I wanted to rate this higher, but…
I was totally invested in this drama. I binge watched it, loved it, loved the acting. Why oh why did the male lead have to fall victim to utter stupidity at the ending episodes? Ugh. Totally ruined it for me, but not enough to knock it too far below 10. Up until the last few episodes it was fantastic. Great production value, great chemistry between the actors. It’s worth a watch at least once, just prepare yourself for the ML to get a terminal case of the stupids. The actors did a great job with the story they were given.Was this review helpful to you?
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i started watching cu it had two of my most favorite things in a cdrama - marriage of convenience and ding yuxi lmao, like these were actually my only two reasonsi was waiting for prisoner of beauty to air and melody of golden age was the closest to it and bonus bonus i get ding yuxi so i started watching it. i had almost no epectations from the female lead as i had never seen her before (imagine the mental turmoil i had to go through when i got to know she is younger than me and got to be with ding yuxi imma cry) and she did impress me with her skills. this might be a bit off-topic but i love her nose scrunch sm like ive never seen someone wrinkling their nose like that i found it so oddly cute lmao.
the story started out great with fl being married off to ml in the first few episodes for her to work as a spy for another palace official but she never wanted to be a spy but to only follow her passion, that is, solving mysteries and becoming an official. she does just that, all through the drama she solved quite a few cases advancing in rank as she did so. one thing i did not like about her was that she was rewarded way too often for absolute no reason at times, other than that i loved everything about her
ding yuxi was just the perfect ml wehn it all started but once he became soft for fl it was all gone with the tide amen (mind you im not saying the character went bad or something) he became a loser in love (with all due respect) and i love him for that, go baby boy. he was everything fr like girls this is the standard, however, the way his character progressed in the last two episodes did not really apeal with me that much. the ending they gave him was good but not good enough
the story is nice, it starts off nice and slows down quite a bit at the latter half like they were solving cases so well and the main mystery had so much potential but they revealed it so half-hazardly i did not enjoy it much, the explanation was good but the directory was just not it, it couldve been so much better.
i loved the side characters sm AND GOD FORBID i loved that no one i loved had to be unalived oh my god. i knew lai louzhi would die but still had some hope for him idk why but he kinda was a softie at heart kinda person even though i knew he was the most bipolar person there.
nevertheless i enjoyed it and i want ding yuxi in another character like this(who am i kidding all his costume dramas are the same character)
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Like a moth to a flame
First impressions: this show loves its slow-moTLDR; Despite the use of a lot of romantic tropes and the slow romance, the confession makes it so worth it. ngl it's hard to follow the mystery part of the story, but I think that's just me (hard to remember all the characters' names). Some parts seem a bit spotty to me, like some characters just disappear from the story (Pan Chi), and we don't know what they're doing while the main story's going down. The ending is also a bit abrupt imo, but it's a happy one. Acting of all the main characters is amazing, esp the Empress Dowager, fl, ml, and LLZ, in no particular order. Music is also enjoyable, and they don't play the main theme song every emotional moment. One and done for me, but it was enjoyable while it lasted.
Story: I watched for the romance btw. There are a lot of typical tropes (some are reversed) you usually find in romance dramas (ml saves fl in fire, ml gets injured and fl takes care of him, childhood sweethearts, 2nd love interests, breaking up, misunderstandings), but it somehow doesn't detract from the relationship between the leads. The part where they break up is really unique, so I'm not entirely mad abt it. I also enjoyed the relationships where they're just friends and nothing more, and the writers don't push the love triangle/rectangle trope. The romance part was kinda iffy at first, but the confession is worth all that banter. Also, the fl might seem kinda annoying at first, but she has some character development, and it mellows out a bit. There are some plot points that didn't make sense to me (ig to develop main leads' relationship??), but it was tolerable. The family dynamics are really sweet..Also, I'm not sure where to put this, but there are some parts where the subtitles appear one by one, matching the actors' emphasis, and I've never seen a show do that before, which was interesting.
Acting/Cast: ml's reactions are so expressive. He can portray something w/o actually saying anything. People keep hating on fl, but at least she apologizes when she knows she's wrong and takes accountability (and a testament to DEX's acting ability). Everyone keeps praising DYX, which I totally agree with, but I'd argue that MZJ's acting is on par with his.
Music: There are lots of variations from the main tracks. Just a lot of pieces and songs that fit with each scene.
Rewatch value: I most likely won't watch this again, but I enjoyed it.
