Nanfeng

Thank you! This is super helpful. I went to watch Zhu Yu after all the hype and they surprisignly kept a a relatively faithful adaptation of the novel. I will now go watch this with slightly lowered expectations and enjoy the ride

Thank you Little Daisy! I have heard so mnay complaints that i am worried they may have changed the deep sauce that made it an amazing novel. Hope she is strong, independent, and fun and they haven't made her a typical clumsy FL.

For example, I'd say Legend of Shenli was one of the best drama adaptations because they maintained all the key stuff and even enhanced the gaps. Some others are just inspired by the novel and go their own way. Both are fine, but I like to know so i go in with adjusted expectations

yes, there has been a ban on reincarnation, rebirth, time travel, transmigration etc. for about 10 years now. some shows try to skirt around it by finding creative ways to present these rebirth stories like a book being written by a modern person but most adaptations just remove it altogether.

Not sure on exact details but I have heard that part of it came from the Bu Bu Jing Xin(Scarlet Heart) era when people may have apparently attempted suicide so that they can time travel to the past. I think there is also a deeper political under current to it that people who are better informed but there was a big blanket ban in the mid 2010s that banned these and other stuff such as depictions of homosexuality, controlled how people dressed, sexual content was regulated. Overall, I'd say there are many reasons for different things, you just have to read more on each to find out because it's all ultimately tied to politics

how is this compared to the novel?

me toooo. just started rewatching and it brings back fuzzy memories

such an apt comment!

this is exactly how i feel having finished it. It caught me with the synopsis, then the first few episodes, and then it descended to a lack of cohesiveness and forced plot lines. The entire Do Ra Mi line was poorly executed. Even for a second lead, Hiro lacked the cohesiveness to convince us as a character - though I think the actor pulled a lot of weight for a very poor script.

I could go on and on but I appreciate how well shot and visually rich the entire experience was - they had the bugdet and they really went all out! Just sad that they seemed to have it all but messed up with the story telling to hold all of it in

they had a big budget for footage and they let us know in every shot that they had it. it felt a bit much at times

agree on all the points you've raised regarding the plot and character growth. i guess i just didn't enjoy the second half as much as i did the first half that was full of mystery, although stressful! i liked that she went to start her own business and got herself good strong friendships and truly believed in herself. no justification really, i just didn't like the the tone/vibes and didn't enjoy it as much.

Yeah, I get that but i was shocked by all the slapstick comedy and characters being goofy suddnely. the business angle also wasn't that great

why is the second half a different drama? I am struggling to keep up with the change in mood and style

Was this show written by a man?

I am 20 episodes in and Li Junxiao is a misogynistic ass and no redemption arc so far can convince me otherwise. I mean, I am resigned to the fact that Congrui will be together with thim coz they have the same "family values" or whatever but I just don't like how Wu Congrui never ever stands up for her bestie when he talks shit of her and dehumanises her. Like you can be together with the trash man but can you not draw boundaries about your best friend?

If you go in not expecting much romance but just take it as a slice of life about Dr Tang, it is such an enjoyable drama! Don't be like me who put it on hold for many years because I gave up halfway while it was airing.

P.S: Qin Lan never dissapoints truly!

I was so happy for my Wu Minmin and Xiangdong couple. They had signs from the earliest episodes and were my ship - their happiness made up for the last episode haha

Yes

5 months later but it is really is a medical drama focusing on a top surgeon coming back to china from abroad, settling in to her new life as the director of the heart centre and overcoming her divorce to find new love. Very little romance but the medical cases make up for it. An amazing cast of side characters too to keep you going!

well said

I get that the drama characters are more fleshed out to fit the elongated length and for television format as it is not like a book where a character can described in a few words.

However, I found the change in setting to introduce typical xianxia elements e.g., with a council of elders, ML's tortured background, mistrust between the leads etc. made the ML and FL a bit more cliche - losing the uniqueness they had in the short novel. I liked that the relationship was very nontraditional in the novel and while the drama has fully developed character arcs for both the ML and FL, I just found it not as good as the novel.

I am not saying the drama is bad - it is good in its own right - just that my personal preference is the novel setting with characters that we don't often see in Cdramas. This comes from a decade of watching dramas and reading webnovels and so, I guess, I just prefer to find something new and extra.

I get that they needed to invent more characters and change different storylines to add drama and angst for the TV adaptation but they lost all the uniqueness of the novel characters and just made a run-of-the-mill wuxia with all the usual tropes.

I don't think I have seen a faithful adaptation since Shenli. Recommend any recent good ones.