brunhilda

war scene - yeah, absolutely, he has to fight, but i thought it an odd choice - subduing a rebelling fishing village for ML heroics, i.e. stomping on the beneath him (a pattern repeated, as you pointed you, with the maid).

Overall, i dont expect historical romance cdramas to condemn slavery or have a meaningful conversation to our past etc., that is something outside their job description... however - AtC itself opens that theme and leans heavily into it, so... Yeah, as you said, ML has some expectations tie to the role and not being mediocre is one of them.

Then again... The Sword and the Brocade keeps poking at my brain. the same actress for FL, some similarities to their personality too. In that show the ML was also rather... mediocre (mummy´s boy, shitty husband, selfish) and the FL very... conventional (angel in the household type of person, nurturing supportive wife, blablabla). So maybe the issue is not that much with the ML, but with us approaching him with the wrong set of expectations/tropes - he is not a hero, never was supposed to be one, just a regular guy but by virtue of loving FL, he is the good guy/her. Both in AcT and BO, the women are happy to be subdued and fulfill their roles as obedient virtuous wives. Why would they settle for such a life? Easy to explain from watsonian pov. For such a man? Probably the same.
Still, it begs a question, why on earth such a show is produced in the year 2026, otherwise a good one too...


side note as for ML attitude towards the first wife - it reminds me of Flourished peony and her own first marriage. Very similar dynamic, but here she is a villain, in FP the heroine...

I am taking a break too much of cinderella glorified obedience and meekness for me to stomach (I knew better than to expect rebellion form the FL, but still...). And I am angry, based on the first few episodes this seemed so promising! Underdog POV etc, but instead... we are supposed to root for her to get back to the top of society, be a pretty flower in a garden for ML?

I do hope I am wrong, but doubt it.. which annoys me, because otherwise it´s such a well done show - camera, visual storytelling, acting, music, pacing, costumes... all of it!

As one of the haters, here is my five cents...

This is long, so summary: 2 reasons: see upper-case letters (1. personality – too much tantrum throwing, 2. Cinderella message)

From the get go, it was clear they took a lot of liberties with the original (I am very grateful for that) and ML seemed the usual obedient son with some developing backbone (asking about Shen family, the hints he is behind their burial). Yeah, he had no say in the annulment of the engagement with FL, ha to marry, etc etc. No problems there, at the time he was 17 or so.

REASON 1, a.k.a the story showed me he is the bad guy

My issues started after the time skip (not the actor, never care about actors and he is doing a good job at being unpleasant, so kudos for his skills). This show is great at using visual storytelling and characterisation. The first time we meet him, there is a fight with some rebels. It´s a beautiful fight, you can clearly see what drives them. The leader of rebels is desperate and fighting for survival, he is backed to the corner with no way out. The ML is entitled little general fighting for his ego, willing to hurt himself just to win (like really, that hand would be beyond saving). He doesn’t see the pirate/rebel as smbd equal or worth of respect, despite keeping him on his toes, ML looks at him as if he was a vermin, a pest that needs to be taught its place. ML makes his own followers kill him, them mutilates his body.

And then you have the shot of his two servants/sidekicks. Again, no words, one looks adoringly at his master, the other… seems troubled, conflicted. Why? No idea.
This is supposed to be the ML´s heroic introduction. But in a show that gives us underdog POV, a voice to the slaves and powerless… it reads for me as a villain intro.

SIDE NOTE: 21st perspective and c-drama
ML marches home and is feared, is domineering and rude to his wife, physically attacks her and obviously uses her – a member of Zhao family least capable of fighting back/hurting him – to vent his anger and bruised ego (for meddling in his career path, especially as he chose it so the Zhao family wouldn’t be able to do so). Again, behaviour of a villain or SML at best.

We can talk about applying 21st ct. perspective, but this is c-drama, they are not concerned with historical accuracy, just storytelling. They always have 21st ct. perspective – directly or … you know, what 21st ct. average viewer thinks some historical period POV should look like with emphasis on stereotypes we can pull and squeeze melodrama and obstacles for MC out of. I digress…
So, he behaves like a teen throwing a tantrum, which makes him unlikable for me. Yes, I know some of his actions will be explained and excused by trauma, daddy issues, broken heart and all that (don’t get me started on the ridiculous purity culture here), but for now, everything in the story says – this is annoying SML or a small time villain with delusion of grandeur.

REASON 2: choosing ML = conformity, i.e. the system is correct

However (thank you for sticking till now), the main reason why I dislike him so profoundly is the messaging. The simple fact that he is ML, i.e. person that will end up with our heroine and that… that is just unpleasant and hard for m to stomach.
This a story about girl who went from riches to rags, ends as a slave in a family at least partially responsible for her downfall, ends up as a servant in the main home, then becomes wife/concubine thus forever imprisoned behind its walls.

