AleksandraSucur

Indeed

What, she was banned for those scenes? I've thought she wasn't active as before because she married in another country... Voltaire was right, stupidity is a cosmic power.

As far as I remember, Zhang Ziyi was also discovered by Zhang Yimou (in Hero), like Gong Li before and Ni Ni after. But now that you've mentioned Tang Wei... for me, she has smth more compared to them. Lust, Caution by Ang Lee with Tony Leung is one of those rare movies I've seen twice in the theater and watched it several times on (Italian) TV after that. Later, I went specifically to the Venice Film Festival to see her Golden Era which premiered there closing the festival.
Ming Dynasty was a bit to long (read: dragged) to be a great drama and the plot involving the competition between two sisters for a man was outdated, if I were her, I wouldn't accept to play even that single drama role, she is too great for dramas...

Tnx. The problem with ZRY's Escape from the 21st century may be in the story, I find it completely uninteresting just reading the synopsis. Condor Heroes are different, I'll check it independently who plays in the well known story, just out of curiosity. ZRY is just a better actor than Xiao Zhan, but the latter is not only handsome but also persistent and hardworking, so I think he may find his path on the big screen too.

Who's ZRY?
Btw., I've seen Lost in the Stars had a good overall reception (I was tempted to watch but then seen your low rating and gave up)
I've seen LOCH, it isn't great, but was watchable...
Agree with you two, Breaking Bad is a masterpiece

now I've quickly rewatched it, what a great movie, what a pack of actors (many of them are here and in TLDiC)...

Thank you for the info. I've looked into his works, I've seen only Full River Red (and I've seen it tnx to you, again! 😂😘) but I can't remember the support character he played there.

Techically, even Chang'an was accessible from the sea through waterways during the Tang dynasty: the Yellow River and the Wei River were navigable, one additional canal (Cao) was built to connect it directly with Yellow river, used when water in Wei was shallow.
But it would have also taken its time, bc. the upstream navigation is slower

Me too. Lei Jiayin's acting is given for granted, he is always perfect in all his roles, so the real surprise here is YYP, he is totally Ping'an, totally natural, as you've said.
The allegoric cock fight reminds me of smth. similar, some other colourful, hyperbolic & and exaggerately tense scene, but can't recall where or what exactly I've seen. People who thought this drama definitely know their job.

"We can't collapse just because we are about to die" 😁Li Shande's deep wisdom, trying to comfort ZPA but he is truly like that. Wait, "comfort" is too big of a word... my stomach hurts from how much I've laughed on "bad luck transfer". The episodes are so well organised and edited, so steadily hilarious 😂😂😂... What a treat is this drama!

right, very Tarantino humour with gloomy background

such a great Leitmotif for a story! 👌

PBG used "marie antoinette" as an internationally better known epitome of a kind. We know the story "let them eat cakes" in reality was invented by the detractors of the monarchy but her name is still used to indicate a superfluous, wasteful, egocentric and spoilt woman - characteristics Yang Guifei possessed...

Now I remember I've read the synopsis and it looked interesting. I actually don't have "my cup of tea", I am after a good and well delievered story. I watch all genres, but am picky about everything else 😁
Tnx for rec, I'll wait for the translated version

Yup

In ep 5, he explains the road he ought to travel, he just crosses rivers, can't use the existing canals at the time (the region where litchis grow is between Sichuan and western Guangdong, not connected through the water in Tang). So, at the time, he could have not travelled only via water

Great finding, tnx ❤️

I wouldn't worry about that, true gems will always shine, and after watching the first 5 eps, I think this may be my first "10" points to any Asian drama I've watched till now (actually, I've already rated all 3 eps 10).
It is so good in every aspect, no normal person can rate it lower (at least to this point)

I think the postal system in ancient China is prior to the Tang dynasty, maybe this event just accelerated or improved smth. in the existing system. There's no empire if there's a lack or delay of communication between the central go. and local administration or military. Couriers, messangers and pigeons are ok but insufficient for large territorial extensions, large territories require specific relay infrastructure, or at least resting facilities along the road. I mean, it could exist, but then it (such an empire) wouldn't last for centuries.
In Roman Empire, the relay system (antecessorum cursus in Latin) was well organised and incredibly efficient already under Augustus and was free among imperial cities (prefecture level), bc. under the direct responsability of the prefect (who was also in charge of road maintanence and relay posts, as well as for resting facilities - mansiones in Latin - along the roads, and we know the first thing Romans did after conquering a territory was to build roads), if senders/receivers lived in a territory under the common municipalities, it dependend on the situation (extention, roads etc) in the municipality, but regularly the equipment (mules, carts) was granted by the central treasure to all municipalities, while relay officers were paid by municipalities, they were all public officers, the postal system was actually called cursus publicus, and as such ought to be free and accessible to all citizens of Rome.

I've noticed that, too, yesterday (haven't seen Northward). And she will surprise you even more when you see ep 4