mukkanna

I didn't really like episode 1 much, to be completely honest. It had some potential, but the CG was terrible and the only good points for me were the characters themselves...

Yesterday I finally had some time and binged up to episode 9. Totally worth it just to see the nuanced acting from ML and FL.

For me, it improves. What I like about this drama so far is that the plot is character-driven. Things are happening because of the characters' motivations and goals...of course, I think it also has the advantage of being based on a novel that's very much character-driven, as well. The first episode was not my favorite, but it essentially depicts things that weren't in the book at all, and I feel the screenwriters were not as masterful in free-styling a plot consistent with the characters as the novel writer was. Hopefully they can keep it up!

In my opinion, novel Han Ye and drama Han Ye aren't that far apart (as of finishing episode 6). Still tracking as expected.

Novel Han Ye has respect because he has a reputation of being a righteous and able prince (same as drama). He's a good strategist, but that shows in the drama too. His information network is still pretty snappy--he's finding out in real time what's going on. His current drama setting (highly competent prince) is what you see for most of the first book.

If anything, Han Ye showed some of his hidden cards (his excellent martial arts, for example) much earlier in the drama than in the book, where you don't even realize he can hold a sword at all till a quarter through the first book.

He's a nice guy. Not the first time he's stepped up to nip rumors in the bud. Respect!

I don't think they've changed his personality at all. Han Ye is a 3-dimensional character in the book. He's kind, patient, and righteous by default. He's also ruthless and scheming, as you describe. He's the one enemy you don't want to make, but also a person who has soft spots a mile wide. But interestingly, he's not a contradictory character...he's at his most ruthless when he can't find nicer options. He's just so smart that most of the time, he doesn't need to be ruthless to get what he wants. It doesn't seem so far like he's really had to show his hand in the drama.

No kids in the novel.

Actually I think Luo Mingxi is doing a fine job! He also has more than 2 expressions, too! His acting is certainly "louder" and less subtle than Gong Jun's, but that may be because he's newer to acting...he's still learning :)

Have you watched "How Tony Leung Acts With His Eyes" on Youtube? It's about the evolution of Tony Leung's acting, how at first he was much more expressive (telegraphing emotions to the viewer), and then as time goes on he expresses less and less, internalizing the character and developing small details like a different way of moving, etc for each character. Tony's such a great actor!

From what I see, Gong Jun is almost certainly doing this. You can 100% tell in the promo BTS clips when he's Han Ye and when he's Gong Jun.

That's Han Ye making you sleepy, not the actor playing him. Han Ye's carriage and behavior are completely different from his actor's behavior (which...no hate to Gong Jun, but he's a bit awkward sometimes). Han Ye is a crown prince and has been trained to be reserved and in control at all times since childhood.

I respectfully disagree about the one facial expression. I can tell when Han Ye is happy, sad, or surprised, or when he's deep in thought, uncomfortable, or annoyed. Gong Jun certainly is able to express emotions, though he's not as "loud" about it as others (probably because the director told him to tone it down to maintain the aura of a crown prince).

Maybe not the best drama for you? This is actually the same character setting and plan as the novel it's based on.

Based on what's described in the novel (which is vague plus what I read is a machine translation), I think it's asthma. I suspect they didn't have good treatments for that in ancient Chinese traditional medicine, so that would have been a life-threatening illness. Disclaimer: my familiarity with Chinese medicine is pretty much zero. They describe is as a "cold" illness (but I've no idea what that means in Chinese medicine). His symptoms are chronic cough, difficulty with exertion, shortness of breath. Since they describe it as a chronic illness that he's had since childhood, the most likely thing is asthma.

Dongqian is a rival country that has a strong navy. I think the Dongqian navy is attacking Dajing's merchant vessels, so they're calling them pirates.

The subs have been fine since 2nd day after release. Seems they just didn't put the official subs on the Youku app on the 1st day...all the stuff on Youtube has proper subs.

She leaves the capitol to start a new life somewhere. Where she ends up, it doesn't say.

She leaves the capitol to start a new life somewhere. Where she ends up, it doesn't say.

In the book, she's never a real threat in terms of Han Ye's affection. From the first time he meets the fake he thinks something is off with her. He even has some self-conflicts because he found himself liking Ren Anle more than "Di Ziyuan."

Han Ye definitely has a type, and his type is "domineering, independent woman with a devil-may-care attitude." The reason he's so determined to marry Di Ziyuan in the first place wasn't her looks or her position or even the imperial decree; it's because he admires her intelligence, wit, and attitude. He had more tolerance for Ren Anle's antics in the beginning because he saw in her the shadow of Di Ziyuan.

The threat posed by the fake is more because of her obsession with Han Ye and resulting hatred for the real Di Ziyuan.

Novel has a happy ending for FL.

His father gives her a position as a ruren in his palace after her identity as a fake is revealed. I think that's a concubine position...but he's very distant to her, so it's sort of like having a tenant living in a building on your property. He only really interacts with her to be polite, and one time he took her to a banquet because she promised him something the real Di Ziyuan needed...she's actually sort of pitiful. She doesn't die in the novel.

The marriage was political and ordered by the edict of the first emperor to unite the two families who established the country. Each of them were families with loyal vassals and their own armies. The edict of a past emperor supercedes the current emperor's edicts, which is why the current emperor is saying he couldn't kill Di Ziyuan. That's not the real reason he spared her, though, but that's a spoiler :)

Might not be too bad, actually. In the book HY quickly realizes something is off with "DZ", feels guilty about liking Anle more than "DZ", but then in short order starts wondering if she's even DZ at all. We'll see :)

Not in the novel.

I can't remember the faces of people I met yesterday, much less the faces of my elementary school classmates!