I'm glad you didn't immerse yourself in the comments. :)
It’s always better to watch after the “noise” has settled, but the unintended consequence of that is loss of sleep.
So, I find if I’m watching ongoing drama, the best thing is to find out if it’s worth it then watch first few episodes and proceed without reading comments.
Am on ep 17 now this ML is totally unlikeable, not married but he is keeping a mistress and has son and daughter…
True, it is hard, however, I didn’t think Cdramas show it explicitly according to history like Koreans do.
They do try to tone it down by making the other ladies hated for bring evil and skimming, so nobody feels sorry for them.
The only lady I felt sorry for was the first wife of ML in Song Dynasty, she was nice and deserved someone who loves her but she just accepted the one he loves and became friends with her.
These 3 are my go to. The story of ming lan has a lot of wisdom for daily life experiences. Focus on the grandma’s conversation with Ming lan.
I got attached to the kid, wanted to see more of what he can do. Does he appear again?
Does she get married to the ML or the crown prince? The synopsis and trailer confused me about that part?
Is this based on a novel?
So, I find if I’m watching ongoing drama, the best thing is to find out if it’s worth it then watch first few episodes and proceed without reading comments.
Excessive romance: The sheer number of kissing scenes felt unusual for a historical drama, overshadowing plot depth.
Missing realism: With so much romance and bed scenes, the absence of pregnancy or even hints of it strained believability.
Child actors: Apart from the emperor, children were conspicuously absent, which made the world feel incomplete.
Emperor portrayal: He was depicted as far older than his supposed age, surrounded only by elderly advisors, with no peers as crown prince.
Unfinished storylines:
The sisters’ weddings were skipped.
The sister with the abusive husband’s arc was left hanging.
The Mu family marriage subplot was abandoned.
The woman tied to SML’s mother’s murder was left hanging.
Weak emotional depth: The female lead’s emotional scenes often felt unconvincing, reduced to fainting gestures or single tears.
Nephew subplot: His storyline clashed with the already established SML’s undying love, making it redundant.
Acting performances:
The male lead delivered strong emotions and reactions.
The second male lead showed potential but often felt like he was reading from a script.
Rushed finale: The last episode was hurried, which unfortunately is a common flaw in C-dramas.
Ancient times was worse though, since women were made objects of baby making machines more than capable people.
They do try to tone it down by making the other ladies hated for bring evil and skimming, so nobody feels sorry for them.
The only lady I felt sorry for was the first wife of ML in Song Dynasty, she was nice and deserved someone who loves her but she just accepted the one he loves and became friends with her.