Apurva

Would have been good if not for the serious lack of communication between the leads.

I don't much like Han Che at certain times, not because of his peculiarities, that in itself I did not mind. That made him an interesting character but he often threw tantrums without even trying to talk to Nuan Nuan about it. He found out that Fang Han Chen confessed his feelings for Nuan, so he ghosted her for a while, even though Nuan clearly said that she said no to the guy. Later, the incident with the cufflinks, she had a bad day at work, so while we all understand what needs to be done logically, she just wanted some comfort, instead he just made things worse for her.

The drama lacked conflict resolution, things were often glossed over. The entire concept was so flawed, it reminds me of the show "Well-Intended Love" in which the ML was a crackpot.

In "My Love, Enlighten Me", the ML was overbearing and made decisions that were not really good for others. The FL while fun to watch, wasn't really all there. The entire setting lacked the intensity required for the script and concept. They could have focused more on the emotions to make this drama more memorable.

The second couple were also so flawed. They again refused to directly communicate and resorted to tactics like using another person to make the person you like jealous. Too childish for me, so skipped most of their scenes.

That's not to say the entire thing wasn't worth watching. The leads had some chemistry and the FL was charming enough to stay on.

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Came Here To See Another Of Zheng Ye Cheng's Drama & He Didn't Dissapoint As An Actor

Zheng Ye Cheng was the reason I came here and I of course loved looking at him, but when it comes to romance in the drama FL was the one more invested in their relationship and it showed. It reminds of the saying, one person in a relationship is always more devoted, that's gotta be the Sassy Princess here. Although when I read the Synopsis of the drama, I expected that she pursued him first I also thought that he would fall a little harder but I didn't see the same kind of reciprocation.

He was one of the ML's that always need to be prodded by the secondary characters to take action. Left to his own devices, the FL would probably end up married to the another guy. Since I had just completed the sleepless princess before this, I already hated the trope where they marry someone else, so her marrying another guy didn't sit well with me. But it wasn't as emotionally charged as the scene in Sleepless Princess. Mostly because the marriage didn't happen.

Acting wise, all did a good job. Kinda hated the FL's father, his sacrificed his family for his ambition and still ended up being forgiven by his daughter. He pretty much held the gun that killed his wife.

Would I watch it again? Maybe.

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Terrific Actors. Riveting Story.

After watching this, I realized that Bai Lu is actually a good actress. I have watched her in two dramas before this and didn't really think much of her acting skills. Its not that she didn't stand out, she is terrific and charming, but the scripts just weren't right for her. Kunning palace was such a terrific script, with a lot of plot holes and missed potential, regardless it was riveting until the very end.

And after watching Zhang Ling He play the role of Xie Wei / Xie Ju'an, I have come to realize that he was made to portray historical characters. He is so unrecognizable from his modern day roles, where he reminds me of a teenager. In his historical roles, he bring us a different aura, just like he did with his role in Love Between Fairy and Devil. I'm going to check out few of his other dramas as well to see more of him. In some scenes in Kunning Palace, he kinda overdid it and we have to ask the directors what were they thinking. For example, the first scene where they introduced him, they gave us a close up of his neck. It just looked so damn funny. But apart from some of these weird instances, he did a phenomenal job with this character.

You'll Keep Guessing Who The FL ends up with until the last few episodes (Spoilers below)
Let's begin with the adorable Yan Lin, he brought light to Ning's life. While she never showed any romantic affection for him, she cherished him a lot.
With Zhang Zhe, the story was so complex that it wasn't fully explored. Even though it seemed slow paced, it felt like there were a lot of missed opportunities to make their story flow. After claiming to like him so much, Ning seem to have given up way too quickly on what could have been between them and so did he. Despite her being a stranger to him, he was attracted to her and we can see in his expression that it was not just because of her looks.
Xie Wei / Xie Ju'an, the reason I was glad that it didn't work out with Zhang Zhe. While Ning would have had a sort of peaceful life with Zhang Zhe, he would never truly have understood Ning as a person. He was a bit too rigid for her, sometimes that makes a good choice but the chemistry between Xie Wei & Ning was just too strong to notice anything else.

