ShortCircuit

They are not different endings... just the final scenes are re-ordered. Myself, I prefer the original series' ED. The SE's ED though is the one that "should" have been the official one, but they didn't choose it for some reason. This is the first time I'm hearing of a Japanese different ED.

ETA Found some YT explanation - apparently the J-ED keeps the SE version ending but WITH the NHS talk included and the mountain scene (that is not in the SE). So, nope, not that different at all.

For anyone (who HASN'T read the novel) who wants to know how it ends in the novel... Well. The audio drama got you covered. NSFW though, just in case you don't know what you're getting into, LOL. (The actual ending - as in the novel - starts around minute 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMMTj6OYWC8&list=PLam1udaCcKqE_2FXpCdJjq2le8Z20yvyy&index=26 )

This drama is great... still in 2x speed.

PS CEW is a great kisser, or at least he makes them look... amazing.

Did you notice SamSoon yet? Because let me tell you, they should name typhoons by her name, LOL. She's the best spinster to ever wed in this drama :D

1. The Jo family had three children - YeJin (female, only surviving one), the younger son, SoonDeok's ex-husband, now dead, and also the eldest son, also dead. So, two sons, in all.

2. No, she's not. She adopted him.

3. No, the other one (the eldest) was falling in love with a man at the time his father killed him. He was already married, too - the wife was also killed on the FIL's orders. (Actually that's what they're nailing Minister Jo with, because they CAN'T say why Eldest was killed unless they show everybody the proof of the plot against the Crown Prince, and that would definitely wipe out the whole Jo family, no matter if they're guilty or not.)

4. They're not related in any way. SoonDeok and her brother (Lt. Jung) saved her life when she was escaping from the whole mess of Eldest' killing and framing the assassination on her and her husband (now dead).

The drama timeline is better - the plotline goes linear. Instead of numerous flashbacks, as in the donghua and the novel, they made it one long flashback to the whole story and only then returned to the present timeline. It makes a whole lot more sense AND all the numerous callbacks hit differently when you KNOW what they're referring to. And the reveal - you know which one - is presented exactly as in the novel, MUCH better than in the donghua, where it was left to the last ep and didn't hit as deeply as it does in the original story and in the drama.

The music is better - I am still in awe with it, from the WangXian/WuJi theme to the BGM and character songs (this is my ABSOLUTE favourite theme, Grass/Greenery/Cao Mu - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8hMzV1GWoM When you're listening to it for the first time, you'll know why.) To be clear though, the donghua music (AND the audio drama music) are also great. The music in everything MDZS/TU is absolutely perfect. Even the FMVs are something else, LOL :D

A whole LOT more plot is reserved to the female characters (much more than in the novel and donghua, though they're present more in the donghua than in the novel, too) - there are individual storylines for JianLi, Madam Yu, Wen Qing and Ah-Qing, too. If you liked JianLi in the donghua, you'll LOVE her in TU. She's awesome. Also, Madam Yu is SO bad-ass.

The paralel stories are also done to perfection - if you cried for Xiao XingChen and Song Lan, your heart is going to break again... and it's amazing how interesting Xue Yang can become when given just a little hint of humanity.

So yeah, definitely watch the drama. There will be differences (they are forced to dance around the central theme more than the donghua, there are extra bits of story and parts they did differently), but it works. There will be lesser parts too - the SFX might have been better, but then, the donghua only has to animate them, the liveaction drama can't do that. But sometimes, less is more :D

And not the last bit... Xiao Zhan as WWX totally nails it.

Some FMVs (because why not? :D) not too spoilery, because you already know the story:

The fan-made trailer (IMHO it's better than the original trailer - it needs subs on):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ldvydu34Is

The cultivators' fighting FMV (because it's awesome :D) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzdtZiuwChM

And why not... the love hints :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLLumzo__GA

PS There's an ongoing donghua for TGCF too, in the middle of the second season by now. Hua Cheng looks beautiful drawn, IMHO (and also, amazing OST, for both seasons). MXTX really does write great novels, you should try them (after MDZS, my favourite is SVSSS LOL).

PPS Make sure not to miss the chibi donghua, LOL. MDZS Q: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T15okAJuoso&list=PL1XL0duQrCwRMtNrxNDHxamgI52maHCRW

It wasn't "them" getting married, they were proxies for YeJun and her husband. And other than their work together as matchmakers, they didn't get to spend a lot of time building up a romance (there were a few moments for themselves only, but more was needed and so they'll take their time now).

It's pretty good - don't mind the ratings. Give it a try.

No love triangles, HEA for everybody.

I can't believe this. He was such a good actor - for something so insignificant and still unproven, for him to take his own life... it must've been brutal for him and his family.

SK society really needs to take a deep look in the mirror and ask itself: how much and how many more? This can't go on.

I really have no words.

This is really really funny LOL. Also, I totally channel Yayoi, complete with fujoshi fangirling and inner screaming hahaha! Also, I also can impersonate the floodlight and feathers team, all four of them LOL.

I couldn't put my finger on who exactly does Akutsu Nichika (Hajime) remind me of, until he smiled... Is it me or does he look a lot like LYX in this bangs-and-quiet-smile look? It totally adds to his attractiveness for me :D

Lots of great moments in this episode (why only 3 eps?! Why can't they have more?! MORE you hear me?)

Akafuji going into nuclear meltdown because he got to listen to Hajime's breathing on his ear. And kiss his hands. And also looking at him for more than 5 seconds!! (A RECORD!!) Also, exGFEXGFeXGfexgfeXgFEXgfeeeeeeeexxxxxxxxGGGGGGGGGffffffff!!!!!! :D) Hajime being completely (and unaware of it) coy with him - poor Akafuji! :D

This looks so, so good! But seriously, it needs more. And only once a week? *sigh* I'll go gather more feathers and keep the floodlights close then...

