Calla

so true! sometimes when the story gets a little too dark and heavy, taking a short break just makes sense. glad to know i wasn't the only one lol. also, i'm happy to see all of us coming back for the finale - this story is worth completing!

LOL. i absolutely love this drama, but sameee. 😅

looks like we all took a break - i'm still on ep21 myself lol. at least we would be finishing the drama together.

and i was hoping the rating would go up, but at least it didn't go down!

ohhh, you too? did you get busy, were you waiting for more episodes to binge, or did you lose interesting? :O

i took a break at ep16, but i was finally able to binge 4 episodes today. so good, just like i remembered. 👏

they head towards the capital in ep4.

ohhh. i dropped WTME, but every time i see or read spoilers for it, i'm always amused by what's going on in the drama now. as someone who read the novel, i consider the drama adaptation basically 90% fanfiction since it has strayed so far from the original story. it's interesting to see how it ended up sharing so many similar plot points with TSTR. what a coincidence.

you said tigers sniff the rose is nothing "new or special", but if that were truly the case, there wouldn't be so many viewers complaining that mu wanyao is "too mean", "too spoiled", and "too overbearing" - which is not the typical female lead archetype we are used to seeing in c-dramas.

i've come across so many comments from viewers who are upset that the roles are reversed in this story. instead of the same powerful prince or general + poor female commoner dynamic, it is a relationship with a strong-willed princess + a mild-mannered scholar with no martial arts skills. this drama literally flips the script, exposes viewers' double standards, and forces them to ask themselves why they accept male dominance as the default but get uncomfortable when a woman is in control.

nothing is "new or special", yet this is a story about a female lead who has been married once before (and a survivor at that!) reclaiming her agency after trauma, instead of just the usual sweet girl who is still a virgin that every drama likes to put on a pedestal. so many dramas use the "forced marriage" trope, yet rarely ever show the dark reality of what actually happens to a woman in that scenario - s*xual abuse, absolute isolation, and mental torture - but this one did. it unapologetically declares that a woman's worth is not determined by society's purity culture and that she still deserves to live a fulfilling life even if she no longer fits the mold of a "proper" woman.

you are free to say that you wouldn't rate this drama an 8.1/10 from your burner mdl account like you are doing now, but to say that this drama is mediocre is hilarious.

i agree, it deserves to be higher! but considering the effort it took to get the rating this far, i'll take the 8.1/10 as a reward lol.

may it only go up from here. ❤️

in my opinion, it is an amazing drama with beautiful cinematography, complex characters, and great writing. however, it is not meant for everyone.

i see that you have been watching where the mask ends and the lament of autumn - those are very fast-paced dramas.

expect tigers sniff the rose to be a more slowed down story when it comes to pacing, especially in the first few episodes (those are meant for world building and character introductions). it is quite dark in tone with many heavy themes - be wary of triggers such as domestic abuse, SA, and body mutilation. some main characters might even come off as unlikable at first glance.

it is only worth it if you have the patience and heart for all of that.

ahhh, i'm four episodes behind, but i'm so happy to see it at 8.1/10. we've come a long way! 👏

if that happens, my guess is when the drama is about 60-70% completed. give or take.

completely agree! their relationship is so precious. each time they cried for each other, i was there crying right along with them.

thank you, i completely agree!

wenji is tall and handsome, chunhua is beautiful and bubbly. naturally, viewers want to see two hot people together. but if we set aside their visuals, anyone can clearly see how incompatible they are. he cares too much about class and reputation, while she is open-minded and just wants to live a carefree life - their values don't align.

he is everything you said he is, and while he likes her now, it is only because they are in their honeymoon stage. in the long run, he would never fully accept her and might even grow to resent her. so whether she runs away with him or marries another man, this relationship is already broken either way.

it's a "pick your poison" type of situation, and she might as well pick the one that keeps her safe and allows her to stay close to the one person who genuinely cares for her, princess wanyao.

i'm glad we share the same sentiments lol.

"a daughter ventures forth,
in the name her father gave.
into savage lands,
to tame tigers and slay wolves.
the fate is sealed,
a destiny bestowed by Heaven.
when did you decide to defy it,
to change it?"

- lyrics from the song: 我护我 / i protect myself by 张碧晨 / zhang bichen.

this is the most perfect ost i've ever heard for any drama... so poetic and true to the story!

they claim they hate her, but they tune in for every single one of her dramas like true fans. they might be more dedicated than many of us lol.

i think so too, because if these characters don't evoke strong emotions from us - and we don't care about what happens to them - then the director, screenwriter, and actors have failed at their jobs. love them or hate them, at least viewers are feeling something. 😅

my brain wants the answer to be yes, my heart begs for the answer to be no. either way, it's gonna be a hard watch. praying for our girl's safety. 😭

painfully so. that cry of hurt after betrayal still haunts me.