Enemies falling in love, healing, never giving up on each other, staying strong.
I went in with strong expectations for Li Qin, sense I have seen her before in other dramas, and her acting is amazing as always. And the problems I have is not with her but the story/production.Firstly, the connection between the leads are amazing, and you can easily see the character development, that happens, their chemistry, acting and story fits and it’s so well done.
I cried and screamed and yelled soooo much to this drama, in the best way possible. Because it made me feel for the characters and live thru them.
It is worth the watch? Definitely 💯 👍🏻 I feel like if your thinking about it, just go and start because you won’t be able to stop again.
That said, I will say. At the last 10 episodes or more, I was missing, a finished touch to the Female lead, her story and development is amazing, but it just suddenly stops, not gonna spoil, and it’s like the story forgets, her emotions she said, and she becomes soft. I like it, dont get me wrong, but at times you see it with the male lead, and it’s amazing! You feel for him and see him develop into an amazing person, but her? It just seems like after what she went through hers stand still after, she finds something out and get “help” but then the story becomes even more main focused on the male lead. I loved it and even had my score at 9.5 before episode 22 an onwards, because I got disappointed by the lack of finished touch to female leads story, but that is not nothing you can blame the actors for. And if you go in, I will bet some people won’t even pay attention to that. But that is why I only give it an 8. Wanted to do 7, but it’s just tooooo good of a drama otherwise, because it can survive without it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Revenge and Betrayal
Pros: The plot is really compact, there's almost no unimportant or boring episode, acting, ost are good and i think all the plot point has been explained. I wanna applause the villain backstory because some of them are really heartbreaking and actually a good reason to be a villain.Cons: There's some illogical plot point that is little annoying to me like how both main leads has been seriously injured for so many times but of course they can recover without longlasting effect. Why do they have to make both leads take turn to have amnesia? but fortunately they regain their memory quickly. For the ending, personally i would love if ML become the emperor instead, because i think he's the only Feng descendant that is actually suitable for the throne.
Was this review helpful to you?
Bound by Fate
Overall, I really enjoyed this drama (I binged watched it aggressively). However, I will say the Ep 1 - 27 were phenomenal and would rate 9/10. Honestly, the story could have ended their and didn’t need anything else.Ep 28 - 38 were more lackluster after the 1st arch was completely. I would rate it 7/10
Total rating is 8.5 main leads had really good chemistry but it could have also worked as friends - some interactions felt a little platonic instead of the all-consuming love they declared.
Rewatch value would be low for me personally as there’s nothing left to discover after 1st viewing. I still enjoyed it and would recommend to others.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Dare I say the best ennemies-to-lovers in which they're actually at each other's throat?
The hostility between Yixiao and Suige is visceral and this is exactly what we want when there's talk about "ennemies" in any show old or new. Now I iht the "this review contains spoilers button" but the only spoilers mentionned reach about episodes 5 I think?Let's get down to business with what I already named my third favorite drama this year (behind Footprints of Change & Coroner's Diary, no less :p).
He orders his men to whip her? She gives back EVERY. SINGLE. HIT.
She bites him until he bleeds? He bites back, and a nasty one at that!
An ennemies-to-lovers where the ennemies part goes on until at least episode 15 out of 38? I'm down.
After AJourney To Love, Princess Agents & Legend of The Female General, we are terribly close to the best portrayal of the best "female general" and I'm not even kidding.
Brains? IQ? Strenght? Devotion? Loyalty?
She has it ALL.
And he's all the same if not better, honestly.
Mature adults, with their flaws and qualities, swimming through life together only to find out they can truly rely on one another and that only makes even even more powerful. Late lovers comes back? Mam' doesn't give two shits. And ML? He only has eyes for her and his sister, that dummy so no divorce trope to put the cherry on the top.
I mean, what else can be said? Storyline went crazy, acting was extraordinary, ost were awesome... Second lead couple went crazy but hey, they NEED they're own serie at this point, chemistry was CRAZY and we could have got so much of them...
We truly need more "mature" couple representation and less childish ones (some are great, but it's like there's only that... give a girl some brains, damn even historical settings they don't have to be dumb and constantly waiting to be saved to no when to run away...).
