This review may contain spoilers
a cute feel good show 85% of the time!!
my friends and i have been talking about smth we would like to describe as the 'rare minimum.' as in this is the bare minimum bar is on the ground expectation for quality, and yet it happens so rarely that we are still surprised by it. this show is kind of it for light hearted romcoms! while not exactly a particularly smart show, it doesn't fall into senseless stupidity. all i ask is that the female lead be written with enough care and consideration that allows her to stand on her own, and isn't held down by the usual misogynistic tropes, and that she and the male lead can have a relationship that isn't plagued by stupid miscommunications and misunderstandings.... or worse the male lead being sweet and then suddenly becoming a raging abuser to 'protect her' or some shit which is the trope that sends me towards an early death.the only real time su ci has issues w pei zhao/qi wang is when she becomes suddenly triggered and flies into trauma lizard brain for an episode but it's easily forgivable and understandable considering what she's been through, and the way that the couple actually communicate makes up for it, with them becoming stronger by the end. there's also a part where pei zhao has to marry a princess to save su ci, and she doesn't lose her head and devolve into 'he's betraying me' she ultimately still trusts him and knows that he did it for good reasons, but the narrative still allows her to be rightfully angry, which is nice. they have such a straightforward progression of becoming close, inspiring each other, being vulnerable with each other, and supporting each other that is just refreshing and comfortable to watch. i don't feel like im constantly under attack like how i feel having seen so many romantic dramas, where there is just toxic behavior that isn't developed or worked through and angst over misunderstandings.
the group dynamic/scooby gang investigating generally low stakes mysteries is so the vibe that i was looking for! every member of the friend group is so cute and each person has their chance to shine and offer their skills to the mystery at hand. well, maybe xie beiming a little less, but he's so lovable and supportive and important just for his presence alone! it's just nice to watch a show about a whole friend group too, which also feels like something of a rarity. usually the b couple is off having a whole separate plot. the secondary couple in this show is also.... really cute..... they really get me.... the supportive himbo king x smart/capable spunky girl ALWAYS gets me.... giving me guo jing x huang rong from condor heroes vibes. that said while they were super cute for most of the series i was disappointed in how their relationship arc went by the end, they really established that xie beiming was the overprotective will-just-hide-the-truth-from-his-girl type, which is fine as long as he grows from it and he never does?? pei zhao is literally like u should trust and believe in ur smart and strong gf and he still doesnt learn?? he literally goes into the finale still having not told her his past and she has to learn due to circumstance. very disappointed, he could have had a really fulfilling character arc in which he learns how to actually respect rushuang, and women in general by extension, by trusting and believing in her strength, and willing to be share himself and his troubles with her as a partner. sighhhhhh..
other problems w the show include the absolute flagrant and violent transphobia of the first episode and also sprinkled throughout the rest of the show. it's like reeeallly bad and reeeaaally gross. there's also some tropes in the beginning that are quite shitty, such as the aphrodisiac shit, the threat of sexual violence, it's all p upsetting and is what knocks the score down for me. i kno she's not trans by any means, but there's just something really violent about a gender nonconforming person getting drugged, and non consensually stuffed into the clothing and make up of their assigned gender, and then put under the threat of sexual violence, and then having to be saved by the male love interest.... and this happens TWICE.
but OTHERWISE, i've seen many a 'strong female character' but usually they are girl bosses because they are royalty or just powerful in social status, or they're exceptional fighters/warriors/generals.... it felt nice to watch su ci be accepted and respected based on her ability as a detective. also a lot of the characters come under the assumption that pei zhao and su ci are gay because she was dressed as a man for a lot of the series.... for a show with no gay leads or gay relationships, it somehow still felt like the kindest treatment of lgb people i've seen in a c-drama?? pei zhao is clearly interested and kisses su ci before he finds out she's a girl, and even afterwards every time someone is like u guys are gay, he is super accepting and goes along with it, he doesn't protest even a little, being gay just isn't treated like it's shameful.... which is more than i can say for some literal bl novels/shows. based on this i'm willing to just go ahead w my bi king headcanon. himbo king xie meiming is also super supportive when he thinks they're gay, he doesn't 'out' them at any point and is just generally caring?? the only one who is mad about it is pei zhao's clearly gay servant kid who also wrote their names together in a marriage wish so i'm willing to chalk it up to him being young and suffering from internalized homophobia.
