4 episodes in, I am pausing because I need to stop laughing until my sides hurt.
Also, after Cheng Lei released a post at 9.40 am today on his weibo account encouraging people to watch this drama, a lot of fellow artists all responded to his weibo post with similar sentiments within 2 hours, showcasing his popularity amongst fellow stars (here are screencaps): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5263303145429607
Stars encouraging everyone to watch "How Dare You!" include Chen Zheyuan, Zhang Yunlong, Xu Ruohan, Zhou Ye, Ao Ziyi, He Yu, Tian Jiarui, Lester Lin, Bi Wenjun, Chen Yao, Fu Longfei etc
Such a charming young lady. Here she is celebrating 12 years in the industry with her beloved fans 💐🥰...https://weibo.com/detail/5260551211979435
She's glowing. Dressed in the likes of LaFine Couture from Paris (the official weibo account showcases her here on 6 December) for IQiyi 2025 Scream Night, wearing in advance a specific gorgeous gown from the 2026 Spring-Summer collection:
South Korean streetwear athleisure brand FDR thanked Ai Mi yesterday via their official weibo account for wearing their mid-length detachable-collar coat (during the shooting process for A-chan):
Hengdian Studios also posted about her on weibo after she was one of three artists to win 2025 Promising Young Actor of the Year on 1 December 2025, in a regal pink gown:
Oh my goodness, I knew this lady was young, but I didn't know she was THIS young! Bravo little lady, I've been…
I dunno about MDL but amongst mandarin speakers, my friends and acquaintances have all expressed admiration and respect for Ai Mi finally getting lead roles in dramas after that female lead role in the 'Break Through' movie which aired in November 2024, because they are aware of her roles in previous dramas. As Shui Duopo, the consensus for her being comfortably able to hold her own against Luo Yunxi was also duly noticed by many older mandarin-speaking viewers preferring actors and actresses who can act well.
Having filmed this movie just before they next commenced filming for WoF, Chi Yun (Ao Ziyi) and Shui Duopo (Ai Mi) look very different in this trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqYIiSdg6mc
I agree that maybe another actress or actor should have been hired. But a child, at almost 18? Sorry, a child…
[ We see a child onscreen and then we're supposed to believe and root for her romance with a grown man? ] - This sentence says it all about the original post and the poster's intentions.
They also replied to someone else below with "I've said what I needed to say here. I'm not responding anymore and I'm blocking anyone else who comments back to me with more creepy bullshit trying to excuse this." I'll be impressed if they can actually stick to what they are proclaiming, and they definitely sound like someone whom reasonable people don't want to associate with offline.
Such accounts are not here to find out about the drama or novel. They are not here to have a discussion. They don't actually give a damn about context or ethics. They have a scenario about Ai Mi and about romance in their mind whereby they don't care about whether it's realistic or delusional, because they just want to bash Ai Mi and crap all over this page to ruin her career. They also sound as if they assume Ai Mi is stealing roles from an actress they support. The reality couldn't be more hilarious because you can't steal roles you were never considered for, and this applies to Ai Mi and all other actresses. Ai Mi isn't considered for all not-yet-filmed dramas. Neither is every actress.
Ai Mi is not a child. She's been in this industry for more than 10 years working her way up, networking and being trained by some of the best Directors and honing her craft.
Yesterday the official weibo account of FDR thanked her for wearing their mid-length down jacket with detachable fur collar (as seen in the A-Chan shooting process): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5263027256689911
If an individual persists in being unreasonable with the aim of ruining someone else just because they want to, the person's behaviour simply translates into choosing to be a troll. So don't get upset over a troll, because there are many such people offline. There are also many more good people offline. I hope you will feel better.
Very underrated. This drama is a great addition to the IQiyi Light On Series, whereby more than 20 dramas are part of this list (suspense and intrigue, mysteries, intense crime investigations, and psychological underpinnings.) :
You're welcome. It's lovely to hear from different viewers, especially those who realise this C-drama is very different from a lot of other Chinese dramas and why. I would like to hear your insights at some point. I'm sure you have your own views too, and you don't have to agree with me :)
This drama reminds me of certain HK movies I watched in the 80s and 90s, rich in lore and religious philosophy and Chinese mythology. But no such C-drama equivalent has ever surfaced, until now.
I actually hesitated to go more into the novel aspects of Tang Lici, Liu Yan and A-Shui, because I don't know if you would want to know. Fang Pingzhal in the drama is not as fascinating as novel-Fang Pingzhai for me (and it's understandable because of the changes that had to be instituted). Drama-Xifang Tao is still very interesting (and Chen Yao did a great job), although greatly changed but certain traits preserved.
At one point earlier on this page, I started a thread about what I perceived to be minor changes I would institute for the drama to improve on what I considered to be flaws. There were two options, and for the first option, I went with the premise of keeping all the current characters.
If someone hasn't read the novel (plus I had also watched "Whispers of Fate" twice at the time of writing it), it's not possible to fully understand why I would suggest certain edits, primarily focusing on A-Shui and also most likely, anyone reading the edits wouldn't understand what I said about Fang Pingzhai and A-Shui. To retain the philosophies in the drama, have scenes that create maximum impact with those in mind yet have characters portrayed as icons to remember, is my end goal.
What annoyed me at that point is one account that kept objectifying A-Shui as if she was primarily and only a means to an end as romance for Tang Lici, while also lying to other viewers repeatedly about the drama (such as misrepresenting statistics). I'm talking about characterisation and being iconic and preserving novel traits, and that one is going on about romance for A-Shui as if that is A-Shui's best significance for this drama. To me, there's almost nothing more insulting to a female character than to reduce her worth as being defined by a man. On top of that, they didn't seem to understand A-Shui in the novel for what she is. But then again, they also lied about Fang Zhou's significance to Tang Lici in the novel on this drama page.
I very resolutely do not want A-Shui with Tang Lici or Liu Yan in the novel (and if you read the first 32 chapters, you would know exactly why), I am not alone in this sentiment with other novel readers, and this translates to the drama but for different reasons.
The most mystifying part was before this drama aired. That account tried to bully three of my friends off this drama page and make potential viewers think this drama would have romance in certain aspects, while all three of them honestly insisted this drama is heroism-focused. What resulted after that account misled a bunch of their fellow fans was melodrama on this page from those fans over A-Shui not getting what that account had made them believe, once episodes 34 and 35 aired. The producers already had a final vision, and that isn't going to change regardless of what anyone wants, especially fans of a certain actress. Poor Lin Yun. Having at least one fan that gives others a terrible impression about her fans on a drama page is terrible.
