This review may contain spoilers
Promising Premise, No Substance: A Letdown in Every Way
This is probably the second series I’ve ever rated so low. The first thing that caught my eye was the poster—it’s absolutely gorgeous and very engaging for new viewers. Based on the premise, I expected a great balance between romance and court diplomacy, but the high rating (above 8) feels misleading. I’ve seen far better Chinese dramas rated much lower, so I’m not sure if the romance alone is why people scored it so highly.
The production quality is disappointing. The costumes are barely decent, the sets look cheap, and even the makeup is poorly done. However, the biggest issue is the acting—whether it’s the capricious princess, her enamored master, or the prince, none of the performances feel convincing. One moment that really sealed my decision to drop the drama was when the prince suddenly learned how his mother died—it was so random and poorly executed that I knew things would only go downhill from there. The dialogues are weak, and the characters feel superficial and caricatured.
For a 2019 drama, it looks like something shot in the early 2000s, and not in a good way. The only thing I genuinely liked was the natural landscapes, particularly the desert scenes. I wish I had more positive things to say, but I couldn’t even get past episode five—it was that bad for me. That said, those who are deeply invested in romance and can overlook everything else might still enjoy it.
The production quality is disappointing. The costumes are barely decent, the sets look cheap, and even the makeup is poorly done. However, the biggest issue is the acting—whether it’s the capricious princess, her enamored master, or the prince, none of the performances feel convincing. One moment that really sealed my decision to drop the drama was when the prince suddenly learned how his mother died—it was so random and poorly executed that I knew things would only go downhill from there. The dialogues are weak, and the characters feel superficial and caricatured.
For a 2019 drama, it looks like something shot in the early 2000s, and not in a good way. The only thing I genuinely liked was the natural landscapes, particularly the desert scenes. I wish I had more positive things to say, but I couldn’t even get past episode five—it was that bad for me. That said, those who are deeply invested in romance and can overlook everything else might still enjoy it.
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