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This review may contain spoilers
watch it for the romance, not crime/investigation
Like my headline says, there are more romance scenes than investigative scenes. It was perfect for me though because I typically enjoy watching romance dramas. I had thought this drama would be more about the crime scenes and story, but I am pleasantly surprised it focused on the main leads' relationship.With that said, I felt so spoiled throughout the drama because I was so used to the simple scenes where the female and male lead demonstrate their love and trust for each other. Whenever any problem seemed to arise, the trust between the two didn't stir up any misunderstandings.
HOWEVER, I am disappointed at the ending. This is the first drama I have ever fast-forwarded and skipped some parts (thank god for 1.5x speed). I don't understand how the writers could give us all the sweet romance and then just completely cut us off it for the last episodes. Don't even get me started on episode 55. Though there is a happy ending involved, nothing big happens. For marriage to be such a recurrent theme throughout the show you'd THINK that a wedding scene would happen between the main couple. But nope, most of it just shows the couple being apart etc etc. I GET IT it's for the drama, but I started skipping towards the end because it felt like it was dragging to fill the 55 episode quota and then use the last episode so haphazardly.
The beginning and middle were very adorable to watch, but I am iffy about the ending. It is a great drama to watch regardless though because the acting of the cast gets you so immersed in it. There are bad visual effects, but like I said, the acting carried it all really well. The story is not bad either but it is very typical: good vs. bad, villain gets what he deserves in the end. What does differentiate is the female lead being able to fight alongside the male lead. Even the second female lead is badass.
P.S. though romance was a bigger focus here, they only pretty much kiss once ):
P.S.S. The OST is a must listen
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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?
Great plot/script, Exceptional acting, Talented director, Great cast
I look forward to another partnership between the female (Seven Tan)and male (Allen Run) leads. It was well cast. The antagonist was very convincing in his acting. The plot had a lot of layers and kept me longing to watch the next episode. Even though I knew the storyline, I still looked forward to watching it over again. I thoroughly enjoyed each time the criminal cases were solved and how the antique gadgets were used to deduce each step. It was CSI in the olden days. The FL and ML complemented each other when cases were being solved. Well done!Was this review helpful to you?
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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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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Allen Ren and Seven Tan <33333333
Super funny and lighthearted show with plot twists and a bit of mystery. The cast was amazing, and the acting was really good. An excellent historical drama to watch if u like comedy and mystery. Aleen and Steven did an amazing job with their acting and there on-screen chemistry was perfect. There's not a lot of kissing scenes but you can still feel the romance and bond between the two leads. I also like the second lead couple. They were amazing even though there relationship developed pretty slow. I dislike the 2nd male lead, he was really immature and annoying. Jingxia already told him she only sees him like a brother but he still causes problems between the main couple. A couple things to look out for are the special effects. They were not good and you could easily tell there fake, especially the underwater scenes. The budget for this drama wasn't too high, therefore the special effects were really trash. it was so funny to watch the actors "swim". This drama would have been a lot better if they had a better budget. There are also a lot of episodes and each episode is pretty long. Some episodes were unnecessary and made the series a little hard to continue. Overall really good drama to watch and highly recommend.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
overall a not bad production but can be better
I’ve mixed feelings after finishing this drama. there’s good and bad.storyline:
the cases and the politics got too complicated till I’ve forgotten what happened in first episode. the only thing that got me going was when the main leads gonna have feelings for each other.
for the ending, why Lu Yi use that scroll after Yan Shifan was dealt with? emperor kept issuing edict. so annoying. from death sentence to life imprisonment within 10 mins. this is funny. knowing Jinxia was Xia generation why the villain didn’t try to imprison Lu Yi for protecting Xia family instead? the ending for him taking the blame was unnecessary.
acting:
I swear, as time passed, Yan Shifan’s acting grew on me. his expression looks calm but you can see the psychotic side he portrayed with ease. Han Dong has been on my radar ever since he’s in Burning Flames but here he’s just good.
Ren jialun looks good as Lu Yi but he’s not intimidating enough. he’s known to be ruthless and I expected his expressions to be more cold and daunting. but but his 8 year old and 13 year old Lu Yi was AMAZING!
