Pretty Visually But Lacking In Story
If there is one word to sum up my experience finishing this drama it's "frustrated". I personally paid for the Express package to watch the final episodes in advance and never have I so much wanted my money back.The show, after the odd opening scenes of the 1st episode, begins well enough and with a clear story. The FL is an assassin and is sent in by the Crown Prince to have her become the Emperor's (his father) Hostage Consort. From here the story progresses with her trying to find ways to free herself and her female assassin "sisters".
Here's the issue, while the show is very visually stunning, the plot tends to have a feeling of making it up as you watch. Most of the show is rather simple to follow at least, but by the time you reach the final episodes things just begin happening for seemingly no reason and fake-outs begin to take place.
By the time you reach the final episode you might be like me and no longer even care if the show is "pretty" any longer as you try very hard to make sense of ANYTHING being shown on the screen.
In my opinion, the best episodes are the FIRST 5 or 6 and the worst are the LAST 5 or 6.
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Quality Visuals, Poor Script
A previous reviewer summed it up quite nicely, it was well directed but the script was quite poor. The drama was visually stunning and didn't lose to a higher budget drama. It had quality costumes, makeup, hair, etc. It didn't look tacky at all.As for the plot, it was quite simple. Nothing too original, but what really messed things up was the pacing of the drama. The first few episodes were quite well paced, but they definitely ran out of time at the end because a lot of corners were cut to make it on time. There were weird jumps in plot and off screen action (that was quite significant) because they needed like five more episodes. If they had paced the plot line better, I think the drama would have fared better than most of its web drama competitors and longer counterparts.
Most of the time, people look for a well done drama. It doesn't have to be too creative, just executed well. Especially for short web dramas, pacing of the plot is everything. If they had paced things better, there wouldn't have been much to complain about since developing the plot line into something complex wouldn't have been possible for the amount of time given.
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This review may contain spoilers
Visually stunning drama and the symbolism of lights.
For a short drama, the quality far exceeded my expectations. It's a visual feast for the eyes. Every frame is captured beautifully.The lighting is just magical. It was used as an instrument to set the mood and tell the story very effectively here. I would recommend this drama for the visual aspect alone.
The story's portrayal of women was a surprise. The struggle to break through what was considered the norm was a fresh take. Suffered through her whole life, Di Shi Qi's world changed the day Ouyang Shao appeared.
Her journey from the darkest, hopeless place to become the most powerful women was inspiring.
Her strength is admirable. Not just Di Shi Qi, the women around her really held their fates in their hands. It's so unusual to see women coming together, helping each other for stories from this era. This is what makes this drama stands out from the rest.
Ouyang Shao was the light that shines her path in the dark. They had a special bond. He pulled her out of misery in her darkest days, helped her and became her protector in the palace. He did everything silently, behind the scene at first but eventually he can no longer keep it a secret. His love is constant and unconditional. Despite everything, he stood by her, sacrifice his health, his body again and again hoping to make everything better for her. He tried to give her what she wanted the most, freedom. His unconditional love and trust is the foundation for the happiness they both deserved.
There are moments when the lighting just takes your breath away. It immediately created that warm feeling whenever Ouyang Shao appears next to Di Shi Qi. The light is warm and embraced her surroundings. The most impressive scene is in episode 5 when she was in the tree drinking. The lighting of this scene is so surreal, like in a dream. It's so beautiful.
In episode 4, when the 2 assassins talked, the use of shadows and negative space really made that scene special. The dialogue " If you get soft-hearted, you'll die" then the continuation of that scene into the morning... showing the warm light beams signalling a new day. That whole sequence was so impressive and magical too.
There are countless moments where I just want to pause the screen to have a closer look. The production did a great job and deserves all the praises they can get.
The overall story is not new but the execution is fresh and engaging. The main actress He Xuan Lin stole the show. She draws you in and won't let go.
The main actor Cheng Yu Feng is a rising short dramas star. Next to He Xuan Lin, you can see some limitations but overall, he did well. The main couple looks good together. Their costumes are well made.
Overall, I still recommend this drama. There’s an issue with the treatment of ML's character towards the end but maybe it's to highlight the achievement of FL.
The ending song is beautiful, well written lyrics that perfectly tells the story from his point of view.
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