The Double (C-drama) / Ep. 81

I'm Jessica and this is Teba K Rambles where a couple of friends review Korean dramas. Except today we are not going to review Korea drama. We are going to review a Chinese drama, another sea drama. For this episode, I am joined by the drama trio. Hey Caitlin. Hey, Liliana. Yay. And Naz from the Swoon Diaries podcast. How are you, Naz? I'm good. I'm so excited to be here and to record with you guys. It's an honor. I'm so excited. Girl like this is going to be so much fun.

Why is it the drama trio and Naz? Why are we doing AC drama? Why are we going to cover the double, which was a huge C drama for 2024? I'll tell you, I basically got peer pressured into doing into hosting this episode. So I really wanted to watch this show. It was on my queue in my watch list for months. It came out earlier this year and so I was talking to the drama trail. I was talking to everybody. I was like, I'm going to watch this show Q4 of 2024. And Caitlin was like, bet are

you going to do an episode? And I was like, I don't know, like I think the podcast will be on break by then. Season 5 will be wrapped, Halloween spooky season will be over. So I don't know if I'm going to do an episode. I kind of just, you know, I don't know. She was like, you should do an episode so. And then I was like, if you don't do an episode, I will do an episode. And I was like, OK, OK, I guess I could do an episode. And then Caitlin was like, yo, Naz is watching The Double as

well. And I was like, Oh my God, that's so awesome. She goes, Naz has never seen AC drama before. And I was like, wow, so The Double is her first C drama. Yeah. So she goes, we should get Naz on the episode then. This is how like this kind of evolved into me hosting a lot of people on this review. And then we told this is months later. Like this is weeks. We established a group text, so to speak, a group DM on Instagram with me, Naz and Kayla.

And I was like, hey, Naz, I don't know if you know this, but I am posting like a review episode. You're on it. And so then Liliana, I told her about it. I was like, hey, we're going to record this on this such and such date. It's going to be so much fun. I know you love the double. If you have any pointers, whatever. And she was like, oh, OK, and kind of quiet. Later, she's straight in. Should I just? Come like. Can I come?

So that's how the drama trio ended up here with Naz on the offseason of Tebag reviewing a Chinese drama that some of us have seen before and reviewed before Liliana, because Liliana also has done an entire podcast review of The Devil on Her Feet. So all this to say. And I actually also kind of got Naz on here because in a separate chat I was like, you know, Naz, you watch maybe like 15 episodes of this drama. Well me and Jess are reviewing it so you should finish it so we

can have you. All that was just like working all angles like she's like, this is going to happen. Yeah, so now we're here. We've all finished the show. We've caught up to Liliana, who has had this in her back pocket for many months now. Yeah, so this is going to be fun. Before we get into it, if this is your first time listening, go ahead and subscribe on your favorite podcast app or on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google

Podcasts and many more. And if you like us, please give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify that goes such a long way. Come check us out on social media to stay up to date on our latest episodes and reviews. You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok at Debakpod. Lastly, if you're a fan, please consider becoming a patron. It is such a great way for you to get involved and show your support for as little as $2.00 a month. You can check out the page on

patreon.com/tabakpad. And I think I might move this to the end of the show because we're we have amassed some a number of patrons and so this is getting to be a little long, but here we go. Shout out to Janet, Curtis, Bale, CD, Alana, Grace, Lorna, Adya, Sami, Caitlin, Julia, Michelle, Tanmir, Marta, Delphia, Maria, Sarah and Maven. Love you guys. Thank you so much for supporting the show And here we go we are going to get into the double.

Here is my PSA for every single C drama review we do on the Teba K Rambles podcast. This will be a spoilerithic review. There will be no non spoiler section. I think there's a little bit of a barrier when it comes to C dramas. They are longer. They're kind of a little, maybe a little more niche than K dramas. And so if you press play on a full ass review of the double, I'm assuming, hey, you might have watched the double. So we are going to spoil the double OK from jump.

We're going to spoil it without further ado. We are going to talk about the synopsis, when it aired, the cast, and then that's it. Like all bets are off. We're going to we're going to jump right into it. I vote that Nas gives her opinion on everything first. Oh, absolutely, absolutely. Every question is going to go through Nas 1st and then we're going to open it up to the drama trio, basically. I just wanted to say that and establish that, but. I like that.

I like that rule. I like that rule. So my drama list synopsis is it tells the story of Shui Feng Fei, the daughter of a well off county magistrate who lost everything after a major upheaval. Saved by Jiang Lee, the daughter of the Secretariat director, she took on the identity of Jiang Lee and returned to the capital with the help of Duke Xiao Hong and others.

She overcame numerous hardships, tirelessly fought against injustice, rescued her father who had been wrongly imprisoned, assistant Xiao Hung and upholding justice, and protected the common people. I don't like how that's written in like, past tense. It's not written in literary present anyway. Whatever. This show is adapted from the web novel Marriage of the The Daughter by Xian. I'm already messing it up, Xian Shan Cha. OK.

Thank you. All Right. Aired in June of 2024. It's a summer show. It's 40 episodes long. It has three directors, Bai Yun MO, Lu Hao Gigi and Ma Shige. Bai Yun MO has directed Scent of Time, Handsome Siblings. Lu Hao Gigi has directed Go Princess Go. This one is also a Chinese actor, director and photographer.

He's the son of famous writer Hai Yan, and Ma Shige has also directed My Kung Fu Girlfriend, Unattackable Women, and Mr. and Missus Trouble. Obviously, this is just a smattering of things that these people have worked on before this show. The Double is written by Ren Yanan, who also wrote Scent of Time, so this writer has also worked with the director before, and they wrote Delicacies Destiny. These two shows both star the male lead from The Double. Yes, O, who is the male lead?

Wang Xing Yue stars as Xiao Hung slash Duke SU. He's the male lead of the devil. You might have seen him in other shows like Amidst the Snowstorm of Love from earlier this year, 2024 story of Kooning Palace, which is where I really

recognize him from. And judging from the way that one of my Tik Toks from two years ago is popping off when I first watched Delicacy's Destiny, which is available on Disney Plus here in the States. Yeah, he's trending, and he's also in Delicacy's Destiny. I totally forgot that he starred in that show and I watched it two years. I watched that shit two years ago so.

I was just going to say I think it's also important to mention that one of the reasons he is trending is the fact that nobody believes that he's 22 years old. I cannot believe that he's 22. Like when I found that out last week I was shook. I thought that was like a 32 year old man like. He's incredibly young. He's very young like my friend. I've been following him for quite a while now and all of a sudden my FYP is just people shocked at this fact and I was like no no he is. He is 22.

Yeah, which is shocking because I saw, I saw like news about like how people didn't really. They were like, oh, there's this age gap done. I was like, what age gap? Like they're the same. They have to be the same age. And I felt his age and I was like, what in the world? Yeah, shocking. Yeah, so he's just a little baby

at 22 years of age. He's already leading giant productions like The Double, which you can tell is very well funded and, you know, still supporting in other roles, like amidst the Snowstorm of Love. And I think he was, he was the second male lead in Story of Kuning just exploded. He's only been acting, I think, since 2019. That was his first movie role, and then he's steadily been working through, you know, the past few years, past five years.

He is classically trained though, so that does make a difference because he went to to school like for acting so and he's he's like graduated from from that. So he he works, he basically works for the same company that Biolu belongs to. So they go in the same circles. They run in the same circle, so to speak. That's why she's he does like quite a few roles with her. You can tell how young he is in Delicacy's destiny, I will say.

Yeah, you can. Tell how much he's improved as well since Delicacy's Destiny, which was just a couple of years ago. Obviously Delicacy's Destiny was likely filmed in 2021, but yeah, so massive, massive leaps and bounds he's taken in the past few years and then now he's basically an A Lister. His Co star in this show is Wu Jin Yan. She plays Jiang Li Shui Feng Fei, and she is the female lead of this show.

She's been in about 25 TV shows, including Story of Young Shi Pals. When I saw that on her resume, I was like, oh shit, that's right. Like she was in Story of Yung Shi Palace with Shukai in 2018. She had another show come out in 2024, Kill Me Love Me, which I think just finished airing. And that one had a delayed schedule because she announced her marriage just before. And they're kind of the Chinese industry is a little bit flighty when it comes to that sort of

stuff. So they were like, we're going to hold off on kill me, love me until. It's because they want all the focus to be like on the main couple of the show and people can't get in their minds. But it's also trending that she's probably pregnant and though, and that news is probably going to drop at some point because it's very obvious, like she's done some of the promo and she's like protecting her stomach and she's like in

this very oversized blazer. So there's a lot of like, it's fairly obvious that every well, at least everybody thinks that's why they think she announced her marriage very quickly. It's because they think, you know she's pregnant and that news is probably going to follow, which probably means she'll be out of the acting game for a little bit until. Yeah. Which was interesting because I

think the double was a role. So she she did after a big break like before the double, I think she wasn't like getting scripts or wasn't accepting something for a while. Like I think it was at least two to four years if I'm not mistaken. Wow. So with that being said, I'm not going to go into any more detail about who's in the cast. This is a large cast, just like a many see dramas and historicals especially.

So I'm going to toss it over to Naz to see how she like, this is your first exposure to Chinese dramas. And even though we kind of forced you to finish the show because of the podcast and peer pressure, what did you think of it? How did you approach it? Did you have any questions? Just tell us everything. Yeah, so I've tried to watch C dramas for a while. So like I think I watched like 5 episodes of Go ahead, which I really, I really enjoyed. I just I couldn't I got

distracted. Same thing with hit and love. I think I got to episode 7, I got distracted. I was like, OK. And then I was like OK, the double and 1st episode, literally I that was the most thrilling 1st 10 minutes of any show I've ever seen. And I was like, I need to see how this is going to end. And I was just captivated by the the outfits and just the set and just the story that they set up. And I was like, oh, yeah, I'm

invested. But yeah, it it definitely was a lot to get used to because I just think the sheer amount of like characters that are introduced and like the way they're introduced. And then like the plot lines, I was like, whoa, there's a lot. So I feel like I have some questions for you as we go through this, because I'm like, is this kind of like the standard for a drama like this? And also, is this drama considered a Shanshya or a Wu Shia? This is just plain up. Historical. Neither.

