Overall, I thought this drama was pretty good. I liked the overall story and the way it was set up, but there were a few things that stopped me from fully enjoying it.
The biggest issue for me was the main couple. I just didn’t feel any chemistry between the male lead and female lead. They didn’t seem like a natural match, and it often felt like they were just acting rather than genuinely connecting. Their personalities felt very different, and I couldn’t really believe their relationship. Even the romantic scenes, especially the kissing scenes, felt awkward and forced.
The second couple was another part I struggled with. The second female lead, who played an actress in the drama, was a difficult character for me to like. She came across as weak, unstable, and unsure of what she actually wanted. She constantly doubted him, questioned the relationship, and kept wanting to divorce him, so I honestly didn’t understand why the male character continued to fight for their relationship. I felt like he deserved someone who trusted and appreciated him more. By the final few episodes, I also started to lose some interest. I still finished the drama, but there were a few scenes towards the end that I found myself skipping because I wasn’t as invested anymore.
Overall, I think the story itself was good and had a lot of potential. I just felt that some of the character relationships, especially the romantic ones, weren’t convincing enough for me, which took away from my enjoyment.
There are some trolls here complaining about problems that honestly don't exist:1. 🎬Production and Cinematography:…
On point number 4. How could the ML be dumb when he's the emperor and also a vigilante? It takes a smart, courageous, competent person to pull that off. And why would it be a feminist show? I'm only asking because i haven't watched it yet.
Overall, this drama was very good. Its strongest aspect was definitely the romance. The chemistry between the leads was excellent, and their interactions felt natural, heartfelt, and enjoyable to watch. Those moments carried the drama and kept me invested from beginning to end. The crime storyline involving the male lead was also an important part of the plot, but it felt like it dragged on for a little too long at times. While it was necessary to the overall story, I found myself wanting to get back to the romance more often.
For a large part of the drama, I was actually planning to give it a perfect 10/10 because it did two things that felt genuinely refreshing. The first was the reunion between the main couple. After being separated for six years, the female lead didn't return angry or resentful because the male lead had broken up with her. Instead of following the typical "hate-to-love" reunion that so many dramas rely on, she came back still deeply in love with him and actively pursued him. Even when he tried to push her away, she continued trying to be part of his life. That was something I hadn't seen before, and it made their reunion feel unique.
The second reason was that, initially, there was no second male lead competing for the female lead's affection. Instead, the only romantic rival was a second female lead who was interested in the male lead. That was a refreshing change from the usual formula and made the story feel more original.
Unfortunately, there were two things that stopped me from giving it a perfect score.
The biggest issue was the female lead's relationships during the six-year separation. The drama makes it clear that she never stopped loving the male lead and that her intention was always to return once she had established herself and become successful enough to stand beside him as an equal. Because of that, her being involved in multiple relationships simply didn't make sense to me. If her goal was to complete her education, build her career, gain experience, and earn promotions within just six years, that alone would have required an enormous amount of time and dedication. It would have made far more sense for her to focus entirely on achieving those goals rather than entering not just one, but multiple romantic relationships. Since she never intended to build a future with any of those men, those relationships felt unnecessary and ultimately contaminated what could have been a much stronger love story. They also tainted the emotional exclusivity of the main romance, especially when the male lead remained completely faithful to his feelings for her throughout those same six years, despite being the one who ended the relationship.
My second disappointment was that the drama eventually introduced a second male lead after all. To make matters worse, he turned out to be one of the female lead's ex-boyfriends. One of the things I appreciated most early on was that the drama avoided this overused trope, so seeing it eventually fall back into the typical second male lead love triangle took away one of the qualities that had made it feel so refreshing in the first place.
Despite those criticisms, I still thoroughly enjoyed this drama. The romance, chemistry, and the relationship between the two leads were more than enough to make it a worthwhile watch. I genuinely was ready to give it a perfect 10/10 for most of the series, and if it weren't for those few issues, it would have earned that score from me. Even so, it's still a very good drama and one that I'd happily recommend to anyone who enjoys romance with strong chemistry between the main couple.
