NickB

I watched it solely for the male lead

I finished it and don't know why. I must be a visual and mental masochist to inflict this level of pain upon myself willingly.

This sh!t was turrible. (Yes, it was past terrible).

In most dramas involving a misunderstanding where the FL thinks the ML killed her family, it's typical of them to be stupid. They hardly ever do any real investigation, fall for every scheme and jump to conclusions without putting in an ounce of common sense into the process.

I thought Maid's Revenge was bad, but this one here takes the cake and throws it against the wall.

The FL does ZERO investigation, she doesn't peek around one corner to spy. Doesn't look into one drawer, eavesdrop on one conversation, interview one staff person or ask the only other person who was also at the scene of the crime one damn question to see if she can find clues to prove if the ML is innocent or guilty.

She just finds the keepsake she gave him by her dad's corpse and decides right then and there that the ML killed her entire family, even though he tells her multiple times that he didn't do it and is looking into who did. Also, he continues to rescue her from her own stupidity while she continues to plot against him to get him killed.

Like, if this dude killed off your whole family, he's that cold blooded, what's to stop him from killing you? Did she think she was too pretty to die? Must have, since her only goal is to throw herself at every man in the house in her attempt to get "revenge".

This series pissed me off.

Then after she gets her way, as usual, the ML's right hand man tells her what we have all been thinking, and she's left looking stupid. And this is where the series really screws us over. You hope to see her grovel for forgiveness, but nope. The next episode drops us into a rushed ending that feels like we missed at least 4 episodes in between. You're like "when did this happen?" And "where did he come from?"

Bottom line this series had no romance development, rushed ending, no time for reconciliation, no scene to show accountability on FL part. This FL is the worst I've ever seen and the writer and director must have really not liked the actress to make her play this role. And she didn't love herself enough to turn it down. Maybe she has bills on late notice to pay.

Either way... They owe us, the unsuspecting audience, an apology.

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10 Episodes Too Long

How is it the FL has no problem stabbing the ML, but didn't want to kill the villain when she had the chance? Her luke-warm revenge plot never made any sense. She gave herself more trouble being stupid and wasting opportunities. And I think that is why I found her character so annoying to me. Her smug looks weren't backed by intelligent scheming. It was just her throwing the ML under the bus, while allowing others to get one and two over on her. Had she been as vicious with the 2nd ML as she was with MML, this drama would have been over with by ep. 20 and would have been more logical and tightly written.

I also hate the trope of ML hurting the FL or vice versa in the name of "Helping" them. Just tell them what the plan is and act accordingly. It's such a lazy writing tactic to manufacture unnecessary drama between the leads. Like the ML is a badass fighter, you mean to tell me that he couldn't kill the male villain with one arrow to the head or chest? This series dragged out the simple plot to a painful length to endure.

There was no reason why the Xiao Hujin should have lasted as long as he did. Couldn't the writers come up with a better villain than him? They continued to give him opportunities to survive just so that he could be a foil, which makes the lead characters stupid. Just because it's a short series drama, doesn't mean it should have crappy story-telling.

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Fleeting From My Memory

I think the male lead has it in his contract that he must play a characters that is stupid, but acts like he's smart. And he must show his abs at least once. And if you've seen even two of his other series, I'm guessing you can predict how this one ends.

I will say that I enjoyed the FL knew how to fight... when it was convenient. But it's better than most of these shows where the woman can't fight her way out of a wet paper bag.

The storyline is nothing new, you've seen it a thousand times. And that's fine, I'm guilty of enjoying these tropes. It had one jealous character desperate to get with the object of their obsession, which I enjoy.

I will say that these Cdramas love having actors spit up blood. It was gratuitous in this series and was getting on my nerves. I get it, they spit up blood for anything. Shot in the arm? Gotta spit up blood. Stubbed your toe? Gotta spit up blood. Slipped on some ice into a pile of snow? Gotta spit up blood. It's so overdone at this point. Please China, I beg of you, calm it down.

Bottom-line: It's worth a watch if you don't have anything else to do and you're a fan of the ML. I do suggest watching "The Maid" for a better story.

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I've never seen someone take so long cutting a rope.

Well, I enjoyed the fight scenes in this flick. Some smooth moves. And the pacing was fast. I think it helps that these aren't extra long episodes, because the plot is relatively thin.

This FL, though, isn't the brightest. She keeps telling ppl that she isn't the person they're looking for as if that's some get out of jail free card. If you're not who they're looking for, then that makes you useless to them and since you've seen their faces, they won't let you go. Might as well play it smart and use the identity to your advantage. She doesn't that toward the end, but by that time, it doesn't matter.

