Omg thank you!!! When she turned into a princess its like her brain fell out of her head and just spent the whole series playing love games. I started skipping scenes before episode 20 and i usually try to watch fully for 25 episodes
I love that you said it was like her brain fell out of her head, hahaha. Yes it was like that. She seems to forget about how she was an independent person who was a doctor, had friends and got along fine.
I just hate the height obsession with chinese people for actors. I mean, Tan jianci is enough tall to me. It is a stupid & ridiculous reason for not giving him more idol dramas or roles like the devil from "love between fairy & devil". I mean they do have toxic beauty standards. Acting matters the most. He is better than many Ai generated "good looking" actors who just can't act.
@@you_ok186 well WeTV channel made a poll of who was the favorite male lead and Xiangliu won by a landslide (70%) so I hope that gives them enough proof how much the audience adores Tan Jianci.
Im new to cdramas. When I started to watch this, after ep 1 I wasn't sure, but once I saw Tan Jianci, I became interested in his character. I thought his acting was great, to the point, I looked into and started watching his other works, which I really enjoyed. The height issue is garbage, because, many a tall actor can't act. I will continue to support his works and wish him all the best in the future. 🎉❤
The XiaoYao in the Novel is very different from the XiaoYao in the drama. The Xiaoyao in the novel is hard to thr point of being brutal. She ALWAYS choose herself above all others. Her every decision is based on her best interest. The "men" in her life are her choices, who among them will be the best for her, who will be there to serve her best interest. The drama XiaoYao is confused. 😅
i thought the novel was more so her almost living out her mothers story and i thought the story was going that same direction until season 2 lol but you are right, they are way different then each other.
I guess the Cdramaland audience won't like a brutal FL. It's my understanding the cultural expectations are different for a heroine to be lovable. In the end she still should show cuteness, naivity, to be "accepted" by the viewers.
Sim egoista e escolheu o pior, mas por ser controlado e fazer o que ela quer enquanto XL foi o mas honesto com ela e com personalidade no qual ela nao conseguiu dominar
The most disappointing part was when Xiaoyao did nothing to save Xiangliu, despite knowing the war was happening and despite all her resourcefulness. She cried a little for him and then went on her honeymoon with Jing like he was just a passerby in her life. Wtf.
@@pranathibatti4915 this is when Jing is married. When FFB is injured and comes to her wearing a mask, he stays with her in her bed for longer than just that 1 night in the novel. They have many more times together in the novel. In the drama she offers herself to FFB/Xiang Liu many times, but he never takes the bait. He always knew since he was rescued from the fighting pits, that he would be dying with his men. He also knew the fate of Xiao Yao's parents, it's the most famous tale, they fought each other to the death because their blood families were on different sides. Xiang Liu says himself ''better to forget each other, than fight to the death''. So he does everything in his power to cut his ties with Xiao Yao, so that she can have a happy ever after once he's gone. Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu will fail each other, but not their people, just like her parents failed each other, failed her, but never their peoples.
I agree with this review. There are four main issues for me. 1) The script being quite inconsistent, they hook us with this super smart and resourceful FL only to string us along as she becomes this powerless princess who'se fate revolves around men. The way they dealt with war was INFURIATING. The Haoling war for instance, making a mockery of it with all this surrendering and pretending its a "gentle" war with as little casualties as possible. This is pure propaganda, and in the times we are living, with so many wars going in, it is just disgusting to promote that kind of narrative about war. There are no "gentle" war, war is always devastating. 2) This should have been one season, the second season did not bring much, just drawing out things. 3) The characters whether in season 1 or 2 lack depth, they are one dimensional archetypes for the ML, or inconsistent for the FL, which makes it hard to relate it, unless you're a brainless fandom of one particular actor. 4) They did not have the guts to make it a real reverse harem story, which is what it is supposed to be. Hence the FL being clueless and active as a naive child half the time. It is a bit ridiculous. It makes perfect logical sense she chose the one she chose, but they really cheapened her experience with the other guys, instead of treating all with the necessary depth. I don't understand the fandoms thing fighting about MLs, this is reverse harem, she loves all of them, there is no "ultimate" winner.
First mistake that the director did was to put 3 male leads opposite 1 female lead which is ridiculous and it absolutely does not justify the characters and the story of the second season is disappointing to the viewers because the storyline doesn't have any consistency in it. I totally don't understand what is the purpose of such story which does not tell the real intention of creating the characters. Of course the actors in this drama have given their best and acted according to the director's instructions but it is not that pleasing as compared to the first season which is far better then 2nd season.
I agree with your everything except the brainless fandom part. I do think some people are going too extreme but fandoms here are not brainless( it is kind of rude & disrespectful to say someone brainless just because you find their opinion irritating or bad). The problem is with the writer of this drama not with the fandom actually. I myself liked Xiang Liu's character over Jing as he had more depth. But this is the fault of the director, writer not the actor themselves. The Jing fandom can be irritating but they are not wrong about the lack of Jing's development. [Just my honest opinion, I didn't mean to offend anyone. But people should be more respectful on internet]
I hope people criticize more & more this drama season 2 for being so lame. I have depression & Xiang liu's death+Xiao Yao's emotionless neglect on him made me cry on nights for some days. Xiang liu really died for Xiao yao, it was so painful & irritating to watch. It is fine for Xiao Yao not to love Xiang liu or anyone BUT she is so ungrateful & manipulative. As she doesn't love Xiang liu, why is she constantly taking help from him? If Xiang liu had not saved Tushang Jing, he would have been dead. Xiao yao would not have happy ending. If she was a modern day character, she would be called narcissistic by some people. If we change the gender here, many people will call this drama misogynistic on women. If xiang liu were a woman, none would like that sufferings. I am amazed by Tan Jianci's performance on Xiang liu. I always love dramas that depicts unconditional & deep love from men for their women. But this drama insulted the concept of true love. Xiao Yao DOES NOT DESERVE ANY TRUE LOVE.
@@you_ok186 I agree with the first part of your comment but the second one I’ll have to respectfully disagree. It’s complicated. A lot of time passed (many years) between the time Xiangliu decided to put his plan into action of making her hate him and stay away from him starting right after he “killed off” Fang Feng Bei and hurt her physically/emotionally by acting cold/distant and using the gu to hurt her heart/chest physically. He also purposely acted like she was just a pawn during their last encounter several years later as well (the scene where he made her bleed herself out until she collapsed). So you can’t blame her from distancing herself from his extremely toxic behavior (and I say this fully knowing Xiangliu is my favorite character by far). Afterall, Xiaoyao is completely unaware of how much he sacrificed for her and Jing, since his plan all along was to set her up good for life and then go die in the war. She was clueless to it and thus all she can react to was what she did know about. Although I still think the drama script was so bad in making her not do ANYTHING at all to save Xiangliu, such as pleading with Cangxuan to not kill Xiangliu (completely going against how tenacious and smart she is), as well as her crying a few tears for Xiangliu at the end and then go on her honeymoon with Jing right after like not much happened, which was so out of character for her. That was the fault of the script.
I am a fan of Tan Jianci and I completely agree with your opinion about LYF, that is completely how I feel about this drama. Speaking more about Tan Jianci, I don't think choosing LYF (and 1 or 2 other idol dramas before LYF) is bad, or in other words, I think choosing the traffic route is the most suitable choice that Tan Jianci can make. With the identity of an idol transformed into an actor, plus his appearance is considered too "pretty" or too "idol", no matter how good his acting is, it is really difficult to reach some good roles and scripts without traffic. This is the rule of the industry, so just go with it, with traffic, there is at least a 50% chance of meeting a good script, it is still much better than not being famous and having no scripts to choose from. Since I don't like watching idol dramas and also feel annoyed by the chaos in the fan circle, I also feel a little sorry that he chose to go the traffic route, but I'm much happier for him because he is known by many people like now, with traffic, he is recognized by many people, both his acting and performance skills are recognized. And I think you can still look forward to Tan Jianci's future works because his point of view is to play a variety of roles and scripts, for example, before LYF aired, he chose Go East, a drama that is not purely an idol drama, and now, when there are many opportunities, he is still considering carefully and aiming for more mainstream scripts. In the end, our fandom will not deny that TJC is traffic so you don't need to worry haha
Agreed. Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo seem to be navigating the industry pretty darn good by selecting projects that benefit everyone involved. Tan needs to choose more projects such as Under The Skin in the future. His part was played well in UTS. He’s a terrific actor, who by the way, made his part in LYF extremely sexy. I loved it! I’m looking forward to Under The Skin S2. Let’s hope it’s as good or even better than the first season. Take care and let’s pray that Tan gets outstanding scripts in the future. 🌸💃🏽
@@bellabermudasTook the words out of my mouth. Many traffic idols had made the transition to serious roles and continue to grow. JC is a phonomenal business and marketing man, his studio under his direction has ready proven that he can carry a show through his own efforts without CP and platform assistance. Brands will see it, Producers will see it and in the end it will come full circle.
I really enjoyed season1 but deeply disappointed in season 2. Second season rushes through the storyline, deviating significantly from the main plot and altering some of the best parts of the book. They compress and oversimplify key events. The nuanced and carefully developed plot points in the novel are either glossed over or entirely omitted. These deviations not only disrupt the narrative flow but also undermine the integrity of the characters' arcs. And I totally agree with you about Xiaoyao's character. After reverting to a princess, her entire personality changed. She was no longer the smart, witty, resourceful individual who survived the most dangerous situations. Instead, she became a constant crybaby and attention seeker, doing nothing but testing how much people were willing to sacrifice for her
@@sg-te9puthe novel doesn't have much chapters anyway. I believe CX becomes king around 20 sth. That chapter has a guy with a crown standing atop a cliff.
I agree while reading the novel I never felt like xiao yao was inconsistent and while the drama kept the important plot point (except the biggest one at the end obvi) they completely glossed over arc or event that happen building up to the big events. while watching season 2 it is particularly bad to the point i'm like what how are we already at this event cause so much things happen in book not included in the drama
I agree, I found S1 compelling, in part because I enjoyed XY so much as a man, supporting herself and making choices about her own life. Even as a woman, she had stimulating relationships with the male leads that held my interest. And there were lots of interesting side characters, like XY's "sister," TJ's evil brother and his lover, and Chishui Feng Long and his sister. But they all faded in S2 and the chemistry XY had with the male characters dried up, because they lost their personalities and weren't terribly interesting. XY became melancholy and isolated and I was envisioning her as a maiden aunt to CX's children. The plot line about CX's conquests wasn't tight or definitive enough. For awhile he seemed to be evolving into a power-hungry psychopath, but that was contradicted by frequent allusions to the good deeds he did for the conquered people. Certain plot points suggested Machiavellian politics ahead, but they only got so far and then deflated. S2 was a disappointing anticlimax.
That last part hits me hard, suddenly I'm in a realization mode, not that I don't agree with you about the liuliang, but I just think that Tan Jianci deserves to be seen by many others. It's just sad how the ecosystem in cdrama works. Please don't give up on him. Hope you'll always have faith in him because I do, and hope he will stay true to himself until the end. 一定要做自己！
Discussing TanJianci's height quite extensively is sad. I know TJC will never get roles that requires ht above 180 but saying he is limited bcos of his ht. is sad. Among the actors in CXS TJC performed his best and the audience felt that. I became TJC fan bcos of CXS and to be honest I only watched TJC's scenes in the drama. He performed XL well. I look forward to TJC's performance as an actor, in whatever drama he is in. His dedication in his craft must bear fruit and it is blooming now. Up until now, TJC's performance as an actor has not failed nor has it declined. Why does it feels like being an actor in idol dramas a bad thing? Being an idol-drama actor is only bad when your performance in it is mediocre at best. I dont think being an idol-drama actor is necessarily a bad thing. Yes, most of idol dramas have ridiculous plots and are repetitive BUT there are some that are also good. TJC can be a "proper actor" he can also be an idol drama actor, he can also be a singer and a dancer because he excel in all. TJC promised his fans that everything he puts out will be good, well made and well thought of, so far he has not failed in that promise. Well, I just love him I guess.
I couldn't agree more. Being a liu liang means nothing to me if the acting is unbearably bad. I've seen TJC in several dramas now and I've enjoyed his acting in each one.
Xiao Yao was getting on my nerves I agree with you!!!! Everything is about herself . I was shocked by the scene when Nian was in pain thinking about her country and her father and her crisis of trusting ppl Meanwhile Xiao yao was talking about ( please eat with me my father is a demon million years age ) shut upppppp . Xiao Yao reminds me of an old friend I knew years ago who lives to talk about her misery . These kinds of ppl are low key selfish and very toxic
We see this type of people exist in our society so annoying. Are we women soft candy😂 this type of people won't be able to bear pressure. Adults knows what's going around but when teenager watch this drama and behave like her mindset we adults must teach her. Fl role in this drama is toxic and I won't want my younger sister to imitate like her role.
I agree with all your statements. I finished it only for Tan JianCi. His character was the most touching out of all others. However, even with Xiang Liu, there were some inconsistencies. His enemies called him “genius strategist”. And what he did at the end was totally unnecessary and stupid. I mean, dude could have persuaded the general to dissolve the Chenrong army for some time, plant spies everywhere, bring together all people who don’t agree with CangXuan and then when they had a chance, they could have struck the enemy completely off guard. What did he do instead? He just went straight forward and fought against the army, that outnumbered his own troops. Is this a genius idea?
Honestly, by midway of the second half, there really was only three kinds of viewers left, stauch fans of Yangzi, Tan Jinaci and Deng Wei and the mass amount of XL fans (who may or may not be fans of Tan Janci). 🤭 XL had already planned to die that day. In the novel, he could've escaped but he chose not to.
@@worldofedits3641 I thought he should have attacked when Xiyan was at war with Haoling, instead of waiting for that war to finish and be wiped out. Also, they went through, maybe, a hundred or more human years. Why could they expand their Army by then?
