A great cast, a good plot, but wasted by a production that tried to do too much!
PLOT: The FL, doctor and expert in poisons, is the disfigured and abused daughter of an imperial doctor. The Dowager Empress imposes an arranged marriage between the FL and the Qin Prince, the Emperor's feared brother (Emperor is cruel and paranoid). This imposed union, filled with distrust at first, will allow the couple to appreciate each other little by little. They will have to overcome conflicts, conspiracies, intrigues within the Court, and discover their true identities.PROS:
+ A talented CL, (obviously, there is Zhang Zhe Han ლ(꒪ヮ꒪)ლ), with great chemistry.
+ An excellent ML2, Merxat Yalkun, who shines in this series (but no SLS for me) and many other talented actors.
+ A high budget, which is visible in the costumes, sets, action scenes.
+ Excellent OSTs.
BUT :
- The storyline has too many twists and secondary stories. It’s dragging on!! 48 episodes could have been cleverly shortened to 35 or 40.
- I know that power makes you crazy and paranoid, but some characters are excessive. Plus, it's all about the poison! It's illogical, even for Fantasy. The FL, skillful and clever, becomes a "damsel in distress" in the last third of the show :( Why???
- The production leaves something to be desired: too many flashbacks, unnecessary scenes and characters,... You have to hang on to get to the end (personally in speed X 1.5 or 2)
- The ending is too abrupt and unexplained.
=> A great cast, a good plot, but wasted by a production that tried to do too much!
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PLOT : La FL, médecin et spécialiste en poisons, est la fille défigurée et maltraitée d'1 médecin impérial. L'impératrice douairière impose un mariage arrangé entre la FL et le 3e prince, frère redouté de l'empereur (cruel et parano). Cette union imposée, remplie de méfiance dans un 1e temps, va permettre au couple de s'apprécier peu à peu. Ils devront surmonter les conflits, conspirations, intrigues au sein de la Cour, et découvrir leur véritable identité.
PROS:
+ Un CL de talent, (évidemment, il y a Zhang Zhe Han ლ(꒪ヮ꒪)ლ), avec une belle alchimie.
+ Un excellent ML2, Merxat Yalkun, qui brille dans cette série (mais pas de SLS for me) et beaucoup d'autres acteurs de talent.
+ Un gros budget, ce qui se voit au niveau des costumes, des décors, des scènes d'action.
+ D'excellents OST.
MAIS :
- La storyline comporte trop de twists, d'histoires secondaires. ça traine en longueur !! 48 épisodes auraient pu être raccourcis astucieusement à 35 ou 40.
- Je sais que le pouvoir rend fou et parano, mais certains personnages sont excessifs. De plus, tout tourne autour du poison ! C'est illogique, même pour de la Fantasy. La FL, habile et astucieuse, devient une "damsel in distress" dans le dernier tiers :( Why ???
- La réalisation laisse à désirer : trop de flash-backs, de scènes et de personnages inutiles,... Il faut s'accrocher pour aller au bout (personnellement en speed X 1,5 ou 2)
- La ending est trop brusque et inexpliquée.
=> Un super cast, un bon plot, mais gâchée par une réalisation qui a voulu en faire trop !
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Interesting drama with lovely characters
Having watched so many modern dramas, I have to admit that the plot of the Legend of Yunxi seemed somewhat refreshing. It's about poisons and how they not only kill people but also can cure them. It's also about powerplay, palace concubines plotting against each other, an insecure tyrant Emperor, and a Prince who wants to do good for his people and in the process finds that there's more to life than just revenge and duty.Actually, despite the slightly draggy plot and lack of romance scenes (FL and ML really deserved to get more happy moments, but the ones that are there are very cute), I enjoyed watching the drama. The acting was top-notch - from the Emperor to the elder actresses playing Long Feiye's mother and Emperor's mother - those women just took my breath away with their beauty and grace, and the way they portrayed their characters.
