I recommend this historical Chinese romcom.
@HEHarry, where are you?
If you dislike Cdramas where the romance of the minor characters is given as many minutes as the lead couples, then you’ll like this one.
The first four episodes are focused entirely on the female lead and two men who are vying for her support in a political struggle. The catch here is everybody thinks she’s her dead twin brother.
If you dislike Cdramas where the heroine is Too Stupid to Live (TSTL), then you’ll like this one.
Han Shi Yi (SY) is cunning as a fox, but she has to disguise herself as an attention-seeking and spendthrift playboy. She comes from the Han family, a military ruling family who has successfully defended the north frontier from invaders for three generations. Her father doesn’t want it known that she’s the last of the line as this will encourage the Emperor to usurp their army.
The Emperor himself has succession problems as well. There’s the “Fifth Prince” or Chen Yanyi (aka Prince Qi, from the Chu family) is technically the rightful successor, but his father doesn’t like him. He has proven himself in the battlefield and is popular with the people. His older brother was the Crown Prince, and the Emperor’s favorite, but he died. According to the Emperor, the Fifth Prince takes after his mother, the Empress Yuan.
The Second Prince is Chen Yanhao (aka Prince Zheng, from the Wang family). He’s supposedly gentle, refined and cautious. His uncle is the Prime Minister. Naturally, the Prime Minister wants his nephew to succeed to the throne so he can consolidate his power. He maneuvers his own son and daughter to help their cousin, the Second Prince, to the throne.
SY’s troubles begin when the Emperor orders her to the capital city to study at the Imperial School. Not only is the Fifth Prince enrolled there, but so is the Prime Minister’s son, Wang Zhongyu. She knows that both the Prince and the Prime Minister’s son will try to win her over to their side in the power struggle. Hence, her disguise as the No. 1 playboy from the Northern Territory.
If you dislike Cdramas where the lead male is a buffoon (cough, cough, “I’ve Fallen For You.”) then you’ll like this one.
As soon as SY steps in the city, she makes it known that she’s a spoiled heir of the powerful Han family from the North. But the Prince isn’t deceived. He suspects that this is a cover-up. When his men reported to him that Lord Han is a disagreeable sort of fellow, who likes to argue and flaunt his wealth, he answers, “What you see may not be true….the Han family has been faithful to the court for three generations. How could they have a useless descendant?”
This is an interesting mindset. He thinks that the children behave in the same way as the parents, that is, since Han family has always loyally served the Emperor, this Han ShiYi must be loyal, too. “The apple doesn’t fall from the tree.” If this is true, then how will he feel if he discovers later on that his mother was somehow unfaithful, dishonest and deceitful? 🤔
Then he hears that SY is creating trouble in the brothel. She’s ordered her female bodyguards to harass the female dancers so he sends his own male bodyguards to defend the dancers. Her bodyguards are good fighters but they’re no match to his men. He breaks up their fight before her bodyguards get seriously hurt.
She turns to leave them without an apology, and he restrains her. She squawks, “What are you doing? Let me go. Do you know who I am? I’m Han Shiyi,the heir of Duke Han. Just let me go if you’re sensible or you’ll find yourself in big trouble.”
He doesn’t say a word to her. I think he was waiting to confirm it for himself that she’s an arrogant and boastful as the reports claim. Disgusted, he lets her go and orders his men to leave.
She eyes him as he walks away, eagerly awaiting him to slip on a banana peel she threw on the ground. But he carefully steps over the banana peel.
Although she’s disappointed that he avoided an embarrassment, she can’t help admiring his sensibility for retreating. She believes that he was exercising prudence when he withdrew from the fight since he couldn’t provoke her. Not knowing that he’s the Fifth Prince himself, she thinks that her social status intimidated him. This tells me that although she thinks herself to be smart, the Prince is one step ahead of her.
So if you dislike Cdramas which take forever to reveal the conflict, then you’ll like this one.
Within the first fifteen minutes, we already know that she needs to hide her true identity and stay out of politics while she’s kept “hostage” as a student in the Imperial College. On his part, he needs to win her confidence and get her to side with him. Both of them have reason to carefully observe each other’s strengths and weaknesses. She suspects him of attempting to use her family connections (which he is, in truth) while he suspects her of stalling to avoid choosing sides (which she is, in fact).
The following day he rescues her from bullying.
