Super smartly written & well-told story. All lead roles killed it. Not necessarily a strong romance but I liked them as a couple & because each of them were amazing individuals, I felt like they deserved each other. It was a different kind of satisfaction in seeing a relationship unfold, I guess. It was really slow at first but then picked up by episode (for me) 53 & then--I couldn't stop until I finished it. Great story! Great characters! A talented group of actors & directors/producers/etc that were able to truly bring it to life. Yes, it's long but imo the pay-off is so worth it.
Here for Wang Yibo as well, needing a fix after The Untamed! ;p Pretty cringey so far & FL is another annoying idiot *smh* BUT I have hope for her since her character in My Mr. Mermaid was 50% of the reason I finished watching the series.
On Ep 14 & so far, I am enjoying the slow & steady build between the main characters. I like that she's a designer! (Even though they gave her those ditzy moments, she seemed passionate about it,) He was NOT the typical spoiled tsundere of a CEO who bullies the FL. (Yeah, he started out a little prickly but not anywhere near the usual controlling, domineering a-hole.) You can see how they are slowly becoming an integral part of each other's lives. Very realistic character development, imo. I REALLY like where the plot is heading in order to bring them together as a couple--as though each of their careers/dreams were equally important to them & in turn supports their partnership/relationship. I absolutely ADORE that because so often the FL's career/dream/passion gets sidelined for the romance angle in the story. gag.
As for the fantasy angle: the dog/cat thing is so extra but I get the symbolism, which is that humans pretend like there's no tomorrow & if you've been living in your own illusion & pretending long enough, then you forget what's real...what really matters... I mean, really, we can anthropomorphize animals as much as we want but they are creatures that just live their lives without concern for a perceived audience. Unlike human beings. I am glad some of the cringier instances decreased, though, as our character became more in tune with what made them happy & unhappy (basically the entire personal growth trajectory of the story). Animals in dramas are also such fun since they're like a family member. I mean, I watched this drama on PURPOSE to see some furry friends, so they can't be left out of a reason to watch this drama. Both the cat & the dog were super cute here, too! :D
I don't like the title; to me, it doesn't fit the story. They are both these angry, damaged people that still love each other but needed time & space to handle it before reconciling. She was such an interesting character & they had great chemistry--even if it was a little different than I'm used to seeing. I was resistant to the way the storyline started but after about 4 episodes, had gotten over it. Her wild imagination made watching it even funnier -- esp when you knew which dramas they were satirizing. And both of them were distractingly attractive to watch, omo.
This FL is just SUCH an unbelievably cool character that I hope the writers don't mess it up. I'm just not sold on the ML for her just yet. :p Maybe because of their personalities? Maybe because it seems like a slight gender reversal with her having all the swagger? The problem is that the prince would be a different character with more power, so I'm unsure of what I want from it or them. I'll just say that I am very curious how the relationship chemistry will play out but I've just started it and am liking the vibe of the show. I feel like c-dramas tend to be more unpredictable and/or have their story weaving all over the place with comedy then tragedy or pointless melodrama but it's a great start! As a lover of strong FLs, so far I am enjoying her utter ownership of the situation.
Hi! Thanks for this article. :) Is there currently a way to stop getting notifications on a post/feed/topic? For instance, I have a topic I was previously "watching" on a thread and now I'm not but am still getting notified. By this, I mean I unchecked all the options for notifications of ANY kind & am still getting massive amounts of replies (like hundreds) to a very silly watch topic I commented on in a moment of curiosity. I totally didn't know I'd be signing up for that kind of inbox bombardment when I decided to comment there, lol.
LOVE Simon Gong here. <3 Seriously expressive eyes....
I would say it's more like PYHOMS than ALSB for the relationship feels, but I'm only on Ep 9. ;p It felt repetitive at first because of this but the little details change the tone so it feels cuter. The ML is more of the watchful but sweet genius tsundere type from PYHOMS, who's drawn to the FL's liveliness, rather than the cold & aloof ML from ALSB. Full disclosure: I LOVED PYHOMS so much but dropped ALSB 2/3 of the way through mostly because the FL was cute & outgoing but dumb, dumb, dumb. I just couldn't handle the level of her stupidity, so I let it go.
Speaking to the rudeness of the FL: she is outspoken, lively, brash, self-centered, loyal, a little dumb but dedicated to improving, honest, and looks to be living without any filters whatsoever with no sh*ts given. To me, she's seems genuine as a character since she reminds me of a real life twenty year old. I admit, I also prefer the personal growth storylines of FL characters that start off a little rough & get their edges smoothed out by loving someone and learning to think of others instead of storylines where the FLs start out meek doormats that eventually learn to stand up for themselves after getting stomped on over & over again. I like her. She's plucky! :D
I'm at Ep 13 & starting to get a little bored. The ML is adorable but not really my style for a ML while the FL seems independent & NOT an idiot. The main couple also has really cute chemistry. Why am I not all fired up to finish watching it? I guess maybe I'm not really invested in their love story? Not sure...
