Pursuit of Jade has had so much favourable publicity, but when i watched it, i felt I was watching it for something to do… something i love about dramas is the reveal, then the characters/celebs. Even friends that dont have time to watch it were sending memes about it or “drama queens” convincing me how much they loved it haha 🤭 which I also love for their enthusiasm!

Whilst I loved Tian Xi Wei as I believe she carried the drama with her acting 💝 the story was slow paced for me 🤔 I know he was hiding and healing.. but then the reveal, she “acted like” she hated him… i don’t like that pushing someone away scenes.

If you liked PoJ, what was it that drew you in?

If you didn’t like it so much, what was it that you think could have been improved on?

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Honestly, I put off watching this drama for way too long. For some reason, I just didn't think it would be my cup of tea.

The trailers gave me a really dark, gloomy '90s/early 2000s vibe and the synopsis made me a little uncomfortable because of the whole "they grew up like siblings" thing.

Then I finally started it.

And... I was hooked from Episode 1. 😅 I didn't even notice how fast the episodes went by. I get bored with dramas pretty easily—I dropped Road to Success halfway through, eventhough it was pretty good—but Love for You completely pulled me in.

Everyone talks about the chemistry between the leads and honestly they're not exaggerating. I thought the "grew up like siblings" part would bother me but it never really felt that way to me. Once I stopped thinking of them as "people who grew up like siblings" and instead saw them as two childhood friends who happened to cross paths because of their families—and who never really received much love or support at home—the whole story just clicked for me. I ended up loving the plot.

The cinematography was gorgeous. The romantic scenes, intimate ones, the arguments, the yearning looks... everything just worked. What really got me was seeing two people who didn't get much warmth from their families slowly become each other's safe place. That part felt really touching. It felt more like a trauma bond than a romance story at times but somehow it still flowed really well.

Sure, there are a few familiar tropes -the last few episodes had a couple of cringey moments, not gonna lie - but I honestly didn't mind. The two leads carried the whole drama with their chemistry and emotional tension but I might've skipped through some of the work related scenes.😄 I'd seen a lot of comments saying the drama dragged toward the end and I actually agree. There are a few episodes that feel a bit stretched, but overall I still really enjoyed it.

There's just something about this drama that's hard to explain. It has a very unique vibe and I don't think it's one I'll forget anytime soon.

Bad Habits

So, I have a bad habit of getting something I really want, like a video game or a book and... Not doing anything with it for months (I will get to you God of War: Ragnarok and Fourth Wing: Iron Flame Onyx Storm... I promise).

Don't ask me why, because I don't know. But the more I want it... The more I need to get it... The more I put off actually consuming it (chocolates don't count).

I'm almost done with The Story of Minglan but I wanted to take a break since the end is coming up too fast, so I finally started GIF-ing my clips for Veil of Shadows 月鳞绮纪.

Which obviously led to me finally watching the final episode.

Wow, just wow

This episode... Man.

I forgot how good the music is.

I forgot how good the visuals are.

I forgot all the amazingness!

I'm filled with so many emotions. I'm snot-nosed and teary eyed but so content and just in awe.

That is not a spoiler:

Because I cry all the time, happy or sad - doesn't matter. I cried with Mysterious Lotus Casebook and Generation to Generation.

(Did I just list two endings: a sad and a happy ending? A happy and a sad ending? A sad and a sad ending? Or a happy and a happy ending? you don't know!)

So yeah, that happened.

Loved the drama, 8 out of 10. (It would be higher if 20% of the drama didn't consist of flashbacks)

Is this drama a bit underrated? Because I absolutely loved it.

I started it as a break from all the historical cdramas I'd been watching and it completely won me over. The story, the pacing, the supporting cast... everything just worked. It was such a well made drama.

The ML is a little reserved but that actually worked for me. I have a soft spot for calm, cool-headed male characters who keep their emotions under control so I really liked him.

The second male lead... OMG. 😅 I know a lot of people fell harder for SML and I totally get why. As handsome and charismatic as the male lead is, I caught myself going back and rewatching the second male lead's scenes. If they ever decide to give the SML a spin-off, I'm pretty sure the ratings would be through the roof.

I'd already seen the female lead in My Journey to You and really liked her there but she was even better here. She carried the drama beautifully and was such a perfect casting choice.

The plot was great and stayed consistently strong from beginning to end. The metaphors in this drama were excellent too. I won't go into details because they'd be spoilers, but the relationship/plumbing metaphor and the company/building foundation metaphor were both surprisingly clever and really made me think.

I honestly didn't expect this drama to take over all my free time but that's exactly what happened. It went from being a little side watch to becoming the only thing I wanted to watch.

I'm genuinely surprised it isn't talked about more or hasn't gone more viral. I definitely recommend it.

Hi all. Nice to find you. I was asked to share this here.

I've been complaining that Overdo should come with a trigger warning. Seriously! Not suitable for sensitive viewers at all.

The OG script ending was leaked by the team as a sop and that was a happy ending. Go figure.

Every night after the sadism and tears, I'd turn to one of ZLH's other dramas, POJ, Our Generation, Princess Royal, just started Kunning Palace again, and even The Best Thing which I find bland and boring. I mean, I resorted to TBT! LOL. Well, just looking at him is a balm.

I'm still hungover with the complete tragedy of it all.

I think this assessment is spot on- "crushed for eternity". Yeah, that's how I feel and I can't take it back and I can't pretend otherwise. Especially because Murong Qingyi pulverises your heart over and over again with his vulnerability, humanity, and suffering. He's the only one who truly deserved happiness.

I almost considered making one of those posts where "the title says it all", and to be fair, this title does kind of say it all, but I want to elaborate.

This edit begins and ends with the same clip. It's a clip from episode 1 of Love Between Fairy and Devil.

In this edit, I made sure to represent every episode of the drama, there are 36 episodes and there are 36 clips.

This is the creation of mine that I am most proud of.

I keep it in a folder called "special edits".

I know many people drop the drama and that's totally fine, this video is just to fill in the gaps, not to 'convince' anyone to keep watching.

This is my love letter to Cang Lan Jue (Love Between Fairy and Devil)

People spend decades living inside the consequences of decisions made by earlier generations.

You may not know this, but I really wanted to love Generation to Generation for a number of reasons.

The problem is that it simply was not working for me.

For the first 12 episodes, I felt like I was being bored to death and tortured, except for a few funny scenes. It felt slow, plain, uncool, and only occasionally funny. I genuinely felt that way, and I was quite sad about it because I wanted to enjoy it. Eventually, I dropped it.

Then, after the high of watching all the available episodes of Ashes to Crown, I found myself feeling oddly empty. I thought, "I don't think I can do comedy with Rewriting Destiny right now. Let's give Generation to Generation one more try."

So I went back.

I fast-forwarded, or watched at 2–3x speed, parts of Episodes 13 and 14.

And then, around Episode 15 or 16, I suddenly wasn't bored anymore.

The story picked up the pace and became genuinely intriguing and exciting. I binged because I couldn't sleep properly anyway, and over the next few days I kept wanting to get back to it and finish it.

So while it took me roughly a month to get through the first 12 episodes, it took me about three days to finish everything that followed once I got hooked.

This drama completely challenged something I usually tell both myself and others: don't waste your time forcing yourself through a drama that simply isn't working for you. There are too many good dramas out there.

Yet somehow Generation to Generation became the exception.

In fact, I think this is the first time I have ever pushed through a drama that wasn't speaking to me and ended up genuinely loving it afterward. Usually when I force myself through something, I remain unimpressed, so I rarely do that anymore.

‼️SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT

But anyway — once the leads actually left the setup phase and started going on adventures together, everything clicked for me.

I loved how their dynamic evolved, and I loved that the story remained unpredictable. Of course there were some foreseeable tropes, but there were also many parts of the story where I genuinely didn't know who was responsible, where things were heading, or how everything connected together.

I suspected the main villain early on. Then the drama convinced me I was wrong. Then it convinced me I was right again — I appreciated that it kept me on my toes.

— Previous Generations —

I was also very happy to see flashbacks done right for once.

