Great ML and FL, they carried the show
Overall: It was a fun watch, ZY and CL carried the show.Story: Given the strong base the novel had, the show did a good job of recreating the key events, however the editing, and the build up to the reveal was not impactful. The direction felt choppy in a lot of places and the script fell apart in the CZ madness which was not required at all.
Acting: CL and ZY were AMAZING and the show has rewatch value for that alone. I would rewatch the iconic confession scenes, the confrontation with Rufei and the battle scenes just to see their performances which were top notch! Give them a better script and director, I think they will be elevated even more. ZK as CZ was expressionless, I could not feel his pain, his delusional side or love. Minister Xu actually acted well and was a good choice for the main villain, Rufei was good in the jail scene, otherwise was reduced to be a bit of a caricature. I loved the bois, I wish they had more screen time. Did not like Taotao and Cheng Lisu, but its not their fault, they fell prey to the chopping block.
Other General Comments: As a novel reader, I was not expecting a faithful adaptation so I was not super disappointed, since you can never really do justice. It was unfortunate with the editing and cutting of episodes - the abrupt endings - it all pointed to lost connectivity and impacted the overall story-telling. I will rate this a 8.5/10 since ultimately the story needs to capture your attention - Despite those flaws, ZY and CL really held me and they are my HY and XZ forever, hence the higher rating, just for them.
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