another note why are we STILL under the yoke of the ten miles peach blossoms styling chokehold.... su ci resembles bai qian in her styling very much, very sick of the light near white robes with the middle parted hair that softly curls around the head and the drop earrings.... even when dressed as a guy she looks like bai qian's young cross dressing form. come on c dramas let's move onnnNNN!!!
ultimately, this is a great feel good comfort show! lighthearted but still engaging, with a lot of simple plots and storytelling, nothing new exactly, but it doesn't aspire to ever be more than it is. just comforting, safe, and cute.
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Romance that kills a drama.
I like the first 2 minutes into the series, when it shows how the lead female character Su Ci's observant character is displayed through animated scripts on every object she observes, based on which she deducts her conclusion as part of the investigation. It looks awesome and sophisticated. It would have been amazing if this feature continues in the entire movie, especially when she does her job observing and analyzing a crime scene.The story still looks promising at the earlier parts of the drama, where a female detective cross-dresses as a male detective, investigates crime scenes and catches criminals. Unfortunately the good storyline rather drifts away after a while. The turning point, as usual, is when Su Ci met Prince Qi, the the lead male character, and start to fall for each other. Romance is okay, but for a supposedly a crime-fighting movie, the romance between Su Ci, who is a smart female detective, and Prince Qi, a war hero, is too dominating and physical. The holding hands, kissing, staring and glazing, etc., is kind of too much, and to some extent, disturbing. The romance is so lame that it kills their characters as a detective who fight crimes, and a war hero prince who had shed a lot of blood during the war time. On the other hand, the relationship between Bei Ming and Ru Shuang, though, is notably more natural, seamless, and somewhat believable. In fact, Ru Shuang is my favorite character.
I was a bit excited with hope, when Prince Qi, who has an eyesight problem, showed a great and fierce martial arts skill and managed to beat up a bunch of soldiers who wanted to captivate him. I thought his eyesight problem and this martial art skills were going to be explored and to take a big part of the storyline. Unfortunately that was not the case.
Nonetheless, taking the romance out, the overarching storyline is good - with several twists here and there, added by a bit of complexity at the end. For this reason I watched till the end.
If you are into cinematography and seek for a drama with creative camera angles and lighting effects, etc., this may not be the one for you. If you are into wuxia movies, this is also not for you. But if you just want to sit, relax and enjoy an overwhelming romance, this could be for you :)
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Decent story, EXCELLENT ROMANCE, but could've been executed better
Don't get me wrong, this was one of the best costume dramas I'd seen since TROTR. The chemistry was off the charts, the kissing scenes were so natural, and the plot was really nice.I felt like something was missing though, which is why it didn't get a 10/10. It felt like a drama stuck between trying to be dark and mysterious but was failing at it.
Besides that, I loved the plot. Not a trope or misunderstanding in sight, and it was well rounded overall. The ML and FL were dedicated to each other, and none of the typical attempted break-ups happened. I really liked it for that.
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I saw a clip for this drama because I liked the FL and thought I’d give it a shot to see if there was such a thing as a sweet historical romantic comedy. And I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! There wasn’t much to the plot and there were some cliches, but I liked how things were resolved fairly quickly. It was a light and easy watch... exactly what I was looking for. The FL and ML’s chemistry was so sweet and believable ... I wondered too at times (like I’m sure many did), if they actually liked each other in real life! The friendship amongst the 5 friends was also fun to watch and I loved how they all stayed loyal to one another to the very end.
I’m definitely more open to watching more historical dramas after this one, although I still don’t know if I can handle the more traditional tragic ones where it takes them 30 years to reunite and only after 50 episodes ( if one of them doesn’t die first!) 😂
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This review may contain spoilers
At first I quite like this drama. So long not see the ML that flirting with our FL in historical drama. But due to one illogical plot I have to reduce the score.What I like:
+ FL smart, brave, adorable sometimes. Well what not too like about this FL... Haha...
+ ML handsome, smart, not so cold & kinda flirty with our FL... Haha...
