deedee2344

Agree with you. Those scenes were so poignant and meaningful. Truly great storytelling.

I think the ending was perfect. This is one of the only dramas which was (1) absolutely hilarious, (2) had really great romance that didn't fall into tropes or cheesy lines but anchored in real feelings and what actual people would say, and (3) had logic that made sense.

As much as we want FL to stay in ancient times, something I appreciate so much about this drama is that, despite the wacky premise, the logic is pretty solid throughout in terms of how characters will act and what they'll say and how the story unfolds. Given that, I'm glad that the writer and director let logic flow through the entire drama from beginning until the end. For the FL to stay in ancient times will have been a gaping logic hole (which I know is what a lot of dramas resort to anyways).

Yes, it's sad that ancient Lin Yan lived out his days without her, but it also made for some great television - I hadn't cried so hard in a long time because the drama gave us amazing characters and story. I call that a win. The fact that they both remembered their "dreams" deeply in modern times, is just *chef's kiss* to me. It's not ambiguous. They're both clearly on the same page and their love can continue, in spirit, in essence, and in the physical modern world, from there.

Not the popular opinion, but I loved the ending and the entire drama overall. It will be one of the rare ones that I will watch again.

Sure, we can say that this is what's happening in his psychology.

The crux of my frustration lies in this: It's one thing to love someone. It's another to actually show it in constructive, healthy ways. If someone cannot show their love in healthy ways, is it really love? My Asian mother constantly criticizes my body because she says that this is how she shows love. Men control women all the time under the pretense of "love." The list goes on.

Shen Hao Ming, as of ep. 22, has not shown me that his actions match his supposed love. Over and over again, he undermines and disrespects her. Respect is the foundation of love. Ladies, let's not gaslight ourselves into believing that a man loves us without seeing the actions to match.

1. I am so over MLs acting emotionally immature as a way to "get the FL back." This is not a high school story or a story of 20-somethings. Shen Haoming is a grown ass man. Instead of communicating and acting in earnest ways to win her back, he is effectively a grown man pulling a grown woman's pigtails - it's disrespectful to her and mind-numbingly immature. Ladies, are we seriously finding this kind of immaturity acceptable or, God forbid, cute? You know what would've been so refreshing to see on camera? Shen Haoming respecting her wishes for a divorce instead of using childish tactics to drag it out; they get divorced and then he earnestly reflects on himself and how to win her back from ground zero. THAT is the drama I want to see. Not this middle school shit.

2. Ep. 22 - WTF. Fang Lei needs to go. And then her "bodyguard/Shen Haoming's lawyer" kissing her when she's drunk and vulnerable? And then she goes along with it? So effed up on so many levels.

3. At ep. 22, I still have no solid sense that Shen Haoming actually loves Yan Yan. It's just all ego, games, manipulation, petty jealousy, and head-to-toe immaturity from his end at this point still. BLARGHHH.

This drama had so much promise and then just took a dive with ep 19.... My venting below with spoilers:

I agree. These episodes are ridiculous and a total 180 from the tone of the drama thus far. It took a very disappointing turn into tropeland. I don’t know anyone who would smile, much less clap, if a couple made out like that right in front of them and it’s not a wedding.

Interesting, thanks for sharing. But, if he’s got some level of narcissism and willingly controls/manipulates, does any level of groveling redeem him?

I’m always so concerned by the lack of healthy MLs portrayed in dramaland - it’s like the industry is trying to gaslight women into believing that abusive, controlling, or manipulative behavior is romantic or “oh look how cute he is that he makes her clean and cook for him because he likes her so much that he just can’t express himself” (this is like Moonlight, My Boss, and countless other dramas). Like, gurl, no, he’s emotionally stunted and this is just a preview of how much he respects you, your well-being, and your time that he would rather manipulate you to clean and cook for him than just communicate his feelings like a mature adult. Okay, I went on a mini rant there - just hate having young women buying into this kind of subtle brainwashing, which is not just limited to this drama but soooooo many other dramas out there, where women are subtly taught to endure what is essentially abusive behavior or bad treatment or, worse, made to believe that it’s romantic and forgivable or redeemable. Respect is the foundation of true love.

