K-Drama 
This review may contain spoilers
An Unfiltered Rant: Xue Ning's Terrible Romantic Choices
I genuinely don't get why people rave so much about this drama. My biggest problem? Jiang Xue Ning and her questionable life choices. Girl, you literally got a second chance at life and somehow still managed to walk straight back into questionable decisions. What bothered me most was her romantic choice. There were multiple decent men around you, and somehow the final destination was Xie Wei. I'm sorry, but I don't get it. I just. Don't. Please explain.
I don't mind red flags or morally grey men. In fact, they can be some of the most interesting characters when their motivations and relationships are well developed. But Xie Wei's appeal never clicked for me. I understood his motivations, but I didn't necessarily understand or sympathize with his choices. His cunning, manipulation, and enormous ego often overshadowed whatever vulnerability the story wanted me to see in him. All I saw was a cunning man with an enormous ego who wanted something simply because he wanted it. The forced-kiss and forced bed scenes especially left a terrible taste in my mouth. Like... girl, you're really going for THIS man? THIS man while Zhang Zhe and Yan Lin existed? what the hell.
And Yan Lin? Don't even get me started. If I were writing this drama, he would've been my male lead. This man is pure love. Loyal, sincere, affectionate, and genuinely wants the woman he loves to be happy. A nice guy shouldn't always finish last! He deserved better in both lifetimes. I know you can't force someone to love you, and Xue Ning only seeing Yan Lin as a friend is technically fair. But I still couldn't help feeling that the story wasted one of its most lovable characters. The fact that she never really saw him romantically was probably the biggest "WHY?!" for me. Also, styling-wise, Zhou Jun Wei was winning for me. Zhang Ling He is handsome, sure, but those Yan Lin dimples? I mean, sorry Zhang Ling He fans, but I'm not going to pretend the face card alone sold me on Xie Wei. Zhang Ling He is obviously handsome, but styling-wise here, Zhou Jun Wei as Yan Lin was winning for me. And those dimples? How am I supposed to resist that? Sorry, I have priorities.
Ironically, though, if we're talking about who made the most sense, Zhang Zhe was probably the most rational choice. Zhang Zhe wasn't even my favourite, but this man loved her across two lifetimes. That's the kind of unyielding love I would actually root for. Yet somehow the writer said, "Nope, we're doing enemies-to-lovers." 😭 He and Xue Ning had mutual affection, and he had the uncorrupted noble character that Xie Wei simply didn't. Yet their supposedly "different values" eventually pushed them onto completely different paths. Thus, the whole issue surrounding his mother's death also didn't sit right with me. Yes, Xue Ning's actions may have created a butterfly effect that contributed to what happened. But it's not like she personally killed his mother. And then leaving him while he's grieving felt unnecessarily cruel. The man was already down, and she basically kicked him while he was there. Like... what was the point?
Which brings us to the ending. Maybe the saying is true: a good woman is meant for a good man. Maybe Xue Ning really was meant for Xie Wei because they're both equally cunning and equally willing to manipulate circumstances to get what they want. They're a perfect match in that sense. But here's my problem: I never understood WHEN Xue Ning actually fell in love with him.
Even the major palace conflict somehow became secondary in my memory because Xue Ning spent so much time tangled up in her own relationship drama. So when the big conflict reached its climax and we got the dramatic confession, it felt completely out of place to me. The final confession was supposed to feel like the emotional payoff of their entire relationship, but for me, it felt like something the drama expected me to feel rather than something it successfully built toward. I understand Xie Wei's backstory. I understand why he became the person he is. But understanding why someone is broken doesn't automatically make them attractive, good, or justified. And the drama never convinced me why Xue Ning, would fall for him after everything.
Maybe that's the entire point. Xie Wei and Xue Ning are just two terrible people who understand each other. They are meant to be together precisely because they understand each other's darker sides. But unfortunately, that doesn't make me ship them. Maybe I really did watch a completely different drama from everyone else because this romance never clicked for me. For me, the biggest problem wasn't even that Xue Ning chose Xie Wei. It was that the drama NEVER convinced me that she SHOULD.
I don't mind red flags or morally grey men. In fact, they can be some of the most interesting characters when their motivations and relationships are well developed. But Xie Wei's appeal never clicked for me. I understood his motivations, but I didn't necessarily understand or sympathize with his choices. His cunning, manipulation, and enormous ego often overshadowed whatever vulnerability the story wanted me to see in him. All I saw was a cunning man with an enormous ego who wanted something simply because he wanted it. The forced-kiss and forced bed scenes especially left a terrible taste in my mouth. Like... girl, you're really going for THIS man? THIS man while Zhang Zhe and Yan Lin existed? what the hell.
And Yan Lin? Don't even get me started. If I were writing this drama, he would've been my male lead. This man is pure love. Loyal, sincere, affectionate, and genuinely wants the woman he loves to be happy. A nice guy shouldn't always finish last! He deserved better in both lifetimes. I know you can't force someone to love you, and Xue Ning only seeing Yan Lin as a friend is technically fair. But I still couldn't help feeling that the story wasted one of its most lovable characters. The fact that she never really saw him romantically was probably the biggest "WHY?!" for me. Also, styling-wise, Zhou Jun Wei was winning for me. Zhang Ling He is handsome, sure, but those Yan Lin dimples? I mean, sorry Zhang Ling He fans, but I'm not going to pretend the face card alone sold me on Xie Wei. Zhang Ling He is obviously handsome, but styling-wise here, Zhou Jun Wei as Yan Lin was winning for me. And those dimples? How am I supposed to resist that? Sorry, I have priorities.
Ironically, though, if we're talking about who made the most sense, Zhang Zhe was probably the most rational choice. Zhang Zhe wasn't even my favourite, but this man loved her across two lifetimes. That's the kind of unyielding love I would actually root for. Yet somehow the writer said, "Nope, we're doing enemies-to-lovers." 😭 He and Xue Ning had mutual affection, and he had the uncorrupted noble character that Xie Wei simply didn't. Yet their supposedly "different values" eventually pushed them onto completely different paths. Thus, the whole issue surrounding his mother's death also didn't sit right with me. Yes, Xue Ning's actions may have created a butterfly effect that contributed to what happened. But it's not like she personally killed his mother. And then leaving him while he's grieving felt unnecessarily cruel. The man was already down, and she basically kicked him while he was there. Like... what was the point?
Which brings us to the ending. Maybe the saying is true: a good woman is meant for a good man. Maybe Xue Ning really was meant for Xie Wei because they're both equally cunning and equally willing to manipulate circumstances to get what they want. They're a perfect match in that sense. But here's my problem: I never understood WHEN Xue Ning actually fell in love with him.
Even the major palace conflict somehow became secondary in my memory because Xue Ning spent so much time tangled up in her own relationship drama. So when the big conflict reached its climax and we got the dramatic confession, it felt completely out of place to me. The final confession was supposed to feel like the emotional payoff of their entire relationship, but for me, it felt like something the drama expected me to feel rather than something it successfully built toward. I understand Xie Wei's backstory. I understand why he became the person he is. But understanding why someone is broken doesn't automatically make them attractive, good, or justified. And the drama never convinced me why Xue Ning, would fall for him after everything.
Maybe that's the entire point. Xie Wei and Xue Ning are just two terrible people who understand each other. They are meant to be together precisely because they understand each other's darker sides. But unfortunately, that doesn't make me ship them. Maybe I really did watch a completely different drama from everyone else because this romance never clicked for me. For me, the biggest problem wasn't even that Xue Ning chose Xie Wei. It was that the drama NEVER convinced me that she SHOULD.
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