JJJ

Oh definitely, even in the dream sequence part of the drama now, his dream character is kind of irrelevant and basically had no tie to his supposed partner. The 2nd FL has way more tie/connection to the 1st ML than she does to the 2nd ML.

An audio book/drama 😂

I remembered enjoying RJL and TSY in "Under the Power" but always lmao at their "kiss" scenes. The way they had to film it because he wasn't doing kissing scenes back then so you have fade to black and angle changes to show behind the head. I rather they didn't even try for kissing scenes if they were going to do that lol. Sometimes romantic scenes of glances and hand touching are even sweeter than the actual kissing so if they don't want to kiss/kiss scenes aren't good, don't even bother lol.

I think they were in such a hurry for FL to jump to the past that they neglected to let the audience know her as a character first especially for those who never read the novel (this might work in a novel because we get more inner monologues and flashbacks but not in a drama). FL was introduced and her family/clan was also massacred in the same episode lmao. They were just introducing one character after another in rapid succession that I don't even have time to feel bad for them dying. I think they should had the first 1-2 episodes on FL/family/clan and introducing the lore of ML as an incoming threat. Because the "past" now is basically about ML so we don't get anything more from FL.

Yup, and it is like once you experience A+++ chemistry between leads in a drama, it is so hard to get invested in another drama that doesn't have that same level of chemistry because you KNOW what it was like to see amazing chemistry. You end up expecting that same level for all other dramas but sadly, that doesn't happen often.

Yup, also I don't remember if BL started dating ZLH while she filmed this drama or not so that might have some effect on it. That if she was dating already during this drama filming and that potentially hindered her chemistry with LYX.

If not, then yeah, they probably just don't have that same level of chemistry anymore. This drama is also more focused on the action from the jump so I think it neglected some of the emotional bonding needed between the main leads for the audience to feel anything for them as a couple and the angst they will be going through.

Yes! They use a lot inner monologues to tell instead of show. It is a waste opportunity since the romance is so important to the drama as a whole but the focus is so much on the action that the sudden romantic scenes here and there actually takes you out from the drama. The character introduction/set up is also poor IMO. We barely know anything about FL as an individual other than oh she want to save her family/world before her meeting with the ML. While with TSL, we have a sense of who both FL AND ML are as individuals before their path crossed each other.

Yup, maybe they got too comfortable with each other so there is no tension anymore. You can tell they are "acting" so it is hard for me to immerse myself in the story and feel for their characters. Plus the transition is kind of all over the place so the shift in their emotions are so rapid that it is hard for me to feel bad in one moment and then go oh FL is "okay" now.

Same, I feel like on the baseline level, I should be liking TTEOTM with ohhh ML evil and FL is strong and will save the world/him at the same time. BUT I am just not feeling their chemistry. Like there are moments where you know this is supposed to be romantic and ML is becoming curious about FL/falling in love but there is nothing there for me to really feel it in my heart that I believe these two will have an earth shattering love.

Yeah, you can tell Youku invested in TTEOTM a lot more than TSL with the set designs and costumes alone. Not to mention the promotion for TTEOTM is everywhere right now on the C-side.

Still hanging around here. I gave TTEOTM a chance and sigh, something is just not hitting. You can tell that drama got budget with the way it was promoted plus the cast list. But the romance/chemistry aspect is so lacking for me compared to TSL. Idk why but LYX and BL had better chemistry in "Love Is Sweet" than this current drama. I also think TSL is so fresh in the xianxia genre that having TTEOTM right after with the usual hidden agenda, betrayal trope, and misunderstanding trope kind of dimmed its shine. I guess I really still got TSL brain rot and it is affecting my other drama viewing experience lol.

I watched on Youtube! But I also watched on Youku because I can understand without the subtitles. Maybe try dramacool, I know they have subtitles?

CMC is under Liu Ning's company (producer of TSL, "Guardians of the Lands", and other dramas). He is still considered a rookie I would say, "Guardians of the Lands" is his first main role (not aired yet).

LLD is under the company called Tangren Media, she is signed to them for a few years now however it is said the end of her contract with them is coming up. CXX is independent from what I know, meaning he runs his own studio and doesn't report to a company (this allows for more freedom and he doesn't have to attend events/do projects he doesn't want to).

Yes! For years they have been saying he will never be better than his LCY role but now he has YQ + LM, MYQ, and MR and they are all so different from each other and from his LCY role. This was honestly the drama he needed to get away from the LCY role and allowed people to see him/his acting in a new light.

Same but I see it already happening from that "fall in love" comment they added in the final episode of TSL and the words on the fan (i.e. bat for both teams or the title of that drama, I don't remember clearly now) that Wenren held. CXX I can see backing away from it (he usually doesn't do promo to that extent anyway from my research, TSL really is the one exception so far) but CMC I can see playing it up (not really on him but he is under Liu Ning so he won't really have a choice either way).

That't hilarious because CXX was still in college or at least just graduated then so he didn't even have a solid fanbase yet (even though he acting since he was young). People projected on PXR hard and claimed she was pitiful like her character and you can still see these same type of comments while CXX still got hate on for playing a character. I know the shippers from back then were mad too because CXX in an interview around then said he won't date anyone more than 2-3 years old than him and PXR is like 6 years older than him so he shattered any hope of them together irl lol.

I didn't look into the trailer thing so no idea but I am happy they went with his original voice. This shows CXX is entirely capable of acting without needing to rely on voice actors which gives him a better edge.

Youku is Youku lol. This drama really succeeded because of the actors/actresses with their acting skills.

I liked the drama at the start but couldn't finish it once they introduced the "primary wife" (even though it is HE at the end and the character is a good one) but it just demonstrated the ML's lack of power from preventing it to happen which I really didn't care for. And yeah, the drama is cute for what it is but it is nothing deep (didn't require much depth) and not something I did rewatch again.

I think both CXX and LLD both tend to switch up between romance dramas and more "life" dramas that are more realistic so it is good that they are keeping that up to make sure they don't get stuck on just acting romance/idol-like dramas.

I know he will have to do those typical drama broadcast promo but I wonder if he will have to do anymore especially since the producer is who it is... probably not a good idea to go against him for his future ugh.

Yes! Glad it was LLD at the end of the day.

The mess with TXW was bad but I am not going to get into it lol. I enjoyed her in "Lovely Us" and "New Life Begins" but I would say her range seems limited for more complicated emotions.

I watched LLD's "Enlighten Your Life" recently and her acting is great there too.