whoissilmoy

he has no martial arts in this drama

In this drama, there might be more individual deaths since there are more cases to go, but it’s not a full wipeout — not everyone dies like in MM (except FL then ML was resurrected a few times I read)

The end of ep. 10 was too eerie for me. That eerie cry is now stuck in my head, and I'll be thinking of it when I turn off the lights. It seems that at end of every episode, she nudges ML for clues into her 15 yrs ago.

on screen or real life?

on Douban, someone mentioned a blogger with 50M followers in China, created a 20 min video, yesterday, I think it was about that case, it showed the dead body inside a wall, calling it a metaphor about the women's plight.

To me, neither ML or FL are stoic characters nor reserved traits. The FL does not have internal calmness — she is temperamental and emotionally intense. She had an outburst that lasted hours, during which she throws objects until her anger finally subsides. They didn't show her doing it, but they played the loud breaking of objects. She displays both a cold exterior toward bad guys and a kind, warm exterior toward good people. She does not seem to hide her feelings. There is no internal calmness in her. She's quite lively around her Master. The ML appears stoic on the surface because he is calm, composed, measured, and not easily rattled, but that calm comes from his intelligence, not from being closed off. However, ML remains socially functional, works well with others, forms a close partnership with her, shows concern and fear for her safety, and engages emotionally in subtle ways. The ML has to be calm and focused to figure things out. To me, stoic person tends to be internally closed off and externally quiet, and work alone, and striving to maintain internal calmness and refusing to let the external world disturb it.

Wang Kai won the Best Actor award at the 7th Wenrong Awards (2020) for his role in the television drama Serenade of Peaceful Joy.

This drama was nominated
- 33rd China TV Drama Feitian Award or Flying Apsaras Award and
- 27th Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Award for Best Supporting Actress (Ren Min)
and for Best Art

It has a Douban of 6.4

MDL ratings are inflated for popularity, not quality of drama. Maybe it's a bit too long 69 episodes, who has attention span or time?

Oh can watch for free here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQqbdnAgoRmb3Sr2FAdoItvtj-GUleAHH

that's funny, "they even blamed a cat."

I bet ML drank with her because he was feeling guilty

"Don't worry, if they want me dead, they won't spare your life either." - such comforting words

If you watch TD and UJ, you can see how well he brings out the character’s aura through his subtle body language and demeanor.

I suppose a man’s voice can change from 21 to 23 but after puberty the changes are subtle. But I thought that since he has professional training, he can shift his voice intentionally. Professionals can record everything in a day — I read that somewhere. That’s one of the reasons productions like using voice actors: it’s efficient. If a first‑timer can finish in a few days, a professional can do it in one. So it shouldn’t take ML much time to do it. It'd be a waste of his talent to let someone else do it for him, and take credit.

The ML attended a premier four‑year acting academy in Beijing that put him through "a rigorous curriculum that emphasized techniques in voice modulation, physical expression, and character immersion, while participating in multiple student stage productions." You’re probably picking up on his ability to shift his voice for different characters.

Douban viewers are comparing Case 2 to the real Shanghai “Little Red Mansion” case involving Zhao Fuqiang, that was uncovered in 2019, "the reality is even more cruel."

Apparently, there is a blogger in China with 50M followers blogging about the drama with a "long commentary video is almost 20 minutes," that should boost the heat more. I think he must have been moved by the metaphors especially the buried woman in the wall.

UJ theme is non-polarizing as reasonable people would agree that women's historical oppression is wrong and empowerment is good. This should draw more viewers rather than push them away, especially in today's social media environment.

Chinese audiences love historical detective stories, as seen in hits like Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty. That’s likely why similar dramas are increasing, riding the trend—like Mysterious Lotus Casebook, other dramas, and this drama, and more in the works. UJ stands out, though, by featuring the FL as the martial arts hero and focusing mostly on women's plights.

if the story borrows fromTang history, I'd say the emperor at least knows how his brother and family died so he's treating her well, out of guilt, I think

because all the cases are connected inside the palace, so you have to go deeper, the real culprit has to be the ones behind her own family tragedy

there are 7 cases (actually 8 if you include FL family murder) in 34 episodes so that's like 4 to 5 episodes per case

The politics in this drama is consistent with what you’d expect from historical dramas and the political structure reflect real imperial Chinese systems, but dramatized.

In Epstein’s case, protection comes from money, elite networks, and the legal system. It lasts a long time and doesn’t depend on any one person.
In UJ, protection comes only from the emperor’s favor — as long as you’re useful and loyal to him.
But Epstein relied on manipulation, grooming, social pressure, and financial dependency, not physical imprisonment and beatings.

The cases aren't random and all involve people high up in palace politics close to the emperor. They're interconnected and will unravel the truth of her family's tragic deaths allowing her to clear her father's name and confront those who did it and those who covered it up. The ML's role is supportive and romantic as they work close together. The ML is also linked to her family's death through his family connections.