lalala

This one lives rent free on my mind. It was sooo good
And to anyone who's watching this, pls do not forget to read all the theories and explainations out there after you complete the series because that's gonna blow your mind

Omgg soo glad you liked reding it and ikrr I am also THIS close to rewatching it. Cuz usually with dramas like these there are already explainations out there so I can just read and move on but this one's so underrated so there's none and here I am left with so many questions that I just can't stop thinking😭
GIRLLLL THAT WHAT I WAS THINKING TOO AND I GET WHAT YOU MEAN!! My original theory was also very similar! Liao Jiang didn't remember anything about ZZ initially and so it felt like a parallel between him and the real life JL as they both tried to understand what went on with ZZ and how she died. One through the novel written by ZZ herself and the other through the future of the characters involved. He felt like a representation of himself in the novel promising to help her escape her 'doomsday' and connecting her to the then JL. But then the things that went on later when Liao Jiang's life started changing and those interactions with the class teacher, that's where it got a bit confusing and I lost my link to this theory. Yk things started changing for Liao Jiang after in 2012 ZZ was rescued. So the story after that is all absolutely new and added later, her getting closer with JL, both of them writing the novel together, reconciling with her friends and all that. These changes i.e. the ones induced by 2012 JL actually took place unlike the ones he himself tried to change like the lottery ticket and the electricity bill. What's that mean?
Then I also came across this one theory that what if Liao Jiang wasn't in the novel at all but something ZZ herself created. Like an intermediate tying the two worlds together. What if he represents not only JL but her as well, because we do know how she also wants to redeem her past. And they're both writers struggling to get their stories published. And some crazy details used to back this is, yk everytime in the story ZZ talked to the teacher, she'd write on her medical record BUTTT she also wrote on it when Liao Jiang meets her later. Also the last words Gu Ming said to him were that it's time to wake up. I mean I have thought about him not being in the novel too but Idk man I am not sureee. Like him representing them both can explain the later part of the story but idk about him not being the part of the novel totally 🤷‍♀️

Here you goo and sorry this one turnd out too long as well like why did i yap sm😭

Yk I think it wasn't about the happy ending as in she doesn't die? It's more about the ending not being her feeling helpless and giving up on her life. Instead of writing her a perfect story JL only added a character to her story. Someone who believed her when noone did, Someone who helped her and stood by her through all her hard times. But like he mentions, he through his character can only provide companionship and protection but the only one who can save her is she herself. That's what JL did, in the novel (and in real life). He became the driving force that evoked her hope and the will to live(for both the high school ZZ and the ZZ in coma) And that is what saved them. Moreover, in that scene she's on the roof trying to help someone out from the same situation she was before. So ofc she's healed and as we saw has accepted the reality as it is and eventually gaining back her cheerful personality and looking forward to her future. Therefore, even if the ending is what we saw it's still not dark and sad in the way the original was. This is as far as the not novel being too-dark-to-not-get-published problem is concerened.

But there's also another bigger interpretation of the ending:
The last line from the novel that JL read to ZZ was something along the lines that she's falling and he rushes towards her reaching his hand out to help her. That seems like a message he's trying to convey to her in the coma or the representation of the real life situation of them. The novel and the fictional JL being the helping hand to help her wake up. But again it's upto her to wakeup. Which as we know she does wake up, so she does hold onto that hand. Remember, there was a scene shown (definitely one of her other dreams) where she's falling, her hands streched out as if asking for help; a hand to hold onto; a reason to live and just thennn we see JL entering the picture, reaching his hand out to her, catching her and eventually pulling her in ANDDD they were also wearing the outfits they had while on the roof. Again depicting that she held onto the help he provided and is saved. This scene was, if I remember correct, shown twice. Once in last ep right before she wakes up and the other in ep 21 which was right before the 'perfect life' dream she had. Which now I feel depicts the perfect life she initially always wanted. The last line of her novel talks about doomsday and time reversal. Probably showing her desire to go back and redeem her past? And ofc JL didn't exist here. But now she is expericiencing this life after the one with JL, so even though it has everything she has always wanted it feels as if something is still missing. She cannot accept the fact that JL was just a dream. This is probably the realisation that she didn't need what she always thought she did. Also to mention that in this dream the clock hands of the tower clock in her miniature puzzle were missing, dk what meant.
Her healing and acceptance of the reality and the imperfections of life is probably the highlight of the modified story which makes it the happier version of the original. Like I am pretty sure 'All beings suffer, only we can save ourselves' is one of the major themes of the story like it was mentioned and implied on many times. Oh and I also feel like maybe the new novel can also be a way to heal for real life JL. Like we see how in the story ZZ also healed his lonliness and dullness. So maybeee the novel he wrote could also be for himself or maybe this is just a strech lol
Anyway this drama is open to many interpretations, like you can theorize sm and keep going. The more I thought about it I realised that there has been a lot of foreshadowing and clues hidden all throughout the story connecting tiny details. But I am sure I missed a lot too. Like the whole purpose of 2024 Liao Jiang's existence and his story, what was it trying to depict? I do have theories but not so sure. But yeah that's that, hope my explainations made sense :)

