susuworld

He had practice in Love you seven times, lol

Saw the latest MV and have to say, this is going to be the xianxia drama of 2024. Seeing the chemistry of the leads, I'm reminded of what we didn't get in Princess Agents. The scene in the MV where ML pushes FL away injured (the same he did in Princess Agents) but underwater. I like to think, we won't get them as season 2 leads of Princess Agents but we get a sequel in this way. Can't wait.

I share your opinion. I've stopped the drama for the time being. I've stalled at episode 16, the halfway point. I love Wu Lei, nothing wrong with his acting or the FL's either. The script is almost like that laundry room scene - people not communicating with each other. I still struggle with they barely knew each other, a single date and let's have a relationship. That part was super fast. I've seen better slice of life/slow burn romance because people actually talked to each other. Heck, even argue a bit because that is healthy.

So if I have to be very critical - I have to say the story is very slow burn in terms of plot development. I get this is a romance/love story but I am up to episode 11, I barely know Wu Lei's character background, I know even less about the FL's background - her upbringing, her family, what she likes and doesn't like. This is by no means a perfect relationship - and this is where I am being very critical. LYY does many things for the FL but he doesn't tell her much about it but at the same time, he barely ever asks her what she wants, instead, he does what he thinks is best for her. For example: she doesn't want to have a lavish meal (be it lunch or dinner) on the count that she didn't want him to spend the money (we know it's expensive in Finland). But he takes her to have a lobster/seafood fulsome lunch where they ordered so much, she can't eat it all. I get it, he wants the best for her but it's not necessary.

Again being picky but also an illogical aspect of the plot. He didn't tell the FL that he was sick for days for fear it would distract her for her tournament. That's fine. Where it falls off the logic wagon is where she showed up unexpectedly and he's still coughing and such. That's fine too because let's share a twin size bed breathing down on each other (not a single moment is raised: what if I get her sick and she can't be at her top game during the tournament). Given the small bed, why can't he offer her to stay at a hotel (he can pay) instead, he goes out and buys her all the necessary toiletries. I can't help but that aspect of the plot was only an excuse for them to share a bed as a sign of intimacy.

I do find it boring at times and I'm really staying on because of Wu Lei. I don't mind a slice of life or slow burn but at least feed us crumbs about who their characters are.

Her level of criticism is designed for evaluating a drama based on technology and effects. Average viewer wouldn't care about color grading or make up. That being said, this was filmed in Finland during the winter months. Finland has only a handful of daylight in the winter so it makes it hard to film during the day as you are racing against time and even with daylight, it's not going to be sharp enough for on screen.

LTG actually has a lot of insecurities and for him to magically grow up may seen unrealistic. I think by the end of it, he's still a work in progress but with Yang Ying, he should be more level headed.

I rarely ever cried at dramas - might get a tad weepy for a minute and then I gather my senses but not when I watched the last 6 episodes (broken up but all in one day), I just kept grabbing tissues. I don't think I can name a single cdrama in the last decade (or ever) that I've watched (I've watched a lot) where both ML and FL are dead. Usually one lives at the very least. Somehow, I had hoped LYZ would survive, he would live with RY after the war was won. Once I saw his ending, I knew RY wouldn't live on with herself.

Despite all the tissues and puffy eyes - I felt each character's tragic ending did them justice. I didn't feel the war was rushed. I came into this drama with absolutely no hope because I thought LYN didn't measure up to LSS's star power. But I gave it a try, not to judge a drama based on casting. I was blown by first episode. I'm also blown by Alen Feng's performance. He didn't impress me in Long Ballad but this carefree personality (deep down he feels lost more than anyone else) really shined. And he goes out with a bang, literally.

My mind keeps replaying the last seen that all 5 of them were together - it was when LYZ was getting ready to leave to return to find RY after they rescued their emperor. It was a scene where LYZ didn't think he would be alive to see his friends, his friends thought the same. Never did any of them think that they would all die before LYZ. From there on, Alen Fang carried the weight of his character to be the one with reason, to make decisions for the group and ultimately, he was the one who buried his friends until he was the last one before reuniting with LYZ.

My guess is that it's the imagined ending for all we loved who died. They would have wanted a boy and a girl with two surnames and named after their most cherished friends.

I bet no one could have watched ep 35 and 36 without a box of tissues.

