Thank you for the details, I don't know if you'll remember, but is there any skinship at all? I don't mind an…
Yeh theres a little bit, a couple kisses, can't remember exactly when but they are a few kisses. But nothing really intimate, more a mature romance, they're more like an old married couple is that makes sense, comforting hugs, you can see their love through the way they look at each other just like those old dramas you mentioned, a couple kisses but not a lot of skinship really.
I really wanted to see this and I knew the FL is young, I've seen her a lot in supporting roles, but i did not…
No problem, happy to give detailed info. Yeh I totally understand, I had no idea she was this young as well until I saw all the comments, no idea why they just didn't cast someone that was maybe like 20-22 instead, and yeh the story is pretty much based around a love triangle, I totally get why it may not be for you.
Air dropping this series with no like official announcement of the premiere date from mangotv is insane, glad its here, I enjoyed the novel but air dropping it is a crazy move
Isn't a separation of 4 years considered a break up of sorts? How many episodes of the show do these 4 years take?
Happens near the end, ml supposedly dies in ep 32, returns in ep 36 at the very end, with an extra 12 min ep, ep 37, showing them together with their kid after his return. So not technically a break up but she thinks he's dead hence the separation.
Also btw theres a strong 2ml in this, but fl is very cold towards him and rejects him harshly every time he tries to make a move which was very nice to see. Theres a 3ml also but again fl rejects him without hesitation, fl in this is very unemotional due to past trauma But once she falls for ml and even before that, she rejects all other guys no matter what, was nice to see.
Yeh I do agree I think its just because it happened so late after filming, that it was cheaper to replace him with ai then cut him completely and have to refilm or re-dit the whole drama, very unfortunate. Honestly, he could have been killed off wouldn't have made too much difference for me personally.
Yep, I didn't suggest for the list as it doesn't really fit but I'll give a quick review. Major break up and separation, but a happy ending. Around ep 10/11, ml and fl kiss, but then because ml had trouble dealing with the villain that may harm fl, he pushes her away and forces her to leave forever, she however leaves for around 6 years, theres a time skip before she returns.
Overall I liked the show, the ml and fl have great chemistry but there is a very annoying 2ml, who gets in the way a lot. At one point to make ml jealous, fl openly flirts with 2ml which was painful to watch for me, this happened in ep 22/23. The 2ml is fl's ex and her boss. Its clear fl and ml love each other, but they both have trauma, so at one point fl gets sick of ml not admitting his love for her, as fl is constantly the one making moves towards ml, so she flirts with 2ml a little bit to make ml jealous, painful to watch, the 2ml was very annoying.
Besides that, I will say I enjoyed the drama overall, the chemistry and romance between ml and fl was really enjoyable to watch. They start of as almost siblings though which some may not like, their parents meet when they are young, and live together but never get married, so they are not step siblings, but have been living together since young, but not step siblings.
Ml's father dies, fl's mother abandons her when she is in high school, so ml and fl live together supporting each other for then on. They grow close, kiss, but then ml gets in trouble and forces fl to leave. I consider this a major break up, but I guess some may not as they were never officially a couple, but I think they kissed and slept in the same bed, almost kissing again, they knew they both liked the other, so pretty much were a couple, so ml forcing fl to leavened never return and her only returning after 5-6 years I consider a break up.
For me, the start was very very good, from ep 24 until the end was also very good, just that middle part between ep 18-23 it went downhill for me, mostly due to 2ml getting too much screnoime with fland ml and fl constantly pushing each other away, was a bit annoying to watch. However, besides those 5-6 eps, the overall drama was pretty good.
