Reviews

Started for the mystery, stayed for Shen Du

Real rating is 11 for the music & 10 for romance so 8.9/10

I have a crush on Ding YuXi. He’s so *hawt* in this role and I wish the show was faster to get better *hits* of hotness seretonin. That said it takes about 10 episodes for us to get more of that the serious/stoic Shen Du.

I think the plot overall could have been a bit tighter. There’s a lot of moving variables and characters that make sense and connect well, but at the same time don’t really affect the plot. We spend so much time on the prince and princess but they don’t really actually add to the plot and their storylines dragged the overall experience. I know it was to cause intrigue and make us think maybe one of them is evil but that line of thought doesn’t even sustain itself with what we are given so I feel like the show would have been much stronger if it was closer to 35 episodes instead and removed some of the extra noise.

Also did they really have to kill Marshall Xu and Yun Que 😭 I know they were the “least important couple” but they were still so cute and their death was so sad. Always gotta kill a couple or something for the tears and stakes but I feel like coma and they wake up would have sufficed. Whatever. I saw it coming that a secondary couple would end with tragedy and once he had that cute moment about the wedding it was game over.

I would definitely rewatch it but skip the parts that were more espionage than general mystery or romance. The antagonist is just an actual crazy man that needed a better mother and therapy so he was pretty one dimensional and boring in that way. I’m still not sure I understand his mother’s motives for traumatizing her child but sure let’s go with that.

Last but not least THIS OST was amazing. I have been pretty generous to music of shows giving 10 if they fit the overall show, but even when I took a break from this show I was listing to the OST so I had to give it an 11 bc it was THAT good. I wish Ryan Ding had more songs!

### Original Thoughts & Ideas
- Good vs evil is pretty black and white in this show unlike something like The Prisoner of Beauty. We have some “gray” characters but even they are mostly good or mostly bad. The Empress Dowager seemed to have in fact not wanted the consort’s child be the emperor but it’s not clear how much of a role she *actually* played in the consort’s suicide. But the Black Fiend was truly just a man who saw his mom die and made a cult about reincarnation to kinda, not really deal with the trauma. I almost want to label him a victim and in a way he is because his whole life was built off this narrative his mother fed him. But he’s still a “black” character. He isn’t nice to his adoptive sisters, he attacks the woman he claims to love, and throws any blame of his actions on the Empress Dowager for believing what was pretty solid evidence against innocent but framed people. We could label Shen Du as “gray” because he’s a “dark horse” type guy but I would more call him “good” with a wall as protection due to his own childhood trauma.
- It is interesting that both men witnessed extreme wrong doing to their parent(s) but one chose the path of righteousness and the other of sinister obsession.

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had a lot of potential...

as far as kbls go in terms of plot, this was definitely unique and interesting. it reminded me of love for love's sake in some parts, which is one of my favourite bls. the production was pretty good too, some actors were stronger than others but overall everyone did pretty well.

my main issue with this drama is the inconsistencies in the plot. it had a lot of potential to be an incredible story, and i do understand that 8 30-minute episodes is restricting but i still believe it could have been handled a lot better in many ways.

time travel is a really difficult concept to work with and unfortunately the writers were not careful enough with it. there's a lot of vagueness surrounding what happened in the original vs altered timeline, for example, how did hyeseong know taejun and woojin would fight in 3 days when the fight is mostly caused by the fact that hyeseong is being over protective of woojin to prevent his death? or how was hyeseong's sketchbook already torn in the original timeline?

there's also other plot holes such as why hyeseong sees black and white whenever woojin touches him - given how important it is to the first half of the story, you'd think they'd offer some kind of explanation for it...?

[MAJOR SPOILER]
or – and i really don't understand how they thought they could get away with this one – what ACTUALLY happened to woojin in the altered timeline? why did they show the car crash, and then taejun seemingly tells hyeseong that he's died since he goes to the cemetery, all the while he's still alive? how and why? and why did woojin wait so long to find him, when he's been back in korea for at least a few years?

overall, i still rated this drama relatively high because i appreciate its uniqueness compared to most kbls out there. the problem is if you're determined to write a complex story like this, you need to be actually committed to writing it properly.

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a slice of fun and comfort

Real Review with Romance category is 8.9/10

First, let’s talk about what I didn’t like.

1. There’s no way being an aerospace engineer needs to be be THIS TAXING. Why are they so dramatic (I assume in real life too lol)
2. The plot had no plot after about the half way mark (a lil after they get together) and starts jumping all over the place.

That’s about it….these are few but I will say the watch experience is heavily held back by these few concerns. We’re set up to believe that the plot is going to be about her winning the guest gaming competition, but that happens before the halfway mark and we slowly switch out to a different setting and environment entirely which I don’t think is bad, but I do think this show felt like five different shows as opposed to one show.

