jem4202

DRAAAAAGGGGS but I still enjoyed it

I'm late to the game on this, by 17 years. But in case anyone else is ready to watch this in 2023 here are my thoughts.

First off, the movie poster makes it look like a light-hearted comedy. It is not. FL actress is loveable in her portrayal of a charming lively girl pressed down by what she believes to be a loveless arranged marriage. It will make you think of Princess Diana a lot. Ther are many references and comparisons to Camilla and Prince Charles. 2ML actor does an excellent job portraying his heartbreak and longing. I could feel his pain and anguish in every scene. Even though many of the scenes were excessively repetitive and I fast forward some of them, I watched every single scene of 2ML's -- sometimes twice. He was riveting. The ML's mother is very well done, as a strict seemingly heartless queen, who is carrying pain and loss but trying to hold it all in.

I felt the heartbreak and hope of all the characters. I felt empathy for even the "villains". They are fleshed out and you can see the motivation for their feelings and actions. No one is all good or all bad.

the music is absolutely gorgeous. Perfect. I could listen to it every day.

Parts I hated:
Completely and utterly repetitive. Completely and utterly repetitive. Completely and utterly repetitive. You get where I'm going with this....Maybe even 4, 5, or 6 of the same scene would work. But there were dozens of repetitive scenes. We get the point. Move on, already. Could have cut at least 3 hours out of it by an editor tightening up the script.

The ML. I know it's from 2006, and the stiff, unfeeling, cold and heartless prince was probably in fashion at the time. Does he like her? Doesn't he? I totally get why he likes her. But not why she likes him. Since this is what they were going for, ML actor does a wonderful job. But back to the perplexity of why she likes him. Yes, he's attractive. She says grows to love him because she watches him and starts to understand him, and it makes her love him more. But so far (on episode 20) there is little character growth from him. You can see he cares about her, but mostly while she's sleeping. So, very little basis for her growing to care about him. And the FL reaction to his many insults: holding her tongue and taking it. Late into episode 18, 19 and 20, they could have cut 3 episodes out just by her telling him what he did to upset her. And why is he meeting with the 2FL ALL the time if he doesn't like her anymore and cares for his wife? And it doesn't make sense that he is so giddy happy with his sister, but does not let his affection show with his wife, who he has clearly grown to care for. EDIT: ML was rigid, cold and lifeless, but when his emotions finally broke free near the end, I could see how well the actor did in his portrayal. It was writing I had disliked, and not the actor's portrayal.

TINY SPOILER: and you don't have to give your old photos of your EX back to them! You can just toss them! That's another hour and misunderstanding that we didn't need. We get the idea. END SPOILER.

Overall, I'm glad I watched it. But be prepared to fast forward after the 8th time the scene repeats.

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Adorable! Sweet, but not too sweet. really loved this one.

Very refreshing rom com. Different from the normal tropey plot. Well acted. Loved the ML and FL, and grandpa. Janice Wu is, as usual, terrific. And I'm becoming a fan of the actor that plays the ML. As others have said, it's quite long. Could cut out at least 5 episodes. Long wait for FL and ML getting together, but it makes for a slow burn and sizzling romance. The side characters are dull, as others have said, and drag things down. Music is wonderful. Refreshing female lead. Intelligent, doesn't back down. ML is not abusive at all -- kind to FL.
Yes, I see that reviewers found the patriotism a little too much. For me, it was expected. It's a Chinese show. It's natural that they would include patriotism in it, especially about the pride of space exploration. It's far less than in "You Are My Glory".

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agree badly done ending, not BAD ending, just badly filmed

I'll post when the spoiler is about to happen. It's barely anything, unless you're wondering if they get together in the end, and if you've read the other reviews you probably already know. If not, don't read after that part.

It was like being on a smooth cross country flight and then a bad landing. Or, no, wait! Eating a lovely dinner (not the most expensive kind, just a lovely tasting dinner), then being handed a bad piece of fruit at the end. You don't hate the whole meal, but you're left thinking, "what? Could they not have at least checked that last strawberry?" I'm talking about the last 3 minutes. I think I get it was meant to be artistic. Instead it just....ended. Like the author wrote a beautiful story (not the best ever but still heartfelt emotional entertainment), then forgot to save the update, and instead just sent the draft that says "put ending here."

