Michael_0718

An Intelligent, Captivating, Direct and Smooth Sailing Drama~!!

I'm full of Adjective and Praises. But let me use those 4 as my main subject to elaborate and discuss how spectacular this production is.

Honorable Mention!! I specifically love the little black and white imaginary space Chu Chu and Jinyu's creating whenever they're to re-enact and solve the case. Most of the time it provides the most skinship and romantic interaction from the both of them. Love it so much. <3

Intelligent - This show just kept on showing and shoving things right into your face. The cases and mysteries that are being handled were all complex and tricky but that didn't stop them from presenting us with such high accuracy explanation but also kept ME, personally, in awe at how splendid and well-constructive they were. A true Masterpiece!!

Captivating - The main leads and their chracters visuals might have been the expected icon when I mentioned the word 'Captivating' but that's not just that; The real reason why I love this drama so much is how the Characters behave and display their characteristics in a clever yet silly, sassy and entertaining way. I'm glad that they all have their own distinctive roles to show and they all nailed it. Wanna give credits to all the actors and actresses for doing a magnificent job. <3

Direct - Most of the dramas are flooded with bunch of plots and twist before going into the main hurdle just to show the heaviness and complexity of the final disaster the Protagonists have to went through; yet this drama chose the completely same plot but made it more direct and straightforward. They focused on 1 definitive subject then provided clues that will eventually gathered all the other hidden tricks and flaws and finally ended it with a Marvelous series of mind-blowing strategies and scheme to finally finish the main antagonist.

Smooth Sailing - Honestly, this is base on how I was shock to know that I'm passed the 3/4 of the drama even before I realized it. It completely caught me off guard on how smooth yet entertaining the whole drama is. Not even once this drama made me felt bored or tired of watching it. It always offers new, unique and interesting set of topics to watch and never failed in making them great. Hahaha~ This sound so biased but I'm just really in awe on how well-made and produced this drama is.

Story - 10, Story is a cut from the most excellent script there is and it never failed to showcase how good it is. I wanna commend the writer, producer and everyone who worked behind the camera to make this drama as great as it is right now.

Acting/Cast - 10, They portrayed their characters the best and even owned all of them. I enjoyed it so much thanks to their neat and clever execution of their scenes. I got nothing to say but words of love, adoration and praises.


Music - 10, Honestly, Music and BGM is the least focus of this drama but i'm quite satisified on how they didn't overly rely on BGMs and Music to set the mood. I also love the mysteric and quite thrilling opening instrumental of the drama. It reminded me a lot of those times I was watching The Lost Tomb Series and I just love it a lot.

Rewatch Value - 10, I would watch it again for sure. No words and flowery words needed. This drama will remain special and memorable on its own. I highly recommend this drama to everyone regardless of the genres they like.

Overall - 10, Perfection and Impressive. I honestly got no comaplaints and was extremely satisfied on how things went through. It was an easy drama to watch that will surely satisify anyone without any doubt.

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A light-hearted, easy to watch and comically entertaining drama ~

A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED drama to those looking for Fun-Naughty drama genre.

This drama brought so much comfort and laugh to me for the past few days I was watching it. This may not be the most outstanding when it comes to plot twists and story schemes but it is far ahead when it comes to providing good entertainment and bliss to viewers.

Something I like about this is how light-hearted the overall mood of the drama is. Like even when there seemed to be a terrible scheme awaiting the protagonists you'll be assured it won't be that bad and will surely not ruin the joyful mood of the story. A breath of fresh air from those heavily-plotted drama that continuously give us bloody scenes to satisfy peoples great expectations.

Another thing is the bond, trust and harmony in the Family. It shows great love, affection, understanding and forgiveness towards every family members and exhibits good relationship overall.

P.S. It has my Favorite ending of ALL! A family taking care and pampering each other with not just love but also respect and mischivousness that makes it even more interesting.

Story - 10, Despite it's flaws I still want to give it a perfect score for being different from others and for giving me such enjoyment and entertainment during the whole duration i'm watching it. The unique way they made this story filled-up all its flaws and mishaps.

Acting/Cast - 10, I love them all. Good acting and they just brought so much smile to my face. They did great doing the casting and I can't ask for more. They all fit their roles and even lived up to their characters emotions and actions with such great portrayal.

Music - 10, I'm kinda 'meh' with the opening theme at first but once you settled with the drama and put your mind and heart in place with how drama wanted to cater to its viewers you'll gradually love it. The insert BGMs are quite defent too, specially the sound effects. They're reallu fun. Hahaha. Very creative and good editing.

Rewatch Value - 10, Of course! It's a feel good drama that can make you feel at peace and excited just by thinking about it. It's really a laid back drama that can make you consider watching it If you feel like to.

Overall - 10, Honestly I've been giving straight 10s to the dramas I've watched for the past few months but I don't care. I'm giving such perfect rating not because I want to but because they deserves it. Dramas tend to appear similarly to some people but it should never be treated or classified as one in general because there's a reason as to why we have different 'Genres', and that's to keep them apart. Indeed a Good Piece. =)

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A simple yet decent & mysterious intro for The Lost Tomb Series

I'm writing this review months after watching this drama but the feeling and impression it left me never faded away; so I would like to take this opportunity to encourage and invite people on watching this Series through my words.

This drama started with Wuxie and his friend escaping from a set of people who is after the ancient relic they've obtained and how he met his 'Best Buddies' Wang Pangzi and Zhang Liying. As a fan who have watched the entire Series at this point, I may say that this drama does consist some trivial scenes that shouldn't have existed in this drama yet it worked out greatly and did make people more interested about it (I'm talking about the copper fish auction).

It also showcases the different attributes and characteristics of our Iron Triangle Trio and left us hanging with anticipation on how awesome they can be once they work it all out together.

Story - 8.5, This is a rather decent introduction for the 1st season oF TLTS and they did great on making the people curious about it but I felt like they could have done better. They did a big leap showing some scenes that shouldn't be there in the first place and watching it being included on the other Seasons like Lost Tomb 2 & Ultimate Note made me a little confused.

Acting/Cast - 10, Li Yifing and Yangyang did well with their execution and the cast did great portraying their own characters as well.

Music - 9, I can vaguely remember the BGM of this drama but I remembered not skipping the opening and ending of it just to check the music out.

Rewatch Value - 8, Would probably rewatch if I feel like watching the entire thing again. Nonetheless this 1st installment is a fundamental to start when you're planning to watch the whole series.

Overall - 8.5, Despite all the things I've mentioned above about this drama, It still highlighted the crucial points and characteristics of our Main Leads and how the story will unfold.

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The farmers' grit for their land | Her Perfect Husband | Funny and strong spitting game! 哈哈

"Xiuxiu. Don't wait for him. What he can't do, I can. I'm going to make up for all the suffering you've endured." - Feng Dajiao to Ning Xiuxiu

If I were to describe this drama in one sentence. It would be "A production that will not disappoint, in any way or form, from the beginning till the very end."

Finishing this drama left me in total awe of its flawless craftsmanship. The cinematography was incredible as every detail felt intentional. You can tell it was created by masters of their craft who truly know what they’re doing. I have nothing but respect for the team behind this.

