This review may contain spoilers
A (perhaps) unpopular take on the 2nd m/f lead relationship…
A lot’s been written about the plot and the leads that I agree with, and I wasn’t going to write a review but look, I finished this show last night. I am now working and out of nowhere, tears sprang to my eyes because one scene in particular popped into my head: 2FL drops her head back, fighting back tears, after she opens 2ML’s fist to find a piece of candy.Sorry, guys, but the relationship between 2FL and 2ML may not be the storybook prettiest, but it is definitely the most REAL. It happens like that, sometimes the guy ends up with the backup girl, sometimes they find comfort in each other, and sometimes that winds up being the best thing for both of them. Sometimes it ends badly.
In the end, I can honestly say that their story, even over the main leads’, is what moved me. As much for its realness as for it being cut short before either of them had an opportunity to figure it all out together.
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Awesome story but filmed weirdly
I believe it's awesome and has enough angst to satisfy me but it's filmed weirdly because it's somehow not made with all scenes to be explained properly...while a play with swapping faces and stealing FL's identity is to many people done like they couldn't have done it better? To me it's not that big of a deal plus I rather accept it as it was played out even if how could they have done the face so very identical to a FL and guest FL in a short time lol but the weirdest thing to me is a battle in a funeral or memorial hall with Pan Yue when they stabbed his belly and he fell like he died and after it he just went on the boat standing and sailor sailed him that scene is confusing to me...I noticed that this faint abd stab aren't the only plot holes but there are more if them and I don't understand why but the story us good a d their acting is entertaining but still it's a drama with quite a number of plot holes but it could be better if it was made with all the understanding and properly presented events but it is like rather averageWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
really over makeup ,jujingyi said she willing to makeup ugly for this drama, but.. just once and look very fake .. the rest just pale , for other cast very regular wounds!not very bad but still not that best ,lacking of profesional ,very mind
1. what happen with yang cai wei and shangguan zhi?the witch trick? not seeing
2.there's no point for them to killing Cai Wei, basically even though she's dead, there still have people looking for yang family cases, and even more provoked, Likewise with Zhuo Lan Jiang, in vain
3.It only explains how to kill Cai Wei, but not how to making her fall down ,not the guess ,the real one
4. To be honest, Mastermind doesn't look as powerful as Silver Rain Sect
5.How did Panyue know that the door lock in gambling place is fishtail shaped? thats a secret
6. the last one, panyue's father was shocked, i was shocked too..., was that done on purpose? for what??
This drama can be said to be completely finished, but deliberately made it unfinished by stating that there is still have Mastermind No. 1
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This drama is sadly underrated. It was not super popular, or so I'm told, in China. I cannot claim to know why, but maybe that is because of the other shows airing at the time... or perhaps, the audience was looking for something more fast paced? Whatever the reason, it deserved more love.
General Plot:
On the eve of her wedding to her childhood friend, Yang Caiwei is abducted by Shangguan Zhi-- a cruel woman who craves her betrothed, Pan Yue. After being forced to swap bodies, Caiwei escapes only to discover Shangguan Zhi has been murdered. Killed, it would seem, in her stead. Armed with nothing but a stranger's face and her skills as a coroner, Caiwei embarks on a journey to unearth a conspiracy that goes back twenty years... to the murder of her parents. Pan Yue is also on the case, but could he be her killer?
Liu Xue Yi, who plays Pan Yue (male lead), took what might have been a simple character and turned him into a brilliant one. I must admit to being more attached to him than the female lead I was supposed to be rooting for! His expressions, nuances, and subtle gestures portrayed a very private individual's inner turmoil expertly. His emotions--even when the character was hiding them from other characters--were evident to the audience. His heartbreak and grief was palpable. He was confused over the change is "Shangguan Zhi" and loathed himself having feelings for her. Was that not a betrayal to the woman he loved?
Some people say Pan Yue should have caught on sooner, but in the character's defense, there is no magic in this world. Any supernatural instances are disproven with science and practicality. If someone I knew showed up and started acting like someone else, would I assume a body-swap? Not likely. Not ever, to be honest.
The female lead was alright. She wasn't my favorite, but she grew on me. I enjoyed the story enough to ignore a little inconsistency in the character when the actresses switched. Ju Jing Ye reminds me of a 'type actress'. She often plays herself--which is fine because she seems to be genuinely nice person. Her character was very resourceful and clever, and she had the perfect eyes for the part. Red rimmed and pleading... but that might have also been allergies. There were times I really wanted to get her eye drops.