SPOILER HERE - . What others have said -- give the ending at least three minutes of them coming back together. We've waited for this moment for 15 episodes, and they're like, "Oh, hey." As in, look like you're ENJOYING coming back together. The last three minutes loses an entire point for me. In fact until I read another review here, I didn't realize that I'd stopped the show early (it looked like it was rolling credits to me), and there was a 2 minute ending scene that I missed entirely. After watching it, meh. It didn't add anything to take the taste away from the bad strawberry.

SPOILER OVER: Also, dang people! When you are reviewing the show and checking the box that says "this review may contain spoilers", you are still allowed to write a little before you spill what the spoiler is. As in, not have the first words of your review be "I can't believe the villain turned out to be X!!!!" And yet, even though I knew that "X" was the villain, ARGH!, I don't think that deterred from my enjoyment. And really, there's more than a few villains to go around in this one.

I had no issue with her ease of entry into new Josean. It's been done before and I didn't need to see more than was shown.. She was a trailblazer in old Josean. She didn't shock easily. It showed her adaptivity.

SPOILER: The old Josean husband storyline. Yes, that was sad. But, just as they weren't meant to be the first time around, they weren't mean to be the second. Or rather, neither made the choice to make it happen. He'd always had a heart condition. He always followed her around and loved her from afar. All those years living in the same town, watching her and painting her, he could have approached her again but he didn't. The fact that she refuses to show romantic love for him in his last days the second time they meet, is consistent with faithfulness of her character in other situations. Even if she never sees him again, she's going to be faithful to the husband she chose with her heart. She did, however, make his last days easier by being his faithful friend. (On their first wedding night, she did like him and she did want him, but he died, she mourned him, and that relationship ended. Once she fell in love with his future self, she sees that they are not interchangeable.)

The plot hole that did bug me (SPOILER) - was the new husband had heart damage, it got way worse after he met her and fell in love, and was completely gone the minute she left. Uh...did I miss something? And when she came back why was it still fine?

Overall I enjoyed it. Just don't eat that last strawberry, ie. stop it 15 seconds ahead of the ending and make up your own reunion. it will be better than theirs. . then fast forward to the very very very end.

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it was good ep 1 - 4 and 18 plus. and this is not a stand alone with out season 2.

The first episodes with the husband and princess were quite riveting. But then it leveled off. The ML and FL had no chemistry or honest moments until ep 17. Before that there was smirky sarcastic banter, which is ok, I guess but for 16 episodes, it got old. A that point I really didn't care about whether or not they got together.
And I really didn't care at all about the ML.

The characters that had me riveted were the husband -- actor did a FANTASTIC job, and he stole every scene he was in; at first I wanted her to start to like him, until the horrible things that came out of his mouth (tiny spoiler: "Why are you so upset that a servant died?") You really can't come back from that. Later I was riveted to the domestic abuse victim and her husband. Actors portrayed those roles brilliantly in stark, heartbreaking reality.

Finally in Ep 27 it got up to my standard of 7 to 8ish for one of these big dramas, but I still can't forgive it for being dull from ep 4 through 17.

The ex-husband? Remember when I said a minute ago (8 episodes ago in my time) that I wanted him to be likeable? Yeah. That ended in the ep 20s. He deserves every slice of hell he goes through. Idiot refuses to walk on his own two feet and make his own decisions. Always upset that mummy, daddy and princess are making him do what he doesn't want to do....you know what cures that?? STOP DOING IT! But NO! He caves AGAIN!!! How many times is this? How long must viewers endure??? But that shows you how well the 2ML actor killed it for me to be able to hate his GUTS! (I've only ever seen that actor play a mild mannered ceo or teacher. He must have enjoyed doing this role.)

