timystic

I know this is a weird gripe to have, but the plastic bead on Fu Ling's lip is driving me insane. I just was to peel it off because it looks so uncomfortable and is weirdly making my skin crawl... aside from that she's stunning and brilliantly evil (only on episode 6) but I can't look whenever she is on screen.

A quick warning that this is filmed by unstabilised handheld camera, so it's quite shaky. That was far worse for my nausea than the 'graphic' forensic scenes,

There is so much to enjoy in this drama - but was really disappointed by the LACK OF COMMUNICATION in the last quarter of the drama. I really hate the trope, and it certainly does not seem in line with the personality of the main characters - especially the ml.

The story was about women finding their own paths in a world that is designed against their independence but then it turned into a ridiculous angst-ridden poorly explored political drama?

A lot of comparisons to New Life Begins, which was much better in its narrative and character development.

I'm only on episode 15, and while I love the character of the female lead (we need more badass fls!) but Mao Xiao Tong's acting feels so wooden. They keep zooming in on her face and there's no expression on it. I don't know if that's also caused by too much makeup which means that her face can't wrinkle or aomething...Even her eyes don't show emotion or express any information. It keeps distracting me from the main story...

Does this improve later on? I've been slightly spoilered to know that there's more about her than the shallow understanding we've got so far, but does her acting improve?

it's on prime video in my region

The irony behind this comment is that the OP clearly stated the facts. It's a completely fair reaction regardless of the other fantasy elements because Alexythemia is real while psychometry is not.

Gosh, it was brilliant until ep30. did the writers just give up after ep40? Because they keep stretching out obvious plot details and meandering through characters rather that allowing for character development.

Honestly I am so over the "men and women can't be friends" nonsense. Why is this STILL a thing in all these dramas?

Well this was surprisingly spiritual...

I actually preferred this version because it feels more healing than the Korean version for the main leads. But they really butchered the beautiful lesbian relationship in this version - the Korean original has such a beautiful queer relationship, with all the pain of trying to love in a heteronormative culture (in a way I haven't seen in Asian dramas before), but in this it's not even that clear?

Relationships aren't gendered. Sexuality isn't heteronormative and given this is a show about someone changing gender (ie genderqueer) it would be ridiculous to tie it down to biological essentialism.

I get that this isn't what the censors would allow, but still it seems ridiculous to state that her suddenly changing would drastically change her personality.

I get that they all say that, but given that XL and TJ fall for her as a man - it just feels like a narrative failing - perhaps due to what would be allowed by censors? Or what fits the storytelling narrative (rather than anything realistic).

I don't think living as a man makes any difference because relationships and emotions aren't gendered. Maybe it's more that the actress is trying to act like what she thinks a man acts like?

I get the abandonment issues - it's clear that's why she keeps pushing away TJ.

But I do see a fake-ness and bravado which seems to be an attempt to cover up her real feelings. Because I've met many people who've done that (not my trauma response, but it's not uncommon).

I still disagree on the wisdom / ridiculous point though, but that's perhaps because I tend to prefer smart fls. But I'm also only halfway through...

I have the same problem. I presume it's just having a fake / projected personality to not deal with real problems?

I also find it hard because she does really ridiculous things but also has moments of cunning and wisdom which seems contradictory?

But he wasn't like that at the beginning of the series. Which is exactly why An Su liked him and agreed to marry him.

a character which is loving and caring to his brother who suddenly becomes evil and vindictive because he poisoned the person he thought was his mother. On top of it, he was exchanged at birth for his dead half-sister... If that's not the ingredients of melodrama, what is?

I loved it until Song Han suddenly changed personality and the show moved from interesting political drama to angst-ridden melodrama... It just seemed like poor character development.

Episodes 11-20 are a drag if you hate angst like I do, but the rest is fabulous...

Does anyone else find Eunuch Qin's voice really really annoying?

The voice dubbing overall is poor, but not really a problem except Eunuch Qin's voice. I have to keep muting all his scenes...

Why is there a cloudy filter over so much of the show? It's not brightness, but actually makes those scenes really foggy without any explanation of why.

This show is almost perfect. The script, the plot, the characters, the actors, the production, the OST.

Finally an FL who is brilliant and a script that empowers women in so many ways (and rips apart sexist tropes so well!)