Klio

I watched him in Sword and Fairy and Fated Hearts, and while he did well, I always found myself more focused on the supporting character or second male lead. But his performance in The White Olive Tree completely blew me away. He is such a talented actor! I will definitely be paying more attention to his future and past works.

As for the ending, I do not think they committed suicide, even though many people interpret it that way. I have read that in the novel they actually eloped and lived side by side for ten years. After that, Zan took his own life, and Song later died while working as a reporter.

I prefer to see that final scene under the olive tree as taking place much later, with the two of them reunited in the afterlife.

Not for the faint of heart! 9/10

I found myself in tears more than once, and I have to say, CZY completely owned this role. His portrayal of Li Zan was absolutely devastating in the best way. Watching how trauma reshaped him into a shadow of who he once was was powerful and deeply affecting. My heart literally and physically ached for him. And Song Ran's refusal to give up on him, to stay by his side no matter what, made their relationship deeply moving. It was beautifully heartbreaking. The music, too, was perfectly chosen and elevated every emotional moment.

That said, there were a couple of drawbacks. At times, the drama felt a bit stretched and slow-paced. Also, the English-speaking actors were just bad and at times even ridiculous, which took me out of the experience.

I love everything about this. The plot twists keep coming, the angst is perfect, and the music and aesthetics pull it all together. Up until this point, I could not figure out anyone’s true intentions. The level of deception is incredible!

As someone who had never watched the original series, it was so much fun to watch this after Legend of Zang Hai. Even though they are separate stories, there are enough similarities to connect them in my mind.

As for this adaptation, I really loved it. The Lost Tomb series always seemed intimidating because there are so many seasons and adaptations with different casts that I never felt motivated to dive in. This one, however, was easy to follow and very enjoyable. I hope they make a second season with the same cast.

Ah, true. Regardless of age, the chances of it being a woman were very slim, but Chinese dramas do love their female generals.

Will I understand the story if I don't watch Princess Agents first?

I don’t know the context, but historically speaking, it wasn’t unheard of for people in their late teens or early twenties to lead armies or serve as generals.

I’m not usually into comedy when it comes to historical/period/costume dramas, but surprisingly I enjoyed this one a lot. The humor and angst are nicely balanced. I really liked both the ML (the tortured puppet ruler, definitely my type) and the FL (competent without being overbearing). Their relationship felt beautifully supportive, and the ending was also satisfying.

9/10

She likes Xiahou Bo in the beginning. And there's also another character she becomes close to, but it never turns into romance.

I finally caught up and I love it. I am glad that the issues I had with FoF, which felt too slow and draggy, are not present here. Also, my brain has been fried trying to connect all the timelines and characters, but I love it.

It was good; I usually watch Luo Yunxi mostly in costume dramas, so this change was nice. The cases were interesting for the most part, and everything tied together nicely in the end. However, it’s not a drama where the characters intrigued me much.

8-8.5/10 from me, so I agree with the rating here.

Then they should look younger, not the other way around.

But anyway, even though I didn't like it, the actors were good so I could ignore it.

I had one complaint about a particular character, but overall I really enjoyed the drama and rated it a 9.

What I loved most was the enemies-to-lovers relationship and the unwavering loyalty between the leads. Both the Fl and ML are skilled fighters who work together and support each other. Neither outshines the other, and the FL’s strength never diminishes the ML’s.

I also appreciated the characters and their motivations, they all felt reasonable and believable, even the villains.

I would definitely recommend it, but it’s best to watch a few episodes and decide for yourself.

I meant Legend of Zang Hai. No worries, all good.

???
I’m not implying anything, lol. I was just asking because it dropped from 8.6 to 8.4 in a short time after staying steady at 8.6 for a long time.

I haven't read the novel myself, but @Xiang83 who did said this:

"Xia Jingshi in the novel is the most noble male character and a good guy who is a fearsome strategist but has a heart that is too kind, more so than Feng Suige or any other male characters. There is no death camp or Zhennan Pass conspiracy. Feng Suige and Xia Jingshi become agreeable with each other before the end of 24 chapters, because Xia Jingshi helped Feng Suige solve a treasury problem. Why Fu Yixiao fell for Xia Jingshi so thoroughly is uderstandable. The drama improved many characters in the novel (Xiyang at least survives in the drama and learns lessons, unlike the novel where Xia Jingshi has to help give her an end because of the injuries she suffers from betraying all of them with Xia Jingyan), but screenwriters did the opposite to Xia Jingshi to make him a villain."

So I read that they basically butchered Xia Jingshi’s character from the book to make everyone else look better in the drama. When I catch someone 🗡️

The ending was kind of lame. I honestly wish Xiyang had ended up dead instead of being set up as a potential empress; she was so annoying. The character I was most invested in was Xia Jingshi. Even though he died, I’m glad he at least got the satisfaction of avenging himself. As for the main leads… it was the typical happy ending. Blah.

Other than that, I liked the drama. It kept my attention throughout, and the music was also great!

Princess Xiyang is just insufferable. I want her dead.