Omg thankss :)
Just wanted to add that the last line from the novel that he read to her which waws her falling down and him reaching out his hand for her could also be his message to her in real life. The novel and the fictional JL being the helping hand to help her wake up. But again its upto her to wakeup

So darn pretty

Yup you're right about that.
About the happy ending. When he reads the last line it's something like she is falling and he runs towards her and reaches out his hand rowards her.
Now I think it wasn't about the happy ending as in she doesn't die? It's more about the ending not being her giving up on her life. Instead of writing her a perfect story JL only added a character to her story. Someone who believed her when noone did, Someone who helped her and stood be her through all her hard times. But like he mentions he through his character can only provide companionship and protection but the only one who can save her is she herself. That's what JL did, both in the novel and in real life. He evoked her hope and the will to live. To both the high school ZZ and the ZZ in coma and that is what saved them. So the ending where she is falling and he lends his hand towards her is like a idk metaphorical representation of the same?
Also this time she is not on the roof to jump out of her helplessness but is there trying to save someone who is in the postion she was once. Her healing and acceptance of the reality and the imperfections of life is probably the highlight of the story which makes it the happier version of the original
I might be completely wrong tho

Depends on what you prefer I think?
If you want romance there isn't a lot of it but I personally had no complaints on this. The leads were damn cute together. It's kind of like they both healed each other. It's also about life which we see through the experiences faced by the fl, her journey through it and after. But also has an element of communication through different timelines. So it can be a little confusing as well.
Since I went in without knowing anything it did exceed my expectations. Nonetheless it's a rather short drama, you can check and decide for yourself :)

I am so sorry this turned out so long😭😭 Also the story is so complex I almost got a stroke trying to write this cuz WDYM THIS HAS 3 TIMELINES AND ON TOP OF THAT THE LEADS HAVE 2 DIFFERENT VERSIONS TOO😭😭😭😭

I just completed watching it so my thoughts also still aren't that clear but here's my attempt to answer your questions

First of all, we really don't know much about the content of the actual novel written by the real world ZhenZhen. The only thing we were told is that it was really dark and she wrote about her own experiences. The parents divorce, friends betraying and all of that was there. And the novel ended with her jumping from a bulding (not sure if school building or the clock tower, probly school)
So considering she dies by suicide in the actual novel. I am assuming it must've taken place at the same time as the failed attempt in Jiangling's modified novel.
Moreover we don't even know the actual characters in her story. But I am sure they must be pretty similar to the modified one. Only thing is Jiangling was added as a totally fictional character - both in 2012 and 2024(?). Plus I think their class teacher can also be fictional or atleast modified since she is the doctor we see later. So is Gu Ming also fictional or modified atleast? Because other than the doctor, JL in real time also saw him (the accident). Maybe, maybe not🤷‍♀️
Please keep this in mind

