Uma_shakti

I was also thinking about Yan Zijing's motivation and it doesn't (imho) come from the place of chasing power. I think he genuinely wants to help people who have suffered the same fate as him and to prevent the same from happening (that's what I got after watching ep.17, like, why he's doing what he's doing even though he has something more important than revenge in his life).

I've discovered that it's not even so much about revenge for him (although that is still present) but rather to fight the evil forces of the world that take advantage of innocent people. He doesn't seem like a savior type of guy, but it seems to be the underlying current of his actions.

He was also reckless because he didn't value his life much, so he could risk it to achieve some goals. After this poisoning, things changed for him and Duan Wu, though, I won't spoil it. But the motivation to risk his life for a greater cause is still there, which makes me worry about the upcoming events (now for both of them).

The sweetness of ep.16 was truly something else... We've entered the magical world of fluffy romance and I'm all up for it! I don't care if the two of them got close too fast (they did go through a lot lately together), would love to see some more happiness unfold (I can hope, right? XD). Kissing scene - top-notch, perfect, and beyond romantic.

ep. 17 - love the desert aesthetics! Gorgeous looks and the cinematography is killing it. But I just want to shake them and ask why do they have to do all this dangerous stuff? Why not just go and do some less stabby trading, build a house, have kids? But then we wouldn't have this series XD Waiting patiently for the 'storm' because something is definitely brewing.

It's one of my favorites - they played it to perfection! And everyone catching up on what's going on between the two of them, it's just too sweet :3

Oh, thanks for this :3

I can already feel the storm coming, OMG XD

Oh, yes, it was a classic cdrama trope, but works so WELL every damn time XD I loved it. Also, their height/size difference makes everything cuter and spicier at the same time. Just love their height difference so much)))

I loved this moment so much! So wise. She's perfect the way you are. But people who fall in love are often blind to the other person's actual feelings and can have a hard time letting go or giving up. I'm hoping the 'scholar' will understand that she's not meant for him (or at least, I hope so:)

Yes! I love how she's smart and very sensitive. I'd imagine that's what you get from living in a survival mode for most of your life, surrounded by people who could hurt you at any time. But that's also what makes her so caring and open to other people's pain - she's super empathetic! The way she hugged YZJ when he lost it after hearing about his sister's death - she just couldn't stay away from a person in such pain (well, and the fact that she probably likes him:)

I also like her straightforwardness with Zhang Jinran, it's refreshing for a FL to just be a normal person and say 'I don't like you the way you like me' and in a very classy way.

I love how Kang Ju is low-key shipping Duanwu and Yan Zijing, noticing them getting closer all the time and all YZJ's small reactions and signs that he cares about her. You just have to have a character like that in a show. The scene at the fire with the chicken leg was hilarious XD Everyone pretending they didn't get what was going on.

I love all the homey hubby-wifey scenes between ML and FL and the slow-burn is starting to show up little by little. The beginning of the show was relentlessly dark and I would love for it to have more lovey-dovey moments, but knowing it's a c-drama, can't get my hopes up too high because we've been there already so many times XD. Still, will wish for a HE :)

I kinda feel for the SML in terms of following the person he loves (and doing some investigating while he's at it), but his mentality is totally different from hers. I loved the message of their interaction when he told her the story about the mermaid and the man who fell in love with her and wanted to 'cure' her so they could be together. Duanwu was so on point saying that maybe it should be the other way round! The girl has smarts and she knows what she wants in life. Even if it's hard, she wants to achieve something herself (or with the help of the people she loves, who respect her just the way she is).

I think that's one of the things that makes ML so good - he actually respects her and lets her make her own decisions (and mistakes she could learn from), not trying to protect her from the hardships of the world. Instead, he would stick around to help her or guide her, and teach her his ways. Which, yes, they could be harsh, but still his attitude feels much more genuine compared to 'saving the damsel in distress' trope that the SML has been pushing from the very beginning. Duanwu needed saving once, maybe, but she's too strong, brave, and curious to become some official's wife living a caged life. I think she would hate that, so that's one of the reasons she's not choosing him as her partner.

Well, so far so good, I'm loving the show, the blooming romance, and the plot is too good! Let's see where it takes us.

I loved it, too! Such a mature move, no avoidance or weird behavior, everything is quite clear and she knows where she belongs and what she wants to do in life. It's admirable. So far FL is really smart and cool, I hope they keep her like that:)

Yes, I loved that there were a lot of powerful standalone female characters who weren't the ML's love interest. it made the story feel more natural, just like in real life - you meet and interact with all kinds of people, both male and female.

