moonrabbit1005

Seeing SY sad hits extra hard, like I just want to give him a hug each time something bad happens to him. Most of XZ's characters suffer and I hurt for all of them, but SY is really making my heart clench. I think it's because of his acting and how relatable and realistic SY feels. It's like watching someone's real life play out in front of you. Like XZ said, SY is just like all of us and that's why I can feel all his emotions through the screen. I can't wait for him to go back to being his sunshine self!

I liked that the way JB found out about LSS and ex-husband was not the normal seeing them kissing or on the bed, but just them casually cozying up with each other, completely unaware of anyone else's presence. Their body language said it all. I think that's in part why she wants to leave the company. I'm looking forward to see how she handles it with LSS. This juxtaposes with the stage collapse incident. I hope the show gives us closure on whether it was Team Leader who approved the design without telling SY's team all the information. I need to see his ass get the karma he deserves. It was painful to see SY getting fired; it's literally my worst nightmare as an employee. XZ's acting was so good and I wanted to give him a big hug. But Song Chen!!! He went from being a bit nosy and annoying to being BFF goals! I love that he steps up when it counts and has SY's back. I cheered when he decided to leave with SY. I hope they and JB start their own company, that would be epic. Can I just be shallow for a minute and say I love SY's new stylish outfit when he has to pretend to go to work? After seeing the stained shirt for over 15 eps we deserve fashionista SY from now on haha, although the shirt will stick around I'm sure...Poor baby was sitting on the stairs job hunting. I'm itching for tomorrow's eps!

The dinner scene in ep 14 was hilarious lol. SY didn't speak much but boy did his eyes and facial expressions convey everything. XZ's acting really does improve with every drama he does and SY is so wonderfully portrayed by him. We all knew the rejection was coming at this stage of their relationship and while it makes complete sense for JB to reject SY, it still freaking hurt to see him heartbroken. I thought his confession was very sincere, but everything JB said was so realistic and I hurt for her too. I especially thought the line where she said he shouldn't call her sister, but should call her auntie really cut deep. SY's face when she flat out said she didn't like him made my heart clench. I wanted to give him a hug so bad. The scene where he rolled himself into a worm in his blanket was both cute, sad, and funny. It's okay SY, it's gonna be a long uphill battle so patience and persistence are key! JB's convo with LSS was also really well written and acted. It's going to take a lot of convincing for her to get into a new relationship, especially when the dude is 10 years younger. I just want them together so bad but I know it's going to take some time. Her heart already has a place for him though by the way her eyes follow him in the mall. I'm already annoyed with Prof Fang and can't wait wait for SY to one-up him lol. Song Chen and Pan Rou are actually cute and I'm curious to see their relationship progressing too. Who would've thought he would be the one giving such good advice? Him quoting the movie was hilarious. The dialogue in this drama is so clever and well written. I can't wait for the two measly eps we get each day!

Watched all 11 eps. It was so satisfying to see Team Leader getting his ass whooped in ep 9. I don't condone violence but boy was I cheering when SY and SC beat him up. I felt so bad for SY when he came home and left because he heard his parents fighting. And of course he went to JB's house lol, consciously or not. I love their developing friendship, how SY talks to her about his problems and her giving him realistic, impartial advice. The breakfast he made for her the next morning with the note was super sweet. SY's parents' fights were so realistic to the point I felt uncomfortable, because these fights actually happen in real life. When we lose our temper, we say the most hurtful things we can to the other party even though we don't actually mean it. I sympathize with both his parents, they both have their own right and wrong, they just need to be honest and communicate with each other. I came into this drama expecting a simple workplace/romcom drama but it's giving me commentary on gender norms, women's place in society, aging, and beauty at various stages in life? I'm honestly pleasantly surprised. SY's mom makes me think of my own mom and how we've come to expect middle aged women to just be someone's wife or mother, instead of an individual with their own needs and feelings. The dialogue and issues the drama is presenting are making me reflect; there is just so much to analyze and unpack. Anyway, I love JB helping SY and his parents make peace with each other with the idea to shoot an ad, that's clever of her lol. Our leads are slowly but oh so naturally having more of a presence in each other's lives. Once their feelings grow, I already know it's going to be a tough uphill battle for everyone to accept their relationship, and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. I already knew LSS and ex-husband are going to get together and while I'm grossed out, I'm not surprised. I'm curious to see how the scriptwriter makes that work, though; it's going to be hard to make us root for them but let's see how things go. Now that I'm all caught up, it's going to be hard waiting for new eps each day, but it's going to be fun discussing things in real time with everyone.

