AnthideAgiusMuscat

Reading the heated exchanges of comments, I cannot help but think that sexual assault/harassment/PTSD should have been included under the "tags" for this drama. The trajectory followed by the FL is heavily shadowed by these behaviours or state of mind and are central to all her interactions with Sang Yan. It takes WYF several years to realise that "running away" hurt herself & those who she loves & love her back when meantime the "evil" elements prosper for another day, unpunished & still in circulation to do as they please. One more eye opening titbit of this drama.
Whether the film mirrors the original novel IP has never been my concern as book to reel adaptions are just what the term implies. At no point is it a matter of verbatim transposition of novel text to screen. Surely this is a concept that is not too difficult to grasp?

However painful or triggering it might be to certain members in the audience of this drama, it is still highly commendable that some very serious & ugly truths are being aired and explored. In practically every culture, silence and/or denial is too often the default reaction in the case of sexually motivated attacks ... the ones who gain from this reaction are the perpetuators who rarely stop at the one attempt. Thankfully in many cultures, sexual assault or harassment is now viewed as an aggrieved form of assault not an act which brings "social or personal" shame to the victim. However much still has to be done so that this is so in all cases, everywhere, always.
In TFF the theme is being expounded in a realistic manner without unnecessary "shocking" detail but with enough depth to clearly put across how the behaviours/indifference of many persons "protect" from detection & official restraint perpetuators of all sorts of crimes including those which are acts of sexual assault & harassment.

Ask the ever critical netizens.

Not in this drama but it cannot be ignored how often KDrama actors die prematurely due to the pressures of their working environment and/or the "feedback" from the consumers of their work. Is it an unfortunate coincidence? There are no societal or cultural forces at play?

It is regrettably that the Chinese censorship system does not stretch to warnings as to the nature of the film content ... Judging on the fiction coming out of Asia, it is undeniable that in that hemisphere "suicide" & abortion are often suggested as an honourable option when a human person seems likely to be a "burden" in the lives of those connected to him. The sanctity of life is not the absolute value as actively promoted by the Christan faiths .. the cultural/moral divide between the two ways of being is abysmal.

No, that is not what I wanted to convey. I am non Chinese & have no knowledge of the original IP (novel). The ending of the film drama has been interpreted in more than one way ... the one I find most "progressive" in view of the PTS of the main ML is that no one sought to end his/her life in the immediate but that the two lovers went on to support each other physically/phycologically for the rest of their natural lives ...

I have seen posts stating that CZY "apologized" for the sub par (viewership) success of this drama. Not only was such an apology totally unwarranted but it is unforgivable that anyone should have expected one from an individual who had obviously put his heart & soul in bringing to life such a well intentioned & generous character who even in the peak of his PTS sought not to weigh down others or resort to the easy solution (suicide) fully conscious of the fact that suicide generates life long regrets in those are left behind.

PS: My comment has been misunderstood
Apparently the audience reception to the drama was not as "warm" as the investors/production anticipated. It is not unheard of to see posts on Asian social media hinting that main actors should apologise for not securing a fat ROI for their "employer(s)". Hence the counter posts re CZY making some sort of apology in an attempt to appease/silence the social media "nasties".

Tagging this drama as a "romance" is unforgivable ... this narrative is anything but a "romance". The situations, emotions, consequences of decisions taken/delayed are all thought provoking & linger in the mind leaving you that little bit wiser & aware how much too many of us do not "cherish" our mundane lifes at all.

I am sure all those of you here enthuse about the "assertiveness" of the five Li sisters are perfectly aware that such behaviours & tactics in real life, in our time, will not bring much joy to anyone including the female protagonists. The drama took an idea which at face value seems "clever & female empowerment friendly" but is only partially plausible if you consider it enacted in our "modern" context. The societal structure of the historical era referred to would have made much of what we saw on screen less than possible in real terms however determined & clever the woman.

IMO the behaviour of all sisters is acceptable (most of the time) but there is an exception. The 5th sister is obsessively stubborn for far long, without plausible reason. So obviously determined to have the last word; to punish even when the other has learnt from their past mistakes & now acts in a more considered way. Presumably this is the strategy that permitted the youngest sister to have a voice in a family setup & society were women generally did not have a voice or indeed the right to presence in their own right.

