Wow, the last two episodes were incredibly good! Really sad and heart-wrenching, but so so well-made! I felt like I was watching a movie... Also the acting was marvelous!
Yeah... I'm really sorry to add to the negative comments. But in my defense, I haven't spoken up every time I felt disappointed lol
So, bear with me... I think I went into this with completely different expectations. I thought we’d get 5 couples and 5 unique love stories... but this drama is anything but romantic... 🙈 I really, really wanted to like it. I mean, just look at the cast, absolutely phenomenal! The premise is promising too. But the writing? It doesn’t make me feel an ounce of romance or root for any of the couples.
The dynamics between them all feel the same—more about scheming and pretense than actual connection. Where’s the "falling in love"? Flawed characters aside, nothing about this drama gives me romance.
We still have two couples left, so maybe there’s hope for some real development and genuine romance... ? T-T
Just finished six episodes and it's been pretty good so far! :) I really enjoy the leads' chemistry and I loved their first encounter. Their mutual attraction feels natural and well-made!
The English dialogue still has its cringey moments, but compared to other dramas, it's actually decent. I guess it's just something to get used to.
My only real complaint so far is the second female lead or support whatever… Seriously, why do they always write these soap opera-style 2FLs who are completely shameless and devoid of dignity? Her character feels so out of place in an otherwise serious setting. At first, I thought she was just a bit difficult to get along with and had a strong competitive spirit, but nope... she turned out to be the same old cliché. Did she really go to a war zone just to chase after a guy who clearly isn’t interested? How low can you go...
To the novel readers—please tell me, does her obsession drag on for long? I'm so tired of this 2FL trope. Can we get a refreshing female supporting character for once?
Just finished ep. 2. Pretty solid so far! I'll keep watching... but I have yet to find an East Asian drama where the English dialogue and foreign settings don't feel cringey. I don't expect them to be fluent, but why does it always sound so awkward? >_> Some scenes are really hard to sit through because of it.
I swear... non-romance dramas have the best chemistry out there lol Jenna's and Jae Hyuk's tension was sizzling hot! Can we get this chemistry in romance dramas pls? :D
I'm coming here every week to read comments, hoping the story has progressed and the characters have developed enough for me to continue watching. But judging by the comments… that doesn’t seem to be the case yet.
This is exactly what I feared after the first few episodes...the leads’ storyline to be repetitive and dragged out. I knew there was no way this could stretch to 12 eps without becoming incredibly frustrating.
I guess I’ll find out if it’s worth continuing once all the episodes are out.
This is a watchable drama with an interesting premise and I intend to watch till the end. I am at ep 20 and it…
The "no communication" trope was so ridiculously forced here. How did they not have a single chance to tell Jun Qi Luo about the bride swap master plan?! lol that was literally so stupid haha Even if she didn't want to hear it... that was just lame writing
I haven't commented on the acting in this drama so far because, for the most part, it was passable and I could still enjoy the show. However, as we move into heavier, more emotional scenes, it’s becoming impossible to ignore…
I'm sorry, but Angelababy’s acting just doesn’t work for heavy emotional moments. It was already a bit meh for me, when she had zero expression when the King bestowed the marriage in ep.19 ... her lack of emotion was almost deafening. Just widening her eyes and slightly opening her mouth doesn’t convey emotion.
But ep. 20 really left me disappointed. When she discovered her entire family had been executed, the scene should have been gut-wrenching, but instead, it felt empty. Her performance had no depth, making it uncomfortable to watch and the dubbing didn't make it better.
I haven’t seen her in any other dramas, so I can’t judge her acting as a whole, but in this role, her range feels extremely limited, which is a real shame. Emotional, heavy scenes are an opportunity to go all out, but here, they just fall flat.
Yeah sorry, but I just had to get this off my chest once lol
edit: But in all fairness, the directing and editing were just as bad! They made her more emotional and devastated when she had to leave Xuan Lie than when she learned her entire family had been executed. That’s just another case of poor production choices dragging things down…
Just finished ep. 10 and… I don’t know. They had their wedding, but I didn’t feel a thing. The writing is odd that I just can’t enjoy it lol. And it’s not even the flawed characters getting in the way... it’s something else.
The romance feels so off, like the writers have no clue how to craft a compelling love story and development.