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One of my favorite endings!
I loved that there was a FL with her own goals and drive who didn't spend the whole show just trying to win over the ML. The trust and working relationship built between the two was a nice thing to see.The Scooby Doo style mystery solving got boring, so I took a break for a while. But when I came back, the last few episodes were great. The ending is now one of my all-time favorites! There were cute and flirty moments, heartfelt and tender moments, but without getting too sappy or too dark. I loved the actors, and the costumes were absolutely gorgeous.
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Great story, wonderful ending
I’m not going to say what the ending is but it is priceless!I will admit that for me the plot gets a little bit boring in the middle as the main characters take a very loooong time to unearth the truth behind a fire that claimed the lives of many people over a decade earlier but it all make sense in the end.
The ML and FL are brilliant and over time their romance blossoms and they fall deeply in love and there are super angsty bits as well as some lighthearted moments peppered throughout.
Production values, costumes and supporting cast values are high in this drama.
Ding Yuxi is brilliant and provides a stellar performance as the ice cold, totally focused Head of Imperial Guard and is the perfect foil for Anci Deng’s character who is sceptical about finding anything good in their arranged marriage. Over time they learn to trust and enjoy each other’s superior intellect and then love starts to blossom as they realise they are just what the other needs. Twists and turns take this otherwise very pedestrian plot up a notch as bit by bit they put the puzzle pieces together.
Would I watch again? Definitely
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enjoyable
the romance aspect is pretty decent. i really like shen du. fl is quite annoying ik they want to make her independent but she can’t defend herself so he has to save her every time which ruined the whole point of making her independent and strong. the crime and mystery is very lack luster the autopsy are bland and not interesting. i hate that every case keeps relating to the fireflies sect so it’s never truly closed. the side characters are boring and her family is annoying. overall i enjoyed it but it’s definitely not that amazing or well written. the crime and mystery sucks but the romance between the main couple is cute.Was this review helpful to you?
ok show
The storyline was pretty good for tiny dramas, the female character, wise, fairly strong and smart, which I appreciated. The male character course was gorgeous. The storyline had a few weaknesses and the ending could’ve been longer. I like that the lead male character was strong and decisive, and I think he played his role well the female character seemed either very strong or completely weak. There is no middle ground. The female characters family is hilarious and I especially appreciated the mother character the concubine she really brought a lot of laughter into the show.Was this review helpful to you?
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only a teeny weeny spoiler tho, doesn't even count
A solid 8/10. Ding Yuxi carried in my opinion. Deng Enxi and Ding Yuxi fit together quite well, and I liked the pairing of Lu Chuichui (Xiao Yan) and Jiang Langxing (Gao Ji Cai). The added touch of the obsessive romance Lai Luozhi had for Lu Chuichui was interesting, showing a little insanity on Lai Luozhi's part when he started to get a little too possessive, even kidnapping hr to be his wife. Deng Enxi's character Yan Xing can be a little annoying at times, with her recklessness and stubborn nature, never listening to Shen Du and getting them nearly killed all the time. However, I like her wit paired with Shen Du's power and the little past backstory they had together when they were children. The character Shen Du kind of fell from grace as I read in another review, in the beginning he was depicted as powerful and intimidating, while as it went on he wasn't as stoic a figure anymore. However, these are all small points, and all in all, it's not a terrible drama, some of you might like it. In my opinion, it's simply all right. (Ignore my rating for music, unless it's really good I just put a two for everything)Was this review helpful to you?
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A general has to marry a girl, but she runs away and her sister takes her place. He was very furious with her but little by little, after discovering that this girl was his savior when he was a young prisoner he falls in love with her. It's nice to see their relationship grow.But the convoluted story, all these poisonings and the length of the series (40 episodes) make it a bit tiring.
Above all, I didn't like the last 3-4 episodes because he changes his attitude, teams up with the bad guy, gets divorced and doesn't bat an eyelid at people who died unjustly.
Even if it turns out that he secretly acts on behalf of the empress to set a trap for the villain, the price was high and made his beloved suffer.
All this, however, will give him the opportunity to discover the truth about his father's death and will rehabilitate his family's name. After that he does everything to win her back.
