ShortCircuit

To me, it felt like they put a lot of effort in the death scene of his father then they were either forced to do major cuts or clean up the storyline a lot, but didn't want to renounce that scene (and it did look kind of good).

But then they still messed it up with the way they re-filmed (probably, it looks like a reshoot) the interraction between FL and ML. I'm not an expert TBH but still it doesn't look good. Yet, they DO interract, and he does see her as she's presenting - smaller body, fem/androginous voice (she called out to his father), and he's not dumb... is he?

So no, I think that's something either the writer or the editor messed up. And then the Curt scene doesn't add up to that at all. I know it's all exposition and they wanted to get it done in the first ep to move on to the major plot from the second ep, but it's sloppy and definitely not something to be expected from a drama promoted as an alternative to Mulan. (I know it's based on a novel, and I know it has nothing to do with Mulan except the woman-in-the-army thing, but I didn't do the promos).

Actually, that's not a plot hole. They were respecting Confucianism (even ML gives her a lecture on the "keeping safe the body your parents gave you") and so they weren't cutting their hair, boys or girls. I don't know if they kept it as long as cdramas always show it (where it looks way too gorgeous on women OR men all the time, like they're filming haircare commercials LOL), but it WAS a thing for a very long time.

The last he saw her it was a few days/weeks past, when his father died. There's no rational explanation for her growing half a meter taller (basically looking OVER ML LOL), getting twice as big shoulders AND getting a manly voice in that time.

It would have made sense if he hadn't seen her since they were teens. But he actually did.

That was her bodyguard that the brother paid, I think.

The Untamed (2019). ML is reborn. That drama is a hurricane, it put c-ent on the world map like none of the previous hits had done before (there were a few hits - maybe the other one OP is thinking of is "Scarlet Heart".) But then TU is also danmei, big no-no. I don't think it's the rebirth they got mad about.

There doesn't seem to be a ban on rebirth though - "Blossom" aired late last year and the FL is also clearly reborn. I think it's just an excuse to make a drama "fresh" and change it a bit from the novel, if it's based on a novel. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I don't think it works in this one.

The FL in "Blossom" was reborn. The drama aired in December '24. I don't think there's an actual ban on rebirth stories.

I do NOT get it - so her father FORCED her to live as a boy then even go in the army and become a freaking general, then one day he suddenly gets a wanted son out of nowhere and she's supposed to ~respect Confucianism~ and become a girl?!

Like how in hell does that make sense?!

And her mother was in for about 2 minutes, doing basically nothing, the whole family servants' corps KNEW she was a woman and nobody EVER figured it out in the wide world?!

Even the Court scene didn't make any sense - so the ML grew up in the army with the "real" General Feihong and KNOWS her stature and her voice and all, but when a person who's a lot taller and definitely doesn't sound the same appears to bear testimony in Court... his only reaction is to feel betrayed "The General" didn't tell the truth?!

She never ever would pass as a man, mask or not, let's be serious. She doesn't even sport "pretend" muscles to wield that kind of weapons, and in the temple she's suddenly delicate and composed as a young girl (yeah, LOL, she kicks a branch aside, that's manly okay).

So yeah... I'm seriously not convinced. I don't know what went on with the production team and the writing, but the rest of the tech aspects do not impress either.

PS So there's a novel and she's supposed to be reborn after her new sudden bro has her killed?! Why didn't they just use a different actress for the first ep and have the FL come into the ~new~ body?! That could have explained away a lot of inconsistencies.

TBH, the first ep is kind of underwhelming. A rather quick browsing through her past life then bam~ here we are starting anew. The transitions aren't so good, the characters appear to be schizophrenic, the music isn't really convincing. And to boot, it's kind a short for a first ep, too. I think I'll wait it out and see what people think of the whole of it.

Also, I'll be lowering my expectations for a LOT of future dramas.

I like him, he's giving me feisty lil'bro vibes, LOL.

I just want Xiao BeiMing and Zhuge KongYun to become BFFs, is that too much to ask? The way they're bitching is great. Does this happen at all by ep 14? (I'm on first LOL).

TBH, the rating I gave is mostly for the OST, LOL (particularly Your Idol and Free). Otherwise, it's a pretty fast-paced kind of regular-style animated movie. Without the kpop, it would've probably been less liked. But it does include the kpop angle, and actual Korean actors using their voice-acting skills, and it was good.

