x Sasa x

Thank you. I get it now.

I got confused because I thought Anle Hou, and Yin Xue were both in love with the same woman from the past, but now I see they were two totally different people.

Thank you! I'll check them out now and bookmark them. Oh, I didn't know that about Drama Cool, normally sites like that are blocked by my internet provider. But, I've had no problems with Drama Cool site, maybe they haven't caught on yet! lol

Unfortunately I can't speak, or read Chinese yet! I'm hoping with all the drama's I watch that I might pick it up, or at least a basic understanding of the language. It's a beautiful language and I would love to learn it. I'm so sick of having to rely on subtitles though I am grateful to the people who take the time to do that for people like me, thank you subbers!!

Yes, I agree many women throughout history never reached their full potential. Many King's wished their intelligent daughter's were born boys because they knew a woman's role back then didn't involve politics or ruling Kingdoms. Though I do love when Noble/Royal women use their powerful husband's influence to attain her own ambitions. You can't beat a resourceful woman who can manipulate the people around her even a King to do her bidding.

Very good article, although I haven't watched any of the drama's you mentioned I do intend to at some point in the future. However, I do feel strongly about the topic you have raised in the article- women's roles in history to be precise.

I love all history from all different cultures especially getting glimpses into what life might have been like for them back then, and I think realistically if you were fortunate enough or unfortunate enough to find yourself being a concubine/wife to a King/Emporer just surviving in the Royal court would be hard enough! I think if half of the concubines/wives reached old age with survivng children it would have been seen as an accomplishment in itself, it was dangerous times back then for men let alone women. People were poisoned or snakes were placed in their beds at night because of jealousy, pregnancy or one of your family members did something to offend someone more powerful than you.

Talk about sleeping with one eye open......

What I'm trying to say is there were exceptional women througout history, but not all of them could weild a sword, and they weren't overly intelligent either. Some survived and prospered because they were the dutiful wife who never stepped over the line which ensured their protection from their powerful husbands, is it fair to dismiss these women because they followed the rules while playing the game? In my opinion no, they were just as tenacious as the warrior or genius. Women used what they had to work with be that beauty, brains or braun sometimes all of them combined. The quiet, sweet and dutiful woman uses her virtue as her shield though they might not write songs or poems about her she most likely survived along with some if not all of her children.

I don't mind if the female lead is not a warrior, or a tactical genius because I want realism too. Yes, she might be boring compared to other female leads, but I want to see how different women dealt with their difficult situations in their own way. Not everyone was born to stand out and sometimes the wall-flowers are the most dangerous of all because they never stood out to you, so you never saw them coming. I particulary love when I'm fooled into thinking one of the women were sweet and innocent to find out later on she was plotting the entire time!

A wolf in sheep's clothing.........

Oh, is that a site? I only know of one place to find these dramas and that's Drama Cool. I was afraid to ask anyone about other sites because there might be restrictions on that type of thing.

I was slightly confused at the end, so I came here to read other people's interpretations! Is it me, or do some things not make sense in the end?

I get that Ru Ge was a reincarnation of Yin Xue's lover from 100 years ago, or at least she looks exactly like her without her memories. What I want to know is how Ru Ge and Yin Xue were lovers at some point in the past, but she was also with that guy from Lie Huo Manor that she had a baby with who turns out to be Ru Ge!? Are there 3 past lives we're being shown? Ru Ge falls in love with Yin Xue in the current situation we're watching, we're shown that she was also in love with him in a past life 100 years ago then we're shown she has a baby with the guy from Lie Huo Manor!

I also found it strange that the bad guy from Anhe Palace who was Ru Ge's uncle didn't find it strange that Yin Xue was in love with his sister in the past? I mean he technically killed her husband, but the fact Yin Xue is in love with her doesn't seem to bother him.

Also how did Yin Xue know his dead lover was reincarnated into Ru Ge when she was born, she didn't look like her when she was just a baby?

Someone...........please explain!?

