1.) You don't get to see the full potential of Chu Qiao at all!
2.) Can you even say there was really any romance in this series? Because for sure I didn't see any real developments and I watched it until ep 44!!!
3.) The series seemed like it had so many unnecessary scenes and just dragged on and on with no real direction.
4.) Too many side characters had too much screen time when they really didn't need it.
5.) I honestly only made it to ep 44 because I kept hoping the story would actually get interesting but in the end, decided to drop it even though I was almost finished. Like why put myself through more torture when 44 eps couldn't even grasp my attention.
Was this review helpful to you?
Story is very interesting. This drama is more of a strategic war movie. What made me really enjoy this drama is that they actually focus well on fighting scenes thoroughly. You don't see a lot of that anymore. Most chick-flick Chinese dramas do not contain good, legitimate fighting scenes, so that really surprised me and I praise that. For example, most Chinese chick-flicks would just do some fighting scenes they would make up without a martial arts professional like just swinging swords left and right, but this one looks like they got some professional martial arts people to come through to train them and make it look very legitimate. So props for that! The story seems to move very slow and the progress just seems like it just gets worse and worse on.
Note: I don't think this drama contains a lot of romance... I've heard many people who seek romance watched halfway have dropped the drama due to that. So there are many frustrations on that.
ACTING/CAST: The actors have done extremely well in this drama, they've done a good job picking the right people for the roles. Here are my thoughts on some of the main leads.
Wow... Zhao Liying is something. I've seen many of her dramas before and thought she was okay, but in this one I'm gonna have to applaud her. I've watched Legend of Lu Zhen and she plays a smart woman in there as well, but this one is on a whole 'nother level. She plays very well as a "person whose gone through a lot"; in this drama you can see it in her eyes as if it is real, so I am very impressed by her.
Lin Geng Xin... I did not think he was attractive at all until near the middle of this drama because I grew to fall in love with the character he plays. I have not seen his other work before, but I think he did a good job portraying a smart, calm loving man to make me fall in love with him.
Dou Shawn... IS SOOO HOT. I really enjoy watching every second of him in this drama. This is the second drama I've ever seen of him. He does a good job as well, I am impressed how he is able to showcase his skills as his character "grows up."
Wang Yan Lin... Omg... I have never seen this guy before until this drama... But LORDY, LORD... I think this guy does the best job ever as a villain... I am so impressed by his acting skills... Truly talented... It's as if he is a natural... And his evil smirk and eyebrow game is the thing that gets me wowed, lmao!
MUSIC: The music is nice... There is a piano song that plays in the background that I am really obsessed with, is no where to be found on the internet but the drama itself... Not even on the soundtrack, what the hell... It only comes out with there is an emotional scene... So if anyone knows what that song is, please comment below or message it to me! I would reallllly love to have it.... I have a lap harp so sometimes I would reminisce about that lovely song and play it... T___T
REWATCH VALUE: I would probably watch it once every 5+ years or so (or maybe even never, maybe for this drama, once is enough). I just feel that this drama is just not enough for me to yearn and obsess over.
OVERALL: Though I enjoyed many of the episodes, this drama didn't sweep me off my feet. I would not recommend to my family and friends at all.
Was this review helpful to you?
Badass female character
It was very good even I wished to be more kisses between them and I'm still hopping for a season 2 because the end was too sad for me.Edit: I needed to edit the review because I wanted to say more about it.
It was very beautiful taken and I loved the fact that the female lead was very strong and powerful and a badass and that she didn't need a man to protect her. It was very interesting to watch that you didn't care about anything else.After seeing other dramas and rewatching it I could see a big difference between them. The cast,the story, everything was so good. Before this drama I didn't think that I need to watch an c-drama with a lot of action and less romance but after starting it I knew I needed. A million stars for an awesome drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Promising Story that Could Have Been Better
Chu Qiao woke up to find herself a slave in Yuwen household after surviving a nerve-wrecking cruelty at the hands of the noble youngsters - becoming a target in their hunt, fighting off wolves in the process while trying to escape their arrows. The sole survivor of the ordeal, she was left to recuperate by herself in a shed in Yuwen household, where she found out that her other name was Jiang Xiao Liu, and that her adoptive brothers and sisters were also slaves in Yuwen household. As she tries to survive in the compound, she decided to try to catch the 4th master eyes, Yuwen Yue, for protection, while she look for ways to escape. Yuwen Yue realized her potential when he saw how she survived the hunt, and took her under his wings and began training her to become a spy. Yuwen Yue was actually the heir to a spy network for the kingdom, as his grandfather had been its leader. Just when he thought he began to feel differently towards her, Chu Qiao found an opening to escape the household and went along with Yanxun, a hostage prince from Yanbei whom she befriended while living in Yuwen household, as he was going to return to Yanbei. To their dismay, the emperor’s approval for him to return to Yanbei was a ruse to execute his entire clan for mutiny. Yanxun was placed under house arrest with only Chu Qiao by his side. Drawn to Yanxun due to his ordeal which she felt similar to hers, she stayed with him during the house arrest, and together, they started to devise a huge plan to escape the capital and return to Yanbei.First off, although I loved Chu Qiao as a character, i found Zhao Liying rather stiff at times. I loved her chemistry with Lin Geng Xin who played Yuwen Yue though. They rocked the relationship even though they mostly bicker with each other after her escape from the capital. Lin Geng Xin was okay here, and i love his ice lake scene the most. His anguish when he realized he could not be with Chu Qiao due to the difference of allegience was genuinely conveyed. Zhao Liying could really cry too. The ending was devastating and I cried each time the scene comes on.