OK, this is just plain up. Historical. OK, that's good to know. OK. So, yeah, it was thrilling. Like it was really. I just felt so accomplished when I finished it. So you like the pacing, you like the characters, you like the costuming. It seems like the production design really thrilled you. And of course, the first episode hooked you. Yes, yes. Absolutely. What did you think of this slow ass burn of a romance? Yeah, this is like the slowest

burn I think I've ever watched. I was like, wow, like, I because I don't even think they kissed until the last episode, right. And it was like kind of like a pan away type of situation. We yeah. So I was like, oh, like, yeah, it was a slow burn. But honestly, it was also very rewarding because like when you have a like a slow burn like this, every single tiny development feels like the biggest thing in the world. So it makes it really fun.

Like, oh, their hands brushed. Oh, he looked at her a little long. Oh, he's doing this for her. So like, every little thing I was celebrating because I was like, this is this is a win. We're moving in the right direction. But yeah, it was a slow burn, but it was still like, it was very, still very fun to watch because there was so much other plot line happening. So it didn't feel like, Oh my gosh, I'm so irritated with this romance because there were so many other things that were

happening. Yeah, I thought, I thought each development in terms of their there was multiple revenges happening throughout the show and that kept you engaged as an audience. So even if the romance wasn't wasn't happening like progressing necessarily, you were invested in if the shit was going to hit the fan, you know, every couple of episodes or so. So I'm opening it up to the drama trio because it seems like Naz really liked the show.

What did you guys think of it? I know what Liliana thinks. But Caitlin, how did you find the devil? Oh, I loved it. Yeah. I mean, revenge shows, I always love a good revenge show. So and the fact that we got multiple revenges in terms of multiple families and multiple characters wanting to get revenge, I think it was satisfying for me.

I feel like the revenge part was very satisfying, but also the planning and the hoops everybody had to go through, the make sure the revenge happened in the way that they wanted to and just how everybody executed everything was very satisfying to watch. So I was very happy with this drama, yes. Liliana, in case folks didn't listen to your deep dive. So I really loved it and I think I just need to highlight something that is very different for me than it is for you guys.

I watch this on air like live. So that was a whole different experience. The fact that this show kind of came out of nowhere because this isn't like a S plus kind of drama in the sense at all. Like the budget is fairly low and if we're comparing. Oh, wait, wait, pause here. Pause here quickly. SparkNotes What is an S plus

show for Nas? And thank you anybody listening to. This sorry so and when we say an S plus show, it just means that it's a show that the company that is making it. So whether that be one of the big ones, whether it be Yoku Aichi or Tencent, they are investing a lot of money like it is the cream of the crop kind of, you know, dramas where they are pumping a lot of money. It'll have top billing artists that are all over the place. It'll have magnificent sets. It'll have like top notch

costumes. That's, you know, for something like, for example, lost you forever that they built these sets right from the ground up. That's an S plus drama. So it's basically the ones where a lot of money is pumped into them, and this one wasn't like this one was not that. So nobody was really expecting this to be that. You know that good and wanching you. Yes, he's steadily been gaining popularity, but he's. He's new, he's fresh. He's new, he's fresh.

And you know, when he's done other shows, like a Midst a Snowstorm of Love, for example, which is the show that came out in January of this year, he's the second male lead and he's next to Wooley. Like, I mean, it's Wooley. So I think not a people weren't expecting a lot. I think they were expecting a lot because a female lead, this was her return to the screen. And then all of a sudden.

Yeah. And then all of a sudden the first episode airs and you just see this flurry of activity on social media and everybody is like, what the heck, Just. And then like gradually more and more people start watching it. And then out of nowhere, Netflix picks this up. And it's like, what? While on air, this is like, not the norm by any means. Like Netflix picks up Chinese dramas when they're fully aired normally.

It's very rare that they pick up dramas that are currently airing for Chinese dramas, so. It was so exciting to watch this online while, you know, live and with everybody else because it just, honestly, this was the dark horse of the year. Like, nobody expected this to, you know? And everybody was like, oh, thank God this came out. This saved our year so far. And the sentiment is still very much the case. Like, a lot of this will be on a lot of people's top Chinese dramas for 2024.

I'm sure of it. Yeah, So I hope that kind of clears up how this was a sleeper hit in terms of Chinese dramas. It was not predicted to be #1 It had a large, largely untested cast. Like, even though the female lead, Wu Jinyang, had been in the industry for many years, she had, like we just said, been taking a prolonged break, whether she wanted that break or not. So this was a big comeback for her and Wang Shingwei. Again, kind of an untested male lead.

The production looks amazing. I'd still think it looks amazing. But yeah, if you break it down in terms of how many times did they use this set, how many times do we see the same room? What's so special about this room? Is it ornate? Is it large? All of these things play into how much money did it cost to put this together. It's likely recycled from some other production. It likely didn't cost that much to create. And that's what we mean by it's not an S plus show.

You know, we see them wearing very similar outfits throughout. It wasn't as ornate as other shows as maybe Shianches, which is a different genre. And you can tell, like, when you look at it, they put their effort behind other things, right? Like the cinematography looks amazing. The writing on this show was amazing. And the acting, even though the actors were not predicted to be anything special necessarily.

You know, people weren't tuning in necessarily for Wang Shing Yue or Wujin Yan. They knocked it out of the park. Absolutely. So I freaking love this show, guys. I was so invested. I was angry whenever I had to go back to work after watching an episode on my lunch break. I would be super tired after work and I put on an episode and then three episodes later I'd be like, well, shit, now it's like 12:30 in the morning and I have

to go to bed. And I'm like angry that I have to shut this off because like shit just got good. Like every few episodes it would be building to a new, the resolution of a revenge or the resolution of something and you'd be like, well, shit. Like I don't want to shut this off. And that addictive quality of the good, good Asian dramas like that is this show. And I freaking had a fantastic time watching this show.

Was a great watch experience and I'm just only sorry that I couldn't watch it as a binge necessarily because I had to like stop watching. I had to move my life and I was like weeks not watching it and not like upset me greatly when I returned to it because then I was like, well shit, I could have been watching this shit the whole time. And that's my only regret is that I couldn't just like sit there and binge it as I would love to do if I was just a child

with no responsibilities. So yes, I binge this and that should tell you something. You bitch. OK so Caitlin never binges shows she is not a binger. So this is a huge deal. I think I finished this in like 2 1/2 weeks. What the? That is crazy. That's crazy. I'm going to circle back to Naz. What kind of questions did you have for us at all? Like what kind of questions were they like specifically about the plot or just about like, does

this happen in all sea dramas? Yeah, I think, well, one, I was wondering if in all C dramas is this how is this how characters are introduced? Cuz like a lot of times, like when a new character came into the fold, like they would put their name and then like they would enter and look, hey now this is a new character entering the story. Like is, does that happen a lot in C dramas? For historicals, yes. For Xiangshu, yes.

For modern, no. I think it's because like when you think about historical period dramas, whether that be Wushu, whether that be a Xiangshu, any of those, there is a lot of characters and I think they do it so you can kind of see. And also the way Chinese names work is it can be that the character itself can mean various things just depending on like a certain kind of stroke.

So they will put it up and like for native speakers or, you know, for people who know, who know Mandarin, that they will know what character that comes from. This is actually actually, there's one scene in the double where this is quite obvious because they're doing like word play almost. And it's a scene where the male leader, the female leader talking. And so her real name, I'm going to read it because I got this off Twitter tweet because I don't know Chinese.

I'm learning. And basically it's a scene where they're going backwards and forwards. And the scene just reads, She says, I'm a restless spirit from the Ching Chong mountain. I'm not Jiang Lee. And he says to her, you are just a little leopard cat. And what they're doing, like to us that means nothing. But what they're doing is they're playing with like the Lee character and like changing it from Jiang Lee into like the Lee character of her original name.

So it's him telling her that he knows who she is. And I think that's why they also put like that names on screen that comes from that as well, so that people know like where the characters come from. So in historicals that's I think that's fairly normal actually even in Chiasha that's fairly normal for that to happen. It's funny because I never thought about it in my life that that's weird. Yeah, that they put the character. Name on. I'm just used to it, like it.

Just I'm used to it. Like my, it just goes overhead for me. Like it's just. Yeah. Did you have any other questions? This is. Actually very interesting. Yeah, No, that was my main question. And also you, but you answered my other question. What as you explain that Liliana, cuz like the the sheer amount of characters, I was like, is this the standard? Because I was like there I at a certain point I was even talking to Caitlin about it.

I was like, I can't, I don't know everyone who's on the show, Like I don't know anyone's name. Yeah, I'm lost. Like she was like, it's OK, but I was like, there's too many. People in the show. Nicknames. I told her to use nicknames. I was like, I don't know every. His name? Yeah, I love you this person as

well. Yeah, nicknames, but also pretty much every historical drama and whatnot, they will have like character maps where they will put all the characters and they'll like, say their name and a little explanation of who they are and how they're linked to each other. Like that always comes out with the dramas. So a lot of people use those. OK, OK, well they will, K. Dramas sometimes do that too, but yeah, with historical K dramas, they do those as well, yeah.

Yeah, any costume drama is going to have like 50 characters, and it's going to be a little more prohibitive because it's not going to be as easy. You're going to have to pay more attention and you might get a little confused, especially because it's not the same as if we were a native speaker of the language and we can just easily understand, like who they're talking about in conversation and they're naming names. And one character could have three names, right?

Chief Secretariat and this, and then their actual real name and then another name. Like they could have three each, one character have three names. And we're just struggling to keep up. But if this was an American show, it would be John, the president and whatever. Like, you would just understand what they were saying. But everything is obviously in their language. So you're like, just struggling, and then you're reading. And so it's a little bit more difficult.

