Frost_edelweiss

Me : WeTV (VIP)

Since episode 11 and despite the horrors of war, I am now more wholeheartedly on board. Cheng Shaoshang (whose given name is said to refer to the resistant guqin (zither) string) proves her mettle. There's even some humor now, such as when the unbelieving mom demands how many times she met general Ling and she tick off 3, 4, 5 ... 8+ times to add to the general's outrageous off-hand remark when he escorted the family into the city after the "life and death" occurence. Still, the girl remains stubbornly set in her wish to make a peaceful marriage with someone who respects her. How this is going to change will be interesting. So hang on, bear with the awful females, admire Shaoshan's cold bloodedness and resourcefulness 😉 Wu Lei as general Ling is ... "imperial". Close to haunting my dreams, now 🤣

yes. btw did you see the BTS on WeTV with Wu Lei delightedly making a late night snack of lamb skewers with bell pepper to share with director?
It brought back fond memories to me of some instances of sharing such comfort food.
sweet

😊

Yes. But I just don't like to watch dramas with that sort of lengthy "wicked queen and stepsisters" from the Ye Xian or Cinderella and Snow White models. It looks like it is changing track now, so my hopes are up again.

I just hope that it is not true. I hate the skinny look. Girls should never starve themselves because it does affect their physical and mental health and resistance My opinion. Well fed is not the same as overweight.

I don't find these actors and actresses"too fat" ; on the contrary, ZLS just looks more healthy than say Dilireba at one time who really looked underfed then, and I for one don"t like the idea that these guys could be toying with their health for some supposedly industry related aesthetic that could be construed as role model for audiences. Still I liked D in You are my glory, but with some reservations about the "diet" and obsessive "calory counting" in that drama.
So thankfully ZLS did not look like the "hungry waif" emerging from the village "house arrest" in ep1, that might have been portrayed through better makeup, not starving. But I am concerned that someone here says ZLS has been getting thinner over the past 5 dramas. To me though, I did not notice it in Love in the Kitchen or in WRTW.
And I think those who griped about her looking like a fat maid are dishonest, although tastes in art of course may vary.
In fact now after ep 5-6, I am reconciled with the story: Chen Shaoshan did take care of herself as she should. It's perhaps just better to skip the painful mental harassment episodes 2-4, maybe just keeping a few scenes not related to the abusive mom , grandma and other awful females?

Xu Kai (elsewhere) and Wu Lei indeed look great. ZLS too. My passing complaint hitherto is that WL looked so rigid, but he did compensate with those smoldering gazes, now and then, looking fleetingly more human, and general Ling"s sarcastic threats of punishment for his underlings brought some needed humor. My hopes are up again. He is an excellent actor too.

Hmm was there time travel involved in the novel ? Then it looks indeed like there has been serious adaptation going on ? Okay by me.

Wow, that's harsh. I thought ZLS looked too well fed to be the hungry waif, but Wu Lei being portrayed as Skeletor ? Hmmm. Thanks for posting, anyway !
Still hoping the story will pick up my interest after ep 6. But I have other things to do, too, so it better get spectacularly engaging then.
I have no trouble with ZLS's own voice. More with the story...
Perhaps this is one novel that does not translate well to screen without a lot of adaptation? But I have no time to read it at the moment or in the foreseeable future.

Okay, so I watched the first 4 episodes that are available on WeTV. Without any previous reading of book or else. Because I have a prior favorable opinion of both leads, and expected a lot.

First episode: rather liked it. Nice cinematography. The hand, the fire, etc. Although not totally getting the first few images until the general suddenly veers away. But I was somewhat disturbed that it looked like the young lady had motives to distrust and make trouble for all in her family. Okay, country over family, not that I would totally adhere to such philosophy, but if the uncle was stupid and endangered fellow countrymen, some form of retribution was expected.

