Though I’m not a goddess, I live by this motto, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
@Bosuji has been bugging me for almost a month now to open a thread for “Lighter and Princess.” Since she rose to the challenge I gave her to write an explanation why L&P was a good drama for Bitches of the blog to discuss, I’m giving her an Open Thread… and myself more work to moderate the thread. 😑
Please join her. Her write-up is down below.
To entice some of you, here are gifs from zhoufei’s tumblr.
Enjoy the show!
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Write up for BOD – snippets and impressions from LIGHTER AND PRINCESS that might catch some BOD reader’s eye ;-p
The screen is filled with blinding sunlight, a field of wispy yellow grass swaying in the breeze, there stands a boy blond haired looking into the distance and a girl dark haired, looking at his back, both in white, across a tall, black wired fence running endlessly, to the left and right.
The first dialogue we hear from disembodied voices with a haunting score underlining it ..
– Betrayers will go to hell (a female voice in reverb)
– (a deep bass male voice replies also in reverb)
“Just consider me a betrayer, anyways it’s not binding to me.
it doesn’t matter if I go to hell.
I’m experienced.
I’ve never loved you.”
This stark contrast between the talk of hell and betrayal with an idyllic vista as backdrop, is further heightened by a haunting score as though coming from some deep cavern..then it hurtles off…
The drama pulls back like a slingshot and releases one right into the heart and core of the show – to give us a glimpse into the raw gut of the drama yet to unfold for the viewer, a medley of fast cut shots, of where it will take you, things to come, before it is sealed shut; and one finds oneself adrift in an aircraft’s sanitized silence and cool blue interiors, carrying two passengers back to Shanghai (from the US – it was a 13 hour flight).
Main Lead FL, Zhu Yun’s eyes open (floating in and out of a dream). Her outward calm belies her inner state (the whirl of images in her head and the voices), she’s reached for her purse and taken out a piggy key ring which she caresses – some totem, a memory?
A handsome suave gentle Xiujhu appears, who seems to be very close to her but we don’t know who he is :
BF
Close friend?
Cousin?
She looks out the window with vacant eyes, on the ride back home after her parents receive her warmly- she’s meeting them after 3 years, but her expression is pensive at best; it doesn’t seem like a joyous celebratory reunion, a homecoming trip, she seems listless and resigned..we haven’t caught a smile on her face yet, her parents are not commenting on this lack of enthusiasm, but chatting away happily with Xiujhu.
We learn that she considers Xiujhu as just a friend (even though her mom has her gears clicking and lets her know that she’s hoping they’ll get together and tie the knot. He’s a catch!!)
Mom is established as a benign, well meaning dictator who has always done things by the book and steered the course of her child’s life leading her to the path she thinks is suited for her – to success and a good and comfortable life.
“Youre not a little girl. Your 25 years old. We have different things to do in different stages of life. We should study hard in school, after graduation, we should work to build a family. Now that you have a stable job, you should change your focus. I think Xiuzhu has good conditions.”
“You disliked him for his poor grades.” Zhu Yun quips .
“That was when he was a kid. I think Xiuzhu had a very gentle and considerate personality. This kind of gentleness and consideration is not something that anyone can do casually.”
And then.. Just then …the scene is jolted away : from the cosy, comfortable interiors of a warm family home where food is on the table and gentle folk are gathered, to a prison!
Metal, doors, grills, clanks and striped uniforms ..
That haunt of all things looking for correction .. Crime, injustice, punishment,
Hands fold and put away prison clothes, pick up a golden lighter.
LIGHTER!! THE lighter??
We see the hand sign the release papers : Li Xun
The first sentence of the show in a Voiceover has already launched for us the main male lead, we can safely presume:
“Li Xun
No. 1 of Applied Tech Class 1, Computer Science Dept.”