My other comment to you later will bluntly go into the dynamics of Tang Lici, Liu Yan and A-Shui in the novel. "Whispers of Fate" has been beautiful for me. Very beautiful. Not a drama, but a fantastic glorious experience.
The accounts previously mentioning Renegade Immortal on this page being similar to Whispers of Fate don't know…
Posters look fantastic! Thank you for sharing! But I cannot be there during CNY due to other commitments D:
I think it will be even more vibrant and resplendent than the "Whispers of Fate" pop-up event at the Shanghai Tower in November 2025 less than two months ago (official Migu Youtube channel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUmpxqLvlno
BTW, friends have been kind enough to send me stunning visual media of "Whispers of Fate" theme park in Chengdu when it first opened in 2025. There are also videos galore on douyin. Can't share it here, but I'll share other videos of the theme park in day and night:
The accounts previously mentioning Renegade Immortal on this page being similar to Whispers of Fate don't know…
Nobody watches 'Renegade Immortal' in the beginning for romance. Wang Lin isn't getting anywhere in that aspect for a good portion of episodes. It was so weird to see three accounts mention this 'romance' aspect as a first similarity over three consecutive days. 😆😆😆
But we've seen those accounts trolling this page in other aspects ever since 28 October 2025, including sharing data and deliberately taking them out of context, so kwanto and a few other viewers have made it clear how successful this drama is.
The drama is a domestic smash hit because it touches so many themes that mandarin-speakers enjoy but would naturally be missed by non-mandarin speakers. In episode 1, when Tang Lici says the same sentences to someone three times, someone needs to be able to hear and understand the enunciation differences to realise Tang Lici means three different things for each time. Right away, majorly disadvantaged if not a mandarin-speaker. Mango TV subs sucking majorly doesn't help. Tang Lici has a conversation with the abbot of a certain temple also in episode 1. How many non-mandarin speakers are going to get the Buddhism references off the bat without Google? I greatly sympathise with non-mandarin speakers who know they are missing a lot and want to get the rainbow nuances of this drama but can't do so, because of the language barrier. And if someone really wanted to grasp enough without subtitles, I'd say the person must have spoken mandarin for at least eighteen years, being understood conversationally and in a professional working environment.
Whispers of Fate is the only drama of 2025 nominated for CPOPwave 2026, smashing more than 4.9 billion views on MangoTV within 40 days. Migu and IQiyi have not yet been included (and IQiyi as rival platform bought at least one ad in central Hong Kong for "Whispers Of Fate" during its airing). You need excellent international and domestic results to achieve a nomination for CPOPwave. Thailand alone hit more than 1 billion views on Monomax for "Whispers Of Fate", setting a record no other chinese drama has achieved. If we look at CSM data, the total number of views for WoF as of end-December 2025 exceeds 2.8 billion views domestically across all three channel categories.
Because I understand certain details, I also shared three classical mandarin sources [《诗经》(Book of Odes), Analects of Confucius and《溪山琴况》(Zither Theory of Mountain Streams) ] with explanations of why "Whispers of Fate" is grounded solidly in wuxia themes, encompassing Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism: https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24569086
This is not a drama for people who want romance or a weak ML who will cultivate and become strong. This is a ML who more often than not, knows what he wants and doesn't want, and is strategically ruthless yet hides his compassion for what he believes in. This kind of ML who is emotionally-solid in himself despite certain philosophical and emotional issues while making mistakes... isn't the typical male protagonist of a C-drama. He doesn't need a woman. Heck, he doesn't need a partner. He's focused on bigger issues and enemies and rectifying what once went wrong between himself and those he values at Zhoudi Lou. He values his friends. Matches certain key traits of the protagonist in the original novel "Enduring A Thousand Tribulations".
"Blades of the Guardians" is an old-school wuxia epic airing on 17 February in cinemas worldwide, as one of four films in the Spring Festival box office showdown. Five generations of martial arts legends and artists came together for this movie based on the manhua, so putting together an article for this unique creation was naturally inspiring:
just started watching renegade immortal and I remember back when this drama was airing some people were saying…
The accounts previously mentioning Renegade Immortal on this page being similar to Whispers of Fate don't know anything about wuxia and clearly never watched the donghua. One of those accounts has made themself look completely stupid about wuxia plus the animation + manhua + movie "Blades of The Guardians" on the "Blades of The Guardians" movie page 😆😆😆😆😆😆
Oh, and those specific accounts back then also first mentioned Tang Lici and A-Shui in "Whispers of Fate" is similar to Wang Lin and Li Muwan. Drama-A-Shui is nothing like Li Muwan but more like Li Qianmei, a damsel-in-distress in Renegade Immortal appearing later in the story and willing to be Wang Lin's second wife, desperately clinging to Wang Lin even after knowing Wang Lin only loves Li Muwan.
If it's any consolation, he broke the cycle of rebirth for himself and was reincarnated as a white fox. And the…
You're welcome! RBF, Azure and myself have read the novel. RBF did a stellar job of translating. Lin Bu's poems are not easy to translate, but RBF managed to commendably do so in one chapter.
'Whispers of Fate' is rich for discussion, depending on what the topic or individual is. Characters in the drama other than Tang Lici are fascinating. Liu Yan is another individual from WoF worth psycho-analysing, especially given contrasts and similarities between novel-Liu Yan versus drama-Liu Yan.
I see you commented on my MDL article for 'Blades Of The Guardians' :D Hope you get your wish!
I don't know what your drama tastes cover. If you have not watched 'Swords Into Plowshares' because you have no idea what it is about, I shared a comment here in reply to an article published by Lily Alice pertaining to an interview with the Director Yang Lei:
This is a great interview to share, giving insight into the mind of a talented Director! Thank you for your hard work, Lily Alice!
Zhao Yifang (Founder and CEO of Huace Group) also shares more about 'Swords Into Plowshares' in an interview (I quote a portion here, and the interview has been translated into English):
[ Question: You’ve described the series as “The Last Kingdom meets The Crown.” What kind of emotional or visual tone can audiences expect from this combination?
Answer: "’Swords into Plowshares’ is closer to a Chinese version of ‘The Last Kingdom’. In character development, both series focus on national heroes emerging from turbulent times, where territorial invasions and identity conflicts fuel the protagonists' awakening consciousness. They tell stories far beyond individual heroism. Instead, through the protagonists' perspectives, they reveal the brutality of war, the rise and fall of kingdoms, and the relentless flow of history. It is carrying grand, epic-scale narratives.
In its portrayal of human nature, ‘Swords into Plowshares’ contains the humanistic struggles faced by monarchs, the same as ‘The Crown’. Queen Elizabeth in ‘The Crown’ often make brutal choices between personal emotions and national duty. Similarly, in ‘Swords into Plowshares’, as three imperial rulers endure the ultimate test of loyalty to family and nation, personal ambition, and the irresistible trend of history. Thus, this is not only an epic of the Song Dynasty, but also a profoundly human story that delves into how three heroes make their difficult choices at a historical crossroads.