Thanks for the recommendation, Amy! I want to start Love and Destiny so bad, but the English subs are only partially complete up to a certain episode! I binge watch these dramas, so it would really annoy me having to stop watching it at a certain episode because of the subtitles. I'll have to wait unfortunately, but I'm sure I can find another drama to fill the time until then!

Well, I've actually been reading reviews the last few days trying to figure out which drama I should watch next, so any recommendations you have are very welcome! I don't care if it's a happy, or sad ending as long as the love story is good, and the couple have chemistry then I'm totally in.

I haven't re-watched any drama's as of yet, but I constantly think about a few which means I'm going to watch them again at some point. Oh, you can't beat the feeling of going into something not knowing what's going to happen, will they live happily ever after, or are they destined to be apart. I also love the fact there are lots of episodes in these dramas that are an hour long, you can never have enough of a good thing in my opinion.

Well, after reading your article I envy you very much! I wish I'd had these drama's when I was going through all of my own self-confidence crisis, and all the other adolescent insecurities we experience growing up. I'm a woman now, and this might shock a lot of people, but I only discovered CDrama, KDrama etc like four months ago! I'm a hopeless romantic, so you can imagine my absolute joy when I found them.

I've gathered from the article that you are a veteran when it comes to these drama's, so I would love to go on the wonderful journey you've just explained by watching all of them too. Obsessed is an understatment when I try to explain how I feel about these drama's, I literally watch nothing else now. I've just finished Empress Ki which was my first KDrama and I loved it so much. Historical and fantasy drama's are my favorite, but I am going to try modern ones too at some point.

As I was reading the article I felt like such a newbie lol You've seen so many amazing love stories, and had your heart broken in ways I've only began to experience, so I just want to say I'm looking forward to every tear I know I will shed watching them too.

Do you all wish you could go back and experience your favorite drama's for the first time all over again? I've only watched like 5 or 6 so far and I already wish I could!

I like Kuang Lu's character, and her loyalty to Run Yu, but she doesn't have enough of an edge to be his wife if you know what I mean. Run Yu needs a High Immortal wife who can match him in intelligence and prestige. She will after all be the Heavenly Empress!

In the second season I have a suspicious feeling Run Yu won't be the Heavenly Emperor for long and Xu Feng might replace him. Run Yu should be the Demon Lord anyway since he's already stepped over onto the dark side! All I know is they're going to have to switch things up quite a bit to get us hooked again, and we all know it's going to be a painful process. Someone is going to die, but who will it be?

I loved Empress Ki, and I've gotten used to ending's that either fill my heart with joy, or crush it into a million pieces. You have to expect anything and everything with these drama's!

I'm going to start "Goodbye My Princess" in a few days, I hope I like it as much as you do.

I am very excited for season 2!!! I hope we get to see as much of Run Yu as we did in the first season, just thinking of him all alone breaks my heart. I really hope he gets his own beautiful wife who loves him, and I hope we get to see a kissing scene too!

Yes, for me he was the most interesting and complex character. But, I'll admit I have a soft spot for the tormented souls.....the darker the better in my opinion.

I've just finished watching "Empress Ki" and now I can finally stop crying.....until the next drama at least. I love historical drama's that take place in the palace with all the political scheming, power grabbing and concubines trying to kill each other off. So, if your into the same kind of thing then you will love this drama.

I loved the costumes, filming locations, character's (including the child actors) and the storyline. I especially liked watching Ha Ji Won's character transforming from a tomboy to a beautiful woman when she entered the palace. I did however become worried about her on a few occasions like back up Ki.....are you really doing this for the greater good, or has the hunger for power seduced you too!? Sometimes I became so exhausted suspecting everyone and their actions that I just wished she would go back to Goryeo and live a peaceful life. The reason I like watching these historical drama's is because that's what it must have been like for these people back then, I can't imagine what it must have been like to live in constant fear for yourself and any children you may have. Everything you ate, drank and wore could kill you in seconds! You could never fully trust anyone around you even someone you would consider your best friend could turn on you for money, position or power!

