Krish728

ALP does start very slow and picks up well after 10-15 eps. I have seen the ratings and reviews on here during the initial eps and they were not encouraging, but as the story progressed, the ratings and reviews did a complete flip around - at this point, I was yet to watch this show, so I know what to expect from the first few episodes, but I still liked them very much. After completing the show, you will come to appreciate the first few episodes which contributed to the character introductions and their relationships, world-building etc.

With regards to comparisons between ALP and LAR, I don't know which I like the most. Probably I like them both equally.

I can point out in what departments I think ALP is superior to LAR:

Acting - definitely acting. While I do love the acting in LAR, I think the acting in ALP beats it. Especially the ML and FL in this, the difference they show in portraying 2-3 different characters they play, I think that is very hard to pull off.

VFX - yeah, no doubt.

Main Antagonist - I feel like the antagonist in ALP is deeply layered.

Best Cast Ensemble.

As Draco above said, not everyone will like it, I suppose. If you want a better introduction to Xu Kai, I'd suggest Arsenal Military Academy, if you're into Republican era dramas.. well, I was not into Republican era dramas before this.. and didn't like any other after this.. so you can say this was the exception.. and this drama was my introduction to Xu Kai, so when I went into this drama, I had no expectations.. it turned out great. So, maybe give it a try? Xu Kai's acting in this drama earned him Best Actor awards. And his chemistry with Bai Lu was just top-notch.

Another drama I suggest will be Ancient Love Poetry (just to warn you, the first few episodes will be boring, as it focuses on world building, character introductions.. but they are important.. and then in the later episodes it gets better and better and better.. like we've seen dramas that start great, but go downhill at the end. This one's reverse). Again, his acting was incredible in this.
I'm very excited for She and Her Perfect Husband. Xu Kai, once again, is coming up with a new look and new type of character he's never explored. And it looks like, for the first time, he is voicing his own character in this show.

Thank you for explaining the Tribulation in detail.

There is this other point that I am not quite satisfied with. Qingmu and Houchi's happy ending. I don't believe that Houchi can forgive Bai Jue, even if he did what he did to protect Shanggu. Bai Jue hurt her pride, humiliated her, took away her love, shattered her heart, caused death of her only 'parent'. That is too much damage for one to forgive. So, to say that Houchi and Qingmu are part of Shanggu and Bai Jue: Having their (BJ and SG) happy ending does not mean a happy ending for Houchi and Qingmu. I really hope that Shanggu and Bai Jue can find a way to separate themselves from Houchi and Qingmu and give them their life back.. probably also give their son back to them to raise. Cause it seems neither Bai Jue nor Shanggu cared enough to raise Yuanqi well. Bai Jue, for his reasons, kept his distance from Yuanqi, while Shanggu, after Bai Jue's sacrifice, did not much care for her son.

Ok, so I've been lurking in this comment section ever since this drama started airing, reading spoilers and discussions. I wanted to start watching after all the episodes are available for free on wetv app, and so I did. Binge-watched it all in 3 days. wow, what a wild ride. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have to disagree with folks regarding the ending. I think this ending is pretty good, leaves a lot to our wonderful imagination. Maybe a 3-4 min montage of what happens next can be shown at best, but having an extra episode will put the story in an awkward position if you ask me. Like there are some important questions that need to be asked but are best left unanswered and having an extra episode might scratch surfaces of those questions. Like who's going to take on the next Tribulation? Their son? Shanggu? Or Bai Jue? What will happen then?

Did anyone get Mo Qing (The Legends) vibes from Xu Kai's portrayal of Bai Jue (post-Qingmu)? Big fan of Xu Kai since Arsenal Military Academy.

Have to say, I wasn't excited about Zhou Dong Yu and her pairing with Xu Kai. I was proven wrong after watching the show. The chemistry was on point and Zhou Dong Yu nailed her acting.
My favorite pairing with Xu Kai will still be Bai Lu.. if a pairing can create exciting sparks without any skinship or kiss scenes (re: Arsenal Military Academy), then that pairing is, imo, #1.

9/10 - would def rate 10/10 if not for the bad editing in some parts that took me out of the story for a while.