With that in mind, I still ate up all of it because the chemistry between the main leads was impeccable. I actually quite liked the fact that a lot of of the tension in the second half of the storyline is less about them having issues and more about them living their life as a couple. It’s really nice when the plot deviates from the cliché oh actually we have to break up because of my ex-girlfriend or something like that. I also think they turned a lot of clichés on their head. Like his ex and her role in the plot was a lot simpler than what would normally be the case and that was refreshing. I also really liked how they got married because I think a lot of the times they do backpedal and decide to have an extravagant wedding, especially when the female lead is some kind of celebrity. I also thought her role as an actress was interesting because we were told at the beginning she’s super popular and famous but because again it’s focusing on her winning the competition she’s not leaving the house — No one‘s taking photos of her in that way so you don’t really believe that she’s famous. Then when they switch settings/plot line and she’s finally actually in the spotlight again you see that she is a really popular actress but she’s such a nice actress it’s almost like there’s no way she’s an actress. 😂

I understand that we needed his point of view as an aerospace engineer, but I personally skipped some parts of it just because it was too in the weeds and didn’t feel relevant to me. They did a great job of building suspense around the aerospace engineering department though, I will give them that.

We get to see them fall in love and I am so glad that he has to work and ache a bit for her after rejecting her like a fool.

The paparazzi scene was hilarious and while I hate paparazzi, I did feel bad that three of their days were wasted in terms of their photos being deleted. I do feel like after the paparazzi scene is kind of where we lose the plot because each episode feels so separate from the last one that the show starts to feel like a slice of life as opposed to a series with a continuous plot. We have three time jumps of 2 years, 1 month, and 5 years. This was jarring and aggressive, it takes you out the story especially because we don’t time jump at all until the last 5 episodes or so.

But because the couple has such good chemistry, they really do carry so much of the weight of the show and I was kicking and squealing every time they were together on screen. I would watch so many more episodes of just them gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes as they promise to be together forever because they were perfect. I’m actually really wishing that there was an aerospace + actress duo out there in the world right now that everyone could look up to as a super cute & healthy couple.

***Original Thoughts & Ideas***
- Honestly, the show really does a good job of showing how complex love can be while still being so simple and straightforward. Yu Tu overthinks, overcomplicates and over-stresses about the little things to the point that he almost missed out on a good relationship with a partner that truly understands him. Qiao Jing Jing loves him very wholeheartedly and through the innocence of adolescence. Once they are together, their struggle is distance because of their work but it’s balanced by the fact that they truly adore one another which ig I’m bias bc I was long distance with my husband and I’m also truly obsessed with him too.

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Good Chemistry, Questionable Plot Execution

Real Rating with Romance as a category is 8.9/10

Li Shuang is a kind but fierce general truly hoping for a world with peace. Jin An/Prince Annan, without the weight of his real life, is a golden retriever who just wants to protect Li Shuang with even his life. The two of them really have chemistry on screen and are 100% why I watched the full show.

That said, there were parts of the plot outside the romance that I didn’t like.
- I know she took him in because he was a child, but we never get a legitimate explanation on why he became a child at all especially when it is for only a total of 10 minutes on screen.
- The ending, while it made sense, just didn’t feel satisfying. I know they get to be happy together, but the fact that they are written off as “bad guys” for the fact that they “helped the enemy” while under a very odd circumstances. It was just bittersweet that they were *scapegoats*
- I am not gonna lie. I love Bi Wen Jun’s face and this show was no exception. *However*, Su Mu as a character was frustrating. He has feelings (and history) with Li Shuang – nothing new for a 2nd love interest. And yet, his character was too hot and cold. I hate when the *push over* looses his mind and betrays the very people that help him. Worse than that is we see him loose it but never see him find his sanity again. So when the ending comes up and he’s benevolent towards Jin An/Prince Annan it feels abrupt when the last we saw him he was crazed about having Li Shuang stay by his side.
- The magic made sense, but also really didn’t. I still don’t understand if they were trying to make an army or just one person or just Jin An/Prince Annan
- Why did the stone pick Jin An/Prince Annan in the end? What did that even mean? Might have been a translation issue but I do feel they skim over the magic when they can
- How exactly did Jin Wu Jian find himself so in love with the Empress Dowager Qin?
- We learn they met before he was kicked out of the mountain for dark magic, but not how they really met, why he was so devoted to her, nor why she so disgusted by the only man that actually likes her
- The Empress Dowager Qin is actually crazy and just wants her son to secure the throne as “revenge” to the Emperor, but I wish they made her a little saner since she really was the main antagonist and even had control over Jin Wu Jian who was arguably more sinister than her.
- We miss a lot of the juiciness around Empress Dowager Qin’s drama with her sister over the Emperor. I get there was a time crunch but it would have been nice to see more of that overall

Basically, the plot is decent but there are *holes* and some things I feel weren’t executed the best. And while I loved the ML’s romance, the end rushes everything leaving us with a happy but still unsatisfying ending.

