Fab Drama
The ML and FL Were excellent in this drama .There was not one episode that was boring .all actors had great chemistry ,The storyline was brilliant loved it 10/10 from me fab .it is unheard of to have a storyline that was not boing in places deserves my praise well written and well played by all actors .the female and male lead had good chemistry as actorsWas this review helpful to you?
It's a 10!!!
I really love the main leads in the movie, amazing chemistry with great acting skills. Some movies have to rely on more affectionate scenes or kissing scenes to hook the audiences but the leads mainly eyef--- each other and that was enough to make the audiences swoon. You really see the transformation of both characters as they go through the hardships together. Over time, you can really feel the tenderness and affection they have for each other. Such tenderness is seen in their interactions and glances, not through words.Seven Tan is so good here as Jin Xia and she's terrifically funny, and I always think it's much harder to make people laugh than cry. She really made me care for her character, so lovable and also very independent, brave, loyal and caring. She's truly the heart of the movie. Allen Ren is also terrific here. He's perfect for this role, with his arrogant manners and intense gazes. He's also so dashing in his uniform; he looks the best when he's sneering at his interrogated prisoner (yum!!!). He looks even sexier in a black assassin outfit (tres sexy!!!). Both actors also refrained from overacting and their subtle glances and expressions really nailed the vital scenes.
I also love the relationships between all the characters (friendship between Jin Xia and Yang Yue, and her Sifu). Really love Madame Qui!!! What a badass!!!! I want to grow up to be like her lol. She's an mazing character and that episode with her in it was one of the best episodes of the entire movie.
The rest of the story was also entertaining, but I did have to FF some parts. It wasn't a perfect movie, like other viewers have said, there are definitely flaws, but I gave it a 10 because it's been such a long time since I felt this way about the main leads. I really fell for them!! Both of them!!
Overall, really recommend this movie!!! I have watched a lot of C-drama over the years and this is one of the few that I would rewatch!!
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Very fun to watch
This was so fun to watch. The plot was great. The acting was great and the chemistry between the two years was amazing. It’s I can honestly say that this is my first time saying that I had fun watching a series that is based on historical periods. Fact or fiction. This series was very upbeat and full of wits, adventure in a bit of mystery. There was a budding romance but it wasn’t overly romantic. It was more of that feelings developed over time and you could sense be love they have for each other and it was expressed openly so that made it even better.What I like most about this was that it was upbeat and the the truth is was absolutely fun to watch. Her personality was very lively and it stayed consistent throughout the series. Her sense of humor was perfect. I really liked it because I have seen some serious like this at force the humor but hers thing genuinely funny and her expressions were perfect as well.
I like the male lead. He stay consistent as well with his great acting as well as his demeanor throughout the series. He was loyal and very skilled. So that made it better.
I love the supporting cast as well. Be writers gave them enough screen time for you to discover who they were and how they got to where they were. You got enough information and Screen Time of them so you were able to develop an interest in them and will root for them. Overall I will be reviewing certain episodes because it was good.
20% romantic vibes
60% action
20% plotting
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A large part of why I adored this drama is Allen Ren's acting. At first, I was put off by how stone-cold and angry he looked all the time but it makes sense because he is an Imperial Guard. I really began to change my mind after watching his amazing micro-expressions that bring the character of Lu Yi to life. The way he begins to fall in love with Jin Xia is really adorable because he goes from stone-faced and furrowed brows to very slight smiles here and there. His expressions were often really on point and I replayed a lot of his scenes because of how nuanced they were. It is also really cute to see how Jin Xia begins to change his heart. I am officially an Allen Ren stan after this and plan on checking out his other dramas.
Seven Tan also did a great job playing a spunky bailiff who is strong-willed and stands her ground. The energy from her acting was great and her anguish was also conveyed well. I really like how youthful she was in the drama. My favorite thing about her is how sparkly her eyes are so when Lu Yi and Jin Xia make eye contact its really captivating. I think the romance was developed well between the leads although some may argue it is "slow" but I think the budding interactions between our leads were still cute and significant to watch and made it even better when they finally confessed to each other.
