Still trying to catch up to the released episodes. At episode 5, and really enjoying the goofy/musclehead/optimistic/simple FL/Emperor, and the fierce/domineering/scheming ML/Empress.
To be honest, I'm not sure what features are exotic, but her looks/makeup are very striking, and her powerful skills and domineering personality steal the scene for me.
Oh the animation of this is on netflix. So I can watch that too :D
The background on the cartoon/anime is really beautiful. I wish they had more english subtitled cartoons of ancient chinese stories. It's my first time watching a chinese comic cartoon (I guess they're called donghua? I get confused). I kind of wish the animation movements were smoother, but maybe that's the norm.
She's confused because she's suddenly a man, the powerful Emperor, and has to deal with boring court and incendiary…
By the end of the comic: The remaining harem members are still there, but the Emperor is only with the Empress (from the first episode of the story, the Emperor has become monogamous with the Empress)(and they've switched their bodies back by the end). After the Empress saves the harem from the rebellion (with the physical training she gave them, and her own skills), they are grateful and good to her. The Empress and Emperor live happily ever after, and presumably the harem members live quietly and honestly in the inner palace. The comic doesn't go into more detail of their ending, I think.
Without spoiling it for me can someone tell me if the FL is always so naive and easily confused after the body…
She's confused because she's suddenly a man, the powerful Emperor, and has to deal with boring court and incendiary literati officials, when in fact her area of expertise is military warfare (she comes from a famous family of generals). She'll hit her stride once she's closer to her area of expertise. Trying not to spoil, but wink wink.
But yeah, when it comes to statecraft and scheming (harem or court), the Emperor is miles ahead of her. It's the Empress' silly, loving, loyal personality that the Emperor will come to value, because who else would be inside the Emperor's body, yet be so loyal and true that she would try to give it back?
She's also awkward around him physically because (in the comic at least) she's had an unrequited love for him for years. She married for love, but he didn't (at the time).
Episode 3. I agree that the scheming concubines are annoying, but
it gets good when their ugly scheming faces are on full display in front of the Empress (Emperor's soul), and he sees how awful their personalities are....because prior to the soul swap, he had no idea his loving, tolerant mother and gentle, sweet concubines were like this to his Empress. Ha.
Update: I love the concubine selection scene! The Emperor (Empress' soul) warning off the naive candidates about the tragic reality of being an imperial concubine, the loneliness/depression of only having a few days a year with your husband, all while her actual husband is listening to all this...
Prince Jinming's thigh-hugging is just like in the comic.
Just reading the novel now and I love it! I hope more of her writing gets adapted to drama, especially if, like…
Yes, the author's novels are really good. From the ones I've read, "Eight Treasure Trousseau" and "To Be A Virtuous Wife" are more dramatic/scheming because there are princes fighting for the throne. "The Job of an Imperial Concubine" is more matter-of-fact.
The rest of her novels are the positive, heartwarming kind, especially "Ascending, Do Not Disturb" (which subverts all the vicious cultivation sect in-fighting tropes). (Also fortunately, it is a rare FL-led cultivator novel that doesn't involve teacher-disciple romance.)
Similar novels to "The Times Spent in Pretense", with its laid back, supportive ancient royal family characters, would be, "A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City", "Like Pearl and Jade", and "I Am This Type of Woman".
Edit: I'd also highly recommend "Don't Discriminate Against Species", it's a bit like Men in Black, except it's asian shapeshifters hiding in plain sight/human society and the agency that protects/controls them, and it has 2 MLs. It's fully translated.
hehe since there will be body swap, does that mean the ML will not be weak anymore? Aiya it'll be great,i hate…
ML is still weak physically, but now he can fight/compete skills with the other concubines...like poetry, calligraphy, etc., that the FL wasn't able to do before. The ML is also a master schemer, unlike the FL (she's basically a straightforward valiant general in a woman's body, so she loses badly at harem scheming), and now he's turning his mind towards harem scheming...
