I thought that was an extremely petty move by ML (I loved it). IMO SML gave himself away as coming back in that…
This is my guess. There are probably 3 reasons. 1. PWX mentioned his family's issue which Su knew about. PWX doesn't get along with his extended family so he doesn't have any peer male relative to come and greet the princess OR if they do, they would embarrass him, which in turn would also embarass the princess. Su probably accepted to spare the princess from embarrassment. 2. PWX mentioned that this is only a "transaction" for them, but that's from PWX POV. Su might wanted to see the princess' reaction seeing him that day, so he can gauge the princess's feeling toward him. 3. This may be far-fetched but maybe he just also want to see the 18yo princess in her wedding gown. In their previous life, they weren't close at this time so maybe he never paid much attention. But this time, he probably wanted to see how she looks. Much like how PWX said he showed up to the banquet because he wanted to see the 18 year old princess again.
I had some doubts but this episode really solidified it for me that Su also time travelled like both our leads. In the past, he didn't care for the princess but this time, he showed up unannounced. And out of no where, really into the princess. I felt it was weird. But now we know. I think in their original timeline, he killed the princess for his family revenge, but also deeply loved her. So he died right after she died. Because after her death, life hold no more meaning.
I watched 8 episodes so far, and poor sunjae suffered so much for so many years, he could have lived a wonderful…
The FL love him in her actions. How she traveled back and desperately do anything to save him. I think the drama is doing a fine job of not depicting her love as a fan love because it waits until she realizes he's the one that rescue her. It make sense that she "love" him because his words touched her and gave her the will to live - but she also realize that was fan love as she didn't know him personally. After spending so much time with him, and recovered the memories she lost of him, she realizes that he has always been there for her. That's when she starting to let herself develop real, personal romance for him because she had always put him on this pedestal, out of touch place. His confession is not the beginning of her love, but rather, it gave her hope that her feeling is not misplaced or delusions - THAT she can love him. Remember her reaction when she realize he like her? She said "wow, how can this amazing be interest in ME? ME?"
In my opinion, this is a very respectful perspective that the drama did for the Sol character. That her love is not based on fan love, but based on shared memories of each other, and the genuine care they have for one another. That Sol didn't push on Sunjae and try to make him hers romantically, until she realize that he have feeling for her too.
Yes she is not bad but was cold hearted somewhere down the line that ruined the relationship. Not expressing care…
Rather than cold-hearted I think she's suppressing her emotions very tightly. She gave me the vibe that it's done out of self-protection. Somewhere in her childhood something must have happened to make her feel like she only got herself to depend on. So she toughen up and that also mean building a steel wall around her heart. That mean being competitive, find her self-worth through career and showing her capability, being over cautious about others, and denying herself of feelings and call herself cold-hearted.
I think her mom and her relationship has something to do with her personality, maybe a death of another sibling that was hinted earlier on. That must have caused her to feet like she's not wanted anymore. It's unhealthy to a point where she's facing terminal illness and yet the first thing she think is that her family is going to come after her asset like vulture. Those words sound like they're come from an incredible lonely and isolated place. Only to be delivered in a deadpan, matter of fact tone, stripping of any human emotions. It's very extreme self-protection tendencies.
People here are either delusional or like toxic relationship they are saying ML is walking red flag but he is…
I think the delusional one is you. We are watching Chinese historical drama, not watching the new season of "The Bachelorette". We're watching it for the story and context, not watching it to find our next husband. I'm sorry you cannot separate fantasy and reality, but plenty of people are fully capable to do so because we have a developed sense of reality. Like or don't like the character - that's prerogative. But please get off your high horse, and stop assuming that other people's intelligence is as undeveloped as you are.
So I'm rewatching the series and I kept seeing people saying JXN got together with XW too suddenly, that she was forced into a relationship with him, or that they only got together because he's the ML. So I need to get something off my chest. I truly believe that JXN have already started loving XW since the beginning, and as far as romance in the drama goes, XW is her one true love. Here's why.
It's long so I'll put it under SPOILER here. And this is coming from a person who loved ZZ and rooted for him.