This show was a silly, fun and light watch and for the first 25 episodes I was nicely enjoying the quirky antics…
It was at the point you describe perfectly that I realized I wasn't attached to either of the MCs: ep 26. The conflict seemed manufactured and meaningless in the development of their love story. Why do c-dramas have to continually do us dirty like this?! I feel like around ep 25 I'm not watching the same show anymore. I'm disappointed because I REALLY enjoy well-done romantic comedy c-dramas but I have dropped so many at the 2/3 mark recently because of this tendency to redirect the tone/vibe. :(
Saw up to ep 16. This drama is turning out to be exactly what I wanted! Cheese + ridiculousness + pretty, lots…
I made it to Ep 26 & JUST put it on hold. Started out hi.lar.i.ous but was missing a true love story at its core. Fluff is fine. I LOVE fluff but there has to be a basic core to roll all that cotton candy goodness around & this show was just missing it somehow. The couple chemistry is cute but not enough to propel momentum of the plot for me. Some shows I have continued watching just to see the MCs interact together but this couple wasn't cute enough for that--even with all those kisses & skinship. If someone were to seriously ship them, then they may disagree with me. ;p Their romance suffered from glacial movement at different stages of its development and while the writers goosed it by adding that second wife bit of conflict in ep 23+, it wasn't really a meaningful enough love story for me to continue watching further. I think The Romance of Tiger & Rose will prove to be much better overall fit for fluff & cheese & pretty people & cute romance but I'm still waiting on the last 2 episodes to be subbed. (I picked this up while waiting for that to finish airing, then subbed.)
I am at Ep 36 & after watching regularly for the past week, I am thinking of dropping it. I'm definitely putting it on hold for now because I've lost interest in the story. The main couple have VERY little screen time together & that is primarily why I watch dramas: romance! When they are on screen together, I like them but it's not enough to sustain me through the palace intrigue. To me, this is a lighter palace power struggle historical drama than most BUT it's still comprised of 75% or more political/power machinations that remind me of some Game of Thrones-style inner-fighting. I wanted more action and adventure, which were the first 2 genres listed on MDL tags and I feel cheated. :( I get that we needed to be introduced to all the players for the kingdoms, so although it was VERY interesting in the beginning, it lost its spark & started to get old.
I like the idea of open endings so that's not a deterrent to me. Should I pick this up again after a break? Does the action and adventure pick up considerably? I'm soooo done with the palace intrigue & back-stabbing/poisoning parts.
This is my first comment on MDL for an actor, fyi. I am IMPRESSED by his versatility and hope that now he's taken on a main role in TROHR and just slayed it, he will get more lead parts. Gorgeous, expressive eyes and he can pull off the dark&dangerous anti-hero as well as a sweet&smiley ML-in-love. More, please!!!!!
I know he just started out, but I am here to complain anyways, he needs more compelling leading roles, he is a…
100% in agreement about the eyes. (I totally want to kiss his mole, lol, it's so cute.) I also love how he was able to flawlessly flip back and forth between determined and dangerous to sweet and goofy in The Romance of Hua Rong. Like on a dime: laughing and then instantly, "let's go get 'em." I am excited to see him in more dramas and excited for his success; he seems like such a cutie pie.
This is 100% an OLD SCHOOL historical romance story (for me, I am thinking specifically of Judith McNaught, who was my 1980s regency/historical romance addiction for years) and I am soooooo excited for it. For example, by "old school" there is a point where the FL is pushing her luck a bit and the ML just throws her over his shoulder, strides through the main avenue of their little village, her shrieking and pounding on his back while the villagers look on, smiling. Man, I'm half-surprised he didn't spank her butt while it was in the air. The FL is feisty and outrageous, if a bit childish and reckless at the beginning. ML is just her perfect, calm, contained and worldly foil. Lots of bickering, trickery, PIRATES, too?!?! Oh, yeah...sign me up!
Now I'm off to find these bts clips on Youtube y'all have mentioned. Here's one where they are both eating cake and he gets some of it on the edge of his hand, SHE licks it off and then HE licks off the rest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i4hyQg8JNs. Warning: the ML is not just hot, he's molten. Holy cow, ladies (and gents).
