Love In Between Discussion Post: FINALE – Happy or Sad Ending? [Spoilers AHEAD]

So easy for these streaming platforms to make our money! First regular users, then VIP, and now you can pay even more for advance viewing. Lol. That aside, I hope this is the ending the majority wants!

Discuss away ~

Mid-Point Discussion Post Here

Click To View Full Post

Stills:

Previews:

  1. 12 thoughts on “Love In Between Discussion Post: FINALE – Happy or Sad Ending? [Spoilers AHEAD]

    I don’t know where to begin. Yes, there were many “happy endings” but I was not happy with the ending. I won’t state the obvious (cough, cough – incurable disease my a**) so I will just rant.
    Su Xuan was not worth saving. Aside from saving Wu Er Village in the nick of time, he barely registered on any of the main events. I think Zuo Qing Ci’s disciple got more screen time than Su Xuan! It was mentioned that his death was faked and that he lived but we don’t get to see any of those scenes. It would have been nice to see Yun Luo realize her mistake in stabbing Qing Ci (and mistrusting him) by seeing that her shifu is alive and well. All we got is Qing Ci’s disciple telling her the facts and her believing them to be true. And what’s with the non-communication between the leads?! Oh yeah…drama for drama’s sake.
    Chang Ge’s, Jiang Er’s, and Zhu Yan’s deaths and their corresponding flashbacks took up so much time! Pity, I didn’t shed a single tear.
    Did a different director take over the last few episodes?! The storytelling is off. There were snippets of flashbacks to tell the story but it could have been told linearly and more fully. And then the 5 year jump happened and I was sitting on my couch, wondering if I missed an episode. It wasn’t Love in Between. It was Missing in Between.
    Don’t get me wrong. I still really enjoyed this show. The wuxia element hit all the right tones, the characters were fleshed out, the pace was just right (but only up to ep. 30), and I was immersed in a make-belief world for a few good weeks.

  2. 12 thoughts on “Love In Between Discussion Post: FINALE – Happy or Sad Ending? [Spoilers AHEAD]

    I’m just going to make a preliminary short comment here, but I will get back later with hopefully a longer observation on what I love about the drama, and what could’ve been better.

    IT’S A HAPPY ENDING!

    (I agree the final episode should’ve been better edited and directed. Will comment on that part).

  3. 12 thoughts on “Love In Between Discussion Post: FINALE – Happy or Sad Ending? [Spoilers AHEAD]

    That ending. I don’t think I have been so disatisfied with a HE before….though to be honest there are people who commented that it was an open ending because both leads were not shown. By logic, i know it should be a BE because he had an incurable disease for the whole last stretch of the show… But in my heart, I watch this with the assurance that it was a HE and I was waiting for an explanation however flimsy to explain if ZQC lived but no nada. I was so mad i went to the novel and looked at the last page but it feels like a different story altogether so dang now I have to read the whole novel to get my HE.

    Two, i don’t think CG and JE deaths were necessary…..like at one point did the writer decide he wanted to kill off everybody??? I know ZY needed a wake up call..maybe CG death will do it..but the how feels so off.

    Three, i think they ran out of money. Somehow everything feels rush for the major events but dragged for the emotional ones. The rescue of the general from prison and WSY trapped in the palace were just like a quick overview…

    Four, WSY doesnt ever really fight lmao. To be fair towards the end, no one does much fighting..like I said its like they ran out of money to stage real wuxia fights. But really WSY or SML hardly fights lol. But he is so much suited for intelligent conversations…watching him make tea is just art lmao.

    Five, i still like this show a lot. Imo, it has a lot of wuxia elements i love intertwinned with loyalty and family and patriotism, all the things that reminds me of the good old days of watching wuxia dramas. Just a little sad the quality couldn’t be maintained throughout the drama. The directing is still pretty good given the limited budget though. The pacing is ok. To me it was never sad for too long , well except the last stretch. And i did like all the plotting and stuffs. And that the characters acknowledge that romantic love isnt the only thing in the world that is important…

    Now did i let out everything?

    • 12 thoughts on “Love In Between Discussion Post: FINALE – Happy or Sad Ending? [Spoilers AHEAD]

      That ending was a bit confusing. Yes it’s happy ending but it was so rushed and fragmented and left so many questions unanswered!