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Excellent storytelling, amazing chemistry. The only drawback? The last few episodes...

There is a LOT that happens in this show so I will list the pros and cons accordingly.

What I loved:
- I thought Joseph Zeng was a cutie even when I first watched him in Hi Venus, but him with his long white hair and historical fits was an unprecedented level of handsome.
- Fan Ling’Er as a character was fun and different. You really think she is a basic jealous love interest trying to get rid of Li Qing Yue at first. The reveal that they were on the same team was JUCIY. I loved it if for no other reason than I hate to see women tear each other down for a man. Then on top of it, I loved the relationship with her father. He truly did suck even if he "loves" her. It was hard watching her experience disappoint after disappointment with his choices.
- Zhang Suan in love with Li Qing Yue. But it is *absolutely unrequited*. I saw a review that said he was a “wallflower” but I think his role was actually refreshing. Secondary male leads are often turned into antagonist in a way that often feels misogynistic (trying to bring down the woman he claims to love after being rejected). However, here Zhang Suan is truly in love and loyal. Even when he knows a romantic affair is not in the cards for him with Li Qing Yue – she was a shining light to him and he does all he can to reciprocate that. His loyalty being what has Fan Ling’Er reach nirvana was a “fun” side quest. It was the same yet different from so many other fantasy dramas.
- **Li Qingyue and Bai Jiusi’s chemistry.** These two were not particularly romantic for 90% of the show, but the love was palpable
- Li Mo and his “love tribulation”. It was cool to see a platonic love story unfold.

What I liked:
- Even though his childlike behavior when his spiritual core was damaged was cliche, it worked well in helping them cross that bridge of him communicating and her realizing that he has always been made to be guarded in a way she was not so while he was wrong to lie to her back then, he wasn't entirely to blame either.
- Some people didn’t like the antagonist, but I liked that Shang Guan Ri Yue “dies” but actually takes over part of Zhang Suan’s body. I do think his back story leaves a bit to be desired. I don’t understand the importance of the steele and why they all couldn’t just cross this one dude’s name off if his mistake was that bad? But then we find out he was punished for like 100 years for the death of Shang Guan Ri Yue’s family so I’m a loss as to how he had so much hatred and anger in him tbh.

What I didn’t like:
- Hua Ru Yue’s resentment! It was 1000% justified but when she finds out the truth and tells his comatose body "this doesn't mean I forgive you," I had to roll my eyes. This man has only ever loved her and never *truly nor intentionally* harmed her. Even as she kills and hurts him over and over, he keeps trying to find a way to understand why she hates him. His biggest flaw was his inability to communicate but she was no better by never actually ever just telling him “being a mortal was hell because x, y ,z.”
- As a sub-note, I still don’t understand the semantics of Hua Ru Yue pretending to be Li Qing Yue for 300 years. I was truly expecting her to have amnesia or something so that not being the case was a nice surprise but I’m still like HOW DID SHE FAKE HER WHOLE SELF FOR 300 YEARS?
- The ending was 50/50. I am very glad we get a “happy ending” but just barely? I still don’t really understand the time travel and this is 99% the case with these time travel cop outs. I don’t get if this means she’s in a new timeline, the same timeline or something in between. Does this mean their child never dies? Does this mean Li Mo never dies? I just don’t understand these endings and they feel almost as bad as “it was all a dream” endings. This is honestly the main reason this show is a 9 and not a 10 for me personally.

***Original Thoughts & Ideas***
- With how much effort Hua Ru Yue put to get revenge on Bai Jiu Si, it really does call into light the idea of how love and hate are two sides of the same coin. Her hatred was born out of the feeling of betrayal from the love of her life. Her hatred was fed by her love for humans and her son only to witness their deaths.
- As I was watching this show, I just kept thinking wow Bai Jiu Si is so handsome and so in love but how can a man this in love not have checked on the woman he cares for over the course of 10 years and lo and be hold he was being jailed. The lesson here? COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT BRO
- Zhang Suan and Fan Ling’Er are excellent side characters that explore the dynamics of loyalty. Fan Ling’Er is loyal due to how Hua Ru Yue helped her when she needed it most, but **stayed loyal** because Hua Ru Yue *respected* her in a way her father never did. Zhang Suan is loyal because he quite literally wanted to die before meeting her but she gave him reason to live again.
- "Human kind behavior" was an interesting theme in this show. I like that you can’t make a blanket statement about the good or evil of mankind off this show. The lesson is really that they all deserve to live and to be seen as more significant than a passing ant. Humans are complex. As complex as the “immortals”. Their love can turn to hate. Their jealousy can weaken them, but their anger can strength them. Every one can surprise you with each choice they make.

