metrikfire

I don't think it's meant to be "romantic" in the way we think of other "romantic" dramas. The word "romantic" is an adjective and by definition a subjective term so it is dependent on each person. I don't think of this kind of stuff as romantic at all and more of a melodramatic portrayal of the lifecycle of a relationship.
Not everyone stays in honeymoon phase all the time and everyone thinks of their commitments differently. That's what makes it interesting. If you can think of these dramas as a reflection of what exists out in the world instead of making it a lesson on morality, then I think you might enjoy this kind of stuff a little more.
Frankly speaking, I _personally_ find dramas focused ENTIRELY on two people's relationship really boring, and even MORE boring when two other people are also involved in a 16 episode unraveling mess, especially when the whole thing can be solved in a couple of honest face-to-face discussions.

Waaaaiiiittt are they actually married or are they just coasting on a super lengthy and non-committal relationship?! They’re two very different contexts!

Oh my god I had to take a break and walk away from the excitement after watching the opening scene.

110% invested in the first 30 minutes of the show holy xrap.

On episode 10 and I gotta say, all the things that are “green flags” about the crown prince is just him vocalizing all his thoughts out loud. He doesn’t actually do anything other than talk to people in various settings. Whatever he feels, he says. Whatever he thinks, he says. When all he’s doing is saying things, it leaves nothing else to look forward to. Even Cui x Bu team is far more riveting than Xi He x CP pairing because the two of them are actually interesting and they both do sh!t and have personalities other than being a hypeman for the princess LOL

How is the crown prince so boring wow. He literally says everything he thinks out loud lmao

Shen XiHe is the ult ENTJ if I've ever laid my eyes on one.

Can someone please tell me what a “commandery princess” is?!

Am I the only one with this absurd title in the subs?

If it makes you feel better, then you stay on that boat, my friend. I hope you slept better than I did after watching that horrid ending.

I dont know how to say this to you, but he died in the canon, my guy. The "special" is just fan service clips lol

Man I feel so fk'ing betrayed omg. I did not deserve this after committing forty hours to this traitorous hot tripe. Unbelievable omg.

Basically, XH DIED! There is literally no other explanation for it. There is no actual meeting on screen, there is no resolution from his battle. XFF expressly telling her father that she'll be a widow if XH doesn't return. Him looking upwards with that pendant in his mouth is basically just raising his eyes to the heavens. The special ending was him just having his dream life unfolding before him before his final moments.

Even if they (show creators) insist that the "happy end" actually happened, the way they've shot the whole episode completely misreads the whole story! I don't know what's worse, the show creators unwittingly making an OE or _actually_ making an OE when it REALLY didn't need to be. There was absolutely no reason for it to be an OE. What a freaking tragedy the last episode was.

Oh my god that ending was ABSURD

best answer.

This needs a spoiler tag lmao

Everyone hating on Susu not enough hate for QingYi’s rancid bio mother imho.

There is no double standard. They're different dramas? In PoJ the point is that he has to learn, give the female lead her space, room to grow and have the maturity to understand how she has to become her own person. His character is brutal and suspicious in the beginning but he learns to trust and changes so that the woman he loves can also be happy.

None of that is happening in this drama. Its upsetting people that he's a doormat in this drama, that he keeps going back for Susu's shitty treatment of him. They're so upset that Susu's being a royal b-word and tanking the ratings because they hate it. As you've said it yourself. You can like both, but the ratings don't reflect it because well... you can take guess the reasons why.

What I know is, his behavior towards her is unacceptable, just as she is a horrible person towards him.
The fact is, most people on MDL in the comment section of this drama REALLY hate Susu because of reasons you can read for yourself.
Whether she is his ex or not, his invasion of her personal space, his constant touching of her body, following her to places constantly... though he is lovesick, if I were Susu, it would make me cruel towards him too, especially because he is SO dependent on her to validate him when they both know that Susu is a trainwreck headed into a giant fire.

If I were Susu, I'd be sad about it cause he's handsome and lovesick, but Qing Yi doesn't know how to take a hint.

I don’t understand how groping your sister in law, even if she is your ex, then forcing a kiss on her during your own engagement party, getting handsy with her body in front of servants, killing people (who are bad but he has no idea) for this femme fatale is not Class S level toxic behavior.

Omg no. How Dare You?! May not be a letter to Dostoyevsky but it was 100% more meaningful and nuanced than whatever burning rubber tire was fuelling this raging fire. Overdo is pure entertainment. Even the PTSD and trauma is reduced to over amplified feels. There was no nuance, only drama and that’s why Overdo was so enjoyable.

A lot of people on MDL are not used to Chinese drama romances about really terrible people having really shitty and toxic romances. Especially not Zhang Linghe who is peak husband material in PoJ.