Sharlotka

A part of me is questioning why I’m doing this to myself when I have arachnophobia and the opening was enough to make my skin crawl but oh well, Luo Yunxi on my screen is enough to make up for that.

It’s actually my first modern c-drama and it’s off to an interesting start. I only watched one episode so far and have more questions than answers, though having watched a lot of crime series over the years, I definitely have some theories and suspicions. I’m curious to see where this one is going to go.

It may partially be because he’s put in opposition to Qi Sizhe but I already don’t like that Han Feng guy. I may be completely wrong about him with how there’s a lot of story to go, but so far he’s presenting himself as the type of character in police/crime drama that tends to annoy me even they’re friendly with main characters. We’ll see where this goes but I’m pretty sure he was involved in the investigation related to the car accident we see at the start, and probably didn’t do it well, at least from Qi Sizhe’s perspective. The question on my mind at the moment is, he just didn’t do a good enough job, or he did that on purpose.

Looking forward to finding out.

The blind girl giving Xiao Yao her necklace to make her parents believe her words… How come it has not occurred to anyone that it’s a terrible idea, and the parents might think she simply found it somewhere without the girl and/or it’s the only thing left of her, even if she had the cat go as well? I understand her underestimating her father’s personality since he probably never showed this side to her, but everyone else - and Xiao Yao in particular - should have expected that kind of reaction.

Also, can we speak about how the cat appears to be happy just sitting in someone’s arms almost the whole time? I have no doubts they must have filmed all these scenes on separate occasions and all but it’s something that drew my attention as I don’t think I ever encountered one that was happy being carried the whole time. Just a silly little thing that my mind latched on lol That said, the cat scratching the girl’s father was interesting, and I enjoyed how shocked everyone was.

And, what on earth, the blind girl’s father is the one behind the murders? I didn’t take him for a good person obviously, but I haven’t seen that coming. “We must eliminate evil spirits and uphold justice” - erm… Yes, that’s exactly what you are doing man. And does nobody hear just how loud he’s screaming, or are they just pretending to be deaf? At least everything had seen light in the end.

Though… Them assembling the mirror, when they went to that spot where the shape is and one of the pieces fell into place… I guess it’ll look better when the pieces are assembled but this hologram makes me think of a giant liver lol

Bing Zhu’s sword not reacting to Hong Ye anymore… It’s almost as if Hong Ye had a whole conversation with it that one time when he saw it react to his presence. I suppose he did calm it down with his energy, so perhaps that’s the reason and it sensed what it needed to sense in that energy to stop reacting.

I also find it amusing how Xiao Yao learns about the past events from two sides, and both sides have a very different story to tell. Though, with how the human kingdom is presented so far, a part of me wonders if they haven’t deliberately modified some facts to better fit their goal and narrative. I understand the idea of revenge, being angry for past events, but taking it out on those that are actually not to blame is going a bit too far. Not that the demons aren’t doing the very same thing.

I like the little demon academia, though. It’s quite fun so far, and while I doubt we’ll see an awful lot of it, I would love it. Hell, I’d happily watch a whole drama centered on classes like this.

Looking forward to seeing what the next mini-arc is, since that’s probably how they are going to go about assembling the mirror.

An interesting start. Hou Minghao’s character getting attacked and ‘killed’ on the day of his wedding gives me some Back from the Brink vibes. A lot about his character does, actually, so I’m curious how they’re going to be different other than the obvious differences.

I can’t help finding the FL character annoying so far. I understand that she was entangled in the whole thing against her will (or at least that’s what we are led to believe) but she’s not exactly helping her cause in any way. With how it’s not uncommon for me to feel about FLs at the start of dramas, though, I hope she improves over time. I wonder if she is a reincarnation of Ning An, or is it like in Feud that she’s just pretending, I guess we’ll get an explanation eventually.

I wonder if Bing Zhu will actually end up changing his attitude over time. Especially that the real villain is likely the guy with Sauron-like hand, who we’ve seen holding the cat and taking the blind girl. I expect there’s more to Bing Zhu’s story than what we’ve seen so far because so far, I’m not quite fully convinced by his motivations.

I’m definitely looking forward to more episodes and holy, 3 episodes per day? Not complaining but makes me wonder why so many when it’s usually 1 or 2!

A great review, and a very informative one! As someone, who has not really been watching C-dramas for too long and who might have learnt a bit of the language but not that much of the culture and history, there are some things that I inevitably miss and it was very interesting to read you explaining some of these aspects and what they are rooted in. I imagine being familiar with it adds a new layer to the drama that viewers like me might miss.

