Groovykid

Well done. I’m afraid my written Yoruba isn’t as good. 😊

My feeling towards our little Chen scholar is explained well in a Yoruba proverb (the commonly spoken language in Southwest Nigeria), which is loosely translated as “A family stays progressive when the bastard is yet to be awakened”. I really fear for the havoc he will cause, because everyone will not expect him to be as hateful as he is already portraying to be.

Am I the only one who see Chen Pingping without his wheelchair every time Minister Fu comes on screen? Makes me crave another season of JoL.

Good to hear. I also want to stay positive about YX. The fact he dislikes CYY but also listens to his POV is a huge positive for me. He’s never forgotten the huge help CYY rendered to his family, when he could have stayed silent.

Not our little scholar that seem to only want to emulate his 3rd uncle’s success, but without the sincerity and good qualities that comes with it.

I can imagine. My coping mechanism is to read and type comments.

Even Father Ye isn’t helping. What exactly are his son’s crimes to him? He was born weak and then poisoned because his father was a top general. So what that he cannot inherit your abilities? I almost want to believe there’s much more to his approach to raising his son.

True talk. I was actually surprised that FL’s character was portrayed as ‘easily’ befriending YX. But my explanation was that because she is kind but direct to repay both goods and wrongs. So her couple of interactions with him when he was poorly and when he went above and beyond for her mum made it explainable.

This is the comment thread I’ve been looking for. I agree with you.

My similar opinion - “I’ve had to come here for comments and reviews to be able to get through episode 26. I just hope they make Ye Xian a redeemable character. His way of throwing tantrums and harming himself and others just shows an insane level of immaturity. Why point a sword at your sister and crush, because your crush is marrying someone she likes!

I really do not want to compare him to the little Chen scholar, and hope dearly that I don’t have to hate his character.
Any spoilers from novel readers?”

I’ve had to come here for comments and reviews to be able to get through episode 26. I just hope they make Ye Xian a redeemable character. His way of throwing tantrums and harming himself and others just shows an insane level of immaturity. Why point a sword at your sister and crush, because your crush is marrying someone she likes!

I really do not want to compare him to the little Chen scholar, and hope dearly that I don’t have to hate his character.
Any spoilers from novel readers?

Thanks for your read and comment. If you mean Chu Qiao, I agree. She doesn’t really look convincing for titles such as formidable general or best spy ever. IMO, it was a fair attempt, though.

The blue bird thingy from the Lingyue king and queen (I think ZY kept the one, and only gave one to the king).

All well said about YX. I was almost happy seeing him reunite with ZC in tomorrow’s previews - they are made for each other. I said as much in my brief review of their characters - “Yan Xun is the most disloyal and hateful character in the series. His madness was unquenchable. It did not matter how many people died or how powerful he became, his hunger for vengeance became insatiable. Even when he was defeated by CQ and was implored to think about his father and his people, he remained untrustworthy and a liar. He is really a good match for Zhao Chun. They should have lasted longer. Zhao Chun’s character is the most vengeful and vitriolic character ever created. She will literally do harm to herself and ‘loved ones’ just to hate. Her plot armour became downright ridiculous. And so was she - right from the start when she believed that YX will love her in spite of her father killing his entire family. To the end, where she cast away her brother Zhao Che, who had looked after her in the earlier years, for the 13th prince Zhao Yang who is unfit to lead or even look after himself. I guess one can never make sense of such persons, YX & ZC alike!!”

Let me sing more praises of ZY with you.

Zhuge Yue: He remains my main (and loveliest) character in the whole franchise, regardless of his surname. PA displayed his inner struggles better than Rebirth. How his personal convictions strived with his upbringing and duties over his making years. Rebirth did build on that, and showed his readiness for simplicity and peace. His loyalty can be rivalled by no other. His word was his bond, either to a friend or a foe. He is not a gullible optimist. You can tell his distrust towards his enemies and awful superiors. However he always begins with dialogue and only when that fails does he resort to strategising to win. His love was palpable, even when unexpressed. Even his icy days were a beauty to watch. As YX said, he is annoyingly self-righteous. His ability to take on every challenge and fight with his convictions to his very last breath, made him a literal superhero that cannot be killed. To top it all, he never seeks rewards - not when he saved Bingchang or even Ximeng. At least in Ximeng, he ended up with the King title. He is just too good to be true. And I must say, LYR depicted it all wonderfully. (Shout out to Lin Geng Xin).

