Nepeta 22

Although it was so-called AI, this didn't seem to cause any lost in translation issues.

I didn't mean submissive in a derogatory way. If anything, her stand out role with A Journey to You, she displayed submissive behaviour to the max and it was powerful and 'dominant'.

What I meant was, she's more suited for playing less shouty and aggressive/balsy roles. Also, bitchy and poisonous roles. She doesn't have a fierce look/face. Her demeanor is more demure and cutesy. In modern dramas, she's more likely to have a more varied role as she can play ditzy, klutzy and hard working to lazy and day dreamy type FLs. But I can't see her playing an official/police officer yet.

I wished they kept name Chasing The Undercurrent 2, and then labelled it 'The Punishment'. Oh well.

Maybe, the letters were there to satisfy the audience. For me, it kept me guessing and wondering. I felt the bigger message in all this, was that there could be a bit of light at the end of the tunnel even how desperate.

I don't know about fluff, depends on what it would be classed as. I think the director wanted the relationship to be what they thought the expression of love of that time would be. Financial security, being able to afford to buy a dress etc. I felt the magic between them seemed powerful through these messages. It may not meet today's taste but in the drama set at that time, I felt it was just about right. Anyway, I understand an ending at episode 8 & 11 would be just as powerful. But for me, I'm fine with the ending to episode 12.

I agree with you there!😉

Thanks for letting me know. I have not watched it, so I was only repeating what someone I know once told me about NGCS. Let's hope this drama can be similar to that one. So far I'm enjoying it.

Glad someone sort of agrees. I had watched her in other dramas, and never thought so, but in this drama, she suddenly reminds me of an older version of Song Zuer.

Interestingly, in China, they call her little Cecilia Cheung, so they think she resembles another older Hong Kong actress!

I felt the same as you in the beginning. I also thought it was more lighter (based on the posters) and admit that I had this drama on watch from the day it was listed because I wanted to watch Wang Ying Lu & Zheng He Hui Zi's work. Although it was pretty violent and stressy, I grew to like it for what it was.

I think it may be because I watch a lot of similar dramas, so I didn't feel uncomfortable. It is true, the letters do not matter in the end, but it's there to keep us hanging and longing/hoping. This type of engagement is probably the drama's selling point from my point of view. Otherwise, we'd be watching a drama of poverty and no hope.

The fantasy element offered a life-line, if not the reality would be even more devastating. So this drama sort of in a way is the second chance fantasy. The pay-off is lowkey and to some, a bit disappointing. But I think this is in respect of the tone of the drama and the subjects it touches on. To suddenly make everything so overly happy and perfect would be out of place with the whole drama. I guess, we all want different things from dramas.

OK thanks for clearing that up. I'm enjoying it so far. FL reminds me of an older version of Song Zuer.

Do you mean NGCS or this drama. If it's this drama, I am enjoying it so far.

Yes, someone else told me the story looks a lot like Nothing Gold Can Stay which I haven't seen but know roughly what the story is about. That's not good because it's a really outdated type of storyline where we have a Mary Sue doing the rounds whilst men just flock to her and help her out because they love her.

I was told NGCS was based loosely on a real story, but the drama made it seem like the woman couldn't have made it without men simply falling in love with her and opening up avenues for her rather than see her get the merit herself independent of men having a soft spot for her and then allowing her to gain in business. It just sends a basic message of someone getting pretty privileges and over shadows the FL's talents.

I suggest you put it in a spoiler🤣!

I'm behind so don't know too much, but can see the inkling of what you wrote. I cannot stand those dated storylines where leads just have everyone endlessly dropping at their feet. So unrealistic and cringey.

But it is addictive to watch because of her smart aleck type character. I agree, it's not Tony Yang's finest hour in the acting department. The costumes in the first half was beautiful, and I also like the hairstyles of the ladies in that era. Not when they went to Shanghai though.

Yes the story was strong enough without the time line stuff. I guess the letterbox story is the "love" element making it look more like a sweet romance. I must admit, when I saw the original posters, I was not expecting it to be this gritty and violent. But, I'm happy to have watched it. It's exceeded my expectations as a drama.

Of course there are gay people in China. Have you even been on Weibo or Chinese social media? There are numerous openly gay people posting daily? There is a difference between intolerance and illegal.

I do agree that that Yu Meng Long's case shouldn't be closed that soon, but we live in an age of AI, doxxing and altering imaging. Anything seen now, we should keep an open mind.

I don't think it's about how many other actresses that could do the role and I agree on that. It's pretty obvious from the start they wanted someone young. Plus An Mi is hot property, if not this drama, it will be another one pretty much now.

The industry had been waiting for her for at least 2 years. Don't forget, Guo Jing Ming made it acceptable by casting her with an adult love interest when she was not even 16 years old. In the past, some of the top actresses started very young too. In China they don't see this as too much of an issue, whilst age gap, in particular male actors too old is more their bug-bear.

These so-called ancient puppet stories are often about very young people and some book fans do take it literal and more often than not, older actors and actresses tend to play these parts and you get more up in arms about actors/actresses past 30 years old than someone like An Mi taking on these roles. They will see her as a perfect age to play the roles. Neo Hou also has a very youthful look so it's not about age but more about visual pairing.

Finally, in China, their dramas appeal more for their domestic audience and the international side is very small for them to re-consider changes.

Of course the letters are there to keep the interest going. There are other methods to these types of mystery dramas. In this drama, it's through this mysterious letter box and the letters. It's a form of bread crumbing to keep you hooked. Each time releasing just the right amount to keep you guessing/hoping. The letters could be bland or hold very little or enough info inside them, but I guess this is also part of the mystery for us as well as a viewer.

It's nothing to do with the actors. It's just a section of fandom "using" the actors as an excuse to project their inner insecurities. Very often you will see these so-called fans bossing their stars around, and even cursing them like some tiger mum.

They ride off their chosen star's success and sometimes (not all) partake in dubious activities to sabotage those they deem to threaten their chosen star which is really denting their own personal ego and not the star's ego.

In some cases, they ironically ruin the star's image without even realising because they're so consumed with rage and fear. In other words, they see the star as their project.

It is showing as airing on my watch list. I think it stays like this (N/A) until enough rating has happened. I reckon no ratings is due to the very low viewers to this drama. I believe they need a percentage of viewers to rate per episode to get a decent average to work on. I also think many are not rating until the drama has ended. Rating per episode tends to be more popular with idol-style dramas.

I think there is not enough people watching the drama to make the ratings come up. I'm assuming there needs to be a level to pass for averages. Plus many might not be rating until the end.

Yes, Originally I disagreed with your comment on propaganda on this drama because I don't see it that way. The communists worked on the hearts and minds of the rural areas, making changes to land reform. This portrayal looks authentic and realistic. Sorry if you decide otherwise. We agree to disagree.

They couldn't have won without the support of the common people. That does not mean they cannot make mistakes later. My post is to state that people like you try to peg China's communism into one era when we don't do that with other countries. A portion may have left then but today those that leave China are for studying but they are not claiming asylum or classed as economic migration. In ratio to China's population, statistic wise, no one would claim Chinese people are fleeing China's communism. BTW, Russia has not been communists for a long time.

Also, your term "leftist" shows your simplistic view of categorising individuals into neat boxes when life is just not like that. I didn't know LGBT is leftish. Basing it on China's form of communism, wouldn't their stance be now classed as right wing? Anyway, I'll leave it here like this. We will have to disagree with each other.