Most of the drama was enjoyable, the relationship between ml and fl was very sweet at the start, very cute innocent romance, and seeing them support each other as they had no other family was very nice. They were poor and lived hard lives, but seeing them support each other was very sweet, and the romance developing was nice. But after she left and returned in ep 11, it was more angst filled romance, they kept secrets from each other but loved each other. Both had faults, felt like a realistic relationship between two imperfect people that love each other, neither was perfect but they cared for each other. They both had trauma, so they tried protecting each other in different ways, this lead to a lot of angst and push and pull, a very on and off romance after her return. After her return, was a more angst filled romance, but also quite hot and heavy. The pre time skip romance was sweet and cute, the post time skip was more realistic, angst and mature, was not a perfect romance, but a realistic one. I really did enjoy both romance phases, the chemistry between ml and fl was really good.
They get together officially again in ep 27/28, from there no secrets and they go strong, no break up from then on and very supportive of each other. Also fl does eventually reject 2ml properly in ep 30 or 31, but I wish it happened sooner, but 2ml gets way less screen time after ep 23 thank god.
Overall, ep 18-23 was annoying, the 2ml was way too annoying and got too much screen time during those eps, and didn't like ep 22 where fl flirted with him to make ml jealous, especially since he is her ex. Besides that, overall it was enjoyable, the ml and fl have really strong chemistry, before the time skip their romance was very sweet and innocent. After the time skip, it was more mature, angsty, realistic but also hot and heavy, with some nice kisses and push and pull type romance. Once they get together, the romance is very strong. It's an enjoyable watch overall, but be prepared for some annoying moments especially where I mentioned. If you like an angsty romance, but with great hot and heavy chemistry and a happy ending, this may be for you. Overall, I did enjoy it due to ml and fl's strong chemistry and their darker, more realistic and unique romance. However, I can totally understand if some people are put off by the 2ml, in the comments a lot of people dropped it during ep 22/23 due to the 2ml. If you can look past the 2ml, overall it's a pretty enjoyable and engaging romance cdrama, especially for people that like an angsty romance. Just my opinions though, some may agree and others disagree, just my opinions on how I felt watching.
For people that don't know, its based on a webtoon with a lot more story to tell after where season 1 ended, the final scene with the massive character who's face isn't shown is actually a character in the webtoon, so that was hinting at another season.
As for whether another season is a good idea or not, thats always up for debate, but just wanted to let everyone know, material wise theres a lot of material. I believe the webtoon is still going actually but not 100 percent sure on that.
I'm pretty excited for this, I reckon it will be pretty interesting. Some producer in china said it will likely be one of Bai Lu's most complex roles, always excited to see actors and actresses trying new roles and taking new challenges. I actually really like how it's 16 eps, so hopefully no drag and filler, and I think the storyline will be really engaging with the scheming and emotion that is bound to come.
The director for this also has handled complex modern cdramas like light beyond the reed, so hopefully the complex characters and storyline will really shine. Really lookin forward to this either way.
I hate love triangles, but the rewards seems very good in this one!
Yeh for sure, no harm in fast forwarding when needed, plus I feel a lot of the more recent dramas have had a lot of break ups and angst and annoying 2ml's so at least this one isn't as bad
Going to suggest key to the Phoenix heart, 28 ep cdrama. Theres no break up and a happy ending, there is one or two very small separations near the end that I will mention, but for me no break up. One disclaimer, at the time of filming the fl was 17 years old, and the ml is around 27 I think, there is no skinship or kisses, no real intimate scenes, but in the comments many people disliked how she was underage. I totally understand that and understand how some might feel uncomfortable or not like that, so thought I would let everyone know ahead of time.
Overall, I enjoyed this drama, the romance was really natural and well developed. Also had few but nicely done action scenes, and interesting plot twists that were surprising. However, there were some annoying parts and this drama will definitely not be for everyone. The main thing is, there is a very strong 2ml and love triangle.
