冷莫凡

The beginning and end of this drama are both cliffhangers, almost like a kind of omen, revealing the dramatic ups and downs of this drama. (Distant gaze)

At first, the story background in the capital city seemed somewhat interesting, allowing the audience to slowly explore the reasons for the protagonist's personality change along with the characters in the drama. There was a slight sense of suspense and immersion, coupled with some almost funny directorial techniques, which changed the original setting of time travel without leaving a trace. At that time, I still thought it could become a unique and lovely little comedy that had the potential to be a four-star work. However, as the plot progressed, its weaknesses gradually became apparent, and I even found the last three episodes very painful to watch, ultimately rating it two stars.

There are many confusing aspects in the drama, such as consistently calling the demoted county magistrate "Lord Marquis". I can rationalize it as a character not changing their address to show respect, but the couplet at the entrance of the county office being pasted incorrectly is something I truly think should not have happened. Or, for example, the background is clearly an endless plain, but the characters seem to be unable to see beyond the camera's view, even getting startled by the sudden appearance of "divine soldiers". And Ning Yuxuan's initial fear of fire, which is similar to my own fear of fire to the point where I even wish my house didn't have a kitchen, made it difficult for me to understand how Ning Yuxuan could tolerate candles in his room. I had to come up with my own explanation to convince myself.

The fundamental problem lies in the plot.
It's like children playing house, pretending to have certain appearances, but only having empty shells, unable to establish themselves, making the characters seem like mere paper cutouts without flesh and blood.
For example, the so-called mastermind behind the scenes, who appears to be a master schemer, but the actions and behavior arranged for them are almost like a child throwing a tantrum.
The characters' actions lack context, like an alarm clock that only sounds at specific times because it was pre-set.
Watching the drama not only makes it difficult to empathize, but also leads to situations that seem harmonious on the surface but are difficult to identify with.

I think the most serious issue is the design of the character Nie Sangyu.
It reminds me of "The Ghost's Dinner" by Dao Huo, the "legendary" "villain" who never even appears. Without words to debate, and with rumors that cannot be verified, how can one judge them?
And even if she did commit many wrongdoings, just like Mr. Gang's extreme gentleness and resetting to zero, I truly believe that everyone has a chance to start over, and Zhou Chu can overcome his own harm.
I would rather the story be like this: it's the same person from beginning to end, facing their past self and becoming a better version of themselves. If it were a story about Nie Sangyu's life-changing turning point, washing away the past, and a story of Ning Yuxuan letting go of past grievances and supporting each other, I think I would feel much more satisfied.

The so-called love between Ning Yuxuan and Ji Man seems pure at first glance, but it reminds me of Li Yu and Xiao Zhouhou. Although Tao Siwei's transformation is too tool-like and not entirely reasonable, I'm glad there is someone like him who cares about Nie Sangyu, which balances out the overly biased script. There should always be someone pointing out the problems with Ning Yuxuan and Ji Man, as they seem too self-righteous. The more deeply Ning Yuxuan appears to love Ji Man, the more ironic it feels, contrasting with his cold violence towards Nie Sangyu and Wen Wan. He even says that Nie Sangyu's death was an accident and is almost indifferent to Wen Wan's fate of being beaten to death. He didn't treat them well, so I can't believe he can just wash his hands of it. Just like how I can't understand how Lian Fenghuang in the "New Smiling, Proud Wanderer" that Ding Er participated in could betray Dongfang Bubai.

I don't think Nie Sangyu and Wen Wan's actions can be offset by the harm they caused to others, but as "husband" to them, Ning Yuxuan and even Ji Man cannot completely absolve themselves of guilt.

Ning Yuxuan and Ji Man talk about their love as if they were Romeo and Juliet. If Ji Man didn't act like a little girl emotionally blackmailing the people around her, I would think Ning Yuxuan also looks like a fourteen-year-old boy, thinking he knows what's right and wrong, claiming it's true love no matter what. In my ranking of Ding Er's characters, Ning Yuxuan is probably only ahead of Yan Xi and Cha Jian. In comparison, I think Yuan Lang's character is much more adorable, and I think he looks better in terms of appearance. I can't help but imagine what it would be like if Ding Er played Yuan Lang. XD"

I saw Ding Er mention in an interview that while playing Ning Yuxuan, he learned new ways of performing and found the right balance with the director. Perhaps to create a stronger comedic effect or due to editing causing a disconnect, overall, I think Ning Yuxuan's emotional transitions are a bit extreme and unnatural, almost like different personalities. He is serious when he needs to be, but can suddenly make childish and playful actions that seem like a joke, which can take me out of the story. I think Ding Er was originally very good at portraying contrasting character traits, but this time his interpretation of Ning Yuxuan is more exaggerated. Perhaps it was influenced by the plot and directorial techniques, which I think slightly overshadowed his ability to handle details delicately. However, this kind of "non-daily" interpretation is not inappropriate, and this experience is another accumulation of his experience. In the next role, he will naturally continue to grow.

That being said, Ding Er still left behind many great expressions for Ning Yuxuan. One that left a deep impression on me was when Ning Yuxuan and Boss Wang were testing each other at a banquet. Ning Yuxuan pretended to whisper something to Boss Wang, but suddenly changed his expression. It was very delicate, with a captivating gaze. When Wen Wan pretended to want to commit suicide, Ning Yuxuan calmly looked back at her, with a proud and composed expression that was beautifully done.

By the way, I heard that in the original work, Ning Yuxuan is a more "scum" character. Regardless of my annoyance at the character being "cleansed" to become a "one life, one world, one partner" advocate, I still want to see more diverse aspects of Ding Er and wish him a future with more varied roles.

In conclusion, I hope to see Ding Er's new works soon! XD