We’ve also heard his deep voice resonate, and call out, like a yearning : “Zhu Yun” in the empty school grounds where she is alone and spinning like a top (in the dream sequence)
(A melancholy song rises on the soundtrack, and we see the released prisoner stride out..
Into the cold blue evening light?
(lyrics) “Don’t know how I’ve been there..Nothing ever changed.
Have you ever changed?
It’s been so long ago,
I’ve been walking so long.”
The camera angles catch a handsome man with a hardened, gaunt face, an intense, inscrutable gaze looking straight ahead, (buzz cut, prison hair never looked so good before) walking down an empty road.. Dressed in all black.
Tall, wired fences on both sides mark out the prison where he must have spent the last 3 years – the time our FL spent far far away.
No time was lost..the story has hit the ground running..
You know that these characters will be twined once again.
The promise of “goodies” has already been set, for those who like shows where they ask:
MyGoodness what the heck happened here!!!
Those glass shards of memories that sped through Zhu Yun’s head have our appetite whetted.
Zhu Yun’s mom, her home, her station in life, is such a far far land from this desolate place this man has walked out from. Where has he been wandering? What hell? What betrayal? What love?
There was a flame from a lighter, and there was a steamy passionate kiss.. there were snowflakes and laughter as they twirled together, tear soaked faces .. And there was a shriek of despair, wham of violence…
If this isnt a beginning that has your heart pounding hard, the angst keening in the OST music; the “realistic dialogue” and “rich photography” giving off the aroma of mature themes; of bites of realism (of course drama-world adjusted realism – not Vittoria De Sica or 400 Blows realism 😝) then this probably isn’t going to be a show that’ll speak to you.
Ala Bette Davies my mind told me : Fasten your seat belt, this will be a bumpy night.
Red Flag – Green Flag – Toxic – predator – masochistic FL…there’s been a lot of smear on the show and that’s fine.
I don’t agree with those labels, and I’ve finely combed through the show several times looking for signs / proof of many of those labels.
However I’ll accept them because I think for each person, different parts of our brain and cognition get triggered, by the same signals and portrayals, given we have different life scripts, and different expectations from a Drama watch.
That’s what I’ve always found fascinating about Dramaverse. The wide wide variety of it.. Sometimes completely opposite spectrum viewers will click with each other like hot buddies over a show and then completely repel one another over another!
I would love to take apart and unpack a lot of the bullet items I list below.
Dispelling the Red Flag – Toxic label for Li Xun
Pointing out the Diff between Li Xun as experienced by his co-characters
🌟- / ZY mom
🌟/ Ren Di
🌟/ Gao
🌟/ Zhu Yun
🌟 / Old Lin
🌟/ Fang Shumiao
🌟/ Volleyball Captain
🌟/ His sister
🌟/ Xu Lina
🌟 / Fang Zhijing
🌟🌟and as seen by the viewer (Dramatic Irony feast)
– Checking out the basis for labeling Zhu Yun as spineless.
– Old Gao Camp vs Li Xun Camp
– The opening sequence medley
– the many hues in which the word PRINCESS is used by Li Xun for Zhu Yun – it’s connotations and the varying reactions it induced in her throughout the show
But it can’t be done unless there is an open thread on the show, and enough excited people watching it too
I found a small community on MDL in the general comments section of L&P..
Where I’m currently enjoying sprinkling my thoughts and giving an alternate take on the characters / plots / acting / actors etc.
It’s been interactive so far..
BUT it’s here I hope to read and chat more, I will keep an eye out of course.. If one day a richer convo can be had here.
I respect the quality of convos here at BOD
Final Note :
I HAVE been SMITTEN by the BRILLIANCE of L&P … so much so that it’s made other dramas on the line (as of now) look uninteresting and pale in comparison.
I echo many of the L&P fan’s addiction to the show when I say “L&P has damaged me for dramas”
;-D
At the same time I have been puzzled over why for many it did not click.
A reason I thought of, for those
– who have dropped it .. inspite of being initially interested ..