In a story that sets of by giving voice to the powerless, hinting at the inhumanity of such system… they let FL be a Cinderella? A girl rewarded for her obedience. And to be as explicit as possible, they let her be kept by the family who actually owns her. (I watched the intro credits and damn… you have her working for him, serving him, popping children for him, being a flower adoring his garden. This is just sooo damn sad.)

The story says it´s good to be obedient, look the other way, don’t fight, don’t seek freedom, bow down, bend, obey.

This is not romance, this is not aspirational - for me, it´s terrifying and thus, I cannot appreciate ML, because he is the main tool of such imprisonment.

Thank you for reading this far.

personally, i find him very unlikeable, but i am sure there will be very noble an magical explanations (excuses) for anything bad he does or did. All that viciousness and conceit an aggression justified coz... don´t know, daddy issue and hurt ego? and the fact that he stayed faithful to his ex-fiancee or something silly like that.

Just why on earth would FL end up with a guy whose family is partially responsible for her family´s downfall? If the two of them are endgame, that means she is forever stuck in Lin prison, just with better clothes.
I do love a lot about this drama so far, basically everything aside the main pairing... the girl deserves better! Freedom and moving on and overcoming her trauma and all such lovely things. Aaah, let´s hope for "sad" ending :)

I keep wondering how they plan to make the ML a good guy (3 ep in, the guy is unpleasant as hell) and any romance between them palatable... I do hope it won´t be this sort of cheap black&white crap.

And even if it was the truth behind the Shen family downfall, it still says something about ML character when he vents his anger and bruised ego on the one person who is at his mercy, can hurt him and his family the least (i.e. the wife).

I have never in my life been so enraged by a drama character - Ye Xian makes me shout at my screen, shaking with the need to bent him over my knee or send him back to kindergarten or drown him in my teacup. Immature, entitled selfish temper-tantrum throwing brat. I dont care about his sob story, or how many small animals he saves. He needs to face the consequences of his actions in a prolonged and painful way or even better, be at the mercy of somebody as useless as him and just die and stop making his shit everybody elses problems!

It´s ridiculous how irrationally furious I am with this brat. And I know, he is a spoiled entitled teen throwing a tantrum coz he was not loved enough, I do know that, but sorry, no - emphaty left this building, just want to see him become the worst possible version of himself and die.

He is perfectly written for now (ep. 10), kudos for writers and the actor alike and I am sooo grateful FL is no motherly type or she would be dragged into his crap.
Aaah, they did such a good job!

I do love that the main characters are not perfect and that their flaws are consistent (his ego in case of ML), I do... at the same time I want to kick the ML repeatedly in the shin a pray he steps on lego at least once a day. It´s far from the worst dramas can offer but there is still too much "you know you want it" attitude. Not respecting others and their wishes is not endearing or charming. I do enjoy, however, that his most unpleasant decisions always stem from smbd wounding his fragile ego.

I hope there will be severe consequences of his decision in ep 20 and he gets chewed for it properly. Please, dear writers, no golden shield of a hero...

They are saying cast and dress according to our ideological views and needs, not demanding a realistic portrayal of human body.

"excessive makeup, costumes and props" can be applied to idol dramas, but in the same vein can be used against anything experimental or individual or subjective.

"core values of truth, goodness, and beauty" often means a black and white characters where the good guys have to be pretty and the bad guys ugly (possibly with some form of racial or ethnic flavour). And again can be aimed at any artistic expression that moves from ideological and schematic and and easy to consume & pass censorship stuff.

"take root among the people" and "the beauty of simplicity, the beauty of nature, and the beauty of meaningful content" are setting my teeth on edge and i dont think even chatgpt could produce an emptier phrase as these.

As from Xi Jinping Thought on Culture ... well, this monstrosity is a communist propaganda doctrine with all that entails. Set of rules and practices to control the public opinion, the history and the culture so it fits the official communist narrative.

I am not demanding from chinese dramaland high artistic value or to move beyond the limits of censorship . Just please, as viewers, let´s bear in mind that those shows are produced by a communist totalitarian regime that cares about many things, but not artistic quality.

I do enjoy the show but, oh my, the FL is not the sharpest tool in the shed. To be more specific, she seems to have trouble with reading situation and planning on the spot - how many times has she almost died or the investigation failed/got obstructed because she couldnt anticipate a rather obvious problem... I kinda appreciate it, that both the main characters have their strengths and weaknesses but occasionally it smells too much like plot convenience and needless upping of drama.

romantic tropes as assaults or at least crossing of boundaries - the Sui brothers in all their deranged glory. ML and his jealous fits. ML not taking a no for an answer repeatedly, never reflecting he was out of line (the kiss scene before he left to be a general again).

