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girlbossing their way into being considered a feminist show lmao
this show definitely received a lot of hype and was often recommended to me as well for being a 'feminist' show, though i think it ultimately fell quite flat for me in regards to that. i wouldn't even be able to say that i felt it explored the plight of 'jianji' in the song dynasty particularly well, much less feminism. what it IS is fluffy, generally light hearted, cute romances and sisterly bonding, which is also p good and enjoyable.one of the strong points of this show is how it presents the lives of common people in the song dynasty, the beauty and art in every day life is extremely nice and refreshing. As opposed to how most shows tend to focus on the lives of the imperial family, or on nobility, it's very nice to be amongst normal business people and scholars. the sets, design, costuming and specific little details about every day life feel very rich and enjoyable. i love the slide of life vibe, and seeing the tea house and then the restaurant, i LOVE chi pan and i think he's absolutely adorable and SO funny. this show shines when it's about the average every day trials and tribulations of common people, such as the squabbles with chi pan, the competition the tea house has to enter with the other tea shops, creating the flower moon banquet, etc. etc. and this show is at its worst when trying to talk about the political issues and frankly anything to do w gu qianfan's storyline. i've seen countless palace intrigue and court drama that get all of the plotting down to an art... what's the point of even trying if you can't follow through with it and create an intriguing plot? the court drama stuff honestly just didn't really make that much sense with the rest of the show and ultimately didn't really amount to anything? like im not sure why any of it mattered, because none of it really even had anything to do with gu qianfan's character anyway. he starts out a good but hard man who hates and doesn't trust his dad and ends basically exactly the same. not sure what was the point of all of this other than to make him seem complex, but there was no complexity actually written. his dad is shitty and can't be trusted, even if he loves qianfan, so nothing matters, these relationship dynamics don't change? qianfan still hates him and doesn't want anything to do with him by the end? honestly it all just feels v pointless and everything hard that qianfan goes through seems to be for the purpose of creating the aesthetic of a brutal, hard man who tortures others without batting an eye, while not actually giving a shit about him as a character, or caring about the story of this kind of violent brutal man? you can always tell when the writers care or not and i find it overwhelmingly clear that the writers did not give a shit about him. what matters is the dichotomy of how cruel and brutal he can be, how much pain he can endure, and then how sweet and cute he is with pan'er. they just wanted a man who can kill his best friend in one scene, and in the next he can bashfully blush and flirt w pan'er. im totally good w this duality, i just wish that the writing could actually back it up and make me feel anything for him and his storyline!
it's extremely clear that the only characters the writer actually cares abt are zhao pan'er, song yinzhang, and sun sanniang. and there's nothing wrong w that! i just wish we didn't have to waste any time at all on qianfan and his absolutely pointless storyline that goes nowhere!! the most stand out scenes in the whole show to me are the ones that focus on pan'er's character and how she's been shaped by being a jianji, and how she's been hurt, in particular the convo she has w sanniang about worrying about whether or not qianfan likes her, as well as the one about how much of a workaholic she is (which i found extremely relatable hahaha). pan'er is definitely the most well developed character of the series, but even so i still wanted more? i feel like more could've been said with this character and her arc could've been better developed. like she spends so much energy trying to prove herself as an outstanding person worthy of value who can't be bullied or hurt and by the end i still don't know how much she actually has truly accepted herself?
the relationship between pan'er and qianfan is also one of the highlights of the show! liu yifei is great and breathes a specific natural, easy life into the character, and the banter and flirting between the two of them is *chefs kiss* it's rare that i like something specifically for the way the romance is portrayed, but they just have wonderful chemistry! their relationship feels very fresh, very cute, without a lot of the usual silly tropes in romantic dramas, and it's absolutely very modern lmao. i like that chen xiao isn't the usual type of idol beauty, and in fact i wouldn't consider him particularly handsome at all LMAO but that's a good thing! i also think their very first conflict as an official couple was really well done. i was already annoyed at pan'er assuming the worst of qianfan after overhearing him and i thought it was going to be bad writing, but then qianfan called her out on it!! and it made sense why she would react that way once they discussed it and they solved it like adults. this is the sort of relationship writing that i really enjoy and want to see. i had high hopes after seeing that scene, however all was dashed when their major conflict appeared like 3/4 of the way thru the show which was based NOT on any sort of real conflict between their characters, like a clashing of values or personalities, but because of a stupid ass information reveal that doesn't hold any weight and qianfan RUNNING AWAY for like 8 episodes because he 'couldn't face her'??? this is some lazy ass writing if i've ever seen it. give me a real fight, don't give me information reveals that have to do w characters who dont reflect the actions and decisions of the main couple!! don't give me misunderstandings and lack of communication!! honestly why the hell is qianfan doing this to her when he knows how much she's been hurt by shitty men tossing her aside!! just write her a letter or get chen lian to tell her he cant talk rn he's processing or smth MY GOD. i hate this sort of meaningless conflict more than anything else in this series, it's conflict for the sake of conflict, made by lazy writers forcing it to happen. very lame and disappointing typical c-drama shit, ESPECIALLY the whole 'my dad killed your dad so we can't be together.' like that is simply not a real reason you can't work out especially when gu qianfan hates his dad lol and it's especially not a reason that the audience would find any stakes in, any real side to take, with 0 complexity for either of the characters.
