trinhreviews

You could argue that this whole show is one big trope then?!

The ending of ep 10 with yet another (3 now in total) is highly uninspiring lol

I was shocked too! I totally thought he was going to be on HeeJu’s side.
Both love morphed into obsession, and he will try to destroy them and himself in the process!

I knew it!!! I was suspicious in an earlier ep where the flashback showed I-An stepping in for the crown prince and attending an event with the Crown Princess that she may have had a thing for him other than being grateful. It also makes sense that despite her schemes to keep the crown with her 8 year old son, she’s never plotted to kill I-An, and was shocked when her father tried to do so at the wedding! Ep 10 said it all! She gave up her dreams and future, and heart! She totally had a thing for I-An instead of his brother!!! Makes total sense, and that much more pitiful for her (she still deserves retribution for her mistakes!).

Kpop is stronger than ever but in terms of Hallyu Wave, there hasn’t been a strong lineup of dramas since the prime years of 2016-2017. Yes, blockbuster hits such as Squid Game took the world by storm, but many fans have diverted attention for a few years now. Scandals, repeated plot lines, poor scripts etc has diminished the impact that was the “Hallyu” wave. Personally, I saw the scales tip since 2023-2024 where I find myself watching a majority of Cdramas with the occasional KDrama that piques my interest. Even stellar cast line ups are not a guaranteed success.

I am enjoying Perfect Crown despite the cliche tropes more for entertainment purposes over script depth and performance.

Ikr? After the first “chasing” we need our next “chasing” drama. 😉
Currently watching 2 kdramas and it’s not filling the void. Looking forward to the OTP and I’ve been yearning for CZY since Fated Hearts. Cant wait for another emotive performance!

I also came here to try stay convinced. I just finished ep 4 and finding my interest wavering.

Up to ep 3 , I'll soon be up to date. Looking forward to the reunion storyline!

I started watching this (for Didi undoubtedly), and tbh ep 1 didn't capture me too much. From ep 2 onwards, I've been enjoying it. I giggled at the Only for Love cast reunion/interaction....
Looking forward to the mysteries unfolding - I usually enjoy these thriller types...despite loving their polished look in idol dramas - this shows a different side of the actors' performances.

They didn't show it but she basically exchanged her lantern for Duan Xu's antidote

If you’re into cdramas, it also reminds me of Bai Lu in Only for Love, when she chases the main lead for an ulterior reason, sending cheesy messages etc.
only to fall for him…
Interestingly, as much as IU owns this role (HDL vibes) I also think Seo Yea Ji could’ve pulled off the Hui Ju role quite well.

He Simu's humour kind of reminds me of Reba at the start of The Legend of Anle. The chemistry in ep 1 was electrifying already! I'm still struggling to get over Marquis Wu'an but then Arthur struts along as his youthful but hot-ass General Duan. *squeal
Will look forward to watching additional eps tonight!

Ep 35 was comedic gold. So many funny nuggets.
Song Yan fainting at the sight of Marquis
Wu’an, particularly after misunderstanding that he jumped the imperial social status ladder because of Changyu. Mah boy, he was ALWAYS the Marquis. 😝

Then Changyu scaring the bejesus out of the puppet emperor. Yeah my husband. I can divorce him. Xie Zheng. Xie Jiuheng. And in case you’re still confused. Marquis Wu’an 🤣

As Lulu mentioned, a lot of the issues are with the billing order, and whether dramas will have equal first billing or her male costar will accept second billed. She's communicated how she's wanted to work with other co stars but that's been the limit! I personally think Neo Hou looks a bit young for her, but a combo with Deng Wei on Li Yunrui (plus others I have in mind) could work <3

The agency is great with actors, and Jinyoung sets the precedent with actors/singers too. Hoping they get a collab sometime in the future!

Bingo!

I have been reading the novel chapters interchangeably as well, but it is hard to include all the nuanced detail into a visual, drama format, particularly with censorship and strict entertainment rules within c-drama land.
Legit, most international fans relied on that relationship chart that went around - a lot of old political men with beards.
I kinda see it the same as the beginning arc of LLTG. It was long, but set up the foundations.
Say they made the first separation arc between XZ and CY in say ep 15 instead of 17, we would have more breathing room. Some could argue even earlier, depending on how tight-knit you wanted to make the plot.

I think the fandom also deserves to see more of the CP together and the Marquis himself kick ass a bit more.

It's hard putting 160-180ish chapters into 40 episodes.
Do I think they spent a long time in Li'an? Probably - it could've been sped up a twinge IMO.
That said, they needed to lay the foundations of Yan (Xie) Zheng's relationship with Changyu. I'm only up to date at ep 33, but the scenes of him/her as Marquis/Marchioness and the underlying plot does deserve a bit more exploration.

the whole time i was like THE HANDS! That's the cdrama equivalent of the wet hand mark on a frosty window buahah

I knew an epic scene between Changyu and Xie (aka Yan) Zheng is interchanging with the Gongsun and Princess scene, but I felt like their scene was such a sweet contrast to the passion of the main couple LOL.
Like when Gongsun offered all 12 libraries of his family, to her. Sooo cute. <3

Call me obsessive but I’ve watched quite a few ZLH dramas and shows so I can almost tell when it’s his voice vs the voice actor. They are similar, but there is a slight difference. The voice actor tries to be a bit deeper - he’s usually dubbed during the authoritative scenes or when Xie zheng is giving commands.