Tempest

The relationship between the leads is kinda adorable.

I went into this expecting a typical Ireine Song drama. She is one actress that gets typecast for such roles and I don't mind watching them once in a while. But, I do wish that her agency or she would choose to portray some somber characters that are not to be messed with. I loved her in the different princess. She was perfect for the character, she always looks like a mischievous imp having fun in all her dramas and we get to see her enjoy it. But I want her to break that mold.

Ep 1 to Ep 10: This drama has been fun so far, the leads are adorable. The other characters not so much. The story is pretty tame and I wouldn't have watched this drama had it not been for Ireine.

Ep 11 & Ep 18: Okay, I kinda expected this plot to go awry because of her being prophesized to be his family's destructions. But whoa, that was angsty as hell. Once we are past the angst, we get some boring episodes.

Ep 19 to Ep 24: Things aren't picking up. I want to see how it ends so I am holding on, but I have to skip most parts of it. Qiao is again in jail and Duan Yu is of no help again.

Ep 25 to Ep 32: So Lu Zi Zheng is the enemy, not really surprised by that, but I'm shocked about the carnage at the Xiling sect. He thinks everything will reset once the FL goes back. I don't think things are going to go his way. As of now, I'm just watching it for the sake of watching. The story or the atmosphere created isn't immersive enough. I just focus on what's going on with the the leads and a few other characters.

Ep 33 to Ep 36: Whoa, now that was fun. They should have had this do over thing before and let us enjoy this second lifetime a bit more. maybe the drama would have been more interesting. But with only 2 episodes left, they'll have to wrap up things in a hurry. It was one of those dramas that won't leave a lasting impact. Something of a filler you watch while waiting on other dramas. I did the characters in ancient settings compared to the modern times.

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Both the FL and ML are green flags

Its impossible not to love these two seemingly adorable characters. There is no finding fault. The writes did such a beautiful job and this is one gem worth rewatching. It is like a salve for your heart, especially if you have been traumatized by crappy endings.

The cast was also a treat to watch, all the actors were so visually stunning. The FL's entire family was full of green flags, her brother and her parents. They were so understanding of her and also cherished their daughter so much. A treat for people who understand how precious gentle parenting can be.

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Light hearted drama with a green flag male lead!

I thought it was a bit different from other time travel dramas where only one of the leads go back in time, but this took back an entire family. Their dynamics were fun to watch. (A shame that they didn't keep their memory of going back, that's the only issue with the ending I have got.)

Apart from that, the script follow the basic plot of time travel drama so it was nothing out of the ordinary, for me, Li Yun Rui was the star here. He was so damn perfect for this role. Had it not been for him, this would have been more like one those mini dramas.

Thankfully, we have Li Yun Rui leading this, so I knew it wouldn't drop the ball in terms of acting, this gave me a chance to appreciate Wang Ying Lu as an actor. I might seek out some of her dramas as well now, especially When Destiny Brings the Demon.

The ending was as expected, for once I hoped that they gave us more than this simple and then they met again in modern times excuse.

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What a disturbingly normal story.

In the first 10 episodes the FL is barely lifts her head to meet the ML eyes. Instead of feeling any chemistry between the two, I felt worried about her. Everything including their past and present relationship till episode 18 seems like the ML has the upper hand and FL just follows whatever he wants blindly. And so many questionable things happens.

The ML clearly broke up with her, told her he didn't want to see her again. Yes, the FL should have at least asked him why he wanted to, she for first time during their relationship decided to hold back. Her father forced her to move abroad and she had no way to contact ML since he refused to give her his contact details. Its 7 years later, the ML blames her saying that she just left and it felt like she broke up with him. And she apologizes.

Next, when she tells him she is divorced, he lashes out and says what makes her think that he could accept a divorced woman. He then shows up next day asks her to get married. The FL, no questions asked accepts again blindly.

Does the groom seem happy to be married? No!
Does he tell everyone that he is married? No!
His family comes to town and does he invite her to meet them? No!
She has to ask him why they are sneaking around when they are married.

What's more, she seems to have successful career, however he doesn't seem to praise her or even be proud to be her husband.

That's not even the worse:
An incident where the ML forcefully kisses her after he drinks a little, he comes back the next day apologizes for it and the heroine just shrugs its off as if its not a big concern and its acceptable. (And this is not a one off, another incident where he falls on her in jealous rage but stops himself)
Another incident with her fake marriage, another guy who got drunk and almost tried to force his attentions on her.

When the FL's ex-husband shows up threatening their marriage, he then suddenly does a 180 and becomes an husband who's actually interested in his wife. Then he realizes their marriage wasn't a real one and he wants to make it one. The ending was so bizarre because this guy was non-communicative and controlling.

Apart from the story, what was wrong with the show's stylist, I remember only 1 outfit that FL looked great in, it was when she showed up for a meeting with her ex husband. They went out of their way to make the FL look crappy at all turns. That woman was so gorgeous that she managed to make rock the botched pixie cut.

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Will the Korean Addam's Family be scammed or embrace the scammer?