Overall, the storyline is well-developed and I did not feel like there was any filler episodes. The development of the plot from a cute rivalry between Lu Yi and Jin Xia over a missing map to a greater corruption conspiracy in the palace was well done. All the cases they investigated were relevant and all tied back together. However, I will say that the CGI was very whack and it was pretty obvious when a green screen was being used but that must be a budget thing and did not personally change how much I enjoyed the show. I would highly recommend this drama for people for people interested in strong female leads, historical dramas with a crime-solving aspect, palace corruption, and romance.
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historical, investigation, comedy drama
if you like investigation cdrama, you should watch this. allen run really acting is really legit. Allen Run play Lu Yi's role perfectly and Seven Tan play Jia Xin's role perfectly.really love the relationship between Seven Tan and Allen Run. its like watching sherlock in chinese version. THIS IS MY FIRST DRAMA OF RENJIALUN. since this drama, i started to love ren jia lun more and more.
in here, jia lun is a cold guy and jia xin is smart but playful girl.
Story: the story plot will get a little bit boring in the middle. but the opening episode is so wow. i am a type of person that continue to watch drama if the 1st episode is attracting.
after finished, this drama, the song playlist become my fav playlist for a week. can't stop replaying the OST. you guys should hear it.
this is one of the OST title: 心墙 - 任嘉伦
just google on youtube. you will find the lyrics with pinyin
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Honestly Too Long
I decided to watch this costume drama because of Allen Ren and Seven Tan. The 50 episode is too much if you ask me, and a condensed 30 would have sufficed. I liked all the life-saving and fighting parts between the leads and skipped most of the scenes of the 2nd leads.Like most costume dramas, this drama boasts a huge cast and good production. Some scenes were contrived but saved by the awesome chemistry between the leads that carried through all the episodes.
I hope to see a none period drama of Allen Ren and Seven Tan someday.
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A good romantic and historical series, for viewers who have patience
I had to go back twice to watch this series: they should make it in 2 seasons! Even if the story is coherent, even if I really like Allen Ren and Seven Tan as CL, 55 episodes is too long for a plot like this...The first part mainly deals with investigation added with a touch of romance. The characters are nice, endearing, the story is coherent. Despite the rather slow narration, the beginning of the drama is catchy... but the pace slows down from 34-35 on (as usual when they do long stories).
The 2nd part deals more with war, with a lot of fights, dark intrigues, etc. And there, I admit I did some skipping...
### Very bad CGI, especially the storm scene in episode 4. Not believable, even for a 3 year old!
=> Overall, this remains a good romantic and historical series, for viewers who have patience (because sometimes, the pace is very slow).
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J'ai dû m'y reprendre à 2 fois pour regarder cette série : ils auraient du faire 2 saisons ! Même si la story est cohérente, même si j'aime beaucoup Allen Ren et Seven en CL, 55 épisodes, c'est beaucoup trop long sur un plot pareil...
La 1ere partie traite surtout d'investigation avec une pointe de romance. Les personnages sont sympas, attachants, l'histoire cohérente. Malgré la narration assez lente, le début du drama est accrocheur... mais le rythme se relâche à partir de 34-35 (comme d'habitude quand on fait des histoires à rallonge).
la 2e partie traite plutôt de la guerre, avec beaucoup de fights, d'intrigues litiques, etc. Et là, j'avoue j'ai fait du skipping...
### Très mauvais CGI, en particulier la scène de tempête dans l'épisode 4. Pas crédible, même pour un enfant de 3 ans !
=> Globalement, cela reste une bonne série romantique et historique, pour les viewers qui ont de la patience (car parfois, le rythme est très lent).
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Main relationship grows well, rest of it is alright
I almost stopped watching this show. I was expecting a smart and capable female lead, but within a few episodes she was screaming and wailing while still being full of herself. Maybe it was supposed to be funny, but I didn’t find it funny. At the same time, I found the male lead to be rude and unlikeable. Even though the FL was legit obnoxious and annoying, the total contempt he directed at her still made me angry. And I don’t think this was the best styling for Allen (ie he didn’t even look good while he was being an asshole).I’m glad I stuck it out, because it did improve significantly. It took me almost 20 episodes to get into this show. Both characters grew on me, and their slowly building relationship ended up being a highlight. I even started to find the ML better and better looking, haha.