And that might be why a lot of people don't like to watch historicals. Yeah. I also think it has to do with the genre too though, because this had a lot of politics involved. A lot of politics. Along with like revenge and historical. So like you might have an easier time. For example, a mystery historical might not have a lot of politics. You might still have a lot of characters to deal with, but you're not dealing with politics and families and stuff.

Or like a modern does not have any type of politics usually when it comes to C dramas. So like, I think it also has to do with like the genre that this drama was as well. Yeah, they're just inherently more complex. So I applaud you for getting into the double at like your first complete C Drama is a historical and it's one that.

Yeah, You know, even though it was popular, at the end of the day it is still pretty difficult to understand if you're not used to watching this kind of thing, right? So good on you. I'm fine with you, I did it. Yeah, This is why I told her I was proud of her. I was really proud of her watching this. So where I put an APB out for what people wanted us to talk about specifically and we can hit these as we go through the episode. As I said, no non spoiler

section. We are going to spoil it and talk about specifics as much as we can. We have no notes, but we do have some questions from the audience. I asked the question on Instagram. What do you guys want us to talk about on this episode? One person said. The final episode. Exclamation point. Exclamation point. So let's get into it.

The final episode, I thought, because everyone was bitching about the final episode, and I saw this months and months ago about how what, what what the hell was that final episode? The vitriol. Not vitriol, but just the tension online because people did not like the final episode. And I was like, what could they have possibly done in this final episode other than kill everybody off? And when I finally got to the final episode, I was like, that was it? Yeah, that was it.

Y'all were messing around like crying, screaming, sliding down the walls for this. Final episode. Oh OK, so talk to me guys. Like did you guys have any? I have thoughts, but talk to me. So I think a lot of people will match because it wasn't necessary. So if we're talking about the death of his two servants, that does not happen in the novel. That it was something they did and they changed and it was not needed. Gotcha. That's why people were so mad.

It's because I got you. It wasn't something that was taken out of the novel and put into the drama. It was just something they decided to do and. It was just for shock value. Yes, and a lot of people believe that I talked about this on my episode as well, but a lot of people believe that one of the reasons was, did they? Make enemies on set or something that they like in. The yeah, I don't know the the. Creators were like, we're gonna fuck them all up and just kill those two off.

You know, because. It's happened. It means. It well, it has. Dirty. But you know that shot of Wang Shing Yu in the battlefield with her covered in blood with like, her necklace in his mouth? Yeah. So that shot. So sexy and hot, yeah, but keep going. That shot has been been being used since like the beginning. That shot has been promoted like crazy, right? And I think they got to the end and they were like, crap, We need to put this in because we've been promoting it since day one.

And if we don't give people this shot, they are. Gonna be, you know, I'm incredibly much. I would have Ryan and if they didn't give me that fucking shot too, because it's so good. It is so good. Yeah. OK. Talk to me. Is there anything else? No, so I I was not mad about it. Like when I first watched it, I was like, it's not necessary. And the reason it also, I don't give this show any grace in the terms that I did a year ago because they know they need to be 40 episodes or under.

Like there is no reason for them to mess up or to even go that. But I was like, I'm not that mad about it. Like it is what it is like. They should have done it, but like if they wanted to kill someone off, they were the two people that they should have. Like if they were set on killing anybody. My thing is, like, why did you have to do both of them Exactly. Like, like, like my thing is like, yeah, OK, it makes sense that those two would probably be

the people to die. But like like why did you have to do both? Yeah, it was over Can. Overkill. Pun intended and. Her maid and her maid, like, yeah. She also does not die in the novel. Like that was a choice. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Yeah, so Tongar doesn't die in the book. You'll get the fuck out of here, bro, because that's my goodness. So let's sit here for a minute. Let's stay here for a minute. I'm trying to get my thoughts together because I'm like just reeling.

So I was upset. Like I was shocked. You should have seen me last night when I was seen watching the final episode and one guy gets skewered, the other guy's crying over his body. And I'm like, Oh my God, I can't believe they did this in the final 20 minutes. And then he gets just filled with arrows and I'm like what the fuck is going on? What is this? And even though I was shocked in the moment, I was like well fine, OK, I guess shit fine, take, take them, take them then

like jeez. But Tonger. Yeah. She So this one took me by surprise and it shouldn't have because at that point in the story, those two sit down, the female lead and Tonger her maid, sit down and have a little heart to heart. And she's like, I bought you this property and I bought you this house. And so if you ever want to leave my, you know, servitude and go back to your hometown, like you have a way of living. You can live off this land. And I was like, that's so nice, yada, yada.

And I was like, after she died tragically in that stupid ass exorcism, I was like, I should have, I should have seen it because they were made. You can't make these beautiful plans for the future without someone dying. Like you can't do. That's like a trope, you know? So I was like, I should have seen Tonger dying within that same episode. Like, she was marked for death as soon as she was making plans for her. Yep. Yep. And then I saw that scene. I was like, she's a goner.

I was like, I was like, they better not. Say I was. Like they better not touch her. I was like, because literally after they had that beautiful moment, I was like, they better not touch this girl. And I was like, I knew they would because I was like, I know, I know where this is going. They're making plans and I'm like, no, they're going to do it. And I just, I was so devastated.

It's literally like if you're watching a war movie and they're having a sit down and then someone goes, what are you going to do when you get back home? Oh, I'm going to open a No, forget it. You're, you're he's dying. He's dying. He's dying. I'm going to marry a cute girl and I'm going to open a what? Nope. Nope. Dying. He's dying. That's what happened here with Tonger. And they never foretold it in any trophy way with the two servants of Duke SU. So it really did come out of

left fields. I don't think that they should have if it wasn't written in the book. I'm like, why deviate? Neither like none of those were written in the book. And This is why people were so incredibly mad because like everybody was like, Oh my God, because while we were watching, people were like saying, oh, we've read the novel. It's fine. You know, unless they deviate from it, everybody's going to be OK. And then everybody's like crap,

Everybody's like, what? So she dies and people are like what the I almost was going to swear, but I was like, what they? I've been swearing. It's fine, it's fine. It's like what? What? I can see why people were upset if they didn't think that the ending was going to have any surprises. This is like people watching Breaking Dawn Part 2 and not realizing that they were going to do that whole sequence. Yeah, yeah.

So yeah, yeah. But they never turned around and said like just kidding like they did in Breaking Dawn. So I feel, I feel like I have multiple episodes where I reference The Twilight Saga now and it's looking. I just want people to know I never watch The Twilight Saga and I haven't read those books since I was a teenager. So don't put me down for like any Twilight Saga marathons anytime soon, because. There's no judgement here. It's. Just I think I hear the song.

Ha ha ha. Oh my God, yeah. On TikTok too much so then it's like continuously in my. I will have some. Constantly, like Twilight. If you if we're talking about the final episode, oh, I don't think did any of you watch this on the Yoku app? No, I watched. It I did not see the special episode after. Yeah, I was gonna say that nobody would have watched a special episode. There's a spec. OK, what is in? The special they got, is it a backlash with the last episode?

They had because basically, yeah. So they had to do a special episode. So they bring in like literally a week before this stops, they bring in wanching you and Guccienne like from whatever they're doing. They bring them back in, they throw them in costumes again and they record like a 10 minute special where they like do various scenes in this one room because that was all that was left of the set. Why? Because people were mad that, like, he literally just ran up the hill.

Yeah. And that was Yeah. So. They didn't even see them. As like a. So they come back and basically you get to see them with a little girl and you get to see them married with like this little child. And it's hilarious because first of all, so in the in the show, Wang Shing Yu dubs himself, it's no problem. But Wu Jian, she is dubbed by somebody else. But but because there's no time, there's no time she does her own voice and people are like 2 plus.

Two like take it out, take it out, wrap it up. It's so like it, it's so funny. Oh my God, I will have to watch it. Oh, you. Absolutely do you absolutely do. It's just him like being a dad to this like kid and her being a girl boss basically. Like it's it's in him being a puppy and just wanting all of her attention. It's very funny. So yeah, there's like a 10 minute special episode. They literally were like reshoots. But it's fanservice. Yeah, basically.

So if like basically Nas with Chinese dramas, this. Oh yeah. We have to explain this. Yes, with with Chinese dramas this tends to happen. They'll either have special content already pre prepared. If it's like like we were saying, if it's an S plus drama, they will have content prepared that's going to be released after the show is done. And that can be like an alternative ending. It can be like what happens after the show wraps up up what happens to the characters.

It can be anything like that, like. An epilogue. Yeah, an epilogue basically, and they will do variety shows together. They will promote the heck out of it. But basically because this one was so out of left field that they didn't really do anything together. They didn't do any of the Prime or anything. So all of a sudden they're bringing them back together for this special episode and it's like, and normally you have to

play together. Yeah, Yeah, normally you have to pay to get access to like the special episodes and it's like it'll be like £0.99 or $0.99 or whatever to get access to the special stuff. But it's normally, sometimes it's worth it because sometimes you'll get really, really cool scenes. But I'm still laughing like I think this is still better than the Love Between Fairy and Devil special episodes because that was horrendous. Like that was just, Oh, no, so bad.

If if you guys don't know, they did like a special episode for Love between Fairy and Devil where it was just basically themes from the show, but with like the female lead and the male lead narrating over it with new dialogue. It was Yeah, yeah. So, OK, yeah. It well, you know, see drama land is is. A wild side, yeah. You just kind of have to go with it. So the look at the end, at the end of the day, did it happen? Yes. Were we shocked? Yes. Was it devastating? Absolutely.