Ep 1: Love it. When I first read the description, my mind immediately thought, so we are getting some version of Korean Addam's family. It just has that kind of vibe. Initially, the FL didn't leave much of an impression but as the minutes passed by and we reach the end we see the real her and that makes this drama interesting. Even more so than the weird powers all the family members have. The entire Bok Family seriously vulnerable right now and may just fall for the scamster. It was funny seeing ML's mother try to paint all the red flag FL waved into green ones. I'm excited to see how this one goes.

Ep 2: Okay so much happened. First things first, the scene with the treadmill seems as if it is inspired by real life incident or some other drama, because for some reason I feel like I have seen the exact thing happen before. I can't remember where it was from though. Bok Dong Hee is so relatable right now, overeating is an affliction that's hard to break, especially when the food can make you feel so good. The ML also gives us a clear insights into depression, when he said that he is too depressed to be grateful to anyone. It can make one so selfish to ignore their child who is also suffering. Their family dynamics are such that they enable each other to avoid confrontations and that's the norm right now. Despite his addiction, the Gwi Joo's interactions with Da Hee are pretty interesting. I am still curious about the FL's family and how they come to be who they are.

Ep 3: Da Hee's family kinda got the wrong target this time around. They are trying to take advantage of the Bok Family's disorders but she'll only end up curing them. So, no pay day for them. The writers are going to keep me guessing if what comes out of Da Hee's mouth is the truth or Gwi Joo really did all those things when he went back into time. Love Ina though, in the previous episode she told Da Hee to run away from the crazy family. A call back to that was fun to watch. The ending was so damn good.

Ep 4: Each episode is another version of what will Gwi Joo's future self do only for his current self to be completely oblivious to it and I love it. It is fun to watch. Finally got to learn some interesting tidbits about Da Hee's family. And the episode ended with a good kiss. Apart from that, this episode was pretty tame compared to the previous one. Hopefully, it will pick up the pace again in next week's eps.

Ep 4: This was one of the most beautiful episode ever. The grandma is finally doubting Da Hee. I don't like that it is because her mom was ex-convict. She chooses to hold something that Da Hee's adoptive mother has done against her but falls for her poor me innocent act based on one dream. She clearly can't distinguish the good from the bad. I like Dong Hee, she doesn't let the FL's act fool her. She is also wary of FL's foster sister. I wonder if the person who saved FL was her uncle and not the ML. I'm so glad that Ina has some backbone. I wonder how it is going to play out. What an interesting episode. Can't wait to see what happens tomorrow.

Ep 6: Well they finally found out that Do Da Hee is a fraud, at least she admitted it herself rather than having someone else do it. I don't think they know what a grand wedding means, this was such a basic wedding. Ina's story is also getting interesting, I wonder though if the girl is going to bully her now. Gwi Joo really did fall for her, here I was thinking he was just going along with the flow. Next week's episode will be a bit sad, but I don't think Ina will cut ties with Da Hee, she might seek her out.

Ep 7: I gotta say this drama keeps getting better. So Gwi Joo & Da Hee at least have decided to embrace the scammer. I think the Gwi Joo's father will be okay with it to, his mother and sister might not be ready for it. This was a beautiful episode, can't wait to see the next one! Poor Da Hee gets slapped not once but twice.

Ep 8: We finally got to know more about Hyung Tae, the family muscle. He is such a softie. It was fun watching him blow the bubbles and loose at the game with Ina. The rest of the episode pretty much confirmed that it was Gwi Joo who saved Da Hee. I'm not sure what Da Hee's mom is going to deal with all of this. The tidbit about Gwi Joo's father also made him a little more interesting.

Ep 9: Why do they have to scare me like that. I though things were going pretty well for them, but all throughout the episode there was a foreshadowing of doom, as if someone was gonna die. According to Gwi Joo's mother it will be Gwi Joo, but looking at the preview of next week it seems like it is going to be Da Hee who might sacrifice herself. When the drama began, it never crossed my mind that it would have sad ending. I hope the next episode clears some things up for me.

Ep 10: Okay, false alarm. No one died yet, but I feel a sense of forebonding as if someone will in the future because why go into it having expectations up. I just hope that it is a happy ending for Ina, she deserves it after all the grief she has had to go through all her life. I hope even if Da Hee dies that Gwi Joo can step up and take better care of his daughter & if Gwi Joo dies so does Da Hee.

Ep 11: It was fun watching Grace, Da Hee, & Dong Hee kick the cheater's ass. Dong Hee was so blinded by love that she kept giving him countless chances and went out of her way to woo him & he again cheated on her. Even when he had Dong Hee by his side. I'm glad that Da Hee finally had a good talk with her mom. Now everyone has braced themselves for the future where Gwi Joo might die. I wonder what role Grace, Hyung Tae, & her mother, Baek Hong are gonna play in the future. Will they even be a part of Da Hee's family?

