Michelle Topham

Now I'm getting bored with this after singing its praises for the first 12 episodes.

It's just the same scenario in every episode. FL gets accused of something, then it's proven it's a lie. Over and over again. Plot is going nowhere at this point (ep 13). A shame.

I see the rating on MDL has fallen as well. Not surprising as it's just stagnating at the moment.

Not dropping my rating (yet) as I'll see how the next couple of episodes pan out, but if it continues with similar scenarios in every episode there's not really much point to the entire drama. Hopefully that's not the case.

Damn. Was hoping not :)

I think the fault generally lies in Chinese dramas simply being too long. Cut them off at 20 episodes, IMO -- that's PLENTY of time to write a superb, very tightly-written script, and to pull together all the plot holes and, if not, then produce a Season 2 -- which then gives the writer time to fix the things viewers didn't like in Season 1.

But instead, we're stuck with drama after drama of dragged out episodes, which also makes the writing devolve, as it's too difficult for most writers to create a tight script over so many episodes.

It's also why most Korean dramas are superior to most Chinese -- better writing and cut off at Episode 16 in most cases.

Even Chinese viewers have been complaining about too long dramas for years, as they're as sick of them as most of us are :)

For me, there have been few Chinese dramas that I have enjoyed every episode of, with A Dream Within a Dream being one of the few in the last couple of years that was incredibly well-written from beginning to end.

With Sword Rose, however, it looks like the writer is struggling if it continues to devolve from here. Will still likely give it a solid 8 or 9 though when I'm finished, as overall it has been very well-done, and the performances are superb.

ROTFL, I know, right??!! Out with her mom shopping, then gets snatched and suddenly she has a "life saving surgery" as if a hospital would wait right until the child is about to die before scheduling such a surgery. An, apparently, one that couldn't be rescheduled a couple of days later if the child was found. :)

The constant messaging of "2 hours before Smiley's surgery" made it seem even more ridiculous :)

I have enjoyed EVERY episode up until that one, which started to hint that the script might be disintegrating. Still holding out hope I won't think it's even worse as I watch the final episodes as the cast have been excellent in this and, up until then, the script has been well-written too :)

Don't expect anything like Rose Finch, though, as it's a completely different genre. :) But as the highly-dramatic romance/political intrigue almost fluff dramas go, it's fast-paced and very entertaining. Especially as the FL is incredibly smart.

It's nothing that will ever win an Oscar :), but for almost vacuous entertainment, which I sometimes like, especially as each episode is short, it's incredibly fun. The performances are excellent too and, for a mini drama, it has surprisingly good set design and cinematography.

You may hate it, but give it a shot :)

It's started to disintegrate at about Ep21 with the ridiculous search for the child with a heart problem. Not believable circumstances, or a believable search.

Have been enjoying it up to this point, but Ep21 was naively and poorly written, IMO. Hopefully it's not going to get worse.

It's excellent. I'm not usually a sports drama fan, but I'm enjoying this one immensely. Really well-written and acted.

I've seen both on various topics, and don't mind them at all. I write about Chinese dramas (among other things) for a living, and some of their posts have been helpful for confirming facts. As, sure, they might be a bit abrupt, but they are usually correct.

I don't watch many mini dramas but decided to give this one a go and, so far, it's excellent. (I watched up to Episode 9).

Zhu Li Lan and Mu Le En as the sisters are brilliant, as are Qin Tian Yu and Wang Ze Xuan as the two husbands. The plot is well-written, and with some funny and very satisfying scenes. I love the cinematography as well.

Honestly, I thought I would probably drop this as I'm not generally a fan of most mini dramas (although I recently watched Rose Finch also on WeTV and it too was superb), but the production, writing and acting on this are much higher quality than I expected. So, yep, I recommend it.

Then block and move on, and it's easy to avoid.

I don't think he's being rude. I think it's a difference in the way people speak depending on the country they grow up in. So, what might seem "rude" to an American is not rude to someone from India, Germany or China, for instance.

I've lived all over the world, and thought people were being "rude" several times when I moved to a new country. Only to realize later that was just the way people speak. (Currently live in Austria, for example, and Austrians are generally very abrupt when they speak. That can be considered "rude" by Americans or Japanese. It's not meant to be).

He's just correcting the information that was incorrect. And btw, I would rather have the correct information from a more abrupt account, than incorrect information from one that is being "polite" :)

Loving every second of this.

I've just finished watching Episode 16 but, so far, there has not been one boring moment.

The performances are superb, it's incredibly well-written (so much so, every scene, even those that are just every day investigation scenes in the police station are gripping), the cinematography is really nicely done and, for me at least, it's not too upsetting or too violent. (I have a pretty strong constitution, but I don't enjoy excessively violent dramas, and this isn't that).

The performances by the actors playing the victims of trafficking, and those playing the traffickers, are specifically well done.

Great to have an interesting female lead as well who, so far at least, hasn't been a disappointment once.

A 10/10 for me. Exceptional in every way, as well as pushing an important message that cracking down on human trafficking should be a country's priority.

Sadly, this happens everywhere. There is not one country on the planet where child trafficking and women trafficking doesn't happen.

I currently live in Austria, a so-called First World country, and even there we have a human trafficking problem and the Austrian government are pretty lax on the issue and do not give the severe jail sentences they should.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_trafficking_in_Austria

It's really not bad. I wouldn't say I love it, but it's definitely a fun watch. :)

Nobody is forcing anyone. You like it. Good for you. But those of us who have opinions that are more negative towards the drama or the FL have opinions that are just as valid. Will never understand why snowflakes get personally "offended" because someone on the Internet doesn't like something they do.

personally, I'm enjoying the drama. I just can't stand the FL as she's poorly written. (The character not the actress).

A failure. It's performing poorly in China and internationally.

Her performance here is awful. And, IMO, I don't think it's her as she's usually excellent in her roles, so most likely the director that has created this horrible performance. She's the only character in the entire drama I fast forward through, as she's so annoying -- both character and actress's performance.

I don't think it's that the FL should be 'better looking' just less of an idiot. (And IMO, I think she's very pretty).

I actually like Julia Xiang as an actress, but her part here is badly written and annoying, IMO.

It's a shame, as the drama is a good watch, but she spoils it with the constant attacks on the ML and the stupidity she exhibits. With a better written FL, IMO, the rating would be higher, and Julia Xiang wouldn't be forced to play such a stupid woman. Her character is also dragging down the entire drama as she is in so many scenes.

I think because so many people are incredibly annoyed with the FL, and are fast forwarding through many of her scenes.

Must admit, I agree with them as, although the drama is very fun and most of the rest of the cast are delivering excellent performances, her character is written so badly that she's ended up being a bit of an idiot, and that translates to incredible annoyance watching her.

Julia Xiang's performance of the FL is also "meh", with some very strange or bland facial expressions, but I have the feeling that's the director's fault, as she is usually great in her roles.

Not sure if that's the case for the low rating (?) but it does make sense as most of the complaints about the drama are about Julia Xiang's performance or the FL's character.

In that regard, I've dropped my rating from a 9 to a 7.5 right now (may increase it as I watch more episodes), as I'm having to fast forward thru almost every scene the FL is in as, if I don't, I'd have the urge to reach through the screen and slap her :) It's horrible writing and the actress, and the character, deserved better.

NEVER believe MDL ratings. The website has had an army of trolls for YEARS that they refuse to deal with. So every time a drama comes out featuring an actor idiots with no lives "hate", they climb all over the page trying to destroy his/her career.

Vile people, and on a website that sees its reputation collapse more and more every year, as it's heading towards becoming as big of a joke as IMDB.