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A Dull, Uninspired Drama with Weak Direction and a Generic Plot
Unfortunately, by episode 8, I found myself completely detached and unable to continue watching. The editing lacks flow, making scenes feel disjointed and abrupt. Transitions are jarring, with little sense of time or place, and characters often seem to "teleport" between locations. There’s minimal visual continuity. As is often the case with C-dramas, the dubbing is distracting and strips performances of emotional nuance. Despite the evident talent of both leads, their chemistry suffers under the weight of unnatural sound mixing and robotic line delivery—ex from the fourth prince, whose pauses and monotone dialogue make scenes feel stilted, as if he’s taking a break before every line.Character development is minimal. The romance, if it ever begins, is rooted in toxic dynamics, based more on survival and circumstance than genuine emotional connection: "Since I haven’t succeeded in killing you (to sacrifice you for the greater good), you must be my true match.”
Let the characters’ actions show us who they are—don’t just tell us what they think.
The central conflict at the beginning—centered around a painting—lacks weight or intrigue. The plot is generic, moving without suspense or emotional depth. The music also feels recycled from other dramas, adding to the sense that the production is going through the motions rather than creating something fresh.
Sadly, it became just another forgettable entry in an oversaturated genre, and I’m choosing to drop it in favor of something more original, emotionally resonant, inspiring, and hopefully educational.
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Too Many Twists, Not Enough Sense
The Wanted Detective starts off fast-paced, which initially made it a bit hard for me to follow — especially with the English translations. As the story progressed, it became increasingly messy and illogical. New clues and twists were thrown in rapidly, making it feel like someone was just adding layers for the sake of complexity rather than coherence. The result was a confusing and overly complicated plot that never quite found its footing.For my taste, it was also a bit too violent and borderline horror in tone, which didn’t help my enjoyment.
That said, the actors are truly talented. Both leads, only 23 years old, have great potential. I had seen them previously in The Double and Love of the DivineTree, where I thought they shined. Unfortunately, in this drama, I felt their talent was wasted and maybe badly directed.
I couldn’t connect with either the female or male lead characters — they felt unlikable and underdeveloped. I would love to see the male lead in other fantasy or costume dramas, especially something with an "enemies to lovers" dynamic.
Production quality was decent, however, by episode 6, I found myself bored, frustrated, and completely disconnected from the plot, so I decided to drop it.
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Awkward and Painfully Boring
After 6 episodes, I can confidently say this is one of the most boring dramas I’ve ever dropped. The plot is bizarre and nonsensical, with events crammed in without emotional buildup or proper character development. It feels more like a parody of xianxia than a serious drama. The dialogue is weak, the humor feels forced, and the pacing is erratic. The theme song sounds like a knock-off of the song Unsullied from the Ashes of Love.Visually, it is overdone, with exaggerated colors that make everything look fake.
To make things worst, Bai Lu and Zeng Shunxi are completely miscast in these roles, and they have zero chemistry and completely mismatched vibes as a couple. A waste of great talent on a poorly written, emotionally hollow mess.
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Light, Silly and Forgettable - Gao Wei Guang Deserves Better
A confident heroine and a sweet, silly romance, blending martial arts with lighthearted moments, make Love and Sword an easy, breezy watch for some viewers. However, for me, it felt far too light—offering little substance in its script and story, with mindless entertainment and cheap humor at its core. I greatly admire the male lead, Gao Wei Guang, whose acting here is a solid 10, but considering the rest of the cast’s performances, my overall acting score for the drama drops to a 6. I could only push through the first six episodes before stopping. The plot felt silly, characters lacked depth, and the tone came across more like unintentional satire than purposeful light drama. Gao Wei Guang is a seasoned, versatile actor, but this role felt too childish for his talent—a script not worthy of his abilities.Was this review helpful to you?
Disappointing and Dull
The story is riddled with massive plot holes, weak character development, and uninspired writing. I gave it a try, but dropped the drama after episode 3, that’s how quickly it lost me.The FL and ML are both miscast in my opinion. Their performances feel stiff and disconnected. It’s hard to care about characters who feel so out of place in their own story.
The dialogue is dull, filled with forced lines and lifeless predictable conversations. There’s an overuse of inner monologues, which just drag the pacing down even more. Instead of adding depth, these internal thoughts come off as repetitive and unnecessary.
Nothing stands out visually either, the sets, costumes, and cinematography are all forgettable.
