DramaSlurpingPanda

Disclaimer: I stopped at ep 39 😁...cause I know my limits lol.

First, and foremost if you don't like main leads dying in shows don't watch this or watch it right before the last episode 🤷🏾‍♀️. That's what I do.

Second, storyline-wise this is NOT everyone's cup of tea. FYI, It isn't mine either. I like fun bubbly love stories with a lot of kisses. This drama was steamy at time, but rarely ever fun or bubbly lol. If you're a normal person (and not a of 15yo teenager stuck in a 38yo woman body like me) and the type of person who reads books like Wuthering heights or Jane Erye and them, then this is definitely your cup of tea. Basically trauma on a page lol. Not for me!!

Third, the Male Lead is hot because well...Cheng Lei 😍😍, but deeply unlikeable lol. At least for the first half of the show. And I am not talking green flag in a red flag coating, or like aloof on the outside but actually "No no this man will use everyone and everything to get what he wants and 5th master always gets what he wants" kinda way🫠

Now , that being said this was a stellar show. Amazing cinema! It reminds me of the old telenovela I used to watch with my family back in the day. Shout out to "Rosalinda" and "Marimar" lol.

1. Not an idol drama. This was a well budgeted multi-year show and production. So they needed the costums, and the set designs to follow the progression of that era. And they delivered. The sets and the clothes were beautiful and appropriate for the scenes. A LOT OF ICONIC looks on the girls. Now, I am not an expert in Republic/Warlords China history or even shows...😬😬 (I don't like that genre lol. People always die at the end because of censorship. Something about Chinese big Media will not let a warlord have a happy ending. ) but it all felt accurate to me.

2. Very good well-written story line. Every character was very fleshed out. By the end of each scene we knew what motivated these people and who we understood them as we would understand people IRL. These characters felt real. Also, there was clear continuation and progression in the plot. A few plotholes here and there, but not enough to create major issues for me. Altogether, it all made sense. Now like I said I hate these type of story and genre lol.

3. Acting was stellar. To be fair we had a lot of heavy hitters in this show. Which almost felt unnecessary 😂😂😂. Like one of the actors who played the main antagonist generals are known and respected in the industry. I feel like the amlunt of scenes and the range of acting need for their charaters specifically didn't justify their level of acting. But hey money is green and everybody needs it lol.

I love the female actress a lot and I have seen a few of her dramas. I...don't think she has the range for this character though if we're being honest lol. She did her best, no doubt. What the show needed was her innocence but with richer textures and depths. Also, another character who I still think could have acted a little better was the actress who played main female antagonist/love rival. But you can tell she is still green lol. I wanted her expressions to be more subtle. Her villainy would have been better if portrayed as swift split or a drop of her "nice girl" mask instead of...whatever she was doing with her teeth lol.

Cheng Lei was good. He has gained enough experiences to know to deliver solid performances. He is definitely a good actor to have as lead. I think giving more experience and better characters he can grow to win "serious" awards. Now, my advise to him is to stay away from these type of characters lol. A lot of work and little reward. The true chinese romance girlie in me obviously did not find this character likeable at all.

Romance: I actually liked it hehehe. I am ashamed but even though I don't like the ML lead character...I still like the way he treated the girl...later. No excuses, but with a dad like his...no wonder he is an asshole who doesn't know how to love properly. Blame it on my romance-crazed mind BUT there is something so hot about a converted rake who is obsessed (but in a good way) with you 😍🤭. Ruohan will have good chemistry with a rock if you tell her lol. I don't know how she does it but she plays demure innocent girlfriend who can deliver a fire intimate scene very well. She lets the scene naturally unfold. I like that they let them bond progressively. He was always on top of her 😄. Always touching her, pulling her to his side or doing the cute stuff boulyfriends do when they obsessed with you. Ugh looooved it!

4. I will rewatch the love scenes yeah, but that's about it because as stellar as this drama was...I skipped a lot of the war stuff. Bro...a LOT OF PEOPLE DIED gruesomely under that machine gun and ionlikedat. I knew he was gonna die...and he did but didnthey had to do him like that?! And the SA scenes...no thanks lol. These men...were not good people. That's all I'm finna say.

But the romance was great TO ME. To be fair I used to read Danielle Steel, Barbara Cartland, and all of the other romance epics with complexed and sometimes unlikeable characters. The Dukes were always assholes for some reason lol. So yeah, I am used to these types of charaters but I personally do not like 'em. If this wasn't a book/show, you know this man would have gone around being a "soft" narcissistic menace to every women in his life he is romantically linked to!! No thank you! Lol. However Cheng Lei gave the character a modicum of likability. And it's all in the eyes!! I don't know about anything but this man has "puppy eyes acting" on lock! Squeeeal!

Look man, lol. Food and gas prices are hella high. Can't nobody buy a house. And we have shit people governing us all...we don't need that sad ish right now. If you NEED to watch it...wait till we have another president (if you're in the US). You deserve a happy show and this is NOT it. In my head this show stopped when she came back home and everybody lived happily ever after. If you can do like me, I say go-ahead. But if you're not...it's a skip for now lol