The Prisoner of Beauty Review (Ep. 134)

0:00 Hello and welcome back to the Tea and Sage You see drama podcast, your safe spot for C drama chatter. I'm your host Liliana, and it's time to sit back, grab your tea and let's chat Asian dramas. In today's episode, we are going to be reviewing the prisoner of beauty. Now, if you guys have been paying attention to the socials, you know that I freaking love this show.

0:24 So let's get into it. Before we do that, let's just run through some house. If you like the podcast, please like, share and subscribe on the platform you listen on. That really helps the podcast reach other listeners. For more content, check out Patreon where you can find behind the scenes, first impressions, movie reviews, and more. Finally, if you would like to chat to me or find a community, check out Discord, Instagram, and other socials. The link will be in the episode notes. So that is a housekeeping out of the way guys. I am so excited to to sit down and be talking about this drama because I really, really loved it. I truly did.

1:06 So I'm just excited to get into it. Before we do though, I sat down with a drink today and I'm still unsure of it. So I've been seeing this all over TikTok and whatnot where you do a normal like marcher and then you add coconut water to it. So it's like a coconut water March marcher. And I did with so coconut water marcher, obviously.

1:34 And then I added like a strawberry cold foam on top. So that's what I'm drinking. I'm not really sure I like it. We're going to we're going to wait and see. I'm trying to drink more coconut water because people say that it's really good for hydration and I tend to fuck drinking water, let's put it that way. And basically that triggers like headaches for me. So I'm trying to get better at it and apparently it's not going great, but we're trying.

2:08 We're trying to sneak in hydration where we can. And I know, I know that like nothing beats just drinking good old water, but I don't necessarily like it. I truly don't like drinking water. So I'm doing my best here. If you've got any tips, please let me know. Help a girl out because the headaches like this week, they've been a lot worse because we've had hot weather in the UK. I know this is going to be like a one week of summer and that's it.

2:38 So we've been having like 28° and we've been having like 2625, which like to me that's regular kind of summer weather. In Portugal, it tends to get even hotter than that. It tends to get about, you know, 3235 in some places, even 38 in other places. So like 20 fives like that is a really good weather in the UK. But it does mean that I need to drink more water and I keep forgetting about it.

3:06 So we're going to try and do something about that. I also have another drink because apparently one's not enough once my mattress is gone, and that's not gonna take very long. I have been wanting to do hibiscus like agua fresca for a while. And if you don't know what that is, it's basically like, I don't know, you kind of brew the hibiscus with sugar, with a little bit of sugar and you make kind of like this hibiscus syrup of sorts. And then you add lime to it.

3:38 And I believe some people like there is a watermelon aguafresca. And please correct me if I'm wrong. I am just going off what Google tells me to go off. OK. And so the one that I have is basically like that hibiscus, what is it called? Like hibiscus kind of like syrup or it's not really a syrup, but like the hibiscus tea with watermelon and lime. So good.

4:04 It's so refreshing. It's the perfect way to use up the watermelons that I, you know, I always try to buy watermelons in the UK and it never serves me right because they are just watery and not fruity, like not sweet at all. Whenever I have a watermelon back home, it's almost like I'm eating sugar, which is not ideal, but like it's that sweet.

4:32 So I, I keep trying and I'm really good at like picking honeydew melons and you know, just regular melons. But when it comes to watermelon, no, I am useless at it. So that's what I've got today because it is fairly warm and the place where I record it's, it's warm, warm. And because I'm now in a new office and guys, if you want me to share like my office setup, I might just share like a video over on Tiktok or you know, over on Instagram because I am so happy with it. Like I have bookshelves and merch shelves and like all my setup.

5:11 So I'm living for it. So that is like my new office, but it is fairly warm. So because it gets sunshine like the whole day right in through the window. So you know, if it gets warm in the UK, houses aren't great here. But that's what I'm sitting down with. I've natured on enough about that. Should we get into this drama, guys? Because this drama came out of nowhere, literally because it had been on hold for quite a while, because Songs Who are had a tax evasion scandal, she was investigated, she was cleared from it.

5:46 So everybody is now releasing her dramas that have been held captive for ages. And I was excited about this one, but I was also a little bit worried to begin with because realistically speaking, I had watched Songs Who are before. And although I find that she's OK, the one drama that released right before this one, which was the Demon Hunters romance, the one with Renji Alan, their chemistry was not great.

6:14 It felt like friendship chemistry rather than romance chemistry. And I was like, I'm not really sure. Not really sure. I did finish that one and it was OK but it just didn't vibe that well for me. And her character was one of the reasons. And I kept thinking is it her? Is it the character? And after watching The Prisoner of Beauty, I feel like it was the character and the drama setup that didn't do her justice rather than it being like a her problem. Because here with Liu Yuning, my goodness, this chemistry was top, top notch.

6:48 So before we get into all of my thoughts about this drama, because I have many, we're going to be, I'm just going to be reading through everything on MDL. If you haven't heard about this drama yet, what are you doing? Because this is absolutely going to be I will tell you right now this is absolutely going to be one of my top Chinese dramas of 20 25 that like there is no way this doesn't make my top five dramas. There is just no way.

7:19 So if you don't know what the drama is about. Prisoner of beauty Chinese drama 36 episodes. It is a 10 cent video original drama and the MDL description reads. Xiao Chiao, a clever girl from the Chiao family, marries Wei Chiao, the sharp and kind master of the Wei family, as part of a family with bad blood between their clans, the MO the The two start of wary of each other, constantly testing boundaries in both funny and tense ways.

7:54 Over time, they begin to appreciate each other's quirks and talents. Through ups and downs, they learn to work as a team, tackling family drama and bigger issues to bring some peace to their world. It's a story of partnership built through trial, error, and a bit of chaos. So that line right there is so accurate. It is absolutely a partnership that is built through trial error and definitely a little bit of chaos as well. I would say so like I mentioned, this is 36 episodes, 10 cent video and it aired from May 13th, 2025 to May 29th, 2025. Ten cent video production and it is directed by Deng Kirk, who has also directed so he's directed things such as guardians of the DAF Hong from

8:50 2024, which I have reviewed over on Patreon. It all that he he's also done the Legends of Heroes, The Legend of Sean Lee, My Heroic Husband. My Heroic husband is definitely on my to watch list at some point, I just haven't gotten around to it. He's also done stuff like My Girlfriend's boyfriend from season 2 and My Girlfriend's boyfriend season 1.

9:14 My amazing boyfriend season 1 and he goes back all the way to 2013 with the dream of picking opera. He's also the director for the currently not the currently the upcoming drama. Where is it? Where is it? Shadow Love, which is one that I'm very, very excited about. It's gonna star. It stars Chung Lei and Song Yi and everything that I've kind of seen around it is really, really good.

9:47 So I am very, very excited about this one. Now, if I'm not mistaken, this is this is the one I'm just currently like reading. Oh no, it isn't. I thought because they're also doing 1 where it's an adaptation of the donghua. How are you? So that's going to be exciting, but I don't think it's this one.

10:13 So whichever this one I'm very excited for. This is not this is director that I've seen a couple of things for and I'm, you know, usually he seems to do pretty well. He did pretty well here too. And and also this was also directed by GAO Kong Kai and he's done. So he's only been directing since 20/19. He did My girlfriend is an alien from 2019, the sleepless Princess from 2020, Miss S from 2020, Why women love from 2022 and My Girlfriend is an alien season 2 as well. So he's done a few things.

10:54 I've watched a couple of things from that. So that's exciting. And then for screenwriter, it is obviously a woman screenwriter and guys don't come for me. The reason why I say obviously is because I feel like some of the scenes in this show are just so well scripted in a way that it feels like a woman did it. And by that I mean the like, ridiculously good communication that our main couple have truly could only be written by a woman.

11:26 I, you know, I'm going to say it. I'm going to put it out there. Come for me if you want to, but I feel like this could only be scripted by a woman. I'm just saying. So her name is Nan John and she's been doing things since 2017. My girlfriend's boyfriend from 2017, The Romance of Tiger and Rose from 2020, My girl from 2020, the furthest distance from 2023, which I think I watched. Is this the one?