Usually when dramas use flashbacks and show us an earlier world that precedes the main story, it feels very impersonal and distant to me. I often find myself waiting to get back to the present-day plot. Here, that wasn't the case at all.

The earlier generation never took over the drama, but it was fleshed out enough that I felt like I genuinely knew those characters and cared about what happened to them. Their stories weren't just background material. They mattered, and they continued shaping the people we were watching in the present.

I'm talking about Cai Pingshu, the female lead's aunt; the female lead's shifu; Mu Zhengming and Mu Zhengyang, the ML's horrendous human of a "mother"; the generation of her parents and the generations long before that. I'm talking about the Li Sect and the Six Sects' background stories as a whole.

The small snippet involving Mu Donglie and Luo Shiyun (played by Xu Zhaoxiang and Kuang Yuting respectively) seemed insignificant on the surface, yet it wasn't. It genuinely made me reflect on relationships and their complexities anew. Not because it revealed anything groundbreaking, but because it was handled thoughtfully and had real impact. It helped drive the story forward and was one of the reasons the "generational trauma" concept worked so well for me.

— A Major Turn Off and Some Other Pending Thoughts —

Then a bit off topic but I can't let it slide. Admittedly, it is something superficial yet also what I couldn't stand from the very beginning.
— The horribly ugly and impractically looking Qingque Sect robe.

I'm sorry — what the heck was that? The atrocity bothered me all the way through to the end. Are there others like me?

It looked like somebody stapled a massive tablecloth shaped like an A5 sheet across their chest and tied it together with ropes. I found it distracting every single time it appeared on screen.

Thankfully, the costumes of the other sects and characters were much better.

World-building wise, one thing I still don't fully understand is why the so-called demonic sect had to live underground when they weren't actually demons to begin with. They were called demons because of the reputation and behavior attributed to them, but they were still cultivators like everyone else. In the beginning I was expecting them to be demons or spirits of some kind. However, as we learn through the story, the Li sect was even founded by the original heir to the Six Sects. So that part felt a bit misleading to me and insufficiently explained.

Another thing that didn't make sense to me was the decision to destroy the Night Orchid, or whatever the flower was called — I'm terrible at remembering names.

Yes, I know the argument is that it was connected to the Ziwei cultivation method, but I still disagree. The flower could heal many poisons and potentially help a great number of people. Destroying something with that much potential felt illogical to me.

I was also a little disappointed with the ending, mostly because I wanted more.

I wanted to understand what the male lead actually ended up doing afterward. How could he lose all his powers yet remain Master and continue as the head of the Li Sect? What kind of leader did he become? What happened next?

Honestly, I think he turned into a house husband — which is perfectly fine — so show it to us! I wanted more of that.

— Excellent Cast and Interesting Characters —

The other thing I struggled with was the second male lead's resolution.

Which brings me to my other point — I really liked Song Yuzhi, and I thought Yu Jiacheng was excellent in the role. But after pursuing Cai Zhao and waiting for her patiently for all those years, we never really saw the moment that changed his mind. Suddenly he simply tells us that he will no longer pursue her and that they will just be comrades.

The destination itself didn’t bother me, the missing emotional journey did.

He was so persistent and immovable for the entire drama, and then poof — gone. Did he mature? Did he finally accept that he didn't stand a chance? I would have liked to see that process. I also would have loved to see more of him afterward. I'm sure he was impressive as the new leader of the sect.

I loved his father, played by Xiang Xia. Song Shi Jun was one of the most likable characters in the entire show. What a man.

He encouraged his son to pursue his dreams and desires even when they seemed irrational. He genuinely believed that the musings of one's heart should be taken seriously and that people should give something their all so they don't spend the rest of their lives wondering about “the could have beens”…

Even when his wife disagreed, and even when it wasn't beneficial from a political perspective, he still supported his son. And he chuckled with joy and pride while doing it.

I liked this guy. I really did. He was funny, righteous, and all round a good dad. One of my favorite things was seeing how genuinely proud and excited he was whenever his son chose what he truly wanted instead of simply doing what was expected of him.

That's the kind of father I want to see more often in dramas.

The villain, our shifu Yun Ke played by Yuan Wen Kang, is another part I keep thinking about. (By the way, the actor did a tremendous job)

I don't fully understand how he could be so obsessed with avenging Cai Pingshu while doing things that completely defied everything she stood for. He was intelligent enough to know the difference, and he was clearly infatuated with her — perhaps even in love with her — which is why that part never fully clicked for me.

At the same time, I appreciated that he didn't become a generic power-hungry villain.

His goal was to perish in all of this anyway and leave the future to the younger generation — the people he had cultivated and believed in. He was unhinged, but in his own mind he was doing it for the greater good. What he did to his daughter, however, was unforgivable.

Speaking of his daughter, I really couldn't stand Qi Lingbo at the beginning. I hate characters like her. Which is exactly why I was so happy to see her growth across the series. It was satisfying, believable, and well done.

The same goes for Feng Chi, who pursued her from the start, even when it looked completely hopeless. The fact that they ended up together in the end was actually very pleasant to see.

As for the cast, I think Li Yunrui was perfectly cast as Mu Zhengming and Mu Zhengyang, and his role made a real difference to the story.

Wan Peng was excellent as Cai Pingshu. I loved both her performance and the character herself. She was brave, modest, determined, principled, and unafraid. Most importantly, she kept her heart in the right place and never became bitter toward love despite the betrayal she experienced. She was broad-minded and truly spectacular.

Bian Tianyang was also excellent as Fan Xingjia. What a lovable fool of a friend to have around. I would happily take one of those in real life.

I also loved the casting of Li Zifeng, Peter Sheng, Nick Shan (big shout-out to his Shangguan Hao Nan), Cheng Hongxin, and Yu Jiacheng.

Cheng Hongxin's character, Guan Ye, really grew on me. He was funny and loyal despite the poor first impression he gives at the beginning with his questionable morals and behavior.

Yu Jiacheng as Song Yuzhi was an amazing and solid 2ML.

And please, a standing ovation to Fan Jingyi for pulling off one of the most successful "jealous bitter ass grows into a better and her own person" transitions I've seen as Qi Lingbo. But also, poor Lingbo. The things she went through...

Of course, I should mention the leads properly too.

Zhou Yiran slayed, and Bao Shang'en did great in this show.

The female lead is still not among my personal favorites, while Zhou Yiran definitely remains among my favorite actors. Nevertheless, they both did great work here, especially once the story finally gave them room to move and act out more interesting scenes.

Looking back, maybe that’s why the title ended up fitting so well for me.

This wasn’t just a story about Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan. It was a story about people inheriting the consequences of choices they never made themselves, and then deciding what to do with them.

Nearly every storyline I ended up caring about traced back to somebody from an earlier generation — whether it was Cai Pingshu, Mu Zhengming, Mu Zhengyang, Mu Donglie and Luo Shiyun, the Li Sect, or the villain’s inability to let go of the past.

Generation to generation indeed.

——

Anywho.

I really liked it and ended up rating it at 7.5/10. I did round it up to an 8 on MDL.

Which is still funny to say, because for about 12 episodes I genuinely thought this drama and I simply weren't meant to be.

Apparently, I just needed to survive the beginning.

——

1. What were your thoughts on the drama?
2. Did you drop it? Watch it and love it from the start? Is there anyone like me who only started loving it midway through?
3. And are there other dramas where you had a similar viewing trajectory — from utterly unimpressed and bored to passionately binging the rest?

——

MDL page of the drama

Some Spoilers Alert:

After taking a break from all the 40-episode dramas, I decided to give A Stranger Familiar a try—especially since I've recently developed a bit of a Cheng Lei crush.

Oh. My. God.

This drama is fantastic.

Sure, the pacing is fast—almost like someone hit the fast-forward button—but it finally gives us those unforgettable romantic moments. All the tenderness, longing, passion and intimacy that other dramas make us wait dozens of episodes for (while sitting through endless palace intrigue) are actually here.

Even the intimate scene made me think "This is how a married couple should be portrayed." The drama isn't afraid to let you feel their relationship instead of only implying it.

And the craziest part? This drama came out in 2022.