- Idk what you mean by QQ's jealousy being the reason for the theft incident. Because it wasn't.
There were 3 people involved here:
Qi Shuo: Stole only some of the money to frame ZZ. Purpose - To get revenge for his sister who was accused of being a homewrecker by ZZ.
Qiu Qiang - Not sure if she stole but wanted to. Saw QS stealing so both cooperated to keep it a secret. Purpose - Was being blackmailed by a thug for money.
Gu Ming: Actually stole all of the money. Purpose - Desperately needed money to pay for his mother's medical bills.
See how none of their purpose had anything to do with Jiangling. So I believe that even in the og novel this incident took place in the exact same fashion where he didn't exist.
- No, I don't think so. The whole investigation to find out the actual culprits was solely done by Jiangling in the modified story. So in the og timeline the culprits might not have been found out.
- That is something I am also not sure about. It seemed to portray what a perfect world for An ZhenZhen and the people around her would have looked like. A world where their strongest wishes/desires that they in reality couldn't achieve came real. Her own parents were happy together and she had the perfect family she wanted. Qiu Qiang was good at studies and thus pampered and loved by her parents. She was no more neglected. Qiu Shuo, well😂 he was happy for sure constantly immersed in his roles and acting 😂 Probably his sister agreed for him to pursue acting. Gu Ming was completely different, probably his father wasn't a gambler and her mother wasn't sick. That's why he didn't need to study so hard and could be carefree like that. But then there was no Jiangling. My first thought was probably he was also living his perfect life. Maybe he had his parents by his side. He could now study liberal arts just as he wished and didn't have any reason to be in her calss. But is that really what was being portrayed? I am not sure. ZZ here definitely remembered the life she spent with Jiangling. She missed him and eventually even questioned if that life and him were just her dreaming. Maybe it's a call back to when JL said that happiness isn't determined by the external factors and we need sufferings to actually cherish and understand real happiness. Also when ZZ tells her dad she is now aware the world isn't perfect but she accepts it. That's why even in this perfect world she feels something is missing?
Here's what I think - ZZ in real life rn is in coma. JL has been reading her his modified story. So she has been visualising his story as a dream the whole time. And the perfect life she saw was the next dream right after JL's story ends. There we see her crying and questining how could everything (her life with JL) be a dream. When she sleeps she again sees a different dream. Papers flying and then she saw the ending line of her novel. This is where she probably realises it's the novel perhaps? And then the next dream is her sitting unconscious with a machine on. Where the screen shows 2012 and then changes to 2024. Which probably implies that she's out of her dream back to the present, that is, she's out of the coma.
- Answered above
- Now just to mention the 2024 ver. Jiangling from the modified novel to me is the most confusing part and I have too many questions about it.
For that scene particularly, I think it's just his imagination. He is probably recovering his memory of ZZ. Remember, he said that he couldn't remember anything about her for some reason. And even the scenes following were about him recovering his memories of her.

I was not expecting it to be THIS good. I didn't even know I could feel the type of emotions I have felt watching this
Really really recommend people to give this a try. It tackles so many important topics and social taboos and also has some really complex characters. It got me thinking about so many things and gave me so much insight

Recently watched her in ‘Stand by Me’ and man I’m still not over her performance. What an absolutely brilliant performance that too at such a young age. She didn’t just play the character, she literally became her. This might honestly be one of my favorite roles ever in cdramaland, both in terms of the character and the acting. She pulled off the complexity of the character so beautifully.
She was amazing in 'Reset' too. Definitely checking out more of her work!

I have sm to say but I dont even know where to begin, I am just bawling my eyes out like crazy😭😭😭😭

Just finished episode 2, and that whole flashback of her childhood with her grandpa especially the separation completely wrecked me. I was sobbing so hard I couldn’t even breathe. I really, really miss my grandparents

Ohhh I see I have already watched and liked yours😂
That's such a beautiful edittt😭♥

My head hurts from crying so much

Omg you also have an edit, do share!! Glad to know it survived 😂

Omg yes me too! Really hope it's not taken down, apparetly this itself was a repost and the channel faced a lot of copyright issues for posting this. As someone who loves watching youtube edits of my fav dramas, it's so sad seeing TFF edits facing these issues😔
You can also check out the other TFF edit from the channel, its so beatiful as well!!

Today May 9th is the day the loops took place in the drama!

She leaves around the middle of ep 24, contacts him at the end of ep 26 and they reunite in ep 27

Maybe Target Person or The Ordinary Glory. Have heard some good reviews for these. I also really wanna watch Target Person, but unfortunately it seems it's not available anywhere with subs😔