During production, ‘Swords into Plowshares’ employed a global audiovisual language for its narrative structure and storytelling approach. Filmed in 8K ultra-high definition, the production featured over 550 sets, more than 8,000 costumes, and achieved aesthetic perfection and masterful craftsmanship in every aspect—lighting, makeup, hair, props—showcasing China's cultural heritage traditions. At the narrative level, ‘Swords into Plowshares’ employs an immersive storytelling approach, departing from traditional didactic narratives. It distills the cultural DNA of the Chinese nation. This allows global audiences back to that turbulent era through audiovisual and emotional immersion, deepening their appreciation for the extraordinary significance of ‘World Peace’ amidst blood and fire.” ] - https://senalnews.com/en/interviews/zhao-yifang-swords-into-plowshares-aims-to-reintroduce-the-world-to-chinese-historical-dramas
Computer engineer and sci-fi writer Liu Cixin is on a roll, given the number of film adaptations for his works (short story and novels) that will be produced and slated to air in 2027 or 2028. Yang Lei sat down to an interview for C-drama 'Three Body Problem' 3 years ago in February 2023, and it was very insightful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ9rG2R2fPE
Zhang Yimou is directing the film adaptation of 'Three Body Problem', jointly developed by Enlight Media and Three-Body Universe, which is also expected to air during the Spring Festival of 2027 or 2028 due to needing a few years to complete.
With your article, may 'Swords into Plowshares' see more potential viewers interested in this drama!
Fair question, and you’re right to focus on the timeline because that’s where clarity either exists or doesn’t.…
You don't have to agree with everything I say. I am quite certain many lurkers who don't comment will agree with my points. In fact, I'd also say there are people who wouldn't agree with me because in their minds, KSH now deserves to be punished by NTS because of what has been reported and what has been done. Just because someone doesn't comment here doesn't mean they won't speak freely elsewhere.
I'd say that people who keep jumping the gun on anyone who speculated in a non-positive manner about KSH have likely created the opposite effect on bystanders (some KSH fans are not helping the matter, even if they feel frustrated and angry). Nobody likes to feel that they are being unreasonably policed or being aggressively gang-bullied into silence. People will comment and speculate under articles.
From a Southeast Asian perspective or an East Asian perspective (at least amongst all the people I know in 30s and older whereby we generally don't like people who come across as tax dodgers and want them nailed accordingly), KSH does not look good. Whether he will get into trouble legally with NTS is one matter, but now I cannot agree with any view that claims the journalist was wrongly malicious in reporting about this matter. A journalist can be malicious, but not necessarily wrong.
I don't know why Chosun Daily reports so much about KSH, but this is what they reported yesterday in their article titled "Exclusive: Kim Seon-ho's Preemptive Measures Fail to Clear Suspicions":
[ Despite Kim’s explanations, suspicions about the one-person corporation persist. He returned corporate card records, family salary payments, and a company vehicle, and paid additional personal income tax to address the allegations.
However, has Kim truly distanced himself from the suspicions through these 'preemptive measures'? A legal expert expressed skepticism.
On the 3rd, Attorney Lim Jeong-yeop of Junghyang Law Firm told OSEN, "I question whether these preemptive measures were made in good faith." He emphasized that even voluntary actions do not fully resolve the issue. "For instance, if personal income tax was paid, its appropriateness must still be verified. The National Tax Service may take further action," Lim added.
He continued, "If reports about Kim’s parents using corporate cards for personal and entertainment expenses are true, returning card records later does not erase potential charges. Corporate funds must be used for business purposes; personal use constitutes embezzlement, a criminal matter. Police investigation is likely. Even if records are returned, embezzlement charges can still stand. Such actions might only be considered during sentencing."
Lim concluded, "If tax evasion and embezzlement are proven, preemptive measures would be ineffective. Returning records and paying taxes could even resemble an admission of guilt."
Fantagio apologized, stating, "Kim Seon-ho deeply regrets establishing and maintaining the corporation without full understanding. We apologize for the confusion and will manage our artists’ activities more rigorously."
Whether this controversy stems from intentional tax evasion or mere mismanagement of a one-person corporation remains to be seen through further investigations. ]
KSH has dodged a bullet because he has also managed to limit the damage to his reputation at this point. Beanpole pulled its teaser for 2026 Spring Collection that was supposed to feature him as their new model. Some of the headlines are very misleading, such as claiming "Kim Seon-ho faces advertiser exodus amid tax evasion suspicions" which is absolute rubbish. "Brands Maintain Kim Seon-ho's Endorsements Amidst Tax Evasion Allegations" by Jeong Se-yun of tenasia.com is more apt.
[ According to industry sources on February 4, fashion brand Beanpole has removed a teaser video for its 2026 Spring Collection that had previously been uploaded to its official social media accounts.
The teaser, released last month, announced actor Kim Seon-ho as the brand’s new model. However, the video has since been deleted from all of Beanpole’s official channels, including its social media platforms and YouTube.
At the time of release, the teaser stated that the full advertisement would be unveiled on February 3, but the main campaign video has yet to be published. ]
Not mentioning anything conclusive about airing of his dramas is wrongly misconstrued as issues. If something else happens and it is related to this one-man-corporation fiasco that should have been an easily-handled PR matter but for KSH's decisions, it's not luck he'll need but a law firm.
Fair question, and you’re right to focus on the timeline because that’s where clarity either exists or doesn’t.…
Here are some takeaway facts and preliminary conclusions, given how everything has unfolded:
1) KSH's parents don't look good with these details being public, for exploiting what appear to be loopholes available only because of their son being in showbiz, for their personal benefits. Being paid monthly salaries ranging from several hundred thousand to several million won, and to have used the corporate credit card for personal expenses- What? Who decided what salaries they get each month? How is this decided?
2) KSH is an adult of legal age who was allocated the position of CEO of this one-man corporation, and he is no newbie to showbiz. Whether by him or by his parents, does he have good reason not to know what his parents were doing with this company? Should I presume only his accountants were aware of what was happening? Who did the registration of the family car to the one-man corporation? He's got to have a very good reason or reasons to substantiate, for people who are neither fans nor detractors of KSH, to believe he knew nothing about the workings of this company. But at this point, silence might be best for him after Fantagio's statement.
3) It cannot be entirely on the agency for this matter, because Fantagio cannot be publishing statements about things that have not yet happened or not yet fully verified by them. The vagueness that you've pointed out was also noted in other sources now sharing the official statement of Fantagio.
