PeachBlossomGoddess

Well, yes and no. When it comes to endorsements, most brands only work with 1 actor or maybe 1 male and 1 female. That's why their agencies (who get a cut) are always trying to say their actor was the reason people watched the drama.

For the actors, it can be a commercial issue. If it ends up being a huge hit, the top billed actor may get more ad endorsements coming out of it. Its can be super lucrative and can be renewed for many years, creating a nice big fat annuity. The fandom also cares for obvious and IMO not rational reasons.

First of all, its not a wuxia. Wuxias are grounded in the mortal realm and they don't all have SEs. In fact, most of the most genre defining wuxias have HEs. This is a fantasy xianxia.

They are usually associated with departed souls. That is why at the end of Butterfly Lovers, the doomed couple turn into butterflies. There are also Chinese ghost stories where black butterflies can be omens of bad luck or evil.

"GJM got carried away again😅"
Yes! This!!!
Not a train wreck (yet) but he's gotta stop these twists on twists and character flip-flops or....

Sigh! Not a fan of time loops. And these are rushed. I think this is where the narrative falls down a bit for me. It would have benefitted from more simplicity.

Yeah He Yuqiong's death was not necessary. The ending is too depressing.

Indeed Ni Ni and Bao Jianfeng were quite humorous - its just visual impression is very strong and in this matter, casting overall seems very misaligned in terms of age appropriateness of many roles! Many questions not answered - who is the father of Bai Shu's child? The murder plot was beyond abysmal - I mean Bai Shu's mum had a video of what? A play? Without a body, there is no murder its just ridiculous she let Ge Wenjun blackmail her like that over nothing!

Yes he does. Drama just made it more dramatic.

If it made sense to you good for you. But this is not something I want to waste one brain cell revisiting.

I watched this 2 years ago. I don't know what you are talking about anymore.

Yes I agree, JC should have told her but if you watch other undercover Chinese cop dramas that would be a big no no. Not to mention, he thought it would be over fast not drag on for 5 years. I don't think she is in love with the ML but that is just my impression, its fine that yours is different. But I don't think that doesn't make you biased.

Yeah that is also the impression I have.

Yeah I know he is the ML so we are supposed to root for him but he is too much of a walkover. I wouldn't go for a man like that that gives in to me at every turn.

Even though I think she will choose JHS in the end, I personally believe in her heart she loves JC more. Its just that too much has happened.

I don't disagree but so far JC has not lost yet. I personally think he most likely has lost but its not a no brainer. He has enough of a chance left that its worth trying and good for him, for all their sakes he should try. If he doesn't JHS never really wins either. And there could be regrets all around later on.

However he acts out later on, Jiang Cheng is a tragic character. Imagine the incredible stress and loneliness of living for 5 years among killers with risk of exposure at every second of every day. He gave up everything - his family, his love, his reputation, he even went to jail to get revenge for Zhao Jin. If she can simply just move on without feeling regret or guilt, she would not be human. Everyone just looks at the ML sympathetically bc its Jing Boran of course. But no one thinks that Jiang Hansheng always knew he had no chance - Zhao Chuan told him years ago that his sister was single minded in love. But when he saw an opening, he went for it and he fought for her love and affection. Had Jiang Cheng not stepped away, Jiang Hansheng had no chance at all. And he has been equally manipulative IMO in trying to win her over. No judgement of either on my part - the heart wants what the heart wants and all is fair in love and war. This story reminds me of an old and very sad song about whether she should stay with the one who loves her or go back to the one she loves.

Yeah its not like she went out and met someone else after marrying the ML. They were childhood sweethearts and they were pretty much living together with every expectation of spending their lives together. And ML knew about Jiang Cheng from the get go and as a psychologist he surely must understand how torn she must feel. Tbh, even if she ends up going back to the Jiang Cheng, I would kind of understand it.

Well as I commented from the start - this is a very painful story.

Yeah its not for teenagers. They won't get it.