      Yes they ran out of money because the investors pulled their funding halfway through filming and they were forced to cut many scenes they filmed because they weren’t allowed to extend their episode numbers anymore. Wen Siyuan actually filmed a lot more fighting scenes, namely one at his own Sect and another in the showdown against the evil guards (which they showed as a tiny flashback with Shen Manqing just before the “5 years later”).

      The film crew, production team, and the actors put a lot of effort into making this low-budget series and I give them credit for that, because right now it’s only the series that have famous lead actors that get the money. Also, I like that they tried to do something different and have a lot of wuxia + court dramas. I’m OK with not much romance stuff because I like wuxia more.

      It would be very nice if Changge and Jiang’er survived but at least their death scenes were very touching and dramatic. Zhu Yan got a lot of screen time but the young actor did very well and really showed the inner struggle.

      Bonus points for all actors using their original voices (except Zuo Qingci and Su Yunluo, but understandable because their voices don’t fit with the characters they’re playing – in real life ZQC’s actor having a rich deep voice that sounds so strong and unlike sick/dying, and SYL having a princess-like voice). I especially like the way Wen Siyuan’s actor delivers his lines (makes sense when considering his training as a theater actor).

      I’m very impressed with all the actors, even the bad guys who made their evilness so natural and not like the regular villains. The side characters like Bai Mo and Lingxi/Ruqi are delightful and so natural in their acting. Even Pei Wan who only appeared for very few moments was pretty good in her subtle expressions.

      I think the best couple is Wen Siyuan and Shen Manqing, whose chemistry is so natural and both actors played their roles so well. They’re great actors on their own but they make each other better when they’re together.

      Changge and Jiang’er are the sweetest couple and I was DEVASTATED when they sacrificed themselves (did they really have to die???) – which shows how well they played their roles because otherwise I wouldn’t have been so sad!

      ZQC and SYL spent most of the time torturing each other and just not enough sweet moments with them, probably why I couldn’t invested in this couple until closer to the end when SYL realized all the things ZQC did for her in the background. Which is why I’m pretty annoyed that the ending DIDN’T EVEN SHOW THEIR FACES (WTF!!!). SYL’s character is not outwardly demonstrative so it’s a challenge for young actors to play in terms of emoting, but I think she did quite well in terms of acting especially compared with all the plastic and dull acting I’ve seen in other series! Also she’s a very pretty girl and her dance background made her fight moves look great!

      I’m most impressed by ZQC’s actor, whose role is so difficult to play and yet he is so natural in his acting and it really brings in the audience, especially all the scenes where he’s suffering and in pain. His scheming scenes were great because intelligence was shining from his eyes. The more funny scenes in the first few episodes were great too, and I especially LOVE his scenes with Bai Mo – their scenes together are GOLD. ZQC’s character really evolves though the series and the more I saw of him the more I wanted to keep watching. Unbelievable that he’s only been acting for a few years and never had formal training! I think he’s a really talented actor and I will keep an eye out for his future projects.

      • 12 thoughts on “Love In Between Discussion Post: FINALE – Happy or Sad Ending? [Spoilers AHEAD]

        Oh yes. The couple I rooted most for was SMQ and WSY. I also really really really loved how he delivered his lines…I am telling you he had me crushing on him the whole series. He just exudes a very calm and mature aura…I swear I could just watching him stare into space.

        As for YCG and XJE, I wasn’t impressed with how they became a couple but they were very sweet together..though with JE’s heart disease I always have a feeling she wouldn’t last long…especially with her lurking around with a sad smile towards the end.

        Out of the group, acting wise my favourites are WSY, ZQC and SMQ. WSY is just love…. ❤❤❤. ZQC is good in all the scenes except the intimate ones lmao. Agree with you on the twinkle in his eyes, the hurt, the anger he managed to display all the emotions pretty good. I love him best at the beginning of the show when he is most 无赖。But I just had to smile when he and SYL were getting more intimate. He needs more experience. I saw a comment once about him – he is good with hugs but not kisses. Lol. SMQ mostly overshadowed the female lead because she just emotes so much better and never loses her mannerisms as a 侠女. First made me sit up and noticed her in her first drunk scene with WSY.

        Oh and I love their costumes and hairstyles (esp the guys). ZQC had quite a few looks and I quite like all of them.

