Sharlotka

Yep, MJTY is the first one I watched with him and he just stole the show for me. I began watching it because of Cheng Lei, I finished it for Young Master Yue, who ended up being my favourite character there. I have FOF on my list and I'll get there eventually as I generally plan to go through his dramas but Fated Hearts might have been his first villain role and I love it. I do hope he gets more roles, both as good characters and bad ones and maybe some main roles. For a guy this young, and relatively inexperienced given that he didn't have that many roles so far, his acting is impressive.

Yep, he deserves all of it 100%. I still feel like he didn't have to turn out this way but he made all the possible wrong choices over the years and brought it all onto himself. I'm just a bit biased because I began watching this drama because of Zuo Ye, and I also happen to be a weirdo, who enjoys complex villain characters, so it was basically the perfect combo for me to love the character. And my heartbreak is more for Feng Suige really, and for what he has to do to someone that he had been so close to, and how what should have been a wonderful life-long bond ended this way.

I agree, this is satisfying. Like I said, I'll be a mess because I really loved the hints of past friendship between the two and what it was like before things went to hell and I refuse to believe that it was 100% one sided and fake, but I really wanted justice to be served by Feng Suige when it comes to Murong Yao and I 100% expected to be completely heartbroken by it too. The only way it would be more satisfying if he was first and his father was either watching or discovered his body but oh well, one can't have everything.

I'm already a complete mess because of this scene but at least one wish for this drama that I get granted - another 'confrontation' between Murong Yao and Feng Suige. I was worried he'd be killed by the dancer and we'll never see Feng Suige confront him for what he had done which would leave me incredibly unsatisfied.

Episode 30

After all the episodes were so packed with action, intrigues and everything, this one felt kinda slow and boring, to the point that I can’t even find that much to say about it. I don’t think the plot slowing down a bit is a bad thing necessarily but a part of me is worried that the ending will not deliver and will fall short of the range of 20-30 episodes, which were so full of everything that I, personally, couldn’t wait for the next episodes. I hope I’m wrong, though but I am a bit worried with how there really aren’t that many episodes left, and there is still a lot to resolve.

As much as I hate the way they turn things around and the fact that Feng Suige is now the one to forget everything, I appreciate the way they went about it. Not a ‘dramatic’ wakes up and doesn’t remember anything twist - they knew it could happen and still made the choice they did. Which doesn’t make the memory loss aspect any better but at least it’s less eyeroll inducing, for me anyway.

Though, I also find it kind of funny that he told Fu Yixiao several times that he wishes he could forget everything. Well, you get your wish man, not sure it’s all you ever hoped for. I hope it doesn’t last long, though.

Episode 29

I just can’t bring myself to feel really sorry for the Princess. I understand that she’s hurting, who wouldn’t when you find out that your father and brother are dead, but her screaming about wanting to go back home… Girl, you’ve made your choice, you’ve come here per your own wish. The Jinxiu Emperor might be insane, and might be enjoying inflicting pain on her a bit too much, but at least he’s telling her the truth when it comes to her own choices. The more they interact, the more I feel like she married the wrong brother, even if that relationship would have been super toxic.

I also can’t really get invested in the Jinxiu plot. We spent so many episodes building up everything that’s going on in Susha and Jinxiu was barely shown, the plots hardly developed. We know Xia Jingshi is up to something but he may as well have been sitting in the garden, drinking tea, and it wouldn’t make much of a difference in terms of what we’ve seen. So now that this side of the story is shown more, I don’t really care. I’d rather see the mess in Susha. I think this would simply work better if they gave us something more with the Jinxiu plot - something that would make us care about these characters, the way that they did with Susha. But that might just be me.

And the Storm Alliance… I understand their hate for the Emperor, and I understand that they feel it’s somewhat Feng Suige’s fault because what he had been doing was for him (even if he’s not really to blame anymore than he is to be blamed by anyone else) but at the same time their founder basically gave her life for her son - does that mean nothing to them? I’m sure she’d be very happy that they want her son dead. At least they saw reason eventually - question is if it’s going to stay this way or they’re up to something themselves.

