Episode 12 was heartbreaking. When Sima Jiao entered the mountain and realized what those people had been put through, his expression, his grief... Chen Feiyu did a really good job here. I was more impressed with Wang Yinglu's work, but he was equally impressive. Even before that, when he knew there was no salvation for Yan Huan and how he saw himself in him. That was also painful.
I hate the clan leader so much. People being kept in chains to be bled, bred and eaten, it's hard to imagine anything crueler. That boy asking for porridge in exchange for his blood was gut-wrenching. They've been committing these atrocities while acting like they're holier than thou.
Sima Jiao and his clan all had such tragic lives because of Gengchen Palace. Episode 12 was dark, but so well done. My heart actually hurt. When you stop and think about it, the only reason this drama felt somewhat lighthearted in the beginning was because of Tingyan's personality. You can totally understand why Sima Jiao cherishes her so deeply. He’s endured such a cruel life, and meeting someone who isn’t out to use him for his blood or power must have felt like a miracle.
I feel sorry for those who dropped this drama after the first few episodes because it keeps getting better. I was totally on board for a lighter xianxia, but the upcoming angst feels not like a deviation or a shift but more of a natural consequence.
I wonder if the people badmouthing and slandering an actress simply because they dislike her realize that their actions mirror exactly what they claim to stand against. It's quite shameless. I’m not a stan, nor do I watch dramas based on actors, but Yu Shuxin has long proven herself as a versatile and reliable actress. Even her most “cutesy” role as Xiao Lanhua in Love Between Fairy and Devil was the female lead of probably the most successful xianxia drama in recent years, not only a hit but a mega hit. How many can say the same? If you don’t like her, then just don’t follow her work. Spend your precious time on what brings you happiness. It’s really that simple.
I'm very excited for this series as it has been described as a 'healing' costume drama. Sounds good!
I think this drama has a lot of positives so far: the setup and worldbuilding are very interesting, it looks absolutely gorgeous (you can see the high production value in literally every scene, and the costuming is some of the best I’ve seen), the pacing is nice, and the actors fit their characters to a tee. I hope I’ll feel more of an emotional connection to both Mei Zhuyu and Cat Lord Wu Zhen later on, as it's only the beginning of the story and there's a lot to be revealed.
Feels weird to say this about a guy old enough to be my dad, but between this drama and WLGYT, Park Hae-joon's characters this year are totally my type lol
This drama is so much fun. The first episode caught me a bit off guard (I wish we had seen a bit more of Tingyan's human life and her salted fish nature, like we did with Miaomiao in Love Game in Eastern Fantasy, for example), but it gets better and better. Sima Jiao is actually such a funny guy, carrying tiny otter Tingyan around... and the way he's always saying someone will die lol
FL here is so valid, she's not a doormat but she just wants to lead a peaceful existence eating good food, wearing cute clothes, doing face masks, and living in nice places. She's also getting eye candy daily as the powerful master that became her boss (and her friend, no matter what he says!) is so good-looking.
I like it. It's an average slice of life drama. I can see why some people might find it boring, but I think it's strangely soothing. I've always loved travel shows, so there's that.
Really good first week with plenty of space for further developments. The episodes went by like a breeze! As expected, slice of life dramas are the best.
What a great first episode! It reminded me why I love Chihayafuru so much. Such a heartfelt story about youth. I used to listen to Flash by Perfume all the time on my very first phone... It's a weird feeling, but mostly a good one 😭
Great start with a moody and strangely charming ambience. It gets you hooked from the beggining, even as you wonder, "What just happened?" more than once. Abe Sadawo and Matsu Takako are amazing as expected.
"Don't be beaten by yourself! Go for it!" That last scene was beautiful. I didn’t expect to love this drama so much, but I do. I really do. It totally took me by surprise. While watching the final episode, all these emotions suddenly came crashing in. I thought, “Huh? I didn’t realize just how much I care about all these characters and how much I was cheering for them.”
In many ways, this drama was like a simple meal that turns out to be so much better than anything fancy or expensive. I'm always thankful when a story manages to reach me like this. I’ll miss the Kishibe household dearly.
Kudos to the screenwriter and the amazing cast (and the whole team, actually). Give this one a try!
Not a lot going on in this comment section, but I’ll give it a try anyway. I’ve watched the first two episodes and, while I thought they were okay (Kiyohara Kaya does seem too young to play an established lawyer, but she's a great actress and the dogs are super cute), I’m still not entirely convinced. A lot of releases I’m looking forward to are coming to Netflix, so I want to be more selective. For those who’ve seen episodes 3 and 4, does it get more engaging in terms of character and relationship development?
I actually liked the first few episodes because I thought it was quite refreshing to have two genuinely scheming leads, plus the potential harem dynamics (more scheming and also the possibility of kinship as women navigating such a cruel world...?), but I was ultimately left disappointed. Getting through the second half of this drama was hard work, and I honestly don’t know why I didn’t drop it. That has actually been the case with some other 2025 C-dramas I watched this year. I don’t finish them out of morbid curiosity so much as feeling emotionally held hostage by how absurd things are able to get. Meanwhile, shows like Nirvana in Fire and The Story of Minglan are just gathering dust in my watchlist lol I don’t understand myself.
I was throughly impressed with Liu Lingzi's portrayal of Meng Zhenzhen, truly a talented actress. I hope she can get some lead roles. I also liked Liu Xueyi as Shen Zaiye, but my interest in his character faded in the latter half of the show. I mean, I liked Jiang Taohua in the beginning too, but as the drama progressed, I found it hard to really connect with the leads. They had good chemistry (sometimes even great, their scenes before episode 18 made me feel like this show still had potential), but it was wasted on a convoluted plot and a scriptwriter who seemingly didn’t know where the story was headed. In fact, none of the characters had proper development. Missed opportunity.
I hate the clan leader so much. People being kept in chains to be bled, bred and eaten, it's hard to imagine anything crueler. That boy asking for porridge in exchange for his blood was gut-wrenching. They've been committing these atrocities while acting like they're holier than thou.
I feel sorry for those who dropped this drama after the first few episodes because it keeps getting better. I was totally on board for a lighter xianxia, but the upcoming angst feels not like a deviation or a shift but more of a natural consequence.
I'm very excited for this series as it has been described as a 'healing' costume drama. Sounds good!
FL here is so valid, she's not a doormat but she just wants to lead a peaceful existence eating good food, wearing cute clothes, doing face masks, and living in nice places. She's also getting eye candy daily as the powerful master that became her boss (and her friend, no matter what he says!) is so good-looking.
In many ways, this drama was like a simple meal that turns out to be so much better than anything fancy or expensive. I'm always thankful when a story manages to reach me like this. I’ll miss the Kishibe household dearly.
Kudos to the screenwriter and the amazing cast (and the whole team, actually). Give this one a try!
I was throughly impressed with Liu Lingzi's portrayal of Meng Zhenzhen, truly a talented actress. I hope she can get some lead roles. I also liked Liu Xueyi as Shen Zaiye, but my interest in his character faded in the latter half of the show. I mean, I liked Jiang Taohua in the beginning too, but as the drama progressed, I found it hard to really connect with the leads. They had good chemistry (sometimes even great, their scenes before episode 18 made me feel like this show still had potential), but it was wasted on a convoluted plot and a scriptwriter who seemingly didn’t know where the story was headed. In fact, none of the characters had proper development. Missed opportunity.