Supposed To Be A Mystery Thriller Drama But Without Much Mystery
Positive Points
1. The biggest positive point is that the FL is well written, and Bai Lu portrayed the Li Pei Yi character brilliantly. Her body language as the imperial investigating officer was very convincing. She actually looked like a women well trained in martial arts. Though I did not like much how action scenes were choreographed at some scenes, Bai Lu herself covered up for those shortcomings. Nothing to say about her acting. The helplessness, loneliness, and pain of the character was protrayed well by Bai Lu.
2. ML and FL are both smart and rational people who are clear-headed and witty enough to match each other well.
3. The tragic and bitter reality of the women due to the lack of empowerment and high dependence on men due to social circumstances during those days, and their fight for survival, for a better future, was the central character of the show for me.
4. Production value was good.
Negative Points
1. The biggest downpoint for me was the lack of mystery in a mystery thriller drama. The writing is the biggest letdown. The cases felt too generic to me and the screenplay probably was the reason that I hardly felt interested or curious enough to know what happened and who did it. It could not make me engaged with the story. The reason was probably that there were many cases and all were unrelated to each other. The main villain did not manage to blow me over. The main villain in fact felt quite foolish to me. He does not know martial arts but charges to the palace with his army as a commander. What nonsense. He was not witty enough either. This big mystery felt really flat to me.
2. ML is an astrologer who does not have any martial arts but is chasing criminals with the palace investigating team. Visiting scenes and giving opinions, helping with the investigation, is fine. But he was going on the field chasing criminals at many scenes without martial arts and in some scenes writer suddenly remembers that he can't do it as ML does not know martial arts. It is a big writing inconsistency. ML is an astrologer who is solving cases with the palace investigation bureau, while his own job is on pause. Moreover, due to some reasons, Wang Xing Yue looked a bit uncomfortable to me. His expressions looked a bit stiff to me in many scenes. He is a good actor, and I really like him, but this role did not seem suitable for him. Bai Lu and Wang Xing Yue don't have any chemistry, unfortunately (at least not to me).
3. There were quite a few editing inconsistencies, especially during the initial episodes, which felt quite weird to me. Though it got reduced later but this quite spoiled some of the action scenes for me. Moreover, the way of storytelling was quite boring.
4. During the initial episode, the sister of the investigating team member, Mr. Gu gets missing and falls under such a big racket, but the brother, who has a very good relationship with his sister, does not know anything. Later, a common palace worker sealed someone inside a palace wall, which was supposed to be a highly visited place by the king and his consorts. How did he do it without anyone knowing, and where did he have the money to actually do it privately as the materials used in the palace must be expensive. Highly delusional and drunk writing. The so-called mystery and drama felt forced to me.
5. In later episodes, how did a body not decompose even after so many days? Ok, it was preserved with ice/chemicals. But suddenly, several butterflies came that had a certain chemical sprinkled on their wings. The body got instantly vaporized, and only a skeleton was left. What nonsense.
6. An epidemic was going on, and everyone was wearing a thin veil as if it would help. Even though I ignore it, ML was touching a dissecting equipment used for cutting disease-infected bodies open, bare-handed was sloppy writing. The Female doctor had already developed a cure and treated the FL, but was still searching for a cure (to make it affordable for all, which I understand) and dissecting bodies. Though the medical herbs are rare and expensive, it is highly unlikely the royal family will allow infected people inside the palace around themselves when a cure already exists. What nonsense. The doctor was dissecting infected people with her bare hands. Writing prescriptions and formulas with blood and still not getting infected. Also, she just cuts open a dead body (her friend) and bam, she found the cure for a disease that she already had found a cure for. The writer was probably drunk when he/she was writing such sloppy twists. Culprit tried to commit suicide by swallowing poison, and all were waiting for the FL to come and prick her with a needle so she could be saved. Furthermore, no damage was done from a life-threatening poison. Where she even found the poison to commit suicide is even out of question. Logic is dead.
7. All 34 episodes revolved around tracking criminals and everything, not because the criminals here were really smart, but because though they were quite foolish, they all carried bombs which they used at the right moment to throw under the nose of our super smart investigating team, and they got out unharmed. How convenient.
Overall, if you are a fan of the main leads, you might be able to finish it like me. Otherwise, if you are expecting romance or some creepy, mystery thriller, then this drama may not be for you, as it lacks quite a bit of punch in that department.
