Seems like quite a few people are upset about the dynamic between the ML and the FL, but I don't think you guys…
exactly! even today, in no way could any of us regular people approach high-ranking leaders or royalty and expect to be treated as equals. that would be delusional lol.
- we already saw eunuch yu grovel at the feet of grand princess luling in the previous episodes, looking like…
yes, you make a great point. i'm not usually a fan of this plot device, but this drama handled it with much more restraint and realism compared to other dramas. i can appreciate that!
tbh, the fact that it makes you uncomfortable IS the entire point.we’re so used to seeing men hold absolute…
i know your comment is the perfect final note to end our conversation, but xu lanxiang has been through too much and i need to defend her honor lol. what you heard about her upholding societal ideals that were once used to oppress her and using them as weapons to confine other women is completely false.
spoilers ahead:
when lanxiang entered the lin mansion as a servant, there was another maid who saw her as a rival, ji'er. lanxiang continuously tried to help ji'er evade punishments, but ji'er was too proud and always dismissed her efforts. when ji'er ended up on the wrong side of their master, it was lanxiang's previous warnings / words of wisdom that saved her. but only ji'er's life was spared, not her fate - she ended up being sold to a brothel. later, when lanxiang was trafficked into that same brothel, ji'er helped her escape because of lanxiang's past kindness. before leaving, lanxiang promised that when she got the chance, she would come back to buy ji'er's freedom - and she did just that.
when one of lanxiang's sisters-in-law, the 1st lin young lady, was being physically and verbally abused by her toxic husband, jinqi's own aunt turned a blind eye to the bruises and cries for help as an elder and insisted she just "be patient and endure it" (jinqi was completely unaware of the abuse, as they hadn't seen each other in years). lanxiang, a woman who just barely married into this family and didn't even have a personal relationship with her sister-in-law, was the first to take action. she hired thugs to beat up the asshole, initiated the divorce at court, ensured the separation succeeded, and brought her sister-in-law back home. during a time when a woman divorcing her husband brought shame to the whole family, why would lanxiang step in if her goal was just to uphold conservative ideals?
also, when lanxiang's personal maids - who were her closest friends - wanted to get married, she gave them their freedom and blessed them. if she truly wanted to "teach them a lesson," why would she do this? it was well within her power to force them to serve her forever without lifting a finger; she had no reason to target or oppress them.
while some of the female characters did meet tragic ends, that is not true for most of them - and that is largely thanks to lanxiang. it's the way every woman in against the current, whether hero or villain, is written with so much empathy and nuance that made me love the drama so much. the romance could never compare to the female solidarity.
people are just highly critical of women. we get blamed for the smallest things and accused of not doing enough, and that unfair judgment is of course extended to fictional female characters. it's very likely you just ran into some of the harshest and most exaggerated takes out there of lanxiang's character. she is a girl's girl, through and through.
anyway, sorry for the long post, i am done now. 😂
i have enjoyed our exchanges as well lol. thank you for chatting with me!
i just finished ep12 and omg you guys are right - today's episodes are gripping! the tensionnnnn. 👌some of…
- we already saw eunuch yu grovel at the feet of grand princess luling in the previous episodes, looking like a pathetic dog, so why does he still intimidate me so much? there's just something so unnerving about his calm composure when he's threatening others - and that creepy smile of his - that makes my skin crawl. the actor playing this character is so talented. 👏
- there are so many supporting characters that i like, but wei shu has to be my favorite. he's so timid that you almost want to call him weak, but then there's this quiet and rebellious side to him. i like how even though he's too powerless to boldly stand up for himself, he still finds his own little way to fight back. he proves that he has his own aspirations outside of being an obedient puppet. he has this innocent and righteous charm that makes him endearing. too cute!
- i love the background music, especially the way it has been used in ep12! the instrumentals playing when wanyao is walking out of her mansion for a meeting with eunuch yu, as well as during her conversation with him, fill those scenes with so much tension, enhancing the danger with every single beat. my heart was pounding in my chest the entire time i was watching this lol.
- i have no idea what happened in the novel, but i'm relieved that in the drama, while yan shang is under the influence of an aphrodisiac, his character didn't force wanyao into doing anything more than a make-out session. i hate this trope in c-dramas / c-novels. it really cheapens a first-time intimate scene between the protagonists.