At first, he didn’t seem to want to involve himself when the Prime Minister’s son Wang and his friends ganged up on her. But he steps in and tells Wang that SY is one of his people from then on. SY discovers then that he’s the Fifth Prince.
Normally, his rescue would have been enough to make a poor girl’s heart flutter for him. But after saving her, he immediately asks her to repay the favor.
She scolds him that favors should be done without expecting benefits. But she relents and offers him jewelry and horses. Instead, he requests her company as his reading partner (or study buddy, lol).
She realizes too late that she fell into his trap. Like taking candy from a baby, he succeeded in drawing her to his side.
Later that night, she concedes that it’s difficult to predict his action because he’s quiet, his face is expressionless, and he’s quite good at scheming. She plans to keep him at a distance and to trick him to reverse his demand to be his reading partner.
In the next three episodes, we see her trying to wiggle out of her arrangements with the Prince to little success. While her main strategy is to annoy him, he treats her shenanigans with restraint and patience. In the end, she grudgingly admits that “only those who could endure situations that ordinary people couldn’t had the ability to achieve greatness.”
Eventually, moments like this, when she forms her own unbiased opinions of him, will lead her to choose his side.
Aside from her regular contact with the Prince, SY also settles in the Imperial Academy and survives her run-ins with the other students. I like the scenes when she pretends not to know how to fight, and outwits her tormentors. She doesn’t back down and gets even with them. The only person she can’t outfox is the Prince. He evades her traps as adroitly as he did the first time with the banana peel.
As is often the case in gender-bending plots, the second male lead sees through the heroine’s disguise before the hero does. The Prime Minister’s son Wang begins to suspect that Han ShiYi is female at the same time the Fifth Prince begins to wonder whether he’s homosexual for feeling the way he does for Han ShiYi. And because she’s quick-witted, she figures out that he must have ambivalent feelings for her and she plays this situation to her advantage.
So if you like a Cdrama with an ongoing battle of the sexes (and three genders, lol), then you’ll find this Cdrama amusing as I have.
Anyway, I’m stopping because I don’t want to give any more details. This Cdrama is only 24 episodes long, and I think it’s a good series to watch while waiting for Jerry Yan’s “Count Your Lucky Stars” to be subbed.
@agdr03, join me?
Aye! Count me in. 😁
Sounds good with 24 episodes only. The FL does look boyish which is a plus for me. Sometimes I think it’s a giveaway especially with their voice. I mean remember Dr Cutie? ☺️
Is it all subbed already? 😃
Only up to Ep 4.
Seems like he finds out about her disguise early. Episode 6? So he starts treating her like a woman then. She thinks he’s still in the dark though.
Ok cool. I like a guy whose ahead in the thinking department especially when it comes to women. 😊
I think I can catch up with you. 😄
Please take note of the number of times he saved her from crash landing on her head. 😂 I think there’s an inside joke there.
Ok 😂 interesting! 😁
This is the one where the girl really looks like a guy, and yet the guy figures it out sooner than expected? Sounds like fun. I’m not sure about being free enough to watch all of it, but I was a little interested in this before, so since you’re watching, I may as well!
Howdy! I’m almost finished with episode 1. I’m liking it and I actually like the fights too. 😄 This looks like more high budget drama yeah? With costumes looking more grand and it’s high quality in terms of how I see it in the tv. I like the dragon lantern lighting! I’m born in that year. 😁
Oh the subbed said facial palsy in reference to the Prince. Is that the thing above his upper lip? Is that what SY means?
Oh SY explained the meaning of facial palsy guy. She said it’s when the muscles on your face doesn’t move. Is it because his always had the same expression? 😁
I saw the first catch your head before landing on it. 😄 That was a close call. 😬
Palsy refers to loss or lack of movement. So facial palsy is a face that doesn’t move. When she calls him “facial palsy,” she’s insulting his emotionless face, his stoic face. I thought the better term would have been “stone face” but the writer/subber probably want to stress that the hero’s lack of emotion is like an illness. There’s no cure for a killjoy like him. 🙂
Yes, it’s because he’s always serious. He doesn’t smile.
Dramacool has the subs till Ep 10. Hurray!!!
Thanks! Enjoy episode 10. I’m in 2 so I’ll keep going.
True, the Prince is always serious. I hope we get to see him smile later. He’s so much like Ji Heng from Dr Cutie. 😂
I’m still on Episode 5. He smiles around Ep 6.
