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Aug 26, 2023Liked by 40somethingahjumma

I don't get the gushing over Seven in Lost you forever and always referring to him as the greenest of green flags (I have come to hate the term because it's like no character is allowed flaws or nuance again as they are immediately termed red flag). The character is lifeless and one note and the actor didn't do him justice too. There was no nuance in the character and performance. Indeed, I the character and the actor are the least favourite part of the show. About the FL making things hard for herself, I think it comes from place of loneliness and for her anything that can assuage her loneliness is sought after, even if it is detrimental to her health.

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Do you mean 17? Shiqi is 17. I feel exactly the same about the character and the performance. I was watching the actor in a variety show with the other cast members and he was the least enthusiastic/expressive person there. Everyone else threw themselves into the crazy activities with all the energy they could spare. I think it's the puppy effect. Puppy males are all the rage right now. In a good rom com with a well-developed growth arc, puppy males have their place. But in a historical fantasy, it doesn't work for me. I don't expect all male characters to be warriors in these sorts of settings but I expect a bit more drive than "I'll go where you go". His passivity is dealing with his family issues is highly problematic to my mind.

I've been told on a few occasions that I should read the novel to get a glimpse of his inner life. But the thing is, I don't need to read the novel to get a glimpse of Xiang Liu's inner life. Or Cang Xuan's for that matter. I can see it from the performance and the storytelling. Accordingly I've been saying all kinds of controversial things on MDL about the character and the main romance.. Apparently they are controversial because they don't go along with the narrative of the ship war. The conventional wisdom is that he gets the girl because he's the best guy. My take is that he gets the girl because he was at the right place at the right time. But more importantly the other guys let him.

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