So I'm rewatching the series and I kept seeing people saying JXN got together with XW too suddenly, that she was…
The reborn JXN was wary of XW. She think she's scare of him because of her past life memories. YET all her actions toward him shown otherwise. Very early on, I believe that she already gravitated toward him because they are fundamentally the same type of people: cunning, manipulative, protective and morally grey as long as they get what they want. That is why despite saying otherwise, I believe JXN is already attracted to XW without knowing it.
She said she's scare of him yet he's the first person she trusted. She trust his ability, and later on trusted his motivations. When others doubted him, she have no doubt. She understand him in a level that even she can't describe. She said she's scare of him yet she share her thoughts and plans with him. Even when she said nothing to him, she have this unexplainable trust that he would understand her and have her back. This level of trust she have for him is unlike any she have with the other suitors.
Secondly, she unawarely treated XW like a friend. She teases him, tell him funny stories of her life, complain about her snacks. All behaviors that are more typical of a friend to lover relationship. She's so comfortable with him to the point even XW asked her, "Am I so nice to you that you think we're already friends?" So despite JXN saying she's scare of the oh so scary XW - on a gut level, she already think of him as her people and let him in.
However, I think the main reason people think JXN loving XW too sudden is because we have been lied to by JXN. In her eyes, XW is this cunning, hard to reach type of person so she put up this iron curtain toward him. She didn't DARE to think he could ever like her, and thus also never DARE to even thought she had any romantic feeling for him. On a conscious level - XW is just too out there. But on a subconscious level, he had already seeped into her heart. I believe their romance has started since episode 1. It is not the romance that is rose-tinted with longing gaze or heart flutterings gestures. It is a romance that is like an underwater current, growing slowly underneath but getting stronger day by day, one that you can't see on the surface but exist as a silent force that pushes them toward one another. Their romance is that of trust-building, which is very crucial for their characters, who are people that are deeply traumatized, jaded and have gone through soo much.
That is why I don't think JXN suddenly like XW. Rather, her feeling for him has been shadow/hidden/denied for a long time. It is only freed when she found out about his identity. With all he have done and her understanding of him, any normal person would understand what's going on. BUT JXN stubbornly put up this wall against him because she has high self-preservation as any normal person should, and because she lack this last piece of the puzzle. When she knew his true identity, she has what she needed and everything about XW finally made sense to her. I think this is where people don't give enough credit or appreciate enough about this JXN character. Despite how she feel, she need things to make sense to her.
When Liu Xan told her to "pity" JXN and she did, I do not interpret that as her "feeling bad" for XW like we would toward a less fortunate person. Rather, I think "pitying" XW here actually mean her "humanizing" XW in her eyes. Let's think about it, XW have had a very pitiful life YET as audience or as JXN, we don't feel very sorry for him. It's because even in his most vulnerable state, when he is in his manic episode due to his trauma, he is still shown to be very scary and dangerous individual. However, when JXN understood who he is, XW turn from an invincible crazy person, to a human being with flesh and blood, who can get hurt, and can also love. Like Liu Xan said, XW is a person with a lot of insecurities, so he doesn't dare to love because he's too afraid of losing it. JXN "pitying" XW is about seeing him from this perspective, and not a stone cold manipulator she so used to. She started to imagine XW as the young DingFei, alone and deathly afraid, the hardship he must have endured to survive. This image slowly replace the previous one of XW - the empty eyes, cold blood face that sneered at her, chased her away and wanted her dead.
I think to think JXN choosing XW because he's the ML is actually a disservice to JXN as a character. She told her dad in the drama that she don't think of getting marry. She had married before so she don't need to do it again. This reborn JXN is someone who can live without a man and is ready to do so. She didn't need to pick XW because she's someone who actually did not need to pick any suitor. So the fact she picked XW is because she WANTED to. There's nothing XW could do, no matter how aggressive he can be, or how many time he get hurt to protect her, he could ever never make JXN pick him if she don't already love him.
When JXN hesitated to agree to marry XW - I see that as a hesitation toward marriage and not toward XW. Again, JXN is a girl who need time to think. And everything has been going too fast, her iron curtain about him has just been lifted, and she doesn't want to get caught up in this whirlwind of emotional high. But being at the brink between life and death can make people very clear-headed because they see clearly what they truly valued underneath all their worries. So when she saw XW shot, and at the point of possibly losing this man forever, she succumb to her gut feeling and admit who she truly wanted, and she wants this man. All that overthinking be damn.
