koremakaria

[koremakaria]

Jinu and the Saja Boys: "You gave me your heart, now I'm here for your soul"🎶🎵 🎶

Me: "Ookay yeeeeahhh [mesmerized] ... see that's NOT going to be a problem at all ... one soul surrendered coming right up!" 😍🔥

Jinu Art

[koremakaria]

Currently OBSESSED with the Saja Boys. ❤️ the honmoon is not doing so well in my area, but then again what can I say ... the demons are super persuasive. They're really quite good. I mean ... how can you resist? How?

"With the boys, one artist handled the three looks, costume-wise. When we first see them, we really wanted this bubble gum pop, very saccharine, super sweet look. The middle one is very brief, you see it right before they turn dark. And for the end, I really wanted them to look like the iconic Grim Reaper with the hat which is much more traditional. It has been done in K-pop before, but only because that is a traditional Korean look. We also tried to light them in more of a silhouette, because the hat is such an iconic thing. We just wanted to show the polar opposites of what a boy group could be."

─ Maggie Kang (Director) for Cartoon Brew

[koremakaria]

Shen Zai Ye / Xie Jing'an Military Armor Appreciation

If looks could kill ... because this man could ... and this man did.

Be Still My Beating Heart 💓 ❤️

The Princess's Gambit Episode 32

[koremakaria]

Drama: "What are you willing to give up on this quest for vengeance?"

Shen Zai Ye Ep 1: "As long as the Meng Clan falls, my banner is red ... let the blood flows"

Shen Zai Ye Ep 26: "My wife has been poisoned, if you give me the antidote then I will let the Meng Clan go ... at least for now"

That's what I called progress!!!

Just look at this sad puppy! Shen Zai Ye is literally on his knees ... wrecked with worries.

How gentle he is with Jiang Tao Hua. Oh, now you DON'T want her to die. I supposed it would be quite discourteous of me to bring up your previous multiple murder attempts

And look at how much he's willing to give up and compromise. This was a great opening to bring the Meng Clan down. The very Clan that wiped out his entire Xie family.

But here, he doesn't even hesitate. As long as there is a chance to save his wife, he's willing to put her needs above his own. This is a continuation of the grovel because again, Shen Zai Ye is doing all of this without Jiang Tao Hua's knowledge. He doesn't need her to know as long as his actions keep her safe. Like ... he's not hiding it but also he's not doing it to win favors or buy her affection. Although I'm sure he wouldn't mind having her come home with him. Alas, the grovel will continue for bit more so we get more sad puppy Shen Zai Ye. And Liu Xue Yi looks so good with his sad eyes. It's giving an abandoned puppy vibe. Like this man is busy ... preparing the set up for the national exam, settling old scores for his wife, looking into his wife's younger brother's whereabouts, investigating a foreign monarch's past history, gathering info on Second Prince's potential murder and alleged cheating scandal, protecting his younger cousin, the Fourth Prince... AND he STILL has ample time to sulk and be sad about the fact that his wife won't come home.

.

[koremakaria]

There is a blood debt that needs to be paid

Liu Xue Yi as Shen Zai Ye / Xie Jing An

The Princess's Gambit

[koremakaria]

[koremakaria]

I totally get your frustration @drwcn personally I think Jiang Tao Hua's decision to push away Shen Zai Ye makes sense from her POV. We the viewers have seen SZY's change of heart but JTH was having partial amnesia so she doesn't really know what ML is doing for her. Setting old scores and making her life safer. Also she has been fighting for survival by herself since age 7 and so the concept of depending on others doesn't come naturally to her. She cares for ML and doesn't want to drag him into her battles because first she doesn't have proof of his undying loyalty. Second, she can't afford to risk her brother's life. ML had tried to off her several times and there is no guarantee he won't use her brother"s life against her. We, the viewers, know that ML is having 'I regret my actions very much world tour' but Jiang Tao Hua is not privy to this. Third, the whole monthly poison thing makes it difficult to fully defect from the Third Prince. She definitely cares for ML but she also has her missions and because these missions are dangerous she thinks it's better for ML to not be involved since it's not his fight. But I totally get your frustration.

He Had It Coming!!!