11:56 No. Did I watch this one? See, this is what happens when you've watched too many things. You kind of start things kind of start running into each other. I think I dropped this one. I did. I dropped the furthest distance and that that was one that starred um Zong True, she and Zang Yun Long guys.

12:16 I have no recollection of what I dropped to this, so I need to do you know what I need to do? MGL has like a little when you're trying to complete something. I feel like it should have. It has a little like notes thing. I need to start writing like a little note of just why I'm dropping it, because otherwise this is what happens. I know I dropped it.

12:42 I have no idea why, so we're rolling with it with it. So that is the screen right now forecast. We have the amazing as well the amazing and handsome and talented Lo Yuning as our male lead. So he plays Wei Shao or Zhong Lin and guys, you know I'm a very big Lo Yuning fan. I think he is king of OS DS.

13:10 I mean, this man, whenever he does an OSD, I know I'm probably going to enjoy it because he's got such a great talent across the board. And I just tend to really, really enjoy his music in general, whether it's Osts or whether it's his actual just, you know, normal music. So. So yeah. So he's been acting since 2019 and he's been in things such as Hot, Hot Blooded Youth from 2019, Ultimate Note from 2020, Heroes from 2022, Be Your Own Light from 2023, A Journey to Love from 2023, Heroes from 2024.

13:54 And yeah, so the other one that I'm very, very excited about, he's got an upcoming drama called A Dream Within a Dream, and I am so freaking excited. I have been waiting for this drama for a hot minute and people are saying it's going to come at the end of June. So I'm praying and hoping that that's the case. It's going to be an IT drama.

14:17 It does start Liu Ning, but it also stars Liu Tong. And I adore Liu Tong. I think she's such an underrated actress. The drama itself just sounds like, you know, something that I'm going to enjoy. It's tagged as, I mean, the genres go, historical comedy, romance, fantasy. So I'm just excited about this one. And hopefully it does, you know, in at the end of June, it has acquired distribution license.

14:46 So yeah, I, I would not be complaining to be seeing Liu Yaning in on my screen again. Just just saying. So he is our male lead. And then we have Songs who are as our female lead now, Songs who are has been acting for a while. So she's been acting since 2005. So she was a child actress because she was 5677 years old, because she was born in 1998. So she's been in things such as Boyhood from 2017, Gossip High from 2018, Novoland Eagle Flag from 2019, To Fly With You from 2021.

15:30 I believe. It's probably where I first saw her. But she was also in The Bond from 2021, The Demons Hunters Romance from this year, and also The Prisoner of Beauty. And now she also has Created in China, which is an upcoming drama and that has does have a confirmed premiere date. It is going to premiere on the 17th of June. So it's going to premiere a day before this episode comes out. So by the time this episode as this drama would have premiere, I will probably check out Created in China. I'm not sure I'm going to stick with it necessarily because the genres for this are they don't really speak to me that much. This one is business and war.

16:21 That's what the genres are on MDL. So, you know, it is what it is. But I am going to give it a little bit of a try because this also also stars Zhang Shin Chong and I really, really like him as an actor. And it's been a hot minute since he's been on screen. So I will probably be, you know, at least checking out the first couple of episodes. So that is kind of like your main main cast. We also who have Shuan Lu, she plays the character SU Yi Huang or Lady Yulu and she has been in a couple of things like Kill my Sins from 2025, A Melody of Golden Age from 2024, The Last Cook from 2024 and I am seeing way more. It seems like she does a lot more support roles rather than main roles so far it seems like,

17:19 but she has been acting since 2009 so she's been around for a little while. We also have Leo Duan. Duan, now, I know him best from playing the Prince, the second Prince from Joy of Life, but he's also been in other things like Lu Yang and Sword Snow Stride. So he's been around in a couple of things, but he tends to do more serious, kind of more serious historical dramas.

17:49 That tends to be where he's at. And I don't think I've really seen him like break out, you know, in roles. But he is, I think, very talented. I just don't think he's, you know, had that role that has really allowed him to go from support role to main role, if that makes sense, because he does have, he's got a couple of upcoming main roles. But yeah, he tends to do support roles for the most part. So that is kind of like, you know, your main main cast. And I don't understand, realistically speaking, I don't understand why the last two are classed as Maine because they don't really come into the story till much, much later. I think episode 15, possibly even episode 29 might be around about episode 15.

18:41 I'm sure I have it in my notes, but I feel like they come into to the drama much much later, so I'm not sure why they're classed as main roles, but you know, it is what it is. So let's get into some general thoughts before you know we go into some spoilers. So for general thoughts now, this show truly does enemies to lovers incredibly well.

19:08 Like at the beginning of this show. I don't think the MDL description does it quite justice enough. So I feel like it's it. So you kind of have to think about it this way. These two families are used to be so the Chows and the Ways, they used to be partners. They used to be very close families. The grandfather of the female lead and the grandfather of the male lead used to be very close friends. And a war breaks out, something happens and the Chows kind of betray, betray the ways by not going to their aid, which means their clan like gets annihilated. And by that I mean you know, the male leads, grandfather, father and brother, older brother, all like perish in this war. And it's because they didn't

20:03 have the backup of the chaos. So the ways have a huge, especially our male lead. He has a huge what's the word, a huge conflict and a huge hate towards our. You know the Chow clan. Now that involuntarily just means that he hates the female League because no other reason than she is a Chow. She wasn't even born in the time that this all happened. Or she was.

20:28 She might have been, she might have been born, but she was a child either way that just because she's a chow, he immediately hates her and she knows this going in. She knows she's heard the rumors that he is ruthless and he is not a great, you know person and especially to chows. So this is truly enemies to lovers because when they first meet, they are horrible to each other and they are constantly planning and plotting against to each other.

21:04 Now, when I say I adore enemies to lovers, this kind of story is what I mean because even when feelings develop, there is still a mistrust between the two characters. And that to me is enemies to lovers. Because if you truly have such a a hate towards, you know, in this case towards her clan, you're obviously not going to.

21:28 It's going to take you a really long time to trust that person and it's going to take you time to kind of have developed that relationship. And this show does that beautifully. They end up being because they build this foundation, they kind of end up, you know, going through a lot of things together and the trust is gained, you know, in the essence of going through these situations together. So it's absolutely fair to say that one of my all time favorite things about this show is the relationship progression and how things are done with our main couple. The fact that these two learn to talk to each other, they learn to communicate, they learn each other's character, and they trust each other's character

22:20 above anything else before the love comes. And then the love just gradually grows from those things. So they have a really, really good foundation. This is one of those kinds of couples that I can kind of see them being taken out of the drama and them working out in real life, if that makes sense. So the relationship progression is definitely really good and definitely one of my favorite parts for this show. So other general thoughts are that I love the fact that our female lead, so you know, Our Lady, Chow lady of way actually, but basically, you know, Chow man or man man, as she's also known, she is incredibly smart and I love that she doesn't really fight with fists.

23:13 She doesn't know any of that, but she's incredibly smart and she goes toe to toe with our male lead and they kind of he kind of falls for that appeal of her, if that makes sense. So she seems on the surface, she's very beautiful, very put together. And you know, that's what she seems like. But then you dig deeper and she's incredibly smart. She has a brilliant mind.

23:41 And as their relationship progresses, you see our male lead being influenced by, you know, that sometimes you don't necessarily have to lift a sword. You can kind of take a step back and you know, you can use other methods to have, you know, to reach the goal that you want to reach. So it's definitely one of my favorite things is the female lead herself.

24:07 She's incredibly well written. She is a character that I want to see more of because sometimes when people just say, oh, I I want a strong female lead, strong looks different in different females, if that makes sense. So sometimes, you know, women can have this quiet strength where, you know, they seem like they stand in the the background, but they aren't they are quietly strong and they are sure of their feelings and all of those things.

