Thanks @pkml3! Hi @agdr03!

I’m watching ‘Fireworks’ but I’m only skimming as I’ve also got no time to go into detail. Suffice it to say that this is a watchable show. However if you’re in only for the romance, it will be slow. I understand why, but I won’t mention it unless you don’t mind spoilers. (I’ve noted a bunch of comments impatient with the progress… so be warned.)

In the opening credits, the real people and animation are merged with the butterfly motif. It becomes obvious before long that the protagonists are like butterflies caught in a net or pinned under a bell jar (and we actually do see those bell jars, I won’t mention where yet), when they should have been allowed to fly freely. Through the work and various challenges, we’ll see our butterflies struggle, grow stronger and attempt ways of breaking free.

I like the look of the OTP together, and the great romantic tension, and that the reasons that they hold back from getting back together makes sense. I’m watching for the romantic tension and want to see when it eases or breaks.

Show does the firefighter training, work and rescues justice which was an added point of interest for me. Some of the OSTs were nice too but I haven’t found them on YT yet. 

Haha, @packmule comparing Dilraba’s character with Kim Kardashian! Her on-screen manager would NEVER let that happen. As to being a match, my favourite scene was when Jing Jing was filming in the desert. Yu Tu came to visit and demonstrated that ostentatious show biz mannerisms have nothing over science and technology.

Ah I love that scene too @Fern. 🥰

A shower scene already, with a bit of fantasy for the Shallow Islanders.

EPISODE 1
@agdr03, @Fern, well it was a worthwhile shower scene since we find that both Song Yan and Xu Qin in their respective showers were remembering how they first met and we get the backstory and the ‘real’ meet-cute when they were high-schoolers. This memory takes place after they had a couple of occasions of meet-awkward. LOL.

We can start a count of the number of times XQ is on the scene to help medically while SY does the rescuing. Ep 1 has the first occurrence where she comes voluntarily to offer aid during a fire with exploding gas tanks. Of course the first person to try to stop her is SY, who eventually allows her to follow him. She manages to save 1 girl and treat a boy. After this SY ignores her.

After these occasions there is no way either one of them can stop thinking about the other, however while SY does nothing except stare at the lighter that XQ had given him, with a photo of her on it, XQ takes action to try to meet SY again.

Meet cute to meet awkward via meet painful – that injured tooth seemed like nothing compared to the heart. And XQ was at a disadvantage. She didn’t recognise SY right away and he kept his mask on. He could read her nametag but he wasn’t wearing one and didn’t give his name. Because the firefighters didn’t know SY had just come out of a difficult surgery, she must have seemed very petty for not wanting to skip her supper to treat the injury. It was a bit surprising to me that they could burst into a doctor’s office, but perhaps they were directed to her from the ER?

I read the translated novel last year after learning that this was YY’s next drama. The translation was pretty rough but follow-able (is that even a word? It is now). When the drama started I realized that I couldn’t remember a lot of details so I went back to read the novel again and found that someone is doing another translation and it’s MUCH better. Just an FYI in case anyone wants to read it.

I wish there was a spoiler tag, but there’s not so I’ll try to be careful. I think it would help manage expectations when starting the drama to understand that Xu Qin has been emotionally, and I’d even say psychologically abused and manipulated since her adoption. She’s aware of this, but doesn’t have the courage to break free – yet. She’ll get there, but patience is needed. I think XQ has the most character growth in the whole story, but it takes time for her to reach the point where she’s willing to defy her family, especially her mother, to be with Song Yan. If the drama stays true to the novel, the payoff will be worth the wait 🙂

@Fern, you took the question out of my ‘mouth’ … I took kept wondering how patients could keep bursting into XQ’s office. It was the first time we saw it, but would not be the last. The whole protocol of registering to see the doctor and then having one’s name or number called first seems to be lacking!!

The other thing… the doctors should have a different place to rest where they won’t be disturbed. All we see is the locker room, the office and the operating theatres. In kdramas, we see the room where they can sleep or work (W2Worlds), offices with couches (Hospital Playlist), but not here. I hope it’s not a reflection of the real situation for doctors and nurses!!!

I guess Show wants to ‘force’ situations where XQ will face difficulties where SY can come meet her or ‘rescue’ her. 😏🫤🙄😁

@Good Twin, thanks.
You’ve made a good point! XQ is only suppressed and docile with mummy-dearest, and partially with brother but very capable as a person and doctor away from home. I like that she’s been planning and trying to bring about her greater independence for years now and is not waiting to be rescued emotionally. SY may be there to rescue her physically but he adds on to the emotional burden as well LOL.

Song Yan
If we hoped to see lots of handsome Yang Yang, then this show does not disappoint. Only thing is, he’s generally brooding, unsmiling, un-communicative in the beginning. That, I’m glad to say, will change. Yes, yes, I watch for that.

He had a bad experience that’s colouring his reactions (and he’s mainly reactive at first) but he may not know (or he should guess as XQ guessed) that the bad experience was compounded by stuff mum-dearest did.

Best setup of dramaland is that he was ‘fine’ for years but one chance encounter with XQ crumples his being fine. And to make matters worse(??) for him, the chance encounters multiply.

The Lighter
I’m not sure yet where Show is going with the lighter. It’s a metaphor of the past/image of old that he holds very dear. So dear that he won’t even admit it. At the same time, it represents his pain and wounded-ness. It’s obviously something that he’s supposed to let go of. I’ll stop here so there are no spoilers.

All three main characters (I count the brother as one too) need to have a growth arc and healing. And like in all dramas, we see that it starts only because the chance encounters shakes up the status quo. 🙂

LOL @grace, Show is being super nice to us viewers. Knowing that we’re in this to watch Yang Yang or the romance or both, it gives us lots of unlikely couple moments. Heh! Well, we’d better lap it up when we have them, no matter how contrived. I’m never sure when we might suddenly have separation/coma or amnesia or something even more unlikely… but as there’s the issue of great danger to life and limb, that might even be in the script!!

Hi @ GB,

Re actor WDX. I’m on Episode 22 now -difficult sometimes to know how the show is presenting him – victim or perpetrator in the controlling mess that is the family. I guess he will have decisions to make at some point about where he will make his stand in life.

Good that Avenue X likes his performance. I think his performance is being picked up widely and has gone viral – but I have no idea where! I can’t remember the article I was reading about this.

@GB and @packmule3, that is a great idea to split the drama. I’m only starting episode 3 and am anticipating a long slog based on the sheer number of episodes. Thank goodness each one isn’t very long. My reflections are based on episodes 1 and 2.

In flashbacks of high school it’s interesting to see Yang Yang playing sort of a ‘lad’; cocky, sort of a big man on campus/bad boy who smokes and writes graffiti on walls. He sees XQ and immediately knows he likes the cut of her jib.

I thought it was interesting that when XQ was introduced to the class she said she had no hobbies. (None?) I guess I’ll learn more about that later.

@Fern, you’re right about the hobbies. She did have at least one. 🙂

@GB – aha! Great tips as ever! xx

,@Kate, So many dramas, so little time. Will live vicariously on BOD
And hello to all the BODers who keep us informed and happy
😊🌼❤️🌄🎉