YEARNING and oh so many REGRETS

Shen Zai Ye is going through a 'wife is mad at me' period follow by 'how to get wife to return home with me' phase and OMG it's so delish!

Is ML suffering? Why yes!

Is ML serving looks while suffering? Why also yes!

He has all the CLASSIC symptoms

Drinking too much ... to drown the his sorrows?

Checked ✅️

Staring into space and keeping his own company? Because he's missing her so so much

Double Checked ✅️

Working on his endless hobbies?

Checked✅️

Keeping busy with his day job? Because he would get sad if he had any free minute to think about how 'wife is still mad' at him

Checked✅️

Losing appetite. Forgetting to eat. Forgetting to drink? Because 'wife said she doesn't remember me and won't come home'

Triple Checked✅️

This is what we called 'Down Bad ML' symptoms are pretty severe but there is nothing much to do except endure and hmmm also he has to keep begging for forgiveness because let's face it. He's is reaping what he sow and boy oh boy ... did he sowed some stuff? The planned assassinations. The lack of trust? The lapsed of judgment which resulted in FL being tortured? Yeah and that's just some of the BS he committed against FL soooooo I'm gonna say the yearning can go on for a bit longer. Yes yes ...okay I know he's regreting his past decisions but whatever ... what's done is done and he has to suffer. This man had it coming and I'm enjoying every minute of it!

[koremakaria]

He Had It Coming!!!

YEARNING and oh so many REGRETS

Shen Zai Ye is going through a 'wife is mad at me' period follow by 'how to get wife to return home with me' phase and OMG it's so delish!

Is ML suffering? Why yes!

Is ML serving looks while suffering? Why also yes!

He has all the CLASSIC symptoms

Drinking too much ... to drown the his sorrows?

Checked ✅️

Staring into space and keeping his own company? Because he's missing her so so much

Double Checked ✅️

Working on his endless hobbies?

Checked✅️

Keeping busy with his day job? Because he would get sad if he had any free minute to think about how 'wife is still mad' at him

Checked✅️

Losing appetite. Forgetting to eat. Forgetting to drink? Because 'wife said she doesn't remember me and won't come home'

Triple Checked✅️

This is what we called 'Down Bad ML' symptoms are pretty severe but there is nothing much to do except endure and hmmm also he has to keep begging for forgiveness because let's face it. He's is reaping what he sow and boy oh boy ... did he sowed some stuff? The planned assassinations. The lack of trust? The lapsed of judgment which resulted in FL being tortured? Yeah and that's just some of the BS he committed against FL soooooo I'm gonna say the yearning can go on for a bit longer. Yes yes ...okay I know he's regreting his past decisions but whatever ... what's done is done and he has to suffer. This man had it coming and I'm enjoying every minute of it!

[koremakaria]

We are now entering my fav part of a romance story .... ladies and gentlemen allow me to present the GROVEL!

What is the grovel .... well it is when the ML has done some pretty awful stuff to the FL and ultimately hurt her in some ways but then has a moment of clarity ... let's just say he's seen the light ... and realizes that he has been in the wrong and is now literally on his knees making amends.

These bullies are about to meet their match. They have no idea what's coming at them. And that's the wrath of Shen Zai Ye who is on a mission to settle old scores on behalf of his wife

So how did we get to the grovel ... well ... I think we can all agree that Shen Zai Ye, our ML, has not exactly been the paragon of goodness. Yay for me but very unfortunate for our FL. His latest crime against Jiang Tao Hua was when he refused to trust her when she was holding a weapon next to an unconscious Fourth Prince. Like I know it looks BAD but Jiang Tao Hua said she was there to help and Shen Zai Ye couldn't allow himself to trust her fully because he was not about to gamble with his cousin's life. In any case, he threw her in the central prison and she was tortured. It makes no difference that he didn't order it because it still happened under his command. In any case, Shen Zai Ye's lack of trust led to a series of choices that brought us to our current predicament. And LXY is serving!!!

And now ... Shen Zai Ye is punishing the servants who basically bullied Jiang Tao Hua when she was young and rewarding those who were kind to her. He's doing all of this because he wants to make amends for his lack of trust and for being quite a terror. This is the grovel because he doesn't think making amends would bring Jiang Tao Hua back to him but like OKAY ... OKAY ... it wouldn't hurt right??? right!!!!