In the end, JXN had removed all the physical and emotional wall that stopped her from loving XW. She understood him, she no longer afraid of him, and she felt what it's like to almost lose him forever, and she accepted and allow herself to love him so it only make sense that she got together with him. She could have live a life without him, but she chose him because she want to spend her life with him. Why? Because despite what she "think", she couldn't help being attracted to this man from the very start.
My analysis is solely based on the story from the drama - not the novel. There has been enough changes that in essence, the drama stand entirely different than the novel as far as the romance go. The ZZ in the drama for JXN is not the same ZZ as the novel. She care for YL but idolize ZZ. So that's why she took care of YL, but broke up with ZZ. Because with ZZ, she idolize the idea of him, the idea of a perfect person and a perfect love. With him, she carried guilts, regrets, what could have been, and her aspirations of being a better person. How "easily" she broke up with ZZ is a testament of how light-hearted this romance is in the drama and is in JXN heart. The drama picked the perfect metaphors for their love - the rare, but delicated porcelain vase that cracks easily and no matter hard you try, can never be restore like how it was.It is loved because it is rare and beautiful, but too fragile to have. ZZ as a romantic partner stand as a metaphoric contrast to XW. ZZ is someone JXN thought she love but dropped when facing the first obstacle. XW is someone she grew to love on a deep level BECAUSE of the obstacles they went through. It's a classic example of: What you think you want VS. What you really wanted.
I think the drama could have use another episode at the end to convey JXN true feeling toward XW. The last few episodes was a bit rushed, and JXN isn't an overly emotionally expressive person. Toward XW the grand declaration of love from her may seem sudden but I do believe that that's the real JXN in love. Thank you for listenign to my TED talk.
Because I loved the dram so much, I have so much to say my apologies in advance. I'm really impressed with how…
Love your analysis so much. You're right about XW being the best choice FOR JXN. I felt the same way. Personally I would have chose Yan Lin or Zhang Zhe for myself too but Xie Wei is the best choice not because he's the best but because he's perfect for JXN.
I always view relationship and finding your potential mate as finding the other piece of the puzzle. The goal is not to find the perfect flawless piece. It's to find one that compliment your piece and fit you the most. You can't complete a puzzle with only perfect square pieces because they just slide off and won't link together. You need find the other pieces that has what you don't, and you have what they don't, so the two of you can interlink and stay together. That's what XW is like for JXN. Yan Lin and ZZ is great too.. but for other girls... ZZ maybe too perfect and flawless that's why he never found another piece/girl that compliment him.
The part where she decided to sleep with him really made me question the writer of the novel. Then to say that…
Yeah I agree on her POV in regards to marriage. It's understandable. That's why I thought her decision to sleep with him was so out of character. Considering she wasn't sure about him, wasn't sure if she want do "marriage" again. It just felt a bit rush you know?
The part where she decided to sleep with him really made me question the writer of the novel. Then to say that…
I agree about that "sleeping" part as well. It really took me out of the immersion for the drama. In modern drama it's no big deal, but this is set in ancient time.
Although they have been very lax about women/men interaction, the drama did make a plot-point about that separation when it raised the concern of JXN being together with the rebels. Considering what a big scandal it was - this decision made by JXN really took me out. If she was madly in love with him and they were in a critical situation I would understand her, social conventions be damn. BUT she wasn't even sure about him, and she wasn't even interested in marriage at that time (with anyone not just with him), it's just really weird and out of place decision for her to make.
As for JXN liking XW too quickly - I disagree. To me, JXN was attracted to XW from the beginning. In my opinion, she just didn't realize it, and took it for granted. But more importantly, her true feeling for him was shadowed by her fear of him.
I don't find ZZ boring. I would pick him. XW is too intense, but he suit JXN.
Not really. But I don't see any flaws with ZZ. It's just too bad we don't see much of him in the drama. I like a lot of ML but only in the context of the story OR he's a good fit for the FL. Like I like XW because he's a good fit for JXN, but I personally wouldn't pick him. My favorite/ultimate love-interest ML is Ye Shi Qi from Lost You Forever but even then I wouldn't pick him.
the male lead looks to have lost of a lot of weight since his last two dramas. Hope he's ok.
this was filmed before My Journey To You. This was filmed in early 2022, and MJTY was filmed in late 2022, early 2023. Love Between Fairy and Devil was filmed in 2021. So it's fair to say he regained his weight back.
