Unnecessarily complex but still have decent amount of takeaways.
Okay!! This was one of those stories that leaves me confused about whether it belongs in the category of a good or bad drama. Some parts felt extremely well done, while others felt too out of place. So here I am, holding a neutral stance. 🫡
Cast:
Zhang Linghe: Initially, I felt he was miscast. No matter what anyone says, ZLH naturally gives off serious and responsible vibes—especially when he's in ancient costumes. In the beginning, his character was a bit frivolous and nonchalant, which didn’t sit right at first. But gradually, the character developed in a way that grew on him, and by the end, it felt like a good fit.😌😌
Esther Yu: For the first time in my C-drama journey, I discovered that Esther Yu can actually act. 😧😧Honestly, I had zero expectations when it came to her acting, but she surprised me this time. Not saying it was an Oscar-worthy performance, but compared to her previous works, it was 1000x better.🙂🙃
Ryan Cheng: He was decent, though I’ve seen him do better in other dramas. Maybe the role didn’t offer him much variation—he mostly had to maintain a poker face throughout.😶
Lu Yuxiao: One of my favorites! She did a fantastic job portraying her grey character. Her performance was layered and impressive. 🫰🫰😘
Fight Scenes:
Fast moves, clean execution, and relatively less overuse of Mystical special effects. Quite refreshing.🤫🤫
Plot:
A bit slow-paced, but still watchable. I just wish there were more fighting sequences and less time wasted on the poison arc. 😮💨😮💨
Lighting Crisis:
Most of the drama is shot in low-light or night scenes—God knows why. Maybe it was done to make things look more mysterious, but at times it was hard on the eyes.😵😵
Second Female Lead:
She stuck to her mission till the end 💯—something rarely shown. Usually, writers (read: misogynistic jackasses) love to push the narrative that women are too emotional and can't be trusted with responsibility. BORING🫤🫤 But here, even after sleeping with the parallel male lead, she stayed focused. Her character was beautifully complex—I watched the entire show and I still couldn’t figure her out fully.
Justice Delivered:
The resolution of the main conflict was satisfying, with sacrifices that felt genuine. The climax lived up to my expectations.👍👍
Villain Appearance:
The main villains—the 4 masters of Wufeng and the "big brother"—were introduced abruptly and eliminated within an episode or two. After all the build-up, their screen time and impact felt underwhelming and flat.
Main Ending Crisis:
I hate open endings in C-dramas, especially since they rarely get a second season. In this one, where none of the main couples end up together, the open ending felt like a real injustice.😭😭😭😭
Is it worth your time?
Yeah, definitely. You might feel a little bored at times, but you’ll also keep looking forward to the next episode.❤️
Cast:
Zhang Linghe: Initially, I felt he was miscast. No matter what anyone says, ZLH naturally gives off serious and responsible vibes—especially when he's in ancient costumes. In the beginning, his character was a bit frivolous and nonchalant, which didn’t sit right at first. But gradually, the character developed in a way that grew on him, and by the end, it felt like a good fit.😌😌
Esther Yu: For the first time in my C-drama journey, I discovered that Esther Yu can actually act. 😧😧Honestly, I had zero expectations when it came to her acting, but she surprised me this time. Not saying it was an Oscar-worthy performance, but compared to her previous works, it was 1000x better.🙂🙃
Ryan Cheng: He was decent, though I’ve seen him do better in other dramas. Maybe the role didn’t offer him much variation—he mostly had to maintain a poker face throughout.😶
Lu Yuxiao: One of my favorites! She did a fantastic job portraying her grey character. Her performance was layered and impressive. 🫰🫰😘
Fight Scenes:
Fast moves, clean execution, and relatively less overuse of Mystical special effects. Quite refreshing.🤫🤫
Plot:
A bit slow-paced, but still watchable. I just wish there were more fighting sequences and less time wasted on the poison arc. 😮💨😮💨
Lighting Crisis:
Most of the drama is shot in low-light or night scenes—God knows why. Maybe it was done to make things look more mysterious, but at times it was hard on the eyes.😵😵
Second Female Lead:
She stuck to her mission till the end 💯—something rarely shown. Usually, writers (read: misogynistic jackasses) love to push the narrative that women are too emotional and can't be trusted with responsibility. BORING🫤🫤 But here, even after sleeping with the parallel male lead, she stayed focused. Her character was beautifully complex—I watched the entire show and I still couldn’t figure her out fully.
Justice Delivered:
The resolution of the main conflict was satisfying, with sacrifices that felt genuine. The climax lived up to my expectations.👍👍
Villain Appearance:
The main villains—the 4 masters of Wufeng and the "big brother"—were introduced abruptly and eliminated within an episode or two. After all the build-up, their screen time and impact felt underwhelming and flat.
Main Ending Crisis:
I hate open endings in C-dramas, especially since they rarely get a second season. In this one, where none of the main couples end up together, the open ending felt like a real injustice.😭😭😭😭
Is it worth your time?
Yeah, definitely. You might feel a little bored at times, but you’ll also keep looking forward to the next episode.❤️
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