That they killed off the two guys from Duke Zoo, that they killed Pumar like earlier in the show. Did it need to happen according to the source material? Absolutely not. I think of the of the deaths, I think I was more cut up about Pumar earlier in the show. There's three deaths, but the two sets, right? One in like the middle of the show and one at the end of the show. And at the end of the show, I think the the one that they should have not had at all was

the ones at the end of the show. Yeah, those two. Guys, I I think I wasn't surprised because I like Naz. I was like, oh, she's a goner. So like, I totally expected it, but like, yeah, the two at the end, the two at the end. Z Cummings. I was like, why? Yeah. And then I really also, I did not mind the ending where he was like running up the hill or not running, but like riding up the hill or whatever. Yeah, same. But I will agree it would have

been nice to, like, have them. I don't know, be a couple for like 5 minutes or something, but I understand why they couldn't because you had to have 40 episodes and that was the cutoff or whatever. But see, I I don't think that's an excuse anymore. At this point. They know they've got 40 episodes, so right, they know the rule is there. So here's my thought process on the final episode. And I this is, this is all true. Like when they had their wedding, I was like, Oh my God,

this is so sweet. Oh my God, they're probably together, oh yada yada. And they looked really happy and sweet. And I paused the show because I was like, what's going on? This is like happening too early in the show and we were halfway through the final episode and I was like shit, this is what people were talking. I'm like we're about to just going to hit the fan. Somethings going to happen that's going to derail this happy ending because we're halfway through this episode.

Still got to go. Always the ending from then on, it is sort of montagey, right? Like you kind of go through large swaths of time in these montages and he goes to war and she's alone and he's on the battlefield. And I was kind of like, this doesn't, even though it doesn't fit right with the rest of the show. There is no discernible A to B to C plot. They are not there's no machinations right that they are exacting on other people. It's just a waiting game almost

for this couple. It reminded me of reading an epic poem like reading the translation of Mulan. Like I don't know if you guys have read the translation of Mulan, but it's it's really hard to describe. But this wonderful, grand, sweeping story that's full of romance, yes, like between two people, but just romance in terms of like the vibe, the feeling, the atmosphere of it. And then the long-suffering, the years of toil and war returning from battle being such a huge triumph.

And this goal, I thought that feeling that I had of reading an epic poem and them kind of invoking this, this feeling for me was beautiful. And so I was like, all right. Bet. Minus those two guys getting slaughtered on the battlefield, I was perfectly fine with that. This left turn that they took halfway through the episode and then taking this approach for the finale episode. So that's maybe that's a hot take, but that's me. I see you nodding Naz. Yeah, yeah, yeah, No, I agree.

I for me and the finale. Okay, so to be completely transparent, I spent 80% of this show being completely lost. Okay. So I was confused for like a lot of it. So we guess the finale revenge has been exacted. Everything should be fine and I was like not understanding if you guys can explain this to me. I don't know what battle he was fighting and why he went to war in the 1st place. I was so confused. I was like, how did we get here? Yeah, sure.

OK, So what happened was you know how the eldest Princess Waning was taken, was given as a hostage to the Kingdom of Dai Dai. Yes. So Dai looks like some sort of nomadic tribal society that is wildly different from their country and their border country. So they're constantly at odds at war. And when she returned, when she was delivered back, whatever fragile peace they had between great yawn, which is their country, and die, fell apart.

So then the brother, which was the treasonous brother who was at the border, fighting at the border, he's the one that's basically keeping that shit the Kingdom of die at Bay because he's fighting all of these skirmishes and, and keep Border Patrol, right? He's maintaining the border.

So when the coup happened at the end and the brother came back to the capital with all of his troops and they fended off his coup and killed the brother, all of the troops that were loyal to the brother, they had to basically clean house, clean up the military and make sure that all of that was set straight. Meanwhile, they still have to protect the border because now that's what that's what Duke Stewe was saying he was like.

Now that we have taken heavy losses and this brother, this treasonous brother is no longer defending the border, this country of die is going to immediately take advantage of our weakness and try and invade and try and cause shit at the border is what he This is happening so fast. Like he says this in like a sentence. OK, because I because it just came together really fast and I was like. Hold on.

So that's why he says I am going to go take over the the what was it the long woo Army like my because his family is a military family. Right, right. So he's like, I'm going to do what my father and my grandfather did, and I'm going to protect the border and basically go to war because this is not going to end in like a month. So that's why it takes years, right, for him to fix up all the shit that's happening at the border, which is very believable, right?

According to history, the border like that border crisis likely took a really long time for him to set straight. So does that clear it up for you? Like why the Kingdom of Die was so? And you can see in the flashbacks with the eldest Princess it must be manga if they're keep saying it's north. So to me, it's got to be like Russia, Mongolia, like that area. Right, right. OK. Northern. China. Yeah, yeah, OK, that makes sense because I was like how? Why is he in war?

OK, yes, so I really appreciate you explaining that. Yeah. But yeah. So you know, him going off to war and kind of like the same thing with that. You said just like halfway through the episode, I was like, hold on. Like they're married. Like there's still so much time left, like what's going to happen? So yeah, the with the war and everything. And the two, I called them the two besties the whole time.

So when they died, I was devastated because I just to hear that they didn't die in the novels, really disappointing because they were just there and so loyalty and and for them to like pass away the way that they did and have to be both of them. And I was like, I don't know why we needed this. It was terrible, I guess. They were like, let's go. Very believable. What are the chances that all three of them make it through this like years long campaign? Yeah, at the border, Yeah. But again.

Unfortunate, so unfortunate, but I you know, but the seeing him kind of like you know him like him writing like you. Know. No, no, that's the thing. Yeah, like. Is the. Cinematography, yes, yes, and yes. And that's what like really captured me because we see him just like riding across the hill, like as audience. I'm like he's riding back to his wife. And it's like Darcy coming across the field, yes, at sunrise. Like, are you fucking kidding?

Like him astride this horse? Yes, and it was low motion and then her red billowing. Yes. Robes and like, are you kidding? So yeah, hats off to the cinematography. Slow motion was popping off. The win machine was a character in and of itself. The colors were so vibrant. Yeah, I also thought so. That finale shot, it was 10 out of 10.

Yeah, it was beautiful. And just to see like I, I wasn't even mad that like, you know, it ended with them not necessarily being physically together because I knew that he was on his way back to her and they were going to be fine. It just kind of gets his attention. Exactly. So like the fact it just ends with her, like with her face to like, you know, I hope, I'm hoping that that is when he actually arrived. But like, it was just so epic to me.

And I'm like, OK, like it didn't feel incomplete to me. It just felt very epic and dramatic and I liked it. I think, I think also The thing is, a lot of people, when we were watching it live on air, when that scene finally aired, a lot of people were like, this can be classified almost as like an open ending because is he really there? Is she imagining that he's there? Like you don't know. You don't know because they chose to go with them not physically touching each other.

You can almost go along the pathway of thinking she's just been waiting on that damn hill so long that she might be just imagining him coming back to her and. And they did have that scene of her. What was she doing? She was brushing her hair and imagining that he was there and brushing her hair for her. Yeah. Yeah. And then it was all he died. Exactly, which is what a lot of people are so full like this is what you know, it's.

Interesting, because, like, one of my followers DM me and because I put up a story saying like, I finished the double. Like if you watch it, let me know. And she was like, yeah, I just hate that he died at the end. And I was just like, I don't think he died at the end. I was like, I was just like, I was like, is that what people think? I was like, did he die? I have to answer, maybe question everything. It's like. I mean, it's a valid theory.

I personally don't think he died even without knowing that they did. Obviously this special episode where they, like, drag these people out from whatever project they were doing, slapped a wig on them. And they said, do your own dub and like, I'll get this kid in here with you guys. Play with your your child for an hour so we can get 10 minutes of footage. Yeah, I knew that thing. He was alive and they were going to have a happy ending. So that's just me personally.

I think also see dramas this year especially have been leaning so much into open endings and people are just over it. So people are just like, just just give me, just give me. They're dead, they're alive, they're together. I just want to know. So I think that's also why people were mad at it because like. I just think people are going to be mad no matter what. Oh yeah. Feel like you cannot please everybody.

Somebody's going to bitch about something and whether they were together, if they ended up together and it was a classic happy ending, they would have been like, oh, we didn't see the child. We didn't see enough of the wedding. We didn't see this what happened to her, her brother and her dad that we didn't know about that what happened to her cousin. Like it would have been some other thing that people would have bitched about that we

didn't see. And I'm of the opinion that like, you're damned if you do, you're damned if you don't. And if the trend, the trend now is open endings, whatever, at least you got a 10 out of 10 drama. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like you're going to nitpick about everything about the ending. Because I think in the West we have this in our culture that if you have a perfect piece of media like movie, show, whatever, and you ruin the ending, the the whole thing is

tainted. Yeah. The entire piece of media is tainted, and I just think that I've divorced myself from that feeling over time that if the ending is a little squishy, I can, like, still jive with it, you know? There's still some merit in what I just watched. So you know, it's not a waste of my time just because the ending is a little open. Just to clarify, I didn't mind the ending, I'm just throwing out there like what was being talked about.

I'm just saying look as we're 4 chronically online people and we see a lot of shit. So I'm really just like talking about these people, like these people that like you cannot believe them for anything. Like to me the ending was fine, like I didn't mind it at all. I. Love how you're like please don't equate me. Don't let me in the same. Basket.

Don't put me in it. Because like I've seen, I've seen a lot of good shows that have bad endings and I still say to people watch them like, you know, to be a bad ending or a sad ending or whatever it may be, open ending. I think people. Think bad equals sad. No, I mean bad as in it's just a terrible writing, whatever it may be, right? A sad ending is different. Like a sad ending, it's just tragic. That's that's. Different to me, like sad equals

sad, not sad equals bad, yeah. Well, I think for that, I think that's a different definition though. A lot of people don't want sad endings. They want the happy we're a family. So like, if you're not, if you don't get that at the ending, it's ultimate like it's automatically a bad ending. So I think that's what is equated to this is the fact that they did not get the he's back from war. We're a happy family five years down the road ending.

It's automatically a bad ending. And I think, I mean, I think that's what a lot of people are mad about with these open endings that are very and I mean, they could be doing open endings and see dramas for various reasons. One of them I know is if they ever want to do a season 2 and allows them to do a season 2 or they don't want to do a close the book ending because it might be bad and then it would taint the entire drama as we were talking about.