Gaslighting - not fessing up his identity to FL, not telling her about her parents (At first I get it, reasonable, but then he asks her to wait for him and pines and whines and is all possessive and still doesn't say a thing and apparently even plays some ridiculous charade even after they meet again on the battlefield? I am happy to see a flawed ML, kudos for that, truly (they are possible explanation for this behaviour from ML) - but i would like to know if the show will keep portraying such behaviour towards FL as wrong, will force him to admit his fault and do better (or there will be narrative punishment - such as true trouble caused by not saying a thing, or she not willing to forgive him, be with him unless he changes his ways etc.)

Or if they will go the easy road - love conquers all and she forgives him immediately or (worst case scenario) will present all the lying and possessivness he is displaying as something funny, cute and romantic, a proof of how much he loves FL. Given the fact he behaves similarly - just usually less unhinged - as the DV & rapy Sui prince, I hope the creators are intentionally playing with these tropes, subverting and criticising them.
However, just to be on the safe side... I want to ask.

I do enjoy that so many of the ML romantic tropes are given to the bad guys and shown in their SA glory, even ML. But i sometimes worry about where it´s headed.
So, a quick question - will the ML be called out, ideally even punished for all that idiotic gaslighting of FL and his ridiculous and utterly misplaced bouts of jealousy (novel or show) or does the show play it just for laughs and "thrill"/romance. (currently at ep 20)
Thank you.

Sheng Yi is my dearest character of this show. Her story was so well handled and not just by c-drama standards.
The show takes time to sketch the nuances of her life, of all the forces and ppl that shaped her into who she was, as well as how common her story was. She is never vilified for her actions, even if it unwittingly led to trouble for FL, it´s always clear she is a victim. It takes time to explain why it was impossible for her to end up any differently, to not be so beaten down and broken, why she just couldnt start anew on her own. Her monologue about self-hatred was... heartbreaking(ly familiar). Her timidness, her insecurities, her choices and reactions through the whole show... she was such a wonderful character! And, which is truly a cherry on top, with the monologue after her death, when FL writes her story, it show the Qs the writers had to ask themselves. To give SY a happy ending would be... inspirational, perhaps, and there is need for that, but by showing the harsh reality of her life and ending it in her death, they did justice to the struggle it is to deal with not only domestic abuse but with being a underprivileged woman (in a patriarchal society).
Kudos for the writers and the actress for bringing Sheng Yi to life, truly.

I love to hate Liu Chang - his spoiled brat aura, his delusions, his habit of fancying only women who are unattainable or at least not present (yeah, we get it, it ruins the fantasy when the woman is there - you know, she talks and breathes and has opinions and personality and all the other nasty things). I love how he is a parody of a certain type of ML in dramas as well as being the stereotypical SML as well as being a mirror to very nasty masculine traits & behaviours, and something very human in general (such as inability/fear to accept the consequences of one´s actions). And I want to laugh in his face (coz i know it would hurt him far more than actually bashing his skull in).

I love this drama, it´s truly an unexpected gem. Especially writing - a lot of thought, love and care went into it.
Currently at ep. 25 and have to say, i do like the dynamic between JTY and YZ, but it reminds me more of a counselor/social worker trying to reach to a very troubled kid than anything romantic. YZ imprinting/falling for her, that I can understand and am happy with, but JTY for him... (well, i can imagine a woman like her putting up with a man like him but for her own sake hope it´s not the case; he is the type of guy who will endlessly complain and b*tch about things, eagerly sucking up the joy out of the air and she would be the woman apologizing to everybody and defending him left and right; but i digress).
Hell, even the conflict now (JTY forcefully trying to get to him/reveal his plans and then being desperate to find a solution) and the whole trust issues and how to deal with them screams counselor and a child dynamic to me and and such light are just... chef´s kiss.
I do hope they keep it up, that it´s intentional and if so... kudos for them!

Edit: Oh well, it was naive of me to hope for such outcome. Still, a lovely show.

Perfectly summed up!
The thing is... just because the couple doesn't get a happily ever after it doesn't mean it´s a sad or tragic ending. Worth of a relationship should not be based on its longevity.
ML&FL had fulfilling relationship together filled with ups and downs. They don't regret it, experienced and learnt bunch of things, loved each other and broke up on friendly terms. Come on, that´s the best scenario there is! :)

Were she to never remember a thing, yeah, then we could talk about bad ending - it would feel unfair and not balanced, but that is not the case. Honestly, the more I think about it, the more i like the conclusion of this show :)

Love and destiny by this writer-director duo goes for HE (personally I have issues with it, but that´s my problem). Actually, there are some similarities about their dynamic to this show, now I think about it. It´s xianxia aand a bit long, but a nice one, given the genre restraints.

Love between fairy and the devil. Xianxia. Very nice take on heavenly vs "demon" realm with a charming romance. The FL is the naive young girl trope, but there is development and still very nice.