What really pissed me off was the story between Jiang Xuehui & Shen Jie. Shen Jie seemed like such a powerless character that it was hard not to feel sad for Jiang Xuehui and kind of curse Shen Jie for not having spine.

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The interaction between the main leads is just so adorable!

Loved all the moments between the main leads. Like the FL said many times, the ML could spout jokes with such a straight face and he was charming doing it. Chen Xiao was such a perfect choice for this character, he was a bit churlish but also sweet.

There that one time when you want to hit him on the head and tell him to go tell her the trust instead of hiding like a coward, but he just behaves like one for a long time. Thankfully, its not that long and we have a smart FL who figures it out.

All the women in this show were so powerful. It was beautiful to watch them focus on success of their businesses. They each had a dream and they found a way to achieve those despite all the obstacles standing in their ways. They even changed things for future.

The scene where the FL gets flogged is so sad, yet somehow added more more meaning to her fight.

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You might want to skip the subplot and focus on the scenes with the main leads

First in Broker and now in this, Luo Yun Xi seems to be a pro at leaving the viewers heartbroken. I do not like these kinds of endings, I kept hoping that he would reappear or be reincarnated so they could actually meet again but nope. If going into the drama I had known this, I wouldn't have watched it but then I would have missed out on a decent drama with leads that share powerful chemistry.

Of course there are many scenes that were too dramatic but the show kept things interesting. However after all the suffering these two went through they deserved to be happy together.

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Zhao Lu Si's Comedic Timing & Presence Made This So Much Fun To Watch

Both Zhao Lu Si & Ding Yu Xi's character looked so young. I never thought that these two would make good couple, but it was fun watching them. The chemistry while not explosive was subtle and heartwarming.

Ding Yu Xi's Han Shuo was such a green flag in the relationship (most of the relationship). In the beginning he wanted to kill the the third princess. And he was back to being his murderous self for a while because he thought the third princess betrayed him. But apart from that silly tidbit, he was kinda adorable.

They rushed the ending thought. They could have explored so much in the ending. What's more, the ending shed light on a major plot hole. When FL was transported into her story, she was quite aware that she wasn't part of it. However, ML was also transported into the story but he wasn't actually aware but went about the story as a character that FL could manipulate. When they both returned to the real word, claiming it was a dream, the ML didn't appear all that bothered but when the Fl caught on to him pretending he just gave in? That was too short of a time frame for all of this to be pulled of smoothly.

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Adorable Main Couple & No Annoying Characters

As i was watching the show, i kept waiting for any of the characters at the FL's workplace to turn into a cringy villain trying to humiliate her because I have been traumatized by those cliches. However, what i found was the colleagues the FL worked with were quite supportive and often looked out for her.

FL and ML were so adorable together. Storywise, they could have explored more of the villainous side of the ML so that the drama wouldn't have been so tame. Apart from that, it is a good watch. I'm not eager to watch it a second time but I know I didn't waste any time on this.

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It was cute one time watch

As a reader, I love the concept of the story. Everything was kinda okay, nothing stood out. The characters were okay, sometimes fun to watch, but not really memorable.

The supporting characters didn't have much depth and therefore it was difficult to take them seriously or remember them when they were out of focus. What's more, they even tried to pull off the, "I need to protect you so i'll break up with you" trope. It is just tasteless trope that I don't care about. If you don't trust your partner enough to come up with a plan and work together, why are you even together? You make a patsy out of your partner and then later expect them to forgive and forget.

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Surprisingly Gentle ML

Nie Yu Sheng was an enigma here, while he may come off as a green flag for the most of the show, in the first few episodes he tried his best to hurt the FL knowing she was struggling to collect money for her child. Usually with stories' where the MLs find out that their past lover kept a child from them, they rave and rant about it. Yu Sheng, however, accepted it without holding any grudges.

