spiderlilly

Aw, thank you! I'm glad anyone reads this tbh! And even more that they enjoy it :) I just like having a space and someone to discuss this with :)

Yep, even in that one secene in the earlier eps in her house, he beats up the ML, despite her pleading otherwise. He was cementing her hatred for him even then lol. Right I did skip back and forth a bit in the flashbacks, so I wasn't too sure what he said. Also, I saw that nonchalance as somwhat feigned at first, so that she doesn't see that she got a rise out oh him but slowly realised thats just his character, which I can also appreciate in a way: He is a ruthless and selfish and couldn't care less about anyone elsee except if that was someone dear to him like his sister and newphew and now his meimei. However it seems somwhat contratdictory that he's also someone who remembers and honours each favour (Duke Yings) or is it? idk. But overall, it is not someone she can love and accept which is fair enough. And I think she fell in love, not because she was naive and ignorant (which she might very well have been) but more importantly because he only showed her a side of him which was super charming, and pitiful. A genteel blind man, who seems to be talented in everything and talks to her when she has no one else, entertains her, indulges her, patiently teacher her the pipa and what not yknow. I really liked thier interaction more in the previous sides, where he was simply trying to figure her out and these flashbacks were still pretty fuzzy, and there was more mystery. However, I do admit as much as I love our heroic, martyr like, green flag MLs, I also like the Villainous ones. But I have very specific criteria on what makes a good villainous ML, but that's for another day XD

Just done with ep 20 and genuinely enjoying it so far, despite everything! One common criticism I'm seeing is FL's voice. It's high and sweet but doesn't really bother me since it's not babyish and the cadence is nice and calm. In fact, it's grown on me, the FL has too! This is my 1st drama of hers( I realized she was the FL in The Longest Promise while reading the comments but I couldn't even make it past ep 2 in that bcos I found the FL so annoying😭 )However here, I've grown to like her. I think she's adorable and kinda looks like Anna Taylor Joy cos of her wide-set eyes, and her character is mostly consistent. Sweet, stubborn, kind of reckless at times but generally smart. Another criticism is the pseudo-incest thing they have going for our main leads lol. Yeah, it didn't bother me, at least in the beginning, cos I was super confident (from the numerous cnovels I’ve read) that either of them won’t be a Luo clan member and possibly one might have a parent with a powerful identity) But I didn’t expect them to stretch this without revealing it for so long?! There is this scene where she gets drunk and hugs him. It’s so innocent and pure, and full of love for a brother but like we know ML likes her so I got a tad uncomfortable watching it. However, so far, the scriptwriters thankfully don't move things forward in the romance aspect any more than this. Like we don't see him taking advantage of his identity as her brother to get close to her or initiate any sort of intimacy with her ( he lets it happen when she initiates it though 👀) after learning the fact that she isn't a Luo clan member and realizing that he likes her. A saving grace to an otherwise weird ass setup

I'm also lowkey rooting for FL and SML to be together lol (I think the SML is v cute, more than the ML IMO) And idk why I feel like they’re more main CP coded, with some great tension and chemistry! (I’m just a sucker for the enemy-to-lovers trope! XD) And with a nice story of him teaching her the heroic pipa tune and her teaching him papercutting! And the fact that the two were actually in love previously! Even after flashbacks, I have no idea how the super smart FL is so convinced the SML ordered to kill her lol but oh well that’s a C-drama misunderstanding for you.

Anyway, I think they’re going to reveal the parent identity thing soon so imma wait for that so I can comfortably watch the romance unfold.

In the meantime, I’m loving the 6th miss and the Princess’ son interaction, they're soo cute! I know the uncle and her will probably be the couple but I wish the princess' son and 6th miss had more screen time and they gave him more character depth and details apart from him just treating the 6th miss as his favorite live mukbang. I also like the self-aware moment in which the 6th miss is like "What he gets an appetite from watching me eat, that's creepy/weird". XD

The ML I hear is super popular, from what I've seen so far he's doing a good job! His chin kind of bothered me in the beginning ngl but it's not a big deal. I like some moments like this one scene where FL is talking to his manservant and he tells her ML is refusing any guests, FL is like cool, and then trips and falls. The ML just pops out of nowhere and makes a beeline to her, asking if she got hurt. The FL also giggles very cutely in that scene! It was nice. Another is where the ML confronts FL about something, and when FL turns to her maid, the ML goes "She didn't tell me", immediately while maintaining eye contact with the FL, adding this comical touch. It is just a nicely done scene. The acting in the drama by all the leads is pretty decent.

One thing that bothered me was the step-siblings. I can't muster any amusement from seeing them suffer after their mother is gone. They're just spoilt and dumb and misguided, but not beyond redemption. I kind of wish the main leads would like, threaten them so that they would be on their best behavior, and in doing so they would themselves gradually realize how stupid they were being. Oh one can wish. Overall it's been interesting enough so far and a nice watch! If you can look past the points I mentioned, I think you'd enjoy it.

haha i see, now I want to read the novel! where does the difference comes in do you think? I'm glad you're enjoying it :)

Yeah I think I went in with really high expectations, and I think a specific idea on how our assassin FL should be and coming after AJTL and MJTY ( on hold after the first few eps for different reasons but I was blown away from the little I saw!) I KNOW cdramas are capable of writing them 😭. I think I'll come back to this after a while. I also think I might be a little biased against Wu Jin Yan, I loved her in Yanxi Palace but for some reason I can't seem to like her as much in her following performances, idk why, and I really want to cos I lovee the kind of stories and roles she picks 😔

I liked the premise, and I’m a sucker for a good revenge story and a low-key crazy power couple. I loved the look they gave the ML, the wisps of long hair across his face, the fur coats the lazy drawling way he speaks, and his low-key insane aura. I liked the ruthless super smart revenge assassin character our FL was supposed to be so I went in with high expectations! But well it’s okay so far, the plot is interesting and engaging enough, with good production value. (I'm not sure why they introduced so much black in the festive palace costumes tho? ) The cast and acting are decent too. The “maniacal laughter” of the ML feels kinda forced and fake sometimes but oh well.

