ramblingromantic

dazzling wasn't what i thought it would be lol i havent dropped it but it's my casual watch on viki when im on my laptop to watch it at 2x speed

I wouldn't go so far as to say "women are secretly attracted to abusive men."
Abusive men are manipulative and since the world *usually* serves men there are *many* women that suffer from internalized misogyny. I haven't watched the show yet, but in cases like these the 2FML serves as a foil to the FML.

I'm on ep 13 and this show *is* good, but ig with all the hype I was expecting to be *hooked* which I'm not really

now im curious, whats the book abt?

yeah their chemistry got me to episode 10 so i def see it!! will just satisfy myself with edits and clips of them LOL

ig thats nice but idk if i can commit to it atp lol

I LOVED Tian Yuan in Blossoms of Power. He looked young, but I had no idea he was this young!! He must have been 14ish during filming? That's insane. His banter/friendship with Xiao Hua Yong was literally one of my favorite parts of the whole show -- I *kept* thinking "ah their relationship is so cute!"

Wishing this kid all the success.

I could understand she felt bad about being a “burden” to her sister, but her reaction felt a bit too dramatic for what the sister was offering. You would think after her sister’s death, she’d learn to operate with more grace but instead she keeps arguing with Tae Hyeong in a way that really just makes her look bad. I hate to side with a man but he’s been pretty clear on his stance about his relationship with his late brother and that he did not want to take care of the baby. Once he agrees to help to have a place for his stuff, she steamrolls him over everything. You are working, he is at home with the kid doing what he can, who are you do be nitpicking over every little thing he does or doesn’t do “per the contract” when you barely seem to remember your one task of being the lead parent when not at work.

Now with the 2ML entering the scene and her coming home *later than the contract agreement* just to yell at him as if he left Woo Joo on the side of the road alone while doing an errand…It’s not a vibe.

DNFing *stopped at start of episode 4*

I realllly wanted to like this. I thought it was going to be a lot more comedic. I KNOW the start has to be sad with them ending up with the baby, but the overall tone of the show is more *drama than comedy.* I also seem to really hate Woo Hyeon Jin’s character - I usually give fmls more grace because life is hard for women and that extends even to this realm, but they really made her annoying and just ungrateful. Some are saying it matches with the fact that she was raised by her very much also a child of a sister, but unfortunately it doesn't change that fact that it's hard to watch lol

ugh yeah it def was but at least they gave a specialty ending. im still traumatized by a splendid match...THAT was an incomplete as heck ending lool

yeah! someone said shes supposed to be a merge of 2 souls - Gu and Shen...but I don't feel they did a good job portraying that and it does hold her character back by not really delving into it a bit more or at least setting us up to see her from this more "dynamic" lens.

ahah same and it was so good!! I gave it a 9.7/10

yesss on the second part....I guess I was just viewing her personality as "growth" and "change" rather than "see-sawing" between the two souls *and* growth. Maybe it's more clear in the novel. Thanks for the insight though, bc I was feeling sad that the soul of Shen Xihe just died lol

He was *literally* obsessed with her? He would trick her into talking/being alone. She was never really aggressive with men and he would grab her, what is she supposed to do? She could fight back but she was always playing a longer game with him and everyone else. It's also *CLEAR* that part of her growth is being kinder to others, that kindness *does* extend to the man she was forced to marry and never loved BUT she could see that despite his flaws he was a decent guy, just not the man she *loved*.

I am *shocked* at how many people are calling the FML a slut bc of how she was with her ex-husband. SHE NEVER did anything wrong???

I didn't really get that she was both souls, it played out in the show that she is Gu Qingzhi in Shen Xihe's body (and retained memories). I *prefer* your assessment of both souls as one new one, but if that was the case, the show did a weak job of implying it.

I will say male views hate a "cold" woman and "simp" man combo. I loved it and I think Shen Xihe was a great FML. I felt that her tears for Prince Xin was part of her growth at just having emotions and caring for people in shades rather than all or nothing.

I almost agree. I don't think the memories were a plot hole, I think the *emotions* tied to them are...she is p cold and unfeeling and we are eluded to her pretty harsh past so ig those memories, even though someone else's, prompted emotions, but I still found it a bit befuddling that she cared so much about a father and brother and the Shen name that are *now* hers but really had nothing to do with her. Like on their wedding day, she hasn't committed to loving the crown prince, but she cries and thanks her dad for raising her. If it was just a platitude, sure, but she was clearly emotional about it in a why that didn't really make sense to me.

the extra ep is cute but there are still other characters we never get satisfying ending of -- they just barely tie some of the lose ends

I def agree - the MML was def much stronger of a character than the FML but I think her hesitancy to love and growth in the end were enough to still make the show work.

Not to stop you from your opinion but every story *has* already been told, the fun of it is the *slight* "fresh new tropes" that the writers/directors use. Every romance novel is going to have the same beats, but that's why I turn to them every time. A thriller is going to be similar almost every time in overall concept for the same reason. Even just general fiction (no romance) will follow 9.9/10 the "hero's journey".

I would say this is similar to a lot of historical romances in the way they are all similar to each other, but I think there were aspects that felt new and fresh to it.