It's still not confirmed that it's AI.The director also seems to like anime-inspired shots and stylized visuals,…
Lol, it's dreamcore cinematography. Look it up.
Long before AI became a thing, filmmakers were already using this kind of dreamy, surreal visual style. Not every heavily stylized shot is AI-generated.
You probably haven't seen many films that use this style before. I'm guessing you're younger, because this kind of cinematography isn't new at all, it just predates the current obsession with calling everything "AI."
Why are there some really random AI scenes of trees/garden? Not that only they're are not needed like at all,…
It's still not confirmed that it's AI.
The director also seems to like anime-inspired shots and stylized visuals, so I'd rather wait for official confirmation before confidently calling it AI. Right now, it's just speculation.
it's not AI, it's claymotion, animated frame by frame. the director used to direct movie.
There's definitely a debate about that scene, but the truth is, no one can say with certainty that it's AI.
People claiming it's AI can't be 100% sure either. At this point, it's all speculation unless there's official confirmation or solid evidence. Until then, it's better to treat it as an assumption, not a fact.
although in later episodes everything was sugarcoated, but the way ML used his understanding of FL personality…
Hasn't he always been competitive, though?
They didn't start as lovers. They started as two academically gifted students who saw each other as rivals, so their dynamic feels pretty realistic to me.
The ML has always been open about admiring her and seeing her as someone he wants to catch up to. Competing with her is his way of proving to himself that he's good enough. At the same time, he helps her, worries about her, and is honest about what he thinks.
I don't see that as toxic or manipulative. It just feels like a teenage boy trying to impress the person he admires, while also wanting to beat her academically. Those two things can coexist, and I think that's what makes their dynamic feel natural.
I've never been ragebaited like this before. Who does the ML think he is? Why'd he get jealous because she's talking…
I don't think we've reached the romance part yet.
Right now, the ML just feels very territorial toward the FL, but I'm not even sure he's realized his own feelings yet. It still comes across more as admiration mixed with competitiveness than outright romance.
The second ML, on the other hand, is much more straightforward. His intentions are a lot clearer, and you can already tell he's romantically interested in her.
this drama is not as bad as people are saying it. xiweis acting is reallyy good and i like the sibling dynamic…
I don't think it's bad at all. You can criticize certain aspects of the drama, sure, but calling it "bad" feels like a stretch.
Honestly, with how much hate Tian Xiwei has been getting lately because of shipping wars and fandom drama, some of the reactions don't even feel objective anymore.
Production? Good. Acting? Good. Plot? Maybe it's not groundbreaking, and I can understand why some people find it slow or uneventful. But bad?
The dialogue is solid, the characters are genuinely likable, and the emotional beats are handled well. You don't have to enjoy the story, but not enjoying something and calling it a bad drama are two different things.
Can someone pls clear my confusion about like i know crown prince have done many sins but his sins is not much…
The King wasn't the one who orchestrated his brother's murder. The plan was actually his mother's, carried out through Saeng Gang's mother. While he wasn't innocent, he wasn't the mastermind behind the tragedy either.
In a way, he ended up paying the price for it. He lost all of his children and will ultimately have to answer for his own sins in the afterlife. That's what makes his character more tragic than purely evil.
The Crown Prince is a completely different case. Unlike the King, he deliberately poisoned his own brothers to seize the throne. He realized he could become king by repeating his father's tragic fate, and he chose that path willingly.
Even after he died and became Ak Hwi, he never showed any remorse. He still kill his youngest brother, attempted to kill his sister to steal her yang energy, and never once reflected on the consequences of his actions.
That's the biggest difference between the two. The King was complicit in a tragedy he didn't initiate and ultimately paid a heavy price for it. The Crown Prince, on the other hand, actively chose ambition over family, never regretted his crimes, and continued down the same path even after death.
Absolutely horrible. Horror? Come on, all i saw was funny looking clowns jumping here and there. The plot in written…
Because it's not trying to be horror. The mystery is compelling enough to keep majority of audiences hooked from start to finish.
Ironically, the female lead was the weakest element of the entire show for me. The writing did most of the heavy lifting, while her performance never fully sold the character emotionally.
The writing is solid, and there isn't a single boring episode because every mystery keeps you engaged and wanting to know what happens next.
I'd give it a 9/10. The only thing that held it back for me was the main couple. I just didn't feel the chemistry between them, and the female lead felt a bit too modern for a historical setting. I know romance isn't the main focus, but whenever the drama tried to give them emotional or romantic moments, I found myself cringing a little because she looked so young to me. Throughout the series, I kept thinking how much more those scenes might have worked with a different actress.
As for Saeng Gang, I imagined her as someone much more emotionally restrained, almost expressionless, someone who rarely smiles because of her past, her childhood, and the reason she returned to the palace in the first place. RYS's portrayal felt a little too cheerful for my interpretation of the character. She acted well overall, but I personally pictured Saeng Gang as someone carrying much heavier emotional baggage beneath the surface.
Because of that, when Saeng Gang finally reached her biggest emotional moments, they didn't hit me as hard as they were supposed to. I understood what the scene was trying to convey, but I never really felt the emotional payoff. For me, those moments work best when the character has been quietly carrying all that pain from the beginning, so when the walls finally come down, it feels earned. I just didn't get that emotional buildup here.
it's not full blown horror. it's two world, between spirit world and human world. Not ghost, and the stories has many layers. of course there will be surprise/jump effect, awful looking monster or spirit, but really not considered as horror movie. after a while they are not look much scary.
I've given this a 9 simply cuz i love Xing Yue, Xi Wei & Xu Ning. Everyone's acting was good but I couldn't…
it's not noble idiocy. she confessed too late to her crush. the crush turned out already in relationship. what should she do anyway? but she's smart enough to stay away from her "backstabbing" friend and decided to move on and build new relationship with ML.