Love the storytelling so far and love that Lusi is getting to show more of her acting range, not just the typical cutesy, gutsy character type!

Hilarious that PF Chang’s got a call out - but no Chinese person worth their salt would eat there and find it good, haha.

And, a personal gripe: I am a fan of Zhao Lusi but I also am a trained actor. I wish the Chinese entertainment industry actually cared about acting skills and that actors should have or have better acting coaches. Zhao Lusi is one of the better C-actors and has so much potential, but she acts too much with her mouth in serious roles. Ever since I noticed it Who Rules the World, she tends to purse her lips in an unnatural way when she’s playing a more serious character, and it would be something that an acting coach would correct. Drives me crazy but I love her nonetheless.

My god I love the donghua/anime for this. The humor is top tier. I hope they can do it justice.

My god the villains in this drama are wackadoodle. They are all clinically classifiable as delulu. And I’m including the second male lead too.

Enjoyed watching this. I left with a very high opinion of Kwak Dong Yeon - capable, direct, confident, eager to engage and learn, respectful of their host and living conditions, and knows how to enjoy the moment and life. And I left with a lower opinion of the other three. 🤣

Chang Jue is effing fierce. Cool character and lead male material.

Third prince is effing tragic and deeply disturbed. Groomed, obsessed. Seemingly cunning but actually a deeply misled and weak romantic at heart.

Exactly!!!!! And they also stayed for no reason until morning?? Bad writing.

I do understand your point - the same thought crossed my mind. But my thought ultimately is that he's the God of Death, for god's sake. If he really wanted to make her listen or communicate clearly, you don't think he couldn't?

For me, it comes down to lazy writing... When will dramaland learn that audiences are largely over angsty plotlines built on miscommunication or lack of communication (I'm also looking at you, In the Name of Blossom)? Gimme two leads who are mature and actually communicate and make it them against the world not them against each other. It can be just as juicy while being filled with deeper intimacy and connection between the leads. Scriptwriters, please hear my plea!

For all the issues of this drama, I want to share my appreciation for the good aspects of this drama, which I will appreciate for a long time to come, only because they seem to be so rare in cdramaland:

1. Overall the writing is better than most of the dramas being crunched out these days. And, in the first third, I greatly appreciate how they made fun of so many common drama tropes in a fresh, funny way (her dying in a hundred different ways, the first three kisses, the "iconic" scenes, etc.). The use of the scriptwriter's keyboard clacking was such a funny and refreshing plot device and it never got old for me - it was hilarious each time.
2. I appreciate that they flesh out the side characters and capture their humanness, their unspoken thoughts, and the grayness of their inner world. For example, I didn't expect them to give the 2nd ML (CGH) such a complex character, showing his blindspots and that he's not uncategorically "good." I also appreciate the complexity of the FL's father, who is largely silent and cunning in his own way but he's also expressive, wiling to reconsider where he went wrong, and his actor is able to convey his unspoken thoughts quite powerfully in those scenes. I also really enjoyed the 2nd FL's (FL's sister) complexity and her arc, seeing how her cunning, headstrong character comes out in a different way (than what the original "the script" planned). Many other characters are less one-dimensional than I expected.
3. Great editing, especially in the first third, along with the song choices, really created a special type of storytelling and atmosphere that I hadn't experienced in any other drama that made me truly laugh out loud more than once. Comedic storytelling is so hard to do and the combination of the acting and the editing is really just chef's kiss for me. I've seen it done well in kdramas but rarely in cdramas like this.
4. There's actually continuity and thought put into creating realistic elements, particularly the actors having somewhat realistic wounds and reactions of pain in the days after. I appreciate that they actually mess up the FL's hair and really gave her some gnarly wounds on her face (even if they healed impeccably a few scenes afterwards). The ML winces with pain that matches the back lashes he suffered and showing the blood coming out from his back. They have her realistically struggle with trying to prop up his body after they fall from the cliff. These are all details that really help me immerse in the drama and that are sadly overlooked in other dramas.
5. Two leads who can actually act! They can do both funny and serious/dramatic. The FL is wicked funny and props (sad that the bar is this low, but props nonetheless) that she doesn't mind looking "ugly" for comedic effect or for the story. I also found LYN surprisingly great at comedy as well - but not in a way where he tries but because he responds true to his character and therefore makes it hilarious (like all his "huh's" and how he yells when she pulls him off the cliff).
6. Some of those sets are quite elaborate and new, and I'm impressed by the effort put into them, particularly Waning River Cresent.
7. Last but not least, some of the ML as Seventh Prince's outfits are DAMN GORGEOUS with that lustrous fabric. Love, love, love - I want it for myself! Jealous of LYN, heehee. I find myself also staring at a lot of FL's hairpieces; they're gorgeous as well and styled beautifully.