Wow these two episodes (27-28) are so good and I got so much to say. First the slaps are top tier. Second, Jiang father proved to be the best father in this series. Third, I'm glad to see JXH finally stood up for herself. Fourth - that conversation between JXN and XW, my god was it so hard earned for us viewers. Finally he advising her gently and she actually listen. Unlike the past where he always felt like he's threatening her and she twisted everything he said due to her mistrust toward him. People don't think it's romance but this is romance for me, and their romance already started from day 1. But their romance isn't one that you can see. It's not about skinship or intant attraction. Rather I think trust and loyalty - especially those that are hard-earned like these two are the most romantic.
And finally that Xue Shu girl - oh my I kinda admire her a little. I know she's a villain but honestly, she is right. She was raised and used as a pawn. And unlike JXN who got a second chance at life and a great father, her father was trash. I can't really hate her much because woman in this period had so little autonomy, so I kinda like her a little for taking it back and stuck it to her family. As for the Emperor - frankly we don't know if they actually slept with each other but it doesn't matter. He's smart and he knew in this offer he got everything to gain and nothing to lose. First, she can give him more info on the XUE but more importantly it ruined their chance of replacing him with his brother. With her around, he can use it to taunt them. AND it doesn't give the Xue the leverage of "merit" for sending their daughter for peace-making to use in court later.
If just if, this is just me. If xw threaten to kill me, i wouldnt believe him lol. If he's so capable, he would…
Haha maybe i'm lowkey dense but I wouldn't assume someone like me unless they said it. We know XW is whipped for JXN but he hid his feeling very well whenever he helped her. And his words are very harsh so JXN wouldn't even "dare" to assume a man like XW has feeling for her. I assume from JXN perspective, XW is cunning, strategic, and of course she respect and trust him. But he also feel like he's on a different level than her.
I really like XW as a ML, but him as a romantic partner is a GIANT red flag right now. His warning of "killing" her is NOT it. As viewer we know he's not serious BUT from JXN perspective, that must have been bone chilling. Frankly even if JXN isn't in love with ZZ right now, XW is not doing himself any favor with JXN. He can be upset with her messing up his plan and called out the dangerous stunt she just pulled, but saying he might kill her just cross the line. It's so ironic that he's a brilliant strategist but he's tumbling the bag so hard with JXN.
If XW is written as 2nd ML to be frank I would not ship her with JXN at all. Lbr, if a man say that to me I wouldn't be waiting around to see if he's being real or not. I would gtf out of there. This is a drama afterall.
1. PWX mentioned his family's issue which Su knew about. PWX doesn't get along with his extended family so he doesn't have any peer male relative to come and greet the princess OR if they do, they would embarrass him, which in turn would also embarass the princess. Su probably accepted to spare the princess from embarrassment.
2. PWX mentioned that this is only a "transaction" for them, but that's from PWX POV. Su might wanted to see the princess' reaction seeing him that day, so he can gauge the princess's feeling toward him.
3. This may be far-fetched but maybe he just also want to see the 18yo princess in her wedding gown. In their previous life, they weren't close at this time so maybe he never paid much attention. But this time, he probably wanted to see how she looks. Much like how PWX said he showed up to the banquet because he wanted to see the 18 year old princess again.
I think in their original timeline, he killed the princess for his family revenge, but also deeply loved her. So he died right after she died. Because after her death, life hold no more meaning.
In my opinion, this is a very respectful perspective that the drama did for the Sol character. That her love is not based on fan love, but based on shared memories of each other, and the genuine care they have for one another. That Sol didn't push on Sunjae and try to make him hers romantically, until she realize that he have feeling for her too.
I think her mom and her relationship has something to do with her personality, maybe a death of another sibling that was hinted earlier on. That must have caused her to feet like she's not wanted anymore. It's unhealthy to a point where she's facing terminal illness and yet the first thing she think is that her family is going to come after her asset like vulture. Those words sound like they're come from an incredible lonely and isolated place. Only to be delivered in a deadpan, matter of fact tone, stripping of any human emotions. It's very extreme self-protection tendencies.
