Legend of the Female General

锦月如歌 ‧ Drama ‧ 2025
Completed
DramaloverPanda
17 people found this review helpful
14 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
Did I enjoy this drama? Yes. Did I find myself pausing to scroll through my phone or pressing the fast forward button? Also yes, especially in the last ten episodes. This is the kind of drama that is perfect for the hopeless romantics looking for that cold faced male lead that firmly chooses and sticks to his choice or a witty female lead that goes against normal conventions.

He Yan is forced to bear her brother's identity at a young age and is raised as a boy covered with a mask at all times. She spends well over a decade of her life as a boy/man going from child to boy in Academy to man that rises in the ranks of the military. But once her brother is recovered he demands his name back and tries to eliminate her to cover the switch. While I love that He Yan is tenacious, witty, and unbreakably resilient I also find her portrayal of a man not as convincing. For someone raised from childhood to hide her identity as a woman she should be more cautious, guarded, or even more crass to an extent. Behaviors that would have naturally been learned from being in a man's environment. But He Yan doesn't really portray that making her disguise as a boy not very convincing. I could still look beyond that as I like the character so much but then there were instances where her tough, ironlike General mentality would be reduced to damsel in distress status in an instant that would make me angry. For example, she manages to defeat and kill a major enemy while fighting on horseback in shallow water just to then fall into the water as if she is drowning and then needs to be saved by the male lead. First, where are the men she was fighting with? Not one of them was left alive? Also the water was shallow enough for the horses to walk in but deep enough to drown in? AND THEN here comes the male lead who was busy fighting the main force in a completely different place but gets there just in time to save her. Really? Come on. Why couldn't she have this victory and return with the head of the enemy? Then you have getting distracted and crying in the middle of a battle just because she lost sight of him for a moment? He character would never! She is supposed to be a hardened warrior that survived battle after battle but is now simpering and crying to the point that she is almost killed in the middle of an important battle? Absolutely not.

Xiao Jue I like quite alot. His portrayal of the stoic, hard, and straight laced General is acted to perfection. His micro-expressions are top notch. He is that cold, aloof man that is forced to carry the entire family burden young and has no idea how to relax. And once he decides on He Yan? His steadfast and immovable heart will make any girl swoon. But he lacks any real character development. His background isn't fully explored, his progression from suspicion to attraction isn't given the acknowledgment it deserved, even his prowess as a leader isn't very well represented. Overall he is mostly there to be the eye candy and to save the damsel without restraint. Do I enjoy that about him? Yes. Could he be so much more? Yes.

Then there is so much screen time given to side characters that end up not contributing to the story. The second couple are nice for comedic relief at times as well as sidekicks to the mains at others, but their romance was pretty unnecessary. Chu Zhao was one of the most explored characters and had so much build up for him to ruined right at the end for the cheap drama. The villains lacked suspense and conviction. Bai Shu who portrayed He Rufei was done dirty with this script. His acting in this drama is probably my least favorite from anything I have seen him in. And can we mention the bright colored blood and lack of effort put into wounds? This show seems so high budget but then they didn't even color the blood properly or bother to tear clothing to make wounds and battles feel real.

Overall this drama is completely fine. Especially if you are watching for a fairly healthy romance. But don't expect a great plot.

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Completed
BecauseMyMemorySucks
14 people found this review helpful
14 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
This review may contain spoilers

What's the opposite of "They had us in the first half"?

IM SO TIRED OF DUMBASS EMEPERORS THAT CAN'T THINK FOR THEMSELVES HOLY SHITTTTTTTTTTT. GET ME OUT OF THIS STUUUUUUUPID DRAMA LOOP.

Ha....

Ok.

Legend of the Female General. This drama definitely fits the title. I like where they took our FL's story; showing her rise, decline and her rise back up to reclaim her position. Her story as a female general was inspirational and I truly enjoyed seeing her come up the ranks and gain back her title. She was so badass. There were some moments of female empowerment in this drama that did make me cringe though. Idk, it just seemed forced or preachy, especially because it just felt like you could tell none of the people she was preaching to about women's rights gave a fuck, so that was a let down. She was inspirational but it didn't feel like she really empowered anyone. At the end of the day, it just felt like she was a unique outlier.

