suirennaa

i'm missing him for some reason 🥲

i liked her in the drama, 'Falling before Fireworks' ✨ it’s such a therapeutic watch, definitely a good intro to her.

i didn’t even know blocking was available. comments can really affect the viewing experience as a drama fan. i'm here for the content, reviews, and plot or character discussions. if i want to talk about the artists, i'll just go to their page.

on another note, i’m the same as you when it comes to adaptations. i learned a while ago to separate them from the original, it’s much easier to immerse yourself that way.

it’s because they wrapped up filming by the end of July 2025 that fans expected an announcement in August 2025 and believed the 🍉 posts about the drama, but nothing actually happened. so honestly, fans should’ve learned by now not to trust rumors.

also, i'm not associating this with the situation surrounding the male lead at the time—i'm not even sure exactly when that happened. i edited my original post so others wouldn’t jump to that conclusion, i’m not aware of the timeline overlap.

not blaming anyone, just something to think about. the fact that this drama is only making announcements now already says a lot. like you said, fans were expecting something after filming, but nothing materialized. it just shows that rumors aren’t that reliable. even casual remarks from producers shouldn’t be taken too seriously unless they’re officially confirmed.

i also just realized the timeline i mentioned earlier overlapped with something else, so i need to edit that.

just a reminder to take everything with a grain of salt.

just to note, an artist’s status is never fixed. some rise, some remain steady, while others decline. it’s already a positive sign that they continue to have projects when others are nowhere to be seen. i think fans should learn to appreciate and cherish all the works their faves put out. they might have been drawn to the character and script. some artists don’t place much importance on billing order, and i actually admire that. ultimately, only the involved parties know the details of the contracts, it’s not right for outsiders like us to speculate.

this drama should have had a promotional announcement back in July/August 2025, and i guess we all know what happened then—nothing. it’s already fortunate that it has managed to secure an airing schedule now. just some food for thought.

as a drama fan, i simply hope that when the drama airs, people will focus on the work itself rather than external matters. so it's good that you’re clear on what you want early on and have already reached a sense of closure.

i think the palace intrigue theme gives that vibe. tho they say it’s not really female-centric (depending on how you define it) but rather driven by two strong leads. they’re a power couple, both ruthless in their own ways. that might be why they also changed it to a more ruthless english title lol

the problem with some chinese fans is that they refuse to believe negative rumors about their faves, yet are quick to believe rumors that paint them in a positive light. when marketing accounts spread damaging rumors, they dismiss them—but when those same accounts spread narratives that benefit their faves, they accept them without question. at the end of the day, they’re all still rumors, so what’s the difference?

this drama has been plagued by rumors from filming up until now, and some fans are even contributing to the spread. fans should be more rational.

every character an actor plays is the result of their hard work, regardless of screen time or billing order. in a drama, actors should be judged by their acting skills and nothing else. actors are employees and there are many things outside of their control. in comparison, fans have far less influence over those decisions. what fans can do is support their fave's characters and works. with consistent support, hopefully their fave will receive better opportunities and we’ll get to see more of their work in the future.

negative attitudes and unnecessary conflicts within fandoms can easily backfire and have an adverse effect on how the industry views an actor. those who hold real decision-making power can ultimately shape an actor’s opportunities regardless of how large their fanbase is.

right, they said she has a classic movie star face and to this day, the public still remembers her from her movie debut as “Wei Lai.” the texture of films is really different from dramas, though i do appreciate that her recent dramas (LOTFG and DGY) don’t rely on heavy skin-smoothing.

that said, most of her past dramas have been low-production, aside from LOTFG which is S-tier, and possibly RDS as well. i feel like her earlier dramas were decent but didn’t fully showcase her potential (unlike in films), though i understand these were likely the best opportunities available to her at the time.

however, i've seen a clear leap in her acting in DGY from LOTFG and i’m looking forward to her performance in SOB. she'll likely surprise me again based on the trailer.

since she also seems to have limited film resources, it would be wise for her to take on more serious dramas (if given the chance) alongside veteran actors, which appears to be the path she’s currently pursuing. that route could at least give her a chance at award nominations or even a win.