☆Zhang Zhehan☆ was amazing as Long Feiye/Prince Qin, but his character is reserved and not very emotional - so you have to look for those tiny little signs of affection. They do build up and eventually, he starts smiling more and shows his love for FL in different ways. His character is just like that and as you watch the show it's explained nicely. He's incredibly handsome in this role and his acting is intricate (and no, that's not his butt they show in the series, it's a stunt double XD)
☆Ju Jingyi is☆ cute and sweet, I actually liked her acting, - her character is kind, sweet, and bubbly, the kind of a breath of fresh air Long Feiye needed to start feeling alive again. As his mother pointed out, he started looking more like a real man feeling actual feelings when Han Yunxi entered their household. By the way, Yunxi and her mother-in-law - their interactions were too good! Loved them both.
So, relationship-wise, I don't have any complaints, although the two of them do tend to sacrifice a lot for each other instead of talking things through, but that's kind of their style. The other couple, Tang Li and Ningjing are the two cutest bickering devils you'll ever see, I loved watching their relationship develop. Chu Xifeng, Long Feiye's general, is the cdrama's ultimate shipper, helping everyone with their relationships, while Dr. Gu was a kind of relationship counselor, it was very funny. So, there are many loveable characters that I really enjoyed getting to know. Oh, and let's not forget the gorgeous evil Emperor - probably the most handsome emperor I've ever seen in all Cdrama Land XD Like, he's that good. And his love story with a concubine also becomes very touching in the end.
The production is quite beautiful with lovely locations and building designs, as well as the looks of the characters. Even in 2024 this drama still looked good. So, I'd say it's a 7/10 for the plot, and 10/10 for acting. Beautiful OSTs by the way.
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A combination of poor writing and awful characterization | Should have been "Legend of Qishao".
"It's hard to find someone you like who likes you back. It's harder to love each other for the rest of one's life." - Noble Consort Yi (Feiye's Mother)I am literally out of nice words for this drama. This is a clear representation of how illogical and ludicrous idol dramas were back then. It goes beyond common perception and will leave you baffled as to what just happened. For the record, I even gave it consideration... lots of it—thinking that I had to be considerate since I am watching a 2018 drama eight years later, in 2026. But heck! This show is an abomination. I couldn't even stomach watching it consecutively from episode 30 onward because the storyline increasingly became overly frustrating and unbearable to watch.
It would have been understandable if the reason for my disdain was the hateful antagonists; however, my disgust for this show is rooted in the storyline, repetitive plot, supporting characters, and the protagonists themselves. Plenty of the scenes are giving "2018–2022 idol drama" absurd tropes. I would have accepted it if they kept them to a bare minimum, but dang! They went above and beyond! Watching it today made me roll my eyes. The level and scale is just too much for me. Some examples are:
× Scene Transitions: One minute they're jumping off an enclosed pond, and the next, the setting has suddenly shifted to a massive waterfall. Where did that even come from? /Facepalms/
× Lack of Urgency: I don’t understand how they can just "chill and grill" or go stargazing when they have an enemy to catch—someone who is likely lurking nearby, waiting to kill them.
× Historical Accuracy/Etiquette: Having a concubine perform a lewd dance in front of everyone is a complete violation of palace etiquette. Not to mention, her outfit was incredibly revealing for the setting. (Episode 23)
There are a handful of these, and I am just too exhausted of this show to recall all of them.
The story started at a relatively nice pace. Though the storytelling was quite odd and the scenes were simply absurd, I kindly gave it a pass, considering that this is an idol drama and I'm watching it in 2026. However, such scenes kept on happening to the point where it started getting irritatingly unbearable. Well, it's not like it wasn't annoying at the beginning; it was at least acceptable at first, but as the story progressed, it gravely worsened. When I reached episode 30 and realized that it still had 18 episodes remaining, I started asking myself, "Why is this unnecessarily long? The story should have ended by the 30th episode to wrap up all this nonsense."
The narrative itself has potential. It has a nice foundation and could have led to a brighter and more compelling path only if they hadn't overly utilized the repetitive plot of poisoning random high-ranking individuals and saving them just to give Han Yunxi (FL) the spotlight. It was common to do that, to set up the FL as whatever legendary poison master they want her to become. However, what's annoying is the introduction and development they gave her. She was supposedly a poison master or a master-to-be, but she is simply amateurish and inexperienced for the title—and it remained that way until the very end. She's hardworking, I will give her that, but she's nothing without the people around her. Her character development felt so artificial that I started telling myself how big of a liability she is to this story. She is constantly being saved by everyone because, if not, her head would have rolled on the ground within the first 10 episodes. She was impertinent and courageous, yet incapable.