The worst thing Tan Jing did was to keep it from him, the child would have lived a much better life had they sorted out their differences in the beginning.

Maybe the wouldn't have ended up together but the child would have had all medical attention he needed. As a mother, it was her responsibility at the time to find the best path for her child, but she was blinded by her father's accident and could only think how Mr Nie was culpable. She made the wrong choice, does she deserve to be hated for it? I don't think so. If she had so much pride she wouldn't have begged others for the money.

While I feel sad for is Sun Zhi Jun [Tan Jing's husband], he often wasn't there for his child, always falling for schemes and not being stable enough. He brought so much trouble for their family when he should have been a rock holding them together. He wasn't really a bad person just not stable enough.

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The premise was good, the story not so much.

The arc where Fu Ze Yi falls in love with Jing Zhi Xia was so sudden that it was unbelievable. The rich guy making the FL do chores trope is kinda icky and doesnt make for good romance.

The story could have been so much better with a little bit more flow to it. While the ML was fine at times, it was hard to envision the female actress as the character she was trying to portray. She was very out of place in the whole setting.

Korean actress Lee Da-hae did a much better job portraying her character Ah Mo-ne in Hotel King, in a role very similar to what Joey Chua had to play.

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What a great ensemble cast!

I usually like this trope where the ML or FL gets together with the other lead for revenge, however most of them fail to hold these characters accountable for the way they treated the person they supposedly loved. (Korean Drama: The Innocent man: is another example of this trope) And that is what happened with William Chan character Shi Yue as well.

The ML was in a situation where he had to be chummy with his ex who is this uber powerful older woman who doesn't really care about what the ML wants and just wants to control him. So, when this woman comes back in his life, he doesn't really put up a lot of fight in trusting his relationship with the FL and doesn't have any faith in her either. He decides to play the game with the ex and be cruel to the FL. Honestly his game had no purpose at all, in the end, he gave it up anyway.

In other situations I would have termed the FL as a doormat, but this FL was anything but that. She was just a great character to watch, she tried very hard to put faith in ML when he didn't deserve it. She is the who held on so that their relationship could work. She didn't react blindly but thought logically everytime she discovered something new.

The acting was brilliant. I wish the drama had been shorter, as it would have cut the FL's suffering in half at least.

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I would rewatch it for the chemistry between the leads

Li Yan Shu (FL) : First things first, for someone who is supposed to not take shit from anyone, I lost count of the number of times she was slapped by people in the show, including the second male lead, her step sister, and Mrs. Gu (mother figure for the male leads). (The writers really overdid the slaps)

At her best, she was lively and mouthy, so it was painful to watch such a beautiful person brought down by bunch of harpies. Although the ML has a presence, it isn't as powerful as the female lead, the magic doesn't happen until the FL enters the picture, that's when the show goes from "am i going to continue watching it" to "Yes! I picked the right drama to binge watch!"

Gu Cheng Ze (ML): One gorgeous man. Loyal to the family that adopted him, even when the old brat didn't deserve it. Protects the FL on numerous occasions. Is kinda a green flag. Watching the FL and ML together is such a joy.

I wouldn't mind watching another drama with these two actors in the lead role.

Honestly, Season 2 is much better.

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I was just about to stop binge watching & here comes temptation!

Okay, I have been binge-watching cdramas for a while now & I was about to break out of this habit, but they have done such a good job with characters & finding the right cast, that I gave into this temptation. Here's to hoping that this drama continues being so intriguing & I won't regret spending my time on it.

Ep 1 to Ep 5: The beginning of the ep 1 starts with betrayal, the guts of the guy to do her so wrong and still have the balls to pretend like he cares about her! I care about you but I don't have a choice so I'll frame you parent, get your brother killed, & one more, kill you myself. The tears are the worst, how meaningless. Man the kindness at that Zhenvv Hall, here's to hoping the head of the hall receives the same kindness. Poor Jiang Li, Fang Fei is so right, the wicked go unpunished & take pleasure in punishing the kind. I'm of two minds about Fang Fei taking over Jiang Li's identity. One one hand I can see her conviction about making Jiang Li's family suffer for the neglect & abuse she received at the hall. At the same time, it also feels like Fang Fei did it not because of Jiang Li but because she want to get her own revenge. Ep 4 clears that up, she is doing it for both and man is she brilliant! She told the Duke to scold her back for calling him brainless & he come back with her original identity.

