Ep. 11 - Ep. 12 trailer: Can someone explain what the hell is wrong with that widow Zuo? Yes, her life was tragic, but she obviously got out of that household & is a hardnosed tutor for girls (& can see men too). Lady Yan obviously has arranged for her to be in this town.
But what is Zuo's beef with FL right now? In this time and space where FL is still alive, living her days with a former salt smuggler. Why does Zuo have this much hatred for FL to destroy or ruin her? Shouldn't Zuo just go back to her hometown & kill grandma instead?! I don't get the hatred. Or did Yan lady tell Zuo to get even with FL on her behalf?
Btw, the actress playing the role of Zuo is a carbon copy of K-actress Shin Min Ah.
The novel is VERY different but rest assured karma will come for them.
Yeah, and SML has to get his comeuppance also because he was the 'ringleader' who arranged FL's downfall & for-sure death ( he was ok with her dying! And was surprised when he found out she was alive!)
Ep. 10: There should be a special place in hell for mothers who cannot stand a woman in their son's lives & drive a wedge between a newly-married couple. I'm no fan of idiotic SFL or narcissistic SML - but to ruin her own son's (non-existent) relationship with SFLon first night just because Yu m-i-l wants control over the son, teach d-i-l her place & thinks of the son as her property / extension of her ego. She is never with her husband, and has constantly interfered in the son's life on the pretext of his 'great future'. Frankly, with mothers like these, you don't need an enemy - even if you do have a dumb inferiority complexed wife.
These sort of mothers ensure that their son has a miserable life & he ends up alone. South Asia is full of them.
Don't mind it, because you are obviously passionate about it, but the ending is very lame. Going against a webnovel / source material to come up with an arc that makes no sense with what FL wanted to be (a leader for the kingdom, having worked very hard for it), what ML wanted to be (an emperor for the kingdom who gives half of it away to her so she's the ruler of it) & them working together as a team for balance of power. FL was shown to be shortsighted & dumb in the end, & ML was doormat in Ep.32. The story was not about random girl empowerment, it was about this young king who finds one woman who is not afraid of anything & will always stand up for what is right, no matter what - that was the webnovel. They ruled the kingdoms & were openly in love as husband & wife.
The drama turned her into a 'princess' by the end - just to create 'equality' & 'nobility' in her to make her 'worthy' to be a king's companion - which is extremely racist IMO - when the story was about a refugee / orphan who makes it in the world through determination & gets the top guy & a kingdom because she's good at leadership & is brave. That was the webnovel. In the drama, till the end ML & FL were never really a team & that's a shame. Plus, 20 minutes of sand dunes in a 39-min. episode means director / writer had NO IDEA how to end this drama!
Since the ending disappointed the heck out of me😞, the three things I'll keep from this drama are:1) Chen Zhe…
ML, FL, SML, & FL's co-worker/bro were very good in their roles. That was not an open ending - it was as if the director / writer spat on viewers faces. Seriously!
I wonder why Zhao chose that city? I thought he had a reason, but it doesn't seem like that now. It is a tiny…
Yup. It's a desolate mountainous town. Even FL was surprised he picked this place.
I think trouble is good, it shows that people who have no status (& few favors) can be treated badly just because they aren't 'nobility/big name' - I like the struggle part & am looking forward to it, because it puts both ML & FL at a disadvantage at the same time, with no one but each other to rely on. One thing I've noticed is that ML is kind and his kindness draws people in & I'm sure he will handle the commander in his way (because commander is unfair & beats soldiers - as given in trailer for Ep.11), while FL will handle that wife of General (who has taken her land) in her own (brainy/transactional) way.
How was RB? I heard the ending killed the excitement for the novel readers.
Incredibly off, I won't even call it an ending, I think the director/ writer just gave up, instead of following the web-novel's straight forward ending (FL empress of one side of kingdom he betrothed & ML emperor of the other side, iron-fisted but in love), they really had no clue how to end it - so they killed off FL's bro/co-worker, got FL to say bye bye to ML inexplicably & leave him a 'Dear John' breakup letter, only for her to teach kids in some school far away (!!!) and after 3 year separation (more inexplicable) he goes to get her - Ep.32 has shots of sand dunes for 20 minutes.....in a 39 minute episode btw...... I just don't understand how someone could come up with a nothing burger when there's a webnovel!!!! I really think director/writer just gave up. It made no sense.
Oh my gosh someone who has read the novel, what happens with Madame Yu and the rest of her family?!? I'm sure…
After what was done to 'The Royal Betrothal' - it's ending was nothing like the webnovel - I am not holding out any hope for anything. A good drama was ruined by a self-mocking Ep. 32 that didn't make any sense.
Ep. 9: I'm just going to vent a bit about the incredibly stupid SFL - and her knack for selling the ONLY prized possession she has....her dad's manuscripts!!!!! This time they are being sold for a "vanity dresser" - you can't make this s**t up, she sold 3 of his scholarly works just to get an "incense burner" for a stranger-salt permit woman, and now this......she's setting herself up for ridicule. I can bet that the day cruel & selfish SML finds out, he'll tell her there is nothing worthy in her anymore & he'll marry a second time - she'll be sent home to 'ancestral village' as forgotten first wife! She is soooooooooo incredibly infuriatingly dumb & ungrateful!