We have to view it from his point of view. He didn't want to re-enact the fate of her parents and make XY have to face him as her lover in a big final battle. When he discovers her parents hut, if he wasn't dedicated before- he was then. He knows the chenrong army clash with CX is inevitable and he was as a general going to go down with his men, he chose to alienate XY as to limit the damage it would do to her. He knows how she lived after how her mother and father died, you could say they chose to be selfish for themselves, but for her, XL chose to sacrifice. All that he lived for would be gone - could argue he died in the fighting pits, he lived borrowed time as a general of a defeated state. His truly final push was when he red eyed controlled her mind - she told him she'd marry Jing's beggar identity, but had she not fought the mind control and admitted that she'd have equally spent her lifetime with FFB/XL he may have swayed and taken the kingdom deal. In the end it was a sort of fate and he went willingly. He was ready to die all along, and he was more ready to pass on to also ensure she had her 'happy ever after'. We aren't talking about a man who has everything to lose, but a man who's always known he's lost, not just his men or the girl, but that he lost his 'life' a very long time ago. XY and XL when they met were just meant to be some cold comfort, soulmates in suffering and understanding, but the feelings ran much deeper. It spooked XY and it someone centered XL. Everyone has a reason to get out of bed every morning, and XL had - to him - a perfectly glorious reason to die. His scheming was never about surviving this, but dying at the right time, for the right reasons. He says himself, with his 9 heads he cannot forget anything, no memories fade, he lives with quite a lot.
I think that there’s no need to put TJC into a ‘box’. Rare is a young Chinese actor nowadays who can do ‘idol’ so well (singing, dancing, stage peformance/presence, etc) and act so well at the same time (used to be more common in the good old days of C-ent), TJC fulfills both roles brilliantly. When he is doing idol stuff: he is 100% top-tier idol-like, and when he is acting: he is a VERY good actor. I believe he can break current stereotypes and dichotomies of “Liu Liang vs Actor” or “Idol Vs Actor”.
He is originally an idol, so it’s hard to remove stereotypes from public, especially when he is not ‘professionally trained’ in acting. Nowadays more C-pop idols are turning into actor/actress, C-pop industry is not doing well and acting seems to be a way to get more public recognition. But some idols just can’t act!!! That’s why there’re stereotypes. TJC obviously need more good productions, with good directors + scriptwriter to prove himself. Like “Under the Skin” does gain some recognition, I enjoyed watching that. I hope he finds characters that suit him for his future projects. Good acting skills + bad script/production = 💩…..
@@janlxy2705 I think for TJC right now more people know him as an actor than as an idol. He already succeeded in made a bigger name for himself as a good actor, and people are more surprised to know that he can dance and sing so well for an actor.
I feel like I end up hating every drama that Yang Zi is in… she just always picks these insufferable, cutesy/naive and annoyingly oblivious sacrificial-type damsel roles that I just can‘t stand 😢
Exactly . All the dramas starts her as a navie who doesn't know about Ml's love, consequences of her action, people who actually love her and the problems caused by her. Such characters are so annoying . Avenuex was so accurate when she showed those crying scenes of her dramas together
I've became a cdrama watcher since pandemia time, and maybe have not seen many, but what you are saying about female roles/characters looks to be a traditional way , staple in dramaland . I remember myself being annoyed greatly until I've realized such thing and finally got used to it. It doesn't matter who is playing FL Yang Zi or any other star , they all went through this collander. It does bother a lot seing girls on screen being naive to the point of stupid, especially when real life is so demanding of our wits.
@@moodygirl609 don't misunderstand! I love this kind of boyfriend! I just think Deng Wei's acting is not very good! And AvenueX really nails it with her impression of his little mild-mannered smile.
Yes. Couldn't much connect with his acting . Also the lines given to him didn't much highlight his character. It's like his character was made only to say yes for whatever fl says. He character is known as a very intelligent , resourceful and rich man . They didn't show any scenes which could properly highlight is character.
Well, that was well done I must say. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised that the drama imploded as do so many dramas from China. The highlight for me in S1 was Tan who was sexy and menacing toward the FL thus capturing my attention. I’m looking forward to Under The Skin S2. I’ve seen him in Secret Of The Three Kingdoms where he was terrific and I’m currently watching The Advisors Alliance. The latter is good. My hope is that he will take a page out of my favorite Chinese actor’s bag Zhang Rouyun who manages to pick interesting projects. Other examples would be Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo who are very popular but are being deliberate in selecting their projects. I haven’t seen the second season of LYF but it’s on my list to watch. Thanks for your review and take care.🌸💃🏽
The main problem with the scriptwriters is that they dont change the script when it is required to but they change it when they dont have to. I agree with you, i cried a lot when i read the novel i couldn't get out of Xiangliu's death and pain for jing because he knew that Xaoyao is never gonna get out of Xl's death. He also had character details too bad they didnt show it in the drama. When i was watching season 2 i was literally laughing the half time or wanted to throw my phone on the wall because of how ridiculous this drama was. At the end when the main scene of Xl's demise came i didnt even feel a pang of pain in my heart i was already out of sympathy, love, pain or any other feelings for this drama and then came the mourning scene which made me laugh again. I mean you didnt even go to take a look at the place he died just 2 or 3 crocodile tears wow. Tbh i felt relieved as the drama ended wasted my time and emotions on something so nonsense.
I know right 😭😭😭 the tradition with idol dramas on the market being about female lead and her endgame male lead resulting in the cutting out of many of xl and zuo er’s scenes 😭😭😭
I have no objections to raise regarding this series, as I believe it has shortcomings in all areas. However, before I see your review, I would like to say that, contrary to many complaints, I think XL's death is just perfect. He died freeing the world from his influence and enslaving no one. Instead, he flooded the wilderness with his blood and, like the old general, inscribed his name in memory in a manner reminiscent of the song: a magnificent peach blossom blooming in hearts. I applaud this scene👏👏👏
I don't agree.. XL is calculative, brilliant, and an opportunity seeker. He's the king of sea. Why would such a powerful man wanna die for no good reason. They fought and died in the hands of their own ppl. In reality, this is absolutely nonsense. he's taking resources from cang xuan, bearly surviving..yet they don't wanna peace.. would human do that?
@@shreyashidey9590firstly, Xiang Liu is not human. He is very obviously a demon. And one might argue that almost none of them are human except the common people in the village. Even the Cheng Rong Army consists of ‘gods’ (神族) who despises demons. They don’t want peace because they are patriots (all be it more on the fanatical side but maybe the sentiment they have for their own country can be explained by their long-ass lives)- that’s not too hard to believe is it? Think of the Spartan 300 or Ukraine right now. Do you wonder why the Ukrainians are putting up with that much of a fight? As for Xiang Liu, he died in order to repay the debt he owes his foster father and as a general, out of guilt for the men who have died under his lead. If he surrendered he’d be betraying his foster father and his men. So long as his foster father and his men refuses to surrender and bow down to Cang Xuan, he’ll accompany them all the way to death. And that’s part of the charm of his character - that a demon would feel so much, give up everything for his relationships. In some sense, he is like a loyal pet (e.g. a dog) who would give its life to defend his owner.
I have been wondering how I would react, being a fan of the book for so long, if this drama was shown in one season. I really loved how it stuck close to the narrative in its Season One depiction. Would my enjoyment be slowly turned to horror as I watch it becoming something so mangled? I could not believe how different Season 2 was from Season 1, being that they were filmed in one go. How was it possible to be so close to the book for 39 episodes and then the next 23, be turned into a dumpster fire? I still enjoyed the acting because the actors (except for Sleeping Beauty there) were carrying the show, but their characters--my poor characters, so distinctly selfish and strong in their book form, were now caricatures of drunken mopeyness. WTH. But still, the acting was strong enough to carry through to the bitter end. I do love Tan JianCi's portrayal of Xiang Liu. When I read the book a decade ago, I could think of no actor who could fill this character's shoes because he was so complicated and layered, especially in a Chinese drama. But TJC breathed life into him and brought my imagination to fruition. For that he'd made me a fan. As for the dumpster fire--the "fake" unshown war, the freaking DREAM SEQUENCE that wasted everyone's time, the weird Mona Lisa smile on TSJ's face for every situation, the fake reversed harem--Season Two definitely lost me. Also, YES YES YES about your analysis of Wen Xiao Liu turned Princess Xiao Yao. WTH happened to the marvelous and cunning WXL once her face changed? Did she turn from Hehuizi Zheng to Ju JingYi?!!!!!
I don't even watch it but i came here just to say; the title of this video totally have me 'lost' it 😂😂😂 seriously it's really funny😂 You are the best avenuex!
I always love listening to your drama commentaries where I can find someone with similar opinions as me. I appreciate your take on ss2 of the drama, and I actually agree with many of your points, it's the strange feeling of lack of non-romance context and loss of unique character qualities that were introduced in ss1 which diminished in ss2, esp for xiao yao. Like many people said, XL's character stood out to me the most, it still does, his goal was to communicate the rich novel character and I'm SO glad he chose not to be a glacier. Despite no conventional formal training in acting, his character felt the most alive and complicated. Due to his looks, the idol route is already kind of happening but us mainland drama veterans know just which dramas to hold high expectations for, regardless of the actors that star in them. I really hope yz takes on non-idol dramas with more realism, and that good producers will keep an eye out for her because she's a really humble actor who always looks to improve herself, it's often times the progression of the story that drives their character to unrealistic places. Liu liang will make you more visible to the public eye and producers, but I think she definitely should seek more opportunities to apply her acting to a greater range of dynamic characters!
Honestly as much as i love tan jianci's performance and the complexity of Xiangliu as a character, i agree with you in terms of how OOC they feel. S1 Xiaoyao had a lot of potential to be one of a kind FL, especially with the AMOUNT of political leverage and status on her end -- being the princess of both Haoling, Xiyan AND having the blood of Chichen in her veins??? The kings of both kingdoms doted on her (something not even extended to their OWN kin). She could've united ALL of Dahuang without bloodshed as long as she put her mind to it. The only aspect that would've been SOMEWHAT tricky would be to convice Hong Jiang to get on their side, and even that could be solved by using her identity as the child of Chenrong's great general (and maybe a political marriage-alliance with Xiangliu to set it in stone). Bro did NAWT have to lose all those lives like a bad run in Super Mario Bros.35. The whole show is the epitome of purposeless tragedy.
I agree with all the problems you mentioned BUT I enjoyed (some of it not all) it because I wanted to see parts of my favourite novel recreated. Also, Xiang Liu 😏
I'm in the minority, but I enjoyed this drama. No fandom or anything, I watched for Xiang Liu's story; his journey and ending broke my heart. Flaws of the show aside, his character moved me so I'm glad I watched it.
@@Alasterius41 Agreed, the show has many fans. I was addressing the consensus of comments for this particular review as many expressed dissatisfaction at the time I posted this. As with all things, no one thing is for everyone and that's okay.
My fav from the beginning wasn't Xiang Liu, but I'd have to say he's the ONLY one who brings slightly justice for the drama. Without his tragic dead sequence, the S2 would be fail
Agree with your review(mostly), I wonder Yang Zi being the main lead why she didn't fight for her characters growth arc. Its even more baffling for someone who has read the novel and know the depth of character a little. Xiang Liu's character even said to her in novel:"The Wen xiaoliu I knew had many deficiencies but he wont rollover and accept the beatings like an idiot. Has Tushan Jing taken such good care of you that you dont know how to survive?"... Sadly they cut this part too. Tan Jianci's performance as Xiang Liu is the saving grace of that show frankly. Atleast he didnt disappoint despite several OOC moments. plus the extra work his studio has done for Xiang Liu character is commendable for readers. Oh and A Niang too, at least her character arc was good.
The thing is since there are restrictions on the episodes so they need to cut scenes however with Xiang Liu being the writer's fave character, of course they promote him the most Even the scene where Xiao yao meet her mother is fought by yz to be included.. In the novel, thousands petals of flowers and hot desert is mentioned in that scene however in the drama only few petals and xy meets her mother in the house 😂😂You can see which one capital favors
@@naoxilee4552 I do agree with the episode restriction thing, if they had more it might have done justice to all. But if the FL could fight for one scene why not fight for the arc, she is the definitive female lead. and as for Xiang Liu being the fav, they cut some of his iconic scenes and he is the special guest star, always introduced last so I dont know. Still no once can deny his performance though. I think the main culprits here are the technical department and scriptwriters how they deviated from the novel. Hope they learn from their mistakes and not spoil a good drama with good cast.
@@faizaquraishi4084 exactly cuz the drama was promoted as a 'female centric' drama and the fact that the FL need to fight for her own scenes is absurd.. If it's a male centric one im sure the treatment is different Its giving 'favoritsm' from the writers and even the idk the investor i guess.. It is adapted from the novel and the story is there Idk whats wrong with Tong Hua that she allows the mess to happen As a novel reader im absolutely disappointed
@@naoxilee4552 This favoritism is a Weibo conspiracy that had pooled over into international platforms from haters who can't accept that JCT had the power to hold a show in a minor role. XL marketing came out of JCT and his studios own pockets and the fanclub worked stragically to promote his character. JCT earned his reputation and success, 10 years in the making. From a professional understanding how filmmaking is done, XL character had always been one of those characters that if you don't do it right, the whole drama falls apart. He is like Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, they encompass a small part of the story, but thier role is essential to the world building. It's in the best interest of the producers to prioritize within a budget. The changes to the second half has more to do with unwritten censorship than anything. All the characters have to be moral and there must be an opening ending or a happy ending. With these contraints, the second half just failed miserably.
@@faizaquraishi4084 How can they argue there are episodes restrictions when the "second" season is 23 episodes? They could have added another 17 if they wanted to, to cover all the important character development, if that was what they'd wanted.
