anhsn

I love how this drama really cuts to the chase. They avoid recapping what happened in the last episode and just get straight to the next scene. They do not drag on plots and the death of the supporting characters. This is probably one of the few dramas where they just kill off the character when their purpose/mission is done, no bs. And the way they integrated Huai An's past is neatly done too. The cliffhangers get me every time but I love it

There is one thing I also want to point out that I find refreshing - Many of XHA's plot involved putting himself in danger... he does not have a strong force behind him - not his own army or even a large number of allies. Hence, many times he had to be the one facing these people, seeing all of his enemies, meeting them face to face, convincing (more like threatening) or playing a part to the plan. Every single time, he could have died, he is risking his life over and over again because this is his revenge, he have to be part of it which makes it even more convincing. Why would anyone risk their own life to help him? He have to be the one doing most of the work.

At this point, this is no longer a sweet revenge plot as if the male lead can predict/plot against its enemy and they keep falling into his plan - what we see is the lead and his side are not without flaws but we still root for them and we see the human side of the bad and they are not all evil, just different positions/side of the chessboard.

man Cheng Yi's acting is truly remarkable..he hasnt raised his voice ever and yet subtle change in expressions and tone conveys the kindness and comfort he feels wround his own people and the chill look he gives YFS and the cold way he said to YFS 's aid "you must die too" and he also looks deranged around Yang and YFS now..all of this portrayed subtly with microexpressions but not so subtle that it'll get missed..a treat to watch ❤️❤️
every death in this drama (there are many) has been mourned and drama does show the implications it has on people close to them, be it villan or hero..1st C-drama I am watching where every death has had a meaning and consequence..

The last scene in ep 18 really emphasized the opening of each episode of a chess game in Chang An - Huai An and YFS are like two chess masters, playing a game of chess with you destroying my pieces and another counter attacking his strategies. All the people involved are chess pieces and both side have pieces destroyed. Now we are waiting to see how this game is going to play out.

At first it seems like HuaiAn have the upper hand, halfway YFS attacked and throw the whole game in his advantage, now I feel like every piece on the chessboard is not safe as these two continuously try to beat the other... so intriguing...

Episode 17
Wumei to Ye Zheng (after watching the master of the plan being dragged away): is this also part of the plan?
Ye Zheng looked as confused as the viewers 😂😂🤣😭

This drama is so satisfying to watch and somehow make my brain cells work trying to solve the plots and twists 🤭

Ep 15 was like a great chess match with both sides playing so smart and scheming. In the end Huai'an succeeded by having Yan Fengshan watched Wang Pu died in front of him. I was surprised that Wang Pu, being as smart as he is, would walk into Huai'an's trap knowing that it was a trap and not leave himself a way out. But after losing to Huai'an previously he became obsessed with trying to beat Huai'an and stopped seeing the horizon. Once Wang Pu stepped into Huai'an's trap, his fate was sealed and only death awaits him. As evil was he was, there's a human side to him as well and I actually felt a little sorry for this character. What a poetic episode.

The way to perfect revenge is to have anyone you care for - gone. Else your enemies can leverage your love for them to manipulate you or those around you. When one no longer has anyone to live for, that's the frame of mind to be in - you can risk whatever to kill when your own heart has already died.

i just binges the first 14 episodes, and wow. I don't think I've seen a revenge cdrama where revenge is the main plot. we need more shows like this. plus it's more on the darker side because a lot of times revenge dramas are toned down by other sub plots but here revenge seems to be the only thing being served.

On another note, that entire interaction between Cheng Yi and Han Tongsheng is a lesson in acting! An acting clinic! Acting 101! Get moving! Sometimes actors forget to move and just stand all still and motionless while delivering their lines, or while their on-screen partners are delivering their lines, and it makes the entire character unbelievable. Movement, when done right, builds your character, and it builds the scene! Use your your props around you! Carry your bowl of soup! Then bring it back down! Eat your food if possible! Dust off your clothes! Observe your surroundings! That was a masterful scene by both actors. They both understood the importance of good movement and the result is a tense connection between Xie Huai An and Yang Chuhao. Truly bravo. I can't get over it.

Han Tongsheng is an uncle whose acting I have come to love in The Knockout, and his very believable look of fear in his scenes with Cheng Yi sold the idea that Yang Chuhao still cowered under Xie Huai An. He sold the personality of a man who is caught in between two forces locking heads, and who doesn't want to die in either of their hands. Just let him make money in peace! Lol.