Thanks 😊
Curiosity got the better of our Prince when he hugged both his bodyguards in front of the imperial college 😂 Like dude! Not there 😂
The storyline is predictable but the female lead is funny n charmingly stealing the whole show. Im actually enjoying this. Since its Chinese i could listen-watch on my way to work so I’m already at ep 12 😁
I’ve watched through ep. 4. The 5th prince looks like yet another rugby boy, but he’s very astute. He has SY figured out most of the time, but she still trips him up at times.
SY has most of the right body language for a man, but loses it sometimes when things get frantic. I felt bad for SY when she got cramps after arriving at the school, but she handled it well. Both she and the 5th prince are now losing sleep over the other.
I’m enjoying this. I like intelligent characters.
Heyyy, I fell for his looks! His square jaw!
Yes, the actress had the mannerisms of a guy down pat. But I don’t get how they could confuse her for a man. Her pixie, and heart-shaped face looks so feminine!
Do you know who I think looks masculine? Maria Shriver, the ex of Arnold Schwarzenegger. 🙂🙂 Also Glenn Close and one of the Kardashian sisters (I don’t know her name but she’s not Kim).
Yes. I like that SY is (secretly) athletic. But was she a bit miffed when the 5th prince body-searched and didn’t realize she was girl? Or was she upset (as the 5th Prince believed) because he didn’t trust her? I didn’t quite get that scene. What was that all about?
hi @pm3, The scene where 5th prince searched SY body, i think she was more nervous about being touch all over by a man n arouse his suspicions about her gender. CY had earlier being pondering about SY’s small waist n build lol
Note the several times SY fell into the prince’s arm-embrace-crash land on him while he try to save her, etc., in a Chinese drama or film it is usually a lead that the female will fall in love with that man.
The actress in SY role reminds me of a HK actress Nicki Chow who acted as a female constable also in a period comedy drama-her character’s name coincidentally is same pronunciation as SY.
Sorry @packmule3 Mistakenly posted the same twice, imput the wrong email first time n thought it wouldn’t post so corrected it n send a second. Pls if you would delete the repeated. Thank you.
I agree with @2uke. She was mortified and felt betrayed that the 5th prince touched her. I think she was hoping that he, of all people, would find a way around the teacher’s order but he went along with the teacher’s fair and equal treatment. It seemed that as soon as the 5th prince sat down, he subtly felt his own waist.
As @2uke says, it’s now several times that he has had physical contact with her. There was gossip that the 5th prince hadn’t ‘visited’ his 4 beauties or any others. I think that if it were the PM’s son, he would have figured it out by now. Haha, the way he checked his own bodyguards to see how different men are built. 😅🤨
Thanks, 2uke. I wasn’t sure if there was more to it than being nervous that he would discover her disguise and that she was being manhandled (ha! with emphasis on MAN).
I also like @Fern’s additional explanation that probably she was expecting him to get around the teacher’s order; he didn’t have to comply so easily; he could have used his wits to get around that body search.
This is what @Fern wrote
It struck me as interesting because she snubbed him on the way out, when she was carrying her heavy schoolbox. (Episde 3, at 3:05). That scene with her struggling down the steps with the box, and her annoyed “No!” when he told her, “Where are you going? Come to my mansion!” tells me that there’s something more.
It’s like feminine contrariness or capricious-ness. Yes, it’s true that she was worried that he was going to find out that she was female because her body proportions weren’t masculine (that waistline!).
BUT when he didn’t find anything strange about her slim built, I think she was peeved. It’s a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation.
To me, her face registered disbelief when he told the teacher, “He carries no cheat sheet.” Like, she was thinking, “What?! Is that all you can say after patting down my body? You didn’t notice anything else? You didn’t see anything strange about my waist and hips?”
She didn’t notice that the 5th Prince was in fact surprised about her hips. She sat down in a huff, glaring at him. He ignored her at first, then, when she wasn’t looking, he quickly glanced at her hips, then surreptitiously felt for his hips.
That told me that he did, in fact, notice that her slender body was different from a typical male, but he prudently didn’t say anything.
I don’t know, 2uke. At first, I thought it was her contrariness. She didn’t want her disguise to be discovered, but at the same time she became upset and sensitive when he didn’t discover her disguise.
That’s why when she was struggling with her box going down the stairs, she was still pissed off with him. She refused to look at him. She was giving him the cold shoulder. This is a typical behavior when we’re feeling “wronged” or “slighted.”
