Nepeta 22

I'm just about getting used to seeing endless plum blossoms against summery scenery. I cringed when they started eating plums in the depth of snow scenes knowing full well, the plums cannot be ripe until late summer. But, in the name of scenery and perhaps classic symbolism, we are to ignore these small gripes!

Apart from the sundial mystery which I noticed a few other convenient "let's use the possessed angle to spice up the scene and add an extra layer of suspense" did nothing but annoyed me more that this trope would be used. It's possibly the most obvious and convenient plot to use for such a drama, and this went on for too long. I feel they are just fillers and adds nothing to the story.

I agree, it cannot be that... the fact that she plays some tune over the 300 years to the the tree is to emphasis the time she physically and emotionally was there that time, yet "conveniently" for the plot , she doesn't age, but the tree does. How odd.

The scene she has with ML when he says you've changed, she sort of smirks which shows, the director wants us to feel she has been away for a very long time hence finally being able to be more emotional. I get that in the real time, it was probably a day, but what went on inside that sundial is just a rushed job and not clearly thought out.

I already side-eye the scenes where there was numerous opportunities to kill the prime minister but the arrow just conveniently hits his side kick. Then the arrow meant for Wen Xiao really should have been used for ML, but of course, director wants the scene where he is seen damaging himself just to save her. Which of course will move it onto the next arc of saving ML.

I could be in the minority here, but I found the ending of MJTY one of the better endings in C-dramas. I felt the first 18 episodes were stretched out fillers filled with dimly lit rooms with people whispering to one another. I couldn't keep my eyes open half of the time. The drama kicked off in the last 5 episodes. I guess we all see things differently.

It's fine, I'm only responding to your comment about urging other directors in putting more emphasis on lighting and colour grading.

GJM is very good at this sort of stuff which is why he's earned the nickname of being the music video man. He's good with stylised shots and scenes. As for the finer details on plots and story lines, I think he is weaker.

I still can't work out why an important block of wood would just be lying on the floor for the ML to touch by accident. Surely such important things would be locked behind one of those caves where you have special access to. But, in the name of moving the plot along, no one questions that.

You urge other caliber of directors to put same level of effort in? The aerial shot of the scene with all the bow and arrows going off clearly shows a dull cloudy day with wet floors. Pan to the close ups in the next shot, their faces are lit with harsh sunlight. There are glaring continuity issues.

In the snow scenes a few episodes back, a plate of plums were offered twice when clearly this fruit would never be served in the depths of winter. Just as we see endless shots of plum blossoms about, it would be late summer when you have ripe plums. Spare me the talk about it being some fantasy where anything goes.

No problem, you vote and score what suits you. If MDL allows a vote per episode, then that is something they feel works for people. But for me, I find it best to vote once I have seen the full drama/film.

Regarding LBFDAD & TTEOTM, I'm told by a friend the latter was very tiresome and serious. The blood spitting and crying sent them over, and I suspect in China, there's a bit of fatique with these Xianxia tropes and unlike the international audiences, they're probably a bit ahead of the curve compared with us. Maybe they're moving on and looking at an alternative.

LBFDAD is that bridging drama which paved the way for things like Starry Love which centres on parodies and pokes fun at the classic tropes seen in costume dramas. You can also see this with the most recently aired LGinEF, where the audience prefer that sort of humour. Not the type of dated and forced humour seen here with FoF.

I feel it's aimed at a younger audience. the fight scenes are like computer games and very sanitised. The "fresh meat" is aimed at thirsty teenagers. Not sure why you said it doesn't fit? Just my opinion.

I made a comment on the top bar under discussion about Douban on this page, so feel free to look under Kaddie's discussion about Douban.

China is well aware of the abuse on Douban and this is not new and there have been numerous instances of ratings not being released until they've sieved out malicious activity. The Longest Promise and New Vanity Fair had big gaps between finish airing and publishing the scores. This is because of the issues with rival fandoms trying to down vote. So far there has been no hard and fast rule to stop this. Any Douban ratings coming out early usually means within the industry, the activity is stable and generally, there is minimal malicious activity. That's why some scores come out quite quickly. It's the delayed ones which are the ones more likely the target of dodgy voting.

It's good to hear that this has captivated you as a passerby, and you hope to see the story unfold the way wish. I'm not a fan of voting per episode, so I made this comment to you because I noticed you had made a vote per episode.

I disagree with that comment. I think it's the other way round. The passerby are the more logical ones with no filter or influence. They will analyse the plots in full details. Reality is, this drama is not offering anything unique. Excess music and the attempt at deadpan might not have worked. Is it possible that first impressions are not good?

From what I have seen the audiences in China are vast. Sure, the younger demographics play the same game as what I see here on MDL (Data, manipulation of information, pushing marketing through fandoms). We're only past half way and you say you hope it does well. Why? Surely you don't know what the next 30% of the drama will be like so in a way, that's also emotional. You will be voting already when the full drama has not completed.

Yes, it's more appealing to the international audiences because it's more a nod to stuff like Star Wars/Game of Thrones and has grand dramatic scenes and music. Perhaps in China they're not into the over the top dramatic scenes. After all, they've seen a lot of that already, and now moving on from that.

