dramathoughts

Which takes me to one point that Qiu Yan and Liang Yi have in common: they know how to twist things to their advantage. Qiu Yan takes clothes to Miss Shi, and Liang Yi happens to be there with Miss Shi and uses the clothes as an excuse to see Qiu Yan. Qiu Yan and her sister must clean toilet buckets, but they were in trouble because of that, and Qiu Yan uses that as an opportunity to work her magic. The leads are cunning, and it’s wonderful to see. Especially when they’re on the same wavelength.

Then there’s the feelings coming into play. Liang Yi is obviously fond and smitten. And I believe that Qiu Yan’s starting to notice Liang Yi. (That moment when she found Liang Yi with Miss Shi? Oh, my goodness, I had to watch that a few times!) Especially now that he’s not her sister’s future husband. That, I believe, was sitting in the back of her mind. But the leads are starting to meet half-way (or they’re slowly getting there) concerning their romance, and I’m so eager to see what will happen next!

Also, concerning Qiu Yan and her personality. She was never cautious. She has a I-don’t-care attitude, which I feel is her fatal flaw. She rushes in things headfirst. She’s intelligent, but she needs to learn to bide her time. She’s rough around the edges, and with time, hopefully she’ll become polished. With her personal loss in episode 14, those rough edges are worse than ever. I kept thinking *please, slow down, think things through, properly investigate and bide your time* and Liang Yi basically told that to Qiu Yan in episode 18. He likes her a lot, but he also sees her flaws, and he wants the best for her, so he’s blunt and warns her. I love that.

Payoff! Yesss. I love this. They’re so comfortable with each other. Liang Yi was so smiley when he was pulled out the key. I love how Qiu Yan was a little nervous, like she inhaled a steadying breath, before she started thanking him. She speaks so seriously. He jokes with her. But she remains serious. He jokes again. She changes a tune a little. But she’s still serious, and again, she needs a moment before she can reveal the truth.

And then you can literally see his brain stalling, then working overtime. He’s so shocked. But then he snaps out of it and smiles. Gah! And yet he’s still shocked.

And then she reminds him that he’s marrying her sister. Gah! He’s like oh yeah, shit.

I’ve watched 14 episodes of The Autumn Ballad, and I’m so happy with the show. It is a little rough here and there. It’s not brilliant. Not bad. It’s watchable. Enjoyable. And I think the best thing about the show are the leads and their relationship.

I like Qiu Yan, our female lead. She questions her society. She’s a schemer. She hasn’t been truthful to Qin Xuan, and I believe she was starting to feel self-conscious about that, when Qin Xuan went out collecting books for her. I believe she likes him, but I don’t think she feels a spark for him. I also think that she has been in a fight-fight-fight mode for a while now--the marriage, the death of her husband, the fake notes, now her mother--and maybe it will take her a bit to figure out her heart. But I’m sure she’ll surprise me.

I like Liang Yi. He’s not squeaky clean. He gets things done. I love how he’s able to see through Qiu Yan. I also love it that he didn’t realise that Qiu Yan is the girl he saved. As he said, he was a cabbage head. He’s super intelligent, but I think he allowed his heart to cloud his judgement concerning Qiu Yan and Qiu Min. Well, he did question Qiu Min being the girl he saved, but he didn’t investigate further. The actor is doing a fine job (yes, yes, I love his voice!) and I love those little moments where he shows his feelings for Qiu Yan through his eyes. Fondness just drips from him when he looked at her in the jewellery store and when he was thinking of her.

I like the leads’ dynamic. They start out disliking each other. They’re tit for tat, cat and mouse. Sure, romantic tropes were used, like the childhood acquaintance, but the execution works. The tropes are not there just for the sake of being there, because when that happens the romance feels empty (for me, at least). There’s a satisfying development to their relationship, and it’s unfolding at a pace that I find enjoyable. Also, the development makes sense. Disliking each other, working together, getting to know each other, sticking together through bad situations, appreciating each other. And now Liang Yi is softening to Qiu Yan, and Qiu Yan is comfortable around Liang Yi, and it’s all satisfying to see.

Also, I’m so looking forward to Liang Yi’s mum noticing his relationship with Qiu Yan!

