Disliked the first two eps... Did anyone not like this in the beginning and still finish it? Does it get better? Because rn I'm only watching for that little cutie (the youngest son), but that's a lot of eps to watch just to see a little kid being cute.
Maybe I just missed it, but... Was the past connection between Changheng & Xiao Lanhua ever explained (not the engagement to the goddess, but the origin of his love for Orchid)? It looked like he had flashbacks that she can't remember, when she saved his life. It can't have been the goddess because Changheng didn't know they were the same person, right? Or did it happen when he didn't know it was his fiancé helping him, and he merely recognised her face in Orchid's? But then when the goddess introduced herself to him, it sounded as if she'd never met him before (as a goddess), right? I'm confused... Did anyone get it and could help me out here? I just finished the last ep and so far it's the only missing plotline I found (which is a pretty good rate for a cdrama). As the rest seemed so well thought-out, I think there must be an explanation.
This show is good but some characters are just bad! Especially Ji hwa, she’s bitch all the time! And I am supposed…
If only perfect people could be loved, humans would have died out a long time ago ;) But why does a playboy need redemption (generally speaking)? He was trying to lessen his loneliness, and having relationships on his own terms meant he wouldn't get hurt by being left again (that doesn't mean I find this character trait admirable, but at least it's relatable to a degree). SFL acted the way she'd been taught. Always being told that, because she was female, she would never wield power herself, she tried to prove that she wasn't, in fact, powerless. Her father is a manipulator who doesn't shy away from using any dirty trick. That doesn't make her a good or likeable person, but again, I can understand her character to a degree (proving her power over the household etc.). I like how, in the end, she broke free from that and decided to make her own path. Do Joon probably fell for her because she was different from the women who followed the ways meant for women to tread. She was smart, well-educated. And she might have started liking him because he doesn't belittle her as much as others do (except for that time he lies to her about being the king). He treats her like a woman, but not in a degrading way. Also, while she is imprisoned by conventions and rules, he is openly and unapologetically unconvential. However, I agree that many Asian dramas sadly have SFL that are not very likeable. Don't make it hard for ML to decide, but the FL gets several great men to choose from, Catering to the largely female audience - in the end, isn't it all about power? Sorry for the long text, I just finished the last episode and felt the need to deposit my thoughts in a suitable place ;) Feel free to ignore it.
What is a favorite scene of your's and why? I wants all the details! Spoiliers are fine so long as you tag it…
The fight between Ye Baiyi & Ah Xu/Lao Wen in ep. 27! As Lao Wen is overwhelmed by how Ah Xu knew his secret, kept it for him, and accepts him for who he is :) But there are many other great scenes, for example in ep. 33 when Xi'er lets Qian Qiao go. I don't ship them, I just like their relationship somehow. It's one of the scenes that made me feel some real sympathy for Xi'er. Also, the moment Lao Wen reappears and conquers himself by taking revenge in the best way possible (same ep.) Those are some favourite emotional scenes of mine. Don't even get me started on Ah Xiang and Weining... ;) What about you?
"In the illusion, I saw... myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks." Ah Xu stared. "One can never have enough socks," said Lao Wen. Rewatching ep. 6, this entered my head and is now refusing to leave...
what’s the name of the character? what book? 😊it’ll take *yet* as a positive thing. i’ll recommend zls…
It's Princess Li Si (Jim Knopf's fiancé, he might have been translated as Jim Button) 😅 Thanks a lot for the recommendations! Who Rules the World is on my watchlist, I like the trailer. Good to know it's worth my while 😉 For Cdrama, I prefer fantasy or historical, if I want modern ones I usually choose Kdrama. Love Like the Galaxy isn't on Netflix atm, I'll have to check Viki or maybe YouTube 🤔 And the title of Romance of Tiger and Rose sounds great!
I know this is off-topic, but I've loved Michael Ende since childhood, thanks for bringing him up :DAlso, I think…
Right, one of the greatest things about Michael Ende is that one can read it as an adventure story as a child and then re-read as an adult and find so much meaning in it! I stopped watching American shows because they seemed to shallow (not all of them probably, but those I did see). My first Asian drama was Pinocchio and that's definitely not shallow 😁 Not having experienced as many cultures as you did, I still find the way they tell stories about their wars telling. In China, public figures risk their career if they happen to be near a former enemy's shrine commemorating a war in which they participated on opposing sides. In Germany, people feel the pressure of collective guilt for their nation's own role in events that took place eight decades ago. German storytelling is strongly influenced by this too, as you know well...
I haven't seen any of her dramas (yet), was wondering why the name sounds so familiar... Now I realised: Her given name very much resembles that of one of the characters in a children's book by Michael Ende ;)
from all your dramas described above, i only know joy of life, and here, I don't mind the cliffhanger ending,…
I know this is off-topic, but I've loved Michael Ende since childhood, thanks for bringing him up :D Also, I think your last paragraph about universal similarities and also differences in storytelling is very true!
