Nepeta 22

It's quite common to be honest. I guessed it would be around this range. The drama has nothing new. Audiences are not easily swayed. The drama format and storyline is tired and dated. Offensive to modern audiences. It may appeal to a small section of readers (inside the circle), but when it's made into a drama, it can expose issues more to a wider passerby audience.

What episode is this cooking scene because I'm on episode 20 and haven't seen it.

This is just a fake performative speech often only for upper middle class.. I dare the drama makers to have that speech on peasants which probably make up 96% of the population. All nice when C-drama land only latch onto history through the eyes of the noble class. This sort of message is firmly for a teeny part of society and they love using it because it's easy and lazy. Don't want to tackle the root issue.

Even if it's a long or complex novel, the people that chose it should have known what to prioritise on and leave out. For me they spent too much time on ML & FL and did not bother with her family dynamics, her master and even SML's background. 22 episodes have passed and still it's full of gaps not filled. How can we be invested in her relationship with her master or even the FL's story so far.

The adaptation makes her more obsessed with ticking other women off for being dumb and not like her. Whilst she plays with the ML in her down-time. But sorry, what does that mean? Being s solider is more important than sewing and cooking? That's lowkey unsisterly. This choice thing is also a tool. If women don't have a choice, then don't tick others off. It's a totally disingenuous message.

The issue is, romance novels are primarily aimed for women or teenagers growing up. Very convenient tool when the hormones are raging.

They are often influenced by how the author has been conditioned. It's not uncommon for female authors or writers to be male-identified. By that, I mean they are centred around men, and what pursuits they do. Women often need to gain approval from the men in that circle or even behave a certain way to gain their attention.

Examples in this drama are, be in men's spaces (army, scholars and jianghu), and when they do talk about "women" pursuits, it's subtly laced with something inferior. They are often cheer leading the "drop the needle work and fight for our nations" approach to conveniently side-eye what cooking at home or sewing means, like it's not the same as serving as a soldier. Hence, FL here goes to the army because it's more heroic than stay-at-home work! When she's cooking, it's a choice. Choice only for those that can afford it though.

Dangerous message. Many of the forum users don't see this, they are unaware they're slowly being brainwashed all under the banner of performative feminism. This isn't an accident.

Don't tell me. I was once told, if men had periods, they'd lobby to make sure they don't have to pay for tampons/sanitary pads and let someone make money from something.

All I can say is (I haven't seen these scenes yet) it's a can of worms. A portion of viewers see this as a sell-out and against what it means to be empowered, and a portion feel choice is the key and nothing to do with "female pursuits" it's just an expression of love.

My take is she does what she wants. The issue is more the writer or novelist may be accused of being male-identified. There are signs that women need to be more like men and men's approval in their spaces to get ahead. That sort of mindset tells women, they cannot be recognised or respected if they don't do these things. But why? Women are not the same as men. Women don't need to act or copy what men do to get places. Here, it feels like that's the underlying message.

Maybe some are influenced and worry this is piling on too much pressure on women in general. They need to do male things to get recognition, and now she also need to be good at female things too. Just speculation.

Always the way! The smart FL smart everywhere except for those relating to SML...😆

OK, interesting. Sadly the drama is not showing it like that from my point of view.

I don't know, it just feels forced just make ML get more jealous or cause more friction. For her, it's out-of-character. She's guarded and suspicious by nature, but suddenly with him, she's gifting him stuff and saving him.

We know he's going to hang onto any little thing she does for him and it will end in tears. It's almost like some writers are trying to make it seem like women bring problems on themselves. In a drama like this, it feels wrong.

Those scenes are just there only to show she's more into masculine things instead of so-called female pursuits. Badly done with no continuity. This overly out-of-character nice behaviour to the SML is also not natural. It feels forced.

I hope that isn't how the story goes otherwise this is a common problem in general, even with female authors that have been heavily influenced into being male-identified. Very often, they're unaware or have internalised it.

