Joe Chen's character is too reckless. She's constantly in over her head. Plus she really has no clue about anything. That bracelet incident was just the worst. Glad I watched the condensed/abridged version on YT. I'm not sure if I could handle 40 episodes of a lot of unnecessary melodrama. At the end of the day I only liked Huang Xiaoming's character Zuo Zhen and the Xiang Hanchuan character -- absolute rocks. Exemplifying stoicism in the best way possible.
I wonder why no girl seem to be interested in Duke su, he is more good looking, has a higher position than others.
What are you talking about? There are at least two women who like him. :D The Scorpion Doctor and the dancing girl at the start of Episode 9. It's more the case that he's not interested in them.
Is there a difference between the novel and the screen adaptation re: the husband's motivation for killing the FL? Because my impression from the show is that he did it under duress. He sounded like he was being held hostage by the Princess Royal or was being blackmailed. But I just read something rather different further down the thread. He also doesn't seem to like the princess all that much and resists her ideas.
It's not exactly at the depth of the Count of Monte Cristo but the set-up has me thinking of Princess Weiyoung. The female protagonist is the sort of character that Wu Jinyan has made a career of playing (intelligent, tactical and ambitious) but I'm probably more intrigued by Duke Su or Xiao Heng played by the talented Wang Xingyue who at the tender age of 22 exudes the kind of gravitas one expects only from someone much older. At this point the show positions him as the show's dispassionate observer looking on from the fringes with the critical eye of a sleuth. He has an inkling or two about the dubious homophonous A'Li (Jasmine or Fox) but is content to be an eager spectator of the game she's spinning. I don't take much stock in C drama trailers so I'm inclined to think that romance is a very minor part of the story and the slowburn will undoubtedly be an agony to watch.
Surprisingly (or perhaps not) with such a young cast there's a serious undertone not just because of the revenge factor but the power plays involving the children of court officials. Why does the Li family need so much money? It usually means one of two things. The fact that the sister of the emperor is abusing her power with crazed abandon adds to the impression that some people who have more than most aren't satisfied with their lot in life.
Despite the ungrammatical English title, this was a masterclass in storytelling. I don't endorse everything that's said or done in the show but there's little doubt in my mind that this is a great conversation starter on a very difficult subject. Thematically it is is rich and comparisons can be drawn with Meet Yourself and the Korean series Move to Heaven. This is overall a good script and boasts terrific performances not only by the leads but by an able supporting cast. The romance (though fairytale-like in its resolution) is well-incorporated into the character arcs of two flawed leads in search of healing. Different manifestations of grief are explored here, not just ones based on the deaths of loved ones. Traditionally this has been a taboo subject and hopefully this is the beginning of a positive trend.
On top of everything else, I thoroughly enjoyed Li Xian and Zhou Yutong's chemistry which was the cherry on top.
That finale was a lovely wrap. I laughed out loud a few times and yes, I suppose Xing Zhi is still the most strategic person in the room. It's so rare to get such a good ending for a C drama. It shouldn't be really but perhaps they worked extra hard at it because of the debacle that was Princess Agents. I'm sick of open endings C drama style because they're usually terrible. But what we got can be considered a very satisfying ending.
It's a testament to Lin Gengxin's development as a male lead that he has such good chemistry with a CGI bantam. He's reached the pinnacle of his career. Episodes 1 and 2 are a hoot. I really like what I'm seeing so far. I am surprised because most of the time I don't really care for xian xia but this show has a really fun vibe so far although I'm pretty sure things will get deadly serious after the halfway mark. I notice too that people in this show have a tough time grieving and letting go. They keep holding on to loved ones. I imagine that's one of the themes of the show. It reminds me of a number of K dramas of this kind eg. Mystic Pop-up Bar, Tomorrow and Missing: The Other Side.
4 
Glad I watched the condensed/abridged version on YT. I'm not sure if I could handle 40 episodes of a lot of unnecessary melodrama. At the end of the day I only liked Huang Xiaoming's character Zuo Zhen and the Xiang Hanchuan character -- absolute rocks. Exemplifying stoicism in the best way possible.
https://40somethingahjumma.substack.com/p/the-double-2024-episodes-12-14
https://40somethingahjumma.substack.com/p/the-double-2024-episodes-9-11
Happy reading.
https://40somethingahjumma.substack.com/p/the-double-2024-first-impressions
Surprisingly (or perhaps not) with such a young cast there's a serious undertone not just because of the revenge factor but the power plays involving the children of court officials. Why does the Li family need so much money? It usually means one of two things. The fact that the sister of the emperor is abusing her power with crazed abandon adds to the impression that some people who have more than most aren't satisfied with their lot in life.
On top of everything else, I thoroughly enjoyed Li Xian and Zhou Yutong's chemistry which was the cherry on top.
https://40somethingahjumma.substack.com/p/queen-of-tears-2024-episodes-6-10
https://open.substack.com/pub/40somethingahjumma/p/the-legend-of-shen-li-2024-episodes-99b?r=kq410&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
https://open.substack.com/pub/40somethingahjumma/p/the-legend-of-shen-li-2024-episodes?r=kq410&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
https://40somethingahjumma.substack.com/p/the-legend-of-shen-li-2024-first
I really like what I'm seeing so far. I am surprised because most of the time I don't really care for xian xia but this show has a really fun vibe so far although I'm pretty sure things will get deadly serious after the halfway mark.
I notice too that people in this show have a tough time grieving and letting go. They keep holding on to loved ones. I imagine that's one of the themes of the show. It reminds me of a number of K dramas of this kind eg. Mystic Pop-up Bar, Tomorrow and Missing: The Other Side.