Waiting for a season 2
I didn't expect myself to complete this drama within 2 days with close to sleepless nights. The story itself builds up steadily and I would say this is one of the rare few dramas that I didn't drop. Watched it because of Linghe at first but I am happy with the direction of this story because I think it is Esther's first non-cutesy drama.I felt like Esther did an amazing job portraying her character considering her previous dramas. This was not cringey and it was rather mature. Everyone in the show definitely had some good acting points and I really like how each character was able to have some backstory towards the end of the show.
The only thing that I didn't really like was that they didn't release the second season directly after this. Many reviewers mentioned that the ending is rather the director's style. I LOVE it actually but I would love to see a continuation!
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Stockholm syndrome
Overall, worth watching: excellent and good looking cast, fantastic chemistry between the leads, lots of mysteries and twists in the story and great backdrop.However, be ready that the ending is open-ended. Would be nice if there is a sequel to tie everything up - but don't bet on it. I have not seen any Chinese drama sequel successfully released so far, and most of those released did not measure up to its predecessors.
Yun WeiShan was sent to the Gong clan as a spy by the WuFeng gang, disguised as a candidate for a bride. WuFeng was a notorious group which had dominated the martial art world and forced many clans to submit to them. However, the Gong clan rejected their demands and was about the last not to submit. And as the drama progressed, you would find there were other spies beside WeiShan. WeiShan found that she not only had to hide her identity from the Gongs, she had to deal with other scheming spies ready to betray her if necessary to protect their own identities and their mission.
The young handsome Gong ZiYu was thrown into the position of the clan leader when his father and eldest brother was assassinated, presumably by WuFeng's spies. While selecting his bride, ZiYu fell in love with WeiShan. Relationship between the spy and the new leader became complicated and it looked like she was a liability which might bring down ZiYu from the leadership position.
Highlights about this drama:
1. The story was very interesting. There was always new discoveries; nothing and no one was what they seemed to be.
2. There were good humour as portrayed by the character Gong ZiShang. Although her behaviour was funny in many scenes and helped lightened up the dark and serious drama, some were quite snapstick.
3. Zhang Ling He was as usual outstanding in this drama. He was the second lead in the drama Love between Devil and Fairy and was perhaps overlooked or overshadowed. But his subsequent performance in this and the Story of Kunning Palace along with Bai Lu was nothing short of outstanding.
4. The other main leads were equally good. Ryan Cheng played the cold faced Gong ShangJue who actually had a soft side. Yu Shu Xin hailed from the drama Love between Devil and Fairy - I am not quite convinced about her acting - she played the cool and calm spy - a character which was mostly quite boring - saved mainly by her chemistry with Zhang Ling He. By comparison, the scheming Shangquan Qian (Lu Yu Xiao) was more interesting and earned our disgust.
5. Everything was good except the last episode. Everyone was unhappy - a sharp contrast to the Story of Kunning Palace. I wish they could do a better job with the ending. I suggest with such lousy endings, come up with your own ending.
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Not Ester Yu’s usual character type - hurray!
Originally I began watching this because of ZLH but was pleasantly surprised that EY was not playing an airhead which was very refreshing and her character was totally believable.The plot follows two female spies from the evil and vicious Wufeng sect that infiltrate an introverted and mysterious sect controlled by the Gongs who specialise in lotions, potions and poisons only to find that the second son has suddenly become the sect leader upon the death of his father and heir apparent elder brother. Their aim is to destroy Gong so that Wufeng can proceed with its plan for world domination.
The FL starts to fall for the ML as she helps him to conquer physical obstacles, his family members and the elders who don’t want him as their leader. He gains in confidence and their relationship grows and she confesses to being by his side with a mission to kill him and help destroy the sect. Due to their honesty (he lets her see how little confidence he has, how unhappy he was to be made the ruler and how he longs to return to being the ‘spare’. She tells him how she longs for her freedom and to break free from her contract with Wufeng) they build not just deep feelings but absolute trust in each other and there is abundant chemistry as they fall in love.
The second spy manages to build a relationship with MLs cousin but lies and cheats her way into his bed and yet despite their relationship being built on lust not love, there are still feelings between them, no matter how conflicted, and the actors really bring to life their complex characters and the situations they find themselves in.
Although this seems like a really dark tale, there are some amusing moments as MLs sister chases after his body guard in subtle and not so subtle ways.
My only criticism is that this story finishes on a bit of a cliffy but I’m not sure if there will ever be a second series to tie up the large number of loose ends which is a shame as the chemistry between the main characters is so good and there is enough content to put into a sequel.