4) Even if readers are not as eloquent as me, they will also automatically question the timeline of payments and rectifications, and the vagueness in today's statement. From the fall-out of Cha Eun-woo, nobody wants to be next. Fantagio's detailed statement should have been published yesterday, not today. Either Fantagio didn't have these finer details at that point (which could be due to rectifications not finished etc/details of rectifications needed to be verified by Fantagio before putting out such a statement/KSH was in the midst of quickly rectifying everything and then showing the necessary to Fantagio for verification) and were unable to publish today's statement.... Or Fantagio made the wrong decision not to publish the finer details yesterday.
5) This is not completely and solely about criminal guilt or being found guilty by the NTS. It's also insight into the workings of how families can exploit a family member's work in showbiz for their own gain. KSH's parents look horrible to me, KSH's role in this makes my eyebrow twitch because of the vagueness of the statements not clarifying timeline questions, and I would be skeptical if someone tells me KSH knows nothing about the functioning of this one-man corporation.
Overall, KSH has dodged a bullet on this allegation of tax evasion ever since that news article on Feb 1. Hopefully nothing else surfaces. Because if something else does, and if facts check out, then I would say KSH is fortunate not to be in China or he will be totally cancelled.
The reporting is all over the place in the news. Is this the correct timeline?
1 February - Journalist from Sports Kyung Hyang alleges Kim Seon-ho established a 1-person corporation for performance planning in January 2024, registered at his residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. News outlets pick this up.
[ The company’s business profile included entertainment-related activities as one of its purposes, however, it has failed to register as a public arts and culture planning business. The outlet suggested that the company’s board consisting only of family members without external professionals allowed for flexible fund management within the family, leading to potential tax evasion.
It further reported that the company’s bank accounts were used to pay monthly salaries to Kim’s parents, said to range from several million to tens of millions of won, with the funds allegedly transferred back to Kim every month.
Corporate cards were also reportedly used by Kim’s parents for personal expenses. These included living costs and entertainment, as well as the registration of the family vehicle under the company’s name....
After his transfer to Fantagio about one year ago, all business operations under that company ceased and it “is currently in the process of being officially dissolved in accordance with relevant laws and procedures.” ]
[ On the 3rd, Kim Seon-ho’s current agency Fantagio confirmed to MK Sports that the actor temporarily received settlement payments from his former agency after a corporation was set up in January 2024. This arrangement reportedly took place before his contract with the former agency expired in February 2025. Kim Seon-ho later signed an exclusive contract with Fantagio in March 2025.
A representative of his former agency stated that they had no involvement in how the payments were structured, explaining that they “simply deposited the settlement money to the location requested by the actor.”
The controversy deepened after Sports Kyung Hyang reported that Kim Seon-ho had been receiving settlements through SH2, a one-man corporation established in January 2024. The report claimed that the corporation was not registered as a popular culture and arts planning business, a legal requirement for handling entertainment management activities. Receiving management-related settlements while unregistered may violate the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act, which carries a potential penalty of up to two years in prison.
Further questions were raised when it was revealed that Kim Seon-ho had also established a separate performance planning company with family members listed as executives, using his Yongsan-gu, Seoul residence as its registered address. ]
Today, Fantagio issues the longest statement ever, which leads me to two questions:
[ As a proactive measure to rectify the way the corporation was run at the time — something that he lacked understanding of at the time — Kim Seon Ho returned everything, including the corporation's card usage records, family wage payments, and the corporate vehicle.
Concerning the amounts previously settled through the corporation, he has completed the additional payment of personal income tax, in addition to the corporate tax that had already been paid. ] - I don't remember this section of the latest statement from Fantagio being in Fantagio's previous statements but if I missed out, correct me. If this had been in a previous statement, things would have been pretty clear.
1) When did KSH do all these payments such as additional income tax, and additional rectifications? Sometime in 2025? Or was it after 1 February this week, when Sports Kyunghyang published their allegations about him?
2) [ A representative of his former agency stated that they had no involvement in how the payments were structured, explaining that they “simply deposited the settlement money to the location requested by the actor.” ] - According to the latest Fantagio statement today, KSH "established the corporation and maintained it for about a year while lacking sufficient understanding of how corporate operations work."
This settlement money from his former agency was deposited into that one-man corporation at KSH's request, as per his former agency. What was his rationale for requesting it to be deposited into that one-man corporation, at that time?
If he already did all these rectifications and payments before 1 February, I can believe he didn't know what was happening and that journalist is malicious against him. If he rectified all this after 1 February, then I'm sure I'm not the only one to have a very different conclusion about him knowing nothing.
someone really need to have enough patience to finish this,seems like luo yunxi fans will have that patience as…
The account you are replying to has been ignored by all older viewers on this page, because they have been bashing this drama and specific characters in various ways during its airing.
Knows nothing about wuxia, chinese opera which many villainous characters of this drama have roots in for portrayal but only varying in extents of, needs machine translations for mandarin to english, makes all sorts of irrelevant criticisms about Tang Lici despite claiming to be an LYX fan (Tang Lici being their main target)- Their previous comments wouldn't be known to new viewers like you. They wind up sort of talking to themself, so it is nice that you replied them :)
The first time this account surfaced when the drama aired, I engaged them about their comments pertaining to Gui Mudan shortly after episode 14 came out. I'm certain they weren't expecting someone on this drama page able to explain the references plus lines of Gui Mudan interacting with Liu Yan.
Because I understand certain details, I also shared three classical mandarin sources [《诗经》(Book of Odes), Analects of Confucius and《溪山琴况》(Zither Theory of Mountain Streams) ] with explanations of why this drama is grounded solidly in wuxia themes, encompassing Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism: https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24569086
There is one viewer account (not the one you're replying to) that is now persona non grata in the Luo Yunxi fandom (internationally and domestically) for trying to bring down this drama, drive viewers away from this drama page, misleading viewers- People have every right to strongly dislike individuals who pretend to be a fan of an artist, only to reveal themselves as trying to parachute another idol to piggyback on the success of an artist like Luo Yunxi.
I'm sure a few specific accounts will never finish this drama given all their previous comments, because watching Tang Lici have chemistry with other female characters other than A-Shui is too painful for them. Episode 23 onwards monumentally increases the pain for CP fans of Lin Yun, so best of luck if someone watches this hoping for Tang Lici having a CP!
If it's any consolation, he broke the cycle of rebirth for himself and was reincarnated as a white fox. And the…
The King of Insects is a character in the novel which possesses the greatest poisons.