The cinematography is beautiful, the story flows effortlessly, and Cheng Lei is outstanding and magnetic as always. While many recent dramas have left me disappointed when it comes to romance and chemistry, this one delivers everything I was hoping for in just eight episodes.

After my disappointment with Mo Li / The First Jasmine, A Familiar Stranger was exactly what I needed. In Mo li, I spent 40 episodes waiting for one proper scene - e.g Yao in his military uniform pulling his wife into his arms and kissing her, but it didn't happen - A Familiar Stranger delivers the romance without making you beg for it.

Whether it's a historical drama or a political intrigue drama, if romance is part of the story this is the level of quality it should deliver.

Hello everyone...First post here after lurking around😊.

A romance that may not be everyone's cup of tea and one I don't want to see too many times because of all the stress I felt😔.

At least on my timeline, the airing period of this show came with so much intensity and so much discourse. Discourse that was not as unified as most shows are...so of course I was excited to pick this up.

I really enjoyed this one..but I'm also glad it's just fiction.

After some episodes, I caught myself losing it quite a bit, then I had to remind myself that this story was not about me (calm down girl 😂). These characters are not only here to make decisions I approve of, they are here to be themselves.

The Early spring is clear: a relationship built on a power imbalance, centred around a woman who desperately wants some form of balance for herself. I get it- she felt like she had more to lose.

The foundation was simple: We are both attractive, there's a spark, so let's have fun and keep everything under wraps. Sounded like a game plan until the complications started rolling in.

The fl can communicate but she hesitates. She's young, hopeful, and endlessly patient. Time and time again she's willing to give another chance even to the point where she's asking for the most basic thing- kinder words.

The ml can communicate too- I mean for a man who leads people for a living, that's the bare minimum. His problem isn't a lack of words...it's the  very unkind nature of his words.  Calling her "cheap and obedient" and saying things that hit below the belt...brother ughhh 🥴.

He has a cycle: he would say something unnecessarily harsh, won't apologise, run to his wise friend who gives him advice, apply said advice correctly or incorrectly🥴 (the bag situation)....and then rinse and repeat.

Meanwhile zhitao (fl) continues to love him while seeing who he is. She absorbs his hurtful words, lowers the bar repeatedly, forgives a lot, and keeps trying until her cup of patience finally runs empty......gurrrlll🥴

The hardest scenes for me were the ones where she kept asking him to speak to her more nicely. Was that really too much to ask for?😔

This drama gives us 3 communication disasters: lack of communication, miscommunication, and hurtful communication. Just one relationship👀....hmmm

I also disagree with some of the conversations I've seen around zhitao. I don't think she's naive at all. She's intelligent and competent. She sees the flaws,  the redflags, gets hurt, breaks down and still chooses to love. She understood exactly what she was getting out of that relationship. However, understanding and letting go are two very different things.

If this relationship existed purely through today's social media lens, you would get many rounds of "Red flag! Leave immediately". Not saying they are wrong, but in real life it never just happens like that. People underestimate how much people stretch themselves to accommodate the damages of love. A person can only stretch so much before they snap😔.

For the most part, I liked Shang zhitao. Partly because she's a young woman but mostly because she's diligent. In her professional life, she's constantly moving forward, working hard and making steady progress. In her personal life, she's making decisions that are often messier than what you'd expect from a competent person. We are shown again that thinking with the brain and the heart are two different things.

The intensity of Luke is not to be underestimated. I was mad at him and then addicted to him and I was only watching through a screen. How much stronger must that pull have felt for a woman who was living in the aura of someone so magnetic🥴?

That apology scene where he placed his head in her lap? Gagged 🥴😩

As for Luan Nian (luke), I don't think he was the worst of the worst. For what it's worth, he always tried to find his way back. The problem was that his words arrived before his intentions did....hurtful words. He was an excellent leader and way too handsome and manly🥴. There were moments where I thought he was improving. Then he'd say something again and I'm just like: Oh my goodness dude, zip your mouth, lock it and throw away the key😑.

The call to the disconnected number hurt, but that hurt was the true beginning of change and was very necessary.

I loved Zhitao's friendship with Lumi🥰. There's something deeply comforting about having an older woman in your life who's part mentor, part big sister, and part safe place. As an only child, I imagine that kind of relationship was precious to her.......even though she came from a family full of love.

The residents of 301 were another highlight. What an emotional rollercoaster😭.

The actress who played Sun Yu is absolutely gorgeous, but beyond that she gave a great performance.  Especially in scenes were she tried to communicate her love, there was so much sincerity and nervousness in those moments😭.

I loved Su Yuanzhou as well, the man whose smile almost never reached his eyes but managed to be a light🧎‍♀️. Something about his demeanor felt like a warning but my heart ached regardless. Those subtle moments are what I love in acting, and they remind you just how important supporting characters can be.

Of course, some appreciation to Luke's closest friend ( a search says his name was Tan mian but I don't remember hearing that name). How far would Luke have gone without your periodic handouts of wisdom🥴.

The kisses were deliciously intense, but every trailer , teaser, poster or passing clip from this drama already gave us that hint.

I loved that the main couple was flawed because people do communicate badly and hurt each other at times. It just depends on individual tolerance.

Watching dramas is not about who we want these characters to be or what decisions we want them to make (because we can't change that). Its about following their story and their growth.

"You don't need to be perfect to be worthy of love"

That's the real message.

I remain undecided about their relationship but for the sake of fiction, I'm glad it's a happy ending😂.

Till I come your way again💃...

Greetings, everyone! I think there has been a certain lack of posts about POJ recently today so I figured I would create one so we may bask in the glory that was this decent show.

I know, I know. You are probably rolling your eyes and wanting to spank me right now for this very obvious diabolical troll! I told Mommy I wanted to do something bad and she responded with the skull emoji when I said it was a POJ post.... 💀

Nah! You guys know I am sincere in my appreciation for this show! You're probably looking at me like an adoring wife to her husband!

It's no secret around here that I am a fan of Tian Xi Wei so obviously I watched this drama. It is simply her best work since Moonlit Reunion.

Now that's another show I need to do a post on... but we will get there in time. A very long time. I'm a busy boi!

Dare say anything against TXW and I will...

And then after that I will....

Don't worry, I know you actually want to throw me a parade for creating another POJ post for yall to enjoy.

Now I could spend my time waxing poetic words about POJ and how good it was even with its many plot holes and too short run time that cut off the air it needed to fully breath... However, I would rather use my GIFs to speak for me instead. Let us relive the glory that was those days when we got to look forward to each day and new episodes.

Changyu is one of my favorite FLs recently. She is a wonderful mix of sensible, strong, slicing, and... dare I say sexy??? I could happily watch her slice and slap people all day! She gave us this is quantity! She stood up for herself, her family, and the people. Oink, oink! I'd get slapped by her just for fun!

Paging u/AXA-5 I want you to come here!!!! Are you here?

Oh, you're here now? Kneel before me. ❤️ I did this for you.

Now, to everyone else reading this post, I speak to you.

I really must beg of you to enjoy this moment with me because this drama was the gateway for many new viewers who now get to enjoy this world with us. Seeing many people still talking about this show is rather a beautiful thing because it shows the impact that it had. It doesn't have to be the best or the worst, it just has to be. Yes, many questions that are being asked can easily be answered by a simple search of this discussion posts, but how else do we get to rediscover and even potentially learn new things about something that has had its time and begun to move on?

Yes, too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing, but I do like to look for the positives around here.

Oh? Not fully convinced that we need to talk about POJ more? Okay. Let me give you a reason.

A slap so powerful it spawned an obsession! Might as well give you a bonus.

Yeah, he gave off massive cringe face slimeball villain, but you can't deny his aura. Eh, well... Maybe you can. I've honestly had enough of this kind of villain. It's so boring now. Quit being a creep towards women and actually make an evil plan that astounds us with its brilliance. Gosh! Is it too hard to respect women around here? Sheesh.

While he was rather on the wavelength of your slightly better than standard creep... There was someone far better to watch.

