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I couldn’t tell the two Wei Raos apart.
Let me start from the end. Given how it concluded, I suspect there might be a second season; that’s how it ended.
As for the series itself, it was generally quite good. I watched it with pleasure and genuine curiosity—I enjoyed it. That said, there were certainly things I didn’t like. The first issue that caught my attention was the premise that the two sisters were identical. The only stated difference was their skin tone—one was described as having a darker complexion—implying they were twins. However, it turns out they aren’t even twins; they are merely cousins. Biologically, it is impossible for them to be identical. This aspect was handled very poorly.
Secondly, the same actress—Tian Xi Wei—plays both sisters. Despite the characters having distinct personalities, the actress failed to convey these differences through her facial expressions, gestures, or mannerisms. For instance, one could have had a nervous tic, or perhaps spoken with a lopsided mouth; they could have had different hairstyles—anything to help us distinguish between them. I couldn’t tell them apart at all. The only way to differentiate the two sisters was by listening to what they said when they were lashing out at each other. There was no thought put into using physical cues or gestures to set them apart. While I mention the actress, the director should also have provided guidance to help establish these differences. I didn’t like this; in my view, it just didn’t work.
A third point concerns the character Han Lio. He engages in all sorts of schemes, yet he gets caught every single time. The Emperor supposedly punishes him, but he remains the same man—wandering around with a group of soldiers, provoking everyone he encounters, and threatening to kill people. I suspect the director forgets that such actions should carry consequences—or perhaps the penalties are simply being suspended without our knowledge. It makes no sense for a character like this to act with total impunity, only to finally face the music in the very last episode. I didn’t like it; I found it flawed. It disrupted the otherwise smooth flow of the series.
A fourth point concerns the character Wei Rao, who manages to escape every single trap and assassination attempt by having a pre-arranged plan. One might accept this happening once, but for it to occur repeatedly is simply implausible—it’s just not a believable character. I felt the character was far too caricatured. I didn’t care for it.
That said, the casting was excellent. The ensemble consisted of highly talented actors; I truly enjoyed their performances. Tian Xi Wei was front and center throughout the series, carrying two distinct roles, and she really anchored the show—in my view, she was quite successful. The only flaw—which I attribute to the director—was the failure to distinguish between the two characters through specific facial expressions or gestures. Yan An, who played opposite the lead actress, also portrayed his character well; I liked his performance. There was a large supporting cast, with many different characters brought to life—kudos to all of them! I enjoyed everyone’s work, though listing them individually would be too long for this review. For these reasons, I’ve given it a rating of 8.
I would recommend it to those interested in watching.
As for the series itself, it was generally quite good. I watched it with pleasure and genuine curiosity—I enjoyed it. That said, there were certainly things I didn’t like. The first issue that caught my attention was the premise that the two sisters were identical. The only stated difference was their skin tone—one was described as having a darker complexion—implying they were twins. However, it turns out they aren’t even twins; they are merely cousins. Biologically, it is impossible for them to be identical. This aspect was handled very poorly.
Secondly, the same actress—Tian Xi Wei—plays both sisters. Despite the characters having distinct personalities, the actress failed to convey these differences through her facial expressions, gestures, or mannerisms. For instance, one could have had a nervous tic, or perhaps spoken with a lopsided mouth; they could have had different hairstyles—anything to help us distinguish between them. I couldn’t tell them apart at all. The only way to differentiate the two sisters was by listening to what they said when they were lashing out at each other. There was no thought put into using physical cues or gestures to set them apart. While I mention the actress, the director should also have provided guidance to help establish these differences. I didn’t like this; in my view, it just didn’t work.
A third point concerns the character Han Lio. He engages in all sorts of schemes, yet he gets caught every single time. The Emperor supposedly punishes him, but he remains the same man—wandering around with a group of soldiers, provoking everyone he encounters, and threatening to kill people. I suspect the director forgets that such actions should carry consequences—or perhaps the penalties are simply being suspended without our knowledge. It makes no sense for a character like this to act with total impunity, only to finally face the music in the very last episode. I didn’t like it; I found it flawed. It disrupted the otherwise smooth flow of the series.
A fourth point concerns the character Wei Rao, who manages to escape every single trap and assassination attempt by having a pre-arranged plan. One might accept this happening once, but for it to occur repeatedly is simply implausible—it’s just not a believable character. I felt the character was far too caricatured. I didn’t care for it.
That said, the casting was excellent. The ensemble consisted of highly talented actors; I truly enjoyed their performances. Tian Xi Wei was front and center throughout the series, carrying two distinct roles, and she really anchored the show—in my view, she was quite successful. The only flaw—which I attribute to the director—was the failure to distinguish between the two characters through specific facial expressions or gestures. Yan An, who played opposite the lead actress, also portrayed his character well; I liked his performance. There was a large supporting cast, with many different characters brought to life—kudos to all of them! I enjoyed everyone’s work, though listing them individually would be too long for this review. For these reasons, I’ve given it a rating of 8.
I would recommend it to those interested in watching.
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