SteDiamond

Actually The drama got that part right, couples who lose a child will most likely get divorced or have marriage troubles… the issue that I’m having with that particular couple, is that she would have to do a lot of mental gymnastic to come to the conclusion that the ML was somehow responsible

Ive never said that she was a bad person, just that her reasoning made no sense. If anything that couple should have been reversed because she was the one with the little kid. No one was at fault but logically speaking, if someone was going to be mad at someone or shifting the blame, it would have been the ML cause she was the one taking care of her at that time

And if I’m pointing finger, the marriage collapsed because of the ML. He kept what he was doing a secret from her and decided to put the blame on himself. If he had communicated a bit clearer than the marriage wouldn’t have been dead

The reason I didn’t understand their marriage trouble was simply because it made no sense for her to blame him for not picking up the phone or being present. If she was mad at him because she realized that he was hiding something and was distant from her in the grieving process, then it would’ve make sense that she felt abandoned by him. But no, her issue came down to him not answering the phone

For me, I had the opposite reaction. It’s a sport that plenty of people walk away both wealthy and healthy from.
He defeated a star, meaning his pro career got a major boost and finally was just getting started. but he gave up his dream because of the ultimatum the FL gave him while he was nothing but supportive of her own dream
And they ended the drama by making him a trainer, which was a cop-out and lazy as hell. The perfect ending would be for her to deal with her fears and support his dream like he supported her

I actually always root for leads to end up on the throne, and hate when they always choose to go for freedom outside the palace instead of ruling the kingdom. Because history has proven that the person that take the vacant throne however nice he might’ve been, will most likely hunt them down to kill them or the power corrupt the one sitting on the throne

This is the only drama where I was screaming for the FL to not end on the throne because I saw where the drama was headed. Mostly because the FL is the most baffling character in this whole drama, even though I love her. I like book version of the leads a lot better and the drama version of the fl is gullible and frequently makes impulsive, emotional decisions. Everyone manipulated her so easily, this script kept saying that she would make a great queen but the reality of it, is that she will suck at it. I’m not saying she isn’t smart but the quality that make a good king, she doesn’t possess them

And how the drama ended, left a major conflict that will surely happen in the future.. who will inherit the throne. let’s assume the bother doesn’t come back since he hates ruling and have a family outside the palace, I don’t think the court will accept the Fl’s kids as the future monarch and I don’t think the future kids will accept that they just bring strangers outside the palace to take their spot.
Now let us assume that the brother do come back. based on her character, I don’t think she will accept to quietly give him the throne back and live a domesticated life

I don’t mind her following her dream, but two years ghosting a boyfriend who you claim to love… is a bit much

Don’t say it’s an American thing because I spent most of my life in Europe, especially France. And let me tell you if you get 5 months of them waiting for you without sleeping with someone else, then that person really loves you. Let Alone for two years

the drama would’ve been so much better with a gone girl conclusion, which is what I thought the drama was setting up in the beginning

And I don’t really get their marriage troubles, she’s mad at a surgeon for not answering a phone or be present for something he didn’t know about, when he was actually doing his job and couldn’t possibly physically answer the phone since you can’t bring your phone in a operation room

I watched the drama several time actually because the ML is my favorite Korean actor and this drama became one of several, I go back to when I’m tired of the usual trope we get in other kdrama.

I loved the FL from episode 1, I loved her when she choose to marry the guy to protect her family instead of running away with the Ml, I loved her when she fought so hard to save the ML towards the end, I loved her when she chose to fight for the other women in front of the king instead of saving herself. but I also do think that she didn’t really chose the ml even though she fell in love with him early on in part one and Ik that she was interested in him after he took her out in the boat ride?

Let’s take 2 separate scenarios:
1. Let’s say she had never been kidnapped, she would spend her lifetime with the Jerk husband (by today’s standard)
2. When the ML came from abroad, she pretended that she was happy and back with the husband. What if the ML had believe her and not look into it?

