StrongFL

I've volunteered or worked in the gender-based violence field since I was a child. I've studied it, provided front-line service to victims, and created policies affecting hundreds of thousands of people. I'm not sure where you're getting your data, but rape victims aren't "abusing" saying no. They are clear about it and the rapists are also clear that they are doing something wrong. Please don't spout victim-blaming views to try to prove your argument. It does the opposite.

No, but these shows have strong FL and healthy couple relationships. They're also just great dramas.

I'm glad we agree that those scenes are problematic.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but what do you mean by "At least they chose him to do it, not an ugly actor." Are you saying that it's OK because he's attractive? As I explain in my post above, the portrayal of the "roughness" of relationships is not scarce in modern, toxic relationships. That doesn't mean I want to watch something where there's a lack of consent among the leads.

Violence is very normal in the present. I'm going to preface this by saying that I have wonderful male relatives and friends in my life. My husband has many of the traditional masculine qualities of being physically strong, athletic, and a provider. He has NEVER forcefully kissed a woman. EVER. Approximately 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, which equates to one person being victimized roughly every 2.5 seconds. Two. Point. Five. Seconds. I am disgusted thinking about the number of women who were victimized in the short time it took us to have this exchange. Do you know the biggest reason a woman dies? It's not cancer or other forms of illnesses. It's not car accidents. It's predatory men. And I say that with the pedagogical understanding that it's a very small percentage of men who hit or sexually assault women. The problem is that they are almost always repeat offenders and victimize multiple women. Hence the high numbers. Shows where the ML--someone we're supposed to like--forces physical intimacy on his "love," send the type of messaging that allows gender-based violence to continue. It's dangerous not only for women, but also the boys and men who are being told that they have to be hyper aggressive to be liked. It's a big reason for the male loneliness epidemic.

I'm sorry I should have prefaced my question/review by saying that I have nothing against the actor. I know actors can get typecast. Thank you for suggesting the other show.

Thank you for responding. I don't have anything against the actor. But I enjoyed the following dramas a lot more because of the consent issue:
Unveil: Jadewind
Legend of Fei
Legend of Shen Li

Thank you for your response. I have nothing against the actor himself. I know actors can get typecast. Since this is a historical drama, in history, could people leap over buildings and large distances because they knew martial arts? Or keep fighting at peak capacity after being stabbed/getting hit by arrows repeatedly? Having a butcher's daughter who is adept at martial arts & able to catch the heart of a nobleman is also historically inaccurate. Most of us watch these shows because they're fiction and not historical documentaries. If the writers/directors can take liberty with one plot point, they have the choice to take liberty with other plot points. I'm sick of purity culture and the harmful belief that a FL needs to be forced into anything sexual because "good women" don't have sexual desires. There are plenty of shows where consent is respected. A person who truly loves their love interest would ask for consent. They wouldn't disrespect the person they supposedly care about by forcing any form of physical intimacy. That's true regardless of the year we're in--whether it's in the past or present.

To begin with, I have nothing against the actor himself. This is the second drama I've watched with Zhang Ling He. Do the directors make him force himself onto women in every role he has? I hated Princess Royal when he tries to sexually assault the FL. I stopped watching Pursuit of Jade after he forcefully kisses the FL. TWICE. Not once. TWICE. If a woman forcefully pushes away a man after he tries to kiss her, a good person wouldn't try to kiss her again. Please let me know if all of his characters are like this and I'll have no choice but to avoid his dramas. TIA.

Thank you for the quick response. It's a cliffhanger without resolutions of major plot points. I will continuing searching. Happy NYE!

Thank you for the links. They only go on until about 2:12 hours. Would you have the link to the rest of the show? Thank you!

The scene is vital to the plot. If episode 25 didn't exist, I would have given this a much higher rating. It's not worth the trauma. There are SO MANY other shows to watch.

I'm so glad you agree. That was so disturbing! I watch shows to be entertained--not feel horrible afterward. I don't understand how only 2/105 of the reviews mentioned that they found this disturbing.

Yes, there's a love triangle. I guess it's a happy ending because the main leads don't die and 2 of the other secondary couples end up together. But I wouldn't have watched this if I knew the below:

A cringy script by confused writers

What was advertised? An intriguing drama with a strong FL.
What I got? A cringy script with multiple personality disorder.

I love time travel stories and couldn't wait for this drama. Instead of being entertained, I lost 40 hours of my life that I will never get back.

The writers/director/creators of the show couldn’t figure out what the male lead’s character should be. Is he a good guy or a villain? This wasn’t one of those shows where the ML changes from an anti-hero to a hero. His horrible actions seem completely out of character at times, but he’s not presented as a villain. Those actions are excused because supposedly they were a result of how much he loves the FL.

The FL’s actions are also completely out of character at times. She switches from a strong and independent woman to someone willing to be a victim. She’s also a damsel in distress too often.




Spoilers ahead:

The show couldn’t figure out:

(1) Does the ML respect the FL and wait for her consent? Or, is he a predator who is happy to force himself on her? His attempted sexual assault in episode 25 seems completely out of character for someone who says he’ll wait decades for her.
(2) Is the ML a wonderful, supportive, and confident man who cares for women’s rights and is OK with the FL taking the lead? Or, is he a jealous and possessive jerk who wants to literally kill any man who likes her?
(3) Is the FL a strong, brilliant, and independent woman who doesn’t take BS from anyone? Or, does she suffer from Stockholm Syndrome, and talks about having a child with the ML after he tries to sexually assault her?


I went from liking the ML to hating his guts. Until episode 25, he is mostly shown as a supportive partner who respects the choices and intellect of the FL. When she says she needs more time, he says he will wait decades for her. He already has.