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This show has me wishing there were more light sci-fi comedy romances to watch

What a show. The comedy was def a 9.5/10, I was laughing out loud all through out the show.

Here are the main things I loved about the show:
- Tang Qi and Su Cheng Cheng’s dynamic. I did think it interesting Tang Qi was convinced she was a bully in middle school while she viewed it all as an innocent crush. Its def not a common occurrence in these shows so while it felt “overblown”, that is what made it so funny and entertaining to watch. Especially as Tang Qi finds himself falling in love with different “versions” of her.
- Su Cheng Cheng’s self-perception was all too relatable. I also like that it *wasn’t* her being fat or *actually* ugly but rather “plain” and not feminine enough (especially compared to her sister) because I think comparison is the crux of the beauty industry. She also was a fun balance of wishing she was prettier, but also knowing she is a good person.
- Further than that, the plot addresses “extremes”. Once Su Cheng Cheng lets go of the bracelet, she doesn’t want to touch any type of beautification tool and Tang Qi does a great job of reminding her she is beautiful as is, but can also “dress up” as she pleases.
- Lin Yuan as a person and then doubly in her relationship with Gu Yu. I feel a bit mixed about their ending. I would always chose to keep my child personally, but we see her so adamant against being “tied down” I wish they gave us a bit more of her walls coming down prior to her finding out she is pregnant to have her keeping the baby feel more authentic than just the predetermined “happy ending of not aborting”.
- I hated Su Cheng Cheng’s sister at first, but I do think her personality was pivotal to the plot and Su Cheng Cheng’s self-perception. In that way I respect how her character wasn’t one dimensional, and a “realistic” sister relationship.

However, the few things I didn’t like:
- There is that line where comedy is funny but then also frustrating:
- I really felt *killing* the two of the three was overkill. Su Cheng Cheng could have told him she/he was moving to America, say bye and then turn off her secondary number.
- And ofc Tang Qi being unable to accept a no from a woman for the life of him. If he wasn’t the MML of a comedy romance, he would be your regular audacious nuisance of a man.
- While I get it’s just the “Trigger” for the plot, but I would have loved a bit more substance around the origins and logic of the bracelet. I know in those magic Christmas movies its reduced to “Christmas miracle” but since this show went in a more Sci-Fi direction, I was left wondering exactly the goal and mission of the old lady that gave Su Cheng Cheng the bracelet.

Overall, this was a very *fun* show. I enjoyed it (especially because I low-key wasn’t too invested in watching it based off the trailer). I think the acting all around was great and now I’m kinda wishing there were more light sci-fi romances to watch.

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perfect "opposite attracts" shot of serotonin

SECOND WATCH REVIEW (never wrote a review on first watch, it was one of the first c dramas i had watched back then)

This show is very much a cutie-patootie. Dylan Wang really plays Dongfang Qing Cang so well. And his acting is really showcased when he “switches bodies” with Orchid. His mannerisms and demeanor completely change, you really forget it’s an actor just acting.

That said, Esther also played Orchid pretty well. I just think I’ve watched too many shows with her in a row that I actually kinda hate the personality she always seems to play. Not quite dumb but also not that smart, always bubbly and cute with a splash of dramatized innocence. I did appreciate the complexity of Orchid’s character as the show goes on.

Most importantly, their romance WORKS. Dongfang Qing Cang is cynical and broken, Orchid is optimistic and determined. While it was “enemies to lovers”, it also wasn’t. Orchid doesn’t see him as an enemy beyond the logistical reality of his Moon Tribe background. It’s also warming how her gift of life revives his emotion tree from day one. He is domineering and bossy, but clearly trying to resist falling in love. It was too cute to watch. I think in this way that we are actively watching them fall in love with each other for their *core* personalities and quirks, you root for them despite the odds and cliches.

Shang Que was a cute loyal dragon sidekick ready to support Dongfang Qing Cang always and then Orchid and of course Jie Li. His and Jie Li’s romance was cute. I wish it was *explored* a tad more but overall it does work. I like that the fierce dragon is the “dummy in love” while Jie Li is the cunning orphan. It’s basically a gender-bent version of the main couple on a smaller scale.

Rong Hao was pretty annoying. I get that he was basically possessed but I wanted to throw my screen across the room every time he talked about saving Chi Di Nu Zi. I will say the scenes with him and her were pretty poignant and I like that it was more maternal/familiar love than romantic. Their ending was sad but very fitting and satisfying. The only thing (due to translations I feel) I’m not sure I understand is why Rong Hao was so surprised about her “mortal desire” being caring for him. I guess he didn’t realize she literally brought him back to life…pretty quid pro quo resurrecting that happens between them.

