The constant, heavy-handed feminist tirades are kinda starting to piss me off. Like, you can make your point without being so in-your-face about it. There’s nothing wrong with incorporating feminist themes or commentary, but it really irks me when they’re delivered so forcefully and without any subtlety. Then again, C-dramas do have a long standing tradition of long-winded monologues, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. 😭
This was SO good! The story, cinematography, acting, the ML/FL relationship… honestly, everything was amazing. I loved how the mystery was revealed layer by layer, with each new piece adding more to the story, until we finally learned the whole truth about the pond ghost in the end.
To be completely honest, Ye Li was a little too Mary Sue-ish for my taste, and the only thing that really made her interesting to me was her psychosis. I also didn’t like how the revenge was handled, especially when it came to Guo Jin/Dowager Empress. The way Ye Li hated and had everyone involved brutally killed, yet essentially spared the main orchestrator, who was also responsible for years of abuse ML went through? I don’t know, it just left a bitter taste in my mouth. I actually found myself rooting for Prince Li by the end, and I didn’t even like his character. That’s how annoyed I was by their whole “revenge” arc.
That said, I did enjoy the romance between the ML and FL. It felt very steady and mature, and I thought their chemistry was strong in that sense. I also loved Cheng Lei’s portrayal of Prince Ding. He’s such a good actor!
1. Chatjen and Mr. Sung are the real MVPs. 2. I absolutely love this kind of relationship. Call it a bromance or a romance, I don’t even care, but that platonic love, pining, devotion, and unwavering support that isn’t “tainted” by lust is something I adore. 3. I love that Shin didn’t forgive Saint right away. Saint really had to earn that forgiveness, which made it feel so much more satisfying. 4. I also loved how Class 2 and its students went from being rivals who were constantly fighting to becoming genuine friends. That character and relationship development wasn't sudden and it felt completely natural.
can someone tell me why did Saint beg Shin's leg???
Break? He said it was an accident. He had a rule that anyone who wanted to leave the gang had to be beaten up, and when Shin decided to leave, he felt betrayed and thought Shin was abandoning him. He got carried away while beating him and accidentally broke his leg.
For some reason, this one just didn’t click for me. I love SkyNani and I’m really enjoying HS Frenemy, but this just kinda made me tired. It felt a little repetitive, idk.
I watched some interviews/videos with them and Min looks so different from his role as Sun. When he’s all smiley and cute, his whole face changes. It gave me whiplash. 🤣
Also, it’s kind of funny how several characters commented that his face is pretty plain when the dude has an insane face card. Out of all those other trainees, he’s easily the best looking one!
This was so good! Gosh, I just realized Zichuan Xiu perfectly fits my favourite ML archetype. He is seemingly goofy and unserious, but that mask actually hides great intelligence, tactical skill, and profound feelings. I’m so glad I decided to watch!
As a whole, I really liked the combination of humour, political intrigue (which was actually really well done), and emotional, dramatic moments. The relationship between the three MLs was also another highlight. They spent most of the time separated, each doing their own thing, but whenever they reunited it led to such good, emotionally charged interactions. I loved it!
I also liked how mature the love stories and love triangles felt. They were handled with a level of nuance that made them engaging rather than frustrating.
Gosh, I love it, but small inconsistencies drive me crazy. For example, at the beginning when they’re defending Payi City, they make it a point to emphasize that the Northern Clan has amassed one million soldiers and that defending the city is essentially impossible. Even Di Lin says they need to make peace with the Northern Clan to save the remaining forces because the army defending the city is supposedly the country’s last elite force.
Then, after the peace agreement is reached and everything is resolved, it turns out that only about twenty soldiers remained in the city. Seeing that tiny group leaving the city after all that buildup really annoyed me.
Another example is when the doctor mentions that Di Lin’s wife is in her first month of pregnancy, even though it feels like at least a few months have passed since we first learned she was pregnant. I’m willing to assume the subtitles might be inaccurate, but the inconsistency is still there.
These are small details, but they really bother me, even though I love the story overall.
It was actually good, idk. I liked the story, the humour and the characters. Zichuan Xiu is such a fun ML, and the other two brothers are also interesting in their own way. I was kinda annoyed by Di Lin at some point, but slowly came to appreciate his unapologetic brutality. I didn't mind Princess either. She wasn't that annoying at all.
It was entertaining and extremely satisfying, especially since the punishments dished out the same kind of abuse that had been inflicted on the victims. I also liked how they covered all types of abuse that can happen in a school or educational setting, not just student vs student bullying.
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That said, I did enjoy the romance between the ML and FL. It felt very steady and mature, and I thought their chemistry was strong in that sense. I also loved Cheng Lei’s portrayal of Prince Ding. He’s such a good actor!
As for notes and books, I saw that someone posted links for books below in the comments so you can check that out.
Translation of the notes from albums can also be found on twt/X I think.
1. Chatjen and Mr. Sung are the real MVPs.
2. I absolutely love this kind of relationship. Call it a bromance or a romance, I don’t even care, but that platonic love, pining, devotion, and unwavering support that isn’t “tainted” by lust is something I adore.
3. I love that Shin didn’t forgive Saint right away. Saint really had to earn that forgiveness, which made it feel so much more satisfying.
4. I also loved how Class 2 and its students went from being rivals who were constantly fighting to becoming genuine friends. That character and relationship development wasn't sudden and it felt completely natural.
All in all, I really enjoyed this.
Also, it’s kind of funny how several characters commented that his face is pretty plain when the dude has an insane face card. Out of all those other trainees, he’s easily the best looking one!
As a whole, I really liked the combination of humour, political intrigue (which was actually really well done), and emotional, dramatic moments. The relationship between the three MLs was also another highlight. They spent most of the time separated, each doing their own thing, but whenever they reunited it led to such good, emotionally charged interactions. I loved it!
I also liked how mature the love stories and love triangles felt. They were handled with a level of nuance that made them engaging rather than frustrating.
Too bad it will forever remain unfinished!
For example, at the beginning when they’re defending Payi City, they make it a point to emphasize that the Northern Clan has amassed one million soldiers and that defending the city is essentially impossible. Even Di Lin says they need to make peace with the Northern Clan to save the remaining forces because the army defending the city is supposedly the country’s last elite force.
Then, after the peace agreement is reached and everything is resolved, it turns out that only about twenty soldiers remained in the city. Seeing that tiny group leaving the city after all that buildup really annoyed me.
Another example is when the doctor mentions that Di Lin’s wife is in her first month of pregnancy, even though it feels like at least a few months have passed since we first learned she was pregnant. I’m willing to assume the subtitles might be inaccurate, but the inconsistency is still there.
These are small details, but they really bother me, even though I love the story overall.
I didn't mind Princess either. She wasn't that annoying at all.
All in all, I think the rating should be higher.
9/10