And the poor guy! He didn’t know what he did wrong.
He thought she should’ve been grateful because he rescued her. She didn’t answer him but mentally she was thinking, “I didn’t ask for your help. I knew what to do. I’d rather be framed and punished than be helped by you.”
Then, she yelled, “NO!!” to his innocent invitation to come over to his place.
Her outrage was too much. lol.
And that’s when it dawned on me that her feminine pride was hurt.
Anyway, I don’t know who Nicki Chow is. I haven’t watched a lot of HK dramas so I’m ignorant about HK veteran actors.
Sorry, how ‘differently’ men are built. In ep. 3, at about 2.52-56, the 5th prince looks at SY’s waist and then feels his own. It goes by quickly.
I liked his smile when SY goes dashing off away from the teacher when they are copying outdoors. It’s the first smile I saw from him.
@packmule3, yes he has a fine jaw. He looks very strong altogether. If he went to my daughter’s school, he would fit in well on the rugby team. He looks rather different from many male actors in Cdramas, some of whom seem quite fine boned. Perhaps the others present a more traditional look? Although I adore Ji Heng from Dr Cutie, the 5th prince looks more like a general to me.
It’s a bit of a cat and mouse game, or several cats and a mouse and I’m looking forward to the next few eps.
@Fern I most certainly agree what you said about SY felt unfair n betrayed n that the prince had not find another way around. @pm3 Lol, all that came later to me, after enlightening from both of you 🙂 oh, a new ep on my app. Enjoy the show!
What app are you using? IQIYI?
Not iqiyi, chinese app, zhang shang kan pian, used to be available on app store but got outdated i think. some chinese web sites are showing ep 14 alr.
I have till Ep 14 too on dramacool. Subbed. 🙂
Spoiler alert:
I’m starting to get lost with all of the names of the secondary characters and the ones mentioned by SY’s great aunt, ep. 8. I may have to make a list and a potted history to get through this.
I was chuckling at SY’s question to her servants/bodyguards about whether she was gaining weight. Instead of ‘does my butt look big in this’ it was about her breasts.
Interesting how both the 5th Prince and the PM’s son are now both trying to protect her gender from discovery. The PM’s son in particular was so keen to torment her and was so suspicious earlier.
Thanks @Fern! ☺️ I’m on episode 5 but couldn’t finish it yesterday. I read my book last night so tonight it’s TH. 😉
I liked that they had to sleep in the West Chamber when it’s supposed to be for the wife of the Prince, honeymoon chamber. 😁
I like his eyes, this Prince actor. ☺️
And the West Chamber was decorated in red like the matrimonial chamber. lol.
I like how the guy has already accepted that he’s attracted to a man. In Dr. Cutie, the hero’s resistance was part of the whole story. Here, the guy just accepted his attachment: “Okay, I’m NOT attracted to all men, just SY” and he focused on that.
I laughed when he discovered boobs.
Yes, please share the list here with me. I finished Ep 6 and I didn’t know that PM’s family is connected three ways to the emperor/king:
The current queen/consort, the second prince, and somebody else.
But the PM’s son is a decent guy, right? It’s a good thing they cast a good-looking guy for the second male lead. In Dr. Cutie, the second male lead had no chance against Huang Junjie. lol.
Yes! He was really trying to see whether SY is attracted to him too. But he said as well that he will distance himself from SY as he needs to concentrate on the country. I liked that he admitted it and it was funny that his heart was having palpitations when she’s close to him. 😁
I saw a clip of that and his reaction was just right 😂
I like that the drama had the voiceovers to show us the internal monologues of the characters. The voiceovers made it easier for us; we didn’t have to guess what they were thinking. lol.
His heart palpitations were funny. The actor was just mime-ing because, of course, he couldn’t hear his own heartbeat (the sound was added later on). But he made it look funny that he felt his heart thumping badly.
The actress is good too. Many actresses look so awkward in cross-dressing roles, but she was very believable.
True! Grateful for the voice overs! ☺️
This actress is very good and I think SY’s voice adds to her cross-dressing role too. I wonder if it’s her real voice. I can’t wait till she finally becomes Lady Han. 😊
I should watch some bts of this and see how they are. Lol at second lead in Dr Cutie. 😂 I miss Huang Junjie ☹️
How funny SY thinking she was saved by Jiye because of his hair pin. 😂
But this would have been the third time she almost crash landed.