Basically, for about the first 14ish eps, fl likes the 2ml, and the 2ml likes the fl. The ml knows the fl and 2ml like each other and also the ml is good friends/pretty much brothers will the 2ml. The ml and fl marry in ep 3, but it's done as a larger plot, not for love or romance. Ml knows fl and 2ml like each other the whole time, and even though he slowly starts liking her, he continues to help the fl and 2ml see each other secretly and spend time together. I know many will not like this, in fact I normally hate love triangles and 2ml or 2fl's that get in the way of the main couple, I went into this thinking I would dislike it, as I really do hate love triangles normally. However, weirdly here it wasn't too bad. Don't get me wrong, there were moments, especially mid and later in the drama, when fl was falling for ml, that 2ml became annoying due to his jealousy and toxicity, but a few things made this not as bad. First, I hate 2ml's or 2fl when they don't help the plot at all and are simply there to get in the way of the main romance and act obsessed or toxic even though they know the ml or fl does not like them at all. But here, the 2ml and fl like each other and ml knows and helps, so no secrets and its mutual. Also the 2ml is integral to the plot and there are many twists with him. One minute, I think he's good, the next I think he's turned toxic and bad, but then he turns good, he keeps you guessing. I won't spoilt how he ends up but expect the unexpected from him, I enjoyed his character development and like I said, quite a few twists in the story.
Also worth noting, ml before marrying fl, also married someone else, and has another concubine/almost second wife, but again no romance involved. One is his deceased soldiers wife who he took in to take care of her and her son, and the other was a marriage of convenience as her family could help during a previous war. Both these women were great, they welcomed fl openly, they were both so nice, no problems at all with either of the two, very enjoyable characters. Do not worry, again absolutely no romance involved with ml and these other two women, they are more like family/sisters.
What I really enjoyed was seeing fl slowly fall for ml. Ml fell quite quickly, but seeing fl fall for him also was very sweet. As 2ml began to change, you could see fl falling for ml more and more, their chemistry is very good, their romance was very believable and felt natural. They had some very cute and sweet moments. Ml confessed to fl in ep 17, fl confessed back in ep 19. Once she confesses back to ml, they are ride or die. She sides with ml against 2ml completely with no hesitation, which I enjoyed and again I think helped with the previous love triangle not being so annoying. Once she chooses ml, she is completely on his side. She rejects the 2ml cleanly, and whenever there are obstacles due to him or others, her and ml are ride or die together. I really enjoyed seeing them work together and support each other no matter what, especially once they confirmed their feelings in ep 19.
They support each other through everything, except one separation that comes late. In ep 25, ml leaves fl, writes a good bye letter and surrenders himself to the enemy, as a plan to win the war. He believes he will die wth the enemy and thus says good bye. However, fl never gives up hope, and in ep 27 finds him again in the enemy camp. Like she says when she finds him, they are husband and wife and will share life and death together. So like I said, they truly are ride or die. Also however, start of 28, fl believes ml died in the war and grieves for him, misses him etc. But near the end of ep 28 she figures ml is alive, and ml who had lost his memory due to injuries from the war, quickly remembers her and they reunite, hug and talk about their promise to love each other and accompany each other for life. This is very quick, all happens in ep 28 in like 30 minutes. This ending was sweet and a happy, but a little abrupt, I wish we got more of their happy life now the war was over, seeing them relax and enjoy themselves as a couple. The ending was nice but felt a bit rushed and sudden, wish we got a little more. Anyway, I don't consider these 2 as break ups at all, maybe the first separation as ml left to sacrifice himself, but fl quickly found him and it was like it never happened, and second time they quickly reunited in the final ep after ml recovered.
Besides these two pretty short separations, like I mentioned I really enjoyed their romance. Even before they confessed, seeing them slowly get to know each other and work together in different situations was really nice. Seeing the romance slowly develop was sweet and felt real. Fl is young, so her having a crush on 2ml was understandable, but from ml she learned what true love is. And once she confessed in ep 19, like I said, she completely moved on from 2ml with no hint of regret or anything, completely sides with ml against 2ml on a number of occasions.