I must admit, there was also a time when I got frustrated watching this show—mainly Fei Wenxuan's preachy political scenes. But as time passed, I realized they were for the greater good of all. It made me acknowledge how shallow my views and ideologies were, and prompted me to reflect on my opinions and perspectives on life in general.

My only advice before you watch this is to absorb and savor every moment. Digest every scene, treasure the lessons in your heart, and keep any negative feedback to yourself until the very end. You must, at any cost, see it through to the finale before making a judgment. Because the only time you can truly understand the value of the story is after you have completed it.

This is the type of drama that makes you reflect on yourself and the society we live in today. It leaves me feeling a sense of gratitude that we have moved forward from a destitute and turbulent past into a much more comfortable and peaceful life. Furthermore, I hope this show can inspire everyone to appreciate and treasure life more—because that is what this story has personally taught me.

I totally enjoyed every scene this drama offered. Starting from the beginning where it presented the 360-degree shift in Ning Xiuxiu’s (FL) life and showing how she familiarized herself with, adjusted to, and gradually assimilated into her new status. From there, the story moved from their simple farm life and daily survival to sudden political maneuvers that became increasingly challenging and dangerous. It was a real eye-opener, especially for someone not familiar with the Japanese invasion back then—even though my own country was also invaded and occupied for years. I should say that I now understand where the hatred and disdain towards the Japanese are coming from... I don’t want to dwell on that too much, so I’ll stop here.

Regarding the characters, I feel for all of them. I feel like they’ve been through a lot—so much, in fact.

× Ning Xiuxiu - An excellently written character. I admire her courage and resolve, just as much as I love her open-mindedness and humility. She has been through so much in her lifetime, and I am so happy to see her evolution. My heart is with her as she weathers life alone following Feng Dajiao’s passing.

× Feng Dajiao - The man that he is. Thank you for being the pillar that supports and loves NXX unconditionally. I have nothing but mad respect for him. He showed me how to be a responsible and dutiful husband—one who is selfless, loving, and understanding. Their relationship prospered because of how genuine and transparent he was with his feelings and opinions; for me, that is their relationship's strongest foundation.

"I'm happy. Xiuxiu has a place for me in her heart. I have a home now." - Feng Dajiao

× Ning Susu - I feel the deepest sympathy for the suffering she went through. Her life was constantly fucked up by those around her, and in the blink of an eye, years had passed and she found herself at her lowest point—left out and have gained nothing. Just as she finally found true love and happiness, she was then heartlessly poisoned—along with the person who showed her the true definition of love and affection. Her tragic fate has brought me many tears.

× Fei Wenxuan - I feel heartbroken for him. He was tricked into marrying the younger sister of the woman he loved. Then later on, he was drugged so that he could unknowingly consummate his wedding with her. I admit to having been irritated by him for how seemingly irresponsible and inconsiderate he was, but over time, I just grew to understand that he was acting that way not because he was irresponsible, but because he just refused to act against his own will or submit to external obligations. I may have also hated him for how forceful he was with his political ideologies, but I understand now that he was only doing that for the greater good of all. Nonetheless, he died valiantly, and I just want to applaud him for his outstanding and selfless pursuit of public service.

In retrospect, our leads are simply victims of their families' greed (driven by a sense of responsibility) and selfish desires (believing that what they were doing was right). Although their families' methods are seemingly selfish and irresponsible, I have also come to acknowledge that they were somewhat compelled to act out of obligation and filial piety, rooted in their ancestors' teachings. Above all, I'm glad that Ning Xuexiang had his redemption moment before he died, in contrast to Madam Fei, who went crazy and died tragically, chained by the weight of the obligations placed upon her.

This is definitely one of the most authentic and wholesome dramas I have watched in years. When they feel happy, I feel happy. They they feel sad, I feel the same way. Watching this made me realize how wonderful Republican and Contemporary dramas can be—I've been so addicted to costume dramas that I’ve neglected other genres for a long time.

Lastly, I was genuinely captivated by the beauty and simplicity of living a rural farm life. It gave me a sense of reality for the future I prefer for myself when I get old and am ready to retire. I think I fit and like the simple rural life the best. I love the casual and ordinary day-to-day life.

Story - 10, It was pure, absolute perfection. Everything about this drama was exceptionally done. The story alone deserves to sweep major awards. It was a raw and authentic depiction of how tough the turbulent and impoverished times were back then. The plot and conflicts were well-crafted, and the deaths felt natural—like a natural flow and occurrence of life.

Acting/Cast - 10, I’m at a loss for words regarding how satisfied and amazed I was by the cast of this production. The caliber of acting from almost everyone was incredible. Every emotion was successfully conveyed in a heartfelt manner. The one who stood out for me was Xing Fei—I never expected her to be this good! She delivered a poignant performance; her emotional depth brought a compelling authenticity to the character. She deserves every Best Supporting Actress award she can get. I was more drawn to her character than to the main lead. I also enjoyed Ou Hao a lot here. I’m a new fan!

Music - 10, The overall music gave me a 'Sound of Music' vibe. It was freeing, soothing, and refreshing. It allowed me to enjoy the scenes while feeling lighthearted and comfortable.

Rewatch Value - 10, Most certainly! It was a true masterpiece—the kind of drama you wouldn't get tired of watching, even years later. Truly timeless.

Overall - 10, II wouldn't have it any other way. This drama deserved all the positive reviews and high ratings it could get. I'm not even sure why it's only an 8.1 on kisskh when some mediocre costume dramas are rated 8.2 and above. Geez!

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A masterpiece that was ruined by the 1st half's unending failed escape attempts | Excellent ending

"If you want to live, put on an armor and fight, and not try to gain sympathies here." - Lu Buwei

First, I must thank God and the heavens for granting me the unyielding tolerance required to get past the blood-boiling and overly frustrating first half of this drama. Without such patience, I might have dropped this after the first ten episodes and would have missed the opportunity to witness the intricate beauty and excellence of this story—a greatness that can only be appreciated after successfully enduring that excruciating experience.

What killed this drama's first half for me were their multiple attempts at making their plans succeed—which never happened. And as the time went by, I just ended up getting so tired and done of their continuous failed escape attempts. I wanna say that the first 30 episodes have been nothing but an infuriating experience. I have never felt the urge to drop a drama multiple times in a row in almost two years, and this drama successfully did that. Heck! I never skipped scenes in a drama, but I did here. I never let any information leave my sight without reading it, but I did here. And lastly, I never played a game while watching a drama, but I did here. Ghad, it was really an arduous task to finish the crap out of this drama's first 30 episodes, and I just want to pat myself on the back for a job well done!

The first five episodes are the most crucial part of the story, as they introduce the plot, set the mood, and establish the quality of the drama. However, this production simply failed to deliver that. period. The arrangement of events and circumstances felt lacking, ineffective, and dull. I understand they wanted to set up the FL (Li Haolan's) growth through hardships and suffering, but the execution was so repetitive and boring that I ended up hating it. I hated that she kept being dragged into the same situation again and again. Although she knew how to fend for herself, she still felt incapable and powerless as the main character. Mind you, she remained in that stagnant position of being oppressed almost throughout the entire first half. Can you imagine how frustrating that is?

