lilseemonster

I thought JJY had so much potential as an actress when I first saw her in The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion. Her later works felt really repetitive and I thought her acting regressed/felt too self-conscious. I spent a couple of years just disappointed and criticizing her. But she really delivered for me here! I am a believer that she still has it and can deliver an amazing performance with the right role. TJR's ability to define and differentiate each of his numerous characters in this drama was also impressive. Honestly, I felt the plot was a bit convoluted with too many attempts to surprise or shock the audience. Sometimes less is more. But this is typical GJM. Still, I loved many of the characters and the actors that brought them to life. I thought it was a fun (and at times heartbreaking) watch.

I’m at episode 20 but I came to complain about ML’s mom. I find her so weak and self centered. The way she’s inattentive to her son’s feelings and her lack of faith in her ex husbands integrity is maddening.

Luckily, the FL is total opposite. I love her character. She’s strong, rational, assertive, speaks her mind, and isn’t a damsel in distress. In my opinion, one of the better written FL characters in modern dramas.

I was actually thinking the same thing… their bad acting kind of took me out and the scenes with them felt comical rather than high stakes.

Does Han Li meet his little flying rodent pet again 😭? That hit me hard because it kind of reminds me of my dog that passed away not too long ago…

Can someone who’s read the novel or watched the donghua help me answer the question in spoiler?

I just finished 25 and I don’t understand how this is ending in 5 episodes… will they be able to defeat Wang Chan and the rest of the bad sects before the drama ends? I don’t want another JoL cliffhanger ending and have to wait 5 years for the second season 😭😭😭

Nangong Wan as a love interest makes the least sense to me. They barely spent any time together to fall for each other.

I read that he has a couple of concubines in his lifetime, so she’s only his first wife.

I like this drama, it feels like I’m watching an RPG, Harry Potter (sorting hat/choosing a house), Sci Fi (flying ships that shoot enemies), and Naruto (Blood Trials) all in one. However, I think it could’ve used the full 40 episodes. The editing feels so choppy throughout the series. The emotional impact of some deaths could’ve hit more if we spent a little more time with them. Han Li is rational and practical, cold and ruthless to enemies, but he does value and mourn people who he feels genuinely care about him. I actually don’t like the romance between him and the FL. It feels very forced right now. I am glad there’s little of it.

I’m excited to see PHS in his villain era! This cast is 🤩 Disney+ is kind of slow though…

She’s a brilliant actress. I actually felt like they were different people. There are actresses that are essentially the same in every drama they take on. I thought the messaging here was beautiful. Kdramas have a wonderful way of conveying life’s wisdom.

I just started this and I'm all sorts of confused by the first episode. I know that the story is told out of order, but when do things start making sense?

Also, a random thought...when they make actors have white hair, they always leave the eyebrows black. Does it look weird if they have white eyebrows too? I would think those two things should match in color.

Note that I skipped the entire betrayal part because I have no desire to see Wei Liang die.

1) I loved how smart and logical FL was. I really dislike the bumbling brainless happy go lucky types. She was a great strategist, direct, and proactive. She never waited around to be a damsel in distress. She’s really a perfect partner during a warring state period like this. Yet, she was not perfect. Her tunnel idea actually backfired on her. She acknowledged and apologized when she was wrong. SZE really brought Qiao Man to life for me.

2) Wei Yan was played delightfully by Liu Duan Duan. I know some people think he was the creepy cousin, but I felt like I understood his character. He had talent and ambition, but due to his background, he had to suppress his desire to be more than just Wei Shao’s cousin. So he turned to other desires, such as alcohol and brothels. He was always tripping and his eyes were always a little glazed because he drunk to numb his ambition. He honestly was very wise and often poked at Wei Shao in a way to help Wei Shao understand his feelings for Manman. He was always supportive of them. He also had some of the best lines in the drama. I loved his monologue when he finished the painting.

3) ML was flawed but also consistent. He fought his emotions because filial piety and guilt consumed his childhood and how he grew up. LYN’s height really made him believable as a formidable general compared to many other c-actors that look more frail. He also has great comedic timing. I think some of my biggest laugh out loud moments are from him.

4) A negative about this drama, probably due to the episode limitation, is the lack of character development outside of our leads. I understood Liu Yan and Yulou Furen were how they were because of how they grew up. Liu Yan felt he was an ant to his family, and Yulou was merely a tool for hers. It’s hard to see them as sympathetic villains when everything tragic we learn about them are simply told to us through a few lines. Both their ending was also a bit disapponting. Bi Zhi also felt more like a plot device/pawn than a fully fleshed out character. I would’ve loved to see him go from a simple minded stable boy to a formidable general that had battle (strategy) talent and not just brainless muscle.

5) Similar to the above point, I felt like the core set up of their conflict was dealt too quickly. I don’t think we felt the emotional trauma of the male lead enough to understand some of his actions thoroughly. Maybe I also wanted more Vengo Gao time 😅

6) Lastly, I don’t like unnecessary deaths. If you’re on a death mission like in AJTL, I kind of get it (I was just hoping for 1-2 survivors in that one, not a complete massacre of the crew). Wei Liang felt like a typical c-drama move where they take a character, purposely make you like them, then kill them off at the end for emotional impact. I knew that was going to happen once he gave Xiao Tao his little golden blade, and he was given a love line. It’s not shocking at all because they do this so often. But I just feel anger with those kinds of plots. Sometimes a happy ending is fine!

I really enjoyed this drama for the most part, which I feel is a solid 9/10. Definitely one of the best this year. My many thoughts below.

Sometimes a happy ending for all the good guys also delivers great emotional impact, rather than kill off a beloved character. I wish we could get those more often in these kind of dramas 😞

Thanks for the suggestion! After all of you told me, I went and watched it. Episode 32 was a perfect end and I’m not watching the rest even though I do want to watch Liu Yan, Yulou, idiot uncle and his even bigger idiot advisor die 🤬

You are right! Ep 32 was a perfect spot, and all loose ends from their initial feud was nicely tied up!

Ok you’re right, ep 32 is a perfect spot to end. Also, I feel embarrassed watching the scene between them two 😅 like I’m invading someone’s intimate and very private moment!

I also like her! She’s a very good actress, even when she’s playing antagonist roles. It’s hard to believe she’s almost 40.

I would’ve been much happier with this 😭😭😭

I honestly hate it, and have been refusing to watch the last episodes. I’m pretending it ended at 31. This happens so often that it no longer illicits shock value but anger that the writers keep using these cheap tactics. Create a lovable character and kill them off instead of the main leads for emotional impact. Similar happened to characters in The Double that didn’t die in the novel, and many other dramas.