ok onto the 'feminism'.......... i think that personally i just do not consider girlboss narratives the height of feminism, nor do they say anything interesting or transgressive. like okay women can succeed and be business owners? obviously? for me to respect a work as feminist is if they actually do something transgressive, but this show is LESS progressive than the work it's adapted from where pan'er and yinzhang are actually sex workers. it's extremely easy to make a show with agreeable politics if its characters are just talented dancers and musicians who are pariahs for it. like, pan'er, yinzhang, and sanniang are all remarkable, talented, hard working women who are smart, beautiful, morally pure, capable and basically nothing short of perfect. pan'er isn't even born a jianji, she's the daughter of a military official and comes from a noble and distinguished background that values the arts! and they have to constantly remind you of this to say that the system is fucked, not that it's wrong for just existing anyway! nothing about them actually challenges audience perception of who is deserving of being treated with value by society, which is also disappointing because it's such a modern show. and even in a historical context i don't think the show truly explores the plight of the jianji and the way they are oppressed in society, other than how it has affected yinzhang and pan'er's characters. like?? i don't feel like i actually know how hard it is to be a jianji, other than generally being looked down upon. give me actual beggars and prostitutes? society is still fucked for treating them like shit, it doesn't only matter if it's beautiful, perfect and talented women like pan'er. the amount of times the main characters have to say they're better than sex workers and that 'they're treated like prostitutes and beggars'... girl guess what they should be treated with respect too!!! give me girls who are ugly or fat or disabled or actually gender nonconforming(EXTREMELY disappointed that zhaodi ends the series in girl clothes) or even just girls who aren't perfectly talented and capable! show me that they have value and deserve respect too! but no china isn't ready for that!!!!! it's just very frustrating after a certain point to see such a focus on selling the show as feminist, to see pan'er and co. fighting SO hard against and SO obsessed w their caste and patriarchy when it can only deliver the most tepid girl power girlboss message. it's an extremely modern show w modern characters and relationships with an aesthetic historical background, so it's very frustrating that instead of having modern day struggles against patriarchy, they have historical struggles against the historical caste system that put musicians and performers and craftspeople as the lowest class. all of these people are easily given respect in modern day times! i think shen ruzhuo was the most interesting part in the show in terms of showing misogyny, and his nonstop 'nice guy' act while continuously guilting, pressuring and overriding yinzhang's boundaries was well done. i really wish that if the show is here to talk about feminism that there was more of this! show me more of how insidious patriarchy is in the average everyday, it doesn't have to just be tying a girl up to a tree and beating her! i guess i do have v high expectations of the media i consider feminist, and sometimes when i'm reminded of just how bad patriarchy is, and how for some people, even this show is still doing something good or changing the way they think, im more able to accept it. it's just hard for me personally to enjoy any of those aspects of this show. i will say though, that female friendship and solidarity were really nice throughout the show, and the real strength of these feminist values. like there basically isn't a single Real female villain, and especially none who are acting in the interest of their love for a man. which is ACTUALLY new and revolutionary for c-drama. i love that gao hui was set up to be a conniving scheming villain, and then she turned out to be totally normal and becomes friends with pan'er. zhang haohao is jealous of yinzhang, but she still puts that aside to warn her against the rapist. gao hui's nainiang is scheming and murderous but because she loves gao hui. and one of the times that did actually kind of get me emotionally was at the end when the empress comes in, and she learns that pan'er deceived the emperor for her, just because she's a woman like her who was once a jianji. that was a really nice moment of solidarity, between an average, everyday woman and the most powerful woman in the nation, and it really drives home the show's message about the power of friendship and solidarity between women.
ultimately this show is quite mid to good for me. it's enjoyable and fluffy, the romances are sweet and the characters are all pretty cute and funny. some moments are quite well written and striking. but ultimately it still falls flat in terms of any sort of complex character writing, nor does it say anything that would be particularly transgressive to modern society as a 'feminist' show.
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often cute and funny, but certainly not very well written
cw: mentions of sexual assaultthe premise of this show is exactly the kind of transmigration trash i look for- screenwriter transmigrates into her own tv show, but it's the body of the domineering evil slut who dies in episode 3??? YES PLS. the meta commentary!! references to all the stupid tropes and characters and plot holes in c drama!! having to figure out ways to make the plot work despite unexpected developments!! give it all to me!!! an example of where the show really shines is when qianqian has to get back han shuo's trust and also give a reasonable explanation for the loss of her kung fu, so she has to stage this overdramatic death scene. it's genuinely SO fun and funny! that said, there's not nearly enough fun meta moments like this, it's pretty few and far in between, and is mostly regular plot problems that keep arising.
i love the two main leads, this drama has definitely turned me into a fan of zhao lusi, she's absolutely adorable and charming. she plays the modern girl stuck in ancient times so well, with a refreshing and realistic air. a lot of her specific speech patterns and slurring of words are so funny and when she smiles w her whole face..... so cute. ding yuxi also..... i am not usually got by these idol pretty boys so idk why but... he has me by the throat.... wtf!!! he is so cute!!!?? why am i got by this?? the way that he is a cutesy lovesick puppy..... didn't think it would get me but it did. these two leads have excellent chemistry and their cute scenes are some of the sweetest i have seen in a good and not overbearing way.
that said..... the writing for their relationship truly falls into the gutter after they get together. none of the characters are like, well written, but thats okay because i'm watching trashy c drama for a reason. the problem is when the quality falls past a point of no return with the lying and hiding and misunderstandings. han shuo falls into absolute irredeemable territory when he goes evil, takes over huayuan, imprisons qianqian, threatens the lives of qianqian's entire family and the citizens of her city, and literally attempts to sexually assault her???? it's a horrifying scene and is not treated with any level of care. none of this is even a longterm plan of huan shuo's to take down chuchu. it's just him punishing qianqian for hurting him (even tho she did it for his own good which is just more stupid bad writing)and being like oh well im not ACTUALLY physically hurting her im just mentally tormenting and terrorizing her... threat of sexual assault is ALSO terrible and not okay in any circumstance??? we even saw earlier signs of it when she was trying to set him up w chuchu and he scared her by saying the mountain bandits were gonna rape her. like i'm all for bad main characters but like u don't easily come back from the attempted sexual assault as punishment. i'm sorry this is absolutely unforgivable, and they dont even like, talk about all of the bad stuff between them, they just have sex in the prison cell and then they're on the same side again?? it's a mess, the writing is an absolute mess, and maybe it can be explained as qianqian is the bad writer who made han shuo and chuchu like this- so EASILY falling down the slippery slope to evil but like.... also isnt the point of the show that qianqian doesnt actually have full control over the fate of her characters and that they make choices for themselves?? idk anyway, truly 乱成一锅粥了。。。
chuchu is actually not a horribly written character and shes still p sympathetic by the end imo, but it's still really really hamfisted, and i wish there was more nuance in her character arc. pei heng on the other hand is just an eyesore i fuckin hate that guy get him off screen, i watch all his scenes at 2x the speed. yuanyuan and su mu's relationship is also... okay..... i... find it questionable for sure. as an able bodied person im not entiiirely equipped to discuss their depiction of her disability, but i'm gonna go ahead and say that it was quite lacking and fell into some negative stereotypes for sure, although i am endeared to her as a character.
