Nepeta 22

Strange post from you. I don't think you've grasp what I wrote. I have not even said FL is textured or layered. In fact I said she's regular and ditzy. Average, But, it's OK, the person that says I'm here with an agenda seems to be repeating the same thing around the forum, so is it a case of pot calling the kettle black?

If you can't accept a fact I posted here about a male dominated media/film industry then that is your issue. I know change is hard to take. BTW, I said many past dramas/films are dominated by male directors and writers so we're used to seeing what men think women like or be told how women should think. If that warrants name calling as "feminazi", I have nothing to add. But you need to analyse your message as you label me as liberal. Why don't you cut to the chase and say you don't like change. Good bye to you too..

I must admit it's like talking to a brick wall with those that hate on FML character. They are so far gone with being controlled and influenced by a male dominated world they can't see they have been brainwashed into being so self critical but more so of women characters and women in general. There is a very thin ideal of what that is, and it's not an accident. Many films, characters, fashion are dictated by men and their ideals. Some women that suck that up are what we see today on this page today.

In particular, in this drama, it is so obvious the "script" which was the main part of this drama was about writing the ML character in a much more sympathetic & favourable light giving him extended screen time and highlights, yet the viewers fall straight in "hook, line & sinker" and FL cannot see what we the viewers see, and yet these viewers think they are so smart that they think they'll be much more clued up. Dream on, pardon the pun. Their very comments about her being cruel tell me they are not much better than the FL's IQ.

I don't think it's ground breaking. I'm just interested in this fixation of FL's character. Small minded comments fill the drama page with many not even working out she's just a creation by the scriptwriter trying to attempt a parody of the entertainment industry. She's meant to annoy and be blind to ML's affection. A common trope.

But like usual, in a mainly male dominated industry, men try to create what they think women want to see or try to be. The mainly female audience then fall straight into that trap of doing the dirty work of being overly critical of the character instead of really questioning who creates these characters.

I enjoyed the drama, but it's not the best. It's a good attempt, but too many are busy talking about "annoying" FL instead. From the outside, they look exactly the same. Annoying and short-sighted. The irony.

Those are my opinions and you are entitled to yours too. FL's characterisation was first layer created by the scriptwriter. It's fine you don't get her or even agree with her behaviour. I have no issue with it at all. Not all leads need to be smart and fawn over a ML within the 15 episodes just because it's some romantic idol drama.

I do not equate her to Tommy Shelby. Not sure where you got that from. She's just a regular girl who thinks she's smarter than she thinks. She think she's smarter than the characters at first. Nothing special. Being afraid of death can be normal too...

OK. A shame because as a drama it's a really good drama. But if you don't want sadness & suffering then you made the right choice.

Can I say, the blood boiling are only for those that have sucked in the male-led industry for years where they always paint the ML with lots of plot armour (misunderstood, prolonged storylines about their plight. Being used and abused. Even FL joins in to really wield the knife in). You as a viewer brought into this plot armour. Have you actually taken your mind and body out of the "all seeing eye" storyline you have been given? Have you really looked carefully at the plot on the FL's side? Are you now the cheer leaders doing the dirty work for those that long controlled this male dominated industry? Ask yourself, why so quick to be critical of FL characters over ML?

The amount of viewers shouting at their screens cannot admit, they are only doing this thanks to the way the drama's been constructed. Those that emphasised with the FL have been more open minded and concentrated on the actual drama from her view point rather than join in the classic chorus of "poor ML".

I don't buy that. He's actually a heinous character. Based on what the FL will see. It's no different to what happens every day in how news is presented to us. We react based on what we see. Just like what late Malcom X said: “If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”

Your whole reply is exactly the reaction the drama makers wanted you to see. The whole point is, the whole part of this drama is layer one which was created by the script writer typing away on her laptop. As you said, towards the end herself and ML were breaking out of that script but not totally realising it. It's only when we see the very end do we know this happens.

The title of the drama from episode 1 is not the same as the one in the last episode. Therefore the whole drama and its draggy misunderstandings and all of the plots were created by the first layer scriptwriter? BTW, the over-the-top acting was expected because the scriptwriters wanted the FL to be that way to make it a parody? That meant, they knew this sort of silly ditzy FL rubbed people up the wrong way. They were trying to tell the audience the "modern" female lead was bringing in her sarcasm into the scripted drama world.

So in short, what we witness for much of the drama was original script, but the bit at the beginning was part of that script. The last 5 minutes was the real world, where we witness what they spoke about at the end of the script, could they break out of the script through will power.

I'm surprised at how so many keep saying that. Have you dropped this?

I always defend her "character" not actress because i don't rate her much in general. So, unless you watch to the last minute of this drama, the penny will drop. But, with the barrage culture in China, this drama is actually poking fun of viewers like yourself. Because it's showing all the tropes on C-Dramas. You are in the middle, so it's very hard for you to get it. It's meant to get your blood to boil because you have been given the all seeing eye whilst FL doesn't and I think many over estimate themselves and think themselves smarter than her in the situation. Oh wait...that sounds like the FL! Yes, these modern females think they know best.

