This review may contain spoilers
So Good at First, Then a Bit Messy
The cinematography, chemistry, pacing, story (up to episode 20-ish), everything is top-notch. Watching this drama really made me excited for what comes next, and I was always eagerly waiting for new episodes. The female and male leads are also really good-looking. The CGI is just okay.But in the later episodes, the story kinda goes downhill. There are a lot of plot holes, and many things are left unexplained. I even ended up reading the novel because I wanted answers, and it turns out they changed a lot of things in the drama. Maybe it’s because they had to fit everything into 40 episodes, but it ends up feeling incomplete.
In the novel, the main “traitor” is actually Fan Changyu’s maternal grandfather. Her father marries into her mother’s family and is also involved in the grandfather’s betrayal. But her mother still stays with him despite that, which makes Fan Changyu believe her father is innocent.
Meanwhile, in the drama, her father is the main “traitor”, and she believes he’s innocent because of how her parents act toward each other. Like??? Love can be blind, and maybe her mother is just a lovesick fool. The novel makes a lot more sense.
When Xie Zheng finds out that Fan Changyu is the traitor’s daughter, he just accepts it. In the novel, you can really feel his inner turmoil, and he even tries to stay away from her.
Another thing I didn’t like in the drama is the lashing scene. It was carried out by Wen Yan. He even had the audacity to point fingers at Fan Changyu’s father, while knowing he’s the real reason why everything happened. In the novel the punishment was carried out by a retainer of the Xie family under Xie Zheng’s orders. He punished himself first before getting back together with Fan Changyu.
And the final battle… that’s it?? It only lasts like 10 minutes. They also did Fan Changyu dirty. She actually fights in the novel, unlike in the drama.
Fan Changyu was adopted by Grand Tutor Tao to elevate her background, and they even have a fight because of this. But after they return to the capital, somehow it’s never mentioned?
After the final battle, General Meng was given a title. But who is he? Why is he relevant? If I didn’t read the novel, I wouldn’t know why.
There are a lot more plot holes and things I dislike, but I’m too lazy to list them all. It’s such a pity they didn’t cut down Fan Changyu’s gang or the second couple’s screen time to fix these issues.
Despite all that, it’s still a good drama, and I’d recommend it.
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A Visually Stunning Drama with a Few Weak Spots
As a fan of this genre, I love this drama. The cinematography is soooo good, it gives Western series vibes. The lighting, makeup, outfits, angles, action, romance, everything is perfect.Dilraba and Chen Xingxu are really suitable for this drama. They're so beautiful, and their features look so good together. Their chemistry is also good, and the romance is just perfect for the drama. So I don't get why some people say the drama is too focused on their romance, because it's not. And the way they fall in love is also not out of nowhere. If you go through danger together several times and the other person is also attractive, I think you're bound to have some feelings.
The pace is just right, it doesn't drag on but is also not rushed (except the ending). It makes me feel curious about what happens next and eager to watch the next episode.
I really like their fight in the earlier episodes. That was so hot. And I love their villains, Aunt Lin and Xiong Hei. Aunt Lin really gives you an eerie feeling while also being gorgeous at the same time.
This drama isn't without flaws. The good guy side seems useless, especially compared to the villain side. Some people who read the novel said that in the novel they're not that useless. And some things aren't explained clearly in the drama, but I can get past that since they don't really impact the drama overall. I can still enjoy it. Probably because they have to fit everything into 32 episodes.
The CGI could be better for the monster. Then the final battle feels rushed, I kinda expected more.
It's still very enjoyable to watch.
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My comfort drama
This is one of my comfort dramas. It's more slice-of-life, all fluff and no major conflict.I love the chemistry between the main couple, they're so cute. And then the height difference, the male lead is so tall. To the point when she's mad, she has to stand on a chair just to nag him properly.
I love how they don't villainize the male lead's senior when she found out about male lead and female lead. She's actually pretty cool about it.
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