1 – Almost falling from the roof
2 – Soccer (cuju?) game
3 – Almost falling from the tree
But aww Prince carried her when she was drunk when his guards offered to. The way he looks at her now is different and he is fattening her with all the food 😂 Sweet of him! 🥰
So he noticed how slim her hips were?? And finally figured out that she was female??
Yes, I was laughing at the scene with Jiye. His hair was all messed up so SY thought he was the one who rescued her.
Don’t you just love it when the girl is appreciative and grateful to the WRONG guy, and he couldn’t say a word to correct her misunderstanding? lol.
So he saved her three times from crash landing on her head?
I just finished episode 7 and oh the discovery that SY is a female. 😂 Prince was definitely a knight in shining armour after saving/covering her when she fell in the water. Swoon!
He’s starting to get jealous too. 😁 Yes! When she should thank the Prince and not Jiye and three times being saved from hitting her head.
Waaa! We just love our hairpins in cdramas! From the Prince to SY. 😍
Wait! What episode are you on??
Episode 8! 🥰 Prince saves her again because Wang’s? (second lead) sister tried to whipped SY 🤦🏻♀️ outside the college because SY just happened to hear her love confession to the Prince. She said SY ruined it.
Prince covers SY’s untangled hair and while in the carriage, he gives her a hairpin. 😍 They made a point of it too because they showed it on his hand. ☺️
Okay. I’ll make a note of that.
I think I saw that on a trailer. Her hair was down and he gave her the hairpin. Was that a hairpin he was keeping to give to her on a special occasion?
I like that scene in an earlier episode when he wanted to buy her some steamed buns because she had a sweet tooth. (Food! I love it when the guy offers food!) But his bodyguards stopped him.
Ugh! I wish I remember the highlights of each episode. I’ve been skimming dramas instead of WATCHING them.
Maybe because he just happen to have one at the right time. 😊
Oh yeah I remember that steam bun and his guards are like ‘for SY?’ 🤔
But did you notice that he’s more open in reminding SY what his preference are, meaning that he likes men and it’s her?. But that’s because of the rumour that he likes SY because she stayed with him overnight. 😄 I like that he knows her secret and just goes to show her his true feelings while she still thinks his into men. 😂
I’m excited to continue tomorrow.
Good day! 😴
Good night!!
Yes. I like that set-up: he already knows that SY is girl, keeps it secret and protects her secret. She thinks she’s still deceiving him. Now, we’re just waiting when she’ll discover that he already knows.
@pkml3 The hairpin is also a dangerous weapon, but she does not know that yet. It’s a very treasured keepsake of his mum’s therefore the one he gives it to has to be very special to him.
This show is one of the better ‘historical’ productions. It was relaxing to breeze through the 40 minute episodes without getting tired. The characters grow on me and got me invested.
Watched Episode 12 and going on to 13.
Wait for meeeeee! Why are you all way ahead of me?! 😂
LOL! @pkml3 Show was that good I just breezed through the episodes and had so much fun. I’ll have to wait at Ep 14 anyway, since I need the subs. Then of course I’ll be delayed with this show because Stranger 2 has aired tonight and then there’ll be FOE.
I think I need to re-watch parts of this show anyway to catch some of the nuances. I went through it too quickly! 😅 🙄 😊
@packmule3, I’ve only watched 8 so far. I loved the end with them going through the field of purple verbena on the horse. She has admitted to her bodyguards that she likes him.
Packmule3, I’m so glad you convinced me to pick up this show! I binged through all 14 eps available on dramacool and now I‘m impatiently waiting for the new eps! Shall trawl other sites to see if new eps are up. And I’m so happy that the FL is smart, feisty and kind, and every time our Prince smiles at her, I melt.
Fern, I rewatched that part in Ep 8 when SY went to meet her grand aunt. Her grand aunt is the sister of SY’s paternal grandfather. They talked about how the current emperor managed to get the throne when he wasn’t a favoured son. There was in-fighting among the princes and the current emperor managed to benefit from that. He was in love with the Second Prince’s mother, the current Empress Wang but married the 5th Prince’s mother, Empress Yuan. I think Empress Yuan is her title, and her maiden surname was Chu. Empress Yuan’s father came from a family of generals who had contributed greatly to the country, and with the support of the Chu family, the current emperor took over the throne. Empress Yuan died, leaving two sons, the original Crown Prince who also died, and the 5th Prince Chen Yanyi. Second Prince is the son of Empress Wang.
