asian_things

Now that it’s set to broadcast soon, there’s been a lot more clips from the drama. Before this, the original consensus was that short drama will more similar to the plot in the novel and have less restrictions. However, it actually seems like the plot has also changed too, from the clips the FL is much more proactive in wanting the ML to fall in love with her to protect her Qiao clan, she is willinging to the ML actions and resists him much less.

There also seems to be a misunderstanding plot where the ML suspects that the FL was the who drugged him and also is jealous of her ex engagement with Liu Yan.

my take on this was
- forehead leaning together (subtle double meaning that is open to interpretation) no different from the ending of other transmigration dramas e.g the romance of tiger and rose, the leads are hugging. Summit of our Youth, the leads are smiling and holding hands. None of these explicitly say I remember you, but the audience is able to interpret this.

- flashback keeps the original way they ended the drama

Doing it this way merely facilitates a seamless transition to the montage that they played in the original ending.

Don’t think it would be impacted by censorships.

By flashback I didn’t meant an actual flashback of them actively remembering their past, I just meant whatever the montage they had in the original ending playing.

As for forehead leaning, it’s a simple gesture such as holding hands or hugging as with any other transmigration drama ending. The fact that this gesture also holds significance to their past only acts as a double meaning depending on how the viewers interprets it. I don’t believe there is anything overly explicit here.

The only difference between this and the original ending is that their foreheads leaning together. There is no other difference.

Interesting enough in the final scene of meeting again, I feel that after LTY said of course I know you, they could have had SMJ lean into LTY and have their foreheads pressed together and then have the flashback of their past life and then fade into the closing message. I feel this provides more closure and creates a subtle beautiful rebirth loop.

I see ppl seem to have seen the video theorising the ending and is confused by how SMJ remembers, has always been waiting, established a whole company in advance.

Just to provide some clarification on my perspective, it would be implying that they are from different timelines. Kind of like what’s happening in the k drama Bon Appetit Your Majesty. SMJ in the modern world must have of started experiencing dreams of their past life much earlier than LTY transmigrating. Or SMJ transmigrated too but when he transmigrated he lost his memories as a modern day human and begun his journey when SMJ was a new born baby. Again he experienced all this before, the current LTY transmigrated. So for this theory to work they would have been from two different timelines.

Either way it’s just a fan theory, it’s possible the other double meaning parallels in the modern day (the company, the project, the painting, the sakura tree) meeting are all just a coincidence and to remind the audience that they are always fated.

Just taking note that bc in the novel, the FL stayed in the mortal realm and in c dramas bc of the transmigration censorship, the directors and screen writers most likely filmed the last scene with no definite answer mind in either. Just providing enough context clues for the watchers to infer an ending suits them.

Thought initially I thought this drama was meant to have a series of mini extra eps (外播) for a slightly extended ending. Though might have been rumors then?

sad to see it end but it’s been a great journey! My favourite arc will always the first arc, I liked that they were able to be their true self the most. FL as a salted fish and ML being a tyrant with his classic “going to kill” catch phrase. I appreciate their character development through various arcs but for me i found their character developments as a reminder of their painful experiences that they had to suffer to reach the person they became at the end. They grew and changed so much for each other and bc of their surroundings. It’s the same type of pain, SMJ experienced when he found LTY and realised that she experienced all these hardships bc he failed to protect her. When he chose to live bc she wants to live. And when LTY had to become stronger to adapt to surroundings and to protect SMJ. I only wished that both of them could have lived a happy, peaceful life with funny sweet memories.

that being said, well done to the leads! Phenomenal acting! I clearly felt the difference and the change in persona, between every loss of memory and recovery of memory. I was instantly able to tell that the switch had happened bc of how they portrayed their character.

TPOB is my top for this year but I think this drama will stay on my mind for a long time bc it’s the sad dramas that have greatest ever-lasting impact on me.

tbh while we see the memories being tampered which shows LTY’s “brother” getting killed by the spiritual fire and telling her to take revenge (which is what her “father” has been telling her). Next minute we see LTY will have her own sudden flashback of SMJ forcing her to kill her “brother” and faint. So maybe from this LTY will start question the memories she saw. And from here, she will access her soul manor to find the note book.

LTY is too hot headed and confused to be even making these connections. Ideally yes but clearly she’s too busy thinking about her poor “father” and how she’s going to bring him to that valley and they r gonna live a peaceful merry merry life or at least until she can go back to the modern world. she wants nothing to do with Sima Jiao so she won’t think about anything related to him esp after she sees the tampered memories. Rn with her mindset is that would need to see physical evidence to believe SMJ, not just going off what others have been saying and playing guessing games.

That’s the problem with changing critical plots, there is a whole butterfly effect. And hopefully they are able to piece this altogether to move forward with the plot.

The only way to rectify this mess quickly is that if after LTY fainted from seeing the tampered memories, SMJ heals her, and she wakes up with her cultivation upgraded and her being to access her soul manor and finding the note book and the rings. which according to the airing calendar, the rings is meant to be the next plot device. However, unless they are able to smoothly restore the mess they have created, at this rate even if the FL discovers the ring she will still be indifferent to SMJ. It’s possible she will be this way until at least ep28 (lightening plot) which is what I fear.

Tragedies such as the ones in TTEOM is expected. They r on opposite sides, there is no way they can be together. Ending in it was also changed.

But like I said changing stuff is fine, but when u change a critical point like revisiting Shi Qian Du’s memories, this means that now they rlly need a clear cut reason for the FL to somehow trust ML again.