Thanks for saving me the trouble. Misunderstandings and noble idocy are most irritating tropes for me.
Lol, there is no noble idiocy here. The FL has to let go of her 5-year crush (not the ML) after finding out he has already been in a relationship with her "best friend" for two years. The "best friend" looks weak at first but actually has always been jealous of her. But this only happens in one episode. After that, the drama is mostly pure comedy between a stiff guy and a lovable, smart girl. There is also no annoying misunderstanding. The ML is very clear about his feelings and intentions from the first time he meets her. The funny part is that the ML treats romance like coding. He developed plan to make FL fall for him. Since he is very logical, he approaches it almost like coding. If one method fails, he just switches to another method. Meanwhile, the FL is busy trying to survive the ML's crazy fans because of the rumor that she is chasing the campus favorite guy, the ML. She never realizes that the ML actually likes her because his plan methods are kind of ridiculous. But once she finally understands her own feelings, she goes all in. She starts fighting for him and competing with the campus queen who also likes him.
The premise doesn't look very strong, and the pairing doesn't seem to work for me. I was actually waiting for the calm and awkward Xiwei, but the story itself doesn't feel interesting enough. Will this be work ?
Couldn't bring myself to watch Korean version, and chose this one instead. K version actor/actress selection turn me off since ML looks young and has no chemistry with PMY. Tbf, pmy has no chemistry with both protagonist and the villains. And I couldn't get rid antagonist male goofy image since I knew his works on tiktok (this is why actor should not active in social media). Overall, solid watch for Japanese, and believable. The acting is good, the pace is perfect, and I love each characters has some background, even for the villains.
Mild spoiler started here.
And I know some people discontent with the ends of the villain and FL. But for me, that slight guilt is important as a way to make FL repent her own "sins" towards her best friend.
Long before AI became a thing, filmmakers were already using this kind of dreamy, surreal visual style. Not every heavily stylized shot is AI-generated.
You probably haven't seen many films that use this style before. I'm guessing you're younger, because this kind of cinematography isn't new at all, it just predates the current obsession with calling everything "AI."
The director also seems to like anime-inspired shots and stylized visuals, so I'd rather wait for official confirmation before confidently calling it AI. Right now, it's just speculation.
People claiming it's AI can't be 100% sure either. At this point, it's all speculation unless there's official confirmation or solid evidence. Until then, it's better to treat it as an assumption, not a fact.
They didn't start as lovers. They started as two academically gifted students who saw each other as rivals, so their dynamic feels pretty realistic to me.
The ML has always been open about admiring her and seeing her as someone he wants to catch up to. Competing with her is his way of proving to himself that he's good enough. At the same time, he helps her, worries about her, and is honest about what he thinks.
I don't see that as toxic or manipulative. It just feels like a teenage boy trying to impress the person he admires, while also wanting to beat her academically. Those two things can coexist, and I think that's what makes their dynamic feel natural.
Right now, the ML just feels very territorial toward the FL, but I'm not even sure he's realized his own feelings yet. It still comes across more as admiration mixed with competitiveness than outright romance.
The second ML, on the other hand, is much more straightforward. His intentions are a lot clearer, and you can already tell he's romantically interested in her.
Honestly, with how much hate Tian Xiwei has been getting lately because of shipping wars and fandom drama, some of the reactions don't even feel objective anymore.
Production? Good. Acting? Good. Plot? Maybe it's not groundbreaking, and I can understand why some people find it slow or uneventful. But bad?
The dialogue is solid, the characters are genuinely likable, and the emotional beats are handled well. You don't have to enjoy the story, but not enjoying something and calling it a bad drama are two different things.
In a way, he ended up paying the price for it. He lost all of his children and will ultimately have to answer for his own sins in the afterlife. That's what makes his character more tragic than purely evil.
The Crown Prince is a completely different case. Unlike the King, he deliberately poisoned his own brothers to seize the throne. He realized he could become king by repeating his father's tragic fate, and he chose that path willingly.
Even after he died and became Ak Hwi, he never showed any remorse. He still kill his youngest brother, attempted to kill his sister to steal her yang energy, and never once reflected on the consequences of his actions.
That's the biggest difference between the two. The King was complicit in a tragedy he didn't initiate and ultimately paid a heavy price for it. The Crown Prince, on the other hand, actively chose ambition over family, never regretted his crimes, and continued down the same path even after death.
Ironically, the female lead was the weakest element of the entire show for me. The writing did most of the heavy lifting, while her performance never fully sold the character emotionally.
I'd give it a 9/10. The only thing that held it back for me was the main couple. I just didn't feel the chemistry between them, and the female lead felt a bit too modern for a historical setting. I know romance isn't the main focus, but whenever the drama tried to give them emotional or romantic moments, I found myself cringing a little because she looked so young to me. Throughout the series, I kept thinking how much more those scenes might have worked with a different actress.
As for Saeng Gang, I imagined her as someone much more emotionally restrained, almost expressionless, someone who rarely smiles because of her past, her childhood, and the reason she returned to the palace in the first place. RYS's portrayal felt a little too cheerful for my interpretation of the character. She acted well overall, but I personally pictured Saeng Gang as someone carrying much heavier emotional baggage beneath the surface.
Because of that, when Saeng Gang finally reached her biggest emotional moments, they didn't hit me as hard as they were supposed to. I understood what the scene was trying to convey, but I never really felt the emotional payoff. For me, those moments work best when the character has been quietly carrying all that pain from the beginning, so when the walls finally come down, it feels earned. I just didn't get that emotional buildup here.
Mild spoiler started here.
And I know some people discontent with the ends of the villain and FL. But for me, that slight guilt is important as a way to make FL repent her own "sins" towards her best friend.