ep 3-4 were better than the first 2. however, i can't help but feel like something is missing. maybe depth? all…
All comic characters take a lot of time to develop, if they develop at all. For an 8-ep series, there's not a lot of time to do that - you can't see their motivations, what drives them mad or happy, etc. So it all remains at surface level and you interpret them based on tropes and clichees.
So far, the only one who is actually kind of nuanced (as it can be in this time) is Cho Heon, who is pretty gray himself. The rest... not so much.
I was afraid they'd slack off a bit in the middle of the drama. I wish I was wrong. The battle scenes are a bit…
I think we got too usedd to self-sacrificing heroes who just forego their own lives for the sake of duty, and then live miserably so that everyone else can live freely and happily. I'm pretty tired of that trope too.
Why should he sacrifice his own life for the country? What did he ever get in return from his countrymen, his country's nobles, from his grandfather (the assassinated Emperor who didn't even want to see him before sending him off to the army), from his family, who's insulting his mother every chance they got? His only loyalties so far are to his army brothers, and being a strong Emperor might kill them all off in some suicidal mission, too. Why should he be the one to cut off all his links to actual meaningful life - since he's always known what he wants?
I'm pretty ready for a hero who DOESN'T sacrifice.
After all, the kid - his cousin - DID expect to inherit, DID expect to eventually take over the country, was in fact educated to do it (so far). The Empire doesn't NEED a Emperor/King who can fight - that's what generals are for. The Empire needs a DIPLOMAT and a POLITICIAN.
I was afraid they'd slack off a bit in the middle of the drama. I wish I was wrong. The battle scenes are a bit…
The kid is at least 10-12. He'd be a King from 18 or thereabouts. It's not too long to wait until Li Ni could go to LaoLan Pass, and interim he could make sure the throne is secure and also check how stable the King to be actually is.
But if he becomes Emperor, there won't ever be any freedom in his future at all, even if he abdicates in favour of his cousin.
1. Probably not (though it's heavily implied in the movie that the King is very interested, and Gong Gil is not…
He only wanted to be let go when he got properly frightened and realised he was in over his head. When the troupe wanted to leave, he's the one who opposes the plan. And then the play is played and thus ends them all. Obviously he decided to leave then - but it was already way too late.
Ah, but discussing it with her father and discussing it with her lover are two vastly different things. For Shiqi…
If the other grandson makes it to become Emperor, he doesn't need Li Ni close, he needs him at the border. The quip about border governors with huge armies being a threat while fragile clerks being less of a danger is pretty true, even coming from Miss Gu.
And Li Ni actually is true to his words - he's been telling them all who he is, and nobody's listening right now. I thought she was hearing him, but guess not.
How the hell Han Chang is still alive after being stabbed so much and falling from that cliff. Our guy come back…
He somersaulted with two enemy soldiers in order to land on something soft LOL.
Also, the freaking cliff scene is such a staple. EVEN Jurassic Park had it, when it became convenient (because there was no cliff next to the T-Rex paddock before it became needed).
I can't think of a drama that didn't have a fall from a huge cliff that the hero survived anyway - like TU, ATWIL, The Wolf, AoL....
TBH... I kind of get her POV. Also, she's totally misunderstanding everything he stands for right now. General…
I was afraid they'd slack off a bit in the middle of the drama. I wish I was wrong.
The battle scenes are a bit chopped up. The long-term villain is going out without a bang. The new trash villain is underacting, even if he doesn't have anything new and interesting in a villain's character to bring to the table. At least Sun Jing loved ex-Crown Princess. The trash villain is just insane.
The last few eps were a bit lackluster compared to the previous set. It might be the re-edited and shorter list of eps, but I keep feeling we're seeing too little of the politics that should make the treason/scheming plots worth the wait. Instead, we get LCF teleporting from the capital to outside of Cui Army camp (that doesn't have ANY security at all, because that's how it works right?), and back as he pleases, with no actual time lapse. The grassland poisoner tribes only appeared once in a scene, and now we're supposed to believe LCF is doing his thing but also fullfilling his part of the bargain with them while doing nothing but mooning over Cui Lin.
I love the actual love scenes and the heart-to-heart talks, but I swear, TaoZi's only been girlishly pretending not to care about Chang'Er, and doing nothing else for way too many scenes - we could have had some more actual battle scenes and/or a feeling about what goes on in the capital. As in, where the hell did the new Empress come from?! I thought both the two princes' and Li Ni's respective mothers are dead already. Who did the Emperor marry?!
