whoissilmoy

if you like children you should watch all the way to the end.

It's really hard to explain what each of us see in art because it's subjective to personal tastes. When an actor is just putting on an act, I can see the emotions being acted out on the face, but I am not moved. When an actor is so immersed in the emotion that it seems like it is flowing out of her across her face and body and movements but naturally instead of forced, then I don't even think about the acting, instead I'm thinking of the characters' emotions. Celia Liu eye expressions to me are intense, alive, and seem to speak. It's all subjective. We all have our preferences.

in ep 30, she glided swiftly across the ground of sharp lose rocks over to him, caresses his head with both hands, then the cameras show her bloody right hand behind his head. I wonder if she cut her hands to control her gliding. Li Ni cares so much about Cui Lin, any sight of injury or pain to her would cause him pain. He knows her injuries were because of him. I supposed they're trying to make a connection between how she rushed over to him and how he is deeply moved by her act of love toward him. Or perhaps it is because earlier in the day, she was professing her love to him, how she wouldn't let go of him no matter what, that she couldn't live without him which moved Li NI deeply and it triggers his crying again. Later that night, he gets up and first thing he sees is Cui Lin by his side, sharing his pain, sees her bandaged hands (symbol of her love), it triggers him to cry again knowing how much Cui Lin truly loves him; in the midst of his grief, he can still find love. There is still hope. His crying is not just about her, but it triggers him to cry, as he is overwhelmed by deep and complex emotions.

Some audience prefer forced acting over natural acting because it is more obvious that there is acting going on, while others find the subtle expressions of the eyes. mouth, body language, etc. to be more meaningful, authentic, exquisite, and true to the character. Those who prefer forced acting may find natural acting to be bland while those who prefer natural subtle expressions can appreciate its art. For serious, passionate, and emotional scenes, I prefer natural acting. I want to see deep emotions, not acted out emotions. I like acting that is subtle and expressive especially use of the eyes and then the entire face and body movements is expressive too. For me, forced acting is obvious and natural acting is mesmerizing. When an actor has to play a bland, cold, emotionless character, then natural acting is more effective in my mind and when done well. you can feel the coldness, indifference, and boredom emotions of the character. I enjoy Celia Liu acting. Her eyes are so expressive. I feel her emotions because it's written all over her face, every line of her face. I feel the character, not the acting. I turn off the sound to observe facial expressions. She definitely has an aura about her, expressive eyes, expressive body movements that make you feel the character is strong, composed, competent, etc. She adapts her movements and gestures to portray the character's personality. These are very subtle things that I notice some actors are good at, not just line delivery, but they put their whole being into the character based on their interpretation and so they try to portray it from head to toe

Acting is an art form that require different sets of skills. Different actors have different styles and abilities. Some actors may prefer one type of acting over another, or use a combination of different techniques, depending on the role and the situation (serious, emotional, passionate, comedy, humor, zany, mood of the film, etc). Some actors are better at one style of acting than other styles. All styles have own merits and can be effective in different contexts. Audiences have own personal preferences.

Forced acting involves exaggerated expressions and over the top emotions, which can be easier for some audiences to recognize as acting. Forced actors use emotion memory or sense memory to bring up past experiences that can help them portray their character’s feelings.
Natural acting uses own emotions and experiences to bring the character to life, without exaggerating or overdoing them
Method acting is immersing oneself into the character’s life and circumstances, living it even when not on stage.
Classical acting is rigid as the actors use voice, movement, and gesture instead of emotions to bring character to life.

Cui Yi reasons to retire Cui army:
1. Li Ni is even more capable than him to annihilate Jieshuo, Yingzhou sworn enemy for generations.
2. Cui army is useless to Cui Lin as a dowry if she is to become crown prince consort.
3. Court is against separate army that is so mighty, then Li Ni would have to go to war against Cui army if they don't disband. Cui army has no loyalty to the throne.
4. The biggest reason in my mind is that he wants Cui Lin to lead a happy life, just like he had wanted for his own wife. He did not want to separate Cui Lin and Li Ni because they love each other, just like he and his wife were in love since young. He was married to his wife for dozens of years, yet his wife stayed with him in Yingzhou and did not have a prosperous life. So now, he wants Cui Lin to have what he could never give his wife.