final notes.... the feminism....... oh my god......... it's just absolutely beyond clear that the screenwriters are completely ill equipped to talk about gender dynamics, but they think they are?? so much so that the entire setting is based around the subject of gender equality. like there is only a vague vision that everyone should be equal, but no understanding of the history of the feminist movement within China, and how gender dynamics historically and systemically work. frankly, it's just not the place to talk about gender equality if they can't do it well, instead it's just a poorly written distraction from everything. like qianqian wrote the story in the first place because she was interested in the issues between men and women, and wanted representation of women in power by setting it in a matriarchy. if the show is meant to be about gender equality then do that, it needs to fully be the focus and qianqian needs to seriously learn what systemic gender oppression looks like, it's not, 'oh shit it's bad if boys cant go to school either.' but most of the show just isn't about the rules of the setting, its about all the transmigration hijinks, regular plotting.... like ok so then just make the show that!!! dont bother w the gender equality stuff!!! if you want to ACTUALLY watch a show about patriarchy, gender equality and feminism, then watch zhen huan, ju zi hong le, or for something more casual- even the first half of yanxi palace where the issues are woven into the main cast and their character arcs.... this show is crap at it.
ANYWAY, all in all, fun transmigration show w charming leads that gets quite disappointing and is ultimately rough to get through by the end.
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Ok FINE I like romance!!!!! The candy in this show is top notch!!
First 20 episodes were goated, almost a chef's kiss in terms of the romance, and the last 12 were a total disappointing mess.... Xian Yu captured 'falling in love' but couldn't actually write a relationship. In other words, the three lifecycles genre has outlived whatever novelty it had in 2017 and needs to be taken out back and put down ASAP.As an adult, I've been waffling over whether or not I enjoy romance- with a lot of shows/movies/books, etc. I dread every scene the main couple have together, and only a select few have me obsessed, crying, etc. I settled on, 'I like a well written romance' where the main characters are both complex, have serious growth and you can see that they have changed each other for the better and why they belong together (better yet I love a story about why they make each other worse and should break up). This drama, Xian Yu, was only really able to satisfy this sort of....... but it still had me smiling at all of their couple moments, thinking to myself, 'wow they're so cute'... like a TEENAGER!!!!! I got got!! They got me bad!!!!!! I thought they were adorable!!!!!!!!!
Sima Jiao and Liao Tingyan were super likable and easy to root for. SMJ's entire almost comically cartoonish abuse-torture-cannibalism backstory + extremely goated Bking level 99999 ultimate power made him the exact sort of typical male lead in a fantasy idol drama that is easy to root for. A Dream Within a Dream said it best, "Beautiful, tragic, strong." He was an imprisoned underdog I was rooting for to kill literally everyone in the 8 Palaces and raze it to the ground with spirit fire!! One of the most impactful and unforgettable scenes of the entire series is the one where he breaks free, chains everyone up and kills his oppressors. His character is great for the most part, but ultimately falls short in some ways that are personally unsatisfying to me. Falling in love with LTY was well sold and makes perfect sense. Of course this person who has been imprisoned his whole life, who has only ever been used, abused, lied to for power, would need someone who has 0 ambitions whatsoever LOL. LTY fits into what SMJ needs like a puzzle piece. She doesn't want power, or high cultivation, has no ulterior motives, and lives life for the pleasure of it- for eating good food, sleeping a good sleep, resting and playing. LTY makes him feel safe, shows him he deserves kindness and care rather than flattery and inspires him to enjoy the pleasure of living.
Ultimately though, I'm disappointed with where his character went. There were moments where it felt like he could come out of his doomed suicidal mindset because he had grown so much. Like sending LTY to her tribulation with every single defense imaginable and distancing himself from her so she could have the best chance, but ultimately owning that they were in a relationship, and ride or die, they were in this together. But at the end of the day???? Bro was so tortured he was chill with just dying. And like, tbh I get it, they dont have therapists in Xianxia world, what happened to him is so far in the realm of fantasy horrific that it's kind of unthinkable by real life standards. But like, idk, isn't the point of fantasy also that it should just be an escapist way to process a human experience/emotion? It's not like, befittingly tragic, for our hero to hate himself and his own existence so much that he is in a depressing doomer mindset and thinks his only value is dying for his lover. It's just immature emo bs. I already hate self sacrifice, and it's doubly un-romantic when the person sacrificing is already fully suicidal and has only just started to barely enjoy life. It feels like the writers want to make a message like, SMJ ISN'T that other guy w the Fengshan blood who killed himself, and he ISN'T his parents and he has the power to determine his own life and he can defy heaven and fate!! But it ultimately wasn't as great of a goal as making him tragically sad and romantic by sacrificing himself for LTY. At least by the very, very, end, he seems to have understood that doing that and hiding his plans from her was wrong, but more for the lying part. He also says things like, "We have more time" and "We've only just started" which give me hope that he's changed. But ultimately, this development isn't given enough emphasis or time. And maybe if his sacrifice happened in like, episode 20 there would've been enough time!!! But it happened in like episode 30 or something and then he had to live a whole ass lifetime with a loving mother in 2 episodes to get him there. Character growth doesn't happen naturally in the narrative, but through death and rebirth and just becoming a completely different character. That's why it's annoying!!! Wouldn't it have made more impact for SMJ to have gone through what he did, and ultimately come to believe that life was worth living without being a different person?