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A promising beginning....if only the rest wasn't dragging
The very beginning was very interesting, and I couldn't wait to see more. But around episode 10 the drama started to drag.The pacing is the biggest problem here. One scene shouldn't last for 20+ minutes. I often found myself falling asleep to it.
Now, the second problem was Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He. Their romance didn't work for me at all. I didn't understand where this instant attraction came from.
I felt no chemistry between them. Like 0%. I do like both actors, especially Ling He, but I hope they will never cast them together again.
Esther Yu acting wasn't bad, but at the same time, she felt flat for me in some episodes. I really enjoyed her performance in episode 23.
Now, the second couple was truly amazing. I felt their chemistry through the scene. Shang Jue was for me the best character in the entire drama together with Zi Shang and Yuan Zhi.
Zi Shang made me laugh so hard. Her comedy is top! I'd love to see her in more dramas.
The twist at the end surprised me quite a bit. I was glad to see that at the end the whole Gong family got together and went against Wufeng together.
The music was outstanding. The dark aesthetic of this drama is something I'd like to see more. Every scene was beautiful shot, and directed.
I wonder what made them add the last 6 minutes of pointless footage at the end. It was totally unnecessary since there won't be a season 2.
Over all, I enjoyed the drama. But it could've been done much better.
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second leads outshining main leads?
i honestly don't understand why this plot was so weird. the main leads are literally zhang linghe and esther yu yet the script and plot literally just showcases the "BETTER" chemistry between lu yuxiao and ryan cheng, the red flag couple.yushuxin's acting was quite good, the contrast of her in lbfad and in my journey to you was really huge, her cuteness in lbfad and the cold vibe she's giving off in this show as the wufeng spy in this show was really great, showcasing her strengths in acting cute characters and cold/evil characters. she's such a great actress!! the casting was actually a solid 10/10. just a very unexpectedly weird plot, it seemed like the directors only used the main leads to gain fame for this show just to project viewers to enjoy the acting of the 2nd couple more. If there was more scenes and chances for the main leads to showcase their romance/chemistry in this show more, im pretty sure we can see how their relationship deepens. the ending of this show was also pretty abrupt and seemed rushed? i hope there's a 2nd season where we can see what actually happened in the end instead of an inexplainable and "forcing viewers to guess" kind of ending.
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the cinematography is crazy!
I found this drama from the teaser on the wetv application and decided to wait for it to air. I felt sad when I heard that this drama had problems being broadcast, but finally it was able to be broadcast.I've been watching it since the drama was released because I was waiting for it. I saw that the teaser was very good because I really like dramas with dark and cool tones. Very much my type!
I immediately liked the first episode, the actors' acting was also good. I like Esther's type of acting in this drama, I think she suits her role and she is very beautiful with a calm and cool character in this drama.
The story is good, I like the plot even though I felt confused about the family tree in this drama. But I always find it difficult to understand the family tree in historical dramas hahahaa
What I like most is the CGI, cinematography, visual effects, the shooting is very beautiful to watch! All the scenes are worth looking at more carefully because they are really good!
But I was very annoyed with the ending of the story, why does it have to be an open ending? And even the two main characters haven't had much time together
For the OST, I don't remember hearing any songs in this drama, maybe because I was too serious when watching it
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Gi start and then..
The storyline started with potential but quickly became predictable and repetitive. Character development felt shallow, and many emotional scenes lacked impact due to forced dialogue. The pacing dragged in several episodes, making it hard to stay engaged. Overall, it felt like a missed opportunity.Visually, the costumes and sets were appealing, but the script failed to capture the depth and complexity of the period. The plot relied too heavily on clichés, and some historical details felt inaccurate or oversimplified. Performances were uneven, with certain roles coming across as one-dimensional.
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Catch me if you can
I was actually surprised by this drama, as the description didn't give too much away and I avoided any potential spoilers, so I went into this blind.As for me, I loved the dynamic between the three brothers. Each had their own character and back-story and there was some character developement as well.
As for Yun Weishan and Qian, they both have been interesting as well, with the ladder being more complex, yet less likable to me. I appreaciated the tone of romance for both of them as it suited both their personalities.
The plot left me guessing until the end. I am afraid I am not so smart and I enjoy the plot twists as I usually do not see them coming. It was a gripping story, with enough suspense for me to keep binge watching. I love undercover stories, schemes and a good "cat-and-mouse" game.