Cui Lin was reluctant to retire the army. She would rather not marry Li Ni. The army had been in their family for generations to protect them from enemies. It was the Invincible army, the pride of the family. Her own mother died protecting Yingzhou. She was taught growing up that it was her family responsibility to protect the people. So, the Cui men had children early and died early in life.
This mentality of Cui Lin to keep living, to fight, to save lives stuck with her and explains her strong and tough personality.

Great Quotes from WoL perspectives on life:
General Cui Yi: "I even failed to see her before she died. That's my biggest regret. Tell me, what's the use of making great achievements?"

It is a poignant reminder that life is fleeting and that we should cherish the moments we have with our loved ones. It also highlights the importance of prioritizing relationships over material success. While achieving great things can be fulfilling, it’s important to remember that our relationships with others are what truly matter in life.

they both have other movies coming out in 2024 but this one is apparently most anticipated. Besides the actors, esp. Yang Zi, the story of family and young girl's growth to become independent is appealing to audiences. It seems to be a heart-warming, funny, sweet movie from the trailer. It may seem trivial but in the trailer the table is wobbly, the man slides a cardboard underneath it, that right there makes me love the movie, such a humble, real-life, and funny thing to do. Then there is a sweet grandma next to a sweet XK face, how sweet is that to look at. For me, I'm looking forward to Xu Kai modern dramas using his own voice. I love the sound of his voice which is not used in costume dramas, so for me, there is that bit of anticipation too. Yang Zi is of course excellent award winning actress.

Li Ni left for the army at a young age of only 13 and hadn't seen his father and brothers since. He didn't realize his adult brothers could do such evil deeds. Even though he didn't get along with them growing up, they are still his own blood relatives. He treats his brothers well out of respect for his brothers' mother and his older brother's wife, both of whom showed much kindness to Li Ni when no one else did.
But Cui Lin is on the outside looking in, and she trusts no one. She has strong instincts. She sensed his brothers are bad. She told Li Ni that, but he rather gives the brothers a chance first. Was it naive of him? Should he have the attitude "kill or be killed" which is pretty ruthless to just kill people without evidence?

Now I understand whoever said that they edited out too much of the bathtub scene, although it was beautifully done. How did they make it appeared as if he threw her into the bathtub instead of gently placing her there. Li Ni had been drugged. He felt like he was on fire, consumed by a desire that he couldn't control. The drug had heightened his senses, made him intense, passionate, sweating. He had to get away from Lady Gu to find Cui Lin. As soon as he saw Cui Lin who was preparing for her hot bath, he had to have her, right there and then. His entire being was focused on her. He swooped her up, threw her into the bathtub like a wild animal, then jumped in himself and wanted to devour her.

Cui Lin and Li Ni’s relationship is a complex one, with their love and hate for each other often intertwined. Cui Lin’s harsh exterior is often a result of her internal conflicts over emotional issues, such as the death of a loved one or her father’s severe mental illness. However, Li Ni always understands Cui Lin’s heart and knows that she is a kind person at heart. For instance, when Cui Lin refused to let Li Ni sleep on the bed, she insisted that he take her only blanket because she felt the floor was cold. Li Ni’s unwavering love for Cui Lin is the reason their relationship can survive, grow, and last forever. He won’t give up on her, not because he’s ignorant, but because he knows that she loves him. She ignited the spark between them, and he won’t let it die. As Li Ni said, he could have killed her the second time he came across her, but he didn’t. Their romance is as sweet as any romance can be.
Also, Cui Lin has a very strong personality and challenges any man or woman. She likes to tease Li Ni.

Quotes:
"Douban evolved from its origins as a community primarily for well-educated, well-read, and cultured younger users in their 20's and 30's."
"Comedy films often receive lower scores as the regular user base on Douban tends to perceive them as "low", while dramas and art films tend to score better on Douban. This is in contrast to platforms where the focus is more on subjective personal preferences whether users enjoyed it or not".
"It can be said that achieving a rating of 6.5 or higher on Douban is considered a noteworthy accomplishment for a comedy film."
"Fairytale-like romances never get high ratings at Douban. Fairytale-like romances will usually receive Doubon rating of 5 or 6, at the most."