I get your point. The issue seems to be many already know the story and have told me it's not all about the FL's revenge, it is also about the ML's fight for justice for his father. FL's real aim was to re-start her life all over again to claim what she lost in her own name. She's not after letting others know who she was previously.

Nothing to do with being a female in a male dominated industry. I'm getting conflicting info though. One said she fled an arranged marriage so decided to join the army to escape. Another said she was forced to be a boy from young age and primed to pretend to be her older brother. Neither of the two have been conveyed well so far in this drama which I agree, hinders it from being a decent and coherent drama.

This surprised me a little as the way this drama was promoted was injustice and getting recognition for her. Also, because we don't see much of her family background, it's not really that important I think. Her journey to get herself back on her feet is and to get revenge on who killed her which has been already covered. No doubt the rest is to expose her brother's role in orchestrating her attempted murder.

It's fine. That means the actor or the storyline did its job. There was a lot of hate for his character, but come a year later, the actor was hot property.

But I really do not believe posters that say they skip parts. I sometimes think they're just trying to get attention. Trying hard to look loyal to the main couple in a dramatic way. I mean, how can you really skip parts of certain actors? Maybe play it at speed, but if you skip you risk losing important plot points!

I have said it before and I know some don't want to hear it but this is more likely. Those that rate are from made special accounts. Those that partake in it will have multiple accounts specifically for this. The same accounts can also be used to down vote dramas. This type of activity is privalant on dramas with high traffic stars. This is why I think new users should not be able to rate or put in reviews until 6 months have lapsed.

It's motivated by what they see in China using money and fake account to control data. That is just transferred here. I am already seeing some talk about reviews, inflating comments engagement because they think this helps to make ratings count more. In a nutshell, these ratings are not organic. MDL ratings are highly unstable. It's nothing more than extension of fan accounts.

These rumours grow from current dramas with stars working together. They do it to test the waters but usually they're fake. He's more likely working with Bao Shang En. ZKL is heavily promoted the last 6 months and has many notable projects to be aired so this time next year, he will be chased around by mad-cap fans.

Hey, it's not an attack on petty women in general but about dramas that keep using these storylines as a source of entertainment. Especially women. As you say, it's not fun to witness this.

Maybe I'm traumatised by these toxic behaviours, so don't actually want to see it anymore and worse still, it's used as filler and entertainment. I come from a big family, just that alone is a nightmare navigating, so I wouldn't be able to deal with extended family. I can sincerely tell you what I see on the dramas are sometimes nowhere near the toxicity I have witnessed in my life. I could write a book on that type of environment.

I don't have issue when it's researched well and it's done in a respectful and natural way. But sometimes, like this drama for example, it's used like it's harmless fun when in actual fact, it's just putting women down and just so it can be highlighting one FL. This isn't natural, it's a lazy storyline. Considering we are meant to be watching FL get to be a general, instead we're addled with endless mini dramas that further stereo-type women in general as being basic, shallow and always dragging other women down.

This is what bothers me, and as seen on this forum, the punters suck it up without even flinching. They're actually going to praise it blindly too.

Well, it all goes back to The Story in Minglan for me. That drama made it into art. it was a rating winner, and since then we're seeing more and more of this stuff in historical setting court dramas.

70 plus episodes of jealous and small minded females except the fhe FL. The formula is always the same. The old head of the household nanny & FL are the only normal and clear headed females whilst all other female characters serve as silly, small minded individuals that know nothing but being what a female is, to attack FL, looking for status by treading on other females.

Gotta side-eye the stuff as female empowerment in these dramas are just fake. Only one of thousands are allowed to be different, and then they close the gate on others that might want to join.

It's definitely watchable and easy to follow and I will finish this. Wasn't entirely what I had in mind, but it's good to see Cheng Lei act again and Zhou Ye is always a likeable in whatever she plays.

Fair point. I too have decided which revenge was the main focus. I am trying to just enjoy it as is and sometimes, novel adaptations can be a minefield when everyone gets more opinionated.