The ex-Crown Princess is reduced to counting beads snd mourning the piece of trash that killed her husband and almost killed her son. They're giving me a headache. Miss Gu isn't doing anything yet.
WE"RE FREAKING 16 eps FROM THE ENDING!! DO SOMETHING to move the plot along!!
I feel like basically the part I actually enjoyed these past two eps is Li Ni's face-off with General Cui, and even that came a bit short.
And now they're having Ying actually talking of ambitious plans FOR HIM, to his face, as if he doesn't have an actual CHOICE!! He's been telling her from day 1 that he doesn't want to be the Emperor, that his ambitions are pastoral and he wants to live a good, peaceful life, and she's like - NO! You're THE CHOSEN ONE!! That kid won't amount for nothing, it's YOU who has to do it!!
Which basically means he'd have to continue his father's betrayal and continue stealing the throne.
She seemed to understand him better before.
With 4+ more days to wait upon a resolution, and the only villains remaining the freaking trash and the useless brothers... I am not pleased.
Still hoping they'll save it, or that at least they don't damage what they have already built - too much.
Agree, it’s bit disappointing how weak Ying was in this episode. She was so strong and badass in the first few…
He's not that smart to talk his ass out of a public whipping. Wanna bet that thing makes its way to Li Emperor's ears and someone - maybe the Lai brother's allies - makes sure the Emperor takes it as a personal insult and THAT will be one more reason to stop Li Ni marrying Ying?
I'm getting a bit tired of so many poisonings too. I've accidentally watched a "romantic" trailer on YT, everybody was sprouting arrows like they were hedgehogs. I want my bloody misunderstandings and fights!!!
... Well good thing I have Ateez playlists to play into oblivion and calm down LOL. (I know, random and totally unrelated to the drama - who cares :D)
Dammit, Li Ni planted the BIGGEST red flag on Bao... Why would you tell him he'll get married and have kids and…
What mental state? He's been in cuckoo-land since the beginning. I did feel (a very tiny bit) for him when he was lamenting having lived as a shadow and not having any identity outside of fake Cui Lin - but nobody forced him to betray his saviours, nobody forced him to go to the grassland people, nobody forced him to pour poison in his adoptive father's mouth.
Ying's brain in episode 22: mostly offline. I kept telling her - you HAVE to switch it off and on again. Dammit.…
Dammit, Li Ni planted the BIGGEST red flag on Bao... Why would you tell him he'll get married and have kids and a happily ever after? The guy's dead already, according to drama rules.
Therefore, yes, Da Bao, pigeon meat is great. Have at it.
I seriously hope that LCF is gone come tomorrow's eps, and that the General Cui knew everything from the beginning (not much hope of that, he's probably being treated by TaoZi and won't have much to live etc). But all his planning is turning out SO STUPID once the adopted son decides to take everything and his daughter too, and NOBODY knows she's the General's daughter either.
Take her out for the people to see and recognize her status, dammit!! Or LCF can still win.
The forced wedding plot has been done and re-done so many times in dramas I've watched, I'm pretty sick of it. And also, still extremely disappointed in Ying not even trying to do anything to escape the freaking house - SERIOUSLY?! As if LCF is any equal to her strategies - unless she's hit with a very bad case of drama stupid.
This needs far more less of the trash and way more of the other grandson and Sun Jing. I'll even take stupid Li emperor and his two stupid sons (of which at least one can plot something, even if he doesn't see that far.)
So, two more eps tomorrow and then a week's drought T_T
I kept telling her - you HAVE to switch it off and on again. Dammit. She's a slippery eel from Li Ni's arms but a total deadweight when it comes to the trash. Disapointing. So is the great generalTM who does pretty silly punishments because why? (no idea), but still embraces the ghost returned from the grave with nary a care or any misgivings... and it's been at least a few months, right?
VERY, VERY disappointed with A'Shu, too. If he really was also "rescued", he had all the time in the world to tell the truth. He doesn't owe anything to the trash, and everything to the Cui family. Bad dog, no bone!
Though there were still sweet moments in here. Like Li Ni planning to eviscerate any boy looking at his hypothetical daughter and Ying proposing having sons instead. He's just warming up to the idea of kids - many kids!! - and she's probably already picking the names LOL.
Well, for the most part ep 19 and 20 were painful, depressing and infuriating to watch, but that's what made them…
That taking over the merits of Li Ni's work is precisely that modern meme - "I made this".