A classic grovel is when ML knows he is wrong and he makes it clear he wants to repent. But ultimately, the decision to forgive or not forgive is up to the FL. Like we see this when Shen Zai Ye waited the entire day just to see Jiang Tao Hua at the Third Prince's residence and he was like it's fine that she's mad at me by giving too obvious excuses to not see me. He's like yeah okay wife is mad because I messed up pretty big and so I must make certain that wife's life is less dangerous moving forward. No one is forcing ML to do any of it, he's making amends because he wants to.

I love that the grovel is also happening when Jiang Tao Hua is experiencing a partial amnesia because it makes the yearning so much more. Like if she had her memory then she would be kinda sad because he didn't believe her before and his groveling would feel less intense because she would be able to entertain his apologies. Like ... now ... she has no clear memory of him ... and so she feels mostly nothing for him. This is more painful for Shen Zai Ye. It's one thing to have your wife hate you but to have your wife look at you the way one would look at a stranger is much more painful. And I LOVE it! Yes ... bring the pain!!!

This is the face of a man who is on a mission ... to punish those that dared to hurt his wife. Now that he knows the whole truth, the monthly poison, the younger brother being kept as hostage, the difficult childhood, and the fact that she was never an enemy. Like. He must feel pretty horrible for what he did to her ... and yeah .... time to reflect on your behavior Shen Zai Ye .. but ummm don't forget to rescue your wife (who has very little memory of you and none of it good) from the Third Prince ... first okay!!!

[koremakaria]

How to tell a girl you love her: Shen Zai Ye's Edition ... a very SPECIAL edition indeed

Before we begin, I must remind you that this very same man divorced his wife and 2 concubines with just one word and dismissed all 3 at the same time. Nevermind that he married them in first place for political reasons and these 3 ladies were spying on him. So he has no issue with the concept of divorce. Now his remaining concubine Jiang Tao Hua is asking for a divorce because she wants to keep him safe from her step-mother's and the Third Prince's grand scheme.

And we have this GRAND declaration of love

Oh My Word!!!! Soooo romantic....right?

Before this convo, he asked "Do you regret marrying me?" Which is an odd thing to say given that their marriage was a forced marriage initiated by Jiang Tao Hua and Shen Zai Ye did not want it and was annoyed by this and tried to off her like a few times.

Shen Zai Ye: "I'm not someone you can just summon when you wished and then dismissed when you want"

Translation: "please don't say that you're just playing with me because I'm not your plaything."

Shen Zai Ye: "You asked for this marriage and so even if it's just a dead-end, you have to journey on with me!"

Translation: "since we're married now, you CANNOT abandon me! I don't care what happens next but I'm never letting you go!"

Like look how upset he is here. He's like did you think I'd drink this little divorce drink? Dream onnnnn!!!! I said dream on!

In conclusion .... soooo many words but there is only one meaning ... Shen Zai Ye is telling Jiang Tao Hua that she's not getting that divorce and how mean of her to ask for one.

I ❤️ love how their "divorce" ceremony mirrors their wedding ceremony

Ending with a kiss.

Wedding night kiss was because Jiang Tao Hua was afraid that the groom would poisoned her liquor and so it was best to share it just in case.

Divorce night kiss was because Jiang Tao Hua wanted to drug her hubby with sleeping powder so that she could finish her mission

Pink dress was the "wedding night" but somehow they got their wedding night on the "divorce night" instead. Didn't I warn you that it was a special love confession. Given on their divorce night, no less. Also, what I love about these two is that both the wedding and the divorce were initiated by Jiang Tao Hua while the powerful Left Chancellor, Shen Zai Ye, is just there like kinda dumbfounded. Sorta flabbergasted. And totally unprepared for his Princess.

[koremakaria]

Leopards don't lose their spots and Tigers don't change their stripes but by all that is holy ... Shen Zai Ye is most definitely changing his tunes

Let me remind you that we started out with this super duper mean and tsun tsun like ML

Yeah ... Shen Zai Ye was alll like ... I have the upper hand and your life is mine to take ... it was all business .... nothing personal ... SZY was ruthless. Remember when he insisted on calling her Lady Jiang instead of addressing her title as a Royal Princess?

