Stand by Me

Intense.

I was fairly intrigued by the premise of this drama and I decided to watch it because I like the female lead. She’s pretty and kind of cute.

What I liked:
- intense drama with a lot, a lot of things happening
- plenty of unexpected twists and turns
- it’s a long-drawn chess game which lasts 49 episodes
- never know what will happen so you have to go episode after episode
- the male lead is handsome (it’s my first time ‘meeting’ him and he’s quite fine
- the female lead is pretty and quite fine too

What I didn’t like:
- crazy eunuch - he’s nuts and hateful
- too many twists and turns - I was quite confused and puzzled (but things do get solved and explained which is good)
- quite bloody with plenty of deaths

A drama worth an 8/10 is a drama worth watching in my opinion. If you are thinking of whether to watch or not, I’d say watch if you have time for 49 episodes.

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I Must Win!

This is the drama that made me love Cheng Yi's acting talent.

Firstly, I'm afraid of being disappointed and unsatisfied with the acting and the story. But fortunately, this drama is one of my favorite dramas!

Story,
I enjoyed the unpredictable and complicated plot, but it's hard to find a drama that suits my taste. I like the story that is not easy to predict and it made you give attention to detail, so you don't miss out on any clues for the ending. This is one of the best of the best based on my liking. Even though there are some points that not really clear, but I'm satisfied enough.

Acting,
Cheng Yi and Zhang Yu Xi really have a great job of portraying each of their characters. They have good chemistry and succeed to make me sucked into this drama. And also standing applause for Micky He, Han Dong, and the other artists. All of them really bring the character alive.

Music,
There is nothing that makes me unsatisfied. Thank you to the music department staff that prepared all of the beautiful songs. Without you guys, this drama wouldn't end as beautiful as this.

Overall I really enjoyed each of the episodes. This is the second time I watched this, now I'm confident enough to give full point for the drama. If you enjoy the complicated yet beautiful story. I really recommend you to watch this.

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Lengthy but not boring

I just waiting for love story to start because male lead actor is so amazing to express all type of emotions . So patiently I waited for it and I had watched 30 episodes but still love story not started so I decided to drop it but I watched one more episode then I realised actually drama was not boring and continued to watched it but now I was waiting to know that what would happened at the last, did love story will start or not ,if not then I would not happy with story . Yes Love story started but very few romantic scene and not happy with the end but ending scene arose so many questions. So, Is there second season?
If it real life based story so story end with assumption. Male lead actors is the best .

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Full of intrigue and court politics

This drama is full of intrigue and court politics. While watching it, I had to adjust my expectations a bit. Firstly, it is a slow-paced story, with very little romance, and it has a narrow focus on court politics. As a result, characters spend most of their time dialoguing, developing all kinds of complicated schemes, and fighting to seize or shift power. The story is solid, but there are a few inconsistencies along the way that defy logic and make the viewing experience frustrating at times. This type of drama cannot be watched mindlessly, as you have to pay attention to every detail, which is a plus, in my view.

Regarding the actors, Cheng Yi's acting is subtle but still very good and nuanced, although his character is quite static and emotionally flat. Xuan Lu's multifaceted performance as Yanzhi and Mickey He's quirky interpretation of the villainous, power-hungry eunuch (Qiu Ziliang) were both impressive. Zhang Yuxi has a nice presence overall and is quite expressive, but her character is a bit difficult to like, reinforcing a long-standing tradition in Chinese dramas to portray the female lead as unintelligent and naive.

While I generally prefer the Xianxia genre, I do enjoy a good, intriguing political drama from time to time, especially one that doesn't simplify the plot for the viewers. Overall, I would recommend this drama to anyone who enjoys a complex, thought-provoking storyline.

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Controversial opinions..