The ending could have been executed in a better way, but after reading some of the comments, I kinda get it. Still, I think the plot is lacking in this aspect and some scenes dragged on too long.
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a rather slow journey
to begin, I have heard of this drama for a while since I got into kdramas then cdramas and decided to check it outI was mostly intrigued by the whole female assassin plot and I already knew a good chunk of what this type of trope was (the spy sent to kill but falls in love with their target) I was rather curious on the execution
it was disappointing because it loses its intrigueness by the middle point of the story
the beginning was good, middle point it got rather boring and slow and by the finale episode it got interesting again and the ending was just huh?
I liked seeing gong ziyu character evolve, I mean who doesn’t love a underdog story?
it was rather annoying how long the breaks were between each trials because I mostly felt it wasn’t taken seriously and the constant back and forth was hard to keep up
tho he is the master of his family now so it’s understandable why they did that but during the middle arc of the story if it wasn’t for his older sister comedic timing, I would’ve gotten bored quite easily
the ending was just badly done, I did some research and it is confirmed by the director that the ending was intended to be sad and it seems he doesn’t have any plans anytime soon for a season 2
I know this drama went through difficulties back then because of a actor who got into a scandal but the ending was rather badly written. because I interpret it as more of an open ending probably like many others but as an open ending it had way too many storylines that they didn’t bother to wrap up
so if they plan to ever make a s2 in the future I think it would be rather difficult to pick up where they left off without some weird/awkward pacing
the romance plot line was rather disappointing because I looked forward to the ZLH and YSX pairing and it a shame it didn’t really do them justice (I hope they get reunited in a future romance drama together)
the 2nd couple tho! they stole my attention with their tension every scene like omg I was invested
I hope they reunite in another drama as leads as well
YSX was so cool in this role!! that I wish she would get more opportunities to portray similar roles like this in the future vs the typecasting of constant cute,adorable, sunshine, positive character
I mean I have nothing against these type of characters but it rather limits her abilities but also let others make stupid assumption about her acting abilities as well
overall I think it really is up to you to watch the drama and decide whether or not it’s good cause I wouldn’t really recommended unless you want to see cool female assassins like I did lol
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Beautiful dark and riveting
I keep going back to how genuinely gorgeous this drama was. The colors, aesthetic, every shot was so beautiful and cinematic I couldn't get enough. I think a lot of dramas are beautiful but suffer from low budget and these days the 3D printed costumes and props are cheap and common. This drama doesn't rely on any of that but solely on the beauty of the environment and the actors themselves. God, every single person in this drama is beautiful. When Esther said that the director promised he would give her the most beautiful shots, he was not lying.Watching this show felt like reading a book in the best way possible. The plot was intriguing and I was obsessed with every character's thoughts and motivations. I will admit the ending fell and I was quite disappointed but I still very much enjoyed every minute of watching this.
I will be watching everything this director does from now on because he is my new Greta Gerwig.
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This review may contain spoilers
I watched this drama twice before writing my review
Let’s start with I like or love about this drama:1. OST - idk but it has me in a spell
2. Aesthetic/visual/cinematography - I saw the trailer of this drama and I told myself, “wow I’m going to watch that for the vibes”
3. Acting - I know how some didn’t like Esther here but this was a breath of fresh air for me. The dramas I’ve seen her in, she’s always the vibrant, cute character. Here I think she was able to pull the “no feelings, I’m supposed to be blank assassin” 😂. But really I think everyone was pretty good but Cheng Lei, Lu Yu Xiao, Tian Jian Rui, eldest young miss, Hanya Si, and the back hill boys stole the show for me
4. I love the characters, I think they all served their purpose. My Back Hill boys have a special place in my heart
What I didn't like:
THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO SEASON 2 OR CONFIRMATION OF IT!!! Because after watching this twice, that was the gate opening!!! What a literal open-ended ending
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ok
Welcome to the world of assassins and lords where drinking tea and poisons are your everyday meal. premier of the drama was interesting, assassins invading the area in disguise as a bride, but later felt the true purpose of the story was lost in too many side stories. the true plot and the mastermind behind all this was revealed at the very end, alwhile it was just events leading to it.my greatest disappointment was the lead chemistry, which seemed forced atleast on the FL part. the ML who was portrayed as a weakling was helped by the FL to pass the initial tests which seemed as a betrayal on the story to me.
and suddenly our ML becomes more confident and powerful with training, which seemed unbelievable.
the only thing that marginally saved this drama was the second lead and their Chemi, zishang and jin fan❤️, the plot of this drama which is also not 100% perfect, and had its own plot holes
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