Frost_edelweiss

BIA is neither logical nor realistic either :) For logic and realism, better turn to documentaries anyway. Btw Claddagh, were you writing in French too (indépendant) ?
BIA is a nice drama and I liked it a lot, bridging over the parts that really were not possible (from the start. Families where men were exiled by a cruel emperor were further hit with the women and children sold as slaves, in ancient times... The households could NOT stay together). Anyway, that overlooked, it was well played and quite thrilling, so I place it among the dramas I liked in 2024.
Besides, I already liked Hu Yitian and Zhang Jingyi, so... (Hu Yitian unfortunately went on with a long and rather boring drama next, that's life, so if you want to watch Men In Love, you might not like it either despite it is logical and realistic. I was sad for Liang Jie who was miscast there, when she was excellent in Hi Venus.)

no, not webtoon adapted that I know of. This is not at all like "Hidden Love" or "The Blood of Youth".....

It is from a hefty novel that was a big success but sparked debate too, one part of readers having become devoted fans. So there was much debate when the project to bring it to drama emerged, including who should portray the leads. Since ML is a 23 year old with no military background, Chen Zheyuan was picked instead of more beefy types like Huang Jingyu. The romance is not over the top either so a FL that would look pretty but not too clueless distressed damsel was looked for. One who has played in several well received c-dramas but not too much of a diva. The production went through several options, and I summed it up quickly in the Companion piece, with pictures and Gif.

Much in the story is allegorical rather than realistic, and the olive tree is a symbol that goes far, not exactly like the Western biblical stories though.
It also ties in with a beloved song, based on a poem by a female author who was famous both in Taiwan and the PRC. The song and story of the song are in the link which I added to the music section of the Companion piece. It is a song about uprooted people wandering far from their lost homes, a plight which many people in Asia and elsewhere can relate to.

https://mydramalist.com/discussions/bai-se-gan-lan-shu/123595-shooting-location-cast-and-crew-and-more

(project ongoing. I'll add more info on the way, if time allows, and I feel like it :)

all your questions answered in the Companion piece, with pictures
https://mydramalist.com/discussions/bai-se-gan-lan-shu/123595-shooting-location-cast-and-crew-and-more

angel be nice, delete that comment....
don't you know?
or at least disguise it and put it n spoilers
"cool is dead but we can still kiss for a while"
iQiyi works fine my end till 8

Thank you very much, Peachey Blossom. I listened to them all. This drama was not stingy on songs. :)
But I am not sure who the Jennifer Foster is, or the Dorothy, but the other singers are not to complicated to find or already familiar voices and faces.
I put some more thumbs up on your MVs.
And am happy everyone also can find your work on the special "OST" pinned discussion!

I followed the developing story of how she came into this drama and made a GIF for it from the news at the time before and during shoot. You can find it in the Companion piece, "Story of the shooting"section, in Discussions.
Two other actresses were favored by production....
Cherry on top : he got himself a fur friend too, when he adopted Azan the white blue eyed dog. Since I found some nice footage, I made it into a special GIF about it in the section,.
Direct link : https://mydramalist.com/discussions/bai-se-gan-lan-shu/123595-shooting-location-cast-and-crew-and-more (I thought I would just be content with basic info, but then, I went further :)
Still time to wish a "happy new year of the slithering beast" since CNY lasts until Lantern festival :)

Hi folks, I reworked the compilation of pictures and GIF I started way back when, to make a new "companion piece" for this drama. It is in the DIscussions section, retitled Companion Piece to The White Olive Tree. I will probably add more along the way, but you can have a look to while away the wait ... direct link : https://mydramalist.com/discussions/bai-se-gan-lan-shu/123595-shooting-location-cast-and-crew-and-more (old title)

Good man, JC-T !!

I am frustrated too. Bai Jingting? He is not bad but not among my top favorites ; and he may make the whole thing mawkish. I am a bit worried.... Will peek, because I liked Hidden Love. But the bias is not altogether positive from me...

Victor Ma would have spiced it up. .... If production couldn't have him, they ought to have made it a short episodes one perhaps?! Maybe with Dai Gaozheng or why not with Ryan Ren? We can always dream up an alternate cast...

Wishing him a speedy and full recovery...

Ok :) Happy watching to you, then....

I'm off to meatier things now, such as The White Olive Tree, after Drifting Away, moving away from Moonlight Mystique xianxia to modern concerns.

Will probably peek at a few episodes of First Frost, although having read the simple story in the book, I'm not that much in a hurry to see how Bai Jingting could outperform Victor Ma in Hidden Love.

Concurrently very satisfied with Perfect Match and the "five blessing"'s shenanigans, paired with handsome guys such as Wang Xingyue (the "Duke" from the Double) and youthful Winwin. It is another one in the string of stories about business minded independent ladies in ancient dynasties, Tang or Song, since A Dream of Splendor, The story of Pearl Girl, Brocade Odyssey, Flourished Peony (unfinished pending "season2"), which I all liked for their different flavor and rich cultural heritage depictions. Albeit Perfect Match is more focused on family affairs so can qualify as "family drama" as well as "romance".

I'll still keep EITDN as my favorite these days, in that non serious category. That drama rolled so well along the music : "Act Like Perfect Partner / cuz we are involved in a drama / fully enjoy it...."
Even if adapted from another song, that went so well !

oops Embrace, My Lethal Man... are not Japanese but Chinese. It looks like you didn't watch them or your post was truncated to state the opposite of what you meant ?

Same as you feel lenient, but unresolved business and sudden illogical turnaround of Mrs Bai have me deduct two points. I add one half for the concluding cheesy but sweet "it is kicking".
It is still one short episodes drama that I binge watched with quite a lot of amusement. Will remember Ryan Ren and the clean faced Li Xingyao who played her poker face "liar" role very well. The script is of course non serious, so can't be evaluated except for sizzle quality, which was fine through most of this pastime. The logical end could have been divorce as evaluation not only of the relationship but the way she was treated from marriage. But we were spared such a realist ending and got the fairytale ring and roses instead, which was an ok HE!

Ah, perhaps I ought to check that one out, next?
My favorite non serious sizzle short items up till now were Maid's Revenge (DGZ!), Provoke, and Embrace In the Dark Night, although there were some nice Richard Li short ones too.

don't look too hard for meaning, just enjoy the sizzle and thrills and laugh when you'll spot the long shoes 😂

tell you : me too ! 😂

😂😂😂😂😂😂

glad to see I'm not the only one to enjoy pastimes that are not too heavy on "meaning" 😂
.... I'll remember those extra long "wolfish" shoes that were focused on, at times ! 😂😂😂

Conclusion today/tomorrow (depending on where you sit) of this "non serious" and often hot pastime that will perhaps get a compilation "spicy movie edition" on YouTube later to the horror of those who want to lambast it.
Time flies too quickly and we'll be slithering into February already, after a quarter century of 21st gone by. Wishing you happy celebrations, a fruitful 2025, and continued good times drama watching !