I definitely agree with a lot of your views here. Both in terms of the scenes, the actors, even the fact that I'd 1000% watch a Shui Duopo and Xue Xianzi spin-off even if it had little plot and was mostly focused on these two just bickering.

A rewatch of this drama is definitely on my list and I am likely to do that sometime in early 2026 as I usually like to have a bit of a break before watching something again. I am looking forward to finding new things to appreciate during a rewatch :)

I decided to watch this drama because of Zuo Ye being part of the cast, and I guess Hou Minghao is a bit of a cherry on top of the cake, and I have somewhat mixed feelings.

On one hand, it was a very enjoyable watch. There are quite a lot of characters that I found a bit (or more than a bit) annoying at the start, but they eventually ended up growing on me - Yanhui, Bai Xiaosheng, Feng Qianshuo among many others. There were some things that I found a bit silly, but at the same time, some of the things were quite funny. Tianyao turning into an egg, and later having a mentality of a baby is among those things and while it was funny, I really am not sure how to feel about it.

On the other hand, there are things and characters that I found insufferable. Suying and Lingfei being at the very top of the list. The evil villain, at least, was properly evil and all but these two? They didn’t even had that good or convincing motivation, Suying in particular doing everything for a guy that doesn’t even want her. Just, get the message maybe? Probably my favourite part of this particular plot was when he told her that he wishes he had never met her.

I find it quite funny that villains usually tend to be my favourites and here, I struggle to find a villain I genuinely enjoyed. If I had to choose, Zhanglan was probably the most interesting and I kind of wish his plot was a bit longer.

All in all, it was a very nice drama. Perhaps not the best one I have ever watched but enjoyable nonetheless.

With the way the drama starts, it took me a while to get properly interested in the plot, although I’m glad that I persevered. Usually, they start off strong and the middle and/or ending can feel a bit underwhelming, but here I feel like it actually picked up at a certain point. Though that may also partially be because I’m not a fan of love triangles and Chong Zhao’s constant attempts at getting Bai Shuo to change her mind were tiring for me.

It was a great relief when he eventually moved on and settled his attention on someone else, and I really enjoyed that portion of the drama. But then the whole plot with the deities came in and I honestly feel like the ending would have been more interesting if the real goal was to stop Zhen Yu from fulfilling his evil plans with the use of the stone, saving everyone and ensuring that the world doesn’t come to an end.

The whole ending part of the drama was just a bit meh for me. It wasn’t a bad drama by any means, I enjoyed most of the middle part of it but it went in a direction that I didn’t particularly enjoy. Probably the one thing I genuinely enjoyed was the reveal that Bai Xi turned out to be the bow, it was quite fitting all things considering, and made perfect sense that the bow would be with Bai Shuo.

Another aspect I really enjoyed was the plot of Fan Yue’s brother. At first, I wasn’t sure what to think about Chen Ye and I was skeptical when they revealed the twist that he’s supposed to be Fan Yue’s missing brother, especially when it’s already been revealed that Fu Ling is Bai Xi, but I actually really enjoyed that mini arc. I like that they didn’t completely redeem his character, and didn’t just make his hatred magically go poof, but I really like that in the end he chose to be Qi Feng. I really would have liked to see him live on and try to make up for all the evil he has done but I guess I can’t have everything. Liang Xuefeng really did a great job in this drama.

I also find it interesting that usually, I feel like the actresses and the female characters could be a bit more expressive, but here it’s the other way around. Bai Lu did a great job but Ao Ruipeng could have been a bit more expressive, especially when the character is supposed to be angry etc. In other times, I can get behind the way he acted but there are some scenes which I feel would have been better if Fan Yue showed what he felt a bit more.

And finally, given the fact that the main reason why I even reached for this drama is the fact that Zuo Ye is part of the cast… Why did they give him such terrible dubbing? T__T I think his own voice is great and I wish they would let him dub himself more often but out of all the dramas I have watched with him, the dubbing for him in this drama is probably the worst in my opinion.

It was a nice drama, enjoyable watch and I’m glad that it had a happy ending, all things considering, but I can’t help feeling a bit unsatisfied. At least it had nice visuals :)

To be honest, what I would have liked is not necessarily a rearrangement of scenes as just more development for some characters, more screen time to show how they arrived at a point where they do things that they do. Zhong Chunji in particular - she was basically like a yo-yo, heart eyes towards Tang Lici in one moment, and then suddenly stabbing him in another, with not nearly enough shown to support how she got from point A to point B. Her later behaviour could also use a bit more fleshing out but that, at least, can be justified with her having guilty conscience and her Master's influence.