Ep 6 to Ep 10: I get that the stepmother is evil, but the father is worse. His daughter is dead because of the both of them. She died without having her name cleared. This is the time, I wish this was a horror story & she would haunt their ass. Still not sure what's going on between princess & the murderer, but I don't feel sorry for the guy at all. Every time he is confronted with what he did to his loyal wife, he has tears in his eyes. Honestly, what good are those tears? That guy had no care for her. I don't know if the romance between the Duke & Li will go anywhere or if they will even get to be together without any issues. I hope it works out well for both of them though.

Ep 10 to Ep 15: I was so excited to see the competition between the two sisters, knowing that our double would win. But I must say that Rua Yao gave a terrific performance, I didn't think that Jiang Li would have been able to top that. But she won for a reason, the emotions she put in her song made it seem so real. I didn't much care for the graphics because for some reason they didn't properly convey her feelings. They were good but I wish they have come up with a better idea. We finally have a little hint of romance popping up, with Li being jealous about the Duke being at the brothel. I like the drama as it is, but I wish the leads had more screentime together, they are beautiful to watch. The Jiang family is so messed up, Jing Rui is the only person I like so far. Ruo Yao & Yu'e deserve each other, but I can see that being married to Yan Ban will not meet Yu'e expectation. What's more, it looks like both the cousins might end up being married to the same guy and none of them are his first choice. He has such a wandering eye.

Ep 16 to 27: I can't believe how good this show is. I messed up my sleep schedule again to catch up on all the episodes! I don't want to wait so long for the rest to come out. I love the progression of relationship between Duke & Li. It is so good to see such well-written characters with minds that gel well. I also feel a certain level of dread that either the Duke or Li might not make it till the end. That would be heartbreaking, but it wouldn't negate the bond they shared. Yu'e marriage ended up as predicted, I'm surprised that Ruo Yao actually did something right for once. I'm sure Jian Li's father suspects Jian Li's identity. I wonder how everyone is going to react once they find out that Jiang Li was murdered by the members of the Hall where she was supposed to be well cared for. I want them to be devastated! Jiang Li deserves that at least. Here's the hoping both Fang Fie & Jang Li get to clear their names & people who murdered them & plotted against them suffer. For a main character, Ye Shi Ji has very little screen time & I wonder how his feelings for Jiang Li will change things. I saw video on Youkou's international page which included a scene that suggested that Li & Duke might have happy ending. However, they were both standing in front of two graves, if one of them was Jiang Li's whose was the other? Here's to hoping Tong Er survives.

Ep 28 to 31: I had hoped that Tong Er would make it! But now she is gone to go be with her lady. I wonder what's gonna happen to Ji Shu Ran now. Was glad to see her maid being dragged away. I do not like waiting for each episode. It was soo good to watch the first 26 one after the other. I must say, this drama is gonna be one more addition to my favs list. For a moment their Fang Fie had me worried that she had really forgiven Jiang Yuan Bai on behalf of Jiang Li. Thank goodness, Jiang Li deserves better. There should be no redemption of any kind for Ji Shu Ran, for all her claims of she was forced to do things, she is the one who reveled in being cruel. She caused the death of little Yue and covered it up. I don't know if she was really pregnant at the time, but if she was, she killed her own unborn baby to frame a little girl who loved her. Framing that little girl led to her death as well. She is the reason so many people have died. I do think the diviner arc was a bit pointless. They sacrificed Tong Er for that arc. Here's to hoping that the Shen Yu Rong meets the same fate as Fang Fie who was buried alive. Okay this drama just makes me scared for everyone's life in there. I kept wondering who's gonna die next, will it be Fang Fie's father, the poison princess, or Wen Ji. Now, I wonder if Zhao prince might ask Duke to marry his sister. Then where would our Fang Fie be? Living Tong Er's dream probably. Poor Shi Jie probably wondering what's happening around him.