Okay, a few things bothered me like the Emperor got on my nerves after a while. I could accept he lacked experience in the beginning because of his upbringing, but it irritated me that he didn't change as much as the other characters did. Everyone had great character development, but they kept the Emperor almost the same throughout the drama. He never once learned how to use a sword properly and he never actually had a one on one fight with anyone! I'm sorry, but that's one of the first things I would've done when I got back was learn how to become a badass warrior. People should respect the Emperor, but there should be some element of fear especially when it comes to the officials in your court. I felt really sorry for him many times because everyone was just using him and it was driving him insane.

I don't know about anyone else, but my favorite character was Taltal. He was consistant throughout and stood by what he thought was right. His intentions were good and he did what he had to do no matter how hard that task may have been. Plus I thought Empress Ki and Taltal were suited to each other because they are both very intelligent and they had the same goals most of the time. I still think he was in love with her and when he was on the bridge with her in their last scene together before he left to go to war I was sure he was going to tell her that he'd always admired and loved her from afar. What I'm trying to say is I totally shipped Empress Ki and Taltal.

I'm going to rate this quite highly because it had everything I love in a historical drama except an Emperor who could weild a sword, but we can't have everything I guess.

This was the first fantasy drama I'd watched and I loved it so much. At first I was a it put off by the CGI, but I continued in hope the story would change that for me, and I'm so glad I did. When Ye Hua appeared as the main male lead character I wasn't sure if I liked him, but as each episode went on he grew on me. His portrayal of emotion was heartbreaking to watch and only a few actors are able to do that to me. If Ye Hua was crying I was crying too! I couldn't help myself, I genuinely felt his pain through the screen.

I loved all of the characters, the drama gave us a bit of everything in my opinion. The intelligent and beautiful female lead Bai Qian, the balanced and sensitive male lead Ye Hua, the stoic and godly Dong Hua, the adorable and sweet Bai Feng Jiu. The filming locations were beautiful, it was like seeing paradise itself.

This drama introduced me to the fantasy genre and I'll be eternally grateful for that....no pun intended lol. I'm truly addicted to these drama's, I watch nothing else! To be perfectly honest I don't need anything else as long as they keep making dramas like this one. All I want is beautiful love stories and characters who would die for one another in the name of love. Eternal Love gave me that and so much more.

I agree with what you said about the ending! I really wanted more happy screen time with the main couple, the time jump came way too soon. I think that's what has been annoying me about this drama, but it is rather irritating when we've waited like 40 - 50 episodes for a couple to get together then we jump like five years into the future when they do! I mean at the very least give us a little fuzzy clip of those five years, like a dream with the couple's romantic song playing softly in the background.

I enjoyed this drama, but for some reason it doesn't stick in my mind like other's do, and I don't know why. I still gave it a 10 because I can't really fault it technically wise, but there is something I can't put my finger on. I thought it was sweet to discover we were actually watching Tiffany Tang and Luo Jin falling for eachother on and off screen. The costumes and sets were beautiful. I kind of felt sorry for everyone in the end, but that doesn't mean it was bad.

Is it just me or was anyone else in love with Old Granny Li! I loved that woman so much and whenever she cried I cried too. She was so sweet and always tried her best to protect Wei Young even when she discovered the truth.

Thank you for the recommendation! I'm new to these drama's and the site, so any recommendation is welcome. I'm watching "The Empress Ki" just now, but as soon as I've finished that I will watch "Goodbye My Princess.

I think everyone has different opinions on every drama which is fine, but in my opinion it is worth watching. This was the second C-Drama I'd watched and I was absolutely obsessed with it. It's still one of my all-time top picks for so many different reasons that I won't get into right now. The greatest love stories of all time always end in tragedy.....Romeo & Juliet, Cleopatra & Marc Anthony are just a few examples. Don't get me wrong I love a happily ever after ending, but when it ends badly I think it makes the love story that much sweeter. Even if it is a bitter sweet conclusion it only makes me love the show even more!