Sure but that wasn’t my initial point, I said that she didn’t really pick the ML

out of all of her other options, her childhood crush rejected her for the second female lead. Her husband ultimately was the one who left her, she was turned into her town pariah because she was taking hostage by foreigners so no other guy would have marry her. It wasn’t till she left to live by herself and taking care of orphans that the ML became her last resulting option

When she was taking hostage and SA, the one who saved her was the ML. She found out that the stuff that her husband was taking credit for, the ML was the one who did it and took heavy damage for it. Just because the political situation was getting dire, the ML made sure to send her back to her home. When she got there, even after finding out that her husband basically abandoned her there. She went to the husband, saw him with a pregnant mistress and that’s what ultimately changed her mind . for me that was the last straw

Her journey closely mirrored Scarlet’s journey from gone with the wind, which part 1 was heavily inspired by. I love their arcs of going from immature teenager to fiercely survivors, but I don’t like the romance in my dearest. I think the drama should’ve take the movie ending. Where the ML realize that no matter what he did for her, she still couldn’t choose him so he left her and his last line became iconic

I loved her and the romance in the first part, even when she chose to marry the other guy. But part two completely ruined her emotional arc for me and her overall character. she was written as a headstrong, shameless, selfish and uncompromising character in part 1 but part 2 made her passive with some flashes of her character from part 1

Ik i’m gonna be in the minority but I’m not the kind of person to support every women because I’m a woman

why are people acting like the FL is innocent in this, Saying the massive con she tried to pull on the ML is for survival. When the drama itself contradicts this point, She was able to completely create a successful company out of thin air. Had she focused all of her efforts to create a company in the first place, then it would’ve fit The girl boss narrative switch that the drama tried to put towards the middle.

All I see is a girl with the knowledge of how to do the hard work of creating an independent lifestyle but decide to take the shortcut by tricking a rich guy to marry her.

Y’all are criticizing the ML as though he took advantage of a helpless girl. The reality is that the ml is the Red Sea and the fl is no victim. If the fl true feeling didn’t make her act like the victim, then that particular situation would’ve been better for her. She would have a guy that would want her to act like the perfect wife and she would get his connection and resources.

Cause the FL fell first, she stopped seeing the relationship as transactional and when she find out the truth.. She got hurt because the feelings of the ML she thought was true, weren’t

I don’t care what her trauma is, for the con she tried to pull or that the ML also pulled a con. They’re both bad people, she just gets to pull the victim card because the ml was smarter and a lot more vicious

Let’s assume that the ML was just a normal person who fell in her trap, then what would have been her defense. Don’t get me wrong The ML was a huge Ahole and a predator, but to him the FL was just a gold digger that approached him for his money and background. So it seemed fit to him to use her also

When the ml feelings also became true after the divorce, he had to go to a long redemption arc. Begging and pleading to the FL to prove that his intentions are good but what about the FL, she didn’t have to prove a thing to him or even apologizing for the stuff she herself tried to do. Just because the ML saw through it, doesn’t make the Fl initial intent any less predatory

I feel like we’re going in circle. Again, I agree with your point but what I’m saying is before watching any drama, I read the synopsis for it and decide whether or not I want to watch it.

The drama I wanted to watch (based on the synopsis) isn’t what this drama is… this was the synopsis:
“Genius girl Lin Zhi Xia is straightforward and socially awkward, having no friends since childhood. After entering No. 1 High School in the province, she meets the sunny and charismatic top student, Jiang Yu Bai, through a problem solving competition and becomes his desk partner. As a social butterfly, Jiang Yu Bai helps Lin Zhi Xia fit in, introducing her to friends like Tang Ting Ting, Duan Qi Yan, Shen Fu Xuan, and Jin Bai Hui. To show her gratitude, Lin Zhi Xia tutors him, and their relationship gradually shifts from one of competition to one of mutual support, eventually making them best friends”

So after i read this synopsis I went into the drama expecting a character closer to how Sheldon Cooper was socially inept, which would be a unique experience to see in a Cdrama. For example, Sheldon was so honest/blunt that he couldn’t understand basic sarcasm

This fl was no different than the fl from a cdrama like “Our secret” for example. If you swap the genius FL from this one with the normal Fl from the cdrama our secret, the story would virtually stay the same

And let’s be honest, her portrayal of someone smart wasn’t something different. Every Cdramas portray being smart like her.. everyone eventually ended up loving her, the ml was the one who didn’t feel comfortable around people. the socially inept portrayal of geniuses is mainly in western shows where we value athletic gifts, instead of intelligence

Einstein was estimated to have an IQ of 160 but by today’s standard, yes it would be higher. But He was a grown man and was still considered weird amongst his peers. He was mostly surrounded by smart people like him, it has nothing to do with how someone that smart would fit in a high school environment surrounded by normal kids

The fact that she was a genius really did amount to nothing, Sheldon won a noble prize at the end of its show. She solved difficult math problems, read difficult books and graduated early to become a teacher but besides that nothing. Maybe a few lectures

And Ji Buhai wasn’t a genius. yes she was extremely smart and academically gifted but so was everyone in the core friendship group, including the brother. You seemed to forget that the ml was also extremely smart and considering what he did in the drama, I would say that he was even smarter than Ji Buhai. The fl should have stood a league above them.. which is why I think that the fact that their crew basically achieve the same streamline of success, meant that her uniqueness didn’t amount too much

Being smart means you still have to work on it, for a genius however it comes effortless. The scene where they first met and had to solve a problem on the board, showed the difference. Which is why I liked Ji Buhai better because no matter how much effort she put in, she still couldn’t beat the natural gifted talent. She was more human, which is why the second couple was much better.