Tan Songyun, my first drama from her and she’s so tiny here lol. I love her jovial character but she’s good at crying scenes too.
their chemistry was palpable not too much and too less. however, there were scenes where I don’t feel the intensity of their love. I don’t need any romantic skinship scenes (One and Only proved it to me) but theirs did work out well, so not much complains here.
there were bad edits in the drama but I laughed it off as I watched. well, I don’t blame them. if they could put more effort in being more detailed.
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Definitely Recommend
Wow. Hmm. Where to start.Firstly, all the actors/actresses in the show seem to have such great chemistry with one another. For me, it was Gai Shu and Ling Lin that had great chemistry with not only one another but with the main leads as well. I always look forward to scenes where they appear with the main leads. Their presence never fail to make a scene so familial and full of care and concern for the main leads that I just feel like the show did them dirty by not giving them a proper conclusion.
Secondly, the soundtrack was great. Zhou Shen’s voice is heavenly. This is the only show where I sit through the theme song of every single episode because of how nice it was. Ren Jia Lun and Tan Song Yun also contributed to the OST and their songs fit the atmosphere of the scenes really well too. The instrumental OST are also pleasing to the ear.
Thirdly, the acting. The villain, Yan Shi Fan, was awesomely horrible. I’ve never been truly scared of any antagonist in my life but this one made me thank the lords I wasn’t born in the same era as him.
My favourite character has got to be Lu Yi. I’m totally smitten. Mind you, I have never fallen head over heels for any male characters from a drama before. Lu Yi is the first. I’m now officially a fan of Ren Jia Lun and will probably watch every other Gu Zhuang Xi he acted/will act in.
Other honorable mentions would be Jin Xia and Zhai Lan Ye. We all know Jin Xia is adorable and vivacious. But Zhai Lan Ye was another character that stood out for me. She is truly the human embodiment of the phrase “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”.
Lan Qing Xuan also stood out for me. However, I was under the impression he had a tragic back story related to Yan Jia that would reveal why he was so willing to help get rid of them. That back story never came so I am a bit confused? What was his motivation to bring them down? Was it because of what happened to his master and disciple? It didn’t feel like a strong enough reason to compel him to forsake his own life to do so though. Or maybe I just didn’t understand the story lol.
My only complaint with this show was that there were too many scenes of supporting characters like Shang Guan Xi and Yang Yue. Fortunately I could adjust the playback speed to 1.5x whenever they appeared or I would have died of boredom. Took her 30 episodes to stop simping for Xie Xiao, who was an equally irritating character. He also didn’t even take over his dad’s business in the end (and this was such a big deal in the show for his character) so my question is what happens to Wu An Bang now that both leaders are gone? The show also never really explained why Lu Yi’s mother had to die? I thought it’d be related to the main ordeal with the Xia Jia but it’s not?? Probably just a plot tool for Lu Yi to have a tragic back story I guess.
Finally, I think the whole series had a good and proper conclusion. The part where Jin Xia visited the prison every day in hopes to see Lu Yi was especially touching. This is a show I will never forget. 100% recommend! But would I ever rewatch? Not even my man, Lu Yi, can convince me to sit through the whole Yang Yue and Shang Guan Xi scenes again.
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Lovable leads & Amazing chemistry
This drama was almost perfect. The beginning was so fun, and it really drew me in. I love how Seven Tan portrayed Jin Xia in a way that was endearing instead of annoying. She brings us a FL with a truly unique personality I wish I saw more in dramas. And Lu Yi... *swoon* Allen Ren did such a good job here. He really brought the stern yet soft Lu Yi to life. The way Lu Yi looks at Jin Xia makes me wanna eat him up (iykyk ;) hehe). The middle of the drama was my favorite. It was full of such sweet fluff and angst that wasn't over the top. However, the last 10 episodes or so is where some of the magic was lost for me. It got a little trope-y and draggy. I stuck through purely out of loyalty to the main couple since the secondary couple(s) weren't anything to write home about.Overall, I definitely recommend this drama. The hilarious moments, slow-burn romance, and flaming-hot eye contact are definitely worth the sluggish ending. Not to mention, the opening song is so hauntingly beautiful it makes my heart ache... in a good way.
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