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It's an in glorious train wreck and I can't look away. 🙈

I wish they'd stick to the main storyline with the PDs and the Writers. All these side stories are the expense of character development and detract from the main story. Although the little sparks and friendship between Ma Eum and Joon Yong is lovely! Sorry, Mr. Choi, you're very nice but that ship has sailed.

Not much but I guess even that was too much, 😂

OMG, I'm so excited for this drama. Loved the book. The leads are great actors -- now if they can get the chemistry down and stay faithful to the story (i.e. both sensible adults with high degree of self respect and respect for their partner with limited instances of noble idiocy) then this will be grand. I hope they keep it a seething, simmering slow burn in terms of the adaptation. ❤️‍🔥 I really really enjoyed the director's work on Crush. Solid visual storytelling and character development. Now if only IQIY would get off their butts and release this already! 😂

Appalling subs and editing. Wow. I was getting dizzy from all the scene cuts. Shame though, this had the potential to be such a good dog's blood, face slapping, makjang dialled to 11 drama!

bwahahahahahahaha!

That's kind of you! I have so many thoughts and feelings about this drama. lol. And I virtually never watch historicals. I think, I mainly love the fact that this is a coming of age story. A hero's journey for our protagonists. The woman she will become. And the man he will find inside the weapon he sees himself as.

But the scene where CSS is chatting away with the emperor and empress has my heart! She was beaming in delight on meeting two adults who thought she was clever and witty and who found her guilelessness charming rather than off-putting unlike everything she's heard before (from all sorts of people including her family) and the devastating condemnation that came from her mum later on.

On a side note, I would totally have said the same to empress! No competition in the entire palace.

That's true. I didn't realise that bit of backstory from the novel. Thanks for sharing. It explains why I kept thinking that she's a 'systems thinker' in the way she approaches concepts. I don't necessarily think that I agree with how CSS' mum chose to 'protect' her daughter from the potential snakepit that is the palace and palace adjacent corridors of power but so much of what she said, from her, albeit limited pov, was not out of character. Similarly the destruction of the last shred of trust and hope for affection CSS had was also in keeping with the way their characters are written. I think that's what makes it emotionally devastating : two people who keep hurting each other despite, in their hearts, trying to be and do better.

Absolutely, yes! I mean historical accuracy went out the window when she was at his residence without her maid. Or came to the palace without an attendant etc. It was a glorious moment. One that I'm not ashamed to say, I watched a couple of times on repeat. I think it showed Shaoshang -- who by the way was terrifically portrayed by ZL that moment when her mother condemns her (whatever the 'benevolent' reason might have been and you see that tiny piece of her that was still holding on to the notion of parental love and trust shatters was brutal to watch. Sorry, I digress, it showed Shaoshang extraordinarily clearly that LBY is a man who can protect what he values regardless of what tempest is raging. He, figuratively, stood in front of her and bluntly expressed how much he values her; and her alone. In a moment of astounding discourtesy he coolly told his mother-in-law to be to be silent. The director did a great job showing us how LBY was attuned to Shaoshang's distress in that situation and he refocused the whole room on himself.
Was that Hollywood? Sure. Do I care? Not in the least!

100% agreed @DramaAjumma @Angeta! I think it's fascinating how much leeway the emperor gives Zisheng. It's like he's got a seething wolf, a hairsbreadth away from a murderous rampage, on a very slender string. (Partly because I assume he recognises the bedrock of Zisheng's loyalty to him & based on his mysterious past with the Zisheng's uncle) And this whole proposal scene really hones in on that..LBY uses the emperor's clout to strategically propose and confirm Shaoshang as his betrothed. It was interesting to see how the crown prince and prince 3 also nudged the circle closed using completely different tactics. But LBY got the result he wanted, And the emperor was on board with all of it. As a "pillar of the nation" LBY's marriage is of political importance as well, Shaoshang doesn't rock political waters -- because there is limited clout to exploit not to mention she herself is seen as coming with so much baggage - that if anything, she's viewed as a social and political detriment rather than someone who can add to LBY's scope of authority and influence.

Ikr! It's crazy. You sit there and watch the first round with subs, then next round focusing on the meaning and the scene, and then third round to really milk every tiny little emotional flicker and non-verbal cue. Sigh. It's a full time job, this drama, I tell you! 😆

Enjoyable blog post, thanks! Now, I have something to bounce off my thinky-thoughts...so much of this drama is in the micro expressions, the word choices and the emotional journeys of our ensemble cast, but especially, our leads.

That's what I think too...it's too early to say though, one way or the other. I hope that as someone who was cheated on and dumped by his ex (she was with a colleague, I think) Babi won't do the same. So far, I think he's been a lovely boyfriend so I'm giving the drama the benefit of the doubt i.e. he's a nice man and this, whatever it is, is a misunderstanding.

The mum is actually alright in this one. I think the dad will have a major case of the histrionics but so far it's all massively less offensive and toxic than SITR. Unfortunately, our leads don't have the electrifying chemistry of the original leads either. But less complicated and difficult dynamics. Have a look once it's closer the end maybe? The comments may give you a better sense of how the family and lead interactions played out.

Thanks. It's a bit weird tho. The schedule for North America seems to have changed abruptly.

Has the release schedule changed? Does anyone know? I use IQIY vip and there haven't been new eps. Thanks!

So peeps, quick question, does anyone know the title and singer of that beautifully moody sing near the end of ep 3 when Babi and Yumi are in the car? Yes, THAT one! 🔥 I can't find it and it's lovely. Please and thanks, folks!

Hahahaha! Calling it like you feel it. 😂 Nice

Haha she's definitely becoming worse. Sigh. Ah well. I suppose credit to her for doing her job well. I'm not going to be able to watch her in another drama anytime soon. That cloying twang is going to stick with me for a while.