24:39 Sometimes they fight with fists, sometimes they fight with their brain. And it's spectrum. And I love that this is like on the softer side of that spectrum, if that makes sense. She doesn't necessarily make herself a damsel in distress. She does end up in certain situations where she does need rescuing, but it's by no fault of her own. And you know, she can work her way out of those situations, which I really appreciate without lifting again her fists. So she uses her brain for it.

25:10 And I like I said, she has this very quiet strength to her. She knows when to like charge forward and say what she needs to say. And she knows when she needs to step back a bit and kind of let others take the lead. So I I just really, really appreciate this female lead. I think she's so incredibly well written, like I said.

25:32 And yeah, so she's absolutely one of my favorite things. And obviously that goes with hand in hand. Being said that I love the male lead in this. I feel like he's a very classic tundra character where he's very cold on the outside. But actually once you get to know him, he's very loyal. He's very trustworthy.

25:52 He is very kind as well. So he's very much much one of those characters that what you see is definitely not everything to him, if that makes sense. So I loved his character as well. I think he's a beautiful character. Um, very well written. So, so yeah. And also stunning because he does have his unhinged moments. And I'm kind of here for it.

26:18 I, I've always said I don't mind a little bit of red flags thrown in. So is he a bit of a red flag? I think he is like, let's not sugarcoat it. He does have moments of utter rage and he does have moments where he has red flag tendencies. But ultimately I think he is, you know, a flawed person and I I really appreciated that. So the main couple is really well written. I will say I enjoyed the side characters. You get attached to them.

26:53 Did we need as many side characters? I don't think we did. I think there's like a lot of disposable side characters that we used a little bit too much. And the politics in this could have been slightly better in certain areas. I think they felt a little bit rushed in certain areas, which at the same time it made the drama, I don't know, in certain areas it kind of slowed down a bit and we were like, you know, you want to get it moving to the next phase and it's kind of doesn't.

27:23 So I feel like that is one of the things that I have kind of against this drama. But I'm picking at straws here because truly I loved it. And The thing is, don't go in with the idea that you're going to get the most amazing plot which you've ever seen in your life, because that's not what this is about. For me personally, I think what truly makes this drama incredibly special is the main couple. It's their chemistry, it's their story, it's their progression. Now everything else around it could have been slightly better in areas.

27:59 So that's like my 1 pitfall for the drama is that I think the however good and well written the main couple is, I feel like there's instances around the main couple that could have been better. So that is like, like, you know, my most pin thing at now I will also say on my favorite pile for this drama is the absolutely stunning costuming.

28:28 I mean, these guys have a wedding. It's no like it is the synopsis of it. They get married and their wedding costumes are incredibly stunning to me. I feel like, you know, that's how you do a wedding costume. It is so incredibly nice and beautiful to look at, but you also have other costumes that are also very, very nice. Even just like a day-to-day costumes. They feel like expensive and luxurious, if that makes sense for the characters and their state of where they need to be. So I really, really liked the costuming in this. It's truly very, very beautiful for me to watch. And like I said, you guys know I am an absolute sucker when it comes to a wedding scene.

29:17 And I'm like, if you're skimping out on a wedding scene, I, I, I get mad. And it's not necessarily because I need to see the couple married. That's not what I'm here for. I just want to see the beautiful, like wedding gowns that we get and the beautiful like costuming and the traditions of it. And we get not one, but two weddings.

29:37 So I I'm just like, I'm here for it. I am here for every single part of it. So I think that's like my general thoughts of the drama and overall without, you know, going into spoilers, but but yeah, I really, really loved it. I am still very much in this couple, you know, stuck with them because I just truly loved them as a couple. And I think that truly makes this drama stand out me. So I'm going to write this and then I'm going to go into spoilers because I have a lot of notes and I just highlighted a few key, you know, part of my notes that I wanted to mention, which makes that progression, you know, that couple progression visible and just, you know, talk about some other side characters that I also

30:25 really, really enjoyed. So for my ratings, you know, you know, we've been here before, but one cheek up. It was something I watched. It wasn't good but something made me finish and that is A1 to a 5.5 on MDL 2 tea cups the OK ones Dramas I don't really recommend but they are an OK background watch. And that's A6 to A7 on MDL 3 tea cups the enjoyable ones Good dramas.

30:50 They were enjoyable and I would recommend to people who enjoy this dramre. And that's a 7.5 to an H on MDL 4 tea cups the loved ones. These are dramas that I really loved. There might be a couple of problems with it, but overall I really enjoyed the drama that I would recommend to a wider audience.

31:10 And that's an 8.5 to a 9.5 on MDL. And then we have the five teacups, the Rose Glass, No false dramas. This rating is reserved for those dramas that you love so much that you are willing to ignore any problems they may have. And that's your elusive 10 on MDL. Now this to me is like a 4.75 teacups.

31:34 It is like all my stuff 5T cup but I don't think it quite makes the cup for me. And the reason being is everything else that goes around the drama. Whenever I I need for a 5T cup drama, for me it needs to have more than. I absolutely adored the main couple, if that makes sense and and that is why this is not a 5 tea cup because the main couple is the show, the chemistry, the vibes, everything is so well done for the main couple.

32:08 But I feel like we were a bit let down by the surrounding things. So I feel like that's why, you know, it's like it's almost a 5 tea cup for me, but it's probably. So I ended up scoring at a 9.5 on MDL. So like I said, it is very close to A5 tea cup, but it's not quite a 5T cup. So that is it. That is the general review and every, you know, general thoughts and all of the sort of information about the show out of the way.

32:39 So this is now your spoiler warning. If you haven't watched this and you don't want to be spoiled, then please go watch the show and then come back and listen to the rest of the review. If you have watched it then go ahead and listen and if you haven't watched it, but you don't mind spoilers then and keep on listening.

32:59 But this is your spoiler warning. So I'm going to go straight into you know you guys know how my solo reviews work. I have a lot of notes and I am just going to go through a lot of the notes that I took and I have notes for every single episode, but I'm not going to talk about all of them because I just don't think I need to.

33:23 I will add it. So if you want to listen to every single note that I made on this show, then head on over to Patreon. I am going to be doing a, I'm going to be reading through every single note that I didn't read here on the podcast. I will be reading for Patreon and uploading it there. So if the episode is out, then you know the notes will also be up over on Patreon.

33:46 So you have that to listen to as well. So we're going to go straight into episode 1 and one of my very first notes about this show is the male leads entry entrance is so good with his taking the banana off his face with a devious smile. That entrance was just peak for me. Not only was I like oh, he he's interesting. He's in because you're kind of like, so he comes back and you know, you see him for the very first time and he's like, he uses his and to push his bandana down from his face. And it's like this look that he gives you that you kind of it kind of makes you think, oh, is he bad or is he good? Because you don't know?

34:29 That's kind of like the, you know, the kind of look he gives you. So it was a brilliant entrance for our for Liu Yaneng, for our main lead. I really, really liked this kind of entrance from Wei Chao. I just think it worked really well. So the next one is everything happens very quickly in episode 1 and I really appreciated that because we truly get the story rolling very quickly. So the marriage is actually arranged between Wei Xiao and our female leads at cousin who I think she's called Dat Chiao. I'm just trying to look for her.

35:10 Yeah, so she no, she's called yeah Dat Chiao or Chiao Fan. So the original wedding marriage is between that Chao and Wei Chao. And basically the cousin is just like, I don't want to marry him because the cousin already has somebody she's in love with, but it's somebody that her family will not accept. So our female lead kind of comes in and she's like, look, you're my cousin.

35:38 I'll take the hit for you. I will, you know, I'll marry him in your stead. They will send me you elope with your stable guy that you want to elope with, and I will take the hit. And right off the bat, I was like, Oh my God, these two are such, you know, good cousins and they are very, very close. And right off the bat, I was like, something's going to go wrong.

