Moonstruck

I just realized they never showed QiMin being drugged and how BaoEr came to be.
Or did I missed it?
I remember seeing behind the scenes for this, also with QQ running while pregnant and then giving birth.
I can't recall if they made it to the final cut.

Yes, mine is Joseph. But I was talking about Lhily's dp.

Is that QiMin in your profile? That's one immaculate wig. Wish the ZhuYu stylist works on LBTG too 😩

Arthur is handsome but his wig is really bothering me.😆 the volume is too much, it's not in harmony with his slim face.

It's starting slow for me and Arthur's wig could be better.
On the positive side, I'm liking the slightly dark and gothic vibe.

I'm still thinking about WeiYan's complex character and motive.
He went to the extreme for Consort Shu but not in the actual moments that mattered.
Seeing XieZheng and Gongsun probably made him question his choices.
GongSun literally braved the fire and threw away propriety to save the one he loves.
XieZheng would NEVER allow ChangYu to be an Emperor consort in the first place.
Pretty sure he would incite rebellion for her.

I don't question that WeiYan loved Consort Shu, but it seems his love was not strong enough to risk losing power (he did not stop Shu from becoming Consort).
And then eventually he was subconsciously using it to justify his decisions from 17yrs ago.

Netflix has ads now?

I agree with you about WeiYan. I made similar comments that I wished they expanded his narrative. I would certainly enjoy reading the discussions here on analyzing his character. But I do feel the Director is not after this deep narrative. The focus of the show is more aesthetic and femalecentric.

Yes. In the TV version it seems he is also a victim.
That's why I feel slightly upset that they killed him.
And not just that, they still pinned the 100,000death on him.
He was used as a scapegoat up to his death rather than for them to reveal the truth and smear the Qi name (old Emperor) 🥲

It's the dark romance allure.😆
Let me start by saying in no way we will condone this in real life. But in fiction, there is something captivating about antiheros, those who will burn the world for you type. I know it sound contradictory, but QQ is in a position of power over QM, as he could not do anything to truly hurt her. This only work in fiction as we know the character narrative, in real life it would be super scary as you don't know until when you are immune to his psycho outburst.
Also the idea that QQ might be able to change him also sparks interest. Basically, it's the fantasy of being an absolute special for someone. It's also the banter and the push and pull in their relationship.
Or simply put, it deviates so much from the norm that the idea of such 'love' is a novelty for viewers.
Again, we don't condone irl. But I do like my dark romance. 😆

The upsetting thing for me is they still pinned the 100,000 deaths on him. Even after knowing the truth, they still chose him as a scapegoat rather than sully the Qi Dynasty name (they rather preserve the Old Emperor memory rather than the truth).

I'm still confused about WeiYan, even after knowing the truth, why was he still being blamed and 'punished' when it was the Old Emperor's fault?
I don't think he deserves it.
In fact, he was more the victim, a martyr even.

Honestly, as I'm watching now, I ask myself "what was WeiYan's crime to deserve death?".
Other than forcing the Emperor to abdicate, he didn't cause any catastrophe, he even kept the country stable thru the puppet emperor.

A pity they didn't expand on WeiYan's character and his relationship with XZ. I like this complex character. It would have triggered many good discussions and character dissertation.

Because if it was WeiYan who tried to kill him, I don't think he truly loves him. Because he is not protecting him from the truth but rather just to eliminate him directly 😅

In the novel, was it WeiYan who tried to kill him in the beginning?
Tv version seem to allude it was WeiXuan.

Yeah, I like all the actors here. Everyone did a good job. The script gave opportunity to shine for some characters.
I like that I discovered new talents here.

The thing that confuses me still tho is why didn't WeiYan just reveal the whole truth to XiZheng.
Surely, he's old enough to process all these events now.

Ahh. That makes sense. I read the novel some time ago and honestly just skimmed on some parts. It didn't help that tv version changed some things and made it confusing.

As a dark romance reader, I share the same feeling.
But be careful about these comments, some crazy fanatics can't take it when I express my opinion that the 2nd couple left a greater impact on me, and take it as hate comment against the main couple. 😆

The tv version butchered the plot, in the novel, things actually made more sense.