IKR?? I knew when the show started and we had SO MANY really good side characters, with the type of show it is that probably not all of them would make it.
I'm on episode 6, and you guys the flirting that is already happening! I mean, it's not how normal, mentally healthy people flirt. It's how people with super dark backstories who live for nothing but their vengeance flirt. All, "I'm going to miss making crazy revenge plans with you when this is done," and "don't stare at me too long, looking into the darkness is dangerous" and "I already live in the dark".
I love how they each warn the other not to fall for them in their own ways. I'm already here for this couple. They are so broken as separate people but watching them come together is going to be great.
I love it when really smart leads fall for each other. I especially love it when it's enemies to lovers and they actually do the enemies part well. This one really doesn't shy away, let me tell you! I'm here for it.
Just a note, this site allows you to block people, so the troll on here posting multiple comments dogging the FL's acting and just generally being hateful - feel free to block them and you won't be subjected to their comments anymore.
Today's episodes just reset ep 1.Big kitty is gone. Shifu loves Shui till the last ember.Welcome Tsundere Su Yishui…
I remember when I first started watching c-dramas, lol. I did a whole post asking "WHAT is with all of the spitting blood?? Do they realize that would literally mean someone was dying? They seem to use it here for everything. Someone gets cut in the arm - spits blood. Uses a little too much spiritual energy - spits blood. Gets poisoned - spits blood. Gets a little too emotional - spits blood. Oh, yes, and if they're dying they spit A LOT of blood." LMAO. I eventually figured out it's just the historical c-drama way of indicating something is Very Serious and is impacting the character and we should be concerned or paying attention.
One thing that makes me smile watching this drama is the sheer number of times the FL comments how handsome Deng Wei is, lol. Normally, I might find that kind of thing a little over the top, but my introduction to him was watching TTEOTM when every single time he came on screen, I could not stop looking at him because he is so handsome. I even rewound a couple of scenes because I could not believe this man was this stunning (AND had decent acting skills) and had never acted in a lead role. I knew then, it was only a matter of time.
So the fact that his first lead role has his FL remarking on his absolutely stunning beauty all of the time really works for me. LMAO.
Anyway, I'm enjoying the drama so far and I hope it does well for him.
I'm on episode 6 and I'm fully invested in our leads, who are adorable. I stand by my previous statement that this reminds of Amidst a Snowstorm of Love with the sloooooow burn and the way the ML takes care of the FL. But I came to make this comment about my least favorite character on the show - and I feel bad for the actress who is really giving it her all and is pretty and could be playing a lead or second lead role, but instead gets to play the stereotypical female villainess.
Anyway - we're supposed to believe she has such strong feelings for the ML after basically meeting him once and seeing him a couple of times that she lies, cheats, and even volunteers to go into a war zone out of petty jealousy that the FL "gets to see him every day"? What kind of idiot does that? She's even seen live footage of how dangerous it is.
Also, she KNOWS he doesn't like her. But she's just going to go ahead and push forward with some kind of delulu plan that going to the war zone will suddenly make him like her? AND she knows that the FL likes him, and probably suspects that he likes her back after the way they both reacted at that dinner she orchestrated.
Like...there are plenty of other good looking guys out there, lady. Go find one. I just find characters like her so unrealistic. At least when they make the villainess a childhood friend of the ML, they can say she's been harboring unrequited feelings for him. But here they are literally strangers. She doesn't know him at all. It feels like it's just petty "I don't want the FL to win, so I'm going to do everything I can to steal him" BS.
Anyway. I'm done ranting. Ben has grown on me. I hope they develop a nice slow burn romance with him and the doctor lady. IDK why he pretends to be a jerk who only cares about money and sleeping with women, but he clearly has more going un beneath the surface and the ML blatantly calls him on it in this episode.
I just finished episode 2 and can I just say I had to pause it for a minute to deal with the second hand embarrassment of the FL attending her work dinner only to discover her crush is (SUPPOSEDLY) the boyfriend of her rival.
I wish these shows didn't always lean into the side character female villain role. Shen Bei as a senior and mentor would have been more interesting, really. Instead she's a typical rival/villain there to create conflict. Ugh.