36:03 Like these who I don't feel like they're going to make it to the end in, you know, with their relationship in one piece or something else happens. Obviously it then does happen that, you know, the cousin does end up killing herself. But it is what it is. We will definitely talk about that in a little bit. But so, yeah.

36:24 So the note that I have is about man, man saying goodbye to her cousin and saying she will marry Lord way in her stead. So her cousin can elope with the man she loves. And then the quote is at least one of us must be happy. Some of us marry like you, cousin, for love. And we get to live our Ouch, our simple lives with the one we love. I do not love my betrothed.

36:49 And so I will marry Lord Way for power. So basically, Oh my goodness, man, man is actually engaged to somebody else or there is somebody else who wants to marry her, but she's just like, we'll break that. And you know, I'm not in love with him, so I can make the sacrifice and I'll more marry Lord way for that power.

37:09 So I loved this situation. I think it's such a, you know, a great setup for a story because she was never meant to even marry him in the 1st place. And by the end of it, you think how this would have been such a different story if her cousin had actually gone through and married way Chao. So I loved, I was like gripped from episode 1 because I was like, I am so intrigued to see who Madman is as a character because for her to be like, I will marry him, you go off and live your happy life, like I'll take one for the team.

37:45 So I was already very, very intrigued by Madman as a character that she would do that. So I, you know, it was a very, very interesting start to a marriage. So my next note is episode 4. I have actually like 41233 highlights things for episode 4. The first one is the head to head between Wei Chao, Wei Chao and Man man old betrothed. So basically episode 4 is a classic scene that if you are on the socials and you're following anything about this drama, you would have seen this scene.

38:25 And it's basically our female lead gets stuck in like this place that is getting attacked and she is trying to like play these people against, you know, way against our male lead against against Zhong Lin away Xiao. And basically her old betrothed shows up and she is just like she, it's hard to describe this scene.

38:57 So basically she's in the middle. You have Wei Chao and his kind of army on one side. And then you have her old betrothed and his old, you know, his army on the other side. And her old betrothed is like, just come to me, I'll take you away, I'll make sure you're safe, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

39:16 And Wei Chao doesn't even say a thing to her. He just stands there, right? And her quote here is so, so, so brilliant because what she says to her old to her old betrothed is that, you know, yes, you do treat me like a jewel, but you treat everybody else like garbage. And, you know, that just doesn't go for her.

39:42 So she says that to him. And then she runs to Wei Chow. And it is this stunningly shot scene where she's running. Wei Chow starts running as well. Way shaft starts running as well and they kind of meet in the middle and there's arrows flying everywhere and like then there's all the soldiers like holding up the the I don't know what they called the the things that protect them from the arrows Guys look.

40:12 English is my second language. OK, let's go with that. I can't remember what the word is. Shields. That's the word. So they're holding up like all the Shields and everything. And it's such like a stunningly filmed scene. And I'm like, this is the first time they kind of like, run towards each other. And at this point, there is no feelings there. Right now, like this scene, there is no feelings. But by her making this choice in front of Wei Chow, he's like, oh, there's something here.

40:42 And he kind of like grows a little bit towards her, if that makes sense. So I was just very excited. This scene was everywhere when it aired, and it's still everywhere now. It's one of my favorite scenes in the whole drama because it's just so beautifully shot and it I I truly feel like it's the first scene where we see how, you know, they don't trust each other, but it's like they gain a little bit of ground, if that makes sense.

41:11 They kind of move half a step towards each other, if that makes sense. So I really, really, really, really loved that. So episode 4 is when we hear one of the famous lines that is said by chat by man man's grandfather before he kind of passes away. And it's an line that he often says to her, and she takes it on the chin and it's basically water overcomes stone with softness.

41:40 And it's very much what this show is about because she's very soft. She's very, you know, kind and whatnotch. And that's how she kind of breaks through, breaks through our male leads defenses. And that is, you know what the Chow motto is, water overcomes stone with softness. And that's what she's doing.

42:03 She's kind of like manipulating in the beginning, manipulating our male lead with softness. And she realizes that it's much better to have him want to marry her rather than be forced into it. So she knows at this point that she's going to have a much easier life if she can make him kind of in some way either like her or at least detest her a little bit less. So I loved it, loved that quote.

42:34 And then for episode 4, I also have it is the episode that man man finds out that her grandfather died. And I said here the acting was OK. And what I mean by that is she has a very reserved reaction to it. It's not like all out crying or anything when she first finds out. She does have that kind of reaction a bit later when she first finds out. She's kind of like almost reserved. And I think it suits her character very well because her character is a little bit reserved at times, especially she's in, you know, enemy territory. She's married to this person, but she is in enemy territory. So I really, really appreciated, you know, that whole scene. So for episode 5, we have their wedding. And what I reach it, I wrote

43:27 down about their wedding was this is a beautifully cruel wedding because it is very much cruel. She is doing all the rights. So she's drinking from the cup. She's, you know, she's drinking the broth, she's eating the Millet. So she's doing all the rights that they're supposed to do as a married couple and he does nothing. He pours his like wedding wine at the tablets of his family. And it's like, it's such a complex scene because she's completely alone again in enemy enemy territory. And all the all the soldiers around her have like bunch fists because they don't want her to be there. So nobody really wants her there. She's marrying her enemy in front of the tablets of like the people her grandfather's

44:18 betrayal ended up killing. And, you know, he is like fighting with himself because he doesn't want to marry her. He does not want her there either. So this whole scene is just such a complex scene, a complex web. And I think it was portrayed so incredibly well. I think it's a very, like I said, cruel wedding, but it works very much for what part of the drama they're in at that moment, if that makes sense. So I really, really, really, really liked the whole wedding scene.

44:53 And then from episode 5 again is one of my favorite quotes because you kind of get to see behind our male leads Facade a little bit because although he's still very much hates her in this, you know, seen this is what he says to her. He says from this day on, you are my wife and no matter what I do to the chaos or Yanzu, which Yanzu is her birthplace, It is her city Chaos or Yanzu, I won't harm you and I'll always give you a home from today on you onwards, you're away.

45:28 So these words really hit for her because she doesn't want like he him saying that him saying that he will not harm her. He will, however, harm her family, but he will not harm her. And that really hits her because she's like, I need to find a way to protect, you know, to protect my family. So that was very interesting. I really, really, really appreciated the whole exchange because even though he still hates her, he knows that it is his, his what's the word?

46:07 I'm looking for his responsibility to look after her as his as her husband. So I I just really, really appreciate it. So episode 7 we have so she's now fully at, you know, the way mansion she's living as Lady Way and her mother-in-law is so annoying to begin with, but she does kind of grow and you you kind of just realize she is kind of very she's slow. I don't know how else to put it.

46:41 She's slow and she's very easily manipulated by other people. So that I think that's her biggest problem. It's the fact that she's very easily manipulated and influenced by other people, oftentimes to the depriment of her and even her son. So that, you know, that's her character set up, but her mother has been wanting him to.

47:03 So she has there is this girl called Chuyu and Chuyu has kind of been around for a long time and she has always kind of wanted him to marry her. They grew up, you know, as friends and she's always wanted him to marry her. So they kind of go through this thing. So, so the female is not the female.

47:29 The mother-in-law wants to you to marry him as a concubine and he wants like our female lead to arrange it. So what does our female lead? Because she's like, I can't say no to my mother-in-law and I can't say no to him. So what do I do here? This is where you see her brain work because she goes to the grandmother who is head of household still and she goes to her grandmother and not the her grandmother like the male leads grandmother.

47:58 And she's like, she kind of says it in a roundabout way and she's like, this is what's going to happen. You know, this is this is the situation of the grandmother was like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. He's definitely not taking care as a concubine. And she kind of like the grandmother kind of nips it in the bud very quickly. And this is what I mean, like the female lead does not have power in the way mansion, but she does have her brain and she is able to use it in a way that she can work around it because she knows the only person who can control the mother and her mother-in-law is the grandmother because she is head of household.