There were times, especially when fl had fallen for ml, that 2ml became annoying, but like I said, he is a complex character with a few twists so don't judge him too early but there were a few annoying moments. I also do wish fl moved on from 2ml a little earlier, for me its as noticeable she started not liking 2ml or seeing how much he had changed around the ep 14 mark, wish it happened a little earlier so we could get more of ml and fl as a couple.
Overall this will not be for everyone, until about ep 14-15 ish, fl likes 2ml, so it takes time for her to move on from that. I can totally understand some people may really dislike 2ml and fl liking each other, but I think as far as love triangles go, it was done well here. Since it was no secret and ml knew, I felt it wasn't as bad as other love triangles. While still annoying, for me it did not outweigh how much I enjoyed seeing ml and fl develop their relationship. Seeing their relationship slowly go from enemies, to friends to romance, was really enjoyable. And I did really like how committed fl was to ml once she confessed, completely shut down 2ml. I mentioned also, quite a few enjoyable side characters, especially the two other women apart of ml's household, they were really nice characters and enjoyed how they got along with fl. Overall, while it won't be for everyone, and at time sit did get annoying, I did enjoy this as an idol romance historical cdrama. If you can look past the love triangle, I think the ml and fl's relationship steals the show, their really good chemistry makes it an overall enjoyable watch.
They don't leave china in 28, the fire happens in 28, then after theres ml's recovery from the fire and handling all the business like packing up, finishing their jobs, possibly selling the house, then they leave in ep 29 or 30, then 31 and 32 happiness
HMH takes all types of endings: happy, bittersweet, sad... I will be soooo upset if this is a SE though ðŸ˜
Same, at least I always thought it would be a happy end, its just the emoji's on the calendar I saw today made me panic a bit, a heart break in ep 27 is so late hahaha but I believe they will make it
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Yeh I agree, I'm the same wish they got together sooner, I'm not a fan of getting together near the end as well.
No problem happy to help.
Also btw theres a strong 2ml in this, but fl is very cold towards him and rejects him harshly every time he tries to make a move which was very nice to see. Theres a 3ml also but again fl rejects him without hesitation, fl in this is very unemotional due to past trauma But once she falls for ml and even before that, she rejects all other guys no matter what, was nice to see.
Overall I liked the show, the ml and fl have great chemistry but there is a very annoying 2ml, who gets in the way a lot. At one point to make ml jealous, fl openly flirts with 2ml which was painful to watch for me, this happened in ep 22/23. The 2ml is fl's ex and her boss. Its clear fl and ml love each other, but they both have trauma, so at one point fl gets sick of ml not admitting his love for her, as fl is constantly the one making moves towards ml, so she flirts with 2ml a little bit to make ml jealous, painful to watch, the 2ml was very annoying.
Besides that, I will say I enjoyed the drama overall, the chemistry and romance between ml and fl was really enjoyable to watch. They start of as almost siblings though which some may not like, their parents meet when they are young, and live together but never get married, so they are not step siblings, but have been living together since young, but not step siblings.
Ml's father dies, fl's mother abandons her when she is in high school, so ml and fl live together supporting each other for then on. They grow close, kiss, but then ml gets in trouble and forces fl to leave. I consider this a major break up, but I guess some may not as they were never officially a couple, but I think they kissed and slept in the same bed, almost kissing again, they knew they both liked the other, so pretty much were a couple, so ml forcing fl to leavened never return and her only returning after 5-6 years I consider a break up.
For me, the start was very very good, from ep 24 until the end was also very good, just that middle part between ep 18-23 it went downhill for me, mostly due to 2ml getting too much screnoime with fland ml and fl constantly pushing each other away, was a bit annoying to watch. However, besides those 5-6 eps, the overall drama was pretty good.