Also, here is my explanation utilising certain details of the novel versus the drama, which is crucial if someone really wants to grasp certain differences between novel-Tang Lici and drama-Tang Lici: https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-25043194
Xue Xianzi is a Taoist sage knowing martial arts who is at least three-hundred-years-old. He has cultivated and heeded the precepts to surpass mortality, living in the mountains to seek and maintain connection to the Dao via nature,
Sorry pal, I'm in the midst of putting together another article for MDL. If you can't read that, you definitely can't read news articles such as "Cinematic Wuxia Epic 'Blades of the Guardians' premieres on February 17":
Consider prefacing your comments with a sentence along the lines of not reading anything longer than a tweet or however-many-words, and I'm sure people can better decide how to reply to you in future :)
I hope the above explains sufficiently why I find Tang Lici fascinating enough to want to psycho-analyse. In order to fully grasp drama-Tang Lici's actions and decisions from episodes 30 to 40, I have shared certain details and context of the novel that I believe are helpful, especially his greatest obsession that was transformed in this drama. Otherwise you'd need to read at least forty-eight chapters of Teng Ping's "Enduring A Thousand Tribulations" to grasp what I'm referring to.
This drama is a very loose adaptation of the novel, but it is undeniable that the producers did preserve specific traits from the novel for Tang Lici and Wanyu Yuedan, which is why at least one producer claimed 'Whispers of Fate' is heroism-focused and was echoed by at least three other viewers on this page, before this drama aired.
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Also, after Cheng Lei released a post at 9.40 am today on his weibo account encouraging people to watch this drama, a lot of fellow artists all responded to his weibo post with similar sentiments within 2 hours, showcasing his popularity amongst fellow stars (here are screencaps): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5263303145429607
Here's more screencaps (you don't need a weibo account to view the links I have shared): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5263372728928782
Stars encouraging everyone to watch "How Dare You!" include Chen Zheyuan, Zhang Yunlong, Xu Ruohan, Zhou Ye, Ao Ziyi, He Yu, Tian Jiarui, Lester Lin, Bi Wenjun, Chen Yao, Fu Longfei etc
https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5240847336473169
South Korean streetwear athleisure brand FDR thanked Ai Mi yesterday via their official weibo account for wearing their mid-length detachable-collar coat (during the shooting process for A-chan):
https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5263027256689911
Hengdian Studios also posted about her on weibo after she was one of three artists to win 2025 Promising Young Actor of the Year on 1 December 2025, in a regal pink gown:
https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5229701447813256#&gid=1&pid=1
Having filmed this movie just before they next commenced filming for WoF, Chi Yun (Ao Ziyi) and Shui Duopo (Ai Mi) look very different in this trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqYIiSdg6mc
They also replied to someone else below with "I've said what I needed to say here. I'm not responding anymore and I'm blocking anyone else who comments back to me with more creepy bullshit trying to excuse this." I'll be impressed if they can actually stick to what they are proclaiming, and they definitely sound like someone whom reasonable people don't want to associate with offline.
Such accounts are not here to find out about the drama or novel. They are not here to have a discussion. They don't actually give a damn about context or ethics. They have a scenario about Ai Mi and about romance in their mind whereby they don't care about whether it's realistic or delusional, because they just want to bash Ai Mi and crap all over this page to ruin her career. They also sound as if they assume Ai Mi is stealing roles from an actress they support. The reality couldn't be more hilarious because you can't steal roles you were never considered for, and this applies to Ai Mi and all other actresses. Ai Mi isn't considered for all not-yet-filmed dramas. Neither is every actress.
Ai Mi is not a child. She's been in this industry for more than 10 years working her way up, networking and being trained by some of the best Directors and honing her craft.
Yesterday the official weibo account of FDR thanked her for wearing their mid-length down jacket with detachable fur collar (as seen in the A-Chan shooting process): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5263027256689911
If an individual persists in being unreasonable with the aim of ruining someone else just because they want to, the person's behaviour simply translates into choosing to be a troll. So don't get upset over a troll, because there are many such people offline. There are also many more good people offline. I hope you will feel better.
https://kisskh.at/775587-iqiyi-light-on
This drama reminds me of certain HK movies I watched in the 80s and 90s, rich in lore and religious philosophy and Chinese mythology. But no such C-drama equivalent has ever surfaced, until now.
I actually hesitated to go more into the novel aspects of Tang Lici, Liu Yan and A-Shui, because I don't know if you would want to know. Fang Pingzhal in the drama is not as fascinating as novel-Fang Pingzhai for me (and it's understandable because of the changes that had to be instituted). Drama-Xifang Tao is still very interesting (and Chen Yao did a great job), although greatly changed but certain traits preserved.
At one point earlier on this page, I started a thread about what I perceived to be minor changes I would institute for the drama to improve on what I considered to be flaws. There were two options, and for the first option, I went with the premise of keeping all the current characters.
If someone hasn't read the novel (plus I had also watched "Whispers of Fate" twice at the time of writing it), it's not possible to fully understand why I would suggest certain edits, primarily focusing on A-Shui and also most likely, anyone reading the edits wouldn't understand what I said about Fang Pingzhai and A-Shui. To retain the philosophies in the drama, have scenes that create maximum impact with those in mind yet have characters portrayed as icons to remember, is my end goal.
What annoyed me at that point is one account that kept objectifying A-Shui as if she was primarily and only a means to an end as romance for Tang Lici, while also lying to other viewers repeatedly about the drama (such as misrepresenting statistics). I'm talking about characterisation and being iconic and preserving novel traits, and that one is going on about romance for A-Shui as if that is A-Shui's best significance for this drama. To me, there's almost nothing more insulting to a female character than to reduce her worth as being defined by a man. On top of that, they didn't seem to understand A-Shui in the novel for what she is. But then again, they also lied about Fang Zhou's significance to Tang Lici in the novel on this drama page.
I very resolutely do not want A-Shui with Tang Lici or Liu Yan in the novel (and if you read the first 32 chapters, you would know exactly why), I am not alone in this sentiment with other novel readers, and this translates to the drama but for different reasons.
The most mystifying part was before this drama aired. That account tried to bully three of my friends off this drama page and make potential viewers think this drama would have romance in certain aspects, while all three of them honestly insisted this drama is heroism-focused. What resulted after that account misled a bunch of their fellow fans was melodrama on this page from those fans over A-Shui not getting what that account had made them believe, once episodes 34 and 35 aired. The producers already had a final vision, and that isn't going to change regardless of what anyone wants, especially fans of a certain actress. Poor Lin Yun. Having at least one fan that gives others a terrible impression about her fans on a drama page is terrible.
My other comment to you later will bluntly go into the dynamics of Tang Lici, Liu Yan and A-Shui in the novel. "Whispers of Fate" has been beautiful for me. Very beautiful. Not a drama, but a fantastic glorious experience.