- now that we've established that both of our leads have feelings and are willing to kill for one another (even if it means fake killing each other 😅 ), the next step is navigating their schemes as both allies and friends-with-benefits. can't wait!
tbh, the fact that it makes you uncomfortable IS the entire point.we’re so used to seeing men hold absolute…
i don't really know what else to say to you, so i guess i will leave the discussion with this:
mu wanyao and yan shang are not perfect people. like many relationships, they don't start off automatically compatible and equal in every way. they have a power imbalance and they clash over their ideologies. that is what gives this drama tension - that might not appeal to you, but that is why most of us are here. like every real couple, they will need to work together and sometimes compromise to build a balanced and healthy relationship. that is what makes a good story, and that is also how real life works.
if the journey to getting where you want to go - seeing an equal partnership between our leads on screen - isn't something you're willing to wait for, then this drama is probably just going to keep frustrating you, because that's literally the point of the story. i don't really understand why you're watching a drama that doesn't align with your values while you're also refusing to step out of your comfort zone, but that is your right.
tbh, the fact that it makes you uncomfortable IS the entire point.we’re so used to seeing men hold absolute…
you made it further than me with the early spring. i think i dropped it around ep5. i was like... what even is this? 😅
but yes, after your previous comment clarifying your stance on our main couple in tigers sniff the rose, i think i understand what you're trying to say now. i don't want to normalize toxic relationship dynamics either, so at least that is something we can both agree on.
tbh, the fact that it makes you uncomfortable IS the entire point.we’re so used to seeing men hold absolute…
you said, "a dynamic that makes me uncomfortable: the reversal of domination."
when i read a statement such as this one, considering the context of the drama we are watching, it gives off the impression that you are unhappy with a woman in control. because that's what a reversed role means: one character swapping a role with another.
respectfully, perhaps you were trying to say that you feel uncomfortable with an imbalance of power in any relationship? in that case, yes, i would say that in a perfect relationship, both men and women should be equals. they don't necessarily have to share the same strengths, but their best attributes should offset their partner's in a healthy way.
to this, i say the appeal isn't to watch one person dominate another person in their relationship for the rest of their lives. the appeal is to see them grow and meet each other on the same level. we are at the early stage of their relationship. they just barely met and don't even fully know each other yet. mu wanyao might be a princess, but she only holds power over those beneath her. she is still pretty much defenseless against her true enemies. and yan shang might be a poor scholar who has to bend his knees at the feet of nobles, but he is intelligent and cunning - he won't always be weak. there will come a day when he becomes powerful enough that even those with the sharpest blades have to think twice before offending him.
someday, they will be equals in their own right. the journey getting there is worth waiting for. have patience.
tbh, the fact that it makes you uncomfortable IS the entire point.we’re so used to seeing men hold absolute…
i understand what you mean. there were so many "omg it's been days/months/years - when will she get over it? he only did it because he loved her!" comments, and even as a fan of against the current, i was as turned off by this dismissive attitude towards lanxiang as you lol. she had every right to be resentful and put up walls against jinqi after what he did.
i judge the romance in the early spring through a modern lens, since it is something i can relate to, so i have no patience for its toxicity. i look at the romance in against the current through a historical one, and it wasn't my main draw anyway, so maybe that is why i was able to fully tune in and finish it. i stayed for the women supporting women stories.
and again, this is why having a variety of different women and relationships available for media consumption is so important. even if we don't always see eye to eye on every drama, we get to have thoughtful conversations like this.
i'm only 1/3 into ep11, but saw this coming from a mile away. he's been so used to receiving praises all his life that he doesn't know how to deal with setbacks.
tbh, the fact that it makes you uncomfortable IS the entire point.we’re so used to seeing men hold absolute…
i've never been a ceo, but i've been in management roles before, and you're so right - as a woman, people always try to undermine your authority, take it personally when you hold them accountable for their work, and call you a bitch just for doing your job lol.
that's why i really don't have a problem with wanyao having the dominant personality in the relationship. some viewers might find her off-putting and unsympathetic for being "too much," but she's a multilayered person. so far, she's doing a great job carrying the story as a strong and resilient protagonist. people would still hate her even if she was gentle and softspoken - just like they hated xu lanxiang from against the current.
women are society's punching bag, and in its own way, this drama is fighting against that system through mu wanyao's unconventional ways.