I can't tell you how pissed I was when she pulled out a knife in a later episode. I was like "You had that this whole time!?" That's because this is one of those action shows where the good guy doesn't want to kill, it would seem. Which is ironic in a series called "I Kill U". She's fighting the same villains over and over again, making the struggle harder for herself because she doesn't kill them the first time around. And even if you don't kill them, at least make sure they can't get up to hurt you again. Send them to the ER.

And there was this scene where she's using that knife to cut the rope that has her bound. I've seen butter knives sharper than dull ass knife. It must have taken her an hour to cut that thin nylon rope. I've never seen a scene like that, which lasted so long. Like, is that the best you can cut?

She was also gullible as hell, not even bothering to see the video in question that was getting this woman in trouble in the first place before agreeing to the deal. Seeing that video would have helped her make the right decision, but she just said "I want to talk to her first" and that's how she got set up.

Pulling the fire alarm would have saved her a lot of drama too. I bet it worked, but she never tried it.

Bottom line, it was a fun little action flick but I had to take off a star because she didn't physically kill anyone.

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Good to play in the background while you fold laundry.

This is the kind of series where you don't just shut off your brain if you want to enjoy it even a little. You have to remove your brain and set it aside somewhere safe to protect it completely from this nonsense, then proceed.

This one is as bad as Dangerous Love where you have the FLs family killed off and there is some kind of evidence left behind that makes it seem like the ML is the culprit. And with that bit of evidence, FL decides ML is guilty. No need to instigate anything else. No need to consider it was a frame job or whatever.

By that same stupid token, ML refuses to tell FL the truth to clear his name for... Reasons that don't make a damn bit of sense. FL finds out the truth anyway and the only thing that happens is that she forgives ML. So, you're left wondering why in the hell didn't he just tell her a long time ago when she first asked?

Lazy as hell writing because the lead characters avoid having a simple conversation and instead ML does things to her that an enemy would making her want to kill him to escape and get payback. He must have been stabbed 5 times and he still refused to tell her the truth. Just looked stupid whenever she asked.

Once again, this was another series I tortured myself with. I don't even know why. Why did I do this to myself? WHY?!?!?!?

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Was the "trust" in the room with us?

If "trust" was present, it must have been wearing camouflage because I didn't see it.

This was a choppy version of Prisoner of Beauty. Honestly, I loved Prisoner of Beauty, this was just okay to me. Yeah you get to some steamy scenes faster with these shorts, but the substance wasn't entirely there for me.

In Prisoner of Beauty, you see them using wits against each other until the gradually learn to trust one another. But once that love and trust is in place, it's unshakable. With this, it was fragile. I never felt like it was there to stay. One slight misunderstanding can bring the mistrust back into their brittle relationship and fracture it.

And the scene with the candle, they act like they didn't know where Lady Wei was. Didn't he confine her to her room? Check there.

Also, FL in this version is weaker and dumber than the POB version. Like when she couldn't talk... What was wrong with your hands? You can't write?

Overall, it was an alright waste of my two and a half hours.

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Is the "Love" in the room with us?

My review may differ from a lot of ppls' opinions. I saw a lot of ppl complaining about the ML and how evil he was. But, I don't completely see him that way. He's not evil, but he is ambitious, domineering, cunning and ruthless. He's who he needs to be to survive in the environment that he wants to thrive in. Weaker men get taken advantage of when they sit on that throne.

He has the ability to do what needs to be done for what he believes is the great good. I do see that he cares and has compassion, but when it's time for him to be cunning and ruthless, he takes no prisoners.

He also has a skill of manipulating ppl in a way that they do his bidding thinking it was their own idea. Where I think he's been wrong is how he used his concubine. He used her love and devotion as a pawn in his war against his enemies. And how he didn't trust his wife to be smart enough to understand his struggles. But I'm not so sure about that either because of how she was. He might have been right to behave the way he did. I just know that he didn't explain his actions well enough.

As for the SML, he got on my nerves. ML warned SML to leave, gave that man several chances but SML challenged him, ignored all reason and his woman claimed she already hated him... So what did he have to lose? She gonna hate him some more? SML is just as bad at using her and lying to her as the ML. He is selfish and feeling like he deserves her and resentful of his choice to seek revenge when he could have just been with her. He made that choice, but wants to be mad at others who were involved.

