SD1D Enthusiast

You are not, there are a lot of chinese novel readers who do too. I do as well, but only book JXN. I don't think JXN of the drama deserves Zhang Zhe after she treated him so callously at his worst moments.

the writing is just objectively and plainly bad. it had potential, they just squandered it

yall 😔 I have a buttload of analysis I want to do abt the latest eps and how much it changes things thematically (for the worse) from how it went down in the book bc I'm a nerd like that, but at the same time I don't want to tire folks out by bringing up the book and being critical, so like idk.

we'll see if anyone's interested in reading more of my rants and if I can muster the energy in the next 2 days...

yes :)

ZZ calls her "empress" and reveals he has memories of their past life which are too traumatic and act as a barrier for them. He rejects her because he doesn't want to bind her by any guilt of the last life. He actually tells her to find someone more suitable. His lines were given to XW in the drama.

not only that, so many of ZZ's lines and important scenes were changed or given to XW, so really, who is really being shortchanged here?

You are right to doubt it. It's just bad writing and plot holes that aren't consistent with the character. This is not how it happened in the novel at all and they completely changed it but didn't bother to make it logical...

I REALLY hate how they changed this scene from the novel because they just made her out to be selfish and heartless?? This is character assassination of my girl, why the hell did they change it so badly? Also, it parallels what she did to Yan Lin in the first life, which again...just completely runs contrary to her character arc of growth and wanting to change in the second life.

I've read this novel and it's really interesting so I'm looking forward to it!

I kept wondering who the heck he reminded me of and you're right, it's Hu Ge !

this is one of my main grievances with how they changed from the novel. in her past life she regretted how she abandoned Yan Lin at his lowest and vowed to change, and when zz and her do part, it's not her abandoning him. Here, they changed it so that she does the same thing to ZZ in this life and it's extra awful bc he was there for her at her lowest in her past life. It just?? does not make sense with her changed character and does her a disservice, the breakup scene should have been kept the same as the novel :/

TBH I'm sort of frustrated with this scene because in the novel she says that to ZZ and he tells her that she will find someone more suitable, basically paving her way to find happiness with ZZ. It's really rare to have a 2ML to cut off a relationship with that tone ....this isn't the first time they've taken ZZ's lines and given it to XW either so I should have expected it but damn 😭

LMAOO I find this trio's dynamics so funny, they were hilarious in the variety show too

"I was low-key waiting for him to mess up and say something from the past that only she remembers..."

Your intuition was correct and that's how it SHOULD have happened... according to the novel, he calls her "Empress" and the detail of him being reborn is revealed and bc of that they both part ways knowing they love each other but can't be w each other because the past is too painful of a barrier. It's actually a really beautiful and poignant breakup that develops JXN's character.

In the drama, it looks like they've changed it so that he's not reborn and totally erased that?? And instead killed off his mom as a plot device to have JXN break it off, which imo really hurts her character arc and "full circle" ending. They have her literally repeat what she did to YL to ZZ and it's even worse bc now she's abandoning someone at their lowest who is the exact same person who didn't abandon HER at her lowest. Terrible character progression change.

She will end up with XW, he's the ML after all. XW could have had more time if they'd introduced ZZ earlier and thus ended his arc earlier too. I don't understand some of the screenwriting decisions they've made honestly.

Hmm, interesting. I may give it another chance. I do love villainess female leads with flaws, just as much as time travel trope.

I watched this drama for the FL and her story, and also to see how well they'd adapt the novel. Me criticizing the main lead is just that, criticizing a character. He is not the center of this story for me, the FL is. Also, engaging with a drama doesn't always have to do with 100% praise; criticism also counts.

Plus, I like knowing more about the world and characters in all the stories I engage with, even if I don't like what happens. It's useful for writing and reading fics and fix-its lol

Fam I'm completely chill. I like doing analysis and I don't mind it if people disagree with me. Having discussion and debates is fun. What I don't like is when people act sarcastic or resort to personal attacks, which is how I interpreted your comment towards me, as if I don't like what XW did because I'm looking for relationship advice in a drama. If that's not how you meant it, then it's fine.

I did try to watch that but I gave it up once I found out the ending. I hate it when the time travel turns out to be "just a dream." Hopefully, future dramas handle it better.

I think my favorite version of FL is definitely her when she was the empress and never held back and just went for what she wanted, totally unrestrained and without shame. So rare to see in a FL even though it was only in flashbacks. I can see her causing chaos and then feeling tired and wanting to return home to her peace, which would be ZZ. I just realized that in that situation, the gender roles would sort of be reversed haha.

You forget that she asked him to trust her and include her in his plans and he agreed and then went behind her back and did the exact opposite. She was put into danger and in a position to disrupt his plans PRECISELY because of him and his lack of respect towards her, so he brought what followed on to himself. She acted like any reasonable person in her situation would and in fact, it's XW who acted like a child, throwing a temper tantrum because she didn't follow his will, despite the fact that he was the one who left her out of his plans and caused it.