JulesL

😭😭 Ep 22, I felt so badly for AJi and then Ep 23, I felt even worse for A Wu...such an incredible fantastical emotional journey...

My tears wouldn't stop through the last few episodes—first from the angst, even mourning the loss of our villain, and then from the sweetness, because those tender moments were masking what our beautiful couple couldn’t ultimately escape. I loved how the show captured the nuances between Simu, when she experienced the world in full, and Duan Xu, when he did not.

I especially appreciated the decision to devote an entire episode to the couple, with the beautiful OST elevating every moment. And the romantic in me loved the special episode. Honestly, even without it, I would have been satisfied—the original ending already gave me everything I wanted for them, especially knowing that he remembered it all in the end.

Loose ends aside, this drama was truly wonderful. A talented cast—particularly the leads—paired with likable, engaging characters (Feng Yi being a standout), well-timed humor, a compelling story, and good dialogue. The costumes and settings were gorgeous, the special effects and action scenes were well-done, and the soundtrack is one I’ll have on repeat.

This is definitely a drama I’ll be rewatching.

They are definitely annoying - so I kind of just tune them out and focus on the plot surrounding Zhuge Yue :D

Hopefully she will get better as others commented that there will be more changes.

HYTT definitely got potential which is why I pointed out that it was more inexperience than bad acting. Plus I was commenting only about the first 17 episodes. There's room for change for the rest of the show, and also in her other dramas. I thought she was great as the bratty little sister in Perfect Match.

No—and that’s exactly why I went in with zero expectations. What I got was the same expression across many scenes: in battle, rallying her soldiers, facing different people in emotionally charged scenes—no change. Even when confronting ZGY in anger, guess what. not even a flicker. And when she’s pining for him? Still the same look, just with a few water drops for tears. I could point to scene after scene all the way through episode 17. There's one with LiCe that especially stood out but I don't want to add spoilers.

For me, this isn’t bad acting so much as inexperience, which is why she’s still watchable. I’ve seen plenty of dramas where characters are meant to be restrained or emotionally guarded, but strong actors can still convey depth—through their eyes, a subtle eyebrow movement, or even a slight shift in posture. I didn't even see her body language adjust.

A good director can also help by focusing on other details like the hands., when the face is meant to stay controlled.

Here, though, the camera kept returning to the same static expression, and after a while, it started to feel like a missed opportunity on both the acting and directing sides.

Ah ok, which is even more heartbreaking :(

lol - love your comment! Yes yes, he’s total red flag but he really was trying with all the living things, and his little smiles when she smiled

I’m prepared for a SE but I really meant the ending of ep 22 . Who the heck is this new persona?

Good idea! This is definitely worth a rewatch - I probably missed tons just being all emotional watching it the first time 😁

As power-hungry as YanKe is, you gotta give the guy some credit for trying so hard with Simu. Too bad he went completely deranged now.

Even if the character was meant to be emotionless, surely during the scenes which did warrant some emotions, we should see that reflected in her face. Regardless, I’m not dropping this show so I will look forward to the changes you mentioned! Thank you for clarifying!

Ep 35 😭😭😭 after such a great ep 34! Can’t wait for the express!

Ep 22 was so frustrating for me because it was becoming obvious to the viewers who was truly lying but the characters didn't find out until it was too late....I feel so badly for Ji Ling but I am so confused now about the ending. Really one episode is just not enough!

You're not the only one. I prefer the romance between our Wu couple as well.

I am glad that you're liking it - someone should and some folks do enjoy the effort put into creating this drama.
I didn't watch PA so HYTT being similar to ZLY means nothing to me. Although if that is the case, then at least it is less surprising why they would pick someone so inexperienced to play a supposedly tough General and complex character. After 15/16 episodes of seeing the same uptight emotionless expression on her face, regardless of the scenes, I think the actress needs to get more experience.
As for the other characters - they've become quite comical to me.
It would be nice if it is a HE.

OK, I finally caught up to ep 17 and while this drama is watchable, LYR could have picked a better script.
I don't really care about any of the other characters. Li Ce's comic relief is getting tiresome, the comedy did not land most of the time, and I really have no interest in Yan Xun and how he's being played, or that Chun Er and the pathetic Prince Luo, or the Empress and her crazy expressions. That Lord Zhan can continue being whipped for all I care. This show is a good reminder why casting well is so crucial. They really should have gotten someone with more experience and can emote better to pull off a character like Chu Qiao.
All that said, I am curious how Zhuge Yue is going to end up, so I am going to keep watching. It's a good filler while other shows are finishing.

I actually enjoyed this drama—it felt like a charcuterie board with a bit of everything: comedy, horror, romance, and melodrama. The Taiwanese production set in Malacca was an interesting choice, and while the costumes and settings didn’t quite match the era, it didn’t take away from the experience.
The leads did a solid job, though the character development was less than I would’ve liked. Given the short length, I can overlook that—but the romance especially felt underdeveloped, and I wasn’t entirely convinced by her final choice. Still, they seemed happy, so I’ll take it… I guess.

True, she's definitely hiding something and it's got to do with JL but I am not sure what. She told him a lot of truths but I am still suspicious of her because the piece of JiuYing,

I sort of skimmed through the first two episodes because they were annoying setting up the FL's situation but man, towards the end of ep 3 was super satisfying. If we’re going to keep seeing the ex and the mistress, then they better keep spiraling, I want to see things fall apart for them even more.