I hate to go back to the Big Bang theory as example but every cast (except Penny) in that show was extremely smart, but Sheldon however was a genius. He stood a league above them and the show never let you forget it.

which is why no matter how much success the others got, he won the ultimate prize. He had the biggest career success, emotionally growth, and relationship growth too. However you might perceive his marriage but the fact that he was able to move in with his girlfriend and be married, is astronomical. And his ending felt earned but you didn’t get something like that from the fl, she basically stayed the same from start to finish

Again I liked the drama but I can name plenty of slice of life/high school drama where the FL is smart and do pretty much the same thing. The fact that she was a genius but social inept was supposed to be the unique trait, we never seen before.

I’m not saying that every smart character should act like Sheldon but we already got plenty of smart FL that acts like her so when I read the synopsis, I was excited expecting something closer to Sheldon

True Sheldon was written as a caricature of a smart person that most people in real life, would find annoying but that’s what made him fascinating to watch

And She wasn’t just a genius. She had a higher IQ than Einstein when she was in middle school and people who are that kind of smart, tend to find dealing with every day normal thing to be tedious. Plus to add to that, she was said to have low EQ

In reality, she would be extremely standoffish, lonely, and depressed. She wouldn’t be so desperate to make friends because she wouldn’t care much about the hobbies of high school students and prefer to spent more time by herself, learning. Or even worse, hide her intelligence all together if she wanted to fit in

But that wasn’t my point, the plot specifically said that she was a social inept girl that needed the Ml “a social butterfly” to help her make friends. The ML and the doctor guy was technically more socially awkward than she was, hell she was the one who initiated the friendship with the ML and her first girl friend

I never said she wasn’t a good character, I only said that she wasn’t what the plot described. I went into the drama, expecting a character like Sheldon but found the usual typical Fl. Once I got over the fact that she wasn’t that, it was a decent watch

Having a smart fl is common but having a genius and socially inept fl, was a unique twist that I was excited to watch. Even the fact that she was a genius didn’t amount to much, other than the fact that people was jealous of her brain

To me, I saw it as him seeing her as the pinnacle and that’s not such a bad thing.
don’t get me wrong, He was a jerk on different occasions but not this aspect

I was half expecting the FL to be somewhat close to someone like Sheldon cooper from the Big Bang theory than what she’s actually like.
she isn’t as socially inept as the plot claim. she’s basically just a typical FL that the drama say, is a socially awkward person that lacks basic social cues.
In reality, She was just a bit blunt and you wouldn’t be able to tell her apart from the usual slice of life, high school FL
Besides that, it was a cute fun drama and really lighthearted. Nothing special but not bad

Am I the only one who can see that the logic of the show failed.
She kept saying she fell in love with the 22 version not the 21, but technically the same person
She couldn’t logically be with in a relationship with the 22 version because the 21 version exists. If in the future the 21 version falls in love with someone else or the date they try to set him up with the mistress did actually work. Then the 22 version would be and a committed relationship with someone else for over a year and not in love with the FL.
The copout of giving the 21 version the memories of the 22 version is Kinda dumb, memories shouldn’t be able to travel backward
logically speaking the only ending that would’ve make sense is for the FL to realize that deep down they’re same person. to prevent the trauma of the 22 version, she would have to protect the 21 version, fall in love with him. Then the 22 version would be absolute so the last thing he would do since he’s going to disappear is to sacrifice himself for the their happiness
Instead the 21 version became a sml to himself and the FL was actually kind of mean to him. What if the 21 version grew to realize that she isn’t a good person, then the 22 version would see her as toxic because it’s not a parallel universe, where both versions are different