Awww, this is adorable. My Mandarin isn't anywhere near enough to provide a translation but they talked about the plot and what's happening, about how they are/aren't similar to their characters and shared their thoughts on that, then Zuo Ye was asked to sing something (I think but he started singing so) and later similarly with the father's actor. But, that last portion with Zuo Ye and the actor that plays his father made me curious - it looks like it may be from the revenge moment given Zuo Ye's characterisation.

I agree. Like I said, I don't want to justify him even if I understand where he's coming from - at the end of the day, he went about everything the wrong way and blamed the wrong people. All that was probably needed to avoid this mess was the two of them sitting down and talking about what they had gone through, which sadly didn't happen.

Episode 28

What an emotional rollercoaster this episode was…

The Empress talking to the 2nd Prince… That’s a way to twist things. The saddest thing is, he’s not even a bad person, he genuinely loves his brother and everything. But now will be turned into a puppet doing all the wrong things.

That battle scene… There are very few things that break me more than watching lovable sidekicks be killed and this scene destroyed me. I didn’t even feel that much watching what happened to Feng Suige, though that’s because I know his plot armour would never actually let him die. But the sidekicks will very much be dead for dramatic, emotional effect.

The Jinxiu plot by this point feels like an unnecessary addition to distract from what’s going on in Susha and with Feng Suige. Perhaps I’m just biased because I really dislike the Princess but I just can’t bring myself to care about what happens there.

Now, I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t spend most of my comment talking about Murong Yao but before I get to it, to make sure that there are no misunderstandings, I’m not trying to justify his actions in any way. They’re not good or right in any way and he doesn’t deserve to be let off the hook for what he had done. He fully deserves everything that’s coming for him. I just like villains, even when they’re bad and evil, and I can’t help loving his character. With that disclaimer out of the way, I can turn to my insane rambling.

The tear, the reaction to Feng Suige being ‘dead’ actually made me happy. From the confrontation scene, all I wanted was a confirmation whether their friendship and bond was 100% fake, and this gives me the answer that I had been hoping for. I just loved their interactions so much I would be very sad if he truly never cared about Feng Suige in the slightest. Not that it was ever enough to prevent all of this from happening, but it’s enough to make me happy. And to leave me absolutely heartbroken that this is how it ended.

A tiny part of me had been hoping it was salvageable, that even if they couldn’t go back to what things used to be, he would do something to show that he didn’t turn his back on him completely, but now I don’t see it anymore. And that too makes me incredibly sad, because I didn’t expect to enjoy the friendship that the drama showed between the two of them so much and I’d probably have very different view if they didn’t get along from the start. But, I also can’t help loving Zuo Ye in this role and how different it is to what I have seen him play so far.

Again, there's a difference between being ready to do something, and actually doing it.

I'm not speaking about condoning anyone's behaviour. Just the extent of one's love for them.

I'm sorry if I'm wrong but I'm kinda assuming MYS is Murong Sr. (I'm really not good with using initials for characters, sorry).

But if I'm right, then this is my thought too. We will never know, obviously, and I may be wrong but I think at this point, this man was still salvageable. All he needed was reassurance from Feng Suige that it'll be fine, that he'll help him. And it's not like he expected his son to be pardoned - he just wanted him to live. And I feel like it is probably the point at which he snapped.

Episode 27

PM Zhuang’s love for his children may be his only good quality. A lot can be said about this guy, a lot of bad things at that, but I have to give him that the guy truly cares about his children - doing everything he did to avenge his son, and protecting his daughter. In that one aspect, the Emperor could actually learn from him.

Though I guess it’s something that can be sad about most of the villains here. You can hold a lot against them, and rightfully so because it doesn’t justify their actions, but you can’t tell that they don’t care about their family members.

