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This review may contain spoilers
Strong premise & buildup ruined by the uncalled-for Climax | Agonizing blindspot crossdressing trope
"When above others, treat them as equals. When below others, maintain your integrity." - Yin Xiang (Chu Zhao's Maid)
First off, this is actually my second attempt at this drama. During my first try, the cliché opening scene made me drop it immediately. Now that I have mustered enough mental stability and patience to finally give it another shot, I have to admit it’s not bad at all. In fact, it is an entertaining show. You just really have to feign ignorance and act convinced by the 'obviously a girl but somehow fooling the entire army' trope they're trying to establish and you will be fine—which can truly be challenging for people who despise such illogical, cliché plots.
I honestly don't want to dwell too much on the negative aspects of the story. Instead, I want to write a genuine review by avoiding sarcastic and shady remarks, and the only way I can do that is by addressing the elephant in the room firsthand. So, let me start this review by saying that the major flaw of this story—one that baffled me and stuck with me throughout the entire first half—remained the "renowned female general disguised as a man who was never discovered despite obviously looking like a woman" trope. It was just not convincing at all, no matter how hard I tried to force myself to believe it.
The FL (He Ru Fei/He Yan) was short and slim—a true embodiment of a woman from her childhood until her adulthood. So, I cannot wrap my head around the logic that her classmates, and more so the ML (Xiao Jue) who knew her and interacted with her since her teenage years, failed to notice and/or see through her disguise at all—with or without her full-face mask on. What's even more flabbergasting is how he didn't notice her being a woman, or recognize her as He Ru Fei, when she joined the army as He Yan without her mask. I just find it ridiculously impossible that Xiao Jue failed to recognize He Yan's uncanny resemblance to He Ru Fei, given their history together, her height, physique, build, voice, and other similar factors—especially since she never deliberately attempted to change her pitch, gestures, or movements at all. I think it's utterly stupid and absurd how it took them so long to catch on to her act of deception when the similarities were as clear as day. Are they really that dumb and dense? I have long accepted that masks can be a huge factor in Chinese costume dramas, but I just can't fathom how, even without them, they are getting deceived. Ghad!
In conclusion, The Female General title would have been perfectly fine, if only they didn't ask the audience to swallow the unbelievable and unconvincing fact that no one noticed He Ru Fei/He Yan was a woman all along. *Sighs*
The storytelling during the first 32 episodes was completely entertaining. It was fast-paced and highly compelling. My prejudice against the show was gradually vanishing with every passing episode. At one point, I even regretted not watching it through to the end on my first attempt. One reason I could think of for this is that they didn't waste much time re-telling or looking back at the past of the main leads together. Instead, they dedicated a 30-second to 1-minute time span—right after the opening theme—for roughly 3 to 5 episodes to show us a brief recollection of their past. This gave us enough general knowledge of how their relationship was formed without wasting a huge amount of time on flashbacks. It was such a clever and efficient idea that saved plenty of time, piqued my interest, and made me more invested in how their romantic relationship would bloom in the current timeline.
One instance that completely threw me off during the first 32 episodes occurs in Episode 26, right around the 21-minute mark, when He Yan panics while looking for Xiao Jue in the middle of a battle, thinking he is gravely injured or, worse, killed. It honestly would have been a fine, natural reaction—if only she hadn't gone frantic, shouting and running around. Like, girl? You can't seriously be having a mental breakdown, lowering your guard in the middle of a freaking war, aren't you? If Xiao Jue hadn't survived and saved her, she most certainly would have been killed.
While this trope is incredibly common in dramas, this was truly one of those moments that made me roll my eyes and scoff at how ridiculously absurd the scene was. She's a general with hundreds, if not thousands, of people under her command, for Pete's sake! She shouldn't be letting her guard down and making herself completely vulnerable in the middle of a battle, especially since the enemies haven't been fully defeated yet. Ugh! At least in other dramas I've watched that utilized this trope used a character's "death" as great motivation, fueling their will and tenacity, compared to how she immediately became a damsel in distress open to assault. *Facepalm*
I should also mention that although I found the filler episodes unnecessary at first, it was only as the story progressed and reached the climax that I understood why they were included. They give us crucial background information about what transpired in the past so we don't get lost when the narrative shifts back to the main conflict. That way, we aren't left wondering where the hatred and grievances came from and how it all started.
Finally! Let me talk about the rather disappointing ending that disturbed and sullied the trajectory of the story's otherwise seamless flow for me.