i've def said too much now 😅✌i do have a soft spot for her since i've mostly seen her in films and she does have a strong eye for character selection + i can tell she’s an actor who is genuinely dedicated to refining her craft.

i just saw this! for some reason, i'm reminded of wei lai haha

the plot looks intriguing and engaging. it seems like the leads are both black lotus lol they also both look stunning, and the ambiguous vibe between them is insane. glad (and i hope) there's no heavy skin-smoothing filter, i can't really get into dramas that use it. it's just off-putting. adding this to my watchlist.

most likely. perhaps may or june? there will be materials on the 20th for iqiyi world conference.

that's true. post production for RDS would probably take quite a while since it's a serious drama with military elements. i think she's returning to the film industry tho, there's been a lot of hints lately. Damai released promotional articles about her + she won Weibo Film Award + her boss said she's selecting film scripts + did a promotional video for Beijing International Film Festival + attended the premiere carpet of The Devil Wears Prada 2 🤔

all good on my end, no worries. and thanks for the recommendation! i'll add it to my long list lol i used to consume a lot of content too (maybe a slight addiction 😅) but i've mellowed down over the years and have become pretty selective. i guess it’s a mix of growing up + the fact that media quality isn’t what it used to be (especially asian dramas). now, i'm mostly into mind-based competitive reality shows.

i’ve been respectful and objective in my replies but you started questioning whether i have comprehension issues and even suggested i still don’t understand what good writing is despite the fact that i liked ‘Meet Yourself’. so i assumed you may have misinterpreted my responses. you can reflect on this thread.

if that’s also all you got from this drama, i guess that’s on you. going back to your original comment about the criteria on MDL for rating a story because this doesn't deserves an 8. i guess that's also on you.

just to clarify, when someone has worked their way up, they can enjoy the benefits of more leisure time without constant worries. we’re still bound by work but we’re not working all the time. of course, this can vary across different professions and industries.

yeah, that’s also somewhat our responsibility as users 😅 for castings, i think billing or officially published lead roles matter but you should include links to official announcements or the official site to support that.

just submitted that tag for approval.

there's no ‘slight romance’ genre on MDL, just ‘romance’. i doubt there's intricately specific genre like that anywhere.

the description isn’t meant to summarize the entire story, it sets expectations for the narrative focus. if the premise clearly tells you the story centers on her personal growth and helping others, then judging it mainly by how much romance the male lead gets already shifts the evaluation away from what the story is actually prioritizing.

the drama being labeled ‘romance’, ‘fantasy’ doesn’t mean it must prioritize romance in the way you expect. it can still focus on business and growth while keeping romance as a secondary layer. that’s a structural choice, not a flaw by default. are we ignoring that the first genre is ‘business’? putting that aside, MDL users can include genres and tags here themselves. ‘Joy of Life’ also has the ‘romance’ genre but do viewers focus on that? no, because it’s primarily ‘mystery’ (first genre).

as for impact, a story doesn’t have to dramatically “change your life” to awaken something in you. sometimes it inspires reflection or offers lessons in a subtle way. as someone who has reached high in my career but still feels uncertain about what path comes next, i appreciated how this drama broadened my perspective and made me reflect on life beyond just success.

not my intention if you felt ‘attacked.’ i’m just baffled when i see viewers expecting something else when the drama’s focus is laid out in the open so i usually clarify the perspective.

i can’t really argue with that if you’re completely ignoring what the story is meant to be and only judging it by surface impressions—because then what’s the plot even there for? if you watch an action-focused story and still expect heavy romance just because there’s a male and female lead, that’s not a writing issue. at that point, it’s not criticism, it’s just rewriting the genre in your head.

i like it because i actually care about the plot, and this drama along with its production team, has been consistent and overall solid in that regard. from the writing and set design to the acting, cinematography, and editing.

i mentioned in my review that i've always believed literature and art exist to awaken something within us—to deepen our understanding of life, love, the self, good and evil, and everything in between. and i stand by the fact that this drama does exactly that.