I understand why it may look contradictory at first, but I think Miao Jing’s choices make much more sense when…
I understand your interpretation, and I actually agree with a lot of what you're saying. My issue isn't that Miao Jing had to remain single for six years or put her life on hold. I completely understand why she needed to build a life of her own before returning to Chen Yi. The problem is that the show also tells us she always intended to come back for him. If that was truly her long-term plan, then multiple serious relationships, especially with her ex, makes that intention feel less convincing to me. To me, there's a difference between "I always loved him" and "I always planned to return to him." The first is believable. The second is where I think the writing becomes inconsistent.
That's also why I think the contrast with Chen Yi matters. During those same six years, he didn't pursue anyone else because he never let go of her. The show presents his love as unwavering, while Miao Jing's love is presented as equally unwavering despite her moving through multiple relationships. That contrast made it harder for me to fully believe they were portrayed as having the same level of commitment.
If she truly loved him so much and always intended to come back and take him away from the life he was living, then her actions don’t really support that idea. She even told him that she had planned to return one day and save him from that life, but that becomes difficult to believe when her choices in the meantime suggest she had moved on. Why would she pursue multiple relationships during those six years apart, especially with the second male lead, who was her ex, if her ultimate goal was to come back to him?
What makes it even more questionable is that when she did return six years later, she immediately moved back into his life and even moved in with him, almost as if she had always expected to resume where they left off. That gives the impression that she still saw him as her future, but it also raises the question of why she spent those years building other relationships instead of staying true to that plan.
The idea that she was simply trying to establish herself in the city, build a career, and then return to take him away from that life doesn’t feel entirely convincing. Her words suggest one thing, but her actions suggest something different, which makes her motivations harder to understand.
What makes this even more noticeable is that the male lead spent those same six years without pursuing anyone else because he still cared about her and held onto those feelings. Meanwhile, she entered multiple relationships, including one with her ex, and then returned as if she could simply step back into his life where she left off. That contrast is what makes her motivations feel inconsistent to me.
After finishing this drama I’m a little sad because it’s going to be a long time before I find another drama…
You must be referring to the last few episodes. Because I'm more than three quarters of the way through this, and i don't see much chemistry between them.
I'm on episode 24, and their relationship still hasn't really progressed. I don't just mean romantically. I mean actually getting to understand each other, like her finding out what he's been through and why he is the way he is. It feels like nothing has really changed since the beginning.
There are only 32 episodes, and I'm already on episode 24, yet hardly anything has been revealed. I was expecting some progression by now. I don't like when a drama gives you nothing, nothing, nothing, and then suddenly dumps all the big reveals at the very end. You need to give the audience something along the way, otherwise, it just starts to drag.
For example, there was a scene where the male lead took his shirt off and you could see all the scars on his back. I thought the female lead was going to notice them and start wondering what he'd been through. I was really looking forward to that scene, but nothing came of it.
About halfway through this drama, I was ready to give it a 10/10. But now I'm starting to lose interest because it feels like they're just not giving me anything.
What an awful drama. If you're thinking of watching it, just stop after episode 9. After that, the leads are barely together. It's nothing but constant conflict, fighting, and angst. The female lead spends the rest of the drama with the second male lead, while the actual male lead is pushed aside. It's absolutely ludicrous. Who's supposed to be the male lead anyway? They got this completely wrong.
The biggest issue for me was the main couple. I just didn’t feel any chemistry between the male lead and female lead. They didn’t seem like a natural match, and it often felt like they were just acting rather than genuinely connecting. Their personalities felt very different, and I couldn’t really believe their relationship. Even the romantic scenes, especially the kissing scenes, felt awkward and forced.
The second couple was another part I struggled with. The second female lead, who played an actress in the drama, was a difficult character for me to like. She came across as weak, unstable, and unsure of what she actually wanted. She constantly doubted him, questioned the relationship, and kept wanting to divorce him, so I honestly didn’t understand why the male character continued to fight for their relationship. I felt like he deserved someone who trusted and appreciated him more. By the final few episodes, I also started to lose some interest. I still finished the drama, but there were a few scenes towards the end that I found myself skipping because I wasn’t as invested anymore.
Overall, I think the story itself was good and had a lot of potential. I just felt that some of the character relationships, especially the romantic ones, weren’t convincing enough for me, which took away from my enjoyment.