Overall, I truly enjoyed the story. Why not a higher score? Primarily, it was the disappointing ending for some of the secondary characters. One in particular was very heart wrenching, and while his 'fate' was tied into the plot, it could have been done differently. What can I say? I am a sucker for happily ever after.
If you are a fan of Liu Xue Yi, this is a much watch.
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Hmmmm FL make up???
Watched this for Liu XueYi but JJY just ruined it a little for me tbh. Finally after slowly watching, stopping and re-watching - I'm officially abandoning this one year later LOLThe story is very interesting and everything/everyone did very well, I just cannot look past the make up of the FL. I used to like JJY in Legend of Yunxi and the Ruyi Pavillion, she's not amazing at acting but not too bad. She looks so different here, yes pretty but what genre is she in ? Because it's definitely not the same time period as the rest of the cast.
Also the earlier Yang Cai Wei (Zheng He Hui Zi) was too good, JJY just could not live up to that unfortunately.
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Right mixture between drama and relationships.
It was a while since I last watched a historical drama, and I was unsure of the quality of this one. Before diving in, I read a few reviews that gave me a bit of hope, and damn, it started off really well. Usually, any series that manages to hook me does so with an intriguing introduction, typically in episodes 1–2, and this drama absolutely nailed that.Unfortunately, I didn’t fully read the synopsis beforehand, so I got really confused when the characters suddenly switched identities. I had already grown attached to the original actress playing the female protagonist in the first few episodes, which made me hesitant, I actually protested a bit internally, thinking I’d much prefer the old actress over the new one.
But as I continued watching, I slowly became attached to Zhi. Her dynamics with the male lead gave me a lot of mixed feelings. I’m honestly such a sucker for K-dramas where the female lead is a supposed villainess — hated by the male lead at first, only for him to fall deeply for her. I was kind of wishing for that angle here. I guess it was just the face-swapping twist and my own expectations talking. Don’t get me wrong, I really did love Yang Caiwei with Pan Yue, and the whole identity switch was at the heart of the drama. That contrast— between appearance and soul— was truly the beauty of it all.
I initially watched this for Liu Xueyi because I adored him in Kill Me, Love Me, and who knew I’d end up staying for Ju Jingyi? Her character development was great, shifting from a seemingly wicked woman to someone genuinely sincere. I also liked the second couple a lot. I was really rooting for them to end up together, and while they sort of did, that ending still stings (I hated how it wrapped up for them!).
The story had just the right blend of emotion and intensity. While the actors still have room for growth, they carried the story well and gave heartfelt performances.
Season two or not, I truly hope this drama gets the recognition it deserves. It was a captivating ride with twists, growth, and a lot of heart, and I’m glad I gave it a chance.
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This review may contain spoilers
Worth the watch??
The first 3 episodes will get you interested; and the last 3 episodes will keep you on the edge of your seat!!Don’t try to make sense of the body/ face swap thing- it was just that interesting for me. Every few episodes will have a plot twist, so it keeps the momentum going.
ML is hot:) his character is loyal and steady- he’s got brains and can fight. FL is caring but also independent and strong. Both compliment each other very well. Supporting characters are also intriguing and not at all boring. The main plot and storyline is solving crimes and sourcing who is the mastermind behind the conspiracy and unrest in the government. The romance is another main plot, and yes, someone dies:( I guessed it already somewhere halfway in the middle. But it is generally a happy ending.
A definite recommended watch. Enjoy:)
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Meh
This started out intriguingly and had my attention for a good while, but after episode 25 I was so done with the show. It was too long in my opinion, and the last episodes had too much filler content that made it boring. I am also disappointed how we didn’t see more of YCW’s autopsy skills as it was barely relevant. The romance was underwhelming to me because the chemistry between the leads was only so-so. To me, the male lead created better tension with the female lead than the other way round. Also, what … was that ending? What was the reason for the last 2 minutes?? 🧐🤚🏻 Could have lived without that. The settings were very pretty as were the costumes! I also liked the music a lot – specifically the instrumentals! The actuals songs were okay, but not outstanding or memorable to me. I feel like the show was overall a whole of … bland after a while because they just dragged out the ending, and I found the revelation of the bad guy kind of random because we literally meet him so late in the show🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️Opinions on the acting. While I agree that JJY’s acting/interpretation of YCW is different than the other actress’, I find it a bit harsh to only criticize her. She is not solely responsible for the characterization and development of said character. That is actually the writer’s as well as the director’s job to lead her along the way. Of course, as an actress, she could do a better job (and I only say that because other actresses voice their opinions on how to interpret the character, an example would be Zhao Lu Si, I don’t know how involved JJY really is), but in my opinion, YCW as SGZ is just written differently than the YCW we were introduced with. Sometimes, her actions and behavior don’t align with the character we met in the first two episodes, but again, JJY didn't write the script, so I don’t really understand why she gets flamed so much🧐
It was okay, but it is not a must watch – to ME. 🧚🏻♀️🌺
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Romance with Detective and Forensic work
In addition to the superb acting and the love story, the detective and forensic aspects kept me going in watching the series. I thought I would quit after just a couple but no the series kept getting interesting.The ML Liu Xue Yi as Pan Yue is such a delight to watch, not just his good look in costume drama, his acting is excellent. I want to see more of his works, definitely one of the best actors in Chinese costume drama in my opinion.