The best character in the program was Xiang Liu/Fang Feng Bei and in the end was the one who was "lost forever." He was a true anti-hero. Xiang Liu was the only lead who depicted some natural masculine sexuality and was truly willing to sacrifice himself for the female lead. Tan Jianci was phenomena in this production. Part one was enticing, and I looked forward to part two. The story became a nonsensical narrative in part two, turning the heroine Xiao Yao/Wen Xiao Liu, played by Yang Zi, into a hot mess. I get it that she lived through a lot of tragedy, but in life when you face tragedy you can only chooses to be a victim or a survivor. The writers took a strong female lead and, in the end, gave her a victim mentality. AvenueX, I enjoy your reviews and was greatly appreciative of your presentation when you visited China and showed us the sets and filming locations. ❤
Agreed. I too enjoyed Avenue X touring through the movie studio. As a person who has been to all of Universal Studios parks I would love to tour the Chinese studio as well. Take care🌸💃🏽
Well, u r not wrong, but my question is do this suppose serious drama script to go to this star in the first place, or veteran get to have them, and they have to do with what they are offered at the end of the day which r idol dramas
I agree with you. There are many young actors that have refined their outer appearances (like almost every other older actor out there who are now in their late 30-40/50s) that are brilliant in performing and are able to choose amazing stories. As much as they aren’t among the most brilliant just because of their popularity, they aren’t doomed to be bad because of their age or appearance. Everyone went through a process to look the way they do now, but it’s the industrial training they went through that assures what value they bring to the table.
I’m also thinking the same thing.. but there must be reasons for why the quality of ss2 didn’t live up to the expectations after ss1. Many industrial reasons. With such top resources and actors, and followed by a large audience, producers went for what majority wanted to see in an idol drama, and with the novel’s limitations, they could really only accentuate the romance aspect of this story
I watched season 1 hating everyone except tan jianci (I have never liked yangzi and her pop eyed portrayals of stupid girls). I skipped season two...zero interest. I also am older and have no patience with bad dramas, badly written stories, crappy directing and camera work, ugly costuming, and so on. My time is valuable...I must have an emotional connection to one or more characters or it doesn't work. I thought this was a terrible drama and I much appreciate your review!
I would say, watch season2 but FF through everything but when XL is on screen. Please watch him. He alone does a great job in season two. Such good acting. And his styling is so awesome.
Before I watch the review itself, a) you look beautiful! And b) I genuinely enjoyed both the seasons, more s1, but I cannot lie, I really did enjoy watching s2 too!! 😊 After the review, I agree with all of your points and usually all of them bug me and I don’t continue, but somehow a combination of lot of things worked for me, I’d never seen any of these actors before so I didn’t mind the typecast, their acting was good enough, I didn’t read the novel, so I didn’t have pre conceived wants, and this series really just came to me at a time I didn’t have much to watch, so I just enjoyed the costumes, settings, cinematography, acting and ofc the OSTs 😊
I also agree some point of views of her. But for the actors' acting skills, I just feel they are good enough and act very well. They show their emotions enough for their each characters. Just the storyline is normal but at the same time, I feel not really normal as well.
I am a big fan of the drama. I was looking forward to see the continuation (the so called S2) as soon as they stopped S1 last year. I was unhappy with the fact that they been waiting for 1 year to release the rest of it, it was unnecessary long. I agree with most of the things you mentioned in your rant. My only favourite character in the drama is XiangLiu as he stays consistent through the drama. I prepared my heart for his passing since S1 when I found out he will not have a happy ending. XiaoYao character indeed distances herself a lot from the version we see at the beginning as the story progresses. She becomes more sentimental, she dwells a lot into the past, she dreams about love all day long and only cares about boys. She turns into an angsty teenager with troubles in love. And I dont see any real progress in treating her trauma and making peace with the past. And her "love story" with Tushan is more like a teenage love. He treats her like a close friend more than a women he loves. They have a fling, kiss once and hold hands. Like how can I believe in this relationship? And she has better and deeper conversations and more genuine even with XiangLiu compared with TSJ. And Tushan has no back-bone as a man and neither as normal person in general (who would forgive his brother after all he been through and not mention it to anyone? Or after he finds out what his wife done to him he didn't even got involved in the decision about how to punish her.) He indeed has a extreme motherly vibe and is no wonder the FL has a better chance in life even with the " 3+1". 😂 And DengWei is a poor actor and has a lot to improve, his fanbase only rides on his looks. CangXuan actor is good, but his character is obsessed (not in love) with XY. His obsession is unhealthy and toxic and I couldn't ship them knowing their are cousins and even if they weren't. Their relationship is more similar to a brother and sister. Even if CangXuan doesn't act just like a "brother" in many occasions showing his clinginess. And later on as he becomes a King, he should have been so busy attending all the state matters + the countless concubines that he wouldn't have had time to chase XY skirt all day on the top of the mountain. And the war arch, was almost ridiculous. Why even starting a war if a simple talk over tea could have solver things so easily? 😂 The drama has parts I loved also and was still enjoyable. Most of the costume C-dramas are a bit ridiculous like this. Indeed I had higher hopes about this drama given the good start it had.
Tom Cruise is short but the directors know how to compensate. Not so in Chinese media, as a result they hire all these tall male actors with short female actresses. It is most awkward.
This is what I was thinking. If you have a short male lead, wouldn't you just find other actors and actresses who are also not tall? If what we need is a "her head fits under his chin," it's not impossible to find actresses to meet the criteria if you're starting with a short king. It makes me sad, because while height has a lot of benefits -- especially to costuming and wide shots -- it's totally possible to make any actor appear taller, which is how people like Tom Cruise aren't lacking for roles.
Back in 80's, Andy Lau and Tony Leung were under 1m75 and there were pairing with actress their size or slightly shorter. Still, they were great. Of course, they made a choice and I didn't see Tony L in HK drama anymore. Andy L became one of the heaven king but he still got great movies. I wish the best for Tan Jianci, I love that I've got to really discover him thanks to LYF.
Thank you for your review, Avenuex, I also felt that something was wrong with the characters writing, especially Xiao Yao. As a woman, if I've lived 1% of what she have been through before returning to be a princess, I would be so much more independent. Actually, what she did to help her gege back to their grandpa was still ok. But the 15 years waiting for Jing... And always doing everything in regards of her gege... That was so tiring.
Omg you nailed it. I liked season 1 and something felt really off about season 2. I watched a season 1 recap and I was so much more interested in their dynamic in Clearwater Town than the current timeline. I was thinking it’s almost like female lead’s whole persona changed
S2 was so disappointing compared to S1 which is my favourite costume c-drama by far. They added unnecessary plot-twists, e.g. the one with the tea, they built up so much angst around Cang Xuan's character, only to not even commit to making him a villain ultimately. The only plus I would say for the 2nd season was Zhang Wanyi's acting. He did great! Yang Zi and Tan Jianci were phenomenal as always. Deng Wei, was well Deng Wei. His perpetually constipated expression the entire two seasons contributed to me not liking Tushan Jing as much as I did with the other two leads. Huge props to the cinematography and soundtracks because they really were the saving grace of this drama. I don't agree with the point of the fl going from being independent to a damsel because she was practicing poison and medicine throughout the drama. And if it's referring to her being weak then that's explained it's due to her ling li (magic power) being low, which I think is completely fine, because not all fls need to be overpowered. Xiao Yao's superpowers were her poison skills and her blood. Finally I would say, that as much as it upset me, Xiang Liu's end was the most fitting one for him after all that foreshadowing. But the most heartbreaking part is that Xiao Yao will never find out about everything he has done for her, which also makes sense in the bigger picture, because if she did then it would be impossible for her to be happy with Jing. One thing that I hated they deviated from the novel was that Xiao Yao loved all of them and not just Jing. In the drama, they tried to portray Xiang Liu's love as unrequited and transactional when in the novel, it's implied that he was her soulmate. In the novel, Cang Xuan asks her whether she would pick him if he hadn't pushed her towards Tushan Jing and she replied that she spend hundreds of years on Mount Jade waiting for him, not Tushan Jing. There was no Tushan Jing. Which basically implied that she would have considered him romantically as well and not platonically had there been no Jing and if he wasn't the emperor. But in the drama she acts so surprised when CX finally confesses his feelings for her and tries to make everything platonic from her end when it wasn't.
Xiang liu was the king of sea monster. Had nothing to do with xuan, hauling .. ys he has a debt to pay,but what was the reason behind his battle? 4 what were they fighting? There was no reason. Ppl just don't live to die. Soldiers are also human. What will they achieve even if they win.. nothing. Their own ppl are against them.
Сяо Яо как слепой крот. Она ничего не видит и к сожалению н чего не хочет слышать. Или она действительно глупа или играет дурочку. Как можно было не увидеть чувства парней? Как можно было не увидеть чувства брата. Чувства и заботу Сянлю? Она не в состоянии анализировать. Это описано в романе и показано в дораме. Сяояо по настоящему любит лишь себя и себя в комфортных отношениях. Она придумала мир,где ее не бросит мужчина. Он будет занят 24/7 только ею.И лис очень хорошо подошёл на эту должность. Вы представьте в этой роли Сянлю. Я бы сказала ,что он стал тряпкой. Растворился в своей женщине.
I haven't read the novel, but I am curious as to this sentiment of Xiang Liu being Xiao Yao's soulmate, and I do not want to read the novel, so your help is appreciated. How is it implied that Xiang Liu is Xiao Yao's soulmate? Can you provide the supporting details, such as excerpts from the novel? I won't mind chapter references that I can go find for myself. But I am really puzzled about this whole soulmate thing as the drama gave zero indication to believe this.
@@Naijagyal01я бы сказала так...Родственная душа не Сяояо,а ее мужская версия Вэнь Сяолю. Именно в этом варианте . Сяолю был смелым,искренним,и по духу похожим на змея. То,что пережил и рассказывал Сяолю было схожим с тем,что пережил сам Сянлю. А потом уже все это переросло в любовь. Сяо Яо же это уже совсем другой человек. Капризная женщина,которая так и осталась маленькой девочкой. Если бы Сян Лю встретил не Сяолю,а Сяояо впервые,то я не думаю,что она привлекла бы его внимание.Я читала новеллу и с каждой главой убеждалась,что она никого кроме себя по настоящему не любила. Но вам я все же рекомендую прочитать новеллу. Вы не пожалеете о потраченном времени. Она в миллион раз интереснее и динамичнее сериала. В сериале и 50 % нет того,что было между героями в книге. Упущено очень многое, многое показано не так как оно в книге. Характеры и поступки отличаются
First time seeing a review by you. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for your honest review. I watched most of the first season and was already feeling a little disappointed. Hadn’t started the second season and you confirmed my thoughts. Thank you. Will look forward to future reviews
I agree with you in everything you said, especially Dung Wei's boring acting, his ridiculous role, and the provocative heroine, but I do not agree with you regarding Zhang Wanyi's acting. His acting was very good. I did not watch the series. I only watch clips of Zhang Wnyi.
Yes, Zhang Wan Yi acting is the best in this drama. It is objective evaluation. Not bias. 9.19 : In your opinion, maybe he's acting funny because the script is like that.
The first half did a great job setting up the world and characters and second half butchered it. I agree with a your points even including your worries about Tan Jianci career trajectory. I do hope he does a mixture of non idol roles ... there's not alot of money in indie filmmaking, but you get to learn and experiment with story telling. I hope he can be a game changer in the way c-entertainment considers talent and market value. There were two directors and I am not sure who did what...but that could have been an issue that caused the inconsistency. The screenplay also had several writers which include the author herself.
I dropped at Season 1 right after Xiao Yao went back to her kingdom and got back her royal status. The scene where she saw her mom lookalike and finally admits who she is was very touching and that was very good performance. But everything else after that just going down the drain. And I dropped the drama soon after that. Looks like I didnt miss out anything 😝
Because of the “type” of actor like TanJianci the drama has been so successful, fortunately the director does not think like you.. ( tall enough or fancy idol etc etc)..
6 episodes. 👏👏👏 I read the novel translation before, i know about the leaking script rumor, i patiently wait for a year and try to watch season 2. In the end, i could only handle 4 first episodes. Later, i fast forward it and only enjoy XiangLiu parts. Maybe i hope too much. Hehehe...
When S1 ended, I couldn't wait for S2 to air so I searched online and I found it's book version. The one I read was very interesting. So it made me look forward to it's airing. Though YZ is one of the C actresses I like, honestly S2 wasn't as exciting as the first season
I have to agree with this perspective. I enjoyed watching Season 1, although there were some boring parts. However, Season 2 felt like a completely different show to me. It was so disappointing that it made me question whether I actually enjoyed Season 1 in the first place.
I can't disagree with anything you said but... I was very entertained by Lost You Forever S1 and S2. Loved them. Re-watched S1 and S2 again already. I am so used to CN drama not meeting reality that it doesn't bother me. I just want to be entertained and it hit the mark. I was entertained.
Exactly . It's like she's having same crying scenes in all her dramas like ashes of love, immortal samsara and lyf. I loved her acting in LYF 1 until she was disguised as a guy . After that didn't like him very much
the weird thing is my fav male character in this drama is Ru Shuo, aside from Xiang Liu ofc.... lol He is so witty on the boundary of silly. But turn out he is a talented character too. His role is not much but leave a deep impression on me.
Second season was horrible. The editing was weird. There were missing scenes that confused me when the characters started talking about it and scenes that were extra long and draggy or unnecessary. Makes me wonder what and who we're supposed to be watching. Felt the one explosive scene was cheapened too and cheated.
YES! I thought the same! It was so choppy and abrupt at SO MANY scenes, it was as if integral parts of what was filmed were summarily cast out for the sake of god knows what for. Cheapened is such an appropriate term to accurately label this season, like oh my god, reading and understanding how the novel really is and comparing it to this season... SHEER DISRESPECT. Season one did an okay job at representing the literature, while on the flipside, season two felt like leftover stale sauce. I'm honestly mad af.
The drama somewhat follows the novel. Since the writer was involved, it was unlikely that it would divert from the novel, so no matter how flawed the character was, it’s because the character was written as such. I disagree 😂, the spare tire was Tu Shan Jing… that’s the vibe I got from the 2nd part. It’s not so obvious until the 2nd part.
You are my favorite Cdrama reviewer( I don't even watch others😂). You're so right and for me I watched it till the end 1. bcz I started it last year and I didn't want to stop half way since I started, I had to finish it 2. Bcz of Xiang Liu, okay I am a TanJian Ci fan but he was the only one who acted decently for me to look up for the drama 😅. But overall the drama was kinda disappointing😂
I agree with you on Tan Jianci that "he is the lover", yes I didn't get any lover feeling from other characters but Him. Jing is not a weak character but he does have a "nice guy" energy. I mean it is 100% ok to have a "cotton ball😂" cute mother energy boyfriend like that but in this drama, Xiang liu showed his selfless love.
