Untouchable Lovers

I honestly don't know where to begin... (Also this is a bit long/rambling because I JUST finished the last episode, so I have a lot of emotions)

STORY:
The first 16 episodes were great - so much going on, but it was all so entertaining. But then come episode 17 and it was a completely different story with somewhat different people - even though it was all the same people. Even so, I kept going. Episodes 17-53 though not as great as the first chunk of the drama were still decently entertaining to watch. Especially between the first two parts of the drama, there were just so many discrepancies about what was going on that they never resolved because it really felt like two completely different stories at times. And then somehow the final episode, ep 54 - my mind just went blank and I'm still not sure what I was watching... So I'm gonna rate this as 3 different parts.

A) Ep 1-16
B) Ep 17-53
C) Final ep 54

A) 9/10 - The first few episodes were so great. There was plotting and manipulation but it felt somewhat new and refreshing. Rong Zhi and Chu Yu's relationship was angsty but amazingly enticing to watch. The other characters at the Princess' manor were equally entertaining. It was a constant - what's going to happen next? What is Tian Ji Pavilion going to do? What is Chu Yu going to do? What is Rong Zhi going to do? Really fun to watch and definitely the best part of the drama.

B) 7/10 - the main core of the drama. The majority of the drama was focused on this part of the story - though it really makes viewers question why the drama was written to essentially be 2 different stories. Aside from the two main characters being the same people - though arguably their personalities were a bit warped - the rest of the drama was completely different. The setting moves out of Liu Song and into the kingdom of Wei (where Rong Zhi is now the Prince Regent leading the government for his nephew, the emperor) and Chu Yu is sent from Liu Song with the intention of peace through marriage. While this was the main core of the drama, it was definitely outshined by the first section of the drama, but nonetheless it was still an interesting watch.

There was a lot of framing and manipulation, which comes standard with these types of dramas, but honestly it was made a bit worse because there were SO MANY different people scheming that by the end it just feels like everyone was against everyone. Really it was hard to root for anyone just because of how much manipulation was going on.

Secondly, while miscommunication between the main pair is always a given, it was just a bit much sometimes. You have two very stubborn personalities, with one also constantly scheming to obtain power, but of course neither of them were willing to talk things out and would just essentially give up when the other was upset. It made it really hard to ship the main pair sometimes because it seemed like they were never going to be able to communicate well and understand the other person's feelings.

Lastly, between the second female lead actually playing two different characters there was WAY too much screen time attributed to her (specifically as General Huo Xuan) and honestly it got way too overbearing and annoying that I (and as I've read many others) pretty much skipped through all of her scenes. The writing really made it seem as if they wanted the second lead actress to be the main actress. Between the war zone story lines, to her story lines with Rong Zhi, to her story lines with Gu Huan - it was just way too much time focused on her and not enough on the main actors.

C) 5/10 - The final episode. There are literally very few dramas that have me honestly lost about what the hell happened by the end. Even this drama, everything seemingly went together up until the final episode. Maybe it was because they rushed the ending? Which is ridiculous because they had 54 episodes to work out this whole story, but the last episode was just super weirdly paced and there was so much going on. I honestly don't know if it was a happy or sad ending just because it depends on how you look at it, I suppose. By the end of it, I really just want to know who the writers were supporting this whole time because the way this ended - unless they're planning a sequel - just didn't make sense to me. In 40 minutes time, they crammed in so much stuff with no explanation and they were just like "Welp, that's it." Such a let down.

ACTING/CAST:

Song Wei Long (Rong Zhi) - As the male lead, I feel like SWL did a pretty decent job carrying such a weighty drama. He is definitely a young actor, so hopefully he will progress over the next few years, but even so I think he did a good job. Many people criticize him for not showing emotion very well, which I agree with to an extent. If it was any other character, I'd wholeheartedly agree that he was bad in that regard, but for this drama and this character, I think it still worked out well. Rong Zhi from the beginning was a very complex character who was very reserved, meticulous, and brilliant. For someone who is a genius at manipulation and scheming, I appreciated the fact that he was terrible at expressing himself and his feelings because it showed some kind of weakness in his personality. If he was great at everything, it would have made me dislike him honestly because no one can be perfect at everything.