They’re really out here making me lose interest in the couples. I can’t even pinpoint exactly what irks me, but it’s definitely there haha
Still, I’ve waited so long for this... I don’t want to drop it yet...
I'm all caught up now and wow, this just keeps getting better! I absolutely LOVE the angst! Dramas that strike the perfect balance of angst are just so thrilling to watch! The story is well-written and the tension between the leads remains strong.
The odds are stacked against our leads... I honestly don’t see how this could end in a HE. The only way they could have their happily ever after is if they abandon their identity and family/clan entirely and elope together. Or they’d have to stage a coup against the current reign, but I don't see that happening either...
Just finished episode 16... And I’m glad I didn’t drop this drama. When it comes to story and characters, it’s actually one of the best out there right now. Funny enough, it’s the drama I’m enjoying the most among all the ongoing dramas I’m watching right now haha 😂
So for newcomers who might be disappointed by the production quality—stick with it! It improves and the story and characters are worth it :)
So, bear with me... I think I went into this with completely different expectations. I thought we’d get 5 couples and 5 unique love stories... but this drama is anything but romantic... 🙈 I really, really wanted to like it. I mean, just look at the cast, absolutely phenomenal! The premise is promising too. But the writing? It doesn’t make me feel an ounce of romance or root for any of the couples.
The dynamics between them all feel the same—more about scheming and pretense than actual connection. Where’s the "falling in love"? Flawed characters aside, nothing about this drama gives me romance.
We still have two couples left, so maybe there’s hope for some real development and genuine romance... ? T-T
The English dialogue still has its cringey moments, but compared to other dramas, it's actually decent. I guess it's just something to get used to.
My only real complaint so far is the second female lead or support whatever… Seriously, why do they always write these soap opera-style 2FLs who are completely shameless and devoid of dignity? Her character feels so out of place in an otherwise serious setting. At first, I thought she was just a bit difficult to get along with and had a strong competitive spirit, but nope... she turned out to be the same old cliché. Did she really go to a war zone just to chase after a guy who clearly isn’t interested? How low can you go...
To the novel readers—please tell me, does her obsession drag on for long? I'm so tired of this 2FL trope. Can we get a refreshing female supporting character for once?
Jenna's and Jae Hyuk's tension was sizzling hot! Can we get this chemistry in romance dramas pls? :D
This is exactly what I feared after the first few episodes...the leads’ storyline to be repetitive and dragged out. I knew there was no way this could stretch to 12 eps without becoming incredibly frustrating.
I guess I’ll find out if it’s worth continuing once all the episodes are out.
I'm sorry, but Angelababy’s acting just doesn’t work for heavy emotional moments. It was already a bit meh for me, when she had zero expression when the King bestowed the marriage in ep.19 ... her lack of emotion was almost deafening. Just widening her eyes and slightly opening her mouth doesn’t convey emotion.
But ep. 20 really left me disappointed. When she discovered her entire family had been executed, the scene should have been gut-wrenching, but instead, it felt empty. Her performance had no depth, making it uncomfortable to watch and the dubbing didn't make it better.
I haven’t seen her in any other dramas, so I can’t judge her acting as a whole, but in this role, her range feels extremely limited, which is a real shame. Emotional, heavy scenes are an opportunity to go all out, but here, they just fall flat.
Yeah sorry, but I just had to get this off my chest once lol
edit: But in all fairness, the directing and editing were just as bad! They made her more emotional and devastated when she had to leave Xuan Lie than when she learned her entire family had been executed. That’s just another case of poor production choices dragging things down…
The romance feels so off, like the writers have no clue how to craft a compelling love story and development.
They’re really out here making me lose interest in the couples. I can’t even pinpoint exactly what irks me, but it’s definitely there haha
Still, I’ve waited so long for this... I don’t want to drop it yet...
"All that "men don't kneel" talk. It's just for show. At home, we kneel to heaven, earth and parents. One more kneel for a beauty will break it?"
The odds are stacked against our leads... I honestly don’t see how this could end in a HE. The only way they could have their happily ever after is if they abandon their identity and family/clan entirely and elope together. Or they’d have to stage a coup against the current reign, but I don't see that happening either...
Either way, I’m here for the ride!
So for newcomers who might be disappointed by the production quality—stick with it! It improves and the story and characters are worth it :)