Yessss .... SZY was literally and figuratively stepping on JTH's pride. Humiliating her constantly by reminding her of her fall from grace by marrying someone like him. A mere Left Chancellor (oh the horrorsss) and a commoner to boot. And as if things weren't bad enough she was marrying in as a lowly concubine. But JTH was like haha ... say what you may ... I care not. At least I'm still alive ... my brother is still alive and waiting for my rescue. Haha. Did you think I'm suffering now? Oh boy, ohhh boy, you should have seen how I was "living" in the cold palace all these years after my mom passed. And by passed, I totally meant poisoned. Probably by my current "mom"

But somewhere along the way we get this. OMG ... get out of here!!! Shen Zai Ye ... I know what you're thinking ... WE all know what you're thinking.

He went from plotting her murder to commissioning her clothes and jewelry from the palace because ... get this ... because she's a royal princess and needed to have nice things befitting someone of her station ... like BRO ... what??? weren't you just plotting her murders (yes multiples) a few episodes ago? Like taking an arrow for SZY was a such a gamble but it paid off so handsomely.

And then we have this reverse of command

Ahhh ...yes ... everyone!!!! we now must address my wife as 'your highness' because she is a real royal princess ... like don't be rude people!!!! like sure ... because it was mostly definitely not you who told your subordinates to call her Lady Jiang

But I know this "falling in love" can't last much longer. After all, JTH is still keeping deadly secrets and with how smart Shen Zai Ye is ... he's probably starting to suspect something when Jian Tao Hua was talking to Meng Zhen Zhen about how they are alike in that she also has no freedom to do things on her own .... so now we entering the angst period ... always my fave ... because Shen Zai Ye is super aware of his own feelings despite choosing to not say them out loud. He was conscious of the falling for Jiang Tao Hua part and maybe tried to not fall ... but ultimately fell for her anyways. It is so good because once our ML is in love, he might feel hurt and betrayed once the truth come to light but try hard as he may ... he would still harbor feelings for our Jiang Tao Hua ... which makes the angst part such a gourmet level cuisine ...bring it, baby! I am STARVING and I am ready!

[koremakaria]

Meng Siblings Appreciation Post (Long Post)

Episode 15

So today we say farewell to the Meng siblings with one sacrificing himself to save his clan and one being pressured to serve the clan's interests to whatever end. I know these two are our antagonists. The bad guys! BUT .... yeah ... about that .... are they really??? Yes yes yes [waving my hand in the air in a dramatic fashion] I mean sure they did a number of bad things but how much of it was because of the circumstances of their birth rather than their true motives. I love how we have shades of gray for our antagonist characters!

Meng Huai Jin

I mean, Meng Huai Jin has shown himself to be an intelligent man with thoughts of his own and yet he is burdened by his family's political aspirations (mostly his father's) until the very bitter end. I love how layered his character is in the drama. We were shown genuine love between the siblings like when Meng Huai Jin gifted Meng Zhen Zhen a birthday present when no one in her family seem to care to remember despite the fact that she is the eldest daughter of the clan. Even before he sacrificed himself, he asked his father to let his sister live in peace. Like this man was a good brother and a good son. Yes, I know he did a lot bad things but it wasn't like he had a choice. His task was to look after / protect the Crown Prince and he did his job the best he could. And boy ... that was a full time job .... given that the Crown Prince is definitely NOT intelligent, is very arrogant, impulsive, and holds petty grudges. Look, I know some people would say he should just leave his family when said family is actively committing treasons but it's not that easy to leave. Because whether one likes it or not, the fate of your clan will ultimately dictate if you get to live or die. I want to remind you that ML's family was probably a "good" scholarly family and was faithfully serving the Emperor when they were framed and ultimately wiped out. Sooooo .... just because you don't want to play politics ... it doesn't guarantee that politics won't be wanting to play you. And his relationship with his father, you can tell that they had a very business like relationship, perhaps not exactly cold but definitely formal. In the end, his father chose to sacrifice his son to preserve the dignity of the clan.