"A romantic net can trap him for a while, but not forever." - Li Haolan (Pertaining to Lu Buwei)

In addition, she got this loathsome loverboy (Lu Buwei) to deal with—one that is fickle, insensitive and disingenuous. This man constantly sabotages his own opportunities and betrays his true feelings. He is a hypocrite who says one thing but does another, speaking of love in a way that is the complete opposite of what he truly feels in his heart. He constantly deceives himself, but when his actions backfire, he shifts the blame to others. He is a manipulative, money-driven, and goal-oriented individual. While he may be skilled at business, his escape plans are woefully inadequate. They are never foolproof and always contain a loophole that enemies exploit to infiltrate and spoil them. Furthermore, he never develops any countermeasures. Dang! He's actually one of the main reason why the first half was so unbearable. /Sighs/

One thing that heavily consoled and pushed me to continue watching this show is knowing that Ying Yiren's gonna be the end game and not Lu Buwei! A spoiler that kept me motivated all throughout.

That being said, all I can say is that at least my suffering and endurance became all worth it in the end. Even though the first half has been nothing but a constant tragedy, I am just glad that the latter half became a perfection I had never anticipated for this show. I guess, I will just treat the 1st half as a lesson that they must go through in order to learn and succeed...because if I don't do that, I might butcher my rating for the "Story" category. LOL

I know that I've written so much about the first half and not much about the second half, and that is only because the latter half has been a complete masterpiece to me! I got no complains at all. Like, none! It was the saving grace who lift this show from the utter slump and raised it to the pedestal where it should be—only if they didn't fumbled and fucked up the preceding part.

The ending. Everything about the finale was perfect to me. It seemed like they squeezed and poured all their creative juices in order to create the cream of the crop, as compensation for the nightmare they brought along in the earlier part.

Lu Buwei: You are entrusting the Crown Prince and court affairs, but how about the Queen?
Ying Yiren: You don't know how much she loves me. She doesn't have regards for you.

I also just wanna mention how satisfied I am with the method used by Ying Yiren to have Haolan remember him as long as she lives. It was the most cruel and heartless way but also the most effective. If not, I can see Haolan slowly softening and accepting Lu Buwei's advances in a mater of 5-10 years.

Anyways, below is my favorite line of spite and grudge for Yiren. It expresses her love, regret and hatred all at the same time.

"Zichu. I will not forgive you. For the rest of my life, I will not forgive you." - Li Haolan

Lastly, I just want to share some ideas against male chauvinism and sexism, which is one of my favorite aspects of this story. They delivered it flawlessly and I'm impressed!

× Men creates war and uses women to pacify/cease it (via peace marriage).

× Men's fights for the throne were viewed as a sign of bravery and determination, while women's imperial struggles were commonly viewed as disruptive and ridiculous.

P.S. I was quite baffled to see a good number of actors from Yanxi Palace in this production. It felt rather awkward at first since I jumped right into this after watching SOYP.

Story - 8.5, I am overly conflicted about this rating because the first half completely threw me off. However, the second half was like a switch that changed the trajectory of the entire story into a masterpiece I never expected it to be. Nonetheless, I will be the bigger person and treat the forepart as the rough yet crucial section that was beneficial in making the story the perfection it ultimately became.

Acting/Cast - 9.5, I am astonished about the casts since most of them are familiar faces I just watched from Yanxi Palace and at the same, overjoyed that we got Mao Zi Jun as the ML and not Nie Yuan. Haha! The delivery and execution are great but them casting most of the actors from Yanxi Palace just made this show quite awkward and weird for me to watch at first.

Music - 8.0, In all honesty, i failed to notice most of the BGMs because of how irritated I was of this show. However, I do recall liking the opening and ending theme.

Rewatch Value - 7.0, I am only willing to rewatch the second half and this rating is purely out of consideration of how impressive that was. I'm afraid it would drop to 5 or lower if we talk about the disappointing first half.

Overall - 8.5, I wanna make it higher, but looking back on how I suffered just to finish the first 30 episodes makes me feel the frustration all over again. So I guess this rating is the perfect score for this show. This is with all due respect and consideration of how excellent the second half was.

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The struggles of an undeveloped love affair | FLs relationship-baiting saved this drama.

"There are countless paths in the world. none of them are easy. I'll consider this my way of paving the way for other women to follow." Mu Dan / He Wei Feng

I have written a separate review for the prequel so this one will focus more on the sequel and the entire story itself.

I was actually quite displeased throughout my watch experience due to the lack of progress and even regression of the leads' love affair, but it wasn't until I reached the last 5 or so episodes that the realization hit me that this story wasn't what I expected it to be. It wasn't the typical lovey-dovey tropey idol historical drama I envisioned it to be, but instead a properly crafted drama that incorporates two broad-minded and mature characters who know the weight of their actions and do not dare do anything recklessly. Which turned out to be the major issue that hinders the growth of their relationship.

Honestly, I am still quite upset about the route they chose for the leads' love story that I felt cheated in some way. The prequel gave us below minimum and when I thought the sequel will offer us something grand, they gave us their uncertainties and dilemma's instead. Imagine getting the least amount of progress 12 episodes in and the next situation you are witnessing is their misunderstanding... and that'a when I thought we're gonna get a proper development on their romance on the 2nd half but 15 episodes before the drama ends, and we're still on the 'hiding/concealing feelings stage. Hayys! I was frustrated and flabbergasted at the same time! It may seem like I am totally obsessed and is dwelling too much on the romance side of the story but isn't that one of the concept this show is marketing on?

My main issue about this production is that the leads' romance hasn't officially started yet they're already ending/cutting ties with each other. They focused mostly on the characters personal goals and endeavours, which is fine, but not until they suddenly dropped and shoved us their issues. Because what do you mean we're having this after giving us little to no improvement of their relationship? It upsets me because they ended in that situation due to the lack of strong foundation—which is trust and personal understanding of one another.

I mean they both make sense—FL is bold and courageous while the ML have been traumatized and maimed that he can no longer take a risk. But then, what they lacked is mutual consideration for each other. FL kept on pushing herself to be part of the chaotic situation while the ML fears her to be involve in it.

Like, everything about their romantic relationship is going smoothly. I even thought that they're amazing for having such perfect harmony that's one in mind and in heart. However, my impression faltered and slowly crumbled after realizing that what they have is pre-mature. Because although they have the undeniable connection and understanding, they lack the intimacy, vividness and expressiveness a real couple usually have. Thank god the FL (Mu Dan) worked her ass off relationship-baiting the ML. Cause if not, then this drama is beyond salvation for me in terms of the romance department.

Regarding Sui Zhi (ML)...I get him. I understand that he got scared after that incident that almost killed Mu Dan considering her pas trauma's, however, isn't it inappropriate and unfair for Mu Dan to suddenly be left out like that? He lured and made her fall for him and when she finally did, he immediately backed out? He's clouded by his trauma and fears so he chose to ignore and decline her feelings to keep her safe from any harm and avoid getting her implicated; I get that. But he should've at least considered her feelings and why she feels that way in the first place!! Truly, this drama would've fallen to pieces if not for Mu Dan winning him over (Sighs).