I've watched 8 eps and loving it so far. The issues presented are relevant in today's society (age/gender discrimination for women, workplace issues, age gap relationships, divorce, cheating) and dealt with pretty realistically while not being preachy. It's got a good balance of humor and seriousness. The episodes fly by and I'm barely skipping anything, which is rare for me lol. I'm an XZ fan and I love his portrayal of SY. His acting improves with every drama, and here he is so natural. I love seeing him act as the younger dude after Gu Wei and Shi Ying. I like that he challenged an older woman/younger man relationship and so far it's paying off; his interactions with BBH are so good and I'm already rooting for them. It's my first time watching BBH and I love her Jian Bing - strong, smart, sensible, but also delicate when the need calls for it. I can see why SY would fall for her. The cinematography is so beautiful and filmlike, and best of all it's shot in XZ's hometown Chongqing, which is a beautiful, picturesque city. I can't wait for future development between our leads and how the side characters contribute to the overall plot. If the script holds this may be my favorite XZ drama at least this year.

I'm watching the BTS videos and XZ's interviews to get over this drama. Shoutout to his interviews in particular because through them I gain even more respect for him and the characters he plays. He understands his characters at a deep level and really immerses himself into the role. I love that he said he didn't want SY to just be an expressionless character for the sake of the script, but rationalized why he acts the way he does in each scene. His attitude toward acting and his work is super refreshing. Other than that, he's really playful and funny in the BTS when he's not in character - he's just a ball of sunshine and I really feel that he enjoys being on set.

I finished the drama last night and normally I wish C-dramas were shorter but in this case I wanted it to be longer lol. I know we got three longer eps which was already a blessing, but a lot of scenes were cut or had choppy editing. Regardless, it was still a wonderful and immersive journey, worth waiting two years for. I was surprised by the beautiful CGI, scenery, and fight scenes which added to the depth and worldview of the drama. The plot wasn't perfect, but still overall logical and purposeful, managing to keep me engaged throughout the 40 eps. All the actors did a good job in their respective roles. As an XZ fan, I couldn't be happier about his performance as SY. He thoroughly understood the character and made me feel every emotion that SY felt. He acted the hell out of this role, and Imma say it, my heart will always have a top place for XZ in costume dramas, even if his hairline suffers LOL. It was really fun reading everyone's comments and see you all in his next drama!

Xiao Zhan's eyes are so expressive, and can I just say how beautiful of a crier he is? His crying is not just beautiful aesthetically but also makes the audience sympathize with every character he plays. I've been a fan since 2019 and it's been so fulfilling to see him improve with every role. He continually impresses me with every project that airs. I can't freaking wait for Sunshine by My Side, I hope Sheng Yang will be extra happy to make up for all the pain SY endured lol.

Thoughts on eps 37-38: XZ acted the hell out of these eps, I'm just in awe. I can't stress enough how much I enjoyed the three days where SY was the innocent Crown Prince. I wish he could stay like that forever. When SY asked ZY if they were in love, his voice and expressions did things to my heart. Even if he lost his memories, he still loves and cares for ZY so much. The Tribulations of Hell scene was super well done and importantly, not overdone. How can someone look so gorgeous all bloody and tattered? The man is literally a mess and I'm sitting there hurting for him but also simping for him >.< I was really touched when SY saw his mother during the tribulations; XZ's acting was so good. He really looked like a young boy grieving for his mom, and boy those tears. Same thing with the scene where DSM died - both actors nailed their parts. DSM's love for BY was so great and he loved SY like a son. When he said he didn't want to see tears from these eyes anymore, WHEW, that really got me. Again, XZ's acting was top notch. I have to prepare myself for the last two long eps tomorrow, I'm definitely going to have withdrawal symptoms afterward.