Although the main conflict wrapped up sooner than expected, it was actually brilliantly executed. It concluded satisfyingly through the main leads' well-crafted plan of convicting the main antagonists (Xu Jingfu & He Ruifei) of their crimes by using their own scheme against them.
What truly bothers me is the realization that the main conflict ended four episodes ahead of the drama's conclusion—in episode 32. At that point, I was contemplating whether to feel disappointed that the main conflict ended ahead of the show's actual finale, or grateful that they wrapped it up early, which would theoretically allow us to enjoy some relationship progression and the casual, day-to-day trivialities of the main leads and supporting characters. However, that feeling of confusion and contemplation completely vanished when they started bombarding us with uncalled-for tragedies (Yan He 😭) and extremely late, unnecessary conflicts in the main leads' relationship. It felt like it was done for one specific reason: to eliminate Chu Zhao and have him disappear completely.
If they wanted to bring down Chu Zhao so badly, wouldn't it have been much more reasonable to do it much earlier? I understand that they wanted to show us how madly deluded and crazily in love he is. But wouldn't it be more satisfying if he was convicted sooner for his collusion with and crimes alongside the Prime Minister, rather than the crime he was actually convicted for—which was just sowing discord and creating suspicion in the Emperor's mind? What's more infuriating is how he got such a light punishment after all the tragedy and casualties he caused. It was maddening how, at the end, he was only dismissed, barred from ever being reinstated, and banished never to return. When he clearly deserved execution for all the lives lost because of his schemes! *Throws hands up in frustration*
The climax to ending was truly anticlimactic! I don't know why they couldn't just allow the story to end happily by omitting the tragedies, especially when they easily could have done so. It seems to me that the writers fell into the classic trap of dragging out a conflict for cheap, late-stage drama, completely sacrificing a satisfying conclusion just to force a more "dramatic" ending—which turned out horribly.
This drama really should have ended at episode 32 or 33, as all the conflict they fabricated in the last 3-4 episodes could have been left up to the viewers' imagination. It brought nothing positive to the narrative; it only ruined the perfect impression we had of Xiao Jue's strong, unwavering devotion to He Yan and stripped Yan He of the highly anticipated—and what should have been a greatly celebrated—meeting with his firstborn. I'm still mad that they deprived him of seeing, carrying, and embracing his child because they suddenly decided to kill him. I'm still mourning his death. He was such an adorable character and is my absolute favorite in this show. Good grief!
Additionally, I've realized that no matter what, the Emperor will walk away unscathed—like he was never associated with, or part of, any problem he took part in. What a privilege. lol
P.S. In Episode 28, around the 30:20 minute mark, when the Xiao family was having dinner, Xiao Jue served He Yan the 'Mushroom and Chicken Stew'—acting all caring, attentive, and mushy. I just knew his brother was thinking, 'What gay shit is this?' because he had introduced her as a guy friend, yet was acting all whipped! Haha!
"Since you're already at rock bottom, every step you take next, will be upwards." - Xiao Jue
Story - 8.0, This easily could have been a 9.0 if they hadn't ruined the last 3-4 episodes with uncalled-for conflict and tragedy, which only smeared the show's otherwise smooth run. I already overlooked the "obviously a girl but somehow fooling the entire army" trope and bore through the absurd, sudden "damsel in distress" scene in episode 26. However, I can no longer turn a blind eye to the blatant and stupid execution of the climax.
Acting/Cast - 9.0, I like the cast, and their performances are truly impressive. However, I feel that some of the actors do not fit their roles perfectly. A couple of good examples are Bai Shu as He Ru Fei. While he executed his vile and ruthless character very well, it is hard to shake my overall impression of him as a naturally goofy and mischievous person. Similarly, Zhou Ye as He Yan is fine, but her physical frame is simply not entirely convincing for the Female General role. Although her exceptional acting, partnered with her radiant and cheerful persona, naturally masks her inadequacies—convincing the people around her that everything is alright and overshadowing her physical stature—seeing her side-by-side with the male actors still makes me shake my head.
Music - 10, I love every single song featured in this drama. In fact, I'm listening to the entire OST on Spotify as I write this review. Looking at the tracklist, I realize it's impossible to give the music anything less than a perfect score.
Rewatch Value - 7.0, The show was truly enjoyable! However, I don't think I can tolerate watching that mood-killer climax a second time, or force myself to buy into the cross-dressing disguise plot again.
Overall - 8.0, Sometimes, I hate the fact that I am too tolerant and considerate, as it becomes a factor that makes me go easy on providing a just review for anything I evaluate. However, for this drama, I think this rating is just right. The climax may have been totally disappointing, but my experience watching this show was still considerably great.