I just found out that the memory altering plot wasn’t even a thing in the novel 😭 the revisiting memories of Shi Qian Du, was meant to be the moment she finally sees the truth and fully trust Sima Jiao.

I don’t mind whatever they change bc I discovered the drama first anyway but I don’t like it when they made things too angsty. I understand adding new plot devices and characters to extend the story e.g Ru Ling, Qi Feng, frosted fish, SMJ in a coma for 18 years, but what I rlly don’t understand is changing somth to be the complete opposite of what was supposed to happen? I feel like the revisiting memories should have been a key moment that couldn’t be changed?

I enjoy dramas where the leads have a good relationship are working together against the enemy.

anyone else who can’t bear to watch the recent eps anymore 😭😭 this arc is getting so sad. Poor SMJ, it must hurt so much. they fed us sweet married old couple, slice of life vibes and now it’s all just one sided love, and I want nothing to do with you anymore please respect my choice.

I didn’t except to be hooked to this drama, otherwise, I should have waited till all the eps have been released. Now I can’t stop~

I haven’t read the novel but based off what others have said, with the direction it’s going esp with the new frosted fish tool, I have a feeling that this second arc is gonna be much more angsty then it needed to be😭

oh dear. Thats it, I can’t watch this drama anymore until all the eps have been released. The wait is too stressful 😭 this is too angst for me. Based on what others have said, it seems this arc in the novel wasn’t meant to be this angst with the FL being so against the ML bc of the amnesia.

yes! also based what others have said, I’m pretty sure Rui Ling wasn’t a character in the novel. She only appeared in the second arc as Hong Luo.

If they go down that route, wouldn’t that mean SMJ wouldn’t lose his memory in the third arc? Bc he said through the soul transfer spell, after the person is reborn, they will have the past memories and feelings.

I can’t even imagine the devastation SMJ must feel when he finally seees LTY again.

In the past, he knew that LTY liked to be a salted fish, to slack off, to eat and sleep, she liked beauty, self care, pretty clothes and accessories. Bc of SMJ, she was able to be carefree and enjoy a comfortable life. But now, in his mind, bc of his carelessness and failure to protect her, she’s now wearing shabbier clothes, living a harder, laborious life style to earn money, there is no vacation anymore, left alone doing face masks, even her face suffers from a burn scar. And worst of all, she now has adapted to fight and kill, which is something she would never done in the past😭😭 SMJ must so distressed that he wasn’t able to protect her.

I know a lot of us are disappointed with the ending, and I get a lot of us watch c dramas for different reasons and are not interested with the realistic reality brought by the time travelling troupe and censorships. but for me, I came to watch a light fluffy romance drama with an healthy relationship between the leads where they work together to overcome conflict and to become a better versions of themselves.

And this is exactly what we gain from this drama. Remember that there is no chance to change the past! even if we did change the past bc we knew the future in advance, how meaningful would these achievements rlly be? it’s about the self growth from this journey. a what if. But at the end of the day and a quote I saw from the drama promo posters ~there is no definite right choice, we can only work hard to make our choice the right one~. We can work hard to change our future at any point in time, whether in our 15 year old self or nearing 30 year old self just as long as we live a long life!

is the demon and mortal arc going to be relative short? considering the first arc took up almost 20 eps! also based on the novel, does the ML lose his memory in the third arc?

I like how he’s not a typical cold stoic ML that we see in most dramas like this depicting successful CEOS or top students who may come off a little rude at times and antisocial. From the start to end, he was respectful to others around him, nice to the FL and always looked out of her. Even when FL’s actions were misleading e.g when she was avoiding the ML, the ML only genuinely cared about her, gave her space, instead of giving her the cold shoulder back. He’s always been very communicative, straight forward with his thoughts and feeling. Ofc he has his classic Zhi Nan (straight male) moments.

I thought it was interesting the showed how he was able to pay attention to FL’s relationships around her, including her relationship with Zhou Shi Yun. He was able to see Zhou Shi Yun schemes in highschool and helped FL, as well as he sets clear boundaries with those around him. I feel like normally in these dramas, featuring a white lotus or green tea SFL, u don’t see the ML being to see through this or interfering with the situation at all.

Finally, bc of this drama, I did skim thru the novel. I find his character and actions abit more yandere there LMAO. But also to note the significant differences in that drama and novel. Considering in the novel, ML already had a successful company even in the past (giving him the ability to do more secretly/silently help and protect help the FL) and the age gap was larger, which makes you look at the leads relationships abit different. Regardless, we rlly see the core of ML’s character shine thru in both the novel and the drama.

One key moment I noted in the novel was where upon complex family dynamics and pressure, where we had many relatives and his parents questioning his ability to be the head and manage the company because he had no spouse or child. Particularly, in his circle, many successful business elites tend to have partners but actually cheat and have illegitimate children from wedlock, even ML’s father himself was no exception. But even knowing this, the ML very firmly spoke up for himself and told his parents that he will only have a child with his lover and the person that will accompany him for the rest of his life. And that he has nothing else to prove and doesn’t mind staying single with no heir for the rest of his life if so be it.

So for everyone who has read this far, thank you and I wish every one of you will have a long life ahead. While we all may have regrets and in reality there is no chance to go back in time and change things, but like the FL said, as long as we live long enough, there’s always chance to turn things around~ Likewise with ML and FL returning to the present, they can change their future and work hard to build another successful life for them and for those around them, they still have chance too. We see this with ML quitting his job in management at the end bc he now realises it’s not what he wants. Direct redos aren’t possibles, but we can all keep walking forward!!

Final thoughts on the drama and novel insights!