– or those just didn’t get the point of it,
– who couldn’t tune into the ‘sizzle’ in the convos between the lead characters;
a reason for the many who got tired, bored, dropped the show
WAS that it required being conversant in a decent dose of Computerese (software AND hardware / Coding / Apps / Internet / Hacking / IT industry / future of IT etc details ,,, which played a BIG role in the “juice” and “thrill” of the show.
The entire dramatic suspense moments pivoted on ‘understanding’ even if just at basic GK (general knowledge) and current affairs level the world of computing / IT / computer hardware / game design / App and Website design / hacking / programming / viruses
(The show STARTUP wasn’t that solidly hinged around ‘knowing’ the jargon of the discipline).
There is so much ‘technicalese’ in the long convos amongst the characters, that it would require unpacking :
SPOILER ZONE
SPOILER ZONE
SPOILER ZONE
– when and why Li Xun wins the Blue Crown Deal (the entire presentation for bidding)
– why it was a Herculean feat by Li Eun to have “rewritten” the bid AS WELL as the coding for the final website design
– how Zhu Yun (ZY) was discovered and what was she up to at the Xiaobei computer lab
– how Xiaobei was so shallow and silly in her understanding of the website design
– why it was a genius leap to have come up with the App for Blue Crown over Website of Blue crown (Li Xun’s vision for future of Smart Phone use when 4G is moving into 5G soon)
– Li Xun’s ability to see the future of how Apps / Internet use can be harnessed for GREATER GOOD of humanity
– the brilliance of dreaming of a future for medical Science and reducing the rate of cancer deaths by 1% (propelled by the all consuming grief at the death of his mother) and HOW were they going to go about it … and why it needed deep pockets and backers; to see in it the immensity of the idea’s scope
– how Li Xun exposes the weakness of Fang Zhijing’s Star Award winning product
– how the Invincible General Game was turned around from being a laissez faire product to a product for nerds / geeks and found its niche following
– why it was a HUGE touching moment when ZY purchases (with her own money) the HOST component and is trying to assemble (Titan) while we see LX has gone “shopping” for the same after taking the day off and not even intimating what he is upto (shades of O Henry’s Gift of the Magi)
– what was the Blind Box Game’s allure (why it bothered ZY but all the males were cool with it, including her ‘green flag’ artist beau Xian) and why it would take 6 months even for any COPY to be made, unlike how easy it was for Old Gao to have copied Invincible General
– the significance of LX financing the Blind Box Game and becoming a majority shareholder at Flying Heart.
And last but not least amongst this listing is WHY it was clear that Old Gao was bright BUT mediocre, his goals materialistic … while Li Xun was a visionary, an institution builder
Fighting Girl!!! You can do this! 🙌🏻😉
I’ll see if I can squeeze this with the time that I have. ☺️ I was curious about this drama before actually.
Thanks @pkml3 and thanks for rising to the challenge to write us the starting recap, the questions raised and review of sorts for this show @Bosuji.
As we long time viewers know, our fave dramas may not be our fellow viewers’ cup of tea. There will be many who both like and dislike the same drama for a myriad reasons.
I’m getting busier now and am planning watch time for ‘A Time Called You’. I’m not likely to be watching L & P in the way I do Lost You Forever and the other shows that engaged me from the first, however I’ll drop by to see what’s happening here.
If I do get around to watching more, I’ll come back to post my thoughts. 🙂
Oh dear. Just when I thought I was getting a handle on the time I was spending on dramas! One down, 5 more to watch. I’ll do my best. With thanks to @packmule3 and @Bosuji for the enticing write-up.