I wholeheartedly love and appreciate female centric dramas but I also think that there should be borderlines we must consider when creating one. I've got nothing to pick on when it comes to the character development of Mu Dan (FL)—It was flawless and slick. But that's exactly where the issue lies. They made her so incredible that towards the end, it feels like she's overpowered the ML. To the point where it seems like he's bound to fail so bad without her interventions. Their balance shaken and suddenly he doesn't feel as reliable as he used to. Not to even mention how he was as good as dead if Prince Ning didn't purposely missed an inch when he stabbed him.

That being said, it only proves that being an entirely mature relationship also has its down sides/disadvantages as well.

Moving on from that, one thing I enjoyed from their the most is their sneaky and adorable moments together. Her countless "Fu Jun" call melts me and his shallow and feathery kisses brought me so much joy and pleasure. They had a lot of kissing scenes too bad Li Xian doesn't know how to kiss passionately. Hahaha!

"Do you know what love is? True love means loving who they love, hurting when they hurt. It means letting go, not holding them captive. Love is not a sword meant to wound. It's the bright moon, quietly watching over, enduring forever." - Mu Dan (FL) to Zi Shu (2ML)

Zi Shu's truly the most devoted and obsessive man ever. He never cease to amaze me. He keeps on holding on to the past which prevented him to see the beauty and worth of his present. This happened to him twice and I feel sad to see him lose his track and gone astray. His ending on the other hand felt sorrowful yet deserving. He keeps on blowing up his chances that at the end, seeing him dead satisfies me—just to prevent him from hurting the people who loves him again.

Lastly, ending. I guess I am just glad that they didn't kill Sui Zhi and provided us a justified reason on how he survived. Prince Ning ending was also deserving and so is Zi Shu & You Zhen's. I'm also grateful for them not killing any other supporting roles aside from She Yan as his death is a reasonable one.

P.S. I really love Liu Lang & Sui Zhi's chemistry. Liu Lang is like the son fighting his father to get his mother's attention. They should've given us more scenes of Liu Lang teasing/sabotaging Sui Zhi while Sui Zhi shaking his actions off as he simply finds him childish and immature to even pay attention to.

Story - 9.0, The story structure and plot was good, it's just that they failed in providing us deeper romantic development for the leads' which caused their misunderstanding to feel sudden and lacking in foundation. Everything else was greatly executed though.

Acting/Cast - 10, I love every actors and actresses in this production. At first, I thought Li Xian wouldn't match well with period drama set up, but heck was I wrong! He nailed his character and I found him on a new light. Yang Zi on the other hand just executed Mu Dan perfectly. Job well done!

Music - 9.5, Songs used were such a bliss to listen to. They matched the scenes they're used to and helped out a lot in making those scenes even more impactful.

Rewatch Value - 7.0, I enjoyed my time watching this drama, however, I don't think I will ever watch it again. Their romance development made me frustrated and overthink (because nothing much was happening but they're already breaking up. LMAO)

Overall - 8.5, Despite my rants and seemingly negative reaction above, I still would say that I enjoyed this drama. The story was greatly written specially Mu Dan's personal growth and development. Minus the romance part of course. Lol

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A withered Peony flourished through hardships and hard work.

NOTE: I don't really know much about this drama (aside from its cast) when I first picked it; reason why my commentary below mostly expresses my initial reaction of this story alone (1st half) and will focus on it. Which means it doesn't include whatever happened on the sequel (2nd half). That being said, please allow me to share my experience watching this show.

I picked this drama hoping to have fun and enjoyment..little did I know that I am luring myself into a crazy combination of emotional frustration and entertainment. This story presented me some of the most frustrating scenes I have not seen in a long time, while simultaneously giving us excitement, thrill and inspiration.

The pacing of the drama was quite slow which made me feel like a significant amount of time is being wasted (knowing that we only have 32 episodes). However, upon learning that this is just the 1st part consoled me a lot; because finally, I can chill and calmly watch it with peace knowing that it will not be a rushed production that will give us messy patched up ending out of their incompetence.

The 1st half of the story is like the introduction of the FLs (Mu Dan) sufferings in order to rebuild herself after a failed marriage and various miseries that almost cost her, her life. It focuses on the challenges and hardships she had to endure in order to obtain a foothold and gradually achieve her dreams.

I loathe some aspects of the story at first as it mostly presents constant suffering and scheming. But as the show progresses, I have grown to understand what it truly signifies...that this drama wasn't meant to be judged only by its 32 episodes, as it's a part of a whole; and that the writer, producer, and director have tried their best to show us real-life occurrences and issues of the people who lived in the Tang dynasty—which is also related to the problems we are facing today—that way we're be able to put ourselves in the characters' shoes in order to understand and acknowledge their feelings and sentiments.

One perfect example is Wu Niang/ Qin Sheng Yi - I used to see this woman as someone who never learned her lesson—a woman who was too kind to the point of naivety. I feel for her agony and pain but also find her utterly stupid. However after some deep reflection, I gradually understand where her worries, hesitation and inhibition are coming from. She was treated as if a woman can only survive with men's support and guidance so it was natural for her to feel intimidated and inferior. She's self-deprecating for a reason and I now find her thoughts and emotions valid. Although, I still find her gullible for re-marrying her abusive and opportunistic husband but hey! I cheered when she stabbed him to death and was sad and proud when she took her own life as a sign and proof of her innocence and defiance against the law's partiality towards men.

My heart goes to Liu Chang/Zi Shu (2ML)...he's one of the greatest victim of all the mess yet branded as someone "Prideful but coward". I was rooting for him at some point for the FL; too bad he was too dense to understand the gravity of some (if not most) situations and is always tolerating his parents wrongdoings. I pity him for being powerless, feel sad for what he has become, admires him for his loyalty and resolute attitude and hates him for being an incompetent husband and overly devoted son.

Lastly, I finally found the 2nd most scarred/wounded female protagonist after Li Changge (Dilraba's character in The Long Ballad). I emphatize with Mu Dan so much. The 1st family she's married into made her almost lose her wits doing everything she can to escape the marriage and household who made use, abused and taken advantage of her and yet she can't do it easily as she's being targeted and faced with their grim/nasty schemes; and right after going to Chang'an she still had to face their undercover tactics and much cruel oppression with the help of Prince Ning & the ever malevolent Li You Zhen. She have done nothing but offer everyone sincerity and kindness yet repaid in such a in evil way.

I will have to end this review here as I feel like providing much commentary about the story is inappropriate since I haven't finished the whole story yet. Nonetheless, I can assure everyone that this 1st half is all about women's woe, misery and survival.

P.S. This drama won the "Most fucked up Wedding ceremony" Award. No woman deserves to be treated coldly during their wedding, more so, the whole year of their marriage life. Fortunately, Mu Dan took it lightly because if not...devasting!

Story - 9.0, The story was greatly told. My main issue about this drama is their phasing—they leisurely took their time with how the story progresses that It became tiring to watch at one point. It would've been really nice if they included some vital development of the main leads romantic relationship here instead of putting it almost entirely on the 2nd half.

Acting/Cast - 10, I am extremely satisfied of the cast. It's my 1st time watching both Yang Zi & Li Xian in a costume drama and I must say that they are both very good at it. I love the supporting actors/actresses as well.