+ The chemistry between our lead couple. Even though it's not the best chemistry, but I can feel their feeling for each other.
+ How Pei Zhao / Prince Qi (PQ) respect Su Ci (SC) opinion & her job. PQ never use his position as a prince to make things easier for SC at her job. Even when she compete for her promotion, PQ only teach her & do his best to assist her in her lesson.
+ Adorable second couple. The stupid Xie Bei Ming & smart Dong Ru Shuang at the first look not so match, but in the end their the perfect fit for each other.
+ The unusual brotherhood of Prince Qi & Emperor. Usually brother of empire like to stab each other, but here see how trust emperor with his brother is really comforting.
+ The good choice that Xie Bei Ming (BM) pick. We can see the struggle BM when he has to choose between the right thing to do and his adopted father. Even though still he kinda stupid to try avoid everyone in the process....
The minus:
- Once more all the case kinda force to be there. To make this drama still about investigation upon all the story.
Ok the illogical plot that I meant. Don't read if you don't want to get spoiler
Maybe it's only me but I really feel this kinda strange. The incident where SC try to stab PQ. She said it's because she recognize his voice as the mastermind behind the massacre of her family, but hello... Aren't you supposed already know PQ voice from the beginning.... How can you just identify him as the murderer now.... For me it's doesn't make sense, because for me his voice is no different from the beginning. And that whole 'incident' or story just for they can make the thing happen later kinda make sense or feel more tense....
Overall this quite good story for you to watch.
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The romance arc is great. Cute and fun.
I loved just about everything about it. I'm not even going to pretend that my favorite element wasn't Pei Zhao, cause it was! I loved his self-deprecating, way of looking at the world, very down to earth and resourceful.Pei Zhao is an awesome hero, and Su Ci is an equally awesome heroine. She is gutsy, intelligent, and sweet. She never gave me the urge to ignore her and focus on the hero because I didn't like her.
My one complaint was detective aspect. Riddles and mystery. No, no and no. They were not fully developed and were boring.
That being said, I was invested in what happened between Pei Zhao and Su Ci.
I'm glad I watched this series.
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This review may contain spoilers
This was such a great series, one of the best Cdramas I've seen so far. The characters were great, the relationships touching, the cases they solved always interesting and the main arc so well-plotted!What I adored was that both Su Ci and Prince Qi were smart! They were intelligent and cunning and resourceful and lovely, kind people. But mainly, they were Smart(TM)! Both of them! And it was perfectly portrayed in how they both solved the final case, the main arc case, though they approached it from different sides: Su Ci by following clues, Prince Qi by trusting and working with people, winning them over.
Another thing that I loved was that Prince Qi suffered from PTSD caused by that one disastrous battle where he lost all the men under his command for which he never forgave himself even though it was not his fault but the work of a traitor.
Another thing that I loved #2 was how how much everyone loved Prince Qi: his brother (the Emperor himself), the Empress Dowager (even though Prince Qi was the son of her husband's concubine), all the prince's men (every single one of them would've died for him)... Because he was honest to gosh good people and everyone knew it.
I also loved how the relationship between Su Ci and Prince Qi developed, that he always supported her and ever since he found out that she was a woman, he did all that was in his power to change the laws so that she could officially work as an official. That was simply amazing.
Oh, and the ending was perfect. I loved it when found families stick together!
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Overall simple watch with what seems to be a beginner sctor
I jumped straight from The Imperial Coroner to Maiden Holmes, and I've got to say, the kisses are waayyyyy more steamy in Maiden Holmes. But I think I still liked The Imperial Coroner better in terms of plot development, mystery, and the romance was simpler in that one too (which I generally like because when romance becomes a focus in dramas, it tends to go down poorly written cliche routes). It's like, the less angsty and dramatic the romance, the less steamy it is for some reason. That's what I noticed in a lot of the shows lol. Or is it just my imagination? Either way, this one had a lot of cliches - good/fun ones and somewhat bad ones. The bad cliches are resolved fairly well, and because it's resolved quickly, and the romance was actually good in terms of the male lead respecting the female lead and female lead being useful and NOT annoying, and IS strong and independent, I gave it a chance, otherwise I might've not watched it with all the cliches.Maybe it's because I've seen a lot of mystery, but the cases weren't anything surprising or unique, but the plot twist at the very end had me - honestly didn't see that one coming. But most of the rest, I've seen them elsewhere before. In terms of the mystery and cases, The Imperial Coroner is definitely superior.
