great voice actress, but anytime she does a teenage like whiny voice I just can't deal with it)

thank you!

Okay....there's a doggo...you've got me show...but I swear to god if anything bad happens to that dog you not getting anything higher than 5 stars....them the rules.

Not gonna lie...haven't read your whole OG comment as i'm a few episodes behind, still at work atm. So can't comment on characterization/writing...but I promise I'll read your full OG comment later 🥰