Jay

Didn't they crush up the liver so that it could be consumed as a liquid? Also, wasn't the reason he had to fall in love with her used as a way to deter him from falling in love with a human again?

Correct me if i'm wrong.

Great write-up for one of the Great dramas.

Great job..:-)

Review by AvenueX:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjPfawaWZ94

Sounds like a good watch, still hoping someone picks this up for subbing.

Lol true, at least for their storyline. Both of them played a part in how quick their marriage dissolved. But Da Shu has made more of an effort in trying to salvage it. Who knows, maybe Zhi He is more pessimistic about it and wants to take care of herself first. Like she said, she has her own money!

I feel like this is an examination of a marriage and what is needed in order for it to last, that is if they want it to last. The two of them definitely rushed into marrying each other. Da Shu had this idealized version of her because of how he remembers her in their childhood. Because of this he is doing what he thinks she (and every woman wants), he wants to be the breadwinner in the family and have her stay at home and not worry about anything. But he never really considers that's not what she wants. She doesn't want to be domesticated. He even asked her if she has thought about resigning so that she can stay home and pop out 5 kids.
On their little getaway together, she had to go back for work and he got upset at that, after marrying and living together, he decides to remodel their living area without asking her opinion, he doesn't spend time with her on her birthday and gifts her a vacuum cleaner. He definitely showed consideration to her parents and I think that let her see him in a better light and that there is something worth salvaging but other than that, he doesn't give her any agency.

As for Zhi He, after seeing her ex marry someone along with societal/parental pressure, she hastily got married. I think Zhi He wants more of a say in the decision making without having everything decided for her just because he has good intentions. I also thinks she wants her own career. When she has to go back to work on their getaway, he wasn't understanding yet she has to be understanding when he has to constantly work overtime? Why should his career aspirations take precedence over hers? I don't think she's being unreasonable in what she wants. She offered to pay for her share of the mortage, household expenses and wants to save up their own money so that they can save for their future together.

The two of them definitely need to communicate and work things out together without just assuming or doing what they think is best for each other.

Viki is trying to acquire the license for this so please fill out the form if you want it:

https://vikiinc.wufoo.com/forms/title-request-form/

Yeah, the way I saw it was Zhou Mo was just trying to protect Yu Huai. He seemed like he really wanted to tell Geng Geng everything but he promised Yu Huai that he would keep his whereabouts and details of his situation private. Out of respect for his friendship with Yu Huai, I think Zhuo Mo was trying to deter Geng Geng from trying to find Yu Huai by saying that but probably didn't expect her to be so persistent/determined.

Glad to see that you liked it though, you should check out My Huckleberry Friends, that is if you're up for another high school related drama.

Also, yeah Yu Huai was overconfident when it came to his exams. That situation served as a reality check for him. Sometimes we get too caught up in our bubble or too reliant solely on our abilities. There's going to be people who are smarter than you, work harder than you or want that opportunity more than you. Also, you can't just rely on your abilities, work ethic and practice is also needed.

As I mentioned before, the demeanor those two followers displays towards Pi Pi is different from that of He-Lan. His actions can be perceived as more forceful/aggressive. Plus, she's an aspiring reporter, she's curious but proceeding with caution because of the culmination of events. Also, I wouldn't say she's avoiding him but she was certainly taken aback by his actions. After all, she sought him out once she verified that the realgar would be harmful to them. Like I said, I haven't watched past episode 8, she can either trust the two followers words that He-Lan means no harm to her or not but after watching He-Lan harm himself she might be less skeptical and that he means well and means what he says.

Yep, misspoke there, that is indeed relevant to the discussion because after all, life imitates art and vice-versa. But we're definitely standing on the same side in wanting to see well developed and well rounded Chinese women characters since there are so many in real life that are inspirational and can be seen as good role models for anyone.

As for the episode lengths, I do agree to some extent, on one hand I like additional details being added to make the world they are trying to portray feel more alive/expansive. On the other hand, there are dramas where it's clear they're trying to pad the runtime especially when the issues are repetitive as you said.