But I like the show so far. It's a slow burn. Reminds me a bit of Amidst a Snowstorm of Love with the kind of sheltered FL and the ML who takes care of her.
I KNOW RIGHT?! How could they show nothing of her trauma and only end it with one scene?! Despite everything,…
Oh yeah, it is possible that they had more scenes that got edited out. That's actually an interesting premise and would explain a lot. If so, it was a huge mistake!
And yes, I thought there was a moment in the woods when she tried to stop him or follow him going home, too, when he knocked her out and left her, he almost seemed regretful, and he was very gentle laying her by that tree. There have been moments, just not enough of them.
I KNOW RIGHT?! How could they show nothing of her trauma and only end it with one scene?! Despite everything,…
I was also really disappointed that they never show us Qimin returning to her side after her panic attack. Like...Xuan Lie promises to find him, asks Qilou to send him, the Princess is clearly NOT okay in those scenes, and then we never get to see Qimin seeing her being vulnerable, just her back to normal and upset that it takes him so long to come back to her side, and him once again being irritated and indifferent.
I just feel like their entire storyline is a series of missteps and missed opportunities by the writers, who seem to think that everyone will somehow find something redeemable in portraying the Princess as a spoiled brat 95% of the time, and then devoting 5% to her actually being crafty and outwitting her mother and servants, or being vulnerable and traumatized by her childhood. I WANT to like them. Qimin is the kind of character I could normally get really into, but they also don't do him any favors by keeping him completely one dimensional and focused on Qilou, and again, not showing any moments where he softens toward the Princess.
I'm still holding out hope that it turns around in the remaining episodes and we actually see both of these characters grow and their love story unfold. Somehow.
I agree with so many others - the Qimin and Princess pairing COULD have been done so much better. Like...the seeds were there, if only they'd let her act less like a spoiled brat and more like the survivor she would HAVE to be after that background and having such a mother. We should have seen hints that her spoiled brat persona was a guise to fool her cruel and controlling mother and paranoid brother of a King. We should have seen Qimin - who is smart and perceptive - seeing through her guise and slowly respecting and admiring her. We should have seen him empathize over her truly horrific childhood trauma. Instead, it's just "mine, mine, mine" from the Princess and Qimin barely tolerating her as he continues to pine for Qilou, even knowing how she feels about Xuan Lie.
And I am also FED UP with the lack of communication between our lead couple for the Sake of the Plot. COME ON. These two are master strategists who hatched plots together to bring down Xuan Lie's enemies and expose them. Then, suddenly for the sake of the plot, we have the ML just NOT TELL the FL about his grand plan to get her back home and to marry her - meanwhile he takes ten steps outside the room and shares his plan in detail with his subordinates. And NOW we have HER refusing to share her plans and troubles with him, and just coldly turning him away. Really? These characters are both smarter than this. If they communicate and work together, they can solve any problem. But no. For the sake of unnecessary conflict, we're just going to take turns hiding our plans and troubles to create misunderstandings.
Sigh. I'm still watching, but man I hope they turn this around.
Also, every SINGLE problem in this drama could be solved by just getting rid of both of these Kings, who are paranoid, selfish nut jobs who create more problems than they solve.
Picked this up as a light palette cleanser after the heavy emotion of Moonlight Mystique and am really enjoying it. Of course, I loved WXY in The Double and love him here, too. But I also really like the slice of life type dramas, and I love that we are getting multiple couples here. That said, looking for recs of similar shows that have with the same feel and theme - ie, multiple couples, slice of life, some humor, but not too over the top. Perfect Match is great but I'd like to watch something I'm not waiting for new episodes to drop, too!
I feel the same! I adore SML and this usually never happens to me haha but I loved him almost instantly! That…
Seriously, I need another drama with this man playing a VERY similar character as the lead. I would 10/10 watch it. I have no idea how many people are talking about his character, though, especially in China where it probably actually matters.
I'm still 90% sure we're going to get a self-sacrifice moment or something and that will be when her feelings are acknowledged. It just has that feel.
I feel the same! I adore SML and this usually never happens to me haha but I loved him almost instantly! That…
WOW, I actually never expected the show to BLATANTLY show us that she's in love with him, but I'm SO happy it did! And he clearly knows. (I mean...like you said, the lie was SO obvious.) Him saying "Good. Then I'll pretend I never asked you that question today." Is really him saying "Good, then I'll pretend to believe you."