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The Ruthless Prince
This story centers on Feng Sui Ge, the eldest prince of Susha, a ruthless and battle-hardened military commander who has won countless victories. During his campaign to capture a border city belonging to the Jinxiu Kingdom, he is gravely wounded by an extraordinary archer, who turns out to be Fu Yi Xiao, a female commander. Feng Sui Ge ultimately loses that battle, and though he narrowly escapes several assassination attempts, he manages to retreat to safety to recover from his injuries.Meanwhile, Fu Yi Xiao, the same commander who defeated him, finds herself betrayed by her own people. After a mysterious fall from a cliff, she barely survives and is later rescued and brought to the same safe haven where Feng Sui Ge is recuperating.
When their paths cross again, Feng Sui Ge captures Fu Yi Xiao, who, by this time, has lost her memory. Taking advantage of the situation, he brings her back to the Susha capital. There, while investigating the mysterious failure of his last campaign, he begins to suspect that someone within his own ranks leaked critical battle plans to the enemy.
As the story unfolds, we see that Feng Sui Ge wields immense power, perhaps even more than the emperor himself. The emperor, a cold and calculating man, seems to be grooming his son to be equally ruthless, deliberately letting him handle the complex intrigues of the imperial court. The Empress, a manipulative woman, conspires with her father, the Prime Minister, to maintain her family’s influence and take down Feng Sui Ge. It is later revealed that they orchestrated the downfall of the former Empress, falsely accusing her of espionage with the Jinxiu Kingdom in order to secure the throne for the Empress and her own son. That former Empress was Feng Sui Ge’s mother.
Haunted by the injustice, Feng Sui Ge seeks to clear his mother’s name and secretly despises his father for failing to avenge her. Though he cares for his younger half-brother, who idolizes him, he keeps his distance, aware of the political divide between them. His younger sister, meanwhile, is naïve and eventually chooses her own independent path.
From here, the story dives deep into palace intrigue, power struggles, espionage, and revenge, Feng Sui Ge remains a calculating and efficient figure, unrestrained by rules or morality, able to kill ministers and subordinates at will without consequence.
While the first 10/15 episodes shine for the evolving romance between Fu Yi Xiao and Feng Sui Ge, from enemies to allies to lovers, their relationship eventually loses momentum after they get together. What truly sustains the series is not the romance, but the revenge plot, the betrayals, and the political drama.
Special mention goes to Xu Xiao Sa, who delivers an exceptional performance as the Empress. Her emotional depth, makes her one of the most convincing and memorable female characters in the series.
Overall, the show did amazing in portraying morally complex villains, each with believable motives. The emperor’s manipulative schemes, Feng Sui Ge’s unbridled authority, and the tangled web of deceit within the palace make this a compelling tale of ambition and power far more than one of love.
Was this review helpful to you?
Thrones, Treachery, and Women Caught Between Two Princes
Fu YiXiao, the formidable red cloaked female commander of JinXiu Kingdom, turns the tide of battle at Pingling by shooting Feng SuiGe, the Eldest Prince and Army General of enemy state Susha. Yet victory comes at a cruel price. Betrayed by her own side, YiXiao is shot, falls off a cliff, and loses her memory. Rescued by a physician from ZhengNian Villa, she crosses paths once more with the injured SuiGe, seeking remedy. She was held captive, setting the stage for fate to intervene again.Enter Xia JingShi (Chen HeYi), JinXiu’s Eldest Prince and YiXiao’s former lover, who has never stopped searching for her. The mystery unfolds early: who betrayed YiXiao, and why? Will she return to the man she once loved, or find her heart drawn to the enemy prince she was meant to kill?
Both princes face treacherous courts. JinXiu is ruled by a cruel and insecure emperor who mistreats his elder brother, Xia JingShi. While SuiGe battles palace intrigue led by a scheming stepmother empress who wants the throne for her own son, Feng ChengYang (Ding Jia Wen) as well as the the unresolved mystery of his own mother’s death. Love, loyalty, and ambition collide as each man struggles between duty and desire.
The situation grows even more tangled as the naive Susha princess becomes infatuated with JinXiu’s eldest prince. Ignoring her brother’s warnings, she agrees to the JinXiu's proposed alliance marriage meant to secure peace but instead ignites further chaos. SuiGe demands a matrilocal marriage, a condition the JinXiu emperor eagerly accepts, seeing it as a convenient way to dispose of his own brother. On the wedding night, however, the princess sabotages the arrangement by helping her husband escape. Her romantic gamble backfires spectacularly. Returning to JinXiu, she finds herself isolated and betrayed, and in desperation turns to the emperor for protection—only to entangle herself further when he develops feelings for her, pushing the political and emotional stakes even higher.
