noor1234

I think this has a better story & production than the other 2. I didn't watch PoJ - even though of course it was a monstrous hit & had a very good director who knows how to shoot men & women. I DID watch & finish Key to Phoenix Heart & had fun on MDL with other commenters over it - because every episode had a water-cooler moment.

I've dropped plenty of other C-dramas this year: Blossoms of Power had a great hero arc but very sexist, exploitative & undeserving FL, & I dropped it. G2G - shot very well - had an indecisive FL & devious puppy ML & greedy inlaws (FL's parents) & the parents put me off the drama. Ashes to Crown had a great Ep.1 & then made no sense (visually was well shot) - dropped after Ep.5 or so. First Jasmine started amazingly well, with solid mystery & injustice but I dropped it, the drama supported corrupt people & injustice eventually IMV.

So I think RtS is better than other dramas this year, because the leads were not born a prince/princess or general or owner of a business empire - they were technically ordinary & have grown & you can see life & struggle happening, especially with ML who has been shown to have made a very big mistake at a low point, the compromises FL has had to make, how both FL & ML have adapted, matured or evolved in personal / professional lives. Plus, introducing a nuisance every 2 episodes is also good.

Good grief, I cannot stand the actress - who has just one expression on her face - a smirk - or the role she's playing!

I'm going with the flow. I nod to what ML & FL nod at, and frown or worry when they frown and worry - that's how I'm keeping up with the salt reform plotline!

Yup, an incredibly lacklustre introduction. I cannot believe Shameless/SML will have her as concubine, like all commenters here are suggesting. Maybe she'll have a different plotline in the drama?

I did not see it that way at all: the beauty of the scene is that when they first did it - it was an act - ML may have liked her but he role played her fiancé & she was surprised & happy too when he did it, but told him later that he didn't need to do it (because it does lower the man). THIS TIME, he does it as a 4th rank cmndr who has been given a name by king himself, so he is a court official, & they finally see each other after 5+ years, & he gives her the same courtesy / concern / respect he gave her then (especially when he knows she's pissed at him, so he was being extra buttery 'my place is at your feet' and 'nothing's changed, I'm still the same ruffian'). And she took it like a boss lady - like 'yes, you better be on ground after making me wait for you without hearing any word from you & you didn't include me in your plan', that's the look she gave him when she stepped on his hands. I liked it.

Ep. 19: I loved it & watched it twice. I loved the graceful strength that FL displayed besieged by one nasty shallow woman after another at that infuriating party. And the rest of the scenes - FL's almost meetups with ML (blood on curtain), last scene rain thing where he comes to get her - & the entire king banquet, etc.

As much as I cannot stand SFL at this point, the way that M-i-L treats her makes me feel sorry for her. Horrible household to end up in. FL dodged a bullet!

Ep. 20: ML has accepted a deadly assignment. I would've liked seeing him & FL relax a bit or talk about something other than salt, but whatever. Five years apart and they have nothing else to talk about. Not even a tight embrace! Sen seems to not be doing anything either - I thought FL would've enrolled him in some academy or ML would've inquired about it. But no, SALT! I liked that ML used a bit of the same gestures / words from his salt smuggler days when alone with FL. Also, are they living together in that house FL bought, till marriage?

And what is the meaning of Huchen? According to google AI: 'Hu (虎) meaning "tiger" or Hu (湖/辉) with Chen (晨/辰) meaning "morning" or "celestial body/time." It generally symbolizes courage, leadership, or a bright new dawn.' Is that accurate?

😀

Her makeup & styling is better than in the previous drama she worked in with this ML - the one everyone here keeps talking about. She and he look better here.

Yeah, I've never seen a desert as a character & used without CGI in C-drama this year. Shots were beautiful.

ok!

Ep. 18: Is beautiful. The nicest 5 year time jump that could've been filmed. I'll miss cute Sen, adult Sen doesn't talk to ML either! I was surprised he didn't tell FL. I like the sense of purpose in both ML & FL. I like FL being in charge. Her scene with mom was nicely managed. I miss FL+ML reunification scene, couldn't he have sent a secret letter? She never found out he got injured getting the most innocuous of gifts ever (biscuits!), & I wondered whether fireworks were from him, and not even a glimpse! Their eventual meetup better live up to expectations. I'm not minding anything, just it was a beautiful episode. Wistful. Songs sound better now.

