From violence to poetry through romance : the characters development. + All the episodes.

 unbeliebubble:

Which means, that Luo Mei migh show us more of her fighting skills very soon.

I don't doubt her fighting skills, which was shown in the novel. However, I do question her general awareness of tactics and strategies in warfare, especially the one between the brothers. She was all words and no action, except for that one scene attacking Mei Lin, and it wasn't really about investigating Xiyan spies (as she claimed). That part was all about her jealousy, which was understandable. 

 TaliaToo:

Honestly, I think it's the actress. Her interpretation of a "cold" general was that of a robotic entity who walked the walk and talked the talk, but seemed unable to emote any of that. Even if she wanted to portray being cold, her delivery of lines was mostly in monotone, as if she were reading them off the script. Another actress might have given her more character for us to play with. Can you imagine Chen DuLing guest-starring this role? She is capable of playing both sides of the coin, giving a lot of nuance in small roles.

I think the director made her do it on purpose. He must have stopped her everytime her facial expression was too expressive. Can you imagine someone being that expressiveless all the time? It seems difficult to me. Maybe Chen DuLing is more capable in micro-expression.

 TaliaToo:

I don't doubt her fighting skills, which was shown in the novel. However, I do question her general awareness of tactics and strategies in warfare, especially the one between the brothers. She was all words and no action, except for that one scene attacking Mei Lin, and it wasn't really about investigating Xiyan spies (as she claimed). That part was all about her jealousy, which was understandable. 

Yes, she is very poor in tactics and strategies. She attacked Mei Lin and probably learned that Mei Lin could defeat her. Which probably added to her jealousy of Mei Lin. I don't know if they reduced the depth of her character in the drama. But I had great expectations of her and I am disapointed  with her personality right now, to say the least.

 sansoleil83:

I would agree. Another actress would’ve given this role more  emotion and depth. This might have helped us make better deductions about her motivations and character. Her line deliveries never reached her eyes.

Well, another TBH--I'm often distracted by her being slightly cross-eyed. And her line deliveries were just a monotone.

 TaliaToo:

Right? I understand how you feel. I had great expectations for MRJH's Mad Hatter Act in the beginning and where did it get me? Bwahaha. 

I seriously wanted a crazy tea party like in Alice in Wonderland, where everything doesn't have to make sense, where there is a sense of doom, yet is so ridiculously entertaining to watch because Alice keeps growing big and small. But...sigh...I got the Last Supper.  LMAO

Alice in wondeland is on of my favourite book. I liked the toxic romance at the beging and Iwould have liked it to continue a bit. But, I guess that viewer would have criticized the drama more, if too much violence was depicted. It would not have passed censorship anyway.

 unbeliebubble:

I liked the toxic romance at the beging and Iwould have liked it to continue a bit. But, I guess that viewer would have criticized the drama more

I didn't need too much violence and anyway, many readers were hooked by those first 5 episodes, with the two of them in their game of Bite Me Love Me. I wanted a little more of that. Heh. It didn't have to be too violent. A few more fights. She strangles him back and he kisses her without the fear of death :). Or, even when they were playing the game of "the infatuated prince and the Mei Ren," she could have acted a bit more seductive in that bedroom scene than just plunking down on the bed. They were sexy in that pool, why not in bed?! Instead, the writer wrote him shy, which really surprised me. MRJH was not SHY about anything :). 

As a writer, I would be plotting out all the push and pull of this relationship instead of the sudden transition into romcom territory, although a bit of that would have been fine, like the umbrella dance scene. The amusement there would be a nice transition to something deeper between them, especially when he drummed for her.

I've mentioned/suggested this before: that scene in the hunt where they were lying on the ground pretending to be lovers should have been MORE intense and seductive. Because this was when she was angry with him and he was frustrated. Perfect combo for a bite while he's kissing her hard (after LM turns away). This would have made the "real" kiss in the village when he warned her not to bite him this time so much more sweeter and believable as a transition to romance.

In romance writing, push and pull is important. Writing a dominant male is an art form--he cannot be too violent in his need to "take" his woman as his but he must also display a fearlessness in showing that woman of her effect on him. In short, I want him hot for her, LMAO. 

Yes, censorship must be kept in mind when it's a CDrama, but I've watched many douyin dramas that played it dangerously close with their country's rules and got away with it. The gestures that never are repeated that are in the "red flag" territory but have been accepted:

1) the grabbing the female throat gesture.  I don't like it but it's a constant thing. For THIS drama, I would have liked MRJH to do it once. Even have Mei Lin grab him his throat back in retaliation. I mean, we had him poking her throat with a hairpin in the beginning!

2) being absolutely rude, almost crude. Always, in these douyin dramas, the  red-flag male lead would at least once leave the FL in a lurch or kick her out of his CEO car while it rained. It's callous and awful and in these dramas the dude would regret it later, but still that gesture is so "red flag." But it's done over and over and audiences forgive the character. 

Now, again, for this drama, MRJH, after the bath scene, was never once rude or crude with Mei Lin. Why? That bath scene set a tone that cannot never be ignored. Mei Lin is a trained assassin, so we don't need to see the helpless FL of the douyin drama being unable to fend for herself after being kicked out of the CEO car. Mei Lin could, again, show MRJH that he had trained the wrong woman :). Or, the right woman, as we would say.

Anyway, these are two examples. I don't want to keep rewriting this drama. I'm not saying it's all bad because I wouldn't be watching it if it were. It's just missing some elements, which frustrates me no end.  As you can see, LOL.

C-drama love the neck-grabbing gesture - so many posters have this pose. Yet the censorship.

The writers/directors played it too safe. The fact that Mei Lin is a woman who can defend herself gives them some license to push the boundaries a little. I still cannot get my head around MJH being shy and LXY looks awkward being shy. In fact they both look awkward being shy as they are mature actors, though kudos to them for still managing to pull it off the best way they could.  

So, so frustrating. If episodes 1-4 never existed I get it but they do and all they had to do was keep going with it. Arghhhh...........

 unbeliebubble:

If they did what you suggested this would have added more sexual tension in this story. And it would definitly benefit the story. I don't know why they shy away from it. 

But hey, how I would have loved to watch those scenes.

Especially the kiss/bite fake intercourse in the open  :-*

HAHAHA, gimme the $$$ and I'll pay the whole cast and crew to redirect my script and then I release in outside China :D.