Ep 12: Oh, I never thought putting Dong Hee & Hyung Tae together might work but wow they look so adorable together! Ina and Joon Woo also were cute throughout the drama, often their first love was exactly what the drama needed. I am a bit disappointed with the way the story of him saving people from the fire turned out but to think about the plot wasn't all that novel. It is as expected, it started with him loosing his powers when he failed to save a person during a fire & ended with him saving his lover twice & his daughter once. The 5 year time skip is a bit much for my tastes, I detest time skips in the final episodes especially when there is a separation. At least we have cutie to lessen the blow. How do you tell your 5 year old to go back in time to get his father back? Imagine where the boy would end up, he could get hurt! Did that thought not cross Da hee's mind? Anyways, the ending was kinda meh. It would have been better seeing them together as a happy family once he returned.

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Such a visual treat! The characters, the costumes, the actors, and the visual art are terrific!

I went in expecting something like Mysterious Lotus Casebook and it does have the same feel to it. However, this one actually has more depth. There are so many characters, I had to go the cast list and keep checking who was who until I was sure that I could recognize them.

The entry of the snake was amazing & he was in the spotlight that he seemed to like. Loved the fight scenes, the sword forest reminded me of the keys flying in Harry Potter. Baili Dong Jun's character seems so silly, kinda like Fang Duo Bing from Lotus Casebook. I am looking forward to episodes where Dong Jun starts training.

I wonder when next we are going to see Sikong Chang Feng. I liked him the best so far and hope that he is cured.

It was fun to watch Dong Jun's interaction with his family. He is such a brat to treat his father that way, but I see that there are no grudges between them. He is loved by all of them. They have fun together. His mother and uncle are also devoted to him. I'm afraid that the Dong Jun's father, grandfather, and master might die right at any given moment with the way things are going. Here's to hoping none of them die, but we know a few of them will die. Well the master's gone. Dong Jun seems like a bratty yet pretty resilient guy. I wish they would release more than 2 episodes daily. I know what's coming but Ye Ding Zhi is such a dependable person and cherishes Dong Jun so much. I don't want to see it all go awry! And at the same time, I want to know more about them.

They meet, they separate. I initially thought that they'll grow together but their paths aways diverge. What I like about Dashing Youth is that the characters are powerful and it is shown, their skills aren't nerfed the way they were in The Blood of Youth, when even the most powerful sword techniques always lost. It was good to see, Li Hong Yi as the founder. Hope we see more of him. Baili Dong Jun is kind of immature to accept Yue Yao's real identity right now. I remember Sword and fairy 4, Yun Tian He was so damn understanding and mature about everything Ling Sha did.

I feel sad for Ding Zi and Wen Ju, but it doesn't seem like the lot of them are that invested in their romances, they are much more focused on the fights and brotherhood. I get the alliance between Shadow sect and future emperor is important, but Wen Jun is just going to be a secondary consort who'll be neglected in the palace in the future. It is not even the polygamy that bothers me, Wen Jun has no choice but to marry him. She has not even the tiniest bit of feelings for her fiancé. The worst part of political marriages is that they exit! I mean do we as so called intellectual species lack even that bit of creativity or will to come up with a solution that doesn't hinge on forcing a woman or man to marry someone that would probably end up mistreating them? Nope, because we prefer it easy. I feel so disappointed in Prince Langya. Like Baili, I'm team Ye Ding Zi for this round. They did him wrong time and again, first his family now what could have been his chance at a decent family life. All for the so called greater good.

I always wondered how Xiao Yu / Prince Chi came into existence, especially with the Wenjun's if not dislike then disinterest in Xiao Ruo Jin. She has already been forced into a marriage so it wasn't difficult to follow that thread and consider that the same happened during their consummation. To this day, a lot of Asian families still force women into marriage disregarding how they will be treated afterwards. They are often married to men who think of them as property to used. So, Ruo Jin drugging her was not surprising. I'm surprised that people think it is out of character for him. Unless the writer of the novel comes out and says that's not what happened and they consummation was willingly done there is no point in defending. Ruo Jin wasn't an upstanding man in The Blood of Youth, he isn't one here either. He is going to be sacrificing his brother in future and with what happening to Wenjun, I am done. He will always be a coward in my books.

Okay, the funniest part of the drama is when they all take their sweet time showing off their moves just expecting the other party to wait and watch them build those moves. I enjoy the visuals but I'm surprised no one kills each other while that happens.

Thanks to Blood of Youth, I already knew how this one was going to end. So, no surprises there. Sometimes even in fiction the bad trumps the good. Have never liked Ruo Jin, have no idea how anyone looks at him with respect. He couldn't even get that bloody kingdom on his own, if not for Ruo Feng literally doing everything for him, while the sicko decides to invest in a fantasy that all his consorts are with him because they had a choice.

Poor Ye Ding Zhi, he was sacrificed for the peace of Beili by the righteous, long before he even decided to become a demon.

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The title and the poster hooked me in, but I'll be watching for the leads.

Ep 1& 2: The child actors are good, but I'm hoping we see them age up soon (maybe 10 episodes?). The drama style is a miss for me, and the family dynamics are messy, especially the mom (you've been warned!). Despite that, the leads' cute interactions is the reason I'm sticking to it.