Liao Tingyan is super adorable and easy to root for! She is genuinely refreshing as a FL who doesn't fall prey to miscommunications, manipulative machinations, etc. etc. and pretty much always stands by and trusts SMJ. Unfortunately, something that I've found quite often now with transmigration dramas, is that the FL's character writing pales in comparison to ML's and it's true here as well. By the end of 33 episodes, I still don't really understand super deeply who she is, where she's from, why SMJ should matter SO much to her, and how exactly did he impact her life. SMJ focuses almost every ounce of his energy on making her comfortable, happy, getting her what she wants to eat, and going on vacation, is protected from harm, etc. etc. but this is all very different from seeing how he has changed her character for the better. Being nice and taking care of someone isn't really enough to warrant love. Like I said, it's easy to see why SMJ fell in love with her, the reverse is harder. And I don't think it would've taken too much??? Like even just a couple more scenes of LTY's life in the modern world, where she is expected to constantly grind and work would've helped. Like I have no idea what her family life was like, if she has friends, if she grew up poor, what hs/college were like. If she had experienced a lot of pressure in her life to be productive and be a contributing member of society, to work for survival, then it would make so much sense to fall in love w this ultra powerful guy who is just like hey slack off all you want, in fact I love that about you and that makes you valuable/important/an inspiration rather than a burden upon society. Like, okay, cool, LTY would be that much more fleshed out of a character. But they didn't do that!!!! And it would've been so easy!!! They could've even just changed her voiceover thoughts and it would've been enough!! ORRR they could've gone a diff route and had SMJ be her inspiration to no longer be a slacker, which feels a little closer to what the series was kind of going for. Like when they're in class and she starts practicing because she wants to protect him. It would've been great if they just pushed this further, and had her really commit to becoming more ambitious for SMJ. Maybe seeing that ambition/work wasn't a bad thing, because it could give her more purpose. Like that could've been another angle that made her feelings for him make more sense, idk. Instead it just feels like the writers wanted to preserve something precious about her (which is fine by itself if well written) but simultaneously make her powerful by the end so it's just plot things happening to her rather than character growth. Like it's some stupid dog blood shit that she just became a good fighter who was groomed and forced to kill by SQL. Or that she awakened the frost fish or absorbed the demon lord core or w/e and now she HAS to be powerful. None of that is real character writing, just forced change from the narrative!
The beginning of their relationship is what got me! As I said, watching them fall in love and be cute and kind and playful is so enjoyable and sweet. There's moments that really work to guide them towards a relationship like LTY telling SMJ off for using the truth spell on her all the time with SO much understanding, making space for him and his trauma while simultaneously centering her own feelings and right to privacy. She's so emotionally mature which is rare for any c-drama lead. Also! UM they actually kiss??? Which is so rare in these types of dramas like I'm so used to the main leads just gently pressing their lips and freezing while the cameral swirls around them and the romantic theme song plays. Them having more sensuality and physicality made such a huge difference and made them feel so much more like a real relationship. The problem is that the show is ultimately too weak to carry their relationship after the initial falling in love phase, meaning they fucked up their first real fight. SMJ forcing LTY to kill Zhenxu is honestly great for their relationship development and makes perfect sense for both of their characters. SMJ is ACTUALLY a morally grey ML who is a walking sea of red flags and it's so understandable that out of concern for LTY, he wants her to know how to kill so she can protect herself. In doing so, he grossly violated the one boundary she set with him since the start. This is not resolved well at all tbh, and was when I started to feel distant from the drama. Her initially asking for space was great, and then not answering when he asked how long was great too, and then he just fucking shows up anyway like a day later?! Without it being on her terms??? With a brief apology and promise to never do it again?? It makes absolutely no sense for LTY to forgive him so quickly. Like we know she's understanding, and she even says it when they argue, that she has been SO understanding of him, his backstory, his world and environment. But understanding does not mean you can forgive someone especially when that person is your PARTNER who just traumatized you for life by violating a crucial boundary. It should've taken a couple episodes at least??? Honestly would've made for so much great emotional tension if she died/they got separated while they were still fighting. It's really just not enough. She needed more time for herself to process and he needed to make it up to her in a way that showed he respected her autonomy by GIVING HER SPACE like she asked!!! Like he gave her a special pillow and now shes just not traumatized??? After that it's just like 12 more episodes of the stupid ass 3 lifecycles shit so we can't even focus on THIS relationship and it's just getting together-dying-getting together-dying again.
This is why I think the 3L3W bs is the ultimate romance killer. Just when you start to actually develop a real relationship, with real points of tension and conflict that could be worked through with character growth, someone fucking dies and they have to start over. Then the tension comes from something stupid like someone forgetting their memories, and they have to fall in love AGAIN but written worse than the first time. By the third time they don't give a shit at alllll anymore and it's like blasted through in 3 episodes. And it doesn't mean that ALL character/relationship growth is thrown out the window, but it means that this growth is severely stunted by stupid fuckery and flashbacks to the first time they fell in love. It's seriously lame as hell to force emotional reactions and sentimentality using amnesia and multiple lifetimes. And it's a serious way to make the audience no longer care when there are just NO stakes. It doesn't matter if they die because they'll just come back! It doesn't matter if they don't remember because they will eventually! SMJ and LTY honestly don't even seem that sad when they lose each other for the billionth time because death just isn't permanent in this world!!! The pacing sucks so much they'll see each other again in 20 minutes! So as a result I, as an avid watcher, who once giggled and coo'd when they did face masks together now feel NOTHING. But hey I chose to watch an idol xianxia 3L3W drama so I'm the clown I guess!!!!!!!!!!!!