48:38 And she has a lot of influence and a lot of pull with the male lead as well. So that was very interesting. I really, really appreciated that scene and how it all went down and how she very quickly got around it. I just think it worked very, very well. So for episode 8, we have a scene that I, you know, really enjoyed. So they do.

49:03 The male lead has this box. It's a puzzle box and it contains inside things that are very precious to him. So it contains his dead family's precious things like, you know, a tassel, a jade, that kind of thing. So it's, it's stuff that belonged to his grandfather, father and brother that died in the war.

49:22 And, you know, it's very, there's a very specific way to open this box and somebody tries to scratch at it and try to get into it. And it's, you know, true you plus, you know, the mother-in-law trying to get the female lead into trouble. Now, what I find very, very interesting is that she's like, look fine, whatever you want to try it. So he accuses her, right?

49:48 He's like, I think he did this. And she literally just opens the puzzle box and she's like, I wouldn't have needed to scratch it to get inside because I can open it like I she uses her brain and she's like, I can, I can easily open this. And she says to him, inside is something precious to you. To scar it with a knife is to scar your heart.

50:12 I wouldn't do that. I love that quote because he realizes then that she's not against him in a roundabout way. And I think he kind of warms to her just a little bit more. And the acting here by Liu Yuning is so incredibly good because you can see how incredibly lonely he is because she gets really mad at him. And she'd like opens the box and she's like, she says that line and then she kind of like leaves him and he is just like there with the box and the things that belong to his dead family. And he is just like, you can see the emotion coming off this man and he's just so incredibly lonely. She he was thrust into a position of power very early on. And it's not like necessarily he wants to be there. It's just how the cookie

51:00 rumbles. And, you know, that's that's the way it went. So I love that scene. I think it was beautiful. And it's also a scene that shows man, man knowing when to press and knowing when to back off. And she knew exactly that in this scene, she needed to press because otherwise he was going to get the wrong idea about her.

51:19 So I love this. I this is how their relationship is kind of built over time is instances like that where people kind of try to pit them against each other and she or he will turn it on their head. And I will say right away, that is one of the my favorite, favorite things about this show is the fact that they do not separate separate.

51:40 There is not a separation arc in this show. They just kind of stay together throughout the whole show. And that to me is great because people try to break them apart so often, but they can't do it because they talk to each other and they kind of, you know, work around it. So I really, really, truly appreciated that aspect of it.

52:02 So for episode 9, I found something very, very interesting. So she makes him a pillow and she chooses this pattern. And it seems like an inside joke because everybody is like, oh really? That's the pattern you're going to go for? And I was like, what is it about this pattern? Because it's not really explained.

52:20 I think you're just supposed to know about it. So The thing is, this is what I gather from a little research that I did. So it's the flourish descendant patterned pillow. The pattern means fertility chosen for women as opposed to virility. So basically the this is so our amazing Haley wrote this over on Discord when we were chatting about this when this scene kind of came up and everybody was like, what the heck is this pattern? Because as international viewers, I don't think we grasp the joke.

52:59 Like we're not in on this joke because all of the women around her and even the men are like, Oh my gosh, is that really the pattern? She gave you that sort of situation And everybody's just like, but why? I don't understand. So the so Haley wrote on a discord. The pattern is an ancient painting called by the two by means hundreds.

53:21 Z means children, 2 means painting or drawing. If you gifted someone with this pattern, it means that you wish he she had has lots of children. If a wife gives this to her husband, it means that she wants to have lots of children with him. So that was kind of like the inside joke. And I was like, Oh my gosh.

53:38 This is a context that we often miss so much because, you know, we're not in on the joke, but that made sense of why then everybody else was laughing or, you know, kind of thinking that it was funny that she was gifting him that or that she chose that specific pattern to be, you know, his his pillow.

54:02 So for episode 9, I also have. So this is the episode where our male lead finds out that our female lead planned everything and played him so that her cousin could raise the chow flag in Boya. So Boya is kind of like this county and Alfie Maleed kind of plans it in a way and helps her cousin like make sure that that territory belongs to the Chows rather than the ways. And they, you know, the quote here that I really, really liked when this whole scene is unfolding and, you know, he finds out it was for her.

54:42 It's like the little trust that they kind of built gets taken away a little bit. And she says to him, you pretend, pretend to care and then made me feel guilty. No, He says to her, sorry, you pretend to care and then made me feel guilty with the box so that I would feel sorry for you. And she says to him, I couldn't predict guilt.

55:03 You had to be wrong first for you to feel guilty. And I'm just like, mic drop, girl, mic drop. Because she's like, look, you accused me of this, you know, of ruining your box without even asking. You just assumed that it had been me without consulting me about it or, you know, without even speaking to me about it.

55:25 So he kind of had to do something wrong to feel guilty about it. And she is correct. And I love the fact that she's just very direct with him. So that situation. And then he says to her, I can never out talk you. And she says to him, words are all I have here. And he says your words are madding. And I love this type of banter because they are on equal footing when it comes to like a bantering back and forth. I will say that banter is just so incredibly good. I am one that for me, like I love romantic scenes and I love like romance, but banter is just something that I adore and cherish so much, whether it be in a book or whether it be in a, you know, in a, in a drama.

56:15 I feel like there's just something so fun about like back and forth banter between characters. And these two definitely have that. And she's incredibly good with her words. And it's exactly like she says, words are all I have here. Like I don't have the protection of anybody here, so I need my words. So I loved it.

56:38 I truly loved it. It was one of my favorite scenes. You know, it's these little moments that kind of build their relationship. So Next up we have a scene from episode 10 and it is the scene that is so incredibly annoying when it happens because it's so unnecessary to most shows. And it's basically the mother-in-law drugging the male lead.

57:06 So the Baile leads mother drugging him so that he would sleep with to you and then be forced to marry her as a concubine. And I love the fact that he manages to get away and he stumbles into his room, right? And he has been drugged and he almost forces the female lead to sleep with him and she slaps him.

57:27 Very well deserved and I loved how it was acted because he felt like he was out of control. Obviously he had been drugged but she is still not going to like forgive him for what he did. He almost forced himself on her. And I love, love, love, love the fact that there there are consequences to his actions and the fact that the female lead is kind of like, look, I know you were drugged, but that does not excuse the fact that you almost forced yourself upon me.

57:58 I love it. I love it. Like, guys, do we realize how big this is? Ever seen in this kind of drama? What I I also wrote him managing to get away so that he could take an ice bath. He then goes to put medicine on her wrist that he held tight under the influence of drugs and it is bruised and she walks back, obviously scared and understandably so.

58:24 The show doesn't leave it there. Although angry, I think more himself than her. The male lead understands why and explains it won't happen again. But the show also shows there's consequences to his actions and non consent is an OK bravo show. I need people to realize how big of a scene this is because although this scene is a common enough scene where, you know, people get drugged or whatever to be forced into certain situations, this this show does not allow that to be, you know, the the reason for him to just like get away with it without consequences.

59:08 And she's obviously scared of him and he understands that he's like, look, I get it. So I really, really, really adored this scene and I had to put it like on blast because I think it's such an important scene overall. So my next highlighted note is episode 12 and I wrote the cousin reveals his true colours. He's allied with the enemy country account against the ways his aim is split.

59:36 His aim is to split our main couple to disrupt the piece and obviously off his cousin. Also, the cousin is the same guy who plays the unhinged Prince. Enjoy a life. He's letting his freak out here as well and I love it, his journey. So what I wrote is I love the cousin like the sorry, this is Wei Wei Yan or Shi Yuan.

1:00:01 So he is Wei Shao's cousin and basically the story is his mother was abducted by a neighboring country who is a what's the word I'm looking for? They are a goodness enemy country. That's the word I was looking for. They are an enemy country and his mother was about abducted and. Like she gave birth to him and he's supposed to be like an heir to this country, right? But he doesn't quite know that yet. And he's brought back to the country of way and you know, he is very close.