Music - 10, The set of songs used are good. I enjoyed it a lot and it naturally fits the scenes and vibe of the drama.

Rewatch Value - 8.5, I wouldn't mind re-watching it but will not do so unless necessary. This half is significant as it holds the introduction of the story and progress of the characters for who they have become on the 2nd part. So watching part 1 is essential before jumping into the Part 2.

Overall - 9.0, I feel like this is the fair rating for this show. The story was good, however, I think it would've been better if they were more efficient in handling the pacing of the scenes and development of the main leads romance.

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A beautiful yet tragic love story that constantly long & wait for each other + Insane CGI & Design!

"Women is not an interest, it's a men's need. An essential feeling. Without feelings, you'll feel incomplete no matter how much you get" - Xie Jing Xuan / Tang Si Qi

I feel like the introduction of this review should start with its phasing, so let me unfold my insight of this drama by doing so!

The phasing of the story was fast and jumpy for its first 15 episodes then started to slow down to gradually pick up a normal phase but yet again took a big leap for the main reason of completing the plot and the entire story... In short, It was a drama that went inconsistently with its overall phasing and narration to present only the important and signifant details to the viewers. I dare not say its bad cause it never was, instead, I wanna let people know that it was imperfect and full of flaws so better keep your tolerance up because you're about to encounter different types of feelings watching this. You may get bored and hesitant while watching it, but just trust this production and its process cause it's all fruitful at the very end.

When it comes to the story, I'd say it's like a disorganized and incomplete puzzle... It has multiple pieces of fragments they tried hard to collect to be put and place together. But after a long while, they only managed to build its core and some pieces around it that can only provide us so much information to see the crucial part of the puzzle disregarding the rest of it. A lot of scenes were always left hanging... unended and often abandoned. You got no choice but to conclude and assume what may have transpired for you to get the corresponding occurences to move on. Despite it being like that, I still enjoyed it and wanna say I'm glad they were able make it that way instead of crumbling it into unrecognizeable pieces. Although the ending was blurry and bewildering that actually started an idea for a 'possible' 2nd season /cross fingers/.

When it comes to the love and romance side of this drama, I can only say not to expect a lot. It was really beautiful and wonderful that you'll hope and expect a lot but you'll only be disappointed on how tragic and sorrowful it will be... Even when I feel like most of it was a bad decision and truly made the drama less interesting and exciting, it was still a crucial action to solve and complete the mysteries of the story. It was harsh yet understandable and plausible IF you look at the big picture.

CGI, Overall look and Design - Right off the bat till the very end, the editing and magics of this drama never fails me. It was created skillfully and meticulously as if they got a sudden income raise or something. Hahaha!

Fight scenes are mediocre at best... Aside from their fight scenes that are mostly about flailing their weapons, the power scaling of this drama is pretty messed up! I can still remember how ridiculous it is for me to watch them casting their magic spells and getting defeated even when they're supposedly more powerful than their opponents. Like, whatdaheck just happened!?

Chemistry - Is INSANE! Every pair this drama has produced have been nothing but a great satisfaction. They just worked out perfectly like a pair shoes. Main leads are oozing with so much mysteries and cold yet attractive spark. While the 2nd pairing got this playful and tempting vibe with them. Heck! There was even a point when the 2nd Couple's dominating and ruling this story. It's just sad that both of them ended up tragically!

P.S. I just wanna mention how Fan Chengcheng looks like Lan Wangji (Wang Yibo's character in The Untamed), How gorgeous and sparkly Cheng Xiao is and lastly, how Ma Yue always got the best roles! I've watched 4 shows of her so far and she always serves! What a great actress!

Story - 9.0, Just the the right rating I guess. I really wanna give it a higher score but doing so won't be justifiable. Story went extremely jumpy and always all over the place to the point where I have to internalize and organize the events for me to comprehend what actually happened. + The constant death of great characters ruined it for me. Ghad, I need Season 2 so bad.

Acting/Cast - 10, Exceptional and perfection! I would never replace anyone from this production. They've always been a pleasure to watch and everyone executed and played their character like nobody else can. Fan Chengcheng, Cheng Xiao and Ma Yue are the MVPs of this drama!

Music - 9.0, Never feel bad about it but they could've done better. Yes, I'm guilty for skipping the opening and not even watching the ending credits but I did try to ran through them 'once' and it's all instrumental with thrilling and mellow sound in it. Insert songs are closely the same. Nonetheless, I was never bothered by it and I find them comforting and settling to listen to.

Rewatch Value - 9.0, If you ask me to watch it again, I'll probably do, but... You gotta give me the Sequel / Season 2 right after. Although the execution was a bit brutal but the overall flow and plot of this drama is considerably good. it's just that I refuse to watch it again unless we continue the unfinished tale.

Overall - 9.0, Everything considered, I highly think this is an accurate score. This drama is good overall, even with its flaws... that goes left and right. I just wanna say that most of it's mishaps and shortcomings are justified on how they set up the plots to keep the story going. Afterall, everything was plausible at end. So... I guess it's fine!?

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The 5 Skillful Elites of Shanyi Academy + Please! Bear the first 4 overly clichėd episodes!

Something I badly wanna mention is that... this drama will forever be remembered for its crappy and overly clichėd first 4 episodes.

I've never suffered or endured this much ever before, specially during the introduction of any drama. The amount of unbearable and non-sensical scenes I tolerared to finish this is too much to even be transcribe into words. All I can say is that I've experienced great anxiety those moments, to the point where a deep hallow space is already building up in my stomach and the urge to give up this show was immeasurable. Thank god! I'm tremendously patient!

Looking back now, I somewhat feel like this drama's overall theme and genre reminds me of stories back in early 2000s. Those extremely flawed, cringey and corny shows I used to watch with no problem back then is exactly identical to this one right here. The only difference is that I'm watching it in this era where I'm already a graduate of such clichėd stuff. Maybe if I watch it back when I was a teenager I would've enjoyed it without any complains.

I can go on and on with how frustrating this story is. However, I also wanna mention my opinion on other aspects of this show, so allow me to do so.

Plot & Twists - I don't wanna rant more but I just can't let it go. Up till now I'm still baffled on how they go beyond logic and common sense in delivering the sequences of this drama. It felt stupid that most of the 'obvious' hints can't be understood by the leads and It always takes time before they can realize such points even when it was being shove right infront of their faces already... Like WTH? During those times, I just had to remind myself that I'm watching a purely comical idol drama and it will be a tough challenge to bear and knock some sense into because it was created to be like that— all fun and laughter.

Fighting scenes - Most of Dugu Muxue and Ning Xiang's sword plays were good but aside from that the rest are eiher mediocre or straight up bad. The 'war scene' was actually good with them showing their areas of expertise, the only problem is how absurd their training was. Successfully dodging a great number of spears being thrown at them really put me off. Seriously? are you kidding with me?

5 Main leads - I've had the most issue with the Female Lead. Shen Yiyi/Diyie's character made me throw up for being the most cringey of them all. Her intended weaknesses and flaws always gets into my nerves and her over exaggerated reactions made her acting even more disguting for me. The rest are either good or decent... I also just wanna mention how they tend to make the most significant scenes awkward. Those 'pre-occupied' and 'I'm-deadass-seriously-thinking' moments were so embarassing, I'm getting the second hand feels of it. Dugu Muxue did it excellently though.