My biggest fear is that Emperor Wu would self-sabotage his rescue due to his cowardness

He's shinning so well. As I have expected, he will do well if he's not overshadowed by other MLs as he has in the past.

100% agree. I love how the stoic face of Qian Zhan doesn't make him a complete idiot to reading the room. I like how he keeps referring to Ruyi as "cousin", rather than her alias name that others use. His eyes say so much when he's looking here and there.

I also see the maturity in NYZ and Ruyi talking about what they want in life and their outlook. What really gets me is NYZ isn't easily deceive with all the demands for wanting a child (he knew it wasn't what she really wanted but that someone wished that she did). We almost forgot that before these adventures started, NYZ was ready to reside himself await from politics and everything. He was done and he had his charisma about it.

While I like seeing a lot of backstory being explored for Ruyi in contrast with NYZ (which in typical c-dramaland, it's the reverse), I'm not getting the picture of why NYZ is the way he is. They alluded to him rising through the ranks at a young age and he talks about always being in the shadows but the whole story about him being forced into the army because someone betrayed him (that part wasn't fully flushed).

Thanks for the spoiler that I didn't ask for

I was referring to Ruyi

She needs a proper title if she is to directly interact with the Marquis. Just being a maid servant is not enough.

I can see why this drama is going to be 40 episodes (so far, the episodes are at 50 mins each) is there are too many side characters that I can't seem to get invested in and nor do I even care. I just find when they talk about the other princes and consorts, I just want to fast forward to our lead couple or at least to their envoy. As for the fight scenes, I enjoy it for what they are. If we are to be too critical, I notice the choreography is very similar across certain actors (in their fight scenes) and it is almost too many big moves but not necessary. Sure it looks beautiful.

100% agree with you. His past dramas have him in 2nd/3rd male leads and overshadowed by other actors. Finally, a drama where he is the ML and he can shine in his own light. I love the styling for him. Seeing him interact with Alen Fang reminds me of their days in the Long Ballad where they starred together but didn't have a lot of interactions.

Liu Shi Shi is a very famous actress. She had numerous memorable works including Scarlet Heart. I had been following her for years. She got married to Nicky Wu several years ago and they have a son. My guess is that she stopped acting after she gave birth to her son. She has starred along side equally famous male leads. I'm interested in seeing her in this role. She tends to do a lot of period/costume dramas.

If I have to find one eye stabbing issue, is that while I love seeing Dr. Gu chasing after SWA to pursue her. I'm finding it tiring now that I'm near the end that he seems to be the one who's putting nearly most of the effort into this relationship. I personally would like to have seen SWA do more things for Dr. Gu and to be his support. The fact that he had to convince her to agree with his change of research when her best friend told her that she should stand in Dr. Gu's shoes and understand him. The words of wisdom from the best friend really nailed it for me. I don't feel that SWA has done much for this relationship. She runs, Dr. Gu chases. Her mother doesn't really approve, Dr. Gu does all the work to convince the mom. His dad doesn't approve, Dr. Gu yells at his father.

If you want to say that she got hurt for him twice, that was much early on and she likely do it for anything in Dr. Gu's position at that time. And no it's not a contest but someone can't constantly be giving and giving in a relationship and not be receiving much.

I don't think you have it right. I know enough about Chinese dynastic history to tell you in general who is the heir apparent. It's not Li Ni's father. I know you don't know enough when you said Crown Prince position is not fixed and is changed quite often. I will tell you that history (even in dramaland) Crown Princes don't change very easy. Once one is crown prince, the emperor doesn't change his mind unless there is a legitimate and strong justification to do so. Often it would be if they committed grave errors in their duties as crown prince and deemed unfit to rule as the future emperor. To change crown princes on a whim shakes the core of the royal family.

As I had said, the child is the only legitimate heir apparent because he is the only surviving son of his direct family line where his father was crown prince. We know his father is the crown prince because his mother is titled as the "crown prince consort". If there are 2-3+ more children of the crown prince then obviously he isn't heir apparent but one would be selected from the children of the crown prince. That's why when usurpers are in play, they go after the crown prince and all his children.

If you noticed in this drama, no one is explicitly saying the child is not the heir apparent but that he is too young to rule a nation that is politically unstable. No one is denying his birthright. And even if everyone thinks that the child's father/grandfather was incompetent, that doesn't make the child as incompetent and unfit to rule.