A good number of the last "antics" of the 5th sister were superfluous to the flow of the script ... which is a pity as the "watered down" content leaves those who watched till the finale with the lingering sensation that they had been dupped to follow an unremarkable script which insult to injury for at least the last 10 episodes was deliberately watered down further to hit objectives which have nothing to do with "storytelling".

This drama, if nothing else, had the merit of showcasing PTSD. Too many either do not believe such a state of being exists post what an individual has scored as a traumatic event or believe that it is a mental state that will go away with the same stealth with which it came. Neither beliefs are true. PTSD is an unwanted state of mind; never wished for. Many with PTSD have dual lives, the one the world sees, the other that only they know about & only few will comprehend or sympathise with. It's a very difficult life state .... clinical depression more than possible .... with suicide becoming an attractive alternative.

Would anyone know where the eastern country might be? Is there a war zone that has benefitted from Chinese "war" relief aid?

Slow clap! My thoughts exactly. So many "non actors" are very vocal as to what an actor should not or do. Same as me, an indifferent cook, telling a hotel chef how to cater for a 500 pax banquet! Also, the theme of this drama is not for the faint hearted. It is disturbing & might even zero in on the personal burdens of the viewer which is less than comfortable. Conversely watching this drama might be a ray of light in the darkness ... a nudge in a better direction. So, yes, imperfect as it is , TWOT has it's own merits.

All your comments resonate with me including that referring to AvenueX' s style of "film critique". In another space or time, what credibility would be extended to a theatre critic who only stays for the opening 15 mins of a 3 act work, then walks out & writes off the play!

I am glad you made reference to the social norms of a specific historical period. Too many commentators pepper their contributions with the terms toxic masculinity, misogyny. IMO it is nonsensical to expect to see the characters of a "period" drama to think, reason or behave as is expected of decent, level headed dividuals (both female & male) in 2025 (in China or elsewhere)!

Pride, prejudice feature prominently in this drama and cause endless mayhem. Those familiar with Jane Austin's Elizabeth Bennet & Mr Darcy or Shakespeare's Beatrice & Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing will see shades of both these famous English Literature couples in the duo, Kang Ning & Chai An. The classic case of heavenly matched soulmates where the path of love is anything but smooth!

Achieving life objectives decided in early childhood (& heavily influenced by traumas suffered) is the top priority of both FL & ML. ML in particular regrets not having been able "to protect" an acquired "older sister" in the past and will not involve the FL in the political intrigue he is part of.
Meantime there has been plenty of "flirting" lightly disguised as "arguing" 😊

Much as been said about Dylan's imperfect Mandarin but to the international viewers of C Drama (I am one of them), it is a non problem. I, for one, know none of the Chinese "languages" & follow the drama with the invaluable support of subtitles in a European language). As it is, we westerns (without batting an eyelid) calmly watch characters in blockbuster epics set in ancient Rome or Greece "doing their thing" whilst speaking in "American English"!

Adrian Fan has been virtually "inactive" as "actor" for the past two years with only a spattering of "guest roles" in his CV. Any info as to why?

The judgemental nature of Korean society is well known. The reality is that now "porn content" permeates the very fabric of the internet.
Pop ups with links to such material appear on the screens of even the most "virtuous" among us. It takes only a couple of the "wrong" clicks to open the content instead of deleting it.
As matters now stand, even a casual browse uncovers a deluge of "hate" remarks addressed to this actor. In my mind the remarks say much more about the commenters (their personal prejudices & of the society they live in) than about Sung Hoon.
Why would this actor so "casually" self torpedo his own career (life) prospects?
Personally I think it would be wise to consider how well this career jeopardizing faux pas by Sung Hoon coincides with the serious upturn in this actor's career prospects (& at age 39 to boot).
Such odd coincidences which lead to career meltdowns are indeed a mite too common in South Korea .... one wonders why.

At age 28, CXX has been in entertainment environment already for 25 years (since age of 3)! Long enough to know which work projects he will enjoy being part of and dovetail with whatever else he wants to do in between work obligations. Steady ahead, without undue fuss seems to be CXX's natural way of being .... and well has it served him up till now.