Story of MingLang (older, veeery long, but very good historical drama; there is a natural stope somewhere after 30 episodes, you can easily stop there)

Scent of time - has a somewhat HE, depending on your perspective, i personally am not a fan of the ML, but the story is interesting take on the villainess time-traveling trope.

Blossom (2024). Historical ones, time travel trope. Done very well. Fantastic chemistry between the main couple, interesting plot outside of the romance, charming side characters. Visually just magnificent.

Korean ones - Knight flower (historicalish comedy, great fun), Alchemy of souls (fantasy), our blooming youth (this one has extremely HE, i would call it idyllic even).

And one novel on the topic of unhealthy devotion done right, because it deserves more appreciation - Devil Venerable also wants to know. It´s a beautiful and fantastic story with wonderful translation. :)

Hope, something will pique your interest. Have fun watching.

Personally, I love the ending and would be disappointed with a HE. The whole story was leading towards separation, consequences of one´s actions etc, etc... and not just the FL-ML dynamic (although that alone was a reason enough to have them go their own paths; in a good way, their relationship always felt to me more like a lesson/experience to look back to, to be formed by than the ultimate goal.) but the drama overall - each of the arc was about ill-fated relationships or about clinging to someone in not healthy manner long after the relationship ran its course, and that letting go was a good thing - see Mr. Bai as the one guy who ended up alright, because he was able to see it was time to move on (I have some issues with their treatment of XingXian, but that is a separate matter).

The ending was well executed, a logical conclusion of the story they were telling and cathartic. Not to mention that in the usual sea of unhealthy devotions and unconditional OTPs a breath of fresh air I wholeheartedly appreciate.

One very enjoyable thing about this drama (same as with Love with destiny by this writer&director duo) is the obvious love for the genre and tropes they have whilst being able to ground them or slightly shift them into something refreshing. Especially the tired and irritating tropes, cliches in their rendition can became enjoyable. The domineering Sima lady NOT being petty jealous SFL, the weak heroine being aware of her weakness and navigating world accordingly, the taciturn ML being socially inept (really, the guy did not know how to hold a conversation, it was fun) and not dark&mysterious, the ridiculous slow&long shots of ML-FL gazing into each other eyes conveying a meaning and being bearable (this one is a gem i never believed possible! :) ), etc, etc...

Aaah, a slight need to vent.

I loved the family dynamics as well as most of the individual characters in this drama. The way none of them (main bunch included) is truly a monster, mainly foolish, selfish, hurt and muddleheaded. It gives them complexity and makes for an interesting watch as none of them are the good guys.
I hate from the bottom of my heart how all that goes out of the window the moment a young girl character is introduced. Boy-crazed the only thing they are good at. It´s unpleasant, repetitive and damn annoying. And down-grades the plot to a shameful farce.

As for the romance.. (currently ep27). I appreciate that the dynamic between FL&ML is based on the usual trope of saving a damsel in distress with added twist - namely the fact that FL has no reason to like ML as the only thing he ever done for her is saved her bunch of times. Which appreciated but not a strong basis of a romantic relationship. If I look back to their interactions till now, no matter how attractive she finds him, there is mostly bad blood between them - if nothing else, he forced her into the marriage. I get it will change, but i appreciated it was not glossed over.
**when she tells him off for being a controlling and smothering, i loved how surprised he looked! It didnt even occur to him she might not agree to the marriage, that she might wished to be consulted about it - fantastic!. However, I have some suspicions we are supposed to view him in sympathetic light? That this is a bad thing? Which is silly, because if somebody treated you like this, you should run for the hills. It doesnt matter he has reasons (good reasons) to be this way, she is a 15yo child with enough baggage of her own to cater to his.
But damn, she is sorta the type to fell into such controlling (potentially abusive) relationship, so double kudos for kicking him out.
(I know it will not last and i do hope it will be because he changes his behaviour and not because she accepts he "does it for her good". )

**Side-note: I will never stop appreciating the fact that they kept her behaviour age-appropriate. She is a feral kitten with possible ADHD, 15yo teenager who behaves accordingly - i.e. a mixture of mature and extremely childish and often very emotional. It´s top-tear characterisation and however annoying and frustrating the FL can get, I will cherish her a the writers for this.**

Aah, thank you- if anybody - for listening, the rant helped. Back to silly dramas.

isnt the main difference the upbringing & her charming mother? instead of being spoiled and raised solely by her, she got the basics from sb else (presumably competent - part of the deal after the poisoning affair) and currently, who knows for how many years, she is constantly criticized and compared to DZ (which probably didnt happen to such extent in the 1st life as the FL was far more pliant and married of at 16 - when the sister was... 6 or 7?) It´s not that much a surprise she is lonely and timid.