Eleison

Did Yun Weishan get the flies treated from the medicine at the market before she goes to the second trial with Ziyu? And the medicine was just treatment, right, not a cure? So when Ziyu's second trial is to cure the fortnight flies/devouring moon, this would mean he would find a cure for her (and as a result, inadvertantly release Wufeng's hold over her), right? But she did eat the flies again (when Yue forced thek down her throat before the trial), so she's got a double dozen dose of them, right (I haven't gotten to the part where/if he finds the cure)?

And why did Ziyu get sick from them so much faster? She has been mostly fine for presumably weeks (months?), why did he get laid low in a matter of days?

I'm confused by something for Gong Ziyu's second trial:

I think the random BGMs (that are overused and abruptly shift from scene to scene) make the shift from the comedy to the serious parts feel like whiplash (or at least, the music doesn't help the abrupt shift in tone). Some of the BGMs themselves are really lovely, but the fact that I notice when they change from scene to scene is a bad sign. 😅

And yes there are some VERY long chats and talking scenes. In Nirvana In Fire (which also has a lot of talking, too) I never felt like those scenes were boring or tedious, but I do feel the passing of time in those talking scenes more in this drama.

But I got a good dose of motivation to finish after taking a break when I realized it's only 24 episodes. It's basically half the length of most costume Cdramas, which is quite rare!

I definitely want it to come down from that 9.2 also. I'd like to think a drama that primarily rides on stunning visuals would not get a score that high... I've been a little disappointed by the number of thirst comments and people who only seem to care about how steamy the romantic scenes. If you just want that there's other types of shows you can watch! 🙄

I also agree that the early arc teasing XZ's amazing martial arts hyped him up too much and the later episodes did not deliver on the expectations those early episodes set.

True, it is in its own category. 😉

I am almost positive the rating will go down (I don't think it deserves a 9.2, personally). It probably will stay fairly high, though, because it's a beautiful watch and has a lot of spicey scenes that people liked. I think the plot/editing/pacing could have used some work, but no denying the visuals are stunning.😉

I personally got to Episode 28 and waited after the rest got leaked online. I'm a bit hesitant to finish because the story seemed to get less tight, more confusing, and a little more illogical as the episodes progresses (from what I've been reading).

Actually, a martial artist ace in NIF 2 dies falling off a cliff, so it DOES sometimes happen, but I'd say NIF 2 (despite a few somewhat fantastical elements) is one of the most realistic, grounded Cdramas I've seen, so I guess it makes sense they have someone die properly from a cliff like a normal human. 😅

A lot of us found it annoying and unnecessary and it does cause some problems later. It might bother you a decent amount if it already bothers you now. 😅 I took a pause at 28 or so, I think? Once the drama got leaked, I decided to wait it out and see how things turned out. I started noticing a dip in quality around 25 (things started getting cut up kind of haphazard, rushed and I've found the political aspect (and at times just the basic plot) confusing and hard to follow from the get-go). Some great characters, though, and beautifully filmed!

Her voice was fine in Love Between Lines, so I'm not sure why they had her speak this way. 😭 If I listen to her talk too long I get the itch to fast forward... 😬

I think she's a great actress, but I don't know why, I just can't stand the way the 2FL speaks (or whoever dubs her, if she's dubbed). When she speaks she kind of makes me feel remotely like how I feel when I hear nails on a chalkboard. There's something about the slow, whispery way she enunciates that makes me shiver. I know it's supposed to be elegant and mysterious or something, but I find it hard to bear. 😅

I wish it didn't have this effect on me, but alas, it does. 😭

I've heard it's an open ending; the two couples don't end up together as both girls leave, but it implies/hints at the possibility they might return (I think the main couple does love each other, but she has to leave to protect him or something) and leaves the window open for them to come back together.

I'm going based off of spoilers I've read because I haven't finished it either.😉

Still hadn't seen this, but I finally started it with my sister! Curious to see if it lives up to the hype. 🤔

Well, 16 of the 32 episodes were pretty fluffy. 😉

I don't know if all the gripes have to do with her being strong, per se. People loved that about her early on.

It seems like people are annoyed that her strength/power/effectiveness physically or mentally doesn't always make sense in terms of the plot or her character.

If they're going to write a strong female character in a female-centric plot, she's got to be consistent and well-written to be convincing, especially in a costume drama which has some historical context needed despite the blatant anachronisms throughout. 😉

Loved him in Ghost Doctor, but he did struggle with the romance part of the plot.

How am I being delusional? 😉 And of course, I could be wrong, I'm just going based on what I've seen from both of them in projects they've done.

I wasn't thinking looks, but onscreen presence. Both are very good-looking! I just think Kim Bum is the superior actor. Ahn Hyo Seop does well in certain types of roles (he was fabulous in Dr. Romantic 2!) but I wouldn't call him extremely versatile.

I suppose the kind of melancholy vibe that comes from the emphasis on struggle and suffering paired with half a dozen messy humans in various seasons of growth paired with the slice of life format. That seems accurate of this, and it was accurate of My Mister.

While My Mister focused most on the leads, there were a lot of characters (as it seems this has, too). The screenwriter tends to be a little too somber/melancholy for my taste, but she's good. Excels at darker slice of life, which I haven't observed too much of outside her works. Netflix originals can do dark, but haven't observed her kind of contemplative, heavy, remotely-depressing-while-still-somehow-hopeful slice of life style anywhere else.

Me, too! 🥰

That makes lots of sense! Do screenwriters ever write anything original for Cdramas? Or are they all basically adaptations of web novels?