Well, he might have had something to do with Li Ni existing, but definitely nothing to do with his military accomplishments (that the three of them are hard at work at dismantling, too). No wonder Prime Minister Gu told them off.
World's number one pretty boy. There is nothing else to say.
I don't even care how much they took out to fit the new censorship criteria - what was left is perfection itself. Li Ni being hurt by the disrespect to his mother, Ying coming to comfort him, that binge-drinking night (I HAVE MY DOUBTS ABOUT WHAT WENT DOWN THAT NIGHT DRAMA, DO YOU HEAR ME??).
I don't want to see the other grandson die or fall in Sun Jing's hands. I hope Li Ni rescues him in time. And ex-Crown Princess sure is a strong woman - still able to admit she DID have some feelings for Sun Jing even as she's poisoning him. I hope it doesn't end tragically for her and her son. Sun Jing could fall in the water and drown like the other trash (that we don't know yet how it will die) too.
Damn.... that fake emperor and his stupid sons are REALLY stupid. Like, straw-between-their-ears stupid. Are they feeling so secure on their seats already that they're butchering thousands of soldiers for the sake of keeping their only able military leader down?! Pretty soon there won't be a throne to defend, if this goes on. I hope all three of them choke on some pies and die.
Also, this no-timer shenanigans are pretty... interesting, so to speak. The timer doesn't seem to work for his drama only, and it takes it out from the currently airing list too... *sigh*
3 
So far, the only one who is actually kind of nuanced (as it can be in this time) is Cho Heon, who is pretty gray himself. The rest... not so much.
The Hulk: Do you really want to meet me when I'm out of the police force?
That was an actual LOL moment. I'm warming up toward Cho Heon.
That stupid DK CEO wants to be Batman, doesn't he?
The music continues to be great. Haven't read the webtoon, no idea how this ends, but so far, so good.
Why should he sacrifice his own life for the country? What did he ever get in return from his countrymen, his country's nobles, from his grandfather (the assassinated Emperor who didn't even want to see him before sending him off to the army), from his family, who's insulting his mother every chance they got? His only loyalties so far are to his army brothers, and being a strong Emperor might kill them all off in some suicidal mission, too. Why should he be the one to cut off all his links to actual meaningful life - since he's always known what he wants?
I'm pretty ready for a hero who DOESN'T sacrifice.
After all, the kid - his cousin - DID expect to inherit, DID expect to eventually take over the country, was in fact educated to do it (so far). The Empire doesn't NEED a Emperor/King who can fight - that's what generals are for. The Empire needs a DIPLOMAT and a POLITICIAN.
My vote goes to Li ZuanXe and not Li Ni.
But if he becomes Emperor, there won't ever be any freedom in his future at all, even if he abdicates in favour of his cousin.
She means to have him forever be the Emperor. And he's not having it. Or if he does cave in, in the end, it'll not be by his own choice.
And Li Ni actually is true to his words - he's been telling them all who he is, and nobody's listening right now. I thought she was hearing him, but guess not.
Also, the freaking cliff scene is such a staple. EVEN Jurassic Park had it, when it became convenient (because there was no cliff next to the T-Rex paddock before it became needed).
I can't think of a drama that didn't have a fall from a huge cliff that the hero survived anyway - like TU, ATWIL, The Wolf, AoL....
The battle scenes are a bit chopped up. The long-term villain is going out without a bang. The new trash villain is underacting, even if he doesn't have anything new and interesting in a villain's character to bring to the table. At least Sun Jing loved ex-Crown Princess. The trash villain is just insane.
The last few eps were a bit lackluster compared to the previous set. It might be the re-edited and shorter list of eps, but I keep feeling we're seeing too little of the politics that should make the treason/scheming plots worth the wait. Instead, we get LCF teleporting from the capital to outside of Cui Army camp (that doesn't have ANY security at all, because that's how it works right?), and back as he pleases, with no actual time lapse. The grassland poisoner tribes only appeared once in a scene, and now we're supposed to believe LCF is doing his thing but also fullfilling his part of the bargain with them while doing nothing but mooning over Cui Lin.
I love the actual love scenes and the heart-to-heart talks, but I swear, TaoZi's only been girlishly pretending not to care about Chang'Er, and doing nothing else for way too many scenes - we could have had some more actual battle scenes and/or a feeling about what goes on in the capital. As in, where the hell did the new Empress come from?! I thought both the two princes' and Li Ni's respective mothers are dead already. Who did the Emperor marry?!