Given all these good things, this is why I will never understand WHY they made the FL (despite SO MUCH evidence) and the Emperor (who automatically blames his nine year old son for killing a grown woman without a proper investigation, gimme a break) SO SET on hating ML. Boggles my mind. But it doesn't take away from the great parts of this drama that I've really enjoyed and appreciated and rarely seen executed so well in other dramas.

Yes, this is the greatest travesty of this drama. We finally get an awesome FL who is smart and really funny (!) with an actress who can act but then they drive her character to this point. I mourn the drama that could've been. It would've been an absolute treat to see the ML, who only wants to be trusted, to slowly be loved by the FL, who begins to trust him and stand by his side. Alas it's not to be. *tears hair out and screams into the void*

Edit: I don't want to put all the responsibility on the FL though. ML had plenty of opportunities to communicate clearly... but didn't. So the onus isn't purely on the FL for not understanding or accepting the ML.

I came here to exactly vent on this. You said it all point for point. FL's persistent "Nan Heng = Super, duper bad guy" stopped being logical many, many episodes ago. I'll add that they made her a "know-it-all," which adds to her dislikeability. Just because she read a script once doesn't mean she suddenly knows and understands all these people through and through, especially (as Nan Heng says) they are living, breathing beings right in front of her. But her not taking any of those words to heart just makes her feel stubborn, callous, and arrogant.

I'm so disappointed. The first season was so good. I loved this drama and its characters because they built an actual friendship/relationship of respect and trust between the FL and ML - and now this... Pulling out every tired trope in dramaland. For what? It would've been so much more satisfying and aligned for us to see FL and ML move through each of these challenges as equals with the communication, trust, transparency, and respect that they've established. THAT is the drama I wanted to continue watching, and it would've made it infinitely more interesting that what this has devolved into.

First, apples don't fall far from the same tree, do they? Ever since a few episodes back when the brother was making those evil eyes at JCY when MD fell sick, I knew it was bad news bears. His eyes and attitude are all too reminiscent of his (deceased) sister's... And then we saw his eyeyes darting back and forth all over this episode. It seems that it's the quiet, deeply insecure ones - the ones that are all like "Oh, poor me, I'm so sorry that I can't do more" - that we seem to have to most watch out for.

Second, I hope this misunderstanding between Mu Dan and Jiang Chang Yang doesn't last long. I know that love can make people lose sight of things, but it's hard for me to believe that two EXTREMELY astute people as themselves would let this misunderstanding fester. I hope the story susses it out by the end of ep 7 - otherwise I see it as a cheap story mechanism when the writing has otherwise been good.

IMHO, it really shouldn't have been a misunderstanding in the first place. The brother has had red flag energy from the beginning. The brother has made his feelings clear on JCY and yet he's the one who delivered the gift - with a smile at that.. JCY should have clued in on that immediately.

I'm so miffed by ep 6 - thoughts in comment below.