This review may contain spoilers
Just another in-book universe
I must be honest, Cheng Lei is what pulled me to this drama. I usually don't end up liking the "travel inside a book universe". Why don't I stop watching them? Because they almost always include my favorite actors in their cast.
Which was the case for this drama too.
I must also admit that I liked this drama, very much (YAY) but I do have some issues with it.
We follow Cui Ha as she has to complete a novel for work but while reading it she finds herself transmigrated into the story itself as Yu Wanyin, the demonic consort. With vague memories of a story she skimmed through, she plots to better her character's storyline but in order to do this she must change her entire character. Thankfully, she discovers she's not the only outworlder in this book. The emperor (Xiahou Dan), whom her character is destined to assassinate, appears to be a transmigrater too and together they set out to change their narritives and hope for a better outcome.
The show is funny, quirky and uses an otherwise dark script to make viewers feel everything. I didn't expect to be so immersed but I found myself ugly sobbing when one of the major characters died but found myself laughing at something the characters did only moments after. It's a perfect emotional rollercoaster like that. I ended up feeling for characters I initially didn't like, hated characters I initially liked and was really into the series. The characters are fun, well-written and layered.
What I truly liked about this drama is:
- I loved the friendship between Wanyin and Xie Yong. I was relieved to see Xie Yong wasn't used as a comic relief character after the girls became friends.
- The difference in character of Xiahou Dan. He's so goofy and kind when he's with Wanyin but he's this all powerful tyrant whenever he has to play the emperor. The amount of aura Cheng Lei can build in characters like these is beyond words.
- I loved how strong Wanyin was throughout the story. She doesn't take bullshit for an answer and, even without any real power, she makes sure she reaches her goals.
- Characters I thought would be boring additions to the inner circle became very interesting.
- I knew Tang Xiao Tian from "Story of Pearl Girl" and didn't believe that the cutie from that drama could produce a convincing villain but DAYUM did he prove me wrong.
The issues I have with this drama are (mostly due to lost subtext/context during chinese to english translations, I think) that some of it really didn't make any sense.
The inclusion of the "Zhang San Diaries" as an extra story didn't make any sense because (I believe) we didn't know that was Xiahuo Dan's real world name and the actor playing him as a child is the same actor who plays his son in the main timeline. I thought it was about the crown prince and the first two episode only confused me more. I skipped the third only to find out in the fourth that it was about young Xiahou Dan.
The ending didn't make sense because how can someone, who's been inside a book universe for over a decade, funtion normally within the real world? Or is it like a subconciousness thing? That a part of him in inside the book? It just leaves me with a lot of questions.
A lot of stuff in the last couple of episodes happened off screen which turned some situations random. They were explained later on but it made it seem rushed and haphazardly put together.
Another major issue I had was the end credits. Without warning they plopped up and spoilerd in a big way. It literally shows one of the last scenes of the last episode and tells you how the series will end. Scenes that should have put me on the edge of my seat didn't anymore because I knew it would turn out some type of way.
I kind of wished they would've made it into a story without using the pretense of a book universe. Wanyin hardly knew anything about the major plotlines because she skimmed through the book and Xiahou Dan was already integrated into the story so much he had forgotten most of his previous life. I know it was a bigger theme within the story, that both of them came from the real world but I believe the story could have stood on its own.
Which was the case for this drama too.
I must also admit that I liked this drama, very much (YAY) but I do have some issues with it.
We follow Cui Ha as she has to complete a novel for work but while reading it she finds herself transmigrated into the story itself as Yu Wanyin, the demonic consort. With vague memories of a story she skimmed through, she plots to better her character's storyline but in order to do this she must change her entire character. Thankfully, she discovers she's not the only outworlder in this book. The emperor (Xiahou Dan), whom her character is destined to assassinate, appears to be a transmigrater too and together they set out to change their narritives and hope for a better outcome.
The show is funny, quirky and uses an otherwise dark script to make viewers feel everything. I didn't expect to be so immersed but I found myself ugly sobbing when one of the major characters died but found myself laughing at something the characters did only moments after. It's a perfect emotional rollercoaster like that. I ended up feeling for characters I initially didn't like, hated characters I initially liked and was really into the series. The characters are fun, well-written and layered.
What I truly liked about this drama is:
- I loved the friendship between Wanyin and Xie Yong. I was relieved to see Xie Yong wasn't used as a comic relief character after the girls became friends.
- The difference in character of Xiahou Dan. He's so goofy and kind when he's with Wanyin but he's this all powerful tyrant whenever he has to play the emperor. The amount of aura Cheng Lei can build in characters like these is beyond words.
- I loved how strong Wanyin was throughout the story. She doesn't take bullshit for an answer and, even without any real power, she makes sure she reaches her goals.
- Characters I thought would be boring additions to the inner circle became very interesting.
- I knew Tang Xiao Tian from "Story of Pearl Girl" and didn't believe that the cutie from that drama could produce a convincing villain but DAYUM did he prove me wrong.
The issues I have with this drama are (mostly due to lost subtext/context during chinese to english translations, I think) that some of it really didn't make any sense.
The inclusion of the "Zhang San Diaries" as an extra story didn't make any sense because (I believe) we didn't know that was Xiahuo Dan's real world name and the actor playing him as a child is the same actor who plays his son in the main timeline. I thought it was about the crown prince and the first two episode only confused me more. I skipped the third only to find out in the fourth that it was about young Xiahou Dan.
The ending didn't make sense because how can someone, who's been inside a book universe for over a decade, funtion normally within the real world? Or is it like a subconciousness thing? That a part of him in inside the book? It just leaves me with a lot of questions.
A lot of stuff in the last couple of episodes happened off screen which turned some situations random. They were explained later on but it made it seem rushed and haphazardly put together.
Another major issue I had was the end credits. Without warning they plopped up and spoilerd in a big way. It literally shows one of the last scenes of the last episode and tells you how the series will end. Scenes that should have put me on the edge of my seat didn't anymore because I knew it would turn out some type of way.
I kind of wished they would've made it into a story without using the pretense of a book universe. Wanyin hardly knew anything about the major plotlines because she skimmed through the book and Xiahou Dan was already integrated into the story so much he had forgotten most of his previous life. I know it was a bigger theme within the story, that both of them came from the real world but I believe the story could have stood on its own.
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