Over all, I enjoyed this series. That said, I have become very good at managing to just go with the flow when characters start to do things out of character. I confess there were many moments where my rational brain had to be locked in a cupboard while I enjoyed the eye candy, stuck my fingers in my ears and sang, "La, la, la, la" very loudly.
Excellent review -- I haven't seen the second season of this drama because I wasn't able to finish the first part for several of the reasons you mentioned. What really stopped me from enjoying it was that I didn't understand any character's motivation for doing any of the things they did. Cang Xuan, for instance: why did he want to be emperor?? He would have been better off as wine merchant, at least the character seemed to enjoy that.
Supposedly, he wanted to be emperor because he thinks that that’s the only way he can protect those he loves - cause his dad died in battle or smt and as a young child when saw his mother and grandma crying over his dad’s death he thinks that the only way he can prevent such things from happening again is by being emperor and uniting all the lands.
He wants to be an emperor because he wants to protect Xiao Yao. He knew that she's not the biological daughter of the king of Haoling, but the daughter of devil general, Chi Chen. To save her reputation, he needs power from the throne as a shield
You’re totally right about xiaoyao character even I was frustrated with her character in the novel… I even asked what’s so good about her that makes all men like her??? There is nothing… her blood is special but so what? She has no special powers or anything special enough to explain why so many ppl like her beside her ordinariness. And her crying scene are similar in every drama many ppl argued that she is so good at crying esp yelling with anguish but I said it’s the same for every drama even u realized and said it too she cried like that in every dramas so no surprising or worth any praises because I no longer felt it when she perform the same in every dramas. Even some hair are similar lol if ur a first timer seeing her this drama then maybe u felt like she cried so emotional which I don’t doubt it but when u watch too many dramas of hers and realized she cried the same it’s too repetitive u no longer feel anything but just watch her mouth twitch and make weird expression Enough about her crying and acting she def did her best in acting this novel out. I said it too flirting with your cousin or brother so many times and still does not know he liked her is unbelievable just saying… like how can u not know someone likes u when it’s there! She does not deserve XL anyways I’m glad he died or perhaps make ppl believe he is dead. At least she ended up with another character that want ordinary life with her. He is ordinary nothing special much about his clan beside business wise they rich. They yearned for ordinary lives and they got it. cangxuan wanted the world he got it just not her.
I understood that this drama was scripted after a well know book. ? If the script hasn't followed the book...the problem would be with the writers and directors and most certainly the producers of the video....not to mention who ever it is who decides how many episodes are going to be allowed air time and what is going to be cut. It seems almost on purpose that the continuity or flow the the second season didn't hold up to Season One. Who decided to treat this effort so incompetently ? And Why? The quality of acting was superior. The story line good enough to encourage thoughtful thinking for those who are awake enough to use entertainment as a learning tool. My Thanks to the cast and crew for their efforts !
I was waiting for your review and roasting, and you didn't disappointed me 😂. I manage to watch s1 and s2. S1 is good but some part is boring bc dengwei didnt do well as Jing (this is fact). While Yangzi and Tanjianci did great, carrying s1. As for s2, i thought Wangyi did a great job despite the story. But indeed S2, is so lack of depth and is looking for safety net, trying hard to satisfy all. It has so much potential to be an amazing drama. I also thought Yangzi should learn how to express sadness. Should not cried the same way in her every character. In S2, she cried a lot, until i just can't feel anything about it. About tanjianci, doing idol drama, i think its ok. Bc i had a very hard time watching serious drama as the three kingdom and advisor alliance. Yes he is great in it, but those dramas are not my cup of tea. He did so good as xiangliu and deserves loves and acknowledgements from public, which he will never get from super serious historical drama. But i wish TJC will get good drama and chose well. I watched trailer of "filter" and i don't know why he chose that drama.😅
Filter is supposed to be comedy and the biggest selling factor for that drama right now is its “silliness” or “madness”. There is a market right now for dramas/movies that are deliberately ‘silly’ to reflect the mentality of young adults nowadays in China that are driven to ‘madness’ by stress and/or overwork - such dramas/movies also allow them to laugh and relax. And also filter’s script is written by Tong Hua (original script - not adapted from a book). Tong Hua was so pleased by TJC’s performance as Xiang Liu that she wanted to work with him again - just like how the original scriptwriter of Under The Skin wants to work with TJC again also on a different drama.
@@Alasterius41 yeah i know but have u seen the trailer? With his status at this moment (Alist star), that is such a poor choice of tonghuo's work. His next works are already comedy and idol type of drama. Just a waste of his potential
@@Novi-nh7oq I liked the trailer. I think it does quite a good job of setting the tone for the drama. Also the character he plays in ‘Filter’ has a very very different personality from the characters that he plays in this other upcoming dramas - seems to be a very uptight, kinda-awkward personality-type of character which is not a character type he’s played before. It’s also supposed to be SciFi-comedy I think, and I am curious about how they will incorporate the SciFi part (his other upcoming comedic dramas for sure doesn’t have sci-fi elements). However, I do have to admit that given how LYF season 2 turned out to be badly written, it does give me some trepidation about Filter since it’s written by Tong Hua also. But the drama hasn’t aired yet and I’d like to give TJC the benefit of the doubt because he has promised us that he will try his best to deliver every time, and has so far not proven himself wrong
I thought they had to split it becos new rules states that each drama must no go over 40 eps and to circumvent the loop hole of releasing s2 right after, u must only release s2 a year later.
There are 2 ways of doing this: write a clever, precise script with clear direction and intentions, or lengthen it out to maximise the money. They went for the second. The fact that we have a rule (can’t be longer than 40eps, or must split into 2 parts) is to encourage good script writing. But they chose the 2nd. If you are new to cdrama, know this, YZ’s drama will always be as long as possible. AOL was a small short novel with less than 100pages, and they managed to make 63eps out of it 🙄😒 this drama is no exception, they wanted to maximise profit, clear and simple.
I enjoyed season 1 because XiaoYao was a smart, independent, strong female lead and loved by all the men. She is not perfect. None of the characters are perfect. But I couldn’t watch season 2 because she became this weak princess who cannot live with a man. I don’t understand why she has to marry and if she has to strengthen her cousin, then marry for that reason and just be manipulated and waiting for men to convince you it’s the wrong decision.
I loved season 1...then I watched just one episode of season 2 and I knew right away that something was off....it didn't keep my attention...I was bored 😐.....I removed from watch list with intention of watching later by just scanning through each episode and then watch finale....now I won't even bother...glad I didn't waste my time...1st season made this promising...oh well.😊
When my wife and I started to watch 1st season of this drama we dropped it on about 11 episode and both agreed that we do not like it. We could not clearly explain why, but overtime we got that most of the characters are not well written. My wife watched a couple of episodes for 2024 season and also dropped saying that it is not her cup of tea even she likes period costume drama genre. When watched your review we both agreed with it. You put our thoughts in clear words! Thank you so much!
Man, this is why I still enjoy watching your videos. You encapsulate so very perfectly everything that I also think is wrong with Chinese dramaland these days. But in particular, your point about aging out of the storytelling - in my opinion, I think Cdramaland has completely failed to evolve its storytelling. It's the same nonsensical crap over and over again, repackaged with slightly different faces and names. I have yet to see a new drama that tells a smart story that makes sense, that forces characters to behave logically and most importantly, face the consequences of their actions. I've dropped cdramas altogether for kdramaland which continues to impress me with the industry self-awareness.
Totally agree with AveX's thoughts on Tan Jianci. I really liked him in Advisors Alliance. I wish he would continue to dip into the meatier roles. He could become a really good actor.
I do think he is trying though… his next few upcoming dramas are heading more towards the ‘comedic’ genre (excepting Under the Skin 2 of course). There was a time when he started to actively reject ‘historical drama’ roles because he feels like he is being typecasted too much into such roles, but now he has openly expressed his desire in picking up those roles again or roles that involve more political intrigue - and the thing is, scriptwriters are still interested in casting him in such roles - the original scriptwriter for Under the Skin for example, has discussed this with him. So I think he will shift tracks again, and it’s not too late for him to to do so.
Actually at the fandom’s party for Under the Skin S2, Tan Jianci mentioned that there will be S3. It seems like he found his path in acting. I believe he is capable in anything he put his mind into it. However, it looks like his first love in dancing and singing will be his priority in the next few months.
I never thought a drama which was basically adapted from a popular novel could be so bad...I mean they already had the full story in front of them yet they couldn't do justice to anything. One of the worst dramas of this year. Special mention for its awful costumes. 🎉
@@securie1234 what do you expect from capital.. The whole drama is a mess I thought the drama had lots of budget but it is so disappointing from the CGI, filter and everything.. Cdrama should stop using the white filter It sucks
Yang Zi is a good actress! She portrayed what the director wants her to portray. The chopping up of the scenes destroyed the whole storyline! Blame it to the ones who cut the scenes not the casts!!!
As always you hit the nail in the head. I really appreciate you saying all of the things you said about this drama in this video. because I want someone else other than me screaming with me about how ridiculous this drama is then how man crazy the end of this drama had become. I mean common it's ridiculous. 😂😂😂😂😂
Well I strongly agree with your opinion about this drama and especially Female lead Xiaoyao. I quit watching after up-to 11 episodes. I couldn’t bear to force myself for watching the nonsense anymore. Xiaoyao is my least favourite character so far in this whole story. I also have this question how could Xiaoyao be so unaware of the feelings of two main men ( her cousin Cang Xuan and XiangLiu) when they openly expressed. Well in the end, I’ll have another question what does the drama title suggest I mean who lost whom ??
I enjoyed the first season and was excited about this one, but it was draggy. Helped that I was sick in bed all day yesterday and had nothing better to do that finish this drama. I never truly shipped her with any of the leads. I felt bad for CX loving her so much but he also could have chosen a different path. And all of his poor consorts (its implied he never even visits them) living as grass widows. Honestly the best one for her, the one with the least about of baggage was ML #4. This drama started so well…and then just went down hill from that with the exception of really good scenes.
Also, can i complain about the sudden death of Fenglong? How on earth he got a sudden arrow shot from Xiang Liu who came out of nowhere from the sky? I didn't even have the opportunity to cry on that scene cuz i was busy thinking about the logic. And how Tushan Jing suddenly appeared in front of Xiaoyao after disappeared for a long time & causing lots of other problems? At least those particular moments should get executed better to show the emotional impact
I was watching a video about how in a story the character should drive the plot not the other way around, since plot driven stories would not sell at all since you mostly cannot connect to the protagonist and sympathize with them. This drama seems an example of a plot driven story.
Yeah they took so much time in the Qingshui city, but if you're patient enough to keep watching it, there will be something else finally starting to happen
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Omg thank you!!! When she turned into a princess its like her brain fell out of her head and just spent the whole series playing love games. I started skipping scenes before episode 20 and i usually try to watch fully for 25 episodes
I love that you said it was like her brain fell out of her head, hahaha. Yes it was like that. She seems to forget about how she was an independent person who was a doctor, had friends and got along fine.
😂😂😂😂 Exactly she became ignorant little princess who was grew up sheltered her whole life. And the way she would call gaga all day just made me 🤮
I just hate the height obsession with chinese people for actors. I mean, Tan jianci is enough tall to me. It is a stupid & ridiculous reason for not giving him more idol dramas or roles like the devil from "love between fairy & devil". I mean they do have toxic beauty standards. Acting matters the most. He is better than many Ai generated "good looking" actors who just can't act.
Totalmente de acuerdo contigo sobretodo en la parte de actores IA como Dylan Wang precisamente
@@you_ok186 well WeTV channel made a poll of who was the favorite male lead and Xiangliu won by a landslide (70%) so I hope that gives them enough proof how much the audience adores Tan Jianci.
@@MissRainaRosewow that's impressive
Im new to cdramas. When I started to watch this, after ep 1 I wasn't sure, but once I saw Tan Jianci, I became interested in his character. I thought his acting was great, to the point, I looked into and started watching his other works, which I really enjoyed. The height issue is garbage, because, many a tall actor can't act. I will continue to support his works and wish him all the best in the future. 🎉❤
The XiaoYao in the Novel is very different from the XiaoYao in the drama.
The Xiaoyao in the novel is hard to thr point of being brutal. She ALWAYS choose herself above all others. Her every decision is based on her best interest. The "men" in her life are her choices, who among them will be the best for her, who will be there to serve her best interest.
The drama XiaoYao is confused. 😅
i thought the novel was more so her almost living out her mothers story and i thought the story was going that same direction until season 2 lol but you are right, they are way different then each other.
I guess the Cdramaland audience won't like a brutal FL. It's my understanding the cultural expectations are different for a heroine to be lovable. In the end she still should show cuteness, naivity, to be "accepted" by the viewers.
Sim egoista e escolheu o pior, mas por ser controlado e fazer o que ela quer enquanto XL foi o mas honesto com ela e com personalidade no qual ela nao conseguiu dominar
@@luciaguiar5472 facts!
The most disappointing part was when Xiaoyao did nothing to save Xiangliu, despite knowing the war was happening and despite all her resourcefulness. She cried a little for him and then went on her honeymoon with Jing like he was just a passerby in her life. Wtf.
Evidently she was totally distraught over his death in the novel.
@@cynthiaarnold1371 Yes, they also spent a night together, but sex wasn't implied but great intimacy was. I have to read it.
@@PsiChoCybia so she cheated on tang tai jin? before she met him again?
@@pranathibatti4915 this is when Jing is married. When FFB is injured and comes to her wearing a mask, he stays with her in her bed for longer than just that 1 night in the novel. They have many more times together in the novel. In the drama she offers herself to FFB/Xiang Liu many times, but he never takes the bait. He always knew since he was rescued from the fighting pits, that he would be dying with his men. He also knew the fate of Xiao Yao's parents, it's the most famous tale, they fought each other to the death because their blood families were on different sides. Xiang Liu says himself ''better to forget each other, than fight to the death''.