I have some controversial views for this cdrama. First, i love the ML , is a good actor, knew him from love and redemption. I dont find him sexy but i cannot deny he can take your breath away with his mysterious aura.... the FL ..well.. i love and hate her at the same time, sometimes she plays clever, she surprises everybody because she seems to know it all... but at times she is like an adult with childish traits... far too naive for my taste. And her childish voice at times could have been avoided to add on credibility for the type of role she is covering, an imperial guard, the sword bearer. This cdrama is about how to take a slow... very slow... revenge. I am at ep 43... 1 to go...and it seems the bad guys cannot be punished , it gets to my nerves to see how the evil eunuch seems to have more power than the emperor, i would slap his face hard! How dare you!! Please silence this super human evildoers!

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This is a good fictional historical drama that, according to some viewers, was based on actual events and characters of the late Tang Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Wuzong. The actors did a great job bringing their characters to life and, although the drama is about 10-13 episodes too long and there are plenty of unnecessary events, the drama is quite entertaining. The drama progresses too slowly, the leading actress is too impulsive and unreasonable trying to protect people that were obviously hurting her and the emperor which made her character quite frustrating. The Emperor (Cheng Yi) and Mike He (as eunuch Qiu Zi Liang) were a force to be reckon with portraying their characters. SPOILER ALERT: The drama would have been much better if they would have ended it after the Emperor wins over the bad guys but, at the end, the Emperor dies. (And who was the person that the leading lady was looking at so lovingly at the end?).

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STAND BY IT… YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED!

If you liked The Long Ballad or The Sword and the Brocade, and the costumed piece shows, then you’ll like this one too. TBH, I’m hesitant when there are like 25+ episodes in a C-Drama because I feel sometimes it gets dragged out. But this show had a story that peaked my interest and I couldn’t wait to see the new episode the next day. Member WandeR had a lengthy review that hit a lot of good points that I agree on. The only actor I recognized in this was Han Dong who played Prince Guang, but now I am definitely a new fan of both M F leads, Cheng Yi and Zhang Yu Xi. The entire cast did a great job but I’m a sucker for romance so I favored the Emperor and his Sword Bearer more, ha! The political plots may sometimes feel the same in these shows but this one had a pretty good storyline I had not yet watched before. When I catch myself replaying a scene or going back to watch an episode, I know I’ve enjoyed it. Not to mention, when I start to sing or whistle the soundtracks when I’m not watching the show, it pretty much justifies my rating of 10. Hope you too can enjoy it… Happy viewing!

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All the actresses and actors in this drama can act their roles very well. Yuxi is such a talented actress. She can draw all the attentions of the viewers. She can act like a female warrior and her acting is so cute when she acts as a young immature girl and who is lack in martial art. Her actings are so lovely.
The romantic scenes are so sweet and lively and my heart beats so fast whenever I watch that scenes. Although she did not specialize in acting at universities, her acting is much much much improved compared to in my little princess(it's just my opinion). Chengyi is also a talented actor. Most of the scenes he acts makes me feel sorry in this.

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the ml & 2 fl’s acting were great. The ml had great facial expressions and fl did a great job of crying and showing that love in her eyes. The side characters acting were great as well and everyone did a good job with their roles. {The first five episodes were boring and kinda confusing. The plot was unique and good though. Although, The fl was loyal but very dumb sometimes. The second fl was very cunning and smart which I liked. I also liked the second fl main buddy. He was great and loyal as well. I liked this drama but it started to feel like they were dragging the episodes out when I was getting closer to the end. I stopped watched until I got to episode 31, so I technically didn’t finish it fully. I don’t wanna waste my time so I’ll say the drama ended at episode 31 to keep good thoughts of it. My favorite episodes was episode 20

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Historical person

Qi Yan was really emperor, of Tang dinasty. born in 814. He had a love story, with a singer dancer that he brought in palace. He did dies at 31 and his uncle, lord of Guang did inheritet his trone. Emperor Yan had 5 sons and all of term disapeard from history records. His love woman commited suicide when he died.

in this drama i dont think that writer meant that emperor faked death. emperor said in next life will live ordinary life with her.

