Nepeta 22

Please do put those comments in spoiler. There are still new watchers.

FYI, I was told from someone that the emperor was killed by ZBW apparently. Personally, I just don't think cutting corners on that part was right, since it's clear they wanted to sort of show history repeating itself in which father and son did not trust the emperor so seeing his death or at least spend time to hint more would be at least closure. I was also told the first master was some sort of prisoner that was given a chance to live longer and was always destined to be dead after his "mission", all based on some tattoo I barely even saw, but the point is, this obscure info is not for passerby viewers like myself and I think that is unfair and makes me lose some understanding.

They should have spent more time on that and the lady that was hired to train ML on relationships with women. We're just left to assume, 3rd person master just picks up waifs and strays and use them and they're forever thankful. As for ZZX's character, this is so odd. He's suddenly a decent man, even after all the double dealing going on? I can understand why some are asking for a second season. The closure seems unsatisfying in regards to his character.

I'm different from you in that I looked forward to the ML & FL's interaction until it hit halfway and then her character just switched and from there-on her acting went awry and everything just did not seem natural and she was out of sorts. I put that down to her playing against type. Her simplistic arrogant and spoilt persona just did not look right on her. Then her acting like a saint all of a sudden fawning over his cause also seemed out of character. Then they even painted her mother the same way fawning over ML's father, it felt a little cringe.

It's a shame as I said from the beginning the story is there, but the way it was put together seemed odd and if as you say it may have something to do with whether it needed 2 parts or not, then they made the wrong call. Flourished Peony had 2 parts, Lost you forever had 2 parts and also Eternal Brotherhood. Sometimes, some projects are ambitious and grand and requires fleshing out and not because it's deliberate fillers for more advertising. If they wanted to keep to 40 episodes, they really should have shaved the FL's role as she was almost like decoration once you get past half way.

You finished it! Great read and honest one and I cannot fault it because I too also said the same for the FL. Terrible two dimensional role and she looked out of sorts too. One of her sub-par performances. I'll be honest, without XZ, I think there will be more critics on the drama and characterisations. Lots of loose ends and parts just left out thinking it's OK when it's not really OK. That is why I said, it's so focused on central plot all the smaller details especially the masters and the one that self sacrificed and the lady were not delved on which does make for a 2-tiered system whereby there is no interest in these characters because they were there just to serve the ML's purpose.

A rating of 8.4 is actually very good on MDL BTW. Sometimes, people who watch K-dramas see often inflated ratings so the bar has shifted, and dramas that deal with romance as the main plots & Xianxias often get higher ratings regardless of plot, acting or visuals. Outside of MDL, I'm sure the drama has a good rating.

The drama is more about three main character and their differences and follows them through that period. I felt there was enough material on the revolutionaries. I'm more concerned that Yuan Shikai was mentioned throughout and never shown which I felt a little disappointed in as it's very clearly so much about him and very instrumental at that moment in time in China.

Could he be the reason there was a stoppage and they deliberately did not show images of him or have even an actor play him for even a tiny bit?

I was very happy to see the Japan arc and actors needing to speak Japanese on long dialogue. It was an important part to the drama and also (in my opinion) quite accurate of China's relationship with Japan at the time. People forget that many revolutionaries were also station in Japan at the time but never mentioned that much in recent times.

It will get worse than what you just mentioned, so maybe not going to be a good watch for you. But honestly, this is a well researched drama and they sure did not pull punches of men's views of women and most importantly, how women lived during that period and the social norms and expectations of them, whether being used when it suited their needs or casting them as mere women and need to be in their place.

I am expecting some nominations next year though, because there are some sterling performances in this.

No it wasn't was it. But to be honest, I applaud him accepting this role. It takes a lot and a risk to star in something like this. I personally think this was a good project for him. May help him get more meatier 3 dimensional roles that will be more complex and layered rather than Mr Good Guy...

Yes, you may change your mind. It's one of those dramas where you really ought to watch right to the very end to form a more rounded opinion, especially on the ML. Enjoy!

I would have liked him more aggressive in this role as it would make him less confusing to read and more understandable, even relatable. I feel by being too controlled, sometimes, it comes across as more wishy washy than single minded determinedness. He's compassionate at times, but then suddenly cold and calculating which can work but the way it's been edited did not feel smooth or coherent. The only way to make it work better is to put more time in building his character to the audience but the drama spent more time on plots and pushing the villains' character and less on his own thoughts. That's my thoughts anyway.

I get you. And I understand your comments on the super heroes. Unfortunately, this drama seems to paint the ML as salt of the earth and a caring person as well. I'm fine with the FL's quest for revenge and violence, but I think, if they had made ML more aggressive it may have been more understanding.