I also came across that if a movie is dubbed, Douban rating will be reduced by at least 1 point. So, WOL opening Douban rating of 6.5 is a commendable feat.

WOL was able to gain considerable popularity and high ratings despite airing alongside other popular movies. WOL has a different genre and theme than other popular shows, so it might appeal to a more specific audience. The success of a show depends on various factors such as the genre, the storyline, the cast, the marketing strategy, and the fan base.

Lastly, WOL 8.5 on MDL is an excellent rating to have.

This movie got 2.1B views worldwide and has MDL rating 9.0 which is amazing, yet the # watchers is only 11,227. Is it because MDL is mainly fan based?

This movie got 6.2B views but there are only 1,601 watchers here?

you can watch it on You Tube

I love this drama. It is one of my favorite Xu Kai works. It took me a while to figure out the schemes. The comments on You Tube help me to piece things together. Actually, Su Yuehua character is the most complex and the actress is pretty and her acting is well done. There are many older seasoned actors who elevated the quality of acting for this movie as well as other younger supporting casts acted very well too. The sisterhood between Yao Zijin and Yin Zipin is beautiful to watch. Once I figured it all out and watched the entire series, I now just enjoy re-watching the sweet and tender, as well as complicated scenes that involve interactions between ml and fl. I like Xu Kai's acting because he can express his emotions through his eyes and face and body movements so beautifully. Here, in Royal feast, he did a great job of portraying the romantic and temperamental prince, Zhu Zhanji. I like that this movie is not comedy, so Xu Kai doesn't have to act silly. Xu Kai never overacted in this movie. His expressions are deep and moving, but you have to understand what is going on to notice those emotions, otherwise, you think he's staring into space. The expressions are subtle but it's visibly there and exudes deep emotions.

I've seen endings like this in chinese dramas where everyone dies so endings like this never shocking to me which is why the reactions here are fascinating

WoL is a drama that does not rely on clear-cut villains to be engaging. It has a complex and nuanced plot that spans a rebellion and a post-rebellion era, where the true villain is gradually revealed. However, WoL is not a typical drama. It focuses more on the inner turmoil of the protagonists than on the external antagonists. It explores how the characters cope with their psychological and emotional challenges, as well as their physical and external ones. Wol is a light-hearted drama that may not appeal to you if you prefer more direct villains.

Emperor Taizu of Song, the founder of the Song dynasty, defeated the generals who each own territories (similar to the Cui family) and united the country. Then he went further to even downsized his own military and only kept a core Imperial army around the capital. He wanted to avoid the wars that broke out during the Five Kingdoms. However, it didn't take long for armies in the outer areas of the country to invade. Hence, the Mongols took over China.
There was a general Yang Ye under the Song Dynasty who was able to defend the country, but however, he was later executed for allegedly colluding with the enemy (similar to Cui Yi being falsely accused)

Li Ni loyalty is to the throne. The one thing he feared the most was to have to fight Cui Yi and Cui Lin in battle. His solution was to protect Cui Yi, Cui Lin, and avoid wars. If not for the Cui Yi love for Cui Lin, Cui Yi and Cui Lin would have fought Li Ni on the battlefield.

The events of the court charging Cui Yi with treason (colluding with enemy) or demanding his army be dismantled are commonly done in history. A weak King does not want strong military presence. The court is suspicious of a strong army.

Ep 34 is a poignant and emotionally charged episode. It depicts the struggles of Cui Yi and Cui Lin as they face emotional conflict and difficult decisions that will take an emotional toll on them. The episode also showcases the unconditional love of a father for his daughter, and the courage of a father to make the toughest decision in his life for his daughter’s sake.
The episode highlights how frail the human condition can be when faced with traumatic events in life. When people are depressed, they forget to take care of themselves and spiral into despair. It can be difficult to keep going when your heart is filled with deep grief, sadness, regret, guilt, and trouble. Cui Lin’s emotional devastation, triggered by the heartbreaking sight of her father’s mental decline, affects her relationship with Li Ni. The scene is a poignant reminder of the devastating impact of Alzheimer’s on both the patient and their loved ones, as Cui Lin is forced to confront the emotional turmoil of watching her father’s memories and identity slip away.