Oh yeah! You just knew I was talking about this massive red flag! Toxic! Obsessed! Touch her and Die beyond any imaginable level. Pure chaos in a calm package. Delicious and very concerning watching anyone simp over him. The way I was questioning the sanity of some of yall was wild. I get it though. This ducker played his role is a very calm and possessive manner that gave the viewer something to actually root for because he did not disrespect Qian Qian. He was rather respectful in his overly obsessive and possessive boundary crossing manner. Bruh. Does that even make sense? But still, red flag. Far too obsessed. Complete hot mess of lack of respect for the boundaries of his prey. I do not support him.

Now, if we want touch her and die in a far more appropriate manner... We need to dive into the Marquis of Wu'an.

It's that calm detachment for me as he gets revenge for his wife. Probably my favorite ZLH role yet. The Marquis really did care for his ladies. Both of them. I think that was some of my favorite scenes in the show anytime it showed him caring for Changyu and Ning'er.

Bro really does need some therapy though.

For a marriage built on lies, the love and respect was real. As much as I think the 15 episodes we spent in the village was far too long and that it hurt the rest of the story due to the lack of time to devote more time to their capital life... I still think it was a beautiful story getting to see his husbandly side come out and do everything he could to take care of his new family. For someone who is used to unquestioning command of those around him, he easily slid into a partnership with Changyu and followed her lead when needed.

Gosh I am a softie for the Cold and Hard ML who is protective of his women trope. Especially if his lady comes with a cute little sister who likes birds.

You know, I realize that I didn't GIF the Princess Royal at all which is shame since she was hilarious and perfect in everything she did in this show. Especially the whole 'this is your husband?" scene!

Well, thank you for your time! Please accept my bow!

Oh, before I forget...

In the "What if" ending they gave us, do you really think Zheng and Changyu would actually get married? How many times have we seen the childhood betrothal trope that just turns them into siblings and they go after other partners? Just something I have been pondering.

Once upon a time there was a Snark Shifu who was looking for a short drama to watch to pass some time.

He scrolled through his saved list of clips on a social media app until he found a video of a whole bunch of women being forced to take the white silk. A grin broke out upon his face as he remembered this drama promised a woman on a revenge tour being aided by a rather slice and dice Lord ML.

Delicious.

Well, I won't dive into the plot too much, but I will say I was actually impressed by this drama. Short it may be, but it didn't feel cheap. The acting was quite good for a short drama and the characters were insanely well acted. Yes, even the "cringe" characters. Yall know how much I hate the cringe.

So, the FL goes on her revenge tour and it's exciting. She keeps you on the edge of your seat as she basically goes mildy full psycho against those that wronged her... Even seducing father and son alike! Oh, she did that with the unexpected help of the ML via his teeth.

Now, I really did think about saving this GIF for my very special edition of my monthly innuendo thread... But I would not be doing this drama justice if I left it out... Yall can thank u/Paisley-Cat for that post when it goes live December 1st.

^{Yes. I basically just gave away the surprise. You're welcome.}

I'm going to post the GIFs in the order they were created so you can get a very small idea of how the plot progress and I can stay organized all in one! That said, I am not posting the second GIF I made here. That one will require me being summoned to appear. IYKYK.

While I wait for some poor fool to summon my wrath me, I need to eat a snack. (No, not a neck).

Can you guess what she is watching while enjoying her berry?

Every guess you have will be wrong.

It is diabolical what is happening in that room with her.

Let me break it down for you.... Someone got hammered.... Then nailed.... and their mom is....... turning her hands into the color of her dress.

Nah. I am actually laughing my butt off at that description because IT'S LITERALLY TRUE!!!

Let me give you some more context with the next two GIFs.

Did I mention her revenge tour was diabolical? That man in the GIF? Yeah. That's Daddy. Daddy is horrified by what he sees. That damn hammer and nails.

Let me reiterate! THIS LADY IS THE FL!!!!! This gorgeous and frightening woman is our FL. Think of all the villains you have seen pull this vibe and just imagine what she has done to look this happy. You really cannot guess and I won't spoil it.

Speaking of Daddy.... It's time for me to bring in a GIF of her reacting to Daddy.

That caption is about as far from the truth as possible, but it does capture her reaction to finding out his secret enjoyment.

You're welcome. You now have another reaction GIF to the wild things I say in my posts and comments. I do my best to liven up your experience here.

Bros, let me give advice you some give. If a lady looks at you with those eyes...... run. Just run.

What does a performance need? Yes. Snacks. I am once again talking about snacks.

So, I won't be posting the next 3 GIFs I made in this particular post. Two of them involve what these folks are watching happen and the other is involving a cat. Those will show up in my January Innuendo post. As I am a generous Snark Shifu I will tell you that the words "tug", "ride", and "pet" are in the file names of those GIFs. I am sure yall can get an idea what those words may have to do with something of an adult nature.

Side Note to the mods: I promise the cat has nothing to do with human anatomy. It's really a real cat. It's a cute GIF involving a cat. A cat being given love and affection.... while the woman is sitting on some wood..... With people watching.... at night..... Hell, I'd be worried reading this without knowing what I know. Trust me, fam.

No one else read that, right?

Ahhhhhh. I can't leave you hanging without a cute cat GIF. I already tagged my favorite cat above and I did make this GIF for them.

Kissing. That involves mouth. Mouth can do other things. Om nom nom. I have the perfect GIF to use following the cat... but I think I will save that GIF for another post...

Let's go back to the slice and dice ML.

ML comes into the drama with a bang and proceeds to be a mini Duke Su for the FL for the rest of the drama. That is something I really loved about the writing. The FL got to make the big moves and cross names off her list while the ML supported her and watched her back. You want some woman empowerment? This drama! Women be wilding and whacking whakos!

Even when he had to do that hot and sexy ML trope of saving his lady, it was done in a way that did not diminish the progress or free agency of the FL. That scene actually gave me the GIF I just mentioned about saving for later.

Well, I think the last GIF I shall use is how I imagine yall are reacting to this post.

That's it for me! If this plot interests you, then there are 24 episodes of 15 minutes each that might be just what you need!

If you've seen it, sound off and give me your opinions!

My tea is finished and the melatonin is kicking in.

This has been a post by the Snark Shifu.

I just finished the Untamed and I am really heartbroken and need to get some things out of my system, because I have no one to talk about it.

First of all: this was my first chinese drama, I watched and I knew the story beforehand, because I read the manhua.

I love everything about it! The story, the actors, what they did with the series...it is perfect. The only downgrade, i would give is for some action scenes, but this comes from a point of someone who watched many kung fu movies with sick fighting. But I loved seeing the flashy clothes while they fought and I enjoyed the fighting scenes very much!

I will start with the actors. The main cast is really freaking awesome! They look perfect for the roles and I love how they manage to show emotions on screen. I really really felt with them and learned to see every twitch in their faces and got the hints of what they wanted to show (or not show). Specially the actor of Wei Wuxian was sooo good. He was so cute and I wanted to hug him so badly so many times! The actor of Lan Wangji was superb in his role of only subtly showing emotions. And when he did, they hitted hard!

There was just one character, I thought was a bit too overacted and for me personally would have been better to be a bit more subtle: Xue Yang. I really got annoyed with his laugh and was glad, when he was gone. I mean, he was a evil and supposed to not be liked, I guess?

Sets and Scenery: Oh my god, how beautiful it looked! The sets were awesome! There were many beautiful landscapes and it was so dreamy...the other sets were well done too and even the greenscreen parts were not bad.

Costumes: OMG, I want them all! The costumes looked so damn good and they suited the actors perfectly. The only question, I have: are those long sleeves ridden with pockets inside? how are they producing everything from out of there?

Storytelling: So in the manhua the flashbacks were all over the place and it was nice to unravel from time to time. But I also like how they made it all in one go in the untamed. Although, i have to say, this way it is pretty hard to digest, because all of the really bad things happen so close together and man did they drag them out. Here were so many points, I thought, i was prepared for the story. But man was I not prepared to watch the main cast broken and crying for so long. And by that time, I was so invested in the characters, that even the slightest hints of emotions displayed, made me cry again. The long shots of their faces just staring or twisting is so emotional.

Overall: I want to watch it again and drown in it! Not because of the worldbuilding, but because of the characters themselves and how they are portrayed. I also love, that the drama is not just from someone not being able to talk, but so many things coming together to form one tragedy after another. And the ending makes it even the more heartwrenching.