Romance wise, there was too little between the leads. They had a TON of chemistry but it felt so underused, I was dissapointed cos its a waste of good actors and chemistry. There was a 3rd act sorta breakup scene that I was highly dissapointed by. I dont like how the ML went about doing things even if it was his way of protecting the FL and his family as well. Like, just speak to her about it at least. I want my couples to be uniteeeeddd, we are at the last episodes literally, the couples have just had a massive heart to heart confession and then when issues arise one person makes decisions for both of them. Let them ride for each other together. Urgh.

Plot wise, I'm honestly so annoyed. The writing is so ass, the villains are so cartoonish, zero consistency in characterizations, NOTHING about it made any sense.

Let's look at the villains: Like, I get the step-brother villain character coming across as cartoonish, delusional, and dumb as rocks, that's fine. But the main Chancellor villain character? The guy who is built up to be this mastermind villain with great ambitions and whatnot and then they turn him into someone without any substance?? Such a shame. At the end of the day, I just want the villains to stand on business. If they have delusions of grandeur then sure, the writing can get away with making their reasons for villainy be born from their delusions as well, but if for 30+ episodes they are shown to be these great masterminds, then surely you can give them a good enough reason to have gone on this path of villainy, no? The Chancellor saying everything he did was for the good of Wei....like brother...are we being fr? Being dissapointed at his disciple for his betrayal when the disciple was just following his teachings, after all, the Chancellor always taught about being loyal to one's country....like...just make it make sense pleasssssssseeeee. If he wants to be a traitor that's fine, just make the reasons consistent with his characterization thus far. He's such a smart guy, show us that he can hold himself accountable for his actions and not give dumbass excuses.

The disciple, Chu Zhao. At ep 34, I was almost releasing a sigh of relief, like "Wow, when was the last time we saw a 2ML not turn evil?", but little did I know what was coming next. Again, another characterization problem. This man literally "betrayed" his mentor to protect his country, and always keeps his mother and her teachings in his thoughts and wants to protect her legacy and whatnot...yet in the last 2 episodes they make him do a 180? Ha...this drama literally had me in the first half. I thought I was watching a masterpiece and it just gradually declined and declined.

The Emperor....just your classic Chinese historical drama emperor. Another dumbass. Literally just a puppet, so prone to manipulation. I actually wish the Chancellor villain succeeded in his coup, man.

This review is literally a rant, I don't know if you can tell I'm angry. Is anyone still reading? Wow, thanks, I appreciate you taking the time.

Idk, do I recommend this? Not really? It's a fun ride in the beginning but the romance isn't even grandiose or anything, it doesnt really sweep you off your feet so cant recommend the drama for the romance, but the military/war aspects/fighting scenes were so fun to watch so idk. If you have free time, sure give it a go, but no need to have this on your high priority of dramas to watch.

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Completed
rangrangno1fanpage
14 people found this review helpful
14 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers
overall, the show escalated well but was disappointing in the last few episodes. there were unnecessary plots and rushed scenes. (not sure if it is because the original series was 40 episodes) the unnecessary plot was i would say the death of some people. since they died towards the end, it was kinda irrelevant and unnecessary. also i know that the original second male lead had scandals thus the screen time of the new male lead was decreased. however, i felt that the second leads had so little screen time that i forgot they were there and to me, better off just deleting the second leads. towards the end when there were scenes about them, i felt the urge to skip because i didnt like how they appeared for so long (LOL). ok thats just my opinion. however, this show despite the ending is a masterpiece. they phrased their lines really nicely and zhouye and CHENGLEI (ok u can see my obsession with him) did a fantastic job in delivering their parts. omg wait last one, i really hate chuzhao like from the beginning i hate him so badly to the core. the only thing that came out great from the last few eps was the hatred he yan had to chuzhao. if ure looking for undercover, war, confrontation, generals, court and most importantly ROMANCE, this show is definitely for u. if i were to watch it for the first time again i would but if i were to rewatch i would only watch some episodes.