I think it will be even more vibrant and resplendent than the "Whispers of Fate" pop-up event at the Shanghai Tower in November 2025 less than two months ago (official Migu Youtube channel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUmpxqLvlno
BTW, friends have been kind enough to send me stunning visual media of "Whispers of Fate" theme park in Chengdu when it first opened in 2025. There are also videos galore on douyin. Can't share it here, but I'll share other videos of the theme park in day and night:
1) https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jjRaH8O5OPQ
2) https://so.douyin.com/video/detail?aweme_id=7594307341450157029
3) https://so.douyin.com/video/detail?aweme_id=7589559272867431232
But we've seen those accounts trolling this page in other aspects ever since 28 October 2025, including sharing data and deliberately taking them out of context, so kwanto and a few other viewers have made it clear how successful this drama is.
The drama is a domestic smash hit because it touches so many themes that mandarin-speakers enjoy but would naturally be missed by non-mandarin speakers. In episode 1, when Tang Lici says the same sentences to someone three times, someone needs to be able to hear and understand the enunciation differences to realise Tang Lici means three different things for each time. Right away, majorly disadvantaged if not a mandarin-speaker. Mango TV subs sucking majorly doesn't help. Tang Lici has a conversation with the abbot of a certain temple also in episode 1. How many non-mandarin speakers are going to get the Buddhism references off the bat without Google? I greatly sympathise with non-mandarin speakers who know they are missing a lot and want to get the rainbow nuances of this drama but can't do so, because of the language barrier. And if someone really wanted to grasp enough without subtitles, I'd say the person must have spoken mandarin for at least eighteen years, being understood conversationally and in a professional working environment.
Whispers of Fate is the only drama of 2025 nominated for CPOPwave 2026, smashing more than 4.9 billion views on MangoTV within 40 days. Migu and IQiyi have not yet been included (and IQiyi as rival platform bought at least one ad in central Hong Kong for "Whispers Of Fate" during its airing). You need excellent international and domestic results to achieve a nomination for CPOPwave. Thailand alone hit more than 1 billion views on Monomax for "Whispers Of Fate", setting a record no other chinese drama has achieved. If we look at CSM data, the total number of views for WoF as of end-December 2025 exceeds 2.8 billion views domestically across all three channel categories.
Here is an update of the statistics which I put together as of early-January 2026: https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24719990
kwanto's even-bigger posts of successes are here, along with another viewer, which I attribute my summary to (plus suzuko_d_law): https://kisskh.at/discussions/755725-shui-long-yin/146888-shui-long-yin-whispers-of-fate-3weeks-post-svip-finale-achievements
Because I understand certain details, I also shared three classical mandarin sources [《诗经》(Book of Odes), Analects of Confucius and《溪山琴况》(Zither Theory of Mountain Streams) ] with explanations of why "Whispers of Fate" is grounded solidly in wuxia themes, encompassing Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism: https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24569086
This is not a drama for people who want romance or a weak ML who will cultivate and become strong. This is a ML who more often than not, knows what he wants and doesn't want, and is strategically ruthless yet hides his compassion for what he believes in. This kind of ML who is emotionally-solid in himself despite certain philosophical and emotional issues while making mistakes... isn't the typical male protagonist of a C-drama. He doesn't need a woman. Heck, he doesn't need a partner. He's focused on bigger issues and enemies and rectifying what once went wrong between himself and those he values at Zhoudi Lou. He values his friends. Matches certain key traits of the protagonist in the original novel "Enduring A Thousand Tribulations".
"Blades of the Guardians" is an old-school wuxia epic airing on 17 February in cinemas worldwide, as one of four films in the Spring Festival box office showdown. Five generations of martial arts legends and artists came together for this movie based on the manhua, so putting together an article for this unique creation was naturally inspiring:
https://news.mydramalist.com/article/cinematic-wuxia-epic-blades-of-the-guardians-premieres-on-february-17
Oh, and those specific accounts back then also first mentioned Tang Lici and A-Shui in "Whispers of Fate" is similar to Wang Lin and Li Muwan. Drama-A-Shui is nothing like Li Muwan but more like Li Qianmei, a damsel-in-distress in Renegade Immortal appearing later in the story and willing to be Wang Lin's second wife, desperately clinging to Wang Lin even after knowing Wang Lin only loves Li Muwan.
'Whispers of Fate' is rich for discussion, depending on what the topic or individual is. Characters in the drama other than Tang Lici are fascinating. Liu Yan is another individual from WoF worth psycho-analysing, especially given contrasts and similarities between novel-Liu Yan versus drama-Liu Yan.
I see you commented on my MDL article for 'Blades Of The Guardians' :D Hope you get your wish!
I don't know what your drama tastes cover. If you have not watched 'Swords Into Plowshares' because you have no idea what it is about, I shared a comment here in reply to an article published by Lily Alice pertaining to an interview with the Director Yang Lei:
https://news.mydramalist.com/article/peace-isn-t-a-gift-from-history-but-every-generation-s-responsibility-swords-into-plowshares-director#comment-25053832
Zhao Yifang (Founder and CEO of Huace Group) also shares more about 'Swords Into Plowshares' in an interview (I quote a portion here, and the interview has been translated into English):
[ Question: You’ve described the series as “The Last Kingdom meets The Crown.” What kind of emotional or visual tone can audiences expect from this combination?
Answer: "’Swords into Plowshares’ is closer to a Chinese version of ‘The Last Kingdom’. In character development, both series focus on national heroes emerging from turbulent times, where territorial invasions and identity conflicts fuel the protagonists' awakening consciousness. They tell stories far beyond individual heroism. Instead, through the protagonists' perspectives, they reveal the brutality of war, the rise and fall of kingdoms, and the relentless flow of history. It is carrying grand, epic-scale narratives.
In its portrayal of human nature, ‘Swords into Plowshares’ contains the humanistic struggles faced by monarchs, the same as ‘The Crown’. Queen Elizabeth in ‘The Crown’ often make brutal choices between personal emotions and national duty. Similarly, in ‘Swords into Plowshares’, as three imperial rulers endure the ultimate test of loyalty to family and nation, personal ambition, and the irresistible trend of history. Thus, this is not only an epic of the Song Dynasty, but also a profoundly human story that delves into how three heroes make their difficult choices at a historical crossroads.