1:00:37 His grandmother dotes on him. He's meant to be this like good for nothing womanizer. That's kind of like what he comes across as. And he almost kind of like seems like he's hitting on a female lead and all of this situation. And I loved, absolutely adored his journey. Like the fact that we go from, you know, thinking that he's going to be a problem. He's going to be somebody who is going to split a couple and he's going to be constantly causing problems and he's going to turn on the ways.

1:01:11 And then by the end of the show, he actually comes to their rescue. And I'm like, oh, my goodness, I love this. I love, love, love his journey and how far he comes as a character. I just think it worked so well. It's really beautifully written, very incredibly well acted. So I adored Shu Yan's character development and his acceptance as well, because he is, he needed to accept the fact that he was loved and the ways.

1:01:42 So the grandmother and Wei Shaw as well, they needed to understand the way they were treating him, felt to him like he was an outsider. So I loved how those relationships were repaired throughout the show. I wish we would have spent a little bit more time at the end with them and, you know, just seeing them heal a little bit further. But that wasn't the case.

1:02:05 That was like my little niggly thing about, you know, their relationship. But I adored, adored, adored Shiyan's character development and his character throughout the show. So episode 13, I have the female leads conversation with him maid. So man man's conversation with her maid. I love that she understands that way Chow even even if she's angry. They're talking about how inconsistent he is in care, in his care for man man.

1:02:33 And she says of course he will protect me when it comes to his family. That's family business. However, when it comes to reading my letters, he is first and foremost Lord of way and carries the hope of the people. He cannot afford to trust anyone or ignore the Chow way feud. I adore this. This conversation was one of those conversations that I truly appreciated and truly love to see a man man as a character because she's like look, I get it. I so she's just found out that every letter she sends home, he kind of reads 1st and he decides whether that letter goes out or not.

1:03:11 And yes, that is a breach of her privacy, but I love the fact that she understands that he's not doing because I mean, he's kind of doing it because he has to, because he carries the weight of his whole country on his shoulders and he has to kind of, um, he can't ignore this feud and obviously he doesn't truly trust her in this point of the drama.

1:03:36 So he's just like, look, she could be sending back Intel for them to attack us. She could be doing all of these things. I he simply doesn't know, right? So although he, when it comes to her to like his family, he's going to protect her because that's like family business. But when it comes to her sending letters out and that sort of stuff that is way country way kind of stuff, and he has to look at it with Lord way cap on, not husband, you know, cap on, if that makes sense. So I love this conversation.

1:04:07 I love how, you know, smart and intuitional she is to the point where she's like, I understand why he does it. I don't have to like it, but I understand it. And I would probably do the same, you know, in the in the what's what I'm looking for in in his place. So episode 14 I have it is a quote and it says I would believe you if you said Lady Chiao wanted to poison my family. But to poison the people, I would never believe that. And this just kind of shows how, you know, how well he knows her because, you know, he knows that she would never hurt people. That is not who she is.

1:04:54 She will actually, you know, always want to protect them. And he just knows his wife too well. But then being put in like a horrible position in this scene because his cousin runs the granary. So basically he either has to go against his cousin or go against his wife. And, you know, this is a very sticky situation and he doesn't know which one to go like most people, the people who plan this.

1:05:25 So basically what happens is they need grain fast and they rely on the, you know, on the ally allies for that grain to come in. And the chows send grain in to, you know, to help the whales. And basically, the grain is supposed to be bad grain. And, you know, if it was done before they entered to the granary, then it would have been the chaos done after the granary.

1:05:54 Then it would have been his cousin's fault because he looks after the, you know, the grain and the granary. So that was just a very, very, very interesting situation because he knows she would not hurt the people. So I really, really liked this situation. I liked how it was dealt for. So. Yeah. So Episode 15, the other note that I have is Man man calling Wei Chow darling for the first time and like the coy smiles between them and also like the man man saying thank you for your trust, my Lord.

1:06:28 I'll remember it always. And I feel like these situations where they kind of know, they start to know each other's character much better and they start to learn to trust each other is what builds their relationship. And it's what makes this drama so incredibly good. Now, episode 15 is I. The note that I have is Chu Yu is dead. Not sure she really is.

1:06:52 We haven't seen the body yet. And also that would have been a quick off screen death. Doesn't make sense. She is in fact dead and like it. This is one of the pitfalls for the drama because you just kind of like don't really see it and you don't really understand why it's happening. It's a very throwaway thing that they kind of used to get rid of this character that they are no longer need and kind of use it as fodder for the next sort of scenes between Yulu, who is, you know, the antagonist of the series Yulu and you know, trying to source some discord between the ways in general.

1:07:34 So also I put episode 15. I love the conversation between man man and the cousin. He thinks so this is the cousin. When I mean the cousin, I mean Shu Yang and in this specific situation and he thinks she's now away and has all the affection because she's denied her child blood and she simply says to him if I had denied my child blood, the Lord would look down on me. I am now Lady of way, so I'll never do anything to hurt the way country, but I was born in Yanzu and I won't hurt my homeland either.

1:08:07 I've never hidden my concern for Yanzu from the Lord. Only with that honesty can we openly trust each other. Only when I see myself as a way can the Lord see me as one of his people. It's the same for you. So this is very, very interesting. I loved it because I think what she's saying here is really, really important for Shuyan to listen.

1:08:30 She she's saying to Shuyan, you don't see yourself as a way, You don't trust yourself as a way. So how can they kind of see you as a way as well? So I really, really love that quote. I think it's a very, very interesting quote to there. The next highlighted note that I have is for episode 17 and I put the scene where man man gives away Xiao a head massage for his headache.

1:08:57 It's like it's beautiful and it's sexy at the same time. It's got tension. It shows how far they've come because like the old Lord way would have never let a Xiao that close to his neck. Not only that, but he falls asleep on her shoulder, so he trusts her enough and is vulnerable enough to fall asleep near her.

1:09:18 And I love that scene. I think it's a beautiful scene. Again, it's one of those that says, you know, that is showing the progression of their relationship and the growth of their trust. So I really, really liked it in episode 17 as well. They basically are out on this journey and they get attacked and the male lead just shouts out, protect the lady. And I'm like, I'm so here for this. I love this.

1:09:48 Obviously, her carriage, like, heads off a Cliff. The male lead catches her eyes, she jumps, and then he passes out because he's been shot with a poison arrow. That all happens very quickly. And I'm like, I love scenes like this where all hell kind of breaks loose very quickly. So yeah, so that was that. Episode 17 in general was a very moved episode very quickly. A lot of things, you know, happening and one of the things that I really, really, really, really liked was, you know, that in this specific scene, they are supposed to be going out to these counties which are causing a bit of trouble. And the male lead just kind of wants to March in. And his generals as well just kind of want to March in and use force.

1:10:38 And she's just like, just let me handle it. Like this situation kind of needs a soft A touch to it. And the generals say to her, now you're acting like the lady and you know, the generals only trust me out of respect for you. And he says to her, it's good, you know, and I just love this kind of banter between them. You know, he the fact that he is letching her treat the situation and he is letting her lead the generals and being like, and they're starting to trust and show respect for her as well. I love it.

1:11:13 I love it, love it, love it. We haven't even touched on the generals, but I love like the foursome that are the four generals. I think they are so incredibly fun addition to the show and they truly like, you know, because the the four of them, there's like the youngest and then like the 2 middle ones. And then obviously we also have our lovely, Oh my goodness, Wei Liang.

1:11:41 So we have Wei Liang, Wei Chu, Wei Xiao and Wei Do. They are the four generals. And I adore them. I think they are adorable. They make for a really, really when things get really tense. They make for some really good Comic Relief throughout the drama. So I really enjoyed watching these characters.

1:12:04 So yeah. And watching as well their relationship grow with Man man and then learn to trust her and learning to protect her. So I really, really loved that. And my next note is episode 18 and I just wrote down that's how it's done without war or anything. Man, man successfully secured the support of wrong June Prefect and the people and the way Dan is now dead.