Next three episodes : I admit I was very bored, to the point of turning away from screen and having to rewind to check if I had missed or not something. I was not at all drawn into the family feud story. ZLS (who so often weaved in some humor in the dramas I watched hitherto), appeared as dejected as in the drama poster. 15 year old neotenic character, illiterate, neglected, hungry, and spiteful, rather than mischievous? I wondered how long it would take before ZLS is allowed to express something else.
The other females blur together in my mind, like the hens and roosters fighting in the yard, glimpsed at one moment. Also, what's with the ox head popping up now & then?

4 episodes is long enough to form a negative opinion usually, but since there's a promise that things will change to become more engaging after ep6, and because of ZLS and WL, I shall still wait.

Ikr. Finished the drama last week and posted a long review already. 😁
Happy you liked that drama too.

Yes, I was attracted myself by the names of Bai Lu, Xu Kaicheng and Zhang Ruoyun. They did not disappoint. And I will now remember Wang JingChun (the wonderful fatherly Chief) and Xu Di (Li Dawei(s mom).
The slice of life was so good with all those different citizens, including the rotten and crazy ones like the Wu doctor woman who suffocated her daughter and had basilisk stares and venomous words for poor Xia Jie and the patient officers in the police station. The way some people got away with abusing the policemen was suprising for me who was brought up with a healthy respect and awareness of the risks that disrespecting the police. can spell. Changing times?
I think that, like others here, I would not mind watching a sequel to this drama, if it is at least half as good as this one. Top of my 2022 list of favorite c-dramas now, rivaling with RESET.

Oh the picture of the community is quite realistic and true to what I witnessed in several cities I lived in : pockets of decaying housing like the 76 years old grandma's courtyard in the drama still existed in the very high end quarter where I still lived in not long ago, and probably survive too before they'll be developed out of the new suburbs, where buildings and whole quarters can change dramatically in a few months time.

The community in the drama is not in a slum area, granted, but in a developing suburb, that used to be on the edge of the rural countryside and the old state subsidized industrial townscape (we don't feel it because it is already far in the past, but the 76 year old scrap collector is clearly a symbol for that sociology). So decrepit housing could still survive for a time in some parts even nowadays. Rural and decaying industrial parts can still be very poor, even though the worst of poverty is now reputedly eradicated in China. It does not mean everyone is now affluent.

I was not close to the local police station and my neighborhood was very peaceful (because of working cameras, walled residences etc.) So I only had polite interactions with the police, did not need to trouble them for help. I do believe they have ideals that are akin to the Chinese military, and the CPC, which I know better.

Anyway, I hope you found the drama interesting, like I did.

Totally agree.
Even if there was some possibility when the Xia Jie de mama and the Dawei de mama got chummy and the latter threw thoughtful glances at her son when she planned the "KPI". We were also spared the cringey business of having parents set up "blind dates" for their offspring. Instead we got the hilarious act of Yang Shu as unsuccessful undercover agent / male escort replaced by mischievous Dawei.
The only hint of romance, in passing, was the bringing together of Xia Jie de mama with her suitor, cheerful Dawei de mama acting as funny Cupid.

Thank you 😊 Happy thatyou liked it.
I binge watched too much, so now need some sleep before I tackle another c-drama! (maybe I'll go for some romance sugar or back to some old movies, before embarking on the other hit of the moment, A Dream of Splendor. I am already convinced that I'll like that one too. My only big disappointment compared to expectations was Love in Flames of War.)
But I can say that I found this Ordinary Greatness drama particularly interesting and true to what I saw and felt when I lived and travelled in China for a long long time. It had the warmth and humanity that I was used to, the feeling of extended family, the drive for excellence allied with practicality. It is indeed well worth watching.

There is only a short trailer on iQiyi and the drama has been renamed to Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty with episodes 1-37 mentioned but not put in yet. Wondering when or if this will be unshelved. For Halloween perhaps ?