The story is lacking and yet it’s probably one of the few drama where I liked both main leads.
The fl isn’t a villain but that doesn’t make her a victim. Most of her traumas are Self-inflicted, except for the kid (hate the drama for what happens to her). She’s the most complex character in this drama and the actress did a good job portraying her. Since she’s been hurt, she was OK abusing others to achieve her goal. She was borderline sociopathic.
The ml is the ultimate victim in this drama. he’s kind, gentle and saved/redeemed the fl. he did also take advantage of the FL loneliness. Yes he genuinely did care for the FL but at the same time he forced his way into her life, knowing that the FL would fold because she craved affection. He basically lovebomb her for his case, most people are calling him a simp but as I saw it he deliberately approached the FL to intentionally use her against the villains
Which is why I found their dynamic to be interesting. The fl was usually in control around those powerful men in her life but when she met the ML who most would say was beneath her, she lost that control

You’re right and I’ve watched all then, if you like I can give you the names of the FL I actually love. I just hate the current version of FLs we’re getting.
I hated the toxic mls we used to get and celebrate when that trope died but now I think we’re getting an overcorrection meaning nowadays FL are either weak or marry sue that are extremely selfish, vain, hateful and lack true character. They’re now the toxic version of what I use to hate under the umbrella of empowerment. It’s just rinse and repeat
I should also be able to call out the pattern, I used to see in toxic male leads in the past
And FYI, yes the account is new but I’ve been Watching drama since I’ve been in my early teens. I’ve watched countless 60+ episodes drama where characters were able to be unique.
You want to see real strength, watch story of Ming lan, empresses in the palace and Ni Ni from the rise of the Phoenixes. I don’t need to see a ml that look good to watch a drama, which is the common critics I’ve seen against them
And P.S. my issue with my Royal nemesis is the ml

Ik that but while watching the drama, the same question kept repeating in my head… does she truly love him and it kinda stopped me from getting immersed in the story because I couldn’t move past the shallowness part of the story and more questions kept popping up
It’s not the first time that we have leads that use each other, but they kept shoving the fact that she herself is a victim and we should feel sorry for her, when that’s far removed from the reality of her situation
Take a somewhat similar drama my Royal nemesis (tho I have my issue with that story in general) the FL herself, acknowledges the fact that what she’s doing is wrong but in this one we didn’t get that from her, she stay believing that she’s a victim of the system
I believe the ML was being abused in this drama and the fl essentially became one of his abusers without even acknowledging it. It’s not always physical, the fl weaponize his loneliness to her benefit to gain what she wanted
even at the end of the drama I still couldn’t answer the original question, does she truly love him

Honestly I like the drama but isn't it a bit weird that most female empowerment cdramas nowadays tend to literally be the same.
it's always A FL that dreams of seeing the world and not be in the Palace, they have some weird skill that they use to start a business that becomes extra successful.
when the reality is that they wouldn't be able to start a business back then even if they were skilled and going to the palace would better to help other women because merchants were seen as the bottom of society. As an empress, she would be able to change laws that help women
Gone are the days where the fl were able to thrive in a real patriarchal system, now the world seem to bend to their will, I miss female leads like Ming lan (which till this day I think it’s the peak of female empowerment)
Ik that it has nothing to do with this drama really, I guess I just kinda wanted more from the fl

I recently started watching it and I’m at ep 5. They made her shock, crying, hell even blaming her dad for using weapons that she created for war.
Nukes were originally created for peace and this Fl who is written as smart, can’t figure out that long range weapon will be used to kill people. The drama is desperately trying to make her sympathetic but in reality she’s a weapon dealer.
To defend her you can use the excuse that her dad manipulated her but anyone who comes across her design, even without knowing her will use it for war. She’s not blameless in this and the ML trying to protect her from the truth that her design was use to kill 30,000 soldiers is just wrong

While watching this, I thought to myself that this reminded me of the Lois Lane and Clark Kent dilemma.. who does she really love Superman or Clark Kent
I wanted to love the drama but tho I’m a big fan of IU, I hated the FL. I find her trauma to be nonexisting.. she already was the richest person.. her family that was supposed to hate her, don’t. It all comes back to a rich girl problem
If you take the romanticize framing of the story, she is incredibly vain and selfish. If the ML wasn’t a prince, she wouldn’t care about him. She didn’t see him as a person but the title she needed
And the ML decision to abolish the monarchy at the end is probably the stupidest thing I’ve seen in a Kdrama. They framed it as him stopping the class system, but all he did was giving it away. Meaning the monarchy was at the top but by stopping it, he just gave the power away to the rich. The only person that won at the end was the FL, she got rid of her commoner status and became the top of the new hierarchy..