Story - 7.5, Although this dramas has an enormous unbearable and shameless moments, I still wanna say that the main plot was delivered considerably good. It was just they throw a bunch of random 'it-doesn't-make-sense' scenes that made this drama ridiculous for me.

Acting/Cast - 8.0, Got no problem with the cast. But their fair share of cringey acting just never fails to stick out like a sore thumb. The way they fail misserably when it comes to the most significant scenes— be it romantic, dramatic and even the fun and light hearted ones, oh god. They never missed any opportunity to look uncomfortable does resulting to mediocre-cringey acting. Special mention Wang Yuwen's acting that makes the situation more awkward.

Music - 10, Unexpectedly, I got so hook with the BGMs of this drama. It just give you that 'vibe' to enjoy and be motivated to go on with life. + It added excitement and vitality to the show.

Rewatch Value - 5.0, This is the lowest I can go for this drama. It has some decent moments that anyone may wanna watch again for fun but there's simply no significant scenes that can make me watch it over again. Just, No!

Overall - 7.5, Everything considered, I'd say this drama's bearable specially Ep.5 beyond. It may differ from people's taste and liking but a piece of advice to those who are after some 'serious' and 'sensical' dramas, you guys shouldn't even try watching it or else you might drop it. I was even surprise that majority of its reviews on MDL were 8-9 or perfect 10. Like, how did y'all? seriously?

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The FLs enticing & shameless pursuit to marry the ML + Merxat's enchanting charms killed me!

To know a man you must observe his attitude towards the world - Liu Ling

I'm out of words for this drama, not because I have too much of them but because I've got little to none of it...

Looking back to the whole story, I feel like the main theme this drama focuses on is Liu Ling's pursuit to pester and entice Shen Yan to like and marry her, and the following events just simply follows this sequence. So, I'm not really sure where to start with this review since all I think about is them and the other plot seemed shallow and almost non-existent to me. Well, I guess that's a good thing?

Anyways, lemme just summarize the elements I like and dislike about this drama.

Plot & Twists - The major plot they've been trying to work and brew on since the very beginning ended disappointingly. It feels like they just want to get over with it so they nonchalantly settled with the most obscure way to dismiss and have it concluded. While the other minor events straightout felt insignificant and unremarkable at all to be even remembered and mentioned.

Camera Works - It's like the best thing this dramas has to offer. I can still can't get enough of the alley way fight scene and how it was meticulously executed. Every angle was captured accordingly with proper timing and consistency. Although, they kinda did a terrible job during Shen Yan & Lu Mingshan's final clash, I'd say that overall I'm still satisfied.

Main Leads Chemistry - I've got a rough start with their compatibilty to be honest. For some reason, I cringe whenever the FLs trying to seduce the ML and it's not helping that they got a handful of preposterous scenes in the early parts of the story— the falling from the cliff scene, the bridge scene and a lot more came pouring like raindrops that made it hard for me to bear and digest them at first. But after 'a while' I just learned to gradually accept and love them. It was hard earned I'd say.

Deep diving with our Main Leads... I just wanna say how I cringe yet still love Liu Ling's character as a whole. She's childish, immature and shameless but something about her bold and unrestrained attitude dismisses all her negative traits and captured my attention completely. She was a bizarre subject for me. Shen Yan on the other hand is like the typical cold and stoic guy with a twist!! His smooth yet erotic advances sends provocative thoughts in my head! He's addicting!!

Lead Couples - I expected quite a bit when it comes to Shen Yu & Shi Jin's story. I know they can give us more but they chose to just provide the bare minimum. All the teasing and bickerings only leads to a single kiss and that's it /sighs/. While Luo Fan & Ling Bi is the cutest to me. For some reason I'm satisfied with whatever they've got and I'm just happy that they finally got them together.

Lastly, I just wanna mention how much I love the relationship between Liu Ling and her Grandfather. That's pure love and adoration right there! Also, the Shen Brother's bond never failed to make me smile too. They're the coolest!

P.S. Ending it with another remarkable line... I don't want you to betray your heart to satisfy my feelings and change yourself - Shen Yan

Story - 8.0, They could've work on it a little bit by making the Major plot work but they just didn't. They focused so much on the Main lead's love story that the other stuff didn't stoodout even a bit. It felt neglected and shortly, abandoned. Thank god the Love story side worked out pretty well... if not, I may have butchered this section.

Acting/Cast - 10, What a set of flexible and talented actors/actresses. Yuan BingYan alone already added so much color to this production. Not to mention the Crisp and arousing aura Zhang Yechang contributed, Zhang Yue's flawless execution and the ever charming, gorgeous and meticulous spark Merxat showered to this group. He slayed this drama's visual to the very extent! Unworldly.

Music - 10, I love how mellow the songs are and the timing and placement itself helped the scenes stoodout and felt more heartfelt as a whole.

Rewatch Value - 7.5, This is me being considerate and respectful of this production. It wasn't bad and certainly has a good and enjoyable sides to it but I guess I'll never be able to bring myself to watch it again. Afterall, there are plenty of drama's out there who's more worthy.

Overall - 8.5, It's a drama that has a solid love story but kinda lack when it comes to proper usage of other plot factors. It's worthy while it last but will not linger around after that. I still love it nonetheless... the actors and actresses made me to, honestly! They all were a combo times 3!

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Learning to Appreciate, Forgive and Love Deeply. + Preserve and Protect our Oceans!

I will never get tired of saying how heartwarming, inspiring and genuine Japanese dramas are. They always got this magic in their crafts that will make you so emotionally attached to it no matter which genre you are into... I guess they just understand human emotions and feelings the best, huh?

Right off the bat, I wanna say that this drama felt restricted... Like they could've added more to it but chose to limit it for some unknown reasons. I probably got used to heavily plotted dramas but I just know when something is needed or not and I would say this drama could've been more eventful and exciting if they added little more tweaks to its overall plot.

I badly want to expand my thoughts about this drama so please allow me to share some of them.

Plot - Overall plot is good but improvements can still be provided left and right. I feel like they got caught up with other side plots (3 Brothers affairs) and consumed lots of episodes that should've been focused on our main leads; does making the story vulnerable to plot holes and felt lacking in terms of story progression.

Twist - I always feel like there's a missing piece when it comes to this drama's overall story structure. Like, something is inadequate and it could've been better if they give more 'drama' to the FLs character. I mean, she's a mermaid and they could very well expound onto that to make it more interesting and exciting, at least.

Editing and production... I got serious problems with this, honestly. Most of the time, I felt like they were throwing sequences randomly to the point where it just doesn't fit at all. God knows how many times I find it weird that a scene or two are being included in a completely unrelated moment. Which are very awkward to me!

Chemistry is a perfection for me— aside from the fact that Ayano Go and Ishihara Satomi look equally beautiful and handsome; there's just more to them that's beyond our eyes can see and perceive. Something that can only be seen when you indulge yourself on the way they carry themselves into their roles. Their Drive and Passion to be 'in-character' is insane!

Color scheme, texture and mood - I was in genuine peace while watching and appreciating this dramas beach scenes. I just love how fresh, tranquil and cozy it made me feel as viewer. Very relaxing and accomodating.