Strong female leads are my jam, and Jinxia did alright. She becomes more down-to-earth and likeable, just a cheerful person trying to do her job… I think she’d be an excellent coworker. And she is shown to be capable in her own right. Unfortunately her abilities are pretty much overshadowed by the ML’s at all times. Ah well.
I wasn’t sure at first how I felt about their boss-subordinate relationship. There’s a reason these are problematic and banned in modern times- unequal power dynamic, relationship affecting work, etc. Luckily it’s handled pretty well. Even as she idolizes him, she keeps her head screwed on straight, and he also maintains his professional bounds. Whether the screenwriters actually considered it or not, I did notice that he confirms it’s mutual before doing anything (otherwise the unequal power dynamic is a problem). His love feels very selfless; no need to assert. After they get together, their dynamic becomes more typical overprotective and overdevoted ML, which I liked less, but it happens fairly late in the show.
More problematic, perhaps, is the male characters who do not go away after being rejected. Personally I found it very irritating. Xiao Xie is annoying but mostly harmless, actually thought Jinxia handles him pretty well. Yang Yue, on the other hand, should have a restraining order against him and be arrested for stalking. Some of the things he says would be modern day sexual harassment. In real life his behavior would be considered creepy and inappropriate; is it supposed to be cute just because it’s in a show? I’m actually a little upset that his unwelcome and disrespectful behavior somehow paid off. I understand it was a sexist society, but as a viewer I had a hard time rooting for this character who’s supposed to be a “good guy”.
There’s also quite a lot of mention of sexual violence in this show. I have no opinion about it, I just found it somewhat surprising because I haven’t seen it much in other shows.
As for the actual story… it’s alright. There are many story arcs but in the end it all comes together under one villain, Yan Shifan, who is not particularly morally complex (eg I never felt sorry for him), but who is quite crafty and also very smarmy. There is the mystery of the FL’s past, which is interesting enough as it unfolds, but in the end I have to subtract points for it (see section on the Ending, contains spoilers).
I feel the strength of this story is really the main couple’s relationship. The story arcs seemed most interesting as a mechanism to watch their relationship develop, leaving a slight void after they finally get together. I wish they had developed some side stories a bit more, especially with many potential great side characters who came to nothing. For example, I would have loved to see more development of the sisterhood between Zhai Lanye and Shangguan Xi.
Stylistically, I was not a huge fan of the director’s style of shooting peoples’ eyes up close. I saw people making comments about Allen’s X-rated stares, I honestly think it was just this stylistic choice which personally I was not a fan of. That aside, I do think Allen did a good job and I could see his character’s emotions evolve. He’s able to convey subtle emotions without overacting.
Technique-wise, the fighting is flashy but decent, and many actors and actresses in this show seem to have some degree of training. Some are better and some are worse; Seven Tan has a nice crescent kick, great flexibility. The choreography doesn’t exactly display supposed skill differentials (eg FL is a great fighter until suddenly she gets beaten badly) but that’s a minor quibble.
World-building is well done. This show is set in the Ming dynasty, which means it’s in the past but not too far back. It’s fun to see signs of modernization that aren’t in more historical Cdramas, like the beginning of guns. I also like that there is no random supernatural phenomenon or unexplained plot devices; although there are some logic leaps and unbelievable developments, at least everything supernatural has an explanation. A little realism is more suitable for a show like this, which dared to declare a specific historical period. And the costumes were gorgeous, especially the embroidered uniforms that give this show its title in Chinese.
ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW
In typical Cdrama style, the story gets a bit rushed at the end with too many rapid fire twists and turns. Although I saw it coming, I was a little upset they killed off a well-loved character for seemingly not-great reasons. And the final defeat of the main baddie is more a whimper than a bang.
The ultimate ending is happy, but we only get about 10 seconds of seeing them happy together. I had to find the novel online and read its appendices to get closure. I recommend doing this, it made a huge difference for me.
MORE MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD
My main issue is with how the story of her past plays out at the end. I felt very frustrated watching it. Perhaps I just have a hard time resonating because I didn’t grow up in a culture like this. The concept that, because of familial ties, people can be guilty for things they didn’t do or even know of, is so clearly ingrained in all the characters that I’ve tried to accept it as a premise, but I still have a hard time sympathizing with their choices.