Most of the drama was enjoyable, the relationship between ml and fl was very sweet at the start, very cute innocent romance, and seeing them support each other as they had no other family was very nice. They were poor and lived hard lives, but seeing them support each other was very sweet, and the romance developing was nice. But after she left and returned in ep 11, it was more angst filled romance, they kept secrets from each other but loved each other. Both had faults, felt like a realistic relationship between two imperfect people that love each other, neither was perfect but they cared for each other. They both had trauma, so they tried protecting each other in different ways, this lead to a lot of angst and push and pull, a very on and off romance after her return. After her return, was a more angst filled romance, but also quite hot and heavy. The pre time skip romance was sweet and cute, the post time skip was more realistic, angst and mature, was not a perfect romance, but a realistic one. I really did enjoy both romance phases, the chemistry between ml and fl was really good.
They get together officially again in ep 27/28, from there no secrets and they go strong, no break up from then on and very supportive of each other. Also fl does eventually reject 2ml properly in ep 30 or 31, but I wish it happened sooner, but 2ml gets way less screen time after ep 23 thank god.
Overall, ep 18-23 was annoying, the 2ml was way too annoying and got too much screen time during those eps, and didn't like ep 22 where fl flirted with him to make ml jealous, especially since he is her ex. Besides that, overall it was enjoyable, the ml and fl have really strong chemistry, before the time skip their romance was very sweet and innocent. After the time skip, it was more mature, angsty, realistic but also hot and heavy, with some nice kisses and push and pull type romance. Once they get together, the romance is very strong. It's an enjoyable watch overall, but be prepared for some annoying moments especially where I mentioned. If you like an angsty romance, but with great hot and heavy chemistry and a happy ending, this may be for you. Overall, I did enjoy it due to ml and fl's strong chemistry and their darker, more realistic and unique romance. However, I can totally understand if some people are put off by the 2ml, in the comments a lot of people dropped it during ep 22/23 due to the 2ml. If you can look past the 2ml, overall it's a pretty enjoyable and engaging romance cdrama, especially for people that like an angsty romance. Just my opinions though, some may agree and others disagree, just my opinions on how I felt watching.
As for whether another season is a good idea or not, thats always up for debate, but just wanted to let everyone know, material wise theres a lot of material. I believe the webtoon is still going actually but not 100 percent sure on that.
The director for this also has handled complex modern cdramas like light beyond the reed, so hopefully the complex characters and storyline will really shine. Really lookin forward to this either way.
Overall, I enjoyed this drama, the romance was really natural and well developed. Also had few but nicely done action scenes, and interesting plot twists that were surprising. However, there were some annoying parts and this drama will definitely not be for everyone. The main thing is, there is a very strong 2ml and love triangle.
Basically, for about the first 14ish eps, fl likes the 2ml, and the 2ml likes the fl. The ml knows the fl and 2ml like each other and also the ml is good friends/pretty much brothers will the 2ml. The ml and fl marry in ep 3, but it's done as a larger plot, not for love or romance. Ml knows fl and 2ml like each other the whole time, and even though he slowly starts liking her, he continues to help the fl and 2ml see each other secretly and spend time together. I know many will not like this, in fact I normally hate love triangles and 2ml or 2fl's that get in the way of the main couple, I went into this thinking I would dislike it, as I really do hate love triangles normally. However, weirdly here it wasn't too bad. Don't get me wrong, there were moments, especially mid and later in the drama, when fl was falling for ml, that 2ml became annoying due to his jealousy and toxicity, but a few things made this not as bad. First, I hate 2ml's or 2fl when they don't help the plot at all and are simply there to get in the way of the main romance and act obsessed or toxic even though they know the ml or fl does not like them at all. But here, the 2ml and fl like each other and ml knows and helps, so no secrets and its mutual. Also the 2ml is integral to the plot and there are many twists with him. One minute, I think he's good, the next I think he's turned toxic and bad, but then he turns good, he keeps you guessing. I won't spoilt how he ends up but expect the unexpected from him, I enjoyed his character development and like I said, quite a few twists in the story.
