MadelineMaureen

omg this is NOT a drill...40 episodes....the breath of relief i had when I saw the calendar in the photos.
I was so worried about only having 8 episodes left with so much still left in thw air. but we have 12 more.

I thought it was only 36? nvm looked at the photos & found the calendar breakdown

oh ummm you might want some tissues before you proceed any further...
but a lot is happening so it didn't feel long to me, but I just remembered this isnt a full 40 so yeah it is pretty deep into it.

I believe it will be ep 28 possibly crossing into 29.

As I've seen his other work, I can tell the choices he's made for this role that make it different from his other roles. it's reserved on purpose not expressionless. the only complaint i currently have is with whomever put him in that wing. I miss his curly widow's peak 😢

Not me screaming and kicking my feet during that bus stop scene 🤭🥰🥰

This show is demonstrating the difference between selfless love and selfish love really well. Gu JinZhao is very selfless with her love of others. She is willing to put herself in danger whether physically or her own reputation. She and Chen Yan Yun align in this way. He loves the people and the nation and is willing to harm himself in the process if necessary. He could have easily gone with what his mentor wanted and been even more powerful and more wealthy than he currently is, but he actual loves the people and wants to do the absolute best for them.

Ye Xian's love is much more selfish, but there is room for growth and understanding, unlike Gu De Zhao's "love"...it's only ever about what the other person can do for him it has limits and contingencies. Ye Xian hasn't, until recently, thought of anyone but himself. But through "the power of friendship"(cheesy i know but stay with me) he is better able to open his heart to others. He's willing to listen and trust and grow as himself. (Going based on plot up until episode 26, please don't hold me to this praise if our boy backslides into cray cray town)

Chen Xuan Qing is a selfish love disguised as a selfless love. He thinks he isn't pursuing Gu Jin Zhao to protect her from his birth secret, but really he's protecting himself. If his love was truly selfless he would be happy for her as long as she is happy and safe(the previews for 27 & 28 do not bode well for his character arc)....this "as long as she's happy and safe" is perfectly exampled in Ji Yao. His love is selfless, as he is willing to forgo romantic love if it means a person he loves remains safe and protected.

There is platonic love, familial love, romantic love, obsessive love, possessive love and selfish love all mixed together and it truly enriches the story and character dynamics.

also my favorite "im not here to stir up trouble" then proceeds to set off a bomb of information that should have come from anyone but her.

So we all caught the "dont eat the food it's not safe" coded language right? Chen Yan Yun is walking a tight rope while on a unicycle trying to keep all these people safe, or as safe as possible. Only Jin Zhao knew without saying a word that YanYun would protect Ye Xian and his father without being asked. She simply went to him to assess the game plan with a "where do you need me coach?" mentality. Knowing that both of them could be seen as villains or some variant of not good people, both of them are willing to sacrifice their reputations for the welfare of the nation and protecting their friends...even when that friend is considered an enemy.

The Emperor knows that Yan Yun can be trusted, but still has to ask(command) his help. He really is growing up so fast. He learned well from CYY and YX on how to manipulate without being obvious, using his youth and perceived ignorance to his advantage.

but that preview for ep27...rough.

I'll have to check this one out later this week and see if it's something im in the mood for. like the cast, but the type of story isnt really one a gravitate towards so it will come down to writing and understandablity of the first few episodes.
but before I start is this story related to any other works that I should be made aware of prior to starting?

It's giving "commercial break" levels of cuts between scenes. Hulu/Disney are the worst offenders of this issue. Numerous other shows on their platform that would normally never have a cut to black to harsh transition have the same issue. The show should have really been 14 episodes imo to help with the pacing and to better fleshout backstory and fallout. Im still enjoying the show...but post production seems to have dropped the ball. But I cant fully blame post if production didnt shoot a scene there is nothing post can do to fix it, ya know? (this is normally a reason for reshoots on shows/movies, because they see they are missing something for the final edit.)

I was so tired of the doubling down into actual stupidity to have them on any of my feeds again. Are there issues with the script and editing? Yes 100%. I dont feel the need to jump on EVERY SINGLE comment numerous times saying it though.

Wow, blocking one person really cleaned up this feed for me. Like breathing fresh air after being stuck in an airplane with a gasy seat mate.

yeah im blocking the fuck out of you. you are actually unhinged and bring nothing but ostrich level thinking and Debbie Downer levels of discourse.

you know, there is an edit button if you want to add on to a comment and an enter button that lets you make a paragraph. you dont have to send multiple replies...

Are yall really shocked the man who watched his brother be forced into a loveless marriage, manipulated, and then killed(?), abused by his father for being smarter than his brother, have several assassination attempts against him wants to abolish the institution that allowed it?
Be so for real right now. Prior to his high school crush rocking up and proposing marriage the cycle of abuse and power struggle was going to continue unless he ended it. Why would a man who was abused for being born second want to bring his own children into that institution/world?

He definitely showed signs. His mother, father, and brother all died under suspicious circumstances. His nephew is young and vulnerable. He saw how unfair the noble vs commoner situation was in school as well, thanks to HuiJu. And prior to his engagement his closest friend was the Prime Minister. He is politically aware enough to understand that the country would be fine without the Crown.
Every bad thing in his life comes back to the Crown. His father's abuse, his brother's mental health, marriage and subsequent death, his nephew being in danger of being manipulated. Why would anyone wish that on their own spouse and future children?

nope. If you prefer desktop you have access to all the features. The app is just convenient for quickly updating your watch list or checking your calendar. I would still suggest checking out the app and seeing if you like the format. if you end up not liking it you can always uninstall it from your phone.

Yes, and 100% going to be watching.

Platonic love can have the same level of emotion as romantic love, when it comes to knowing your actions/choices will hurt the other person. She cares for him like a best friend, but doesn't see him in a romantic way. A part of that has to do with her not even really noticing romantic affection when they first meet, and then him intruding on her first crush the way he did...didn't really help his case.
She kind of put him in the same box as her brother and cousins(one of which is his actual nephew, which is he whole reason they even became acquainted in the first place), but through them both growing up during the 4 years they've known each other she knows that he isn't the same as he was when she was 14.
But because he never actively pursued her in any meaningful way that was clear, sincere, and with a plan(because he is nobility and she is the granddaughter of a merchant) she could at best marry him as a concubine....he fell behind. He always had her back, but he didn't actively make progress in relaying to her his actual affection. And for someone like Jin Zhao who has so much anxiety around marriage and family...she needs clear communication and stability. Not someone who has a reputation for getting bored with a new toy....(not really what I mean, but close enough.)

But seriously, he is the only heir of a Marquis....the only reason she is considered suitable for Chen Yan Yun is because he was already married previously and he has a relationship with her family. Ye Xian was doing his best to become strong enough on his own merit to marry her, but 3 years wasn't enough time, I fear.