Did he get eaten by a tiger then? :D

The fated pairs TRIED to stage a rescue, but then - GeonSeok already knew his mother isn't dead, so they probably found out soon enough JungWoo wasn't either. I definitely don't see the butler keeping THAT secret, LOL.

He loved the Princess in his first identity, and she dropped dead as soon as she married him.

Now he too has been ~dead~, and with his new identity, I think the danger is not present any more.

And I also think she too is an Agent, just a pragmatic one - the TROPE is that lovers are fated (and JungWoo is the Agent to bring THOSE together) but they're breaking a lot of tropes, and so she's having Lady YeoJu and the ex-officer marry despite them not being fated soulmates and all. So she DOES do the work of an AoL, just in a more down-to-earth way.

He was still basically numb when he met the king, after all that time. He kept trying to tell them he wasn't emotionally ready and the king - who knows she's not dead - keeps neglecting his words.

I myself was glad there's no big kiss ending scene. I'd have had a crick in the neck, just like the king pretended LOL.

Now I kind of remember there's a cat, but I'll have to re-watch and make certain. For science :D

The CP and HaNa staying up all night because they're having debates. LOL.

DooRi and her new husband being kids together - and him waiting to have a kid too, hahaha! Poor DooRi will have two babies to raise.

OMO, Lt Jung got WAY over his shyness LOL! That's a totally new manner to break an author's impasse hahaha! When he started taking off his clothes I was expecting him to have some c-thru battle armour of his own, LOL, but he just immediately went down to business and even the ducks are blushing about it! SamSoon, he is worthy!

YeJin and her husband also not staying with MIL... The way she learned the truth about her family was brutal, but then, her mom was always brutal about her political ambitions. I can see why YeJin will have none of it...

But also poor MIL. All her plans went astray, all her family left - that sequence of her being alone and STILL unshaken in her conviction she's been right all the way... That's a great villain arc. She's not even that much of a villain - BUT she did intend to poison the prince (and poisoned the princess), she STILL wanted to change the new king, she only took revenge (and destroyed her political faction along the way) when she went mad over her son being murdered by his father. I can't help but half-commiserate with her on that...

And oh, our lovely OTP. I don't care who the hell started the comments on RoWoon being unable to act - but this man made me tear up on his quiet giving up on life AND the Emperor's friendship just for a chance to save her life. The Emperor too - I am currently obsessing over this actor, I'm going to be on the lookout for him from now on. He seems to be someone I'd love to be friends with, he's so easily friendly!

The reunion was perfect, IMHO. I'm pretty glad there was no kiss in the end - because 1. it would have been all everybody talked about (chemistry/no chemistry, was is needed/it wasn't, etc) and 2. it would've broken someone's neck LOL. I mean, she fit under his chin with room to spare. He'd have to get her a chair or kiss her sitting down and all of us, blushing ducks included, would ASSUME what would immediately follow, LOL.

I almost want a special with them going around matchmaking everybody in Joseon, LOL. The Emperor didn't joke (at least not in the aftermath) about what he intended for JungWoo to spend his life on, LOL.

Overall, this was a fresh breeze of a drama for me. Pretty good comedy in the first half, very nice and tender feelings in the second half. Some parts of the BGM are just perfect, I hope I find them somewhere for re-listening (in-between my Ateez holidays playlists revolving LOL). RoWoon was great and nuanced, Cho YiHyun was cute as a button and not-the-same-old-same-old romcom FL, all the support charas were amazing - special shoutouts to Jo HanChul - the Emperor, Park JiYoung - Lady Park and Kim DaHwin - he's the butler, if I'm not wrong, Jung BoMin - my girl SamSoon!! I want to see more like this drama :)

PS THE OPERATION TO SAVE THE KING'S EX-SON-IN-LAW replacing THE OPERATION TO WED THE THREE SPINSTERS was just the perfect touch LOL

Was that the perfect ending episode or what? I have so many feelings about it. And one complaint (I waited til the end of the credits just to see if they're adding another break-the-fourth-wall clip, and in one of the photos there was a cat - there's no cat in the drama, where's the cat?! I'd have loved a cat :D)

I basically love all (surviving) characters, MIL included. I loved even her part of the ending, totally fitting.

But oh the rest of it... so SWEET! I am a bit high on sugars right now. I'm going to miss this drama :)

We should be thankful to him, though, LOL, without his interference, poor DooRi wouldn't have married ShiYeol. And he was funny, trying hard to count to three (but without the missing groom) and getting three anyway, hahaha!

Aside from MIL, everybody from the Dongro faction is as stupid as they can be, LOL, her former husband and brother included :D

I hate to say it but there are still cultures today that approve and even encourage such matches.

But yes, in the Middle Ages and the ancient world, all over (including Europe), people married very young at times (particularly for alliances, if they were nobles/royalty) though in some cases they didn't consummate immediately. Some even used to get married through proxies, because the children that should have married were too young to attend. Both spouses could be children/teens, or one of them could be much older (yes, there are cases where the wife/concubine was much older than the husband, so it's not like TM invented this).

And yes, it looks like CP and HaNa are a pair, and HE chose HER (she's not from some powerful family, he genuinely likes and admires her). I guess it'll take a while before they get to more serious stuff, even if married officially, so don't worry if that's what's bothering you.

Heavy makeup is a tool of the trade for a low-born matchmaker, that she is trying to pass as. Also, it's a means of masking herself so that people won't recognize her.

Don't worry, the makeup artists know what they're doing.

You know what? You guys seem to be on top of it, I'll just let you enjoy it by yourself :)

Have fun with it!