Eleison

Okay! So, keep watching, essentially. :) Will do!

I'm in Episode 14 and in the last episode after the banquet at the palace, I was so confused by the conversation between Shen Yurong and Princess Wanning (who is disgusting; she's so icky); what did he mean about protecting her and how he couldn't keep her safe forever? Was that to placate her so she stopped trying to investigate Jiang Li so he could actually protect Jiang Li (not Wanning)? I thought it was Wanning he was scared of; isn't that why he "killed" Xue and is kowtowing to the Princess and letting her walk all over him like he's a bug?

Also, why is even the Emperor/King scared of Wanning? Where does her power come from?

Thanks! I see I'm not alone in seeking your insights; I enjoy all your posts. Always knowledgeable, thoughtful, insightful, and helpful! ☺️

This back and forth helps me understand why the subtitles sometimes just do not capture the conversation, since I didn't even see amy notes or explanation for this stuff you're describing. It's frustrating! 😐 Sometimes I'm like, "What? This cannot be what they're saying." I've seen this sometimes in Kdramas too, where I can feel that the translation is not coming through, and I lament that I know nothing of the language.

I was starting this in Netflix but I wonder if Viki would do better with subtitles and notes about them?

The Thai version doesn't make it seem as bad with the bullies for that scene (the ML never forces himself on her in any way in the Thai version), and some bullies rough her up in the Kdrama, yes (but again, much like the Thai version), but the ML separately does force a kiss on her, but more like a mocking gesture than a violent one and it's obvious he had no intention of going farther. That was not cool, but a forced kiss, while definitely bad, isn't as bad as attempted rape. I just felt like the other versions toned that down but the Jdrama even addresses it in dialogue which I did NOT like. I haven't seen the Cdrama, so I'm not sure about that one.

She was lovely! Tong'er is so cute, too! But is the younger Jiang Li in the cast list? I didn't see her.

Who is the actress who plays the original, younger Jiang Li?

High School Return Of A Gangster

You think it was because of this drama? Interesting! I have noticed that it's becoming more common, and people are migrating to Cdramas for their romcoms instead of Kdramas because of it. It does seem like a lazy way to fill 16 episodes of a romantic comedy rather than writing, you know, a good romantic comedy to fill that run time.

You're probably right that we see things differently; that does seem accurate so far. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it and happy watching! ☺️

It is a bit annoying to watch the ML endure that, but also, this is a Kdrama. Relationship drama, love triangles, lack of communication and misunderstandings are the bread and butter of this genre...

Also, if you're still not sold on it after the first few episodes, then I doubt it will get more enjoyable. If by 8 you're not sold, you will definitely not enjoy the rest.

She dates the SML only for an episode or so, and it's her younger self that does, not her older self (it's confusing, and hard to explain 😂). It does kind of sound like this drama might be a little too fluffy/silly for you. And that's okay, it's not everyone's cup of tea. :)

Sheesh, that sounds dreadful! Was it because of the censured BL drama that just finished airing, I wonder? That comment thread was/is rank with toxicity and mudslinging. Kept my distance!

Are you saying MDL itself blocked them or people on MDL chased them away?

Correct! But he's pretty smitten, no matter what timeline they're in. 😂

Anyone else think this synopsis is bad? I still don't know what this drama is about. 😂

Wait, @Coolforsummer is no longer on MDL?!

Episode 8 is pretty common for the initial dating round in a Kdrama; it's usually the first kiss or "start dating" episode in the formula for a 16 Episode drama from what I've seen. :) But in this drama, because the FL keeps jumping timelines, it changes how much the ML remembers and the footing they start back up on. So, they get together in 8, but then because of something that happens she goes back to the past again to the younger ML and of course she wasn't dating him then. So, it's not smooth sailing from 8 onwards, but rest assured the ending is one of the sweetest I've seen in a romcom. It's hard to find fault with it unless you're extremely picky or have super specific expectations for how you want it to end. Like many dramas, it gets a bit slow/hard to watch Episodes 12-14 (not bad, just not quite as stellar as the previous episodes), and then 15 transitions into beautiful, sweet and lovely Episode 16.

Thanks!

The only things I really liked from the Forbidden Marriage was the main couple's scenes and the background music (it was beautiful). It was distractingly anachronistic (even more than usual for a sageuk), and just didn't build a convincing world for me. While the ML's role was similar to his role in Shooting Stars, I still thought he was really cute.