Aya

I'm also currently reading the novel.

The dream arc ends in episode 18

If you're talking about the Bore dream, it's not really different roles with the same actors. What happened there was that 4 of the main characters entered the dream left behind by Ming Ye, who was the God of War thousands of years ago. The four characters that entered this dream assumed the identities of different people and we are shown their faces , so we know which roles they are portraying in this dream. The explanation is given by Pang Yi Zhi before all of them enter the dream.

That's too bad. When they start cutting, some necessary scenes get lost.

As far as I know the limit is indeed 40. They could have indeed added a few episodes if they wanted in this case.

I definitely agree that a limit on the number of episodes does not benefit the storytelling, especially in historical settings where there are a lot of characters and stories intersecting. Now the supporting characters and villains get sacrificed and their stories get cut or underdeveloped, which is a shame. This drama is definitely not the worst example of this, as from the beginning the focus is firmly on the main cast, but it would have been nice to see the rest of the stories develop more naturally as well.

This was one of those dramas that I was waiting for with anticipation. I expected a darker story, but this ended up being much lighter, funnier and more heartwarming and I'm not disappointed at all.

The heart of this drama are the main characters and by that I mean Manman and her maids and nanny and Wei Shao, his four generals and his advisor. These are the characters we spend the most time getting to know and their interactions are what makes this drama beautiful for me.

The drawback of that is that there's not a lot of time left to develop the other characters that populate the world of this drama and some storylines end up being rushed. Cutting some characters out or adding a few episodes could have been a solution, but all in all it wasn't a huge problem for me.

I absolutely LOVED Manman and Wei Shao as a couple. Their relationship develops very naturally. Even though it's clear that they're drawn to each other right from the beginning, their initial attraction is not enough to overcome the enmity right away, but they slowly and naturally develop trust and affection. They have their differences, but on a fundamental level their morals and views are very similar. They are a great match.

I really enjoyed watching this drama.

While I wouldn't go as far as saying that I hated her for not helping, I was really disappointed. Not wanting to put a loved one in danger is understandable, but all along she was helped by Manman, putting Manman in danger, because she was basically married to an enemy and a wrong move could have claimed her life. Her cousin came off as spoiled, selfish and ungrateful, which is not very likeable.

Thanks for the warning. I'll make sure to stay away from any spoilers.

Good to know. I'm planning to watch it after I finish The Prisoner of Beauty

I'm planning to read the novel once I'm finished with the drama, so I'm hoping at the very least she's not much worse.

Agreed. Towards the middle of episode 13, he became interesting and then afterwards I stopped being annoyed by him.

Could have chosen something a little more simple and realistic looking

I'm looking forward to that.

The most ridiculous part is that she believes it herself, knowing full well it's not true. Insanity is really the right word. I laughed so hard when her cousin said that her husband died because he couldn't bear the weight of her Empress fate.

Unfortunately, she has now appeared and yes she's definitely annoying. Very entitled too.

🤣🤣 I got to the part where she wiped it off with her dry handkerchief. If it's that easy to wipe off, how does it even stay on her forehead without smudging all day. That's some witchcraft.

ooooh, who is it?

How is Wei Shao's mother that stupid? I'm assuming she's educated, since she's a noble lady. She has spent years navigating complex family dynamics and managing the household. Beyond mere stupidity, she's also childish, petty, entitled and always acts like some kind of victim. Such a difficult person to be around.

She paints it on? At least get a tattoo if you're that dedicated