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Completed
Pupster
14 people found this review helpful
13 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 5.0

In what could have been a female-empowering action saga became a simple romance

Overall, the problem with the show is that it was billed as a Mulan-style epic with a grand, slow-burning romance on the side, so much of the audience started watching with the expectation that it was just that. Romance-wise, the chemistry between the leads, Cheng Lei and Zhou Ye was immaculate—as a matter of fact, as a love story, a lot of LOTFG is great! Yearning, decent angst (without the frustrating dragging), the lovestruck gazes, the kisses, the list goes on.

But a female-empowering action saga, the show was not. Other than the typical idol drama repetoire, like the pale/immaculate skin on the battlefield with a small dab of blood, lack of gritty visuals, and Zhou Ye looking very clearly like a girl (all which I can usually let slide), I feel like the main issue was the editing, as I could sometimese sense how the producers hurriedly cut whatever number of episodes the show originally had to 36 episodes, ~35 minutes each. I haven't read the original novel, but I felt that much of the "fluff" in between major plot points was cut, resulting in disconnected moments, like He Yan and her master's bond, not being translated properly on the screen. Oh, and also the fact that the show made Xiao Jue look like a fool right from the get-go for not recognizing that He Yan had been switched out by the real He Rufei.

But onto the specifics about the show...
The good:
The action scenes were amazing! A few select shots with wirework felt awkward, but the battle/war atmosphere felt immersive and dramatic. The music—both the OSTs and the instrumental background music—was great too (I added them all to my music playlist, haha). The casting for the characters was immaculate as well, which is why I feel like this cast was wasted on the script (and maybe the directing could have been better tbh). Although I saw Cheng Lei catch some flak for his acting, I feel like he plays the hardened, reserved general type of character so perfectly. Even with just his, you can feel all his emotions. Zhou Ye was amazing too!

The bad:
For Zhou Ye, I really feel like she could have pulled off HY better with her own, deeper voice without a separate dubber. Also, I think the script ruined HY's character, because for all those "cutesy/ditsy" moments, it undermined the believability that she was a so-called strong general. It painted the image that for a woman to be a strong general, she needs to be unbelievably/unrealistically physically strong (e.g., defeating 10 men at once), not emotionally and mentally mature. And in my heart, I feel like Zhou Ye could have pulled off that fully hardened character too... Also, for the dubbing in general, I feel like the breathing noises were awkwardly loud in some parts for absolutely no reason, and sometimes the emotions didn't match the face perfectly. The only cast member I have a bone to pick with is Zhang Kang Le—I haven't seen him in past works, but he was so emotionless, I felt like he had one emotion on his face during the entire show. Even his face card couldn't save his acting. And Chu Zhao as a character, too—he fell into a stereotypical jealous 2ML mold, and although they tried to make him complex, it felt very surface level.

But anyway, like I said, I think the reason why people have been reviewing this drama so negatively is that everyone had high expectations. If you want to give it a watch, I'd say go ahead, if you're looking for enjoyable visuals, badass vibes, and romance. If you're looking for something deeper and more meaningful, then maybe pass.

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Ada
11 people found this review helpful
13 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 2.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 4.0

Ppl are glazing this bc of the anticipation and cast

Generally a nice drama, but not for this genre and definitely not what someone would expect by the title.
It starts off very well by presenting He Yan's tragic story, giving a good reason for revenge that draws interest. However, they didn't exploit this reason as they should have. Her character was empty and unrealistic. She wants to get back what was taken from her but most of her thoughts are not about her personal development. I understand that this is her character and how she feels happy and comfortable with Xiao Jue, but when someone blinds you and throws you off a cliff as if you didn't exist, you can't behave like that all the time. Also, the feminist messages felt like an advertisement. Most of them didn't even stick to the points they were made to make.

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Completed
bel
30 people found this review helpful
14 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

big filler

I didn't like this drama. At first, it promised a great story of action and revenge, but I don't know where the 'legend of the female general' went. At no point throughout the story did you feel that the woman was a general, let alone a man that she had to pass off as. I know some situations are poetic license, but it's very confusing because, many times, she would change her persona, leaving the viewer lost. The supporting characters were poorly inspired, with disconnected storylines that had little connection to the main plot, seemingly there just to fill time. The scenes that should have been full of emotion, when the male lead discovers certain secrets, were made in the least emotional way possible. I didn't see much chemistry between the two leads, and I didn't like the cold acting of the male protagonist. The question remains: where did the general and the revenge story go?