I enjoyed the FL Ju Jing Yi as well, I thought her acting was overall good. I wish they opened episode 1, in addition to the Yang Caiwei, also showing Shangguan Jhi who was rich and spoil and always had unrequited love interest on Pan Yue since she was young. This would help the viewers understand the face swap better.
I rewatched the drama not long ago, and I enjoyed the drama more during rewatching, so definitely this drama has high rewatch value.
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A Nice Watch with Missed Potential
The story is solid, but the execution feels a bit anticlimactic. The cast is attractive and delivers strong performances, yet the romantic scenes between the couple fall flat. This could be due to limited acting range or production choices that don’t fully capture the intended intensity. Overall, I don’t regret watching this C-drama; it was an enjoyable watch, even though it had the potential to be much better.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
So, I was watching this when it was airing and I left off at episode 28, waiting for the last few episodes to drop. This is a bad habit of mine once all the episodes are finally out, I usually lose interest or just forget about the show. I think in this case, it was both.I decided to watch the last 4 episodes just to finally be able to say I finished it. Since I don't remember almost anything, don't take my review too seriously. But because of that, I have a few remarks to make.
First, a problem I had that I remember clearly: the FL actress looks so ethereal in the first few episodes. Like a goddess! That red costume was just wow. And then she gets swapped with the original FL body or whatever, and she turns into the typical cute girl. I feel like this actress would be great playing a villain instead of this forced cute type.
Second, there was no explanation for how the body swap was even possible? They just... did it.
Third, I have beef with the writers here. Why did they have to kill off the 2ML? Like, man, he finally found love and then... poof... dead. I feel so bad for Bai Xiao Sheng. Honestly, I think I was more interested in the second couple's story than the main one. Justice for both of them!
Anyway, that's it. I don't have anything else to say. I wouldn't watch this again. Also, it ended without a complete ending, but even if there's a season 2, I wouldn't watch it. If I forgot it, it means it wasn't that memorable.
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This review may contain spoilers
A straightforward mystery + romance with a teaser ending
So I have a habit of watching cdrama reviews before watching any of them (I don't care if there's spoilers haha), and so many people were harping on about JJY's mid-tier acting here, but I found it fine. Then again, I'm biased as a JJY fan and love her regardless, because she's so pretty that I don't mind her acting. She's an idol first and foremost so I'm fine as long as she's doing the basics.Anyways, long story short I liked this fine! And I enjoyed watching JJY's acting and all her beautiful costumes and hair ahhhh. I also think her ship with Pan Yue was finnnneeee and I'm so relieved that their ending was happily ever after.
Some parts of the drama were obviously played for dramatic effect and unintentionally hilarious, like the second male lead not having enough time to run into that burning building in That One Episode. Like realistically he could've done everything during that dramatic slow-mo montage but plot said NO so he couldn't, hahahaha~
It's been a while since I watched it so my memory of it is fuzzy, but I can still remember some key scenes in my mind:
- The wedding night with the tragic death
- The moment Pan Yue realized her identity and ran back to see Yang Caiwei in Shangguan Zhi's body while she was twirling the umbrellas
- Rain scenes in general hahaha
And the mystery! It was legit a mystery and the last episode drove me nuts with the open clue they left for a potential sequel. It probably will never happen but I still had to look up what Chinese netizens said about it and summarized their views here, which was super cool: https://sonderwrit.tumblr.com/post/774970037168652288/i-finished-in-blossom
Too bad this drama didn't seem popular enough to get more theorycrafting overseas but I watched it and liked it and even though I can't remember exact details now I will always enjoy the experience. A worthwhile use of my time!
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