Other than the romance, the rest of the characters are completely uncompelling and uninteresting in every way without much logic, not worthy of being talked about. The villains are simple but kind of fun because they are so cartoonishly simple, in particular the 8 Palaces are a fun group of villains to hate. Hypocritical and cannibalistic, going off about righteous values while abusing, torturing, SA'ing, etc. feels very true to real life political villains, so it was cathartic to see. The plot for the first 20 episodes is honestly solid. Like it's bad and melodramatic and silly but honestly??? There's something here about how dark and twisted people can be for power and greed. In some ways it felt kinda old school wuxia. I gotta say... the Blood baby breeding mountain was actually the stuff of nightmares and they honestly did a really good job with that episode. I really felt SMJ's horrific discovery, helplessness, rage and despair. The imagery of everyone in chains in a cave and the forced breeding/pregnancy/incest was a level of darkness that I've actually never seen in an idol xianxia c-drama. It was so chilling and felt like commentary on the chained woman in China (if you don't know about this, look up with caution). So I really do have to give the writers some props for taking it somewhere quite dark, and giving it the impact, trauma, and horror it deserved. After the first 20 episodes, the plot is just.... so much worse and makes so little sense. Nothing goes completely off the rails like many other dramas, but it's definitely stupid, fast paced, and nothing really has any weight or severity to it.
All in all, it's a fun time for the most part, the falling in love part is cute, it's funny, the two main leads are likable!! There's some real moments of care and compelling plot!! It's highly watchable!! Is it good??? Absolutely NOT!!!!!! Honestly if you just watch the first 20 episodes and stop there it might be for the best.
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UMM Actually the ending is GOOD and BASED!!!!!!!
while not a perfect show, i think this is one of the only, not only of the xianxia's i've seen, but of cdrama in GENERAL that stuck the landing. there are weaknesses and flaws 1000% and parts are for sure rushed, but on the whole? the show has a compelling story, is very fun to watch, and despite some typical cdrama plots, there is no loss of logic or grand disrespect for the audience's intelligence. basically all chekhovs guns are covered and explained, and it hits you with a real emotional impact. i don't need the wheel reinvented, i just want characters, plot and themes that are reasonable, follow a logic, and show a basic level of consideration from the writers. this show was able to do that.plot is highly enjoyable! from the minute it starts, it immediately pulls you in with nonstop comedic meta references, hijinks and esther's natural slapstick clownery. she's all i want in a transmigration heroine! stupid, smart and lovable all at once. i've said it before and i'll say it again. yu shuxin can perfectly perform the silly goofy cute girl like no other! the woman has no shame and her natural charisma makes these characters come to life instead of feeling fake and forced. generally, i enjoyed the pacing, it moves quickly from one arc to the next, and i always end up interested and invested in all the background characters and side plots. even if we don't spend too too much time on these side characters, each of them all get a basic level of character depth, so i end up feeling something for most of them (gotta pour one out for my lesbian QUEEN liuniang). however i do feel that the excitement i had for the show drops after miaomiao loses her memories of the real world- one of the main reasons i watch the show is for her character and when she loses her edge it can be a bit of a slog. also towards the end i do think certain plots feel rushed, like the silkworm cocoon dead village arc... that didn't need to happen at the exact same time as ziqi's finding my identity arc and it was a bit jarring to keep going back and forth between two high stakes plots. Basically it was three episodes for two side quests, when each one could've easily taken the entire three episodes.
my only real and true gripe with this show is the wooden bracelet arc. i hate that shit!!!! please!!! no more!!! especially because this show is coming from the same creators as lbfad/canglanjue's i'm expecting better from them. while it WAS really funny at many moments and i truly enjoyed xiao houye's character and found him very lovable, the emotional shit during it was unbearable. the writers never bothered to give ziqi and lmm real conflict, or a real reason for heartbreak, so they had to manufacture something?? it was just ridiculous seeing ziqi be so upset and triggered over lmm being afraid of him when like... we all know she isn't and this is all just fake. why are we making this character go through this because this is not true growth or development?? only fanfic levels hurt/comfort, 'let's manipulate the audience to feel sad.' honestly, it felt insulting and really took me out of the show. the emotional impact of lmm finding zq's confession flower room was great, but i wish it was because they had a real conflict and a real reconciliation, not information reveal that depended entirely on cuicui being in the right place at the right time. other than this arc however, and maybe a couple other small things i cant even remember, i was very happy with the plot writing.
i'm so sorry so many other viewers hated the ending, because i really, truly loved it. starting with the in-game ending, i thought the plot was genuinely nicely written. nothing actually came out of nowhere. it was all integrated from the beginning of the story, and the twists (yuannu is ziqi's mom, yuannu is in muyao this whole time, etc.) were compelling and well set up- not random and illogical twists for the sake of twists. i LOVED the moment that lmm refused to accept the original ending of zq sacrificing himself for everyone, and forced the system to give them another chance to write a happy ending. LOVE IT!!! i am so fucking sick of cdrama self sacrifice you die i die, we take turns dying for each other bullshit. i hate that!! i refuse to accept that self sacrifice is the highest, greatest form of love and i far prefer yyxh's self love message. yyxh actively creates a narrative that offers commentary on typical xianxia/xuanhuan storylines and rejects them, in fact even criticizes them by saying it's the worldview of a middle schooler LMAO. to sacrifice yourself without telling anyone, trusting anyone, and offering them a chance to help you or work together with you, is not an act of love, it should not be an acceptable ending. while i have at times found the phrase, 'how the hell can you love someone else if you can't love yourself' to be debatable and corny, it is also true!!! how can you love others, trust others, respect others, if you can't give them the opportunity to support you? if you dont care for yourself first, how can you show up for others? that's why zq only finally reaches 100% favorability with lmm when he has accepted himself, and shown himself love and care. and despite criticizing these narratives, yyxh is also incredibly KIND. when the writer of this specific story was revealed to be a suicidal, lonely, disabled middle schooler whose only escape was fiction?? it got me. like, of course this child wrote himself as ziqi- powerful, brave and cool, but also a loner who hates the world and all people in it, fundamentally a misfit and outsider. like, it made me feel so much emotion knowing that this was a depressed child's self insert, and made me think of myself as a child- hating everyone around me and the world, escaping into anime and manga or whatever to imagine a better, cooler, powerful me. and how great is it, to offer that child kindness, to SEE the little, lost and lonely mind that made this story, to love and accept him, and yet simultaneously, refuse to validate that worldview. my friend put it really well, 'it represents middle school fantasies without repeating or reaffirming them.' it analyzes why people have that view with understanding and moves past it, it says, that's not true, this world is also filled with beauty and kindness, we should love and trust one another. you should love yourself. how powerful was it that ziqi's final wish in surgery, was to survive!! he chose to live and fight for his own life, when like, every xianxia tells us, the greatest thing you can do is die for others. and of course, while watching the show, at many moments i became extremely aware i was watching something made for teenagers, or thought something like, 'wow if i was in middle school i would be losing my mind,' so it is also validating to see them say, actually yes, this IS for middle schoolers, but the foresight and analysis to heal your inner child is something only an adult can reach through time spent living life. i think it's also something that i can only truly appreciate as an adult.