The entire story feels like a training ground that, frankly, didn't help much. In the end, she was still unable to formulate a cure for Long Feiye's poison. If it weren't for the blood inherited from her father and the medical book/bracelet belonging to her parents, she would have remained useless for 90% of the show. I'm not even sure why the drama was named after her. The only justification seems to be that her father's blood—which happened to be the cure—runs through her veins. Aside from that, I can't think of any reason the title fits. "The Story of Qishao" would have been a much more reasonable alternative title.
Regarding Long Feiye (the ML)... he is no better! He kept too many secrets and was always nonchalant about his feelings. Additionally, he maintained a cold, stoic poker face that seemed normal during the first half of the story but became exhausting to watch halfway through the show. The only moments his expression changed were when he was jealous or, on rare occasions, when he was happy. He is frustratingly reserved and rigid, which dragged out their romantic issues until the very end.
The "cheerful girl and stoic, cold guy" trope would typically work if the characters were allowed to warm up to each other naturally. But goodness—the male lead served a cold, expressionless face for 98% of the show, while the female lead remained amateurish with little improvement by the end. Not to mention her unnatural acting, which I could barely stand after enduring it for 30 episodes. Just imagine the emotional restraint and tolerance I had to exert to finish this show.
What made it even worse was the 2nd CP; who were both so immature and bickered so much that I’d get a headache the moment they appeared on screen. They started the show that way and ended it with that same demeanor—an uncalled-for consistency. I truly cannot! I’m just grateful they learned to put up a facade once he (Tang Yi) ascended the throne and they became the monarchs. If not, I would have pulled my hair out from sheer frustration.
In conclusion, a lot was happening—repetitively—and while the story wasn’t necessarily messy, it became exhausting over time. The plot felt recycled, constantly using the same tropes just to make the female lead appear capable and reliable. Surprisingly, my biggest issue wasn't the story itself, but the characterization of both the protagonists. Even the supporting roles were a pain in the ass!
The only consistent character worthy of praise was Gu Qishao. He was the MVP of the show and the lead we actually deserved. It’s a shame they decided to kill his character at the end, too. He was the male lead we never had; the story's ultimate "TOTGA" (The One That Got Away). This drama would have been miles more interesting if the focus had stayed on him. The actual protagonists were equally frustrating, and Gu Qishao alone was the reason I stuck with the show until the very end. At one point, I even hoped for a "lead reversal," wishing he would take over the story entirely. He was the only character who kept me watching and prevented me from dropping the series. That being said, it’s safe to say there was "No real winner" in this show.
If I were to create my own ending, I would have Gu Qishao and Han Yunxi end up together and let Baili Ming Xiang handle Long Feiye until he dies. lol. Halfway through the drama, you just get tired of the old, worn out plot. Well, I guess it’s my mistake for watching a 2018 drama eight years later, but dang! Some other dramas I watched that were released in the same year aren't this bad.
Let me conclude this review by saying that I dread—severely—finishing the last 18 episodes of this show. I had to make preparations per episode in order to brace myself for whatever ridiculousness they were about to serve me in the remaining episodes. It was a real challenge to finish them. This drama is way too long for its own good. 30-35 episodes would have sufficed.
P.S. I’m still wondering about the unexplained mystery of the magical bracelet. It is disappointing that the story concluded without delving into its lore, especially since it was a literal cheat code that saved Han Yunxi’s ass multiple times.
Story - 4.0, The overall storyline wasn't bad and could have worked—if only it hadn't been mismanaged and misdirected. I don't know what the director and writer were thinking when they shot those repetitive scenes. Didn't they get tired of it themselves? Smh
Acting/Cast - 4.0, I hold no personal grudge against the cast—I actually admire most of them, particularly Zhang Zhehan and Wang Youshuo. However, I am disappointed by the writing, specifically the poor characterization of the female lead and the second couple. I also believe Zhang Zhehan overplayed his character’s coldness; his unchanging poker face eventually felt grating rather than compelling.
Music - 7.0, I can't even recall how the music sounded because I was so irritated by how tiring the plot had become. Well, at least the music never bothered me, which is why I am giving it this rating.