Ep 3 & Ep 4: Fast-forwarding through the annoying ahjumma plot. The FL's mom is a manipulative nightmare, but thankfully we're past that. Adult ML is a surprising goofball, not what I pictured, and the FL surprisingly clueless.

Ep 5 & 6: Oh, what the hell is wrong with the adults in this drama, they just keeping bad investments. The ML's mother is now using his grandpa's death as a collateral and all is forgiven now that she has the money? Time healed her wounds then. FL's mother is always going to get on my nerves so that's that. Why on the earth is she trying to ruin her daughter's life. And here's Park Do Ra, falling for her favorite Oppa again, only for him trying to use her. Love the last scene of episode 6.

Ep 7 & 8: Wow, Dae Chung finally realizing what the foot in one's mouth tastes like. With him, I wouldn't be surprised if it happens a third time. The romance between Myung Dong & Do Sik is so one sided, he thinks he is too good for her. The leads family are so cross with each other its going to be so damn troublesome for them to ever get together.

Ep 9 & 10: Do Ra doesn't learn from her mistakes, a trait likely learned from her mother. Why does she have to go and fall in love with a guy who doesn't want her. Ever after being rejected, she is going to be stuck on him and embarrasses herself. I feel sad that she is not giving herself enough credit.

Ep 11: I don't understand why Do Ra hasn't matured at all. We get the giddy feeling you get when you meet your first love, but she keeps badgering him even after so many rejections, refusing to hear his concerns. I like her character being the standoffish actress better than this overactive little girl. Since they got together so soon, I'm a bit worried about how many breakups we we are going to be dealing with. Especially worried about this Gong Jin Dan guy trying to ruin her because she rejected him.

Ep 12: There's only one thing I want to talk about all the parents in the drama. What on the earth is wrong with them! All of them are so chaotic, especially the shameless FL's mom and ML's greedy older relative (I'm not sure who she is to him). His father is also crazy, making one poor investment after other. Both Dora and Dae Chung were adorable together. I am a bit worried that it isn't gonna last, but then I am reminded of Dae Chung in love when he was young and the lengths he went for, so maybe he'll do the same for Do Ra. Let's find out.

Ep 13: I just remembered that he gave up on the girl once he found out that he was adopted and felt that he owed his family everything. So, yeah, it means that his family will always be first to him, if they say drop the girl, he might just do it again. Hoping that it isn't the case in the future. It is easy to feel sorry for Dora, she keeps being dragged by everyone, her mom the worst of them all.

Ep 14: Another heartbreaking episode where the worst mom of the year keeps leeching off Dora. She has gambled away so much and owes so much that poor Dora has to take a drastic step. This will be real turning point in Dora's life. She is going to be treated like crap by many people. I wonder how something this huge will change the dynamics between Dora & Dae Chung. This might be the end of them for a while. I just want to hug Dora and tell her to record a video about her mom's leeching and Gong Jin Dan's harassment. (About the story, I was wondering how the writer would keep things interesting for 50 episodes and this turn of events seems to make for a good story)

Ep 15: The episode started out so sad. Do Ra becomes the ultimate commodity, it's either the photoshoot or the guy who almost assaulted her. At the same time, poor Dae Chung, feeling so helpless at not being able to lift the weight off Do Ra's shoulders. He might have reacted strongly in the beginning but he was so understanding about it later to only have Do Ra break up with him rudely. Up to this point, I believed that she would marry the Gong Jin Dan, but things did not follow the script I had in my mind. She ran away from him and tried to contact Dae Chung. It was a given that he didn't believe her when she decided not to marry that guy for the money or the scandal she got caught up in. I have only now realized Im So Hyang is such a good actress, she did such a good job in portraying the listless, hopeless, & devastated character when Do Ra figured out that there was nothing more she could do, no one there to help her, & no one to believe in her. The only way out of it was to let go. This episode was such a tearjerker! I can't wait for the next one.

Ep 16: Last episode was amazing. But why did they have to mess up this one. I was okay with Amnesia at least since Do Ra would get to live a better life and when the doctor said her face might change, I was a bit hopeful. But that all went down the drain when they decided to pull Clark Kent/Superman disguise. Had it been some other actress, it would have easier to convince us that no one recognized her on set, especially Dae Chung. But it was Im so Hyan with a face that instantly recognizable. They could have at least disfigured her a little for it to make sense. I finally figured out who Do Jun was. Right now, all I can say about the people around her is that they are blind.

