Michelle Topham

Thanks. But I tend to avoid the auto-translated subtitles. They're not usually correct and miss out a HUGE amount of the dialogue. They don't even keep up with who is speaking (amazed Google is still so garbage at this, when decent AI could provide at least understandable subtitles).

I just tested Episode 2 and, after one character said about 3 lines of dialogue, auto translate translated all 3 lines to "That".

Nope, I'm not watching that :)

It's better than nothing, I suppose, if you're desperate to watch it. But you won't really understand what's properly happening as most of the dialogue will just be missed.

She can't act. Hasn't been able to do in anything she has starred in, but has been lucky in a couple as the ML has dragged her along with him. I'm done with her after she decimated The Princess's Gambit so badly even poor Li Xue Yi couldn't save her, and she destroyed the drama for him.

So disappointed they cast her in this, as it's one of the few I've held out hope would be superb -- excellent director and writer. But it will likely be a car crash as she simply CANNOT act.

Pity YOUKU isn't offering English subtitles, or any other subs for that matter. Hopefully that will change but, often, once it's uploaded without subs, it stays that way :(

And why would you have the iQIYI logo as your icon? Sorry, but that makes you look really shady.

Chinese production companies/streaming companies don't care about international audiences at all. Sadly.

As the market gets bigger for C-dramas overseas, and they become a big moneymaker (and I believe that will happen within the next 2-5 years) that will change, IMO. But right now it doesn't matter what international viewers do. They only care about the homeland audience.

Not great no. And like the other responder said, the Cdrama market is struggling as the Chinese are sick and tired of the same old same old stretched out to 40 episodes (which makes NO sense that Chinese authorities recently reversed their decision to put a cap on the # of episodes allowed, so now we'll likely be back to 40 or 50 episodes just so greedy production companies can make more money from advertisers).

On that subject, I read somewhere recently that dramas are not completed by something like 40% of the Chinese audience that starts them, as they get midway through, realize it's yet another draggy, draggy, draggy drama with far more episodes to tell the story than necessary and Chinese viewers drop them like a hot potato.

At least this one is only 29 episodes, so there's hope it will do better just because of that alone :)

Lived in Bangkok for 15 years, worked in an international corporation and had to wear a skirt and jacket to work. Once got stopped getting on the skytrain by a British couple who asked for help buying tickets, then said "We stopped you because we KNEW you must live here as you were a farang (Thai for white person) wearing a jacket. No tourist in their right mind would wear that many clothes in this heat". ROTFL

You do get used to the heat, but yep, it's hot and humid all year round. In Bangkok, you might get a few days in December where it's around 80 degrees, but it doesn't last long. Then it skyrockets back up to the 90s and above and pretty much stays there.

Used to leave my apartment and walk or take a motorcycle taxi to the skytrain, and by the time I got there, I'd be dripping with sweat. Walking or riding. And I bloody LIVED there :) And yep, even the Thais sweat. It's murder.

A Thai friend in her 70s though told me it never used to be like that in Bangkok in the 1940s and 50s. But there's so much concrete now from all the buildings, it just soaks up the heat and so there's never a chance for the air to cool down.

Same. :)

Done. You're an idiot.

Worked as a Corporate Trainer at a Fortune 500 company and later as a journalist. Half the westerners I knew there made more money at executive level jobs in major corporations than you will make in 20 years. And yep they work their asses off, as Thais work much longer hours than the average westerner.

But hey. Go around ignorant pretending you're correct about everything. Bound to end well for you.

And actually what makes me laugh about people like you is you go through life spewing garbage and completely ignorant about so many things (in particular Thailand, which you've obviously never set foot in but suddenly you're the 'expert' on westerners living there). You also seem to be perfectly happy to be this clueless. Meanwhile, the people around you think you're a fool :) Enjoy your ignorance.

Lived in Bangkok for 15 years. Apparently you know nothing about Thailand. But hey keep spewing garbage.

I don't like Esther Yu AT ALL, have dropped everything I've ever tried to watch her in. But... if I don't get thru 5 episodes of this, I won't rate it as, IMO, it's not fair. (BTW, watching it for Bangkok and He Yu right now :)

Lived there for 15 years (Bangkok) - know the area this is filmed in very well. Cannot recommend it enough. Traveled all over the country by myself or with friends. Very safe for women. Used to take taxis by myself at 1am, 2am, 3am never ONCE had a problem with a Thai taxi driver. (I do speak Thai, but even friends that didn't never had problems).

The Thais are the worlds nicest people, the food is amazing, the standard of living is very high for what you pay, and the culture is fascinating. I'll be retiring there in a few years. No other country I'd consider living in permanenty.

She's NOT told to sound like that. That's how she sounds. Have you never heard her in interviews? Same 12-year-old voice. I've seen her in 5 or 6 dramas (dropped them all) and she always sounds like that.

He's Thai, which is why it sounds strange. I know a lot of Thai-Chinese in Bangkok and they all pretty much sound like that when speaking Chinese :) Basically, it's Chinese with a Thai accent ;)

I've dropped everything she's ever starred in as I just can't with her voice. (Her acting is very average too, though, if the truth be told). I'm sticking with this now because of He Yu and Bangkok, but it may still be a drop eventually. Or I'll just fast forward thru to watch the city I love ;)

So then why doesn't she? Yet again in this she sounds like she's 12 years old.

Bizarre. Started the first episode and 10 minutes in saw the temple I used to visit all the time when I lived in Bangkok. Know that area of the city like the back of my hand (nicely filmed too) :)

Not an Esther Yu fan (I've dropped everything I've ever tried to watch that she stars in as it's like watching a 12-year-old child in a woman's body ) but... I'll give this one a go because of He Yu and Bangkok :)

Weird, isn't it? LOL. It's like the production company is spinning a roulette wheel and choosing whichever director it lands on :)

Still... will be interesting to see what the new one does with it. He's not that experienced -- only has 1 full-length drama and a 3-minute-per-episode mini series that have aired as far as I've been able to research, but I'm always up for giving a new director a chance.

And then we'll have to see which one arrives for Season 5, ROTFL.

LOL, yep. I didn't enjoy the first handful of episodes at all, but once it hit its stride it got back to what I loved about the first two seasons. Wasn't ever planning on dropping it, as I love the series, but am so happy that it's finally grabbed my attention and that the directing and performances have MASSIVELY improved, IMO. Having a lot of fun with it now :)

Honestly, just about my only complaint at this point is Lu Ling Feng is as idiotic and annoying as he was in Season 1 with zero character development in three seasons now. (Really despise the character - Yang Xu Wen is superb in the role though), That's poor writing, IMO. Other than that, though, it's great.

And thanks for the nice comment :)