Rewatch Value - 1.0, It's a hard NO from me. I won’t even waste more words explaining why. Just read my review above and you will know.
Overall - 5.0, This drama greatly disappointed me. I love Zhang Zhehan, so I watched it; however, it traumatized me. I don’t think I can watch his other dramas for the meantime. To sum it all up, this drama was killed by bad writing and poor characterization. I will never understand people rating it so high—geez, some people really have no taste! lol
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.
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Watch for CP and romance!!
It’s a typical historical romance drama with court politics. In terms of the plot, there is nothing special. I think the later half dragged unnecessarily and especially the last 8 episodes were angsty and draggy at the same time. The ending is indeed confusing - they should have given us a more straightforward happy ending..Characters:
I loved both male lead and female lead. They are both smart although there are moments where FL did stupid things that are so out of her character. Their CP worked really well.
At first, I had some prejudice against Ju Jingyi because the vibe she gives out and her voice are usually not my cup of tea. But, surprisingly it worked well for this character. Her acting is also good enough.
LFY really loves HYX and protected her since the beginning even when he knew she could be a spy. But, also too protective sometimes. I really want more of the CP working together against their enemies, instead of LFY hiding everything from HYX. Zhang Zhehan really has that domineering charisma as a general or a king.
Gu Qishao is a bit of a grey character. He did use her in the beginning to get the information although he never really hurt her. He redeemed himself in the later episodes when he got freedom to do what he wants to do.
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why ?
I watch dramas to escape, to dream. Why do they always have to have sad endings? It's a shame, the cast is brilliant. The story isn't bad, but there's too much pointless dialogues.On the whole, the characters are well worked out, and we still find ourselves with a second lead syndrome ahah.
With a happy ending I would have rated this 9 .
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Absolutely amazing drama... the story and acting were almost perfect, am saying almost because of the editing style that seems to cut at weird places as well as not explaining certain points plus the some what not completed ending , it just felt short... so am hoping for a season 2 to explain the rest of the story.As for the cast, let's just say that Ju Jingyi has gained a fan, cause this girl is just too precious not to fall in love with.... looking forward to watching more of her work.
Zhang Zhehan also managed to capture my eyes, his character Long Feiye was your typical male with a heart breaking story that forced him to close his heart off in order to protect everyone till Yunxi came along and breaks all of his walls..... Zhehan acting was really good and convincing even though i kinda wished he smiled more and that the couple had more sweet moments than sad ones... but that also made these moments really sweet and precious * always end up giggling while watching them*
can't wait for his next work which is "Zhaoge" as well as for Ju jingyi "Mr. Swimmer" and i do hope they get to film another drama together.
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I love this show.
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Soul Stirring
This DRAMA... It has Action, Humour, Emotion, Love and what not?! The story is good and the cast really did a great job. "It is a soul stirring drama", definitely worth watching. The OSTs are amazing, sung by 'Ju Jing Yi' who played 'Han Yun xi' and her voice is so magical. They have a lot of depth and are full of content, especially 'Sigh by Ju Jing Yi'. I'm so in Love with the main leads(characters), the music (OSTs) and the drama itself. I surely want to re-watch it, hope this is helpful. I really recommend watching it.Was this review helpful to you?
Poison-harmful and harmless
Han Yunxi,played by Ju Jingyi,is a talented doctor,who is well versed in poisons but has an ugly carbuncle on her face.Unexpectedly,she gets married to Long Fei Ye,played by Zhang Zhehan,on the insistence of the emperor of Tian ning,who is highly suspicious of his brother,the male lead.The plot has good twists and turns to keep one engaged throughout the drama.
Especially,Han Yunxi uses poison to deal with many diseases and problems and wins the admiration of Long Fei ye in the process and falls in love with him.
The pace of the drama is also very good.
All the scenes were well written, especially the cat and mouse games played by both the emperor and Long Fei Ye.
The fights,sets,costumes,and acting of the actors were nice.
I specially liked the role of Gu Qishao,played my Merxat.He is very sincere,helpful,caring, clear headed.His acting is too good and his characterisation is very good.
The chemistry of lead actors was also good.
Everything about this drama is good.A good watch.
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The story could have been shorter...
