Onuta

Positive rating, but your review is very well written. 👏

We shall pray for the future, and play music ;-) xx

I wouldn’t worry about the actors, even those with short careers often earn enough to retire comfortably for the rest of their lives. Meanwhile, there are people who work 12 hours a day, living paycheck to paycheck, who truly build the foundations of society and never earn what an actor might make from a single drama or even a year’s income.

What you wrote earlier was beautifully expressed, but I am more pessimistic. The context today is different, and we must remember that technology is now far more powerful than anything else, far more powerful than art. In my opinion, art has failed. I doubt that even a Leonardo da Vinci would be noticed today; people would probably be glued to their phone screens watching the latest spaghetti-eating trend posted on TikTok by narcissistic influencers.
A new generation is growing, or rather, not truly developing. The overwhelming majority of children seem apathetic, unable to focus, restless, lazy, and spoiled. If asked to repeat a music bar a few times, they resist; some even cry. They expect constant entertainment and instant gratification. Teachers have become clowns, and students have turned into customers whom you must please.
Over the last ten years, this trend has worsened dramatically. This new generation, from elementary to secondary school, represents not only a major challenge for education, where schools already struggle with behavioral and attention issues and increasing mental-health problems among children, but also the emergence of a generation that may struggle to function effectively in adult life.
You might want to watch the film Idiocracy; in many ways it increasingly feels less like a parody and more like a documentary.
I discovered Chinese dramas by chance through the YouTube algorithm. What initially drew me to them was the impression that many stories contained elements I value: philosophical reflections, life lessons, and meaningful themes. I tend to approach everything I watch with a curious mind. Even entertainment, in my view, should offer something beyond momentary distraction, some insight, reflection, or small form of growth.

There’s a direct connection between the cultural and cognitive environment and the way entertainment, including Chinese dramas, is produced and consumed today.
When audiences are accustomed to instant gratification, constant stimulation, and short attention spans, content creators naturally adapt to those habits. This is why many dramas today emphasize:
Visual appeal: beautiful faces, lavish sets, and polished cinematography.
Fast pacing and easy-to-digest plots: to keep viewers engaged without requiring deep attention.
Surface-level drama and emotional hooks: rather than complex moral dilemmas, historical context, or philosophical depth.
The underlying issue is that substance becomes “less rewarded”. In a society (or audience) where distraction is constant and attention is fleeting, content that requires reflection, moral engagement, or intellectual effort is harder to consume and harder to make profitable. So, producers often focus on what is instantly attractive rather than meaningful.
The shift in audience habits, shaped by technology, marketing, and consumer culture, encourages superficiality in entertainment. The shiny, visually appealing dramas are a mirror of a culture that often values immediacy over depth, even if some viewers still seek more meaningful stories.

I think marketing certainly plays a role, but it also raises a deeper question: can marketing truly shape people’s minds, transform their tastes, and redefine what they value? Or does it work mainly when minds lack a stable center of reference and values, making them easier to influence and shape?
In a highly consumerist society, attention is constantly drawn to shiny, easily digestible things, visual appeal, quick emotions, surface-level entertainment, while depth, complexity, and lasting artistic value often receive less attention.
Interestingly, something similar can be observed even in classical music, which we both appreciate. Increasingly, spectacle and image sometimes take precedence over quality.

It's interesting that you accuse others of lacking critical thinking while reducing an entire review to one interpretation you personally disagree with.
Critiquing how a character is written is not sexism — it’s literary criticism.
Also, discussion about a drama doesn’t magically become invalid because someone dropped it. Many of the most detailed critiques come from people who stopped watching precisely because they analyzed what didn’t work for them.
Reviews are subjective by nature — that’s why different perspectives exist. If everyone saw the same drama in exactly the same way, review sections would be rather boring.
And regarding the insults in your comment — words like those tend to say more about the person using them than about the people they are directed at.

You might not share his feelings or taste regarding this drama, but his review is well-written and well-argued, and I personally agree with almost everything he wrote. Your comment made me curious about his frequent 1-star ratings for dramas, so I actually went and read some of his reviews. Have you read them, or just looked at the ratings?
Despite his black-and-white approach—1 or 10, liking or not liking something, with no middle ground—which may or may not be agreeable, this person is actually very eloquent. His reviews are very well-argued and in-depth. This is someone who clearly values substance.
Thanks for your comment—because of it, I’ve discovered another drama to watch, inspired by such a deep and intelligent person.

Some people don’t… and some people don’t know it’s vs its. We all have our challenges. 😃

Spero che nel frattempo abbia trovato di meglio :-)

Hi, I didn’t want to watch this drama, as male-centric business isn’t something I’m interested in. However, I was curious to read the latest reviews and came across yours. I just wanted to say that I really liked the point you made and how well you articulated it.

Well, it just so happens that I am currently watching Nirvana in Fire, and the comparison with Vendetta of An doesn’t even come close. There are only a few reviews at the moment, but the character profiles—well, that’s another story. If my review bothers you, just skip it. Make your own decision for yourself. My likes and dislikes are mine, and I don’t care one bit whether this drama gets a 10 or a 1. If there is one thing people should have learned from Chinese dramas, it is honor, grace, and integrity—but unfortunately, those lessons are often missed. Have a good life.

Your profile… it’s like it trained its whole life for this review. I didn’t know profiles could have life goals, but yours clearly said, ‘I am made for this.’ Olympic-level effort. 🥇😂

I agree 😊

I would recommend more dramas that focus on letting go and finding calm, as getting too invested in trivial matters isn’t always good for your health. The reference to Love and Crown and the producer in my review was pure irony. Wishing you a relaxing day.

Your account has rated only three dramas—all with Cheng Yi and all 10 stars. That speaks for itself. 🙈

An empty profile has no bearing on whether a review is valid. Critiquing a work is a legitimate opinion, and personal attacks are unnecessary. I’ll leave the discussion at that. Have a good day.

For reference, a hateful mentality isn’t about pointing out things you don’t like in a drama; it’s attacking the reviewer personally, mocking their account, or dismissing their opinion outright. That’s what counts as hatred, not offering a critique of a drama. Here’s a clearer explanation, since irony can apparently be misunderstood by many:

1. My critique is about the work, not the person: I am reviewing the drama, its story, soundtrack, pacing, and acting choices, not attacking Cheng Yi personally. Criticizing a performance or production for being boring, shallow, or repetitive is a legitimate opinion, not hatred.

2. My tone is critical but reasoned: I explained why I was disappointed (e.g., unoriginal story, shallow conversations, repetitive expressions). I also acknowledged past performances I enjoyed, which shows fairness and perspective.

3. Hateful mentality involves personal hostility: A hateful mentality would include attacking someone’s character, intelligence, appearance, or life outside their work in a hostile or vindictive way. My review never insults Cheng Yi personally; it critiques his recent work in context.

Have a wonderful day.

It would be wonderful if dramas taught kindness, maybe even how to respond to a review without insults. I see you’ve already ‘finished’ the drama, despite only a few episodes airing, truly impressive clairvoyance!

2026 will be better… or so we hope. 😁