The camera work is kind of awkward sometimes. Like the “ ambient scenes,” such a crow falling dead in the beginning feels so awkward. Like there’s no flow all of a sudden there’s this scene of a crow falling. Like I get what they were going for. They wanted to introduce that dark and eery vibes but that scene felt forced, abrupt, and unnecessary. The same goes for the blood drop scene in the bath. The ML holds a blade against the FL’s neck so blood kinda trickled down slowly into her neck/collarbone, there’s no way a big drop just plops into the water like in the scene. Like their position makes it impossible, the blood would just trickle into her neck given she’s upright and standing back to the ML. It’s not big and even though( I guess) it was put in to enhance the ambiance and dangerous/sensual vibes of the scene it's jarring and brings me out of the experience.

Anyway, the premise and the plot are interesting/engaging enough I suppose, but I have some qualms, especially with the FL’s character. Like she’s supposed to be a nerves of steel trained assassin but she seems kind of clumsy? For example, you’d expect a trained assassin to blend in seamlessly with the gaggle of pretty innocent girls, instead of sticking out like a sore thumb. Throughout the time she’s in the company of the princess and the beauties she's giving the oh I only know martial arts, socially awkward, righteous heroine/female general vibes. And she’s so overtly/sentimental and trusting? Nothing like the aloof ruthless/ I’d do anything for revenge as a trained assassin you’d expect. Like I get you want to show that she’s good/kind despite being forced by circumstances but there’s a better of doing that. I literally rolled my eyes at that emotional monologue she goes into at the Prince in front of the queen’s torn screen. It felt so inauthentic. Like I felt that it would have made more sense if she opened up more slowly and like maybe made efforts to repair the screen secretly and quietly. For example, I really liked her line " We both live for the dead, so neither of us dare die before we can avenge them"! That I thought pretty much perfectly encapsulated their relationship, And this soft silent growing camaraderie between the two is what I expected at this point, but that was just a little too melodramatic and overdone for my taste.

The hallucination scenes were also kind of meh/cringe. Like, I get it’s supposed to be cute and funny and emotional, evoking in us and the ML, pity and empathy for the FL but sigh, it felt a little forced and embarrassing.

And the whole Prince of Xian being in love with her from an encounter years back is so unconvincing to me. Again the scene where she tells him of the light at the end of the tunnel line made me roll my eyes so hard. And when he tells her the same lines, it’s also kind of surprising and unconvincing that she remembers it exactly given that she doesn't seem to harbor any feelings for him apart from simple gratitude to him. (Also about the FL assassin character I do think they should take a page from Ren Ruyi from AJTL! She was perfectly done! Cold and merciless in the face of revenge but inherently kind and good, vulnerable with the ML but not obviously sentimental. ) I know I come across as pretty harsh but these things bothered me endlessly and might someone else too🤷🏻‍♀️ also I find the actress playing FL pretty but not a stunning or gorgeous beauty so it kind of throws me off when the drama seems to imply that. That is it for my thoughts so far

Oof on ep 2 and, the scenes are beautiful and Shin Hye Sun is amazing as usual but I'm feeling kinda frustrated. At this point, I'm shipping her with everyone other than our ML lol . (The reason for the breakup revealed so far doesn't make us sympathise either, I'm sure that will change but not so far). And I can't help but feel it's so unfair for Ju Yeon. Like the whole situation. Especially for Ju Yeon I can't imagine the kind of hurt and betrayal he's going to eventually experience if he gets closer to her, espcially given his reserved and closed off character from what we've seen so far. Side note: I love the female colleaugue who likes Ju Yeon! I liked what she said about the gift and him getting angry. Kinda shipping them both and hoping they eventually get together. Also the Male colleaugue who like Ju Eun ho, I was rooting for him but huh, wasn't he who said he's going to keep liking her until she tells him to stop right before kissing her. Like she literally tells him she's not over her ex before the kiss and she simply says she can't do this and express the same hesitation and doubt she had And he gets mad at her? Was the kiss supposed to magically change her mind/heart? lol

haha this was a cute refreshing watch! A nice cast and surprisingly good production value! I kinda called the ultimate plot twist at the end of ep 4 (It was pretty obvious if you paid attention )and from then on my interest gradually dwindled as we grew closer to the end, I skipped forward a lot and then to the end. But until ep 4-5 my jaw kept dropping, and it was still so cute! the ML and FL have nice chemistry and sweet kissess!

I dropped this midway, because I was just kinda disappointed with the story and the FL. Like from the premise I was expecting more focus on the fashion design aspect of it and that she’ll spend more time learning current trends and fabrics, but they just glossed over it and just made it that she makes nice stuff right off the bat. I don’t know, it just didn’t feel convincing..

The cast and dialogues were great ! Their banter and chemistry were so natural, genuinely funny and pleasing to watch. CSW’s acting was brilliant of course,(love him!) so was the supporting cast. I liked the attention this brought to Revenge Po** and the impact it has on the victim. The mother and son duo were Heart wrenching. The main plot (MC’s revenge) wasn’t very compelling, pretty frustrating at points but oh well.