This author, Butterfly's Shadow Beneath The Moon, generally writes positive, happy ending novels. She writes in different genres, but I've liked them all because her characters are generally very warm. You can look up her novels on NovelUpdates: https://www.novelupdates.com/nauthor/butterflys-shadow-beneath-the-moon/
I really love this author's books and was so happy to see another novel getting a drama adaptation! Her novels are pretty easy to read / finish with the fan translations and Google Translate. The author (Butterfly's Shadow Beneath the Moon) writes some wonderfully loving and supportive parents, like the Hua General parents, and the Emperor. There are quite a few differences between the novel and the drama adaptation, but still very enjoyable.
It's a nice change to have a quietly scheming, ferocious-tiger-pretending-to-be-a-frail-kitten kind of FL, and an older, more experienced looking ML with a gorgeously deep dubbed voice. Looking forward to Princess Zaomin's reversal later. Also entertaining to see a SML character make a grand musical/dance entrance onto a public stage, like you often see a beautiful SFL doing in other dramas. Glad they have a veteran-uncle character, he balances out the FL and her maid. I'm also glad that it's a nice succinct 24 episodes, rather than trying to drag it out to 40 (or in the older days, 60) episodes.
Really enjoying the energetic performances, the wonderful roster of judges, and the quick editing of the first…
Also interesting to learn that a "sexy" concept is actually very expensive to do - the part-time working group said they'd always wanted to do a "sexy" concept, but couldn't afford it. The cost of making a music video, hiring dancers, choreography, was out of their financial reach. Glad that they get this chance to try the concept, and with all the professional support/resources from the show. I guess it really helps to level the playing field when all the contestants get access to professional help to succeed.
I did feel a bit sorry for the individual new team 24:00, whose blatantly "sexy" concept seemed a bit overdone, since that would've been the stylist/chororeography's idea...
Really enjoying the energetic performances, the wonderful roster of judges, and the quick editing of the first 3 episodes, subtitled on Viki.
In other competition shows, there's often annoying editing (too much back story, scenes repeated 3x for melodrama, contestant talking negatively about others, overly long decision-making scenes, etc.)
In Peak Time, the show quickly moves from performance to performance, while giving the judges enough time to show off their hilarious personalities (I don't know most of them, but their unfiltered 2nd gen kpop (and the two men who seems like famous producers?) comments and expressions to each other and the contestants are gold), and the MC Lee Seung Gi is the right balance of charismatic voice, engaging conversation, and trolling the judges back. I liked that there were so many judges, and they were generally positive and compassionate to the contestants, while also being honest about they saw in the performances.
Also, given the lack of resources of some contestants (one group had no agency and did everything on their own, and another group was working part-time at blue collar jobs every afternoon/evening to support themselves), it was great that for Round 1 and up, every team would have professional stylists, choreographers, dance/vocal lessons, etc. It was so poignant when one group said their last dance/vocal lessons were more than a decade ago.
I also really enjoyed seeing the contestants in the audience cheering everyone on, like a bunch of excited kids at a concert rocking out to good music. The contestants were so supportive, positive and respectful of each other, that it was funny when the judges/MC tried to make them say something provocative to each other for some competitive drama, and some failed hilariously.
"innocent idiot female lead trope" I usually dislike that trope as well, but trust us on this. the FL gets better…
Sounds good. For Love Between Fairy and Devil, even my kid walked in and asked why the female lead's voice was so weird...
I watched 60% of Ashes of Love before I gave up (and I'd read the book beforehand, so I knew she'd get past it, but I couldn't continue watching any further).
Oh wow, didn't realise that! Quite amazing as LLTG was also v popular and well-reviewed. LBFAD is really the dark…
The family bickering was hard to watch, but it's over in a few episodes, the family gets straightened out, and it becomes more comedic. By the end of the drama, I was admiring the vulgar farmer grandma's acting.
Just finished Love Like the Galaxy and decided to try Love Between Fairy and Devil (based on the novel Demon King/The Parting of the Orchid and Cang). Visuals are gorgeous, but I really dislike the innocent idiot female lead trope (adult woman acting/talking like a 5-year-old kindergartener). Because of the great reviews here, I toughed it out for the first half hour listening to the female lead talking with a baby-talk accent, and finally got rewarded by the amazing body swap. Now I'm all in...The body swap was sooooo good.