So they that's two reasons I've seen on the Internet. So I think that's one of the reasons why people are mad at this ending is because they did not get the happy family together ending in the drama. The. Contact. So that's just, yeah, that's just what that's automatically a bad ending to a lot of people. See, I don't mind not having the family happy picture together, but if you give me a historical and you skimp out on the wedding scene, I'm automatically going to be mad at you.

Not necessarily because I need them to be wedded. I need to see these beautiful costumes like I need to. It's the costume. It's the costumes. Like there were like Chinese historical wedding costumes, nothing like it thing of another world. And if you skimp out on those, I've got beef with you like automatically. But that's just like a very. Specific reason. Yeah, yeah, that's just like a

very. I'm not like, I'll still say that I love the show, but I'll still say, look, you should have put thrown in a really good wedding scene in this. Yeah, like don't deprive. I'll go one step further on my opinion of this ending in this final episode and say the episode truly ended halfway through. Like when they got married, that was the end of the episode and everything that happened after is the epilogue and that's why they didn't put together a extra episode or whatever because they

were like, it's there. Wow, that's a good point. It's all in there. It doesn't feel like the rest of the show. I think it's because the episode the show ends halfway through the finale episode and the rest is epilogue, and that's why it's like so montage Y and sort of dreamy and feels like different, you know, so I I don't know. So anyway, those are our thoughts on the finale, and you got us on a little soapbox as well. So I had AI had a question. I know we're going off of what

people gave, but. I oh, yeah. No. There's three more questions, but we can pause here. What you got? What do you have for us? Well, do we want to go through the three questions 1st and then I'll ask my question or? Oh, does your question have to do with these like? No, no, none, none of the. Oh, then ask your question. OK, so I want to talk about the bad guys. I want to talk about like the people that they were getting revenge on. I have two questions.

One is who was like your most hated bad person 'cause there was multiple people technically. Three questions. Who was your most hated? Who was like your guilty pleasure watch like most hated person? And then who did you think had the most satisfying like revenge ending? Because I I'll I can answer those first if you want. Why don't you go 1st and then we'll have as and then I'll go and.

So my OK, so my favorite, even though they were really annoying to watch, but also it was kind of I like the fiance because he technically like in terms of like he was a horrible character in terms of like he's a really bad dude. You want to see his satisfying revenge, but the fact is this entire show was her getting revenge at him because like he thought he killed her. So he was going mad on seeing her walking down the street and like, Oh my God, it's freaking

me out. And then he like killed her to be with the eldest Princess. But then he started hating that life, which I found great Glee in because like, no, this is what you deserve. And then just like seeing him kind of like eating himself from the inside out in terms of just like the guilt and having to live with what he asked for and then realizing that's not what he actually wanted.

And then obviously, like, he gets more crazy and more crazy as the show goes on because like that whole scene with him at the top of the tower on trying to kill everybody with the soldiers, I was like, dude, you just need to die. Yeah, there was like a. Descendant to madness in the yeah, descend to the madness thing.

But I loved every second of it because like he just was like, I don't know, he was a really juicy bad character to hate, but you enjoyed every second of like seeing the revenge that went with it. He was very interesting, yeah, very interesting. Because had nothing happened, had one thing Princess Waning never taken a liking to him, they would still be married. Like she would have never known that he was capable of killing her, right?

I have a very different opinion of him and his character in general. Why? Don't you share. Let's just talk about him for a second, yeah? So I think for me, I'm trying to remember exactly what I said initially, but I think he's poorly written in some parts simply because he's seen, yes, you can see his descent into madness, but then all of a sudden you get towards the end and he's a mastermind, like

outwitting our best characters. So to me, he's poorly written because you needed to build on that from the start. You needed to see him play the game from the start, and he never did. So that's why to me he becomes a weak bad guy. So, so that was like originally what I thought about him in general. I totally see what you're saying because they never had him as anything but a glorified librarian in the rest of the show. But I see Nas laughing.

That's what he was. He was just like a scholar. He was over the school headmaster, basically over this government school, and he didn't really participate that heavily in politics even though he was an appointed member. He didn't play the game. He was a victim of the game for basically the whole of the show, and then come to find out in the final like 5 episodes or so, he's a brilliant tactician and is able to just insert himself into his grand plans for the

coup. And even though it's not beyond the realm of impossibility, I understand. Like, I understand what you're saying, Liliana, that there was no indication that he was so brilliant. You know, he was like just this scholar. But like, even even if you say earlier on, like he never moves and when he does, it's always like somebody else's plan, which

could be a plan in of itself. But when you're giving me, you get to the end and you want to give me, you know, the biggest body of them all in terms of who's the big mastermind behind it. And then you go and find out that it's Shen you wrong. And I'm like, well, I feel a little bit disappointed with that because it just doesn't feel cohesive to me, to his character, if that makes. Sense Well, when did he? So when you're saying it's the mastermind behind it all, I thought it was just the

mastermind behind. Now is the time to strike. Enter the city under these pretexes. Here's the script for the memorial that you have to send to the king in order to allow me to validly enter the city with my army. Like that was what I considered his plan and him doing the whole waning has to die in order for us a valid reason to start the coup. So like that whole bit of the plan was me thinking it was Shen Shenyu, but anything before that I never considered. Him. Oh no.

And that and that's what I mean. Well, that's what she's saying is bad writing. Yeah, that's what she's saying is bad writing is like up until the coup, he wasn't making those smart moves and then all of a sudden that the coup he was the one behind. And so that's what I thought you were meaning, but then it hit me that maybe you thought that he was responsible for even more. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. But that's what I mean that that's like bad writing in that

essence. Because if the if you follow like so in the show, as the show gets on, he progressively gets like crazier and crazier and descends into this madness. And I'm like, are you really telling me that in the pit of this madness is when like a light bulb goes off in his brain that he has to? Play. I believe it. I do believe it.

I do believe that like there was a clarity that came with his being finally embracing the dark side, basically like he just fully became a Sith Lord and just turned up. That's why I was like, yes, they didn't portend any of this in the show that he was able to create this evil plan and just do it on us at the drop of a hat.

But I truly think as soon as he realized that it wasn't so much that he couldn't get her back, it was that Duke Sue already won her heart, that ignited a fire under his ass. And he went that shit crazy. And that's when he was like, Oh no, I have to do something right now because I'm insanely jealous. I have to. She cannot be with him. And so he was jealousy. I think it was a thing between jealousy but also arrogance. Yeah, Like that whole the whole coup thing.

Like I do agree with Liliana on the fact that that writing switch was really off putting and that whatever, but I think I went along with it because 1. He was extremely arrogant through that entire thing and that kind of. And I believe that that kind of like. LED into the the delusion that he was having like he was already descending in the madness and then him I think I just saw it as him more descending in the madness and then not being able to see them together.

So I could I could agree with like both sides cuz I don't know. I just found it really fun to watch him like kind of like, that's what. He was unraveling, but like in an organized way because they were able to get really close to seizing the throne there. Nas, what did you think? Oh, yeah. I mean, he was my number one villain. I mean, I don't, I don't know how you can have this, this woman that you love and you hit her in the head with a shovel

and bury her. I'm just like, there's no coming back from that. You're done. Like I was really. But he really tried. He really tried. And I was like, I this is awful. Like, I just could not believe that someone, like could be that weak minded to be manipulated to do something so horrible to someone that they apparently love. And I'm just like, how could you do this to somebody? Let you like literally shared a life with I. He is Public Enemy number one to me.

And he's every time his face was on the screen, I was like, get him off my screen. Like could not stand him. And I just love seeing him squirm throughout the show. But every time he saw her, he's just like haunted by her face because he's like, I killed her. I killed her. It's not her. It's not her. I feel like in his heart of heart, he had to know, like, because yeah, so can stand him. He was the worst person the

show. I just, I'll just never forget that that scene of him like trying to kill her, like I just, he's terrible. He's like, really like, he just, he was a coward and he. Were such a coward. He reminded me of that character from my dearest. Oh my God. Her, her husband. The the her husband. Not her husband, but like her besties, has Ashley. Oh yeah, that guy. Oh my gosh, yeah. He was such a coward. Literally he reminded me of that Ashley character from my dearest

that K drama. This very morally upright, dutiful at all points, loving, but when the going gets tough and he feels he's up against a wall, he chose filial piety. Yeah. He chose to save his mother and his sister and he threw home girl into the bus. Literally, literally, Not literally, there's no bus, but right. Like he pounded her upside the head with a shovel, buried her. He thought she was dead, but she was alive. So he buried her alive and completely destroyed her reputation at that.

So there was like, it's a double. The deception as well was also part of why she felt so betrayed, because he not only tried to kill her, but the pretext for killing her was because she was unfaithful. Yes, framing her for an affair and I'm just like how terrible can you be? I just saw I found him just such a weak minded just. Yeah, so he's weak minded and he's a coward, Yes. Such a coward. So this weak minded coward goes through the rest of the show

trying to escape his guilt. And she says this at multiple points, like you're blaming everyone else but yourself. Yeah, yeah, literally blaming everyone else but yourself. You're not taking any accountability for your hand in this because you could have chosen to tell me about, at the very least tell me that you were being threatened. Yeah. I could have left. I could have just washed my hands on this whole thing and gone back to my hometown. Nobody would.

Have like how? Like there's so many different options that he could have taken. Like what it Right. Yeah. Right. Or tell the king, tell somebody else versus like, just go with what was happening. He could have run away. Like there are just like literally things to do. Instead he just went with it and was like, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Save it for the judge. Like no, so that's why he was so frustrating is because he thought he was a good guy.

On paper, he's the nice guy. Oh my gosh, he really is like that character from My dearest. I didn't even realize the parallels until you said it, but yeah, he really thinks he's a good guy. Yeah, and by society's standards and everyone else saying like, oh, he's so great, he's so wonderful, He's so well mannered. He saw this. He saw that. And no, he'll kill you and leave you for dead in the mountains. Yeah. Yeah. So another strike for a nice guys.