Guan Xiao Tong (Liu Chu Yu) - A lot of my feelings about her probably come down more to script than it does to her actual acting, so it's hard to give her a fair review. In the first part of the drama, she was portraying Zhu Que of Tian Ji pavilion who took over the life of Liu Chu Yu to complete a mission. This character was smart and cunning, but had compassion and morals. Her character and acting were very entertaining as she portrayed the cunning Zhu Que but also the murderous/lustful Liu Chu Yu.
In the second half, it gets more confusing because you have the real (but not real) Liu Chu Yu and Zhu Que completely disappears (though it's the actually the same character). By now she's just a fairly basic female character. She's still smart (or just really lucky) as she gets herself out of trouble (with tons of help, of course), but she now harbors this idealized sense of morality - even though she is also a part of an imperial family and should be used to the scheming by now. And yet at every turn, she criticizes Rong Zhi and the others for fighting for power, even though it is something to be expected of people in power.
Again, these are all issues I have more with the writing for the character, more so than with Guan Xiao Tong's acting abilities. I think for what she was given, she did a good job - but nothing mind blowing.

Bai Lu (Huo Xuan) - I'm giving her a shout out mostly because I actually REALLY enjoyed General Huo at the very beginning and thought she was really entertaining, but eventually I just stopped watching most of her scenes because there was just way too much focus on her and it got annoying. She honestly did a really good job though (from what I didn't skip xD)

REWATCH/OVERALL:

I'll honestly probably watch this drama again some time in the future because even though there was a lot of stuff I didn't like about it, overall I still enjoyed it as a drama (aside from that last episode). It was nothing groundbreaking or particularly memorable, but for some reason, I was still really intrigued watching it and still felt it was fairly entertaining.

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To begin this review, I'd like to preface it by saying that although I am not usually one to take upon 52 episodes lightly, Untouchable Lovers was worth every minute I spent watching it.

To me, this story never has a dull moment. Which for some is either good or bad. It doesn't stop the drama for filler material much and is consistently delivering the plot. Chuyu and Rong Zhi are fated yet also star-crossed with each other. As the initial story takes place, you're wrapped around their relationship and how it develops so deeply in their initial meeting. The thing about Untouchable Lovers is that it's almost two plots wrapped in one. Due to their fate, they end up separated from each other, left with no memories of the other person. It's also this same fate that brings them back together and dictates their ending. At one point, I found myself slightly confused on what had happened as the plot shifted until I realized that their story is never ending. It's the complexity of their relationship and their history together that really draws you into their story. The story doesn't just focus on their love but also the enemies and allies they encounter in their lives throughout the plot. It depicts a brutal picture of what lies and backstabbing you encounter in such a place, the royal palace. You fall in love with almost every character and you hate a bunch of them also. It's a rollercoaster ride that doesn't stop until the very last minute of the drama and in my opinion, one of the best plots I've watched in a while. The one thing I did dislike was how the stories of some characters ended, from both the initial story and the secondary story (I prefer to break them up). However, I did like how cohesive the picture came to and how well produced this drama was in the end.

The actors/actresses were amazing in this drama. Some of them even played various roles that are completely opposite to the other. It's truly an amazing cast that makes you fall in love with both their role and the actor/actress themselves. I personally enjoyed the performance by Guan Gabrielle and Song Wei Long. To play the roles of Chuyu and Rong Zhi is no easy thing in my opinion, especially with how detailed this drama is. I will also admit that I was the person who watched Oh! My Emperor before Untouchable Lovers so to see Zhao Lusi in another historical drama with such an opposite role to Oh! My Emperor was refreshing. I will definitely be on the look out for more works from the cast of Untouchable Lovers after their impactful performance that I witnessed throughout the drama.

(Oh! My Emperor is another good drama that I recommend. It has slight holes and such but it's overall well done.)

It's been a while since I've said anything about music in dramas. That's mainly because to me, they're neither good nor bad most of the time. Untouchable Lovers, however, has such an amazing soundtrack that I couldn't help myself. Please note that taste in music may differ but in my honest opinion, the selection for the songs at the beginning and end was one of the best. The music really applies to the story itself and invokes this feeling that pairs well with the plot. I recommend that you check them out.

Finally, I would surely watch this drama again if you asked me to. It's one of those dramas that you just can't forget easily and you don't want to so you therefore watch it again to make sure you don't. If that doesn't make sense, then maybe you haven't found a drama that's worth the rewatch.

That is why I recommend this drama to anyone who is a fan of the genre. You don't have to though, it's a drama made for anyone that wants to watch it, which you should. This is all based on my opinion of the drama so it may differ from any opinions you have, watch it and find out.

This has been Untouchable Lovers.

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