Luv Peony

the novel was a very good read in the characters development and how everything unfolded. the drama storyline is not that satisfying...esp for the villian's end, if any. the actors are good acting out what they were given. the novel is for story telling, the drama is for entertainment.

it's weird to buy a copyright to some characters and some plots. if it's complicated, producers would drop the project. censorship is strict and restricting in what they allow drama to depict and include. dramas can't have scenes where violence is intentional....which is why a lot of these needs to be changed to environmental factors or pressures. JSR being show a pity person who became who she is b/c of her abusive restrictive dad, but in the novel, she's just pure evil, greedy and selfish.

Shao Zhao ---- big change from the novel.

SZ did not died in the novel. His death was faked by the princess and he was kept as her prisoner in her secret prison. By the time he was found, his legs were no longer functioning. over the years he was tortured near death, only to be saved and go through more torture. SZ's determination to live was super strong b/c he wants to see his sister and father. He does not know what happen to them in captivity.

XH saved SZ on a whim b/c SZ crawled to XH asking to be saved. XH was in there to clean out and stage the prison before exposing it to the public.

SZ stayed at XH's manor for awhile being treated by JiuYue. He was heart broken after hearing of XFF and his father's fates. It was after XH confessed his love to JL, on the way out bumped into SZ sitting in his wheelchair. JL howled/cried like an injured animal after realizing her brother was right in front of her --- alive. Due to XXF being in JL's body, SZ was in shock why she reacted this way.

JL convinced SZ by sharing their childhood upbringing together. JL is 16 and SZ is 21. SZ still call JL big sister throughout the novel despite their age and status.

that part of the novel brought me to tears.
The novel paired SZ and JiuYue together. they have a side story in the novel.

it's a pity the drama excluded all this.

if they follow closely to the book it will be more than 40 episodes (more time, money, etc). if they bought the copyright to adapt it in the novel, they don't have to alter characters like that. besides the main story arc of the main ML and FL, everyone's roles were altered.

i don't think the drama has any more episodes to waste on if JRS is crazy or faking it. it's the end of JRS' character as is. she lives the remaining life as a mad woman like that of concubine hu.

lol, one thing i'm not fond of in chinese dramas. it's not as juicy as the novels.

in the novel, the only time they kissed was when XH admitted his feelings for JL. that was pretty much the only kissing interaction in the novel. haha.

a few years at most...but not 10-20 years difference.

a few years at most...but not 10-20 years difference.

i find it weird villians in dramas get an easy end/punishment. is this a China requirement on how dramas depict vilians???

novel for ji shuran:
ji shuran was in love her with cousin Liu Wen Cha (in the drama, he is a painter and then become the diviner). LWC gave is words t JSR that he will marry her but in the end, he married another girl his family planned for him. the other girl comes from a family with money. Due to his actions, JSR became vengeful. Since JSR cannot marry the man she loves, she will marry the powerful man in the court. She plotted to slowly poison Ye Zhenzhen to death and arranged to get Jiang YuanBai’s attention at a court event. she schemed to make it seem like she and JYB have a lot in common and interest. To JYB, he fell in love with her immediately. After YZZ died, she was married to JYB. JYB was the one who requested for marriage and the elder Jiang Lady allowed it since JYB picked his second wife out of love.

After she was married to JYB, LWC came back into her life. LWC’s family lost money and became poor. JSR met and had a one night stand with LWC one last time and then killed him afterwards, her way of saying 'i win'. JSR became pregnant afterwards and scheme to get rid of the pregnancy by using JL as a scapegoat. JSR also killed Jiang Yue out of annoyance and made it look like an accident.

JSR was exposed of her evil doings and lies and got poison/death by the Jiang family. However, they tell everyone JSR died of illness. Jiang family did not clear JL of harming her step-mother or killing her unborn brother. Jiang family chose pride over truth. This is why the fake JL could never be fond of the Jiang family b/c no matter what the situation, they never have JL’s best interest. Jiang family only offer or try to make it up in offering her money and treasures.

JRS is a murderer and killed 4 lives…she gets an easy death by drinking poison but still keep her status as the lady of the Jiang Manor with a clean reputation.

In the drama, they gave her character such a pitiful state due to her family’s pressure and then a ‘I gone mad’ result. how is that justice???

joe chen played a very very good ji shuran...just like the novel version. in the novel all the villians meet their ends...but the drama is always soft on the villians and gives them a redemption story...not sure if it's per china preference/censorship.

novel: brother is alived but is handicap through years of tortured and violence.

well, average age for marriage back then is 14-16. the girls marry older guys and it's normal to marry 20 year old....assuming the previous king is a lot older when consort li was brought to the palace. example from history: emperor wu zetian (she was a lady status and married the elder king at the age of 16 and he was around 50s at the time. after the older pass, she married the successor as his consort, later elevated to queen/consort.

novel: shuran is the youngest of the 3 daughters in the ji family. the second daughter is excluded in the drama. consort li is supposed to be around the same age as the king, if younger. weird the drama change the consort's origin.

the drama is making him such a disgusting creature. novel: handsome, gentleman (per traits of the time) from the surface, it's love at first sight for the princess; which is why she's obsessed with him. it's also the idea that she can't have him b/c he is someone else's husband. he knows how to control the princess and work around her without ever having to plead or beg. the drama gave the princess such s & m traits...it doesn't make sense at all.

the drama is making him such a disgusting creature. novel: handsome, gentleman (per traits of the time) from the surface, it's love at first sight for the princess; which is why she's obsessed with him. it's also the idea that she can't have him b/c he is someone else's husband. he knows how to control the princess and work around her without ever having to plead or beg. the drama gave the princess such s & m traits...it doesn't make sense at all.

what a waste of screen time for evil characters like that. the drama is giving too much screen time to stupid characters vs the main characters' story arcs.

it's so hard to watch the drama...it's not too bad if you did not read the novel.

he could divorced her, send her back to her hometown. but he don't want to b/c it will hurt his reputation for divorcing his perfect wife that didn't have any fault.

the drama changed A LOT and it's not going to follow most of the storyline.