Second Couple and 3 Brothers Plot - Both are really interesting to watch and I'm just glad they didn't add anymore dramas to the 'Brothers' plot cause I feel like they just had enough. LOL! and I'm also satisfied on how they wrap things up for the 2nd Couple. No more escalated dramas and rather ended it in a more mature and receptive way.

P.S. I feasted so much whenever Ayano Go's acting giddy, nervous and child-like. It gave more colors to his character and I just find him super cute and adorable during those scenes.

Story - 9.0, I wanna rate this drama higher but I just can't ignore a lot of missed opportunities they could've took advantage of to make it more eventful and dramatic. + The awkward and misplaced sequence editing made this drama stood out like a sore thumb for me.

Acting/Cast - 9.5, Main Casts, specially Ayano Go and Ishihara Satomi were such a stellar actor and actress. The way they execute their roles emotionally made me admire them a lot and will tell you how invested they're in their respective characters. The only disappointments I have are with the supporting roles who acts ridiculous and simply baseless. Like they were added for plot twist and nothing else.

Music - 9.0, I only heard 1 music in this drama. Well, aside from the casual melodies and sounds used to set the mood and to add color to the scenes... So, I'd say they could've added more but for me it was just enough. I wasn't bothered and never felt like it was lacking.

Rewatch Value - 8.0, It took me 2 years to finally watch it and I wanna say that it deserves the wait. Hahaha! I never feel like watching it again honestly. I was only here for Ishihara Satomi but I'm just grateful to have finally watched it because I got to know Ayano Go in the process.

Overall - 9 0, I have a lot 'what ifs' for this drama and up till this moment, I still feel regretful that the director didn't fully utilized the set of spectacular actors they got to make this drama great. Not to mention how lacking the script and how random the editing was. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed watching this story and I appreciate the warmth and passion it gave me.

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The tragedic prophecy + Banrou & Yuwen Hu was robbed of the Main Lead Role.

Dugu Banrou & Yuwen Hu owned this story.

First of, I wanna say that this drama was far more interesting when the focus was still on Dugu Banrou and Yuwen Hu, they were like the pillar and backbone that keeps this drama alive and going— Everytime Yuwen Hu and Banrou's on the screen, I always go insane. The chemistry this two have is crazy. YWHs extremely emotional and expressive eyes always gets me while DGBRs emotionless yet sorrowful expression always left me heartbroken and in pain.

Even at this point, I'm still questioning why they didn't focus and expound on DGBR & YWHs story. All those times I was watching this drama all I think about was how interesting and excting their story is, that I kept on waiting and anticipating for their scenes. I even reach the point where I feel bland and uninterested watching Jialou's and extremely bored and pissed with Mantuo's.

Anyways, let me stray away from these two or this review will surely be full of my rant and disappointment about them not getting the main roles.

I honestly feel like Mantuo's story made this drama boring and really irritating. Her character is like that small nasty cockroach that can't be killed no matter how many times you hit it. That everytime she appears, all you want to do is to eliminate her and see her gone completely. What's more irritating is that she gets away every single time and even lasted till the very end without any proper character development— she retained her delusional, fake and gold digger attitude like it was her religion. Just imagine how tiring it is to watch that!

Next is the Main Leads who I think was very random and a little questionable. I mean, shouldn't be a story more focused on the interesting characters who can make the story more exciting and spicier? So, why did they give it to characters who felt like a supporting ones?— All this time, I tried. Like, TRIED to understand why but still can't believe that they wasted a supposed good story for such characters. Both the Writer and Director need some genuine reflection for this, Seriously.

The Main Leads weren't bad but I think they're lacking. Their character felt like some extremely favoured people who were supported and funded by a powerful personality. They certainly aren't bad but I just feel like they aren't really cut out for it. Their story is good but is lacking— Like something is lost or missing. I guess they just failed to deliver the same impact I got from Banrou and Yuwen Hu.

P.S. Aside from Banrou & Yuwen Hu's disappearance from the story. What makes this drama more frustrating is the constant timeskip during the last 10-15 episodes. It made the story weigh lesser in value and has gradually become tiring and disappointing as it reaches its Finale.

Story - 8.5, Overall drama is good. The lesson and value of the story was well delivered. It's just that I still feel regretful over Banrou, Yuwen Yu and Yuwen Hu's story and completely done and disgusted by Mantou's immortal character. Not to mention the Main leads who felt like someone powerful is backing them and the frequent timeskip that made a lot of things vague and confusing.

Acting/Cast - 9.5, I felt like not giving this section a perfect 10 is an absurd decision and betrayal towards the casts heartfelt and passionate portrayal but I just can't stomach not to mention how unconvincing and lacking Andy Zhang and Hu Bing Qing's acting during the first half of the story. They felt kind of lost and they seemed like an Idol actor while acting their teenage roles. Fortunately they pushed through and delivered better portrayal as the story progresses. P.S. Jeremy Tsui and Ady An are the true MVP of this drama. Their Portrayal is insane and I'm always engrossed whenever they're on screen.

Music - 9.5, BGMs are really good, specially the ballad ones. It's just that for some reason whenever the songs are playing it doesn't really emphasize the emotions on the scenes that much. Like something is missing. But overall Music used were really good.

Rewatch Value - 8.5, Most probably not. Although I don't hate this drama, I just feel like I had enough of Mantuo and would never want to watch it again. + I don't wanna relive my hopes for Banrou and Yuwen Hu.

Overall - 9.0, Seems just right. Something I will never do is to give a story a much lower rating than it deserve. I admit that I was dissatisfied with some aspects of this drama but I also don't want to dismiss the good qualities of this piece as a whole. Even when it failed to fully cater my expectation but it surely served when it comes to a lot of things specially with the acting department.

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The Kind, Gentle and Naive Man's failed attempt to Kill.

Have you ever been dumbfounded after watching a drama?... not for the reason that it was good but because you were flabbergasted?

Up till this point i'm still astounded and fascinated from all the occurences in this drama. So let me make it simple and precise as much as possible.

I don't know where it started but I got this unsettled feeling while watching this show. The entire story is actually good and I like how things gradually escalated because it helps the narrative to move forward logically, but... something about this drama felt awkward to me. The closest I could think of is Nakagawa Taichi's cringey acting (mostly facial expressions). For some reason it bothered me to the point where I was just looking at his face trying to decipher what the hell is the problem with it. Maybe I'm just not used to seeing a handsome face doing such incedible facial distortions?

Anyway, I probably would never be able to categorize which genre this drama is under. I felt like i was watching different plays at once. I mean, It's always been the norm for J-dramas to be quite random and goofy like 100% of the time but I just can't sort out how they blend in action and comical scenes like this and turned it into something weird to watch.

Well aside from all my opinions above this drama did quite well in delivering the context to the audiences as well as incorporating various emotions and situations that shows how regular human being functions. + I love the fun and extra scenes we got at the end.

Story - 9.0, Well created — It may not be the best but I must say that they did great in incorporating good scenes to make the entire story work. It was filled with the right amount of sequences that made it easier to digest and not entirely heavy.