For a large part of the drama, I was actually planning to give it a perfect 10/10 because it did two things that felt genuinely refreshing. The first was the reunion between the main couple. After being separated for six years, the female lead didn't return angry or resentful because the male lead had broken up with her. Instead of following the typical "hate-to-love" reunion that so many dramas rely on, she came back still deeply in love with him and actively pursued him. Even when he tried to push her away, she continued trying to be part of his life. That was something I hadn't seen before, and it made their reunion feel unique.
The second reason was that, initially, there was no second male lead competing for the female lead's affection. Instead, the only romantic rival was a second female lead who was interested in the male lead. That was a refreshing change from the usual formula and made the story feel more original.
Unfortunately, there were two things that stopped me from giving it a perfect score.
The biggest issue was the female lead's relationships during the six-year separation. The drama makes it clear that she never stopped loving the male lead and that her intention was always to return once she had established herself and become successful enough to stand beside him as an equal. Because of that, her being involved in multiple relationships simply didn't make sense to me. If her goal was to complete her education, build her career, gain experience, and earn promotions within just six years, that alone would have required an enormous amount of time and dedication. It would have made far more sense for her to focus entirely on achieving those goals rather than entering not just one, but multiple romantic relationships. Since she never intended to build a future with any of those men, those relationships felt unnecessary and ultimately contaminated what could have been a much stronger love story. They also tainted the emotional exclusivity of the main romance, especially when the male lead remained completely faithful to his feelings for her throughout those same six years, despite being the one who ended the relationship.
My second disappointment was that the drama eventually introduced a second male lead after all. To make matters worse, he turned out to be one of the female lead's ex-boyfriends. One of the things I appreciated most early on was that the drama avoided this overused trope, so seeing it eventually fall back into the typical second male lead love triangle took away one of the qualities that had made it feel so refreshing in the first place.
Despite those criticisms, I still thoroughly enjoyed this drama. The romance, chemistry, and the relationship between the two leads were more than enough to make it a worthwhile watch. I genuinely was ready to give it a perfect 10/10 for most of the series, and if it weren't for those few issues, it would have earned that score from me. Even so, it's still a very good drama and one that I'd happily recommend to anyone who enjoys romance with strong chemistry between the main couple.
That's also why I think the contrast with Chen Yi matters. During those same six years, he didn't pursue anyone else because he never let go of her. The show presents his love as unwavering, while Miao Jing's love is presented as equally unwavering despite her moving through multiple relationships. That contrast made it harder for me to fully believe they were portrayed as having the same level of commitment.
What makes it even more questionable is that when she did return six years later, she immediately moved back into his life and even moved in with him, almost as if she had always expected to resume where they left off. That gives the impression that she still saw him as her future, but it also raises the question of why she spent those years building other relationships instead of staying true to that plan.
The idea that she was simply trying to establish herself in the city, build a career, and then return to take him away from that life doesn’t feel entirely convincing. Her words suggest one thing, but her actions suggest something different, which makes her motivations harder to understand.
What makes this even more noticeable is that the male lead spent those same six years without pursuing anyone else because he still cared about her and held onto those feelings. Meanwhile, she entered multiple relationships, including one with her ex, and then returned as if she could simply step back into his life where she left off. That contrast is what makes her motivations feel inconsistent to me.
There are only 32 episodes, and I'm already on episode 24, yet hardly anything has been revealed. I was expecting some progression by now. I don't like when a drama gives you nothing, nothing, nothing, and then suddenly dumps all the big reveals at the very end. You need to give the audience something along the way, otherwise, it just starts to drag.
For example, there was a scene where the male lead took his shirt off and you could see all the scars on his back. I thought the female lead was going to notice them and start wondering what he'd been through. I was really looking forward to that scene, but nothing came of it.
About halfway through this drama, I was ready to give it a 10/10. But now I'm starting to lose interest because it feels like they're just not giving me anything.
2. No breakups because they're never together. She hates him from episode 10 onwards. It never ends.
3. YES. The SML spent more time with her than anyone. They have more interactions, and she likes him more.
4. I don't know yet. But judging from what I've seen, I'd be surprised if it is.
5. NO. Far from it.
6. No. Nothing.