So my answer Give me, you know, a morally Gray man, maybe around 22 years of age, clad all in the red A. Morally Gray. 22 year old man, my answer for this question is a swerve because my favorite villain was actually Princess Waning. Me too. I thought she oh me and Liliana. Yes. I think she's, I think she's the better written villain and she's. Like. So well, like rounded and faceted. There's so many sides to her character. So many. She's like a diamond like you

keep. Telling me you're like, well, yeah, I didn't. See that part? Yeah. And she's an understandable villain like you can get. It's like I adore villains that that make me almost on the edge of. I know what you're doing is bad, but I feel sorry for you. And she's exactly. You're like one, you're like 1%. Maybe 10%, yeah. She's like, are you a villain or are you just a product of your like what's the word I'm looking for a product of? Yeah, of your circumstances. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

She stole the show. She stole it. She was chewing up scenery. She actress as well. This actress is going to She's a star. This is Lee Lee Mung. Yeah, Lee Mung. Lee Mung is her name. She is a star, that actress. They need to watch out for her. We should see her in many more things because this role was so meaty, so juicy. The way she was fucking twirling, the way she was twirling in her fine silks and sashing away after doing the most sadistic thing. I mean really good, really good.

So entertaining. Was so good, especially like right after, I think it was like right after Yu Rong killed Kwanko. Killed, killed. What's her original name? Is it Fang Fei? Yeah. Yeah, yes, yes. Killed her. And then he's like back in the room and he's like upset, obviously. And she's just like tackling and twirling. But like, they put it in slow motion and it was just like the intensity. But yeah, she she's fabulous. But can yes, she was insane. A little commotion for the

dress. Yes, yeah, everything she was wearing. Yeah, her outfits were everything she never missed. Never. Missed, but even even the way she dies, it's like I I adore the fact that she has never been able to live on her own terms. She was scooted off, she was made a slave, but she died on her own terms. And I kind of like that because she's like, you're not going to like if you're going to do it, you're going to do it. And she shoves that blade into

into herself by his hand. And it's just like that death scene. It's like it's so good. It's just so good. It's good writing and it's good acting. And I think that might be why I don't go whereas like Shenu wrong has the more obvious scenes for you to hate him. He has written for you to hate him. Waning is not like you know, what she's doing is wrong, but she has layers and there's more to her story. Whereas Shane, you're wrong.

I don't know if it was also just the actor himself that didn't quite reach where he needed to for me personally. Towards the end, I was like, oh, he's given a little something here. Yeah, because he was. He would like smile and smirk and look a little demented. And I'm like, yeah, that's what. I need to see right there. I will say I kind of did not like, and I think I said this on a social media maybe I did not like the deaths of both of them.

So I understood his death because it was the coward way to do it. And I was really. You saw it coming from a mile away. Oh, yeah, yeah. I in retrospect, as I thought about it, I didn't mind her death as much as I did when it first happened. I really wanted her to go crazy and kill him and like kind of kill herself afterwards. Do the whole she was obsessed with him the entire show.

Why not take him with you? Because that would take him out of the picture and that would destroy him because he wanted to be the winner of everything. So they have her her still kind of come out on top by killing him and taking him with her. So like when they when she stabbed herself, I thought she actually had stabbed him and I was like brilliant.

So I actually, I mean, I didn't mind her death because I understood it, but like at in the time I was watching it, I was, I really wanted her to kill him because it was like kind of like a obsession thing that didn't play out in the end. I can agree with that. But even I was just gonna say even like her parting words where she says to him, you wanted to kill me, so I'll wait for you in hell. It's just like, Oh yeah, I, I, I mean, I, I think for her.

It's a curse like. She, Yeah, it's a curse. She's cursing him. And like that in China and like with the historical facts and whatnot, that's very powerful. Like so I, I, I. Think everything you've done to me. Yeah. Oh, wait, sorry. I brought in some color purple so Oh no y'all are laughing too much so. I was kind of. Surprised that sticking on Princess Waning. I was surprised that they gave

her so much back story. And they did it in the 11th hour, right in the final eight or so episodes. They gave us all of this. Yeah, they gave us all of this back story for her flashback sequences as well. And that we get to see what happened to her in the Kingdom of Die as a political hostage. And that she was treated horribly, horrendously, humiliated, forced to be a sexual slave, kept out in the elements, sleeping with the

sheep in the fields. And it shows her initiating an abortion, like giving herself an abortion by putting extreme stress on her body, wading into freezing cold water. And I thought that that little act of rebellion was just probably all she could do to take some control over her life and her body, because at that point all her agency and all her bodily autonomy was stripped away. Never mind her status, her family, everything she knew.

What's worse is that her own father sold her off and did this. To her. It's very obvious, like there's a one to one that it brought about this deep seated resentment, this hatred. It bred wickedness in her. And I, I'm a firm believer that two things can be true at the same time. She can be a victim and she can be an abuser. Yeah. Yeah. And so for her, like once she saw Shen Yu Dong, she wanted to be the poison and the cure for him.

And she was so love starred, attention starved, looking for a strong male figure who wouldn't abandoned her like her own father did. And she saw this upstanding. Dutiful, kind gentleman and she just imprinted on him completely instead of developing a healthy crush on him like she was just infatuated and needed to possess him. It was all about possession and she was greedy, entitled, felt the world owed it to her after her hostage ordeal.

And let me just say the fake baby plot was deliciously ruthless. Deliciously ruthless. I was living for that plot because even though Jiang Lee or Shui Fung Fi didn't have any idea about the horrors that she experienced as a hostage and that she was infertile and actually wanted to have a baby eventually with Shen Yu Dong, this I mean, it hit or where it hurt like it was so brutal.

And I thought for someone who did not value human life at all, who relished torturing and killing and exploiting others, she really did want to grow life. She really wanted to bring new life into this world. And I was like, this is the biggest irony. And it's what sent her over the edge. Like after this, she was like, we're doing this fucking coup right now. We need to call the army. Send for my brother. Oh my God, the delusion on her.

If you thought Shenyudong was delusional, she was even more delusional to think that Shenyudong was. She thought that he would actually love her sincerely and forgive her for all of her bullshit, literally making him kill his own wife. She was genuinely shocked that he kept going back to his ex-wife, that he kept subtly rejecting her and will go so far as to kill her in the final sequence. Delusional. Delusional. I love that she killed.

Not that she killed herself, but that she did it with his flower hairpin that he gave her. He. Was like a full circle moment. Yeah. Especially after his impassioned speech about her never being more than a pawn to be used and tossed aside when they're done with her. Yeah. Which is all true. It's all true. She he didn't speak a word of a lie in that final thing that he said to her. I think that I didn't like it that she took her life, but it is a part of that.

Like she wants to, it wants to be in her own terms. I don't know. I kind of felt the same way that Caitlin did initially, that she should have crashed out differently. The thing is, for me, I think I didn't necessarily want her to kill. You're wrong. Because I think that belonged to Jangly, like Shukran Fei. That was Shufa. Like, that should have been the way to go. So that's why I don't think I minded as much. But yeah, the actress did such a good job.

And like Jess was saying, I think for me what I saw was all she's ever been shown is like, ruefulness from every side. So that's what she does to everybody else because she knows no other way. Like nobody's ever showed her love or kindness. So The thing is, he's the first person who's ever shown her any sort of like kindness by giving her this bloody handkerchief out of that.

That's why I think she holds on so tightly to him because I feel like to me, how I see it, it's almost like she's constantly in the dark and he comes out of nowhere and it's like this blaring light for her. And I think that's why she holds on so tight to the point of going crazy and being delusional. But then she wants to bring him down. She keeps saying like I'm bringing him down into the quagmire and I want him to get his hands dirty and I want to get on my level.

I think it's because to her, he can't be hers unless he's down there with her, unless he's like she snuffs some of that light out, you know, makes him a little bad. I don't think she believes he could ever truly be hers. And also I also think for her, if she breaks him and if she makes him bad, there's no way Xu Fung Fi would ever go back to him. I mean, so I think that's why her wanting to break him comes from that as well. Yeah, I think she looks at him kind of like a horse.

I need to break this horse. And. He's going to be mine and he needs to be submissive. And that that was kind of stuff that I was really intrigued about their relationship was that she was so hell bent on humbling him, on degrading him, on making sure that he was below her, on making sure that he was constantly prostate on his knees, making him feel pain make it was like training an animal.

Like, you know what I'm saying? She was constantly throwing her weight around, showing her power, and what was cool about it was that the female characters don't get a chance to one up the guys necessarily in such an overt, aggressive way, but she does. Yeah, yeah. I, I feel like because of all the, the terrible things that she's been through, like a lot of times, like the abuse becomes the abuser. And I feel like that plays a role in like how she would treat him as well.

Because she's like, I've had all these terrible things happen to me. And she's just like, yeah, I want him. And I'm obsessed with him, but I also want to hurt him. Like, I've been hurt as well. And kind of like what Liliana was saying, Like, I feel like she feels like, you know, in order for us to be together, like I need him to be as depraved and as miserable as I am. That's the only way this is

going to work. And so the only way to do that is like how much you were saying, just like I have to break him down. And she, yeah, she tried. Yeah, she was crazy. She was crazy. She was a crazy bitch. I loved her. So any other villains we want to talk about? I know there's G Sharon, which is the stepmom, the evil stepmother. Yeah, she was my guilty pleasure villain, really. She was just, she was so unhinged. Like I was like how? How like demented do you have to be to frame a child?

Frame a literal. Child, you framed a child like, what is wrong with you? But the what made it a guilty pleasure was like when we learned her back story and I was like, oh, you have a messy, a messy background, like messy, the audacity and you're trying to ruin other people's lives. Like you have a lot at stake. Like, and I was shocked to just see like everything that was going on with her and how she had this lover and she tried to get rid of him and he came back.

