Great to see some serious analysis here about the drama not following the novel, and I would like to chime in as well. My posting isn't targeting anyone negatively, but more of a catalyst to facilitate discussion.
Do I mind that the TBW drama isn't following the novel religiously? No, I don't at all. There are a couple of reasons for this, but mainly because I've seen this director's and his team's works before, and I trust their creative takes on changes to produce high quality dramas yet still maintain authenticity of the original source. Understandably, this means some parts will be clipped while new components will be replaced. How do I handle this? I actually merge novel and drama into one in my head, taking it as extra "episodes/behind the scenes" to enrich my own enjoyment and experience. Have you ever read a book or watched a movie/drama that is sooooooo gooooood that you never want it to end, that you just want more, even when the extra clips are silly and really not coherent, but you want it anyway because it's all part of the characters/story/realm? That's how I reconcile novel-to-drama differences.
I've read the novel recently and I'm very glad that I did. For me, it's because I don't want to miss out on "what's inside the main leads' heads" and descriptive narrative. What the main leads are thinking is an important part of character building, and the inside voice isn't shown to viewers most of the time on dramas. For example, some said YunHe is manipulative and conniving, but in the novel, it's so well explained that I wouldn't label her as such because the reasons for her actions say otherwise. But in the drama, it's hard to show this unless the director constantly adds soliloquies, which wouldn't make sense as a form of interruption.
The novel is a good read and a great tug to the heart, the drama is a grand feast to the eyes, both sources play at our senses for entertainment and enjoyment. They complement each other.
Very nice to see you here, my old friend!! I was on the verge of sending you a personal message, to remind you…
Greetings!! It’s been almost a year already since TLB.
It’s a shame what’s happening to TBW with the translation fiasco. The international viewers are all scattered, dampening the momentum in storyline discussion.
I finally got a chance to watch up to episode 6 with the muddy English machine translation. I would say if you haven’t read the novel, it would be a bit difficult to follow the drama because xanxia/fantasy is not easily translated with auto-translation, thus much is lost. Because I’ve read the novel so I was able to follow the storyline and even then found some scenes transitioning jarring, leading to confusion for viewers who don’t know the backstory.
That aside, I’m very impressed with the CGI, costumes, backdrop/settings/ost. The closing OST (The Mermaid Song) reminds me of Cocteau Twins’ ethereal wave genre (eg Serpentskirt), as if a sea siren is calling you.
I’m also very happy that Ren Jia Lun is ChangYi. When I first read the novel, and about several chapters in, I could totally envision him as the merman. Why?!?! Because Ren Jia Lun has eyes that speak a thousand words. He can do soft, hard, cold, warm, neutral, distant, caring, stupid, smart. You name it, he can emote all feelings without saying one single word. The casting producer picked the right ML. Dilireba is performing her role well also. Let’s hope the chemistry heats up as the drama rolls.
I think I never liked a chinese drama FL as I like Qian Wei! She is funny, cute, smart and headstrong
AND so this makes me like the ML so much more too because even at 19, he’s wise, mature, and intelligent enough to see all the FL’s traits you mentioned, and that’s why he falls for her so early on.
when she wakes up she sees her boss aka the ml in front of her . she knows the one in the reality and the one…
You should watch it. It doesn’t follow the novel 100%. It’s up to episode 16 now, and I would say it’s about 65-70% unchanged. The drama is really refreshing and the director adds a lot of his creative magic in how he shots scenes that give a very satisfying feeling every time new info and/or truth is revealed to us and the FL.
Right? Lu Xun is sooooo sweet. He can so totally be my man. =P. He's willing to compromise and yield to her 110%. I'd show up in FL's "dream" and kick her skinny tushy myself if she doesn't realize how much ML does for her by the end of the drama.
So funny how the grandfather commented on the character of the TV-show he was watching as petty, alluding to the parallel seen in his grandson. I just love this director and scriptwriter(s)!
In the webtoon when shin ha ri is drunk they kiss but why not here🤷
Maybe because up to this scene in the drama, they haven't really have romantic feelings for each other yet. His was just budding and and hers no where in sight to us viewers. So, it makes sense not to have a real kiss yet, and the accidental kiss doesn't really count.
