strawberrymatchalatte

This drama was like a beautifully presented meal that fooled you with its appearance, but after a few forkful, realised that the quality and cooking don't match up. There was a strong focused on the aesthetics, but when style was prioritised over substance, the result was as hollow as my brain needed to be to keep enjoying it beyond the initial episodes.
The first quarter of the drama was enjoyable, but it got repetitive for the next 10 episodes, before the writing turned to shit during the last half. I don’t expected 100% realism, but, I do like a certain amount of care and thoughtfulness in writing and execution that help to maintain my suspension of disbelief. Something that was utterly missing here. It became so ridiculous that instead of being swept away, I just LOL far too many times during what was meant to be “whoa” moments. It took me right out of the story. There is suspension of disbelief, then there is “leave your brain on another continent”.
Unfortunately, this lack of care was an extension of the the uneven/poor writing including the sidelining of the male lead to glorified the female lead to an absurd extend. The result was a dud. Vibes, aesthetics, and pretty people doing things are not enough to sustain interest in a 40 episodes drama.

They were at a disadvantage. You can't write Yan Xun without reference to his family execution since that was what defined this character. PA has 20 or so episodes to build up to that moment; the audience was invested, and Shawn Dou did a wonderful job in that scene. Rebirth didn't have the 20 episodes to build audience investment. It was rushed, and the directing choices and poor acting didn't help matters. I can give them some grace in this matter. Unfortunately, the subsequent writing and poor acting really killed this character for me.

Hiring HTT was part of their strategies to link themselves to PA, since she played the young Chu Qiao in PA. Besides the link to PA, I can see why they chose HTT. She has a certain stubbornness/defiant in her gaze that could have work for this character. The problem was her acting is not there yet to makeup for her lack of lived experience. The result is the role swamped her like an oversized coat. Half a dozen more years, and she may have been able to pull it off. But ultimately, the issues came down to the poor script and directing. Linking themselves to PA got them the attention and interested, but it was also a double edges sword that ended up cutting them open when the quality of the product couldn't withstand the scrutiny/comparison.

Positioning itself as a continuation/sequel to Princess Agent was a mistake, as it invited direct comparison. It also limited how the story could be told, with the first 5 episodes crammed with details to tie into Princess Agent. The rush flashbacks couldn't capture the emotional intensity required. They would have been better off distancing themselves and saying that they are based on the same source material, but focused on the second half of the story, etc.

Viewers who haven't seen Princess Agent may have an advantage, since there's nothing to compare it to. If you are interested in watching, it might be best to approach it as a separate project with a different focus. Give it 10 episodes or so to settle and see if it appeals to you.

It just didn't work for me. I find the writing, directing and acting to be weak. They have nuggets of good ideas, but their execution was not assured.

The drama relied on extreme, melodramatic elements and a hectic pace, sacrificing logic, common sense and nuances. The writing was also uneven - the 2nd male lead disappeared during the middle stretch, which may be a good thing considering his limited acting ability :-). The most interesting aspect of this drama was the parent-child relationship dynamic. Unfortunately, it was another plot point, albeit a major one, rather than something that was thoughtfully explored. I enjoyed watching the male lead in all his over-the-top alpha maleness. The female lead was a good match for him. Allowing these two to beat the crap out of each other was a clever way to deal with the common problem in these dramas where the male lead treats the female lead cruelly, but there is no payback. Got bored during the last 1/3, but overall, an entertaining romp, particularly if you enjoy no-nonsense leads.

Last point. The filter was ridiculous. Could these productions eliminate them? If not, could they filter everyone instead of the selective filtering? It was bothersome watching one person with smooth, mannequin skin while another looked human.

I have The Knockout on my TBW list. I took a long break from C Dramas, so there are a few to catch up on. Interesting that its rating on here is lower than many subpar idol romance dramas.

I can understand the allure of idol dramas. They are easy to watch because they follow a particular formula - like any genre - and the stories of people falling in love, etc., are universal. Add in pretty people, and it's quite appealing. People want to be entertained after long work days. I know that's why I still watch them.

With the cooling market, it may lead to better scripts because the audience is more discerning about where to put their money, but it may also lead them to stick with the same old people with large fan bases as a sure thing, and it will just lead to more obnoxious fan behaviour.

That simply means the industry's conventions need to be overhauled. Instead of relying on these idol stars and catering to their crazy fandoms, or even engaging in pot-stirring antics themselves to generate interest, they should focus on writing good stories with well-developed characters. The audience at large is getting tired of being served slop; the only ones left are the crazy fans supporting their idol.

MDL is a melting pot, but a big chunk of the audience who is active on the boards is stuck on romance to the point of ridiculousness. Everything is about shipping; never mind if it makes sense or not. I don't get this mentality. Even less, this weird idea of green flag and red flag that I've seen on these boards recently. Why is this even a thing??

Yes, they do start shooting without a complete script which tells you how much they care about the quality of the product. And it makes things difficult for actors who cares about delivering a good performance. Alas, as a viewer, I can only judge the final product.

Acknowledge, instead of excused or accused. You see a lot of excuses or accusations flying around these boards; depending on whose side the viewers are on. I can understand if you're 2/3 of the way through the drama, but just a handful of episodes in? Give the story a chance to unfold and the characters time to reveal themselves. If they stay an ass, then fired away :-).

