Lulu_haneul

exactly! seeing the flashbacks we understand how far the prince would go in his schemes! but it makes me wonder, if in the original story, the prince is the good guy, does he become 'good' after meeting wanyin?
even xie- who did not skim through the story- thought the prince was the hero... i love this nuance because it shows that 1-maybe no one understood the original story 2- or that not everything is as it seems and the writer can really mess up a character -aka the prince.

100% i can relate, i realize i missed a few-important-details with dialogue...

but, as a story where main leads are stuck in a new identity, its an added challenge. the ruse of 'playing the game' +we see both sides is a real challenge for the actors. I think they pull it off nicely so far! for dan specifically, he is the more mysterious character and only as the show advances do we understand the duality in him is way more complex than shown compared to wanyin!

i had the same feeling for the comedy/tragedy mix, it is a tight balance... in this case it's justified in the beginning as the main leads don't even believe it's real... so the drama isn't taken seriously. They confront this and eventually it gets less comical.

As a fan of tragedies(not sure if this is one yet) , i love seeing lighthearted moments because they are priceless. tragedies often have symbolism of irony, sarcasm, humour compared to melodrama

so glad i read this thread because i was also confused ! when wanyin saw the SOS she clearly talked with the crown prince! then dan... since the actor was the same its basically a different timeline... what threw me completely off is that in the pilot the emperor said he transmigrated 2 hours ago...

i thought it was really uncommon/bold/unusual for a prince to seduce the concubines of the emperor so casually? i don't think i've seen a similar set up in a historical cdrama and esp if he's a built in character

8.5 and deserving more! I am not familiar with the original story, i don't know how much more serious and heavy it will get, but its one of the best transmigration i've seen! ( and i've seen so many i thought i saw it all!! ) i wouldn't say there are plotholes, but in some moments the plot is weak but the characters and twists are nice and fresh!

yeah she says it herself at some point and her investigation style is bold but for some reason BL and WXY 's performances don't come off as nuanced, but rather rigid

the makeup & costume in this drama are so fun and *extra* , her styling specifically reminds me of the fairies/demons cdrama styles but its just 'historical' !! also rc his costume us like a followup of a previous show we havent seen him enough as royalty!!

i was really happy with the dadada ending song too!!

its really difficult to connect to this world! is it me or the first episode started so fast with the main character. i find this show very unpersonal... also bai lu's character is so stiff?! main cast have barely any facial expressions?!

i was looking for your comment!! i didn't think this pair would happen!! finally ! he gave the biggest SML syndrome in startup with her😭

I cannot disagree with you!! 100% right!
but i have to admit, the first episodes and the crazy twists in the beginning I really loved! I thought we finally got a gem of a romcom! it even made me think of the iconic top 10 list on MDL.. like "its okay not to be okay" for the mental health... or "crash landing on you" for the scenery... or even goblin for canada T_T but it quickly went sideways.

but they played it too safe! when you say its "not a real thing"... it makes total sense. it felt completely disconnected and plotless by the end. exactly like you describe.

ohh melodrama ouhhh !! but they still had me laugh a few times, as comparison flower of evil is probably the most melodramatic show i've seen yet in kdramas and this looks lighter ..

i agree 100%%% the layers and imagery in this show is so nice already! the train coming is a recurrent theme, them standing face to face with the scenery is also a recurring visual theme and i read that the sisters writers wanted the background to be more meaningful as if it had a character of its own!
the big twist in the first episode is probably one of my favourite twists i've ever seen!

haha!! I hope you're enjoying it though!

I put off this show because I lost hope in romcom Kdramas. But i'm on episode 4 and this show brought back feelings from watching iconic kramas. They also have classic out of korea tourist locations etc... i feel this show could reach the top 10 of all time next to "goblin" and "it's okay not to be okay"...

8.4 is good rating but reviews are mitigated so i will wait to finish before asking why!!!

then it's slow!!!

😂😂 u see its both ! the romance side/ and the plot are hard to pin because the main leads are both very strong characters with both direct and indirect ways. often nothing is as it seems.

it was so beautiful to see bao finally speaking her mind !! the generation clash is so well done even if it was a bit caricatural... the grandma knows bao shines too well, it's hitting her ego and sense of uselessness ... besides that, like why is the plot so slow suddenly? new arc coming?

Here's where i disagree:
an elderly has potentially gone through most situations. She is in the backseat right now and is just trying to leave Shanbao with as much lessons as she can before she leave; it's her legacy. So the hail, rain etc, she knows buisness wise it's not the crisis the issue, but how you handle it.
I do think as much as there is double play and hidden games by ML and FL there is also the grandmas's games since episode 1 to protect her granddaughter. don't forget Shanbao is hiding the wanted woman from the grandma too, if i'm not mistaken.
Also, for the groom selection. i actually find the process amazing ! this grandiose show is exactly what the grandma wants to show Shanbao: that no man will actually satisfy her or almost. not only seeing people's true nature takes time, but in her position, the man she needs will surely fail. The grandma actually gave Shanbao lots of freedom in choosing.
Finally, when you are educating someone, there is a tight balance between protecting them and letting them go through the trial to really understand the advice. the grandma rarely intervenes in the arguments and accusations and i think Shanbao is also recreating this as she schemes in the background for survival and i wouldn't imagine it otherwise for the Rong legacy...

so well said! as for ep 1, i think there was also double play from the FL . i think it wasn't an 'unheard of' situation where ppl are abducted

great parallel with the empress vibe! it's how i saw it too! its the only way the grandmother knew how to have impact from the ' sidelines. '