Ep 17: Come on now, the more I look at her, the more upset I get. Why couldn't they at least modify her face with makeup to make her look different? I have seen instagram vfx makeup artists do wonders, the drama must certainly have had more budget than them. Instead they just want us audience to believe that yay be happy that Do Ra Is alive, but sorry she's not recognizable because we gave her a makeover from uber-stylish to quirky. Oh, we put on the glasses for an additional touch. But since I liked the drama and our Dae Chung & Do Ra, I have decided to overlook that fact and pretend what the creators want me to. I enjoyed the episode once I started watching it with that attitude. This episode was way better than the previous one. It is surprising that things are unveiling so fast. I hope that once Dae Chung finds out the truth, he tells Ji Young about it and then tell her to go back with her grandma and live a better life away from all the crazies. Her mom will try to bleed her dry again. I would have liked for Dae Chung to go with her as well, but it doesn't seem like that's going to happen because of his career and family. He still has to find out that he has a sister.

Ep 18: I like where it is going. I get that Pil Sung is trying to keep it under the wraps, but Do Ra isn't someone who'll allow that. It is going to be a difficult road for her again.

Ep 19 to Ep 22: That was such a mess. Pil Sung either needs to tell her the truth or leave her be. What's the point of confusing her so much? I guess the guilt is getting to him & he still cares for her, but can't he see how he is playing head games. He doesn't stop even after she tells him to. She imagines this weird scenario because of the mixed signals he keeps giving her. For the part where Mari wants to marry him, that's just so horrific. Their mom needs to come clean soon and step up even if it would cause problem in the family, it can't be worse than the half siblings marrying each other. I wonder who Pil Sung's biological father is.
I liked the part where Ji Young finally got tired of the push and pull game Pil Sung was playing and told him off. It was fun to watch. And I have finally decided to not be shocked or surprised by anything Gong Jin Dan does. Pil Sung's family, especially the grandma thinks too highly of herself, it is not wonder she and Dora's mom didn't get along. They were too similar. I hope that from now on they invest more on Mari and Do Jun's story.

Ep 23 & 24: Mari finally found out that Pil Sung is her brother, thank goodness! Pil Sung is so goofy, tricking Ji Young into dates & becoming his gf. Jin Dan being true to himself & reacting so poorly to a rejection remains consistent. Mari's mom needs to stop the nonsense and just clear the air instead of putting all the burden on that poor child.

Ep 25 & Ep 26: It is ridiculous how these adults get off of treating someone like trash, when they are the ones who are the actual trash in dire need of being taken out. As if Pil Sung's family wasn't enough, here's a biological mother who abandoned him having an opinion about who he dates because she doesn't have a high status or look a certain way.

Ep 27 & 28: And here we go again. Ji Young believing everything her bio mom is feeding her. Do Jun is only biological relative worth having for her. Do Shik is problematic, I understand defending your sister but he keeps causing problems.

Ep 29 to Ep 34: Man this is going nowhere. All the parent figures in this drama have no values and only care about money. They kowtow to people who are rich, looking down on everyone else. Makes me sick. I'm watching this for Pil Sung and Do Ra, but things aren't working out for them either. I am so tired of Do Ra's mother. She is a trash of a person that needs to be hit by the dreaded Kdrama truck! But of course that won't happen to her. She is here to get on our nerves. The only parental figure that was a little bit rational has gone crazy, who would blame him though. He is just taking it out on the wrong party.

Ep 35 to Ep 48: Do Jun is the only rational character in this drama. He understands love better than his self-absorbed mother ever would. I forgot the grandma, although she is a bit looney, she is the lovable looney that sticks her neck out for you. Apart from Pil Sung, she was the first to give everything to Do Ra, expecting only love in return. So now it is her turn to be exploited by the leech that the Do family can't get rid of. Right now, I'm just glad that the madness is finally over and I can let go of the drama in just a week.

Ep 49 & Ep 50: Not surprised with the way it ended. I am just glad it did. Don't much care for Pil Seung's family that adopted him, filled with narrowminded people who should have been a support for their daughter in law in time like that but instead chose to abandon her. Pil Seung was a rock throughout the drama, an actual green flag. I didn't think that Do Shik and Pil Seung's aunt would go their separate ways but I'm okay with how it ended for them. Glad that Do Jun and Ma Ri got together, they are both adorable babies.

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After watching some failed adaptations, this feels like heaven!

This past year, I have been waiting for quite a few dramas based on books and webnovels to air, and I felt a bit disappointed with a lot of them.

Only Dou Zhao and Song Mo's Blossom has been terrific so far. Shen wan and Yan Chi have been my favorite book character in rebirth trope and I have re-read it at least twice for now. Right now, apart from this, I'm only excited about Legend of the Female General. If you are a fan of this trope and are looking for recommendations drop me a message, I have read so many this past year and shortlisted the ones i think are gold. I'm also open to recommendations from fellow readers.

Episode 1 to 12:
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About the actors:
> Let's begin by saying the cast is lit! Landy Li is so talented! They did such a good job in casting her for this role. I have been a fan ever since I watched Starry Love.
> I also like Ao Rui Peng and think is absolutely adorable, he has so much happy energy that even a grim role becomes a bit comedic. I am of two minds here, on one had i think that sure we don't have to be that strict let the actors make their characters their own, on the other, a part of me wishes he was a little more serious.
> The rest of the cast is also pretty good. I can't wait to meet the Eighth Young Lady, Qin Yan's sister who is in the capital. Although I don't see her name in the cast list.