Chang Heng was great. It’s been a long time since the secondary love interest is *not* bad. I wish there was more of this. He never turns evil, in fact, he persists him being righteous even as his brother the Heavenly Emperor threatens to kill him over and over.

Fairy Dan Yin was also a solid side character. I always love when the “mean girl” becomes friends with the main lead. Like Chang Heng, I wish they could have their own happy romance (not necessarily together but just with a person for each of them).

IDK if it’s because I’ve watched so many more c-dramas so I “get the set up” for these shows now, but the ending wasn’t as bad as I remembered. That said, I do feel like the second half of the show “loses” control of the plot as compared to before the “battle”.

I know in fantasy death is not always permanent but I hate when the logic is inconsistent. I am ALWAYS happy with a HEA, but I still don’t fully understand *how* he came back to life? They claim he has to die for the evil Tu thing to also die. If he’s back, is the evil spirit also alive??? It’s very similar to Love You Seven Times in that you get a “happy ending” but you still feel a little wary because it just doesn’t 100% add up. If Orchid had died instead, would she also have just come back to life lol?

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Mo Qing Cheng is a quiet but thoughtful type. His voice is deep and resounding so it makes so much sense why all the girls love his voice. I didn’t find myself interested in his character off the bat, but he played his role well and by the end of it, I was looking up the actor’s shows list.

Gu Sheng is cute and passionate. I appreciated that she didn’t fit some cookie cuter person for a female lead. She can sing but loves to compose. She has a fan crush on Qiang Qing Ci but slowly falls in love with the man that is Mo Qing Cheng. She is bubbly but shy.

I loved how their relationship truly unfolds from “strangers” to acquaintances to lovers. We get to see them blossom as a pair without any dramatic third act breakup. I found the “climax” around his retirement to be refreshing and more realistic than any kind of misunderstanding or miscommunication between the two.

(PERSONALLY) I arguably loved Zhou Zheng’s voice (and looks) more than Mo Qing Cheng. His character of level headed CEO but bashful crushing was too entertaining so I was pretty disappointed with how his and Geng Xiao Xing’s romance played out. While it was there on the side lines it was very “jumpy” with their interactions only every random moment with lots of gaps of time in between. Thus leading to the ending just telling us they “got together at some indeterminable time” which I think was a waste of an opportunity to give us double the love serotonin. Romance aside, I also enjoyed Geng Xiao Xing’s personality. She made a great friend to Gu Sheng and was also more dynamic than one would expect given her overall role and screen time.

Feng Ya Song and Dou Bing were cute but similarly, I wish they had more of their romance unfold on screen rather than go from 0 to 100.

Love stories aside, I loved all the characters. Everyone interacted and bounced off each other so well. The *community* of the podcast/dubbing group really shifts into the show itself. You feel a connection and fandom that is hard to describe and like nothing I’ve experienced in other shows. It’s unfortunate (but maybe for the best) that I didn’t watch this show the year it came out to bond with other viewers the way listers were fans of Perfect Voice Studio.

Wang Ke was a cute character and I call it out because I actually really enjoyed when he would be on screen which is kinda rare and random for me when watching romance so again props to the writing making every character so interesting and props to the actor of Wang Ke as well.

The flaw of the show for me was the pacing. I kind of had to push myself to keep watching at the start, then i was fully invested, and then near the end the last few episodes felt dragged out.

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Team Run Yu

I’m not going to lie, but this was the first Chinese drama on Netflix that sucked me back in 2018, and I started watching more dramas after that. As soon as he played it on Netflix, I was ADDICTED. My husband created a monster. He watched it, too. It was pretty long. There were just too many things going on, so it got too draggy. The most interesting character for me was Run Yu, the Night Immortal, played by Luo Yunxi. He was such a great actor here. I was not a fan of the main leads, to be honest. I had the second male lead syndrome with this drama. There were so many side couples, it felt like it wasn’t about the leads anymore. I found myself skipping sometimes. I wanted to drop it midway, because I was so annoyed at Jin Mi and Xu Feng, but then I really wanted to know Run Yu, the Night Immortal’s fate in this story, so I had to finish it. I’m not going to lie, but even though Yang Zi’s character was like a child at the beginning, I understood why later on. I started watching some of her past dramas after Ashes of Love, like Immortal Samsara and Lost You Forever. While I hated the storyline, the actors did a wonderful job and delivered their roles perfectly. The villains certainly got under my skin and I kept cussing at the screen every time they were plotting something evil. The music stuck with me as well. It was a whirlwind romance, but they ended up with a happy ending. Go ahead and watch it and judge for yourself. As much as I wanted to love this story, I couldn’t.

