Meari21

I just started this. It was on my to-watch list until I forgot about it. I'm glad I started looking at Liu Yuning's old dramas, I was reminded that I still haven't seen this. It reminds me of Jet Li's Once Upon A Time In China movies although they are set in two different time periods. It just has that old school kung fu movie vibe I grew up watching as a kid.

I actually expected the one episode per day after the premiere because it's a relatively short series with only 29 episodes. I think it's better than having it take a break for one weekend like they did with Fangs of Fortune. And it was when the drama was gaining momentum so it didn't reach 10,000 heat index. I think that's what they're trying to avoid here.

This made me laugh! lol Thank you! Like I told Enigma, you guys are pretty generous in your rating. I can't give this a 7, let alone an 8 because it became a chore to watch. It could've been an 8 if things didn't go so far downhill after the Lin An arc, though. But your thoughts mirror my own. I also give points for the visuals and stuck around for Deng Kai's compelling performance.

Hahahaha! I should've subscribed to Youku.

Is it just me or are the Netflix subtitles make everything even more confusing? Or is it just plain confusing? lol

Mine too! I just noticed. Hahaha. Oh well, I think most of them who gave it a 10 are not usual C-drama watchers. A lot of them are from the K-drama fandom or it's their first time watching costume C-dramas so they're impressed with the production. Personally, I think the production value is only good, not excellent. I've seen better.

It may be required in school but not everyone does it professionally. How many directors working now write their own scripts? Not a lot. Besides, we don’t know exactly what happens in these productions, maybe the directors also have a say in how the script is written, it’s just that they’re not credited for that involvement because they don’t write it themselves. A director can tell the writer to rewrite the script or make adjustments but they won’t be credited for the writing. Guo Jingming is different. He’s more like a Chris Nolan or a Peter Jackson, not saying he’s as good as them, though. Steven Spielberg used to write his own movies but he doesn’t do it now. I doubt he’ll just film anything even if he thinks it’s awful, though. He probably has the last say on how to tell the story or even make changes if he has to.

He was a novelist before he tried his hand at directing and screenwriting. Not everyone has that luxury and ability. Even in Hollywood there are only a few who write and direct their works.

He truly is everywhere! He may not have a drama out now but the three popular dramas currently airing all feature songs from him. 😆

I must say the different powers of the individual characters are so unique and intriguing. Wu Shiguang’s blood beads are so cool! Guo Jingming’s writing may not be top notch but he does write some pretty interesting characters. I am liking the vibe of this drama so far. And I just read that Liu Yuning also contributed a song for the soundtrack? I am looking forward to hearing that in the drama if that’s true.

He’s got tremendous talent. My first drama of his was Fangs of Fortune and he drew my attention from the first scene he appeared in. I saw My Journey to You next and his Gong Yuanzhi is the complete opposite of his Zhuo Yichen. A lesser actor wouldn’t have been able to successfully make them so distinct that you feel you’re looking at two different actors.

MDL should really fix their rating system. Users should be allowed to give early ratings for the drama but the episode ratings should be limited to just the number of episodes released. And reviews should also be restricted until the drama actually finishes airing. I know that not everyone cares about the rating on MDL, but I just think this system is flawed and should be fixed. This is one of the reasons why the ratings here are not reliable at all.

It's just the director's style. He is notorious for these slow and deliberate way of speaking that you'd think they're talking to a baby who can't understand human speech yet. lol But interestingly, it's only the foxes that speak this way, the rest are speaking normally, which is uncommon for Guo Jingming's works. I admit, the way the foxes act and speak irritate me a little too, especially Ju Jingyi's portrayal. But I'm willing to forgive it if she can deliver a compelling performance of the more dramatic scenes later on.

I could be mistaken but I heard that her contract includes her having the same makeup artist and makeup style for all her dramas that's why she always looked the same and often looked out of place in dramas because of her "idol" look. But GJM didn't agree to this and banned the makeup artist from doing her makeup for this particular drama. I'm not sure if that's true though.

I read somewhere Guo Jingming actually prohibited her personal make up artist from doing her make up for this drama. I guess that's why.

So did Zhuo Yichen leave Zhu Yan and choose Li Lun? Hmmm...

I just started this and I'm noticing something different. It's not the usual Guo Jingming style with the slow speech delivery and slow deliberate movements. The visuals are definitely his, though. I expected as much. Looks like I found my next watch.

Aw too bad. I have too many dramas to watch these days as is. lol

Yay! I don't have to renew my Youku!

Do I need to watch Princess Agents to understand this?