Acting/Cast - 9.0, As mentioned above I felt like Nakagawa Taishi could've worked more on his facial expressions; cause I really find them cringey at times. I understand that his character was written to be like that however something about his acting just stood out like a sore thumb to me. The rest actually did good. Well, I guess I just got some problems with the characters and how they are supposedly acted (by the artists).

Music - 9.5, Music is Good. As always I love the song used whenever there's a romantic scene. The only thing that bothered me was that classic french? song being played whenever Death Prince does his ridiculous antics. They could just rip them off honestly. They did add color to the story but it was weird for me to watch them.

Rewath Value - 8.0, This is one of the dramas that's best to watch only once in a lifetime... Few more times and you'll surely get tired and hate it.

Overall - 8.5, This is a drama that has no particular flaws in terms of story progression and cinematography but kinda fell a bit when it comes to the acting part. Some of them are really cringey to watch. A little more polishing and it could've been better. Overall a good drama.

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Tons of Wasted Plots & Lacking Ending + Hard Carried by Actors Spectacular Acting.

First of, I felt like this drama could've been better without the countless plot twist and overly dramatized story progression.

To start everything with, I just wanna rant and point out how the large number of useless plot twist ruined the entire story. Honestly, they were kind of bearable and understandable during the first 10-15 episodes of drama cause that's how they usually set things up to make the story more mysterious and exciting but I never expect them to push it to the extent where I started to get so irritated and tired of it. They built up 65% of the drama with those craps but failed big time in making them work or even useful for the story.— What a waste!!

The excessive amount of unnecessary and unused plots and twists that ruined the drama even before it reached half of it + The overly rushed and mostly off screen scenes that are useful to the narrative but was excluded and dumped at the end.— The final 10 episodes left a big impression to me for being exaggeratedly fast pace and rough in terms of character closure and story conclusion. Like, they invested so much drama for the 2nd Main CPs story only to make their whereabouts off screen and even not giving them any proper final exposure? seriously? Their love story made me the most infuriated all throughout and they've all decided to give us almost nothing?! Gosh~ that was a bad writing right there. I'm disappointed.

Going deeply into my most hated story plot of all. Here comes... Yang Yue and his unwavering, foolish and persistent way of going after Shangguan Xi. Like, man! When will you learn to stop? that woman's love sick towards other man and been treating you carelessly all this time!!! Their takes completely infuriated me, imagine having to deal with them for more than 50% of the story. Wow! That was tough and I must say I endured a lot.

Also, The cinematography, color grading and graphics during the first half of the drama was really bad and ghad!! The horendous use of green screen made me rolled my eyes out of frustration countless of times. Like, are the people handling the art, design and editings are some bunch of interns? It look so unpolished and unbearable most of the time.

Hmm, It was a drama that was saved by the set of great actors and their great acting skills and character portrayals.

Story - 8.5, I wanna give it even lower rating but the story wasn't entirely bad at all. It's just that they've misused and misguided a supposedly good story into a dark and hollow space and failed to bring it back into proper light for salvation. They gave us 55 episodes and made 65% of it useless.

Acting/Cast - 10, The saving grace of this entire production~!! The only positive take of this drama is how they casted such great actors and how they performed their characters with deep understanding and accurate execution. The spectacular acting and character portrayal amazed me so much. I love almost all of them.

Music - 10, The music used on this drama was able to make the scenes either more enjoyable or sorrowful. It created an emotional aura that highlighted most of the scenes and made them more heartfelt and alive.

Rewatch Value - 7.0, I probably won't. This is one of those dramas I will keep and hide on my archieve and will only look back to when I'm trying to appreciate how great the actors/cast are.

Overall - 8.5, If it was not for the Actors and their splendid acting I would've probably given this drama a 7.0 or so. The story has a lot of unused plots and how I wish for them to remove all those irrelevant scenes to make it shorter and add a little more to the lacking ending. Definitely a drama I won't rewatch. But will recommend to people who loves to see good acting.

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The FLs Flirtatious Final Transformation + Emotionally Unstable ML~!!

What an Up-Down Hill drama—This story by far is one of the dramas that gave me such hatred and despise over the MLs character (alongside 'The Wolf').

The story is rather stagnant at first, basically dragging almost half of story into nothingness instead of building hype and providing us more watch-worthy scenes 'us' viewers can enjoy. The pacing was slow and well controlled in a way that I felt tired waiting for it to be more exciting and a bit more romantic. Everything seemed to be well planned and even manipulated to the point where I find it boring and eventually though of it as its major downfall during the first half of the story.

Male Lead is mentally unstable and was extremely weak in differentiating love and revenge /sighs/ I was disappointed on how he handle the situations often times specially when it comes to things that are heavily important to him. I mean, I understand where he's coming from BUT knowing that your brother sacrifice his life to protect the woman he loves and yet blaming that Lady for what happened is basically nuts not to mention that the Lady in mention is his Previous & Future Wife (they got divorce, so...) — and that's not it~!! He chose to do all that during their secret Marriage Ceremony and if you think that's the worst; he treated her so badly I myself felt so enraged watching it. IF you love a woman how could you blame, push and make her suffer emotionally & physically that way? Like how the hell can you fathom seeing her go through sorrow and distress infront of you? This guy is freak and seriously got some BALLS problems.

Anyways, aside from those major complaints above, the drama went quite well. Not the most light hearted one but surely provided so much laughter and warmth to me as a whole. + The Female Leads transformations are rather cute and enchanting specially her Dragon Form. Like HOLYSH*T Hu YiXuan serving top tier visuals.

This production is truly enjoyable and has been such a great experience specially during its 2nd Half and most of FLs and Prince Ning/Naxi's moments. Not to mention NanNan & LuoJi's cute romance development. Hihihi

Story - 8.5, Gonna Give this drama a rather 'okay' rating and this is highly influenced by how random and unstable the Male Lead is jumping from being so frantic into suddenly being so caring and loving. I think he's clearly suffering from bipolar disease or something. I swear, he killed the mood for me. But gonna give kudos to the director and writer for sticking to such ending. Once again proving that woman will never be less of a man.

Acting/Cast - 10, Nothing but Applause and Praises over the Actors and Actresses. I wouldn't be this mad and agitated if Zheng YeCheng performed badly. That man got great facial control and was able to summon his tears in the most unexpected and emotional way. Hu YiXuan is another spectacular actress to mention; she nailed her character so well and I just love her for that. Special mention to the other Cast specially Naxi, Prince Ning, NanNan and LuoJi. Prince Shun unfortunately needed more balls. Hehe

Music - 10, Songs are Top Tier. Not the most excellent of all but it has a great set of really fun and swaying music that clearly fits the mood of each scenes it was played on.

Rewatch Value - 8.5, It was not that bad but I would never put myself in such situation where I would watch a drama again considering I hated every minute of a scene or two because of how such an asshole the ML is. Hahaha~ I just got so much stress these days and i can't accumulate more. Nonetheless, story is still good and enjoyable to watch.

Overall - 9.0, Despite my bad take on the story and ML Character, I can never deny that it was a fantastic costume drama that not only provided those frustrating scenes but also made me feel those delightful & fleeting experience while I was watching it. This drama still got so much to offer despite how badly I highlighted some of its dragging parts.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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