The ex-Crown Princess is reduced to counting beads snd mourning the piece of trash that killed her husband and almost killed her son. They're giving me a headache. Miss Gu isn't doing anything yet.
WE"RE FREAKING 16 eps FROM THE ENDING!! DO SOMETHING to move the plot along!!
I feel like basically the part I actually enjoyed these past two eps is Li Ni's face-off with General Cui, and even that came a bit short.
And now they're having Ying actually talking of ambitious plans FOR HIM, to his face, as if he doesn't have an actual CHOICE!! He's been telling her from day 1 that he doesn't want to be the Emperor, that his ambitions are pastoral and he wants to live a good, peaceful life, and she's like - NO! You're THE CHOSEN ONE!! That kid won't amount for nothing, it's YOU who has to do it!!
Which basically means he'd have to continue his father's betrayal and continue stealing the throne.
She seemed to understand him better before.
With 4+ more days to wait upon a resolution, and the only villains remaining the freaking trash and the useless brothers... I am not pleased.
Still hoping they'll save it, or that at least they don't damage what they have already built - too much.
General Cui is definitely also wrong - he won't be a henpecked husband, even if he's dedicated to his wife.
What, four days of waiting now? How is this my life now? T_T
I'm getting a bit tired of so many poisonings too. I've accidentally watched a "romantic" trailer on YT, everybody was sprouting arrows like they were hedgehogs. I want my bloody misunderstandings and fights!!!
... Well good thing I have Ateez playlists to play into oblivion and calm down LOL. (I know, random and totally unrelated to the drama - who cares :D)
I don't care about him and his mental state.
Therefore, yes, Da Bao, pigeon meat is great. Have at it.
I seriously hope that LCF is gone come tomorrow's eps, and that the General Cui knew everything from the beginning (not much hope of that, he's probably being treated by TaoZi and won't have much to live etc). But all his planning is turning out SO STUPID once the adopted son decides to take everything and his daughter too, and NOBODY knows she's the General's daughter either.
Take her out for the people to see and recognize her status, dammit!! Or LCF can still win.
The forced wedding plot has been done and re-done so many times in dramas I've watched, I'm pretty sick of it. And also, still extremely disappointed in Ying not even trying to do anything to escape the freaking house - SERIOUSLY?! As if LCF is any equal to her strategies - unless she's hit with a very bad case of drama stupid.
This needs far more less of the trash and way more of the other grandson and Sun Jing. I'll even take stupid Li emperor and his two stupid sons (of which at least one can plot something, even if he doesn't see that far.)
So, two more eps tomorrow and then a week's drought T_T
I kept telling her - you HAVE to switch it off and on again. Dammit. She's a slippery eel from Li Ni's arms but a total deadweight when it comes to the trash. Disapointing. So is the great generalTM who does pretty silly punishments because why? (no idea), but still embraces the ghost returned from the grave with nary a care or any misgivings... and it's been at least a few months, right?
VERY, VERY disappointed with A'Shu, too. If he really was also "rescued", he had all the time in the world to tell the truth. He doesn't owe anything to the trash, and everything to the Cui family. Bad dog, no bone!
Though there were still sweet moments in here. Like Li Ni planning to eviscerate any boy looking at his hypothetical daughter and Ying proposing having sons instead. He's just warming up to the idea of kids - many kids!! - and she's probably already picking the names LOL.
LOL that was cute. Also the King is cute. I love these two support charas.
Also, theory confirmed - he really DOES have heart attacks in the presence of fated pairs!!!
Well, he might have had something to do with Li Ni existing, but definitely nothing to do with his military accomplishments (that the three of them are hard at work at dismantling, too). No wonder Prime Minister Gu told them off.
I don't want to see the other grandson die or fall in Sun Jing's hands. I hope Li Ni rescues him in time. And ex-Crown Princess sure is a strong woman - still able to admit she DID have some feelings for Sun Jing even as she's poisoning him. I hope it doesn't end tragically for her and her son. Sun Jing could fall in the water and drown like the other trash (that we don't know yet how it will die) too.
Damn.... that fake emperor and his stupid sons are REALLY stupid. Like, straw-between-their-ears stupid. Are they feeling so secure on their seats already that they're butchering thousands of soldiers for the sake of keeping their only able military leader down?! Pretty soon there won't be a throne to defend, if this goes on. I hope all three of them choke on some pies and die.
Also, this no-timer shenanigans are pretty... interesting, so to speak. The timer doesn't seem to work for his drama only, and it takes it out from the currently airing list too... *sigh*
Seriously?