The drama embraces familiar tropes—enemies-to-lovers, shared trials, and repeated save the damsel-in-distress rescues—but strong performances elevate the story. The male lead delivers a compelling portrayal, his slightly asymmetrical features lending depth to a character torn between gentleness and ruthlessness. Supporting actors Chen HeYi and Ding Jia Wen stand out, both bringing emotional weight to their roles, especially Chen HeYi as the dashingly handsome, tragic, restrained lover he excels at portraying.
Beyond romance and intrigue, the drama offers surprisingly relevant lessons: poor leadership breeds enemies, emotional decisions cloud judgment, domineering parental control breeds resentment, and rigid ideals can lead to devastating consequences. The villain’s downfall is not one mistake, but two fatal choices—betraying the woman he loved and refusing to walk away when victory was already his.
There are flaws worth noting, including questionable political decisions, overly convenient plot devices, and some unsettlingly violent scenes. Still, these do not overshadow the strengths.
Overall, this is a visually rich and emotionally charged production with strong acting, good looking leads, impressive cinematography and CGI, elegant costumes, and a memorable ending theme song. Despite some imperfections, it is an engaging watch and easy to recommend.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Mama! I am in love with a criminal
-I want to rewrite Xia Jingshi and Feng Xiang's love story and give them a happy ending.-beautiful people with their great portrayals
-ML-red flag in war but green flag in love. But I guess their love story with the red clad general was more romance/less struggles.
-I want the support leads to be the main leads,their story has more impact on me. Though Xia Jingyan was there,I still wished that there's a change of heart in the prince of Zhennan.
-All the villains were killed,none had been given a second chance to be good again, like Xia Jingshi. Their pain was valid but their methods were wrong.
-still a great drama,u will taste the bitterness and the sweetness of revenge. You will surely be moved by the characters' tears. Fast paced, revenge was satisfying but war had no ending and blood was everywhere. Friendship didn't last,everyone was scheming,and loyalty sucks. Love,forget about it.The lead characters got it,but the supporting characters didn't.
-my heart breaks for all the father here
-my heart aches for the love that never reciprocated
-my heart bleeds for the unending revenge that caused ruin to the one who avenged.
I couldn't blame Xiang for disobeying her brother and father,coz I,I am also in love with the criminal.Xia Jingshi🤦♥️😭
Was this review helpful to you?
Great Start but Got Draggy towards The End
Fu Yixiao was a commander under Jinxiu’s First Prince, Prince of Zhennan Xia Jingshi, both being in love with each other and planning to get married. However at Battle of Pingling, right after FL secured a win for the Jinxiu by shooting the enemy’s general, the first Prince of Susha, Feng Suige right in the chest, FL went missing. It turned out she was shot down a cliff and hunted by assassins, at which she encountered Ling Xueying, daughter of divine physician Ling Feng, revered by both emperors of Susha and Jinxiu. Xueying brought her back for treatment, and while she was left to soak in the spring for recuperation, she met with ML who was sneaking in to recuperate in the pool. Due to a head injury during the fall, FL did not remember who she was and her life before, so ML took this chance to lure her into his trap by saying that they were friends. Once captured, ML tortured FL for revenge and intel as he believed Jinxiu had Susha’s people working as a spy. Unable to extract intel from her due to her amnesia, he brought her back to Susha under the pretense of a concubine. Meanwhile Xia Jingshi was frantically looking for FL when he heard she was spotted with ML. With the marriage arrangement between Susha and Jinxiu in return for peace, Xia Jingshi rushed to Susha under the guise of the bethrothal to Princess Feng Xiyang, when in reality he was determined to bring FL back with him to Jinxiu. As FL’s memories started to come back in bits and pieces, she realized there was a more sinister reason for her falling off the cliff, and eventually decided to work with ML to uncover the truth.I truly prefer seeing Li Qin as a badass character than those demure, soft ones (like Lin Waner in Joy of Life). So far I have only seen Song of Glory where he was also a badass there, and i loved it too. In here, I love how resolute and ruthless the FL’s nature is. She doesnt hesitate to pay back every single lash that she received during interrogation by the ML, very unlike some supposedly badass FL who conveniently forgets the torture they had been subjected to a few episodes before just because they was starstruck by him. And you know how when the high and mighty minister started to pull ranks and bicker with the ML and in most situations the young one had to concede to the old villainous minister? We can all get pure satisfaction from this show because our ML doesnt take no nonsense at all. He actually swung a fist at the old guy’s face when the old hag won’t budge. Pure satisfaction!
