This review may contain spoilers
“Your pains resonate within me... Because of you, I chose to believe.”
General Feihong and General Fengyun are the talented, loyal "Twin Stars" destined to protect the borders of the Wei Kingdom. But beneath the armour, they lead two different lives. He Yan is forced to put on the "cold mask" that "smothered" her identity and masquerade as the male heir in place of her ailing stepbrother to gain prestige for the He family, only to be betrayed and hunted mercilessly. On the other hand, Xiao Jue bears the weight of rebuilding his family's military reputation after being embroiled in palace politics and losing both of his parents. Yet it's their shared righteousness, unwavering trust and mutual respect for each other that allowed them to weather the storms and become an inseparable duo both on the battlefield and in life.
What drew me into this drama is the perfect balance between the female and male leads. He Yan is such a powerful female general that she not only wins people over with her phenomenal fighting skills and military tactics, but also with her wit and charm. She's ruthless on the battlefield, yet empathetic and devoted to those whom she vows to protect. Zhou Ye displayed a fantastic duality as He Yan that still amazes me with every rewatch. She can be lethal in one moment as the strong and confident General Feihong, then turn into the happy-go-lucky He Yan with her Dudu in the next moment. It's an unexpected, yet much-welcomed twist from her last role as the timid and sweetheart Sheng Sheng Man from Love Me, Love My Voice, whom I also adore. Xiao Jue is commanding and enigmatic, but he sometimes also looks as if he's about to buckle from carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He undoubtedly believes that He Yan can prevail against ten men and conquer the world, but still always has her back and will be her "moon" if she's in need. Ryan Cheng gives such a complex and fabulous portrayal of Xiao Jue. His captivating, piercing gaze and impressive presence serve as a stark contrast to when he actually softens for He Yan or shows vulnerability and grief. I first fell in love with Ryan Cheng's role as the sassy Gong Shang Jue in My Journey to You, so it's wonderful to see him with more screentime playing a more fleshed-out character. On-screen, Zhou Ye and Ryan Cheng show superb chemistry as the invincible general couple. Off-screen, they're a goofy pair that know each other's quirks inside out and are always up for a good laugh. Even when singing, they're equally matched in singing off-key on Hello Saturday!
The cinematography is absolutely stunning! From the beautifully choreographed fight sequences to the sheer intensity of the leads and massive scale of the battlefields, there isn't any action scene that's not iconic. Personally, I love He Yan's diverse range of weapons, including the fighting whip, archery, spear, sword and twin blades. This highlights how versatile and outstanding she is as a general. My all-time favourite scene got to be when He Yan and Xiao Jue fought side-by-side in the final battle with their majestic, complementary black and white armours and matching ferocity. I feel like this could be a crossover between The Long Ballad and Who Rules the World.
For soundtracks, I love it when Light Within The Heart (心海里的光) by Zhou Shen and Moon Like Song (月如歌) by Curley Gao are played during the intense battle scenes. But Embroidered Moon Verse (锦月书) by Zhang Zining and Long-Cherished Wish (夙愿) by Zhang Yuan definitely stole my heart as they perfectly encapsulate He Yan and Xiao Jue's lonely journeys before they found their reflection and soulmate in each other.
It's not to say there are no flaws in the drama. I find the villains of the drama a bit anti-climatic. The supposedly big villain He Rui Fei and his conspirator Xu Jing Fu are not as scheming as they're projected to be in the first half, with both having a rather quick downfall. Chu Zhao is perhaps one of the most pitiful SMLs who's got no place to jump in between the two inseperable leads. I feel like he could be a more calculative and interesting character rather than reduced to a crazed, obsessed SML. While not really a villain, I do think the emperor could be more discerning instead of being easily swayed by those around him just for the sake of maintaining the "balance" in palace politics. Although I haven't read the original novel, I believe that the fact that He Yan stays alive in the drama, rather than reincarnating into another body, after the assassination (possibly due to drama regulations), drastically limits the plot potential of the last few episodes. Nevertheless, this is still a drama with very high-quality production, which I enjoy watching immensely. This is not meant to be a historical drama full of political intrigue, but rather an awe-inspiring journey where two generals find their soulmate in each other, who could share their pain and happiness as they fight life-and-death battles to defend their beloved kingdom and its people.
