PeachBlossomGoddess

Estimated Time of Arrival. Faith Makes Great doesn't really count but I guess it will have to do in a pinch! I am gonna pace myself with all this patriotic stuff bc there is gonna be a ton of it...

This is almost exclusively a character driven story where each of the main characters have an in depth arc in which they face their own demons and grow into themselves. History dictates that the revenge plot was never gonna go anywhere and even though I really enjoyed the drama, I will be the first to admit that the overall plot and many of the subplots were weak. I didn't mind all of other characters, I don't think there is nearly enough for 49 episodes if it were exclusively about Sun and Changge. I liked Haodu and Leyan but Mimi and Mujin didn't really do it for me and the fourth couple were forgettable and arguably the least necessary.

Terrific article! I personally prefer adaptions to take a life of their own. If its too true to the book, I get bored and I drop it but that's just a personal preference.

Yes indeed, made my toes curl! :)

Wei Shuyu actually did show tremendous growth. He was the one that nudged Haodu in the right direction and make him less narrow minded. And he had the courage to tell Leyan his true feelings rather than mislead her even after he knew Changge was not obtainable. He starts out as a weasel but he improved.
Changge really stabbed him in the heart when she told him that before she met Sun, she never imagined spending her her life with anyone and after she met someone, she cannot imagine her life without him.

I have to agree that the villain here was a total fail. They should just edit all her parts out and replace it with a manhua. A cartoon could have done a better job. It is my biggest frustration with the drama.

In history he also refused to marry his daughter off to the grasslands for political gain.

I made the terrible mistake of checking out ETA on Wu Lei's next drama is coming... and bigger slump.

Couldn't agree more. And his trusty pet eagle is keeping an eye on her so that if she gets in trouble, he will know right away.

I think the character was much better written than it was acted. The actress couldn't put out an empathetic performance she just became annoying.

My personal observation is the power of imagination is much more creative than what they will allow onscreen anyway...

Emperor Taizong was well known for having many great and wise advisers. I love how the drama portrayed the dynamics between them.

Web dramas generally pass censorship more easily. The bar is higher for TV broadcasts and also has to go through different local levels of censorship so it takes a lot longer.

Finished, very happy with the ending and help, I can already feel the slump.

It just cracks me up bc she really only comes up to his armpit!

Now that literally is raining on my parade.

I am quite sure in some of the scenes where Hao Du and Leyan are hugging side by side she is standing on a stool.

Yes, but hopefully one that doesn't marry prince that turns into a toad.

OK I give up on catching up on the comments. I go to sleep and I can't even find what I wrote last night anymore...

Its definitely not the Mongols - Tang dynasty was much earlier - Kublai Khan doesn't come along until 500-600 years later to decimate Song dynasty. Early in Li Shimin's reign he fought with the Eastern Turks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_campaign_against_the_Eastern_Turks