So he does everything in his power to cut his ties with Xiao Yao, so that she can have a happy ever after once he's gone. Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu will fail each other, but not their people, just like her parents failed each other, failed her, but never their peoples.
@@PsiChoCybiaexcellent
I agree with this review. There are four main issues for me. 1) The script being quite inconsistent, they hook us with this super smart and resourceful FL only to string us along as she becomes this powerless princess who'se fate revolves around men. The way they dealt with war was INFURIATING. The Haoling war for instance, making a mockery of it with all this surrendering and pretending its a "gentle" war with as little casualties as possible. This is pure propaganda, and in the times we are living, with so many wars going in, it is just disgusting to promote that kind of narrative about war. There are no "gentle" war, war is always devastating. 2) This should have been one season, the second season did not bring much, just drawing out things. 3) The characters whether in season 1 or 2 lack depth, they are one dimensional archetypes for the ML, or inconsistent for the FL, which makes it hard to relate it, unless you're a brainless fandom of one particular actor. 4) They did not have the guts to make it a real reverse harem story, which is what it is supposed to be. Hence the FL being clueless and active as a naive child half the time. It is a bit ridiculous. It makes perfect logical sense she chose the one she chose, but they really cheapened her experience with the other guys, instead of treating all with the necessary depth. I don't understand the fandoms thing fighting about MLs, this is reverse harem, she loves all of them, there is no "ultimate" winner.
can't agree more
First mistake that the director did was to put 3 male leads opposite 1 female lead which is ridiculous and it absolutely does not justify the characters and the story of the second season is disappointing to the viewers because the storyline doesn't have any consistency in it. I totally don't understand what is the purpose of such story which does not tell the real intention of creating the characters. Of course the actors in this drama have given their best and acted according to the director's instructions but it is not that pleasing as compared to the first season which is far better then 2nd season.
@@almondjoy8354If you don’t want to watch a drama with three MLs, then don’t? There is a public for this, it’s just not you.
@@almondjoy8354eu amei o personagem XL, ele ofuscou todo resto.
I agree with your everything except the brainless fandom part. I do think some people are going too extreme but fandoms here are not brainless( it is kind of rude & disrespectful to say someone brainless just because you find their opinion irritating or bad). The problem is with the writer of this drama not with the fandom actually. I myself liked Xiang Liu's character over Jing as he had more depth. But this is the fault of the director, writer not the actor themselves. The Jing fandom can be irritating but they are not wrong about the lack of Jing's development.
[Just my honest opinion, I didn't mean to offend anyone. But people should be more respectful on internet]
I hope people criticize more & more this drama season 2 for being so lame. I have depression & Xiang liu's death+Xiao Yao's emotionless neglect on him made me cry on nights for some days. Xiang liu really died for Xiao yao, it was so painful & irritating to watch. It is fine for Xiao Yao not to love Xiang liu or anyone BUT she is so ungrateful & manipulative.
As she doesn't love Xiang liu, why is she constantly taking help from him? If Xiang liu had not saved Tushang Jing, he would have been dead. Xiao yao would not have happy ending. If she was a modern day character, she would be called narcissistic by some people. If we change the gender here, many people will call this drama misogynistic on women. If xiang liu were a woman, none would like that sufferings. I am amazed by Tan Jianci's performance on Xiang liu. I always love dramas that depicts unconditional & deep love from men for their women. But this drama insulted the concept of true love. Xiao Yao DOES NOT DESERVE ANY TRUE LOVE.
I love the character of Xiang Liu it make me felt sad he died on this drama
@@you_ok186 I agree with the first part of your comment but the second one I’ll have to respectfully disagree. It’s complicated. A lot of time passed (many years) between the time Xiangliu decided to put his plan into action of making her hate him and stay away from him starting right after he “killed off” Fang Feng Bei and hurt her physically/emotionally by acting cold/distant and using the gu to hurt her heart/chest physically. He also purposely acted like she was just a pawn during their last encounter several years later as well (the scene where he made her bleed herself out until she collapsed). So you can’t blame her from distancing herself from his extremely toxic behavior (and I say this fully knowing Xiangliu is my favorite character by far). Afterall, Xiaoyao is completely unaware of how much he sacrificed for her and Jing, since his plan all along was to set her up good for life and then go die in the war. She was clueless to it and thus all she can react to was what she did know about. Although I still think the drama script was so bad in making her not do ANYTHING at all to save Xiangliu, such as pleading with Cangxuan to not kill Xiangliu (completely going against how tenacious and smart she is), as well as her crying a few tears for Xiangliu at the end and then go on her honeymoon with Jing right after like not much happened, which was so out of character for her. That was the fault of the script.
@@MissRainaRosein the book she pleaded with Cang Xuan on Xiang liu's behalf, it's just that Xiang liu himself had prepared to die for a long time
I am a fan of Tan Jianci and I completely agree with your opinion about LYF, that is completely how I feel about this drama.
Speaking more about Tan Jianci, I don't think choosing LYF (and 1 or 2 other idol dramas before LYF) is bad, or in other words, I think choosing the traffic route is the most suitable choice that Tan Jianci can make.
With the identity of an idol transformed into an actor, plus his appearance is considered too "pretty" or too "idol", no matter how good his acting is, it is really difficult to reach some good roles and scripts without traffic. This is the rule of the industry, so just go with it, with traffic, there is at least a 50% chance of meeting a good script, it is still much better than not being famous and having no scripts to choose from.
Since I don't like watching idol dramas and also feel annoyed by the chaos in the fan circle, I also feel a little sorry that he chose to go the traffic route, but I'm much happier for him because he is known by many people like now, with traffic, he is recognized by many people, both his acting and performance skills are recognized.
And I think you can still look forward to Tan Jianci's future works because his point of view is to play a variety of roles and scripts, for example, before LYF aired, he chose Go East, a drama that is not purely an idol drama, and now, when there are many opportunities, he is still considering carefully and aiming for more mainstream scripts.
In the end, our fandom will not deny that TJC is traffic so you don't need to worry haha
Agreed. Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo seem to be navigating the industry pretty darn good by selecting projects that benefit everyone involved. Tan needs to choose more projects such as Under The Skin in the future. His part was played well in UTS. He’s a terrific actor, who by the way, made his part in LYF extremely sexy. I loved it! I’m looking forward to Under The Skin S2. Let’s hope it’s as good or even better than the first season. Take care and let’s pray that Tan gets outstanding scripts in the future. 🌸💃🏽
@@bellabermudasTook the words out of my mouth. Many traffic idols had made the transition to serious roles and continue to grow. JC is a phonomenal business and marketing man, his studio under his direction has ready proven that he can carry a show through his own efforts without CP and platform assistance. Brands will see it, Producers will see it and in the end it will come full circle.
O T.J foi o melhor da serie, O personagem XL foi pura emoçao.❤
@@bellabermudasele foi o melhor da serie❤
@@plor3573 hi! What does CP mean in this Context
Lost me forever at S1 ep30 plus... more so when i know what happen to Xiang Liu, i don't even want to continue watching the drama
I really enjoyed season1 but deeply disappointed in season 2. Second season rushes through the storyline, deviating significantly from the main plot and altering some of the best parts of the book. They compress and oversimplify key events. The nuanced and carefully developed plot points in the novel are either glossed over or entirely omitted.
These deviations not only disrupt the narrative flow but also undermine the integrity of the characters' arcs.
And I totally agree with you about Xiaoyao's character. After reverting to a princess, her entire personality changed. She was no longer the smart, witty, resourceful individual who survived the most dangerous situations. Instead, she became a constant crybaby and attention seeker, doing nothing but testing how much people were willing to sacrifice for her
Can someone tell me how many chapters season 1 covered? If season 2 is bad I'd much prefer reading rest of the novel.
@@sg-te9puthe novel doesn't have much chapters anyway. I believe CX becomes king around 20 sth. That chapter has a guy with a crown standing atop a cliff.
I agree while reading the novel I never felt like xiao yao was inconsistent and while the drama kept the important plot point (except the biggest one at the end obvi) they completely glossed over arc or event that happen building up to the big events. while watching season 2 it is particularly bad to the point i'm like what how are we already at this event cause so much things happen in book not included in the drama
I agree, I found S1 compelling, in part because I enjoyed XY so much as a man, supporting herself and making choices about her own life. Even as a woman, she had stimulating relationships with the male leads that held my interest. And there were lots of interesting side characters, like XY's "sister," TJ's evil brother and his lover, and Chishui Feng Long and his sister. But they all faded in S2 and the chemistry XY had with the male characters dried up, because they lost their personalities and weren't terribly interesting. XY became melancholy and isolated and I was envisioning her as a maiden aunt to CX's children. The plot line about CX's conquests wasn't tight or definitive enough. For awhile he seemed to be evolving into a power-hungry psychopath, but that was contradicted by frequent allusions to the good deeds he did for the conquered people. Certain plot points suggested Machiavellian politics ahead, but they only got so far and then deflated. S2 was a disappointing anticlimax.
@@moondawnlabIs the novel worth the read? If so what is its name in Chinese?
That last part hits me hard, suddenly I'm in a realization mode, not that I don't agree with you about the liuliang, but I just think that Tan Jianci deserves to be seen by many others. It's just sad how the ecosystem in cdrama works. Please don't give up on him. Hope you'll always have faith in him because I do, and hope he will stay true to himself until the end. 一定要做自己！
Discussing TanJianci's height quite extensively is sad. I know TJC will never get roles that requires ht above 180 but saying he is limited bcos of his ht. is sad. Among the actors in CXS TJC performed his best and the audience felt that.
I became TJC fan bcos of CXS and to be honest I only watched TJC's scenes in the drama. He performed XL well.
I look forward to TJC's performance as an actor, in whatever drama he is in. His dedication in his craft must bear fruit and it is blooming now. Up until now, TJC's performance as an actor has not failed nor has it declined.
Why does it feels like being an actor in idol dramas a bad thing? Being an idol-drama actor is only bad when your performance in it is mediocre at best. I dont think being an idol-drama actor is necessarily a bad thing. Yes, most of idol dramas have ridiculous plots and are repetitive BUT there are some that are also good. TJC can be a "proper actor" he can also be an idol drama actor, he can also be a singer and a dancer because he excel in all.
TJC promised his fans that everything he puts out will be good, well made and well thought of, so far he has not failed in that promise.
Well, I just love him I guess.
He stole the show from the other actors who looked stiff in comparison
I couldn't agree more. Being a liu liang means nothing to me if the acting is unbearably bad. I've seen TJC in several dramas now and I've enjoyed his acting in each one.
"Polluting collective human consciousness" DAMN that killed me😂
"BUY 3 get 1 Free" LOL I completely agree with everything! S2 was such a struggle to finish.
😂
Xiao Yao was getting on my nerves I agree with you!!!! Everything is about herself . I was shocked by the scene when Nian was in pain thinking about her country and her father and her crisis of trusting ppl Meanwhile Xiao yao was talking about ( please eat with me my father is a demon million years age ) shut upppppp . Xiao Yao reminds me of an old friend I knew years ago who lives to talk about her misery . These kinds of ppl are low key selfish and very toxic
omgad YES! 🙌 Fans who say she isn't got my mind blown....like it's right there! right there....her toxicity.
We see this type of people exist in our society so annoying. Are we women soft candy😂 this type of people won't be able to bear pressure. Adults knows what's going around but when teenager watch this drama and behave like her mindset we adults must teach her. Fl role in this drama is toxic and I won't want my younger sister to imitate like her role.
I agree with all your statements. I finished it only for Tan JianCi. His character was the most touching out of all others. However, even with Xiang Liu, there were some inconsistencies. His enemies called him “genius strategist”. And what he did at the end was totally unnecessary and stupid. I mean, dude could have persuaded the general to dissolve the Chenrong army for some time, plant spies everywhere, bring together all people who don’t agree with CangXuan and then when they had a chance, they could have struck the enemy completely off guard.
What did he do instead?
He just went straight forward and fought against the army, that outnumbered his own troops. Is this a genius idea?
Honestly, by midway of the second half, there really was only three kinds of viewers left, stauch fans of Yangzi, Tan Jinaci and Deng Wei and the mass amount of XL fans (who may or may not be fans of Tan Janci). 🤭
XL had already planned to die that day. In the novel, he could've escaped but he chose not to.
@@worldofedits3641 I thought he should have attacked when Xiyan was at war with Haoling, instead of waiting for that war to finish and be wiped out. Also, they went through, maybe, a hundred or more human years. Why could they expand their Army by then?
We have to view it from his point of view. He didn't want to re-enact the fate of her parents and make XY have to face him as her lover in a big final battle. When he discovers her parents hut, if he wasn't dedicated before- he was then. He knows the chenrong army clash with CX is inevitable and he was as a general going to go down with his men, he chose to alienate XY as to limit the damage it would do to her. He knows how she lived after how her mother and father died, you could say they chose to be selfish for themselves, but for her, XL chose to sacrifice. All that he lived for would be gone - could argue he died in the fighting pits, he lived borrowed time as a general of a defeated state. His truly final push was when he red eyed controlled her mind - she told him she'd marry Jing's beggar identity, but had she not fought the mind control and admitted that she'd have equally spent her lifetime with FFB/XL he may have swayed and taken the kingdom deal. In the end it was a sort of fate and he went willingly. He was ready to die all along, and he was more ready to pass on to also ensure she had her 'happy ever after'. We aren't talking about a man who has everything to lose, but a man who's always known he's lost, not just his men or the girl, but that he lost his 'life' a very long time ago. XY and XL when they met were just meant to be some cold comfort, soulmates in suffering and understanding, but the feelings ran much deeper. It spooked XY and it someone centered XL. Everyone has a reason to get out of bed every morning, and XL had - to him - a perfectly glorious reason to die. His scheming was never about surviving this, but dying at the right time, for the right reasons. He says himself, with his 9 heads he cannot forget anything, no memories fade, he lives with quite a lot.
@@plor3573exactly
@@PsiChoCybia excellent
So sad 😢. Season 1 was really good. It had so much potential to surpass all the other dramas.