FAVOURITE QUOTES
“I like the moon, but the moon doesn’t know.” He Yan
“Now the moon belongs to you [He Yan]. The peerless moon is yours now.” Xiao Jue
“I’m afraid after pretending to be someone else for too long, I might forget who I really am. I hope there’s someone in this world who comes for me. Not for He Ruifei. Not for General Feihong. Just for me. Coming for me.” He Yan
“Women are never inferior to men. Through the ages, people have claimed women belong at embroidery frames and housewifery. But must we women be confined to domestic roles or limited to needlework? We can write and fight. We can write literary masterpieces. We can charge into battle and earn glory. We’re not just waiting to be saved. We can save ourselves.” He Yan
“Swords are for enemies. Never against the weak.” He Yan
“You [He Yan] and I always share similar experiences. Be it our pasts or present, your pains resonate within me. It was you… Because of you, I chose to believe.” Xiao Jue
"She [He Yan] graces my view, occupies my mind and claims my heart" Xiao Jue
“As the General Feihong, you must soar freely in the sky.” Xiao Jue
“Even against ten men, let alone women, she’d [He Yan'd] still prevail.” Xiao Jue
“Many people may show consideration for others, but those [He Yan] who would sacrifice themselves for other people at critical moments are exceedingly rare.” Xiao Jue
“I know you are worried about my safety. But you must realise that once I wear this amour, I become a soldier, fearless of death.” He Yan
“He Yan, receive orders! Come back alive.” Xiao Jue
What drew me into this drama is the perfect balance between the female and male leads. He Yan is such a powerful female general that she not only wins people over with her phenomenal fighting skills and military tactics, but also with her wit and charm. She's ruthless on the battlefield, yet empathetic and devoted to those whom she vows to protect. Zhou Ye displayed a fantastic duality as He Yan that still amazes me with every rewatch. She can be lethal in one moment as the strong and confident General Feihong, then turn into the happy-go-lucky He Yan with her Dudu in the next moment. It's an unexpected, yet much-welcomed twist from her last role as the timid and sweetheart Sheng Sheng Man from Love Me, Love My Voice, whom I also adore. Xiao Jue is commanding and enigmatic, but he sometimes also looks as if he's about to buckle from carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He undoubtedly believes that He Yan can prevail against ten men and conquer the world, but still always has her back and will be her "moon" if she's in need. Ryan Cheng gives such a complex and fabulous portrayal of Xiao Jue. His captivating, piercing gaze and impressive presence serve as a stark contrast to when he actually softens for He Yan or shows vulnerability and grief. I first fell in love with Ryan Cheng's role as the sassy Gong Shang Jue in My Journey to You, so it's wonderful to see him with more screentime playing a more fleshed-out character. On-screen, Zhou Ye and Ryan Cheng show superb chemistry as the invincible general couple. Off-screen, they're a goofy pair that know each other's quirks inside out and are always up for a good laugh. Even when singing, they're equally matched in singing off-key on Hello Saturday!
The cinematography is absolutely stunning! From the beautifully choreographed fight sequences to the sheer intensity of the leads and massive scale of the battlefields, there isn't any action scene that's not iconic. Personally, I love He Yan's diverse range of weapons, including the fighting whip, archery, spear, sword and twin blades. This highlights how versatile and outstanding she is as a general. My all-time favourite scene got to be when He Yan and Xiao Jue fought side-by-side in the final battle with their majestic, complementary black and white armours and matching ferocity. I feel like this could be a crossover between The Long Ballad and Who Rules the World.
For soundtracks, I love it when Light Within The Heart (心海里的光) by Zhou Shen and Moon Like Song (月如歌) by Curley Gao are played during the intense battle scenes. But Embroidered Moon Verse (锦月书) by Zhang Zining and Long-Cherished Wish (夙愿) by Zhang Yuan definitely stole my heart as they perfectly encapsulate He Yan and Xiao Jue's lonely journeys before they found their reflection and soulmate in each other.
It's not to say there are no flaws in the drama. I find the villains of the drama a bit anti-climatic. The supposedly big villain He Rui Fei and his conspirator Xu Jing Fu are not as scheming as they're projected to be in the first half, with both having a rather quick downfall. Chu Zhao is perhaps one of the most pitiful SMLs who's got no place to jump in between the two inseperable leads. I feel like he could be a more calculative and interesting character rather than reduced to a crazed, obsessed SML. While not really a villain, I do think the emperor could be more discerning instead of being easily swayed by those around him just for the sake of maintaining the "balance" in palace politics. Although I haven't read the original novel, I believe that the fact that He Yan stays alive in the drama, rather than reincarnating into another body, after the assassination (possibly due to drama regulations), drastically limits the plot potential of the last few episodes. Nevertheless, this is still a drama with very high-quality production, which I enjoy watching immensely. This is not meant to be a historical drama full of political intrigue, but rather an awe-inspiring journey where two generals find their soulmate in each other, who could share their pain and happiness as they fight life-and-death battles to defend their beloved kingdom and its people.
FAVOURITE QUOTES
“I like the moon, but the moon doesn’t know.” He Yan
“Now the moon belongs to you [He Yan]. The peerless moon is yours now.” Xiao Jue
“I’m afraid after pretending to be someone else for too long, I might forget who I really am. I hope there’s someone in this world who comes for me. Not for He Ruifei. Not for General Feihong. Just for me. Coming for me.” He Yan
“Women are never inferior to men. Through the ages, people have claimed women belong at embroidery frames and housewifery. But must we women be confined to domestic roles or limited to needlework? We can write and fight. We can write literary masterpieces. We can charge into battle and earn glory. We’re not just waiting to be saved. We can save ourselves.” He Yan
“Swords are for enemies. Never against the weak.” He Yan
“You [He Yan] and I always share similar experiences. Be it our pasts or present, your pains resonate within me. It was you… Because of you, I chose to believe.” Xiao Jue
"She [He Yan] graces my view, occupies my mind and claims my heart" Xiao Jue
“As the General Feihong, you must soar freely in the sky.” Xiao Jue
“Even against ten men, let alone women, she’d [He Yan'd] still prevail.” Xiao Jue
“Many people may show consideration for others, but those [He Yan] who would sacrifice themselves for other people at critical moments are exceedingly rare.” Xiao Jue
“I know you are worried about my safety. But you must realise that once I wear this amour, I become a soldier, fearless of death.” He Yan
“He Yan, receive orders! Come back alive.” Xiao Jue
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