I really wanted to enjoy this drama, but after three episodes, it became clear that it just wasn’t worth continuing. If you're looking for a strong story, solid acting, or any kind of emotional engagement, this isn’t it. Legend of the Female General is a forgettable, frustrating watch.
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Dropped at Episode 15
The lead actress’s performance was one of the biggest letdowns. Her portrayal felt flat and lacked the emotional range. The chemistry between the main leads was almost non-existent. It was hard to connect with either of them or care about their journey.The writing didn’t help either. I found myself fast-forwarding through large sections just to get past the dull, meaningless conversations that added nothing to the plot. No matter how much I tried to push through, I couldn’t stay engaged. By episode 15, I finally gave up and dropped the drama.
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From Hype to Snooze: A Political Thriller That Puts You to Sleep, Starring Cheng’s Boredom
I was really looking forward to The Vendetta of An. I thought, “Finally, the same director who gave us Love and Crown, and Journey of Legend, is back! (irony intended)I’m usually not one to hold bias, but after this, I have serious doubts about the producer, and even Cheng Yi. Sorry, Cheng Yi, I genuinely loved your past performances!
The story is refreshingly unoriginal, offering nothing new or deep, the soundtrack is random noise sprinkled generously throughout, and the conversations are thrillingly shallow and boring; I spent most of the time yawning, so much so that staring at the sky would have been more engaging. A masterclass in how not to deliver a political thriller or a serious political power game.
And Cheng Yi… well, he’s consistent. He looks exactly the same as in all his other latest three dramas: same character, same eye expressions, same bored gaze from the corner of his eyes. I love Love and Redemption (my top fantasy drama) and even gave Mysterious Lotus Casebook a perfect 10, but watching him in his latest dramas feels painful. All the characters feel like they were cast from the same “sleepy” template.
Cheng Yi, supposedly a strategic mastermind, is perfectly cast… as a bored extra. I seriously doubt that even a different producer could make him convey any actual strategic sharpness or character depth for this type of role. I was expecting a tight, intense political thriller; instead, I got a melodramatic snooze fest. Bravo. Truly inspiring.
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The Art of Looking Boring: One Stare at a Time
The only thing that seems to be moving in Whispers of Fate is the camera. The male lead stares more than he speaks, cycling through the same handful of expressions he’s perfected in every role. The plot? Confusing. The dialogue? Hollow. The visuals? Not even impressive. And the overly loud music? A perfect way to remind you that nothing else is happening.Characters are lifeless, and Luo Yunxi, elegant as he may be, looks far too frail to carry the heroic aura his role demands.
Everything feels stiff, distant, and utterly boring. I struggled through the first five episodes and finally gave up — even finishing episode one felt like a personal achievement.
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This review may contain spoilers
One Episode Was Enough: The Most Ridiculous, and Poorly Conceived Opening That Deserved a Quick Drop
Episode 1 might be the most ridiculous episode I’ve ever seen — at least the most nonsensical one I can remember. This is the first time I’ve ever written a review after watching just the first episode.This time, he didn’t murder her grandfather like in Goodbye My Princess; instead, he killed her master (for a reason that hasn’t been explained yet in Episode 1). A different victim, but the same recycled dynamic.
The heroine, played by the same actress from Goodbye My Princess, feels like she’s portraying the exact same character all over again. She’s headstrong and disobedient, ignoring an imperial decree as if it were nothing, completely disregarding her father’s warnings — just like in Goodbye My Princess. It’s as if defying the emperor wouldn’t put her entire clan at risk of execution. But she doesn’t care; she just runs away, exactly the same way she did in her previous drama, to avoid marrying the emperor who killed her master.
To make things even more absurd, her adoptive brother helps her escape and even points a sword at the emperor without facing any consequences. It’s predictable that he will later become the love rival.
Then the emperor actually loses his temper and decides he wants to execute her brother right in front of her. He forces her to beg for his life and, in the end, pressures her into agreeing to marry him. She does so very unwillingly. To make her obedient, the emperor presents her with her brother’s finger — which he had cut off as a warning.
It’s completely ridiculous. This is my personal form of boycott: after just one episode, I’m done. I’ve written my review of Episode 1, and honestly, I think it’s time we start demanding stories that go beyond these stupid, repetitive, and recycled tropes. Without exaggeration, this episode is one of the most nonsensical and poorly conceived openings I have ever seen.
I have no intention of continuing — not because of anything personal against the actors or fans (everyone is free to enjoy what they enjoy), but because, for me, this kind of writing is truly insulting.
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