Ahah, yes, the Emperor is quite likeable because he is, in my experience, the smartest and most cunning ruler in the whole CDramaland. Have to respect the guy:)) But I really don't envy Fan Xian having such a vicious 'dad'.

This drama is such a gem! Acting, characters, plot - everything is top-level. The aesthetic is very pretty despite the rustic/natural feel of it all, we are treated with some very beautiful shots, angles, lighting, and costumes. I never thought ancient Chinese taxes could be so entertaining, but here we are!

Zhang Ruoyun does a stellar job playing the ML, and I was happy to see a few familiar faces (Wang Yang and Wu Gang both starred with him in JOL). I do recommend this drama, it's just so good (and based on actual historical cases)

Wow, this drama really has outstanding visuals that give a heavy oldies wuxia vibe (especially with subdued colours). I love how the fights are choreographed and shot, there's something very intense and crisp about the way they're filmed. Being a wuxia fan, I just naturally paid attention to this part of the show, it was a pure delight, I also adore all the flying/twirling - it just looks badass, and in SSS it was depicted in a cool and elegant way - no silliness, not too much crazy CGI, only for the bigger fights which demand more grandeur.

The plot is extremely well-written, all the characters are well developed and the pace is slow enough to enjoy how each of them unravels. Zhang Ruoyun does a stellar job depicting Xu Feng Nian. XFN is not a chess piece from the very beginning, but we see him grow and break free from his father's way of dealing with things. His values are different, but he is still his father's son when it comes to acting quick and making hard decisions (and he's ruthless enough to make his enemies wary).

All the powerplay and scheming is smartly written and there wasn't a boring moment in the show. It does take quite a few episodes to get into what's going on because at first we see the ML acting a bit, slowly showing his true face. His romance with Jiang Ni is very sweet and pure. I don't know why people are talking about harem - it was clearly stated in the show and by the ML himself that he only keeps all those ladies and doesn't so much as even touch any of them. It was just to make everyone believe he's a careless playboy, when in fact he has always cared about Jiang Ni only.

I really recommend this drama - even without the season 2 it gives you some closure, and the show is too good and entertaining to miss it.

Ahah, yes, the dude is too shady to be a good guy)))

I watched seasons 1 + 2 back to back, and although in the second season, the pace changed considerably, it was still such an entertaining watch! The plot never dropped and was just as twisted and clever as in S1 (even more as we get to understand the deeper undercurrents of Emperor's plotting, as well as other characters). Also, the comedy is still golden in this one (especially the scenes with Wang QiNian, the actor portraying him is so-so funny!)

I also love Fan Xian's character development - he steadily goes deeper into this politics pit hole, learning how to deal with stuff along the way, but we can see how he's getting smarter about things, sometimes more ruthless, sometimes as cunning as the Emperor himself, but he still knows fully well the other players are playing way bigger than him (and it's OK). I loved how Papa Fan is always acting like his daddiest daddy, he's just such a cool and endearing father figure. Prime Minister Lin was also a very good mentor and teacher.

I'm getting a feeling the Emperor is the main baddie here (and he has something to do with FX's mother's death, but I didn't read the novel). Cheng Ping Ping is by far one of my most favorite morally grey characters ever written and acted (he almost certainly has his own agenda and it seems he plays along with the Emperor's schemes just to strike him at the right time with his revenge plot). He's scheming on a global level, but somehow he always manages to be on FX's side most of the time.

Anyway, it's been a fun ride, and all the plotting and backstabbing were truly top-notch, as well as acting and music.

Fan "You Have Your Mother's Eyes" Xian and the Harem of dudes left for him by his mother to deal with 😂 Seriously, this show is too good. I watched S1 + S2 in a row, this is pure delight. Unmatched acting, hilarious comedy, truly loveable/hateable characters, and plotting/backstabbing taken to a whole new level.

Also, it's one of the few series where I simply couldn't skip the opening thanks to OST - the song was so beautiful!

I gave it a 10 for the same reason - when compared to other stuff it's like a gem that has more pros than cons, really

I enjoyed their interviews as well, they're such easy-going people and so straightforward. I admired Wu Jinyan even more after seeing the BTS - the girl not only cries professionally, but she gets there emotionally as well (one scene I've seen her go hysterical, that's how deep she went for the role). They're both such professionals! I was so surprised to find out WXY is so young, but he's so good already, with so much screen presence. His personality matches his age, though XD so cute

Oh, she was soooo believable, such a creepy vibe and she portrayed the role of s step-mom beautifully. Even when she ended up going crazy - her acting was superb, I didn't doubt it for a moment