I also like the subtle contrast that the drama showed in FL & SFL: FL is 24-yo-unmarried woman (hence, past her prime in a way, in this kind of world) but has 3 county merits, established school, restored dead soldiers sticks, uniforms, etc. and doesn't need ML's name to get through a door or get respect in a social setting. Plus, the education & grace shows as confidence & self-worth. Then there is SFL who looks and acts pedantic, is consumed with putting people down, currying favors from shallow upper class women who don't even respect her renowned scholarly dad & instead of listening attentively, ask her about her husband instead! What is special in her is her dad & her husband & his family. What is special in FL is entirely of her own making, without being aggressive, loud or b*tchy (like other dramaland heroines).

Oooh, ok. Let's see.

'or face a situation where fulfilling 孝 is impossible (I suspect this is the direction the plot will take)' - how? Do tell your theory.

Uncle even has grandma's big mural on his wall....

Yeah and I'm glad they showed the inner struggle & then the pressure to do wrong thing just because everyone does it, & actually doing the wrong thing. It shows ML as a human being who can trip, rather than a goody-two-shoes 'hero' who can never do any wrong. I couldn't believe he did it, but it made him very real.

Btw, I've run out of the number of times ML has nearly been killed / sentenced to death in this drama - it started from Ep. 1 & we are only at Ep.18 in a 36 ep. drama!

Thanks for the explanation - I still don't like it but ok, what can I do about it!

Ep. 17: Extremely intense, very cold ep. Very good acting by ML & others.

Ep. 21-22 trailer: I don't like that ML has to lower himself just to get accepted by FL's family / uncle / administrator to get approval for marriage. It's unfair to show FL again in the clutches of yet another family who decide who she ends up with. I thought family register allowed her to be free of maternal or paternal male members. I see this in nearly every C-drama, greedy relatives of women, a guy has everything & still the female lead's family throws hoops for him to climb & has all kinds of 'requirements.' I thought this couple would have a different route & make their own decisions.

That scene has 2 meanings IMO: 1) to show how much she actually loves ML, that she's willing to let bygones be bygones & remove the one proof that exonerated her & could threaten Shameless SML & Yu. 2) It's to show she wants a fresh start with ML without the past hanging over their lives - she doesn't want to wallow in self-pity or anger that anyone exploited her whether it was grandma/SML/Yu/Zuo etc. It's time to move on with new life & build new memories. She literally burnt her past in that move.

Yeah, I rewinded it just to see the maid's reaction! He had said 'is it wrong to ask for someone to understand me?' - that's when she gave that incredulous AYFR expression.

No, FL would've fared better. Having such a controlling narcissistic m-i-l rooting for you & liking you would've been a benefit to FL. SFL does not have m-i-l's support, that is part of reason why her husband has grown distant, m-i-l is further playing games to isolate her, even her housemaid has changed in behavior. SFL's mom wanted FL, so she would've treated her better.

Plus, FL would've handled the cards differently - she would've known how to be around m-i-l, how to 'bow' & not 'usurp' m-i-l's position, how to support SML's career, she most certainly would not have looked down upon old books!!!! In fact she would've bought old books for him to study!!!

BUT I believe she would've been extremely lonely & unloved & unhappy in that house, inspite of doing her duty, to SML, to m-i-l, f-i-l and the society. There is NO WARMTH, NO GENUINE CARE in SML's house. His mother treats everyone like a piece of property to be cashed & taken advantage of or put into place where she wants people to be. The husband does not live with wife. The son is also selfish & self-serving - and has complete disregard for people's lives btw.

Look at FL's life right now, she is surrounded by strangers from the maid to ML & his buddies, to even army wives, but ALL of them genuinely care & respect each other. There's togetherness & ML is a gem really, a very good human being. She didn't have that in her family nor would she have had that in SML's house.