This review may contain spoilers
If it is SWEET THEN IT deserves a 10!!!
I am someone who only writes a review if I want to give it a 10 other than that I will not write a review. I watch dramas purely for entertainment purposes and I feel that this drama has made my day and warms my heart. It has the nice fluffy and soft feeling that I get watching some of my favorite actors whom I have been watching and following since that debut so I do recommend watching it again and again especially when you are in between shows and waiting on episodes to drop and this doesn’t make you feel disappointed or distracted by skipping and fast forward to just to finish watching it.Was this review helpful to you?
Sweet + Entertaining + Fast Pace
Positives:-Entertaining: I tried so many of these sweet dramas (modern and costume) and this one stood out for entertainment value. Pacing is great and I never got bored. It actually does have a simple story to tell and the romance/jokes are not trying too hard. Their daily lives are full of interesting moments which made me smile, lol, squeal, excited, and wanting more.
-Perfectly cast: GORGEOUS respectable yet full of contrast male lead character (main reason why I watch dramas) plus a cute and assertive female lead, with a young and energetic cast of friends. They all fit their characters well, have fun interactions with each another and delivered good performances.
-Fight scenes: there are a good amount here done by male lead himself and the martial arts director and crew deserves recognition.
-Production: although not a big budget drama, everything from wardrobe, hair & makeup, setting, camera work, fight scenes, CG are done well. Nothing annoying stood out that takes away from story/characters. I can tell production cares and want to deliver a fun drama for people to enjoy.
Negatives:
-Some typical romance cdrama tropes but with a male lead like that, who cares...
-Over simplified throne struggles which is not a reason I watch this drama.
So if at the end of the day you just want to come home, relax, destressed, and enjoy something easy and fun, watch this. =)
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Mainleads mismatched
I was really looking forward to this drama, but now I'm really a bit disappointed.First of all, the two main actors, who in my opinion have absolutely no chemistry with each other.
In "Everlasting Longing," Song Wei Long and Angela Baby made a truly beautiful couple. That's not the case here at all. There's absolutely no chemistry between the two main actors. It's as if an adult were playing with a child.
How can you pair such a striking, male actor with someone so bland and childlike? It really doesn't fit at all.
Of course, the whole story suffers from this, and I'm now seriously wondering whether I should continue watching.
I find myself constantly fast-forwarding; for me, there's just no tension. Others may see it differently, but unfortunately, for me, it's a no.
The story itself is nothing new. There are a lot of better dramas ongoing, with good pairings (Serendipity, The prisoner of beauty). I feel bad for Song Weilong, because i like his acting.
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Predictably sweet, it's for the feels, not the plot.
This series is pretty typical for its genre, a historical romance featuring a smart, composed heroine named Ming Tan. She’s set to marry into a “respectable” family, but surprise, they're a total mess. The whole thing is clearly a political move, but Ming Tan isn’t having it. Once she finds out her fiancé got his lowborn cousin pregnant, she starts digging up evidence to call the whole thing off.Around the same time, she (accidentally) crosses paths with Jiang Xu, the Prince of Dingbei. He’s a royal and a military commander, currently on the run from assassins because he’s trying to get to the bottom of a battle gone horribly wrong. As he investigates corruption in the capital, he and Ming Tan keep bumping into each other.
Ming Tan’s no ordinary girl, she’s the fourth lady of the powerful Ming family, so her marriage has serious political weight. Her fiancé’s family is desperate to cling to that power, no matter how shady they have to be. Even Jiang Xu has to step carefully around her family at first. But as things unfold, he and Ming Tan start working together to break off the engagement, since it benefits them both.
Once the engagement’s canceled, Ming Tan is finally free, until Jiang Xu goes to the Emperor and asks to marry her himself. Because her marriage is practically a state affair, the Emperor agrees, and just like that, she becomes the Princess of Dingbei.
As for the rest of the story? It’s full of familiar tropes, the evil stepmother and stepsister, the funny and loyal guy friends, the sweet cousin, the overly trusting dad, and of course, our classic cold male lead who falls hard for the smart, kind female lead. Jiang Xu and Ming Tan are pretty textbook, but their chemistry is solid, and honestly, they’re fun to watch together.
Bottom line, don’t expect a groundbreaking plot. This is a comfy, costume drama with some light political twists, a few emotional bumps, and plenty of cute, cheesy, and feel-good moments. If you’re here for the romance, it delivers.
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The girl Main char is toxic just like modern women these day!!
the actor is ok... but The girl Main char is toxic just like modern women these day,...they calculated only for gain in choosing the husband...the one who write this line must be a women that have the same toxic in life....for the story its to much stupid move in romance ..... its not natural at all... its not the actor fault...
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The female lead is super annoying
The female is super annoying. Just when you think she is getting better. she gets worse again. She is shallow, although the script tried to portray her as caring for the down trodden, next thing you know BOOM there she goes again. I like the male lead but the female lead ruined it for me and I have to drop it at episode 10.Was this review helpful to you?
Sweet and comedy drama
In general this was a good drama and must watch to pass your time if you're bored. The actress and actors are beautiful and handsome and they also act well. I really like the story where there are multiple couple but somehow I find it annoying when it comes to how the male of the 3rd couple overacting about Yun Yi's incident . Also the FL acts towards ML when there is a misunderstanding between them. But I must say this is a good series after all.Was this review helpful to you?
Can't overlook the bad Acting
I think the Male Lead is attractive, don't get me wrong - but either there's no chemistry between them or he can't comfortably play in the role. I'm dying of cringe at his awkward silences especially during intimate moments, then they do this thing where they zoom into his eyes like TURN IT OFF LOL. Maybe it gets better ahead, Idk, but he's ruined it for me at this point. The female lead is childish too. It feels like they had The Double in mind, like its trying to give Duke Su but noo.Was this review helpful to you?