Now, about the childhood acquaintance. I’m not fond of that trope because sometimes it’s just there. But in this drama, there’s more built onto that trope. There are layers. Qiu Yan was disappointed in Liang Yi. Liang Yi thought that Qiu Min is the girl he saved. Qiu Yan’s distrust and views on gender developed because of her childhood (her mum saving her brother and not helping her). But then Qiu Yan thought fondly of her time with young Liang Yi as she got to know the current Liang Yi. Then she reveals that she’s the girl he saved, and she does that because she appreciates the man he is. And he responds so warmly. But he’s also so shocked. He’s marrying Qiu Min, yet his heart has been swayed by Qiu Yan. The childhood acquaintance has brought on consequences, and I love that.

I do have to say that, in the beginning of the show, I wasn’t that happy with the cases. See, I dislike it when writers hide a main character’s POV simply for a surprise. The story is being told through the leads’ POV, so why are you limiting it? I like it when a character reacts to something they realised or noticed, so the audience is along for the ride (almost) all the time. The limited POV doesn’t give the audience that opportunity. But it could be that we go through cases so quickly because of the pace of the drama. I like the pace. It doesn’t drag.

Lastly, another thing I don’t like is the reliance on the Villain’s Speech. The villain has been exposed, so the villain must have a speech to explain things. Yeah.

I found a video (not released by the official weibo, as far as I can tell) showing the ML walking up to the FL. It's a different occasion. I'm so curious about this scenario. Are they undercover? No idea! https://m.weibo.cn/detail/4731671363979409

I’m looking forward to Yan Yu Fu/The Autumn Ballad. I thought the trailer was interesting, and of course, I’m consuming anything I can get for the drama before it airs. Then I stumbled on this comment, which I found by one of AvenueX’s videos.

The Autumn Ballad is a parody of Minglan. You can tell by the clothes and hair copying them like a cheap version. The misspelling and bad line deliveries are intended, a parody is when you make fun of the original. In the original, ZLY also had very bad line deliveries and cannot spell her own name. In reality, she couldn't read the word Lan in the name Minglan. Despite these flaws, the marketing of Minglan is too outrageous so this parody just wants to shed some light why they're getting called out when the original gets a passing grade. [YouTube]

Below the cut!

Potentially: here.

A Dream of Splendor

Zhao Pan Er, who opened a tea shop in Hangzhou, finally received the good news that her fiance Ouyang Xu was in Beijing High School, but was abandoned. Unwilling to accept her fate, she vowed to go to Beijing to seek justice. On the way to Beijing, she had to rush to rescue her good sister, Song Yin Zhang, who was cheated on marriage and was abused. At the same time, she also saved Sun San Niang, who had unfortunately tried to commit suicide because of her married life. When Ouyang Xu learned that Zhao Pan Er had come to the capital and came to the door, he managed to drive her out of Bianjing. Zhao Pan Er, Song Yin Zhang, and Sun San Niang decided to stay in Bianjing, relying on their own ability to make a fortune. After experiencing difficulties and various tribulations, the three sisters finally managed the small teahouse into the largest restaurant in Bianjing. After an arduous struggle, Zhao Pan Er saw more scenery, and also solved the obsession with hating Ouyang Xu, and at the same time opened a door of equal salvation for the humble women in ancient times.

The Blue Whisper: Part 1

Ji Yun He is a powerful and talented demon master living in Demon Valley. She loathes the deep dark secret that restricts her from exploring the world at her leisure. Changyi is a merman who appears in the Valley, courtesy of the cruel Princess Shunde. Her Royal Highness commands Yun He to make the merman speak human words, grow human legs, and be loyal. But there is a catch! Yun He must enlist the aid of Lin Hao Qing, her adopted brother and sworn enemy. Keeping company with the merman has Yun He becoming closer to him. In time, she will have to make the fateful choice between the demon‘s freedom and her very own.

The Autumn Ballad

The story of a witty young girl named Qiu Yan and a cold-faced duke named Liang Yi, who goes from battling each other with wits and boldness to understanding and accompanying each other. Qiu Yan is the least favored eldest daughter of the Qiu Manor. She managed to reap happiness step by step relying on her own efforts and wisdom.

My Sassy Princess

Honestly, Xiao Jinyu’s awkward attempts at courting are entertaining. (However, poor Chu Chu! First, the unexpected proposal. Now, he insults her. The misunderstandings! The angst! I would have liked to see more angst from her side, but she picks herself up and does what she needs to do.) I do feel bad for the man. But it’s so in-character, and I’m liking it. Xiao Jinyu’s not perfect at everything, and this also humanises him. Makes him relatable.