whitetara32

Have you tried yet? You should. I used to feel the same way. And sometimes still do because some C-dramas are much better than others. The episodes are shorter though (always 40-45 minutes) and so they seem to fly by in a good c-drama. You just have to pace yourself a bit. And expect a few lulls where you can practice your FF technique. The good ones are well worth it though. You might like those that are historical and more realistic. Or you might go for those that kinda feel historical but are more fantastical. You'll have to see. And don't forget historical kdramas. There are classic sageuks that are really long too but ... also worth a try.

Have you tried it yet? I hope you do. It's a kdrama not a wuxia/xianxia so you kinda need to know that going in and don't forget. There are tone and stylistic differences. But there are a lot of similarities too. In fact, I would put it right up there with the best wuxia that I've seen. Strong plot. Great characters. And great music too. It's very human. And yet it has everything you want in a drama ... a great story with characters, people and situations that will honestly move you. And humour too. So, I honestly think you'll love it if you give it a chance and don't compare too much.

no interpretation is necessary. It's episode 15, at around the 25 minute mark. She doesn't accuse him of wanting to rape her. He starts to remove her prosthetic without her permission. She changes her mind at exactly that point so he would be able to fill in the blanks if he was willing to admit that he shouldn't have done that.. Because when she says 'why did you have to force me?" that's what she's talking about; removing the prosthetic. Then she said I'm regretting this. I don't want to do this anymore". Then, as she's leaving, he throws the tree statue at her. She's not the one throwing things. He is. It's too bad that she was too upset to say much when the whole thing happened but she does explain her experience in full the next day ... even though he should really have had a clue before then. Why? because it was obvious that she wanted to have sex with him. It was obvious when she changed her mind and it was obvious later that he was apologizing for breaking the tree statue when he glues it back together in order to return it to her whole.

hmmm. i think you began to dislike the character and then interpreted everything she did after that, in a really negative light. And you are misremembering things. The ... one time ... that she was going to be intimate with someone ... her university boyfriend ... stopped in its tracks when he decided that he couldn't do it with her because the stump of her leg grossed him out too much. Can you imagine what that would feel like? He wouldn't have sex with her and then he dumped her. So, that "small problem" you're talking about was actually related to a great big scarring experience that had happened to her. Which means that her mother's words were particularly cruel and then the ML suddenly asking to remove the prosthetic took her right back to that terrible moment. They had previously arranged to meet ... just the two of them at his place ... before her run in with her mum ... so she hadn't gone to the ML just to use him to make herself feel better. And by the way, you can stop if you have a change of mind about sleeping with someone. You can say no midway and even if they're upset by that, they shouldn't get angry and throw things at you. They should ask why. Which he didn't do even though he should have figured it out on his own given that she changed her mind a nanosecond after he started to remove her prosthetic. She had wanted to sleep with him but she didn't want to be forced into removing the prosthetic.

We never see that the ex guilt tripped the ML into dating her. I think you've misunderstood their situation and relationship quite a bit. They were both traumatized by their loss and so they were drawn together to get through it. And he went the extra miles for her, despite not loving her, because his guilt feelings were even greater than hers. They both felt responsible but he felt the need to take care of her because of it. And she let him do that for a while because she had always liked him. But eventually she manned up to it and moved on from it faster than he was able to. He might have continued to sacrifice other possibilities because he felt too guilty and indebted to her but she did them both a favour by breaking it off.

Sometimes you have to leave a place in order to make the most of yourself. In her hometown, she was the unfortunate disabled girl; quiet, scared, passive. Overlooked. Underestimated. Undervalued. But when she left for Shanghai she became another person; she found sides of herself that she could succeed with and be proud of. She learned to truly shine and be her true, best self. So, it was never going to be easy for her to go home to her old life when she had worked so hare do make a better life for herself in Shanghai. A whole life with good friends and a very respectable successful career. So, I don't think that this makes her toxic at all. Even the ML was associated with her 'unfortunate' self and at first he was rude and dismissive towards her. She appreciated the fact that he had been kind and helpful but she probably was also aware that he hadn't always been 100% wanting and willing to be associated with her. His own misfortunes made him into a remarkably open and accepting person as an adult but he proved that he could also still be insensitive and changeable He seemed to understand her and then he didn't. And they both obviously needed to learn how to communicate with each other properly and be given equal control in their shared situation. The thing is that people with visible disabilities are so devalued that they really need to have some victories, say a great career that proves their worth to themselves as well as everyone else. She wouldn't be able to go back until she could sustain that worth there as well as in Shanghai.

