feather

i agree with this. the drama is tiring enough, but what’s even more draining is seeing people come here just to spread baseless hatred. if you’re not even willing to see the drama from a different perspective, then what’s the point of watching it? discussions are always welcome, but outright hate is unacceptable. please leave the comment section.

yeah, i agree with you. the theme and characters feel fresh and intriguing. as for me, i’m not sure why, but today’s dialogues were exceptionally good and touching. i actually thought i wouldn’t enjoy these episodes, but so far, episodes 15-16 are my favorites.

all in all, this drama is still within a watchable range for those who are patient and enjoy the experience rather than focusing too much on criticism or nitpicking. i tend to analyze a lot, but since the acting is good, i’d rather just immerse myself in the performances than dwell on the technical flaws. if you're interested, just lower your expectation and enjoy the story in your own way.

okay. it's just fustrating to me when people judge a character without truly taking the time to understand them. song ran is deeply misunderstood, and i believe she deserves just as much attention as li zan. though they stand in stark contrast to each other in terms of way of thinking, they share the same deep compassion for humanity and peace. in the end, that makes them whole. thank you for sharing your perspective with me!

i haven’t read the novel either, but i’d say the writing is pretty mediocre. there’s definitely potential, but it doesn’t always deliver. it lacks depth, the pacing is all over the place, and while some dialogues are touching, others just feel random. sometimes, they focus on completely unnecessary things instead of the important stuff. but, i was really impressed with episodes 15-16—the dialogues there were meaningful and well-crafted. i think it has the potential to get better.

i’ve waited a long time for this, so i’m just going to embrace every flaw of the drama. the leads really make it easier to digest, and the characters are lovely too.

i totally agree. sometimes, i wonder if the budget just isn’t enough for them to do their absolute best in editing the drama.

song ran is a character that truly reflects a human nature. she is described by her mother as emotional and sensitive girl. as she is driven by her feelings, it's setting her apart from the typical female lead who tends to mask vulnerability in difficult situations. song ran is simple, almost pure, and her realism often leads to misunderstandings—not only from those around her in the drama but also from the viewers. her grounded nature may not always be fully embraced, but that's what makes her so relatable to me. what i appreciate most about song ran is that she is perfectly imperfect. while she may appear reserved or seem fragile at times, she possesses an inner strength and idealism that speaks to her true resilience. her heart, with overflowing kindness, can sometimes come off as stubborn, but it’s this very tenderness that makes her so human. i adore this character a lot because, in real life, sensitive people are often misjudged and seen in a negative light, yet song ran shows us how such sensitivity is, in fact, a quiet strength. li zan also mentioned it in today's episode and few times in early episodes.

i don’t mean to sound forceful or overexplaining, but i truly appreciate how each of us can have such different perspectives on a character. as a viewer, i personally relate to song ran because, like her, i am also driven by my emotions. i just hope people might reconsider how they view her by taking a deeper look at who she really is. sometimes, characters like song ran get oversimplified, but breaking down her character in this way can really highlight her depth and make others appreciate her more.

the way i see it, song ran has witnessed the deaths of children in an eastern country, an experience that left a lasting scar on her mind. so when this kid came to her, it triggered something that she has seen before. it wasn’t just about what was in front of her; it was the weight of everything she had seen before that makes her so emotional.

on top of that, she had just received a notebook detailing the times and places of the bullying. her first instinct upon seeing jiang yu almost hit his friend is that her mind immediately connecting the dots, her trauma, and everything until it became one conclusion. so, without thinking thoroughly, she posted an emotional comment. not to blame anyone, not to incite anything, but simply as a raw response to the situation.

her overwhelming desire to protect the bullied child clouded her judgment, making her perspective one-sided. she wasn’t just reacting to what was happening in the present; she was carrying the weight of her own guilt, her past, and the deep need to save at least this one child in the present. it was reckless, just as li zan pointed out. but if you were in her shoes—or at least tried to see through her eyes—it’s only natural that she would react this way.

strip away her title as a journalist, and she is simply a person who has lived through an unimaginable tragedy. her pictorial may have been the subject of scrutiny, but that had nothing to do with her comment. in that moment, she wasn’t acting as a journalist. she was someone who had suffered firsthand, someone too consumed by the urgency of saving this child to consider the nuances of the situation. she overlooked her own emotions while critiquing li zan’s, because she was too caught up in her own trauma to see things clearly.

she is reckless, yes. vulnerable, yes. but also too strong-willed for many to fully understand.

absolutely the day of becoming you!

exactly. their pain isn’t something to compare side by side, it’s two different struggles, both valid in their own ways. they weren’t trying to hurt each other, but they did, because they were human, flawed, and carrying burdens only they could fully understand. the beauty of their journey is in how they chose to face it together rather than let it tear them apart.

and honestly, thank you for putting it into words so well. their unspoken pain and hidden scars deserved to be seen.

she was carried away by the situation and her mental state. she didn't mean to hurt jiang yu, or accused him, but given that she witnessed jiang yu was about to hit wan heng then he came to her with bruises, told her that jiang yu did it and left her a notebook, she believed her eyes and judgement. hence, she left a comment talking about a bullying, not exactly mentioning jiang yu but not helping either. it's kinda reckless if you see it, but in her situation, it's expected. at least, that's how it seems to me.

the argument between song ran and li zan was tense, every word cutting deep. neither was entirely right, neither entirely wrong, just two people holding onto their own perspectives, unable to see past their pain. but when the anger subsided and they reflected on their mistakes, instead of walking away, they chose to face them. they admitted their faults, acknowledged the hurt, and, in that quiet understanding, decided to hold onto each other.

the writing was thoughtful, every line carrying weight, making their reconciliation feel earned and deeply satisfying. i especially loved it.

