Gracie

Glad Wu Lei got the role because I don't know if I could picture another actor play Ashile Sun and not to mention the fact that Wu Lei played Ashile Sun so well. Like you said a coincidence aka fate lol

I agree too, a small narration part at the beginning scene or first episode even just saying her name and her age would be nice. It would have answered a question that some viewers may have had and like you said make viewers understand more of her impulsive behaviors and why she did what she did especially in the earlier episodes.

She was an unmarried princess of Tang and I assumed she was like 18-20 but she was actually younger, being 15. If you know like the Chinese history royalty stuff and how girls around teenage years today would be married off, you might have come close to her age but to others like me who were unfamiliar, she seemed a lot older. On one hand, she seems very mature and smart so she couldn't possibly be that young but she is that young, while on the other hand, she sometimes does behave like a teenager.

Sun first assumed Chang Ge was a high-ranking Tang official so to him she was probably in the youngest early twenties to thirties but she really doesn't look that old so I to him she was probably in her twenties.

Some more thoughts on the Cuju Game

-Introduces the 🌟dagger🌟, a motif (something similar in art/literary composition so like a recurrence of something with some meaning) The dagger I would say literally foreshadows the Xuanwu Incident. Whenever I see the dagger or it comes into my head, I immediately think of Li Shi Min and revenge, the dagger symbolized these 2 things and probably more ideas/things. The dagger relates and is a simplification to/of Chang Ge's earliest self after the Xuanwu Incident, wanting revenge on Li Shi Min.

-This dagger also is used as foreshadowing when Li Jian Cheng asks where is the dagger when Chang Ge gave it to Li Shi Min, shows how close LI Shi Min is to Chang Ge and how she is the only one of her family he spared.

-Introduces Ashile Tribe/ East Turks, and sets up an enemy for Tang, and is a foreshadowing to Youzhou and Shouzhou because it sets up an enemy for Chang Ge too, one that she will have to encounter later on.

-Introduces Wei Shu Yu, seems like a good friend of Chang Ge, but then later on according to Chang Ge, he betrayed her and he was one of her really good friends (told to Sun) since he and his family turned to Li Shi MIn (enemy at the time)

-Shows more of Leyan's one-sided love for Wei Shu Yu and how fragile and innocent she is

-Show 2 Tang people and 1 Ashile, you can tell easily by who they get happy/excited by

-The 2 Tang people, Li Shi Min and LI Jian Cheng seem very disconnected from each other establishing an enemy view to the viewer based on those few moments
-This scene introduces 4 new characters (not counting the rest of the Ashile Cuju players because they aren't that identify-able and only 5 of them are familiar characters (Sun and his Eagle Division brothers)

-The scene also adds to the tension between Tang and Ashile based on Lady Jin's info about the marriage contract with Ashile since Leyan is said by Li Jian Cheng (you would refer to an important Tang dude because you don't know the name in the beginning) to be an eligible lady

-Shows a lot about Chang Ge: You already know she is strong and powerful and a princess but you discover she is also very adaptable (so many examples later on), quick thinking, smart, athletic, great at strategies and makes the viewer think Chang Ge is a powerful strong female, which she is, basically shows a lot of her personality

-Now Sun, the head of the Ashile team, not obvious on the first watch but it is him, clearly, he is a good opponent for Chang Ge, he matches her smartness pretty well, but she is one step ahead of him in this scene; also shows he doesn't seem as cold and heartless as he looks and is merciful (a trait shown time and time again later on) when he saves the child which makes him lose the game

-Sun is getting even more interest in Chang Ge as a dude, though not romantically yet-Sun is getting even more interest in Chang Ge as a dude, though not romantically yet

-Basically put Chang Ge and Sun head up and shows them as equals and similar in a lot of aspects like emiemily said in an amazing comment a bit below this

-Summary-introduction of some characters, shows some of the leads' personality and traits, sets up some tension, foreshadows plenty of stuff, and is the 2nd sign that Chang Ge and Sun are destined

The Cuju Game in episode 1 sets a lot of things up/gets the drama rolling and is pretty important

Really can't put into words how much I love TLB, like omg I am still not over it and just keep finding myself coming back to TLB episodes and this amazing comment section. I know exactly what will happen every scene but I still feel that same excitement I felt on my first watch!

I agree, I feel like this is what happened, he just started admiring her which turned into unconsciously developing feelings for her and his feelings and care for her grew more and more

This to me is 1000% worth it, one of my favorite dramas ever and first watch, some things might be a bit confusing since this drama has plenty of hidden meanings and depth. The plot is great, and both leads have a strong character. Music is amazing, acting and sets are all fantastic

The uncle killing her father was an either I die or you die situiation and he was still very kind and caring to Chang Ge since he always saw her as his own daughter and they have been very close and his relationship with her mother (both may have had a liking to each). Her uncle killed her father, not sure how but he knew from Chang Ge's mother's letter after hearing the whole plot.

And your next question how did Sun and Sher become actually good people when they grew up despite being raised by Khan. I think this is a pretty deep question. For Sun, I feel it is his brotherhood and so he became caring for them and developed his kindness and traits. He has people like Mu Jin since his childhood that he was good friends with and cared deeply for. For Sher, I feel it might be his short-ish friendship with Sun and his relationship with Mimi. Since he lost both of those, he became vicious but later discovered that was not his true self after realizing everything.

Personally to me, the age difference between Leo and Dilraba wasn't an issue and I think they had great chemistry, they seem like good friends of screen too.

I think Ya Luo when Sun got chatty with Chang Ge when she wanted to have them help her escape. Maybe Sun when he was discussing the 'dude' who poisoned the guards and ran away.

The imperial coroner is a gem!! I think Leo Wu has a movie with Wendy Zhang coming out in August. Dilraba and Yang Yang's drama You are My Glory may come out at the end of the month. Alen has The Eternal Love 3. I haven't found any other cast members of TLB who have summer releases this year

I remember a comment about that too, this drama has plenty of things that actually happened or relate to some things that could have happened like Li Shi Min, Xuanwu Incident etc. And there are other things that are fictional like Princess Yi Cheng's plots, Chang Ge and Sun's romance, etc.

congrats!!!

For me maybe like 6-7 times, lost count and watched countless clips. Also not the type to rewatch dramas but TLB stuck with me so well I had to rewatch quite a few times and no worries about the trivia game, I forget some of the details too. :)

These reasons make some more sense why the views were lower than expected

OMG yasssss

yup, congrats!!!

Agree, I feel like TLB should have much higher views than 3 billion.
Reasons
1. Like you said, Dilraba is a very popular actress, literally of her dramas are pretty popular

2. Leo is also a pretty popular actor contributing to popular mains which definently helps a drama's popularity a lot

3. Rounding out the mains and Lusi, Liu Yu Ning and Alen Feng, Lusi being really popular too and the latter two having some fans too

4. TLB is good drama, popular and good looking leads will make many people start watching but not finish watching but TLB is a great drama all the way through. Just by the 8.6 rating on here and top 200 ranking even though it has only been released this year(many people including me feel it should be higher)

5. I believe there has been some rigging or some people making the views not go up because clearly a drama this popular needs to have way more views

Same for me and the singer's voice just is so good!