Ordinary and boring
I managed to watch six episodes—I kind of forced myself—but I just can't get through episode seven. The plot is so ordinary and predictable. I enjoy romance and sweet stories, but this one is just too generic.Honestly, it doesn’t offer anything new, not even as a light distraction. If anything, it makes you more bored. The only reason I made it past the first episode was because of the main lead and the second lead.
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This review may contain spoilers
Lighthearted, Romantic, and Tropey in all the best ways!
If you’re thinking about starting this drama, you should probably read this (one small spoiler but not much else). Sorry for the length, but I hope it will help a little bit.Not all female leads have to be extremely smart, capable, independent, and never need a man to save the day. I’m so baffled by the comments not liking female lead, when in reality, there are all types of women who all have different stories to tell because we are all multi-faceted. I consider myself high maintenance with standards that I do not bend for anyone, and I have a partner who understands and accepts that and he is willing to be with me and love me even when I can be bratty, bossy, and princess-like at times. I think that is why I relate to Ming Tan so much. To me, the typical “heroine” in a cdrama who is capable of anything are such Mary Sue archetypes that I also get tired of it, too. I just can’t relate. This drama is NOT one of those stories, and if you are wanting that, this is NOT the drama for you.
The female lead is imperfect, spoiled, rich, and extremely feminine. But from those traits, Ming Tan also brings kindness, youth, savviness, and the feminine touch that Jiang Xu lacks and needs in his life to develop his character; she makes him question how he treats those around him and gives him space to be thoughtful and caring because Ming Tan is so receptive of his taking care of her (she fully embraced that about him); there are women out there who like to be taken care of and men who like to dote. This show is that dynamic and I love it all the more for it. Ming Tan gives back in her own quiet and gentle way, such as accepting the fish knowing she is allergic because she values his efforts, and/or pushing back at him when she thinks he is being too harsh. She is not trained in martial arts and is a true girly girl who continues to be targeted by everyone around her, so he is there to protect her because she is put into situations where she absolutely cannot fight back. Ming Tan needs Jiang Xu physically while Jiang Xu needs Ming Tan emotionally. They balance each other out.
You often see Mary Sue characters who never need the male lead’s help and he’s always helping her anyways, but the female lead always takes it for granted. I am not a fan of those stories where the male lead has to love silently forever until the female lead finally accepts him after 80 million years. That is why I am so happy to see a female character like Ming Tan completely embracing her femininity and loving the male lead who is protective and fully capable and willing to save her no matter what (he is an acts of service man). That does not mean that she is useless as we have seen time and again that Ming Tan has her own thoughts, opinions, and strength by how she’s managed her household, how fairly she treats her servants and even her stepmother and stepsister, how capable she is now that she’s starting to manage Jiang Xu’s businesses as well as the refugee crisis.
With our male lead, Jiang Xu is stoic, ruthless, and impartial in every way because he is a man with solid integrity and morals that paint the world in black and white. Hell, I noticed he literally ONLY dresses in black and white before Ming Tan came along. She brings colors and emotions and whimsy into his life because she wears her feelings on her sleeve, be it her gentle nature, sassy princess upbringing, and/or her embarrassing antics. She strives for perfection but falls short because she is human, not a Mary Sue who does everything right. Those are boring characters with no flaws. Ming Tan is supposed to be high maintenance and the facade of perfection in a society that demands it of their nobles, and especially their women in such a patriarchal society. Her reputation is ALWAYS on the line because everyone is jealous of her being renowned and painted as being perfect. I’m sure there is so much pressure on her to always be perfect, but she is genuine in wanting to ensure she does not sully the family name. She is vain, but it is because she bears a responsibility to upkeep that image for her family’s reputation. She also grew up with everything at the palm of her hands, so if her criteria list for her husband is long, then it is fully within character and her right to choose someone who matches it. She is high in status and has many positive and high quality traits that a man in that era would want as well. Why can’t our girl be picky? She’s a complete catch! But the thing that I love is that Jiang Xu has seen it all and knows she is not perfect, but he falls for her in spite of and because of all of that, fully embracing the side of Ming Tan that no one else knows about. He sees her as her, completely beyond the reputation that precedes her.
Yes, this is a drama where you can turn your brain off a little bit to enjoy. It’s a lighthearted romcom that isn’t pretending to be what it’s not. The show does not take itself seriously, but there is still an interesting love story and lead/side character dynamics that are intriguing, fun, and adorable to watch if you want chemistry, fluff, and two beautiful people who make you giddy and swoon. Their scenes together are electric.
Just like Ming Tan and Jiang Xu, the drama is not perfect. It does need more backstory than what 13 episodes have given us so far, especially the court/emperor/empress dowager struggle for power, and yes it utilizes lots of tropes in romcom and dramas, but that’s what it wants to be. It’s not here to subvert tropes, and it doesn’t want to. It just wants you to happily enjoy a blossoming love story with cute antics and some potential climactic angst/crisis that will test our two leads. Nothing here is groundbreaking, but I am here for the tropes, the romance, and the characters. So far, it is serving and I am feasting.
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what i didn't like about this drama
nah, i'm dropping this one because i'm not a fully fan of romance, i prefer thriller or mystery with a little bit of romance. I also did not find this interesting because of 1-9 episode and only talkin about marriage. I also have high expectation in every female lead in every cdrama and i dont find the FL kinda interesting, i prefered ,her 3rd sister more and i love how her sister can easily beat anyone by just whiping while the female lead is physically weak in some episode, and i didnt find SWL acting interesting, but i would like to watch it if there is improvement in upcoming episode (sorry for my wrong grammar) hope the fans won't attack me hhahaWas this review helpful to you?