if we continue this conversation, we might end up back to square one! hahaha. because i think that’s exactly what the story wants us to feel, and it makes sense to me why they chose to focus on song ran’s depression first. personally, i don't think it's because li zan is being neglected—though at times it feels that way—but rather because he's the main lead with more significance, so his backstory is revealed later for a bigger emotional impact. what's unfortunate, though, is that we’re already at episode 14, and they still haven’t shown us li zan’s background at all. they really keep it quiet about him, or maybe i'm just yearning some build up for li zan. i want to know him more. at this point, i'm not sure. i hope they execute it well.

the directing is quite weak with poor transitions that create plot holes and confusion for the viewers. honestly, even without yuan's confirmation, i expected the revealing part to come, but i’m not very confident about how they’ll execute it judging from their inconsistent pace and directing. li zan definitely deserves better, a grander reveal. i really hope they won’t disappoint us because it takes a lot of energy to get to this point—it's tiring already.

yeah, that’s probably why some viewers feel like the drama feels rushed and superficial. the directing doesn’t quite help with that either. but, i do understand the story’s intent and why they chose to reveal song ran's pov first before delving into his. right now, he doesn’t remember anything from that day—what happened or how it unfolded. he couldn’t express it, but his conscious mind is still deeply affected and causing him internal pain. chen zheyuan mentioned that li zan’s point of view will be fully revealed later, which might be intended as a bigger emotional punch. so now they're trying to torture us slowly with his mystery. personally, i feel we need more of li zan's pov—his upbringing and important events in his life and his motivation becoming a volunteer—but the pacing is too slow, as if they’re too focused on song ran’s pov completely ignoring li zan as the main character. if it weren’t for the leads, i’d probably dropped this by now.

i completely understand where you're coming from. since it was before he get professionally diagnosed, i can understand him wanting to get treatment before he sees song ran—with the thought of song ran is struggling enough so he doesn't want to add her weight of mind. i also hope they won't be returning to eastern country soon because they need to heal, even after healing no one can guarantee it won't relapse.

well, we may have different perspectives on this, but for me, i’m pretty much like song ran and li zan. i, too, tend to face my struggles alone, not wanting to burden my family with the pain and scars i’ve been through. there’s a sense of peace in keeping it to ourselves, especially when the pain feels too deep to share. the trauma that binds song ran and li zan makes their emotional struggles more relatable, as they seek solace in someone who shares the same sentiment. while shen bei retreats into herself, song ran battles with her mental turmoil, and li zan, struggling with the aftermath of the tragic event, they face a past that never truly over and it's something only those who’ve lived through it can fully understand, as it’s too heavy to share, even with our own family. so, when i see li zan wanting to get better for song ran, i understand him. i don’t find it rushed or superficial. li zan witnessed how terrified song ran was—holding bleeding saxin, seeing the death of those around them—then later, seeing her in the hospital, visiting the psychologist, and the world misjudging her pictorial. as someone so selfless, who was once her ally, friend, and someone who deeply cares for her, it’s natural for him to want to be okay in front of her. at least, that’s how it seems to me.

as a shy person, i’m delighted to see a character like song ran. she’s such a wonderful character—so ordinary, yet so special. it’s saddening that she’s often misunderstood just because she’s too shy and too innocent for a typical female lead. but what truly matters is that li zan acknowledges song ran for who she is and falls for her charms, just like we do. that’s enough for me, and i’m grateful to li zan for loving song ran as much as she deserves. ♡

i think it's a realistic approach. in real life, those who have endured trauma and carry the weight of an unstable mind often find themselves standing at the edge, the burden on their soul too heavy to bear. but it is the hands of their loved ones that pull them back, keeping them from the blade they hold so tightly. song ran is the beginning—the flicker of light before li zan realizes that the world is vast, that life still holds countless reasons to stay. i hope my assumption is right that once song ran heals, she will stand strong, not just for herself, but to shoulder li zan’s burdens alongside him. that’s the beauty of life—sometimes, we don’t realize how precious our own life is until someone reminds us. as long as someone is making an effort to live, another door of hope will open. it takes time, and i hope li zan finds all the doors of life that will keep him going. not only for his closed ones, but also for himself.

yes, you got the point. thank you for noticing. song ran's upbringing affects her character—she is reserved and innocent. it seems like she's just living and surviving without a significant presence of her close ones. she isn't a very bright and cheerful person; she's calm, reserved, and shy. however, she gets along well with the people in the northern country, and during her stay, everything there grows on her. but never actually sure if she wants to go back. only when the landmine event occurred, she met li zan, who didn’t give up on her, and she swayed. he suddenly became the light in her life—she couldn't stop thinking about him. it's almost as if li zan has now become the focus of her life. perhaps she finds li zan’s way of seeing life in northern country relatable because she wants to return to uglai to report on the beauty of the northern country and its people. he mentioned some details after watching her short film, and that makes her eager to come back to report more about the northern country.

hence, their paths cross, and without realizing it, she is drawn to him. it’s like a teenager experiencing her first love while finding her true self. she will mature in future episodes, especially after going through a very big traumatic event.

i bursted into tears when song ran's diagnosis of depression came out a day after she broke down in front of her mom. i literally bawled my eyes out. watching song ran closely since episode one makes me notice a blue nuance of her character and it turns out just how i predicted. when she talked with the doctor, she couldn't even name a person she trusts enough to tell about her mental illness. no family members, no friends, no one. at this point, anyone who criticizes song ran as a character definitely not watching her right because how can you be so harsh on her—who has been so lonely, quiet, and reserved and limiting her character and label her as childlike and a crybaby only when actually she has her own complexity as a character. if you're talking about a realistic character, she is absolutely the one. 🥹