I was like, Oh my gosh, you knew I was not expecting that to come from her. Yeah, the laugh that I let out when they did the flashback sequence for her framing Jiang Lee, the OG Jiang Lee. And she just, like, throws herself down the stairs. Yeah, and I was like, this bitch did not like, she really did not just catapult herself down these stairs. Terrible. I was like, what the hell? And no one's, I mean, she silenced anybody who would obviously dissent to like this

whole thing. But wow, what a performance. What a performance. Anything else about the villains? One more the I could not stand the stepmoms maidservant. Oh my gosh that Lady blew me. I every time she's on the screen I was like get her off the screen. She was the worst. She made me so angry. Yeah. All right, so I'm gonna get back to the Instagram questions. How would you compare this show to other redo dramas?

And then they put in parentheses, Marry my husband's story of Kuning Palace, etcetera. So I don't consider this a redo drama. Neither do I. I don't either. Story of Kooning identity. Story of Kooning Palace is a true redo story. I mean she dies and goes back in time and marry my. Husband goes back to when she's 18 years old. Yeah, and marry my husband is also is the same, you know, fairly similar. So those are true redo stories. This one is not a redoing the essence. This one is.

She's redoing her own life. She's redoing. Somebody. Else's life. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah, this is more in line with Princess Wei Young. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. What's the plot of that one? It's this so she. This is this. They're gonna hate me. The double is better. Oh, Oh my gosh. But. You guys does. You. Guys know I have beef. I mean, we've reviewed Wei Young, you know, I have beef with that drama. Wei Young was made in 2015, so that's. Almost 10 years ago, yeah.

So the plot of Princess. I think you would actually really love Princess Wei Young. As a matter of fact, there's more romance in that one than the double, actually. So the plot of Princess Wei Young is this girl from a small country, she's a Princess, Her whole family gets slaughtered in this strange happening that happens at the front of the show and it was done by the neighboring country and she is

basically adrift. They think that she's dead and she is helped by this benevolent girl who is also been abandoned by her family and is living in this wooded area with like a caretaker. And that girl dies, and she assumes her identity. Oh my gosh, it's the same thing. And then she exacts revenge for this girl who was an Angel, a beautiful Princess, little Angel. And she's like, what the hell was going on in this neighboring

country? How can I find justice for my country, which was consumed by this neighboring country? And my whole family was slaughtered. The royal family was slaughtered and that's the plot of Princess Weyong. Oh my gosh, it is the same thing. It's the same thing. I'm sure there's other shows that do it again. Yeah, cuz Princess Weyong was very popular. So it always happens. You have a popular plot and then you kind of reuse the plot in other ones.

Yeah. So I guess that answers that question from Instagram. This question is from Discord. I'd love to know if you all think the Duke going off to battle in the final episode could have been spread out over another episode so that we really felt the impact and danger that he might not come home. Was it fine as is? Did we need it? Maybe it could have been some like quick montage flashes and then SpongeBob Boys one year later or whatever it was.

No, I I don't. I didn't need a longer battle situation. Yeah, I don't think I agree. And as I don't think it needed to be spread out over multiple episodes or that no. No same. Same. OK. We've already been through so much. They spent 40 episodes trying to exact this revenge. You don't need, like, a whole other storyline with the war. Yeah. OK, I want to spend the rest of the time talking about this couple and this romance and this question. This last question has to do

with that. So they ask the no kissing right up until the end. Personally, I thought it worked, but I saw a lot of comments frustrated by this, including Wang Shing Yue with a little happy emoji. So what did? What did you guys think of this? This was a huge choice that the drama made because Sea Drama Land might be a little prudish sometimes, but not this prudish. What do you guys think about the no kissing until the last episode? For me, I will argue that this

is not a romance. This is a revenge drama. So I think that like by default, the romance is going to take a backseat. So, you know, I was satisfied with my slow burn and my little my little touches and my little lingering looks until the end because the story is the revenge and I love romance. That's I'm a romance girlie.

I always love it. But like I understood like as far as I was concerned, the way I understood the story was that the romance is going to take a backseat to everything else that needs to happen. So I was fine with it. Now, if this is as like purely romance drama out of and like, what the heck is going on? What is going like That's not that's not what it is. So I was fine with how it was done. Okay, so you didn't miss it at all? No, I thought it was done.

I like the, I think because it was so slow. The tension was just always building. So like I was always entertained by it even though it was being very slow. So I liked it the way it was. Got you drama trio. Sound off. I think I, I agree with Naz in terms of like this was not supposed to be a romance drama. And I think what helped too with the slow burn thing is like they were truly equals. The, the, the intelligence was there.

They supported each other. It wasn't like he was the smarter person and she and helping her and she was kind of just stumbling along. Like, yes, he was supporting her, but she was equally as smart and equally contributing

to these plans of revenge. And I think what helped is like their teamwork in the revenge sustained the lack of romance until the end because you saw their interaction and their commitment to each other as partners in terms of revenge, which then led to this romance blossoming by the end. I think for me personally, it worked and you could almost divide this show up in. So you have the first sort of Arc of sorts, which is Jung Lee's revenge.

So that is on the Jung family and that has nothing to do with Duke SU. Like Duke SU might pop in every now and again, but that is Jung Lee's revenge. Now when you move over to Xufong Fei's revenge, that's when he kind of their paths kind of intercept way, way more. And that's when she, you know, can use his help here and there. But like Caitlin was saying, they were equals. Their banter back and forth is so incredibly good.

And when I say this, you know, even as an international fan who doesn't understand Mandarin, it sounded good to me. But there was people watching it and who do understand Mandarin and they were saying these two are just firing at each other in like the best kind of way. The idioms that they're using and whatnot is just so good. So to me, it didn't bother me because at the end of the day, this was kind of like Shu Fung Fi story. It was her story and it was her

revenge plot. And I think he was happy to like, kind of let her shine and do her thing and, you know, help her when she needed. But like Caitlin was saying, they're equals, they're smart, they can work with each other. He can stand aside and do let her do her thing. And he can, you know, and he can step forward and do his thing while she steps back. So I think they work really, really well together in terms of being a couple. But this was never sold as a romance drama.

This was a revenge drama and I think this has been happening more and more often where people are expecting dramas to be like romances and to be sold as romances when they aren't. I think like the quickest one that comes to mind straight away is the story of Pearl Girl, which is airing with Zalushi right now. This show is not a romance and people are going in and being like, oh, there's the guys, It's

a business show. Hot people, they don't have to be exactly together romantically, like, you know what I'm saying? Like, just because that's how they're, that's how they get you to watch. Yeah, it's because these people are hot. But The thing is, the chemistry can be there, and I think it all comes down, that's what. Makes it. Fun. Exactly. It all comes down to the actors themselves. They don't have to be touching for it to be sizzling on my screen. Like, I mean, when did we get

hit? When it was like Western shows? They have very explicit scenes, but there's no chemistry. I mean, that's what I mean. So. But we've always enjoyed the fact that Asian dramas have almost a lack of skinship at some point and they can still deliver these very big swooping romantic scenes or these very, you know, chemistry charged scenes without the aid of full on making out, so to speak. So to me, it works.

But I've just, I think I've also just gotten used to this type of romance where the romance historicals tend. I mean, to me, you have very different types of historicals. And this is a political historical. And when it comes to those, the forefront will be the politics and the revenge. It won't be the romance. The romance is like the cherry on top of the cake. So I, I was, I knew what I was getting into and I was not that mad about it at all. Like I enjoyed the ride.

I enjoyed it too. Last night when I was logging the show in my drama list, I was like, damn, the kiss was in the last episode, that's when they got married, yada yada. And I was like working myself into a frenzy because you can do that. You can make yourself angry that we didn't get all of this romance, we didn't get all these scenes with them. We could have gotten more kissing, more hand holding, yada, yada, yada. And I could feel myself getting that way.

And I was like, it's 1:00 AM. Let me just like, put my phone down. And sleep on it. Go to sleep. And when I woke up, I thought the same way that I initially thought, like when I stopped the show from playing the end credits, which was that was amazing. I love that show. It was perfect, right? Minus the two deaths of the two subordinates in the last 20 minutes. But weird. That's splitting hairs, I guess. But truly, I thought that this was a very well written show.

It had multiple layers of revenge, it had very nuanced, interesting villains, and the acting was great. All of the pieces, although the puzzle pieces of it were fantastic and I highly recommend the show. Is this going to satisfy the romance fans? I think yes. Like I think there's still meat there that you can glean something from it because the chemistry that these two have is incredible. Whenever they have scenes together, you're like, this is

sexually charged. I feel the electricity in the air. They are so well matched. They are constantly bantering, flirting aggressively and I'm like, this is so hot. Like y'all don't understand? Like the thrill of watching a historian. Oracle see drama and nothing is no clothes are being taken off. You're just like high off of them just being in the same room together and like they're making eyes at each other after having a very interesting conversation that has nothing to do about

their relationship. You know what I'm saying? It's a very weird way of watching if there's no romance, but you're still getting romance out of it. It's the same thing that happens when you watch, like, a crime drama and you're like, why aren't these two characters together, even though they have, like, wonderful chemistry? Yes, you know what I'm saying? But it's a crime drama. Yeah. And there's no romance whatsoever. They're never gonna get together. Yeah, you know.

Tension is enough. Yes, yeah. The tension is enough that the the the dream of it is there. Yeah. And in this case, the dream is realized, right. You're not just seeing things. It's there. It's on the page. Yep. What were some scenes that were great romantic set pieces for you? Because I remember her like drunk dancing in the rain and spinning around like that scene. That scene made all the rounds when the show was airing. Like that scene was everywhere.

Absolutely everywhere. That's so good such. A good I think one that I enjoyed a lot was and it was mostly like him looking at her was her playing the instrument in the final exam. Yeah. Because like the one how he strolled into that place, like him, Justin Drenrol walking through this drama is just like strolling with that large Cape behind him always. But just like him smugly looking at her, being proud, but also like making sure he's looking at her ex-husband.