During production, ‘Swords into Plowshares’ employed a global audiovisual language for its narrative structure and storytelling approach. Filmed in 8K ultra-high definition, the production featured over 550 sets, more than 8,000 costumes, and achieved aesthetic perfection and masterful craftsmanship in every aspect—lighting, makeup, hair, props—showcasing China's cultural heritage traditions. At the narrative level, ‘Swords into Plowshares’ employs an immersive storytelling approach, departing from traditional didactic narratives. It distills the cultural DNA of the Chinese nation. This allows global audiences back to that turbulent era through audiovisual and emotional immersion, deepening their appreciation for the extraordinary significance of ‘World Peace’ amidst blood and fire.” ] - https://senalnews.com/en/interviews/zhao-yifang-swords-into-plowshares-aims-to-reintroduce-the-world-to-chinese-historical-dramas
Computer engineer and sci-fi writer Liu Cixin is on a roll, given the number of film adaptations for his works (short story and novels) that will be produced and slated to air in 2027 or 2028. Yang Lei sat down to an interview for C-drama 'Three Body Problem' 3 years ago in February 2023, and it was very insightful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ9rG2R2fPE
Zhang Yimou is directing the film adaptation of 'Three Body Problem', jointly developed by Enlight Media and Three-Body Universe, which is also expected to air during the Spring Festival of 2027 or 2028 due to needing a few years to complete.
With your article, may 'Swords into Plowshares' see more potential viewers interested in this drama!
I'd say that people who keep jumping the gun on anyone who speculated in a non-positive manner about KSH have likely created the opposite effect on bystanders (some KSH fans are not helping the matter, even if they feel frustrated and angry). Nobody likes to feel that they are being unreasonably policed or being aggressively gang-bullied into silence. People will comment and speculate under articles.
From a Southeast Asian perspective or an East Asian perspective (at least amongst all the people I know in 30s and older whereby we generally don't like people who come across as tax dodgers and want them nailed accordingly), KSH does not look good. Whether he will get into trouble legally with NTS is one matter, but now I cannot agree with any view that claims the journalist was wrongly malicious in reporting about this matter. A journalist can be malicious, but not necessarily wrong.
I don't know why Chosun Daily reports so much about KSH, but this is what they reported yesterday in their article titled "Exclusive: Kim Seon-ho's Preemptive Measures Fail to Clear Suspicions":
[ Despite Kim’s explanations, suspicions about the one-person corporation persist. He returned corporate card records, family salary payments, and a company vehicle, and paid additional personal income tax to address the allegations.
However, has Kim truly distanced himself from the suspicions through these 'preemptive measures'? A legal expert expressed skepticism.
On the 3rd, Attorney Lim Jeong-yeop of Junghyang Law Firm told OSEN, "I question whether these preemptive measures were made in good faith." He emphasized that even voluntary actions do not fully resolve the issue. "For instance, if personal income tax was paid, its appropriateness must still be verified. The National Tax Service may take further action," Lim added.
He continued, "If reports about Kim’s parents using corporate cards for personal and entertainment expenses are true, returning card records later does not erase potential charges. Corporate funds must be used for business purposes; personal use constitutes embezzlement, a criminal matter. Police investigation is likely. Even if records are returned, embezzlement charges can still stand. Such actions might only be considered during sentencing."
Lim concluded, "If tax evasion and embezzlement are proven, preemptive measures would be ineffective. Returning records and paying taxes could even resemble an admission of guilt."
Fantagio apologized, stating, "Kim Seon-ho deeply regrets establishing and maintaining the corporation without full understanding. We apologize for the confusion and will manage our artists’ activities more rigorously."
Whether this controversy stems from intentional tax evasion or mere mismanagement of a one-person corporation remains to be seen through further investigations. ]
https://www.chosun.com/english/kpop-culture-en/2026/02/04/LSSLGV2GJ5EXFJUD6CHFKXWYPQ/
KSH has dodged a bullet because he has also managed to limit the damage to his reputation at this point. Beanpole pulled its teaser for 2026 Spring Collection that was supposed to feature him as their new model. Some of the headlines are very misleading, such as claiming "Kim Seon-ho faces advertiser exodus amid tax evasion suspicions" which is absolute rubbish. "Brands Maintain Kim Seon-ho's Endorsements Amidst Tax Evasion Allegations" by Jeong Se-yun of tenasia.com is more apt.
https://www.tenasia.com/amp/2026020436824
That said, Beanpole worked closely with KSH months ago, so for them to do so is noticeable.
https://m.alphabiz.co.kr/news/amp.html?ncode=1065560290140844
[ According to industry sources on February 4, fashion brand Beanpole has removed a teaser video for its 2026 Spring Collection that had previously been uploaded to its official social media accounts.
The teaser, released last month, announced actor Kim Seon-ho as the brand’s new model. However, the video has since been deleted from all of Beanpole’s official channels, including its social media platforms and YouTube.
At the time of release, the teaser stated that the full advertisement would be unveiled on February 3, but the main campaign video has yet to be published. ]
Not mentioning anything conclusive about airing of his dramas is wrongly misconstrued as issues. If something else happens and it is related to this one-man-corporation fiasco that should have been an easily-handled PR matter but for KSH's decisions, it's not luck he'll need but a law firm.
1) KSH's parents don't look good with these details being public, for exploiting what appear to be loopholes available only because of their son being in showbiz, for their personal benefits. Being paid monthly salaries ranging from several hundred thousand to several million won, and to have used the corporate credit card for personal expenses- What? Who decided what salaries they get each month? How is this decided?
2) KSH is an adult of legal age who was allocated the position of CEO of this one-man corporation, and he is no newbie to showbiz. Whether by him or by his parents, does he have good reason not to know what his parents were doing with this company? Should I presume only his accountants were aware of what was happening? Who did the registration of the family car to the one-man corporation? He's got to have a very good reason or reasons to substantiate, for people who are neither fans nor detractors of KSH, to believe he knew nothing about the workings of this company. But at this point, silence might be best for him after Fantagio's statement.
3) It cannot be entirely on the agency for this matter, because Fantagio cannot be publishing statements about things that have not yet happened or not yet fully verified by them. The vagueness that you've pointed out was also noted in other sources now sharing the official statement of Fantagio.
4) Even if readers are not as eloquent as me, they will also automatically question the timeline of payments and rectifications, and the vagueness in today's statement. From the fall-out of Cha Eun-woo, nobody wants to be next. Fantagio's detailed statement should have been published yesterday, not today. Either Fantagio didn't have these finer details at that point (which could be due to rectifications not finished etc/details of rectifications needed to be verified by Fantagio before putting out such a statement/KSH was in the midst of quickly rectifying everything and then showing the necessary to Fantagio for verification) and were unable to publish today's statement.... Or Fantagio made the wrong decision not to publish the finer details yesterday.
5) This is not completely and solely about criminal guilt or being found guilty by the NTS. It's also insight into the workings of how families can exploit a family member's work in showbiz for their own gain. KSH's parents look horrible to me, KSH's role in this makes my eyebrow twitch because of the vagueness of the statements not clarifying timeline questions, and I would be skeptical if someone tells me KSH knows nothing about the functioning of this one-man corporation.
