Nepeta 22

May I ask why you don't like her niece? I'm curious as I'm not finding her character unlikeable yet.

Sorry to hear your family went through something familiar. I also agree with you that sometimes, the dark times wakes you up to realise later how to learn and improve. Many that haven't been through that may not fully understand why some things are the way they are and why some behave or view things so differently to those that didn't live through that time in China or similar countries of that background.

China today is not China back then, and everything has a history, so that's why I end up always needing to explain to some that they are putting their background and maybe even culture on China where collectively they have been through a far more different upheaval than a lot of other countries, particularly former coloniser countries that try to bury their past or even re-paint it using new words and creating unlikely allies.

I don't agree with you that the way it's cut is due to budgets. I think one episode was nearly 2 hours long near the beginning. I think the director wanted the drama to also have exactly 12 episodes. There is talk about extending the end to give more space and time for the 2026 characters. I personally feels it's just right on how they ended it. Less is more. It allows us to think or wish on how we want.

From what I can see, she's been bullied and there is a big effort to cart her out of the area. It would seem a few are simply uncomfortable with her presence because of what her past represents. It's prejudices mixed with subtle jealousy and hatred towards those that they deem more elite in the past.

And that's the point. Many of the so-called extremism is often rooted in personal jealousy and old scores being settled. This sort of thing happened and intensified throughout the 1960s. A very difficult time in China. It would be interesting to see what actually happened to her husband. I feel they won't leave that storyline open.

Sorry, I just saw your reply to me now! Regards to storyline, not sure who or which characters may be romantically linked. I heard both Shen Jia Yu and Zhou Yu Ran are sort of romantically linked in different ways but they are only subtle background plots.

I'm sure Zhou Ye and Xiao Zhan may work alongside each other soon. Anything is possible, but I think XZ has slowly moved into the broader mass market dramas whereas ZY is still in her infancy in her career and will act in more idol-led dramas which tend to be rom-coms and costume dramas.

Finally about bringing hate. To be honest, in China, the fandom will not be satisfied unless they have something to moan about or hate about. Age gap is just another excuse. I just ignore them. I hope soon, some changes will be made to put fandom in their place as they interfere too much on production and pose a danger to stars and the wider public in the pursuit of their so-called "loved" ones. Purely parasocial of course.

Some have said Zhou Ye looks like a younger Zhang Ziyi. I'm a bit behind but looking forward to Tong Yao's parts.

It's implied that he kept her remains and evidence somewhere and when he heard about the police, he was spooked and begged that other guy to dispose of it properly. In short, the mum he kept saying ran off never did run off. He intercepted her and killed her and also stole the money from her work and passed that off as her stealing it and made up the story of her running off with the money. This is what Hai Tang had to deal with.

I must admit, I disagree with you there. To me, Tong Yao always remind me of Zhang Ziyi.

Bless you all, but please do put some of your posts in spoilers for late comers to this drama 😉

The posters are a little deceptive. This drama is more hard hitting and violent. Within that environment, a love story blooms behind that. No triangles, they get together quite soon. I would say 1/3 into the drama and it is a short drama compared to other dramas. No break up. The ending is bittersweet on sweet being first and a bitter after-taste, just my opinion. Watch 1 episode to get an idea to see if you like it.

For me, it's a drama that lingers in your mind for many weeks and music is great and also haunting at the same time. Cinematography is great, like how you feel when you watch The Bad Kids. It has that retro feel.

Looks like you've written yourself the part 2! And it sounds good 😂

I reckon, when she woke up, it was like a dream to her which is magical too. It means she has an idea Shen Cheng might be somewhere, so that's a story to go on itself, that her dream might actually be reality. That is a start.

Others state that firstly, the final scene is actually Shen Cheng which means he was adopted as he would not exist if history had changed. But the twist was someone else said the person at the letter box was also Shen Cheng, which means somehow he too knows about the letter box. What a twist. I'm sure that final scene is some sort of teaser.

Thanks for finding the time to list all the reasons you have enjoyed about the drama. I'm glad it fulfilled you. Unfortunately for me, many of the fight scenes were cut using stunt doubles and you are unable to see many full fight sequences. But, I get it, quite a few are impressed with the fights. I think outside of China they are just not as good with this and I guess Chinese dramas offers unique content.

Main leads and everyone did well, I can't dispute that. But the whole drama seemed lightweight and demeaning to viewers, re-sold as some kind of performative female empowerment. All it's done is piled on more pressure for women to think they must dominate in men's domain as well as excelling in traditional female roles. This is thanks for female authors brainwashed by a men's lens and now the tool to re-sell what women should do and feel.

It's interesting we both interpret the drama differently. The teachers are probably aware but turn a blind eye on it. This is evident when her own tutor who had a past relationship with Cha Dong clearly is aware of her family background but have not pried into her life. Why? At this point, her father is just a gambler like many who suffer a similar addiction. She does not stand out from rest in her background.

Her father tells others she's insane only when she is reacting aggressively telling others, she has not recovered from losing her mother. But, that has nothing to do with her school work. School is her special place in her mind. It's a place of hope and a chance to get a good education to get out of her situation.

You are again putting your 2025 mindset into this drama that was set a good 30 years ago. The idea of neighbours helping out or hearing noises are not the issue, it's the fact that they see this as part of life. The person that stood out and cared about her was the ML. The bond they formed was the backdrop of something different within the world they lived in at the time. They shared trauma together, and they both cared about each other where others turned a blind eye.

As for the police, just to give you an idea of where China was at. In 1991 they still had not started using DNA yet. This idea of 'body language' training is almost laughable. I suspect they're more interested in catching robbers or drug dealers than deal with family scuffles/domestic violence. The culture in the police force will be very different to China's police force now. I know for a fact that some of the sleepy towns were more than happy to take back-handers to spare some people from death penalties!

Please can you put your post in a spoiler box or consider editing parts.

I'm sorry to say that you haven't fully immersed yourself into a young women's view and system back in a sleepy town in China in 1991. Domestic violence and violence towards women is sadly common. Many even turn a blind eye to this type of situation.

She will have been beaten down by years of abuse. Many abused victims are so low in confidence by that point, they don't believe the system can help them as it's clear, her father had spent years of gaslighting her and telling everyone in the neighbourhood she's crazy.

There is a scene outside a mental hospital where she laid flat out with bruises but by-standers just gawped but did nothing. This is the type of attitude she grew up in. It's normalised.

Don't watch cuts. That's how I find some people get mis-information from dramas. Please don't be afraid. I can assure you the life you live in the real world is possibly far more scary than this type of drama! it's only because you don't know what's happening ahead. I would say, if you haven't watched it yet, give it a try with a few episodes to see...

Yes, I was thinking about them too. Their story felt tragic. Was it me? Was he last seen on a boat sailing alone?

Part of this style of presentation is to give it an air of mystery and quite a common way of telling stories to keep viewers hooked and second guessing. It's a way to make this more engaging instead of just sitting and getting the story to fall into your lap.

It also makes us viewers ask more questions and imagine how we would deal with situations at the time with the limited info to go on just as the characters at the time will have faced. Then injecting more for us than the characters would know in the drama adds more stress for us as we beg or hope they don't fall into the traps we already know.

Personally, I don't feel it's rushed. I think it was just right, but just my opinion.

I agree that the chemistry kept this drama alive. It just goes to show that all this quest for kissing that some strive for does not always equate to chemistry.