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a premise with promise, but an ending that fell short

This show was a “happy accident”. I had it on my list for a while but I got impatient with my list and started several first episodes. From the first episode I was 50/50 about the show just because I wasn’t sure the direction it was planning to take. However, the acting was compelling and even after starting other shows, I chose to come back to Si Jin.

The best parts about this show:
- Excellent romantic chemistry between the main leads. Jiang Si & Yu Qi / Yu Jin were a romance I ate up. I love when a man is smitten and Yu Qi walked so his Prince self as Yu Jin could run. When he gave her all his flowers, one by one I was a goner. His devotion to her was elite, but I will say I wish she had a bit more romantic gestures on her end. *Just a tad more near the end*. But still, I loved it and you can tell she loved him since she literally jumped off a cliff to save his life in their first lives.
- I love the relationship between Jiang Si, her brother, and her father. It was sooo cute and very sweet to see them support and love one another even with all their family drama
- The overall drama that happens *before* the imperial specific issues
- Jiang Si’s flashbacks. I am pretty against flashbacks, but these ones had me curious as heck
- Jiang Zhan was such a cutie patootie himbo at the start and even after he trains to become a fighter, he is too cute. I loved his pure heart for his family and ofc Lu Chu Chu. So happy he climbed up the ranks and became general of territories.
- While the sisters were pretty scheming and the grandmother was frustrating to say the least, I did like the character development and dynamics of the Jiang family. It was toxic but you see them all grow as Jiang Si fights for a better life for herself and every member of the family, even her insidious aunt.

The weakest parts about this show:
- Jiang Si as the Saintess. I get the use of it but I don’t feel it was used to it’s full potential in this show considering the “war” between the two countries.
- I am not sure I get the sacrifice origin story for the Saintess. Does that mean Yu Jin killed her in their first life on purpose? I was pretty sure he didn’t realize it was her when he shot her with an arrow her from behind. But then the ending of the show mentions: nán wū gǔ shù // ruò zhí niàn zhòng dié // kě yǐ zì jǐ de xìng mìng // huàn suǒ ài zhī rén wàn fēn zhī yī // zài shēng zhī jī // shì yù jǐn // shì tā dǔ shàng xìng mìng // huàn wǒ gǎi biàn // mìng yùn de jī huì // duì // tā fù chū de dài jià bù zhī shì xìng mìng huán yǒu chè dǐ wàng jì nǐ
- Even with translating the subtitles over it makes no sense how Yu Qi / Yu Jin triggered Jiang Si into becoming the Saintess. This is not a case of subtitles/translation, but I feel more poor execution of the overall Saintess plot and logic
- Jiang Si’s past. While the flashbacks made me curious to keep going, by the end I was still a bit confused because how was she with Yu Qi in her past life if she was married to Ji Chongyi who she spends the first part of the show trying not to marry? Also, curious if this means in her past life, when she fell into the water, Yu Qi saved her but went on his way because *she wasn’t the Saintess yet* which changed how her and his first life played out.
- I know villains are evil, but I like my antagonists with layers. Madam Xiao was supppper annoying but she had more layers than both Princess Rong Yang and Cui Ming Yue. I will say while Cui Ming Yue and her mother are pretty one dimensional, there are a decent number of antagonists with different personalities and roles to make the overall show interesting.
- The ending, while a HEA romantically, did not really feel complete nor make sense to me fully
- Princess Rong Yang’s death monologue pissed me off. She claims no one ever understood her and no one ever loved her, but she was able to get away with so much specifically because the Emperor saw her as a sister. Her husband didn’t love her, but that was her own fault for forcing an engaged man to be with her. Plus, she cries a river about her daughter, Cui Ming Yue, dying, but she gave 0 effs about the several families she broke and damaged. From killing Jiang Si’s mother, to forcing Consort Xian to abandon her son to the war torn boarders.
- Princess Rong Yang did not deserve to have a post-humorous title. I don’t care that they were probably trying to cover just how messy she was but her and her daughter (Cui Ming Yue) both did not deserve to be given any good title, they should have been marked as evil and disloyal to the Emperor.
- We don’t hear anything about the two princes that died when Rong Yang usurped the throne
- The Emperor just decides to let the 7th prince be Emperor and everyone is okay with it after he was labeled bad luck by the woman that they post-humorously defended with a stupid princess title.
- The Emperor was ready to kill Jiang Si but then decides she can be Empress?
- Jiang Si is able to fix centuries of war with basic trade teaching? I think that whole thing with the Nawu fell flat at the end.
- The Elder is learning from Jian Si like she’s never heard of the words barter and trade which is highly ridiculous
- It looked like they are a community only made up of like 100 people so how have they been “beating” Zhou? They could have used all the extras to fill in the space or had the people on screen be just the “leaders” or something. Small nit, but after all the buildup it matters.
- Why are they kinda portrayed a bit like “savages” as if trade was never an option? I feel like it must have been at some point but Zhou must have cut them off of resources or something.
- I feel bad for Arong and worse for Aman. Aman was sooo cute, I think the actress did so good. I wish they at least found her body after she jumped off the cliff.