Ep 32 to Ep 35: Wow, the brains on Wanning! She thought she might be able to use Xue Zhao in some way so she kept him alive without anyone knowing. Fang Fie's whole plan centered around exposing Wanning & Shen Yu Rong's relationship. Recanting the testimony might again put Jiang Li in the way of rumors. And it looks like Duke Su will be coming to the rescue. (Maybe their marriage begins with this) Well, it is hard not to like Duke Su & Fang Fie being together, especially since both have such a keen understanding of each other. And the trust in each other is so overwhelming, you rarely get to see such a couple in dramas. I can't wait to see the moment where Fang Fie gives him the jade pendant. Shen Yu Rong has gone mad for sure but he clearly has different goals from the wanning & he is willing to even sacrifice his own child.

Ep 36 to Ep 40: I admit like everyone else, I felt for wanning. Had she only taken revenge on people who did her wrong, I would have liked her as a character her, but she forgot that there was a line she wasn't supposed to cross. I wonder if she ever knew that such a line exist. What she did to Fang Fie and countless other innocent people stops me from feeling anything for her now. I felt for the princess who was treated as an object & violated, but not for the one who decided to the same in return and not to the people who deserved it. You gotta hand it to Duke Su, even with the tempting made by Zhao he still rejected the marriage proposal because in his heart he has already made a commitment. So, that's how Wanning & Shen Yu Rong met their end. I'm sad about Wen Ji & Lu Ji, when I first saw them on screen I had a thought that one of them is gonna die. I didn't expect that both would. I think the ending needed to be better planned. It is a happy ending but still it does not do justice to the entire drama.

I did see Ep 40.5: It was kinda okay. It would have been better if there were other characters in it.

One of the weirdest parts about the drama were the closeups when the characters were supposed to be looking at each other, but it seemed as if they were looking at a camera. It especially happened when the communication was supposed to be between Xiao Heng and Jiang Li. This happened far too many times with this drama and never with other dramas.

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Love the chemistry between the Leads

This show has given us another green flag in Yoo Ji Hyuk (ML). Just completed the final episodes and the show was worth the hype. All characters are pretty interesting, which makes you take in every minute of the show without hitting fast forward or skipping most parts.

Its interesting to watch Jung Soo Min hate the female lead (Kang Ji Won ) so much and still go on pretending to be her best friend, sabotaging her at every step. There was a time when I believed people weren't like that and the shows were too dramatic to show such characters. However, I have learned different, people get perverse sense of pleasure by putting others down. And to Soo Min making Ji Won's life difficult is like a drug. There is no self-reflection for this character.

Now, the female lead was actually a pretty terrible judge of character and its pretty common. It's lonely living a life suspecting everyone of a motive, much easier to trust people are telling the truth. I was glad to the sismance between Fl, Yoo Hee Yeon, and Yang Joo Ran. They did such a good job lending an ear to Kang Ji Won, however they weren't aware of her returning back in time. The second couple Yoo Hee Yeon and Baek Eun Ho took their time getting together but both were so adorable througouth the series. I do wish we had gotten to see Joo Ran and Lee Suk Joon together as well, but I feel very optimistic about their future so that's good as well.

The cast is pretty great as well, especially Song Ha Yoon, she did such a fabulous job portraying Jung Soo Min. This drama has made me see her in new light. I didn't recognize her as the lead actress from the show Devilish Joy. The ending left me wondering if it made sense that Min Hwan died and not her (Soo Min). While Min Hwan is a character that attack the weak, he isn't really brainy, so him in prison or getting out in the future wouldn't have made much of a difference. Eve still, did I feel sad that he died? Nope. He just stopped existing and things went about their way. Now, with the kind of hatred Soo Min is harboring for Ji Won, things might get tricky in the future if she was to ever get out.

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