littleberry09

Trust me it doesn't happen 😂 of the 2 she is the one who makes more improvements as a relationship partner. He does become sweeter but still the same old Luke. Yes, if he was less handsome and lived in a caravan, this would have ended in the 2nd episode itself. A horror story 😂😂

I didn't say there weren't ANY historical dramas above 8.5. I just said they weren't the majority. Comparing long term classics in both genres also doesn't work because they are usually going to be rated around 9 when people have had years to watch them. I said "initially" historicals tend to be rated lower unless they are immediately insanely popular like Pursuit of Jade.

Even if you pick a single year, historicals usually tend to be rated lower + watched by fewer people than most modern dramas released around the same time.

I filtered all the 2026 dramas on MDL for comparison - there are FAR more historicals below 8.5 and paired with lower viewer count
1) The First Jasmine 2) A Splendid Match 3) Love Beyond the Grave 4) Spring of the Blade 5) Veil of Shadows 6) Unveil: Jadewind 7) Generation to Generation 8) The Heir 9) Ashes to Crown 10) Overdo 11) Pull Strings 12) Royal Betrothal 13) Key to the Phoenix Heart 14) No Pain No Gain 15) Shadow Punisher 16) Zhan Zhao Adventures 17) A Prophet 18) Tigers Sniff the Rose (still airing) 19) The Lament of Autumn (still airing)

Compared to historical Cdramas 8.5 and above:
1) How Dare You 2) Against the Current 3) The Road to Splendor 4) Blossoms of Power 5) Pursuit of Jade (the only one here in the 9's!) 6) Where the Mask Ends (still airing)

And eventhough there have been much less modern dramas released this year so far, it seems the ratings are pretty even between the modern ones rated below 8.5 Vs above. There isn't a huge difference like with the historicals above. On average 25 major historical/costume dramas to be found from this year, but out of them there has only been SIX that have been highly rated above 8.5!

I find statistics like this quite interesting because I'm curious why a lower quality drama is rated higher or has significantly more viewer count (like Never-Ending Summer compared to The First Jasmine back then). I'm watching the historical Spring of the Blade at the moment, it has very less viewers and doesn't even reach the 8 rating on MDL. Whereas I think it could atleast be an 8.2 drama and so far seems better than some modern Cdramas I've seen this year.

Glad someone else picked up on his reaction to the issue with Donny! It's noticeable his first reaction was about himself, rather than how she was doing. It's been a while since I watched it after it aired, but I recall him being more angry and upset on his own behalf rather than for what she suffered as a person. He remains controlling, jealous and possessive of her throughout the drama, and even if he becomes kinder in the end those aspects still remained in his character. That's why it wasn't good enough character development for me. It still seemed like he could go back to being typical Luke sooner or later. Even how he won her back was still controlling. I know it's a drama 😂😂 but may love Like this never find me. What I find unique with The Early Spring is that many viewers tend to romanticise it too, compared to some other dramas where atleast we know we are watching for the red flag.

Oh my god just what I was thinking. Why reveal his real identity in the synopsis/cast list? I knew within the first few episodes itself who he really was because it says both his character names here 😂. It ruins the mystery and surprise element I feel.

Whereas they could list her as both Chen Yunyan/Xie Qingyuan because that wasn't a huge spoiler, we already knew that. I think MDL shouldn't do so if the character has an identity that's meant to be a surprise.

It took me a little while understanding the family relations in the Xie family. On Epiosde 10 I gather that FL's father, Xie Shu had children with 5 different women!? He had 1 main wife and 4 other concubines. This is the most I think I've seen in a historical Cdrama 😱

Well if you could point out anything illogical in my arguments then you would have pointed them out. That you couldn't even do so might say a lot 😂

And I'm sure you have also done the same for dramas you haven't liked or find highly questionable, so please shut it. I didn't ask what you thought about the drama. Many have liked it, whilst others have found such abuse painted as 'romantic' just because it's done by someone hot and wealthy to be very illogical and stupid. Don't be triggered just because I gave this fact that being *abusive* is a lot more than just being imperfect! I'm aware it's a drama, but I didn't just leave my brain in the toilet because of it. I came in with atleast some standards 🫠

I've watched AtC and now started this drama, and the FL's have vast differences in power. Xu Lanxiang came from a hereditary slave family, and even when they gained their freedom they were still lower class. She had to marry and stay with the ML because he gained the Emperor's edict to marry her. Even then, she refused to literally be his wife for 4 years after - which viewers criticised her for because she was not being nice enough to the person who previously owned her and then forced her into a marriage.

Whereas Yunya/Qingyuan in this drama biologically comes from a high ranking noble family like the Xie's, she was a world apart from being a slave or commoner. I hope it allows her to be a bit riskier with the ML.

Also forgot to add on to that bit about forcing himself into her house - she actually did strongly oppose him being there but he still ignored her wishes. He didn't even seem to care that she didn't want him there. I also know that he didn't alert her that he was waiting outside her house, my point was that once she was going to find out anyway, so she was guilt tripped due to his dangerous action of waiting in the freezing snow.

I'm not the one who put words into your mouth, I only replied to what you said. I clearly acknowledged that I think she overcame her problems but not that she did a complete 360. Not sure what you read into it, that's your own interpretation.

