Iāve gotta say, I really didnāt like the first episode. The editing felt choppy, messy and it didnāt do a great job introducing the characters or setting up the drama. So I put it on hold for a few daysā¦
BUT!!!
I ended up binge-watching the rest yesterday and now I LOVE IT haha š I just wish they had done a stronger opening. Maybe they cut things so oddly short and weird in the beginning to save more time for the later episodes, because the editing gets much better and the storyline/scenes are easy to follow after that.
Iām also really loving the leads, especially the FL. While I still think they didnāt fully deliver on her emotional vengeance arc, sheās such a likable character. She's straightforward, bold and not easily intimidated :D
Now Iām seriously looking forward to the next episodes~~
Maybe my expectations were just way too high, but I just finished episode 1 and honestly... it was rough. I think Iāll wait until more episodes are out before continuing because this one really didnāt hook me at all. The editing felt all over the place, the storyline was disjointed and even the cinematography and some effects were quite bad.
This should have been an episode that makes you connect with the characters, especially with the FL , but I didnāt feel a thing. It lacked any emotional impact...
And I already turned a blind eye to that ridiculous cliff fall lol I know C-dramas love their dramatic moments, but that was incredibly unrealistic. She wasnāt falling, she was basically floating down like a feather. They did not even try to make it look believable.
Honestly, this was one of the weakest first episodes I have seen in a while. Judging by the comments, it seems like it gets better later on, so I will put it on hold for now and maybe give it another shot later.
Pyo Ji Ho really best boy! I think he's the greenest 2ml I've seen in a drama and the first time where as a 2ML, he not only loves the FL but also loves the ML! It's so endearing that he cared for both Seong Ah and Gyeon U deeply. His friendship with Bong Soo was also cute!
This drama really had the softest written characters and great friendships!
Mai Mai being a heavy metal singer was the funniest scene I've seen in a long time hahahahahahahahaha š And aunt cheering for her while everyone's bamboozled... lol
Maybe its just me but I think it would be more satisfying to see fake emperor Yan Han live, get sentenced and…
Exactly my thoughts. The whole drama centers around justice through the law, yet the fake emperor never faced consequences for his crimes nor were they even made public. So in my opinion, that doesnāt really align with the core message of this drama :/
tbh I wouldnāt have minded if Han Ze had actually gotten his way and made him suffer š
Absolutely excellent drama! From start to finish, the writing was flawless. There were subtle clues sprinkled throughout that hinted at the palaceās big secret and it all unraveled so carefully and powerfully.
To be honest, Iāve never been a huge fan of palace intrigue dramas, but this one is hands down one of the best Iāve seen!
I really hope newcomers avoid the comments and spoilers!!! This is a drama that needs to be experienced unspoiled to fully appreciate its brilliance. Please hide your spoilers!
I feel so bad for Crown Prince's death... He was innocent and I wished he knew before his death, that the Emperor was not his father. He felt unloved all his life... Never knowing that his real father is dead.
I even feel bad for Yan Qi... I wish he also knew that the Emperor was not his father. I know he was evil and there are no excuses for his crimes, but I believe both the princes were manipulated, so they turned out like this.
Maybe I missed something... but was justice ever truly served for what the imposter Emperor did?? It felt like his crimes were never publicly revealed. I get that keeping things quiet was better for Yan Li and Sui, but still...the mastermind behind everything basically got away with an easy death again!
I know it goes against the dramaās overall message, but a small part of me kind of wished Han Ze, the Heaven Society leader, had taken him out in a way more brutal way. I mean, he ended up dying anyway, so why not make it painful? After all the innocent lives he destroyed for his own greed... I canāt help but feel a little unsatisfied that he didnāt truly pay for what he did.
Still watching the final episodes and currently on ep. 36 and had to pause just to say: Liu Yi Hongās performance as Prince Yan Qi is absolutely phenomenal! He may be one of the antagonist, but his acting in this episode is flawless. Even made me pity him. Truly impressive!
Honestly, the whole cast is amazing. Iām genuinely grateful for such a talented ensemble!