About the drama:
> I am enjoying it immensely. I love to watch crime and romance, this is such a treat for me.
> The scriptwriter is doing well so far. The pacing is good, it doesn't feel rushed even when it covering so much. Although there were times when the execution seemed a bit abrupt but okay, this is so much better than what I expected.
> The characters are well adapted, i like what they have done even with the negative characters.
> The visuals are good, but i always find the underwater scenes so comedic, because they look very weird. I can't swim, if i tried to swim like that, i would definitely drown. Thankfully that scene was at the very beginning and i will only have watch it again during a rewatch.

Episode 13 to 22:
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> Oh, these two arcs are my least favorite from the book, so I'm glad they don't take up a lot of time. The crazy doctor is done with, next up unveiling the corruption.
> They are both so adorable together. Love how the creators decided to put the onus of discovering Qin Wan's secret on Yan Chi. And it is good to have him uncover it sooner in the story. Yan Chi is definitely a green forest, one of the reason I had to like him so much. (Even in the original rebirth theme, Yan Chi accepted her identity without any drama. His only worry was loosing Qin Wan.)
> Yan Li, I had forgotten all about him. They chose such a good actor, the outfit screams Yan Li.
> Well, there she is, Qin Chao Yu. I am usually not a fan of watching women being pitted against each other, but for some reason this author made it so engrossing that it became one of my favorite part of the story. I wonder how the drama will handle it! From what I have seen so far, it looks promising.
> Oh, Ao Ru Peng seemed a little out of place in episodes 21 and 22 with the scenes in the palace, especially with everyone else having better posture. He did make it up by the end of the episode 22.

Episode 22 to 38:
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> It is like watching the story unfold at 2x speed, you miss some important elements. This drama would have better served having two parts that explored the details a bit more. Because the parts that were omitted fed into the rich storytelling.
> Regardless, it was still a good watch. They got the ending just right.

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Beautiful! Every element of this drama is so stunning! (Except for the ending)

Ep 1 to Ep 6: I am not one to watch republic era dramas because for some reason I thought the clothes and styles were not all that, but boy was I wrong. They did such a wonderful job with the costumes, the hair, the set, and everything. Everything looked freaking great! It has also been a while since I have watched a vampire drama and man Gao Wei Guang happens to be one of the best castings for a vampire. He looks stunning. We have another horrible mom to add to the list of never endings horrible mothers in cdramas. These kind of mothers make me livid. Here's to hoping that she gets some of her own medicine. Li Ying Liang is not only a thug but he is so psychotic! He is an accident waiting to happen.

Ep 7 to Ep 10: Good thing the mom's out of the picture. Don't want to waste anymore time thinking about her. Looking at Ying Liang, it feels like he is gonna come undone any minute now. So far the relationship between the two leads is nice, I wouldn't have minded if there wasn't any romance in it, it is still a decent drama to watch so far. Especially when the Vampire, the doctor, and Mi Lan are in the room. But if they do end up together it wouldn't be so bad either. I am so over Li Ying Liang and his buddies trying going gaga over Shen Zhi Heng. Yay, we captured a live one. To what? Experiment. Idiots. Powerful captive escape and it always ends in bloodbath. With Shen's passive character he might not be into getting his own back, it feels like he and Ying Liang might end up being buddies by the end of it. Because no matter how much Ying Liang enjoys the thrill he is a pawn .

Ep 11 and Ep 12: Okie so Ying Liang is pretty much a giant ball of hate that doesn't care about anything else but revenge so far. I'm intrigued, but hope that Ying Liang acts a little more mature. Shen is being super carefree about his capture, I wonder how he is going to get out of this mess. Right now, I wonder if any of them are going to die by the end of it. It could be either Yin Liang or Situ Wei Lian since they seem to be competing for the same woman's affection. Or it could go the other way and they might kill off either our vampire or Mi Lan.

Ep 13 to Ep 15: Oh wow, so we got vampire brothers now. That was such a good twist, I never thought Wei Lan would be a vampire though, for a moment there in the last few episodes I wondered if Ying Liang was the brother. Shen is a complicated person, shouldn't he be happy that he has finally found his brother, now he wants to cut ties. I like Wei Lan and I hope they make up! Whoa there, I thought they killed off Mi Lan for a second, but then the vampire thing existed so kinda wasn't that surprised. I don't know what to think of Ying Liang's character, he seems to feel strongly about having killed Mi Lan by accident but that didn't deter him from charging on and trying to kill Shen later. Even later, he was more worried about Shen killing him than gutted about Mi Lan's death.

Ep 16 and Ep 17: The actors are good. Ryan Ren is doing a terrific job as Ying Liang, giving us all the crazies we can accept and more. The others are just as great. I forgot that it has only 24 episodes and I don't want to see it end. It will be predictable now, them dealing with the Mu Li Hua and her cronies.