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.
First off, this is actually my second attempt at this drama. During my first try, the cliché opening scene made me drop it immediately. Now that I have mustered enough mental stability and patience to finally give it another shot, I have to admit it’s not bad at all. In fact, it is an entertaining show. You just really have to feign ignorance and act convinced by the 'obviously a girl but somehow fooling the entire army' trope they're trying to establish and you will be fine—which can truly be challenging for people who despise such illogical, cliché plots.
I honestly don't want to dwell too much on the negative aspects of the story. Instead, I want to write a genuine review by avoiding sarcastic and shady remarks, and the only way I can do that is by addressing the elephant in the room firsthand. So, let me start this review by saying that the major flaw of this story—one that baffled me and stuck with me throughout the entire first half—remained the "renowned female general disguised as a man who was never discovered despite obviously looking like a woman" trope. It was just not convincing at all, no matter how hard I tried to force myself to believe it.
The FL (He Ru Fei/He Yan) was short and slim—a true embodiment of a woman from her childhood until her adulthood. So, I cannot wrap my head around the logic that her classmates, and more so the ML (Xiao Jue) who knew her and interacted with her since her teenage years, failed to notice and/or see through her disguise at all—with or without her full-face mask on. What's even more flabbergasting is how he didn't notice her being a woman, or recognize her as He Ru Fei, when she joined the army as He Yan without her mask. I just find it ridiculously impossible that Xiao Jue failed to recognize He Yan's uncanny resemblance to He Ru Fei, given their history together, her height, physique, build, voice, and other similar factors—especially since she never deliberately attempted to change her pitch, gestures, or movements at all. I think it's utterly stupid and absurd how it took them so long to catch on to her act of deception when the similarities were as clear as day. Are they really that dumb and dense? I have long accepted that masks can be a huge factor in Chinese costume dramas, but I just can't fathom how, even without them, they are getting deceived. Ghad!
In conclusion, The Female General title would have been perfectly fine, if only they didn't ask the audience to swallow the unbelievable and unconvincing fact that no one noticed He Ru Fei/He Yan was a woman all along. *Sighs*
The storytelling during the first 32 episodes was completely entertaining. It was fast-paced and highly compelling. My prejudice against the show was gradually vanishing with every passing episode. At one point, I even regretted not watching it through to the end on my first attempt. One reason I could think of for this is that they didn't waste much time re-telling or looking back at the past of the main leads together. Instead, they dedicated a 30-second to 1-minute time span—right after the opening theme—for roughly 3 to 5 episodes to show us a brief recollection of their past. This gave us enough general knowledge of how their relationship was formed without wasting a huge amount of time on flashbacks. It was such a clever and efficient idea that saved plenty of time, piqued my interest, and made me more invested in how their romantic relationship would bloom in the current timeline.
One instance that completely threw me off during the first 32 episodes occurs in Episode 26, right around the 21-minute mark, when He Yan panics while looking for Xiao Jue in the middle of a battle, thinking he is gravely injured or, worse, killed. It honestly would have been a fine, natural reaction—if only she hadn't gone frantic, shouting and running around. Like, girl? You can't seriously be having a mental breakdown, lowering your guard in the middle of a freaking war, aren't you? If Xiao Jue hadn't survived and saved her, she most certainly would have been killed.
While this trope is incredibly common in dramas, this was truly one of those moments that made me roll my eyes and scoff at how ridiculously absurd the scene was. She's a general with hundreds, if not thousands, of people under her command, for Pete's sake! She shouldn't be letting her guard down and making herself completely vulnerable in the middle of a battle, especially since the enemies haven't been fully defeated yet. Ugh! At least in other dramas I've watched that utilized this trope used a character's "death" as great motivation, fueling their will and tenacity, compared to how she immediately became a damsel in distress open to assault. *Facepalm*
I should also mention that although I found the filler episodes unnecessary at first, it was only as the story progressed and reached the climax that I understood why they were included. They give us crucial background information about what transpired in the past so we don't get lost when the narrative shifts back to the main conflict. That way, we aren't left wondering where the hatred and grievances came from and how it all started.
Finally! Let me talk about the rather disappointing ending that disturbed and sullied the trajectory of the story's otherwise seamless flow for me.
Although the main conflict wrapped up sooner than expected, it was actually brilliantly executed. It concluded satisfyingly through the main leads' well-crafted plan of convicting the main antagonists (Xu Jingfu & He Ruifei) of their crimes by using their own scheme against them.