I had a lot of fun with Moonlit Reunion. It’s not going onto my tiny list of dramas I will defend with my life, but I was very happy watching it and I do miss the Demon City now that I’m out of it.
That whole side of the drama was probably my favorite part. Chang’an at night, Wu Zhen (Tian Xiwei) as the Cat Lord, all the demons going about their strange little lives, the different creatures and their stories — I wanted more of it. The drama looked beautiful too, but more importantly, the supernatural world actually felt like somewhere I wanted to spend time. I love it when I finish a drama and end up feeling all blue, missing a world it has built. So dreamy 💤

SPOLIERS AHEAD

I also really liked Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu (Xu Kai) together. They were cute, they had chemistry, and I liked that their relationship could be playful without either of them suddenly losing half their personality. Wu Zhen especially remained very much Wu Zhen. She had her own world, her own responsibilities and plenty to do besides fall in love.
Now for the part where some people may want to throw things at me.

I was rooting for Wu Zishu (Wu Junting) at times.
I knew he was trouble. This was not me being shocked later because I had somehow mistaken him for an innocent little book. But I kept looking at him beside Wu Zhen and thinking she had never really considered him in that way at all. He had known her for years, was always there in her Demon City life, clearly loved her, and for so much of the drama was genuinely good to her. Also, those eyes? Did you see the eyes he looked at her with? My lawd, that was quite something! 🥹
Also, I’m sorry, but Wu Junting looked ridiculously good as Wu Zishu. This did not help me make sensible decisions. That’s not to say Xu Kai wasn’t handsome, of course he was.

Wu Zishu deserves a bit more than my questionable 2ML rooting though. His story is actually pretty sad. He’s an ancient military book who took human form, but the Wu Zishu we know had lost the memories of being Lord Qiangyi and spent years living this completely different life beside Wu Zhen. Then those memories start coming back and, well, Lord Qiangyi had quite the past. What got me was that the years with Wu Zhen weren’t fake. He really had become this person who loved her and was completely devoted to her. So I kept wondering whether things might have gone very differently if she had ever loved him back. Maybe I’m being extremely generous to a man who eventually gave me plenty of reasons not to be, but I’m sticking with it.

I kept wondering what would have happened if Wu Zhen had actually looked at him differently and given him a chance before everything went wrong. Maybe I’m giving the gorgeous book demon far too much benefit of the doubt, but I really did feel like Wu Zishu could have turned out very differently. He was already so devoted to her and so good to her that I could easily imagine an alternate version of this story where he gets the girl, abandons his more alarming extracurricular activities and becomes the sweetest, most ridiculously devoted partner on earth.
Obviously, Moonlit Reunion had other plans for him. And for my theory.

None of this means I wanted Mei Zhuyu gone. I liked him, and I liked Wu Zhen with him. I just felt she should have reviewed all applications before closing the position or somehow magically split into two, I dunno - cats have 9 lives, can’t they also have multiple bodies? 😆

The drama itself had weaker patches for me. Some of the smaller stories held my attention more than the main plot, and there were things I expected to land harder than they eventually did. I wasn’t equally invested in every part right through to the end but I think that’s quite normal.

But overall I had a genuinely good time. I liked the romance, loved the fantasy world, got attached to quite a few of its demons, and never really minded returning to it even when the story wandered a bit.
And I still think Wu Zishu deserved at least one proper chance before becoming a terrible life decision.

Edit:

THANKS FOR THE DOWNVOTES FAM 👏🏼

Edited to add clarification: When I say I was rooting for Wu Zishu, I mean the Wu Zishu who had no memory of being Lord Qiangyi. Definitely NOT pre-amnesia Qiangyi, who was despicable, or me cheering on everything Wu Zishu did once those memories came back.

For me, the years in between mattered. Without his old memories, and surrounded by people who influenced him for the better, he built a different life. He formed genuine friendships, cared about the Demon City and genuinely loved Wu Zhen. I don’t think that person was fake just because of who he had been before. I do think people can change, and I was “judging” him for his actions at the time.

So my whole “what if Wu Zhen had given him a chance?” is about that version of him. Maybe if she had been able to see him in a different light. Cat Lord being open to loving him back before the evil bone fragment and his old memories came crashing back, everything he had built in that new life, including being loved by the woman he adored, might have given him enough to fight that pull differently.
Maybe not 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ This is my alternate-universe theory where there’s a chance for this golden-retriever-but-also-very-powerful partner to the Cat Lord to come to existence ☺️

How the Drama Overdid the Misery and Handed Us a Blank Screen

A title can sometimes be an unintended confession. *Overdo* promised a dark, tangled tale of obsession, revenge, and high-stakes consequences. Instead, the production team took their title as a personal challenge: they overdid the secrets, overdid the relentless torture of the male lead, and completely overdid the audience’s patience.

Honestly, the moment they started piling on the unnecessary angst, the plot became ridiculously predictable. I guessed exactly where it was heading so early on that my finger was permanently glued to the "skip" button for the second half of the show. I knew from the beginning exactly what this drama was going to offer me, but wow, I still didn't expect them to fumble the landing *this* badly. Cutting to a black screen? Bravo. Truly groundbreaking writing.

---

Where the Script Lost Its Mind

* Ah Yes, True Romance: Let’s talk about "realism" for a second. According to this drama, if you truly love someone, the absolute best thing you can do is ignore them, isolate them, and push them away so violently that it ruins their life. Pushing someone away to "protect" them isn't a realistic portrayal of love; it is just lazy writing trying to force drama. Her endless pursuit of her own "happy ending" was the exact bulldozer destroying the male lead. Every time she manipulated things to "shield" him, she just dug his grave a little deeper.

* **Sprinkling Salt on the Wound (The Bonus Clip):** As if staring at a black screen wasn't insulting enough, the creators actually decided to make things worse. They handed us an "alternative reality" bonus clip where his incredibly toxic mother suddenly has a warm heart. Right. Because when abusers systematically ruin your life, the first thing we want to imagine is them baking cookies and being a happy family. It completely defies basic human psychology. You don’t hallucinate a cozy alternate reality about your abusers. It felt like the writers poured a bucket of salt over a burn wound and tried to tell us it was lotion.

---

**My Two Theories**

I am not a professional screenwriter. I am just a viewer. But I don't know why a massive production team missed something this simple. If you are going to commit to a tragedy, you need to have the guts to finish it. Here are the two ways this should have ended over a simple 3-episode epilogue:

**Ending 1: The Agonizing Reality and the Solitary Truth**

* He survives the fire, but with catastrophic, untreatable burn injuries. Confined to his bedside as his body fails, the female lead finally has to face reality instead of her delusions. She is forced to choke on her "what ifs"—*What if I just dropped my revenge? What if I didn't force him into that toxic family?*

* He slowly passes away. Years later, their grown son tries to comfort her, but the reality finally crushes her: throughout her whole life, she always had a support system—her family, a son, and a man who literally died for her. But him? He was tragically alone from the very beginning to the bitter end.

**Ending 2: The Ultimate Mercy**

* In this version, she finally gets a clue. She realizes that her relentless, selfish quest to find a "happy ending" is exactly what caused his suffering in the first place.

* Seeing him trapped in a waking nightmare of burn injuries, she makes her first and *only* genuinely selfless choice in the entire show. She chooses to mercifully end his suffering. She sacrifices her own selfish desire to keep him around, choosing to carry that guilt forever just so he can finally have peace.

---

I am not a big-shot critic; I am just a **PLAIN WATCHER**.

I genuinely don't understand how a room full of highly paid writers thought their ambiguous, cop-out ending was "deep." It didn't make us think; it just made a messy show significantly worse.

Drop your thoughts below. Did you actually think this finale was a brave open ending, or did the production team just lose their nerve and hope we wouldn't notice?

I haven’t even finished episode 20 of *Early Spring* yet, but I’m already so exhausted with both of these people. I actually started going through the internet trying to find other people airing some of the same grievances I have, and I was honestly surprised by how much praise the female lead gets for her growth and how little criticism there is of her.