But I guess I do agree that some rearranging would have made sense, and improved some plots. Or, instead of some scenes being replayed again and again and again, a bit more time could have been given to some different ones that would expand the plot, even if only a bit. I enjoy flashbacks, they let us learn about things but I don't need to see the same flashback 10 times, really.

Out of the trio, my favourite is definitely Tang Lici but I really enjoyed the brotherhood and would definitely have loved to see more of it. And one scene the lack of which I really can't get over is Shen Langhun reacting to Chi Yun's death, be it directly or in any kind of conversation with Tang Lici or anyone, really. It's a shame if the reason behind it is an actor's injury, and I don't mean to sound like I blame the guy because obviously that's not the case, but I feel like that after they built up the relationship between the two the way they did, it deserved a proper ending too.

And Fang Yilun's acting in this drama was really something else. He managed to portray so many different things, and each of them so well and believably. I usually complain about how some actors could be a bit more expressive in their roles, and I don't know if it's maybe a cultural difference or acting skills, but his performance in this drama was actually perfect in my opinion. This is what I want to see from a character who is a madman, who is angry, who is hurting, who feels guilty, etc etc. Luo Yunxi did a pretty good job too with Tang Lici, but Fang Yilun has outdone everyone. Then again, I'm the kind of person that tends to enjoy villains the most so I may also be a little bit biased.

Xue Xianzi and Shui Duopo is another plot that I'd like to know more about. They know each other - great, BUT HOW? What is the history here? I really enjoyed their bickering, and I would really like to have known more about this duo.

That's a great analysis and I 100% agree, shifting focus in certain moments would definitely make the plot developments better at times but especially with Zhong Chunji and A-Shui.

Honestly, on reflection after some time has passed since I watched the drama, A-Shui and what she did for most of the drama feels kind of pointless - I really feel like she should have at least questioned what she knows Tang Lici supposedly did to her brother after spending so much time with him. Or they should have indicated that Gui Mudan has messed with her mind again. And in the end, it would even be better and more impactful if they killed her off rather than have her leave this way.

One thing I would really loved to have seen more is more Gui Mudan, the actor really did a great job with the character. I would also have loved to see more Tang Lici with Xiao Shi, and with the twist at the end, I think it could potentially make it interesting in terms of what he has learnt from him, etc.

Oh, and I would have kept Chi Yun alive - I still fail to see the point of his death, beyond making Tang Lici suffer even more and he really had enough of that.

Luo Yunxi, Jeremy Tsui and Fang Yilun all did a great job in this drama. It's the first one I have seen with them, but their scenes, especially together in whatever combination, were probably the most enjoyable for me.

I finally finished all episodes and what a ride it was. I usually don’t mind whether a drama has a happy ending or a sad ending, as long as it’s satisfying to an extent. Yet, with this one, I just can’t quite get behind it. Episode 40 felt very rushed, and I feel like it would have been a bit better if there was at least one more episode. I liked how the reveal with Xiao Shi was handled, but that’s probably the only thing I really liked about it.

I am quite disappointed with the arcs of a lot of characters. I understand A-Shei’s bitterness but I’d expect that after spending so much time with Tang Lici, and seeing that he clearly cares about Fang Zhou, she’d at least question what she had been told. Zhong Chunji, at a certain point, seemed not to know what she actually wants herself, even though she had a potential to be a great character.

Chi Yun’s poisoning and death feels like a plot point that exists mainly to make Tang Lici suffer even more than he already had, losing yet another person that he was close with and in such a painful way, having to kill him himself. Also, the fact that Shen Langhun wasn’t anywhere near at that time is also so dissatisfying after the friendship the two of them developed over time. And Shen Langhun didn’t really get a proper closure in the original timeline, or even a chance to react to what happened

It’s funny that in a way, I am most satisfied with the character arc of Xifang Tao, who ended up being one of those I enjoyed the most in the drama. I’ve seen this actress in one or two more titles and she always annoyed me to no end, but in this one I actually liked her character. And, of course, her interactions with Puzhu.

It’s also nice that Liu Yan got a bit of a redemption arc, working hard to fix the mess that he had made, with the Hong girl whose full name I can’t remember looking after him. I always enjoy it when someone actually tries to fix their mistakes when they understand them. It's just a shame that these two are not going to cross paths in the 'happier timeline'.