And yes, when he walked toward her and she backed up it was definitely hot. I'm not going to hold out hope for a kiss before the end, but it would be nice.
I love how they each warn the other not to fall for them in their own ways. I'm already here for this couple. They are so broken as separate people but watching them come together is going to be great.
Just a note, this site allows you to block people, so the troll on here posting multiple comments dogging the FL's acting and just generally being hateful - feel free to block them and you won't be subjected to their comments anymore.
So the fact that his first lead role has his FL remarking on his absolutely stunning beauty all of the time really works for me. LMAO.
Anyway, I'm enjoying the drama so far and I hope it does well for him.
Anyway - we're supposed to believe she has such strong feelings for the ML after basically meeting him once and seeing him a couple of times that she lies, cheats, and even volunteers to go into a war zone out of petty jealousy that the FL "gets to see him every day"? What kind of idiot does that? She's even seen live footage of how dangerous it is.
Also, she KNOWS he doesn't like her. But she's just going to go ahead and push forward with some kind of delulu plan that going to the war zone will suddenly make him like her? AND she knows that the FL likes him, and probably suspects that he likes her back after the way they both reacted at that dinner she orchestrated.
Like...there are plenty of other good looking guys out there, lady. Go find one. I just find characters like her so unrealistic. At least when they make the villainess a childhood friend of the ML, they can say she's been harboring unrequited feelings for him. But here they are literally strangers. She doesn't know him at all. It feels like it's just petty "I don't want the FL to win, so I'm going to do everything I can to steal him" BS.
Anyway. I'm done ranting. Ben has grown on me. I hope they develop a nice slow burn romance with him and the doctor lady. IDK why he pretends to be a jerk who only cares about money and sleeping with women, but he clearly has more going un beneath the surface and the ML blatantly calls him on it in this episode.
I wish these shows didn't always lean into the side character female villain role. Shen Bei as a senior and mentor would have been more interesting, really. Instead she's a typical rival/villain there to create conflict. Ugh.
But I like the show so far. It's a slow burn. Reminds me a bit of Amidst a Snowstorm of Love with the kind of sheltered FL and the ML who takes care of her.
And yes, I thought there was a moment in the woods when she tried to stop him or follow him going home, too, when he knocked her out and left her, he almost seemed regretful, and he was very gentle laying her by that tree. There have been moments, just not enough of them.
I just feel like their entire storyline is a series of missteps and missed opportunities by the writers, who seem to think that everyone will somehow find something redeemable in portraying the Princess as a spoiled brat 95% of the time, and then devoting 5% to her actually being crafty and outwitting her mother and servants, or being vulnerable and traumatized by her childhood. I WANT to like them. Qimin is the kind of character I could normally get really into, but they also don't do him any favors by keeping him completely one dimensional and focused on Qilou, and again, not showing any moments where he softens toward the Princess.
I'm still holding out hope that it turns around in the remaining episodes and we actually see both of these characters grow and their love story unfold. Somehow.
And I am also FED UP with the lack of communication between our lead couple for the Sake of the Plot. COME ON. These two are master strategists who hatched plots together to bring down Xuan Lie's enemies and expose them. Then, suddenly for the sake of the plot, we have the ML just NOT TELL the FL about his grand plan to get her back home and to marry her - meanwhile he takes ten steps outside the room and shares his plan in detail with his subordinates. And NOW we have HER refusing to share her plans and troubles with him, and just coldly turning him away. Really? These characters are both smarter than this. If they communicate and work together, they can solve any problem. But no. For the sake of unnecessary conflict, we're just going to take turns hiding our plans and troubles to create misunderstandings.
Sigh. I'm still watching, but man I hope they turn this around.
Also, every SINGLE problem in this drama could be solved by just getting rid of both of these Kings, who are paranoid, selfish nut jobs who create more problems than they solve.
I'm still 90% sure we're going to get a self-sacrifice moment or something and that will be when her feelings are acknowledged. It just has that feel.
And yes, when he walked toward her and she backed up it was definitely hot. I'm not going to hold out hope for a kiss before the end, but it would be nice.