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This review may contain spoilers
Perhaps I should stop trusting recs on social media
I've been dropping a lot of Cdramas lately, so I wanted to push myself to complete this. But I cannot stop thinking about how much I DON'T WANT to keep watching it (seeing as I chose to drop this show and write this review at 1:30 am).
If you were to ask me why I feel dissatisfied with this drama, I'd tell you that 'they' sold this drama wrongly to me. I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen this recommended as
1. An epic romance - Que that one scene with our FL and ML kissing while ML is on a horse and the military is walking in slow mo on either side of them
2. A show with a cruel, fierce white-haired general - *insert - multiple tweets, fan edits, and Reddit posts about Song Mo being one of the coolest white-haired generals out there, with apparently one of the best snowy entrances - here*
I went into this expecting a few things
i. A cool, ruthless, sensible, white-haired general
ii. Based on the happenings in ep 1, a collaboration of brains and brawn from the FL and ML — both working together to evade the terrible fates in their 1st lives.
iii. A love story that defied all odds through the sheer will, stubbornness, and cleverness of the main characters
Instead, what I got was
a. Some odd reincarnation (can we even call it that?) plot - So 3 people got a chance at a 2nd life - not 2 as I'd initially thought. Not bad. But, rather than me getting a version of 'The Princess Royal' where both the ML and FL find out about this 2nd life and work together, it turns out that he thinks it's a dream.
And the other person who knows the truth is a male character who rarely pops into this story.
He could be a random sage from the ages, a part-time narrator, or maybe a random magical being from how little he shows up and influences the plot. He randomly shows up, has a short convo with our FL (they are reincarnation besties after all), explains some things, then poof! He's gone. Eh??? Why's he even here?
b. The ML & FL don't work together - Until she decides to marry him, she spends her time saving him in secret, avoiding him where possible, lying to him, and trying her best to ignore his existence the rest of the time.
He, on the other hand, uses her largely as his moral compass/sounding board. At times when he has to make a decision, he or someone close to him goes ' What would Dou Zhao do?', and then they go from there
c. Zero presence of the cool, ruthless, sensible, white-haired general I was promised - The white hair, this white hair that I kept seeing over and over and fucking over my feed showed up in episode one and never again! *insert gif of me falling dramatically to the ground in tears and despair*
Like Y'ALL TOLD ME, YOU PROMISED ME that I was going to witness the coolest, hottest white-haired general, only for that to last for 1 episode???? Then, THEN!!! This so-called white hair shows up in some later episode as a random little strand coz he was stressed, as his father is an ass. But she saved him, so.... that was the end of that. I just... Liars. All of you!
Let's not even talk about how rash he is. The man doesn't even stop to think. Just rushes everywhere, sword and anger first, thoughts and consequences later. Because of his thoughtlessness, he even becomes a sort of pawn in Dao Zhou's hands
d. Inconsistent characterisation - This is largely about Duo Zhao. For most of the story, she is portrayed as a rebellious yet purposeful young lady. She learned her mistakes from her 1st life, so when given a chance to redo her life, she takes destiny into her own hands and defies what is expected of her as a motherless noble daughter with a spineless father.
She chooses to forge her own path, learning not only business but also how to stand up for herself and deal with crafty people.
So, with all that in mind, can anyone explain to me why, when she went back to her father's house, she sat back and let her horrendous stepmother basically dog-walk her? Let the terrible, power-hungry uncle continue pulling strings in the household?
The young lady we were introduced to before could have run laps around her stepmother and uncle. Could have found 15000 ways to prevent her marriage to Wei Ting Yu. She had the smarts, money, and connections to do it. But no. It took her younger sister daring to plot against her for her to evade that marriage. Girl... WTF?
e. Their romance is just, meh - They didn't sell it to me. Rather than it feel like 2 people mutually liking and falling for each other, it feels like her constantly avoiding him as he follows and badgers her like a lost puppy, hoping to be loved. She's closed off, and usually, this characterisation can work if it comes off as the character being careful. Here, instead, it comes off as cold. They didn't convince me of this epic love between them.
Like, that episode where she wants some, was it tofu pudding🤔? and he hears about it, so he has his men buy multiple tofu puddings from the capital and have them taken to her grandmother's estate in the countryside. That should've made me go 'aaaww. What a thoughtful, caring man.' Instead, all that rang in my brain at that scene was, 'Is this how he's spending military personnel and funds? Wow, what a waste'😭
Perhaps if I had gone into this without the set expectations, I'd have enjoyed this better. But seeing as I can't help thinking 'this is not how it was supposed to be' every time I watch the story unfold, I believe it's time to let go.
PS. A character I was rather invested in, in a way I didn't expect, was Ming'er. I feel bad for her. She might have been terrible in the 1st life, but I think that was her mother's influence. She is such a sweetheart in this life. I'd hoped that she and Dou Zhao would form a nice sisterly bond in this life. That both their fates would be better as in truth, they are innocent victims of their cirucmstances. Of the mistakes of their parents.
But seeing how she's still under her mother's thumb and ended up married to that useless man, I don't think that's happening. She's also being bullied by the useless man's money-hungry sister, and the husband, in his glorious uselessness, hides behind his very young wife's skirts and does nothing about it. Leaving her to fend for herself. Sigh, the poor girl.
