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A TOXIC DARK ROMANCE
First thing first, do take the title for what it is. You will LAMENT when you're going to watch this drama. 😭🤣
I enjoyed the 40 ep and the emotional rollercoaster they put me through, lol.
This kind of drama is not for everyone for sure so if you can't take a real toxic male lead, skip it. It's fine.
Personnally, I was quite satisfied with how toxic the show was. Do I condone all this toxicity? ABSOLUTELY NOT! But the trailers sold me a toxic dark romance and this is what I got served. I knew what I was getting into and I have not been disappointed.
The amount of time I wished I could enter my screen and do irreparable harm to so many different characters is huge. I never wished this much bad to so many different characters too, lol.
You will feel everything, from love to hate, frustration, heartbreak and anger to longing, happiness and sadness.
The story was well-executed to me, I was hooked from the first to the last episode. You will not rest as tragedy will kept being thrown at you. Even so, you will keep coming back for more, looking forward to the next episode each time.
The pacing was just right, there is no episode I wanted to skip or felt like was pointless.
We get to see everyone's chapters ending so you're not left with questions once the show is over.
The best part? The actors were fantastic! From the leads to the supporting cast, they all delivered.
We do not really dive into the story of most supporting characters but we still get attached to them because we see enough of them to understand the type of person they are.
The chemistry, the tension, the neck obsession between the leads are no joke! 🫦
Cheng Lei did it again! He played Yu Changxuan like no one else could have, you will love and hate him at the same time. His portrayal of an overbearing warlord with a soft heart, the micro-expressions, the looks in his eyes, the range of emotions, ugh! He was freaking amazing! He gave an outstanding performance.👏👏👏
And same goes for Xu Ruohan who portrayed Ye Pingjun amazingly well, especially when the character was going through some. She will make you feel sorry, annoyed, happy for her. You will empathize with her yet feel confused by her attitude at times. She managed to convey the emotions of Ye Pingjun exceptionally well despite the lack of character development the writer gave her.👏👏👏
The cinematography, the costumes were beautiful. It draws you into that republican era with all its ostentation and decadence. The ost set the tone so well, sometimes even help to deliver what the characters cannot say.
Also, we can tell the story wasn't set in that era just for it's beauty. With a military lead, we get reminded of that part of China's history, the people then, their sacrifices and the the devastations of war.
It gives off propaganda vibes for sure 😅 but it can be overlook, lol. If like me, you grew up watching Americans saving the world in all their movies, you will survive watching Chinese saving China against the Japanese. 😉
One thing for sure, you will not watch this drama and come out unscathed. It will leave a mark on you, a deep emotional one with how angsty and draining yet moving the love story is.
The drama is not perfect but incredibly memorable, because of how it makes you feel, remains in your mind and in your heart.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 9/10
I definitely recommend this drama if you enjoy melo and don't mind a dark romance with a red to black flag.
I enjoyed the 40 ep and the emotional rollercoaster they put me through, lol.
This kind of drama is not for everyone for sure so if you can't take a real toxic male lead, skip it. It's fine.
Personnally, I was quite satisfied with how toxic the show was. Do I condone all this toxicity? ABSOLUTELY NOT! But the trailers sold me a toxic dark romance and this is what I got served. I knew what I was getting into and I have not been disappointed.
The amount of time I wished I could enter my screen and do irreparable harm to so many different characters is huge. I never wished this much bad to so many different characters too, lol.
You will feel everything, from love to hate, frustration, heartbreak and anger to longing, happiness and sadness.
The story was well-executed to me, I was hooked from the first to the last episode. You will not rest as tragedy will kept being thrown at you. Even so, you will keep coming back for more, looking forward to the next episode each time.
The pacing was just right, there is no episode I wanted to skip or felt like was pointless.
We get to see everyone's chapters ending so you're not left with questions once the show is over.
The best part? The actors were fantastic! From the leads to the supporting cast, they all delivered.
We do not really dive into the story of most supporting characters but we still get attached to them because we see enough of them to understand the type of person they are.
The chemistry, the tension, the neck obsession between the leads are no joke! 🫦
Cheng Lei did it again! He played Yu Changxuan like no one else could have, you will love and hate him at the same time. His portrayal of an overbearing warlord with a soft heart, the micro-expressions, the looks in his eyes, the range of emotions, ugh! He was freaking amazing! He gave an outstanding performance.👏👏👏
And same goes for Xu Ruohan who portrayed Ye Pingjun amazingly well, especially when the character was going through some. She will make you feel sorry, annoyed, happy for her. You will empathize with her yet feel confused by her attitude at times. She managed to convey the emotions of Ye Pingjun exceptionally well despite the lack of character development the writer gave her.👏👏👏
The cinematography, the costumes were beautiful. It draws you into that republican era with all its ostentation and decadence. The ost set the tone so well, sometimes even help to deliver what the characters cannot say.
Also, we can tell the story wasn't set in that era just for it's beauty. With a military lead, we get reminded of that part of China's history, the people then, their sacrifices and the the devastations of war.
It gives off propaganda vibes for sure 😅 but it can be overlook, lol. If like me, you grew up watching Americans saving the world in all their movies, you will survive watching Chinese saving China against the Japanese. 😉
One thing for sure, you will not watch this drama and come out unscathed. It will leave a mark on you, a deep emotional one with how angsty and draining yet moving the love story is.
The drama is not perfect but incredibly memorable, because of how it makes you feel, remains in your mind and in your heart.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 9/10
I definitely recommend this drama if you enjoy melo and don't mind a dark romance with a red to black flag.
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