1:12:29 Our smart man man gets time to shine, and I love that about this show. So it's not the fact that you know, it's always the male lead taking the time to shine or whatever. Not at all. You know, sometimes it needs a little kind soft touch and that's what happens here and she does it so incredibly well.

1:12:48 I I loved it. I truly, truly did. So my next no is episode 20 and I wrote I loved our couples honest conversation up on the hill. Both saying that originally marriage was just marriage, but they've both developed feelings. Yet they also admit that they are scared of falling deeper and regretting it later.

1:13:10 And then ultimately her vow to stay by his side to bring water to the people after him saying that was his ultimate goal, peace and water. So I really, really appreciated this conversation because they are very open with each other and they say that yes, there are feelings there, but obviously they are a little bit hesitant to kind of trust each other with anything right now. So I love this kind of like hesitant passion that they have between the two of them.

1:13:41 And even them just immediate admitting that there are feelings between them is already a huge step in the right direction. So I loved this scene. I loved how open they are with their communication here. So so yeah. So the next one is like episode 20, episode 21 and it's wait, Chow like he is really, really struggling with owning his feelings for the female lead.

1:14:05 And that is because he promised his dead brother that he would never trust a Chow. And like he's in love with her, but he's also fighting his filial piety at the same time. And the scene of him kind of admitting that and him saying he failed the second thing he promised his brother then, you know, his like kind of side hugging him was such a precious scene because because he's admitting that he does trust her in a roundabout way. That is what he's admitting in this scene. And it's like it's a huge step for them and for him to admit that, you know, he has failed his brother and he does trust the chow is again, a huge, huge step and another building block in their relationship.

1:14:50 So I loved that scene. Episode 22 I wrote. I feel like this New Year's ceremony is full circle for them. When my man first married, no one trusted her. She wasn't even allowed in the city straight away. But now she probably stands next to our male lead and the public offer her the first wine of the new harvest 1st and he lovingly smiles at her and then people ask her to dance with them. She's truly part of them now and she did it with grace and kindness.

1:15:21 And I love it because like I said, they're in their wedding outfits for this ceremony again, but it's just a whole completely different situation to their wedding. He's truly like, you can see the affection and the care between them. You can see, you know, the connection between them, the trust that they've been building throughout, you know, 2422 episodes at this point.

1:15:44 So I really, really, really, really, really, really loved this whole situation. And then for episode so 24, I have, I loved how the female lead dealt with Yulu accusing her cousin of almost kidnapping in front of the Lord, bringing in someone else and Yulu having never seen and I see thinking it was him, you know, and female lead at last.

1:16:08 So basically Yulu is starting to come in and basically, you know, wanting to take them apart and whatnot. So I just love how she fights. She fights everything with her brain and she does it in a in a very graceful way. So episode 25, I have the male lead lending. I'll see. So I see is Man Man's male cousin his brother's spear to fight in the deer hunt like this right here is such a huge moment.

1:16:44 Huge moment because that spear belonged to his brother and he is gifting it to a piao. Like that is a whole moment in of itself. It's a huge growth moment for Wei Xiao as a character. And you know, for Man Man to see that he truly does love her and he truly is trusting her and her family and is starting to let go of that hate that he used to harbour. So episode 25 I have the male lead says, I used to believe that old Chow was scheming, but now I don't believe that anymore because of a letter of marriage.

1:17:20 We went from strangers to family. Do you want to be my true wife? And she says, after everything we've been through on are your true wife already? And I'm like, I love this. Like again, it's still it's a very, very poetic and beautiful way of him saying, look, I truly want us to be a real couple. I don't want anything else to kind of stand in between that and she's like I we've already been doing that, but it's nice for him to admit that to her.

1:17:46 So I I loved it. It's such a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful thing. So episode 27 I have the so this is the episode where she basically so Shuyan so male leads cousin is basically he kind of has developed feelings for man man and he has this forbidden painting of her. And you know, all of that gets discovered and the male lead is super angry at the female lead for no apparent reason whatsoever, because it is not her fault.

1:18:22 She has never encouraged this situation in the slightest. So she he, she says to him, you suspect me and Mr. Way, and he says all the man in the world can try their best to get you, but he can't. If any the other man dares to come near you, I won't hesitate to kill him. And this is what I mean by our male lead definitely still has red flag tendencies and he still has like unhinged moments.

1:18:48 This is definitely one of those um, and she says to him, even if Mr. Wayne reputation is poor, at least he is honest. If he has other thoughts, that's his own business. Why did you break my makeup box? You're always so, so suspicious. Not all men in the way clan, um, not all men in the wakeline am I interested in. And I said I do appreciate that.

1:19:12 He later apologizes to her, recognizing he shouldn't have taken out his anger on her. And again, it's these type of situations that happens that do not get, you know, brushed under the carpet. They get addressed and he realizes that he was unhinged and unnecessarily mean. So he apologizes for that. And I truly appreciate that about this show. Episode 27, I put the cousins blow up. This is Shu Yan and away showers like blue big blow up. And I said it's actually quite poetically beautiful scene because Mr. Way is finally expressing how he truly feels, how his family almost treats him as a guest because they always cover for him.

1:19:55 They don't scold him. They always protect him. So I loved that scene. I think it's a really, really beautiful scene between the two cousins and they truly air everything out. So I I really really liked it. Episode 28 I wrote the cousins final goodbye is so sad. Neither of them want this. Mr. Way cuts ties with the Way clan but but but swears on a severed finger that as long as a grandmother lives in Bianzu lives, Bianzu won't lift a sword against Way if I succeed. Indeed, it is my fortune.

1:20:29 If I fail, it is my late, my fate. Even if I die, I'll have no regrets. I swear, so long as Lady Shoe draws breath. I shall never raise a hand with Bianzu to invade the way state. This wine is called yearning for home. I plan to take it with me. But now my life is like driftwood. What home do I have?

1:20:52 Let this be our farewell wine, cousin. Don't cry. Take care of grandmother for me. And I'm like, this is beautiful, beautiful send off. And I'm really glad that we do. Then eventually, you know, Shuyan does come back and we get to see him and, you know, he gets to reconnect with his family again.

1:21:09 So I really, really appreciated that. I love the cousin's relationship and that he did get to say what he needed to say. So. So yeah. So episode 29, I wrote male leads. Setting up a praying altar for the female leads grandfather is such a huge step. In this last year, I've never even dared speak to grandfather in case it reminds you. But I miss him so much.

1:21:35 The fact that he allowed a Chow's death rights to be done on Wei soil and his house. They've truly come a long way together. Wei Chow even bowing his head slightly at the Chow's grandfather tablage. On another note, her mourning period is over and these true lovebirds need to consummate their marriage.

1:21:55 So that was kind of like, you know, my note. And then the next episode, like in the same episode, they are about to consummate. And he says to her, a year ago when we first married, you didn't want it and you still allowed me to have oh, no, she says this a year ago when we first married, you didn't want it and you still allowed me to have one year of mourning my grandfather.

1:22:17 Thank you. And he says to her, one year ago when we married, there was only mistrust and hate. How could have we shed a bed? And now. And he says to her, now you're the person I love dearly. And I'm like, Oh my God, I love this, I love this. And then obviously they get interrupted because war has broken out as it is. Um, so episode 20, episode 31 is again the cousins big blowout. Ouch, but it's the cousins in reverse because it is man man and that chaos, you know, afans big blowout because basically man man has gone to ask her cousin for troops to aid her husband in the war.

1:23:04 And a fan is like, I am not sending my husband to war. Like that is your prerogative. And this scene, I specifically wanted to talk about it because there was a lot of discussion about this specific scene when it came out and look, guys, a lot of people were like, Oh my God, a fan is such this is such that because she's not helping her cousin look, she is pregnant. All she's ever wanted is to jump settle down with her husband whenever she's needed.

1:23:31 Like she's not been sent for age. She's not been helped, you know, by the chows and whatnot. And even by the way. So she's like, why the heck am I going to sacrifice my husband for a war that is pointless? Like she does not. And I can completely understand where she's coming from. She's pregnant.