It was a 10 for me all around, but that's just me.

After watching "Ashes of Love" I found this place and signed up because I had to vent! This series made me laugh, cry, scream and pull my hair out with despair. Let's start with the main characters....Jin Mi, Xufeng and Run Yu. Excellent character development in my opinion, I loved them one minute and hated them the next which is exactly what I like about these series. It's never clean cut, the bad guy isn't all bad and the good guy has flaws too.

Nothing is ever that simple.....

I loved Jin Mi's inibility to love at the beginning because it protected her character for us and the director. She was unable to be influenced by all of the suitors who were trying to seduce her which gave her time to grow and learn. Remember when she has it out with Run Yu near the end and lists all of the times she was manipulated by him (Half of which I'd forgotten about) I was like oh yeah.....I forgot about that time and that one! She remembered everything from the past when she was gullable and she recognized that she was being taken advantage of which was her blooming moment for me. I always wait for the female lead character to bloom, it's what we've all been waiting for! For her heart to become open and for her emotions to flow freely. We waited so long to see Jin Mi express sadness or anger, and watching her journey towards that moment was enjoyable for me. I felt an emotional release too when she got angry and said exactly what she was feeling. We watched a timid grape grow into a beautiful flower!

Xufeng was by all means the good guy in this story, he was the Knight in his Heavenly shining armour and his love was so pure. His character was flawless even when he became the Demon Lord he could still do no wrong. Xufeng didn't need to manipulate or scheme because everyone naturally liked him - he was the golden boy his entire life. You'd have to be pretty special to be a Phoenix!

Run Yu for me was the most complex character which are always my preference when it comes to character development, he had the best of both worlds. He was sweet and kind to begin with then turned into a monster in the end. Even when I'm aware of all the bad things he's done my heart still breaks for him, not because of his past....because even in the present he can't have the one thing he's ever wanted for himself. How could he let go of the past when it kept repeating itself over and over again into his adult life. Does that excuse his actions? In no way, but his motivation was always Jin Mi! He done it for love, well for his own warped idea of what love was anyway. He waited in solitude for his promised wife from the Water Immortal and when she was finally found they wanted to take her away from him just like they would take the throne from him in favor of Xufeng even when Run Yu was the eldest son. He never wanted the throne all he wanted was his promised wife, the woman he'd been waiting thousands of years for. Just imagine the roles were reversed for a minute, and your the one waiting for your handsome fiance when your younger prettier sister steals him from you!? I think we'd all go a little nuts sister or not.

I think the director could've gave Xufeng's character more depth if we'd gotten to see a darker side to him especially when he was the Demon Lord. I also think the mortal realm trial should have been with Jin Mi and Run Yu because it would have gave Jin Mi a much harder time trying to decide which one she loved if she loved Xufeng in the Immortal realm, but loved Run Yu in the mortal realm. This would have added a complex internal struggle to Jin Mi's character especially when her heart was fully open, and last but not least I wanted to see Jin Mi and Run Yu kiss! Every scene I was like this has to be it.....kiss her Run Yu......KISS HER!!!!! I wanted to see how she would feel and more how I would feel about it. It never really felt like a love triangle because Jin Mi only ever loved Xufeng from start to finish, it was never a question who she truly loved.

In my perfect world Jin Mi married Run Yu and he was given how many months or years of bliss with his promised wife then Xufeng comes back as the Demon Lord kills Run Yu and takes back the throne and his Empress Jin Mi - basically I wanted her to be with both of them at seperate times. I always wanted Jin Mi and Xufeng to be together I just wanted there to be more complexity to their love story and that could only really be achieved by Run Yu. I wanted him to be more than just a wedge between them, but someone who also held a place in Jin Mi's unlocked heart if that makes sense.

I really enjoyed AOL and I was so excited to see they are making a second season which I can't wait for! I'm seriously addicted to these shows and I can't get enough of them. The days when romance was still alive and love was something worth dying for.

If only I had a time machine.........