I even understand the Empress to an extent. Getting what is coming to you is one thing, but the Emperor’s words at a certain point started to feel like rubbing salt in the wound for the sake of inflicting even more pain than there was. And everyone has a point at which they’ll finally snap.

Finally… I’ll probably be lynched for what I’m about to say but I think Murong Sr. is a character that, in my eyes, perfectly shows what happens when a person is pushed to the absolute limits by desperation. I’m not saying what he did is okay by any means but hell, do I understand the guy and his motivations.

He just wants to save his son - he begged the Emperor, he begged Feng Suige, he tried going about it the right way. “Will you help me save Yao?” was a line that broke me. But at this point, he’s a drowning man grasping at straws and is ready to do anything that it takes, even make a deal with the devil, going back on all the principles that he had ever upheld. And again, you can hold a lot against him, but boy would the world be a better place if everyone’s parents were devoted to their children to this kind of extent.

Yes, I'm exactly the same. We all have our views, and it's being able to respect the differences that matters in the end :) Especially when it comes to something 'silly' like different perspectives on fiction.

I am. I should be working and I'm instead here in the comments trying to keep my sanity and survive until I finish work and can watch the episodes. I'm probably wrong but I'm kind of hoping it's Murong Yao himself, being eaten by guilt and remorse. The tear, the flashbacks, they all suggest to me that his heart isn't entirely in the deed so he may directly or indirectly have something to do with tipping Fu Yixiao off where to find Feng Suige. Especially that the pictures that the actor uploaded also suggest that the character isn't going to be dancing from happiness.

Don't worry, I have noone to talk to about dramas or my thoughts so I'm kinda here in the comments pouring out the thoughts that I can't really share with anyone and I tend to speculate and theorise A LOT. But feel free to ignore me :)

I'm actually the opposite - I usually tend to enjoy the villains more than main characters because a lot of the time they're more interesting and have more personality. Here, I feel sorry for Feng Suige, he's a victim of everything his father has done over the years as much as everyone else, but I also don't have this feeling that most of the villains are purely evil, period. I feel like a lot of them wouldn't have turned that way if it wasn't for the circumstances, so in this way, I think the drama captures human nature surprisingly well.

And Xiyang... Yes. I mean, she is her father's daughter, which in this case is rather negative than positive. Is her obsession with Xia Jingshi different than the Emperor's obsession with the former Empress? It might have started out differently but I see a lot of similarities in how things are turning out.

That's the thing - I don't even hate them. Like, I can't say I love them (well, maybe except for Murong Yao but that's my personal bias coming from my fondness of Zuo Ye as an actor and the fact that I even began to watch this title because of him in the first place and again, not trying to justify that him being evil is ok). PM Zhuang might be the only one that I feel really had it coming, I have mixed feelings with the Empress but a part of me feels sorry for her. Yes, they are wrong to be doing what they are doing, but do I really blame them for it? No.

I'm not sure I'd call Xiyang a villain, though. I'd call her a lot of things, most of them very negative ones, but I'm not sure I'd call her a villain. That said, she made her own bed - she is where she is because of her own choices, but is now acting as if she has been thoroughly wronged even though Xia Jingshi never tried to give her any false hope. I'm actually happy to see her unhappy.

I can't help feeling the same way, that in some cases the Emperor has pushed them to become what they are. I'm not trying to justify that them doing evil deeds is alright or anything like this but I can't help but sympathise them to a certain extent and I get where they are coming from.

I had a feeling... That tear... I'm so not ready for this scene.

I don't think it's going to happen but I could see a scenario where it does, unlikely as it is. It depends on how much Feng Suige is willing to forgive, though. Assuming he can find it in himself, if he feels like his father truly had wronged the Murongs, driving them to that point, he might see it as a way to make up for his father's mistakes and show that he's a better person than that. Which could go a long way in terms of being indebted to someone, with a mix of guilt and shame.