There are still things that I’d like to know an answer to, and I’m not sure if the ending was supposed to provide us answers to. What happened to the Fu guy that was in Zhoudi Lou with the other three? Was he a chef in a restaurant that we had actually seen in the show? Though I still would have liked him to have some kind of interaction with Tang Lici or anyone really.

Another thing, what’s the story behind Shui Duopo and Xue Xianzi’s friendship? Their interactions are adorable and I’d really love to know more about the history they share. Also, I’m not sure if I understand the scene with him at the end - for me, it leaves more questions than answers but it may just be me, not that familiar with this kind of genre.

I don’t regret watching this, it was enjoyable. I like the whole idea of reverting time to fix the mistakes so that the future can be better but more as a journey, not a solution. Luo Yunxi is definitely earning a spot on my list of followed actors, and the soundtrack is great. But I just don’t feel satisfied with this ending.

I took a small break from watching this, partially because the one episode a day pace was killing me and partially because I got spoiled a bit when it comes to the ending, so I needed to prepare myself mentally.

I was going to leave a comment after watching it all but I actually have to say, there’s something very satisfying about watching Tang Lici beat Liu Yan the way he did in episode 33.

Also, Tang Lici - if you had such a technique up your sleeve, couldn’t you have used it on Liu Yan long ago, to make sure that he understood? It would save everyone and the whole world so much trouble.

I’m disappointed with the female characters in this, both Zhong Chunji and A-Shei. At least Xifang Tao is still enjoyable, even if I feel like she’s still up to something.

It took me a while to start watching this drama despite very much planning to do so, and I’m not even sure why I have been putting it on hold. It’s funny that I finally decided to do it because I have been avoiding sadness in the different thing I’m watching, and instead have found myself crying my eyes out more than I would ever have anticipated.

It feels like this whole drama was a rollecoaster of not even emotions but sadness. At first, I felt like the plot of each little arc is just unfair and tragic - Ran Yi’s arc definitely felt this way, and so did Fei’s sacrifice for the sake of ending the plague that ended up doing nothing, and Qing Geng being left behind with pain and guilt, and even Cheng Huang and Si Heng arc. Even Li Lun ended up being a character that I felt sad for, though it had taken a much longer while to happen, and there is something satisfying in him sacrificing himself to help Zhao Yuanzhou in the end, seeming to understand that his friend had never given up on him or stopped caring.

At the same time, I feel like the second half of the drama didn’t quite feel as good as the first one. A part of me couldn’t help feeling a bit tired of Bai Jiu being suspected, cleared of suspicions, proven to be the spy, switching sides again, then possessed by Li Lun and turning evil again. Ying Lei’s death was rather devastating though, it felt more so than Zhao Yuanzhou’s in a way, which is probably the one real issue I have.

I enjoyed most of the characters though, except for one. I don’t know if it’s the actress, or she was supposed to play her this way, but Wen Xiao could have used a bit more personality and more expressive emotions. It may just be me but most of the time, it felt like she had one expression and only showed sadness with her tears and her happiness with a smile, and nothing more. Pei Sijing had a bit of the same issue, though somehow it made more sense for her character.

Overall, a great drama and I can definitely see myself returning to it at times, especially when I need a good cry.

I knew it was him the second the masked guy appeared exactly because of his eyes lol I even paused at a frame that made me go "There's no way this isn't Zuo Ye behind that mask", though I doubted myself for a bit until I saw other people also pointing that out. I agree about his voice, too, I wish they'd let him dub himself more often T__T

So that’s what’s behind the food map. I have been wondering what happened to the 4th guy, kind of been wondering if he died, it would be sweet if Tang Lici could actually reconnect with him.

I was right! It was a bit of an obvious person to be Yique Yinyang given the way he was shown, but it also proves me right that he’s the true villain behind everything.

A Shei remembering being Fang Zhou’s sister was nice, but no matter what Gui Mudan told her… She had been with Tang Lici for so long, she had seen what kind of person he is, and still has doubts? Doesn’t speak that well of her…

I’m not sure how that happened but Puzhu and Xifang Tao might be the only “pairing” in this drama I actually care about lol Such a shame they’re completely doomed but oh well.

I’m so, so worried about what’s going to come T__T

This, 100% I'd probably only add that I just want him to survive, that's all I'm asking for T__T

The way Episode 29 is kinda slow and relatively uneventful, in the big scheme of things, makes me worried about what is to come. Especially when there are only so many episodes left of this drama, and so many things still to be resolved.