I agree with Nav about many viewers may have dropped the drama after the stereotypical first few episodes, and giving it bad rating, therefore. I was myself lukewarm , when I saw the SL female in high heels and aggressive lipstick crowding Ning Meng's boss. Even joked that I wished she would fall under a steamroller to be ironed out flat. But the script provided a better solution.
Still there's enough fun and quirks in those "painful" episodes to not warrant fast forwarding. I sat through them patiently while noticing those in the audience who were reacting epidermically, and heartily hating Lu zong's guts, keeping a grudge where the FL character had already grown to overcome pettiness and even become an ace in psychological warfare for his sake !
Looking at the larger picture is what was the first lesson there. Finding answers hidden as gems in what appeared as taunts was another ; losses can be opportunities.
The FL character is strong enough to endure the hardships and get even stronger, that's the point.
The supporting cast is generally playing pleasingly and helps the story move forward instead of bogging it down with unnecessary side stories.
I think this drama has value generally not only as entertainment but also as an inspirational but not too preachy story. I will generously give it 9.5, perhaps not 10 because of some tropey vaudevillesque stuff that did creep in unnecessarily. But not too often.
I think that generally, the music of the OST was pleasing to listen to. and came in when it should, so I will also rate it around 10. The credits are even nice to watch through!

I only dove into C dramas about 2-3 years ago after having taken off for deep space exploration. Before that, I just viewed some episodes, but rarely a whole drama, even "The Legend of Condor Heroes" that I had to rewatch (I chose the 2017 version) and my first full length ones were "Ashes of Love" and "The Untamed". I was more a cinephile.
There are quite a number of dramas that I have earmarked for later. "Royal Feast" is one I started but had to reschedule for later. "Yanxi Palace" is widely acclaimed, so I will probably give it a go when I can. "Delicacies Destiny" did not come to my attention before, so thank you for recommendation.
I have been watching the beginning of MoMO and I am quite happy with it, at the moment: Seven Tan may become a role model for the young female professionals who find they have been sidetracked in their careers and have let their precious diplomas gather dust. Hoping that the story does not get too much bogged down in mushy soap opera romance later and that the annoying female character in high heels and aggressive perfume will fall under a steamroller to be thoroughly evened out. The sooner the better. (I used to love Tex Avery animated cartoons...)
Wishing you continued happiness in your drama watching.

Yes you're right, soon time to move on, stop complaining or dreaming. Maybe this drama will have a flamboyant and satisfying ending after having dragged us along the rocky paths of the characters.

Thank you, same my end, put a solid 10/10 for WRTW. I agree about the rushed ending, plus some character development of Wu Yuan might have been nice before, instead of just dropping his inscrutable face at key points. I thought that might happen after he recognized BFX as Xiyun. Still, I will not subtract points. I enjoyed that drama from start to end.

I will look up the ones you recommended too; then. 😊

My starship has a force field shield so don't worry, it is quite undetectable and only cultivators of the highest standing in league with heaven officials like Xie Lian might board, in which case they would be greeted with xiaochi in whatever style they like, sweet osmanthus cakes and good "emperor''s smile" baijiu. Maybe I'm mixing up with Wei Wuxian' s preferred poison. 🙄

Well at the episode I reached, Hangjing is .... officially dead.
I assume she will resurrect as a teacher and leader of the Youth League. Perhaps, who knows, as a co-founder of the Jiangxi Soviet Republic and an eminent woman guerilla on the Long March ?? 🤣🤣🤣
since instructor Du is busy reeling in Beichen to join the Gongchandang.
And the wretched Fengqi will maybe take her model on, or become the bff of Li Xianglan/ Pan Shuhua/Yoshiko Yamaguchi and be recast as the hidden daughter of a Japanese couple or shogun, spy and traitor on top of murderess and parricide??
There are still many episodes to go.
Are you enjoying the ride, or hanging on with your teeth, imagining the weird ways this story could have gone for our enjoyment ? 😉