Nepeta 22

I was thinking that as well. I reckon he would have found a way of surviving as it seemed he sort of knew what was going on himself. I hope someone who has read the novel could shed some light on that as well.

From what I can see, the special pill was only guarded by FL and no one else, so with her out of the way, they no longer could pursue it. Although the KMT was in charge of the city at the time, they saw no threat from them especially without Xia Yuan meddling. I am imagining, she would write a letter to him from HK and they would eventually unite. Hope!

OK, last comment to you here. An opinion - labelled a hater. We don't all live in some echo chamber that refuses to be open to other opinions. And the word hater is often abused and mis-used on this forum. If only some would respect that word more, rather than use it as their only weapon.

I never said anything about not OK to post about reservation figures. I am merely stating (an opinion) these figures are really for some bragging rights for the platforms.

In my opinion, they don't always transpire to anything. Milestones keep getting smashed. Cheng Yi's latest wuxia drama smashed those milestones with reservations, which means other dramas that don't meet 2 million in reservations will just look a bit mundane nowadays. I think that's not healthy or a great barometer of success.

These reservations are just local bragging rights and in reality may never transpire to anything. In China, Drama, This Thriving Land had hardly any behind the scenes (little crumbs and cakes for in the circle fandom) or promotion and even less about reservations. In the end, it's the viewing figures that counts. Heat indexes are easily abused as any chatter positive and negative generates heat so it's for dramas to insert quick fix outlandish scenes, kissing scenes and some out-of-character silliness which will cause discussion, shares and even anger, so that is also not a natural barometer of success.

OK, I get your point. Yes some people never change but even how small, some do. But, I am not trying to claim FL in the 3rd couple would, but for that moment she had moved on and as in life, nothing is static. People evolve, people change.

No problem. I couldn't tell the difference between Teochew or Hokkien to be honest. I only know a variant of Hakka as in that dialect there are many versions depending on which areas in China. Very confusing!

No problem, I respect your opinions on that. But, if people don't change, all around the world, the prison service would be a bit of a waste of time. The idea is some (not all) will learn from past mistakes.

This type of drama is really for their domestic audience who will more or less know the backdrop of each timeline roughly. I am almost certain had Cheng Lei or Jelly Lin not been involved in this drama, there will have been no English Subs or very delayed by roughly a few months after it had aired.

I disagree with your analysis on the 3rd couple. I felt the whole point in the drama was to show couples with very different backgrounds could against all odds be together.

1st couple, an upright FL, well educated, has travelled abroad and from a prominent family background against someone who was brought up without blood parents, but brought up under the wings of someone involved in shady dealings all his life. Someone that witnesses violence, involved in violence and even possibly involved in murders. They couldn't be more different.

2nd couple, an intellectual brought up in the times where the KMT was prominent and very much part of the old establishment of intellectuals that enjoy some of the trappings of being part of a respected family in Shanghai. She is not even self aware of that. It is only when she's suddenly finding herself living amongst new political establishment she is often looking out of place and head still in another world whilst the "do-ers" are trying to look busy rolling up their sleeves acting like their life's work is to act like the best purist and being a jobsworth at every corner.

She is lucky at that time to be meeting ML whose tempo matches hers, but he also has a job to do that seems bigger than any ordinary job. It is his position and job that nearly cost him the love. So, in a sense, they were not meant to be together on paper, but the drama did a good job showing us the reality is in fact, most prominent communists were prized students that rebelled against the establishment a few decades before, and many will have studied in places like Japan or Europe and ironically influenced by a western ideal as communism which is very radical for China in a short period of their history. Their backgrounds do align, but because of their age and previous marriages, there is still some stigma of women being able to move on after even being widowed.

The 3rd couple is an interesting one. It is the ML, who rested on his old friend who helped in during hard times. But he didn't protest too much even though he was aware of his friend's shady dealings. You could say, he looked the other way. So it is not at all shocking to see him trying to save his girlfriend from being caught (bag swap incident). This tells us, even though it was pretty corrupt and anything goes in that era of massive expansion, many including the ML chose to look the other way.

It was only when he couldn't take it they broke up. FL, she had too much pride, she knew she did wrong but couldn't deal with where she got to. This 3rd couple is possibly the most ambitious couple because they look like completely opposites in background and ideals, but truth is, there are many couples that are like them. I know a few and they are still together, so it's good to try and show relationships that don't look like they will attract each other but somehow they do. All the close living and through their growth in the early days were what bond them and they didn't realise it at the time, they both enjoyed it a lot but never realised it until they were apart.

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.