I wholeheartedly concur about the FL's annoyingly high-pitched childlike dubbed voice, which made it difficult to watch when she would race around screeching at everyone. It is ATROCIOUS and just too bad since the actress has such a lovely voice in the BTS videos... :)
Just finished watching the 10 eps available and I am enjoying the you-know-what out of this drama! It's totally a lightweight romantic comedy time travel story that I think is our girl ZLS's bread and butter. I LOVE this genre and will happily watch more of them if China keeps pumping them out, even if their resolutions sometimes suck (Cinderella Chef, I'm looking at YOU.) :(
For those annoyed with ZLS, I think she's matured in this! Oh! My Emperor was more cutesy but hey! it was a web drama and her reverse harem was a boy band (all 8 of X-NINE, okay?) It was quirky and cute and hit my inner 13 yr old boy band crazy self in a happy way. She did a decent job in I Hear You but not as much chemistry between the leads for me; still cute, though. I could NOT get into Prodigy Healer: she was super annoying to me and it was too odd. Her chemistry with LHY in Love Better Than Immortality sold it for me, though: he was amazing in that role and she did her best to match him. By the end, she had mostly convinced me enough to poke around Youtube and find BTS of them being playful together on set. I like THIS drama soooooo much better than LBI (so far, of course). ZLS's couple chemistry is totally different than LBI but it's very relatable and realistic. LBI started out stupid and cheesy for me & the brother thing icked me out but it got better. THIS story has much better production quality & because of her awareness, she doesn't get sucked into being stupid as much. Clumsy, yes. Stupid, not as much. Thank you, writers! I also LOVE the story's playfulness/seriousness reversals about gender roles. Pretty interesting... I'm kind of kicking myself already that I started watching an on-air drama that is exciting me like this!
Watch it if you like fantasy time-travel romantic comedy c-dramas. This is one of the better ones...
As for the fantasy angle: the dog/cat thing is so extra but I get the symbolism, which is that humans pretend like there's no tomorrow & if you've been living in your own illusion & pretending long enough, then you forget what's real...what really matters... I mean, really, we can anthropomorphize animals as much as we want but they are creatures that just live their lives without concern for a perceived audience. Unlike human beings. I am glad some of the cringier instances decreased, though, as our character became more in tune with what made them happy & unhappy (basically the entire personal growth trajectory of the story). Animals in dramas are also such fun since they're like a family member. I mean, I watched this drama on PURPOSE to see some furry friends, so they can't be left out of a reason to watch this drama. Both the cat & the dog were super cute here, too! :D
I would say it's more like PYHOMS than ALSB for the relationship feels, but I'm only on Ep 9. ;p It felt repetitive at first because of this but the little details change the tone so it feels cuter. The ML is more of the watchful but sweet genius tsundere type from PYHOMS, who's drawn to the FL's liveliness, rather than the cold & aloof ML from ALSB. Full disclosure: I LOVED PYHOMS so much but dropped ALSB 2/3 of the way through mostly because the FL was cute & outgoing but dumb, dumb, dumb. I just couldn't handle the level of her stupidity, so I let it go.
Speaking to the rudeness of the FL: she is outspoken, lively, brash, self-centered, loyal, a little dumb but dedicated to improving, honest, and looks to be living without any filters whatsoever with no sh*ts given. To me, she's seems genuine as a character since she reminds me of a real life twenty year old. I admit, I also prefer the personal growth storylines of FL characters that start off a little rough & get their edges smoothed out by loving someone and learning to think of others instead of storylines where the FLs start out meek doormats that eventually learn to stand up for themselves after getting stomped on over & over again. I like her. She's plucky! :D
I like the idea of open endings so that's not a deterrent to me. Should I pick this up again after a break? Does the action and adventure pick up considerably? I'm soooo done with the palace intrigue & back-stabbing/poisoning parts.
Now I'm off to find these bts clips on Youtube y'all have mentioned. Here's one where they are both eating cake and he gets some of it on the edge of his hand, SHE licks it off and then HE licks off the rest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i4hyQg8JNs. Warning: the ML is not just hot, he's molten. Holy cow, ladies (and gents).
I wholeheartedly concur about the FL's annoyingly high-pitched childlike dubbed voice, which made it difficult to watch when she would race around screeching at everyone. It is ATROCIOUS and just too bad since the actress has such a lovely voice in the BTS videos... :)
For those annoyed with ZLS, I think she's matured in this! Oh! My Emperor was more cutesy but hey! it was a web drama and her reverse harem was a boy band (all 8 of X-NINE, okay?) It was quirky and cute and hit my inner 13 yr old boy band crazy self in a happy way. She did a decent job in I Hear You but not as much chemistry between the leads for me; still cute, though. I could NOT get into Prodigy Healer: she was super annoying to me and it was too odd. Her chemistry with LHY in Love Better Than Immortality sold it for me, though: he was amazing in that role and she did her best to match him. By the end, she had mostly convinced me enough to poke around Youtube and find BTS of them being playful together on set. I like THIS drama soooooo much better than LBI (so far, of course). ZLS's couple chemistry is totally different than LBI but it's very relatable and realistic. LBI started out stupid and cheesy for me & the brother thing icked me out but it got better. THIS story has much better production quality & because of her awareness, she doesn't get sucked into being stupid as much. Clumsy, yes. Stupid, not as much. Thank you, writers! I also LOVE the story's playfulness/seriousness reversals about gender roles. Pretty interesting... I'm kind of kicking myself already that I started watching an on-air drama that is exciting me like this!
Watch it if you like fantasy time-travel romantic comedy c-dramas. This is one of the better ones...