So for a lot of the cases, if not all I've seen so far, in Maiden Holmes used more circumstantial evidence than direct evidence - I can think of many holes for the 'evidence' they present. Not that I focus on the details that much, and it is rather romance focused, so I ignored the holes in the evidence. If you prefer good romance, I would recommend it, but if you want good crimes and mystery, The Imperial Coroner is superior.
A random note: this might be an unpopular opinion, but a lot of people are saying how they can't believe it's the the lead actor's first acting role because it's so good... In my opinion, his acting's good, he has expressions spot on in some scenes, but in a lot of the scenes, his expression looks a little... how do I explain it? I wouldn't say it was stiff, but it was very monotone and hardly considered expressive. It's cute though, but it's not really the most suitable expression in the scenes he's portraying. It didn't match the emotions in his dubbed voice either, but that makese because when I hear his own voice in the extra scenes when the ending song comes up, it is rather deep and nice, but sometimes there's hardly any enunciation in his words and it sounds more like mumbles and... very monotone... and it makes me think, luckily it's dubbed... Like if you just compare the enunciation of all the other characters to the male lead, there's a clear difference. Other than that, he's pretty handsome and cute and I love his character. But I can totally believe it if you tell me it's his first drama, and because it's his first, it's fine, and I'm sure he'll improve. He's only a year older than myself after all hahahha, still young~ :p Maybe I notice it more because I can understand Chinese? Hope to see him improve though :)
Hmmm, overall, I might give it an 8/10. It's generally not one I would usually watch due to the couple of episodes of misunderstandings, but I did finish because it was resolved pretty quickly and all the characters acted mature and independent, which I appreciated, especially the female lead who continued to be strong and intelligent and independent, and the male lead wasn't overbearing or rude because that's not romantic. I dont usually rewatch many dramas anyways. The ending was a happy one too, so that's a bonus~
Mystery and romance wise, I still like The Imperial Coroner compared to this one, but this still worthy a watch.
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One of the best cdramas I've watched
This drama involves 5 young people working together to solve crimes and uncover conspiracies. they seem to specialise in crimes which people think are committed by ghosts or angry gods, but are actually done by real people. The group is made out of Su Ci, a girl who cross dresses as a man to work at the investigation bureau and who is especially talented at noticing small minute details and logical thinking which are often is the key to the case. she is also the remaining survivor of her tribe that was accused of treason, and her goal is to prove the innocence of her people. Pei Zhao is a prince who is set on proving that there were traitors who sold out their army during war, and he has especially good sense of smell and hearing due to eye problems. Xie Bei Ming is a skilled fighter but not very smart, but he is loyal and has a good heart. Ru Shuang is a brilliant doctor and master of poison and she is often key in developing poison antidotes and saving lives. Fei Yue is Pei Zhao's servant and he is a good cook and very loyal to his master. The group solves a series of crimes together, ultimately all pointing to one mastermind, who is revealed early on in the series and is always trying to foil the group's plans. All the crimes end up being part of a big plan by the main villain, including both cases involving the leads.I especially liked the fact that there were no misunderstandings or drawn out conflicts within the group itself. the main couple each hid things from each other at the start but when they came to light the couple was able to work out their issues and distrust and eventually emerged stronger. the group dynamics were funny at times but I could also see the genuine trust and love they all had for each other and how they supported each other through their lowest times.
The plot of this show is not too confusing or convoluted, but not so simple that the cases are too easily or simplistic, I found it to be a good balance between being an easy watch while keeping me entertained and waiting for the 'reveal'. there is minimal angst throughout the show and enough comedic moments to balance out all the dying and plotting that is going on. the chemistry between the couples is realistic and believable and their growth was very satisfying to watch. Highly recommend this show if you're looking for something easy to watch but not stupid or over the top. Bonus plus point that both females are equally talented and bring their own unique strengths to the group and are important members as without both of them, the cases would not be able to be solved. The cross dressing trope was well used and I thought the FL was one of the more convincing cross dressing actresses I've seen.
