galactics

so let me get this straight: Ling Buyi and the emperor believed that Shu was finna rebel with all the weapons they been supposedly buying, so they said let's take a trip toward Shu to see what they will do/incite them to do something, and Shu then did exactly that and killed so many people?? WTF, was there really no better plan???

Not even another mention of it! Was still fun while it lasted tho

really liking this twist where Yong Fu has maybe been playing everyone all along, including the all-knowing Liu Xie?? I don't know that I believe her story about tricking her way out of being a spy in the palace. I will admit, didn't see her spy storyline coming! Curious to see where they take this, and almost sad they left this thread to the very end.

agreed, her character was rather cold in that scene. I would like to think that she wanted him to leave asap for his safety, but damn that was cold

He really is fine as hell lol. And maybe the most interesting character in the show, if the Queen's mom doesn't take that spot. I don't think he's the bad guy tho. We shall see!

I am reminded by random dramaland posts that I am still mad about Han Pu

@bri73 No, for real, that ep 14 scene was too much. They did a good job of making Black's character actually seem badass and could fight but they were out of pocket showing like he could take out swat lmao

woo thank you for sharing this! was out here thinking they left such a bitter premonition for those two

Wu Lang need more love out here. He really said imma shoot my shot with this married lady and he did, respectfully. Then he was ride or die. A real one.

Agreed! What I really like about FL character is that to me they really set up clearly why she was not particularly enamored of the ML at the beginning. They refer to the story of her parents who were very much in love, with her mom being the brains of the butcher business, which fell apart a bit after she died since her scholar husband didn't know how to run the business. It's a realistic scenario, and also gives some depth to why the FL didn't want a husband like her father. And yet the FL comes to see the ML's strength through his idealism. My type of story!

It really be like that sometimes! I can't remember how I felt about it at the beginning but have a slight tug of a some side eye in my memory lol. I do know that it didn't take me that long to get into though. I've come to realize that I love me a a soft male lead, but with some firmness and the will to stand their ground when it counts (another thing that made me love Ji Hoo's character in Love and Leashes). I feel similarly about the male lead in Into the Ring. Either way, curious to know what you think if you do end up watching it, and hope you are watching something you enjoy at the moment. Also, I've started watching Meeting You based on your list and it's been fun so far :)

Coming here after your wonderful review of Love and Leashes. I tend to look for next drama inspiration and comrades of similar taste after watching something I particularly enjoyed. I wonder if you have seen Into the Ring? Seems like a drama that would fit in on this list, but that is of course my personal opinion. Either way, thank you for sharing this great list!

I totally agree that letting his character be insecure and vulnerable is a good trait, and I enjoyed watching that. But you can be insecure and communicate that, while also respecting someone's desire for time and space. JX ignored JY's request for space more than once. An apology doesn't mean much if you keep doing the same thing you're apologizing for. But I was glad that JX did finally step back from the proposals, and it was refreshing that JY got to propose and say clearly that she was ready whileJX got to be emotional about it.

I agree, Song Jin's death felt really unncessary. Just fabricating some tragedy to stretch out the plot.

While I enjoyed the domesticity of Jia Xin working hard at showing Jiang Yue the benefits of their relationship (or potential marriage), I REALLY did not like how Jia Xian ignored Jiang Yue's request for time and space. He would say he understood and literally less than 5 min later he's back whining about 'but why not?'. I did like Jiang Yue's refusal of the proposal and felt that was the writers trying to do some gender flipping by making Jia Xian the one to be eager for marriage, but still uncomfortable with how Jia Xin's anxiety was imposed on Jiang Yue.

Same. That's why it's satisfying to find a drama with credits I watch. I'm don't often listen to pop music but the opening song to Why Women Love is kinda catchy.

Honestly I think I mentally give a drama some extra points just for not showing spoilers in the intro/outro credits. Why do I have to see some of the best moments of a show before I've even watched it?

I love all of this so much! Thank you for taking the time to write it out. And I couldn't agree more, Shen Ruo Xin felt like a fuller character. Her love of astronomy was one of my favorite things about her! And it was definitely swoon-worthy when Qi Xiao designed that necklace with this in mind. I also appreciated Ruo Xin's relationship with her mother. Often taut and complicated, but there was a lot of love. It gave depth to some of the decisions she made.

I'm realizing that there is a lot I don't remember about the shows, but funnily enough one of the things that has stuck is that I kind of liked that Lin Yang got to whine in her own story. It felt relatable and a bit more human than the strong woman character who soldiers through everything with little time given to grieve every day struggles. It's truly exhausting and even enraging being a woman or femme with skill/power in your field, where men will target you specifically for being good at what you do. I wish Ruo Xin had been given space to do a bit more whining.

I'm similarly tired of the older woman with no past relationships trope, and/or whose work is at the center of their lives. In the case of Jiang Yue, I like that she gets to be driven by her work, but wish she could have some passion elsewhere. I think they are trying to flesh this out a bit more in these later episodes, but feels a bit like an after thought. I live for Jiang yue's expressions and one liners though. She's got wit!

Now I'm curious about how you compare the male leads in these dramas. One of my delights in a romance with a strong female lead is watching her match up with someone that's worth her time, as hard as it is to find this. I'm about to start ep 19 of Why Women Love so there is more to see, but Qi Xiao might be my winner.

Agreed, though I am sad to say it.

You are certainly not alone. Story of Ming Lan is a go-to if you haven't seen it already. Also Under the Power as suggested below. I liked Love in Between, although it's a younger cast and the romance is not as prominent. Dear Diary was also a super fun and romantic cdrama, but very different genre.