As for the FL, she worked my nerves, too. She is flighty and selfish. I can also see her compassion and shows some maturity later. However, her being angry at the ML for doing what he did for his country didn't make me side with her. Her grandfather may have been the hero to his ppl, but to those he terrorized when he raped, pillaged and enslaved them, he was no hero. And she never looked at it from the victims POV because she never cared. She lived for what made her happy. What she wanted and didn't care who suffered as a result of her actions. Every time she snuck out to have fun, she never cared who would be punished. Every time she ran away, she didn't care how many soldiers died to bring her back or keep her safe.

She didn't take things seriously and that is why, when the situation got real, she couldn't handle it. She never wanted to work for anything. Never wanted to sacrifice her desires for the needs of others, which is why she was always running away from the very moment she heard she was getting married, she didn't want to pay her dues as princess. She just wanted to continue to live that pampered life.

I also honestly feel like this could have been 20 eps shorter. Most of the time spent was watching the FL sneak out to have fun, get drunk, start trouble, have someone save her from the trouble she got herself into by being a good Samaritan. Her arguing with the ML, being obsessed love stalked by SML, and slow moving intrigue. Rinse and repeat.

FL does grow up and her reactions to the ML are just based on how he treated her. Even though he had his reasons, I felt like he should have given her the benefit of the doubt and trusted her to understand and work with him. She might have surprised him. It would have gone a long way in mending their relationship. He made some foolish moves.

As for this whole amnesia plotline .. it had worn out it's welcome with me by 30 eps in. I was ready for them both to regain their memory and keep it moving with however the plot would unfold.

The real villain is why the ML has to be who he is and why. By the end, I just wanted him to let her go on about her business and marry a woman who can handle that life. The whole series is her trying to run away from him and her fateful duty as a princess. There was love for about 5 mins, not nearly enough to call this a love story.

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Refreshing and Entertaining

This was a story of a villain as the ML. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the 12 eps kept the plot engaging.

She was so quick to marry someone handsome with power, money and influence she didn't bother to ask any more questions about him. She got tangled up with someone crazier than she was. Lol. It's like he wants to see if he can break someone he thought was strong. That's his hobby.

To be honest, I didn't feel sorry for her. I felt bad for three men she manipulated to get what she wanted. She only called them when she needed them and their blind devotion was exactly what she used to get revenge on ppl. She chose a lot of the path she traveled. And really didn't want to take any personal responsibility for her actions, always blaming other ppl for how she "turned out".

She didn't have to marry that guy. She didn't bother to even talk to anyone else about it. She made that executive decision because she thought dude was another man she could use to her advantage. As she was so accustomed to doing and ended up suffering the consequences of her decision.

I did like that she played dirty with ppl who came after her first. But the 3 men she used didn't deserve her manipulation. So in the end, she got what she deserved. She was a well-played villain.

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Sheer Perfection

Oh man, did THIS series have me in its grip. From episode 1, it grabbed me by the neck, slammed me against the wall and kissed me like a lover after a fight.

It's making me pay for ignoring it for over 2 years. The convo went like this.

TV Series: "You thought you didn't need me in your life, didn't you?"

Me: "I...I thought you would be too big. I mean, my God, you're 70 episodes long! I was scared you'd under perform. I... " Lowered head. "I didn't want to be disappointed."

TV Series grabbed my chin and raised my head so that our eyes could meet. "And now, you know just how wrong you were. Every episode has filled you to the brim with everything you wanted and things you didn't even know you wanted. You're mine now. You're going to take every bit of me. Every fucking second, do you hear me? I own you now!"

Me: *trembling* "yes... I'm yours."

That's what happened and I've been going to bed at 5am three nights in a row since I started. 😂 I've finished it now and I'm so happy I've only gotten about 5 hours of sleep for five days. Well worth it.

What I've loved about "The Story of Yanxi Palace" The smart as hell FL, the scheming. The way the emperor talks such a deep sexy voice, the murderous plots. The revenge. The arranged marriages. The bonding and outsmarting.. I love the relationships and how the emperor learned to accept her for who she was. I loved her loyalty and love for her chosen ppl. I enjoyed seeing the growth of the characters.

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Boooo this movie, boooo!

This movie had three things I hate.
1. Annoying kids
2. Stupid time loops
3. Pretentiousness

I hate movies with time loops because most don't do them right where they can feel new and exciting each time like Edge of Tomorrow or Happy Death Day to me. This movie did it the way I hate. I was bored.

And while programming human emotions, she should have programmed human intelligence because my God, woman! How hard is it to keep up with this kid? Tries too hard to be profound and falls flat at being entertaining too.

The first 30 mins was exciting and then we find out it was all AI simulation and that destroyed the thrill.

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