WK1

It is quite alright. Liking what you find cute is perfectly normal. It is a good reason. Liking the second couple more without ANY reason is just unjustified favouritism

I still find this strange though. No matter how close, Leo should call her Reba jie. Jie Jie will be a strange, unless they are biologically related. Yang Mi and Reba are very close. But publicly, Reba would always address Yang Mi as Yang Mi Jie. Just a sign for respect, for an older person in Chinese culture, particularly in China.

But maybe Leo already asked Reba, how should I address you, and Reba told him she is fine with Leo just calling her Reba

Really? Episode 15 before he realised Changge is a she and not a he? That would indeed have been very draggy. The scriptwriters certainly made the right decision to change to the version in the drama. I share your view. This is a more comfortable pace, and they would have missed out all those scenes from episode 5 to episode 14. If they want to add more romance to the story, those scenes from 5 to 14 are totally essential. Those scenes provide the context for a romantic relationship between the two.

No wonder those who have read the manhua said it has so little romance compared to the drama.

A romance-less drama will get killed in ratings and viewership.

This is so true!

Good! In that case, there is some synergy between what you are doing with the fanart, and what you are studying. Since your hobby and your study blends, you should do well! All the best!

There are now close to 24000 comments in this forum. It has charmed so many. One key proof that it is worth watching

So many of us are so alike. Each nudging the other to dig deeper and deeper into this drama, to extract more and more enjoyment from this drama

TLB is just a rare gem among Cdramas. May not have as high a a rating as others or as many viewers. But all who have been charmed by it, are charmed with greater intensity than they will ever be with other dramas for a long while.

I do love the Leyan-Hao Du couple. Don't get me wrong. And the actor/actress did portray their roles well. But the intrinsic nature or characteristics of their relationship is slightly more common place. We can probably find a couple like this in a number of other dramas.

But the Li Changge character itself is unique. I am not sure what inspired the manhua author to create this character, but a 15 year girl who can do all those things, even if it is pure fiction, can fire our imagination.

And then her journey, falling in love with a grassland general on the enemy side. I am not sure the Ahsun in the manhua is the same as the one we saw in the drama. But, if he is, he is extremely rare too.

The way Khan behaved towards women in the drama is more in line with cultural stereotypes. Women were never treated as equals, in Mongolian or Turkish culture. A typical Khan in the grasslands in those times very likely had many wives and was likely to treat them as plaything, or just child bearing necessities.

But our Ahsun is truly unique. A one-woman man who is willing to treat Changge as his equal. If the story were to continue, I fully expect Ahsun not to take another wife. Unless, of course, Changge perishes.

Maybe that is what thugged at our heartstring? The story of an unlikely Tang Princess meeting an equally unlikely Eastern Turkish general, went through some amazing adventures in the and in the process had their values and priorities totally changed, and decided to stay true to each other the rest of their lives?

If so, we were sold by the storyline and the plot. And full credit to the manhua author and scriptwriters of this drama. And the director, for his ability to execute the storyline, and Dilraba for bringing the Li Changge character from manhua to live; and Wu Lei, for doing likewise with Ahsun. No discredit to Lusi, but she was the 2nd FL. She will get her chance to shine next year, when some of the dramas she helms will be roled out.

I am not anti fan of Zhao Lusi. But it is always my view that if the main character (which is Li Changge) is not portrayed well, everything is immaterial. And Ahsun is also key, since he is her love interest. Those two MUST carry the show, and they did. They made the GeSun couple very believeable and very charming.

So maybe that is just it? A great storyline, that was well director by an extremely good director, and well portrayed by great key actors and actresses, supported by a cast of great supporting actors and actresses, with great music and cinematography? It was the whole package, even if that package had certain key ingredients.

If so, I am reminded the movie Gladiator (2000). Great plot. Great directing, great acting by Russell Crowe, well supported by a cast of unbelievable actors/actresses, with great music score and great cinematography. Gladiator, by the way, was also a war-related epic.

