Eleison

😅😅😅

I've heard people complain about the ending because none of the main couples end up together right at the last minute, yes? I'm not too far, but I don't know why people like the second leads. I don't like Shangguan; she's too slippery for me to root for and her whispery talking kind of grates on me (I don't care for the "elegent," "noble lady" way of speaking in Asian costume dramas (Kdramas and Cdramas both); it gives me the shivers. 😅)

I definitely spoiled a few things for myself already (might've read who Anonymous is... 🫣), and we'll see if I make it through. So far it's pretty gripping and an interesting premise compared to other costume dramas.

The title sounds so much cozier/more romance focused than it is! 😅

Haha, thanks, this is all helpful! So interesting that none of the main Gong family has actual siblings. They're all cousins, but have somehow formed "cousin camps" and see some as rivals and others as allies. Fascinating, but obviously profoundly dysfunctional. 😅

Not quite! Episode 27.

P.S. Duan Jiaxu is much too shy and awkward (though appropriately gorgeous) to be anywhere near as rizzy as the ML from Hidden Love, but I like what they did at the wedding by portraying it from a different angle, focusing in on Yifan and Sang Yan in this rather than Sang Zhi and Jiaxu (though hardcore flirting happens at this wedding between each pairing of leads in each drama 😅). This wedding scene was one of my favorite scenes from Hidden Love when Jiaxu is finding out that he's Sang Zhi's crush. Sparks were FLYING. 😅

Okaaaay, I admit it, Sang Yan grew on me. Not because I got used to him, but because, as the episodes progress, he improves.

AND, I came to respect his patience with Yifan (he's still a little manipulative in his flirting and suggestiveness for my taste, but I think where it's most important (for the most part), he does a very good job of respecting her boundaries and privacy). He lets her initiate everything (especially after they're moving towards being an item) and only takes initiative when he knows she's ready.

It was pretty cute to see the transition of listless Yifan wafting through life, numb and depressed to the smiley, gentle and playful Yifan. She does indeed de-frost under San Yan's steady presence of care and love. It's like he's drawing out a scared cat from under the bed; his steady care for her helps her rediscover her confidence and joy.

I don't think there's any way a real person could fixate so intensely on a person they admire like this while also being patient and undemanding at the same time (it helps to be drop-dead gorgeous, of course). Sang Yan truly is a fantasy lover, but that's not to say he doesn't showcase what love offered without expectation of return can do in another person's life--it's deeply powerful!

I thought the same about her! 😅 So confused by that casting.

Gotta love the way Koreans transliterate English words. 😅

This is adorable and clever!

Someone else said BJT's Cantonese was pretty awful as well, haha, but that's where I wouldn't notice. 😅 If Mobius is focusing on their own country's viewers, Maggie will sound just fine, I imagine! 😅

Also, I like that the actress for Zishang seems to have kept her natural features largely intact unlike most other Chinese actors (I'm used to seeing a lot of the following: the thin, prominent nose, large double eyelids with poochiness under the eye, and luscious, thick lips, a defined jawline and high cheekbones). I respect that kind of confidence and determination from her in an entertainment industry like China's. And anyway, she's lovely!

Can someone help me out with the Gong family tree or structure? 😅 I thought at first that Ziyu was siblings with Huanyu and Zishang, but now that does not seem to be the case. Does that mean Shang Jue and Yuan Zhi are not brothers either? Are they all cousins? 😅 And then there's the people on the Back Hill, the Xues and Yues. And also, what does "Yu Lineage" and such really refer to? I get that the second first name "Yu," "Jue," "Shang" and "Zhi" refer to roles/special knowledge groups within the family and don't seem to have anything to do with family ties, but the rest has me all confused. 😂

What a complicated family, haha.

There is a 40.5 episode that aired afterwards and separately. A user suggested I stop Episode 40 halfway, and then just watch the ten minute bonus episode instead. It was brilliant advice, and everything ended perfectly for me. 😅 I'm not sure where to find that 40.5 episode, though; it wasn't officially posted on any of the legal streaming sites so you might have to dig a bit to find (but I think it's worth a watch).

All your gripes are valid, but I've found most costume Cdramas have a slough of their own versions of these kinds of moments and writing (except Nirvana In Fire 😉). They often come with the genre.

I didn't know anything about the actors before watching (nor do I know anything about them now), and I still enjoyed it very much.

And there's a certain level of suspension of disbelief for things in costume Cdramas that are just specific to the genre and the way they're stylized. In my opinion, you can't enjoy them (Cdramas) without accepting that these unrealistic elements are inextricable from the genre.

Thanks for the rec!

I can do some of those dramas, too, but only when the situation is too unrealistic to be believable (like in BOFs), to the point where it's almost fantastical relational dynamics. 😅 Maybe I'll get into it and appreciate him more as I continue. 🤷‍♀️ We'll see! I'm not that far yet.

In real life I think he'd be rude and kind of mean. 😅 A truly nice guy wouldn't treat people like that (imo)? I'm gonna try to hang in there and see if it grows on me, but I'm losing a tad bit of steam.

But he did see guys literally chasing her down, and in addition to that found out that her flatmate tried to SA her. He did know that, right? I mean, that in itself is all VERY traumatic. He knew that and still was sometimes so petty, brusque and impatient. I don't know, I see what you mean by being guarded, but you can be guarded AND kind.

I take this comment back now that I've watched the whole thing. Shen Yi didn't miss a thing, he just made us think he did cause he had to make Du Cheng believe he fell in with Fang Kai.

Sorry I doubted you, Shen Yi. 😉

Got it! Thank you!

There were things I liked about TBOY, but also some things I didn't. Is there as much exposition about everyone's martial arts in this? That's what I had a hard time tracking with. It was like getting introduced to a niche superhero with unique abilities every episode. 😅

And hopefully they steer clear of romance. The romance in TBOY was terrible. 😅 None of the couples had chemistry to speak of!

Is this drama in the same universe as Blood Of Youth?