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Melody Of Golden Age
Melody of Golden Age is an absolute gem of a drama that beautifully blends history, romance, and ambition. The storytelling is engaging, with well-developed characters and an immersive plot that keeps you hooked from the very first episode. Ding Yuxi and Deng Enxi, their on-screen presence is simply magical, making every interaction between their characters feel natural and heartfelt. Ding Yuxi, as always, delivers a charismatic and powerful performance—his expressions, emotions, and charm make him truly unforgettable. And yes, I have to say it—he looks incredibly handsome in every scene! 😍The cinematography, set designs, and music are also top-notch, perfectly capturing the essence of the era. If you love historical romance dramas with strong leads and great chemistry, Melody of Golden Age is a must-watch!
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Strong ML and FL, a pretty haters to lovers, I absolutely loved i!
I started this drama without many expectations and ended up falling in love with Shen Du haha, I loved how it showed the main plots of the story from the beginning, and the cases throughout the drama too, which brought us closer to the main couple and still managed to be almost all connected to the main plot of the villain, not straying too far from the story.I doubted almost everyone a lot at the beginning lol, but I already suspected who the real villain was, I won't say it here because this is a spoiler-free review, but the way the secondary characters got involved, the plots of the castle and the empress, everything was very well presented, in fact this is one of the few dramas in which I like the empress/emperor haha.
Shen Du seemed cold and closed off at first, but the way the story gradually showed his relationship with the female lead was perfect. He didn't just hate her today and wake up loving her the next day. The relationship gradually developed, as did their feelings. I loved the scenes of him being jealous but not admitting it, lol. Especially after they fell in love and admitted it. Aaaah, I fell in love. He was so protective of her. They were a wonderful and intelligent couple, also working together on cases.
I won't say much about Lai Luo, but I simply hated him from his first appearance. The guy managed to be unbearable, annoying, arrogant, paranoid, everything bad. I was angry with him from the beginning to the end, lol.
A really great drama, I really recommend it.
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Started for the mystery, stayed for Shen Du
Real rating is 11 for the music & 10 for romance so 8.9/10I have a crush on Ding YuXi. He’s so *hawt* in this role and I wish the show was faster to get better *hits* of hotness seretonin. That said it takes about 10 episodes for us to get more of that the serious/stoic Shen Du.
I think the plot overall could have been a bit tighter. There’s a lot of moving variables and characters that make sense and connect well, but at the same time don’t really affect the plot. We spend so much time on the prince and princess but they don’t really actually add to the plot and their storylines dragged the overall experience. I know it was to cause intrigue and make us think maybe one of them is evil but that line of thought doesn’t even sustain itself with what we are given so I feel like the show would have been much stronger if it was closer to 35 episodes instead and removed some of the extra noise.
Also did they really have to kill Marshall Xu and Yun Que 😭 I know they were the “least important couple” but they were still so cute and their death was so sad. Always gotta kill a couple or something for the tears and stakes but I feel like coma and they wake up would have sufficed. Whatever. I saw it coming that a secondary couple would end with tragedy and once he had that cute moment about the wedding it was game over.
I would definitely rewatch it but skip the parts that were more espionage than general mystery or romance. The antagonist is just an actual crazy man that needed a better mother and therapy so he was pretty one dimensional and boring in that way. I’m still not sure I understand his mother’s motives for traumatizing her child but sure let’s go with that.
Last but not least THIS OST was amazing. I have been pretty generous to music of shows giving 10 if they fit the overall show, but even when I took a break from this show I was listing to the OST so I had to give it an 11 bc it was THAT good. I wish Ryan Ding had more songs!
### Original Thoughts & Ideas
- Good vs evil is pretty black and white in this show unlike something like The Prisoner of Beauty. We have some “gray” characters but even they are mostly good or mostly bad. The Empress Dowager seemed to have in fact not wanted the consort’s child be the emperor but it’s not clear how much of a role she *actually* played in the consort’s suicide. But the Black Fiend was truly just a man who saw his mom die and made a cult about reincarnation to kinda, not really deal with the trauma. I almost want to label him a victim and in a way he is because his whole life was built off this narrative his mother fed him. But he’s still a “black” character. He isn’t nice to his adoptive sisters, he attacks the woman he claims to love, and throws any blame of his actions on the Empress Dowager for believing what was pretty solid evidence against innocent but framed people. We could label Shen Du as “gray” because he’s a “dark horse” type guy but I would more call him “good” with a wall as protection due to his own childhood trauma.
- It is interesting that both men witnessed extreme wrong doing to their parent(s) but one chose the path of righteousness and the other of sinister obsession.
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