We're watching it for the story and context, not watching it to find our next husband.
I'm sorry you cannot separate fantasy and reality, but plenty of people are fully capable to do so because we have a developed sense of reality.
Like or don't like the character - that's prerogative. But please get off your high horse, and stop assuming that other people's intelligence is as undeveloped as you are.
It's long so I'll put it under SPOILER here. And this is coming from a person who loved ZZ and rooted for him.
She said she's scare of him yet he's the first person she trusted. She trust his ability, and later on trusted his motivations. When others doubted him, she have no doubt. She understand him in a level that even she can't describe. She said she's scare of him yet she share her thoughts and plans with him. Even when she said nothing to him, she have this unexplainable trust that he would understand her and have her back. This level of trust she have for him is unlike any she have with the other suitors.
Secondly, she unawarely treated XW like a friend. She teases him, tell him funny stories of her life, complain about her snacks. All behaviors that are more typical of a friend to lover relationship. She's so comfortable with him to the point even XW asked her, "Am I so nice to you that you think we're already friends?" So despite JXN saying she's scare of the oh so scary XW - on a gut level, she already think of him as her people and let him in.
However, I think the main reason people think JXN loving XW too sudden is because we have been lied to by JXN. In her eyes, XW is this cunning, hard to reach type of person so she put up this iron curtain toward him. She didn't DARE to think he could ever like her, and thus also never DARE to even thought she had any romantic feeling for him. On a conscious level - XW is just too out there. But on a subconscious level, he had already seeped into her heart. I believe their romance has started since episode 1. It is not the romance that is rose-tinted with longing gaze or heart flutterings gestures. It is a romance that is like an underwater current, growing slowly underneath but getting stronger day by day, one that you can't see on the surface but exist as a silent force that pushes them toward one another. Their romance is that of trust-building, which is very crucial for their characters, who are people that are deeply traumatized, jaded and have gone through soo much.
That is why I don't think JXN suddenly like XW. Rather, her feeling for him has been shadow/hidden/denied for a long time. It is only freed when she found out about his identity. With all he have done and her understanding of him, any normal person would understand what's going on. BUT JXN stubbornly put up this wall against him because she has high self-preservation as any normal person should, and because she lack this last piece of the puzzle. When she knew his true identity, she has what she needed and everything about XW finally made sense to her. I think this is where people don't give enough credit or appreciate enough about this JXN character. Despite how she feel, she need things to make sense to her.
When Liu Xan told her to "pity" JXN and she did, I do not interpret that as her "feeling bad" for XW like we would toward a less fortunate person. Rather, I think "pitying" XW here actually mean her "humanizing" XW in her eyes. Let's think about it, XW have had a very pitiful life YET as audience or as JXN, we don't feel very sorry for him. It's because even in his most vulnerable state, when he is in his manic episode due to his trauma, he is still shown to be very scary and dangerous individual. However, when JXN understood who he is, XW turn from an invincible crazy person, to a human being with flesh and blood, who can get hurt, and can also love. Like Liu Xan said, XW is a person with a lot of insecurities, so he doesn't dare to love because he's too afraid of losing it. JXN "pitying" XW is about seeing him from this perspective, and not a stone cold manipulator she so used to. She started to imagine XW as the young DingFei, alone and deathly afraid, the hardship he must have endured to survive. This image slowly replace the previous one of XW - the empty eyes, cold blood face that sneered at her, chased her away and wanted her dead.
I think to think JXN choosing XW because he's the ML is actually a disservice to JXN as a character. She told her dad in the drama that she don't think of getting marry. She had married before so she don't need to do it again. This reborn JXN is someone who can live without a man and is ready to do so. She didn't need to pick XW because she's someone who actually did not need to pick any suitor. So the fact she picked XW is because she WANTED to. There's nothing XW could do, no matter how aggressive he can be, or how many time he get hurt to protect her, he could ever never make JXN pick him if she don't already love him.