I didn't think the FL was being unreasonable. At the beginning, they were both trying to kill each other - what's good for the goose, is good for the gander. Afterwards, she didn't actively try to harm him, just didn't care for him and kept her distance. And that's her right to. But once she's in, she was all in. So there was payoff.

I still think they should have kept him more ruthless; more interesting that way.

I haven't read the original novel, so I won't comment on that point.
I'm also not after someone muscular who looks like she could bench press a grown man. I'm aware that I'm watching a C-Drama and adjust my expectations accordingly. And being feminine doesn't exclude you from looking tough, sharp and commanding. You can be feminine and graceful and exude authority and command.

Regardless of whether the story focused on pure war/battle scenes or strategy, as a general, this character would be on the frontline, leading battles. So if they cared at all about reasonable realism, they would have cast accordingly. But they didn't, because, like I have acknowledged, their primary aim was the romance.

The actress fit that purpose, but my original comment stand; she is not a good fit for the character of a seasoned general.

I remembered now. It's any wonder that many a Cdramas fall apart when you have these kind of demands to tinker with the script.

The iconic scenes still happening is a good reason for her to remain wary. The ending for her character in the OG script was having her limbs chopped off and stuck in a container. Who wouldn't be scared and try to avoid that fate that all cost?

Viewers bias towards the male lead characters certainly played a role as well. I didn't hold his action against him as it made sense for the character and also showed you how ruthless he could be. Particularly since it's at the start of the drama - it's part and parcel of character creation. Viewers should learn to acknowledge rather than excuse. Plenty of times to cast the final judgement.

Making it funny was absolutely a strategic writing choice to ensure ship-ability later down the road. Gleeful villain mode with the villain eyeliner helped :-)

I understand what you mean and I shared the sentiment. The writing for the character is for a tough, seasoned general, but the actress didn't fit the role and couldn't conveyed what was written. She had the appearance of a well-born and bred young lady who cosplay being a general. For this drama, I'm not that bothered by this or by the rather weak writing overall, since it's very much a fantasy romance, and I don't think they have any ambition of being anything more than that. So showing a reasonably believable female general wasn't high on their to-do list.

I missed the part about the script being written. The way I see it was that the FL entering the story and becoming SYM interrupted and altered the trajectory of the characters/story. Her presence was the catalyst that led to the ML changing.

The original script wasn't essentially wrong about the male lead; he had it in him to be ruthless and end up the way that he did in the OG, but he made different choices because the FL reacted differently. He was planning to exploit her for his gains and then tried to kill her to shut her up; so she wasn't wrong to think that he was the way he was written in the OG script.

One of the things that I wished the writers had done differently was to keep the ML more ruthless. They woobified him so much that some viewers forgot what he could be like. And of course, they made all the scenes of him attempting to kill her funny, which primed the viewers to not take what he did seriously. The result is that the FL get dragged.

It's a drama that rewards patience and attention. It's not one to watch while scrolling sm. Hope you'll enjoy it.

I agree that it's a part of the joke; this drama poke fun at regular tropes that we find in these dramas. Although, I don't find her self-centred or shallow. She's pragmatic. She works to live and like many, probably would loved to not have to work so hard and do things that she doesn't like for money. Hence, her glee when she found herself being the pampered daughter of a rich family. She even called herself a lazy person and her initial goal was to live out her life in this "script" and enjoy herself. So her #1 goal is to stay alive.

Did she know Nan Heng's backstory? I was under the impression that the original script didn't include his back story and it was something that was revealed as the script changed within the dream.

Actors don't have control over when their dramas are shown. Maybe wait for a month or so, then come back to it. That will give enough time to separate the two characters/dramas in your mind.

They are very different. Coroner's Diary is a romance drama with investigation as the vehicle. The Wanted Detective focused more on the mystery/investigation with romance as a part of the characters' relationship, but it's not the main focus. The Wanted Detective is more of an ensemble, whereas in the Coroner's Diary, other characters are more background with the main couple taking the spotlight.

It's an overall good ending. But, wouldn't knowing who dies takes some of the enjoyment out of watching? I love a well-earned character death, hitting the right emotional beat and hurting so good.

A solid, investigative costume drama. It started with a bang, setting up an intriguing "whodunit?". The middle sagged a bit, but things came together for a satisfying ending. I was excited when they pulled out the freeze point technique - a mainstay in wuxia novels/dramas of old; however, the drama is more court/detective than wuxia.

On the scale of Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty and The Coroner's Diary, this (thankfully) is more the former. This is an ensemble piece, focusing on our ragtag team chasing clues to unravel the central mystery. The camaraderie is one of the most enjoyable things about this drama, and what kept me watching through some of the sag in the middle stretch.

The mystery/investigation is the main focus, with the romance taking the backseat. You won't get a meet-cute and fall in love. It's more about the main couple re-connecting and strengthening their bond as the drama progresses. So, if you're looking for drama with romance playing a prominent role, this won't be it. But if you are looking for a mystery with imperfectly likeable characters, then this is worth a look.

Cang Xuan, Tu Shan Jing and Xiang Liu. And none for the other dude. The FL is an equal opportunity lover ;-). I'm kinda kidding. (someone will give you a more serious response soon :-)).