I think the royal family always placed great emphasis on the “original” wife and so her sons would also by default be favoured. But the emperor seems to favour 2nd Prince over 5th Prince.
As for the Wang family, Empress Wang and Prime Minister Wang are siblings. PM Wang’s eldest daughter married the 2nd Prince.
@joonminfan, thank you very much. I understand the dynasty more. There was some mention of the emperor getting drunk, mistaking the identity of his partner and the result was the 5th Prince, am I right? I am enjoying this drama, too.
One thing I’m still not clear about: Why does the PM want to get rid of SY rather than court ‘him’ over to their side to align with the Han army for the sake of the 2nd Prince? I must have missed something. The PM has reasons, but overall it doesn’t make sense to me.
Also, SY said that she would marry the girl whose dress she accidentally pulled. Later, she tells the 5th Prince that she will marry a woman from a humble family as she stays in the guise of a man. Won’t this become a problem?
I also feel that her cousin, who was betrothed to her as a child and is very loyal, will become upset when he eventually learns she is a woman. I hope that he doesn’t change loyalties.
I liked this part:
SY: (Avoiding the 5th P)
5th P: There are snakes here.
SY: (Grabbing his arm) A real man is highly adaptive.
The 5th P also quite enjoyed the rat-induced clinch in the prison.
@Growing Beautifully, I will have to re-watch parts as well as the dialogue goes by quickly and I get confused with the names and some of the reasoning.
Hi @Fern I really don’t mind rewatching this show, it’s quite entertaining and it gives us so much couple time in these first 14 episodes.
About the promise to marry multiple women. I believe it won’t be much of an issue since guys could take more than one wife plus concubines. I think the plan was to ‘marry’ some of the girls to rescue them. At the Han home, they’d be well treated and protected. Presumably he’d say he was impotent or something and so not have to bother with the conjugal part of the arrangement, and would just adopt a few kids.
Oh yes, those ‘manly’ moves of Shi Yi were great for skinship. Come to think of it, this show has more scenes of bare female shoulders and less covered top of torsos than most others.
I like the amusement and smiles of palsy face now that the liking each other is on the out-and-out. His modern day look is actually very attractive.
@GB, I’ll have to look at the ML’s real-life photo, if that’s what you mean by modern day. I liked his hair when he was wearing a ‘civilian’ look and it’s put up in a looser way with some bits escaping. @packmule3 knows how to choose a good ML.
I wonder if Chinese standards for shoulders showing are perhaps slightly looser than Korean? We haven’t seen any men’s shoulders yet, have we?
@Fern, I feel that actually the Koreans are more open to exposing skin while the Chinese show makers have a whole bunch of rules and regulations to circumvent or follow. This show hasn’t given us a single bare male torso, but there was another one that had too many!!! LOL. (Sorry can’t recall the name of it but I did mention it somewhere on BOD.)
I thought that the ladies of the brothel were more daringly exposed than usual for a costume drama.
Yes, there’s a photo of present day Jiang Chao, our ML, in MyDramaList. He has a nice smile there. He has a crooked smile at times that makes him look like a rake… a dashing rake in one of those M&B or Victoria Holt stories. LOL.
@Fern, I would have to rewatch to see why PM Wang wanted to kill SY instead of persuading her to be on their side. Maybe he was convinced that SY and Han Army were firmly in 5th Prince’s camp.
Anyway, while on the prowl for new eps last night, I chanced upon some spoilers. Now I’m afraid to continue the drama. Get ready for tears and heartbreak.
Which episode are you on now Queen? I was laughing when you asked ‘why are you all ahead of me?’. 😂
I thought I was gonna finish episode 8 today but I got busy as usual. But I have time now. ☺️
@joonminfan, really appreciate the information on the royal family tree. It can be very confusing but you made it so clear. 😊
@Fern, I like that loose hair look on our Prince too. I like it when he tries to hide his smile from SY. ☺️
@GB, is it Love By Hypnotic? The one that has a lot of bearing skin. 😁
@agdr03 Yes, I believe you’re right. It was Love by Hypnotic. Bare torsos a plenty and lots of kisses (and pretty good ones!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ47r7l9jcA LOL. Pity the story wasn’t great and not worth re-watching or even watching the first time.