i genuinely enjoyed seeing everything lock into place, all of the significant elements of reality- the swing set, the apple, the pen, etc. etc. all be explained in the show. and of course, that lmm was zq's original inspiration, not just as a muse in his work, but inspiring bravery and courage in him to live! i've seen plenty of transmigration/time travel shows at this point, and they always start getting lost at some point and don't seem to know how to end it or bring it back to reality. this one really went against the grain, provided full meta-analysis of the genre AND the author, and so successfully brought me to reality, to the point where i became more invested in the real world than the game one. really wonderful ending imo, also ending on the dedication about the importance of self love and the implication of his real life re-meeting with lmm was great!! i don't need them to remember or see them meet. the emotional development and arc has been completed! i care about their relationship but i'm not here for shipping candy so the fact that they never kissed? honestly? slay. the ending delivered on subversion, themes, meta analysis, character depth, inner child healing which is just adult healing, AND romance!!!
ok so i loved the ending, but i also have to talk about the characters. i think ziqi is chefs kiss* 10/10, no notes. well written and multi layered, lovable whether as a fictional character, or as the author who created his fictional self and the world we see. ding yuxi is an actor who i find does good/bad depending on the role/project/director, and i think this role is a great comfort zone for him where he shines. he's also an example of really good 'idol acting,' - the ability to move your face minimally to preserve idol perfection, while simultaneously expressing the emotion in a satisfactory way LOLL i think unfortunately, miaomiao isn't as well written. i wish she got a bit more depth and we got to see how this experience also changed her real world life for the better, maybe gave her the courage to stand up to her boss? call her mom even? idk. she had a character arc in the first part of the series, accepting her father's death after being able to meet him again etc. at a certain point though, she seems mainly relegated to helping ziqi's journey. but also.... if we see the story from the perspective that it was written by ziqi and a reflection of his worldview and innermost feelings AS A CHILD then like, of course it is no longer her story. he's the protagonist, she's a girl he has a crush on. to him she IS the symbolic sunshine who gave him strength and helped him believe in himself, and therefore, maybe more of a flat character.... because he doesn't even know her.
but i still appreciate what we are given of miaomiao. she started out not caring about the world, seeing everyone around her as an npc, to being willing to give up reality for them. this reflects what it's like to be a reader!! you start out not caring about the characters and the world, and over time, the characters become real to you, you start to root for them, wanting them to win, to be safe, to be happy! i think in this specific story, her as the reader to ziqi's writer is very special- they were able to change the ending together! the reader's participation in interpreting the story from their perspective is also an important part of the experience of consuming media. i wish they went even further, and Showed how much he inspired her and affected her life through his writing, instead of just Telling us how important he was to her. Even just idk, scenes of her being depressed after her dad died and finding solace in his books? so yeah i have my gripes about it, but ultimately i'm not that mad.
mu yao is also a character with a lot of potential, and i think they did a pretty good job with her! she has a lot going on, and some real depth, i just wish they stuck the landing because i thought the point of her character was learning not to be purely self reliant and self sacrificing... in fact it's the point of the show! but she still did it at the end and went to the tower by herself. as for liu fuyi...... bro has almost nothing going on. i thought his plot was so shoehorned in at the end, like they tried? i guess? not really? this character type never interests me unless they do FULL subversion like for ex. changheng in clj or shaodian youqin in starry love. he was just kind of there. ultimately, the only truly fleshed out character in the main cast is ziqi and everyone else is passable...
all in all!! it's a great show! fun, fast paced, engaging plot, clear and important, powerful themes, especially for the genre, and a very lovable leading characters. i truly think this show is special, even though it has some scattered downsides. well worth a watch, and a great update on the transmigration narrative!!
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a cute feel good show 85% of the time!!
my friends and i have been talking about smth we would like to describe as the 'rare minimum.' as in this is the bare minimum bar is on the ground expectation for quality, and yet it happens so rarely that we are still surprised by it. this show is kind of it for light hearted romcoms! while not exactly a particularly smart show, it doesn't fall into senseless stupidity. all i ask is that the female lead be written with enough care and consideration that allows her to stand on her own, and isn't held down by the usual misogynistic tropes, and that she and the male lead can have a relationship that isn't plagued by stupid miscommunications and misunderstandings.... or worse the male lead being sweet and then suddenly becoming a raging abuser to 'protect her' or some shit which is the trope that sends me towards an early death.the only real time su ci has issues w pei zhao/qi wang is when she becomes suddenly triggered and flies into trauma lizard brain for an episode but it's easily forgivable and understandable considering what she's been through, and the way that the couple actually communicate makes up for it, with them becoming stronger by the end. there's also a part where pei zhao has to marry a princess to save su ci, and she doesn't lose her head and devolve into 'he's betraying me' she ultimately still trusts him and knows that he did it for good reasons, but the narrative still allows her to be rightfully angry, which is nice. they have such a straightforward progression of becoming close, inspiring each other, being vulnerable with each other, and supporting each other that is just refreshing and comfortable to watch. i don't feel like im constantly under attack like how i feel having seen so many romantic dramas, where there is just toxic behavior that isn't developed or worked through and angst over misunderstandings.