Ep 18 to Ep 23: Everything was going well till episode 23, I mean it was the norm for the drama we have been watching so far. Yin Liang was being his natural self and I have come to like his character for all his weaknesses. I liked it when he got together with Jin Jing Xue and for a moment I thought that maybe he would return to her like he said. But his plans were always poorly thought out, delusional, and weak. So, I pretty much thought that this was the last time she would be seeing him. It was always easy to see that he liked her but knew that he was a shitshow of a person and therefore tried his best to stay away. At the same time, we have Situ Wei Lan, although he doesn't seem to understand love, he doesn't begrudge her the love she has for Ying Liang. He grows to love her and has been good to he since the beginning, but their relationship feels more like friendship. Maybe there will be a future when they grow closer.

Ep 24: Everything about the ending was poorly done. The visuals that I was so impressed with in the beginning were nowhere to be seen. They were very lacking in this last arc of the drama. I am not a fan of sad endings but I like dramas that focus on doing them well. (One and Only did a marvelous job at a sad ending) The episode was so messy, Ying Liang ends was like that of dinosaurs, there one moment, gone the next! Such a waste.

I'm gonna pretend that episode 24 doesn't happen and this novel ending will be real thing for me: https://kisskh.at/discussions/ru-yue/128589-novel-ending-if-you-re-curious

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Cang Xuan is the one to watch this season.

Cang Xuan's character devolvement into a jealous man is what has me on tenterhooks. His feelings for Xiao Yao are finally going to explode, the previews of the future episodes look heartbreaking for all involved. Zhang Wang Yi is such a terrific actor, no other actor could have done a better job. What I have come to like about him is that once he figured out Xiao Yao's identity he did not ever treat her poorly. He looked out for her and it was reciprocated by Xiao Yao. It is just a twist of fate that his obsession took a romantic turn otherwise the bond they shared is truly amazing. Of course there will be a redemption arc for him, but this will result it Xiao Yao loosing more years with Jing.

I'm pretty sure that Xiao Yao & Ye Shiqi end up together, I'm all for it. I get why people get so mad at him, all he needed was just a little spine and he would have been a perfect character. I am not looking forward to the death of two pretty decent characters and it is hard to believe that they will be gone just like that.

Chenrong Xin Yue lost the chance to get into Xuan's good graces. Had she married him before, he would have treated her better. Now, she is here just for the prestige, her love was pretty shallow. But it is not like Xuan loves her or has the capability to do so. So, maybe they are well matched. It would suck if she doesn't pay for things that she does. I like her brother, he seems like a decent person and has been loyal to Xuan all throughout.

They went out of the way to make Tushan Jing appear weak. I'm really disappointed with the creators with regards to how they handled the final showdown between the Tushan brother. Before this, I never considered him weak, but the fight actually made it seem as if he couldn't fight at all. (I wonder if he was in a formation of some kind - I might need to rewatch the episode) But all the talk of fair fight from Tushan Hou suggests that there wasn't a formation. The fight scene should have been more charged. All the other scenes from these two episodes were more powerful compared to this one. His death seemed like an afterthought. We also finally see Fenglong do something against his conscience, taking credit for Jing's contribution. But with is last breath, he did manage to reveal the truth. I didn't want him to pay for his sister's mistakes. Despite her past, Chengrong Xin Yue had no redeeming qualities, only a brother who loved her would go to such lengths to save her life.

After completing the series, I have a new outlook on Xiang Lu. I did not like him in the first season at all, but I am not one to deny all he did for Xiao Yao. While he may not have been a good partner like TJ, he is the reason both Xiao Yao & TJ survived so far. He knew he wasn't right for her, so he did everything he could to make sure the right one ended up with her. He wasn't selfish with his love for Xiao Yao, he also made sure that she would have no regrets by leaving none of him behind. It is to be admired, the ability to love and let go. His death was gruesome and sad, I wish the rebel faction would have made better choices. But he died a hero who was loyal to his people till the end.

I agree with a lot of people, I am a bit disappointed that they treated the Xuan's killing TJ and the poisoning as an illusion, because it was in character for him to do it. I think that scene was sacrificed when the episodes were cut, so they had put in the Xin Yue's attempt on Xiao Yao's life and this scene together. It just felt that those emotionally charged scenes were all for naught. Cang Xuan's entire life was for the throne so it isn't surprising when he chose the throne over Xiao Yao. Had Xiao Yao even had any feelings for him, she would have been let down all her life.

Tushan Jing might have seemed like the safest choice for all and to some it may also feel like she settled, but Xiao Yao's love for him was undeniable. I'm pretty sure that even had she known all Xiang Lu did for her, she would have still chosen Jing. She would have felt indebted to Xiang Lu and conflicted because she did have some feelings but what she felt for TJ was far superior in her heart. Tushan Jing might not be the perfect ML that everyone wants or revers, but Like Xiao Yao I think he was gold. He was kind and ready to give up all and everything for Xiao Yao, how good for her that she fell in love with a guy like that. She needed that the most in her life.

