Platinum Fox

He has one where he is the male lead Overlord with Bai Liu. You could consider him the second male lead here.

So the ending for you is her looking back on the past and remembering the first day he came to town? I can see that, but it would not explain why her face was one of surprise/shock when she looks up and sees who the new magistrate is.

I agree with you that some parts of the ending before the last scene don't make sense. Why did LMY have to die after the blood transfusion? Why is he considered a criminal when he was trying to save the country? Why did he have to go away?

However, the closing scene of her hearing that a new magistrate is in town totally completes the story and allows for the story to begin again, just like the dawn of a new day. When he first comes into town, he doesn't know who she is, she doesn't know who she is. They both don't know who masterminded the massacre of their families. At the end, they know everything and a new dawn has occurred. The look on her face at the end says that he has returned. The dawn that was once hidden amidst the clouds is now gone and life begins anew.

This is just my take on it, but I can see where you are coming from. To a certain extent the whole thing is poorly written. For me, the writer seems like a brand new writer and was trying to imitate more popular works without copying them exactly.

Thank you for the discussion.

The title of the drama says it all. This story has a cyclical story structure. It ends where it begins which means it is a happy ending. The story begins with LMY coming into town as the new magistrate. The story ends with a new magistrate coming into town. If it had not been him, she would have just gone on about her day. Instead she has a look of surprise/shock on her face. Thus it is him, even if we don't "see" him.

For me, it is not the ending that doesn't make sense, it is the fact that he had to die in order to give her a blood transfusion. She managed to survive while her father gave LMY a blood transfusion from her. Why is it a given that he must die?

What would have been a well written sad ending for you?

The ending is perfect as it represents the title of the drama. Everyday dawn comes whether it is a sunny day or hidden among the clouds (good or bad times). The story is a simple cyclical structure. The drama starts with him coming into town as the new county magistrate. It must end the same way, thus the happy ending.

Just finished this and have to agree with you, thus the title of the drama.

I made it to episode 15 and understand why it has been rated so low. I feel this is just a rip off of Story of Yan Xi Palace. It's too bad because I really liked the actress who played the empress.

it can also mean passionate. The priest is passionate about justice as well as angry when it is not served.

What a gem! I usually do not watch sports dramas, but this has the vibe of the Hollywood movie, Major League, which I loved.

I have to agree with you on that. I tried to watch the main couple in The Long Ballad and couldn't.

I watched LLtG on YouTube and then on Viki a year and half ago. However, I was introduced to Zhao Lu Si through Who Rules the World on Netflix. I am only two episodes in of TSOPG, and am loving it. Looking forward to seeing the social commentary Zhao Lu Si's character always bring to the screen.

Just to clarify, I do not think this drama is a masterpiece like Shakespeare. Far from it! This drama is all about putting on a play. There are elements of Chinese theater and elements and themes of Shakespeare's plays in it (many Asian dramas do). SYR and the Princess represent the tragedies while XFF and XH represent the comedies. I can explain more if you would like.

As far as comedic writing, the writers here use appearance vs. reality which is a common element used by Shakespeare in his comedies to create a light-hearted atmosphere. For example, a nunnery that is supposed to create pure and helpful girls produces women who lust and murder. Another example, XFF, an 18/19 year old girl who has been married for three years, suddenly becomes an innocent and pure 15 year old through identity swapping (again another element used in Shakespearean plays to create comedy). SYR who already is on the way to becoming powerful through his own means, becomes powerless because he listens to his mother and sister to get rid of his wife. This creates the comedy needed for the parody aspect of the drama. Think A Mid Summer Night's Dream or Love Like the Galaxy. Fate always has a way to bring the right lovers together.

Finally, if you liked SYR and are intrigued by his character, check out A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College. SYR's character (for me) is based on the second male lead in that drama; just as XFF and Duke Su are based on General Ling and Cheng Shao Shang in Love Like the Galaxy. Again, I can explain more.

Thank you for the discussion.

Don't know if this will help, but I think her actions towards him at the beginning are to show their polar opposite personalities. He is cold and calculating; she is warm and carefree. They are Yin and Yang. Throughout the drama, they teach each other that there is more to life than being carefree and power. There must be a middle ground. But as far as an inciting event for her distrust of him, there is none mentioned in the drama.

Nelia, Sang Zhi is never 12 in this drama. The writers began her journey of womanhood at 14 because that is the age of consent in China. Zhao Lu Si could not play Sang Zhi at 14 because she "grows up" from 14 to 17. The actress who plays Sang Zhi at 14 was actually 11 at the time. They needed a shorter actress to play Sang Zhi, so they could show how she "grew up" in height and became closer to him. Remember Sang Zhi's narration at the beginning of the drama, "Time has its own magic. It brings us closer in height and distance. I am glad you did feel the cringe, because the drama is a social commentary on the age of consent law.

Also, DJX is considered an adult (age of majority) at 19. The casting crew was correct in keeping him the same throughout the drama. If they hadn't it would not have expressed what the writers were trying to get at. Fourteen year olds are not mature enough to consent to sex, they are still children. This is why the doorway scene is really important.

Whoever said this does not understand what a Mary Sue character is. Shao Shang is not perfect, nor does she try to be. Her suitors might think she is a Mary Sue, but her character definitely is not.

Isn't that what he does? He forms an alliance with Princess Wanning which is the same as Prince Cheng. Because of a misunderstanding by PW, she dies by her own hand leaving the Longwu Army in the hands of Shen Yu who turns the army over to a more experienced general, Duke Su. Once the fish talisman is in the hands of Xiao Heng, the Longwu Army are now in his control. Shen Yu, realizing that he will never have XFF again and doesn't deserve her, he kills himself and allows XFF to be with the person she should have been with in the first place Duke Su, who has loved her long before Shen Yu. Think Shakespearean and A Midsummer Night's Dream or Love Like the Galaxy. Fate has a way of bringing the right lovers together in the end.

Princess Wanning and Shen Yu are a much better match. She needs to feel in control, and he allows women to control him. The only one who doesn't is XFF. She allows him to be himself, but he realizes that because of him, she gave up so much. He does have a redemptive arc. His death needs to be about her, not about power. He had power, but lost it because he let his mother and sister talk him into doing away with XFF.

Jang Bong Hwan thought he was making out with the maid not the king. The next day remember how he freaks out when he finds out he actually slept with the king and not the maid.

It depends on how you look at the drama. By him dying XFF is free to be her true self. She can now marry XH with no hang ups.

All the girls picking on Shao Shang get their just rewards. It is worth watching just for that.