In that case, I admire her vocal acting talent in those scenes! Her voice carries so loud and well when she is calling for someone, I thought it was a professional voice actor.
Just started episode 1. Was happy to see Untamed's young Jin Ling as the Emperor's doctor friend! While I like the FL already, I wish she wasn't constantly shown eating, wanting to eat, talking with her mouth open (fat-shaming stereotypes), and being coarse and rough, but I guess the latter is part of the storyline. Can't wait to watch more and move past the initial portrayal of the FL, because other reviewers say the FL storyline improves later. Production value is good. Also a nice change to see an Empress Dowager mother-in-law forced to act nicely to her new daughter-in-law.
Update: On Episode 6 now, enjoying the acting/production/sets/storyline. Too bad they gave the FL such an unattractive hairdo/eye makeup and extra strident voice. I really like the FL, the FL's mom (nonchalantly putting the super villain in his place), and how the Emperor Dowager and Grand Consort Fei/Taifei actually get along.
Didn't like the start (shrewish abusive FL and timid ML), but once they got married, they were sweet and went around fighting corruption like brave civic minded citizens. Much better after they got married and moved around. Lighting/production was weirdly low, like an 80's drama, but I got used to it.
Why do so many Chinese dramas see the need to make the FL so dense and immature! I'm only on ep. 6 and already…
I'm at episode 7 and having the same problem. The dubbed FL's voice is very pouty, hesitant, super naive, baby-ish. The super-immature babyish FL trope is the same reason I had to drop Ashes of Love and Love and Redemption half way through, although they're both very popular dramas.
I don't know any 17 year old teenage girls who act/sound like that at all. The tango scene was cringe. Maybe that's why I appreciate more poised/confident/mature FL's like in Who Rules the World, they're so rare in c-dramas.
Is it a problem with the directors, that they ask the actresses and voice actresses to over-act/exaggerate the naive FL role like this?
In the novel:- the first half is wuxia, the second half is warfare (whereas in the drama, the first third is wuxia,…
Yeah, there is no shortened life span. In one of the epilogues (https://www.wattpad.com/1228763086-who-rules-the-world-translated-from-the-original) they go live happily. If you read the preceding chapters and after story comments by the author and readers, they mention the FL kidnapping the ML to go live happily ever after, and somewhere it mentions that the FL and ML ruled the wuxia world while the SML got his unified country.
Finally finished the show! I binged half of it, then while I was waiting for the rest of the episodes, I binged…
In the novel:
- the first half is wuxia, the second half is warfare (whereas in the drama, the first third is wuxia, the middle third is royal politics, and only the last few episodes are warfare)
- Yu Wuyuan isn't a villain at all (whereas in the drama, Yu Wuyuan is the big hidden boss)
- Feng Qiwu is a musician from a brothel (whereas in the drama, she's a Minister and head of her aristocratic family)
- the FL (female lead) didn't have a brother (whereas in the drama, they added in a brother and the little boy Han Pu and killed them both off)
- the ML (male lead) 's royal family politics/scheming is barely a paragraph of his backstory (ML never eats any food except what his servant cooks for him, which makes the FL wonder what kind of life he had led in the palace, constantly being targeted by his stepmother) (whereas in the drama, the Yongzhou royal family politics took a good 10 episodes or so?)
- I don't remember the FL-ML's army facing off directly against Huang Chao's army. I kind of recall the two giant armies raced separately towards the capital while fighting other states along the way, and then they resolved the final victor in a less military way...
- they lived happily ever after. Huang Chao ruled the Empire, and the ML and FL ruled the Wuxia world (whereas in the drama, the ML had a limited lifespan)
- "The ending is fulfilling, all the ends were tied up neatly in a bow. Bai Feng Xi and Hei Feng Xi had all the wealth, name and power with no stress. It was a good ending for all, even Huang Chao had 8 years of his beloved power before he died [from his old wartime injuries]. And Hua Chunran became Mother of the world for these 8 years. Yu Wuyuan found his peace. Feng Xiwu found a longing to call home and peace. It is a complete closure."
- I've noticed that in general, c-novels tend to have happy endings with extended happy epilogues (whereas in dramas, they tend to have bittersweet/hardship type endings, because ML/FL have to suffer for their happy ending and can't have it all.)
