I’m not sure, right now I have no desire to rewatch but who knows in the future lol. I still think my rating…
@Snoop777 - If I re-watch it, my main goal would be to enjoy the entire story from the production team's point of view and to reconcile my initial "issues". Perhaps, 9.5/10 won't be high enough ;-)
@Bells - Episodes 27/28/29 were my favs. The Hong Kong story/arc was difficult to accept at first but (having NOT read the novel) I think it tells a different part of ML's/FL's characters. If Wen YiFan's first disappearance in high school was due to trauma and shame, her second disappearance could be interpreted (Ep27&28) as healing, growth, and protecting Sang Yan (Perhaps, it was unnecessary to protect him. The guy could really throw a punch!) But, it gave SangYan enough time to trace back and understand what happened to YiFan in the past; he realized that he didn't know everything about her circumstances and family situation. I thought that it made Sang Yan "grow" and become more empathetic...It paved the way for Episode 29.
@Snoop777 - Totally understand your comments and where you are coming from... That said, I still gave the show (9.5/10). Episodes 27&28&29 were awesome and my favs! Would you re-watch this in the future?
Tyvm. The flashbacks were indeed not the best way to tell the story at all. And Zhang Zhe was her first true love…
@PeachBlossomGoddess - you are right - this director had trouble with choosing the “story arcs” that mattered the most…Without knowledge on the book, I felt so weird that Zhang Zhe got so much attention! Why why why?!?! LOL
@PeachBlossomGoddess - would you feel less dissatisfied with the story if Ning’er did not have so many flashbacks to the past? The past seemed like a distraction or interruption at times. I would have liked to learn more about Xie Wei and his story. Zhang Zhe’s character seemed one-sided (perhaps too much so?) and it left the viewer wanting more (Is he just that? Where is the tension, inner struggles or torment?)…Beautifully done overall - I agree with your comments at the end. Thanks for your review as always.
Is it? If it is, it’s not satirical enough. That’s the problem with Yuzheng. He tries to do a bit of everything…
@PlatinumFox - Please do not compare YuZheng to Shakespeare in terms of of comedic writings and satire!! Other than that, I agree with your review that the story stopped being interesting around the middle. In fact the most interesting character became SYR for me (instead of the ML and FL) over time.
@PeachBlossomGoddess - This story had SUCH promise. It was addicting for the first half. Then, it turned into a sad and bland revenge story. The Story of Kunning Palace is more captivating (just like other suspenseful stories like My Journey to You.) Thanks for your reviews as always!
@ChineseDramaFan -- Totally agree with you! I liked the ML+FL characters as much as all of the supporting characters. oh! And, the OSTs are wonderful as well. Two thumbs up!
Li Haichao (Tu Song Yan) is the parent EVERYONE needs but cannot have (that's how I feel as I move from episode to episode). It was a surprise to me just how much I laughed/cried with the characters. The brotherhood-sisterhood turned to a romantic relationship is not surprising (especially for a Chinese story); it is "natural" in its own way. This story's strengths completely outweigh its plot "issues" (I won't say more as there is no need).
The acting was the best part of the drama. The veteran actors were great to watch. The plot and sub plots were…
@SUNNY -- The best part of this drama was when I realized that the story has a *hint* of "Jane Eyre" (by Charlotte Bronte). Just a *hint*. The actors were wonderful, but the story could have been so much more...
@PeachBlossomGoddess -- Agree with you on that the dialect makes this drama difficult to follow. It puts someone in a repeated "stop n’ go" state. Initially, I gave the production a "9". Later on (Episode 16?), I changed the rating to "8.5" —>> There are too many characters and stories in parallel. People's resilience and endurance is well portrayed, but the characters are "one sided". This lack of "duality" is what makes the story seem "flat" at times. It is unfortunate. The overall production is high quality. p.s-- Li Shui Hua is my favorite character!
Someone mentioned that Douban users (raters?) are mostly young people (around college-age) who live in large and mid-sized cities. Their ratings may be quite biased ;-) In general, ratings don't bother me at all; the important factors are: production quality, story, and cast.
This drama started out REALLY good (at least 8/10). But, the plot drifts back-and-forth, starting around Episode 16. The "aimlessly wandering" storyline makes the actors' performance seem subpar. That's unfair. The cast is strong, but the plot is weak. At Episode 23, I was disappointed with the “plot holes”...but I continued to watch because the drama has such a great cast (10/10 for the actors!)
That said, I still gave the show (9.5/10). Episodes 27&28&29 were awesome and my favs! Would you re-watch this in the future?
Btw— what’s up with the names in translation?! Go ahead has a wonderful Chinese name, which is completely sabotaged in English…
Li Haichao (Tu Song Yan) is the parent EVERYONE needs but cannot have (that's how I feel as I move from episode to episode). It was a surprise to me just how much I laughed/cried with the characters. The brotherhood-sisterhood turned to a romantic relationship is not surprising (especially for a Chinese story); it is "natural" in its own way. This story's strengths completely outweigh its plot "issues" (I won't say more as there is no need).
Wonderful OST songs. Not to miss!!