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this is why 90% of the time I won't watch travel into a game/book/comic c-dramas. the ending is always incredibly frustrating to me. The writer won't add 5 more minutes to it, to give the romance full closure. :(

This is a REALLY good drama but it's not a romance-heavy drama. Don't watch it looking for a subplot of "2 characters fall in love, increase in physical intimacy, confess, become an official couple, end up together in the final episode". It's not that genre. It's focus is friendships and growing bonds between people. Forming a team who care and sacrifice for each other and the world. It won't give you a romantic happyily ever after ending for ML and FL because it's not that style of show.

Love Scenery

It's hard to explain but... most viewers like resolution. Not open endings. If there is a romance plot, it doesn't feel 100% achieved and resolved if there's zero kiss. It's this nagging, distracting gap in the romance subplot. Because we KNOW that (if they're not canonically asexual) these characters will kiss and have intimacy with their partner. Thus... if they aren't giving even 1 evidence of that... it doesn't feel resolved that they are Together. It's like a blatant plot hole!

This world they're in is a novel and supposed to be exaggerated and fake. Miaomiao has risen and over the perfect female protagonist role in the Story-within-a-Story. When she inevitably returns to the real world in the end, she'll just be a regular girl. (that's not a spoiler, it's that all dramas like this always end with the character back in the real world)

I think the difference is... did the story make it clear from the beginning? Is the ending meaningful, highlighting the themes of the whole story? Or is it tacked on at the end because the writer is lazy? As you say, here we have an explanation and it wasn't a surprise switch on viewers. We weren't promised something and received a different thing.

as of around ep 22 or 23 they're actively putting themselves at risk to save him, even though he's a danger to them and potentially the world. that was the big turning point for me. It's not for like 3 ep later that Zhu Yun is directly told to his face, please don't die. but the team's actions were clear when they made rescuing him the priority.

It's just different. Personal preference will determine. I like them both A LOT but what appeals to me is different lol.

I looooove the romance in MJTY, that and the fights & spy vs spy plotting. But in FoF it's all about the friendships and tragically beautiful demons. Not romance.

I think it's just got to be accepted that people have different tastes. I both really like the FL but I can also see how her personality won't appeal to some people. It's ok to not like all the main characters in a drama.

Some viewers have a strong preference for assertive characters who are repeatedly taking direct and decisive action to drive the plot forward. This FL is not that style of character. That is not technically bad or good imo. But some people won't be drawn to her.

agree on my love in the countryside - very wacky, a lot of humor, but I really loved the couple.

I am really enjoying how the cast and atmosphere has this ethereal, fever-dream unreality vibe... So you feel like it's a dream world we've stepped into, with demi-gods and demons and spirits. Some commenters say it feels like BL but I'd theorize no, not exactly. What we're instead observing is the "faerie" sensibility where gender is more fluid and sensuality flows freely and unrestricted by labels and roles. There's passion, empathy, longing, and it's experienced in the extreme.

that's why I loved that drama; stand out FL

Hard to call this one forced when it's been heavily foreshadowed from episode 1. All the pieces are arranged. It will more be a forced HE if that actually happens LOL

some chinese dramas (historical/costume) with happy endings:
Princess Royal (2024)
Blossoms in Adversity (2024)
In Blossom (2024)
Legend of Shen Li (2024)
Are You The One (2024)
Rise of Ning (2024)

Honestly, cdramas get a rep for sad endings and I get it, because I hate SE dramas and avoid them. But it's only about 30% of what airs each year. There are always plenty of HE ones. Just need to be cautious. ;)

yes that's part of the conceit of the novel and drama, in this case! The official story ML and FL (Mu Yao is the official story FL, of the story our protagonist was inserted into)... they are in love because the story says so. And barriers show up to test their love because the story says so. In this case, they're SUPPOSED to feel flat and less alive than the "non canon" organic love being built between Miaomaio and Mu Sheng, which was not intended in the story and takes a lot of changes and effort to bring to fruition.

this subplot is handled different in the novel. same basic case in the capital but many details changed. no comparative scene. the marquis with a crush on miaomiao doesn't exist in this case in the novel.

Agree on Journey to Love. At full power she's canonically more powered than him. She doesn't f*ck him up because she wants his bod lol. But she could.

Nice!!

This convention where non-human YZY is part of group when they need him but his hurts and feelings matter less than the "real" team members is the kind of material that turned me off American scifi/fantasy TV. tbh I am a bit surprised to encounter it in a cdrama. It's alienating me from this drama and I think I might drop. So sad because I loved the early episodes and I thought this might be a top 10 for me. :(

that flashback we saw...the story he told Mu Yao is definitely at least partially untrue! It's written all over his face. I think kid Mu Sheng was at least partially responsible. Theory 1 is what I am going with right now.