Like wondering what he's going to be doing and how nervous he is and just his entire demeanor in that scene. That's a great scene. And then the flowers coming up in this vortex around her as she like, come on. It is so beautiful. I love the way they use the CGI in that scene. I guess that's why it's a little difficult to, it's a historical, but it has these elements in it that are fantastical. And he flies in and out of her house, like at certain points too.

It's part of the bits of Ushia that are in there. Yeah, yeah, I, I have to say I loved the flying. OK, good. I got a kick out of it. It was every time someone flew. I I was so excited. I loved it. It was so good. Yeah, my scene might be weird, but so. Nothing's too weird here. It's kind of OK. Well, we'll see after I say it, but it's. So this was when she had to get like, she had to get bitten by a scorpion or something or injected with. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Basically yes.

To fix her wrist. Exactly. And so she's in a lot of pain. And she was like biting on her lip. And he was like, no, no, no, don't, don't bite yourself, Like bite me. And she like, totally hurt. Yeah. He like gave her his hand. And I was like, he just. She bit his hand. Gosh, but but even like in that whole sequence, like the care he took for her, just that's when I started to see the kind of the affection grow between them. But like that scene, I was like, Oh my God.

Oh, clutching my pearls. Literally clutching my I. I did clutch my bums in the sea. Yes, definitely. And then she's kind of like in a stupor. She doesn't realize that she's, like, necessarily biting him. And he's like, let her, let her. It's yeah, babe, babe. Oh. OK, OK so let me see. There was one where the this is later in the show the brother calls him brother-in-law. Yeah. Oh my gosh, yeah. And his goofy ass smile and the way he just lights up when he calls him brother-in-law.

I was like Oh my God this is so cute. Every time she called him by his name. Yeah. Was a great moment at the. I think the first time she did it, I was like, oh, that's when the two guys like just back away slowly. I think out of from alone. Yeah, it's great. I for me, it's a lot of like their little moments that makes

that builds the whole picture. So there's one where she comes, he's helped her with something and he's mad at her and he, she comes to help him out and she's walking away and she just turns back to him and goes to him. You're handsome even when you're mad and. He Oh my gosh. Yes, Liliana. Yeah, the. Smile and she walks off screen and it's just like, it's just

those little scenes. There's another one where she's being held in prison and she's sitting on the floor and he just strides into the prison, plunks himself down. And she's like, I thought you were very particular about things. This this space is way too dirty for you. And he just goes to her. I'm tired. And he just like rests there with her and it's just like these types of moments that make it or the scene where she has to go to to get something. She's trying to get close to you wrong.

And she had they're stuck at like his library of sorts. And he puts a cloak over her and she comes out of that library and she's like physically sick. And he literally walks to her, grabs the coat, brushes it on the floor and slick puts. I wonder because that scene is like is so he knows that she almost needs to clean herself out of it. She needs to like get rid of his stench away from her and. He makes her I'll. Exactly, exactly.

And it's not just that, it's it's the fact that he knows her so well to know that she needs that, but he yet yet he still lets her do what she needs to do. To me, it's a combination of all of these small moments that adds up to like the picture as a whole. When she walks in and like, he's about to die, he's about to face all of these people and she walks in and she says, who said he's alone? And she just walks in and she

gets her shining. You know, she gets to be the shining knight and walk in and save him for once. And she's like, I am not moving away from him and she's standing in front of him. Like I refuse to abandon you. There's scenes like when he they. I love when they do the comparison of Xiao Hung basically when he's 10 years old and he's beating the drums to. Like get. People to investigate and then they do the comparison and she's beating the drum.

And like that scene is also shown in the prison. And that's when he says I'm really tired. And it's just like, it's just like a whole lot of small things that add up and progression picture of them. Yeah, but also just the progression of them opening up to each other, because even though she knows that he knows who she is, she doesn't tell him until way later in the show who she is. And I love that about him.

Just basically giving her time and space to be able to trust him with the verbal confirmation that she's Shreya Fung Fi. And I think that is important that he trusts her so much and he's so supportive of her and her, not only her, her, her revenge, but also her healing journey. Yeah. Another scene I liked, which I think was just mostly like ha ha, he deserves it is when her ex-husband and her were like walking out the front door from something and he was waiting there and.

Like stop it. Her ex-husband was like, I'm gonna drive you home like. It reminded me of love like the Galaxy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That will get me every fucking time where like she realizes something or she needs a ride and she's in a bind and she exits whatever estate and he's waiting there for her. Oh no, no, no, it get that was everything. See drama crack. See drama crack. So. Rewarding. Love it it. It'll get me every time. The moment where he starts stripping in the mines.

Yeah. And she's just looking at him. She does not avert her eyes. I'm like same girl because what? Stripping in the mines. Stripping in the mines, he was like, oh, take my clothes then, because I think they were going to take some clothes off a dead body and he stunk. And she was like stunned, stunned to silence. I love that part because he and then he gratuitous shots of him and his like tiny little body, but he's like really toned and

yes. Yes, and his fighting shots, like when he's practicing fighting shots. Yeah, classic. C Drama. I'm so glad you were. Introduced to, He'd just be like, practicing in slow motion, yeah. I. Think the hair's flowing? I think we need to introduce Naz to Roule and his his scenes cuz she'll never be the same again. Nothing. The same. That's very true. Oh man. Is Wooley Dylan Wong? No, no, no. OK. Those are two separate people. They're both great.

OK, because I know he OK, because I know he comes because Dylan Wong has like he goes to buy another name too. Right. Yeah. So Dylan Wong's real name is Wong Hoody. So that's his like, real name. And then they have like some will have Weston Christian, so his. Yeah, yeah. So his is Dylan Wong, but yeah, his real name is Wong Hoody. No, we're like is a whole different ballpark, like. Which drops of man be heven in?

Love like the Galaxy? OK, he loves like the Galaxy, OK. Wooley Wooley's like, so a lot of them choose like English names. So you have Dylan Wong Wooley's English name is Leo Woo. So that's his, that's his English name. I know this guy. OK, OK, OK, yes, I recognize his

face. Yeah, so there's so many little moments throughout this 40 episode journey that just speak to their romance, that get you hype, that make you just excited to see them interact some more throughout this revenge story. I I didn't necessarily feel the lack of the skinship so I thought it worked too. Was there anything else you guys wanted to talk about? I. Think. So no, no, I think we kept oh, the one thing I wanted to talk about was real fast.

Che Feng Fei, even though she gets back her family, I loved how she handles her second father, the Jiang Lee's father, and their final interaction and how she kind of, I mean, he's gone for like many episodes in the latter half of the show because she puts the fear of God in him. Like she basically says, you don't have my forgiveness if you think that I am going to forgive you and forget everything that happened over this decade of abuse that I didn't deserve.

It was totally unjust. You got another thing coming. And he was like, I'll just give you some space. Gone for like dozens of episodes, but their final interaction was good because he confirmed what he already knew, that his daughter had already died, right? He killed his own daughter, essentially. His agony was great. I thought that was a great little montage that they put in there of him just collapsing and

then crying and wailing. He still, you know, accepts this other woman like he still accepts Shreya Fengfey wants her in the family. Obviously. He's like, you can't tell anybody else, like the grandmother's going to keel over. You can't tell anybody. It stays between us. But I really liked how they sort of kept this relationship and that he still loved her and supported her.

And he has to carry that. I think like almost his punishment is the fact that he has to carry that with him, that he can't mourn his daughter only privately and only alone. So I think that's like punishment in of itself for him for not standing by his daughter's side. I actually really enjoyed his character growth and how he kind of this, you know, I saw what was truly important and kind of stepped away from it all. So I really liked his character as a whole. I think towards the edge.

Yeah, I agree. I will never. Forget Naz finding out her father was alive. I'm like sitting there on my couch and she's been like messaging me as she's like watching the show and all of a sudden I get a message. Her. Father was alive this entire time. Something like that I'll never forget. Welcome to. Chinese dramas there, there's always people that are alive, they're never quite dead. Again, what's the rule? We always go with Asian dramas if there is no body. Body, They're alive.

Yeah, they're alive. They're alive. Oh yeah, I was shocked. What about the brother? Were you shocked when the brother was the hostage? I was more shocked. About the brother than I was with the dad because I was I was adamant one of them had to have been dead at some. .0 I see what you're saying. But I you were like they. Can't possibly both.

Be alive exactly. Like I was more shocked about the brother than the dad because I just assumed that I don't know, again, there's no body that means they're not dead. So I was like OK, both of them don't have bodies so one of them has to be alive. And I was assuming she was going to find the other one dead somewhere. So I was more shocked about the brother than the dad personally. I see. Well that's the end of my thoughts. I have no notes you.

Must just say notes and you're like, wait, I don't have notes I don't have. No notes. I don't know what I'm saying. So that's it. We're gonna we're gonna get out of here. This is a great time with all three of you. If you guys can say where you guys can be found online? For me it's Tea and Soju pod on all the socials and Tea and Soju podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts where you can find lots of dramatry episodes and AS has been over there as well.

So that's me. And me, you can find me on Instagram at Swoon Diaries pod and also my podcast. You can listen to it wherever you listen to podcasts. The Swoon Diaries podcast. And me, I have a blog and a podcast with the same name of no sleep, the number 4 dramas, and you can find me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, now anywhere. Thanks guys. Thank you guys so much for coming on this show on the offseason to talk about a Chinese drama, but. Thank you for having us.

This was so fun. I got this was a lot of fun about Steve drama with the drama trio. Exciting. Yeah, super exciting. We got to have you on one more time. See if there's another Steve drama you want to chat about. Yes. Maybe just a heads up, we are going to review Love Like the Galaxy next year, so believe that they're for you. Oh my gosh. You heard it here first, the little peek behind the curtain out of the drama trio schedule for 2025. Anyway, we're going to get out of here.

That's been our show. I'm Jessica and this has been the Teba K Rambles podcast. Show me the shit. None.