I think I just remembered it because of the lots of kisses that you mentioned @GB 😄 You said episode 1-13 was good then went downhill after that.
@agdr03 Yes, that’s right. I think I fast forwarded a lot after Ep 13 just to see if it was ok to watch but the twists with the 3rd ML and then with the 2nd FL being unreasonable were tiresome. They were just there to lengthen the show.
The Heiress is sooooo much better.
@GB, please remind me again. Who was the YouTube lady who highly recommended that show? 😂 I’m not going to trust her taste again.
That was Avenue X, but I have to doublecheck on what she actually said about the show, to be fair. After all she also recommends The Heiress and other good shows. On the whole I agree with most of her reviews both the positive and negative, that is, when I did go on to pick up those shows.
I agree @GB, The Heiress’ story flows smoothly and it’s well thought of, even the fights are good. ☺️
Ahhh. Avenue X. That’s right.
There was a show she positively gushed about, “I’ve Fallen For You” that I can’t for the life of me understand what she saw in it.
That review (and a couple more) told me that she and I are not going to be on the same page, and we’re not going to have the same tastes, sense and sensibilities (jane austen). But then that’s okay. Culturally we’re different anyway.
Marcus Sims and … ?? gosh! I forgot his name … are the YT Cdrama reviewers I trust. For me, the male reviewers are more spot on.
Off topic:
It looks like the ML married a co-star from another drama and they have a baby. Sweet.
I do check out Marcus Sim too, however he does not really give reviews but more just news on shows. I like that AvenueX has a bit of insider knowledge, having been in the industry, and that she gives first impressions and if she likes the show, she gives another review with her reasons for liking or disliking certain parts of it.
Aww thanks for that info @Fern. ☺️
I thought I can power through episode 9 to 10 at least but no, I have no more power left. 😴
Have a good day ladies! Ciao! 👋🏻
Ciao! @agdr03 Have a good rest!
Thanks for the info on the ML @Fern. I found this video showing us his meeting with his Uygher mum-in-law LOL Yes, cute indeed! We get to see his wife, actress Madina Memet, and their child and mum and mum-in-law. The Uyghur language sounds hard to learn!!!
hahaha. Are we fangirling the ML?
From his physique, he looks solidly built. That’s why Fern and I found him attractive. To Fern, he looks like a rugby player. I thought his square jaw gave him that pugilistic look — as in, he can take a punch to the jaw without flinching. lol.
But to hear that he’s a family man makes him even more attractive. It adds to his “solid-ness.” 🙂
That video, @GB….
At 2:06. Were they expecting more company? Why was there so much food laid out for him?? lol.
Yes, that video, @GB and the others that linked with it. My goodness, his MIL is intimidating, as is her decor, but what a change when she gets to hang out with the baby! I felt bad for them not being able to converse easily. The other lady is his mother, I think. As to the food – MIL probably prepared enough for the 4 of them plus the film crew.
@packmule3, fangirling? 🤨 Not me, no never. I know the rules. 😉
(“What, never?” “No, never!” “What, never?” “Well, hardly ever!”)
Aww their baby Daniel is cute! 🥰 Thanks for this video @GB. I think he did well to try and prepare meeting his MIL. She did look serious but she smiled when JC was on the phone with Madina. 😁 That is a lot of food 😁 Nice to see that he has a young happy family. ☺️
You’re most welcome, @agdr03. I seldom bother to check out celebrities’ private lives, but I was struck by how different he looks in the show from his modern day photo. I liked seeing the family as an ordinary family. Which brought to mind… I wonder why fans can still go so crazy, knowing that celebrities are just people with jobs and private lives. I don’t know if this celebrity couple has crazy fans, but I hope not.
I hope not @GB.
I think those fans just doesn’t have the open minds to accept that it’s a job and that they do have their own lives. I mean I know that I’d like a couple of pairings to be for real but I don’t own them so I know it’ll never happen. 😂
I just finished episode 14 today and it’s so true that Prince has a way of getting confessions from anyone whether it’s finding out whose the mastermind of an evil plot or finding out whether SY loves him. 😂
I really like it when he gives her those side looks with smiling eyes like the one in the mountain when they had to spend the night because the bad guys are hunting them down.
I was on Ep 8 last night. I might have started 9 alright.