Spoiler: I think later on in the comic, there's a part where (after swapping back to their bodies), the ML fends off an attack or something because his body has become stronger/has muscle memory from when the FL had exercised her martial arts in his body before they had swapped back. So he does get physically stronger, in this sense, but it was thanks to the FL's work.
Loved the comic, now here for the drama. Watched the first episode, may update this comment later. Gorgeous, lavish sets and costumes. Good lighting and fairly natural makeup. This is only episode 1, so I'm not going to label this as a spoiler comment.
The added scenes of the court in-fighting nicely showed the division between the domineering civil officials and the inarticulate military officials, and the tensions between the scholarly Emperor and the martial/straightforward Empress,
As usual in a c-drama, there are some dubbed female voice actors with whiny voices but at least the main FL has a nice voice.
They've added in a modern storyline at the start and end of the episode 1, which I'm just skipping for now to focus on the main story.
I did like that they added in some stills of the comic at the start. Also liked that the body swap took place in episode 1.
The comic has some silly/funny/chibi type drawn scenes, and those are the silly scenes in the drama. Offsets the heavier storyline of the invading Tatars, the scheming officials and concubines, and the near-divorce starting relationship between the ML and FL.
Having read the comic, I'm looking forward to the big reveals, face slapping, and ML's character development later on in the story.
I think this is my first time seeing a c-drama adapted from a comic, rather than from a novel...The comic has quite a few comedic scenes, so I'm okay with the acting so far. Some of the sound effects are a bit exaggerated.
Update: After watching Episode 2, I find the leads' acting is really in line with the comic. Since I 've read the comic a few times and know where the story is going, I find I enjoy the drama more. In Episode 2, the leads learn to sympathize with each other as they have to take over each other's respective duties.
What a heartwarming romantic drama. I especially loved the ending scene.
So many romance dramas don't even bother filming that last scene, which is really what the entire drama builds towards. (I mean, after watching 60 episodes of the 3L3W: TMOPB drama, I was so disappointed that that drama didn't even have this particular ending scene (no spoilers here!)).
Princess Jiamin and her wonderful eyebrows need their own drama where she can be the FL.
I re-read the novel and the drama stands well on its own. The author, "Butterfly's Shadow Beneath the Moon", is really good at writing supportive friendships, loving parents, loyal officials, wise emperors, and funny leads that subvert regular story tropes. I'd recommend trying her other novels, she writes across different genres, ancient, modern, fantasy, cultivation, etc.
I'm only on episode 12 so far, but Commander General Chi Lan steals every scene for me. I wish the actress/character could have her own full drama...Her facial expressions are very striking.
The women's customs and hair ornaments are very pretty - lots of pastels, rose gold, and sparkly dangling ornaments. The pink-white makeup palette takes a while to get used to, but Princess Jiamin's long eyebrows really suit her face.
This author, Butterfly's Shadow Beneath The Moon, generally writes positive, happy ending novels. She writes in…
"Ascending, Do Not Disturb" (cultivation fantasy), and "Don't Discriminate Against Species" (urban fantasy) are different genres but completely fan translated and very cute/positive.
"Eight Treasure Trousseau" and "To Be A Virtuous Wife" are both completely translated, but darker with imperial throne/harem scheming.
"A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City" and "I Am This Type of Woman" are more similar to "The Times Spent In Pretense" (this drama/novel), about aristocratic noblewomen, but they're only partially translated and you'd have to finish with Google Translate.
It's funny when the girls press their thumb to the cleft of their upper lip to prevent themselves from fainting (supposed to be an anti-fainting acupuncture point there). The maid did it, and now Princess Jiamin does it in episode 12.
But yeah, when it comes to statecraft and scheming (harem or court), the Emperor is miles ahead of her. It's the Empress' silly, loving, loyal personality that the Emperor will come to value, because who else would be inside the Emperor's body, yet be so loyal and true that she would try to give it back?
