MarkWasHere

Quite a good drama. Unlike most dramas that start better than they finish, I thought this drama finished strongly.
8.5/10

What AI?

When actresses from conservative Asian countries, who have performed explicit sex scenes have children, I wonder how those children feel about it as they grow up. Kids can be cruel, and its likely that at some point in their life, clips of their mother's sex scene circulate within their social group. Whether done as a joke or as a deliberate attempt to shame them, it can't be a comfortable experience for the children of the actress.
I wonder if actresses who performed explicit sex scenes when they were younger regret those choices later in life, especially when children come along?

I'm 56 and I look after my 13 month old grandson two days a week, and is exhausting (but I love it). Raising children in old age is not easy.

An excellent drama, well deserving of its high MDL score. I didn't love the "alternative ending" scene, but the drama itself was very good. Also, I find it disturbing that some people would
'ship a psychopathic monster with his victim. That is just twisted.

I've deleted the word "fantasy" from my comment.

I disagree. He was the worst thing about the entire drama.

Personally I think the score is reasonable.
I disagree that CDrama watchers are "quite generous with the ratings". If you look through lists of CDramas, the vast majority of them have very low scores (below 8). The average CDrama is scored significantly lower than the average KDrama.

I hated the Qi Min character. It dumbfounds me that people actually 'shipped this sick psychopathic, sadistic monster with his victim.

Three other Chinese historical dramas that I really enjoyed are are:
The Double (2024)
Blossoms in Adversity (2024)
Legend of the Female General (2025)
If you are interested in checking out some Chinese modern dramas, I'd recommend:
Loving Strangers (2026) - Remake of the classic Korean Drama "My Mister"
Twelve Letters (2025)
Meet Yourself (2023)
Will Love in Spring (2024)
Hidden Love (2023)

As an MDL user, you are free to suggest any change that you think is warranted. That's what the "Edit This Page" link is for.

This is something that the Chinese version did much better than the original Korean version. I understood and sympathised with the wife in the Chinese version because we got to see how poorly the ML treated his wife. His cold indifference would drive many woman to seek out the affection that is entirely absent in her marriage elsewhere.

Like many historical dramas, its best to park your brain and just enjoy the show for what it is. There aren't too many such dramas where you cannot find numerous and massive plot holes if you look for them.

I'm not a fan of non-consensual kissing, especially when a person physically forces themself onto the other person. Writer's that romanticise assault need to reflect on themselves.

God no. Qi Min is a sociopathic, psychopathic monster who tortures and murders innocent people (or orders them to be tortured or murdered) without a second thought. He kidnapped Qian Qian, repeatedly threatened her and her son, and even though it wasn't shown, I think it would be naïve to assume that he didn't also rape her. I for one don't want to see a drama where Stockholm Syndrome is the central plot device.

Here are a few Chinese dramas that I personally thought are as good, or better than this drama:
Loving Strangers (2026)
Blossoms in Adversity (2024)
The Double (2024)

I'm finding the opposite to be true. For me, the story has gotten even better from around the half way point.

It was OK.

I don't think I will watch a drama in which sexual assault is romanticised.

I've just finished episode 24 in which Xie Zheng apologised to Fan Chang Yu. His apology was very brief and vague, and it isn't even clear what he is apologising for. I don't think he was apologising for the non-consensual kiss, because he basically did the same thing again (kissed her without having obtained consent) in the very next episode. The only real difference between the two situations was that this time, Fan Chang Yu responded positively to the kiss.