After watching like 2/3 of the show I don't feel any empathy for our main character, Fan Xian, because I know he's going to be all right in the end. In S1, however, the poetry recital contests and his journeys were quite enjoyable to watch and I sympathized with him when he lost Teng and when got stabbed in the back in the season finale. In S2, he's just beginning to understand the power play and corruption of the imperial system and foiling the plans of the antagonists. However, he's also backed up by powerful individuals so I'm not really anxious about what's going to happen to him next. He comes from a privileged background so he doesn't have to worry about food or clothes or shelter. He's not going to be the next emperor (unless they change the storyline but I doubt it because they introduced the third Prince in S2), but I'm sure he will end up in a position of power or some sort (and more wealth) by the end. He will have a network of spies and shadow masters working for him, and will be the most powerful person in the shadow/underground. He's really lucky to have Chen Ping Ping by his side. I'm just not a fan of the pacing and narrative in S2.
Not sure why they made Fan Xian and Wan'er try on all those clothes when they were going to end up wearing red on their wedding day anyway :D I know it's to fill out more episodes and to add some sort of comic relief but yeah... FINALLY they're married.
I didn't know Wang Qi Nian can run as fast as a horse LOL! And what was that scene where Fan Xian was riding a horse really fast. It looked CGI. That was weird.
Didn't really like this drama. I thought it was really boring due to its poor writing. Yes it chose to focus on corporate greed (like so many other k-dramas) but the cinematography was dull and the acting was flat.
I'm disappointed with S2 :( 17 episodes in and I feel like it's not as interesting as S1. I don't like the slapstick episodes and the story isn't getting anywhere. There are some good episodes, but the story isn't as fascinating compared to S1. It's about who is more clever than who, and I'm already tired of it. There are many draggy scenes and they could have condensed / edited them. I feel like the story teller just gave up.
S1 had good storytelling, and there was tension and conflict and the series just drew you in. Every supporting role counted no matter how big or small the role they each have something that made you want to dig deeper and want to see their story unfold. S1 has been the only other show since Nirvana in Fire where it makes every single thing that happens in an episode count. I have to pay attention all the time to make sure I don't miss anything. The story is not connecting to me in S2. Fan Xian eventually rises to the top but it's just not THAT interesting or enjoyable like S1. I'm not rooting for him or anything in this season because he's already got all the powerful connections having a noble/royal bloodline and family so what's there to root for?
I do like how the actor who plays Fan Xian slimmed down for S2 though. It almost looked as if he got deflated after being stabbed on the last episode of S1 lol Actors look really good when they're slim doing period dramas because with all that layering of clothes, it makes you look bulky if you're not already slim.
By the way, the actress who plays the character of Ye Ling'er seems out of place. She looks sleepy all the time, and feels like she's the only one who doesn't fit that role in a fantasy, ancient fiction drama. Her face doesn't suit the character and I miss the original actress. Her acting is cringe. Just like the acting of the eldest princess from Northern Qi. She's in her 30s but she's acting all dumb and childish in the drama, which is annoying.
I'm still going to watch all 36 episodes but I wish the first half of the season was as interesting or more interesting than S1. I'm really disappointed because I've been waiting for years for S2 to come out. It didn't meet my expectation :( Just because it had a few good episodes doesn't mean the series is great. I'm expecting a good storyline and that should have been shown early on. I know there are more episodes to come but I don't think it will be as good as S1. I've seen plenty of c-dramas and k-dramas so I know if they'll be a good series after watching the first half of the season.
Can anyone tell me why is "BOYS, BE AMBITIOUS", sooooo famous? I've heard it in many kdramas, including this one…
It was a sort of motto or proverb by William Clark after being hired by the Emperor of Japan in 1876 to establish a university in Hokkaido, Japan. This phrase has been famous across all generations of Japan since that time.
A painting of Clark's departure, rendered in 1971, hangs in the Prefectural Capitol building in Sapporo and includes a lengthier version of his parting words, "Boys, be ambitious! Be ambitious not for money or for selfish aggrandizement, not for that evanescent thing which men call fame. Be ambitious for that attainment of all that a man ought to be."
I wouldn't necessarily call it "best horror film" because it wasn't THAT scary. It's more of a thriller genre in my opinion. I wouldn't go that far to give it a 10 though.
this movie is perfection to me. i loved every minute of it - probably my favorite “horror” movie to date
I wouldn't call it perfect, nor would I call it a "horror" movie. More like a thriller. I thought it was okay. It's not something I would watch 100x in my lifetime though.
Can anyone explain what happened?! it's been 24 hours and I still can't stop thinking about how it ended and why…
The woman in white is the evil spirit all along. The city shaman and forest shaman (the Japanese) are the good shamans that help dead people not be possessed by evil spirits (a final passage ritual), hence, they take photos of the dead. When the Japanese guy dies, he becomes possessed by an evil spirit and this is why we see his form change in the end. The forest shaman (the Japanese guy) in the final act is the possessed dead body of forest shaman.
I see the ratings at its lowest, is it really that bad?
YES. People who say they like it are probably yoo ah in fangirls. I don't see anything special about his character contributing to the story. Too many characters and the story is all over the place. I can't even find someone to root for... It's not really a great production.
S1 had good storytelling, and there was tension and conflict and the series just drew you in. Every supporting role counted no matter how big or small the role they each have something that made you want to dig deeper and want to see their story unfold. S1 has been the only other show since Nirvana in Fire where it makes every single thing that happens in an episode count. I have to pay attention all the time to make sure I don't miss anything. The story is not connecting to me in S2. Fan Xian eventually rises to the top but it's just not THAT interesting or enjoyable like S1. I'm not rooting for him or anything in this season because he's already got all the powerful connections having a noble/royal bloodline and family so what's there to root for?
I do like how the actor who plays Fan Xian slimmed down for S2 though. It almost looked as if he got deflated after being stabbed on the last episode of S1 lol Actors look really good when they're slim doing period dramas because with all that layering of clothes, it makes you look bulky if you're not already slim.
By the way, the actress who plays the character of Ye Ling'er seems out of place. She looks sleepy all the time, and feels like she's the only one who doesn't fit that role in a fantasy, ancient fiction drama. Her face doesn't suit the character and I miss the original actress. Her acting is cringe. Just like the acting of the eldest princess from Northern Qi. She's in her 30s but she's acting all dumb and childish in the drama, which is annoying.
I'm still going to watch all 36 episodes but I wish the first half of the season was as interesting or more interesting than S1. I'm really disappointed because I've been waiting for years for S2 to come out. It didn't meet my expectation :( Just because it had a few good episodes doesn't mean the series is great. I'm expecting a good storyline and that should have been shown early on. I know there are more episodes to come but I don't think it will be as good as S1. I've seen plenty of c-dramas and k-dramas so I know if they'll be a good series after watching the first half of the season.
A painting of Clark's departure, rendered in 1971, hangs in the Prefectural Capitol building in Sapporo and includes a lengthier version of his parting words, "Boys, be ambitious! Be ambitious not for money or for selfish aggrandizement, not for that evanescent thing which men call fame. Be ambitious for that attainment of all that a man ought to be."