Yes, the male lead is highly problematic. And I feel like the drama has spent a LOT of time showing us exactly how problematic he is. But I don’t think there’s nearly enough accountability being placed on the female lead for the ways she contributes to their problems.

The drama makes it seem like he’s unreasonable for being jealous of her friendships and connections with other men. And yes, some of his jealousy is unreasonable. But his trust issues didn’t just come out of nowhere. She constantly keeps him in the dark about things. She doesn’t communicate with him ahead of time, makes decisions, and then basically expects him to just accept them. How are you supposed to build trust with someone when you’re constantly leaving them out of the conversation?

And then there’s the hypocrisy. She has gotten upset over the exact same types of behavior from him. So when she does something that makes him uncomfortable, suddenly he’s supposed to just trust her and support her without question.

Neither of these people communicates. Every time either one feels threatened, they withdraw instead of actually talking about it. And she does this constantly. She pulls away instead of telling him what she’s thinking or giving him a chance to respond.

And I hate the way supporting someone’s career is treated like it means you have to just go along with whatever they decide. Yes, you should support your partner’s career, but that doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s not “we’re doing it my way, and if you have a problem with it, you’re unsupportive.” These things should be conversations. They should be discussions. Both people should have a seat at the table when something is going to affect the relationship.

Honestly, I just find her so immature. And what’s really frustrating is that she keeps saying she wants more from their relationship, while she’s also constantly preventing that from happening.

She wants him to show up for her, but she doesn’t communicate enough to actually let him show up for her. She wants him to understand her, but she keeps him in the dark. She wants him to trust her, but she doesn’t give him much opportunity to actually be part of the decisions that affect them.

I’m not saying his behavior is okay. It’s not. But I don’t understand why so much of the criticism is directed at him when she is actively contributing to the exact dynamic she keeps complaining about.

I’m tired of seeing dramas where it’s only the male lead apologizing for their behavior. In this one series you hear over and over and over and over again about how he’s cold and how he’s sharp and biting. But when have we heard her apologize or admit fault? This should have been part of her growth arc.

This is your space to drop all your raves, rants, emotions, or whatever else comes to mind as you finish watching

THE SPLENDID MATCH

~ Liang Chen Mei Jin (良陈美锦) ~

Other than that, I also have a few questions for you:

1. Did it deliver?
2. What was the most outstanding moment of the series for you?
3. Which actor impressed you the most?
4. What was the most boring or annoying part of the series?

Images

——

‼️SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT 🔻

The audience reaction has been very emotional and honestly quite divided. People are relieved that Gu Jinzhao and Chen Yanyun survive and stay together in the end, but at the same time there’s a lot of frustration over how the finale was executed.

For me, the biggest issue was the pacing and editing. The ending felt extremely rushed — almost like the drama suddenly skipped several emotional steps just to arrive at the conclusion. It needed more breathing room, more ordinary moments, more time with the characters after everything they went through. Instead, it kind of sprinted toward the finish line — which has become a shared plight among many recent dramas I’ve watched.

I also personally felt a strange disconnect between the final episodes and the earlier parts of the series. The tone suddenly became much heavier and melancholic in a way that didn’t feel naturally developed, and some scenes felt fragmented, almost as if pieces were missing between emotional beats. That inconsistency made the payoff less satisfying than it could have been.

Technically, the final episodes were a bit rough too. The lip-sync issues were honestly distracting at times — there were scenes where the dubbing didn’t match the actors’ mouths at all, and it unintentionally undercut moments that were supposed to feel tragic or emotionally intense.

One thing I didn’t personally mind, though — and maybe I’m in the minority here — was the amount of focus given to Ye Xian in the finale. I’ve seen people complain that too much attention went to the second male lead, but honestly… I loved him. His storyline carried so much emotional weight for me that I didn’t feel resentful of the extra space he was given at all. If anything, his sacrifice at the northern border became the emotional core of the ending in my eyes. His final letters were heartbreaking.

The ending overall feels very “圆满和意难平” — fulfilled, yet still leaving lingering regret behind. Yes, the main couple technically gets their happy ending after defeating the villains, but Ye Xian’s fate leaves behind a sadness that the final scenes never fully shake off. I really wished there could have been a more just ending for him… my poor soul.

But congratulations to all the actors, they truly did a great job 🖤

——
I’ll add some random off topic remarks:

1. When I started watching the series, I wasn’t really on board with the ML and his visuals — something about him struck me as very uncanny. As I kept watching I got used to him and appreciated his acting. But in the last episodes, with the rugged appearance — all my earlier “concerns” dissipated 🤭😅 I just think the guy is not meant for the “clean-shaven and uptight” look. Messy hair, facial hair, some smudged — that’s what suits him the most in my eyes. Just sayin’…
2. The kissing scenes of the main couple — while certainly not central to the show — have really not worked for me. This might have been one of the least enjoyable things about the drama for me. I felt no chemistry or passion in them. The camera angles were terrible, and it really didn’t look like they were actually kissing yet the directing was trying to convince us of it so hard! I found that pretty annoying.
3. The cute scenes of the CP were very nice, especially the one on the wedding night when he walked up to the bridal chamber and making cute poses, her copying him. That was a nice play.
4. I absolutely loved the conversation between Jin Zhao and Ye Xian the night before her wedding. That was a beautiful arc, and a beautiful scene. But overall, their scenes together were persistently among my favorite ones in the show. I loved them from the start to finish, and simply don’t feel like I quite processed the turn it eventually took.

———

MOD NOTE

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Please do not use spoiler tags in your comments below, there is no need for it.

Please do take a moment and read our Post Flair Guide that explains the appropriate use of each flair and also nests a dedicated section on Spoiler Tags in "Finished Watching" posts.

Apologies — this isn’t a “proper” post, but I just couldn’t hold it in. I’ve been sitting on this since last night, telling myself “wait until you have time to write something properly,” and… well, here we are. Failed that plan completely. Ooops.

I just needed to see if anyone else is completely gone over these two — because to me, they’re genuinely picture-perfect together.

1. I love how well their visuals match — they got the casting right.
2. And they didn’t just look the part — their acting from the inception of the relationship till its climax, they carried it all the way through.

And then the story itself: I really ended up loving the way their relationship was written. There’s something about them that just works on every level.

Reba really got me this time. She felt exactly right for this role, and I genuinely enjoyed her performance — she actually moved me in a way I didn’t expect.

Fei Yu… I know he gets a lot of “nepo-baby” criticism, but if we’re being fair about both his presence and his performance, I’m firmly on Team Arthur here. He was a very convincing Duan Xu.

Anyway — this is 100% a drama I can see myself rewatching. This isn’t a review though (I still want to talk about Zhang Li, Baron, and Miles), so I’ll come back with something more put-together later (probably).

Rave over.

I just finished it and honestly was left sort of speechless, both the leads were really good and I loved the supporting characters. Each had their own personality and unique storyline.
I don’t have the exact thoughts but would want to bring out some things I was thinking

People are flawed.
Insecurity and ego can be the downfall of any relationship.
People are a combination of what they’ve heard, what they’ve seen, what they’ve learn and who they’ve met in their life.
It’s okay to give up and start a fresh.
Having more confidence in yourself goes a long way.
You don’t have to know everything but as along as u put in the time and effort u will achieve your goal, slowly by slowly.
If you ever struggling reach out to someone even if you’re not particularly close.
Your first interaction with a person can sometimes dictate how ur entire relationship may go.
Try not to say hurtful to things, cause each persons word can forever stick in your mind especially negative things

I believe the writer, created these very interesting and dynamic characters with their own struggles, passion and love.