...And when they introduce the Saja Boys on EXO's Love Me Right, that was a done deal for me LOL. Because freakin' EXO, that's why :D

Yeah, he was a baby LOL, twerking in Uniq's Eoeo. There's even some TU crack or something, I don't remember, where they use a few clips from the drama to have WWX thinking about WYB's moves in that music clip hahaha~

I can't find that crack, but yeah, the dance speaks for itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFv0oz3gIVM

ETA OMG I did find it LOL. ONLY WATCH THIS SPECIFIC PART, don't go over. It's full of spoilers.

https://youtu.be/YYG3tGP9oT0?t=409

This one looks interesting. November is pretty far *sigh*.

He's a man of very few words, our LWJ. He doesn't really talk a lot, except to make very sharp comments and make clear what's the most important thing. He speaks through his actions.

That's his personality - he was raised parentless in a clan full of rules (that whole three-thousand "you shall NOT" rules wall carving in the Lan Clan LOL, he memorised it all). And... look who his life partner's going to be. WWX will do all the talking for him anyway, LOL.

That's why his few words are most important. He's keeping them precious as gold, the most he's "spending" them is with WWX - first because WWX is such an annoying brat, LOL, second because he's also precious :D

That drama was a mess anyway due to the plot and (non)progression of characters, but the FL was also the most wooden actress I've ever watched - no expression, no emoting at all, completely flat. People justified it by her being ill at the period of the filming... but it went on and on throughout all the series.

I was negatively impressed. I really don't want to watch that kind of ~acting again, especially on a drama that has a good backstory and shouldn't be a bad surprise.

No sex or anything too corny. But strong - STRONG - bromance. Of a kind of weird vibe (not really BL, but it's so subtle that the ship will have rounded the Earth about three times before you realise that it COULD work between them LOL). Also take note this is dystopia - some things will be very disturbing.

The shippers are crazy :D

There is NOBODY ELSE but Lan WangJi/ Lan Zhan for WWX, and never can be. But don't worry, WWX is pretty dumb when it comes to love, LOL. LWJ has to suffer in silence for most of the novel, too.

So - heads up. 1-2 and 33-50 covers the present time, after WWX is resurrected (it's the story of who, why, when, and how he was resurrected.) Eps 3-33 cover the past timeline - why WWX, from a very promising and carefree young lord became the pariah of all the cultivation world and how he managed to get himself killed. (He got better).

Don't jump the past timeline, it's amazing (I like it better than the present, though the present comes really close). The past first few eps are about the first meeting(s) between Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian (they weren't instant friends but LWJ's older brother had his radar on immediately and ships them hahaha~). Around 15-16 it takes a dark turn and then it takes a VERY dark turn until it concludes around 33. After that, WWX returns and is being his usual carefree self, teasing poor suffering LWJ and creating chaos because that's what he is.

For the cheery part of the story, here's a trailer (not many spoilers, just cuteness overload LOL): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt0PFf2CWCI

PS I forgot to mention - his childhood name being used by people who are NOT family is insulting LOL. So WWX calling Lan Zhan by his name all the time is NOT allowed and it p!sses him off a lot... well, in the beginning. LWJ is very tsundere :D

PPS Keep track of Jiang Cheng's eyerolls. He's the master of eye rolling, most of it caused by WWX's antics.

WWX is adopted into the Jiang Clan, so he is not biologically Jin Ling's uncle. But he WAS adopted, and adoption is important in such stories, he can't escape it, the brat is his business now LOL.

And yes, that means Jiang Cheng is not his brother by blood, nor Jiang YanLi his sister by blood, but they grew up together and Jiang FengMian, JC's dad, treated him even better than he treated his own son, this leading to a lot of problems in that family, as you'll see.

Basically, the whole drama is about Jin Ling's uncles and their problems, LOL - bio uncles, adopted uncles, uncles by marriage and uncles by blood pacts hahaha~

The novel is one of the best danmei (Chinese BL) novels out there (and no censorship, and it's already been translated officially into English :D)

Ask any questions, there is always someone here who loved the drama (myself included) and can answer them :D

...Sh!t. I just went back to check the FL's other dramas, and she's the mother in Namib.

I SO wanted to watch this but now I seriously doubt it, even if Jang Dong Yoon is in it and the source is solid. :(