This review may contain spoilers
Love hidden behind a mask
Essentially, the story follows Ming Xian, a young warrior admired by all, who has won the annual Qingyun Conference every year since he was thirteen. However, in the most recent tournament, he faces Ji Bozai, a former slave who rose through newfound strength and carries a mysterious past. During their battle, something strange happens, Ming Xian’s spiritual power becomes fatally damaged, leaving him with only one year to live. The more he uses his power, the faster his life shortens. Ji Bozai defeats him, ending Ming Xian’s long reign as champion.
But here’s the kicker, Ming Xian is actually a woman. She uses an illusion to disguise herself as a man so she can fight in the arena, but moreso to bear the burden of being the “crown prince” in general. Her true identity is a closely guarded secret, known to no one who has not given birth to her, not even her greatest rival, her step-brother.
With her life now slipping away, she must find a cure. Convinced that Ji Bozai is tied to her mysterious injury and possibly holds the rumored antidote, she leaves home and approaches him in disguise. She adopts the identity of Ming Yi, a beautiful but naive “fairy” courtesan, pretending to be hopelessly in love with him in order to infiltrate his circle. Ji Bozai doesn’t believe her for a moment, but due to political pressure, he keeps her close, essentially choosing her over allowing his enemy spies to remain at his side.
For a long time, Ming Yi and Ji Bozai simply use each other. Ming Yi searches for the cure in secret, while Ji Bozai pursues revenge and fights corruption. They constantly help one another while plotting against the other, yet slowly, inevitably, they fall in love. Their relationship becomes a tangled push-and-pull, their hearts are sincere, but their goals, past traumas, and secrets keep them at odds and entertain misunderstandings.
The series is entertaining in the beginning, emotional, romantic, filled with scheming and dramatic reveals. I’d say the first 20-ish episodes are the best. After that, it begins to drag a lot, and many of the plots and twists become predictable. There are touching moments, and both leads have beast companions who act as their confidants and comic relief. There is also Situ Ling, who loves Ming Xian/Ming Yi so deeply he’s willing to sacrifice everything for her. His unrequited devotion who turned into obsession over someone who simply showed him kindness once and gave him hope really got to me, I almost wished Ming Yi could have returned his feelings, even just for a little while. But unlike some dramas where the female lead wavers between two men, here she never truly sees him as more than a clingy and obsessed man.
In the end, it’s a lovely romantic series, great chemistry, some frustrating moments, average plotlines, and vaguely entertaining. It just loses momentum later on, to the point where I eventually watched in x2 speed. But overall, it was still a enjoyable to watch, I recommend if you are into the romance primarily.
But here’s the kicker, Ming Xian is actually a woman. She uses an illusion to disguise herself as a man so she can fight in the arena, but moreso to bear the burden of being the “crown prince” in general. Her true identity is a closely guarded secret, known to no one who has not given birth to her, not even her greatest rival, her step-brother.
With her life now slipping away, she must find a cure. Convinced that Ji Bozai is tied to her mysterious injury and possibly holds the rumored antidote, she leaves home and approaches him in disguise. She adopts the identity of Ming Yi, a beautiful but naive “fairy” courtesan, pretending to be hopelessly in love with him in order to infiltrate his circle. Ji Bozai doesn’t believe her for a moment, but due to political pressure, he keeps her close, essentially choosing her over allowing his enemy spies to remain at his side.
For a long time, Ming Yi and Ji Bozai simply use each other. Ming Yi searches for the cure in secret, while Ji Bozai pursues revenge and fights corruption. They constantly help one another while plotting against the other, yet slowly, inevitably, they fall in love. Their relationship becomes a tangled push-and-pull, their hearts are sincere, but their goals, past traumas, and secrets keep them at odds and entertain misunderstandings.
The series is entertaining in the beginning, emotional, romantic, filled with scheming and dramatic reveals. I’d say the first 20-ish episodes are the best. After that, it begins to drag a lot, and many of the plots and twists become predictable. There are touching moments, and both leads have beast companions who act as their confidants and comic relief. There is also Situ Ling, who loves Ming Xian/Ming Yi so deeply he’s willing to sacrifice everything for her. His unrequited devotion who turned into obsession over someone who simply showed him kindness once and gave him hope really got to me, I almost wished Ming Yi could have returned his feelings, even just for a little while. But unlike some dramas where the female lead wavers between two men, here she never truly sees him as more than a clingy and obsessed man.
In the end, it’s a lovely romantic series, great chemistry, some frustrating moments, average plotlines, and vaguely entertaining. It just loses momentum later on, to the point where I eventually watched in x2 speed. But overall, it was still a enjoyable to watch, I recommend if you are into the romance primarily.
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