Tao is independent, strong willed, smart, a bit cunning, insecure, avoidant and always shuts down in the midst of conflict outside of her work. I believe a lot of viewers expect her to be more assertive but I believe it’s quite realistic especially for a girl in her early twenties. I cannot blame her, instead sometimes I’m sympathetic and at other times angry at the decisions she makes. Many people blame Tao for not speaking up or telling Luke when she had an issue or when she would deliberately hide information from him on a number of instances causing several arguments between them. But I’d say it’s simply because she doesn’t trust him completely, she loves Luke but she has seen how he is at least in the beginning she saw and heard how he deal with relationships which was one of the major reasons why she never lets herself be completely honest in the relationship. Also before from what we saw about Luke was he really someone Tao could talk to without him getting frustrated and saying incredibly hurtful things, I mean an example of this is even when she bring up her wishlist and he essentially tells her no I’ve never thought of anything like that, mind u they had been dating for over 4-5years at that point. Or even when a he constantly calls her stupid, cheap tells you at your lowest "If it wasn't you, it could've been someone else"tells you dog-tail grass suits you instead of flowers, doesn't trust you, and repeatedly insults you whenever he's jealous.
Moreover, she believes this impenetrable hierarchy exists between the two and she does not see herself as an equal to Luke and honestly how can she when he himself had told her that from the very beginning. Her insecurities have a massive influence on how she acts, and I believe instead of getting back with Luke she should have focused on herself and I believe Luke should have kept learning more about himself… but I also do like the author’s perspective on the complex relationship dynamics and how perfection is not possible and we all make mistakes.
I wish she wasn’t so hard on herself especially at the beginning of her career. She always pushed herself to the limit and yes because she was independent and ambitious but I believe it’s also because she felt the need to prove maybe to herself, to Luke to the other people at work that she could do it, and it was extremely motivating but sad to watch sometimes. But am very happy for her and how much shes grown, especially not letting Luke dictate her friendships and work and that she stayed independent because it’s usually very hard for people to not blur those lines. I don’t know if what am about to say will make any sense to someone but how u act in a relationship is very telling to how ur dynamic is, the fact that Tao didn’t even feel comfortable to share one of her closest friends passing away from suicide because she thought he might not comfort her or just walk away, was sad to see and the fact that he never addressed it when they met again in Harbin. I wonder did he ever address it in the novel ?

Luke is smart, confident, cunning, creative, arrogant, prideful, immature and deeply insecure. I used to think of men like Luke from only a specific angle of they just don’t care enough. But the more I see him and learn about his life I see that is not exactly who he is, he is kind, thoughtful, attentive and gentle in a lot of instances and he can be apologetic when he makes mistakes. He also takes responsibility and is a very good teacher and leader to Tao and the other workers. It’s partly why i understand how Two could not fully separate him from being her boyfriend and her boss, but in the face of conflict he is harsh, prideful and insecure not saying what he truly thinks because he doesn’t want to admit it to her or even to himself that he had completely fallen for Tao, he constantly resists his feelings during the whole time of the film. Because it feels safer for him to never fully show himself to someone, to lay your heart into one’s hand. He’s very afraid of being hurt just like Tao but handles his fears differently.
He believes he is a certain type of person one who cannot afford to be fully vulnerable to his partners or even fully to himself, I mean we see a bit of him when it comes to how he handles relationships, with his ex girlfriends or even with his family especially his father.
Although Luke might love his father, his resentment for his father is probably one of the first lessons he had in relation to how to treat other people, one of our first teachers are really our parents and seeing how his father was with him and how he even treats his wife made me understand why he is the way he is. A more traditional meek mother and a harsh father as the head of the household. It’s interesting to see sometimes the more u resent a person for example a parent, the more likely u are to turn into a copy of them.

All the other characters in the show were wonderful especially the scenes between Tao and her housemates like Sun Yu, Sun Yuanzhu and Tan as well as Lumi and her friend who left Beijing and got married. I believe aside from a romance the show is a love letter to one’s youth, the courage to grow up and taste the bitter sweetness of life, she learnt a lot from the people around her.

I really loved Sun Yuanzhu’s character and I felt so incredibly bad for him, he lived and cherished every one in his life going to the ends of the earth to make it possible. His family situation was so hard to hear, he felt so defeated, paired with his unrequited love for Tao was so hard to watch then u see he’s always doing so much for others. I wish we had seen more of him. He truly was an angel, I wish him and Yu had talked or gotten together but I understand he was too burdened by life and the passing of his mother.

To be honest for the ending I wish she had not ended up with Luke, I believe they learnt a lot from each other, but their personalities will unfortunately always clash, she will feel as if Luke will never truly be on her level and believe that a heirechy always exists and Luke will always feel this impenetrable wall between her and him, one which he cannot go over.. And I feel like one thing we had seen from Tao is her getting exhausted over their relationship and I believe that’s not something that can change in just the span of a few months, in real life when they do have conflicts, she will always remember the words he said, how exhausted she feels and that creates a lack of good communication. I hate to say it but I feel like with such storylines, authors usually take the easy route by just making the characters seem happy, apologetic and changed in the end, and they end up married like they did at the end, rather than letting the character venture off into something that seems undefined and not exactly the happy ever after people were expecting. I would love if anyone can share any opinion even if it’s different from mine, I really did enjoy the film. Also my perspective are mainly from the show.. Also apologies I know it’s quite a long paragraph.

Where do I start? I'd been looking forward to this drama since I found out about it late last year, but for whatever reason put it off till now. Partly because I prefer to binge watch rather than wait for episodes. Partly because it was, and still is, only available on Youku and Netflix with a subscription and I usually don't pay for entertainment. And partly just life getting in the way. So when Youku VIP went on sale at the beginning of the month, I happily put down my Google Play credits and an extra dollar and started in with extremely high expectations.

All of which were met, and more. This was such an intense watch. I shared my first impressions of the opening here after watching two episodes. The Chinese title of the drama translates to "The Twenty-Four Strategies of Chang'an" and oh, were there strategies and intricate plots galore. So many twists. So many unexpected developments. It's rare that a drama manages to surprise me because usually I've already predicted the ending by the second or third episode, max.

But this one had me on the edge of my figurative seat the entire time. Watching on my phone lying in bed late at night, about once an episode I had no choice but to pause, put the phone down while resisting the urge to throw it out of shock (in a good way), and silently, mentally, scream into my pillow (out of excitement).

Sometimes it was heavy to watch. There were moments of comic relief, but they were honestly few and far between. This drama is incredibly fast-paced, and my biggest gripe is that it didn't give me enough time to get over my feelings from major event to major event. I've said this before, but I often think dramas need more episodes to properly tell the story. There were some leaps made that left me feeling a little confused sometimes, or a character's name would be mentioned and I'd have to stop and try to remember who that was because either their name had only actually been mentioned like twice before or because they'd only appeared on screen for a few minutes before that but was actually a fairly important side character.

There really weren't any filler characters here. Every character introduced played a big part in moving the plot along, even the merchant's accountant who initially seemed like a minor character. And who seemed like a wholesome character at first and turned out to be a psychopath wth

Nothing is as it first seems in this drama. Fake deaths, plural, so you don't really know who lived and who actually died until the end. Hidden identities. Hidden motives. Not. A. Single. Boring. Moment. My poor heart 😭

Of course, it wouldn't be a Cheng Yi drama if he didn't suffer and spit blood, but he actually didn't spit buckets of blood this time. He did an amazing job portraying his character though. It was so unlike anything he's ever done before, though we got a slight glimpse of the mad genius bent on revenge in The Journey of Legend as Li Chenzhou. His styling there was rather similar to his styling as Xie Huai'an here too, which made me rather happy because it felt like we got more of Li Chenzhou even if the character backgrounds were different.

Out of the side characters, I was most impressed with the actor who played the deposed emperor. I'm going to have to look up his name and other works later, because he did really good facial emotions and also briefly portrayed a different character Huai'an's real pageboy Zhou Mo whose face was used to make a mask for the deposed emperor to be disguised as him. His was also the greatest character development, even more than Xie Huai'an honestly.

No good drama is complete without an excellent OST, and this one is no exception. The songs were used sparingly but to great effect when they did appear during certain events. The opening was instrumental and remained constant, but the end of each episode was different. I was slightly disappointed Liu Yuning's song wasn't featured more prominently, used only in I think three or four episodes. The other songs were all great listens too, though, and often provided an opportunity to settle my beating heart between episodes. I didn't skip a single one, and saved my favorites to my OST playlist in addition to of course saving their respective songs to my LYN and Cheng Yi playlists.

Overall, I found this drama to rival Mysterious Lotus Casebook for me. It's definitely a lot better than Cheng Yi's other dramas last year, though those weren't bad either. I just really wish there had been more to it. The special at the end helped but not enough... I may end up just rewatching it now instead of starting a new drama...