I'm so glad a few last eps are longer so that the story isn't too rushed. Just finished ep 35 and 36. I'm utterly in awe of SY's love for ZY and how he thought way ahead, even up until his last breath, to protect her. I especially loved ep 36 and wish SY could remain that carefree, innocent, and happy forever. Shoutout to the bath scene where he got close to ZY, my goodness that was intense. I'm so impressed with XZ's portrayal of amnesiac SY who is completely different from the normal SY. He looks visibly younger, childlike, and like a crown prince unburdened by the events of the world. XZ nailed the expressions and body language. I'm watching two eps per day so I can properly digest everything and also because I don't want the drama to end T_T.

Oh one more thing. Shi Yu has more game than Shi Ying LMAO. He's doing everything right in the romance department while his older bro is struggling big time.

Well, that was frustrating, to say the least. I wanted to shake both SY and ZY for misunderstanding each other. When it comes to romantic matters, please spell everything out! I can't at how SY thought showing ZY the story of Xingxun and Bai Wei was a good idea. Aren't there other romantic stories besides that one? And how he didn't tell her straight out the pendant was for her. If you're going to profess your love, do it clearly my dude. And how he didn't sense something was wrong from ZY's reactions - ughhh. I know he's a priest with no romantic experience but I wanted to lightly strangle him anyway lol. As for ZY, girl you're also a princess and you normally aren't afraid of BXL! I know ZY was affected by DXM's words and thinks SY only sees her as a disciple, plus BXL is way too scheming, but it was frustrating watching her just accept that BXL is going to marry SY. I guess when it comes to this she doesn't have confidence, and since SY hasn't clearly told her he loves her she's bound to misunderstand. I also wanted to strangle Yuan for not telling SY and ZY about Sumo being the Sea Emperor. Dude, you're either not going to agree to a truce from the start, or you're going to trust SY and by trust I mean lay all the cards on the table. Or else nothing really gets resolved, and you'll end up dying probably unnecessarily. He should know from his interactions with SY that he's not the type to kill without reason, so if SY knows about Sumo, he's going to make sure the kid gets raised to be a good Sea Emperor. I feel bad for him still, but arggghhh everything's a mess right now. I still want my HE though!!

I love SY's involvement in the political matters as they show how he's really got what it takes to be a good emperor even though that's not what he wants right now. I'm wondering what misunderstandings and events will take place so that SY ends up killing Yuan...it sucks because they could've been good friends had things gone a different direction. I love all the sweet moments we got with SY and ZY knowing the angst that's coming up for the next few eps. His hand shaking when he was writing the prescription because of how close she was LOL, poor guy was trying so hard to keep calm. I don't think ZY knew the effect she had on him though, she was lowkey flirting haha. The girl also had no idea the lantern festival was a date because there's no way her master could have any other feelings for her, right? I love that SY finally admitted to CM that he wants to leave priesthood because of ZY but obv my man is still new at this love thing so he's throwing out hints, but also being awkward. Also, it's hilarious how his wedding congratulatory message to ZY had a hidden meaning; SY is so shady without even trying! I'm really excited for future eps, I hope they don't rush things toward the end because like I said before, give me sweet CP moments after the pain!

The fight with SY and Yuan was super cool! I liked seeing them fight together and if things don't go off the rails they could've been friends. The scene where ZY tricked him onto the bed so she could take his pulse was so cute! She's honestly the only one who can surprise him with her antics. I literally LOL'ed when SY stepped off the carriage pretending to be sick and coughing into CM. It was so funny seeing classy SY do something he'd never do normally. XZ looks gorgeous in the red outfit; it made me squeal seeing them hold hands. One of my favorite scenes is him carrying ZY up the mountain; the chemistry was chemistrying lol. Such a beautiful moment between them, and every time SY plays that melody on the flute I'm a goner. I keep saying I love angst (especially with XZ) but now after the sweetness of these eps I'm kind of scared of the upcoming angst lol. I really hope the drama squeezes in some sweet, happy moments for SY and ZY. I just want to see them happy!