@Fern, I’ll see how I go. I enjoyed The Princess and The Werewolf but I wish the ending was different. 😄
My first comment at the top is for you Queen. 😉 You’ve become a Fairy Godmother now as well. 🙇🏻♀️
This has been on my To Watch list since it aired, maybe this will be the kick I need to actually start it. I’m currently live-watching My Lovely Liar and My Journey to You (can’t afford to fall behind on that one cause they’re dropping one ep a day), plus I have 5 dramas I haven’t finished: Lost You Forever, Love Like the Galaxy, New Life Begins, King Eternal Monarch, and While You Were Sleeping >.< So I'm not sure just WHEN I'll start it, but L&P will be the next new drama I start 🙂
I WATCHED Lighter and Princess a while ago and thought it was really good.
hot ML great ending good tension loving relationship well written with unexpected twists and turns
I actually gave it a 10, something I never do. Now I am wondering why I scored it so high. I may need to Rewatch.
@Monmor, I’m a little curious to know why you rated Lighter and Princess so highly. I only watched a bit of the first episode.
@Bosuji, are you around here from time to time? Care to give more of your thoughts on why you liked this show?
I watched it a year ago. I was surprised myself to see that I gave it a ten. The romance was. Good with interesting twists and turns. The plot in the workplace was engaging and related to the relationship. I really liked The main lead although at first I was not sure, I liked his looks. I am not feeling compelled to rewatch at this Point so I really wonder if it was a ten. It had someone in prison unfairly trope Which I like.
I will think further after I read the previous poster’s long discussion about the show.
I thought I might try and watch a bit more of ‘Lighter and Princess’, but I returned to AvenueX’s review of it and again, I hesitate. I fancy I will have the same kind of thoughts as she had. The other way of looking at it is that I might watch this quickly (she said it was too long) at 1.5 speed and see if I agree with anyone’s review!
I’ll see how it goes. I find that a simple jdorama is actually pretty enticing without anything fancy about it, and may continue with that at the same time if I can manage it. 🤪
Please give me the Link for the Avenue x review. I found the website and I am excited to read it further. But I cannot see the review for this show.
What is the jdorama? I find it more challenging to get into a Japanese drama and they are not always easy to find, at least the older ones.
@monmor
The AvenueX reviews of ‘Lighter and Princess’:
Her first impressions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p8Z0SLNMcU
Ending review (not too positive): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P4jGqVULFg&t=363s
@monmor the Japanese drama that I just clicked the link to check out and found immediately engaging is “18/40 FUTARI NARA YUME MO KOI MO (2023)”
https://mydramalist.com/751443-18-40-futari-nara-yume-mo-koi-mo
It’s about an 18-year old girl and a 40-year old woman who befriends her like a big sister. Pleasant OSTs, simple plot, just people living their lives while trying to reach their ‘dreams’.
I’ve watched very few jdoramas, but one of the most engaging and heart-wrenching with nice metaphors to look out for is First Love: Hatsukoi (2022). I really enjoy the thoughtful OSTs. You can find our BOD threads for it on the right frame of this page.
https://mydramalist.com/682545-hatsukoi
I had taken a quick look at First Love awhile back. I found the first episode confusing, so I would appreciate some help to get into the show by reading about it here. It does sound like the kind of show I would like.
I am really looking forward to watching the last 2 episodes of Lovely Liar tonight and then reading the thread for the episodes.
This is a brief response since I only have 2 minutes. Now that I have read the above thoughts on the first episode and listened to Avenue X, I remember being more engaged with how the story unfolded and the ins and out of the trials of the company than I was with the romance which is intricately tied up with the story of the company. I do remember feeling frustrated by the romance at times.
I see there are a number of MDL reviews which gave it a 10. Now I am really curious about what it was that engaged me and others so much. I have learned to live with some misogyny in dramas since it is present in so many(does not make it OK) and is a drama afterall. It seems to me he did try the noble sacrifice thing for her sake-maybe a redeeming quality? Can’t remember well enough, though.