        • 12 thoughts on “Love In Between Discussion Post: FINALE – Happy or Sad Ending? [Spoilers AHEAD]

          Oh I totally agree about WSY! I’ve seen him in previous series like Ashes of Love and Winner is Love and he was always the side character who got terrible endings! SO GLAD to see him here as WSY! Finally a chance for him to shine! He’s an experienced actor and it really shows. He and SMQ are magic when they’re together. SMQ is also a great actress and I also thought she overshadowed SYL.

          Just like WSY, SMQ’s acting is so subtle but very authentic. She and WSY emote beautifully and it’s so natural I was totally sucked into their story. Their line delivery and body language was so good. I can go on and on about how much I love this couple and I was SO HAPPY when they got a happy ending! YES! 🙂

          SYL looked best in beginning episodes as the dancer and in later episodes in the red costume + long hair down. I thought WSY looked dashing throughout so I didn’t have particular favorites, but his look in the last 5 mins of episode 43 was very nice, and he looked great in black as Sima Lang! Changge and SMQ didn’t really have many costume changes but SMQ looked really beautiful in “female” clothes + hair. To be honest I thought all the characters (even side characters like Lingxi/Ruqi) looked pretty good, as in their costumes really fit their characters and the costumes themselves looked like nice materials (and not cheap like some other series).

          ZQC had so many hairstyle and clothes changes compared to other characters so it was really fun to watch his walking fashion show haha! 🙂 I liked pretty much all his looks but ESPECIALLY when he had the grey hair! WOW! His attractiveness just increased by like 1000x after episode 30! He looks really elegant with the fancy fur lined costumes + grey hair. I think he looks better with his long hair down instead of up.

          ZQC is very talented but yes, he needs more experience. The boy was only 21 when he played ZQC so I think he is a promising young actor, and young actors really need experience before they can build up their skills. He’s so cute as a 无赖 but then when he’s suffering he makes me feel sad along with him, so he’s really good at that. I also hope he gets to play more interesting roles to build up his acting skills. I agree with the hugs and kisses assessment, haha!

          Yes I expected sad endings for Jiang’er because they kept emphasizing her heart disease, and Zhu Yan because of his giving into hatred. With both Jiang’er and Zhu Yan destined for sad endings (often foreshadowed in the series), it seemed likely the scriptwriters will kill off Changge too.

          To be honest I thought the scriptwriters would kill off ZQC and WSY too, so I was VERY HAPPY when at least 2 couples got a happy ending! It’s a real shame they didn’t explain how ZQC got cured, especially since they spent the ENTIRE SERIES emphasizing how his poison is incurable, how he’s going to die, and then he even sped up his impending doom by reviving all the deadly poison and then taking another poison on top to show the evil duke that he’s dying.

          And then he got stabbed AGAIN with SYL’s epic sword, so I have no idea how he managed to survive all that and even have a daughter in the end. The scriptwriters REALLY should’ve explained this instead of just showing 5 minutes of flashbacks in the ending scene just before the final ending song!

          So many unexplained questions in the last episode which is really annoying. But all in all this was a really good series and I enjoyed watching it.

        • 12 thoughts on “Love In Between Discussion Post: FINALE – Happy or Sad Ending? [Spoilers AHEAD]

          Ah yes..i wish i could like your comment. ZQC was way……hotter with grey hair and furs. X1000. Lol

  4. 12 thoughts on “Love In Between Discussion Post: FINALE – Happy or Sad Ending? [Spoilers AHEAD]

    Finally finished and I think this could have been shortened by a bunch of episodes. It’s another one where it started off quite promising (I binged the first arc in like a day) but ended on a sour note.

    I became terribly bored and annoyed with ZQC and SYL as a couple and as themselves respectively. This is one of the few series where I didn’t care whether the main couple got a happy ending or not. I also failed to see SYL displaying any romantic feelings towards ZQC aside from that one time when she said she loved him. Honestly, much like ZQC, I always thought she was with him only because he saved her shifu. (And her shifu’s arc dragged on forever…only for the dude never to reappear again after it was told that he lived.) I basically couldn’t stand the sight of them in the second half and decided to put on their scenes for background while occasionally picking up some certain important scenes.

    Meanwhile WSY/SML with SMQ was really the couple that I cared for and mainly watched the latter half of the series in hopes of seeing them get a happy ending. I might have rewatched a few of their scenes, haha. I quite liked their progression and the age gap between their characters worked pretty well for their romance.