Once again, I find myself questioning a dynamic that makes me uncomfortable: the reversal of domination.Why do…
tbh, the fact that it makes you uncomfortable IS the entire point.
we’re so used to seeing men hold absolute power in stories (and irl) that we don't even question it - it’s just treated as the default. but the second a woman is in control, suddenly people start asking what the purpose of it is or why it's necessary.
reversing the role isn't just swapping places for the hell of it; it forces us to look at our own double standards and ask why male dominance is expected to be accepted without resistance while female dominance is viewed as upsetting and out of line.
that's why this particular dynamic - a highly ranked and overbearing princess and a poor and mild-mannered scholar - is being celebrated for being refreshing.
i had to block some of those people because it was getting exhausting. genuine criticism is one thing, but why…
no, i completely get it because i share your frustration. some of them say the most absurd things. some comments sound like genuine criticism, and then some of them... you can tell they either didn't even watch the drama or they didn't comprehend what they were watching... lol. it does make one want to respond with, "wtf are you even going on about?" 😅
but ugh, i hate that mdl doesn't allow unlimited blocks. my only suggestion is, if you have time, go through your block list on a web browser and unblock some of the inactive users to make space for more people. 😂
despite the negative comments flooding this comment section, i do believe there are many of us here who are happy about this drama. i'm glad all of us get to bond over the story (and these comments) together! 🫂
Everyone, please calm down. There’s no need to fight! For those of us who absolutely LOVE this drama, like me,…
you are completely right, and i love this comment.
especially this line >>> "Feel free to move on. (pls)" i felt that "pls" and it made me chuckle. 😂
it's been a lot of fun to see a ml scholar who isn't afraid of getting his hands dirty and a fl princess who goes after what she wants even if people call her "unladylike". both are here for blood and we are here for them. let's continue to enjoy this beautiful drama together!
News 
spoilers ahead:
when lanxiang entered the lin mansion as a servant, there was another maid who saw her as a rival, ji'er. lanxiang continuously tried to help ji'er evade punishments, but ji'er was too proud and always dismissed her efforts. when ji'er ended up on the wrong side of their master, it was lanxiang's previous warnings / words of wisdom that saved her. but only ji'er's life was spared, not her fate - she ended up being sold to a brothel. later, when lanxiang was trafficked into that same brothel, ji'er helped her escape because of lanxiang's past kindness. before leaving, lanxiang promised that when she got the chance, she would come back to buy ji'er's freedom - and she did just that.
when one of lanxiang's sisters-in-law, the 1st lin young lady, was being physically and verbally abused by her toxic husband, jinqi's own aunt turned a blind eye to the bruises and cries for help as an elder and insisted she just "be patient and endure it" (jinqi was completely unaware of the abuse, as they hadn't seen each other in years). lanxiang, a woman who just barely married into this family and didn't even have a personal relationship with her sister-in-law, was the first to take action. she hired thugs to beat up the asshole, initiated the divorce at court, ensured the separation succeeded, and brought her sister-in-law back home. during a time when a woman divorcing her husband brought shame to the whole family, why would lanxiang step in if her goal was just to uphold conservative ideals?
also, when lanxiang's personal maids - who were her closest friends - wanted to get married, she gave them their freedom and blessed them. if she truly wanted to "teach them a lesson," why would she do this? it was well within her power to force them to serve her forever without lifting a finger; she had no reason to target or oppress them.
while some of the female characters did meet tragic ends, that is not true for most of them - and that is largely thanks to lanxiang. it's the way every woman in against the current, whether hero or villain, is written with so much empathy and nuance that made me love the drama so much. the romance could never compare to the female solidarity.
people are just highly critical of women. we get blamed for the smallest things and accused of not doing enough, and that unfair judgment is of course extended to fictional female characters. it's very likely you just ran into some of the harshest and most exaggerated takes out there of lanxiang's character. she is a girl's girl, through and through.
anyway, sorry for the long post, i am done now. 😂
i have enjoyed our exchanges as well lol. thank you for chatting with me!
he is only nice to others when he is the most brilliant rock in the room. if anyone outshines him, he throws a fit. he's a pick-me. 😅
- there are so many supporting characters that i like, but wei shu has to be my favorite. he's so timid that you almost want to call him weak, but then there's this quiet and rebellious side to him. i like how even though he's too powerless to boldly stand up for himself, he still finds his own little way to fight back. he proves that he has his own aspirations outside of being an obedient puppet. he has this innocent and righteous charm that makes him endearing. too cute!
- i love the background music, especially the way it has been used in ep12! the instrumentals playing when wanyao is walking out of her mansion for a meeting with eunuch yu, as well as during her conversation with him, fill those scenes with so much tension, enhancing the danger with every single beat. my heart was pounding in my chest the entire time i was watching this lol.