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Completed
Apurva
49 people found this review helpful
15 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 2.0
This review may contain spoilers

I was so damn excited for this but the execution was bad.

I know they have banned rebirth storylines making it a bit challenging for the screenwriters to adapt these rebirth books into scripts but this has spoiled so many good stories.

Even without that, it was possible to adapt it better. The writers lessened the impact of so many good scenes that made He Yan the Female General to her core. Her struggle was never fully shown.

What they did show was also not done well. The story at times did not flow well.

I like the cast, Zhou Ye and Ryan Cheng were my dream cast but even they fell short. There were times when I couldn't feel any romance at all during the romantic scenes. Of course they were scenes where they did great, but why was it only a few scenes? I expected more out of these two as well.

I get why people are disappointed. The part in episode 35 of Xiao Jue dumping He Yan publicly was rather unnecessary. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. I stopped trying to pretend that it wasn't that bad.

The Xiao Jue I know from the book would never make that choice and it is the reason that I love the book so much. Once he chose He Yan, he was a rock that no one could move.

So, this has no rewatch value for me. I find that so sad, because this had all the makings of a good drama with a perfect casting, they had such a beautiful story as well. I mean sure it had its issues as well.

At least the next time I read the book again, I will have better visuals to go with it. Other people have enjoyed it and this review of mine is just one person's opinion. Maybe, I can revisit the drama in future and look at it in a different light.

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Completed
PolarisJane
33 people found this review helpful
15 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

Confusing Story Line

I think story-wise... the novel is way better. However, I do understand that this drama went through a lot before it could be released.

The start of this drama was very confusing. It was so rushed and didn't properly explain/show He Yan's background and the story about his revenge. But it gets better in the middle of the drama.

Then the scene in Rundu occurred, where He Yan became distracted on the battlefield. Crying, looking for Xiao Jue. I agree with the people who said it was very out of her character. He Yan was a formidable general who had experienced years on the battlefield, and for her to get distracted, which almost cost her life, is unnecessary. But maybe they added it for the added drama.

Honestly, watching the remaining episodes felt boring. It felt like we were suddenly forced to watch so much screentime of the villains. Also, they build up Chu Zao's character so well, only to destroy and trample it in the last few episodes. The last two episodes felt so rushed. So many things were happening at once.

I'm not sure, but it could be that they had to cut so many scenes and struggled to make the whole story cohesive. They also added new plots instead of focusing on how to make the new writing of the story cohesive (like the part where Chu Zao asked the emperor for He Yan to be wed to him and Xiao Jue to deliver the decree to He Yan himself??????). It was finally getting good, only for the last few episodes to confuse and make the story nonsense again.

In other aspects, the cast was exceptional. They had good acting. The cinematography was good. But it's a shame because the story in the drama was badly written.

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E_lia2
13 people found this review helpful
9 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 6.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

I Was Promised a Badass General. I Got a Drunken Mess with Plot Armor.

One of the reasons I was so anticipated about this was because of the promotions. A strong FL that's going to be a general? Perfect. Finding a strong FL is like searching for sugar that has salt in it. So I was really excited for this. Also, I watched her from Back from the Brink so I have a love for her (her acting).
This 'fake' General He arrives in court to accuse the ML's dead father of traitorous acts. The man has a different voice, is a head taller than the FL. How can the ML not notice that?! Plot hole because it makes no fucking ass sense?! Secondly, any time the FL is in mortal danger, either the ML or her master will come to her rescue. Writers, again, I want to see my FL doing shit herself. Independence is great too.
What this drama showed me is a silly female lead who never proved to me that she’s a legendary general. Was she a good fighter? Sure. Was she smart? Sure. But that’s because her opponents were clowns most of the time or conveniently outsmarted by the script. She didn’t improve on anything much. Everything was just too convenient. On top of that, when it was her big moment to shine, she was turned into a damsel in distress, saved by the male lead. Worse, she would be crying on the battlefield that she had lost her love while the battle was still raging on. I just didn't like that. In the start she is ducking blind, the FL goes up a MOUNTAIN while being chased. After falling down a cliff, she is found by her master who happens to be tramping there. Which I am sorry but it's too much of a coincidence. Like, it's just unbelievable.
I also got kinda pissed thinking about how much better this drama could have been if they showed less fluff romance and focused on the actual ideas and story. I love fluff normally, but when I went into this series, in my mind it was set as the journey of a general, her struggles, her rise, her battles and it just didn’t show shit.

