The series had a strong storyline and good pacing overall. The male lead delivered a very powerful performance, but unfortunately, the female lead weakened the impact. I’m not sure whether it was the way her character was written or how it was portrayed, but I found it difficult to connect with her. A general who constantly needs rescuing by the male lead until she eventually falls for him felt unconvincing and poorly executed.

The styling and makeup also highlighted her age in a way that didn’t help the character. She appeared noticeably older than the male lead—at times even older than the empress—which made their pairing less believable. The two leads lacked chemistry; their dynamic felt more like platonic comrades than romantic partners. I kept hoping their romantic scenes would change my impression, but instead, it reinforced it. The female lead’s performance felt too restrained to evoke any real sense of romantic excitement or “butterflies.”