The thing with this Cdrama is that the ending of each episode flows into the beginning of the next one. There’s no high point like in Kdramas where the end scene is THE highlight of the whole episode. Kdramas build up tension of the plot to end with a dramatic cliffhangers. 😂😂
In The Heiress, I often feel as if the story ended at the particular scene because it reached the 40 minute mark. 😂
😂 True, I don’t feel any tension here the way kdrama does but at least on this cdrama the story flows except when they mention the family trees 😂 I do get lost there. 😬
Did you notice the different hair pieces on this show? It’s more intricate and bigger. ☺️
I just resume watching period Cdrama Legend of FuYao (2018), not sure if anyone has watched this since it’s not new n 66-Ep long… Pertaining to the degree of bare torso/shoulders by ML/FL, this drama I think shows it all, really not seen often in Cdrama. ML-Ethan Juan bared his top in Ep 17 (13:40-14:50) and in Ep 21, FL-Yang Mi also revealed her shoulder too in the latter. In Ep 21 (6:00-11:00), I think it displayed an astonishing well-choreographed martial fight-fall in your embrace sequence.
@pm3 “I often feel as if the story ended…” does often means always? Why do you think every Kdrama ended at the cliffhanger… one Kdrama ep is 90-min compared to 45-min Cd episode, that’s why. A 16-Ep Kdrama is equivalent to 32-Ep Cdrama.
I’m addicted to the box screen since a kid, both drama n film. However, it’s a shame that I often don’t notice those details that’s being posted here. Which is why I enjoy reading your comment-posts. I haven’t watched Kdramas for years until recently, though the first one was prolly in 2007 or earlier. Those days and even a couple of dramas in recent years that I watched gave me the same impression: It’s take forever for ML/FL to go on their first date, confess their love, to spot the villain (even though in plain sight), n several Ep ended with “the arrow being shoot at the target” like you gonna get this time n the next Ep beginning tells you “Hehehe, sorry another miss” like a soap opera.
Kdramas (C- as well) has improved so much in the last two decades while American n Hong Kong drama-series gone down the drain. It’s a life cycle—
Episodes 15-18 have been subbed on Dramanice. Episodes 19-24 are still raw but should be subbed in a day or two.
Story is moving away a bit from just the romance plot to external events that take our characters away from the court and imperial college. I’m hoping that Wang Zhong Yu will be able to counter the irresponsible, self-serving decisions of the 2nd prince and do more good than just write plays.
Packmule,
I’m still here. Been working on a project, which is now finished.
Liked the Scooby Doo, where are you? In Glasgow, Scotland they have slang “I don’t have a Scooby” = “I don’t have a clue”.
Have been half-watching this. The female lead is very well chosen. In some scenes she really does look male to me.
In this CDrama I like the way they have reversed the normal situation where the male lead doesn’t know their colleague is female until episode 23. In Episode 10 she finds out he already knows and wonders “when did I give myself away”.
Plotline in Episode 10 was also novel. If you want information, go ask a beggar.
Thanks @GB for the update on the episode. Hopefully I can watch it tomorrow. ☺️
Yeah I want Wang to be more than a writer too. Maybe it’ll happen because there’s a scene at the end credits of each episode where he tries to put a sword to Fifth Prince but SY blocks him by putting herself in front of the Prince.
I really like this drama. I’m waiting for episode 19 to be subbed but it’s still good so far.
I like it whenever Fifth Prince and SY have their talks about being together and making it happen. ☺️
In episode 15 they played a song which was played in Dr Cutie. I recognised it and thought I know that song. 😁
@agdr03 I’m waiting for the next subs too. I like how our protagonists come up with interesting ways to solve their problems through their integrity and by befriending unlikely persons, which confound the plotting of the bad guys.
I’m just waiting for the couple to be together as a real couple, (and if I saw the end credits aright) and to become parents. Shi Yi might be able to hide a whole lot of female attributes but pregnancy is something else LOL.
Agree @GB ☺️ They come up with solutions which is best for everyone involved at that time of emergency. It just shows that their priority is the well being of the people. The Fifth Prince and SY will be great leaders if they end up having the top positions in the country. 😊
Ooohhh I haven’t seen those end credits. I’d love for the show to have babies in the end 🥰
@agdr03 One of the shots in the end credits had her looking pregnant… not sure if I saw it wrong.
I’ll try to watch the end credits @GB , thank you 😊
It’s actually the first shot in the end credits of Shi Yi dressed as a woman. Sure looks pregnant there.