"Yeah, but it's still poop," got me rolling 😂😂
These are the things that keep me going back to her
In my head when she said it: each fly hold on to their poops buzzing at each other 🤣 n avenueX: 🤦♀️😭
🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂 goodness she's brutal
I think that there’s no need to put TJC into a ‘box’. Rare is a young Chinese actor nowadays who can do ‘idol’ so well (singing, dancing, stage peformance/presence, etc) and act so well at the same time (used to be more common in the good old days of C-ent), TJC fulfills both roles brilliantly. When he is doing idol stuff: he is 100% top-tier idol-like, and when he is acting: he is a VERY good actor. I believe he can break current stereotypes and dichotomies of “Liu Liang vs Actor” or “Idol Vs Actor”.
great observation. I also agree. ♥️
Im happy to see this comment
I agree with your statement here. Idol in its best form. Truly an idol to look up to, with a wise mindset and utmost worship to his job
He is originally an idol, so it’s hard to remove stereotypes from public, especially when he is not ‘professionally trained’ in acting. Nowadays more C-pop idols are turning into actor/actress, C-pop industry is not doing well and acting seems to be a way to get more public recognition. But some idols just can’t act!!! That’s why there’re stereotypes.
TJC obviously need more good productions, with good directors + scriptwriter to prove himself. Like “Under the Skin” does gain some recognition, I enjoyed watching that. I hope he finds characters that suit him for his future projects. Good acting skills + bad script/production = 💩…..
@@janlxy2705 I think for TJC right now more people know him as an actor than as an idol. He already succeeded in made a bigger name for himself as a good actor, and people are more surprised to know that he can dance and sing so well for an actor.
I feel like I end up hating every drama that Yang Zi is in… she just always picks these insufferable, cutesy/naive and annoyingly oblivious sacrificial-type damsel roles that I just can‘t stand 😢
She obviously loves these roles so ..
Exactly . All the dramas starts her as a navie who doesn't know about Ml's love, consequences of her action, people who actually love her and the problems caused by her. Such characters are so annoying . Avenuex was so accurate when she showed those crying scenes of her dramas together
Her upcoming drama character is not like that (unless they changed her character from the novel, which i hope they didn't)
mostly they're all just one exact same script with different names
I've became a cdrama watcher since pandemia time, and maybe have not seen many, but what you are saying about female roles/characters looks to be a traditional way , staple in dramaland . I remember myself being annoyed greatly until I've realized such thing and finally got used to it. It doesn't matter who is playing FL Yang Zi or any other star , they all went through this collander. It does bother a lot seing girls on screen being naive to the point of stupid, especially when real life is so demanding of our wits.
Ti Jian Ci..dont forget Winter Begonia. That is the role I saw him in first and he was fantastic at it.
The fact that is is a "happy ending" by Tonghua standards but is actually one of the saddest c-drama endings I've ever seen.
I didn't like the main character's change from and independent anti-hero character to a helpless princess.
Your impression of Deng Wei is so funny! I love the cotton ball/mother boyfriend, but you're totally right 🤣
True but how is this bad. I'm with a caring, gentle man like that. There are too few men like that in the world and in Cdramas.
@@moodygirl609 don't misunderstand! I love this kind of boyfriend! I just think Deng Wei's acting is not very good! And AvenueX really nails it with her impression of his little mild-mannered smile.
Yes. Couldn't much connect with his acting . Also the lines given to him didn't much highlight his character. It's like his character was made only to say yes for whatever fl says. He character is known as a very intelligent , resourceful and rich man . They didn't show any scenes which could properly highlight is character.
@@moodygirl609 haven't watched the drama but from the sounds of it I want that kind of man in my life. Universe please send me one
@@funkystyle7249😂😅
Well, that was well done I must say. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised that the drama imploded as do so many dramas from China. The highlight for me in S1 was Tan who was sexy and menacing toward the FL thus capturing my attention. I’m looking forward to Under The Skin S2. I’ve seen him in Secret Of The Three Kingdoms where he was terrific and I’m currently watching The Advisors Alliance. The latter is good. My hope is that he will take a page out of my favorite Chinese actor’s bag Zhang Rouyun who manages to pick interesting projects. Other examples would be Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo who are very popular but are being deliberate in selecting their projects. I haven’t seen the second season of LYF but it’s on my list to watch. Thanks for your review and take care.🌸💃🏽
The main problem with the scriptwriters is that they dont change the script when it is required to but they change it when they dont have to. I agree with you, i cried a lot when i read the novel i couldn't get out of Xiangliu's death and pain for jing because he knew that Xaoyao is never gonna get out of Xl's death. He also had character details too bad they didnt show it in the drama. When i was watching season 2 i was literally laughing the half time or wanted to throw my phone on the wall because of how ridiculous this drama was. At the end when the main scene of Xl's demise came i didnt even feel a pang of pain in my heart i was already out of sympathy, love, pain or any other feelings for this drama and then came the mourning scene which made me laugh again. I mean you didnt even go to take a look at the place he died just 2 or 3 crocodile tears wow. Tbh i felt relieved as the drama ended wasted my time and emotions on something so nonsense.
😂
I know right 😭😭😭 the tradition with idol dramas on the market being about female lead and her endgame male lead resulting in the cutting out of many of xl and zuo er’s scenes 😭😭😭
😂😂😂
I have no objections to raise regarding this series, as I believe it has shortcomings in all areas.
However, before I see your review, I would like to say that, contrary to many complaints, I think XL's death is just perfect. He died freeing the world from his influence and enslaving no one. Instead, he flooded the wilderness with his blood and, like the old general, inscribed his name in memory in a manner reminiscent of the song: a magnificent peach blossom blooming in hearts.
I applaud this scene👏👏👏
I agree entirely
Totally agree!!!👍👏🏻😍😍
I don't agree.. XL is calculative, brilliant, and an opportunity seeker. He's the king of sea. Why would such a powerful man wanna die for no good reason. They fought and died in the hands of their own ppl. In reality, this is absolutely nonsense. he's taking resources from cang xuan, bearly surviving..yet they don't wanna peace.. would human do that?
👏👏👏
@@shreyashidey9590firstly, Xiang Liu is not human. He is very obviously a demon. And one might argue that almost none of them are human except the common people in the village. Even the Cheng Rong Army consists of ‘gods’ (神族) who despises demons. They don’t want peace because they are patriots (all be it more on the fanatical side but maybe the sentiment they have for their own country can be explained by their long-ass lives)- that’s not too hard to believe is it? Think of the Spartan 300 or Ukraine right now. Do you wonder why the Ukrainians are putting up with that much of a fight?
As for Xiang Liu, he died in order to repay the debt he owes his foster father and as a general, out of guilt for the men who have died under his lead. If he surrendered he’d be betraying his foster father and his men. So long as his foster father and his men refuses to surrender and bow down to Cang Xuan, he’ll accompany them all the way to death. And that’s part of the charm of his character - that a demon would feel so much, give up everything for his relationships. In some sense, he is like a loyal pet (e.g. a dog) who would give its life to defend his owner.
I have been wondering how I would react, being a fan of the book for so long, if this drama was shown in one season. I really loved how it stuck close to the narrative in its Season One depiction. Would my enjoyment be slowly turned to horror as I watch it becoming something so mangled? I could not believe how different Season 2 was from Season 1, being that they were filmed in one go. How was it possible to be so close to the book for 39 episodes and then the next 23, be turned into a dumpster fire?
I still enjoyed the acting because the actors (except for Sleeping Beauty there) were carrying the show, but their characters--my poor characters, so distinctly selfish and strong in their book form, were now caricatures of drunken mopeyness. WTH. But still, the acting was strong enough to carry through to the bitter end.
I do love Tan JianCi's portrayal of Xiang Liu. When I read the book a decade ago, I could think of no actor who could fill this character's shoes because he was so complicated and layered, especially in a Chinese drama. But TJC breathed life into him and brought my imagination to fruition. For that he'd made me a fan.
As for the dumpster fire--the "fake" unshown war, the freaking DREAM SEQUENCE that wasted everyone's time, the weird Mona Lisa smile on TSJ's face for every situation, the fake reversed harem--Season Two definitely lost me. Also, YES YES YES about your analysis of Wen Xiao Liu turned Princess Xiao Yao. WTH happened to the marvelous and cunning WXL once her face changed? Did she turn from Hehuizi Zheng to Ju JingYi?!!!!!
Haw many people like to watch "suffering for the sake of suffering...", even if it doesn't make sense😊
I don't even watch it but i came here just to say; the title of this video totally have me 'lost' it 😂😂😂 seriously it's really funny😂
You are the best avenuex!
I always love listening to your drama commentaries where I can find someone with similar opinions as me.
I appreciate your take on ss2 of the drama, and I actually agree with many of your points, it's the strange feeling of lack of non-romance context and loss of unique character qualities that were introduced in ss1 which diminished in ss2, esp for xiao yao. Like many people said, XL's character stood out to me the most, it still does, his goal was to communicate the rich novel character and I'm SO glad he chose not to be a glacier. Despite no conventional formal training in acting, his character felt the most alive and complicated. Due to his looks, the idol route is already kind of happening but us mainland drama veterans know just which dramas to hold high expectations for, regardless of the actors that star in them.
I really hope yz takes on non-idol dramas with more realism, and that good producers will keep an eye out for her because she's a really humble actor who always looks to improve herself, it's often times the progression of the story that drives their character to unrealistic places. Liu liang will make you more visible to the public eye and producers, but I think she definitely should seek more opportunities to apply her acting to a greater range of dynamic characters!
Honestly as much as i love tan jianci's performance and the complexity of Xiangliu as a character, i agree with you in terms of how OOC they feel. S1 Xiaoyao had a lot of potential to be one of a kind FL, especially with the AMOUNT of political leverage and status on her end -- being the princess of both Haoling, Xiyan AND having the blood of Chichen in her veins??? The kings of both kingdoms doted on her (something not even extended to their OWN kin).
She could've united ALL of Dahuang without bloodshed as long as she put her mind to it. The only aspect that would've been SOMEWHAT tricky would be to convice Hong Jiang to get on their side, and even that could be solved by using her identity as the child of Chenrong's great general (and maybe a political marriage-alliance with Xiangliu to set it in stone). Bro did NAWT have to lose all those lives like a bad run in Super Mario Bros.35. The whole show is the epitome of purposeless tragedy.
I agree with all the problems you mentioned BUT I enjoyed (some of it not all) it because I wanted to see parts of my favourite novel recreated. Also, Xiang Liu 😏
I'm in the minority, but I enjoyed this drama. No fandom or anything, I watched for Xiang Liu's story; his journey and ending broke my heart. Flaws of the show aside, his character moved me so I'm glad I watched it.
I agree with you
Love TC acting
I don’t think you’re such a minority. Many people continued to watch just for XL’s story.
@@Alasterius41 Agreed, the show has many fans. I was addressing the consensus of comments for this particular review as many expressed dissatisfaction at the time I posted this. As with all things, no one thing is for everyone and that's okay.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
My fav from the beginning wasn't Xiang Liu, but I'd have to say he's the ONLY one who brings slightly justice for the drama. Without his tragic dead sequence, the S2 would be fail
Not really, the plot was plenty without him
Agree with your review(mostly), I wonder Yang Zi being the main lead why she didn't fight for her characters growth arc. Its even more baffling for someone who has read the novel and know the depth of character a little. Xiang Liu's character even said to her in novel:"The Wen xiaoliu I knew had many deficiencies but he wont rollover and accept the beatings like an idiot. Has Tushan Jing taken such good care of you that you dont know how to survive?"... Sadly they cut this part too. Tan Jianci's performance as Xiang Liu is the saving grace of that show frankly. Atleast he didnt disappoint despite several OOC moments. plus the extra work his studio has done for Xiang Liu character is commendable for readers. Oh and A Niang too, at least her character arc was good.
The thing is since there are restrictions on the episodes so they need to cut scenes however with Xiang Liu being the writer's fave character, of course they promote him the most Even the scene where Xiao yao meet her mother is fought by yz to be included.. In the novel, thousands petals of flowers and hot desert is mentioned in that scene however in the drama only few petals and xy meets her mother in the house 😂😂You can see which one capital favors
@@naoxilee4552 I do agree with the episode restriction thing, if they had more it might have done justice to all. But if the FL could fight for one scene why not fight for the arc, she is the definitive female lead. and as for Xiang Liu being the fav, they cut some of his iconic scenes and he is the special guest star, always introduced last so I dont know. Still no once can deny his performance though. I think the main culprits here are the technical department and scriptwriters how they deviated from the novel. Hope they learn from their mistakes and not spoil a good drama with good cast.
@@faizaquraishi4084 exactly cuz the drama was promoted as a 'female centric' drama and the fact that the FL need to fight for her own scenes is absurd.. If it's a male centric one im sure the treatment is different Its giving 'favoritsm' from the writers and even the idk the investor i guess.. It is adapted from the novel and the story is there Idk whats wrong with Tong Hua that she allows the mess to happen As a novel reader im absolutely disappointed
@@naoxilee4552 This favoritism is a Weibo conspiracy that had pooled over into international platforms from haters who can't accept that JCT had the power to hold a show in a minor role. XL marketing came out of JCT and his studios own pockets and the fanclub worked stragically to promote his character. JCT earned his reputation and success, 10 years in the making.
From a professional understanding how filmmaking is done, XL character had always been one of those characters that if you don't do it right, the whole drama falls apart. He is like Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, they encompass a small part of the story, but thier role is essential to the world building. It's in the best interest of the producers to prioritize within a budget.
The changes to the second half has more to do with unwritten censorship than anything. All the characters have to be moral and there must be an opening ending or a happy ending. With these contraints, the second half just failed miserably.
@@faizaquraishi4084 How can they argue there are episodes restrictions when the "second" season is 23 episodes? They could have added another 17 if they wanted to, to cover all the important character development, if that was what they'd wanted.
