ChineseDramaFan

Once bitten twice shy, no, I'm going in with no expectation at all, just like when I started with CQL. This way, whatever it maybe, it should not be worse, if you get what I mean :)

Yes, I love discussions like this because it helps me understand why some people dislike/hate this drama whereas some, like me, love it.

I view the bedroom encounter very differently from you. I feel she has been longing for it (from the look in her eyes behind his back whenever he leaves). When it happens, she's surprised but not unwilling. I even feel, deep down inside, she's delighted because she feels she's still being desired by the Emperor. (At that time, she's not a young girl anymore and the Emperor has multiple very young concubines.) I know it's appalling to portray women this way, but let's face it, most of those emperors' women did think it's an honor to be slept by the emperors; they all knew and accepted their fate when they decided to marry the emperors.

I do see that at the beginning of the drama, it appears that it's a story about Cao Danshu and her relationship with the Emperor and his concubines, or rather a story about the Emperor and his relationship with Cao Danshu, and then 2/3 way through, the story totally changes direction and almost totally drops Cao Danshu's existence, and focuses more on the court of ministers and Huirou. It leaves the viewers high and dry, wondering what has happened to the Empress. Bad story writing or what I don't know, but I don't really have a strong sense of disarray because I'm viewing it as a chronicle with no one main character in particular.

Watch it multiple times and see if you still come to the same conclusion. After my first watch, I said the same thing as you're saying now. Repeated watching, then I realized everything was so subtle and hidden. You'd need to look at the symbolism, the lyrics to the music, etc to "see" the romance. Well, after multiple watches it (the romance) popped up right in front of me, loud and clear. Hope it does for you too.

Yay! Another Suibian! :)

Wow! Thanks for the recommendation. After the disappointment with The Living Dead, I wasn't going to rush into Fatal Journey until now. It's going to be my weekend treat (or sooner, who knows :))

I'm not a fangirl of Renzong; in fact, I abhor monarchy. But comparing him to many other emperors, he's a more tolerable one. He didn't have, presumably, 3,000 or more women serving his needs; he didn't live in opulence nor indulge in luxuaries; he didn't simply kill people out of his whim; he tolerated how he was being criticized without ordering persecution. Under his reign, Chinese literature flourished, and literature including poems is the soul of humanity. Yes, admittedly he had his flaws; among many, he used his own daughter to pay for his own guilt. But then, he also felt it was the best match because he felt it's more important for the son-in-law to love and protect his daughter than for his daughter to love the man. I have seen many contemporary matching as such, that parents feel they love their daughters so much that marrying them off to men whom they feel can give their daughters the best life, even if it's against their wishes.

@Skibbies, you're absolutely right. Princesses should not have been treated like that, but unfortunately many were treated like that or worse; they were commonly used as pawns. It really sucks to be a woman even to this day.

@Meep, as much as you're angry at how women were characterized in the drama, I find it pretty realistic because I have seen it even in this modern day [how they've been characterized]. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not making excuses for Renzong to get away with his deeds; it's just how it was 1,000 years ago and it's not pretty.

As much as I fume when I see how women were treated in those eras, we must look at it from their perspective - women were men's properties and the men could do whatever they wanted to to the women and not considered a crime. Not the same for women though. Men could have multiple wives to satisfy their needs and egos, but women have to bear whatever the men gave them. It was an unjust society, even in the more open western world at that time. Social status of women has improved greatly over the years, but still women are not treated as par with men, even as it is in the western society, let alone in China where many girls are still being abandoned or killed. Therefore, by not watching this drama, one may miss out learning about Chinese history and culture, and how its society once was.

Sima Guang's really a pain in the b*** :D

Oh, I love how Huirou rebutted and bluffed Sima Guang.

Thanks for the info. I'm sure Sima Guang was a magnificent person in his own right, otherwise his name wouldn't have been written in history books. Also glad to hear that his wife didn't vomit blood :) Just that, I find it really hard to tolerate such rigid person. I know I would have vomited blood had I been his wife, but then again, I don't think I would have married such a person in the first place. Like the Emperor, I find myself rolling my eyes whenever he starts to open his mouth. I know I'm looking at him from a modern day perspective. I must admit that his uncompromising loyalty to all the principles set forth in the days is admirable; not many people could and can do that.

I'm really enjoying this drama. How about you? One more episode to go. I'm going to miss it.

Yeah, Danshu is a gone case :(

It's Sima Guang type of people that cause pain in the society - rigid, ultra-conservative, extreme. I wonder what kind of women would want to marry such men for husbands. I'm not surprised if all his wives died vomiting blood.

Yes, that's why I love this drama. This type of drama is so rare, for obvious reasons; most people find it boring.

Yes, this Emperor, like many other emperors, destroys the lives of many great women especially his own daughter. What a disaster!

LOL! You have great grades!

Yeah, I was wondering about the rating too. Need to drop something, so this has to go from my list.

"... sitting in front of a professor waiting for him to get to the point" - hahaha! I remember those days.

Apparently they shifted the story a bit, from the story of Huirou to the story of the Emperor. Having said that, the latest episodes do come back to Huirou like you said, and that's the really tragic part.

Overall, I still love this drama. It's so beautiful and authentic.

This drama, though adapted from a novel, feels like a documentary of Emperor Renzong and Empress Cao. There are no "fancy" actions, no "actual" antagonists, no "exciting" plots. It's just being told as how history is. In fact I love this drama. It's hard to come by such dramas and I can see why - not many people appreciate it. So if you're a history buff and appreciate historical Chinese culture, you may like this drama. If you're expecting action and plots, you may be disappointed.

I'm recommending some recent ones:
1. The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty
2. Under the Power
3. Ancient Detective
Joy of Life is very good. Should start watching the season 1 now. Otherwise you'd have to wait for 5 years for all the other seasons to come out.

LOL! Yes, laugh first because after you finish watching, you can't laugh anymore T_T