(I have copied & pasted this from my review of the whole series after watching 30/40 episodes)

I have had times of being weird like that. Some of these dramas get so emotionally charged, I just want to race to the end, before watching step by step if I am still of a mind to do that.
(Great comments under this series by the way, I have read some of them)

Very well said.
His loud silence can be deafening. (Which is why he drives YX crazy every time).

Current status: Watching episodes 32 & 33
Past status: Fan of Princess Agents (& desperate for the story to be continued)
Future status: Will pay to watch express tomorrow, despite all the misgivings

In more than the first 2/3rds of Rebirth, I believe CQ mostly just talked tough. Almost at every point, she needed LC or ZY to do the saving (ZY for most parts). Even when CQ ‘saved’ ZY when he was near death in Ximeng, it was with ‘facilities/connections’ already made and put in place by ZY. Only in later episodes is CQ seen actually leading. With the novel (and not shown past) in mind, we do know that she led the Quili army independently, so she does have experience. But as female centric as the drama is portrayed as, it really was an all rounder for me. Especially when compared to a CD like LoTFG.

Someone in a post I saw compared ZY to FSG of Fated Hearts in his disregard for power and authority, despite his upbringing. I think the more suitable connection is CQ and FYX of Fated Hearts. They were both born and raised as slaves and killing machines, lied to by the person they trusted the most and then became their own person when they saw more of the world.

Well put. I saw him as a cowardly psycho.
With all the time and power he had, he did not do anything to change the world but just festered in his distress. Their insistence of 'honouring' CPS as their goal just pissed me off constantly.

I think what he hates in Lingbo is himself. He was defeated ‘mentally’ when he had to marry his wife and have a child with her, when that was against his desires. He is defo a psycho.

Well summarised. They dragged some subplots but overall it was a good portrayal by the actors. Definitely obsessed ML. And the innocent smartness of FL. Every time he would lie to her, but she will soon figure out his schemes. And on second thoughts, she would reflect and see his views. She stayed true to her heart and convictions. And I liked that about her.

IMO, it has been a rollercoaster series. At some point, I got fed up with the previous generation never really dealing with their business, but always insisting that the current generation forget about it and move on. The aunt and uncle plot was patchy in its delivery, but it kept me going for most of the series. I was so curious about their lives. Just wish ML got to grow up with his uncle just like FL did with her aunt.

ML had a one-track mind. He is vengeful and will die to get his revenge. Until he fell in love with FL. His character of obsessed but true lover was real to me. He had early on disregarded his life and survival, but upon falling for her, he decided, and showed in every way, he loved her and will live for her. What else can a girl ask for?

FL’s character fell flat on many counts, but 2 strong character traits stood out to me.
1. Her doggedness in the face of right and wrong. She was raised amongst the “good guys” but upon her adventures, she was very quick to adapt and not castigate all others as “bad”. I enjoyed her openness during her interactions and adventures.
2. Her struggle with re-learning about the evilness of humans. She grew up secluded but with so much love from her family and her aunt’s friends. You could see her struggle in coming to terms with the evilness of the Six Sects members (up onto her master) every step of the way. It just wasn’t how she was raised. She could not believe it. Her strength came in facing the facts, albeit slowly.

Facts she faced squarely and consistently:
1. She would never abandon her family for anything or anyone
2. She loves MQY and will protect him as she had promised
3. She will not stand by evil, whoever it may be that commits it.
Not bad for a FL, I must say. There has been more worse portrayals of strong FL characters.

I really love the ML and FL together on screen (with Ningning and the Zhaos ofc). So much so that I am becoming uninterested in understanding the very many factions and other story plots. The initial section focusing on ML and FL was really nice and engaging.

I agree. I did think the parallels were a stretch. He is more educated and aware than any other character portrayed. And very smart but level-headed, unlike Fei Ni in the earlier episodes who was always very emotional. IMO, he only decided to remain simple and good-hearted, and focus on living a good life with his loved ones and changing what he can.
The historical facts was nice to know, though.