The costumes are so smart looking, even the women dresses are so nice. And dont let me start with the songs, gosh the songs are truly the bomb. This is the first drama that I saw of Zhao Liying, which i first watched in 2020 during the covid lockdown, and I instantly became a fan. I rewatch this now for the 3rd time i think, cuz the sequel is coming up next year.
Although the ending ripped my heart to pieces, reading the novel definitely provided some consolation, since the novel was indeed a thousand times better than the adaptation.the novel Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue were even more badass than depicted on screen. I know the production could not help but tweak the storyline since transmigration/rebirth plots are frowned upon in China, but mannn, they really missed out a lot and instead created many plotholes in the adaptation. I guess I can only dream of the novel becoming real on screen.
Was this review helpful to you?
I love it! It is my first ever historical cdramas I've ever watch.
I'm usually, into kdramas historical genres and of course, modern from time to time however, my teenage younger sister used my viki account to watch this drama over and over again [also use the family YouTube account to watch fmv of this said drama.] She was [still is] that crazy about this drama that I never paid attention to it because duh, if teenagers obsess with it I'm sure it's cringe worthy [I have that opinion coz I made mistake of watching some of the dramas she suggested & wondered why I listen to her in the first place... lmao]I'd like also to point out that she keeps shouting the opening theme song everywhere that it was embarrassing to be with her [it might sound cute but imagine hearing the chorus over and over without it concluding]. Then pandemic hit the world, so one of those uncertain days where I was stuck in my apartment and most of my kdramas been consumed at the first week of lockdown and voila! our family shared youtube account recommended the trailer of the Princess Agents and since I have nothing to do, I started the first episode on Youtube and as they said, the rest was history. I love it even the cliffhanger ending. This series influence me to read the novel version and I'm more excited for season 2 whenever that is.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Even though the ending isn't satisfying, it's worth watching.
Contain Spoilers !...First of all, this drama was a drama that I started for the character of yu wen yue. I had never seen Zanila before and I had a bit of a prejudice against her. As a result, I fell in love with the two leads. I wish the chu Qiao and yu wen yue scenes were a bit more. I guess that's the only thing missing.
The story was really deep and impressive. I couldn't wait to move on to the next chapter. It was so exciting to watch Yan Xun transform from a prince charming to a vengeful villain. I bit my nails while watching the show. I always looked forward to and wanted Chu Qiao to go over to yu wen yue. I didn't know if he was in love with Yan Xun or Yue until the last episode of the Drama. Was his love for Yan Xun just a resemblance?
I think I will read the novel of this series after watching the series. I need this.
Scenes that impressed me the most:
1. The massacre of Yan Xun's family and the burning of their severed heads.
2. Yan Xun's Rebellion and Chun Er's plea to her father.
3. Yuan Song lost his arm and Chun Er was raped
4. Chu Qiao not leaving the Xu Li Army behind and saving them
5. Last Scene :((((((
My favorite scenes are all the scenes with Yu wen Yue and Xing Er.
Was this review helpful to you?
I think the main problem with this story was that by the end, you still feel unfinished, there are way too many things left unanswered.there are a lot of aspects that the drama introduced but didn't explore further.The ending was kinda rushed,while around 2/3 of the story was draggy. I feel like they focused too much on the second male lead,not enough on the male lead.