Also worth noting, ml before marrying fl, also married someone else, and has another concubine/almost second wife, but again no romance involved. One is his deceased soldiers wife who he took in to take care of her and her son, and the other was a marriage of convenience as her family could help during a previous war. Both these women were great, they welcomed fl openly, they were both so nice, no problems at all with either of the two, very enjoyable characters. Do not worry, again absolutely no romance involved with ml and these other two women, they are more like family/sisters.
What I really enjoyed was seeing fl slowly fall for ml. Ml fell quite quickly, but seeing fl fall for him also was very sweet. As 2ml began to change, you could see fl falling for ml more and more, their chemistry is very good, their romance was very believable and felt natural. They had some very cute and sweet moments. Ml confessed to fl in ep 17, fl confessed back in ep 19. Once she confesses back to ml, they are ride or die. She sides with ml against 2ml completely with no hesitation, which I enjoyed and again I think helped with the previous love triangle not being so annoying. Once she chooses ml, she is completely on his side. She rejects the 2ml cleanly, and whenever there are obstacles due to him or others, her and ml are ride or die together. I really enjoyed seeing them work together and support each other no matter what, especially once they confirmed their feelings in ep 19.
They support each other through everything, except one separation that comes late. In ep 25, ml leaves fl, writes a good bye letter and surrenders himself to the enemy, as a plan to win the war. He believes he will die wth the enemy and thus says good bye. However, fl never gives up hope, and in ep 27 finds him again in the enemy camp. Like she says when she finds him, they are husband and wife and will share life and death together. So like I said, they truly are ride or die. Also however, start of 28, fl believes ml died in the war and grieves for him, misses him etc. But near the end of ep 28 she figures ml is alive, and ml who had lost his memory due to injuries from the war, quickly remembers her and they reunite, hug and talk about their promise to love each other and accompany each other for life. This is very quick, all happens in ep 28 in like 30 minutes. This ending was sweet and a happy, but a little abrupt, I wish we got more of their happy life now the war was over, seeing them relax and enjoy themselves as a couple. The ending was nice but felt a bit rushed and sudden, wish we got a little more. Anyway, I don't consider these 2 as break ups at all, maybe the first separation as ml left to sacrifice himself, but fl quickly found him and it was like it never happened, and second time they quickly reunited in the final ep after ml recovered.
Besides these two pretty short separations, like I mentioned I really enjoyed their romance. Even before they confessed, seeing them slowly get to know each other and work together in different situations was really nice. Seeing the romance slowly develop was sweet and felt real. Fl is young, so her having a crush on 2ml was understandable, but from ml she learned what true love is. And once she confessed in ep 19, like I said, she completely moved on from 2ml with no hint of regret or anything, completely sides with ml against 2ml on a number of occasions.
There were times, especially when fl had fallen for ml, that 2ml became annoying, but like I said, he is a complex character with a few twists so don't judge him too early but there were a few annoying moments. I also do wish fl moved on from 2ml a little earlier, for me its as noticeable she started not liking 2ml or seeing how much he had changed around the ep 14 mark, wish it happened a little earlier so we could get more of ml and fl as a couple.
Overall this will not be for everyone, until about ep 14-15 ish, fl likes 2ml, so it takes time for her to move on from that. I can totally understand some people may really dislike 2ml and fl liking each other, but I think as far as love triangles go, it was done well here. Since it was no secret and ml knew, I felt it wasn't as bad as other love triangles. While still annoying, for me it did not outweigh how much I enjoyed seeing ml and fl develop their relationship. Seeing their relationship slowly go from enemies, to friends to romance, was really enjoyable. And I did really like how committed fl was to ml once she confessed, completely shut down 2ml. I mentioned also, quite a few enjoyable side characters, especially the two other women apart of ml's household, they were really nice characters and enjoyed how they got along with fl. Overall, while it won't be for everyone, and at time sit did get annoying, I did enjoy this as an idol romance historical cdrama. If you can look past the love triangle, I think the ml and fl's relationship steals the show, their really good chemistry makes it an overall enjoyable watch.