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Main couple with double identities
This started of as not that fun to watch for me. I watched ot for Zhanglinghe and this was almost unbearable to watch at first. Maybe because I've watched far better shows in terms of quality that is why I notice all the small flaws and nitpick on them. But after ep 1 I was intrigued. The flow is kinda boring but the investigating scenes are quite interesting especially the fl because she's so smart and I really like that about her. Both main leads have double identities and I really like the gender bender or cross dressing as a boy element in this drama. The romance are a bit lacking to me because they usually focus on investigating crimes and etc but the few romantic scenes are so satisfying. I love how Zhanglinghe, as this is his debut role, delivered the role of Prince Qi perfectly. Although for me, his physique does not match the role as a heroic prince who won many battles, his acting skills we're not lacking at all. I love how genuine and kind he is as a lover but also very intense when it comes to showing his love. I like the part at first he was seen as the womanizing ml but turned out to be smart and cunning prince. Also worth mentioning are the sidecasts. I really love the 2nd couple, they are really fun to watch and had made this show less boring. I love how the drama ended with the team having a happy ending and off to a new adventure together. Overall, the first few moments of this drama is quite boring, the middle part is quite interesting and fun to watch and after that it became a little bit boring again to me.Was this review helpful to you?
Highly recommend
This drama has exceeded my expectations in many ways.1. The storyline was well written, nothing was rushed or overly extended. Which i find is a rare gem when watching cdramas. It focuses on the goals that the couple is trying to reach all while they develop their relationship.
2. You can see a clear development of their relationship and how there were always helping each other on the sidelines. Also, be warned your expectations for a S.O will be so high after this drama.
3. You see how beautiful friendship can be.
4. The chemistry of the lead couple really took me away (especially how passionate their kisses were!) Which surprised me when i found out that it is the ML first drama
Overall i highly recommend this drama and it will be one that i will go back too if i don't get too carried away by all the other dramas out there.
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If only more dramas were like this
I never write reviews. Partly due to laziness and partly because there will be plenty who are better at writing reviews. However I am writing a review now because I was so impressed with this drama. First drama where I didn’t skip scenes or cringe at silly antics by the characters particularly female characters. It was overall a well written and well executed drama. Great mixture of romance, mystery, action and humour. It was pure enjoyment with minimal frustrations or disbelief at ridiculous actions or plot (except for one scene out of 32 episodes).What I loved about this drama:
* Great chemistry between the OTP. Beautiful couple who compliment each other. Except for the one scene where the FL thought the ML was responsible for the massacre of her clan which was quickly resolved anyway there was no unnecessary misunderstandings or conflicts. They trust, respect and support each other from beginning to end.
*Kissing scenes between OTP ... omg hot! None of those motionless eyes open kisses that are so common in c dramas. I liked how the FL also initiated many of their kisses.
*Not only is the FL strong, intelligent and independent but all the female characters are strong in this drama. No silly, bratty, airhead females with whiny voices (my pet peeve). Even the foreign Princess showed her strength of character when she confessed her feelings to the guard but didn’t expect anything in return.
*Handsome ML (pure eye candy) who isn’t your typical stoic, stern hero. He is calm , easy going and cheeky which compliments the FL more reserved personality. He gives FL the space she needs, trust in her ability and judgment even though she is a female. The actor although new did a great job portraying this character.
*No love rivals! So refreshing. Just wholesome healthy relationships.
*The strong bond and trust between the 5 friends and the royal brothers.
*It didn’t take long for the ML to realise FL was a female. Which meant there was sufficient time for the romance and relationship to develop.
*The villainous uncle although evil was also comical at times (talking to the parrot, his facial expressions like rolling his eyes) which was fun to watch.
*Great pace. Plot moved along nicely with no drawn out misunderstandings or angst. Mysteries weren’t that difficult to solve but still entertaining and each mystery was solved within a couple of episodes.
*The ending. Everything is resolved. The bad guys are killed, the good guys get their happy ending. No one had to die unnecessarily. Script writers take note... this is how you write an ending.
This is a light hearted drama that has a tight plot with interesting characters and relationships that remain consistent throughout the drama. It goes to show you don’t need the typical annoying tropes to create an entertaining drama.
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