Meng Zhen Zhen

Goodness me ... I love this character. We don't have too much screentime with her but you can feel her conflicted feelings, her torn loyalty, and the difficult choices she was forced to make. Like, yes, yes, yes .... I know she chose to serve the interests of the Meng's family but again she, as a female, will rise and fall with her family's fortune. What other choices she has? NONE! She can't walk away from being a Meng but she also can't depend on her political husband's support either. And being female, it wasn't like she could have a career, and so her main job is to marry and form connections or marry and serve as a spy to serve the interests of the Meng's family. I really feel for her. Like, she knew Shen Zai Ye never loved her and she can't allow herself to love him either since they have different end goals. But, as a woman, she must have wanted to be loved. Maybe not by our ML but by someone who really loves her for just being her and not a daughter of the Meng's clan. But she can't ever have this either and it is just heartbreaking. She and Jiang Tao Hua are the opposite side of the same coin. Exactly so. They have people behind them dictating what they do and they enter ML's residence as spy. When Meng Zhen Zhen says 'I hope your fate is better than mine" is foreshadowing in a way because at this point Jiang Tao Hua didnt do anything that would hurt ML yet but she is actively manipulating his feelings as she deliberately took the arrow to buy his trust. Like FL is a spy just like MZZ. She's acting while our poor ML mistakenly believes it to be genuine. The only major difference between the two characters is that ML ultimately falls for FL. Otherwise, the narrative set ups are nearly identical. I love how Meng Zhen Zhen chose to be "useless" and made the decision to remove herself from the game but then we have this frame

and she looks just like a marinette doll puppet ... her father and her clan pull the strings and all she could do is allow for it to happen. Resisting the string pulling, she'd be labeled unfilial. Her father seems only interested in her for what she could do for the clan and again it's a very toxic family dynamics but one she can't really escape from. It's important to note that the only people who were pleading on her behalf in front of the emperor were the people her clan deemed to be the enemies and they were genuine since they knew she had no choice ... that she was not the master mind ... and everything she did was because of her father ... Like girl .... that's sad ... let me go cry in the corner now.

[koremakaria]

Two WRONGS don't make a right but they might make a marriage more complicated ...that is before the D.I.V.O.R.C.E

Episode 13

Sooooo Jiang Tao Hua got some Intel that the Crown Prince and his first cousin had a plan in place to assassinate our ML so what does a girl do when your husband, who you now enjoy a tenuous peace with but might I remind you, my dear viewers ...this very man had planned to kill you on multiple occasions prior to that, but is now facing a new potentially deadly threat???? .... naturally you planned ahead and when the pivotal moment arrived ... you bravely took the arrow for your hubby. NOT because you harbour some kind of romantic feelings for the man but because now you plan to USE him in your fight to get your younger brother.

Then our poor Shen Zai Ye (who is actually a Xie) was shook because ya girl was so brave and protective of him when he probably hadn't had someone protect him in this way for sooo long. But he was doubly shook because he had plotted with the Second Prince in order to lure out the Crown Prince and was totally A OKAY with being shot at ... which now is clearly not happening since FL took the arrow for him.

I mean yes JTH is plotting but who could really blame her. Her younger brother is probably dying for all she knows and the faster she rescues him, the better. And while SZY is a skilled tactician, there is no guarantee that he would actually help her cause. Like this man had openly tried to off her .. multiple times.

This is such a lovely set up for the upcoming angst when ML learns the truth. Like he thought she really cared for him when she is just using him ... but then again JTH is desperate and as they say desperate times call for desperate measures. Also this is how you do Enemies to Lovers with moments of uncertainty and vulnerability mixed in but each side ultimately have their own agenda going. Like I simply love the setup. Like the love and trust part have to come later. BECAUSE they are enemies!!! It's the whole point to not trust each other fully. Which will then lead to the angsty part ...  hahahah can't wait!!!

[koremakaria]

The Princess‘s Gambit 桃花映江山 (2025) Dir. Yi Jun – Ep. 5

[koremakaria]

Sleeping Dragon: Shen Zai Ye's Hobbies and What They Reveal About ML's Character

As if avoiding being assassinated and plotting the demise of people are not enough busy work, SZY managed to keep a few active hobbies. Alright I get it, all that political scheming, investigating counterfeit money along with looking into high treasons against the throne could get just a TAD bit TEDIOUS. Not to mention the man has to manage his deadly harem of wives. Like yeah ... okay ... a man can't be plotting 24/7 yeahhhh?

