Nonsuch

they didn't cut the bath scene, just a 20-30 seconds post bath.

I don't.

it is great!

Yes they cut it. First they published full leaked version with incomprehensible machine subs, then switched it to the network version which cuts the scene.

Those “propeller” hats are a type of fútóu (幞头)—a formal head covering worn by officials, especially prominent from the Tang through Song dynasties. The long horizontal flaps are often called “wings” (展脚). A popular (though partly anecdotal) tradition credits Emperor Taizu of Song with promoting the long-wing style specifically to limit court whispering and factional behavior. Whether strictly enforced or not, the design clearly served that purpose symbolically.

1. Enforcing spacing and discipline
The most commonly cited explanation: the long wings physically prevented officials from standing too close together or whispering during court.

If you turned your head, you’d bump someone’s hat
This discouraged private conversation in front of the emperor

2. Visual order and hierarchy
The wings created a uniform silhouette, making rows of officials look orderly and controlled—important in a highly ritualized court setting.

So Netflix cut the scene in ep 38. At this point I am kind of glad there was a leak - what else did these jokers cut?.

They are sort of married, and sort of not and Chinese censors are very prudish, there seems to be a tendency in dramas to make love about food , instead of love making 😄.

I actually didn't mean you personally, sorry if it sounded that I did. I ment more like people on this board are gushing, its is a MASTERPIECE! 10/10! and so on. I agree they didn't developed characters well, and rather mishandled the intrigue, pacing was off after the ep 28, and more. But it was visually beautiful, and well acted, really funny at times, and much better than most recent dramas of the same kind, I think.

Many people seem to be rating their feeling when they watch, not the quality of a drama.
To me it was 10 first 10 eps , and it started to slide down the hill from there to 8.5
The dark romance for me was a eye roll. I really don't like psychopaths, even pretty ones. And everything was over the top in that story line.

What cuts did you notice that are included on Netflix? Were there cuts through out on iQIYI ? Netflix has not gotten to ep 38 yet.

What was that homecoming scene? Was it a dream or a visit to some sort of afterlife? So strange!

I completely understand your point. But for me I had high expectations of this drama from its first 15 or so eps, I was literally mesmerized at first; so for me the second and especially 3rd sequences feel like a let down. It is still a very good drama, but not what I hoped it would be. Also people call any critique of writing 'complaining' and 'hating" - as if seeing no fault in this drama is some sort of moral virtue, and not a matter of personal preference.

It is not about realism in the sense of what is possible in real life. In fiction for it to really work it needs to have a large degree of plausibility within the context of the drama itself. That is one of the first things they teach you in a writing class. He has been trained from childhood by the best, he has extraordinary talent, he has experience., strategy, tactics. She is almost illiterate butcher girl trained by her father in secret, but she has no real battle experience, she had never used a sword - it is not the same as using butcher knife, Sure she can be more than equal to him, but not over night. They did show her getting some training, but it is out of sequence, and her sparring partner is a former hoodlum, not a marshal arts master, and it is AFTER she had already became this glorious fighter and was promoted. They made her absorb a new set of skills from just one sparing match with General He , and one sparing match by the river with her husband. That is what people are complaining about, not that she is this fantastic fighter.

Sure, some people have high standards.

No need to make this into some pseudo anti-feminist thing. Writing is a skill and a profession, it has standards and if it has flaws people notice and talk about it. Or do you think everybody needs to be in raptures just because it is about a woman general?

they do become comics characters, and I think it is a pity, and actually diminishes them, and makes them less relatable.

It is not a criticism of her being too strong, it is criticism of how character development is handled. She is a great character, and the actress is excellent, but they made her sudden military success so abrupt , it is unrealistic.

no, you are not wrong .

They are a hoot. There are difficulties between China and North Korea, people are there own grandsons, and elephants hatch all over the field.

I watched a bit of one ep just for the subs. I could not stop laughing, the subs are that hysterical.