If only the director for TLB had more time and money, and those animated scenes were replaced by live battle scenes, like some of the smaller scale live fight scenes we saw, I think viewership and ratings for TLB would have gone through the roof. Need not even be all. Maybe a few key ones.

Still, we remember, it was the pandemic last year. We are grateful for getting what we have got. Under the circumstances, they gave us a great drama, and in return, we were charmed and spellbound

You can. Every other day, new viewers will still come here, as TLB is still relatively 'new' drama. So long as they come here to check out the drama, you can guide them.

But not all viewers will come here. Many still watch it on their own, without reading anything from the comment section or asking anyone.

For these viewers, if they do not bother to think why certain scenes are what they are, they will come to the wrong conclusions, and there is nothing we can do

Yes, she has developed a deeper understanding of why some of her friends might behave differently from her expectations of them. Those instances might involve their friends being under duress (like when Mimi was forced to do stuff by the Khatun). Yet, she is willing to trust that they will still not betray her, but is even willing to pay the price, even if they do

Risky behavior, but very much in character, since she is basically a risk taker

"Just the favourite ones" So, the same scenes then?

Good to know, with all these rather specific examples. After the success of TLB, we can expect them to be even closer, as good buddies off screen

I think they need to. Showbiz is a small community. Best to make as many friends as possible, than enemies. They will never know when they need to work with whom, for the next project.

Those who are known to be hard-to-get-along with, just limit their probability of getting as many interesting roles as possible.

I suspect, when producers/directors look for cast members, they much prefer to work with those whom others have found to be friendly and easy to get along with. If nothing else, it is just more fun to get their job done while filming.

Can't stop them from making such comments. But we can just ignore them, so we do not feel so bad. Not so much for Reba, but for our own health. She must have read some of these comments. I think she will just ignore them.

Ok. Hang around, but don't forget your thesis. That is going to affect your career??

That is a very fine fanart. Very very fine! I remember the scene. It was a rather cute scene.

As more and more people leave this forum, comments will slow down. Sad, but understandable. Many of us will still be here, too provide some guidance to new viewers or answer queries about certain scenes.

Out of curiosity, some who have left, may just pop in to read comments.

We will need to see its performance in Korea, to provide more motivation to comment. And then, when it is broadcast in Japan. May take till the end of the year, before we hit 30k comments. And another year or so, to hit 40K.

Whatever it is, the journey in this forum thus far has been very satisfying. I learned so many things just by reading the comments. Things that helped me understand and appreciate the drama more. Or appreciate the various actor/actresses more.

Above all, I am touched by so many here who are so helpful. Any question asked by anyone is quickly and very ably answered. And, by now, no more toxic comments. Just very healthy exchange of views, even by people who may not agree with each other.

Haha. Those scenes are shorter. If you were to re-watch all the scenes of the 1st couple, will be too long and take up far too much time.

Would not be surprised. They have very good off-screen relationship. And this is rather important. They may well act together again in another movie.

Falling Sand is arguable the saddest OST. They used it in all the death scenes that needed to evoke sadness and grief.

The song by Sa Ding Ding is more 'grand' or dramatic. I did not feel too much sadness, when it was first played. But I thought it was highly appropriate for the final scene, when the Khatun burned down the structure.

But that is just my opinion

That river scene would not have been the occasion Ahsun first found out that Changge is a girl

Manhua readers said episode 5 was not even the way he found out Changge's gender in the comics

I think the scriptwriters wanted it at the river scene, because they think it is kind of cute. Ahsun expecting to feel something flat, suddenly felt something soft and cushiony. That also provided the context for Changge to slap him.

None of that would happen, if Ahsun had just found out during the Cuju game via an annoucement. It would have been less dramatic

It may not change the entire story, but they will have to re-write the first 5 episodes. We will still watch it, even if it is slightly less dramatic