Didi

thank you for your honest answer!!

It all boils down to personal preference. like what you like its just a tv show. if this offends you, maybe consider watching something else. why bother worrying what other people watch? there are plenty of shows with different plots and different themes.

I understand the points you are making, and obsessive love in real life is terrifying. But when it is a drama i have never taken it seriously because dramas are a form of escapism for me. fantasy, and in fantasy, we have full control over what we see--we can always turn the tv off or switch to something else so in a way i think it is empowering to be able to watch these things with pride; IN STARK CONTRAST in real life people don't have that kind of power if they have the mental illness because they usually have zero insight into their actions or they are a victim trying to sever the toxic relationship) or are caught up in a cycle of abuse and self-victimization. conclusion: real life BAD in dramas: if executed well, i can like it. usually it is not executed well.

i have become so obsessed with this show that i submitted an article about it and am just waiting for them to publish it--everyone needs to know about how great it is!

have you seen this? I didn't really like the king's woman, at least the romance aspect, because I thought the female lead's character was hugely inconsistent/poorly written (it was well shot/well acted but you can't blame an actor for a poorly written character) did you like this if you have seen it?

i always appreciate it when C Drams get some love! I hope this article gives others a nudge towards breaking away from K dramas, but then I am one to talk; after discovering C dramas I almost watch them exclusively although I admit that the modern K dramas tend to be more interesting, for the simple fact that they have more freedom. i just often dislike their female leads; some dramas do a great job at being relatable (goblin) but a lot have these annoying self righteous characters (chinese dramas are also guilty--meteor garden anyone?) thanks again for the article

true true

thank you for your thoughts :)

no not really i mean he marries someone but the romance is never a focus. maybe they meant general shen--there are about 3 episodes that explores the dynamic between them (these are friends of the leads)

i JUST CHECKED THIS IS TOTALLY A PREQUEL TO THE KING'S WOMAN

WAIT A MINUTE IS THIS THE PREQUEL TO THE KING'S WOMAN???

agreed

Thanks :)

I am of a like mind; I couldn't get into Princess Agents, for example, because of the FL's character, and i disliked the Legend of Fu Yao (I thought it was misleading because it was told in arcs and I was far more interested in every character but Fu Yao). If you have any suggestions for dramas with similar characters, please let me know :)

I am late to this thread but I strongly think:

1)Ming Lan may have acted differently if she knew about the plot. emphasis on may. There is no guarantee. But when Ming Lan is concerned about a loved one, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that she makes choices--intelligent ones--but ones also clouded by emotion which impacts her foresight the most (think of when her grandmother was poisoned, and she wanted justice immediately)

2)I think that GTY did not want Ming Lan to be culpable of anything if they failed. she could return to her family worse case scenario (hence he wanted the separation as a buffer). Her refusal was him respecting her wishes, after all. Because if he did fail, then he would have probably been executed. Hence he was taking a big risk. I think he was confident in Ming Lan to weather through this because she is strong, and he did leave his best men with her to protect her. but you can't calculate for everything. And GTY has said many times that sometimes it's about luck.

3)I don't think her significance as the leading lady diminished. I think that while GTY was imprisoned/fighting/presumed dead she handled the battle of the home, and keeping it safe and taking care of who she could. The last episode was mainly for GTY so we could see the big end game of the emperor/general wrapped up.

4)and I agree, it was heartwarming to see her become emotional because Ming Lan is always so calm.

In terms of romance, you may want to try the historical Dong Yi as it features an intelligent and composted/nice female lead but she isn't quite like Ming Lan because as a servant there are certain freedoms she has that Ming Lan does not. She doesn't need to really worry about a family or reputation or the complicated things surrounding that. Finally, Dong Yi does not need to hide her talent, it is actually the thing that gains her a lot of friends and she is allowed to be herself freely. Also, Dong Yi is paced more like a mystery where she investigates/solves crimes. Ming Lan focuses more on the human side of crimes or events--when they occur--and reacting to minimize the damage.

i know how you feel. i cannot think of another drama like this, featuring a female main character. they really don't exist. not on this scale.

i just keep re watching this it still isn't boring to me

if you mean romantic relationship, not really but relationships are huge in the show....FL does have feelings for someone else initially before marrying ML

i recommend commit to ten episodes. if you are still not feeling it, you may want to drop