Although i liked the plot where they deviated from the trash novel’s, I couldnt fathom how childish the court politics theyve written. It is disappointing that ML had no vision of his future beyond avenging his mom, of how much the court and the kingdom would be thrown in turmoil after he got rid of the trecherous minister who also has ties to the royal blood and then refuse to ascend the throne as his father wanted. For a brilliant mind who had been tiptoeing around people who keeps trying to kill him growing up, he was sure damn short sighted and never planned ahead. As for the SML, how is he so naiive and stubborn in not treating Xiyang courteously even as nominal wife? He had no connection and power in Jinxiu’s court, how could it never crossed his mind that a good relationship with a princess that represents a foreign power who is also infatuated in him would add considerably to his advantage and road for revenge? All his life he was trampled upon and used beyond measure, subjected to countless humiliating situations all due to his lowborn status, and when he was scheming against the court for survival he thought he’d just toss off this foreign power backing just because he was in love with a commoner who had turned against him? How laughable. If ML was shortsighted and never planned ahead, then the SML is double triple that! I just got off the brilliant Nirvana in Fire so the political scene in Fated Hearts seemed practically kindergarten level, giving off how stupid the characters are written. They couldve made the plot more interesting with better scheming characters, but nope, they went with the dull and stupid plot instead.
And just when i thought the plot could not get any worse, then bam they proved me wrong. Who the heck buries corpses in the middle of a route? 🤣 even if it’s in the forest, it’s still in plain sight accessible by carriage. Truly a joke.
And what even more laughable is how characters could survive multiple sword slashes and strikes through the midsection and chest like theyre freaking Terminators. Gosh, they really pushed the odds to the limits with ML’s supposedly assassination and later Xiyang’s 🤣 basically the good characters will survive while the bad characters wouldnt survive even one strike of sword. Lame-ass writing.
Despite the cringy plot, I am impressed with Feng Chengyang, ML’s pure-hearted brother. At first i thought he would be easily manipulated by both his mom and grandfather, being the soft and crybaby that he is, but it turned out he changed drastically after assuming the throne. Now this is one of the brilliant and pure soul that the screenwriter didnt manage to botch. Honestly i think he would be a thousand times a better ruler than the dense and stupid Xiyang, like seriously.
Love the fight choreography. Love the songs. Love Sa Dingding’s cameo. Love FL’s badass character that stayed true to the end. Love all the lead and second lead casts, theyre all beautiful people that impressed me with their acting (of all the cast I am only familiar with Li Qin and Sa Dingding, and a few support roles that i regularly see in other shows), but somehow I had a hard time finishing the show as quickly as when i binge great shows before. Even the last episode it took me 2 days to finish. I even got sleepy during the final battle. I cannot explain it, maybe the cringy and draggy plot in the last 10 episodes got to me more than my love for the overall plot? Somehow they failed to keep my binge attention.
Was this review helpful to you?
Fated Hearts Review
I finished watching Fated Hearts a few months ago and wanted to write a review of all the things I recall and why i enjoyed it:Starting off with Fu Yi Xiao, she was a badass character who showed the audience the power of women. Even though she was backstabbed by the one she trusted, she came back stronger and maybe it was even for the better. Seeing the relationship between Feng Sui Ge and Fu Yi Xiao evolve from enemies, to partners and eventually lovers, they really portrayed each dynamic with vivid difference. When I think of Fated Hearts, 3 things stand out to me. First is Feng Sui Ge, never holding back what he has to say in front of his dad. I find that this is sort of rare in other dramas i've seen. If something needs to be said, trust that he will say it and I love that. He never cowered in front of the court, his dad and enemies. Truly a man. Second, Fu Yi Xiao having Sui Ge's back with her bow and arrow. She is so reliable, strong, and astute. Even though she loses her memory (and we see this plot in different dramas) she handled it realistically and smartly. Not trusting completely, being wary but also giving a chance. Such a smart women. Thirdly, (i don't why this left such a big impression on me) when Feng Sui Ge came back for his army, he knew they would be loyal even under those circumstances. The way all the soldiers welcomed him as well as Fu Yi Xiao was so heart warming. If i were Feng Sui Ge and saw that loyalty and trust from the army I cultivated I would probably shed a tear or two. If you are looking for a fierce couple, an interesting story that will keep you excited do watch it :)
(also the rewatch value for me is low because i don't usually rewatch shows not because the show was bad)
Was this review helpful to you?
