Klio

Not really, at least not in any shape that matters. Main leads love each other and there are no misunderstandings between them.

Yeah! Her badassery didn't take anything away from his badassery and I LOVE IT. They shined both together and on their own.

I always knew Li Yunrui was a good looking guy, but this role really showed another side of him. As a general he had such an intense aura, and as a husband he was so soft and kind. Such a perfect combination!

Everyone loves it except me! 😭🤣

Same, I hate it so much. As soon as they start bombarding me with modern concepts that make no sense in the context of the period in which the story is set, I get so annoyed. What's even more annoying is that people seem to LOVE it so I can't even rant openly 🤣

This was such a good drama. It had a consistently nice flow and the progress, and aside from the main couple, I love how they fleshed out supporting characters.

Now, what I loved the most is Song Mo and his and Dou Zhao's relationship! He embodied a balanced, healthy form of masculinity. He was capable, strong and assertive, yet emotionally intelligent and secure in himself. He was confident in his own abilities and achievements, but he valued and supported Dou Zhao's independence and success and relied on her every step of the way. His ambition never overshadowed his respect and honor towards others. Their relationship was built on mutual respect, trust, and equality, where both partners could grow, help each other and flourish together. They were not threatened by each other's strengths, but instead embraced them as part of their shared journey. Such a harmonious and empowering duo!
And I love how they didn't shove this female empowerment aspect in our face, like what New Life Begins did f.ex. (god, I hated that drama), but incorporated it nicely in the story and didn't ruin male characters for the sake of showing how powerful female characters can be. I just love how capable (on their own) and supportive of each other they were and I wish more dramas took this approach.

I'm probably in the minority, but I dislike when historical dramas turn male characters into simps who rely on their wives for everything. Song Mo, however, did become somewhat of a simp for Dou Zhao, yet he never lost the qualities that made him such a badass character.

Also, that grey wig!!! I don't know how many times I replayed the first episode just to watch Song Mo again, again and again. Whoever was responsible for his styling deserves a raise.

No one will ever convince me that keeping someone alive despite the unimaginable pain they feel, their imminent death and their explicit wish to end their suffering is a better option than euthanasia. It's an extremely complex topic and both sides have sound arguments, true, but ultimately I agree with views represented by Kan in this drama.

Sending him to prison for 8 years just to say that to him in the end. I- 💀

Thanks for replying tho!

What was that ending?! 😭 Can someone tell me what happens in the novel?

Also, Tor is such a good actor! I've noticed that in Midnight Museum but this role just confirmed it for me. 10/10 for that scene in the last episode.

No, I haven't. I wanted to watch Fighting For Love and The Heiress but I keep postponing it because of the low rating. 😂 They're on my list tho.

Oh, I agree with some of what you said. I don't usually watch old movies and it's exactly for the reason you mentioned. I remember complaining about how fake the acting looked like, years ago, and at the time I was told I was wrong and the acting back then was better than what it is today, but I could never get into it.
As for C-Dramas, I partially agree. Exaggerated acting is a big thing, sometimes it works (if it's a comedy) but many times it just ruins the atmosphere. I don't even think the problem lies with actors themselves, it seems to be a style many people follow. That's why I like Xiao Zhan and Wu Lei. Their acting feels very natural. They're not the only ones. There are also other actors who can hold their own, but yeah, it seems to be very common in China.

As for fans and their behaviour, I guess it's something normal. Fandoms do act like that, they're overprotective and not very objective. I can understand that. I would even argue that fandoms need to be like that. Every celebrity needs that ride or die type of fans. If even your own fandom criticized your works openly and publicly then it wouldn't look very good. But I also think fandoms need to be more open minded about casual fans. They like the actors and follow their works but they do not need to follow 'fandom etiquette', so if they're not openly bashing the actor they shouldn't be attacked. I've been trying to stay away from all the drama lately. I've been active in the fandom for maybe 2 years, but then I realized I can't really follow all the unwritten rules and happenings so I just quietly withdrew. I still love XZ and watch all of his works, and I'll never bash him, but I feel less pressured to act certain way.

After watching EP 29, I have to say that even though Song Han is a devious little sh|t I kinda approve of some of his actions. Ansu's brother was a scumbag, and that maid Su Lan (or whatever her name is) deserved to be slapped around a bit. Someone had to put her in her place. I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't feel some satisfaction from watching that.

I guess saying your biggest problem is Xiao Zhan made everyone think you're criticizing him and his acting (not many people are familiar with Marlon Brando and A Streetcar Named Desire). Me included. You had me confused for a moment, because while I know you criticise a lot of his works, you never bash him personally/openly.

I rarely (if ever 😂) agree with your opinions but your comments are never mindless bashing so I have no issues with them.

I have mixed feelings about the trailer (more like a teaser tbh) myself, but I'll wait until the movie comes out to form my opinion. There were many instances in the past where I hated the trailers but loved the actual movies, and vice versa.

No, between the boys. I guess Se Kyung liked I Heon before the whole transfer thing happened. But like I said, I haven't read it, I only know what I saw from discussions/arguments (lol) on this page.

Hm, I finally finished it after starting 4 other dramas in between. I actually liked the beginning, the interactions between the main leads were fun, although the CGI and props looked cheap, but I lost interest in the second half. I also didn't like any of the villains. The evil sisters were annoying and hard to watch, Zhang Lan's story left much to be desired and I didn't like how everyone treated him and the main villain was somewhat cartoonish (which is a common problem in this genre). The acting was so-so, it wasn't always bad but it could've been better. The story was also so-so. I don't know, the whole thing about Dark Phantom didn't appeal to me. There were some good moments tho so I'm gonna rate it 7.

This is my first time seeing an actress who can actually pass as a male character she's pretending to be (princess Yang Ying). I'm impressed.

Yeah, the effects and props are not the best, if we're being completely honest, but personally speaking, halfway through I stopped caring about that and focused only on the story and the characters. That's where this drama really shines.
Also, it's not heavy on magic like usual xianxias so I think that shouldn't be an issue in later episodes anyway 😅

Nam Joo Hyuk in a historical drama? YES!!!

This was actually really good, and I appreciate how the ending isn’t unrealistically happy. The central theme is injustice, and the little game Gaetals set up over a few months could never truly fix the system or make it just. Some criminals were punished, but many escaped justice once again. The police made compromises and hid the truth, and nothing changed systematically. The death that people in the comments are complaining about fits perfectly within the story. It's a complete tragedy. The way this family was torn apart is heartbreaking, but it was crucial to Kwok Seo Joo's story. As a father he couldn't forget and forgive his daughter's murder, but in the end, his own actions led to the loss of his son as well. There was no right choice he could've made. Criminals had to be punished, but taking the role of a vigilante always comes with certain consequences. I just love how this drama portrays our deeply flawed society.

Anyway, 9/10. It really kept my attention throughout and I love how I kept second guessing Gaetal's identity. Also, Kim Kwon as Lee Min Soo was perfect. He portrayed a deranged psychopath (?) who pretends to be a loving teacher so well. His acting was amazing.

I feel bad for Ak Hee. I wish they somehow found the way for them to cooperate and merge instead of killing/destroying one of the two. But other than that, the drama was okay. Not a masterpiece or anything, but interesting and original enough. I quite like the whole split personality concept. PJH is such a good actor too!

She and Lingfei are insufferable. It's hard to watch 🥴