Overall, this was a very fun show with “twists and turns” but also emotion and heart. I loved the main leads as characters and their romance was moving. That said, the ending was a tad unsatisfying with how some things are just rushed over. The biggest weak points were the lead antagonist and Jiang Si’s role as Saintess. Both just felt underutilized and oversimplified as basic plot devices.

### Original Thoughts & Ideas
- This show does a good job with the narrative of evil acts being born out of misgivings and jealousy. The examples below are all different fonts of the same story: evil is not exactly innate, but when left unchecked can fester and cause more harm than peace
- Yi’s husband was led astray by the allure of being the husband to a princess and maybe finally appeasing his always complaining mother. His mother actually liking Yi (and defending her as a wife) was a fun twist lol. Jiang Yi’s husband at least has his redemption because a) he was stopped early on b) he confronted *his own* accountability in his downfall
- Aunt Xiao couldn’t stand the judgement and inferiority of being from the second branch. She redeems herself by finally finding contentment and no longer comparing herself to the first branch or with what she doesn’t have. Her death was actually saddening because she had finally grown.
- Princess Rong Yang killed Jiang Si’s mother for thinking an affair was happening (even though it wasn’t). Princess Rong Yang’s hatred was not only left unchecked but generationally passed down to her daughter (Cui Ming Yue). The two of them wreak havoc on society mostly for sick entertainment.

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for the love of mystery & so many cuties

What a duo. Shen Wan & Yan Chi really outdid themselves as a pair of elite and self assured people. Landy Li and Ao Rui Peng bounced off each other flawlessly. Their story from strangers to peers to lovers was perfect and I would rewatch the show just for that aspect alone.

Both Shen Wan and Yan Chi are focused, brave, AND smart. It’s the whole package and it’s even better that they are so equally matched. They both respect each other’s choices and perspectives. It was these features that makes the no second act break up expected and luckily it was delivered. They stay together even as things get messy and they persist.

Yue Ning and Yan Li were maddd cute and I shipped them the second Yan Li appeared on screen and Yue Ning was like “what a playboy”. HAHA. It’s me – I’m the problem. But no I really loved how they each were solidly written and executed character while also getting to see how they matched well with each other. So freaking cute. I loved how we watch them go from frenemies, to friends, to lovers.

Yan Sui did such a good job! What a cute little prince. I am so happy that he was surrounded by the crew to help him but that his innate self was not tragically twisted like someone like Yan Ze who really done LOST his mind. Yan Ze knows his mother was murdered so I get that rage, but the other deaths and destruction he caused in the name of retribution was maddening. I hate when the bad guy’s origin story is being a victim so he makes every one else the victim. There is a sick irony between Yan Ze and Emperor Yan Huai. Both evil due to wrongdoing but rather than trying to heal, they hurt everyone else and cause more pain and suffering. Their deaths were definitely symbolic.

Qin Xiang was madddd stubborn and stupid that her death was truly no surprise, but it was pretty unfortunate. I will say, I feel they jumped Qin Shuang being single to married and pregnant that I was like “did i miss smth” but no I think the plot kinda just jumped on that storyline rather than ease into it.

Plot wise, I enjoyed the mini-mysteries that folded into the overarching mystery of Wan’s parents death as well as Prince Jin. That said, while the ending made sense the twin trope felt a bit like a fake out. Again, it made the most sense compared to anything else, but I feel like I was hoping for something juicier. I can’t say what since the story was built on this end point so the clues only make sense with this ending lol.

### Original Thoughts & Ideas
- Self righteousness vs revenge vs justice: Yan Ze and Emperor Yan Huai are both evil due to wrongdoing but rather than trying to heal, they hurt everyone else and cause more pain and suffering. While Huai was abandoned, he wasn’t left to die. But he felt cheated and betrayed by his family. Which is FAIR. But what isn’t fair is that rather than seeking justice, he seeks revenge. Ze’s mother is unlawfully murdered, but rather than just trying to get revenge on the killer her creates a whole cult and even tries to kill Yan Li as part of his revenge. But Yan Li is as innocent as Ze’s mother was when she was killed. Both Ze and Huai are blinded by their own indignant, self-righteousness. Both claimed they were just trying to right the wrongs done to them, but the deaths and pain they both cause is proof in why revenge is not equal to justice & why justice is important. I loved that they both died by each other’s hand, it really symbolized the endless cycle of revenge that only leads to self destruction.

