CaramelCat

Give it a try, it will catch you by surprise

I'll admit, even before it started airing I was quick to judge this drama as another cringy superficial romance with unnecessary drama. I'm sorry I doubted you my queen Zhang Yuxi!!! The role of Ye Meng was MADE for her—badass, boss woman who stands on business and a complete girl's girl. Her strength is balanced by a wonderful softness in the way she looks out for ands takes care of Li Jinyu from the very beginning because she senses, immediately, he needs someone. Sure, she meddles a little, but her genuine nature makes her so endearing that you don't see it as her being nosy but simply very caring.

I will always love a miserable ML (sorry not sorry) and Li Jinyu has misery in SPADES. Bi Wenjun is amazing at playing the cold and depressed male lead, with an air of fragility that we (and the FL) eventually sense through the layers of stoic numbness. Li Jinyu's a really unconventional male lead, because he's not the typical a-hole with a sob story: in fact the person he hates the most is himself. At the start he comes off as a playboy with all the girls hanging off of him, but very quickly you see that he's simply living day by day in autopilot mode, careless to anything and anyone, until he meets the FL.

The moment he meets Ye Meng, the tension is undeniable, and although she's the one to approach him first—make no mistake, our ML notices her ALL. THE. TIME. It's really subtle at first, but there's a significant moment in episode three when their bond shifts permanently, an "I see you for who you are truly are" kind of moment, and from here it blossoms into a genuine friendship. ML and FL chemistry is so wonderfully charged when they flirt with each other and try to push each other's buttons, but then it's balanced beautifully with these tender, emotional moments of depth and gravity. One thing I loooooved was that the cinematography was so well-matched for the tone of the drama, it was like such a treat for the eyes; the colour palette, the music, and the character styling were all so immersive and artistic.

There is a bit of push-and-pull before our MCs get together, and even after they do, the relationship can be tenuous at times - but I honestly loved how realistic and natural it was. The growth of the characters as individuals was organically reflected in their growth within their relationship, from insecurity to unbreakable trust, and from keeping secrets to complete honesty, they just kept getting stronger and stronger! They had moments where their conversation flowed so naturally, it was like I was watching a real couple (and suddenly became a third wheel...)

Also, a very very important side note - the female friendships were SPECTACULAR. The FL and her best friend Ya En were so ride-or-die for each other, I was honestly a little envious and wistful myself.

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From hate, to understanding, to mutual respect and love

Picture this: you've just selected the perfect perch to admire beautiful people and drink expensive wine. Little do you know, you've now infiltrated a carefully laid-out assassination plan, one which the lives of an entire city hinge on.

A simple case of wrong place, wrong time pushes our happy-go-lucky heroine into dangerous waters, caught up in a high-stakes political chess game. This drama is dark, and unafraid of going to extremes!

For a country bumpkin, Jiang Ci really surprised me: she is innocent, but she is not naive. It takes a certain kind of mettle to hold your own (life—ahem, thanks to a certain masked man) between two powerful schemers. On one hand, she is kept in the mansion of Marquis Pei Yan as bait to lure out the culprit, while on the other, she is hurt and poisoned within an inch of her life by the assailant himself. Jiang Ci has no power, no connections and no martial arts, nor does she have anyone to rely on. Yet, she possesses a formidable inner strength and bravery. She is aware of her restricted agency, yet she persists in finding a way to escape, making her own moves without regret.

As you root for her, you cannot imagine ever understanding, let alone forgiving, Wei Zhao's cruelty towards her. This is when a second perspective emerges, and we learn not everything is so black-and-white as a chessboard— the reality is chillingly bloodstained, involving decades-long genocide and enslavement. It is Wei Zhao alone who carries this burden, dedicating his entire life solely to freeing his people from subjugation,

For viewers, this is a turning point in the story that seems to be polarising: the drama, true to its name, explores the fluidity of empathy and human nature. In truth, Jiang Ci is just sticking to the principles that have guided her since the beginning of the story: her concern and compassion for the people. When she realises it is not just a matter of her own life, she promises to protect the secret of his mission. At this point, our leads shift from "enemies" to "acquaintances no longer in each other's way".

The romance is subtle and slow-burn, progressing from mutual respect and helping each other in Nanling, to admiring and falling in love with each other in Yueluo. Li Landi and Ren Jialun's chemistry is so heart-fluttering that I didn't even care about the lack of skinship. Where Jiang Ci was flirtatious and forward, Wei Zhao is shy—but he is equally deep in yearning. He expresses his feelings in his own hidden ways: the way his eyes track her, smiling when she is happy and noticing when she isn't; when he returns her promises about their future; when he takes care of her while she's sick; and when he gives her his only family keepsake, again symbolic of his own secret promise to her.

There are a few annoying characters in the story: Pei Yan, who for the majority of the drama, is obsessed with keeping Jiang Ci trapped with him. He does get redeemed in the end though. The other is Jiang Ci's master, who mainly served to create more conflict and angst, but this is luckily wrapped up quite quickly.

The final arc in Qingkang is fast-paced, angsty and politics-heavy.

OVERALL: The drama is one of a kind, and the romance was a beautiful and rare, authentic portrayal of enemies to lovers. Wei Zhao is a complex, cunning and selfless character who I fear I will often be comparing to future male leads. He's just THAT guy! The same goes for Jiang Ci: her being a physician and playing an active role in the battles makes SO much sense for her character, because she is not the type to sit still in the face of others' suffering. In that sense, she is as much a protector of the weak as Wei Zhao, which is what incites their mutual attraction.










ENDING SPOILER:
I felt the ending was so unnecessary, and seemed to be directly contradicting all the buildup, foreshadowing and symbolism of the earlier episodes. But, I love this drama too much to give it a lower rating. With that being said: for those considering watching, don't let the ending scare you out of missing on this beautiful story. I don't regret watching it at all!

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