susuworld

LYR should be getting more screen time after today's episodes. It's because his storyline is starting to converge together with FL. If anyone remembers Princess Agents, towards a good last half of the drama, the ML and FL had very limited and short scenes - they parted more than they were reunited and each reunion led us yearning for more. Up to episode 15 in Rebirth, we see the ice has figurately broken. My main complaint is that the other side stories are just not interesting enough that I am skipping them (which I don't normally do) just to catch up with the leads.
As for Li Ce- someone commented he is a new character. He actually isn't. His original character was played by Deng Lung as Zhao Ce - I know it's the same character because they were both referred to as crown princes and both had the outward personality of a womanizer but is actually just masking their real intelligence and both had prior dealings with the FL before the start of Rebirth. Deng Lung's portrayal in his bright red robes and constantly wanting to touch the FL was too funny (it was sexual harassment). Here, his character is watered down to an immature and attention seeker of the most cliches.

I've been sticking it out for the story and for LYR - it is getting better and while it isn't comparable to Princess Agents - it's now beyond the initial cliffhanger scenes that it's just moving at a good pace. I do wish for a different actress as FL - given this story centers around FL more than anything. I find myself hanging on waiting for LYR to show up. I am skipping some scenes of other storylines as I find it boring and not necessarily contributing to FL and ML storyline.

I agree with you - honestly, they can save the time and money for doing the recaps that are longer than quick few minute summaries - they didn't have to reinvent the wheel, they just had to continue where it was left off. I struggle to understand how it's going to be 40 episodes but see part of it, is recreating recaps.

I'm the same. Usually with a complete new cast, I just don't bother but I needed closure so I'm sticking around purely completing the story.

Having been a huge fan of the Princess Agents, I get doing a quick recap of what led to the cliffhanger but to do a very watered down version of one of the most heartbreaking and traumatic scenes in C-drama history is disappointing. I get it's not the full version but to fully appreciate why YX became the way he was in the end - you have to watch the full version of those scenes. I am skeptical of this drama but I needed closure since 2017 and willing to watch this out for the storyline. You can tell this drama has a lower budget predominantly by looking at the cast and the editing of the scenes. I think they made this drama to conclude the story and not necessarily to live up to its prequel.

I finished Love Story in the 1970s for Arthur Chen in time to watch this one. Dilraba is in an interesting role that I haven't seen her in. Looks promising - can definitely see the high quality production of this drama.

Everyone else is a subordinate to him except for Changyu - his wife :)

I think part of that is him trying to win her back which is going to have another level of sweetness. After all, she's been doing the chasing. Time for him to chase a bit.

Poor XZ- he's too preoccupied trying to keep his men safe from a clearly outnumbered and defensive position. Throw in the responsibility of protecting elder princess and also trying to hide his identity from FL, being injured and worried for FL's safe and all. Talk about stress!

Deng Kai - I've seen him in numerous dramas - often portrays a villain (with one exception for a short drama series he was actually good). We can hate his character but Deng Kai is killing it with his portrayal of this brand of psycho. So good that I am literally looking for a sliver of goodness or kindness from his character. I'm actually struggling. There is nothing redeemable about his character. I expect the storyline to shed more into his back story so as to garner some sympathy from the viewers. but the only hints are his narration of it and that flashback scene. It's like it doesn't matter - he's despicable and is to be judged by his current actions. It's interesting to showcase a villain this way.

I understand why. So the burden he carries being a marquis is one he wants to carry alone. If you recall the discussion he had with his friend, GSY he said that there are a lot of burdens in his marquis household that will only serve as bindings on FL's carefree spirit. He said he love that about her - being carefree and being herself. Should he reveal his identity, he thinks that she would be forced to compromise herself in order to be with him - in that sense, he's not letting her choose (because she doesn't know so how can he decide for her).

Him and his brother have a twisted concept of love. The more the women hate them, the more that peaks their interest in them. Which suggests to me neither of them had mothers growing up, or the genuine love from a parent. They seem to associate cruelty as a display of love.

It is but once you start, you yearn for more. If you can wait, I suggest you do or you binge it and join the crew of the painful 1x episode a day for 5 straight days next week

Raise your hand if you would also be one of those women showing up at the butcher shop for ZLH? Whether for the meat or his hand drawn logos. I go first :)

He does sound very similar to ZLH. I actually thought it was his own voice but then I had to find him in interviews to hear that his voice doesn't have that softness that the dubber has - similar, but not the same. Which isn't a complaint - I get put off when the actors use the same dubbers that sound so not like them - Ryan Ding is the perfect example.

Part of me thinks it's not that he likes getting stabbed by her - he feels guilty that she got whipped. So if getting stabbed is his way of being punished by her- then so be it.

I admit that I'm not a huge ZLH - I've watched My Journey to You predominantly for Esther Yu and the storyline, wasn't really because of him. When I heard this drama was airing, I said I would try the 1st episode because I really like Tian Xia Wei - she hasn't disappointed me. I was hooked in right away - the cinematography is amazing - the styling for ZLH makes him look very attractive.
I'm very invested in this drama- eager for each episode, yearning for more. I like the softness of his character here and when moments allow his dominant personality to shine, it's like a tug pulling you deeper into the storyline.

Ancient Chinese version of The Bachelorette. 😂

This is a period of decline in the Qing Dynasty which gave rise to the rebellion. But the corrupt officials was just one aspect of its decline, there was also a serious lack of developed technology that the rest of the world had but China didn't.

Absolutely! He was having a wonderful wedding and yet, trouble showed up