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Almost Excellent, Ultimately Good
It’s a good drama. There were many moments when I thought it would be excellent, but after watching it all and reflecting, I’d say it ultimately remains just good.The protagonist works well for the story. I like strong and intelligent FLs, and while she’s not exceptional, she fits the drama and carries it competently.
The MLs are interesting too. Fuheng is very handsome and has an idealistic spirit, but he’s too weak to truly fight for the FL. Honestly, I’m grateful they didn’t end up together, ever since he failed to help her solve her sister’s murder, I knew that relationship wouldn’t work. The emperor, on the other hand, is average. I don’t find him particularly compelling as an ML, but he isn’t a problem either.
But! The best ML of all (though not for the FL) is Hailancha. My boy is beautiful, charming, and I absolutely loved his relationship with Mingyu. I really wish there were more MLs like him.
Speaking of Mingyu, I think the supporting characters are the ones who truly shine in this drama. Erqing, Rongyin, Chun, and even Prince He stood out, and Consort Gao in particular was fantastic.
It’s a shame that the story deviates somewhat from reality, but whenever it recounts events that actually happened, it becomes extremely interesting.
Some people didn’t like the ending, but I loved it. I would have liked a more dramatic ending for the protagonist, even if it had made me cry a lot, lol.
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Good Drama Full of Tropes
The first scene of this drama already captivated me. I love stories about second reincarnations, and I really liked the protagonist Xueying, mainly because she's an intelligent woman who fights (physically, lol) for what she wants.The love interest, Lu Junxing, doesn't initially appeal to me, but as the story unfolds, it's hard not to fall for him.
The only thing I didn't like about this drama is that the protagonist ALWAYS seems to be one step ahead, and when she's tricked, she quickly manages to turn the tables. Initially it's fun, but then it takes away some of the drama from the story.
I also found the villains quite caricatured in a way, largely following the formula: this character is bad, so nothing ever goes right for them.
Overall, I liked the series; it's a good historical drama. It does what it sets out to do, and it does it well.
I'm going to PRETEND that the ending didn't exist, because honestly, WTF.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama drove me crazy. The first 30-40 episodes were PERFECT. I've never seen such a good first episode, I cried countless times watching it, but after she marries ML, the episodes only goes downhill.First, their relationship is very boring. FL clearly doesn't love him with the same intensity that he loves her (which I loved, I find it quite realistic and it adds to the dynamic), but he can't accept that; many episodes are him making a scene so she'll love him. And when he's not being annoying and dramatic for attention, their scenes are bland. In the last few episodes, I skipped all their interactions; it was unbearable.
And worse, not only is their relationship bad, but it makes the protagonist worse. She becomes dependent on him in a way that makes her seem stupid. Family problems? ML comes and saves the day. Argument? ML goes there to solve it. Problems managing the household? ML again. I like protagonists who are strong but realistic, and FL is exactly like that. She's a strong person, but sensible, and limited by her own circumstances. When she started taking the reins of the Shang household after the wedding, I liked it; I thought it would be a character development, going from an illicit daughter who accepts everything to a slightly tyrannical person who gets what she wants no matter what. But no, she remains in a submissive situation where she tries and doesn't try at the same time to assert herself.
That being said, I loved the characters' performances. Especially the great-grandmother, Lady Shang, and the protagonist's deceased mother.
They all manage to sell the character, especially the legitimate wife; her character development is perfect (until the end where everything starts to fall apart), where she doesn't hate FL, but she loves her own children more than anything, she resents her husband for having a mistress but still loves him... she's a complex character and, for me, the best in the drama.
That being said, from episode 1-30/45 more or less, the rating is ten stars. From there on, 3-4 stars.
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Weak FL, uninteresting ML
It's interesting to see how dramas have changed the way they stylize characters compared to more recent dramas like Story of Yanxi Palace. The styling really surprised me and caught my attention. I love the colors and some of the costumes, but I admit the hairstyles make me laugh a little (especially since this style only became popular towards the end of the Qing dynasty, while this drama takes place at the beginning). But I liked it a lot, and I also like the filming style.The protagonist is interesting; I generally don't like characters that are so weak, and weak not in a physical sense, and I also didn't expect her to intervene, but weak in her inability to control her own feelings even knowing what's going to happen. Her insistence on trying to change what's already destined to happen is also a bit irritating; there were moments when I rooted against her because of it. All she does is cry. On that note, I also like that she knows what's going to happen to the characters and thinks about it; it feels like I'm watching a prophecy come true.
Regarding the MLs, it was certainly a journey. My favorite is the tenth; I love his boyish and innocent style. I never really liked the eighth because he's married to the protagonist's sister (I know it was a different time, but she's not from that time, so she should understand how strange all this is) and he took away her freedom. I don't like the fourth as much either; I found some of his actions very odd. The thirteenth is cute; I liked that he has a more open mind and awareness of not imprisoning Princess Min Min (btw, my FAVORITE character) in the forbidden city just because of his feelings (looking at you, eighth). The fourteenth disgusted me when he comments on the thirteenth's "prostitute".
But I had to drop this drama (at least temporarily) because I was on episode 15 and skipping scenes. I found FL very incompetent for a 21st-century woman who basically sees the future, and the way she deals with the harassment and grooming (if we're honest) from some of the MLs made me feel too nauseous. I don't feel like I would be happy for her regardless of the relationship.
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