Just reading the many comments on this drama, it's cringeworthy how some can't even grasp the basic concept of the drama and only nit-picking at the FL, That's the level. Give the ML character a pass because of all the padding and plot armour. If you can't even work out that part of the plot and the ending, then what can I say.

Yes I also thought the same but it does die down and settle down. Still funny but in a more natural way. The support cast or more or less everyone pulled their weight which made it much more enjoyable.

This is my take on this. Those that like it tend to not take it too seriously since it's so clearly a parody of the industry. Those that don't like it may have not fully gone through the full spectrum of the Chinese entertainment business yet. I might say, they are the centre of it, so cannot see anything funny about it. They have not accepted for so long FL characters and ML characters are done in a way to make MLs always shine. It's a form of entertainment propaganda that warrants over-the-top barrage culture that is quite popular in China because many of this is due to a big online community which can sway public opinion quite quickly.

I get your reasoning but it seemed like this was happening over a period of 8 years. Why didn't ML or emperor work more on getting a strong army in that time. It seemed like a really long and convoluted way of telling us they were just not good enough at what they had been planning. Even in the final stages, it's typically the FL's wit and knowledge of plants that got them out of the sticky situation. ML was no more than a meat-head fighting with his fists, even though in earlier episodes, he was more smarter but only up to a level.

I feel this is where the plot fails. It was an afterthought. This is a romance drama first and foremost and it shows. The fleshing out of this arc does not make sense and is only there for the SML and SFL to have their little tussle and his contrived struggle with Prince Ning. That worked up to the last quarter when the storyline of the courts fall apart and you start to really despise the emperor for being so weak and over-reliant on the ML and dare I say FL to get the job done. It's not balanced. Especially in the ridiculous scenes where the ML is given a lifeline by Prince Ning in that staged stabbing. I eye rolled, as-if...

I'm afraid I haven't seen Zhang Yi play sleazy yet. Closest was a small part in Fearless Blood. The other drama I saw him in was Who Is He. I quite like that retro drama. He was playing a cop again.

As for similarity to ML in The Long Night, I hope not, because the outcome of that ML was inside a suitcase!

No worries, I am going to continue. Thanks for answering anyway. Yes, I can see this Xie Hong Fei character is not the brightest. Zhang Yi has played a lot of similar characters where is is not the typical heroic ML, I feel the poor man is type cast. But I am sure his character will grow in time. Just thought the interview style seemed too odd and over the top. Couldn't work out whether it was part of some grand plan.

I'm on episode 13. Why did Xie Hong Fei call up the lawyer straight after his interrogation? That has got to be the most odd thing to do considering his background. He should know by now they are on his tail?

As for Hong Liang's affected performance, I didn't know whether he was being sarcastic or really supposed to act like that, but the way he interviewed him seemed over-the-top and not in line with how I expect someone in his job would be like even how friendly they are. I do hope it gets better because so far, the ML's character is all over the place. One minute he's like a jobsworth, next he's interested in his job. These two seem to collide. Or it might be the way the actor playing this character is not good enough.

I haven't read the novel either but yes, it could have been a bit more better executed towards the last 5 episodes. Speaking of masterpieces, it depends on taste. I thought The Demon Hunters Romance was near perfect for me.

He's listed as a guest star here. Very messed up cast order. Played by famous and respected actor Tu Song Yan. The other is Jeremy Qu listed as "saint", not sure why.

Some dramas are like that. One actor could be a support or even low support and it's taken up 70% of the photo gallery. If you go to Romance in the Alley, 80% of the photos are for a female actress that has such a minor role, you'd think she's at least a support. YZ & LS fandom don't converge onto MDL photo galleries. Same with Yang Yang. I think more established actors' fandoms don't get involved in that much.

I wondered what the novel readers felt about the second part. I agree with your summary. Unless the novel was also quite dated in how they portrayed FL towards the end where everything seemed to open up for her and classically everyone just agreed or bow down to her except the handful of predictable baddies, it's what lets down the end parts.

I was told that JCY is more a support role in the novel and it was clear FL was the lead and he didn't figure until 1/3 of the way in the novel. If that's true, you could say, he falls into "I'm in awe of you because you saved the day" camp type of ML partner.

Unfortunately, I was defending the FL's behaviour when the drama was airing originally because I felt the drama makers did a decent balance.

Too many viewers are over critical of female characters and give male characters a pass. ML here did not express himself, was deceiving everyone with his second persona. He kept a tough persona in front of others but that is not the FL's problem. He caused it himself.

Yes he's misunderstood, but that's because they showed us, but from the FL's perspective she doesn't see this. She's just an average woman transported into history so she's going to me harsher.