I seriously wish I could sit down with the writer and ask why they made these choices. The whole "women had it bad" did not translate on screen at all. They described it as awful hardships, but they never showed any of that. The drama also wanted to scream women's empowerment, but like everything else, it just tells and does not show for it to actually make an impact. The legend of female lead? What legend? Did it get lost because i couldn't see it.

I think the best lines were 'I like the moon but it doesn't know' and 'Now the moon belongs to you' - ML. Which from what I heard is from the novel. Idk about you but this was the most memorable thing out of this cdrama. There was nothing else to remember.

I lost interest after 30 ep and dragged myself to finish it but I pushed through it.

The only for real badass moment from her was in ep7. Like when she killed the guard of the villain. She was so badass and honestly felt scary but that was all. When I was watching that scene I was kicking my feet because I could feel the aura out of the screen. Damn it was annoying how they turned this into comedy and lighthearted. Like why was she getting drunk all the time? But the ml never (I don't mean he has to)? It felt really sloppy from the fl side. I feel like you have other things to worry about than getting drunk. When the ml learns who she was I didn't really like the confession scene that much because why are they fighting? The ml didn't even let her explain herself to him. She didn't do anything wrong. Also, points to the actress because I really liked her acting after she was alone from the ml (the angst). I like that emptiness but I just liked the acting. I think the confession felt short.

There were many fillers with those unnecessary comedy moments. The fl actress did a good job acting.

Watch this if you want:

Strong fl physically and mentally (at the start)

Comedy

Lighthearted

Green flag ml

It also says women empowerment messages.

She isn't even a general through the drama so the title doesn't go well. I've seen people saying that the chinese version had to do with the moon? (I think) Would have been better because this was focused too much on the romance.

Why did they have to make an annoying 2ml? It's so typical of the fucking writers. What's their obsession? Justice for his maid! If he isn't going to pay attention to her, I will 😭. Oh, yeah obviously they had to kill her off.

This had a lot of potential to be a lot more!

Love the second couple! Dare I say I wish we got more of them. Ep.34 2.44 interaction of second couple. Omg they confesseddd they are so cutee. Sad we didn't get much of them.

I think they should have shown the bond between ml's father with the fl! Like they didn't really show almost anything.

In addition, they made the FL get hurt just for the plot. Just for inconvenience.

'the peerless moon is yours now.' Man, again? They love the moon a lot.

Would I recommend? Yes and no.

We learnt nothing about the villains. Like did they hit their heads and decided to do what they did?
The reason I enjoyed this as much as I did was because of the actors and the start of like the first 15 eps.

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Daytimel
55 people found this review helpful
14 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 3.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Pretty packaging with nothing inside

Plain, one-dimensional leads. The male lead being expressionless the whole time. The female lead being a man her entire time having no problems switching back to being a woman... and I thought "Lost You Forever" was bad. Flat villains with no real threat. No angst, no tension. The only character I genuinely liked was Chu Zhao, and even he was ruined just to give the main couple problems. The chemistry between the leads was okay but nothing special. They felt almost like the same person, just with one being shy and the other not. Nothing exciting, no development, no real communication.

The story had a good idea with the soldier troops, but they were barely used, maybe for two episodes at most. The rest was unnecessary extras, a complete waste of potential. If you are telling a story about a female general, then do her justice, because honestly, what did we even see? All the reveals were boring and completely deflated the tension. We expected big moments, but they delivered nothing. Characters stayed the same from beginning to end, with no growth. They could have at least added some angst, especially since the male lead seemed to like the female lead from the very beginning when she was still disguised as a man, but they even dropped that thread. The pacing was decent, but too many things felt unnecessary.

