Daytimel

At its core, feminism is about dismantling the patriarchy, because only then can there be a world with equal rights, opportunities, and genuine free choice. Otherwise, it’s just ‘choice feminism.

Seems like you don't get it eventhough I said it before. My critique is not about her choices but about her being non-existent if not for TLC as a character. She is not his equal as a character and not as a love interest. I really do hope that you understand it now. Her so called choices revolve around the male lead ONLY!

Exactly! Finally someone who understands me. It's just such a pity cause Ashui could have had that treatment too especially if she is the love interest of TLC.

No dear, Feminism doesn’t fight for women to simply make free choices, its goal is to dismantle the patriarchy 🤗 hope this helps you more to understand 👍🏻

No dear, I associate independence with independence, but you’re not ready to hear that yet. Let’s just agree to disagree.

Ok you are 100% deflecting and minimizing my critique. You’re redirecting the conversation to the identity of critics, past fandom behavior, production constraints, or genre conventions instead of engaging with the actual issue which is weak writing. You’re framing my critique as "negative" or unfair, subtly tone-policing me and trying to discredit the argument rather than addressing it. I also noticed your repeated attempts to shade and imply things about me, it’s unnecessary and frankly childish. That’s exactly how underwritten female characters get dismissed instead of being properly critiqued.

Pointing out weak writing isn’t negativity, it’s necessary if we want better representation and more complex female characters in dramas. There’s no need to continue this conversation if criticism is going to be constantly redirected or personalized. Seems like someone likes Ashui as a character despite her flawed writing and cannot accept different opinions about her. Hope you have a good day still 😄

You are missing my point. My critique is about the bad writing itself, specifically how Ashui is written without independence from the male lead. XFT is independent, thinks for herself, and has her own motivations. Why should anyone even compare the two when they are so different from the start? Subtle hints, mysterious powers, or plot-driven abilities aren’t the same as real character development, and framing the story as male-centric doesn’t change the fact that the writing leaves her underdeveloped.

People are shying away from critiquing these issues, but it is necessary if we want better representation and more complex female characters in dramas.
But let's agree to disagree.

My critique is about her orbiting around TLC and not having real agency outside of him. It’s already episode 18, halfway through the drama, and there’s still no meaningful development for her. Personally, I would struggle to trust a story that hasn’t introduced a convincing female character by this point, but you do you.

And I am saying her "choices" and "motivations" revolve around TLC only 😄 that was what I was criticizing. Anyways I hope I will enjoy it too, thanks!

I think you are redirecting the conversation to context instead of addressing the actual issue. Explaining the system doesn’t change what it produces and ends up protecting the structure that keeps women underwritten. Criticism isn’t negativity; it is about calling out weak writing, which is still present here, not just for Ashui but for nearly every character besides Tang Lici. Let’s just call it by its name, it’s bad writing, no matter the genre 🤗

My point isn’t that she isn’t strong or admirable as a person. The issue is how the story writes her. Right now, the narrative frames her almost entirely around Tang Lici, which limits her agency and makes her feel underdeveloped.

You can admire her strength and still expect the writers to give her choices, motivations, and scenes that define her outside of the male lead. Recognizing her personal qualities doesn’t mean we shouldn’t notice weak writing or missed opportunities for richer character development.

I appreciate the context, but I want to address what’s really being implied here. Suggesting that criticism of Ashui mainly comes from BL or danmei fans who don’t want a female lead subtly dismisses valid critiques and implies that anyone pointing out weak writing must be biased. That is not true. Critiquing a character’s lack of agency, motivation, or depth has nothing to do with fandom or genre preference. It is about the quality of the writing.

Even if Ashui is meant to be mysterious or miraculous, the writers could still give her choices, subtle motivations, and foreshadowing to make her feel like a fully realized character. Right now, she mostly exists to orbit Tang Lici, and that is what makes her feel underdeveloped.

