tsuyoi_hikari

Yes, I know we have to wait for the end result since there will be changes. But knowing if the IP is actually a good story and not a stupid misunderstanding or miscommunication feast is reassurance than knowing it is full of avoidable angst. I personally think both RJL and PXR is too old for that kind of story.

I'm worried about the whole story and not only his character. If his character is good but the story is full of dumb misunderstandings, I wont like it either. I'm in for the story and how well written is all the characters. Thanks for the assurance though. Appreciate it. :)

I actually want a crime/police drama or a pure comedy drama since he actually has great comedic timing. He always take different genre each time so I'm looking forward to it as well.

Thanks! This is a reply that I want to read. Now I feel better. We dont get to see him much in 1 year so I need for his dramas to be good. At least it can last us for a few months before his next. So, getting 2 Huanrui costume dramas back to back just making me so anxious. I want something like Ultimate Note but Huanrui keeps getting him in this kind of dramas. >.>

Thanks again! 🤗❤️

No, it was before his contract expires. It was very obvious he wanted to leave for a very long time. He has been taking outside dramas for years as Huanrui is focusing on their other artists for the past 4 or 5 years.

So, he has a number of episodes that he needs to compete in his contract. Since now dramas have been limited to 40 episodes only, he needs to do 2 dramas which is Phoenix Stage & The Perfect Match.

His fans in China knew that he is obligated to finish these 2 dramas so they were pretty understanding and didnt make a big deal out of it.

We are interested with his future projects and what genre he wants to take next after The Perfect Match ended. He has an outside manager (she also handled Zhao Liying previously) to negotiate his contracts so we pretty can be sure on the quality of it. :)

Thank you! I just want to ask those who read the novel if the novel is even a good IP. And if there is conflicts, is it makes sense or just stupid. 😂 I love angst, but I need the angst to make sense like One & Only or Love of Nirvana or even Burning Flames. If the novel is written with depth, so I have a little more faith on the drama. I just have terrible anxiety when it comes to Huanrui's dramas in general. Do not want something like Promise of Chang'an or Love & Redemption. 😆

How bad is the misunderstandings in the novel? Is it the one that can be solve with simple communication? Or no amount of talking can clear it?

Gosh, I really Zhu Yawen as an actor. He is truly fantastic and great at doing awesome expressions. I tried this one thinking it will be funny and lighthearted since its a romcom but boy how wrong I was. The FL is insufferable (I rarely say this ever since I usually like most Cdramas' FLs but this one is just horrible). Right until the end, she has zero character development -- the ending scene has her stomp on his feet during their weeding day in front of everyone to further emphasis why she will always be the boss in the relationship. I have no idea why he fall for her. Made zero sense. She never fight for him, not even once. It was one sided relationship at its finest.

I thought there will be some redeeming quality for the show but it just made me more mad lol. In the whole drama, she really did nothing for him. Like seriously, zero. All she did is treating him as her personal slave and embarrassed him in front of people. I really have no idea what the writer is thinking. The man did nothing wrong, yet he needs to grovel in the whole drama. It is so ridiculous. She is the one who broke his heart, yet he is the one who has to chase her all the way to France. There is one scene where the 2ML asked him why he is so in love with her, I wanted to know the answer too but there is no answer. 😂 I mean, even the writer cant come out with something lol.

They should have followed the ending of the novel. That kind of ending would be so awesome. But I guess they decided against it since they want that last moment of Wei Zhou telling Jiang Ci about how she is free now and his gift to her at the old house. My goodness, the moment that she told him regarding all the plants before she poisoned him, I knew they gonna make him do all those things later (including the plant near the door! 😢). This drama did not have one wasted scene -- all scenes has meanings and purpose. And I find it truly heartbreaking and melancholic on how Wei Zhou is the one who make Jiang Ci join this cruel political fight unwillingly when he stabbed her on the tree and at the end, he is the one who set her free again. This kind of thing really hits me deeply.