Why did he break up with her without telling her- why not let her make her own decisions? But her reaction when she found out- was that really her character all along, and what about their relationship that I was so invested in? And why did he feel the need to pointlessly self-destruct? Could he maybe have done a better job trying to figure out what she actually wanted?
I think the book handles it a bit better (not just her giving him the cold shoulder), but the full-blown last-minute implosion is actually right from the source material. Not an excuse, though; dramas can and do change things. I do think I would be less frustrated if I also felt, intuitively, that family guilt should be inherited, but right now I just feel like I’m missing something that would make all this make sense.
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Just if you are interested in historical accuracy
I have started to watch this drama when it began to air in december 2019 and since then I rewatched it at least 3 times completely and several times just skipping to my favourite scenes.As there are already many reviews about the acting and the story line I am just going to add a few lines about historical accuracy.
As I have seen many historical/costume dramas over the years it can get somewhat annoying how nonsensical they are dealing with history (of course sometimes it's intended or just not important).
This drama, however, is different. I am far from saying that it is 100% accurate, but we have many things, characters and even lines that are true to their historical origin.
The story is after a book with the same name, for those who haven't read the book: the story line is pretty much the same. The biggest difference might be, that the drama story is set 20 years later then the book, but that doesn't change much about the story.
The actual main plot was the fight for power between the Yan family and the Lu family, which really happend. The Jiajing emperor is described as a cunning and manipulativ man who understood it to benefit from the powerstruggle. So the characters Emperor Jiajing, Head of the Embroiderd Guards Lu Ting and the first minister Yan Song all actually existed. Lu Ting really died because of Yan Song and just like in the drama Yan Song was banned to his hometown (in remembrance of the long time he had served the emperor), just to be executed by the emperor's son shortly after his death.
The emperor was very much into taoism, so even though our dear Lan Pianzi or Lan Qingxuan is not based on a real person he might as well have been.
So much for the characters.
Now, the embroiderd guards were a very powerful instance during the Ming Dynasty end especially towards the end of the dynasty they had achieved great power and were dreaded and feared for their ruthless conduct. The Liushanmen where Jin Xia works as an unimportant officer existed as well. So the embroidered guards were for the big cases and safety in the capital and the palace and smaller cases were first given to the Liushanmen or other similare authorities. As for the japanese pirates roaming around the coasts of Hangzhou, they too, existed. The late Ming Dynasty had a hugh problem with piracy and robbers. Even the fight for the city took place, not exactly as portraied in the drama, but it really happend.
Last but not least, the costumes. As propably known costumes in costume dramas are usually just made for the eye and, except for the recently popular Qing Dynasty palace dramas, not the least bit authentic.
This drama is slightly better. The uniform of the embroidered guards looked like that, with differing colours for different ranks, the length and the embroidery. But well, a drama that is named after the embroidered guards should at least get their costumes right. The rest of the costumes are at least not so off, that it would distract from watching the drama.
All in all very well produced!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Took A Suborn Silly Young Girl Always Dressing As A Man To Melt A Serious Strict Young Guards Heart!
1st I Want To Say There Is Alot Going On In The Drama, Lots Of Deciving, And Betrayal. There Is Just So Much Going On In This Drama... Everyone Is All To Serious, And Not Very Trust Worthy, But Then You Come To Find Out Who You Can Trust, And Who You Can't. Friends Because Very Good Friends, And They Entrust In Each Other To Help, And Save One Another, But Whom Ever Are Friends Are Good Friends, Almost Like Best Friends, And They Can Always Count On One Another To Help Or Save One Another. Lot's Of I Consider You My Sister To I Consider You My Brother Or Vice Versa!!!One Person Loves One Person, But That One Person Loves Another Person, And That Person Loves Another... Lots Of Adventures, And Lots Of Saving In This Drama!!! Lot Of Planning, And Trying To Figure Out How To Save One Another, And Get One Another To Safety. Lots Of Realizing, And Figuring Out There True Feelings, And There True Emotions. It Was Definitely A Learning Experience About Love, And Who To Love Or Who You Love To I Did Love You, Too I Now Love The Person That Loved Me Too I Have No One, And I Am Going To Be Single For The Rest Of My Life.