In episode 25, he grabs her by the neck and forcefully kisses her. This is not one of those “forced kisses” that are supposedly steamy. She is so repulsed that she claws and leaves scratch marks on his neck to get away. Does this make him stop? Nope. He throws her down and tries to sexually assault her, holding down her arms so she can’t fight back. When she finally manages to get him off her and tells him what a scumbug he is, he suddenly changes his tune–kind of. He forcefully hugs her and tells her he couldn’t help himself because he loves her so much.

Does this make the FL–an independent, brilliant, and proud woman–want to divorce him on the spot? Nope. She accepts his non-apology apology and talks about having children with him. The scene ends with them lying next to each other in what is supposedly a romantic moment where they’re watching the stars together.

It was cringe to the millionth power.

I’m disappointed that Netflix didn’t include a content warning for sexual assault.

I always read tags on MDL and do keyword searches even if I get spoilers because I don’t want to watch abusive behavior passed on as loving or romantic. Alas, nothing came up when I searched for abuse or sexual assault. I’m grateful for the commenter who called out the attempted assault in episode 25, but they used the words forced kiss, so it didn’t come up on my search. In the future, you can bet that “forced kiss” will be one of my keyword searches.

I don’t know about you, but most people watch shows to be entertained–not to feel cringy afterward.

I know my overall reviews round up to 3.5, but the OST and strong performances by some of the actors can’t justify watching this BS. Save yourself 40 hours of your life and find something else. There’s no shortage of content out there.

Not at all: my answer is below.

Yes, there's a love triangle. I guess it's a happy ending because the main leads don't die and 2 of the other secondary couples end up together. But I wouldn't have watched this if I knew the below:

A cringy script by confused writers

What was advertised? An intriguing drama with a strong FL.
What I got? A cringy script with multiple personality disorder.

I love time travel stories and couldn't wait for this drama. Instead of being entertained, I lost 40 hours of my life that I will never get back.

The writers/director/creators of the show couldn’t figure out what the male lead’s character should be. Is he a good guy or a villain? This wasn’t one of those shows where the ML changes from an anti-hero to a hero. His horrible actions seem completely out of character at times, but he’s not presented as a villain. Those actions are excused because supposedly they were a result of how much he loves the FL.

The FL’s actions are also completely out of character at times. She switches from a strong and independent woman to someone willing to be a victim. She’s also a damsel in distress too often.




Spoilers ahead:

The show couldn’t figure out:

(1) Does the ML respect the FL and wait for her consent? Or, is he a predator who is happy to force himself on her? His attempted sexual assault in episode 25 seems completely out of character for someone who says he’ll wait decades for her.
(2) Is the ML a wonderful, supportive, and confident man who cares for women’s rights and is OK with the FL taking the lead? Or, is he a jealous and possessive jerk who wants to literally kill any man who likes her?
(3) Is the FL a strong, brilliant, and independent woman who doesn’t take BS from anyone? Or, does she suffer from Stockholm Syndrome, and talks about having a child with the ML after he tries to sexually assault her?


I went from liking the ML to hating his guts. Until episode 25, he is mostly shown as a supportive partner who respects the choices and intellect of the FL. When she says she needs more time, he says he will wait decades for her. He already has.

In episode 25, he grabs her by the neck and forcefully kisses her. This is not one of those “forced kisses” that are supposedly steamy. She is so repulsed that she claws and leaves scratch marks on his neck to get away. Does this make him stop? Nope. He throws her down and tries to sexually assault her, holding down her arms so she can’t fight back. When she finally manages to get him off her and tells him what a scumbug he is, he suddenly changes his tune–kind of. He forcefully hugs her and tells her he couldn’t help himself because he loves her so much.

Does this make the FL–an independent, brilliant, and proud woman–want to divorce him on the spot? Nope. She accepts his non-apology apology and talks about having children with him. The scene ends with them lying next to each other in what is supposedly a romantic moment where they’re watching the stars together.

It was cringe to the millionth power.

I’m disappointed that Netflix didn’t include a content warning for sexual assault.

I always read tags on MDL and do keyword searches even if I get spoilers because I don’t want to watch abusive behavior passed on as loving or romantic. Alas, nothing came up when I searched for abuse or sexual assault. I’m grateful for the commenter who called out the attempted assault in episode 25, but they used the words forced kiss, so it didn’t come up on my search. In the future, you can bet that “forced kiss” will be one of my keyword searches.

I don’t know about you, but most people watch shows to be entertained–not to feel cringy afterward.

I know my overall reviews round up to 3.5, but the OST and strong performances by some of the actors can’t justify watching this BS. Save yourself 40 hours of your life and find something else. There’s no shortage of content out there.

Sorry, I watched it on Netflix. You've probably already tried the free trial subscriptions on Viki and Netflix. In my country, especially around the holidays, they give trial subscriptions. I hope you can find what you are looking for. I read many of the reviews after the fact because I didn't want spoilers. Most of the criticism is spot on.

It's disappointing--but not surprising--that people are ganging up on her for being human. It's this type of slander that made her endure abuse and not seek help. Most victims don't try to get support because of this type of victim blaming. They know they wouldn't be believed or treated with kindness when they come forward. Victim blaming is so prevalent that it makes the victims feel like it's their fault. This is the cycle of abuse--one abusers understand and exploit because they know that our society will react in this way.

Eating disorders are the deadliest mental illnesses. I'm in no way saying that she's trying to lose weight intentionally, but trauma can rob someone of their basic need for nutrition. How many of us didn't feel like eating or felt nauseated when distressed?

Are you sure you want to? The confused writers wrote a cringy script.

They're both in episode 25, at 38:40.