PeachBlossomGoddess

Wow! Really loving the ML - this is a man's man; none of that pasty white effeminate overly pretty ML we get too much of! YES! Two thumbs up! The two FLs though I have mixed feelings about - I dislike and distrust Zhong Yao character even though she is stunningly beautiful. And why is Tan Songyun's Xi Shui almost reprising her Under The Power character? Surely she can do better than that! Don't feel any chemistry with ML not to mention it is boring to see the same old same old from her. Still reserving judgement, the production value is amazing but am not sure about plot and I hate this period in Chinese history.

Ah ok ep 16 explains a lot but not everything. Won't spoil you though.

Me too. But he only makes movies now and I am not really that into movies.

I thought he never even tried to come back for him, which is why Qingci is so disillusioned. It is also kind of clumsy plot wise because now it seems both survived... lots more questions than answers... I love this kind of slow reveal type of story and hate it at the same time because I can't tell if it doesn't make sense because it doesn't make sense or because I don't have all the pieces.

Maybe ~7 or 8? He sacrificed his son to save the prince no? Isn't that how Qingci got poisoned and was left for dead? I never understood why he didn't just use some other boy of a similar age? Its been bothering me all along but since I tend to chat with my friend while we are watching I also dunno if we missed something.

I don't quite understand why the marquis had to swap his son with the prince. Surely they can find another boy of similar age to take his place. Why sacrifice his own son like this?

Don't get me started... I complain about this endlessly every time I meet anyone in the business. But it is what the fans want and for every one of me/you there are thousands demanding idol actors. Working demographic puts in very long office hours in China so recently they been launching a bunch of shorter 12 episode type usually modern dramas featuring older actors.

Sad to say I doubt - he has pretty much aged out in terms of pulling off ML in costume dramas anyway - they are all written as teenagers. Even Leo+yuqi couldn't pull it off IMHO. Maybe xianxia is possible. Its a shame because I love older more nuanced actors. I was inconsolable after watching a Chen Kun interview where he admitted he thinks he has aged out. I am not a celeb cyber stalker but he is my one exception...

Well clearly there is an attraction, let's see how the relationship evolves. I wouldn't say they made her dumb yet but I did get irritated at her mulishness at ~12/13. I share your fear wrt shifu and look forward to seeing how the story unfolds from here. Tbh I am much engaged in the plot for this one than any of the romances. I think I have OD-ed on romances for awhile after you know what...

LOL - he obviously has Stockholm Syndrome. Poor guy he lost the will to live after what his dad did to him and he latched on to her as his reason for living. I think he became a wandering doctor with the specific intent of tracking her down and in a funny way he is as obsessed with finding and being with her as she is with curing her shifu. But as pointed out by @kaister I am personally a little bit less in love with how they started to write her. She is obstinate to the point of stupidity and seems to have gotten a bit less clever (than say when they went after the map). I just don't love it when we get a smart strong FL and then they dumb her down somewhere in the middle of the drama and I hope they don't do it here (ie I can't take another ROP/Fang Zhiwei).

I don't think he has a lead role face - sad but likely true. He is a very good actor and this is a great role for him.

Tsk tsk! So cynical...

I think so too. He specifically asked for her.

Indeed he explains most of it in the first 5/10 minutes of episode 1- he loved her from the time he almost died and she is the reason he lived. On the other hand, she is (not yet) that into him.

They were leaderless for 20 years so factions have formed, there is likely in fighting and traitors among the different professions and/or geographies. In other words, one giant mess. Minchu needs to figure out what to do and the solution may be that some professions may remain with them with a new purpose, go off on their own but remain in the underworld or go off on their own but go legitimate. I only just started so sounds like you are more advanced than I - guess we will have to see how it all unfolds. Minchu seems quite righteous and patriotic so I won't be surprised if it is some do good purpose but my guess is not everyone will be on board with that.

I think disband is probably not the best way to describe what they wish to do. They are a large underworld organization broadly representing eight(?) professions that wish to go legitimate. Each "division" has tons of followers that need to make a living so its not as simple as just saying they are disbanded. They need to turn their skills to proper productive use in society and exit the grey economy. Another option instead of disbanding is restructuring their mission and code of conduct so to speak and turn themselves into say a professional guild instead.

Tyvm. If you haven't watched it, I think you will also like Ancient Detective.

I must admit I kind of miss Dragon Roar city, it is such a sinister place...

NIF2 is almost as good.

Yes absolutely. I didn't like 1 and 2 but for me from 3/4, I could see it come together. Others say 6. It is not tropey, the story has dark undertones and lots of complicated, grey and slightly dark characters. I actually think it is almost as good as Love in Between. And the fighting scenes are really good. Although there are attempts at humor, it is nothing like Tiger and Rose which I dropped.