ISTG JINYOUNG’S PETTINESS OVER SUNGHOON IS SO FUNNY. EVEN THE FREAKING STEAM CROSSING THE LINE LMAOOO
I love how the director shot the scenes of SML drawing the "line" with the slipper, and yup, the steam was hilarious, too!. She had to wave the steam back to her side and inhaled the aroma. Hahahaha. I laughed so much.
OMG, this drama is so funny and captivating! The Main CP is so cute!No doubt the FL is good in both looks and…
Right?! ZTAO embodies Lu Xun and Song Yu Er also acts fantastically as the FL.
I read the entire translated novel last night. I was like… wow… the casting team really did a great job for having ZTAO as Lu Xun because his face keeps jumping out of the pages in many parts of the novel.
Is this good? Is this like "Shining for one thing"?
To me, it’s very good so far up to ep 10. Great storyline, great directing, great leads casting, great chemistry, great …EVERYTHING :).
My #1 criteria of a “great” drama is … am I chasing the series weekly like an addict? If yes, it’s already “great” in my book. And yes, I’m chasing it, I even went as far as reading the translated novel all in ONE night.
In the novel while the fl is in comma ( in the present), the ml told her everything about collage through his…
It’s believed that she’s having intensely vivid dreams/hallucinations due to the medical treatment. It’s not time traveling in the drama UNLESS it’s a major deviation from the novel.
In the novel while the fl is in comma ( in the present), the ml told her everything about collage through his…
It’s so ingenious how the director shot the drama. I didn’t read the novel, but having learned what we’re seeing is how the FL’s brain processes the ML’s side of the story with hers to form the new “lens” presented to us.
Do I mind that the TBW drama isn't following the novel religiously? No, I don't at all. There are a couple of reasons for this, but mainly because I've seen this director's and his team's works before, and I trust their creative takes on changes to produce high quality dramas yet still maintain authenticity of the original source. Understandably, this means some parts will be clipped while new components will be replaced. How do I handle this? I actually merge novel and drama into one in my head, taking it as extra "episodes/behind the scenes" to enrich my own enjoyment and experience. Have you ever read a book or watched a movie/drama that is sooooooo gooooood that you never want it to end, that you just want more, even when the extra clips are silly and really not coherent, but you want it anyway because it's all part of the characters/story/realm? That's how I reconcile novel-to-drama differences.
I've read the novel recently and I'm very glad that I did. For me, it's because I don't want to miss out on "what's inside the main leads' heads" and descriptive narrative. What the main leads are thinking is an important part of character building, and the inside voice isn't shown to viewers most of the time on dramas. For example, some said YunHe is manipulative and conniving, but in the novel, it's so well explained that I wouldn't label her as such because the reasons for her actions say otherwise. But in the drama, it's hard to show this unless the director constantly adds soliloquies, which wouldn't make sense as a form of interruption.
The novel is a good read and a great tug to the heart, the drama is a grand feast to the eyes, both sources play at our senses for entertainment and enjoyment. They complement each other.
It’s a shame what’s happening to TBW with the translation fiasco. The international viewers are all scattered, dampening the momentum in storyline discussion.
That aside, I’m very impressed with the CGI, costumes, backdrop/settings/ost. The closing OST (The Mermaid Song) reminds me of Cocteau Twins’ ethereal wave genre (eg Serpentskirt), as if a sea siren is calling you.
I’m also very happy that Ren Jia Lun is ChangYi. When I first read the novel, and about several chapters in, I could totally envision him as the merman. Why?!?! Because Ren Jia Lun has eyes that speak a thousand words. He can do soft, hard, cold, warm, neutral, distant, caring, stupid, smart. You name it, he can emote all feelings without saying one single word. The casting producer picked the right ML. Dilireba is performing her role well also. Let’s hope the chemistry heats up as the drama rolls.
I read the entire translated novel last night. I was like… wow… the casting team really did a great job for having ZTAO as Lu Xun because his face keeps jumping out of the pages in many parts of the novel.
My #1 criteria of a “great” drama is … am I chasing the series weekly like an addict? If yes, it’s already “great” in my book. And yes, I’m chasing it, I even went as far as reading the translated novel all in ONE night.
It’s THAT great.
So clever!!!