It’s funny that in a way, Tang Lici’s determination to bring Fang Zhou back is probably something Fang Zhou himself wouldn’t want. I find it difficult to imagine he would want anyone to sacrifice themselves for him, especially when he had practically been prepared to die even before everything happened.

And Tang Lici going out of his way to spend whatever he perceives as the remaining time he has with his family, not even realising that he had actually learnt to love people despite what he says. Or at least, living in denial about that, especially with how there are different types of love. I feel a bit sorry for Zhong Chunji, even more so if she turns out not to be the real Princess.

I had a feeling Shui Duopo might actually be the princess despite what she claims, and I wonder how that might influence what happens next. Will she prove a key to dealing with Yique Yinyang once and for all, however that might happen?

I have no doubts that Fang Zhou’s revival is not going to work, and Tang Lici’s plan is not going to work in the slightest, but I’m so worried about what’s coming. If I had to make bets, I’d guess Shen Langhun is not going to survive till the end, instead being reunited with his beloved at last but I’m worried for the rest, too, Tang Lici included. And one episode per day pace is just killing me…

Xue Fu reveal was too funny. I kinda expected it to be some kind of snow animal, like a snow bunny or a snow fox, never had I thought it would turn out to be a chicken lol

The reunion of the brothers… I’m so dumb, somehow, it had not occurred to me that they need to be brothers since they’re both princes lol I had thought they’d be cousins or something, I’m so stupid. It was very interesting though.

Still, I so don’t understand. Why was Tang Lici inside Yique Yinyang’s body? Unless it was Gui Mudan’s plot to have him see what happened? I understand the big plan, and how he is to be used to resurrect Yique Yinyang, but if there's a different reason than Gui Mudan planning for him to see all of that, that particular little detail just doesn’t make sense to me.

And nooo, the drama can’t end with Tang Lici sacrificing himself for the sake of the world T__T Though I can’t shake off a feeling we are heading in that direction.

Erm… I mean, I get what they were going for but Ye Mo’s story would have probably been a bit better if it took a bit longer for him to turn like this instead of almost a flip of a switch.

I’m not sure I enjoy this princess business… Possibly because she may turn out not to be the actual princess if the tattoo was given to her by Liu Yan but I don’t know… I liked Zhong Chunji as a warrior, even if she did stupid things. At least she wants to keep her role, so there’s hope.

Poor Xue Xianzi, that’s not a very warm welcome for his return lol

Puzhu made it back, yay! I still want to know how these two parted ways though…

If Yique Yinyang is still alive, the most obvious candidate would be Gui Mudan with how disconnected he appears to be from life and emotions. Wouldn’t that be a bit too obvious, though? Then there’s Xiao Shi but I don’t know, he probably wouldn’t have struggled so much in those mountains if that was him, would he?

So many questions…

I see, I see. It's the first time I watch their show as it's coming out, so far I've mostly been watching dramas on IQiYi (which still annoys me at times with content not being available in my location), and this one is definitely an experience *cough*. I've actually seen comments of people criticising Mango, now I 100% know what they mean and I may end up sharing the attitude of avoiding their productions unless it includes someone I follow. Granted, I wouldn't have found Whispers that way, but it is a bit logistically annoying to watch...

I know, right? I remember when I was a child, it was normal that one had to wait some time for something to become available but it was before internet became as widespread as it is now. It is crazy to me that something like this is still an issue today, when almost everything is available internationally from the get go. Then again, I remember when they first launched Disney+, it wasn't available in all locations from the start (I had to wait like 2 years for it to launch where I live), so I guess some companies are just rich enough not to care that they are losing Revenue that way because if that's the attitude, I have no remorse finding a different way to watch what I want to watch anyway.

And I'm not sure what the issue with subs is on streaming platforms. I have background in translation, even if I don't work in the field, and whenever I watch something in English on various platforms (Netflix, D+, etc), I have to make sure to have the subs turned off because it's as if they used Google Translate to make them or took someone from the street, who has no idea how translation works.

And I'll find it even more funny if they are going to claim that a show was a failure, that it didn't do as great as they expected. Hmm... What a surprise, I wonder why...

I kinda gave up on Mango when I couldn't even see an option to buy a subscription, as if they didn't offer one in my country... It may be my skill issue too but oh well, if they don't want my money, it's their loss lol And maybe it's a good thing I did give up if there are issues like this on top of that...