I do tend to like dramas that have positive worldviews or dramas that feature a great deal of empathy/compassion/understanding. So I definitely understand and appreciate your honesty in wanting dramas that fit your tastes and criteria but also conceding that might not be always possible. I try and engage with the drama and it doesn't have to necessarily check off all boxes for me to consider it worth watching. Thanks for your insight as well and have a good day!

Thanks for the article, sadly I haven't watched any of them but I'll put them on the watchlist.

My top 5:
Nirvana in Fire
Battle of Changsha
Nirvana in Fire 2: The Wind Blows in Chang Lin
With You
My Huckleberry Friends

Honorable Mentions: Romance of Our Parents, Ode to Joy, Scarlet Heart, Auntie Duohe

Without knowing which dramas you've watched and dropped, I would like to provide my take on some of your points. I agree that if characters are shown having those "negative traits" from the beginning to the end of a drama that can definitely be frustrating. However, one of the great things about dramas and their length is seeing characters grow, mature, develop and learn through their experiences so if you're dropping dramas you might not see them change throughout the drama. I see people writing off characters right away if they have any of these characteristics but we're all humans and everyone has their own weaknesses, no one is perfect. If anything, watching dramas has helped me be less judgmental of people, I try to understand their situation and put myself in their shoes and to empathize with them. I do enjoy seeing characters that do what they can to improve and better themselves.

Another thing is people's definition of a "happy ending". For most people all it takes for it be a happy ending is if the leads end up together at the end. That's fine if that is you what you want in an ending but I would rather have a conclusion that fits the story that's being told.

As for your comment about kickass female characters, again I don't know what dramas you've watched. Once again, people may have different definitions when it comes to what makes a kickass character. But, thinking about the dramas that i've watched, I can think of many women characters that: have their own goals, dreams and aspirations that they work hard to achieve, fiercely loyal to their friends/family and will do anything to stand up for them and provide for them, those that would make great sacrifices for their friends/family (even their own lives), women that have earned great achievements through their own hard work and are willing to help and support other women to better their situations and so on. These women are definitely admirable to me.
Do some of these women have some of the flaws you mentioned above? Yes. But that doesn't make them any less "kickass", at least in my eyes.

Not really relevant but did you know China actually has the most self made women billionaires in the world? And the next country isn't even close (US). I also read that unlike in the past where most family businesses were passed down from father to son, it is now more husband and wife and the two of them growing and getting rich together. Obviously, no country is perfect but this shows that things are changing for the better or at the least, there are more opportunities available.

She became more concerned about her safety after He-Lan pursued her outside of the club. His two followers told him to back off because his actions can seem threatening. I might not remember everything carefully but I think up to that point it was only Helan that told her he was a fox. So PiPi found out that foxes can be harmed by realgar and when she brought it to the restaurant, those two followers knew what was in her bag which provides some credence to what Helan told her (about being a fox). They then told her that he wouldn't harm her to ease her concerns.

Up to that point, I believe her friend only dealt with those two followers when they showed up at the restaurant to eat and when they helped her out at the club. Their interactions differ in tone compared to the interactions between Helan and Pi Pi up to that point. Pretty much just light banter. Whereas, Helan forced that necklace on her and told her she would fall in love with him. Basically, he came on pretty strong because her past incarnations fell in love with him at first sight . Not to mention the issues going on with her boyfriend, insecurity involved with that, preparing to go abroad to be with him and so on. All I'm saying she's dealing with a lot right now and doing it on her own without anyone to really confide in because let's be real, those issues involving He-lan would sound like nonsense to anyone listening. What i'm trying to get at is that all these events started happening one after another and the average person would be overwhelmed and probably struggle trying to process what is happening to them. Kind of like she's stuck in a conspiracy thriller.

This is how I interpreted these events.

Watched up to episode 8 so far and think the comments in regards to Pi Pi's character are kind of harsh.

