Orithian

Hmm, he really only pushes her away the once, and then decides since he's dying, he might as well go, "damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead!" He's always fully committed to bringing hell down on MSJ & BED, and he never wavers in that regard. I don't think he even hesitates, even when things go wrong, hes shown to be pretty damn good at recalculating on the fly. And it seems the sicker he gets, the more determined he gets.
I like that when Blacks with Swan, he's a happy goofball making every moment with her count, but the second she leaves, he's straight back into coldblooded revenge mode.

ok, It held my interest pretty well for the last half. There were enough actually interesting plot twists, and there was a twist on the twist, which I liked. FL matured nicely over the 2nd half, and she became a lot more competent. I love a good Scooby gang and these two definitely had an abundance of supportive and competent friends and family around them helping them out.
MSJ was a decent badguy, but I was a bit disappointed that BED really turned out to be a more shallow, 1 note maniacal sterotype. Still everything wrapped up pretty well, and where people ended up felt earnt for the most part.
I really enjoyed this.

Halfway though and just some thoughts:
Lee JinWook is always painfully sexy but it's nice seeing him play a happier (mostly) character than the last two dramas I've seen him in. Also those shirtless scene...*woof* I suspect Blacks ending that's been hinted at so far, probably won't happen, tho honestly at this point, I wouldn't have minded it. There's enough foreboding/setup for it to work.

Kaya/Swan - For a street smart kid, she's sure as hell a shit reporter. Where did all those streetsmarts go? Or did she somehow just bluster and bluff her way through her time in Thailand?
Surely she should have more suvival sense than a concussed kitten in a thunderstorm? Also subtle they aren't, with her lost family hints...

I'm a little worried that at the halfway mark, it already feels like it should be wrapping up, with most of the big reveals now in the open. I hope it doesn't drag, but from a brief skim of the comments, I get the feeling it might.
I honestly would be ok with Black dying after getting his revenge, saving his sister, and Swan ending up with Woo Jin. The Black/Swan relationship doesn't feel ... very solid, at this point.

At a guess, thats probably the gymnast training you'd need to fling yourself around like she was.
For those movements, you need the muscles all around your stomach, waist, & back nice and strong to support yourself. She definitely didn't skip core day!

That entire scene was Amazing!!!

THEN REMOVE OR EDIT THE DAMN POST!!!!!!!

OI!!!! SPOILERS!!!!!!!!

Just looked up the screenwriters...One name jumped out : Wang Juan. Legend behind Joy of Life, Doulou continent and Snow Sword Stride...
No wonder this series got a 2nd season with the whole cast coming back!
Also no wonder its so damn good!!!

Because China's still a deeply patriachal society, and women being seen as truly competent and equal to men is ...even more of an uphill battle than in western dramas.

Halfway through and he's gotten better, but considering his background. Lost parents, sole earner/parent for his brother, knows what its like to be hounded by loansharks, he still seems to have a really underdeveloped sense of responsibility.

I'm two eps in, and Porsche has given so many people plenty of reasons to put a bullet in his head, and that just his own people. Does this dude have *NO* sense of self preservation???
Like does he actually learn to think with his brain at any point, because pretty looks and an ego does not a personality make!
Oh look a dangerously tense situation, so I as the complete newbie will just mouth off, insult everyone in sight, whine, and then act all bewildered when I get my arse rightfully kicked for being a an idiot! Fhhtttt

Magnificently bittersweet...but I think it's foretold from day one essetially. I don't think I ever held out hopes for a HE from this series.

I essentially read Fei Liu as an Autistic martial genius...Also I thought he was kind of adorable. His character helped lighten the tone alot between super serious moments.

...Every now and then I truly wonder how Xia Xiao has enough brain cells to walk and talk at the same time...Yang Yue might be a little hesitant and overly cautious, but he's exponentially smarter then XX....SX really most be wedded more to the idea of XX than the reality, because boy is he dumb. I am however loving how consistent and true to their natures everyone is. All the characters seem to have their own well realised internal stories and struggles. Even the bad guys, and even tho YSF is *truly* dispicable, I can't quite outright hate him and dismiss him. He's *too* good at being bad.

I'm up to ep 9, and really enjoying this... Also if I didn't know better, I'd definitely code JinXia as genderqueer & bi.
It's not just that she's happy dressing as a man, so much as she's quite happy acting as a man, even when she's presenting as female. And quite happy seemingly acting overtly atttracted to women.
She reminds me of Cheng Yu from Eternal Love. The 3rd Prince's ex love. The same endlessly enthusiastic shameless flirting with other women. While the men look on in shock.
🤣🤣🤣
Also Ren ia Lun does grumpy iceblocks so well! And outfits he wears!!!! So gorgeous!

That Dr!!!
"I have a "treasure" to keep the Princess awake!"
*Brings in 2 yr old son, smacks him on the butt and tells him he's staying there for the night, then runs like hell out the door!!!!
.
.
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I'm now dead! Deceased! Expired!!!

This grabbed me so much more in the first 5 mins than 5 entire eps of My Sassy Princess. Hu Yi Xuan Princess is a great FL, even if I think Zheng Ye Cheng should avoid iceblock roles, as I'm not sure he's great at them.
Also James Yan's poor torn little brother character is very reminiscent of Luo Yun Xi's Run Yu from AoL, but in a much nicer and far less evilly manipulative way.

Finally finished it, and read the "Might have missed" discussion above.
I think the LL of the novel sounds like a *much* more compelling character than what we got here. I think iQiyi cut alot of heavy topics from this in the name of churning out something light and fluffy. At the detriment to some inportant character background.

Oh, I understand *why* she is the way she is, I'm just not a fan of those particular character choices. Xu Shi Jin has by far more agency, intelligence and overall more positive traits in her little finger, than LL has on her best day.

Its not bad. I found it reasonably enjoyable & Ren Jia Lun plays a much more gregarious, charming and flirty character than I've previously seen him do. FL has much more agency and purpose beyond simply getting married, and is far more competent!