9
28
1
1
2
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This review may contain spoilers
Confusion and Disappointment
From Jiang Xue Ning being the main focus and driving force of the story, she somehow turned into a side character in her own narrative, constantly needing to be saved. After just a few episodes, it became clear that Xie Wei had taken over as the true focus, which felt strange, considering it was Jiang Xue Ning who was supposed to be reliving her life and changing her fate. Instead, she ended up as a puppet, repeatedly rescued and used by Xie Wei.
Both Jiang Xue Ning and Xie Wei were repeatedly labeled as “evil,” yet that never truly showed in their actions or personalities. It’s a classic case of inconsistent characterization, where the audience is expected to simply accept what they’re told without actually seeing it play out.
Jiang Xue Ning had genuinely great options when it came to her love interests, but sadly, she chose the worst one, the manchild who believes he can control a woman. If I had to sum up how I felt about Xie Wei, it would be: The Ick. If the word “Ew” were a person, it would be him. Forcing her to kiss him, kicking his own son when he doesn’t get what he wants… but hey, not evil, right? Haha.
The villain was painfully one-dimensional and practically nonexistent for the first 30 episodes, which completely deflated any sense of tension from the start. There was never a real sense of danger for the main characters either, since Xie Wei was portrayed as this overly competent lead who could survive anything. The other villains never felt like an actual threat.
Side characters like Zhang Zhe, Yan Li, You Fangyin, and Jiang Xue Hui were the true highlights of this drama for me. Honestly, I wish they had been the leads, but I guess we can’t have everything we want, right?
I didn’t feel much chemistry between Jiang Xue Ning and Xie Wei either, probably because their romance only started developing after episode 30—and with Xie Wei being the definition of a manchild, it didn’t help. Why do writers keep doing this?
The concept and premise of the drama are fine, but the execution fell flat. Right from the start, we’re told that this is a fictional story being rewritten, which immediately removes all tension. On top of that, introducing us to Jiang Xue Ning as someone who had already gone through her toughest times as an empress and made countless mistakes made it difficult to emotionally connect with her. How are we supposed to empathize with a character whose past we only see through brief snippets? The same goes for Xie Wei; by the time I actually started to understand their backgrounds and motivations, the drama was already nearing its end.
The pacing was also questionable. The last ten episodes were the only truly important ones. Honestly, you could have skipped everything before episode 30 and still followed along just fine, and that’s truly disappointing.
The OSTs were the saving grace of this drama. Other than that, it didn’t have much going for it. The casting didn’t convince me either. I’m not sure Bai Lu can handle these kinds of complex lead roles, and the same goes for Zhang Linghe.
Last but not least, I genuinely don’t understand how this drama is being called the best of 2023. It’s disappointing and confusing at the same time.
Both Jiang Xue Ning and Xie Wei were repeatedly labeled as “evil,” yet that never truly showed in their actions or personalities. It’s a classic case of inconsistent characterization, where the audience is expected to simply accept what they’re told without actually seeing it play out.
Jiang Xue Ning had genuinely great options when it came to her love interests, but sadly, she chose the worst one, the manchild who believes he can control a woman. If I had to sum up how I felt about Xie Wei, it would be: The Ick. If the word “Ew” were a person, it would be him. Forcing her to kiss him, kicking his own son when he doesn’t get what he wants… but hey, not evil, right? Haha.
The villain was painfully one-dimensional and practically nonexistent for the first 30 episodes, which completely deflated any sense of tension from the start. There was never a real sense of danger for the main characters either, since Xie Wei was portrayed as this overly competent lead who could survive anything. The other villains never felt like an actual threat.
Side characters like Zhang Zhe, Yan Li, You Fangyin, and Jiang Xue Hui were the true highlights of this drama for me. Honestly, I wish they had been the leads, but I guess we can’t have everything we want, right?
I didn’t feel much chemistry between Jiang Xue Ning and Xie Wei either, probably because their romance only started developing after episode 30—and with Xie Wei being the definition of a manchild, it didn’t help. Why do writers keep doing this?
The concept and premise of the drama are fine, but the execution fell flat. Right from the start, we’re told that this is a fictional story being rewritten, which immediately removes all tension. On top of that, introducing us to Jiang Xue Ning as someone who had already gone through her toughest times as an empress and made countless mistakes made it difficult to emotionally connect with her. How are we supposed to empathize with a character whose past we only see through brief snippets? The same goes for Xie Wei; by the time I actually started to understand their backgrounds and motivations, the drama was already nearing its end.
The pacing was also questionable. The last ten episodes were the only truly important ones. Honestly, you could have skipped everything before episode 30 and still followed along just fine, and that’s truly disappointing.
The OSTs were the saving grace of this drama. Other than that, it didn’t have much going for it. The casting didn’t convince me either. I’m not sure Bai Lu can handle these kinds of complex lead roles, and the same goes for Zhang Linghe.
Last but not least, I genuinely don’t understand how this drama is being called the best of 2023. It’s disappointing and confusing at the same time.
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