She fell unexpectedly ill in one of the first couple of episodes and when she goes to the doctor, he tells her based on the checkup she is perfectly fine. Soon after she meets a man who tells her that he's half fox and from another planet whose people eat flowers and human livers. The man and his two followers continue to follow her wherever she goes. And you got some random stranger asking her to touch his head. I don't blame her for being a little cautious and paranoid. She showed enough awareness by bringing the realgar with her as a form of protection. Pi Pi is a bit nondescript right now but the story/mystery is still unfolding at the moment. We'll see if she becomes a more active participant in the events surrounding her.

Yeah, hopefully the first season did well enough for them to consider acquiring the rights for the second season as well. Never too early to start on those title requests!

official confirmation for a second season:

https://twitter.com/dramapotatoe/status/997095746070441984

Raw Episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRBClVey5BqxwCetCcT0yuK2SJduX9pxG

From the director of "A Love So Beautiful."

Some thoughts I had on the final arc/ending:

Yuan Qi was such a tragic character. To think, when we first encounter him at the beginning of the drama, he risks his own status/life to shelter those four doctors and his reaction the first time he has to take a human life. Contrast that with where he is at the end of the drama and how many lives he took to get there. The fight scenes between Yuan Qi and Feizhan and Pingjing are really an extension of how Yuan Qi always felt like he was underappreciated/overlooked. For everything he has "accomplished" to that point, he still can't best PIngjing.

I also found it interesting how after returning from Langya, when Pingjing is leading the army into the palace, he gives the enemies a chance to surrender and spares their lives so that there is minimal bloodshed. Which makes the scene with Yuan Shi ordering Yuan Qi to be executed rather than jailed as Pingjing suggested that much more shocking for Pingjing. But then again, maybe he shouldn't be shocked because it has been expressed to Pingjing that children carve their own paths in life, separate from their parents. Whereas the previous emperor was more merciful, Yuan Shi may differ in this respect and Pingjing has to respect that. Out of loyalty to Yuan Shi, he would return to help him if needed but judging by his reaction, I think Pingjing would prefer to stay out of the court affairs and explore the world with Lin Xi.

It's licensed for me too.

Thanks for letting me know!

You made some really great points here.

I'll try to answer some of your questions based on how I interpreted/remembered things.

In regards to the ending and its abruptness, I think this drama is more focused on showing their growth during their high school years but included the ending because naturally viewers would want to see where these characters ended up after high school.

As for Han Xu and Jian Dan's relationship, based on the flashbacks, they've known each other since they were kids. I think Han Xu got used to Jian Dan always being there for him and looking out for him/liking him but took it for granted. From what I read, usually Chinese high school students don't get into relationships during their high school years and instead focus on their studies and Han Xu is definitely portrayed as being the studious type. I'm not sure if Han Xu and the other student end up in a relationship but it's definitely implied that he was there to console her because of her situation with her parents. I think Han Xu had feelings for Jian Dan too but he saw that Zhou Mo was attentive to Jian Dan and would actually give her the attention/care that he couldn't so he didn't pursue it in order to stop giving her false hope as you put it. Basically, in Zhou Mo, Jian Dan finally found someone that would acknowledge/accept all the things she's done for them while also returning that love back to her.

Many times, friends in high school will say they'll always remain best friends and contact each other daily but it's hard to say what will happen in 10+ years and some friends don't even communicate anymore. Geng Geng, Jian Dan and especially Beta are spread out and living their own lives.The fact that they still make an effort to check in on each other still gives hope that maybe one day their lives will become intertwined again.

As for Yu Huai's situation, there are many factors that explain his current status. He was one of the top students in high school and quite known for that. Because of his own and societal expectations, most people would probably assume he would have a good career already. Now getting a scholarship/phd is obviously nothing to scoff at but since he's still pursuing his education while his other classmates are already pursing their careers, most people would perceive that he is "behind." This is obviously not true but people will still think this. Between schooling and caring for his mother, he might not have much time for a social life. I know people in similar situations who don't want to contact anyone because they're tired of answering questions about why they are in their current predicament or tired of people's comments that are thinly veiled judgments. Whether or not that's the right way to deal with his situation isn't for me to decide but I can definitely empathize with his situation and would say that everyone deals with it differently.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIfmg4Co_VBPuAT9GjI3UvBqAUUqBgrLR