Maurizia

It would be much better if the drama ended on 24th episode

The first half was really good and interesting. The fall of the Grand Tutor could end the story and thus the whole drama would have been a lot better. Or, if the producers wanted more conflict and more tension, they could have gone as far as the episode 27 with a final coup by the Tutor helped by this horrible women, Grand Preceptor. And then just destroy their plot, by feigning the emperor's death in cooperation with his younger brother. But no... they just had to have a tragic end. The problem was not with the tragedy itself, but that it seemed really unnecessary and far fetched. The younger prince was completely unconvincing in his collaboration with the Preceptor. He was clearly aware of her scheming, but unreasonably choose to turn against his brother. As if he became completely dumb all of a sudden despite being really intelligent before. And the last straw: the apparition of emperor's mother out of nowhere... And if she could reveal the truth to the Preceptor at the end, why couldn't she do it before the emperors' death? It was just nonsensical: lots of possible exits to have a happy ending, but just going for a sad one.
And the last criticism: the level of primness in this drama is abnormally high. Even in the context of chinese censorship, how this drama is avoiding any warmer scenes... it is unbelievable. They really exagerate here.

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Superb production for a lousy story

The cast is fantastic, the visuals - outstanding. Costumes, CGI, music - a real feast. And all this is completely wasted to tell a lousy story with way too many subplots, secondary characters, turns and twists. There is just too much of everything in this narrative: going back in time, visitors from another world, amnesias, fake identities ... you name it. Unfortunately, all of those elements are just thrown down and scrambled without any consistent, premeditated order.
And in the middle of it all you have Luo Yunxi playing superbly, looking so handsome, doing his awsome ballet with weapons and getting such an unsatisfying story line. He could've had a meaningful relationship with a girl, but no - she left. He could've had a meaningful bromance with Fang Yilun, but no - all the moments they have together are way to brief and there is just no time to develop this plot in depth, because of lots of other secondary narratives. He has a group of friends but finally is unable to save any one of them, so the only thing to do is reset the timeline and just disappear from their lives.
What a stupid, anticlimactic ending for LYX.
I am really sorry for him, because he is such a fantastic actor, so fitting to play in costume dramas (like he was born in hanfu), but he is so often wronged by the script.

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Very good tragic drama.

The story is good, consistent and interesting. The characters are convincing and endearing. The chemistry between two heros is excellent. Very good acting by Yan Zixian and Min Xinghan. This is a bromance/light BL drama and it's a great pleasure to watch. It would be really great to have it upgraded to the A category: both the plot and the actors deserve it. There is definitely material for a high budget series. The tragic ending makes sense and is very emotional and I would say satisfying although sad. Unfortunately, to fully appreciate the series one has to pay for subscription on Mango TV, because the free versions available on other websites have awful English AI generated subtitles, to the point of being incomprehensible. It may hinder the exposition of this drama.

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Sad and frustrating.

This drama was an exercise in frustration. While I am not inherently opposed to sad endings, the absence of a single kiss or a heartfelt declaration between the main leads felt profoundly unjust. The narrative seemed to revel in the cruelty of ill-timed moments. He arrived too late to save the child, and the aurora borealis graced the sky only after they chose not to wait any longer. The scene where she is brought home, still clinging to life, and they cross paths without recognizing each other was a masterstroke of poignant despair. The performances were stellar, and the visual artistry was breathtaking. Yet, to deny them even a final moment to bid farewell was nothing short of heartbreaking.

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boring drama - an excuse to show the hotness of He Yu

It's a simple love story, but very uneven.
The very choice of the main couple is oddly conceived. He is a walking ideal: physical attributes 10/10 — looks, build, sex appeal — your knees just go weak. On top of that he’s a one-man band: fixes everything, can cook, a master of car racing, a master of boxing, intelligent, easily solves math problems, likes to read. Girls throw themselves at him, but he remains faithful and is mainly interested in pampering his beloved. He is also honest and morally impeccable. People like that simply do not exist. His only “flaw” is that he wants to carry all burdens himself and has a slightly excessive need for self-sacrifice.
By contrast, she mostly provokes irritation. She isn’t stupid, can be clever, and can also make sensible choices. She is stubborn, but also open-minded. However, what stands out most are her unbearable mannerisms: her way of speaking, her facial expressions, and her capriciousness typical of a seven-year-old child. This is annoying and downright uncomfortable, because in the context of a love story it evokes associations that go beyond the limits of what is legal. It is hard to believe that such behavior could appeal to anyone who does not have a tendency toward perverse acts.
The problem of childishness brings up the actress who plays Jiang Mu. If it were not Esther Yu playing this role, would the effect be equally irritating? It is hard to say how much her characteristic way of speaking and making “rabbit in the headlights” faces creates the character, and how much is required by the script. In any case, Jiang Mu is definitely far too childish in her mannerisms, which is one of the biggest flaws of the drama.
The second flaw is the entire background of the story, which is simply boring. Supposedly everything takes place in the criminal world — illegal car races, illegal boxing matches, smuggling — but despite all the dangers the creators failed to create any real tension. The viewer does not feel intrigued or emotionally engaged in these events. In fact, the content of the first 20 episodes could easily be squeezed into five with no loss to the whole.
It only becomes more interesting in the second part, which takes place six years later. The fact that most of the characters who six years earlier functioned in some semi-legal underworld are now doing well and leading fairly law-abiding lives only confirms that the realities of the first part were not believable. In the final episodes we also see a more adult, more mature Jiang Mu, who - in this new version - is much more palatable.
The central topic in this second part is to lead Jin Zhao to discover that carrying burdens alone and lying to the person he loves “for her own good” was a mistake. Once this problem solved, everything ends with a cute happy ending.
In summary, most of the footage is just an excuse, a backdrop for showing off the fantastic shots of He Yu — his looks and his really good acting. A plus is also the large number (for a Chinese drama) of passionate kisses.
Anyone who likes admiring a beautiful body and a handsome face expressing moving emotions will have a lot of pleasure, though they will probably fast-forward through quite a few scenes.
Someone who wants substance from dramas — an interesting story, action scenes, and the like — will probably be bored and disappointed.

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