Michelle Topham

I know plenty of young women and young men like that. The current American left-wing especially seems to have a problem with it, as attempting to assassinate a president whose opinions they don't agree with is now "acceptable" by this deranged group of people. And, if said president is not assassinated, it's "okay" to express disappointment and ask for someone else to try again. Or to cheer for a health care CEO to be murdered in cold blood on the streets of New York because they didn't like his company's policies. A family man with young children. And to make his murderer a "hero".

To be that sick and twisted (and brain-washed) is something I will never understand about the current left-wing but it IS, thankfully, destroying them. From within and from without.

Thanks. :) And I just know from life experiences. Including the friend I just spoke about, as I know other people like him.

I also have a VERY quick temper (it runs in my family :), but I was lucky that my parents taught me how to control it (most of the time :). Or, at least, not to try to destroy other people just because I'm pissed. Ye Xian's parents never taught him that, and that's why he's now suffering because of it.

Ye Gods, what a vile thing to say. Casting aspersions on someone's character because they like a drama character. What the hell is wrong with you?

Most fun thing I've watched all year so far :)

And yes, you can tell he's been taking acting lessons as he's markedly improved since the few scenes I saw him in in that vampire thing I still haven't finished watching :)

That's his character, though, and it's extremely realistic. I have a former friend who is exactly the same as he's been throwing tantrums like this since he was a child (I've known him since he was born). Every time anything didn't go his way he would attack, hit, tell lies about etc the other person supposedly standing in his way.

Some people outgrow this, Ye Xian hasn't and likely won't (although I hope he does), and my friend hasn't and won't. My friend is now in his mid-40s. Nothing's changed, he's still a brat who won't get anything he wants in life because he thinks relying on his family's extremely successful business will help him. It hasn't and it won't. Especially as his father is now in his 80s and has decided to close the business rather than sell it (an odd decision, but it's his business so his prerogative). My friend will get nothing, except lose the job he's had since he left university. Maybe it's his father's way of finally forcing him to grow up?

As for Ye Xian, I think he's beautifully written and someone I do have empathy for. Raised and "protected" because of his illness, so never being given any responsibility, which is why he doesn't have any, mentored by his "Master" only to learn his master was just using him (Episode 17 broke my heart for him, as his master was all he had), seen as a failure by his entire family, even though they made him that way. He knows that he's a wastrel and a loser, but he doesn't know how to get out of that cycle. Again, he hasn't been taught.

He's in the same cycle he's been in since a child and, other than his aid and Jinzhao, nobody has really helped him. Hence why he keeps pursuing her aggressively and stupidly, even though it's not really love he feels for her, just gratitude that she protects him. Even as she doesn't put up with his sh*t.

And you can tell every interaction with her does NOT go the way he wants it to, but he doesn't know how to fix it because he was never taught. He whipped her, and immediately regretted it, but he hasn't been taught how to control his emotions, and so he lashes out at her first and thinks later.

At that age, it's incredibly difficult to change how you behave when nobody in your life taught you how. Hence, why my former friend will never change as he was spoiled rotten by his mother. The same will go for Ye Xian (I'm only on Ep 20 by the way).

And no, I am not excusing his often vile behavior for a second, but he's not a character I hate. He's one I feel sorry for. Especially as he tries and tries and tries to get the life he wants but, BECAUSE HE HASN'T BEEN TAUGHT HOW TO DEAL WITH OBSTACLES PROPERLY, every attempt he makes backfires on him.

I know, right!! I cannot even count the number of Chinese dramas I've watched, most of which are not on my list on MDL yet as I can't remember half of them (the trials and tribulations of getting old :) - but I've adored everything about these two from the minute they walked onto the screen (and both so beautifully acted) -- and Ye Gods, what dramatic entrances they both got. The BEST I've seen in a long time :)

And it's a given that I think Ren Min and Ci Sha are doing a brilliant job here (best pairing in eons), but Winwin is also portraying Ye Xian perfectly. Something that's particularly admirable considering he really has limited acting experience still. Will be deliberately seeking out more of his work (along with making sure I've watched all Ren Min and Ci Sha have to currently offer) in the future.

Just hit Episode 20. Loving this, and the two leads, more than anything I've watched this year.

And what a superb ensemble cast. Every actor is nailing their roles.

I have watched thousands of C-dramas over the last couple of decades, and this is one of the very very few that has NOTHING in it that I don't like. I work 15 hours a day, so it's rare I binge-watch anything, and half the time I don't have time to finish a big percentage of the dramas I start. I started watching this 36 hours ago, and am already on Episode 20. I'm going to be so pissed when I don't have any more episodes to binge watch. ROTFL

You honestly didn't miss much (he's good in it, but the plot is not great). I've been trying to finish it for about 6 months. Haven't managed yet :)

He was the main in The Legend of Heroes, did you watch that?

Yep, like you, I take "c-netz" with a grain of salt :) but interesting info. Thanks.

Cool. Thanks so much. Looking soooo forward to those episodes now (I'm on Ep 7) as they will be amazing together :)

That's true :) And I'm so tired of seeing 38-40 episode dramas where the plot is stretched thinner than chewing gum just so the greedy production companies can earn more in advertising revenue. Apparently, Chinese viewers are just as sick of it.

BTW, 40 eps isn't even the max anymore, the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) recently announced dramas could have more than 40 eps, IF there was a good reason for it. The NRTA will have to review the drama when more than 40 episodes is requested to make sure they're needed, but it does give the production companies some leeway if a story does need to have more episodes to be told properly.

Hahaha, I know, right! I need to sign up for another YOUKU annual subscription as mine lapsed last week as my credit card was renewed, and I forgot to give them the new info. I was going to do it when ZZA released, but then found out it had been UNreleased 3 hours later - LOL.

I'll wait till next week now until the new batches of dramas come out :)

what episode do Chen Yan Yun and Jinzhao start dating, or at least admit that they like each other?

Question

Baidu has always had it at 36, and so has Douban. They both tend to be far more reliable (most of the time, not always), as well as other Chinese sites I use, than MDL or the streaming services, as WeTV etc also seem to have people uploading info who don't always seem to know what they're doing.

Look at the debacle on YOUKU this week with the release of Zhan Zhao Adventures that then got removed three hours later :)

You could be correct. Never thought about that. Thanks! Just find it irritating when I'm checking episode counts for an article, and then MDL has something completely different. I then waste time going BACK to Chinese sources to double check and triple check :)

EDIT: It's also irritating for viewers, as the drama releases, and then we have a week of people complaining about "the deleted episodes" when they were never a thing to start with :)

As far as I know, it's always been 36 episodes. MDL may have had it listed as 40, but they are often wrong with their episode count (don't know where they get their information, as I check several Chinese sources for my articles and, periodically, MDL will be WAY off on episode count).

Can't remember what drama it was recently (?) but MDL had it at 38 episodes and it had ALWAYS been 35 on all my Chinese sources. They amended their count when the drama premiered.