I did enjoy watching the story, and loved the acting of the cast.At the beginning it was more interesting and intriguing, and towards the end it was like overdoing it with the sacrifices. I don’t mind having that part in the story, but too much sacrifice is overkill in the end of the story. I don’t mind sad ending stories, or being creative on how the ending goes, but here, it is just an overdoing it ending.
I did like the acting of the main characters, Han Yunxi, Long Fei Ye, and Gu Qi Shao, and the other cast actors. Long Fei Ye stone face look is great, and Yunxi strong female role was great as well. Gu Qi Shao well he is quite an interesting character in the story and loved how the story progressed around him, and it was touching how he truly loved Yunxi.
I did enjoy how the story progressed, but I think the story could have been shorter and continued to be better without the extra additional events that kept the story to be dragging its feet.
The rewatch value for me is a maybe for some of my favourite episodes that are at the beginning and the middle.
Overall, I did enjoy watching the story.
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Their chemistry is amazing. I love the plot, love the ending, I wish there were more costumes, but it was creative.
Well done to everyone. I wish there was part two. the plot, the way it started the music, the reality of life actually, the fight, the love, the looks, the body language, the kiss.
Everything is perfect.
Enough episodes, and not one is boring. Not complicated to watch and follow. Love it.
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1. PLOT
It is quite a typical plot if you have watched a lot of historical dramas and in particular, fantasy ones involving different dimensions. So if you are just venturing into this genre of dramas, I do believe it will mostly be interesting and likeable for you guys. However, if you are not new to the scene, this drama might bore you as you would be able to generally gauge how the whole series will play out. Personally, I watched the first few episodes and it started to get bland for me because all the scheming, trickery and relationships could be guessed easily. For some reason, I just gritted my teeth and continued. Eventually, with the support of the wonderful OSTs, I managed to weather through the next few episodes. It got better mainly because of the characters and I encourage you to continue watching if you can tolerate repetition because it does get interesting. Furthermore, the world building is quite unique with the Gu-abetted men and that was a plus point for me to keep watching because it was a different angle to take in these dramas.
2. CHARACTERS
It was the characters which made the story interesting. Each and every one of them all became so loveable to me. With Long Feiye, I adore how he is so stoic for the first half or so but I could see the progress of his relationship with Han Yunxi evident in him becoming more open with is display of outward affection. I like how he is so steady and sharp with every calculation. He really cares for his friends and family, going out of his way to help them. Yunxi is so persistent, resolute in her decisions, honest and also unknowingly cruel. I respect how she makes clear her affections for Feiye especially towards Gu Qishao but also the part in the end where she forced Qishao's hand. Overall, I believe the characters made the drama so lively and eventually lead me to feel so attached to this dimension.
3. EMOTIONS
Since I grew attached to the characters, undoubtedly the emotions would be overwhelming for me. The one that struck me the most was how painful Gu Qishao's journey through this story was. H efaced so many adversities and nothing was easy for him. The part where Yunxi forced Qishao's hand n a certain matter was acutely painful No one was there to support him and he was the lone wolf to contend with the whole process, the event prior to, the aftermath and the visuals. I realised what a cruel hand the story dealt him and I felt deep sympathy for him. The relationship between Consort Dowager Yi and Yunxi was a deeply satisfying one for me. I truly enjoyed their relationship progress and that was a true enemies to lovers trope right there. Their progress invoked so many emotions because you can see every single stepping stone they took was a wonderful one which makes me miss the drama so much more as I am writing this review a few days later. Of course, we cannot miss out the main leads of the story. Unlike the rest, Theirs was a love that is normal and beautiful in its own way but it did not make me yearn for the story not to end. In fact, it was their chemistry that made it memorable for me. They were so good working together, one person healing with poison, the other toiling tirelessly for his people. i loved that ultimately they supported each other out in the open and behind the scenes, they did even more to hold each other up, be it consciously or unconsciously.
There were no jarring plot holes and their acting was also good but not memorable. I did find the first few episodes confusing as well with how it was structured to go from the present then to the past to a flashback and then replay that present scene all over again.
Overall, the characters and their resulting relationships made the drama impactful for me and I urge you to endure the first quarter at least in order to enjoy the drama.
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