Wonderful description of their current relationship and what drives their motives. Change may not be what ZhaoZhao…
thks yes agree with you. for the ML This origin places him in a paradoxical position: he is both a victim and a threat. He is a character who is calm on the outside but burning on the inside...
26. The ML possesses a revolutionary spirit, driven by a thirst for vengeance but also by a profound determination to establish peace and justice among the clans. He seeks to reveal the true faces of all the hypocrites, no matter which clan they belong to. In essence, his cause is noble: to allow people to finally live in happiness and to put an end to the injustice that has persisted for generations.
In contrast, the FL longs for something entirely different. She simply wishes to remain with her family and friends and continue living a peaceful life—even if that peace means tolerating the hypocrisy surrounding her. She has the strength to fight, but not the will, or perhaps not the desire. It is possible that her aunt once carried similar ideals but was unable to pursue them to the end.
In this context, love becomes a decisive force. It is ultimately love that leads the FL to make decisions that may initially seem radical, forced, or even manipulative. Yet in the long term, those choices may open the path toward the peaceful life she hopes for everyone. And this becomes possible thanks to the unwavering determination of the ML.
Fortunately, the characters are complex. Even if love sometimes appears obsessive or troubling, it is not the only force driving them. And yet, perhaps it is love that ultimately has the power to save them.
The curtain rises: our fiancé receives a powerful moral from both sides at once. Poor guy — caught in a full crossfire of righteousness. :) In the meantime, we are kindly treated to a flashback so we can once again rewatch “THAT very scene!!!” — the fleeting kiss — and collectively sigh in dreamy agony. And just so no one relaxes, right after that we get our male lead sitting on a chair in his room like he’s posing for the cover of Vogue. (One final “sigh…” for those who were still emotionally stuck in the kiss.)
Then begins the honeymoon-style trip of our Romeo and Juliet. Let’s tick the boxes one by one: mountains — check, rivers — check, sunrise — check, campfire — check, beautiful music — check, holding hands — mandatory, food lovingly cooked by the hero — of course, rain — right on schedule, butterflies — fluttering around, and naturally the essential trope: the hero proudly carrying the heroine on his back!!
The final touch — the traditional cliff jump. For those who watched “Dream Within a Dream”: don’t worry. As the heroine explained there, protagonists are basically immune to this kind of thing. So jumping off cliffs is perfectly safe. See you in next episodes ;))
What a wonderful series! I'm still on episode 13!! It really reminds me of "When Life Gives You Tangerines" because of its atmosphere, casting, plot, and production quality. I already liked Artur, but here he is just magnificent. With his Ben Affleck-like looks, he has really grown as an actor—and he’s only 25. But he’s not the only one shining in this project: FL, The second couple (the sister) — how much I love them! Wow ! Very well written and beautifully performed. And the third couple (the brother) as well. The other characters are great too. In short, 10/10 for this drama so far at episode 13, and a special mention for the beautiful music
ML’s determination toward FL feels rightful to me. He knows her heart answers his, yet she is held back by the divisions of their clans and the shadows of the past. Precisely because of that past, he refuses to let history repeat itself. His resolve is not to "conquer", but to "protect what could be" — even through hardship.
What I admire in him is that his perseverance!! buttttt is tempered by patience and calm. His strength is quiet . And that is why it never becomes harassment. True power reveals itself in restraint.
1.A little side note: visually ML & FL , they kind of remind me of Romeo and Juliet (1968), especially in the white dress scenes… and even in some of the more modern-looking shots and Those photoshoots are beautiful !! 2.Ep. 20: the tablecloths are back! The costume designer must have saved a few table runners from the last corporate party and recycled them into outfits for the school disciples 😄 Buttttt It’s actually pretty funny. I feel like the costume designer had a bit of fun creating these looks. And those pants definitely have some Bob Marley vibes going on.
3. Overall, I think the director could have done better, even though visually there are some really beautiful shots — especially all the scenes in the water or by the water.
4.And to finish, as usual, with my signature line: Yiran, you are excellent ✨!!!!!!!!!!!