the group dynamic/scooby gang investigating generally low stakes mysteries is so the vibe that i was looking for! every member of the friend group is so cute and each person has their chance to shine and offer their skills to the mystery at hand. well, maybe xie beiming a little less, but he's so lovable and supportive and important just for his presence alone! it's just nice to watch a show about a whole friend group too, which also feels like something of a rarity. usually the b couple is off having a whole separate plot. the secondary couple in this show is also.... really cute..... they really get me.... the supportive himbo king x smart/capable spunky girl ALWAYS gets me.... giving me guo jing x huang rong from condor heroes vibes. that said while they were super cute for most of the series i was disappointed in how their relationship arc went by the end, they really established that xie beiming was the overprotective will-just-hide-the-truth-from-his-girl type, which is fine as long as he grows from it and he never does?? pei zhao is literally like u should trust and believe in ur smart and strong gf and he still doesnt learn?? he literally goes into the finale still having not told her his past and she has to learn due to circumstance. very disappointed, he could have had a really fulfilling character arc in which he learns how to actually respect rushuang, and women in general by extension, by trusting and believing in her strength, and willing to be share himself and his troubles with her as a partner. sighhhhhh..
other problems w the show include the absolute flagrant and violent transphobia of the first episode and also sprinkled throughout the rest of the show. it's like reeeallly bad and reeeaaally gross. there's also some tropes in the beginning that are quite shitty, such as the aphrodisiac shit, the threat of sexual violence, it's all p upsetting and is what knocks the score down for me. i kno she's not trans by any means, but there's just something really violent about a gender nonconforming person getting drugged, and non consensually stuffed into the clothing and make up of their assigned gender, and then put under the threat of sexual violence, and then having to be saved by the male love interest.... and this happens TWICE.
but OTHERWISE, i've seen many a 'strong female character' but usually they are girl bosses because they are royalty or just powerful in social status, or they're exceptional fighters/warriors/generals.... it felt nice to watch su ci be accepted and respected based on her ability as a detective. also a lot of the characters come under the assumption that pei zhao and su ci are gay because she was dressed as a man for a lot of the series.... for a show with no gay leads or gay relationships, it somehow still felt like the kindest treatment of lgb people i've seen in a c-drama?? pei zhao is clearly interested and kisses su ci before he finds out she's a girl, and even afterwards every time someone is like u guys are gay, he is super accepting and goes along with it, he doesn't protest even a little, being gay just isn't treated like it's shameful.... which is more than i can say for some literal bl novels/shows. based on this i'm willing to just go ahead w my bi king headcanon. himbo king xie meiming is also super supportive when he thinks they're gay, he doesn't 'out' them at any point and is just generally caring?? the only one who is mad about it is pei zhao's clearly gay servant kid who also wrote their names together in a marriage wish so i'm willing to chalk it up to him being young and suffering from internalized homophobia.
another note why are we STILL under the yoke of the ten miles peach blossoms styling chokehold.... su ci resembles bai qian in her styling very much, very sick of the light near white robes with the middle parted hair that softly curls around the head and the drop earrings.... even when dressed as a guy she looks like bai qian's young cross dressing form. come on c dramas let's move onnnNNN!!!
ultimately, this is a great feel good comfort show! lighthearted but still engaging, with a lot of simple plots and storytelling, nothing new exactly, but it doesn't aspire to ever be more than it is. just comforting, safe, and cute.
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never in a million years did i imagine myself simping for a cat girl
after watching this and ding yuxi's han shuo from romance of tiger and rose, i am realizing that i am not immune to the charms of idol types............ge xinyi's xiao xiu is literally the cutest girl i've ever seen and her as a cat! so good!!!! i imagined it would be some kind of cringe baby nyannyan shit but she just like,,, had the personality of what an actual cat might have??? and acted it so well down to all the details, really great physical acting, and her line delivery was so natural and realistic..... i love her im obsessed!!!!!!! i was so scared that she would be baby and annoying and overly dependent on chi yan for everything but i srlsy am so thankful that she had her own thing, made friends on her own, got a job, and was moreso curious and excitable abt exploring the human world- the independence and ability to take care of herself all felt like cared for decisions in making a real character and not a thing or idea of a cutesy cat.
ren youlun's chi yan was also quite good and very natural feeling, he didn't feel like...the drama version of an antisocial loner, but like, a real guy who is just like that. i liked also that he didn't have like, idol type good looks, and was just very plain, but the more i watched him the more fond of him i felt. his character growth is genuinely quite nice to see, it feels so relaxing to have him become a much more open and caring person. their relationship is adorable and sweet, they are just good to each other and good for each other which is somehow a rarity in c drama rom coms!!!!
the story itself is whatever tbh, i mean i have literally the lowest of expectations when the plot is my girlfriend is a cat alien, but it met all of them. main leads are written to at least feel natural, real and respectable enough, no crazy motivations out of left field, no wild problematics, just genuinely sweet and supportive relationship. it's really the parts outside of it that start not making sense. there's plenty of plot and logic holes in the fantasy they made but im just choosing to ignore it because i can. the amnesia plot towards the end is kinda annoying but honestly wasnt as bad as i thought it would be, it felt more natural as a progression, though i would have preferred a different way of solving it- which tbh would've meant xiao xiu actually returning to cat planet for a time (and then lin mo wouldnt have to disappear for the last quarter and we could've progressed the cat smuggling plot instead of having everyone re-meet each other and re-get together) but there's no way that they would ever have the budget to hire an animator to depict any more scenes on cat planet lmfao.
the secondary characters are p meh and lin mo is especially poorly written and purely for plot purposes of needing villain he has absolutely shit for brains common sense and somehow is delusional for 10 years out of grief. actual villain idgaf that hes poorly written because im not expecting anythin more out of him. the secondary couple im also not a fan of, though i like qin mingming quite a bit and i actually really like her friendship w chi yan. xu zihao is unbearable in the first half of the drama and im genuinely just not sold on his and mingming's relationship working out but whatever.
all in all, i had a really great time watching this sweet and wholesome drama! i realize the script writer is the same writer as rational life which is my fav modern c drama so i look forward to her future projects, as well as to both lead actors but especially ge xinyi!