Thanks for this interesting read! Unfinished arcs, cliffhangers, and open endings make me feel really antsy - it's one of the reasons why I rarely watch dramas that are still airing. In fact, I stopped in the middle of S1 of Alchemy of Souls when I noticed a second season was airing (to make sure there wouldn't be any cliffhangers by the time I got to watch the latest available episode). And I really disliked not having researched Arthdal Chronicles before watching as I thought it was finished TT (I know your article is about C-dramas, but I have watched many more K- than C-dramas) I prefer dramas that finish every last, small story arc, with a complete happy ending (I know that's not how life works, but let me enjoy a bit of escapism) ;) Sometimes, one has to be satisfied with a hint at a better life awaiting the "not fully settled" characters (such as City Hunter, characters going for a fresh start). One thing I'd like to add is that I think BL dramas (or BL story arcs in other dramas) in China make heavy use of incomplete endings to avoid more censorship. I saw this in Love O2O (the drama) as well as in The Untamed and WOH (which does heavily hint at the ending in the small extra episode). From what can be glimpsed in these dramas, it's easy to imagine the ending. So here, open endings can really tell you quite a lot about what kind of ending the writers intended to add, hinting at the direction things are going. It saves the viewers from getting a messed-up ending due to the censorship. However, there are some dramas where open endings (mostly for minor characters) just feel like sloppy or hurried writing (maybe they had to cut a couple of episodes or something) and that's what I dislike most. Whoops, that comment got longer than I intended ;) Thanks again for that article! Maybe I'll try harder to warm up to open endings from now on :)
Did anyone get it and could help me out here? I just finished the last ep and so far it's the only missing plotline I found (which is a pretty good rate for a cdrama). As the rest seemed so well thought-out, I think there must be an explanation.
But why does a playboy need redemption (generally speaking)? He was trying to lessen his loneliness, and having relationships on his own terms meant he wouldn't get hurt by being left again (that doesn't mean I find this character trait admirable, but at least it's relatable to a degree).
SFL acted the way she'd been taught. Always being told that, because she was female, she would never wield power herself, she tried to prove that she wasn't, in fact, powerless. Her father is a manipulator who doesn't shy away from using any dirty trick. That doesn't make her a good or likeable person, but again, I can understand her character to a degree (proving her power over the household etc.). I like how, in the end, she broke free from that and decided to make her own path.
Do Joon probably fell for her because she was different from the women who followed the ways meant for women to tread. She was smart, well-educated. And she might have started liking him because he doesn't belittle her as much as others do (except for that time he lies to her about being the king). He treats her like a woman, but not in a degrading way. Also, while she is imprisoned by conventions and rules, he is openly and unapologetically unconvential.
However, I agree that many Asian dramas sadly have SFL that are not very likeable. Don't make it hard for ML to decide, but the FL gets several great men to choose from, Catering to the largely female audience - in the end, isn't it all about power?
Sorry for the long text, I just finished the last episode and felt the need to deposit my thoughts in a suitable place ;) Feel free to ignore it.
Ah Xu knew his secret, kept it for him, and accepts him for who he is :)
But there are many other great scenes, for example in ep. 33 when Xi'er lets Qian Qiao go. I don't ship them, I just like their relationship somehow. It's one of the scenes that made me feel some real sympathy for Xi'er. Also, the moment Lao Wen reappears and conquers himself by taking revenge in the best way possible (same ep.)
Those are some favourite emotional scenes of mine. Don't even get me started on Ah Xiang and Weining... ;)
What about you?
Rewatching ep. 6, this entered my head and is now refusing to leave...
Thanks a lot for the recommendations! Who Rules the World is on my watchlist, I like the trailer. Good to know it's worth my while 😉 For Cdrama, I prefer fantasy or historical, if I want modern ones I usually choose Kdrama.
Love Like the Galaxy isn't on Netflix atm, I'll have to check Viki or maybe YouTube 🤔 And the title of Romance of Tiger and Rose sounds great!
I stopped watching American shows because they seemed to shallow (not all of them probably, but those I did see). My first Asian drama was Pinocchio and that's definitely not shallow 😁
Not having experienced as many cultures as you did, I still find the way they tell stories about their wars telling. In China, public figures risk their career if they happen to be near a former enemy's shrine commemorating a war in which they participated on opposing sides. In Germany, people feel the pressure of collective guilt for their nation's own role in events that took place eight decades ago. German storytelling is strongly influenced by this too, as you know well...
Now I realised: Her given name very much resembles that of one of the characters in a children's book by Michael Ende ;)
Also, I think your last paragraph about universal similarities and also differences in storytelling is very true!
I prefer dramas that finish every last, small story arc, with a complete happy ending (I know that's not how life works, but let me enjoy a bit of escapism) ;) Sometimes, one has to be satisfied with a hint at a better life awaiting the "not fully settled" characters (such as City Hunter, characters going for a fresh start).
One thing I'd like to add is that I think BL dramas (or BL story arcs in other dramas) in China make heavy use of incomplete endings to avoid more censorship. I saw this in Love O2O (the drama) as well as in The Untamed and WOH (which does heavily hint at the ending in the small extra episode). From what can be glimpsed in these dramas, it's easy to imagine the ending. So here, open endings can really tell you quite a lot about what kind of ending the writers intended to add, hinting at the direction things are going. It saves the viewers from getting a messed-up ending due to the censorship.
However, there are some dramas where open endings (mostly for minor characters) just feel like sloppy or hurried writing (maybe they had to cut a couple of episodes or something) and that's what I dislike most.
Whoops, that comment got longer than I intended ;) Thanks again for that article! Maybe I'll try harder to warm up to open endings from now on :)