I really like this series — it feels like something new in the world of dramas. The characters are developed with subtlety; they are not idealized. The ability to reflect social realism is, in my view, one of the styles in which China succeeds in creating interesting content.
I was also pleasantly surprised that the series portrays this era not only in dark tones, but also from a warm, even luminous perspective. It was a time before consumerism, when people were content with little, made many things with their own hands, lived more simply, yet closer to one another. At the same time, the criticism of the regime is not hidden — the atmosphere of surveillance, the possibility of being condemned for a single word, and the restrictions on creative and intellectual freedom (which in the series are, of course, somewhat romanticized at times).
Perhaps it is precisely this balance — between the light of human feelings and the shadow of historical circumstances — that makes the story convincing.
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In contrast, the FL longs for something entirely different. She simply wishes to remain with her family and friends and continue living a peaceful life—even if that peace means tolerating the hypocrisy surrounding her. She has the strength to fight, but not the will, or perhaps not the desire. It is possible that her aunt once carried similar ideals but was unable to pursue them to the end.
In this context, love becomes a decisive force. It is ultimately love that leads the FL to make decisions that may initially seem radical, forced, or even manipulative. Yet in the long term, those choices may open the path toward the peaceful life she hopes for everyone. And this becomes possible thanks to the unwavering determination of the ML.
Fortunately, the characters are complex. Even if love sometimes appears obsessive or troubling, it is not the only force driving them. And yet, perhaps it is love that ultimately has the power to save them.
In the meantime, we are kindly treated to a flashback so we can once again rewatch “THAT very scene!!!” — the fleeting kiss — and collectively sigh in dreamy agony. And just so no one relaxes, right after that we get our male lead sitting on a chair in his room like he’s posing for the cover of Vogue. (One final “sigh…” for those who were still emotionally stuck in the kiss.)
Then begins the honeymoon-style trip of our Romeo and Juliet. Let’s tick the boxes one by one: mountains — check, rivers — check, sunrise — check, campfire — check, beautiful music — check, holding hands — mandatory, food lovingly cooked by the hero — of course, rain — right on schedule, butterflies — fluttering around, and naturally the essential trope: the hero proudly carrying the heroine on his back!!
The final touch — the traditional cliff jump. For those who watched “Dream Within a Dream”: don’t worry. As the heroine explained there, protagonists are basically immune to this kind of thing. So jumping off cliffs is perfectly safe.
See you in next episodes ;))
I already liked Artur, but here he is just magnificent. With his Ben Affleck-like looks, he has really grown as an actor—and he’s only 25.
But he’s not the only one shining in this project: FL, The second couple (the sister) — how much I love them! Wow ! Very well written and beautifully performed. And the third couple (the brother) as well. The other characters are great too. In short, 10/10 for this drama so far at episode 13, and a special mention for the beautiful music
What I admire in him is that his perseverance!! buttttt is tempered by patience and calm. His strength is quiet . And that is why it never becomes harassment. True power reveals itself in restraint.
2.Ep. 20: the tablecloths are back! The costume designer must have saved a few table runners from the last corporate party and recycled them into outfits for the school disciples 😄
Buttttt It’s actually pretty funny. I feel like the costume designer had a bit of fun creating these looks. And those pants definitely have some Bob Marley vibes going on.
3. Overall, I think the director could have done better, even though visually there are some really beautiful shots — especially all the scenes in the water or by the water.
4.And to finish, as usual, with my signature line: Yiran, you are excellent ✨!!!!!!!!!!!
I was also pleasantly surprised that the series portrays this era not only in dark tones, but also from a warm, even luminous perspective. It was a time before consumerism, when people were content with little, made many things with their own hands, lived more simply, yet closer to one another. At the same time, the criticism of the regime is not hidden — the atmosphere of surveillance, the possibility of being condemned for a single word, and the restrictions on creative and intellectual freedom (which in the series are, of course, somewhat romanticized at times).
Perhaps it is precisely this balance — between the light of human feelings and the shadow of historical circumstances — that makes the story convincing.