RubyBloom

I believe these all take place in the same universe:
Rattan
Parallel World
7 Relics of Ill Omen
Love On the Turquoise Land
San Xian Mi Hui
and the upcoming
Long Gu Fen Xiang
with
Jing Tian &
Zhang Binbin.

Really looking forward to this one and LGFX!

I think maybe
the lower rated drama which I haven’t seen,
The Wind Chime,
and another
(poorly rated) movie I forget the name of
are also part of the
“Wei Gu universe”.

I just started watching the donghua Secrets of the Rivers which is based on the same novel.

I recalled hearing last year I saw a post on r/Cdrama about the drama version coming out but forgot about it until I stumbled across the donghua on Tencent/WeTV.

I haven’t read the novel but I’m enjoying the donghua.

Already was interested for the cast and the story being part of 7 Relics universe.

But now that I’m more familiar with the story thru the donghua, it looks a lot more interesting to me.

Hope it gets released soon!

Ps- I’ve really enjoyed every drama based on this author’s work that I’ve seen: Rattan, 7 Relics, & Love On the Turquoise Land.

If you can handle lower budget/lower production values and some bad wigs (😅)
you might like
Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain.

Xu Kai is ML.

It’s absolutely hilarious and very goofy/charming/zany like Pull Strings.

Similar humor and similar characters. ML in OUATILM is also a scheming genius with a loyal heart of gold towards his friends and over time also towards his shifu (older FL master who drinks and gambles a lot…but for good reasons!).

Romance is not main focus but there is a little. More focused on crazy adventures, silly shenanigans, and friendship/bromance/sismance.

Pretty sure it’s on YT in full.

I just commented that it’s giving OUATILM vibes.

So happy it is!

I love OUATILM and haven’t found many dramas like it.

Loving the remarkably unserious energy of Pull Strings.

I just started but so far it’s giving me happy vibes similar to
Once Upon A Time in Lingjian Mountain.

Been forever since I found a drama like
OUATILM. I’m still sad we never got a second season of it.

Getting to watch Pull Stinrgs’ zany cast of characters acting in hilariously OTT ways, constantly scheming (but in a fun/goofy way and not in the typically vicious/takes itself too seriously style of most Cdramas) all wrapped together in wildly off the wall slapstick humor like OUATILM has been a true delight for me.

I loved the donghua so I was hoping I’d like the drama too. So far so good!

I’m really looking forward to this one!

They had such beautiful chemistry in Blossom.

After watching Meng Yi play a highly intelligent, calculating, and ice cold (on the surface) FL in Blossoms of Power I’m really excited to see her be an unhinged yandere in TSTR.

*side note: I’m rewatching Romance of Tiger & Rose rn. Funny enough, the title of the the webnovel FL is writing is “Tigers Sniff the Rose”.
Plot is totally different but I still find it funny the names are pretty much the same.

She’s epic in
The Glory
and
Love in Nirvana

I thought the same thing.

The circumstances around his death (murder)
are obscene and heartbreaking.

It seems within the country China is, as much as possible, still avoiding any
mention/reminder of him and still preventing others from discussing the truth about his death.

The powers that be can try and erase him all they want, but his fans will never forget 💔

So yes, I agree that unfortunately we are very unlikely to see this drama released anywhere in the near future 😔

* (For anyone who hasn’t already listened to the audio that’s supposedly of him suffering that night, I HIGHLY recommend you never do.
I know I regret it, am still deeply haunted by it, and still sometimes have nightmares where I hear them.

Rotten Mango did an excellent 2 part episode about the incident.
But all of it is devastating & extremely tragic.

Where do I even start? I don’t think I have the proper words to fully explain or express how this series made me feel or the way I expect it to linger with me for a long, long time to come.

This drama reached right inside my chest and gripped my heart from beginning to end.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen for even a moment. Realized I’d been holding my breath the whole way through every episode.

The exquisitely fitting music drove the emotional lows & highs to dizzying depths and heights.

Truly, a masterpiece.

That seems entirely reasonable to me. After watching 5 eps I would give it a 7 myself so far, but that’s not far off from 7.5

I admit my expectations clouded the experience of what it turned out to be. But I also feel criticisms about direction & production are valid. Same with use of ai.