One: Woodcarving

Woodcarving is an extremely difficult craft. It also leaves very little room for errors. One movement influences the next and one tiny mistake in the carving could potentially ruin the entire piece. Once the wood is carved away, you can't get it back. There is no way to put things back. The decision is irreversible. Therefore, this hobby requires extreme patience. There is no rushing things because rushing could lead to disastrous mistakes. This hobby requires you to be present. Your mind can't wonder. You have to be aware of each and every carving movement. I am curious what our ML is carving here. It looks like a city or perhaps an aristocratic residence. Maybe his family ancestral home before everything went to hell? Also, why woodcarving when he could simply do a water color painting of it? It would be much faster that way. Maybe he wants the permanency of wood panels? I don't want to read too much into this but in Chinese philosophy, wood is the lesser yang symbol of the yinyang character that is fueling fire. Soooo there is also that ...

Two: Gardening

OOOOMYGODDDD .... LXY looks so so soooo good here! (please give me a moment to wipe my droolsss) Okay Okay .... back to business. This seemingly chill hobby is in fact not chill at all. Gardening is extremely difficult. Have you ever tried to keep a plant alive? Yeah ... then you know that easy it is certainly NOT! Carelessness in gardening could lead to your plants wilting or evening dying. Gardeners have tremendous responsibility. They decide which plants get water, fertilizer, and the sun and how much of these things they get. Gardeners have to decide which plants get to grow big, which need trimming and which ones have to be removed. Gardeners literally make life or death decisions everyday. And with this hobby, one must be diligent because carelessness will ultimately lead to poor outcomes. There is also a lot of future planning and one has be to very very very patience. You can't rush growing your garden. Too much or too little water could result in death .... of the plants .... naturally.

I love that we have two seemingly and deceptively chill hobbies for our ML. He always look super calm when engaging in these two hobbies but personally I think they convey multiple layers of our ML's personality as well his psychological state of mind. Like both require patience and careful future planning. In woodcarving, one small mistake could ruin the entire art piece. In gardening, one small miscalculation could also result in a plant wilting or dying altogether. These are such great details to include.

[koremakaria]

Enemies to Lovers ... probably... eventually ... most likely .... maybe? BUT right now it's still Enemies to Temporary Allies

First, I'd like to thank drama gods for blessing me with LXY as a revenge driven, morally dark gray and ready to off people ML. No. It's not a fake out like so many "revenge" dramas where ML suddenly becomes sensible with FL in their life. Like ML is very bad here .... and it's oh so good! He will probably be revealed to be working for the greater good at some point but he's not doing it nicely. No. Siree! To accomplish his goals, he's ready to do just about anything.

Decency? He's never heard of it

Mercy? I'm afraid it's not part of his vocabulary

FL getting in his way? Why ... of course we'll be plotting murder ... but is it really murder when FL self inserts herself into his life ... unprompted and very much unwanted.

I love that it's a true enemy to lover in the sense they both try to really end the other. Not in the I'm just joking kind of way ... you were never in danger ... haha ... NOPE ... they both want the other to perish ... more on the ML because FL has to remain alive for her younger brother ... but man I just love the ominous vibes like because ML is not yet in love ... he's all calculating and detached and he's so proficient at what he does and I just love how he respects FL's intelligence and even though he's trying to get rid of her, he can't help but be enchanted by her mind.

And yes, let's throw a secret identity into the bag! Because nothing says I'm a COMMITTED, REVENGE DRIVEN and SLIGHTLY INSANE ML more than when your entire clan is executed (most likely framed) and then you have to take a different surname to get close to your enemies .... waiting patiently for the day you can finally settle the scores. .... and if a few (okay okay maybe a lot) of people get burned in between ... so be it.

[koremakaria]

✅️An arranged marriage between a declining royal family and a neighboring prince

✅️The same princess somehow ended up marrying a powerful high ranking minister instead ... ohhhh yeah

✅️Everyone and their mothers are saying that this minister is EVIL ... very very evil ... and yes he is our ML

✅️Court politics, hidden agendas, and political schemes

Me: Yessssssssss!!!!!!