But From Everyone, I Will Say This For The Very Rare Occasion, There Was A Happy Ending, BUT JUST NO MARRIAGE!!! (ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS, THANK GOODNESS, THERE IS SUCH A THING AS FORGIVENESS, AND PARDONING!!! I Was In Tears Crying At The End, Because Of What I Thought Was Going To Happen... But As I Said Thank Goodness For The Forgiveness, And Pardon Especially By The King!!!)
The Only Actor I Knew Was Ren GuoCho Or Better Known As Allen Ren JiaLun, I Had Saw Him In The Blue Whisper, And Maybe Forever And Ever... The Blue Whisper Was My 3rd Chinese Drama I Ever Saw, So I Fell In Love With JiaLun, He Is Such An Excellent, And Talented Actor, And JiaLun From The Blue Whisper, And Acting As A Merman That Can't Speak, To An Imperial Guard For The King... So Serious, So Well Trained To Be Strict, And So Hard, As An Imperial Gaurd Would Be. (Not Only That He Is An Awesome Singer. He Sings The Song In The Beginning Of The Drama. Great Dancer Too...)
He Did An Excellent, And Extremely Great Job Acting As The 5 Year Old Lu Yi, And The 13 Year Old Lu Yi... Oh My God, I Don't Think I Have Laughed So Hard In My Life... I Was So Disappointed, Because Lu Yi Being A Young Kid Only Lasted For About An Episode, And A Half... I Wish The Would Have Made Him Stay Young For Maybe 3-5 Episodes. He Seriously Nailed Being An Adult, And Acting As A 5 Year Old, Then A 13 Year Old Out Of The Park. I Almost Died Laughing, It Was So Freaking Funny. I Just Wish The Would Have Did A Few More Episodes Of Him Like That.
I Ended Up Liking A Lot Of Actors, And Actresses In This Drama Like Tan SongYun, Han ChengYu... Actually I Only Really Like These 2, And Jin Xia's Brother And His Wife... Oh And The One Jin Xia's Brothers Wife Likes At 1st. I Really Like All The Actor, And Actress, And There Actor's, And Actress Did A Extremely Excellent Job Acting In This Drama.
THERE WAS ONE CHARACTER THAT I HATED THE MOST, AND JUST WANTED TO KILL, AND THAT CHARACTERS NAME WAS YAN SHIFAN!!! I HATED THIS ACTOR, AND HIS CHARACTER WITH A PASSION... Which Only Shows That This Actor Is Great, And Awesome At Acting, And Doing His Job Correctly. Ha Ha Ha I Like All The Other Except This One Character. Everything He Does Is Just So Scandalous, Deceiving And Such A Good Liar... He Was Very Good At Melipulation, And Control. Ack, I Just Hate The Rat Bastard, I Even Told My Husband If I Saw Him In Real Life, I WON'T BE SAYING HELLO, I'LL BE PUNCHING...
THIS IS ONE OF MY HUSBAND'S FAVORITE CHINESE DRAMA'S BECAUSE THERE WAS A HAPPY ENDDING... I Have One Thing To Say About That... Way To Many Things Happen That Could Have Gone Sooooo Wrong, And Way To Many Things Happened For No Reason... Yan ShiFan!!! KARMA, ALWAYS BITES YOU IN THE BUTT IN THE END... ALL I GOTTA SAY IS YAN SHIFAN DESERVED EVERYTHING HE GOT IN THE END, AND WAY MORE... YES, I TRUELY HATE THIS CHARACTER, AND THE ACTOR THAT PLAYER THE CHARACTER.
September 23, 2024 @ 9:03 A.M.
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Surprisingly Good
Worth to watch even tho this drama has quite long episode. Love the story and the character of the leading cast. Lu Yi & Jin Xia so adorable together and will be one of my favorite drama couple. Hopefully, Ren Jia Lun and Tan Song Yun can be paired in another drama. They have very good chemistry.The things that quite disturbed me is the CGI effect, so bad 😂 looks like a budget drama, and the soundtrack also sounds gloomy and sad.
Hope they can make the next season, but it seems difficult , coz both of the main lead so busy with the schedule of their upcoming drama.
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