Those Were Scary Monkeys
Bai Lu did a masterful job of playing the kind, broken-brained killer, Ye Li. She had solid reasons for her revenge, and I wanted her to succeed in unraveling her four little death dolls, even when I was concerned her actions would cause her to self-destruct.
An arranged marriage paired her with an equally traumatized individual, Mo Xiu Yao. He had every reason to question why he'd been paired with a politically volatile wife; his life had been made miserable by the Empress Dowager, and she'd been the one to assign the marriage. Ryan Cheng shone in his portrayal of a bitter, suspicious husband. The struggle for him to accept and understand Ye Li was the most engaging part of the drama. I especially enjoyed when he was secretly observing Ye Li: his quizzical looks when she was talking to herself; his amused looks when she was being endearing; and his tender looks when she was interacting with his family.
Many dramas instantly "heal" trauma when the protagonist faces her fears and embraces reality. Ye Li confronted the horrible truth of what had happened to her, and she accepted that she'd led a life of fantasy in order to cope; she would be able to maintain a seemingly normal life (with the support of loved ones) from then on. But she was far from normal. As long as she had the love of Xiu Yao and life went well, she could function well. But nobody better impinge on her loved ones, or I believe her psychopathic tendencies would lead her to remedy the problem by making them fertilizer for her flowers.
The OST was outstanding. I loved the song song "Love isn't Just Romance."
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=hlFJ6UlqrCc
An arranged marriage paired her with an equally traumatized individual, Mo Xiu Yao. He had every reason to question why he'd been paired with a politically volatile wife; his life had been made miserable by the Empress Dowager, and she'd been the one to assign the marriage. Ryan Cheng shone in his portrayal of a bitter, suspicious husband. The struggle for him to accept and understand Ye Li was the most engaging part of the drama. I especially enjoyed when he was secretly observing Ye Li: his quizzical looks when she was talking to herself; his amused looks when she was being endearing; and his tender looks when she was interacting with his family.
Many dramas instantly "heal" trauma when the protagonist faces her fears and embraces reality. Ye Li confronted the horrible truth of what had happened to her, and she accepted that she'd led a life of fantasy in order to cope; she would be able to maintain a seemingly normal life (with the support of loved ones) from then on. But she was far from normal. As long as she had the love of Xiu Yao and life went well, she could function well. But nobody better impinge on her loved ones, or I believe her psychopathic tendencies would lead her to remedy the problem by making them fertilizer for her flowers.
The OST was outstanding. I loved the song song "Love isn't Just Romance."
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=hlFJ6UlqrCc
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