By the end of the drama, we see a variety of women dealing with various circumstances and ill treatment, due to rampant misogyny, and how they tried to survive or overcome their circumstance using a variety of methods. But again, up until ep 20, I wasn't really riveted to their stories. Maybe because the early ones were more lighthearted. they are not all happy endings wrapped up in a bow. The writers show us the especially when the FLs are given a choice that would set them free, but because of self loathing, fear of society (rape, slavery, domestic abuse), fear of succeeding, they choose not to do it. Some of the stories are quite powerful. When we're screaming at the TV, "TAKE DOOR A!!!!! TAKE THE FREEDOM!!!! GO!!!! DO IT NOW!!!" and they don't, you can only imagine a tiny bit how terrifying it would have been for a woman in those days. The FL? I can't say she's one of my favorite characters or actresses but whenever she is subjected to evil -- and it's a lot -- she OWNS the screen -- and survives and turns it in her favor.

For the poor suckers who watched this then had to wait for "Season 2" aka In the Name of Blossom - the Sequel, I feel for them. It is not a proper story without season 2. It just stops. No cliffhanger no nothing. For those on the fence, if you can bear the middle episodes, I'd recommend it. In 3rd episode of the sequel now and it's quite good.

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Romance writers should be good at writing romances

still in the middle of it so I'll just lay out a few points. and they all come down to this:

Writing is important.

First: It's one thing to draw out the chemistry of the main characters before they get together. Tried and true development in all romance novels, tv shows and movies. It's quite another to drag it out and string the viewer on until so long until they no longer give a crap if they ever get together. Yeah, the phone ringing the first time right before the kiss is cute. But after the 6th time, the audience feels ripped off. Because they're here for a romance. This is the contract that you've made with them. You make the romance show, They pay to watch it and expect to get to see the romance develop between them. It doesn't happen here. And not in a refreshing way either. It's just odd. This one It reminds me of a riding in a car on a smooth street, then hitting a pothole. Then another. and another. After a while you just want to get off the road.

The cast/characters: Love the FL actress. ML actor was fantastic in Love Between Fairy and Devil. Here he plays the role of a men's starched white dress shirt. Attractive. Stiff. . He gives long stern looks. Lots of them. As a writer, you need to give the character a personality., especially one of the leads. The second couple is just sick mentally and she is desperate for trauma therapy. They only get together when they're drunk, and the third. Ugh. The third....young 3rd FL, stalking isn't ok because you're adorable. Stop throwing yourself at guys that you saw ONE TIME at a conference, showing up wherever they go, calling asking them out and buying things. It's so beneath you. Look around. You're a badass, smart, and charming.. Use your skills to go get a life. 3ML who is being pursued by this young woman, your buddy told you to tell her you aren't interested if you aren't, cuz what you're doing now is just toying with her. Instead, 3ML (who's 30) never says "Hey, young lady. I'm not interested.". He just sort of watches, confused.

The chemistry: there was some in the first few episodes. The pauses and long looks between the ML and FL. But his long looks wear thin. She's pursuing him but is getting nothing back. As in. no response whatsoever. He ignores her texts. Like the "shunning" that some religious sects do to punish someone. The fact that she keeps writing him and pursuing him when he doesn't respond, then when he is with her responds like an inanimate object, is extremely...curious.... and not at all realistic.

The romance: Are they or aren't they? Heck. the writers don't even know, much less the characters. And by episode 20 I don't' know or care either and am ready to drop it. In the middle episodes (12 - 17?) We think we're FINALLY getting somewhere.. But then we have sort of the micro-memory- loss portion of the story. Example, If I've held hands with someone, I'm thinking we've at least got something going on. But the characters, ergo the writers, seem to have the memory of a fruit fly,. Between one day and the next they seem to have no recollection of how much their relationship has developed the previous day. Example: in 20, he grabs her hand and holds it. She's stunned and doesn't know what to do.. Because they've never held hands before? Oh, no. They have. Several times. Very awkwardly, but they did. Apparently don't remember. Kisses: you know the kisses that were interrupted seven times up to now by a phone ring? She kissed him early on. Like, episode 10? (Oops, sorry, spoiler.) But every time he tries to kiss her now, she panics and runs away. Wait, are you twelve?? What are you running away for?

I might watch it till the end. Should you? If you have absolutely nothing to do, (fridge clean, garage tidied, sock drawer in order) then yeah. go for it. Would love to know what you think.

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