Ahh I see, thats what you meant! Thanks for giving the name of it since I would never able to explain that kind of script technique! I really learn new thing today, thank you. And you are absolutely right. There so many such lines in the drama. Like when he said about his 9 cats lives and she told him he is not allowed to have less or part where she said being his fake 'wife' doesnt mean it cant be real or when she drew him the phoenix on his mask which indirectly ask him not to burn and turn to ash. But one sentence that may haunt me forever when she finally said it out loud to him 'I dont want the swing, I want you' 😭 They have so much tacit understanding with each other thats why most things are left unspoken -- I guess most of this is lost in translation to some viewers. Like she didnt have to hear from anyone to know the reasons why he didnt open the gate as she knew he must have his reasons. There are so many instances in the drama where the writer show their understanding towards each other is like soulmate kind of level. Like the part where he fainted after the war and woke up on the bed and her feeding him the orange -- so much things are said in that scene alone despite no words are spoken between them. The way the Director focus on his trembling hands and the way Jiang Ci cries silently beside him - it is to show she knew he was poisoned but she didnt say it since she knew he doesnt want her to know. 😢 I'm so marveled at how the writer and director conveyed that scene. It made it more heartbreaking and devastating somehow.

I cant read MDL comments! 😂 Since I always felt like we are watching a completely different drama lol. So I always just posted by views after each episodes to reach like minded viewers and refuse to read anything else for my sanity lol.

And I actually on my rewatch right now and I notice more subtle things from the script like when Pei Yan made Jiang Ci stabbed him. On the surface, it looks like he is only using her as a pawn for his political ambition but he is actually killing 3 birds with that one simple act -- satisfying both the Emperor and his mother and also protecting Jiang Ci so that his mother will lay off her and proved to his mother that she is after all just a pawn to him -- like their conversation just before the boat scene. I find it really brilliant and the script, never told us out right about Pei Yan's motives even using internal monologue -- they trust us to make that connection ourselves.

Okay, for those who read the original IP, how bad is the misunderstandings in the novel? 😂 I dont mind if its a good misunderstandings like in The Glory of Tang Dynasty (due to brilliant scheme of the villains) but I cant the dumb ones where it could solve with simple communication with each other. It doesnt help that the wrap up video for this drama is like angst galore for 2.5 minutes lol.

I actually feel very anxious with this drama since this is the drama that RJL forced to make by Huanrui before his contract expires -- he has been taking outside projects for years starting with the success of Under the Power in 2020. And Huanrui dramas, if anyone familiar with it is usually a hot mess. I have faith with RJL's scripts selections in general since he is known to take quality scripts but I'm afraid that this drama going to break that streak.

So if anyone can say anything positive about the drama, it is greatly appreciated lol.

He only has 4 sad endings for 20 of his dramas. He did not have sad ending signature.

I totally get what you meant actually. I think the fault is with how the Director shot the scene since it looks like he had a choice to escape when he didnt actually. I dont think thats intention of either the director or the scriptwriter. He closed the only door out and he needs to hold the Emperor with the chains so he wont escape thus it doesn't give him much choice because of that. Do you mind telling me the ending of the novel? When you said he really had no choice as the Emperor could escape down, you mean escape down the tunnel made by Wuxia's dad at the temple?

And BTW, I'm most admire and curious at the same time when you wrote how We Zhou communicate with Jiang Ci with 'dialogue within their dialogue.' Do you mind elaborating that? It seemed like I learnt something new today by reading your wonderful review. :D

Thank you for your kind words. 🤗 I guess since the story always 'show' rather than 'tell', a lot of things are lost in translation for some people. But all well written dramas supposed to be like this which they trust their audiences instead of spoon feeding us with every little information. It makes the whole watching experience more rewarding since audiences can make their own judgements regarding the story and the characters' motivations & actions.