1:23:47 She doesn't want to send her husband off to war. So I understand a war that is not hers to fight. I think so. I think that was very, very important to stay extinction. And I think a lot of people were hating on the cousin because they just assumed she didn't want to help, you know, our female lead.

1:24:06 It's not that she didn't want to help our female lead. She just did not want to sacrifice her husband for it, if that makes sense. So I kind of truly understood where, you know, they were coming from. And then the female lead feels very guilty by those words because she's like, are you saying I want to send my husband to fight these wars? And she's like, she's feeling incredibly guilty that she has put him in this situation.

1:24:30 And then she in episode 32, she is in fact talking to her husband and he says to her, I want to be your spirit and shield to take on this life journey. So he's like, look, let me do that for you. That is OK for you to ask that of me. So I loved it, loved it this whole like, you know, situation.

1:24:54 And then obviously episode 32, guys, let's be be honest, episode 32 just very much lives rent free in my brain constantly because episode 32 is when we have finally the consummation scene. And I'm just like, look, look, this is how you do a barely like steamy scene without it being steamy, if that makes sense. But everything else, like these two have their clothes on the whole time.

1:25:24 Like you don't actually see them consummate or anything. You don't even see them address each other. But the chemistry does the talking, like the movements does the talking. The whole situation does the talking. So I wrote down, she says, she says to him, I'll give you a home full of joy and children.

1:25:44 And what I wrote is the tension in this scene, the kiss, the push and pull, the utter look of want on Liu Yunning's face. My gosh, this is how you do romantic scenes. It's the typical your move, babe. Because basically he kind of like is whispering things to her. And then he kind of like backs off a bit and he looks at her and he just gives her this look.

1:26:05 And it's kind of like it's, if you're a book girly, like a romance book girly, you know, the look, it's the look of it's your move, like make your move. And she does, she absolutely moves. And it's like this man is, you know, it's like he loses not losers. He is in complete control 100% of the time, except when it comes to man, man. And in this scene specifically, he loses all control to the only person that he truly loves and trusts. Like he's handing control to her in his most vulnerable state. And I am just like Luck.

1:26:47 This scene is the be all and end all. It is my absolute favorite scene in the whole show. And it isn't because it is a consummation scene. It is the tension. It is like the handling over of control completely to her. I am just here for it, absolutely here for it. Just saying. So episode 32 one year has gone past.

1:27:12 I love that she now does the family death rituals with him at the ancestral hall with the male lead, the exact ritual that a year ago she couldn't even be in the city for. So I love, again, it's one of those complete all 180 movements. I adored it. Episode 34, I write down the beginning of the end.

1:27:37 It is the beginning of the end because everything was far too happy and now we can't be having that. We can't be having that. So it is the beginning of the end. People start dying busy, so busy being controlled by the uncle and evil dude, and basically he gets trapped into, you know, killing way Liang and I'm just like, Oh my God, not way Liang way Liang was going to this to this place to get an orchids to propose to shout chow.

1:28:10 Like we haven't even touched on their relationship. They are an adorable couple. They are definitely the comedy part of the show. And I adored how these two kind of went. But then wait, they went and killed Wayne Young. And I was like, Oh my goodness, are we serious? And I was like, look, it's episode 32. Everything is very happy.

1:28:31 But we still have, you know, at this point, we still have 4 episodes left. So they're going to kill people and I'm like, who's it going to be? Who's it going to be? And Wayne Liang was the answer. So I was just so incredibly sad that that was going to be, you know, that was the case. And then episode 35.

1:28:52 So war is raging. Our male leaders gone off to war are female leaders pregnant at home, like about to give birth while this war is raging and they have like soldiers, um, at their door. Umm, so this is what's happening. And she says to him, like the grandmother is like, look, we have to get you out of the city.

1:29:13 You're about to give birth. And she's just like, this is my home. I am the lady of wait. I will not abandon the people of Yonjun And I love this because she's like, look, I will not my husband is at war. The, the, the thing I can do right now is stand right here and protect our city. So I loved that Umm, you know, our female lead, the mother and the grandmother.

1:29:36 So the three ladies of way stand together and they kind of like we are not abandoning our city. And then obviously we have Shu Yan coming back to help the ways fight off in the war and to basically, you know, protect Yunjun for his cousin while his cousin is away at another war. So stuff goes down, but I just love the relationships and you know, the things that go down.

1:30:02 And then with that, we go to episode 36 where we have man man's cousin basically killing herself so that busy her husband can no longer be controlled by, you know, by her being held captive. We have you lose death, which I was like, look, it was kind of fitting for her to die in that way because she is these men fell in love with her and they wanted to protect her. And all she could see was she wanted more power. And she could never see that these men truly loved her for her.

1:30:38 And if she had just accepted that love, she would have lived a really nice life. So I liked that. I think she could have been a little bit, I don't know, we could have seen her, you know, struggle a little bit more. But I suppose it is what it is. She died realizing that these men loved her and it was her problem, not theirs.

1:30:58 And then episode 36, I also wrote down the three generals at the grave for Wei Liang, with Xiao Chao burning their weapon tokens and his spirit saying goodbye with an Orkin in hand. I was just so sad. Like I cannot believe this is where we are right now. You know, we only have 3 generals. One of the generals is dead.

1:31:19 And I was like, oh, I was so sad, but it is what it is. We could have had we they could have picked one of the other generals, right? They could have, they could have, but that's not the case. It is what it is. And then overall, I think like my very last night that I have is that it's a beautiful ending with our couple just being parents and enjoying the peace they work so hard to achieve.

1:31:41 I love that we get the very ending of the show is our main couple. Like, he's running away from his duties, which is hilarious because at the beginning of the show, all he wanted was to like attend to his duties and everything. By the end of the show, he's kind of like hiding away in his bedroom with his little girl, like just loving on his cage and his wife.

1:32:03 And it's a beautiful scene. It is a beautiful scene. Also, we finally broken the curse of Lou Yuning's endings being sad ones and him dying. And it's very fun because I was watching an interview that they did and he says, I know it's a running joke. You know, the kind of interviewer asked him, oh, how was it to film, you know, with a kid? And he was like, I wasn't sure how to do it. He's like, I've, I've always died in my dramas. I'm very good at dying, but I'm not that great doing, you know, um, happy endings with kids.

1:32:34 So I hope you guys enjoy it. And I was just like, Oh my God, he's such a precious guy. Um, but yeah, I loved, loved, loved, loved seeing him happy and just seeing our little main unit habit. I like that we got to like check in on everybody a little bit, but I wish we could have had like a little bit more towards the end of just them being happy. But that's just me being greedy because I think overall we had a really, really, really nice ending. So that is it guys.

1:33:04 That is kind of like my overall notes. As you can see, a lot of my notes are about our main couple because I just truly, truly enjoyed them. I think they were such a great characters. I loved the grandmother. So we shall grandmother. She's such a level headed person and there's even lines where she's like talks him down from the hate and he's just like, we've suffered enough. Let's, you know, move on.

1:33:30 And I think she's such a wise character as well. So I loved her. I loved the Generals relationship. I loved man, man and like her maids and how close they were. And I loved that that was her. Like for a long time, that was the only people she could rely on because nobody else kind of in the House of Way wanted to be there to help her. So I loved it.

1:33:54 I think the star of this show is the relationships and the relationships progressions. Everything else is kind of like take it or leave it, but the relationships are top pick for me. So I think that is it. I, you know, I'm not sure what else I can say about this drama. It's going to be hard to beat. But I think June, July and August, if we get the dramas that are planned to come out, I think we're going to have really, really good dramas to watch. Hopefully, because I really want, you know, something to capture my attention the way this drama did. I love and you know, I'm sure I'll be talking about it at the end of the year again.

1:34:36 So that is it guys. I hope you have enjoyed this review. Let me know your thoughts. Come and talk to me about the prisoner of beauty. And you know, I hope the you're being treated well in your corner of the world and I shall catch you next time. Bye.