Why was it too much though? Why is she the crazy one? He almost immediately went to remove her leg and she wasn't ready for that. So, why didn't he anticipate the issue? Why did he force it when the leg didn't have to come off at all and they could have worked up to it. It was the first time I figured he was being insensitive after his initial coldness and rudeness. But she took it all on herself, as being all her fault; something she shouldn't have done. Her mother's vile words had been ringing in her ears and he had been insensitive. She explained herself very well after that but he sure got angry in the meantime and I actually thought that he had been the one that was more out of line.

the secret to success is ... FF ... :-) so you can still watch, even finish ... and still maintain your sanity

yes

they didn't adopt her to take the son's place. The father, a widower, married the mother (who already had a child) and they later had to send the son away and replace him. I guess they could have adopted a boy child for the purpose but why attract attention when they already had a child that they could pass off as a healthy male heir.

Phenomenal drama !!! The word epic truly fits for both seasons taken together. But I'm tempted to use the word masterpiece as well. I mean it's beautifully filmed but ... there's so much more than that. Real depth. So much complexity in all the situations, the characters and their relationships.

And the themes are deep too. Trauma handed down by family particularly parents. So much stoicism and the hiding of feelings as a defence mechanism. Love (of all kinds) plus power and politics withing families and across nations. It's very ambitious in it's scope and the execution is pretty amazing too.

Great acting from just about everyone in what were sometimes, extremely challenging scene. Sometimes such heightened emotion is a recipe for failure because it takes so much talent to pull it off ... and, well, not every actor has it. But this cast certainly did pull it off.

Yang Zi, Zhang Wan Yi and Tan Jian Ci were total standouts. I hope there were some awards handed out for the drama and for their performances. They would have been really well deserved.

Anyway, 9.5 from me. I'll definitely be re-watching the drama and reading the novel as well.

It's different in order to distinguish him as a Taoist rather than as someone who conforms strictly, and automatically, to the man made rules of society and specifically the beliefs of Confucius. It's symbolizes balance and the desire to flow with The Dao (aka the Way).

six times you asked this question. wow

I've seen much sadder and more tragic dramas. And, knowing that there was going to be a sad ending made it possible, I thought, to really enjoy the excellent parts. I fast forwarded through a lot in the middle but the leads really turned in a set of amazing performances. They totally made the most of their roles and the story of two people who crawl out of the mud to triumph. It's just that their success comes with a cost. Anyway, I took breaks when I needed to and really enjoyed the rest. So, I hope you do too :-)

It's not sad and depressing throughout. They definitely have happy, fulfilled, even giddy and triumphant moments. And that's the heart of the story. Personally, I was glad, though, that I was spoiled on the ending. With all that forewarning ... I could totally appreciate everything that was good about the drama. And there was a lot that was good.

The first third and the last third were amazing. Great storytelling. So well acted. I was totally absorbed. The middle went way off course though. I thought it was just too convoluted and mostly unnecessary. It was like they lost the plot, let the side characters take over and forgot that they hooked us with the lead characters, their monumental struggles and the phenomenal dynamic between them.

Anyway, I would have given it a 9.5/10 if it hadn't gone off course so drastically. Without a shortened, director's cut though ... it was just an 8.0 for me. I'd recommend it on the strength of the performances and the riveting flow of the start and the finish. Lean on the fast forward during the middle section and let the rest really pull you in.

There are some great story elements, stunning cinematography, high production values all around ... and the two leads really do shine brightly. Stellar work on their part. They made it a worthwhile watch.

she talks about the pain ... but I thought laser removal was virtually painless unlike older methods. I broke my leg once and was put in a bed next to a guy whose parents made him have major dermabrasion and some kind of chemical treatment to get rid of a tattoo ... and he was screaming a whole lot louder than I was. I decided not to get tattoos after listening to that for hours.

judging by your comments so far, which read like total dissatisfaction, you should definitely drop it. why are you even asking?

I don't mean 'winning' per say ... just doing better ... things turning around so that they aren't so painful for her and don't have so much second-hand embarrassment for us. Do you suffer from second-hand embarrassment? I have major cases of it for characters that I like or identify with ... so, basically, I need for it to end ... and know roughly where it's going to end ... or else I can't watch. I'm fine on a subsequent viewings but ... you know that kind of humour is funny but hard the first time through. Anyway, that's me ... and I'm home with the flu ... so ... I needed a good painless laugh. But I'm persisting and the charm is definitely showing through even though I have to look away at times :-)

i asked during e1 ... not sure if I should keep going. I really hate that humiliation to victory kind of arc and usually skip through it as fast as possible or just quit. I'm on e4 now and it got funny but still a little embarrassing for the real FL. Anyway, I guess good stuff is anything that isn't embarrassing or thoroughly humiliating and cringey.