And yes! Ren Jialun is great at doing those micro expressions and those longing and yearning looks that is why I'm such a big fan. Every gestures and stare between Wei Zhou and Jiang Ci tugs my heart strings and this is why I love to watch Asian dramas --the little gestures, the longing, the what ifs and the selfless act of love -- it is more rewarding than any kissing scenes or sex scenes. It made me blush just by the couple brushing their hands against each other, their stealing glances, those tender looks -- so much are spoken with little words and actions -- its fantastic -- the portrayal of how people falls in love at its finest. ❤️

Thank you! 🤗🤗🤗

As usual, I always love to read your reviews and agree with the depth and complexity that the drama possessed that made it one of the best costume dramas that I've seen this year. What I love the most about this drama is that it trust the audiences and doesn't spoon feed us. All of this makes the viewing experience more rewarding.

However, I disagree with your view on the ending since I dont see it as dumb and unnecessary or he really have a choice. This is one of example of a 'good' sad ending since it is not forced, illogical but made complete sense -- especially once you realized who is the real big evil in the whole story.

At the start of the drama, we see how he is ready to burn like a phoenix (Wei Zhou is based on real historical person; Phoenix Emperor Murong Chong) for the mission to free his people. But upon meeting Jiang Ci, he slowly change this perception esp during the Yueluo arc where he healed and learnt that hatred will lead to nowhere. And after that, we see all his actions go towards wanting to survive and wanting to get through this with little casualty as possible. He is still so restrained when it comes to Jiang Ci since he didnt know whether he will survive the mission but he did promise her he will be back, so it was always his attempt to comes back unharmed. And I love how the scriptwriter really push this narrative with him even letting go of his personal/selfish desire to clear up his father's name for the safety of him and his people so everyone would come out safe and alive. He really tried everything to come out unharmed -- even bow to the man who killed his entire family until the Emperor pushed him to the point where he didnt even have a choice but to use his life for his people & Jiang Ci's safety.

If this is a XianXia drama, I would believe he can escaped but the explosion already started when the Emperor revealed his plan and he needs to keep the Emperor chained and stay in the building. Plus, another aspect which is the poison which make him weaker that is why all the guards are confident they can contain him in the building. If he cant escape the slave arena which is an open space, I doubt he can escape a building which has a roof on it within seconds. He closed the only door out and he needs to hold the Emperor so he doesn't run away. At least, they made it logical and I appreciate that. And as much as it breaks my heart, I cant hate that ending though I wish fate is kinder to him. :(

Also, I find Ren Jialun extremely versatile as an actor. He is actually one of the actors who actually took many different kind of roles in his career from cold, aloof, ruthless, socially awkward, happy go lucky, sarcastic, bubbly and even naive. Its the reason why I'm a big fan aside from the fact he always choses excellent scripts for his dramas. :D

Or you can make your own ending that he comes to see her after a few years has passed as its all part of the plan to fake his death. So, she really see him at the end and not just in her imagination. 😂🤭

But tbh, the ending is great. Sad but great. To achieve great things, it indeed need big sacrifices. But I like how he really fought to be alive right until the end -- compromising even his own wish to clear his Father's name just for the peace of his people. I just wish fate is kinder to him.

We all want the same ending. ❤️

It is such a great drama! My fave this year without a doubt. So many layers in the script that made the journey so worthwhile. :D

lol the happy ending that they and we deserved! ❤️😂

I actually expecting a happy ending for this one actually. I thought they should at least give us an open ending? But they didnt even give us that. 😢 It was a definite sad ending. :((((

But at least he really fight for his life until the Emperor didnt really give him a chance. It was sad but it wasnt illogical or forced, so I cant really hate that ending. I just wish the fate is nicer to him.

I just rewatched both hugs that Jiang Ci gave Wei Zhou in the last 6 episodes of the drama again -- one time when she sees him at the army camp and another one where she rescue him. Both time, he wasn't expecting for her to come thus his shocked face and his body froze. Thinking back, he actually never expecting anything from life or anyone -- since life has always been a disappointment for him but she always surprise him and show him that life is actually beautiful and meaningful -- and that makes him see life differently and that makes him wanting to live as well. 😢

Try to read what is Stockholm Syndrome really means. The bond was form during the captive. None of it happened in this case. She only fall for him when she knew that he is actually a good guy.