Although the TV series "Dream Awakening Chang'an" is adapted from Feihua's novella "Swordsmanship", the original novel only has 70,000 words and focuses on emotional description.
Screenwriter Shi Si Que spent six years adapting the novel and researching history, bringing it closer to history. Even the protagonist was changed. So, the adapted "Dream Awakening Chang'an" is completely different from the original, fairy-like martial arts novel "Swordsman"!

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An oath to death | How did we end up with such horrendous FL? /Curses/

"I guess, I am the most incompetent Sword Bearer to date. Your Majesty, I couldn't protect you. Instead, I have to rely on you to protect me." - Cheng Ruoyu / Wang Ruoling

Are you guys ready to dive in as I scrutinize the ultimate plot hole in this story?

Before I start my review, I want to acknowledge every user who left negative feedback and dropped this drama within the first 10 episodes. Their decisions were valid; they weren't wrong, and I can't blame them for doing so since this, truly, has been the most challenging drama for me not to drop in over three years. At this point, I suppose I want to congratulate myself on finishing this arduous task, as well as let everyone know that this drama will certainly make you think countless of times about whether to drop it or not. Thank heavens, I am the type of viewer who almost never drops a show unless every aspect reaches an extremely unbearable point—and here, they simply went extremely overboard with the female lead and nothing more.

Watching this show, I was struck by one specific question that continued to haunt me until the very end:
"What were the writers thinking when they were deciding on the FL's characterization?"

I tried so hard to understand that I started trying to put myself in the writer's shoes. I even reached the point where I had to think objectively and look at the bigger picture. However, despite all that, I still can't comprehend how they came up with such trash Female Lead. I understand that the Violet Bureau are the inferior and less seriously trained guards, which is why the FL's martial arts are mediocre. What I can't accept is how the people around her still keep on calling her "Great" and other synonymous words despite her visibly not being one. Can you imagine how infuriating that is? To watch a person be called and treated as the leader of a team responsible for the Emperor's security, yet exhibit poor and inferior skills? Heck, the Emperor was even more skilled than her!

Imagine protecting a person more capable than you. Isn't that just ridiculous? Isn't she supposedly more skilled and trained? With that, it has become the biggest cliché plot twist of the story. The FL/Personal Guard being protected by the emperor—the person she's supposed to protect—countless times because she's incompetent as hell. It even comes to the point where the emperor has to train her because she's lacking, or should I say, just straight-out bad at her job. Please make it make sense! How the hell was she considered a great protector when she's the one needing saving 99% of the time? SMH.

Imagine getting so tired of a plot that you ask yourself, after seeing it countless of times: How many more times do I need to watch the ML save the FL?

He's always to the rescue and always keeps a contingency plan for her, which is an additional liability. They consistently romanticize him saving her. Gosh! This trope exhausted the hell out of me. It's infuriating how the FL is always getting taken advantage of for being naive, gullible, ignorant, and overly incompetent. What's more hilarious is how the people around her don't even trust her fully in accomplishing a task, as they immediately knew she'll always fuck up one way or another. So, I will never understand the writers' audacity to set her up as a great martial artist, ever! She's a terrible personal guard and an overhyped martial artist, period.

Even after becoming Ling Ling (Wang Rou Ling) and knowing her true identity, she still couldn't grasp the situation. Why is she like a kid that you have to be specific with, carefully spelling each letter of the word for her to understand the plan? (P.S. She remained this dull-witted for like 90%+ of the show). I am not really sure what they were trying to achieve by writing her character like this; regardless, it did not work since she's a truly awful FL.

I would understand it if she had been introduced as a low-ranking member who persistently worked hard to get to her position, but she was not. She was introduced prestigiously—as a great martial artist/swordswoman rightful of the title 'Sword Bearer' and 'Chief of the Violet Bureau,' and personal guard of the emperor—after winning an all-out competition against her peers. Yet, her skills are terrible as fuck and don't measure up to her title.