Please stick with it. I would like to see what you think of the ending. Only then can you truly have the full opinion of what went on with the earlier episodes. That's all I can say...

The drama was fine for me, but definitely issues with scripts being light weight, and character development is rushed with no attempt to give depth apart from Duke's character. Very little breathing space and contemplation for the ML which I feel was much needed. FL's character was unconvincing. She changes too drastically to be realistic.

I see you are not up to episode 30 so there will be more twists and turns so I won't spoil you. By the end you will sort of get what some of the episodes feel and you may re-visit your thoughts on the earlier arcs.

But for now, I totally agree, I went through all that. I think the character for the ML is supposed to be naive, and still idealistic to some extent so he flip flops quite easily.

Towards the end you will may re-think his character again, because I think the reuters and trailers gave an air of sophistication when in actual fact, the ML is learning and easily swayed. He is determined but also flawed. In no way like how they advertised this drama. Think of a young man embarking on a journey of discovery even if he spent 10 long years trying to hone his skills, he looks pretty green in a large part of the drama. It's supposed to be his journey of learning the hard way. For large part of the drama, he was never winning until the final episodes.

From beginning to end, he was motivated by personal revenge and then this emotion was nurtured by his handlers with obvious ill intent. The "journey" is when he tries to humanise it by saying all these other court officials are bad, are corrupt and murderous. As you say, that still does not sit well with the full revenge plot. I personally think revenge dramas are getting harder and harder to sell to today's audience if it involves a lot of collateral damage. So unless you are going for ruthless hard-nut realism any other way with so many deaths will soon make viewers get turned off for the cause.

Yes, I had exactly the same feeling. By mid way when you see the damage and the sacrifices fighting against eunuch Cao's security it dawns on you about a 2-tiered system happening whereby the likes of the ML and FL care very little for those that perish. Yes, we see bits of ML questioning why and what, but he still carries on. There is no pause or contemplation,, just a mad rush to push the plot onwards.

That means the master's plans have fully co-opted him and he was played all along. Only do we see ML's final brilliance shine in the final few episodes, but that then leaves a bitter after taste about the sacrifices others made. It reminds me why I don't watch too much court intrigue nowadays and there is an over saturation of it. A spotlight on nobles which are just a select privilege few.

Why do you say this? Is it ML's character or something else?

She didn't get too much in the ending but it looks to be a decent ending. Sad for her but she was still alive. I don't know what episode you are on but there will be more downs on the way...

This is not an idol style drama. It's depicting a real life figure I'm afraid and in life, it's not a bed of roses.

Dumping ground? Is that what it is? Discussions about plots seen so far and how it may be similar to another drama? Do you even stand outside to look at yourself? I think you've lost a sense of reality.

This is like many other drama pages in the early part of filming. Many will discuss about the suitability of castings and of course opinions. You are putting words in my mouth about dumping other actors' names here. It's not dumping, it's an opinion of what I would have liked. I did not bring RJL in any conversation, but those that had, I saw nothing malicious nor wrong.

Looks like if we had it your way, there will be no discussion full stop unless it's just to praise only the named actors within this drama. That is censoring.

Yes, I was not originally happy with the FL casting, but it is what it is, but it does not mean I don't care about this project. Her casted makes it hard for me, but does not mean I will not watch it.

Any dramas ranging from 1890 to 1960 in China I am interested in, and yes, you will see me around I'm afraid, because I have a lot of dramas in this range to compare it with. The subject matter, the director's background and final edits will be of interest to me. I am also interested in the new comer in this drama so will be keeping an eye on this when I see/hear about it.

I have not doubted the drama's popularity. But your post response still goes back to talking about the issue of rival fandoms and this growing culture of toxic behaviour to their own actor and other fellow actors.

DB will always have this problem no matter what they try to do to cut this out, so unless you stop all public from voting there will always be tricks to bypass true intentions. Also, fandoms also up-vote their actors so it goes both ways.

I don't understand your comment to me. You must be getting me mixed up with someone else. I was answering someone who is questioning why he was not learning martial arts? My comment is to tell that person to watch the drama all the way to the end and they will soon find out why he was studying architecture.

Not sure why you are mentioning Wuxia either. I have not claimed it should be a Wuxia. My last sentence was not to spoil it for that person so I kept it as cryptic as possible.

For those that watched the drama, it's clear the ML did not choose, he was gaslit and coerced into making these choices by his handlers. That is why I put it in a spoiler because his choice in career is not solely his choice and it is important to the plot. No need to put me down for not "getting" the drama.