@Bosuji, @Monmor
BRIEF REVIEW ONE-THIRD INTO SERIES
To be fair to this series, I’ve watched 11 Episodes… with not much FFDg although I do speed it up from time to time. It has not struck me with the desire to ‘inhale’ the episodes that other shows have. It’s what I’d consider a ‘normal’ drama of young people making their way in life, getting past hard knocks, the usual stuff. It would have been more engaging in the beginning if the ML had not been made out to be so unlikable. Even when some backstory finally comes up in Ep 11, it still does not sufficiently explain his bad attitude.
I guess the lure for many is to watch the arrogant, hard-as-nails guy slowly bend because of the girl. The other characters are not getting much of an arc, though, so I’m only slightly invested in what happens to the leads.
It’s somewhat interesting to see what new technology there is since even before 2022. The OSTs are nice and I will probably download them to listen to.
I guess it’s an ok show to watch to help kill the time, sufficiently engaging without being compelling, and can be put aside easily if necessary.
Yes everyone sees something different in a show. From what I remember of my impression of this show, I saw the main lead as a gifted person With a learning disability. His brilliance allowed him to be successful while he was held back with his lack of social skills and lack of impulse control.
I had not realized this was Based on a novel or a webtoon or both? I found it interesting to read how it was received online. There is a lot of hype about the romance and not much analysis of the characters which is what would interest me more.
Perhaps I should not use the word learning disability since it means different things for different people and in different countries. It is also typecasting which I do not like.
I finally started L&P yesterday. 4 eps in and I’m enjoying it well enough as I’m aware that the show is still pretty much setting things up. I like the chemistry between the leads and it seems appears to me that LX was drawn to ZY pretty early on.
Oh DEAR!
I did not even know (or seek out) what happened here after I posted this logorrhea of a “first flush of C-Drama love” LOL
I think after writing it all up .. the post did not show up for a while and I just assumed something had swallowed it in CyberSpace .. and then after a few days of checking in I kind of forgot all about it.
Today I happened to drop by to see what ALL new shows are being watched here .. because I myself have watched a whole bunch of shows .. and spent a load of time interacting on MDL discussion threads with fellow viewers (those who leave some meaningful comments albeit) ..
Thank you @packmule3 for creating the space ..
Feel Terrible that I missed the opportunity to chit chat here ..
Let me first look at “what the heck did I blab SO much about” ROFL
DIGRESSING a little now :
I discovered @AvenueX channel “accidentally” .. surfing .. because I was SO surprised by all the “HATE” for AJTL’s Lead Male (Liu Yan Ning) .. that he was cast wrong, can’t act, AS well as him being “UGLY” .. I was like WHAAAT??!
And in her video blog she rose to his defence like a Knight in Shining Armour. She gave the show a worthy rating and a supremely balanced review. Except for a glitchy ending scene, and rushed last half dozen eps I was raring to rate it a 9/10
BUT .. then I listened to some other reviews .. and it’s interesting that she rubs me the wrong way on so much stuff that it makes me itch to write in, with a fierce force that I have not felt, ever since the time I was writing on L&P on the MDL thread back in August / Sept.
Did anyone who replied on this thread with a wish / plan to view L&P end up watching it?
Would be nice to hear back on how it went?
Also hope new viewers will come by and check it out and leave their thoughts.
The characters are so rich for pickings because a LOT of CARE was taken in ‘scripting – directing – acting – stage setting .. atmosphere building (OST and ambience)’ ..
Ideal coffee and chat evenings over L&P character psyche dissection from the clues left by the makers of the show.
P.S. Another worthy show that begs such ‘pickings of psyche of character’ is ONLY FOR LOVE.
Again a MUCH hated show .. that has triggered SO MANY .. But I found an angle that was the opposite .. and immensely enjoyed the ‘experimentation’ and challenges it threw at the viewer .. These are NOT fluffy crappily made products .. and deserves a squinty-eyed examination IMO
Hi @Bosuji, I did wonder why we did not hear from you at all on this thread.
AvenueX gives her opinions based on her experience in the show production industry. She does admit that her opinions are just her own. Certainly you are free to agree or disagree.