When JXN hesitated to agree to marry XW - I see that as a hesitation toward marriage and not toward XW. Again, JXN is a girl who need time to think. And everything has been going too fast, her iron curtain about him has just been lifted, and she doesn't want to get caught up in this whirlwind of emotional high. But being at the brink between life and death can make people very clear-headed because they see clearly what they truly valued underneath all their worries. So when she saw XW shot, and at the point of possibly losing this man forever, she succumb to her gut feeling and admit who she truly wanted, and she wants this man. All that overthinking be damn.
In the end, JXN had removed all the physical and emotional wall that stopped her from loving XW. She understood him, she no longer afraid of him, and she felt what it's like to almost lose him forever, and she accepted and allow herself to love him so it only make sense that she got together with him. She could have live a life without him, but she chose him because she want to spend her life with him. Why? Because despite what she "think", she couldn't help being attracted to this man from the very start.
My analysis is solely based on the story from the drama - not the novel. There has been enough changes that in essence, the drama stand entirely different than the novel as far as the romance go. The ZZ in the drama for JXN is not the same ZZ as the novel. She care for YL but idolize ZZ. So that's why she took care of YL, but broke up with ZZ. Because with ZZ, she idolize the idea of him, the idea of a perfect person and a perfect love. With him, she carried guilts, regrets, what could have been, and her aspirations of being a better person. How "easily" she broke up with ZZ is a testament of how light-hearted this romance is in the drama and is in JXN heart. The drama picked the perfect metaphors for their love - the rare, but delicated porcelain vase that cracks easily and no matter hard you try, can never be restore like how it was.It is loved because it is rare and beautiful, but too fragile to have. ZZ as a romantic partner stand as a metaphoric contrast to XW. ZZ is someone JXN thought she love but dropped when facing the first obstacle. XW is someone she grew to love on a deep level BECAUSE of the obstacles they went through. It's a classic example of: What you think you want VS. What you really wanted.
I think the drama could have use another episode at the end to convey JXN true feeling toward XW. The last few episodes was a bit rushed, and JXN isn't an overly emotionally expressive person. Toward XW the grand declaration of love from her may seem sudden but I do believe that that's the real JXN in love. Thank you for listenign to my TED talk.
I always view relationship and finding your potential mate as finding the other piece of the puzzle. The goal is not to find the perfect flawless piece. It's to find one that compliment your piece and fit you the most. You can't complete a puzzle with only perfect square pieces because they just slide off and won't link together. You need find the other pieces that has what you don't, and you have what they don't, so the two of you can interlink and stay together. That's what XW is like for JXN. Yan Lin and ZZ is great too.. but for other girls... ZZ maybe too perfect and flawless that's why he never found another piece/girl that compliment him.
Although they have been very lax about women/men interaction, the drama did make a plot-point about that separation when it raised the concern of JXN being together with the rebels. Considering what a big scandal it was - this decision made by JXN really took me out. If she was madly in love with him and they were in a critical situation I would understand her, social conventions be damn. BUT she wasn't even sure about him, and she wasn't even interested in marriage at that time (with anyone not just with him), it's just really weird and out of place decision for her to make.
As for JXN liking XW too quickly - I disagree. To me, JXN was attracted to XW from the beginning. In my opinion, she just didn't realize it, and took it for granted. But more importantly, her true feeling for him was shadowed by her fear of him.
My favorite/ultimate love-interest ML is Ye Shi Qi from Lost You Forever but even then I wouldn't pick him.
And finally that Xue Shu girl - oh my I kinda admire her a little. I know she's a villain but honestly, she is right. She was raised and used as a pawn. And unlike JXN who got a second chance at life and a great father, her father was trash. I can't really hate her much because woman in this period had so little autonomy, so I kinda like her a little for taking it back and stuck it to her family.
As for the Emperor - frankly we don't know if they actually slept with each other but it doesn't matter. He's smart and he knew in this offer he got everything to gain and nothing to lose. First, she can give him more info on the XUE but more importantly it ruined their chance of replacing him with his brother. With her around, he can use it to taunt them. AND it doesn't give the Xue the leverage of "merit" for sending their daughter for peace-making to use in court later.
I assume from JXN perspective, XW is cunning, strategic, and of course she respect and trust him. But he also feel like he's on a different level than her.
If XW is written as 2nd ML to be frank I would not ship her with JXN at all. Lbr, if a man say that to me I wouldn't be waiting around to see if he's being real or not. I would gtf out of there. This is a drama afterall.