The good parts: i like the main protagonist that she was not just a helpless damsel in distress looking for love. She actually work hard and fight for what she believes it. She was not a pushover,and she is basically a good person but she is cunning. I love the character Yuwen Yue,played by the handsome Lin Gengxin.i'm quite sad and annoyed that they didn't focus a lot on him and the people around him. There are some interesting characters surrounding him but the story didn't cover that so it makes those characters very i dunno what the words to describe it but maybe ''one-dimensional''. They didn't tell us their back story, only slightly touch on it which sort of make it worse.....back to the good, it is also nice that we can see the struggle of the main characters. They may make questionable decisions that we may not agree with but they often have their own reasons behind it. ( would have been a lot better if they does that for some of the supporting chaarcters too...) i think the best story makes us able to emphathize with the characters and this drama was able to do that for me to a certain extent ,thats why despite all the flaws, i still like it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
pretty bad show but i liked it
this is one of those things, because technically i can agree it is 'bad' but i still liked it a lot. this would've been higher if not for that awful ending with no season 2 but thats not the point. perhaps because this show feels nostalgic and holds a special place in my heart but i cant bring myself to hate it. the plot really got diverted and i was so annoyed that we were focusing on this yan xun storyline and rebellion bla bla instead of exploring chu qiao's past. everything changed so much and left me feeling weird and disappointed. also it just dragged on forever instead of getting to the point and i found myself skipping whole episodes at times... 😬 i didnt particularly like any of the characters consistently either apart from chu qiao and eventually that womaniser pervert guy. mr ice block was annoying and cannot communicate for his life (although i liked him more toward the end), yan xun just didnt care what she wanted in the end and went overboard for meaningless revenge, chun'er was naive, selfish, obsessive, delusional, misled and every other adjective you can think of. i can feel sorry for her for what she went through but i will never like her. anyway, i will probably rewatch just for the nostalgia and the story in the beginning because it actually started off quite well but if you're looking for a profoundly plot driven, engaging show with great visuals then i suggest you look elsewhere.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I'm late but glad that i did not miss this gem
I started watching this drama recently thinking it was recommended by a fellow MDL mate, but just couldn’t trace back who recommended to convey thanks, as this is a gem that I would have otherwise missed.Story: The story is multi-dimensional – [mysterious background of the protagonist] x [demolishing slavery] x [spies & intelligence] x [political scheming and war fighting between states] x ["mulan" style female general] – and thus little dull, filler moments. Lots of majestic stunt scenes in martial fights, spy training, navigating secret caverns with booby traps and war fighting/city gate defending. The cinematography and costumes are also commendable, though the CGI can certainly be better.
Cast/Acting: This is my first drama starring Zhao Li Ying and she is deserving of her stardom. Sadly though, there is lack of character growth for the protagonist she played. And for the ML Yu Wen Yue, I only got a strong Nirvana in Fire (2015) Lin Shu/Mei Chang Shu aura/vibe – from the dressing, hairdo to being afraid of cold. The characters that really wowed me are the second ML and FL. Shawn Dou aced the portrayal of Yan Xun, making him the drama’s antagonist many hate to love, and secretly wishing he will turn good by the end of this series, and then hopefully again in the grand finale (in Season 2 if it ever happens). This is also my first drama starring Shawn Dou and I will be looking out for his other dramas. Li Qin surprised me too – she did not impress at all as the FL Chicken Drumstick Lady in Joy of Life (2019) which i watched last year.
What can be improved: While there is attention to details such as using ancient Chinese handwriting style in letters / edict in the drama, I really cannot understand why the dyed hair for the two leads.
Add-ons: Did you notice how the commercials blended into the drama, that you only realized those were commercials after 5-10 seconds into the drama? Two very good examples are in episode 56 of 58.
Costume cdrama cliches?
1. Calling FL as “奇女子” (extraordinary woman): First saw in Prince of Lan Ling (2013), then in The Long Ballad (2021), then in this drama.
2. Naming kids as “平安” (Peace): First saw in Prince of Lan Ling (2013) (Prince of Lan Ling’s son is named “Ping An”), then in this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
One of the best ancient drama
Can Zhao Liying do anything wrong? The queen of C-Drama is brilliant in this drama as well as Lin Gengxin as ML. The acting is top-notch with the likes of Li Qin and Shawn Dou together with Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin.The story follows a slave girl as she developed, catching the eyes of some of the most powerful men in the country. Zhao Liying, whose determination and perseverance in character shine, makes this drama worth watching. The story has the twist and turns in places you don't expect and at times it is infuriating with the decisions they make but it fits their character. The dynamics and relationships between the three main characters are complex, to say the least, but it is one of the main drivers of the drama. The relationship of each character throughout the series is something of interest.