Personally, I feel this drama is more aimed at a very young audience because of the way it tries to hammer home what is wrong and what is right. It draws on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory style of ticking others off, using side characters along the way to build up the morals. They just spiced it up with some above average looking actors to make it a more visual appealing watch.

Although all ratings are questionable just like Douban, I keep seeing people referencing it even when it suits them. Here on MDL, it's the same. In the end the most important thing is if you like it or not and just ignore others' opinion.

Personally, I think the ratings here on MDL is inflated, but not seeing anyone say that much here. We all have our biases and accept that perhaps in China a core portion are not into flashy posey slow motion scenes that is more in place of a music video.

They might want more content, not drawn out thin story lines that have been seen before. It is draggy and the comedic timing is off. The attempt at dead-pan is often cringey and forced. These are my take on it so far. Perhaps some expected more from GJM?

This is a very light insight into a segment of this drama. I would fill more pages if it's on more areas. Not everyone likes to just post barrages and be influenced by others at the heat of the moment. I can't speak for others, but regardless of whether it's an idol drama or some short drama, it's an opinion, which is what this forum is for.

There's this 'sling your hook' type of comment on quite a few pages, as if there is some sort of invisible gate-keeping of a drama. The intolerance is a way to shame others for holding an alternative view to the mass viewpoint.

It's common for the partisan gate-keepers on these pages to tell anyone with even an ounce of a different opinion to sling their hooks. That's how sad it's become. They forget people can watch it and also criticize it. But the intolerance of any other opinion shows how far gone some are.

I'd be surprised if it's not that to be honest. This drama is far from subtle for a start. It hammers home the message, but done in cringe-worthy fashion. Using lazy flashbacks to avoid making actors and the story telling more nuanced. It's as if his audiences are just 14 year olds. The many comments on this page basically are of an eco-chamber padding out and covering the story lines and trying to make it more interesting than it is.

He just wants to cobble together above average looking people and men willing to whip their tops off for the predominantly female audience. That is what he is famous for. The thirsty lot are here pretending to be something more profound.

Yes, but did it need 17 episodes to get to that? Many of the episodes are filler self-indulgent slow-mo music videos. Maybe that is enough to sustain some viewers who are new to c-dramas or are at entry level into idol dramas.

A core portion of the comments are quite hilarious. So many are padding out and thinking for GJM's direction because he's basically offered very little in content except stylised scenes (posing and extra slow speaking.) I know this helps to cover up some actors' squeaky voice and questionable line deliveries, but when that's punctuated with constant flash-backs and endless chain of music, it really makes this story more and more hollow.

Yes, and there are some on here in denial claiming they didn't get enough promotion hence the lack of success. I'm not sure what success they mean. From word of mouth to hitting the heat index, they can't make up their minds. No doubt, the goal-post keeps shifting when it suits.

These last 2 days have seen many concocting a mad brain storming of how profound they are...the characters are very unique, and how others don't get all the BL elements and the tragedies of demons Vs humans and how each are so different. It's as if none have lived their lives or seen any other dramas that offer all that but in little doses here and there, not like this hammering home in such toe curling way.

GJM is well known to queer bait for success and profit. He knows that using a mainly female audience guarantees his success, as long as the men have their tops off, or are above average in the looks department. So far, I have not seen anything unique nor new. Only change is he has upped the music collection to the point of giving his critics exactly what they want - they say he's just a 2 hour man, who likes to make everything like a music video. As for content, go for visuals.

It's thin on plot and any interesting in the storyline. Slow talking, low whispers (keeps the actors from sounding high pitched and even exposing some of their short-comings) and stylised posing including the fight scenes, all seen before,

Certainly nothing new here, and most of the inside the circle fans are re-telling the story with their own filter and padding it out with their own take on it, and like GJM trying to act all profound within their eco chamber. The biggest success so far is it's a master stroke in branding.

I only finished 3 episodes so maybe what I write might not be right so someone might come and correct me.

So far from what I can see, it might be due to his failure to speak up for his wife or protect her from his own family. They are very traditional, and expect the wife to do everything for him and his family. They don't respect her and he refuses to speak up for her and even sides with his own family.

He comes across as someone that is a workaholic, often putting his family second. He instils a lot of discipline on his own children, particularly his eldest son, so I'm assuming the expectation and pressure will be high for his eldest son. I suspect, this will have some far reaching consequences later on in their lives. Who knows, that's my take on it so far.

As far as I'm concerned, using flashbacks continually like this only shows a failure to use acting and the subtle story telling to push the drama along. It's fine to do it here and there, but here, it's a lazy and terrible way to tell a story. It makes the drama look basic.

Instead of expanding about demon and humans and their differences, I had to read someone else's comments on why certain characters behaved a certain way. Unless I missed something, or it's really only aimed at their domestic audiences so for the wider international audience, some may not get some of the "in the know" world of this story.

Lol, I was thinking exactly the same thing.

I'm now beginning to wonder whether they are doing last minute re-edits to take out scenes of more slow-mo, music, and crying after the feedback they got.