In the drama:
- the battle formation scenes were gorgeous, loved the CG
- the wedding scenes were beautiful, so nice to see extended wedding scenes in a drama
- loved the CG shots of Qizhou state, the Capital, and the other states. On a large TV, the view was gorgeous. They really outdid themselves with the distance scenes of the cities and states
- everyone in power is scheming and smart and two-three-faced, from princes to princesses to kings to the Emperor.
- Yang Yang and Rosy were perfect in their roles - so rare to have a FL who is strong throughout an entire drama without being permanently poisoned, injured, weakened, or losing her memory (Princess Agents cough cough)(even if FL got injured, she was OP (overpowered) again soon afterwards).
- I also liked that the FL was a more experienced, mature, top fighter, OP kind of lead, like the ML.
- love the ML's voice actor. Sounds like the same voice actor for the ML in 3L3W(TMOPB), Princess Weiyoung, and so many other ML's. At this point, I hear his voice and my brain is primed to crush on the ML.
- they added in the FL's brother, Han Pu, Tianyan Sect, Mount __ competition for the martial arts, etc. I liked the younger cast members.
- ML's oldest brother is a sweetie at the end. He had a lot more scenes in the drama.
The only 2 things I didn't like about the drama:
- I didn't like the middle third about the ML's scheming royal family, it dragged on and on (this is one of the main downsides of watching a drama, there are usually lots of scenes of villains plotting evil schemes. Whereas in a novel, villains don't get as much screen time since you read most of the story from the protagonist's perspective.)
- I didn't like how they turned the ML's hair white and only gave him 10 years to live, why can't the ML and FL have the total happy ending from the novel
Finally finished the show! I binged half of it, then while I was waiting for the rest of the episodes, I binged the translation of the novel, then returned to finish the drama. Below are my main thoughts on the novel versus the drama. My poor memory of the novel details is already fading a bit, but I hope I got it right...
Episode 14 made me squee so badly. So satisfying to get an entire episode about a main character. Those two (don't want to spoil it) in historical costume, now we know their connection, OMG, I hope they get a happy ending.
Cute, fluffy, entertaining drama. Just what I was looking for. In the novel, the female lead is a modern woman who transmigrates into Qing Luo's body as she is giving birth (what a bad shock!), and the female lead is plenty quirky and feisty. The storyline is different from the usual dramas (single mom poison doctor with a feisty son and 4 martial arts leader followers), and I like the FL, ML and the little boy's acting. There is plenty of humour. This is also one of the few c dramas that makes the food look delicious.
It's a nice change to have a quietly scheming, ferocious-tiger-pretending-to-be-a-frail-kitten kind of FL, and an older, more experienced looking ML with a gorgeously deep dubbed voice. Looking forward to Princess Zaomin's reversal later. Also entertaining to see a SML character make a grand musical/dance entrance onto a public stage, like you often see a beautiful SFL doing in other dramas. Glad they have a veteran-uncle character, he balances out the FL and her maid. I'm also glad that it's a nice succinct 24 episodes, rather than trying to drag it out to 40 (or in the older days, 60) episodes.
Edit: The cat is super cute too.
I did feel a bit sorry for the individual new team 24:00, whose blatantly "sexy" concept seemed a bit overdone, since that would've been the stylist/chororeography's idea...
In other competition shows, there's often annoying editing (too much back story, scenes repeated 3x for melodrama, contestant talking negatively about others, overly long decision-making scenes, etc.)
In Peak Time, the show quickly moves from performance to performance, while giving the judges enough time to show off their hilarious personalities (I don't know most of them, but their unfiltered 2nd gen kpop (and the two men who seems like famous producers?) comments and expressions to each other and the contestants are gold), and the MC Lee Seung Gi is the right balance of charismatic voice, engaging conversation, and trolling the judges back. I liked that there were so many judges, and they were generally positive and compassionate to the contestants, while also being honest about they saw in the performances.
Also, given the lack of resources of some contestants (one group had no agency and did everything on their own, and another group was working part-time at blue collar jobs every afternoon/evening to support themselves), it was great that for Round 1 and up, every team would have professional stylists, choreographers, dance/vocal lessons, etc. It was so poignant when one group said their last dance/vocal lessons were more than a decade ago.
I also really enjoyed seeing the contestants in the audience cheering everyone on, like a bunch of excited kids at a concert rocking out to good music. The contestants were so supportive, positive and respectful of each other, that it was funny when the judges/MC tried to make them say something provocative to each other for some competitive drama, and some failed hilariously.