The best character in the program was Xiang Liu/Fang Feng Bei and in the end was the one who was "lost forever." He was a true anti-hero. Xiang Liu was the only lead who depicted some natural masculine sexuality and was truly willing to sacrifice himself for the female lead. Tan Jianci was phenomena in this production. Part one was enticing, and I looked forward to part two. The story became a nonsensical narrative in part two, turning the heroine Xiao Yao/Wen Xiao Liu, played by Yang Zi, into a hot mess. I get it that she lived through a lot of tragedy, but in life when you face tragedy you can only chooses to be a victim or a survivor. The writers took a strong female lead and, in the end, gave her a victim mentality. AvenueX, I enjoy your reviews and was greatly appreciative of your presentation when you visited China and showed us the sets and filming locations. ❤
Agreed. I too enjoyed Avenue X touring through the movie studio. As a person who has been to all of Universal Studios parks I would love to tour the Chinese studio as well. Take care🌸💃🏽
I think sometimes the line between an idol drama and a proper serious drama is blurry
THIS.
Well, u r not wrong, but my question is do this suppose serious drama script to go to this star in the first place, or veteran get to have them, and they have to do with what they are offered at the end of the day which r idol dramas
I agree with you. There are many young actors that have refined their outer appearances (like almost every other older actor out there who are now in their late 30-40/50s) that are brilliant in performing and are able to choose amazing stories. As much as they aren’t among the most brilliant just because of their popularity, they aren’t doomed to be bad because of their age or appearance. Everyone went through a process to look the way they do now, but it’s the industrial training they went through that assures what value they bring to the table.
How could quality be so different for a drama that was film at the same time? What kind of mushrooms were they eating?
I’m also thinking the same thing.. but there must be reasons for why the quality of ss2 didn’t live up to the expectations after ss1. Many industrial reasons. With such top resources and actors, and followed by a large audience, producers went for what majority wanted to see in an idol drama, and with the novel’s limitations, they could really only accentuate the romance aspect of this story
I watched season 1 hating everyone except tan jianci (I have never liked yangzi and her pop eyed portrayals of stupid girls). I skipped season two...zero interest. I also am older and have no patience with bad dramas, badly written stories, crappy directing and camera work, ugly costuming, and so on. My time is valuable...I must have an emotional connection to one or more characters or it doesn't work. I thought this was a terrible drama and I much appreciate your review!
I would say, watch season2 but FF through everything but when XL is on screen. Please watch him. He alone does a great job in season two. Such good acting. And his styling is so awesome.
Was waiting for this review !!!! 😭
Before I watch the review itself, a) you look beautiful! And b) I genuinely enjoyed both the seasons, more s1, but I cannot lie, I really did enjoy watching s2 too!! 😊
After the review, I agree with all of your points and usually all of them bug me and I don’t continue, but somehow a combination of lot of things worked for me, I’d never seen any of these actors before so I didn’t mind the typecast, their acting was good enough, I didn’t read the novel, so I didn’t have pre conceived wants, and this series really just came to me at a time I didn’t have much to watch, so I just enjoyed the costumes, settings, cinematography, acting and ofc the OSTs 😊
I also agree some point of views of her. But for the actors' acting skills, I just feel they are good enough and act very well. They show their emotions enough for their each characters. Just the storyline is normal but at the same time, I feel not really normal as well.
我总是喜欢看你的影片，虽然在极个别剧中，我们的想法并不完全统一。但我很开心，当我打开你的视频，都能收获另一个角度的体验。能感受到你用心负责的的态度，用自己切身的体验去真诚的评价每一部影视作品。感谢并祝你越来越好~❤❤❤
I am a big fan of the drama. I was looking forward to see the continuation (the so called S2) as soon as they stopped S1 last year. I was unhappy with the fact that they been waiting for 1 year to release the rest of it, it was unnecessary long.
I agree with most of the things you mentioned in your rant. My only favourite character in the drama is XiangLiu as he stays consistent through the drama. I prepared my heart for his passing since S1 when I found out he will not have a happy ending.
XiaoYao character indeed distances herself a lot from the version we see at the beginning as the story progresses. She becomes more sentimental, she dwells a lot into the past, she dreams about love all day long and only cares about boys. She turns into an angsty teenager with troubles in love. And I dont see any real progress in treating her trauma and making peace with the past. And her "love story" with Tushan is more like a teenage love. He treats her like a close friend more than a women he loves. They have a fling, kiss once and hold hands. Like how can I believe in this relationship? And she has better and deeper conversations and more genuine even with XiangLiu compared with TSJ. And Tushan has no back-bone as a man and neither as normal person in general (who would forgive his brother after all he been through and not mention it to anyone? Or after he finds out what his wife done to him he didn't even got involved in the decision about how to punish her.) He indeed has a extreme motherly vibe and is no wonder the FL has a better chance in life even with the " 3+1". 😂
And DengWei is a poor actor and has a lot to improve, his fanbase only rides on his looks.
CangXuan actor is good, but his character is obsessed (not in love) with XY. His obsession is unhealthy and toxic and I couldn't ship them knowing their are cousins and even if they weren't. Their relationship is more similar to a brother and sister. Even if CangXuan doesn't act just like a "brother" in many occasions showing his clinginess.
And later on as he becomes a King, he should have been so busy attending all the state matters + the countless concubines that he wouldn't have had time to chase XY skirt all day on the top of the mountain.
And the war arch, was almost ridiculous. Why even starting a war if a simple talk over tea could have solver things so easily? 😂
The drama has parts I loved also and was still enjoyable. Most of the costume C-dramas are a bit ridiculous like this. Indeed I had higher hopes about this drama given the good start it had.
O que deu vida ao drama foi o XL, sem ele a serie nao teria emoçao
"multiple flies sitting on there arguing who's got bigger chunk.. but it's still poop"
succesfully snorted my coffee through my nose rigth there LOL
This kind of rush happened in the plot works for mini dramas, but for 2 seasons drama that got splits for the entire year, no way
Yup, I was thinking, “didn’t anyone want to re-assess decisions in the year between?”
Tom Cruise is short but the directors know how to compensate. Not so in Chinese media, as a result they hire all these tall male actors with short female actresses. It is most awkward.
This is what I was thinking. If you have a short male lead, wouldn't you just find other actors and actresses who are also not tall? If what we need is a "her head fits under his chin," it's not impossible to find actresses to meet the criteria if you're starting with a short king. It makes me sad, because while height has a lot of benefits -- especially to costuming and wide shots -- it's totally possible to make any actor appear taller, which is how people like Tom Cruise aren't lacking for roles.
Back in 80's, Andy Lau and Tony Leung were under 1m75 and there were pairing with actress their size or slightly shorter. Still, they were great.
Of course, they made a choice and I didn't see Tony L in HK drama anymore. Andy L became one of the heaven king but he still got great movies.
I wish the best for Tan Jianci, I love that I've got to really discover him thanks to LYF.
Thank you for your review, Avenuex, I also felt that something was wrong with the characters writing, especially Xiao Yao.
As a woman, if I've lived 1% of what she have been through before returning to be a princess, I would be so much more independent.
Actually, what she did to help her gege back to their grandpa was still ok. But the 15 years waiting for Jing... And always doing everything in regards of her gege... That was so tiring.
Omg you nailed it. I liked season 1 and something felt really off about season 2. I watched a season 1 recap and I was so much more interested in their dynamic in Clearwater Town than the current timeline. I was thinking it’s almost like female lead’s whole persona changed
I am never effected by someone’s opinion ……..I am here for your 100% brutal honest opinions ….. love it !!!
S2 was so disappointing compared to S1 which is my favourite costume c-drama by far. They added unnecessary plot-twists, e.g. the one with the tea, they built up so much angst around Cang Xuan's character, only to not even commit to making him a villain ultimately.
The only plus I would say for the 2nd season was Zhang Wanyi's acting. He did great! Yang Zi and Tan Jianci were phenomenal as always. Deng Wei, was well Deng Wei. His perpetually constipated expression the entire two seasons contributed to me not liking Tushan Jing as much as I did with the other two leads. Huge props to the cinematography and soundtracks because they really were the saving grace of this drama.
I don't agree with the point of the fl going from being independent to a damsel because she was practicing poison and medicine throughout the drama. And if it's referring to her being weak then that's explained it's due to her ling li (magic power) being low, which I think is completely fine, because not all fls need to be overpowered. Xiao Yao's superpowers were her poison skills and her blood.
Finally I would say, that as much as it upset me, Xiang Liu's end was the most fitting one for him after all that foreshadowing. But the most heartbreaking part is that Xiao Yao will never find out about everything he has done for her, which also makes sense in the bigger picture, because if she did then it would be impossible for her to be happy with Jing.
One thing that I hated they deviated from the novel was that Xiao Yao loved all of them and not just Jing. In the drama, they tried to portray Xiang Liu's love as unrequited and transactional when in the novel, it's implied that he was her soulmate. In the novel, Cang Xuan asks her whether she would pick him if he hadn't pushed her towards Tushan Jing and she replied that she spend hundreds of years on Mount Jade waiting for him, not Tushan Jing. There was no Tushan Jing. Which basically implied that she would have considered him romantically as well and not platonically had there been no Jing and if he wasn't the emperor. But in the drama she acts so surprised when CX finally confesses his feelings for her and tries to make everything platonic from her end when it wasn't.
Xiang liu was the king of sea monster. Had nothing to do with xuan, hauling .. ys he has a debt to pay,but what was the reason behind his battle? 4 what were they fighting? There was no reason. Ppl just don't live to die. Soldiers are also human. What will they achieve even if they win.. nothing. Their own ppl are against them.
Сяо Яо как слепой крот. Она ничего не видит и к сожалению н чего не хочет слышать. Или она действительно глупа или играет дурочку. Как можно было не увидеть чувства парней? Как можно было не увидеть чувства брата. Чувства и заботу Сянлю? Она не в состоянии анализировать. Это описано в романе и показано в дораме. Сяояо по настоящему любит лишь себя и себя в комфортных отношениях. Она придумала мир,где ее не бросит мужчина. Он будет занят 24/7 только ею.И лис очень хорошо подошёл на эту должность. Вы представьте в этой роли Сянлю. Я бы сказала ,что он стал тряпкой. Растворился в своей женщине.
Totally agree with you
I haven't read the novel, but I am curious as to this sentiment of Xiang Liu being Xiao Yao's soulmate, and I do not want to read the novel, so your help is appreciated. How is it implied that Xiang Liu is Xiao Yao's soulmate? Can you provide the supporting details, such as excerpts from the novel? I won't mind chapter references that I can go find for myself. But I am really puzzled about this whole soulmate thing as the drama gave zero indication to believe this.
@@Naijagyal01я бы сказала так...Родственная душа не Сяояо,а ее мужская версия Вэнь Сяолю. Именно в этом варианте . Сяолю был смелым,искренним,и по духу похожим на змея. То,что пережил и рассказывал Сяолю было схожим с тем,что пережил сам Сянлю. А потом уже все это переросло в любовь. Сяо Яо же это уже совсем другой человек. Капризная женщина,которая так и осталась маленькой девочкой. Если бы Сян Лю встретил не Сяолю,а Сяояо впервые,то я не думаю,что она привлекла бы его внимание.Я читала новеллу и с каждой главой убеждалась,что она никого кроме себя по настоящему не любила. Но вам я все же рекомендую прочитать новеллу. Вы не пожалеете о потраченном времени. Она в миллион раз интереснее и динамичнее сериала. В сериале и 50 % нет того,что было между героями в книге. Упущено очень многое, многое показано не так как оно в книге. Характеры и поступки отличаются
First time seeing a review by you. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for your honest review. I watched most of the first season and was already feeling a little disappointed. Hadn’t started the second season and you confirmed my thoughts. Thank you. Will look forward to future reviews
I agree with you in everything you said, especially Dung Wei's boring acting, his ridiculous role, and the provocative heroine, but I do not agree with you regarding Zhang Wanyi's acting. His acting was very good. I did not watch the series. I only watch clips of Zhang Wnyi.
Yes, Zhang Wan Yi acting is the best in this drama. It is objective evaluation. Not bias.
9.19 : In your opinion, maybe he's acting funny because the script is like that.
The first half did a great job setting up the world and characters and second half butchered it. I agree with a your points even including your worries about Tan Jianci career trajectory. I do hope he does a mixture of non idol roles ... there's not alot of money in indie filmmaking, but you get to learn and experiment with story telling. I hope he can be a game changer in the way c-entertainment considers talent and market value.
There were two directors and I am not sure who did what...but that could have been an issue that caused the inconsistency. The screenplay also had several writers which include the author herself.
I luv the tittle of this episode 👌🏻👏🏻😹
I dropped at Season 1 right after Xiao Yao went back to her kingdom and got back her royal status. The scene where she saw her mom lookalike and finally admits who she is was very touching and that was very good performance. But everything else after that just going down the drain. And I dropped the drama soon after that. Looks like I didnt miss out anything 😝
Because of the “type” of actor like TanJianci the drama has been so successful, fortunately the director does not think like you.. ( tall enough or fancy idol etc etc)..
Great review thank you so much for the honesty!
6 episodes. 👏👏👏
I read the novel translation before, i know about the leaking script rumor, i patiently wait for a year and try to watch season 2. In the end, i could only handle 4 first episodes. Later, i fast forward it and only enjoy XiangLiu parts. Maybe i hope too much. Hehehe...
When S1 ended, I couldn't wait for S2 to air so I searched online and I found it's book version. The one I read was very interesting. So it made me look forward to it's airing. Though YZ is one of the C actresses I like, honestly S2 wasn't as exciting as the first season
I have to agree with this perspective. I enjoyed watching Season 1, although there were some boring parts. However, Season 2 felt like a completely different show to me. It was so disappointing that it made me question whether I actually enjoyed Season 1 in the first place.
Wow 😮! You look so pretty AvenueX !
Lost it forever since ep 5.
Lost everything forever to the dust 😂
I enjoyed S1. I dropped S2 after 6 or 10 episodes - it was just Days of Our Lives, but set in fantasy ancient China
I can't disagree with anything you said but... I was very entertained by Lost You Forever S1 and S2. Loved them. Re-watched S1 and S2 again already. I am so used to CN drama not meeting reality that it doesn't bother me. I just want to be entertained and it hit the mark. I was entertained.
