Okay so my 2 cents after reading the book, watching the series and reading the comments. Thoughts are mostly on…
To anyone who read the novel please share your thoughts on how TV version ZSC differs from the one in the novel. Would love to here your thought, because to me not much changed really.
Okay so my 2 cents after reading the book, watching the series and reading the comments. Thoughts are mostly on the ML because I think a lot are confused
RJL character is supposed to be the shy, awkward, no touchy person. The guy is a genius prodigy, he went to uni when he was a kid, like seriously he would be an awkward character if he suddenly cane out a charismatic CEO debonaire after basically not having any childhood because all his life he was in academia. The guy is supposed to be bland fro looks down to his clothes (you can totally see his character development in books because in the end he started wearing non oatmeal color clothes!! Whatever you think RJL is in one and only erase that from your mind because even in the books he is the total opposite with his looks and personality. (You can read the translators note in the link below). That is why they’ve always put the emphasis on deep in the bones because at their core him and the general are the same. You can see in both series and books the little ways he cares for her in both lifetimes. The tiny little thoughtfulness of him even in his awkward state (the airport water scene) I have seen so many complaints how it’s weird that after “consummating” their marriage he was sleeping in the couch and was still awkward. It’s the way he is in both books and series. The guy is a literal character. Say anything to him and he will take it literally. (Think sheldon cooper from big bang theory). That’s why the the couch joke flew way over his head. Also it would be weird if suddenly after getting married he does a 360. Put in mind even though he chose her to be his wife they were practically strangers . Shiyi knew this. Another point is put in mind in OaO she lived with him for a long time. Especially in the books, if I remembered correctly she was sent to his place as a child. While as opposed in FaE they basically met got married and then started dating. It was always gonna be awkward, add in that they basically spent most of their time apart after getting married (before him finally moving back to china). Romance but not much PDA? Okay this one I’m 50/50, while I think the production went too little with the PDA’s that they gave us, this was never going to be a series where the couple would be very overt with their PDA’s. There was never gonna be smack kisses on the head like from love is sweet. No touchy feely hand holding. The male lead’s personality wasn’t written that way, both in books and in the series. In FaE, its the tiny touches, the shocked face of BL’s face everytime RJL initiates something, shows a hint of feeling. Take the jealous boat scene for example when he touched her back and pushed her towards him, the look of surprise on her face. They just have a different love language than others. Also like I said put in mind they were virtually strangers when they decided to get married. BL keeps on initiating and it makes her look desperate. Sadly it’d be like that sometimes. It’s even more ridiculous in the book because she fell in love with him at first sight and when she decided to pursue him he had no care for her at all. He only decided to choose her as his wife because he had to get married and he basically had no one else to ask. Atleast in the series he showed a hint of humanity when dealing with her feelings trust me. She’s a little less desperate here than in the books. No plot. The entire novel basically had no plot aside from the evil family thing. If you read the book his family was a lot. Like a lot. It got to a point where it was a makja because it was a LOT.
Other things to note: After they got legally married no one in BL’s family knew they got married. All they know is that it was postponed. She even mentioned in the book that her family would get mad if they find out she got married without both families meeting. So it helps with the not really married thing they got going on after having sex
In the book after he moved back in china, when they first lived together in Shanghai, it was her who kept forgetting they were married. She said, i keep thinking he’s a guest when in fact his my husband. Just a tiny thing for those people thinking the awkward married couple thing is one sided
RJL character is supposed to be the shy, awkward, no touchy person. The guy is a genius prodigy, he went to uni when he was a kid, like seriously he would be an awkward character if he suddenly cane out a charismatic CEO debonaire after basically not having any childhood because all his life he was in academia. The guy is supposed to be bland fro looks down to his clothes (you can totally see his character development in books because in the end he started wearing non oatmeal color clothes!! Whatever you think RJL is in one and only erase that from your mind because even in the books he is the total opposite with his looks and personality. (You can read the translators note in the link below). That is why they’ve always put the emphasis on deep in the bones because at their core him and the general are the same. You can see in both series and books the little ways he cares for her in both lifetimes. The tiny little thoughtfulness of him even in his awkward state (the airport water scene)
I have seen so many complaints how it’s weird that after “consummating” their marriage he was sleeping in the couch and was still awkward. It’s the way he is in both books and series. The guy is a literal character. Say anything to him and he will take it literally. (Think sheldon cooper from big bang theory). That’s why the the couch joke flew way over his head. Also it would be weird if suddenly after getting married he does a 360. Put in mind even though he chose her to be his wife they were practically strangers . Shiyi knew this. Another point is put in mind in OaO she lived with him for a long time. Especially in the books, if I remembered correctly she was sent to his place as a child. While as opposed in FaE they basically met got married and then started dating. It was always gonna be awkward, add in that they basically spent most of their time apart after getting married (before him finally moving back to china).
Romance but not much PDA? Okay this one I’m 50/50, while I think the production went too little with the PDA’s that they gave us, this was never going to be a series where the couple would be very overt with their PDA’s. There was never gonna be smack kisses on the head like from love is sweet. No touchy feely hand holding. The male lead’s personality wasn’t written that way, both in books and in the series. In FaE, its the tiny touches, the shocked face of BL’s face everytime RJL initiates something, shows a hint of feeling. Take the jealous boat scene for example when he touched her back and pushed her towards him, the look of surprise on her face. They just have a different love language than others. Also like I said put in mind they were virtually strangers when they decided to get married.
BL keeps on initiating and it makes her look desperate. Sadly it’d be like that sometimes. It’s even more ridiculous in the book because she fell in love with him at first sight and when she decided to pursue him he had no care for her at all. He only decided to choose her as his wife because he had to get married and he basically had no one else to ask. Atleast in the series he showed a hint of humanity when dealing with her feelings trust me. She’s a little less desperate here than in the books.
No plot. The entire novel basically had no plot aside from the evil family thing. If you read the book his family was a lot. Like a lot. It got to a point where it was a makja because it was a LOT.
Other things to note:
After they got legally married no one in BL’s family knew they got married. All they know is that it was postponed. She even mentioned in the book that her family would get mad if they find out she got married without both families meeting. So it helps with the not really married thing they got going on after having sex
In the book after he moved back in china, when they first lived together in Shanghai, it was her who kept forgetting they were married. She said, i keep thinking he’s a guest when in fact his my husband. Just a tiny thing for those people thinking the awkward married couple thing is one sided