- i have no idea what happened in the novel, but i'm relieved that in the drama, while yan shang is under the influence of an aphrodisiac, his character didn't force wanyao into doing anything more than a make-out session. i hate this trope in c-dramas / c-novels. it really cheapens a first-time intimate scene between the protagonists.
- now that we've established that both of our leads have feelings and are willing to kill for one another (even if it means fake killing each other 😅 ), the next step is navigating their schemes as both allies and friends-with-benefits. can't wait!
some of my thoughts:
mu wanyao and yan shang are not perfect people. like many relationships, they don't start off automatically compatible and equal in every way. they have a power imbalance and they clash over their ideologies. that is what gives this drama tension - that might not appeal to you, but that is why most of us are here. like every real couple, they will need to work together and sometimes compromise to build a balanced and healthy relationship. that is what makes a good story, and that is also how real life works.
if the journey to getting where you want to go - seeing an equal partnership between our leads on screen - isn't something you're willing to wait for, then this drama is probably just going to keep frustrating you, because that's literally the point of the story. i don't really understand why you're watching a drama that doesn't align with your values while you're also refusing to step out of your comfort zone, but that is your right.
to each their own lol. have a good day.
but yes, after your previous comment clarifying your stance on our main couple in tigers sniff the rose, i think i understand what you're trying to say now. i don't want to normalize toxic relationship dynamics either, so at least that is something we can both agree on.
when i read a statement such as this one, considering the context of the drama we are watching, it gives off the impression that you are unhappy with a woman in control. because that's what a reversed role means: one character swapping a role with another.
respectfully, perhaps you were trying to say that you feel uncomfortable with an imbalance of power in any relationship? in that case, yes, i would say that in a perfect relationship, both men and women should be equals. they don't necessarily have to share the same strengths, but their best attributes should offset their partner's in a healthy way.
to this, i say the appeal isn't to watch one person dominate another person in their relationship for the rest of their lives. the appeal is to see them grow and meet each other on the same level. we are at the early stage of their relationship. they just barely met and don't even fully know each other yet. mu wanyao might be a princess, but she only holds power over those beneath her. she is still pretty much defenseless against her true enemies. and yan shang might be a poor scholar who has to bend his knees at the feet of nobles, but he is intelligent and cunning - he won't always be weak. there will come a day when he becomes powerful enough that even those with the sharpest blades have to think twice before offending him.
someday, they will be equals in their own right. the journey getting there is worth waiting for. have patience.
i judge the romance in the early spring through a modern lens, since it is something i can relate to, so i have no patience for its toxicity. i look at the romance in against the current through a historical one, and it wasn't my main draw anyway, so maybe that is why i was able to fully tune in and finish it. i stayed for the women supporting women stories.
and again, this is why having a variety of different women and relationships available for media consumption is so important. even if we don't always see eye to eye on every drama, we get to have thoughtful conversations like this.
poor chunhua. 😞
may a love like luke and flora never find any of us. 😭
that's why i really don't have a problem with wanyao having the dominant personality in the relationship. some viewers might find her off-putting and unsympathetic for being "too much," but she's a multilayered person. so far, she's doing a great job carrying the story as a strong and resilient protagonist. people would still hate her even if she was gentle and softspoken - just like they hated xu lanxiang from against the current.
women are society's punching bag, and in its own way, this drama is fighting against that system through mu wanyao's unconventional ways.
we’re so used to seeing men hold absolute power in stories (and irl) that we don't even question it - it’s just treated as the default. but the second a woman is in control, suddenly people start asking what the purpose of it is or why it's necessary.
reversing the role isn't just swapping places for the hell of it; it forces us to look at our own double standards and ask why male dominance is expected to be accepted without resistance while female dominance is viewed as upsetting and out of line.
that's why this particular dynamic - a highly ranked and overbearing princess and a poor and mild-mannered scholar - is being celebrated for being refreshing.
but ugh, i hate that mdl doesn't allow unlimited blocks. my only suggestion is, if you have time, go through your block list on a web browser and unblock some of the inactive users to make space for more people. 😂
despite the negative comments flooding this comment section, i do believe there are many of us here who are happy about this drama. i'm glad all of us get to bond over the story (and these comments) together! 🫂
especially this line >>> "Feel free to move on. (pls)"
i felt that "pls" and it made me chuckle. 😂
it's been a lot of fun to see a ml scholar who isn't afraid of getting his hands dirty and a fl princess who goes after what she wants even if people call her "unladylike". both are here for blood and we are here for them. let's continue to enjoy this beautiful drama together!