If you were to ask me why I feel dissatisfied with this drama, I'd tell you that 'they' sold this drama wrongly to me. I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen this recommended as
1. An epic romance - Que that one scene with our FL and ML kissing while ML is on a horse and the military is walking in slow mo on either side of them
2. A show with a cruel, fierce white-haired general - *insert - multiple tweets, fan edits, and Reddit posts about Song Mo being one of the coolest white-haired generals out there, with apparently one of the best snowy entrances - here*
I went into this expecting a few things
i. A cool, ruthless, sensible, white-haired general
ii. Based on the happenings in ep 1, a collaboration of brains and brawn from the FL and ML — both working together to evade the terrible fates in their 1st lives.
iii. A love story that defied all odds through the sheer will, stubbornness, and cleverness of the main characters
Instead, what I got was
a. Some odd reincarnation (can we even call it that?) plot - So 3 people got a chance at a 2nd life - not 2 as I'd initially thought. Not bad. But, rather than me getting a version of 'The Princess Royal' where both the ML and FL find out about this 2nd life and work together, it turns out that he thinks it's a dream.
And the other person who knows the truth is a male character who rarely pops into this story.
He could be a random sage from the ages, a part-time narrator, or maybe a random magical being from how little he shows up and influences the plot. He randomly shows up, has a short convo with our FL (they are reincarnation besties after all), explains some things, then poof! He's gone. Eh??? Why's he even here?
b. The ML & FL don't work together - Until she decides to marry him, she spends her time saving him in secret, avoiding him where possible, lying to him, and trying her best to ignore his existence the rest of the time.
He, on the other hand, uses her largely as his moral compass/sounding board. At times when he has to make a decision, he or someone close to him goes ' What would Dou Zhao do?', and then they go from there
c. Zero presence of the cool, ruthless, sensible, white-haired general I was promised - The white hair, this white hair that I kept seeing over and over and fucking over my feed showed up in episode one and never again! *insert gif of me falling dramatically to the ground in tears and despair*
Like Y'ALL TOLD ME, YOU PROMISED ME that I was going to witness the coolest, hottest white-haired general, only for that to last for 1 episode???? Then, THEN!!! This so-called white hair shows up in some later episode as a random little strand coz he was stressed, as his father is an ass. But she saved him, so.... that was the end of that. I just... Liars. All of you!
Let's not even talk about how rash he is. The man doesn't even stop to think. Just rushes everywhere, sword and anger first, thoughts and consequences later. Because of his thoughtlessness, he even becomes a sort of pawn in Dao Zhou's hands
d. Inconsistent characterisation - This is largely about Duo Zhao. For most of the story, she is portrayed as a rebellious yet purposeful young lady. She learned her mistakes from her 1st life, so when given a chance to redo her life, she takes destiny into her own hands and defies what is expected of her as a motherless noble daughter with a spineless father.
She chooses to forge her own path, learning not only business but also how to stand up for herself and deal with crafty people.
So, with all that in mind, can anyone explain to me why, when she went back to her father's house, she sat back and let her horrendous stepmother basically dog-walk her? Let the terrible, power-hungry uncle continue pulling strings in the household?
The young lady we were introduced to before could have run laps around her stepmother and uncle. Could have found 15000 ways to prevent her marriage to Wei Ting Yu. She had the smarts, money, and connections to do it. But no. It took her younger sister daring to plot against her for her to evade that marriage. Girl... WTF?
e. Their romance is just, meh - They didn't sell it to me. Rather than it feel like 2 people mutually liking and falling for each other, it feels like her constantly avoiding him as he follows and badgers her like a lost puppy, hoping to be loved. She's closed off, and usually, this characterisation can work if it comes off as the character being careful. Here, instead, it comes off as cold. They didn't convince me of this epic love between them.
Like, that episode where she wants some, was it tofu pudding🤔? and he hears about it, so he has his men buy multiple tofu puddings from the capital and have them taken to her grandmother's estate in the countryside. That should've made me go 'aaaww. What a thoughtful, caring man.' Instead, all that rang in my brain at that scene was, 'Is this how he's spending military personnel and funds? Wow, what a waste'😭
Perhaps if I had gone into this without the set expectations, I'd have enjoyed this better. But seeing as I can't help thinking 'this is not how it was supposed to be' every time I watch the story unfold, I believe it's time to let go.
PS. A character I was rather invested in, in a way I didn't expect, was Ming'er. I feel bad for her. She might have been terrible in the 1st life, but I think that was her mother's influence. She is such a sweetheart in this life. I'd hoped that she and Dou Zhao would form a nice sisterly bond in this life. That both their fates would be better as in truth, they are innocent victims of their cirucmstances. Of the mistakes of their parents.
But seeing how she's still under her mother's thumb and ended up married to that useless man, I don't think that's happening. She's also being bullied by the useless man's money-hungry sister, and the husband, in his glorious uselessness, hides behind his very young wife's skirts and does nothing about it. Leaving her to fend for herself. Sigh, the poor girl.
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