I have to agree, as much as I like YZ, her acting has not improved lately. It’s like, I know she can be better but she can’t hit that high note.
Exactly . It's like she's having same crying scenes in all her dramas like ashes of love, immortal samsara and lyf. I loved her acting in LYF 1 until she was disguised as a guy . After that didn't like him very much
yep, the problem started since she became a princess and I stopped watching since that 'arc' 😅
the weird thing is my fav male character in this drama is Ru Shuo, aside from Xiang Liu ofc.... lol
He is so witty on the boundary of silly. But turn out he is a talented character too. His role is not much but leave a deep impression on me.
yes ^^
Deng Wei & Wang Hong Yi are the newest actors of the 4 suitors. Their acting should get better in future projects.
Second season was horrible. The editing was weird. There were missing scenes that confused me when the characters started talking about it and scenes that were extra long and draggy or unnecessary. Makes me wonder what and who we're supposed to be watching. Felt the one explosive scene was cheapened too and cheated.
YES! I thought the same! It was so choppy and abrupt at SO MANY scenes, it was as if integral parts of what was filmed were summarily cast out for the sake of god knows what for. Cheapened is such an appropriate term to accurately label this season, like oh my god, reading and understanding how the novel really is and comparing it to this season... SHEER DISRESPECT. Season one did an okay job at representing the literature, while on the flipside, season two felt like leftover stale sauce. I'm honestly mad af.
@@ExtremeFlirtly I've never read the novel but I'm feeling inclined to now.
The drama somewhat follows the novel. Since the writer was involved, it was unlikely that it would divert from the novel, so no matter how flawed the character was, it’s because the character was written as such. I disagree 😂, the spare tire was Tu Shan Jing… that’s the vibe I got from the 2nd part. It’s not so obvious until the 2nd part.
You’re so right about this, s2 was very disappointing 😭
You are my favorite Cdrama reviewer( I don't even watch others😂). You're so right and for me I watched it till the end 1. bcz I started it last year and I didn't want to stop half way since I started, I had to finish it 2. Bcz of Xiang Liu, okay I am a TanJian Ci fan but he was the only one who acted decently for me to look up for the drama 😅. But overall the drama was kinda disappointing😂
I loved season 2. And I loved Xiang Liu too. That's all, that's my opinion
I agree with you on Tan Jianci that "he is the lover", yes I didn't get any lover feeling from other characters but Him. Jing is not a weak character but he does have a "nice guy" energy. I mean it is 100% ok to have a "cotton ball😂" cute mother energy boyfriend like that but in this drama, Xiang liu showed his selfless love.
True
14:42 was so funny HAHAHAAH SO TRUE
Over all, I enjoyed this series. That said, I have become very good at managing to just go with the flow when characters start to do things out of character. I confess there were many moments where my rational brain had to be locked in a cupboard while I enjoyed the eye candy, stuck my fingers in my ears and sang, "La, la, la, la" very loudly.
I do that a lot with Chinese dramas. They get so close to terrific stories only to bail out in order to look good.
Excellent review -- I haven't seen the second season of this drama because I wasn't able to finish the first part for several of the reasons you mentioned. What really stopped me from enjoying it was that I didn't understand any character's motivation for doing any of the things they did. Cang Xuan, for instance: why did he want to be emperor?? He would have been better off as wine merchant, at least the character seemed to enjoy that.
Supposedly, he wanted to be emperor because he thinks that that’s the only way he can protect those he loves - cause his dad died in battle or smt and as a young child when saw his mother and grandma crying over his dad’s death he thinks that the only way he can prevent such things from happening again is by being emperor and uniting all the lands.
He wants to be an emperor because he wants to protect Xiao Yao. He knew that she's not the biological daughter of the king of Haoling, but the daughter of devil general, Chi Chen. To save her reputation, he needs power from the throne as a shield
@@CdramaYou King of HaoLing himself is powerful enough to protect XY if he really wants to and insisted that he recognize XY as his very own.
I watched sea2 bcz of Xiang liu ❤
You’re totally right about xiaoyao character even I was frustrated with her character in the novel… I even asked what’s so good about her that makes all men like her??? There is nothing… her blood is special but so what? She has no special powers or anything special enough to explain why so many ppl like her beside her ordinariness. And her crying scene are similar in every drama many ppl argued that she is so good at crying esp yelling with anguish but I said it’s the same for every drama even u realized and said it too she cried like that in every dramas so no surprising or worth any praises because I no longer felt it when she perform the same in every dramas. Even some hair are similar lol if ur a first timer seeing her this drama then maybe u felt like she cried so emotional which I don’t doubt it but when u watch too many dramas of hers and realized she cried the same it’s too repetitive u no longer feel anything but just watch her mouth twitch and make weird expression
Enough about her crying and acting she def did her best in acting this novel out. I said it too flirting with your cousin or brother so many times and still does not know he liked her is unbelievable just saying… like how can u not know someone likes u when it’s there! She does not deserve XL anyways I’m glad he died or perhaps make ppl believe he is dead.
At least she ended up with another character that want ordinary life with her. He is ordinary nothing special much about his clan beside business wise they rich. They yearned for ordinary lives and they got it. cangxuan wanted the world he got it just not her.
“Polluting collective human consciousness” 😂
I understood that this drama was scripted after a well know book. ? If the script hasn't followed the book...the problem would be with the writers and directors and most certainly the producers of the video....not to mention who ever it is who decides how many episodes are going to be allowed air time and what is going to be cut. It seems almost on purpose that the continuity or flow the the second season didn't hold up to Season One. Who decided to treat this effort so incompetently ? And Why? The quality of acting was superior. The story line good enough to encourage thoughtful thinking for those who are awake enough to use entertainment as a learning tool. My Thanks to the cast and crew for their efforts !
I was waiting for your review and roasting, and you didn't disappointed me 😂. I manage to watch s1 and s2. S1 is good but some part is boring bc dengwei didnt do well as Jing (this is fact). While Yangzi and Tanjianci did great, carrying s1.
As for s2, i thought Wangyi did a great job despite the story. But indeed S2, is so lack of depth and is looking for safety net, trying hard to satisfy all. It has so much potential to be an amazing drama.
I also thought Yangzi should learn how to express sadness. Should not cried the same way in her every character. In S2, she cried a lot, until i just can't feel anything about it.
About tanjianci, doing idol drama, i think its ok. Bc i had a very hard time watching serious drama as the three kingdom and advisor alliance. Yes he is great in it, but those dramas are not my cup of tea. He did so good as xiangliu and deserves loves and acknowledgements from public, which he will never get from super serious historical drama. But i wish TJC will get good drama and chose well. I watched trailer of "filter" and i don't know why he chose that drama.😅
Filter is supposed to be comedy and the biggest selling factor for that drama right now is its “silliness” or “madness”. There is a market right now for dramas/movies that are deliberately ‘silly’ to reflect the mentality of young adults nowadays in China that are driven to ‘madness’ by stress and/or overwork - such dramas/movies also allow them to laugh and relax.
And also filter’s script is written by Tong Hua (original script - not adapted from a book). Tong Hua was so pleased by TJC’s performance as Xiang Liu that she wanted to work with him again - just like how the original scriptwriter of Under The Skin wants to work with TJC again also on a different drama.
@@Alasterius41 yeah i know but have u seen the trailer? With his status at this moment (Alist star), that is such a poor choice of tonghuo's work. His next works are already comedy and idol type of drama. Just a waste of his potential
@@Novi-nh7oq I liked the trailer. I think it does quite a good job of setting the tone for the drama. Also the character he plays in ‘Filter’ has a very very different personality from the characters that he plays in this other upcoming dramas - seems to be a very uptight, kinda-awkward personality-type of character which is not a character type he’s played before. It’s also supposed to be SciFi-comedy I think, and I am curious about how they will incorporate the SciFi part (his other upcoming comedic dramas for sure doesn’t have sci-fi elements). However, I do have to admit that given how LYF season 2 turned out to be badly written, it does give me some trepidation about Filter since it’s written by Tong Hua also. But the drama hasn’t aired yet and I’d like to give TJC the benefit of the doubt because he has promised us that he will try his best to deliver every time, and has so far not proven himself wrong
I thought they had to split it becos new rules states that each drama must no go over 40 eps and to circumvent the loop hole of releasing s2 right after, u must only release s2 a year later.
There are 2 ways of doing this: write a clever, precise script with clear direction and intentions, or lengthen it out to maximise the money. They went for the second. The fact that we have a rule (can’t be longer than 40eps, or must split into 2 parts) is to encourage good script writing. But they chose the 2nd.
If you are new to cdrama, know this, YZ’s drama will always be as long as possible. AOL was a small short novel with less than 100pages, and they managed to make 63eps out of it 🙄😒 this drama is no exception, they wanted to maximise profit, clear and simple.
I enjoyed season 1 because XiaoYao was a smart, independent, strong female lead and loved by all the men. She is not perfect. None of the characters are perfect. But I couldn’t watch season 2 because she became this weak princess who cannot live with a man. I don’t understand why she has to marry and if she has to strengthen her cousin, then marry for that reason and just be manipulated and waiting for men to convince you it’s the wrong decision.
This review is HILARIOUS. I haven't seen S1 or S2 and will not bother now. 😅
I loved season 1...then I watched just one episode of season 2 and I knew right away that something was off....it didn't keep my attention...I was bored 😐.....I removed from watch list with intention of watching later by just scanning through each episode and then watch finale....now I won't even bother...glad I didn't waste my time...1st season made this promising...oh well.😊
Thank you for this review ! I totally agree with you about the weak script and character developmental issues.
When my wife and I started to watch 1st season of this drama we dropped it on about 11 episode and both agreed that we do not like it. We could not clearly explain why, but overtime we got that most of the characters are not well written. My wife watched a couple of episodes for 2024 season and also dropped saying that it is not her cup of tea even
she likes period costume drama genre. When watched your review we both agreed with it. You put our thoughts in clear words! Thank you so much!
Man, this is why I still enjoy watching your videos. You encapsulate so very perfectly everything that I also think is wrong with Chinese dramaland these days. But in particular, your point about aging out of the storytelling - in my opinion, I think Cdramaland has completely failed to evolve its storytelling. It's the same nonsensical crap over and over again, repackaged with slightly different faces and names. I have yet to see a new drama that tells a smart story that makes sense, that forces characters to behave logically and most importantly, face the consequences of their actions. I've dropped cdramas altogether for kdramaland which continues to impress me with the industry self-awareness.
Totally agree with AveX's thoughts on Tan Jianci. I really liked him in Advisors Alliance. I wish he would continue to dip into the meatier roles. He could become a really good actor.
I do think he is trying though… his next few upcoming dramas are heading more towards the ‘comedic’ genre (excepting Under the Skin 2 of course). There was a time when he started to actively reject ‘historical drama’ roles because he feels like he is being typecasted too much into such roles, but now he has openly expressed his desire in picking up those roles again or roles that involve more political intrigue - and the thing is, scriptwriters are still interested in casting him in such roles - the original scriptwriter for Under the Skin for example, has discussed this with him. So I think he will shift tracks again, and it’s not too late for him to to do so.
Actually at the fandom’s party for Under the Skin S2, Tan Jianci mentioned that there will be S3. It seems like he found his path in acting. I believe he is capable in anything he put his mind into it. However, it looks like his first love in dancing and singing will be his priority in the next few months.
The title got me 😂😂
I never thought a drama which was basically adapted from a popular novel could be so bad...I mean they already had the full story in front of them yet they couldn't do justice to anything. One of the worst dramas of this year. Special mention for its awful costumes. 🎉
@@securie1234 what do you expect from capital.. The whole drama is a mess I thought the drama had lots of budget but it is so disappointing from the CGI, filter and everything.. Cdrama should stop using the white filter It sucks
Thank You for your honest opinion. I too struggle to understand with this season 2. the boring unkillable characters. Very disappointed overall
Yang Zi is a good actress! She portrayed what the director wants her to portray. The chopping up of the scenes destroyed the whole storyline! Blame it to the ones who cut the scenes not the casts!!!
Nah we can blame the cast too. She wasn’t best for that part. And it wasn’t just the editing, it was also poor writing and changing from novel.
As always you hit the nail in the head. I really appreciate you saying all of the things you said about this drama in this video. because I want someone else other than me screaming with me about how ridiculous this drama is then how man crazy the end of this drama had become. I mean common it's ridiculous. 😂😂😂😂😂
Well I strongly agree with your opinion about this drama and especially Female lead Xiaoyao. I quit watching after up-to 11 episodes. I couldn’t bear to force myself for watching the nonsense anymore. Xiaoyao is my least favourite character so far in this whole story.
I also have this question how could Xiaoyao be so unaware of the feelings of two main men ( her cousin Cang Xuan and XiangLiu) when they openly expressed.
Well in the end, I’ll have another question what does the drama title suggest I mean who lost whom ??
I enjoyed the first season and was excited about this one, but it was draggy. Helped that I was sick in bed all day yesterday and had nothing better to do that finish this drama. I never truly shipped her with any of the leads. I felt bad for CX loving her so much but he also could have chosen a different path. And all of his poor consorts (its implied he never even visits them) living as grass widows. Honestly the best one for her, the one with the least about of baggage was ML #4. This drama started so well…and then just went down hill from that with the exception of really good scenes.
“Yeah it’s still poop” almost had me spitting out the hot soup 😂😂😂
Also, can i complain about the sudden death of Fenglong? How on earth he got a sudden arrow shot from Xiang Liu who came out of nowhere from the sky? I didn't even have the opportunity to cry on that scene cuz i was busy thinking about the logic. And how Tushan Jing suddenly appeared in front of Xiaoyao after disappeared for a long time & causing lots of other problems? At least those particular moments should get executed better to show the emotional impact
I was watching a video about how in a story the character should drive the plot not the other way around, since plot driven stories would not sell at all since you mostly cannot connect to the protagonist and sympathize with them. This drama seems an example of a plot driven story.
Am just here for the review...i couldn't watch it after first 5 episodes of part 1😂😂
Same here
Yeah they took so much time in the Qingshui city, but if you're patient enough to keep watching it, there will be something else finally starting to happen