AnnV

omg their acting is soo bad... FL was wronged and abandoned by the one she trusted aka ML and had everything taken from her including her child, yet all she could show is a blank face with a couple of lines (and here i was expecting her to at least emote some ironic or bitter expressions....). Plus, some stranger on the internet gave her some personal information that she was seeking, yet she didn't even bother to investigate his identity before using it??? Meanwhile ML is even worse as he couldn't even emote pain nor remorse nor guilt. Just a passable line of apology to make up for her 6 years (¬_¬). And why on earth after knowing the truth did he still accommodate that bi$h who framed his wife in his house lmao what a spineless useless worthless character. My fault for expecting any decent acting and writing from this show (¬_¬)

i'm on ep6 and uhmm... i feel grossed out by the 8th prince here. He happily accepted his father aka the emperor's arranged marriage which was forced on FL's sis, and after failing to win her affection the 8th prince proposed to his wife's sister and asked for her hand in marriage while still having feelings for his wife??? The little sis aka FL knows they're married and still doesn't refuse his skinship? *cringe cringe cringe*

waste of time.

FL is obnoxious show-off and boastful heroine-wannabe who doesn't own up to her faults. ML bullies FL with physical punishment (kneeling for hours); doesn't take responsibility nor own up to his feelings; doesn't trust and stand up for her, on the contrary he interrogates her in public; stood by and let her get humiliated and slapped.

preview ep9: ML was unable to emote remorse. substandard acting. FL forgave him thanks to only a few lines of coaxing from ML.

preview ep 11: deadfish!!!

dropped. lame plot, poor character writing, and abysmal acting from ML who just can't emote. Watching him as ML has been among the most frustrating experiences ever. FL's acting is generic and forgettable. Kiss (ep11) is deadfished *facepalm*. Leads have very little screentime together. Literally nothing is worth watching in this show. I wouldn't recommend this under any circumstance.

ehh? i don't remember any sad ending... not for our 2 main leads at least. Sad endings for many side characters though, including 2FL, 2ML (starring Xu Kai, whom i thought was ML initially); 3ML, 3FL,....
Main couple Yingluo and Emperor Qianlong live with each other for the rest of their lives and have many children.

My other top-of-mind suggestions: Jun Jiu Ling (2021) is a good one with satisfying ending. Same goes with Story of Kunning Palace (2023) (complex and dark leads with dark and tragic backstories, both are very mature, mentally strong, strategic, and calculated. HE.)

There are many others but i only mention the ones i like. If you like fantasy then there are a lot more for you to explore, namely Lost You Forever (2023). Hope you find the drama that breaks your heart and heals it at the same time ｡^‿^｡

have u watched 'Story of Yanxi Palace'? That one is pure gem. I was hooked from ep1.

Ahh many thanks for your candid review. I'm even more motivated to watch now as I'm all for capable FL who's not a damsel. Will watch it for sure :">

can someone spoil which episode FL forgives ML? thanks in advance.

[quote spoiler comment]
"LOL love how the doctor was just like casually telling JXY about her chip, all non-chalant. Yo, doc, this is not normal for people to have chips in their brains. And poor JXY, "Right now besides believing you [Qi Lian] there is nothing else I can do." Girl doesn't even feel like she can be mad at him for not telling her about how her life is endangered by this chip. Why is this music romantic. How does he get away with any excuse about keeping her in the dark and then putting the blame back on her. First he didn't tell her about him also being a participant because "She wasn't listening about anything and was too worried about the competition." Then he didn't tell her that there was a chip inside her that could cause her brain to basically like detonate (metaphorically) at any time because "He knew that she would be scared." "

after reading some spoilers i decided this isn't worth it. My main qualms being how ML's character was written, when he goes 'i took significant risk that could fxk you up without your consent and i'm blame-free because i did it for your own good. Now that you found out the fault is on you in case you get mad because what's done is done; and you should be happy that i took that risk'. I'm sorry Liu Hao Cun you are a gifted and promising actress but I'd rather spare myself the high blood pressure induced by rage and skip this show than watch it and ruin my mood. I can't stand this kind of red flag. It can't even be classified as noble idiocy because it's bordering malice, which shouldn't be the behaviour of a main lead to begin with. I'll watch your next one if it has better ML. Looking forward to seeing your gut-wrenching performance again!

thanks for the input. I'll give it a try later :3
btw Arsenal Military Academy is also a no-kiss show with great acting and writing that i hold in high regards, which also sets the benchmark for chemistry for me. Thought you might enjoy :3

in your opinion, how deep is their affection for each other may i ask? No-kiss shows are okay for me, as long as the romance is deep and enduring, with proper buildup and solid chemistry. I'm expecting Arsenal Military Academy level of chemistry, not the shallow/light or courteous/friendly or colleague-based one. thanks in advance.

any kiss scene?

i love Zhang Xin Cheng's acting but i'm not sure about Wang Yu Wen. Hope this drama doesn't flop midway.

romance??

poor acting and no chemistry. ML has 1 blank expression across the entire drama. I've watched his other dramas and i can confirm that this guy is unable to emote grief/pain. Pass.

there are but the action is blurred out so don't expect much visibility.

what started off as fun and cute with organic acting got bogged down with a bunch of unnecessary cliched coincidences and cardboard side characters aka third wheelers that eventually turned too fake and forced to enjoy. I got fed up with the repetitive and artificially sweet plotline that requires too much suspension of belief. Should only have 1 initial writer who wrote the first few episodes instead of 6, cuz the subsequent writers ruined it.

thank u ღ( ؔ✪̤ ◡ ؔ✪̤` ๑)