    Jiang Er and Chang Ge were cute and I was quite moved by their final act, but their beginning was out of the blue for me. Chang Ge being pure throughout the whole series is a huge, although I don’t think Zhu Yan deserved a best friend like him.

    • 12 thoughts on “Love In Between Discussion Post: FINALE – Happy or Sad Ending? [Spoilers AHEAD]

      missing a word up there, meant to say Chang Ge being pure is a huge plus

  5. 12 thoughts on “Love In Between Discussion Post: FINALE – Happy or Sad Ending? [Spoilers AHEAD]

    It’s taken me a while to gather my thoughts now that it’s ended T_T

    The acting – most of the cast aren’t familiar faces but they all did quite well. Agree with the comments about Wen Siyuan (Zou Ting Wei) and Shen Manqing (Deng Yu Li)! I feel like they really embodied their roles. Another standout was Linxi, she was great at showing how she was loyal to the emperor but respected (and possibly liked) WSY and was quite sympathetic about SYL and ZQC. I also liked Zuo Cingci (Zhang Yao) and Su Yunluo (Zhang Ya Qin)’s acting too! Poor ZQC, haven’t seen a male lead cry this much in ages haha. And props to SYL for making me cry when she finally found out the truth about ZQC being sick.

    The romance – felt a bit dragged out for 2 out of 3 of the couples and I would’ve cut out some of the repetitive scenes. However I think it really made sense why they fell in love and had their misunderstandings, as it was due to their personalities and values. SYL originally sees her love as being greedy, that she doesn’t deserve it at least until she has saved her shifu. Whereas ZQC struggles with not being the 1st priority for SYL even if he understands it (similiar to how his dad had to sacrifice him back then). If the two leads reunite for a modern drama, I’d love to see them in Resisting Winter/Winter Honeysuckle by Twentine.

    The ending – I guess it was a happy ending! Poor Changge and Jianger – I was expecting them to be the ones that would survive! Was quite sad for Zhu Yan and liked how there were flashbacks for him with each main character, during his death scene. Yay for WSY & SMQ! I would’ve liked to at least see ZQC & SYL’s faces at the end but at least we know they somehow lived and have a cute daughter (who is going to follow in her parents’ footsteps).

    Missed opportunities: Where was the SYL & SMQ friendship, like they actually have a one-on-one convo confirming this and then they barely interact for the remainder of the drama? I also would’ve liked to see more of the SMQ & YCG siblings interact or fight alongside each other. We spend most of the drama waiting for SYL’s shifu to wake up and when he does he really doesn’t do much. Seems like because he’s too powerful, they have to keep him out of the action for the story to work. The lack of “big” fights for a wuxia drama (probably due to budget issues).

    Overall I really enjoyed this drama and how it portrayed the righteousness, helplessness and romance of jianghu. Definitely gonna keep an eye out for the cast and production team in their future works!

  6. 12 thoughts on “Love In Between Discussion Post: FINALE – Happy or Sad Ending? [Spoilers AHEAD]

    The first half of this drama was amazing, I watched episodes 1-24 over 4th of July weekend. I am sad that it went slowly down hill after that point. There seem to be so many missing parts at the end, some of the setups didn’t make sense to me. I am sad to hear about the production not having enough money in the end, this could have been so much better.

    All in all I still think this was a good drama, the cast did an amazing job. I am super impressed with Zhang Yao, especially his crying scenes. Looking forward to his future dramas.

  7. 12 thoughts on “Love In Between Discussion Post: FINALE – Happy or Sad Ending? [Spoilers AHEAD]

    Well, I should say I can only agree with all said re WSY/SMQ and the actors playing them respectively. When I saw this drama was coming, at first I was really going to watch it because of Zhang Ya Qin, as I was impressed by her performace in Legeng of Fu Yao. But right from the first scenes Zou Ting Wei just blew me away. This for me is his best role and best acting I’ve seen so far. His character is not that perfect knight in shining armor (no one is is this drama, he he), but a real man with a lot of baggage. WSY’s styling is also very good, and the colours always somehow match/compliment SMQ’s outfits. As for the the chemistry between WSY and SMQ, it is definitely above and beyound. Thanks for the other comments, I now understand why we do not see WSY fight a lot, despite the fact he is an “air sword”. Very dissappointing, as it seems they created a fighting style for the character.
    Overall, I should say I’ve enjoyed this drama a lot, it is very edgy and different from what I ‘ve seen before. Hope to see more from the actors involved.

What do you think?