Not to mention her tactless tendency to display insolence in front of the Emperor multiple times, despite several reminders to act accordingly—especially considering they just met. She talks back, bickers, and argues with him as if they are of the same status. I just couldn't grasp her character entirely, because I could never fathom how she could act this way when she’s just a mere servant. A security guard! ​Some people view it as a sign of total innocence and purity, and I see why they view it that way. However, at the expense of what? Her impertinence, unruly nature, and impulsive actions? Towards the 'Emperor' himself? Bullshit!

God knows how much emotional endurance and tolerance I had to invest just to get past the most irritating sections of the show—which are mostly about the FL.

Another idea I want to question—because I am completely baffled by—is why they didn't let Qiu Yanzhi/Wang Ruoqing be the female lead instead. She passed all the mark with a whopping A+++ across the board. So, I really don't understand why... She’s the perfect female lead we never had.

To wrap it all up, I want to thank the writers for keeping Prince Guang the kind and pure character that he is. I was thrilled by his character development, and I won’t lie—I wanted to see even more of him! However, I am satisfied that he retained his gentle nature until the end. I’m so glad they didn't ruin his character by making him scheming and/or manipulative. All I want is for him to remain the loving, caring, and family-oriented guy he’s always been. So, knowing that he stayed true to that has put me at ease. I truly want to thank the writers for that.

"The Dragon Throne is here. I can sit on it. And if I do, that is my power. I can sit on it. And if I refuse to sit on it, that's morality. It's easy to give in to power. But dying for morality is a tough decision. No matter how low I stoop, I will never hurt my own family." - Qi Chen / Prince Guang

Story - 7.5, I have no negative reaction or comments about the story itself. The whole plot and the sub-plots are consistent; they make you wonder and leave you in awe every time. The conflicts are straightforward but still keep you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see how they resolve the situation. It was intricately crafted and put together. What impressed me even more was how they kept the characters mysterious—like a double-edged sword, you can never guess who they are truly working for or who their aim is targeted at. It would have been perfect if they hadn't messed up the FL so heavily. Considering how much I suffered through all the FL’s shenanigans, I have decided to give it this rating. If I weren't extremely patient and tolerant, I would have been less than a millimeter away from dropping this drama.

Acting/Cast - 9.5, The execution was impressive! As expected, I can think of only a few who can hold a candle to Cheng Yi in delivering such an emotionally restrained character. He was spectacular and executed his role flawlessly, with precision. ​However, the people I truly want to commend here are Mickey He (Qiu Zhiliang) and Xuan Lu (Qiu Yanzhi/Wang Ruoqing). They carried this show the same way the ML did—their backs must be hurting from the strain of carrying the burden for the FL! Lol. Han Dong equally did a great job with his portrayal of Prince Guang; I love his character a lot. Anyway, this show made me question Zhang Yuxi's choice of roles. She portrayed the pure and innocent Cheng Ruoyu well. It's a shame the writers did her dirty by assassinating her character (Horrible writing).

Music - 7.0, I failed to appreciate much of the soundtrack in this show due to the extreme anguish I felt during the FL’s unbearable scenes. However, the song placement and harmonization were great—they felt balanced and never bothered me.

Rewatch Value - 1.0, I won't even pretend to be kind toward this show. My consideration was long thrown out of the window despite the considerably excellent story plot. I could never sit through this drama again; watching the female lead was honestly traumatic. I am done with it!

Overall - 7.5, I am giving it this rating in consideration of the impressive storyline and the spectacular execution of the actors and actresses. It may look like I am undermining this drama, but after being heavily exposed to and affected by the FL's character, I don't think I can give it any higher. That being said, I don't recommend this to people who are sensitive, even a little, with foolish characterization. However, if you're like me, who is mentally tough and enduring, then go ahead! Goodluck~ Haha!

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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