The script felt like it was written for children. We never even got to hear the male lead’s inner monologue about the female lead. Instead, they gave us focus on the second male lead, which made no sense if they wanted us to root for the main couple. On top of that, they shamelessly tried to copy scenes from "The Untamed", which I hated. And jokes on them, even with an emotionally constipated male lead, he will never come close to Lan Zhan.

The ending was rushed and unsatisfying, turning the second lead into a villain without properly leading to that moment. Everything was too black and white.

The OSTs and BGMs were excellent. Cinematography was okay, not the best but definitely not the worst. Casting felt off to me. Zhou Ye did not convince me as the female lead, I think an unknown actress might have fit better. Cheng Lei was fine, but his acting bored me. The real standout was Zhang Kangle, who was amazing in every scene he had, though that might just be my personal bias.

In the end, this drama felt like a waste of time. I think I need to stop expecting more from Qian Shan Cha Ke’s works. On the surface, she always presents a shiny feminist character, but she never follows through in a meaningful way. It’s like a beautiful book cover hiding empty pages inside. Pretty packaging with nothing inside

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Completed
virgievirgie Finger Heart Award1 Big Brain Award1
10 people found this review helpful
8 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Watch it for the Strong main Romance but don't expect a well-written rise of a Female General

First of all, I have not read the novel and I had no expectations of “Legend of the Female General” . It's not a highly anticipated one for me, but I want to watch it because I like Zhou Ye and Ryan Cheng. Besides, there aren’t that many dramas about female generals, and I want to check it out. Having said that, I was warned that this could be disappointing and I should think of this more of a romance drama rather than a gritty, revenge story of a female general.

With my expectations low and adjusted, and being a romance lover, “Legend of the Female General” gets an 8.0 from me due to the well-developed main romance, decent acting, above-average fight scenes and great production quality in costumes, sets and accessories.

As a romance lover, I really enjoy following the leads from being school mates when young, to comrades, enemies, comrades again and lovers. The development is paced well without rushing through any of these stages. There’s enough chemistry when they are testing each other and eventually teasing (most from FL). Although I can see more clearly how ML falls in love, the chemistry is there. The drama did not forget to give us some sweet moments here and there, and especially towards the end. The kisses are decent but I really don’t think ML needs to have those wide-eye shock expressions.

But for a drama that should tell the story of the rise of the female general, a strong romance can derail the development of the other more serious plotlines. In a sense, this might be why viewers are disappointed. After a great start when FL started from scratch again in ML’s army, the focus was lost with some war battles. The focus moves away from FL and her struggles. Even though the drama tries to show how capable she is as a fighter, strategist and general, at the end of the day, she still needs to be rescued by ML. This happened a few times in the drama. She fought and supported in holding down the fort but eventually still needed to wait for ML’s arrival to save the day. She successfully killed the enemy general, yet she drowned in water and had to wait for ML to miraculously appear out of nowhere (traveling in the speed of light) to save her and give her one of those romantic (?) underwater lifesaving kisses. ML keeps on stealing FL’s thunder at the end of the day. Each time I try to take the drama more seriously, especially during battles, it does something dumb in the name of romance or to create something romantic/cheesy.

Additionally, there are plot holes and ridiculous things that happened throughout the drama. Is this an adaptation error? Or was the drama really full of holes? FL’s disguise is laughable and such a secret became not so secretive. The last death of a female character was ridiculous. She should never have died but her death was needed to advance the plot of 2ML. And then, the last death of the male character could be seen from a mile away. You knew he’s going to die, and his death proves a point in the ending of 2ML again. 2ML totally took the fall for the emperor, who does not need to take any responsibility for his actions. The last few episodes really made me scratch my head and wonder if episodes were cut, thus, messing up the writing.