Overall, KSH has dodged a bullet on this allegation of tax evasion ever since that news article on Feb 1. Hopefully nothing else surfaces. Because if something else does, and if facts check out, then I would say KSH is fortunate not to be in China or he will be totally cancelled.
You can help clear up the final bit of confusion here, since I believe most of the details have been addressed: https://news.mydramalist.com/article/kim-seon-ho-s-agency-issues-new-statement-regarding-one-man-corporation#comment-25044432
1 February - Journalist from Sports Kyung Hyang alleges Kim Seon-ho established a 1-person corporation for performance planning in January 2024, registered at his residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. News outlets pick this up.
2 February - Amongst all the overseas media sources, CNA posts an article covering what was reported by said outlet and also covers Fantagio's statement: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/entertainment/kim-seon-ho-tax-evasion-577941
[ The company’s business profile included entertainment-related activities as one of its purposes, however, it has failed to register as a public arts and culture planning business. The outlet suggested that the company’s board consisting only of family members without external professionals allowed for flexible fund management within the family, leading to potential tax evasion.
It further reported that the company’s bank accounts were used to pay monthly salaries to Kim’s parents, said to range from several million to tens of millions of won, with the funds allegedly transferred back to Kim every month.
Corporate cards were also reportedly used by Kim’s parents for personal expenses. These included living costs and entertainment, as well as the registration of the family vehicle under the company’s name....
After his transfer to Fantagio about one year ago, all business operations under that company ceased and it “is currently in the process of being officially dissolved in accordance with relevant laws and procedures.” ]
Yesterday (3 Feb) - hallyuforums on x.com summarises as (https://x.com/hallyuforums/status/2018589970404200855):
[ On the 3rd, Kim Seon-ho’s current agency Fantagio confirmed to MK Sports that the actor temporarily received settlement payments from his former agency after a corporation was set up in January 2024. This arrangement reportedly took place before his contract with the former agency expired in February 2025. Kim Seon-ho later signed an exclusive contract with Fantagio in March 2025.
A representative of his former agency stated that they had no involvement in how the payments were structured, explaining that they “simply deposited the settlement money to the location requested by the actor.”
The controversy deepened after Sports Kyung Hyang reported that Kim Seon-ho had been receiving settlements through SH2, a one-man corporation established in January 2024. The report claimed that the corporation was not registered as a popular culture and arts planning business, a legal requirement for handling entertainment management activities. Receiving management-related settlements while unregistered may violate the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act, which carries a potential penalty of up to two years in prison.
Further questions were raised when it was revealed that Kim Seon-ho had also established a separate performance planning company with family members listed as executives, using his Yongsan-gu, Seoul residence as its registered address. ]
Today, Fantagio issues the longest statement ever, which leads me to two questions:
[ As a proactive measure to rectify the way the corporation was run at the time — something that he lacked understanding of at the time — Kim Seon Ho returned everything, including the corporation's card usage records, family wage payments, and the corporate vehicle.
Concerning the amounts previously settled through the corporation, he has completed the additional payment of personal income tax, in addition to the corporate tax that had already been paid. ] - I don't remember this section of the latest statement from Fantagio being in Fantagio's previous statements but if I missed out, correct me. If this had been in a previous statement, things would have been pretty clear.
1) When did KSH do all these payments such as additional income tax, and additional rectifications? Sometime in 2025? Or was it after 1 February this week, when Sports Kyunghyang published their allegations about him?
2) [ A representative of his former agency stated that they had no involvement in how the payments were structured, explaining that they “simply deposited the settlement money to the location requested by the actor.” ] - According to the latest Fantagio statement today, KSH "established the corporation and maintained it for about a year while lacking sufficient understanding of how corporate operations work."
This settlement money from his former agency was deposited into that one-man corporation at KSH's request, as per his former agency. What was his rationale for requesting it to be deposited into that one-man corporation, at that time?
If he already did all these rectifications and payments before 1 February, I can believe he didn't know what was happening and that journalist is malicious against him. If he rectified all this after 1 February, then I'm sure I'm not the only one to have a very different conclusion about him knowing nothing.
Which one is it?
Knows nothing about wuxia, chinese opera which many villainous characters of this drama have roots in for portrayal but only varying in extents of, needs machine translations for mandarin to english, makes all sorts of irrelevant criticisms about Tang Lici despite claiming to be an LYX fan (Tang Lici being their main target)- Their previous comments wouldn't be known to new viewers like you. They wind up sort of talking to themself, so it is nice that you replied them :)
https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24438394
https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24432270
The first time this account surfaced when the drama aired, I engaged them about their comments pertaining to Gui Mudan shortly after episode 14 came out. I'm certain they weren't expecting someone on this drama page able to explain the references plus lines of Gui Mudan interacting with Liu Yan.
Because I understand certain details, I also shared three classical mandarin sources [《诗经》(Book of Odes), Analects of Confucius and《溪山琴况》(Zither Theory of Mountain Streams) ] with explanations of why this drama is grounded solidly in wuxia themes, encompassing Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism: https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24569086
There is one viewer account (not the one you're replying to) that is now persona non grata in the Luo Yunxi fandom (internationally and domestically) for trying to bring down this drama, drive viewers away from this drama page, misleading viewers- People have every right to strongly dislike individuals who pretend to be a fan of an artist, only to reveal themselves as trying to parachute another idol to piggyback on the success of an artist like Luo Yunxi.
I'm sure a few specific accounts will never finish this drama given all their previous comments, because watching Tang Lici have chemistry with other female characters other than A-Shui is too painful for them. Episode 23 onwards monumentally increases the pain for CP fans of Lin Yun, so best of luck if someone watches this hoping for Tang Lici having a CP!
Also, here is my explanation utilising certain details of the novel versus the drama, which is crucial if someone really wants to grasp certain differences between novel-Tang Lici and drama-Tang Lici: https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-25043194
Xue Xianzi is a Taoist sage knowing martial arts who is at least three-hundred-years-old. He has cultivated and heeded the precepts to surpass mortality, living in the mountains to seek and maintain connection to the Dao via nature,
https://news.mydramalist.com/article/cinematic-wuxia-epic-blades-of-the-guardians-premieres-on-february-17
Consider prefacing your comments with a sentence along the lines of not reading anything longer than a tweet or however-many-words, and I'm sure people can better decide how to reply to you in future :)
This drama is a very loose adaptation of the novel, but it is undeniable that the producers did preserve specific traits from the novel for Tang Lici and Wanyu Yuedan, which is why at least one producer claimed 'Whispers of Fate' is heroism-focused and was echoed by at least three other viewers on this page, before this drama aired.