The wonderful CGI and real beautiful scenery really enhance the worldview of the drama. So many S+ dramas have terrible CGI or use too much green screen, so it's nice to see the quality of TLP actually reflecting its ranking. We can have opinions about RM but the girl can act. She's carried all of her scenes, especially the crying/emotional ones, which can't be said for all C-actresses lol. As an XZ fan I'm obviously biased toward him but he is doing so well as Shi Ying. One of my favorite things about him as an actor is that each character is different from the others; there's no overlap of image and no traces of other characters present in another one. Just want to applaud our ML and FL for highlighting the importance of acting versus just having good looks alone. So many of these scenes would've failed to make an impact had one of the leads been stiff or greasy.

I don't necessarily hate the multiple lives/reincarnation stuff in most xianxia dramas but it's really refreshing that TLP doesn't follow that well worn path. Also, I love that TLP follows a less-is-more approach and isn't over the top in having the characters spit ridiculous amounts of blood, scream their heads off, or have insane outbursts to showcase emotion. Sometimes the silence, the unspoken words, the expressions in the eyes, are enough to make viewers feel what the characters feel. While I love the angst and know more of it is coming, I seriously hope the drama has a fair amount of lovey, cute, happy scenes later to soothe our hearts lol.

Thoughts on Ep 19 and 20: My emotions are being toyed with in these two eps T_T. I teared up during the farewell scene. You could see how SY tried so hard to reign in his emotions just from looking at his eyes. XZ and RM were excellent at making me feel how their characters felt. When he said he wouldn't give the hairpin to any other woman anyway....that hurt. They both have fallen for each other but due to circumstances and their master-disciple relationship, they have to be apart. Which leads me to the Wishing Tree scenes where they could be "together." The CGI was breathtaking, beautiful, top-notch. RM really excels in sad/crying scenes. I didn't expect SY to laugh to pretend to be the illusion but it was a welcomed break from the pain lol. But then we're back in full angst mode when ZY receives the congratulatory wedding letter. SY, why?! I understand his reasoning but it's still too cruel T_T. I'm anxiously waiting for tomorrow's eps.

Thoughts on Eps 17 and 18: The OST songs being played at the key scenes in these eps really showed how effective and wonderful they are at highlighting the emotions of the leads. The underwater kiss scene was gorgeous, and props to XZ and RM for actually doing it underwater with many takes to get it right. The fire cloud scene was also breathtakingly beautiful, and I was really touched when ZY said it's wonderful that the Crown Prince is still alive. Also wanted to mention the punishment scene - you could see XZ's neck vessels having a life of their own lol. Jokes aside, I loved that he didn't go over the top and didn't do the typical blood spitting to show pain. My heart was in tatters when they showed SY's bare feet covered in blood. While we all want him to acknowledge his feelings for ZY, I also respect that they're showing how dedicated he is to priesthood and how it shouldn't be "easy" to give up on this lifestyle that he's embraced for five years. It was a serious vow he took, and his sense of responsibility wouldn't let him give in to temptation that easily. I'm curious what will finally trigger him to return to the mortal world.

XZ's ability to thoroughly understand each of his characters, give them layers and nuance, while also looking gorgeous at the same time, is one of the many reasons why I stan LOL. We may never get another xianxia drama from him, so I'm absorbing every single scene we get here. But honestly, I hope after LOCH he continues to accept historical/costume dramas once in a while, these visuals cannot be wasted!

I love the way their master-disciple relationship is developing. The library scene was so refreshing and magical, and not just a scene for the sake of looking pretty. It shows that SY sees ZY's potential and wants to teach her starting with the fundamentals that she's lacking. He's building her foundation so that she can learn advanced magic later. And because of it, ZY realizes she's been too brash and acknowledges him as her master, which stems from her respect of his character. I also like that she realizes right away that he was purposely mean to her in the chaos to save her, and thanks him for it. The girl is obviously still impulsive, but she is literally a teenager growing up in a faraway tribe. It makes sense for her to be more unruly compared to the other girls. So excited for tomorrow's eps!