Despite all my complaints, the acting is great all around. I have to say, I was quite impressed with Ryan Cheng. In “My Journey to You”, he was this cold and serious guy. In “Follow Your Heart”, he showed a more outgoing personality. Here in “Legend of the Female General”, his character seems to be a combination of the two. He’s cool on the outside, but warm on the inside. He has great posture and looks charismatic. His tiny smiles and longing looks warm my heart. Not only is ML a green flag, but he’s one that did not become a lovesick silly boy after falling in love. Zhou Ye, on the other hand, with her small stature and pretty face, it’s really hard to imagine her as a female general. Her acting was fine but I didn’t think this was her strongest drama. I felt that she was great when acting cheeky, but was weak when she’s angry. Zhang Kang Le, Zhang Miao Yi and Li Qing all did fine but not outstanding. The veteran cast shines more than the younger supporting cast.

You might disagree, but I do think Zhou Ye did a pretty good job in her fight scenes. She is never going to look powerful, but she looks graceful yet nimble. She never looks weak to me or as if she’s dancing. I was pleasantly surprised by the fight choreography and really enjoyed many of the close combat scenes. However, they also seem quite unrealistic because these are regular people in a historical setting, and not martial artists in a wuxia drama. But I am not going to complain much, as it’s hard to find good fight scenes without the use of CGI, even in wuxia dramas these days. Zhou Ye looks beautiful in her female attire, and Ryan Cheng definitely looks handsome in anything he wears (maybe not when wearing a helmet). The clothes look like they are of good quality and the sets and accessories look elaborate and not flimsy. However, their makeup department did not do a good job. How could you have soldiers looking so white? Even if Zhou Ye needs to look pretty, Ryan has got to look tan and not a face full of white powder. Lastly, it's too bad most of the actors are dubbed. *sigh*

I would only recommend this drama if you are looking for a nice romance story. But if you are looking for a serious drama with a well-written plot, then you will be disappointed. Based on my calibrated expectation, I am giving this drama an 8.0 rating.


Completed: 8/26/2025 Review #617

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Completed
aevun
14 people found this review helpful
14 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 4.5
This review may contain spoilers

Too much expectation, greatly disappointed

After waiting for a long time to watch a female warrior drama and the author is Qian Shan Cha Ke herself, expectation was sky high. The story of an identity swapped female general , revenge and fight to reclaim her title was indeed promising. The trailer and the poster also gave good impression but the whole concept of a female warrior got lost in the way of "paving for Commander Xiao's trust". We only get a glimpse of the past mighty general Feihong. The current he yan unfortunately cannot meet the unmatched general on the battlefield in my eyes. The whole concept got lost somewhere in the name of romance which was also not anything that can spark fire.

The fl and her stepbrother's visible size differance and no one ever questioned hoe general feihong got 5 inches tall and buffer in a night is concerning. He rufei is told to have cognitive problem and he suddenly got cured By Xu jingfu's magic potion?! and the fact that he was staying at Yunhua temple with the identity of he yan meaning Rufei should've disguised as a women but we never see him doing that. Xu Jingfu was portrayed as a cunning man , there were so many choices and yet he kept the dumbest imposter general by his side.

The fl is mighty only in the past. In the present unfortunately she carry the temperament of a general. This drama should've been sold as a love story. The main problem people are disappointed is because if you are selling a hardcore , revenge filled women centric story then you better deliver it. There were a lot of questionable points throughout the story but all this could've been overlooked if we got a good closure. But wtf happened at last few episodes?

Chu zhao was a gentle character from the beginning who called out his own actions , he didn't wanted to sugarcoat his action in the name of anything else. And what they made of it?? A lovesick fool who abused his power, broke trust of his allies. A character who respected he yan from the beginning suddenly wants to trap her cause he can't see her unite with her lover. Looks like writers of different minds got together to write this story and combined it together without reviewing. The emperor suddenly switching back forth from villain to a matchmaker didn't make any sense. His worry for consolidating military power is valid but then he is suddenly bestowing them marriage without any condition because they won a war?

let's talk about goodside. I liked the song and Cheng lei. The ml looked really good as a general. If anyone is his diehard fan you can watch it. If you want a bubbly romance disguised in a action/ warrior-ish drama you can watch it

but there are better things out there and this one is certainly no one of it

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