What truly bothers me is the realization that the main conflict ended four episodes ahead of the drama's conclusion—in episode 32. At that point, I was contemplating whether to feel disappointed that the main conflict ended ahead of the show's actual finale, or grateful that they wrapped it up early, which would theoretically allow us to enjoy some relationship progression and the casual, day-to-day trivialities of the main leads and supporting characters. However, that feeling of confusion and contemplation completely vanished when they started bombarding us with uncalled-for tragedies (Yan He 😭) and extremely late, unnecessary conflicts in the main leads' relationship. It felt like it was done for one specific reason: to eliminate Chu Zhao and have him disappear completely.
If they wanted to bring down Chu Zhao so badly, wouldn't it have been much more reasonable to do it much earlier? I understand that they wanted to show us how madly deluded and crazily in love he is. But wouldn't it be more satisfying if he was convicted sooner for his collusion with and crimes alongside the Prime Minister, rather than the crime he was actually convicted for—which was just sowing discord and creating suspicion in the Emperor's mind? What's more infuriating is how he got such a light punishment after all the tragedy and casualties he caused. It was maddening how, at the end, he was only dismissed, barred from ever being reinstated, and banished never to return. When he clearly deserved execution for all the lives lost because of his schemes! *Throws hands up in frustration*
The climax to ending was truly anticlimactic! I don't know why they couldn't just allow the story to end happily by omitting the tragedies, especially when they easily could have done so. It seems to me that the writers fell into the classic trap of dragging out a conflict for cheap, late-stage drama, completely sacrificing a satisfying conclusion just to force a more "dramatic" ending—which turned out horribly.
This drama really should have ended at episode 32 or 33, as all the conflict they fabricated in the last 3-4 episodes could have been left up to the viewers' imagination. It brought nothing positive to the narrative; it only ruined the perfect impression we had of Xiao Jue's strong, unwavering devotion to He Yan and stripped Yan He of the highly anticipated—and what should have been a greatly celebrated—meeting with his firstborn. I'm still mad that they deprived him of seeing, carrying, and embracing his child because they suddenly decided to kill him. I'm still mourning his death. He was such an adorable character and is my absolute favorite in this show. Good grief!
Additionally, I've realized that no matter what, the Emperor will walk away unscathed—like he was never associated with, or part of, any problem he took part in. What a privilege. lol
P.S. In Episode 28, around the 30:20 minute mark, when the Xiao family was having dinner, Xiao Jue served He Yan the 'Mushroom and Chicken Stew'—acting all caring, attentive, and mushy. I just knew his brother was thinking, 'What gay shit is this?' because he had introduced her as a guy friend, yet was acting all whipped! Haha!
"Since you're already at rock bottom, every step you take next, will be upwards." - Xiao Jue
Story - 8.0, This easily could have been a 9.0 if they hadn't ruined the last 3-4 episodes with uncalled-for conflict and tragedy, which only smeared the show's otherwise smooth run. I already overlooked the "obviously a girl but somehow fooling the entire army" trope and bore through the absurd, sudden "damsel in distress" scene in episode 26. However, I can no longer turn a blind eye to the blatant and stupid execution of the climax.
Acting/Cast - 9.0, I like the cast, and their performances are truly impressive. However, I feel that some of the actors do not fit their roles perfectly. A couple of good examples are Bai Shu as He Ru Fei. While he executed his vile and ruthless character very well, it is hard to shake my overall impression of him as a naturally goofy and mischievous person. Similarly, Zhou Ye as He Yan is fine, but her physical frame is simply not entirely convincing for the Female General role. Although her exceptional acting, partnered with her radiant and cheerful persona, naturally masks her inadequacies—convincing the people around her that everything is alright and overshadowing her physical stature—seeing her side-by-side with the male actors still makes me shake my head.
Music - 10, I love every single song featured in this drama. In fact, I'm listening to the entire OST on Spotify as I write this review. Looking at the tracklist, I realize it's impossible to give the music anything less than a perfect score.
Rewatch Value - 7.0, The show was truly enjoyable! However, I don't think I can tolerate watching that mood-killer climax a second time, or force myself to buy into the cross-dressing disguise plot again.
Overall - 8.0, Sometimes, I hate the fact that I am too tolerant and considerate, as it becomes a factor that makes me go easy on providing a just review for anything I evaluate. However, for this drama, I think this rating is just right. The climax may have been totally disappointing, but my experience watching this show was still considerably great.
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.
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