The OST is good, fitting the scenes, and building the atmosphere of each scene. The production is equally as wonderful.
This series is definitely worth watching - the story, character, OST, and acting all come together well in this production.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Way too long, horrible ending
Pretty upset that I spent so many days/hours/late nights invested in this highly rated show. I did watch until the last episode but skipped over so many parts as it dragged on way too long. This was a very violent and bloody drama compared to what I'm used to seeing. The opening scene alone that lasted almost the entire episode was so disturbing.PROS:
- ML and FL had strong chemistry
- Great acting for most of the cast overall
- Fight scenes choreography is well done, you can tell this is a high budget production
CONS:
- Way too long and draggy at times
- Messy sub plots w/ so many random characters w/ too much screen time
- Too many loose ends without any resolution. Characters that had a ton of screen time in first 2/3 of the series, suddenly just stopped appearing in the rest of the series but it's never explained what happened to them
- The ending was the worst. Felt cheated after investing so much time in anticipation of some sort of saving grace w/ the ending. NOPE. That's why I took off so many points overall.
Storyline:
Not very unique, similar to many storylines with these types of historical dramas. It was a decent storyline but somewhat predictable...except the ENDING! I did like that most of the main women (except Princess Yuan Chun) were tough martial artists rather than weak damsels in distress. Way too many sub plots and characters that really didn't need be there. Made it very messy and very long.
Music:
Just ok. Nothing memorable. Watched it on Viki so not sure if they swapped out the OST.
Acting:
All the actors did a great job, even supporting actors did well. It's just the characters & storylines they were given sometimes fell flat or were downright annoying.
Characters:
Yu Wen Yue (ML) - typical stoic hero. But I still LOVED his character. I anticipated to see him in scenes w/ the FL (Chu Qiao/Xing'er). He embodied nobility, badass strength, and moral character. And when it came to his love...he was so sweet and relentlessly selfless. So much that it was tragic and heartbreaking. This is the first time I've seen this actor in a series...I am a fan!
Chu Qiao (FM) - I don't understand the appeal w/ her. She seemed a bit one dimensional only able to portray the cold-hearted badass. When the scene required her to come across as soft-hearted, tender, or sweet/funny - she couldn't pull that off very well, it seemed forced. But she was able to convey a strong chemistry w/ Yu Wen Yue.
Yan Xan (other ML) - I love Shawn Dou in many of his works. This one I'm on the fence. He was so good in the first half of the series as the good hearted, happy go lucky hostage prince. The traumatic experience he endured, he nailed that performance. But once his soul turned dark I could not stand seeing him on screen. And the voice over dubbing was distracting because it was such a noticeable departure from his normal real voice in other shows.
Lin Qin - she was great as the spoiled, innocent, air headed princess. And when her innocence was shattered, her performance breaks your heart.
Was this review helpful to you?
I'm ignoring the ending
So I am going to ignore the ending - which would totally change the review - and just review the rest of the drama.The best part of the drama was the acting. The FL played the character as smart and a little naive but never annoying or silly. The ML was the typical stoic lead, aka boring, but at least you saw personality and feelings in his portrayal. The second ML had the biggest growth in character from silly, playboy type to angry captain, to cold hearted and unbending person, and the actor did a good job.
I really liked many of the secondary characters and wished they had more time on screen.... especially the Yuan Song the 13th prince, even his crazy sister, Prince Nan Liang, and the the MLs best band and body guard (we was my favorite)
For some negatives (besides the ending) is that the story was a little confusing and characters were not always fleshed out. People would come into the story, then disappear to either never be seen again or seen like 20 episodes later wen I did not even remember who they were. It may be odd to say, but the one episode which changes the life of the second ML (trying not to add spoilers) was the best few episodes. In general there are a lot gf bad people that seem to win, but in the end the bad people get their just rewards although a lot of non-bad people also end badly. I am still traumatized by the body guard / best friend of the male lead.
There were times when the drama was slow and I found my interest waining. The FL is often not any where near either ML but I just look at this drama as more political intrigue with some action and some "romance" but it really is a political power struggle drama. This would have been OK if there was an ending with a payoff and instead there is the cliff hanger of all cliff hangers and no season 2. By now all of the actors have moved on and it was soooo long ago I do not see it continuing and if the replace all of the actors, what would be the purpose.
Would I rewatch - probably no. Would I recommend - maybe.
Was this review helpful to you?