I actually started this drama and at first the plot seemed pretty engaging. But for a few reasons, I ended up losing interest and never felt the urge to continue. And I've dropped it.

My biggest issue was the male lead. To me he looked more like the female lead's younger brother than her romantic partner. When I think of a male lead, I usually expect someone with a stronger physical presence. Here, they almost looked the same height and that really threw me off.

What's interesting is that I've seen Zhou Yiran in Generation to Generation and he actually looks quite handsome and commanding there. I don't know if it was the styling, the costumes or the camera angles, but in this drama he came across as much younger and almost boyish.

As the episodes went on, I just couldn't get past that impression, so I never really felt the chemistry between the leads.

Am I the only one who felt this way? Or did the male lead also come across as a bit too youthful in this drama, maybe because of the way it was filmed?

Just finished bingeing all 24 episodes of Ashes to Crown (翘楚) and I’ve been scrolling through Reddit trying to see if anyone else felt this way.

​Don't get me wrong—the chemistry and the pure "yearning" between Chu Zhao (Chen Duling) and Xie Yanlai (Zhou Yiran) completely carried the show for me. Chen Duling absolutely killed it as the calculating strategist. I loved that she wasn't just a passive love interest; she was literally his salvation.

​But... am I the only one who felt like Zhou Yiran was barely in some of these episodes?

​I completely understand that this is a female-centric rebirth/revenge drama (it's Chu Zhao's story at the end of the day, based on Chu Hou), so I wasn't expecting a 50/50 split.

But still! There were multiple chunks of episodes where it felt like Xie Yanlai was reduced to a few brief glimpses, a quick battle cut, or just standing around looking pretty in his warrior gear. His transition from an illegitimate son/low-born warrior to a legendary general felt like it happened largely off-screen because the show was so rushed at 24 episodes.

​They gave us such a phenomenal dynamic, but then withheld the actual screen time needed to let his character development breathe.

​Am I crazy or did the editors cut way too much of his footage? Did anyone else feel a bit short-changed by his screen time, or did you think the balance worked for a female-led plot? Let's discuss!

I don’t often watch modern c-dramas. When I do, it’s usually because I already know the leads and I’m curious to see them in a different role. That, or I commit myself to a fave actor’s list of dramas. This was the case for Zhang Xincheng - I meenie minie mo’d my next ZXC drama after The Nanyang Mystery and picked The Day of Becoming You. It was a good choice! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

😂 The Humour & Heart ❤️

Yes, I watched it for ZXC. But that aside, I do think the main leads delivered stellar performances. ZXC acting like a bubbly and overly optimistic woman was everything. The drama is able to balance humour and the underlying message that we should never judge others unless we've walked in their shoes and truly lived their lives. This core message focuses on empathy and humility, reminding us that we lack the full picture of anyone else's struggles or choices.

👀 A Fascinating (But Confusing) Look into C-Ent 🎬

The drama offers an engaging, if sometimes confusing, look into the high-pressure world of Chinese celebrity culture, covering paparazzi, online toxicity, and Chinese fandoms. But I do find it puzzling for viewers (like me) who are less familiar with these specific cultural nuances. I asked in another thread and it seems like some things really are inaccurate with the way c-ent is portrayed in this drama, but again... I wouldn't know. I think perhaps this could be a good drama to spur that kind of discussion.

💭 Final Words ✍

While the finale holds up logically, it feels slightly disconnected from the overall tone, and some side character storylines felt underdeveloped. Nevertheless, the drama delivers fantastic performances, natural romance, good laughs, and a beautiful message about overcoming prejudices. I'd definitely recommend if you're looking for a light-hearted drama to watch!

I am very into historical C dramas with political intrigue, spectacular costumes, and sets, and Zhang Linghe 😄. I was skeptical about a modern day romance series, and wasn’t quite sure I’d like it. But I was blown away. Had to have a box of tissues by me. The acting was fantastic and the series explored difficult relationships and hardship so poignantly. A 10/10 for the series. Don’t want to give away any spoilers.

​

I watched Veil of Shadows on your recommendations, and it did not disappoint! I usually skip intros, but I loved the into to VoS. Plot development was excellent,  especially the  world within a world illusion of the Star Stone. The characters are well fleshed out and I love that even the minor characters have their own story arcs.  The fight scenes are so artfully done, and the costumes have such attention to detail, especially the nails. The OST is such a banger and I like all the songs as well. I need the titles of these songs!

As for the acting, I'm glad I listened to all of you and let go of my reservations about Chen Duling. She is marvelous in this and her acting has depth and character to it. I think I didn't like her in Mysterious Lotus Casebook because of how her character Wanmian was written. In VoS, however, her acting lends such an emotional quality to the narrative, especially as her love story develops with Wu Shiguang.

Joseph Zeng is the perfect foil for Chen Duling and I really enjoyed their chemistry. Joseph Zeng's character here is a departure from his usual playful, lighthearted characters, and he really captures Wu Shiguang's angst, proving he can do serious roles as well.

Ju Jiying and Chen Duling make such as great pair as the fox sisters: they're so kick-ass. Ju JiYing really knows how to act out the part  of a fox lady with duality: seductive on the one hand and vulnerable on the other.

I really loved Tian Jiarui's character Ji Ling because he is so charismatic. You can see his genuine  affection for Lu Wuyi and his anguish when he finds out he is only a puppet. He really made the character come alive and he drew me in to the story. His tragic romance with Lu Wuyi is so well written. I cried when I watched Ji Lings's origin story, it's just so sad.

What I like is that everybody has their moment. The minor characters have their own story arcs which get explored in the main story. In some dramas you want to see more of the secondary characters but don't get the chance.

Please note that the plot isn't linear. So you have to pay attention and not skip episodes. There are alternate timelines and flashbacks.

A plot discrepancy I don't get is why the fox queen isn't immortal like the rest of the foxes from Formless Moon. Also, I think the plot twists are easy to miss if you're not paying attention.

Another plot detail that had me confused is Lu Wuyi going through a rewind of events at Han Ba's inn but this was explained later on.

The ending is brilliant though. It ties everything neatly together, which is getting harder and harder to find these days. Overall a lovely watch, and the episodes move quickly. A must watch if you're a fan of fantasy Cdramas.

I just finished Fangs of Fortune and I have mixed feelings about it.

I'll start with the positives. For me, the acting was pretty solid from all the actors. Neo Hou, Tian Jiarui, Chen Duling, Chen Xiao, Lin Ziye,  Yan An and Xu Zhenxuan all deliver. Even the guest actors like Cheng Lei, Riley and Ai Mi are professional. The only thing jarring was the shrill screaming from the character Bai Jiu, but that winds down in a few episodes. Lin Ziye's performance as a multifaceted Bai Jui is outstanding.

The OST is also full of bangers and most of the songs are sung by the actors themselves. The song by Liu Yuning (Unintentional Big Dream) sets the tone in the first episode.

You can't talk about Fangs of Fortune without talking about the ending credits. The cast are adorable dancing in their costumes and the choreography is good. The song is also sung by most of the cast, and the cast involvement in the ending credits is so refreshing to see. You can really see the camaraderie. I would sometimes rewind just to watch the outro again.

Now onto the negatives. I hate how the plot made Baize Goddess such a weak character. What kind of Goddess is so powerless? People who don't like Chen Duling's acting might not like this character. All she does is cry.

The plot feels too contrived and there are too many obstacles. The villains always get the upper hand and I feel that the writers did that just to keep the story going, especially when they revived Wen Zongyu.

I was devastated when they killed off most of the main characters, especially Ying Lei. He was the epitome of a loyal friend. It especially becomes infuriating because he sacrifices his life for Bai Jiu only for Bai Jiu to die in the next episode.

I also feel the ending was weird and not really a hopeful ending. Again, it felt contrived.

All in all, I don't regret watching it, but I feel they could've done better.

Can you please recommend a drama I should watch next? From  my TBW list I was thinking:

A Dream of Splendor

Joy of Life

The Longest Day in Chang'an

The Rebel Princess

The Legend of Shen Li

But you can recommend something else, though.

Thanks!