The original debate (not argument) was that you said "he did not mean" his abusive behaviour and that he changed, and I pointed out he actually did mean his behaviour and he clearly had not changed *enough* to be in a good relationship with her (or any woman infact). Whereas the opposite applied for her. Maybe agree to disagree here, it seems you either get people who clearly see how much of a douchebag he was, or those who lessen his problematic behaviour by saying he did not mean it or bringing her issues in (you wouldn't be the only one)

She overcame her problems to the point it was reasonable for her to be in a relationship with another person. That doesn't mean she became perfect or did a 360.

In comparison positive changes did not happen with him and he did not seem like he was ready to be in a relationship with someone else. He was still possessive and controlling over an Ex-girlfriend that he stalked her in Harbin over several years, and without her consent goes to her parents restaurant and into her home, even by using the dog as an excuse or guilting her by waiting in the freezing snow. As I said above (which you probably ignored) she was weak enough to still accept him back when he did this weird behaviour despite their terrible past relationship.

It does seem like you are defending him when your pirority is to dissect her less problematic issues, and to ignore his completely glaringly abusive behaviour and that he still kept part of that behaviour even after the 'change.' The only change was that he doesn't call her stupid anymore, but he still comes across massively controlling, love bombing and blaming her as being worse than the dog.

"he did not mean that" is the classic line to justify an abuser 🚩. I can say you are wrong. Even A therapist or relationships counsellor will always tell you this. It's not like his mistake was sleeping on the wrong side of the bed or leaving the toilet lid down. He DEGRADED and HUMILIATED her with his language. If you still say "he did not mean that" then you have a very twisted view on relationships.

I also never said she did a full 360 after the break up - please don't put words in my mouth. Yes, she made big improvements, but she still had weak aspects in her character because she still accepted him back both times, even if she took a bit longer the second time. And you're just repeating her problems when I had already said I admit she wasn't perfect. Again, what she did was quite bad but NOT as terrible as his behaviour. This is probably why it's such a good drama for male abuser excusers.

Maybe I should have clarified, I DO think both of them were problematic, but her issues were significantly less than his. She was indecisive and didn't communicate anything to him. That is not anywhere near as problematic as his abusive language, control and possessiveness.

AND she also managed to overcome her problems. That's the whole point of character development. They are meant to be imperfect but can make changes to themselves as the drama goes on. She becomes more firmer and confident in the relationship and broke it off twice instead of suffering due to him. Whilst you can tell he stays quite controlling and overstepping her boundaries till the end. Some people saw his change as romantic...but it was still quite weird that he stalked her and repeatedly pushed into her home/personal space eventhough she said no.

"the foul mouth...he is not actually saying what he means, he got it from his father" - sorry but that is the REASON, not an excuse! He absolutely did mean what he said to her. And in reality this does not work. Imagine treating your partner like shit 💩 the whole time and then saying "sorry it's only because I inherited my behaviour from my parent." That's not how a healthy relationship development works. His character did not seem like he was ready to be in any relationship tbh. This would have been a horror movie if it wasn't for him being good looking and wealthy.

I judged it because it was not well written on terms of the main characters. The ML's character development especially was not believable. I took in the whole "you don't have to be perfect to be worthy of love"... But come on, there has to be a line between being imperfect Vs being disgustingly abusive like he was. His behaviour is justified as imperfection and fine as long he says he loves her. But in reality it's much more than just imperfection. He was degrading and verbally abusive to her and there was no believable development to him at all. A shame that people looked up to it as romantic behaviour.

I just finished it. ML was nearly 30 or about to turn 30. FL would have been about 3 years younger than him?

The break up arc was very disappointing and did not make sense at all. The theme of filial piety and the child inheriting the sins of the father was so overdone. ML was being blamed for his father's actions 20 years ago when everyone knew ML was just a young child at the time. The fact he had to keep apologising, saying it's his fault was so absurd??? Why would he have to apologise? It also felt like he would have had so much more trauma than the FL because he was the one who's father DIED, instead he grovels and apologises to FL who abandoned him and her parents who were amongst those who looked down on him.

Her parents also gave me so much anxiety as a viewer, they are content on ruining their daughter's life and she has to go along with it as they are her parents. No one should have parents like that at all 😞

By the fluff parts in the last 2 episodes I was just fast forwarding most parts. It just seemed underwhelming by then.

Finished this...despite a slow start I actually did quite enjoy it until about Ep 20. After that it felt like it significantly dropped in qualitity once you get to Ep 23-24 👇

I don't think you know how time travel works. The person is still the mental age they were before. She LIVED 36 years of her life. That's not just "knowledge" and doesn't just wipe away. I'm very into fantasy so I knew for certain she was an older woman in the body of an 18 year old. Not just me, even if you ask most people who watched this drama they would say so.

That's not what happened and if you think so then you need to go back and watch the drama again. She doesn't just "see" her future, she's a mature 36 year old woman who time travels and goes back in her 18 year old body. She is a teenager but with the mind of a much older woman.

Idk why, I have heard IQIYI take ages releasing some of their dramas though. If it was another platform it would have been better. Maybe if 2 of these Xu Ruohan dramas do well?

Love in Red Dust waiting on both IQIYI and Viki, so I think it will come out this year. Maybe November.