This review may contain spoilers
Pretty decent revenge drama
I watched the drama primarily for the ML Xiao Zhan. It's good to see him take on more grey multifaceted characters again. His most recent drama characters have been a bit one dimensional. This is a drama where everyone has a secret, and some people have a whole book of secrets. The drama is centered on Zang Hai and his quest for revenge on the individuals responsible for the massacre of his family.
What I enjoyed:
-The child actor who played Zhinou was great.
-Villains were ruthless and intimidating without coming across as cheesy and cartoonish
-production value was high
-plot had twists and turns that I wasn't expecting
What was okay:
-There is some chemistry between the ML and FL but if you're looking for a drama with a grand romance, this isn't it
-Xiao Zhan's has very expressive eyes and is great at micro expressions, except for his "shocked" looks. When he has to act out a scene where he's shocked, it always looks cartoonish. I'm not sure if it's the acting or how the director chose to shoot and edit the scene.
-Music was okay, but nothing memorable.
-While the character Zang Hai was complex, grey, and multi faceted, he didn't have much growth as a character
What I didn't enjoy:
-The styling of this drama period really doesn't suit Xiao Zhan's aesthetics, but the director stated that his goal was not to focus on the ML's handsomeness
-The makeup for the Queen of Dongxhia was horrible, especially the huge hot pink lips were distracting
- For a drama that liked to give viewers the full picture of how the ML plotted, strategized and escape some tricky situations, Some plot points were vague and unclear. For example, was Gao Ming poisoned or did he choose to commit suicide. Also why did it seem like the Duke and Eunuch were afraid of the Minister of Revenue when they all were of equal standing in the court. And I never really understood the Minister of Revenue's purpose in saving Zhinou or his purpose for obtaining the Gui Seal
-Xiang Antou was an interesting character initially, but later on she just became a predictable side character after the ML and FL got together
Overall, I'd give it an 8, but likely won't rewatch again.
What I enjoyed:
-The child actor who played Zhinou was great.
-Villains were ruthless and intimidating without coming across as cheesy and cartoonish
-production value was high
-plot had twists and turns that I wasn't expecting
What was okay:
-There is some chemistry between the ML and FL but if you're looking for a drama with a grand romance, this isn't it
-Xiao Zhan's has very expressive eyes and is great at micro expressions, except for his "shocked" looks. When he has to act out a scene where he's shocked, it always looks cartoonish. I'm not sure if it's the acting or how the director chose to shoot and edit the scene.
-Music was okay, but nothing memorable.
-While the character Zang Hai was complex, grey, and multi faceted, he didn't have much growth as a character
What I didn't enjoy:
-The styling of this drama period really doesn't suit Xiao Zhan's aesthetics, but the director stated that his goal was not to focus on the ML's handsomeness
-The makeup for the Queen of Dongxhia was horrible, especially the huge hot pink lips were distracting
- For a drama that liked to give viewers the full picture of how the ML plotted, strategized and escape some tricky situations, Some plot points were vague and unclear. For example, was Gao Ming poisoned or did he choose to commit suicide. Also why did it seem like the Duke and Eunuch were afraid of the Minister of Revenue when they all were of equal standing in the court. And I never really understood the Minister of Revenue's purpose in saving Zhinou or his purpose for obtaining the Gui Seal
-Xiang Antou was an interesting character initially, but later on she just became a predictable side character after the ML and FL got together
Overall, I'd give it an 8, but likely won't rewatch again.
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