PS. I won't even question what that giant Alligator was even doing in the storeroom.
1. The biggest positive point is that the FL is well written, and Bai Lu portrayed the Li Pei Yi character brilliantly. Her body language as the imperial investigating officer was very convincing. She actually looked like a women well trained in martial arts. Though I did not like much how action scenes were choreographed at some scenes, Bai Lu herself covered up for those shortcomings. Nothing to say about her acting. The helplessness, loneliness, and pain of the character was protrayed well by Bai Lu.
2. ML and FL are both smart and rational people who are clear-headed and witty enough to match each other well.
3. The tragic and bitter reality of the women due to the lack of empowerment and high dependence on men due to social circumstances during those days, and their fight for survival, for a better future, was the central character of the show for me.
4. Production value was good.
Negative Points
1. The biggest downpoint for me was the lack of mystery in a mystery thriller drama. The writing is the biggest letdown. The cases felt too generic to me and the screenplay probably was the reason that I hardly felt interested or curious enough to know what happened and who did it. It could not make me engaged with the story. The reason was probably that there were many cases and all were unrelated to each other. The main villain did not manage to blow me over. The main villain in fact felt quite foolish to me. He does not know martial arts but charges to the palace with his army as a commander. What nonsense. He was not witty enough either. This big mystery felt really flat to me.
2. ML is an astrologer who does not have any martial arts but is chasing criminals with the palace investigating team. Visiting scenes and giving opinions, helping with the investigation, is fine. But he was going on the field chasing criminals at many scenes without martial arts and in some scenes writer suddenly remembers that he can't do it as ML does not know martial arts. It is a big writing inconsistency. ML is an astrologer who is solving cases with the palace investigation bureau, while his own job is on pause. Moreover, due to some reasons, Wang Xing Yue looked a bit uncomfortable to me. His expressions looked a bit stiff to me in many scenes. He is a good actor, and I really like him, but this role did not seem suitable for him. Bai Lu and Wang Xing Yue don't have any chemistry, unfortunately (at least not to me).
3. There were quite a few editing inconsistencies, especially during the initial episodes, which felt quite weird to me. Though it got reduced later but this quite spoiled some of the action scenes for me. Moreover, the way of storytelling was quite boring.
4. During the initial episode, the sister of the investigating team member, Mr. Gu gets missing and falls under such a big racket, but the brother, who has a very good relationship with his sister, does not know anything. Later, a common palace worker sealed someone inside a palace wall, which was supposed to be a highly visited place by the king and his consorts. How did he do it without anyone knowing, and where did he have the money to actually do it privately as the materials used in the palace must be expensive. Highly delusional and drunk writing. The so-called mystery and drama felt forced to me.
5. In later episodes, how did a body not decompose even after so many days? Ok, it was preserved with ice/chemicals. But suddenly, several butterflies came that had a certain chemical sprinkled on their wings. The body got instantly vaporized, and only a skeleton was left. What nonsense.
6. An epidemic was going on, and everyone was wearing a thin veil as if it would help. Even though I ignore it, ML was touching a dissecting equipment used for cutting disease-infected bodies open, bare-handed was sloppy writing. The Female doctor had already developed a cure and treated the FL, but was still searching for a cure (to make it affordable for all, which I understand) and dissecting bodies. Though the medical herbs are rare and expensive, it is highly unlikely the royal family will allow infected people inside the palace around themselves when a cure already exists. What nonsense. The doctor was dissecting infected people with her bare hands. Writing prescriptions and formulas with blood and still not getting infected. Also, she just cuts open a dead body (her friend) and bam, she found the cure for a disease that she already had found a cure for. The writer was probably drunk when he/she was writing such sloppy twists. Culprit tried to commit suicide by swallowing poison, and all were waiting for the FL to come and prick her with a needle so she could be saved. Furthermore, no damage was done from a life-threatening poison. Where she even found the poison to commit suicide is even out of question. Logic is dead.
7. All 34 episodes revolved around tracking criminals and everything, not because the criminals here were really smart, but because though they were quite foolish, they all carried bombs which they used at the right moment to throw under the nose of our super smart investigating team, and they got out unharmed. How convenient.
Overall, if you are a fan of the main leads, you might be able to finish it like me. Otherwise, if you are expecting romance or some creepy, mystery thriller, then this drama may not be for you, as it lacks quite a bit of punch in that department.
PS. I won't even question what that giant Alligator was even doing in the storeroom.
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