Fated Hearts: When Fate Is the Storm
🔹 Would I rewatch? Yes, for the lingering tension and the way the leads spark off each other.🔹 Do you ever start a drama and just know it's the right pick?
📕 Overview
🔹 36 episodes, historical romance
🔹 Adapted from the novel "Yi Xiao" (一笑) by Chi Yi Qian Yu (炽翼千羽)
🔹 Li Qin plays Fu Yixiao, askilled general and a master archer whose honesty and resilience anchor the story
🔹 Chen Zheyuan plays Feng Suige, a guarded prince who carries both strategy and vulnerability
🔹 The story begins when a single arrow turns the tide of battle, throwing enemies together in Yujing City
🔹 At the time of this review, 10 episodes have aired
🔹 Coming after other memory-loss romances, this one worked for me because the tension never drowned out the vulnerability between the leads
🌸 How It Felt Watching
🔹 From the first episode, I felt swept into high stakes and emotional pull
🔹 The tone felt suspenseful and romantic, with pauses that let the tenderness breathe
🔹 The themes of love, betrayal, courage, and hope stayed constant in every scene
🔹 It reminded me a little of The Princess's Gambit, but sharper in its focus on survival and trust between reluctant partners
✨ Cast & Acting
🔹 Li Qin as Fu Yixiao: I saw both strength and vulnerability, and every big moment rang true
🔹 Chen Zheyuan as Feng Suige: I felt his icy exterior crack in the right places, and his inner conflict read clearly on screen
🔹 The supporting cast helped fill out the world, though a few of the side plots I felt moved a little too quickly.
🎵 OST 🎵
🔹 "A Laughter Follows the Song" by Sa Ding Ding
🔹 "Raging Waves" by Huangzi Hong Fan
🔹 "A River of Eyes" by Where Chou
🔹 "Don't Cry" by Tian Yun (天韵 Aria)
🎞️ Production Style
🔹 I loved the sweeping cinematography in the opening scenes, setting scale and tension before a word was spoken
🔹 I noticed how the director framed the leads, isolating them to heighten pressure, then pairing them in two-shots to show their growing connection
🔹 I felt over-the-shoulder shots made conversations intimate and personal, pulling me closer to each reveal
🔹 The red, silver, and stone color palettes created a stormy mood that reflected the story's weight.
☕ Tea Notes
🔹 What worked: The intense romance, the visual composition, and the impact of each reveal all contributed to the overall effectiveness.
🔹 What didn't: A few subplots moved too quickly for my liking, and the pacing dipped slightly in the middle stretches.
☕ SpillTheDramaTea's Rating: 10/10
🌿 Tea-Scale: Perfect Cup
✏️ As SpillTheDramaTea, I noted the captivating visuals. Could love and destiny be two sides of the same storm?
Was this review helpful to you?
Acting excellence and good chemistry
This is a really well acted, scripted and filmed series. All of the leads and secondary characters are relatable and believable. I would say one of the better series to come out in 2025 especially in comparison to the disappointing viewing of Journey of Legend. I am enjoying every episode and not fast forwarding through any of them. (Which for me is indicative of a truly gripping storyline and excellent in acting). Visually beautiful as well and the costuming is above par.Was this review helpful to you?
I enjoyed it
Usually i get hooked on a show from the first episode but the opposite happened here. The first epiosde was cheesy and i hated the fake forests,the way too bright red blood, the female lead killing like a machine all with her red cloak blowing in the breeze,the bath scene where the male lead is shirtless and super skinny but supposed to look hot 🤣 i was about to drop it but had nothing else to watch. Then by episode 3 i got hooked. The storyline was actually pretty good and i would say it progressively got better throughout the show. The male lead i had already known from hidden love and although i didnt like him in this role at first,i got used to it. I did like the female lead she was more believable as a female general than many of the other shows i have seen (like LOFG)Of course there were lame parts of the show like how the leads survive everything. The male lead got stabbed 3 times, (according to his stomach) choked,AND buried alive...yet somehow survived 🤣 but of course he got amnesia just like the female lead had gotten 🤣 why are these chinese dramas obsessed with amnesia AND falling from cliffs yet surviving 🤣 anyway i really liked how the crazy emperor fell in love with male leads sister that was a nice touch and i felt so sorry when he died but someone had to be sacrificed for the leads happy ending lol. Not sure i would REwatch but its deff worth a watch!Was this review helpful to you?