I watched 60% of Ashes of Love before I gave up (and I'd read the book beforehand, so I knew she'd get past it, but I couldn't continue watching any further).
Update: On Episode 6 now, enjoying the acting/production/sets/storyline. Too bad they gave the FL such an unattractive hairdo/eye makeup and extra strident voice. I really like the FL, the FL's mom (nonchalantly putting the super villain in his place), and how the Emperor Dowager and Grand Consort Fei/Taifei actually get along.
I don't know any 17 year old teenage girls who act/sound like that at all. The tango scene was cringe. Maybe that's why I appreciate more poised/confident/mature FL's like in Who Rules the World, they're so rare in c-dramas.
Is it a problem with the directors, that they ask the actresses and voice actresses to over-act/exaggerate the naive FL role like this?
- the first half is wuxia, the second half is warfare (whereas in the drama, the first third is wuxia, the middle third is royal politics, and only the last few episodes are warfare)
- Yu Wuyuan isn't a villain at all (whereas in the drama, Yu Wuyuan is the big hidden boss)
- Feng Qiwu is a musician from a brothel (whereas in the drama, she's a Minister and head of her aristocratic family)
- the FL (female lead) didn't have a brother (whereas in the drama, they added in a brother and the little boy Han Pu and killed them both off)
- the ML (male lead) 's royal family politics/scheming is barely a paragraph of his backstory (ML never eats any food except what his servant cooks for him, which makes the FL wonder what kind of life he had led in the palace, constantly being targeted by his stepmother) (whereas in the drama, the Yongzhou royal family politics took a good 10 episodes or so?)
- I don't remember the FL-ML's army facing off directly against Huang Chao's army. I kind of recall the two giant armies raced separately towards the capital while fighting other states along the way, and then they resolved the final victor in a less military way...
- they lived happily ever after. Huang Chao ruled the Empire, and the ML and FL ruled the Wuxia world (whereas in the drama, the ML had a limited lifespan)
- "The ending is fulfilling, all the ends were tied up neatly in a bow. Bai Feng Xi and Hei Feng Xi had all the wealth, name and power with no stress. It was a good ending for all, even Huang Chao had 8 years of his beloved power before he died [from his old wartime injuries]. And Hua Chunran became Mother of the world for these 8 years. Yu Wuyuan found his peace. Feng Xiwu found a longing to call home and peace. It is a complete closure."
- I've noticed that in general, c-novels tend to have happy endings with extended happy epilogues (whereas in dramas, they tend to have bittersweet/hardship type endings, because ML/FL have to suffer for their happy ending and can't have it all.)
In the drama:
- the battle formation scenes were gorgeous, loved the CG
- the wedding scenes were beautiful, so nice to see extended wedding scenes in a drama
- loved the CG shots of Qizhou state, the Capital, and the other states. On a large TV, the view was gorgeous. They really outdid themselves with the distance scenes of the cities and states
- everyone in power is scheming and smart and two-three-faced, from princes to princesses to kings to the Emperor.
- Yang Yang and Rosy were perfect in their roles - so rare to have a FL who is strong throughout an entire drama without being permanently poisoned, injured, weakened, or losing her memory (Princess Agents cough cough)(even if FL got injured, she was OP (overpowered) again soon afterwards).
- I also liked that the FL was a more experienced, mature, top fighter, OP kind of lead, like the ML.
- love the ML's voice actor. Sounds like the same voice actor for the ML in 3L3W(TMOPB), Princess Weiyoung, and so many other ML's. At this point, I hear his voice and my brain is primed to crush on the ML.
- they added in the FL's brother, Han Pu, Tianyan Sect, Mount __ competition for the martial arts, etc. I liked the younger cast members.
- ML's oldest brother is a sweetie at the end. He had a lot more scenes in the drama.
The only 2 things I didn't like about the drama:
- I didn't like the middle third about the ML's scheming royal family, it dragged on and on (this is one of the main downsides of watching a drama, there are usually lots of scenes of villains plotting evil schemes. Whereas in a novel, villains don't get as much screen time since you read most of the story from the protagonist's perspective.)
- I didn't like how they turned the ML's hair white and only gave him 10 years to live, why can't the ML and FL have the total happy ending from the novel