I’m surprised so many people haven’t noticed Gen Ai in the backgrounds of episodes and think it’s only used in the (laughably bad) intro.

Ah well, perhaps it will improve.

For ZLH & WC, who I think are doing their best in bad circumstances, i certainly hope it will.

Because it’s not very good.

I love both ZLH & Wang Churan.

But this drama is a mess. The ai intro is terrible. Intrusive melodramatic music in all scenes. Filmed more like a cheap vertical drama than a long form drama. Bad direction. Pace is rushed. Etc etc etc.

I’m very disappointed so far.

First wonder was the worst, but after watching 3 eps I’m still not impressed.

It’s nothing like I hoped it would be.

The rating can come from people rating individual episodes, not necessarily the whole drama.

Plus you can rate a seam and show you e only seen a few episodes.

I usually update my rating as I go or stick to rating single eps too I’m done.

Just wanted to give different perspective on why it has such a low rating.

💯 agree

Loathe LLJ to my core.

She’s the worst scum of the earth.

Hopefully she meets the bitter and bloody end she deserves in Northern Qin.

😒🤬😤

Please mark as spoiler. This is a major plot point.

I’m with you on that. I can forgive mistakes or lapses in judgment, but not willful brutality towards people who’ve only ever been good to the character.

Lejun chose to cruelly betray her best friend of many years and her best friend’s mother, the woman who dedicated herself for years to treating Lejun’s rare illness.

Lejun might not even be alive to backstab them if they hadn’t taken care of her.

Without Jiayu & Wuyi’s intervention to stop being sent to Northern Qin as a bride, she definitely wouldn’t be around to do all this.

She’s truly an ungrateful, spiteful snake that bit every hand that kindly reached out to rescue her.

Worst of all, no one (not Grand Tutor) asked or instigated her to resort to murder.

She could’ve gotten the token any number of other ways if she’d been even a little bit patient or sought advice/help from the Grand Tutor.

But no, she went straight to killing someone closest to her who had only ever shown her kindness and chose to inflict immeasurable pain on those who risked themselves to prevent her political marriage to the eagle king.

In my book that makes her the worst of the worst and unforgivably black-hearted.

I really loathe her to my core.

Usually I wouldn’t wish that on most characters despite whatever crimes they might commit.

But for this wretch?

Yes, PLEASE make her meet a terrible death. She deserves it and worse.

Been a long time since I seethed with hatred towards a cdrama character like this.

Su Jin from Eternal Love 10 Miles of Peach Blossoms is one other that comes to mind.

Both of them are pure trash.
🤬🤬🤬

Came here to join the Lejun hate train.
Screw that nasty little B.

How horrible and rotten hearted must you be to do that to your so called “best friend”? Or to anyone?

Pure trash.

Hope she gets the terrible ending she deserves. I don’t personally believe she’s redeemable at this point. 🤬🤬🤬

Ahhh, yeah I haven’t watched the post credits scene on the latest episode yet.

I hear you. This show is excellent in
pretty much every way, so a
Small mention of Ai like that wouldn’t be likely to bother me either.

But in general it’s not something I’m fond of.

That’s ok tho. I’ll keep enjoying Deep In and hopefully not see it too often in other dramas.

I must’ve missed the AI part you’re talking about.

If u don’t mind sharing with me, was asking AI that stuff and in what scene?

I’m totally with you on that btw.

Not a fan on AI in general… and I’m especially not keen on people seeking advice & validation in their relationships from it.

Thankfully I haven’t really seen it much in shows, but most of the dramas I watch (outside BL & GL) aren’t modern ones so that helps me avoid AI nonsense.

I can easily overlook it here since it’s not been a big part of the story. Hopefully it stays that way!

Damn, actor for Big Jane made my hair stand on end with what he conveys thru his eyes in some scenes.

Just now I got head to toe chills from him in the necklace scene.

Incredibly sexy and charming at one moment but the next he inspires a primal fear response.

Feels very similar to experiences I’ve had with mountain lions watching and stalking me in the woods.

Cant let your guard down for a second. Have to make sure the predator sees you a threat not worth it instead of easy prey to devour.

I’m impressed by this actor, but also
🥶😰

I thought she played a very nuanced, believable character in Whispers of Fate.

I also liked her a lot with Cheng Lei in Footprints of Change.

Looking forward to her role here.