Ep. 32: FL & ML were one of the sexiest couples I've seen on screen in a while. BUT what a crappy way to end the series - you know a drama director/writer has gone out of steam & run out of ideas when the only thing you have at the end are old clips & shots of sand dunes for LAST TWENTY MINUTES before credits roll & even then the shots of sand dunes continue!!!!! with a 3 year separation too!!!
I also don't know why FL had to be turned into a 'princess' of rival realm just to be an 'equalizer' to 'prince/king' of this kingdom. There was no need for that. Her no-fear personality, strength, loyalty & patriotism to people's welfare made her his equal. There was no one like her - or him. I don't know why her refugee / unknown parentage had to be turned into some one of 'pristine nobility heritage' - very racist - couldn't a nobody be somebody through sheer will & have the guy without being of noble birth in C-drama?
I also don't know why FL's co-worker (brother / her ex-husband from The Double) had to have the end he had. Contrived ending. He & SML were very good in their roles.
BUT most of all, THREE YEARS OF SEPARATION & she's teaching kids in some school??????? And those sand dunes for TWENTY MINUTES?????
I thought the only problem they'd have in the end would be showing how she is ruling North kingdom (which he gave her as dowry in the webnovel) while he is ruling the other side and how they sit on the throne ruling different sides of kingdom or schedule meetups!!! BUT NO! THE DRAMA WRITER / DIRECTOR MADE IT WEIRDER! AND DUMBER! A BIG NOTHING BURGER!
I think South Korean 'netizens' and media needs a mental health intervention. No one is this cruel to their own stars / creatives as this country is. I don't even know about this actress but GREAT-GRANDFATHER???????
Not totally a fan of how they sacrificed the friendship just to make FL outstanding. FL wasn't that great just…
I think the SFL has inferiority complex and was given FL's leftovers or hand-me-downs all her life. She snatched a chance to get out of that grandma / tutor household. The guy she picked is a ruthless child-man who doesn't give a damn about anyone than his own needs & he WILL turn against her for sure. BUT I care more about SFL not valuing her own dad's exceptional books given to her as dowry and throwing them away for everyone around - to appease the SML, to appease that county chief's wife / stranger. That is totally on her. At least she should've realized her own dad's work (like that narcissist SML does) and not trade them for anything. She doesn't know her own worth or her dad's worth & is constantly comparing herself to FL & trying to bring FL down - whose only crime is giving her hand-me-downs & surviving a death sentence! Plus, her m-i-l is nasty & unsupportive. SFL doesn't realize she is in hell but she is.
But what is Zuo's beef with FL right now? In this time and space where FL is still alive, living her days with a former salt smuggler. Why does Zuo have this much hatred for FL to destroy or ruin her? Shouldn't Zuo just go back to her hometown & kill grandma instead?! I don't get the hatred. Or did Yan lady tell Zuo to get even with FL on her behalf?
Btw, the actress playing the role of Zuo is a carbon copy of K-actress Shin Min Ah.
These sort of mothers ensure that their son has a miserable life & he ends up alone. South Asia is full of them.
The drama turned her into a 'princess' by the end - just to create 'equality' & 'nobility' in her to make her 'worthy' to be a king's companion - which is extremely racist IMO - when the story was about a refugee / orphan who makes it in the world through determination & gets the top guy & a kingdom because she's good at leadership & is brave. That was the webnovel. In the drama, till the end ML & FL were never really a team & that's a shame. Plus, 20 minutes of sand dunes in a 39-min. episode means director / writer had NO IDEA how to end this drama!
I think trouble is good, it shows that people who have no status (& few favors) can be treated badly just because they aren't 'nobility/big name' - I like the struggle part & am looking forward to it, because it puts both ML & FL at a disadvantage at the same time, with no one but each other to rely on. One thing I've noticed is that ML is kind and his kindness draws people in & I'm sure he will handle the commander in his way (because commander is unfair & beats soldiers - as given in trailer for Ep.11), while FL will handle that wife of General (who has taken her land) in her own (brainy/transactional) way.
I don't know what Ep.32 is....
I also don't know why FL had to be turned into a 'princess' of rival realm just to be an 'equalizer' to 'prince/king' of this kingdom. There was no need for that. Her no-fear personality, strength, loyalty & patriotism to people's welfare made her his equal. There was no one like her - or him. I don't know why her refugee / unknown parentage had to be turned into some one of 'pristine nobility heritage' - very racist - couldn't a nobody be somebody through sheer will & have the guy without being of noble birth in C-drama?
I also don't know why FL's co-worker (brother / her ex-husband from The Double) had to have the end he had. Contrived ending. He & SML were very good in their roles.
BUT most of all, THREE YEARS OF SEPARATION & she's teaching kids in some school??????? And those sand dunes for TWENTY MINUTES?????
I thought the only problem they'd have in the end would be showing how she is ruling North kingdom (which he gave her as dowry in the webnovel) while he is ruling the other side and how they sit on the throne ruling different sides of kingdom or schedule meetups!!! BUT NO! THE DRAMA WRITER / DIRECTOR MADE IT WEIRDER! AND DUMBER! A BIG NOTHING BURGER!