MJN

They never reveal who her real parents are.

I ended up giving this a 9 and the reason being is the acting. The acting alone is what sold the whole story.

To begin with Zhao Lu Si's was basically born to play this part and she did it so well, as she does with almost every single character she acts. She knows how to embrace her characters and basically becomes them and you root right along with her or cry with her or laugh with her. Overall, she was exceptional.

Luo Yi Zhou, this kid was amazing. For being an idol turned actor, he has such a bright future. I can only see great things and wish him many huge roles in his career. What a talent and I am looking so forward to what he will do.

The rest of the cast all amazing, although there were one or two I didn't particularly care for, but they grew on me as the story progressed. Rebecca character being one. I really did not like her character at the beginning, but with every character I think she had some amazing growth in this story. So kudos to Alina Zhang for creating a wonderful hate to love character.

Another character, I want to point, whom I thought would have so much more protentional, but was so disappointed in how the writer took their story, but he played the character so well that we all ended up hating him toward the end, was Li Quan. Zhu Jun Lin, is another great talent and I was quite impressed with his acting, even though he was dealt a horrible story in my opinion. He excelled at his character.

And finally, all the veteran actors, amazing as always. Looking forward to seeing Wu Gang in JOL 2.

Now for my thoughts on the story in general:

I will start off by saying, I think this could have easily been only 24 episodes. I will go on further to explain why below. The focus on TCM was great and that is what the drama was suppose to be about. I loved all the lessons and the use on patients. Actually I even learned a few tidbits. It was really refreshing. I came to watch because of that and of course ZLS. The Covid arc did not bother me, because I liked seeing how they integrated TCM along with Western Medicine.

I wish actually there was more of that and less of say the Meng Meng storyline and the LQ storyline. These two stories/arcs were very very unnecessary, they distracted from the main point of the whole story. It was okay to have some side situations, but there was to much focus on some of these.

There were definitely some episodes/arcs that could have completely been left out and/or more added and it still would have been an amazing story. The relationship between master/apprentice and TCM as the just the main focus of the drama and it would still have been an amazing story. It was okay for a side story maybe half an episode or not at all, because a lot of those side stories made the drama look bad. No doctor in their right mind would have treated Meng Meng the way that RTZ did, she would probably have lived, if she had gotten the right treatment; LQ's story was just way to extreme for this slice of life drama; TT spending that many episodes looking after WSD; the lie about TT's parentage; all these are examples of wasted time that could have been used for more TCM or even more of master/student bonding and learning.

The last episode was also a bit of a disappointment. There were a few cute scenes, but the dancing (not that it was bad, was silly, I mean it came out of no where). I liked how they did all the Solar Terms, but I preferred them in each episode vs spending what 5-10 mins in one segment in the final episode. I wish they had given TT and RTZ a bit more bonding time. Rebecca and PSY's proposal was a bit cute, perfect for them. I did like the very final scene as well.

Overall, there was way to much drag, the writing was not the best I have seen, could have been so much better. The acting saved this drama and they were amazing. I wanted more TCM focused storyline. The OSTs were absolutely wonderful too. I don't usually pay much attention to that, but the ones in this dramas were amazing and very memorable. So thank the actors for the score, because otherwise, I probably would have dropped this a long time ago.

That's good to know, I didn't know that they did their algorithm like that.

I can't stand watching Avenue X. I think she is super bias. I think she also hates Zhao LuSi, who is an amazing actress. I won't watch Ave. X anymore because most of what she has to say is biased and just rude.

I would be happy if they started doing this or at least keep up this trend. I noticed Gen Z has stayed at an 8.0 for awhile now, it should have gone up (at least that is what I think). So MDL waiting til the drama finishes to display the actual rating makes me happy. I hate it when to many people rate a drama before it finishes. How can you already tell if it is going to be good or end badly. I won't even rate a drama if I drop it, because I never finished it, so I don't think it is fair to rate it.

I do have to say, he redeemed himself a bit when he called and asked about her and then again when she showed up when she found out he was sick. You could see it in his eyes how happy and elated he was to see her. I think that is the most emotion I have ever seen from him, regarding his wife, right there in that scene.

This two episodes made me feel like Tou Tou was unimportant. I know she is staying with WSD, but..... It didn't really seem like she was really part of this particular arc. I like that they showed TCM working in conjunction with Western Med to help fight Covid. I just didn't think it really needed 2 episodes of it. I think so much of these two episodes could have been reduced to one.

Also, was there a reason they didn't show RXZ's parents, they never showed the faces, were they just an afterthought or not really important. Why bring them into the house if not going to show them (not that we really cared or needed to see them, just curious)?

I thought they were closing the medical center down, why was Rebecca there still working? Everyone else, was at home, even PSY, who is a pediatric doctor.

A few inconstancies, but they were showing TCM at work, which is the main focus of the drama. I just wish Zhao Lu Si's character was more involved in the Covid arc.

Did he really just leave without saying goodbye to his wife or anything?

yes, I didn't mean mistranslation. Let me see if I can say this right. I mean more of misrepresentation, that might not be right either. So the Demon Lord could call her sister as she is a sister in the same clan, not as in sister/sibling. Usually you see they call each other brothers/sisters if they are in the same clan or have the same status, I have seen this anyway.

I agree. I couldn't finish the rest of today's episode after I saw that scene, I was in tears. Also, I didn't care for them to show RXZ helping LQ, or brushing his situation aside.

it's from the past, because he took the fake phoenix (lowly peacock) to that town where the fight occurred and told him her (the fake), that that was where her previous life was. I am not sure why he calls her sister and then princess. I want to say the sister is a mistranslation, because he was calling the fake phoenix the saintess at one point as well. Maybe they will explain it more later. Maybe she was a princess in her previous life that is why he called her that.

I am use to it. That is one of the distinguishing things about JJY. She carries it well and it looks really good on her.

Finally caught up and I have to say this drama is getting better and better with each episode. I hope it continues that way. I really am enjoying it. It is probably one of my favorite xianxia dramas for right now.

I am glad you said that about the king of heaven, I was going to ask that question. I thought that is what he really wanted the phoenix for and not what he told his son, so that she wouldn't be tainted by the other realms. Man is there a good heavenly emperor or king in any xianxia drama, lol?

Curious for those who have seen the previews for the next couple of episodes:

I was reading the text from the previews in the comments and they said RXZ went to Wuhan. I remember someone commenting about how they think RXZ might die. Do you think he will die from this? especially before clearing up the TT daughter thing?

which sucks cause this drama didn't need a villian....it was going so well and it aggravates me they took this turn....we didn't need this storyline, the writer imo, screwed this up big time

That is probably the biggest reason I prefer modern K Dramas over Modern C Dramas. The flow of K Dramas are such much better for the most part that is. I mean you do see a lot of last minute fixes etc, but they screw up nearly as much as C Dramas when it comes to modern dramas.

I agree. I actually had the utmost respect for RXZ and appreciated what he did for his apprentices and the class, etc. I thought he did really good things, by helping that one village with their medicinal herbs and helping the poor without receiving anything in return. I guess I have been looking at him all wrong and it actually pisses me off. I am utterly disheartened now, by this whole story, that I don't even know if I want to finish it.

I am so afraid of that, too. If that happens, as much as I like Zhao Lu Si, I will hate this drama, the writer, etc. They can't them a couple and then do this crap and end it like that.

I agree. Matter of fact, after that it really made me change my view, whereas I thought he might be a possible father for TT, now I am pretty sure he isn't. And why didn't they address that, especially after RXZ told WSD that he had told everyone TT was his daughter. Ugh!!!