Lizzy

One detail about the ending that I didnt understand—

Okay thanks!

EPISODE 36 WAS PERFECTION!!!!!!

Nah. I think PoJ had the potential to, but it fell short. I’m going to rewatch PoJ from the beginning later on after some distance and make my final verdict. Sometimes fandom frustrations and other peoples’ negative opinions can color my viewing experience. I wish I could go back and watch this drama without being on discussion boards and exposed to the fandom criticism just to see how my viewing experience would change.

Oh- I never found it annoying at all so idk 😳He had a lot of good reasons for not telling her his identity, so I dunno??? To me it always made sense why he hid it. If it helps and without spoiling much they physically separate at some point for an extended period of time so maybe that will help with the annoyance?

ep 26

*aggressively blocks people who discuss the leaked episodes without using spoiler tags* 😑

Identity reveal ep 26
Town arc ends ep 17/18

Mmhmm. Me neither. I’m still able to hang onto my enjoyment of the show, probably because I’m stubborn and I want to continue to like it. And because it’s hard for me to come to terms with how perfect the first half was, how high my hopes were of this being THE drama to dethrone TPoB as my all time favorite drama… to the letdown of what it has turned into. I’m hanging into my enjoyment of it with a clenched fist 😂

Yeah. It’s disappointing, especially because the first half was perfect. The ML was plotting and planning and doing his thing and getting character development with, like, that scene of coming out of the shadows as the Marquis to one of the me that attacked FCY’s home, or stabbing that other guy in the shoulder. OR that epic scene in the woods and then in the court with the Lin’an magistrate. The FL also had her awesome stuff going, it was literally perfect. And it’s so sad that ever since they broke up in 17, it has just felt like Xie Zheng just faded more and more into the background while the FL and side characters got all of the epic scenes and the plot development. 😞 I am still hoping that the last six episodes will undo some of that damage. Others who have watched the leaked episodes say that they do.

I’m hoping he has more scenes too. But his revenge plot and the incident from 17 years ago that he has been investigating has been mentioned only a handful of times. When I say “character development” I don’t just mean “I want him to have badass fight scenes” (although that would be nice). But more so we have not seen really at all what is going through his mind, his relationships with his family members, how he is being affected by the incident from 17 years ago and more of WHAT is he doing and what has he been up to outside of showing up for some sweet scenes with the FL. Instead waaay too much time is going to the annoying Butcher Squad, Lihuai, whatever the heck is going on with Qi Min and Qianqian, etc. It’s cool that you aren’t bothered by it (I’m not as upset by it as I may be coming across either), but I totally get where the critics are coming from. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Yes, but there is also the questions of what happened to the ML’s parents? It wasn’t JUST about the FL discovering what happened to her father, but the ML has just as much history there that has gone undeveloped. It’s become all about the FL’s father being accused and clearing his name, but not a whole lot is said about the fact that Xie Zheng’s father died and his mother ended her life after that and that he wants revenge.

I think what people have an issue with is the lack of balance in character development and the ML being sidelined in favor of secondary characters and relationships, and that I think one of the ML’s battle scenes in the novel got given to the FL instead. Some of us don’t understand why it has to be either the FL or the ML being powerful and getting the development. Why can’t it be both? Why does it have to be boosting a FL at the expense of the ML? I think that’s what people have an issue with. The secondary characters and relationships are getting more development and screen time than Xie Zheng. There’s nothing wrong with him being devoted and in love, but he has basically been written into a supporting role with less character development than the secondary characters and relationships. I personally am still hopeful that he will be around more and get more development in the last five episodes, and it has nothing to do with having issues with the FL.

If you prioritize plot and don’t mind less romance, you can also check out Rebel Princess. Arranged Marriage trope and a very sexy, older masculine ML who actually looks like a battle-worn General. Wish he had more screen time because he was one of my favorite MLs of all time. I mean there’s a bit of a love triangle, but it’s not bad. She gets married to the ML early on but the SML hangs onto the crush. Once the FL recognizes that her husband is a good man, she doesn’t waver outside of some internal conflict later on in the drama if I remember correctly.

A lot of people loved the first half of the drama, but don’t like the last 3rd of it nearly as much

It was a flashback to earlier that episode when she was asking the princess for help.

* The Prisoner of Beauty
* Blossom (same director as PoJ)
* Blossoms in Adversity (VERY female-centric)
* Coroner’s Diary (Green flag ML and FL, same screenwriter as PoJ)
* Fated Hearts (true enemies to lovers romance)
* How Dare You!? (the one with Ryan Cheng / Cheng Li)
* Legend of the Female General
* Shadow Love
* The Double

I don’t have an x account, and am struggling to find part 2 😅

Oh I 💯agree. I think some dramas strike a great balance with the male and female leads, namely Fated Hearts, The Prisoner of Beauty, Legend of Shen Li and Legend of the Female General. But I have never been a fan of boosting up one gender by putting down the other. The stupid insults that PoJ and some other dramas make towards men are annoying 🙄

Mmhmm and I share those criticisms. While I understand why they deviated from the novel as I said in my OP, it also creates the issues that you mentioned. I was not a fan of the “I stand behind no one” comment 🙄and it was also kind of ridiculous that she was given the power to pick who she wanted to kill. I have never been a fan of themes that push the “strong woman” propaganda to an extreme - especially if it is at the expense of the quality of writing. Sadly, these things that you mentioned are common themes in dramas by this director and screenwriter. All of their dramas I have seen were fairly heavy on the uber feminism propaganda. Like you, I’m not a fan.