Cheng Yi's eyes though.....I first knew that he could have sharp eyes in MLC when Li Lianhua talked to Shan Gudao for the first time. Those three "I've been looking for you for 10 years" were what made me sure that he CAN act, and those sharp eyes were fully in display in his scenes with Han Tongsheng. He completely embodied the emotions of a man who is disdainful of a......familiar acquaintance who jumped ship. His playfully condescending smile when XHA met YCH again for the first time, when he dared YCH to try him, when he laughed mockingly bc YCH thought he was in a place where he could bargain.....wonderful, beautiful, amazing, brilliant! He truly deserves an award for his performance in this drama! Xie Huai An is arguably his best performance yet but Li Lianhua is still making his own case (mostly bc of LLH's characterization in general) so we will see once the series ends where he stands lol.

That interaction between Xie Huai An and Yang Chu Hao really cements how unhinged Xie Huai An can be omg. Before ep 16, I knew he harbored a lot of hatred inside him; he is angry and vengeful, but I still couldn't feel that he was unhinged. Yes, there was that shovel scene, but that was more about his short temper than anything to me, and while having someone buried for years and then burned to death showed his ruthlesness, it wasn't him doing the act himself so I couldn't feel it narratively. There was a hint of it when he said he had wanted to humiliate that official in episode 2, but the way he talked to Yang Chuhao really was something else. When Xie Huai An said "Try it.", and then let out that crazy laugh, I was completely done in. This man is unhinged! I have never before felt sorry for the antagonists lf a show, but for the first time ever, for a brief moment, I genuinely wanted to console Yang Chuhao lmfao.

Also it's quite fascinating how Xie Huai An can still pull strings even when he's in hiding. For the past month we thought he's only been hiding, but he still knows people, can survey his enemies and can get people to do things for him. That's probably why Yan Fengshan considers him in his shortlist of worthy enemies and someone even he couldn't beat when it comes to strategies lol. Even Wang Pu, who used to regard Xie Huai An with animosity whenever he thought about him, looked so lost and conflicted in front of Xie Huai An. It's pretty wild.

There was also a comment on reddit that said this show uses the working class as the background to tell its story, and I now understand what made this revenge drama so different from others. It's not the most politically centered. Meetings are done in quaint little shops, we see merchants and commonfolk, we see paper making shops, we see trash collectors and ordinary soldiers. How many high ranking officials have we seen so far, and how many scenes could we even see where the palace is the background? The main issue isn't even about "politics" and "corrupt politicians", but it's matters of national security. They are at war, where victors like Yan Fengshan get to keep ChangAn and Gu Yu and Chancellor Gao are left to be humiliated and alone. It's a beautiful way to tell a story, and a beautiful way to blend revenge and explorations of human nature. Maybe that's why I felt the vibe of The Longest Day In ChangAn and not Nirvana In Fire.

this feels like a game of chess between two masterminds..each character being played like a pawn from either side..

"Try it!"
In just seconds, Xie Huaian face turned from calm to eerie smile to cold anger to crazy laugh then back to calm again.
He was both terrifying and fascinating to watch.

"I don't want those who cherish old ties to die"
His gesture and words were polite and respectful while everything about it was a threat.

Cheng Yi deserves an award for his role in this drama! ❣️

I cant believe its only been 15 episodes yet. So much has happened. The ride of the first 13 episodes was much more interesting then many full length dramas. I an imagining what would have happened if they stopped for a few days after airing ep 13. I would have lost my breath....

I swear if they had divided the series into two seasons (First:1-13, Second:14-28) it would have created a huge impact. It honestly feels like a season 2, introducing new characters, finishing off some overdue characters and showing the aftermath of season 1.
From ep 16 everything starts gaining momentum again.

(I was honestly afraid after watching ep 13 because it was like a huge banger climax, and it somewhat reminded me how Sword and Beloved shared quiet similar trend, doing good till ep 13 with a climax.)

Didn't expect that I'll actually feel kind of bad for Wang Pu but this drama did it again. Also didn't expect him to go out like this but I'll take it.

We got a glimpse at what happened at Chen Valley 25 years ago, quite brutal indeed. I wonder how does it tie to Yan Fengshan's eventual betrayal?