Calling out these patterns is not anti-female or a double standard. It is about storytelling and representation. Excusing weak writing by hiding behind genre conventions or assuming critics are biased fans only perpetuates underdeveloped female characters. Discussions like this are important because they help us see how to write women with agency and depth.

I see what you’re implying, but let me clarify something. My critique has nothing to do with disliking a female character or applying a double standard. It’s about writing depth and narrative structure. Pointing out that almost every character, male or female, revolves around Tang Lici isn’t bias, it’s analysis.

Suggesting that criticism of Ashui must come from discomfort with caring or dependent women is exactly the kind of framing that shuts down meaningful discussion. I’m not against femininity or nurturing traits, I’m against flat writing that defines a woman’s entire existence by a man’s storyline.

You can absolutely appreciate all types of women in fiction and still expect them to be written with agency, individuality, and purpose. That’s not a contradiction; that’s a standard for good storytelling.

And honestly, it makes complete sense that women criticize Ashui’s character more than the male ones. When you’ve lived in a world that often limits women’s voices and agency, you notice immediately when a female character is written as secondary, dependent, or without her own goals.

Real women don’t exist to orbit men or to reflect their growth, yet that’s still how female characters are too often written. It’s not about "hating" her; it’s about wanting better representation. Women want to see female characters who are as complex, flawed, and self-driven as real women are. That’s not bias, that’s awareness.

And that’s exactly why conversations like this matter. Talking about how women are written, what patterns we see, and what feels outdated is important for feminism to grow. The more we discuss it openly, the clearer it becomes what real equality and nuanced female representation can look like.

My point isn’t that softness or dependency makes a character "useless".

What I meant is that, from a writing perspective, she hasn’t been given much agency or inner motivation beyond her connection to Tang Lici. It’s not about her being a homemaker-type or lacking ambition; it’s about her not having a personal arc that shows her inner world or her choices shaping the story.

Strength can absolutely be expressed through kindness, but even kind, nurturing characters can be written with depth, conflict, and individuality. That’s what I feel is missing right now. I’d love to see the show explore that side of her more, so her warmth feels like a conscious strength, not just a trait in service of the male lead. BUT yeah that is my perspective, if you have less expectations regarding the quality so be it 😌 I personally want to see female characters that are equal to their male counterparts... not a side-character that is being used for the arc of the ml.

that again is so unfortunate... again it's her relation to a man which is important 🫡

We’re already at episode 18, and she still doesn’t have distinct character traits or an agenda outside of TLC. Even if her backstory gets revealed later, it’s still weak writing not to give any clues by now.

I also said she feels useless, not that she is, but as a character, she revolves completely around TLC, and he’s her only focus. That’s not limited to her either; it’s the same with Chi Yun, Shen Langhun, and even Liu Yan. It’s honestly disappointing because the show has potential for deeper, more layered characters but right now it just seems like your typical Liu Yun Xi drama... 90% at the center.

And about the idea that “people just don’t want the ML to interact closely with women,” that’s quite a dismissive and frankly misogynistic way to frame valid criticism. Many of us want to see strong, well-written female characters who can stand beside male leads as equals, not just orbit them. Wanting better female representation isn’t about jealousy; it’s about wanting quality writing and agency.

The “damsel in need” archetype with no inner drive or unique identity feels outdated. I’d love to see her and the other characters get more independent goals, choices, and internal struggles. That’s what gives characters real weight and makes dramas more meaningful too.

She feels so useless, because she as a character has no goals and needs other than Tang Lici... not a very good written character despite her abilities. It's a shame... without Tang Lici she would have nothing at this point 😬

yes exactly!

Haha I totally get it though. My fav. dramas would probably also not be that great anymore after a second watch 😂

100% agree about everything you said and I am still at ep 20 so far... but how could people enjoy this drama so much honestly. It baffles me that this is considered one of the best Cdramas 😭

this is very accurate tbh!