Fun Romp
This is a classic Chinese costume / palace intrigue romance, where the main character is an actress playing a noble woman living in the "Jing Dynasty" and somehow the actress becomes that noble woman. The setup allows for the character (and the show) to parody many of the tropes of palace intrigue cdramas. I mean, literally at multiple points the main character tells other characters "hey, it will be OK, because I have plot armor' and the male lead literally lives in "Male Lead Mansion." The first episode gets off to a quick start to establish the premise, and the results are hilarious. The show does settle down after that, although the premise of a real person living in a fictional world is maintained throughout.
Some interesting questions emerge from these circumstances, such as the role of fate in our lives, and how we should deal with it. The philosophical side doesn't get treated clinically, but the show takes some explicit stands on some points. That said, the show does not take itself too seriously, and the result is a fun romp through some unspecified Chinese dynasty.
The production side is solid. The acting is top-notch. As is typical for costume cdramas, some of the battle scenes are gory and, well, tedious. The OST is fine. Otherwise, I don't have anything noteworthy to add.
The writing does get a bit weak in the later episodes, as the good guys seem to forget the bad guys have a whole army at their disposal. More generally, in spite of all the scheming going on, the good guys just seem to be awfully casual at times. The two lead characters also have a tendency to "protect" the other by not communicating some issues, which has predictable results. So, yeah, tropes, although the show is self-aware enough that the tropes aren't too distracting. The resolution of the main conflict is distinctive, relying on the premise, so I give bonus points there.
In summary, this isn't a masterpiece, but again the premise leads to a fun romp, and the show remains faithful to that vibe, even past the final credits (that's a hint to watch past the final credits). I really enjoyed it, as period cdramas are ripe for parody.
Some interesting questions emerge from these circumstances, such as the role of fate in our lives, and how we should deal with it. The philosophical side doesn't get treated clinically, but the show takes some explicit stands on some points. That said, the show does not take itself too seriously, and the result is a fun romp through some unspecified Chinese dynasty.
The production side is solid. The acting is top-notch. As is typical for costume cdramas, some of the battle scenes are gory and, well, tedious. The OST is fine. Otherwise, I don't have anything noteworthy to add.
The writing does get a bit weak in the later episodes, as the good guys seem to forget the bad guys have a whole army at their disposal. More generally, in spite of all the scheming going on, the good guys just seem to be awfully casual at times. The two lead characters also have a tendency to "protect" the other by not communicating some issues, which has predictable results. So, yeah, tropes, although the show is self-aware enough that the tropes aren't too distracting. The resolution of the main conflict is distinctive, relying on the premise, so I give bonus points there.
In summary, this isn't a masterpiece, but again the premise leads to a fun romp, and the show remains faithful to that vibe, even past the final credits (that's a hint to watch past the final credits). I really enjoyed it, as period cdramas are ripe for parody.
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