Tong Yao was only 19 in the novel. Not legal to marry below 20, so no proposal.

Most of ep 28 was not from the novel, it was created for the drama. Lu Si Cheng never had any falling out with his teammates. The anti-fan in the police station incident, and Lu Si Cheng's wrist pain issue aside, basically everything else in that episode can be said to be created for the drama.

Yeah she was only 19 years in the novel, and he meant "child" in the novel, while they changed it into "shorty" in the drama.

I don't know about the others.. I had read the novel before the series aired.. so I had very high expectations of the series, and now I am thoroughly satisfied with what I am watching until now (maybe with the exception of Cheng Xiao's stiff acting in some scenes.. but that gets covered up with the AMAZING CHEMISTRY she has with Xu Kai).

The leads get together in episode 21, and the first kiss happens in episode 23.. not just the first kiss.. the second kiss, the third kiss, the fourth, the fifth, and even the sixth kiss happens in that episode.

If you are looking at modern romance:

https://www.novelupdates.com/series/slowly-falling-for-changkong/

https://www.novelupdates.com/series/a-lifetime-of-peace-and-care/

https://www.novelupdates.com/series/rebirth-on-the-doors-to-the-civil-affairs-bureau/

And another one, but it's not modern.. it's in the 70s:
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/bai-fumei-in-the-70s/

No, Ming god and other players from ZDGX A-team do not have a crush on Tong Yao. They all follow bro code.. And Lu Yue? He already started calling her Sister-in-law in the show at this point.. so, no chance there as well. There's a kid in B-team though (in the novel Tong Yao is only 19 years old, so, the kid in the B-team is only 16-17 years old) who may have intentions towards her.. but he never confessed to her and we don't actually hear his thoughts.. so, can't confirm if he really does have romantic feelings towards her (but Lu Si Cheng does get jealous of the care Tong Yao shows to this kid as a senior).. but I don't think the show will have the B-team and this small plot will be sacrificed. There is no cast mention of it in MDL.. of course, 31 episodes is very little to fit them in. At the current pace, it looks like the leads will get together much later than 20 episodes, and there's a lot that happens after that in the novel. The B-team plot is basically unnecessary, so it makes sense.

Yes, a lot of kisses.. and even 18+ adult stuff (which I'm sure will not be happening in the show.. maybe they will hint at it?).
don't know if Jian Yang falls in love with another girl, he just realizes that Tong Yao has gotten over him completely and he has no chance..
I don't think the angst will be around ep 15-16, that is way too early and they are not even together. I mean, there is something that happens around that time.. ZDGX players were at an event and they are asked to perform some activity (like lifting up some selected fans and running around carrying them or something). Tong Yao gets angry about it and snaps. This becomes a big issue.. and Lu Si Cheng is angry at Tong Yao for doing that (I mean he is not angry that she feels offended, but for lashing out in front of everyone and creating a negative impact on herself). But it's nothing angsty.

Before they are together, and she gets sorted out before the leads are together.

It's Su Luo. Mydramalist lists her as a supporting role, but it should be a guest role if they are following the novel closely (which they did up until now).

I read the novel, and there are no break ups whatsoever. Don't think it will happen in the show as well, as with the current pace, they might get together at around 18-20th Episode (maybe even later). There will be a lot of flirting before that..

There is only one minor angsty moment after they get together, where FL's receives a gift from an anti-fan (FL doesn't know it was from an anti-fan) and when she opens the gift, a concealed blade in the wrapping cuts her finger. FL cannot play for a few matches and Lu Yue replaces her.. at the same time FL gets a lot of hate online.. ML feels that he didn't protect FL well, so he, in process of taking care of all the issues, does not attend to FL for a couple of days, and FL misunderstands it as ML wanting to break up with her.. so she falls into depression. This gets cleared up pretty quick.. and all this should only be 1 episode.. at most not more than an episode and a half.. Apart from that, it's all smooth sailing.

What I like about this novel is that, there is no third party trying to break them apart after they get together. Jian Yang and that Lu Si Cheng's blind date girl gets sorted before the leads get together, so no issues from them.