Sssnoopyyy

The leads and chemistry are what keep me going

Sighhh the iconic scene! That was one of the most suspenseful and exciting parts of the novel. So satisfying. Touching too. But given how the sequence of events have changed, maybe they’re leaving those lines for later???

Genuine question for those who did NOT read the novel - are you still enjoying the drama? Is the story coherent to you (despite the short eps and editing). Just curious because I am obviously biased knowing how some of the events are supposed to go down. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the leads and their chemistry (mainly watching at this point because of them even though certain aspects of their personality were tweaked a bit - HY being more bold and shameless/flirty; XJ being less unbothered and sarcastic). But because of the limit in time, I feel the impact of some of the scenes lukewarm (i.e. just as suspense builds up in some of the action scenes, they wrap it up quick). Characters like CZ are layered and have more potential. The very condensed back stories (which give context to character motivations)…

Yeah what are your thoughts so far?

I think they failed to show her trauma of water (since she nearly drowned once) - she is supposed to look suffocated/pained but yes the shallow water was funny haha. No budget for an ocean!

You’re right about the possible redemption arc. Besides his rough childhood, his mom appeared much more hands on with him, they seemed to have a healthier relationship than what was described in the novel- perhaps the reason why he didn’t grow up to be more self-serving and manipulative? I just don’t like this weird love triangle lol, even tho it was one in the novel, but not like this.

Haha yes XJ is a little different - but still loveable, compliments the HY here who is even more bold and shameless/flirty than her novel persona

Sorry I have to rant about some things…(still watching the drama and love the leads), but need to let it out haha.

I get why they had to change up the whole Chai An Xi business in the drama to involve He Ru Fei (vs how it played out in the novel), but am I the only one who feels his motivation behind betraying Xiao Zhong Wu was a bit weak? I feel like he could’ve found out himself that his son asked to fight. Was a little disappointed with the changes to that part.

Also, I was excited about Chu Zhao’s character because he is morally grey and is a layered character. In the novel, Chu Zhao was someone who was very likeable and knew what to say (hence navigated well in politics), had a gentle and friendly demeanor. He usually carried a smile (hiding his true thoughts and feelings). However, he hasn’t really shown much in the past few eps. I am not sure if it’s the changes in the script or the acting, but he usually has one concerned expression. Although he was partly used as a plot device in the romantic development between the leads in the original, I am afraid they will just make him latch onto HY in the show (amplifying the love triangle unnecessarily). His character has more potential

Also, I miss XJ’s sarcastic and unbothered attitude from the novel. Yes he has the most gentle heart and reveals this more over time after falling for HY, but he still maintains that attitude. I feel like they really dampened some of his charm in the scenes at times, almost to the point of being out of character /so dorky in certain situations.

Anyway! End of rant, just things I noticed in the latest eps. But it’s ok still love HY/XJ! I gotta stop comparing to the novel lmao cuhs from a non-reader POV it’s fine

Avoid plagiarism? Did they not have permission from the author?

Fun fact, in the novel (extra chapters), HY describes her and XJ’s role reversal in parenting - at least compared to what was traditionally / socially acceptable. He would take care of the little things - choosing their daughter’s clothes, feeding her etc, HY would teach her swordsmanship etc. This further shows how they are not bound by gender roles and society expectations

There are complaints about this? Lol 😂 funny how we always have something to pick at. The message in both the novel and drama is that ppl should have the freedom to do what they wanna do, which is what HY has been expressing.

I wouldn’t call it child like behaviour, it’s not like she needs to be taken care of. It’s more like she is cheeky and cheerful (sometimes it’s an act to cover up her true thoughts/motives)

If you ever want to check it out - someone had posted a link in the discussion threads above with English translations. I think ppl will enjoy the romance whether they read the book or not, and they emphasized that department much more in the drama (probably for viewers pleasure lol)

Very smart, I should really do the same hahaha. Tbh with how much I loved the book and knowing the major changes, I knew it wouldn’t be on par but watched it because I imagined ZY and CL’s faces while reading hahaahah and they have not disappointed me

Agreed, I am pleased with the actors (with their visuals before this aired and after with their acting and chemistry on screen). Watching it mainly for them.

Although I will say the other characters like Tao Tao, the bros at the army, and even Xu Jing Fi were well casted

If 40+ ep long dramas were still a thing, this series would have benefitted from that. Just to show more layers within the story and characters and their motives.

I feel like they emphasized the romance and love triangle more here which may appeal to many romance lovers but I think the beauty behind the book were the nuances of each character, their motives and in the unspoken. In the book, Chu Zhao had always had his own interests as priority. He was also given more of a role in some events here (perhaps for the sake of utilizing the actor more)

Totally agree with you all, I do wish that I read the novel after the drama. I feel like the way things were shown in the novel had much more impact. They had to compact so many events in a short period of time with 36 eps (average of 30min each). Although I am still enjoying the drama, the little details from the book unfortunately get lost in translation simply because of the limitations we had.

I will say having the knowledge about the novel helps give me context while I watch because I can only imagine how choppy or incomplete some things may feel if I didn’t have that while watching

She just wants to live authentically as herself, He Yan. To use her abilities to protect ppl and seek justice for herself. Of course in the drama - she always wants to help clear Xiao family’s name (which is not something she was involved with in the novel because Xiao Zhong Wu’s death had nothing to with her, this was a plot change where they created a misunderstanding/issue between the leads)

She is friendly and cheeky, how she acts is pretty aligned to how she is in the novel - to the point of being shameless at times (even more shameless/bold in the drama). In the novel, XJ describes her as the most contradicting person he knows - i.e. she appears confident but has deep insecurities, seems carefree but is deeply affected when losing loved ones. In a way she sometimes hides behind a smile. I think the drama did a good job showing her many sides - didn’t everyone notice her completely switch 180 from smiley to dangerous in front of enemies? I think the takeaway here is that even though she is a general and has been treated with cruelty, she still carries a heart of gold. Not all generals are cold and domineering - that would be too stereotypical. It’s quite obvious that some of her childish antics is an act. She has shown her brilliance and seriousness in several scenes

Basically your profile photo hahha

If the visuals (FL’s small stature and voice) bother you I’d recommend to stop watching. There have been many complaints about this, but this is actually how the character is described in the book. The time they went to school together was actually when they were younger (especially in the book anyway), and by the time they meet again ML does not recognize her by voice or stature (in the novel she is reborn in a different body that is even more delicate than her first).

Many gender bender stories are like this (even in Mulan), where it’s SO obvious for the viewers that the character is clearly female. In order to watch these type of stories we would have to overlook that. I am sure we would get complaints of FL not being feminine enough if she looked the opposite and was paired with the ML