She's also awkward around him physically because (in the comic at least) she's had an unrequited love for him for years. She married for love, but he didn't (at the time).
Update: I love the concubine selection scene! The Emperor (Empress' soul) warning off the naive candidates about the tragic reality of being an imperial concubine, the loneliness/depression of only having a few days a year with your husband, all while her actual husband is listening to all this...
Prince Jinming's thigh-hugging is just like in the comic.
The rest of her novels are the positive, heartwarming kind, especially "Ascending, Do Not Disturb" (which subverts all the vicious cultivation sect in-fighting tropes). (Also fortunately, it is a rare FL-led cultivator novel that doesn't involve teacher-disciple romance.)
Similar novels to "The Times Spent in Pretense", with its laid back, supportive ancient royal family characters, would be, "A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City", "Like Pearl and Jade", and "I Am This Type of Woman".
Edit: I'd also highly recommend "Don't Discriminate Against Species", it's a bit like Men in Black, except it's asian shapeshifters hiding in plain sight/human society and the agency that protects/controls them, and it has 2 MLs. It's fully translated.
Enjoy your reading!
Spoiler: I think later on in the comic, there's a part where (after swapping back to their bodies), the ML fends off an attack or something because his body has become stronger/has muscle memory from when the FL had exercised her martial arts in his body before they had swapped back. So he does get physically stronger, in this sense, but it was thanks to the FL's work.
The added scenes of the court in-fighting nicely showed the division between the domineering civil officials and the inarticulate military officials, and the tensions between the scholarly Emperor and the martial/straightforward Empress,
As usual in a c-drama, there are some dubbed female voice actors with whiny voices but at least the main FL has a nice voice.
They've added in a modern storyline at the start and end of the episode 1, which I'm just skipping for now to focus on the main story.
I did like that they added in some stills of the comic at the start. Also liked that the body swap took place in episode 1.
The comic has some silly/funny/chibi type drawn scenes, and those are the silly scenes in the drama. Offsets the heavier storyline of the invading Tatars, the scheming officials and concubines, and the near-divorce starting relationship between the ML and FL.
Having read the comic, I'm looking forward to the big reveals, face slapping, and ML's character development later on in the story.
I think this is my first time seeing a c-drama adapted from a comic, rather than from a novel...The comic has quite a few comedic scenes, so I'm okay with the acting so far. Some of the sound effects are a bit exaggerated.
Update: After watching Episode 2, I find the leads' acting is really in line with the comic. Since I 've read the comic a few times and know where the story is going, I find I enjoy the drama more. In Episode 2, the leads learn to sympathize with each other as they have to take over each other's respective duties.
So many romance dramas don't even bother filming that last scene, which is really what the entire drama builds towards. (I mean, after watching 60 episodes of the 3L3W: TMOPB drama, I was so disappointed that that drama didn't even have this particular ending scene (no spoilers here!)).
Princess Jiamin and her wonderful eyebrows need their own drama where she can be the FL.
I re-read the novel and the drama stands well on its own. The author, "Butterfly's Shadow Beneath the Moon", is really good at writing supportive friendships, loving parents, loyal officials, wise emperors, and funny leads that subvert regular story tropes. I'd recommend trying her other novels, she writes across different genres, ancient, modern, fantasy, cultivation, etc.
"Eight Treasure Trousseau" and "To Be A Virtuous Wife" are both completely translated, but darker with imperial throne/harem scheming.
"A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City" and "I Am This Type of Woman" are more similar to "The Times Spent In Pretense" (this drama/novel), about aristocratic noblewomen, but they're only partially translated and you'd have to finish with Google Translate.
Another option for a kick-butt FL is Smash All Pots and Pans To Go To School, which is a really good read/MTL read, but in the interstellar era: https://www.novelupdates.com/series/smash-all-pots-and-pans-to-go-to-school/