I am bit confused about the ending though, if I got it right, XY died in their journey to compile the books. But there was no mention of TJ. I mean if XY died there's no way TJ would go on living not unless they had children. (I might have to rewatch this one again) Their visit to the Qinshui town also suggested that XY might be dead, here's to hoping that that's not the case and we get an extra episode for an epilogue.

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Beautiful. I just wish they hadn't left us hanging at the ending.

Quote 1:
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I think marriage is built on love. Over time, that love just changes shape.
Love between a couple, starts with passion, goes through reality, and ends in solidarity.
Losing passion, doesn't meant losing love.
Solidarity, loyalty, belonging.
They're all just different forms of love.
- Yun Seok Hun (Episode 12)

Quote 2:
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If love is about looking at each other, Marriage is about looking in the same direction.
- Yun Seok Hun (Episode 12)

Quote 3:
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Marriage isn't the process of culmination of love, but the process of exhausting it.
- Kang Hyo Min (Episode 12)

Quote 4:
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Some love stories are epic tales and some are short stories.
Just because you wrote a short story doesn't meant it's a failure.
It means that one book has ended. You need to write another one.
One with a passionate romance.
- Kang Hyo Min (Episode 12)

The writer did such a beautiful job on the entire drama, but most specially the ending. The 4 quotes I shared are some that resonated with me as I watched the final episode.

Although many dramas were airing, at the time, this is the one I looked forward to the most every weekend. I found everything about it appealing, the actors, the characters, the storyline, the production, and the setting.

It is going on my rewatch list, I just wish they hadn't left me hanging because I desperately wanted them to have a start and things did look promising but I need more!!!!!

This reminds me a little of Judge Vs. Judge. If there's a season 2, I'll watch, but it's highly unlikely.

I'm so sad that this only had 12 episodes.

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Avoid watching 32-35 and save yourself some disappointment

Up to episode 32, everything was going fine even with the crazy repetitive tantrums thrown by Qiao Xin. And then Fu Mi Ya enters the picture again, not necessary to the plot at all. What were the writers thinking? So many good dramas' out there spoiled with such poorly written endings. (It is the curse of poor endings with these dramas) At least include something that would make sense, there should be a flow of things.

So, when the Miya shows up yet again the ML completely forgets about the FL. When your friend is sick you sure go take care of them for a while but don't setup house there my dude! What's more the ML did pretty well before ep 32, he seemed like such a poor partner for FL by the end of the show.

The worst part was ML was aware of how much the female lead was hurting because he was neglectful and he chose not to rectify it, even though he was quite capable of doing so. She wasn't a priority. Her dreams weren't a priority.

0 rewatch value.

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The visuals are amazing. The acting good. The Story not so much.

Even though thought the two leads are visually stunning and good actors, together they don't seem to work at all. There's such a lack of chemistry.

The story also fails them. The FL approaches the ML with a ulterior motive, dupes him for a while but falls in love with him instead. Ultimately, to protect him, the FL lies to ML and kicks him off a cliff with a stab in his chest, expecting him to live. The ML finally believes her lies and we can't really blame him for it. He comes to hate her for it and in the end, just as she leaves one prison, she is captured by him and imprisoned again. The FL just keeps exchanging one prison for another.

That's a concise version of the entire story. Despite its amazing visuals & stellar cast and characters, It is so damn boring, I couldn't have finished part 1 without the fast forwarding. But for some reason, I'm glad that I watched it.

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Did not make any sense at all

The story is like someone said nonsense. They took a good concept and decided to just mess with it. The first episode did not connect with the whole story. There is such a visible inconsistency with the way the ML's character behaves in the first episode and rest of the show.

In the first episode, he is a man, who lets his so called beloved marry a chicken and then forces himself on her on their wedding night. In the rest of the episodes, he seems like a different person, not a great ML but kinda okay. I have seen another drama featuring this Guan Yue (Night of love with you) he did good job in that. However, in TRL something was missing. Also, his makeup was so poorly done. In the last episode, when the FL dies, he walks to her with no grief in his expression at all. But later a tear slips down his cheek. Just so underwhelming.

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I expected an angst-ridden mess, it has some angst but the love between the leads is ever present.

I didn't expect much from it because it seemed like one of those mini dramas with no coherent plot just focused on putting the leads together. Something like the drama "Lost You Found You", which had a decent cast but a flimsy plot. The actors are wasted on such productions. They need better written scripts. Fortunately, The Fragments Of Kylin doesn't have that shortcoming. Actually it is kind of perfect in this range of dramas. It has just the right mixture of everything.

I did think that FL was brutal to ML when he gave up everything to be with her but she left him. We get the noble idiocy but for me it is a stupid trope that gets everyone in trouble instead of keeping them out of it. It is hurtful to the other party no matter which one of the leads decides to be that noble idiot. But this was pretty tame, and the FL is pretty likable apart from that silly part. The ML is also a decent person. They are all just a bunch of likable characters.

Mo Lan's prejudice did not make any sense to me. In fact, he should have been the one to understand Shi Si and someone who fought against the prejudice everyone had against demons. I did not understand his character. But at least he wizened up.

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