This review may contain spoilers
Watch for Zhang Linghe ?
One of the best Chinese Period Dramas of 2024. I am putting it shoulder to shoulder to The Double.Although The Double was far better in terms of overall acting, direction etc but personally I favour this one. ♥️
First of all, Zhang Linghe who should have been just in the shadows of the the heroine & the anti hero, outshines all others. I think this is one of his acting masterpieces. He is a fine actor but he has poured his heart out in Pei Wenxuan. His eyes speak out his pain, his frustration when he is not speaking or cannot speak, his knowing smirk can embarrass you and his sweet words can manage to convince you to see things his way.
Many viewers have complained how can the ML be in love with the FL even after seeing her sharing close ties with the anti hero for 17years?
Because Pei Wenxuan is a pure heart as Li Rong says. In the world of fiction, a man can remain true to his heart & love even after 2 decades. That's the beauty of fictional world. A real man can aspire but it's ridiculous to compare reality with fiction. So I didn't find anything wrong with Pei Wenxuan's everlasting love for the Princess.
Zhao Jin Mai, even though she is young,was convincing enough in her portrayal of the proud, opinionated Princess.
But the major letdown of this drama is Chen He Yi.
This drama could have sealed his future as a successful actor but he wasted this role.
This man cannot act..I mean even after rewatching the whole series twice and more, I am still shaking his head at his flat expressions . Also his character is confusing.
Did he really love the Princess? Did he really want to save his family? Seemed to me, he just wanted great power for himself as the Grand Prime Minister second time around, to be the actual master of the Empire.
Another character which had loose end was the Consort Rou. Her expressions and acting were very weird.
The ending where the ML and FL are talking about their happiness after their re-wedding, I think that should have been edited before the "happily ever after voiceover"..it would have made this drama perfect.
Other than this, the set, the costumes are awesome. The background score is so romantic.
I will definitely be rewatching again to see a great power struggle and also the utterly dashing Pei Wenxuan winning his lady love's heart. 🤩🤩🥰
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Watch for the well written story
Must say Chinese period dramas are getting better & better.This was a beautiful story about a woman finally rising up in the face of challenges and empowering women around her.
Wonderful plot, amazing background score, great cinematography. I won't get into the details of the story..but let me give my honest opinion about the cast.
🩷Zhang Jing Yi as the FL is good. I have watched a couple of her works and she always does her part well. This time also she really put life into the FL, Hua Zhi.
🩷On the other hand, this was the first time I watched Hu Yi Tian & I found his acting not good. His expression was flat most of the time, and his chemistry with the FL wasn't at all there. He's so good looking and tall, I really tried to see him in a great dashing hero light but failed 😔
There wasn't even a single spark between the ML and FL's chemistry.
🩷Lu Yu Xiao - she really amazes me with her acting skill. She did her potrayal of mentally challenged character so well that you can't help but fall for her childlike charm.
🩷And then there is Bian Chen - I am really looking forward to see him act in more series. He's just too cute. 😍😍😘 Infact, his and Lu Yu Xiao's chemistry was way better than the lead's.
🩷Now the main part..Honestly I felt, the star of the show is not the hero, or the heroine but the villain- the Emperor.
This series is one of the rare ones where the villain's character is so well developed.
Usually the villain's character remains one dimensional..but this one was wow! At first you'll think The Emperor is power hungry and likes to weild his power, even over his loved ones, just to always be like God. But slowly, the audience will realise that no! He's just a coward who thinks he has nothing except his crown's power. "Nothing but a coward old man" (dialogue of the spy from Zhao Empire Ep.40)
The actor who played the Emperor, Hai Yi Tian executed his part so well, that I sometimes wanted to jump into the screen and thrash him. Awesome! Just awesome! This is what a villain should be.
In conclusion, even if it's a good story I won't watch it again. 40episodes is too long to sit through, just only to see a story about women empowerment, a great villain and a very cute side couples' sweet love story.
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