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SECOND WATCH REVIEW
(i never wrote a review the first time i watched it, but would have gut rated it 9.5-10)

This show was one of my first c-dramas! I remember enjoying it a lot and really finding myself to be a fan of Lu Si. She is a phenomenal actress. That said, its been at least two-ish years since I first watched it. So after watching Chen Zhe Yuan be fantastic in Fated Hearts and re-entering this “universe” via The First Frost, I decided it was time for a rewatch.

I want to say, this romance is excellent! They are cute and adorable and caring toward each other. In my memory, the age gap wasn’t that big of a deal – and while it’s true it wasn’t “creepy” because Duan Jia Xu was **not** romantically into her at all until she was 18, this re-watch had me noticing that some phrases and wording were … interesting. As always, I’m not sure if it’s because it’s being translated to english. But even once they are together, the show chose to kind of romanticize Sang Zhi’s childhood crush. It doesn’t help that the actress that played her for when they first met looked 8 rather than 13?

Also I wish they let Lu Si drop the baby voice once she got into college. It’s like the writers REALLY wanted their age gap TO BE an issue even though it wasn’t? Idk I do think this aspect while not horrible, could have been better. He still refers to her as kiddo randomly which is *not* equivalent to her calling him old, it just isn’t. So little things like that were eh. IDK if this is a reflection on the story or the romance? I am leaning toward story only because again, he wasn’t into her until she was older and if he was, this would be more of a horror than a romance tbh.

Honestly, no offense to Duan Jia Xu, but I don’t understand why him and him mom did not take the dad off life support. We only see the dad in one flashback in which he confesses to his family he hit someone and ran, then jumps off the balcony. We have no background as to if this was an unfortunate blip or if Duan Jia Xu’s father was always a dead beat? I think after watching The First Frost, I have such a low tolerance for shitty parenting that I’m being more nit-picky, but other than the man being his birth parent, we get no insight on if he was a good father. If he was a good father and it was a literal one day disaster, I think it would explain why they even kept him on life support. Idk if its maybe a Chinese law or something that was why the man wasn’t just *not* given life support – but 9 years at $100K a year for a man that, if he woke up, would be sent to jail, does not make sense at all? Again, I think I’m being nit picky after hating Wen Yi Fan’s mother and extended family in The First Frost.

Alas, I think the way these two interact and fall in love from start to finish is pretty wholesome. **Sang Zhi** definitely “fell in love” first, but I would say **Duan Jia Xu** fell in love much harder – not to diminish Zhi’s love. She is consistent and persistent in getting Duan Jia Xu to recognize he is a good person and should not bare the weight of his father’s mistake. She is ready to support him which was cute and funny because girl let him make that dough. But from a dynamics perspective is really adorable because Duan Jia Xu has never had anyone look after him. After the accident he had to look after his mother, father, and the victim’s family. He literally has been grinding nonstop so to find a woman that sees him for who he is and not what he can provide was important. Duan Jia Xu’s love on the other hand, was an inkling at first. He was like she’s actually pretty cute inside and out. But from there he really dived into loving her. While he did kinda suck at pursuing her when he was working, I liked that he just could not think about anyone or anything but her. Near the end, once everyone is questioning their relationship, he is literally thinking about how to set them up for marriage. And while I’m sure Zhi has imagined being together forever, he is the one that actually verbalizes and plans around that longer term commitment.

Also, the proposal is cute for the face value reason but also with the realization that he contacted her friends and all of them figured the best way to trick her was to have her think she is helping set up Ning Wei’s proposal.

### Original Thoughts & Ideas
- To what end is a parent a parent vs a burden. When it is “guiltless” to sever or let go of those familial bonds?

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Take a Second Chance...On the Last Twilight.

I'll keep this review fairly short so that I don't give spoilers. This story is about second chances, dealing with loss and the fact that no matter how dark it gets, there's always a ray of light. I love all the characters and that there was no villain, there was just complex characters and scenarios. It spoke about forgiveness and how to deal with changes. Everyone is on their own journey.

My favorite was the relationship between Night and Day, Day x Mok, Day's family dynamic and Phojai being the best girl. I also love seeing how Day handled his friendships such as the one he had with Gee and August. The acting was great overall, especially between Day (Sea) and Mok (Jimmy), I could feel the chemistry from their first interaction and they both did such a great job of bringing their characters to life. I also really liked On who was Day's first blind friend and master.

My only little tiny complain was the ending, it wasn't the worst but it left me with a feeling of "....What is the meaning of The Last Twilight?"

Would I rewatch it? 100% yes, in the end I score it a 9.5 out of 10 and I've become a big fan of Jimmy, I love his Cheshire grin, he makes me think of a black cat.

What does the Last Twilight mean to you?

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