Just started to watch ep. 32 and the Emperor is sooo incredibly fake!!! ugh I want to puke at his fake melo acting š¤® I didn't spoil myself, so I really don't know how this will end... How will they be able to bring the Emperor down? I'm really scared to watch this till the end >_<
How is it possible that I actually love all 3 couples dearly and enjoy all of their scenes?! I would be so heartbroken if anyone of them get a sad ending. Pls writers... don't hurt any of my babies š I rarely even like the secondary couples in Cdramas, but this one made me enjoy all of them lol
Such an unhealthy relationshipā¦ if you can even call it that. Qiao Xi really didnāt need to lie so blatantly to her face. Saying āWhen have I ever lied to you?ā while spinning more lies and feeding her empty plans about the future? That was a massive red flag. Even if heās struggling, heās basically keeping her on a leash. āDonāt forget me.ā Heās starved for love and desperate to hold on to hers and thatās so unfair to her.
Honestly, I donāt think they can be together right now. He needs therapy. Heās carrying too much unresolved trauma and right now, he just doesnāt seem capable of a healthy relationship or open communication. Thatās not to say people with trauma canāt have relationships but healing has to come from within. And the least he could do is be honest with her.
As for Ying Taoā¦ her emotional state depends way too much on Qiao Xi. Don't know if it's obsession, but itās definitely not healthy. If this were real life, Iād be one of those friends or family members quietly hoping she forgets him. Loving someone who keeps lying and ghosting you... that kind of pain sticks. No one deserves that. And even if they do end up together, that anxiety will always be thereā¦ because this isnāt the first time heās done this (even if the first was not his choice).
Honestly, a 10-year time skip suddenly doesnāt sound so bad. Both of them need to focus on their own growth and healing first. Maybe then, just maybe, theyād have a real chance at something healthy.
I LOVE HER HAHAHAHAHA
Oh, he will surely do all that! Don't worry He Yan hahaha
BUT!!!
I ended up binge-watching the rest yesterday and now I LOVE IT haha š I just wish they had done a stronger opening. Maybe they cut things so oddly short and weird in the beginning to save more time for the later episodes, because the editing gets much better and the storyline/scenes are easy to follow after that.
Iām also really loving the leads, especially the FL. While I still think they didnāt fully deliver on her emotional vengeance arc, sheās such a likable character. She's straightforward, bold and not easily intimidated :D
Now Iām seriously looking forward to the next episodes~~
This should have been an episode that makes you connect with the characters, especially with the FL , but I didnāt feel a thing. It lacked any emotional impact...
And I already turned a blind eye to that ridiculous cliff fall lol I know C-dramas love their dramatic moments, but that was incredibly unrealistic. She wasnāt falling, she was basically floating down like a feather. They did not even try to make it look believable.
Honestly, this was one of the weakest first episodes I have seen in a while. Judging by the comments, it seems like it gets better later on, so I will put it on hold for now and maybe give it another shot later.
Just my opinion, pls donāt attack.
This drama really had the softest written characters and great friendships!
tbh I wouldnāt have minded if Han Ze had actually gotten his way and made him suffer š
To be honest, Iāve never been a huge fan of palace intrigue dramas, but this one is hands down one of the best Iāve seen!
I really hope newcomers avoid the comments and spoilers!!! This is a drama that needs to be experienced unspoiled to fully appreciate its brilliance. Please hide your spoilers!
I even feel bad for Yan Qi... I wish he also knew that the Emperor was not his father. I know he was evil and there are no excuses for his crimes, but I believe both the princes were manipulated, so they turned out like this.
I know it goes against the dramaās overall message, but a small part of me kind of wished Han Ze, the Heaven Society leader, had taken him out in a way more brutal way. I mean, he ended up dying anyway, so why not make it painful? After all the innocent lives he destroyed for his own greed... I canāt help but feel a little unsatisfied that he didnāt truly pay for what he did.
Honestly, the whole cast is amazing. Iām genuinely grateful for such a talented ensemble!
Yue Ning & Yan Li
Fu Ling & Bai Feng
Honestly, I donāt think they can be together right now. He needs therapy. Heās carrying too much unresolved trauma and right now, he just doesnāt seem capable of a healthy relationship or open communication. Thatās not to say people with trauma canāt have relationships but healing has to come from within. And the least he could do is be honest with her.
As for Ying Taoā¦ her emotional state depends way too much on Qiao Xi. Don't know if it's obsession, but itās definitely not healthy. If this were real life, Iād be one of those friends or family members quietly hoping she forgets him. Loving someone who keeps lying and ghosting you... that kind of pain sticks. No one deserves that. And even if they do end up together, that anxiety will always be thereā¦ because this isnāt the first time heās done this (even if the first was not his choice).
Honestly, a 10-year time skip suddenly doesnāt sound so bad. Both of them need to focus on their own growth and healing first. Maybe then, just maybe, theyād have a real chance at something healthy.