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genuinely a solid show
ok first the pros:truly an enjoyable show for the most part. high praise for its ability to recreate 1930s beiping. it was a lovely experience watching the show mostly for its ability to create a setting and environment that allowed you to hang out in the time and place, with a ragtag group of opera performers, to hear and see and smell and exist in the world. truly a++ for being able to bring the viewer into the setting. i have such deep affection for a majority of the characters, everyone in the opera troupe and all of their daily antics and dramas are so entertaining and engaging. i also LOOVEE the two old gays, esp ning jiulang who acts as shang xirui's mentor and idol, and the disciple that shang xirui takes in... we love intergenerational queer connections. er nai nai is quite well written especially in the beginning, i found it to be unfortunately lacking about half way through, but her character arc finishes in a somewhat satisfying way.
My greatest love goes to, of course, shang xirui, our stubborn, fearless, eccentric, gay artist- yin zheng's acting is PHENOMENAL!!! rarely does one find a portrayal of someone who is meant to be "strange" and not have it be forced, cringe, or just far from reality and is just the idea of 'strange.' yin zheng's shang xirui feels like an absolutely genuinely one of a kind, original human being- who has quirks, who is a genius, who can masterfully embody femininity and masculinity, who feels so deeply and passionately and stubbornly. like i think he is one of my favorite and most beloved characters of all c-drama?? yin zheng creates such a realistic, multifaceted portrayal, i found myself so endeared to him, sometimes exasperated, but so admiring all the same.
i generally quite enjoyed the themes that the series ended on as well. a good chunk of it is about the dying art form of chinese opera, the relationship that an artist has to the art, to their brand and performance, as well as to the audience. i'm a bit more ambivalent about shang xirui and cheng fengtai's relationship, but they actually got me in the end. the care and love they have for each other is so deep, yet shang xirui's decision to stay in beiping, despite whatever dangers he may face, despite separating from the man he loves, because that's where his passion and art are, his family, and his life are- really got my admiration for the series. even the way cheng fengtai and er nainai's way of talking about shang xirui basically just living off them felt so wrong. the story's decision to highlight shang xirui's free spirit and independence, his determination and stubbornness to live by his art, rather than placing love above all else is really great and another rarity in c drama. the last couple scenes with him and cheng fengtai on the phone... when they finally saw each other again......... wow this is the shit that gets me......
ok cons.....
i find cheng fengtai's character to be extremely lacking and quite poorly written, especially in comparison to shang xirui who gets so much incredible development. sad rich boy with a sad backstory and who couldn't pursue artistic things like he wanted but had to be a businessman for his family....... whatever...... like he had a lot of potential to be a genuinely very interesting character. the show couldve actually explored his privilege and his interest in shang xirui as a reflection of the dreams he abandoned as well as the mother who abandoned him. from the beginning it felt clear that he was projecting heavily on shang xirui but the show never explored this as a potential flaw... it was just framed as romantic? like imagine if they gave cheng fengtai real flaws, that his love for shang xirui wasn't pure, that he wasnt a perfect friend/partner to him and in fact had to learn how to be better to him while exploring his own character? imagine if they actually made him address his relationship with his wife!! they make the suggestion that he does not truly love her but performs the role of a husband because it is what is expected of him... ok so write that but a full arc! write about how he has to perform the role of a perfect son, head of the family, and husband and its intersections specifically with CLASS and give him depth rather than just fetishizing it all as self sacrifice. er nainai is barely well written but it's still better than cheng fengtai, she actually has really interesting stuff going on, being a woman who IS strong, capable and can take control and leadership, and yet romanticizes the traditional role of a wife and performs it because of what she has been taught by society. It's really interesting and only at the very very end does she have one line acknowledging it, saying that she and cheng fengtai do not have a romantic love, but that they have simply been performing the roles of husband and wife. one line is not good enough!! why not write an entire relationship arc for them that explores this instead of having it devolve into a literal MISUNDERSTANDING about cheng fengtai cheating on her and her being insecure when they have REAL problems to work through that the show set up already!!! ALSO the relationship between cheng fengtai and his little sister is interesting too and has the set up for some actual good development that just once again devolves into a misunderstanding that cheng fengtai is working w the japanese! truly a disappointment. the show is just hell bent on making cheng fengtai mr. action cool hot rich man who is a bamf ceo who also is GOOD to everyone!!
all the military stuff drags on and on and definitely highlights the military in a way that isn't comfortable (i know it takes place in wartimes but STILL). the plot w cheng fentai's sister and the cao's was so horrible please take it away. gu dali was super hot but i KNO it was just some racist misogynistic shit where her being masculine and in charge is supposed to be funny and strange and unlike a good han woman rather than genuinely admirable... and then they did the horrible plot of her trying to get pregnant and her having to act feminine which was framed as soOOoo funny..... and then they killed her..... truly a grave crime. i also really really did not like the ending w shang xirui almost ruining his voice to save cheng fengtai, i am never a fan of self sacrifice for love, and it felt really gratuitous. i understand that they had to up the stakes for the finale and also show how much shang xirui loved him, but i feel like this was already shown by the way he just stabbed the japanese on pure instinct and the way he stayed by his bedside and refused to leave him.
anyway, all in all, a solid show. there's certainly flaws and missed opportunities for me, but overall its strength in shang xirui's character, its portrayal of the opera world and the experiential immersion in the setting make it a drama that will stick with me for quite some time.
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