Naomi Necro

Agreed, looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds

aw understandable. I think the preview is a misdirect and he'll be fine.

I've also noticed actors who've steered away from using separate voice actors for their dubbing, like Zhang Linghe (he's supposedly going to be dubbing himself in Story of Kunning Palace- so excited for that one!). I think Wang Hedi's goal is to eventually dub himself as well, but his accent is very think although he works on it regularly.

In most cases, the reason for post-production dubbing, is because these dramas are filmed at Hengdian and it's not closed from tourism or other dramas filming simultaneously. Translates to a lot of bad audio/background noise. Nowadays, especially with more recent dramas, I've noticed a mix of on-site audio, and post-production dubbing. Thankfully, with the actors voicing their own characters. If the character is dubbed by a separate voice actor, its usually because the actor has a regional dialect that wouldn't work well with the drama (for example, Wang Hedi in Love Between Fairy and Devil). They're also sometimes used if the character's personality doesn't match the voice (a woman's deeper voice with a fairy-like, girly archetype). I personally detest dubbing by other actors, it's one of the reasons why I'm such a fan of the actor Chen Feiyu, because he insists on dubbing his own characters so the emotion isn't lost in post-production. Love Like The Galaxy is also dubbed by the same actors (a huge relief because I love Wu Lei's voice too). You can find lists on kisskh and Reddit of dramas that use the same actors for the dubbing, its a common irritation for many.

Miss Princy, just watch the drama, haha. You're in here asking everyone 20 questions that can be solved by watching it.

Same. All effort was Ji Chang Wook as she gaslight and manipulated him over and over and over, and he was fool enough to constantly chase after her. I got way too frustrated with it.

Great episode (7), but frustrating at times. The parallels between Eun Beom and Jae Gyeom were significant. Their way of thinking. How they approach conflict. How they process hardship, divorce, and difficult concepts. It was certainly noticed by Ha Ra, especially in their polar reactions toward divorce (specifically her father's divorce). "Is kneeling down such a hard thing?" His reaction was ruthless and volatile, coming from a jaded third-party experience and a lack of personal maturity. The growth from Eun Beom was lovely to see. Facing a difficult case he could choose to run away from (and with ample opportunities presented!), he instead decides to face it, eyes forward. I'm also loving the organic changes between Ha Ra and Eun Beom. Slowly shifting and leaning toward each other, like flowers toward the sun. At the same time, I've noticed Eun Beom struggling throughout this episode. While Jae Gyeom and Ha Ra went through their difficulties, they each imposed their baggage on Eun Beom. Who did he have to support him? He couldn't even ask for help from other colleagues who turned down assisting or taking over his case when he initially tried to run away. His deadlines need to be met, and there is no consideration for his time or emotional health. How will that affect him going forward? Will it snowball? Will he compartmentalize it as he used to during his marriage? In the latter half of the episode, he said to his client's daughter, "In your place, I will do my best, including your share of the load." it makes me wonder how often he has that thought with everyone around him. I worry for him. I'm excited about this next phase in the drama, but my main hope is that Ha Ra steps outside of herself to be there for Eun Beom. Her last scene felt selfish.

haha, fair enough! I've been binging cdramas since COVID, so it's interesting to see period/costume dramas back to back and compare their budget. All of them are filmed at the same location (Hengdian), so the budget makes a *huge* visual difference. Legend of Awakening and The Untamed are both dramas I love, but their wigs (excluding the main cast) look like they've been purchased from The Dollar Store. This drama has beautiful cinematography/costumes/wigs, especially in comparison. The Blood of Youth and Love Like The Galaxy are other dramas with great wigs.

I think Lan Jue's hair looks fine, though. In fact, I think he looks GORGEOUS when it's laid down his back. His hairline looks natural to me. Others not so much, but after having just come off Legend of Awakening, these wigs look *stellar* in comparison.

I'm looking forward to his backstory as well. I hope they flesh out his trauma properly. People can't even broach the topic before he lashes out or avoids it altogether (he also looks particularly beautiful when he's sad, lol).

100%. Thank you for fleshing out my thoughts so eloquently. I'm adoring this drama so far; it feels like a character study, and it's refreshingly realistic.

Agreed! Zhang and the Emperor have great chemistry. I think the cut scenes that I've seen so far are so silly. It's okay to see a man get stabbed to death, but they can't show wrapping an injury? So dumb.

I'm on Ep 13 and the chemistry between Wang Yan and Lan Jue is CRACKLING. My goodness. BL or not, every time they're in a scene together, the tension can be cut like a damn knife. It's funny that the "bromance" is technically supposed to be between Lan Jue and Zhang Ping, because its allllll Wang Yan for me.

@Ivy Seems like youre in the same boat as me. I think this drama is written and acted wonderfully. This comment section is overflowing with people who...just..dont get it. Theyre not understanding the nuances, the micro expressions, the maturity level or life experience necessary to appreciate this drama.

Hes super gorgeous. Very unique features.

I second The Good Detective! He was great in it. I fell in love with his unique features there. Hes also great in Chocolate as the MLs brother.

Exactly.

This comment section is rife with people who lack the maturity to watch this show with a clear lense. I'm really enjoying it so far, and this drama will undoubtedly be another victim of fickle viewers giving it low ratings because it doesnt align with their perceptions on relationships. The story so far, is refreshingly normal. I have friends who divorced for the same reasons, and others who find themselves in the same communication break downs with their partners. Its life. Its not always a dramatic affair, or a life-altering event. Sometimes its the day to day monotany that whithers a person away. I always feel like MDL reviews on these types of realistic romance dramas, or dramas that may or may not have an affair, brings out the most judgemental/conservative/immature people. TLDR; SKIP right on over these comments and watch it yourself. 🙄

I'm utterly obsessed. The intro is also really stimulating; reminds me of a more western-style HBO series opener. The cinematography is gorgeous and reminds me of The Longest Day in Chang'an (as WesternPeace mentioned below), and the visuals are delicious (Jing Bo Ran, where have you been all my life!). As others have mentioned, the drama apparently suffered from a series of large cuts, but honestly, had I not read that here, I wouldn't have noticed. I think it was done tastefully, and the story has been very smooth thus far. As for chemistry, it's oozing between Lan Jue and Wang Yan, but I am noticing it between Lan Jue and Zhang Ping in Ep 9 and 10. Having Lan Jue look into the water and needing to allow Zhang Ping to see into his innermost self and how they looked at each other before they began was *very* intimate. P.S. More scenes with Lan Jue's hair down, please! My goodness gracious, what a fox.

YESSS. That drama is top tier.