Brilliant Acting, Beautiful Music — But the Script Let Them Down
Before diving into my thoughts on the storyline itself, I have to pause and talk about the soundtrack — because wow, it deserves its own standing ovation. The music in this drama is breathtakingly touching. If you haven’t yet, take a moment to listen with English subtitles; you’ll feel every lyric sink into your heart.
A special round of applause to Liu Yu Ning. His voice? Absolutely captivating. He led several of the songs and poured so much emotion into each one. Truly, the OST wouldn’t be the same without him.
I also want to give deep appreciation to the cast. Their performances elevated this drama and brought the story to life. Li Yi Tong was actually one of the reasons I tuned in — her work in Bloody Romance left such a strong impression on me, and I was hoping for another equally powerful performance here. Unfortunately, the scriptwriting failed her. Her character was written so frustratingly that at one point, I honestly considered dropping the drama. But I stuck it out — mostly thanks to the humor sprinkled throughout and, once again, because of Liu Yu Ning’s incredible acting.
Liu Yu Ning never disappoints me. He gave his character layers — cold and sharp when needed, yet full of compassion beneath the surface. He knows how to balance strength and vulnerability so well.
On a side note, I want to mention Wang You Shuo. This poor man seems forever cast as either the “bad guy” or the one who never gets the girl. I’ve admired his acting since The Inextricable Destiny; he has this way of putting his entire heart and soul into his characters, and it deserves more recognition than he gets.
Now, for the bittersweet part: this drama could have been great. It had all the ingredients — strong actors, emotional depth, a beautiful soundtrack — but the scriptwriting dragged it down. What could’ve been a tight, powerful 20-episode masterpiece was stretched into a 40-episode endurance test. The pacing suffered, and at times it felt unnecessarily prolonged.
If the script had been sharper, my rating would’ve been much higher. Instead, I leave this drama with mixed feelings — admiration for the actors and music, but frustration at the wasted potential.
A special round of applause to Liu Yu Ning. His voice? Absolutely captivating. He led several of the songs and poured so much emotion into each one. Truly, the OST wouldn’t be the same without him.
I also want to give deep appreciation to the cast. Their performances elevated this drama and brought the story to life. Li Yi Tong was actually one of the reasons I tuned in — her work in Bloody Romance left such a strong impression on me, and I was hoping for another equally powerful performance here. Unfortunately, the scriptwriting failed her. Her character was written so frustratingly that at one point, I honestly considered dropping the drama. But I stuck it out — mostly thanks to the humor sprinkled throughout and, once again, because of Liu Yu Ning’s incredible acting.
Liu Yu Ning never disappoints me. He gave his character layers — cold and sharp when needed, yet full of compassion beneath the surface. He knows how to balance strength and vulnerability so well.
On a side note, I want to mention Wang You Shuo. This poor man seems forever cast as either the “bad guy” or the one who never gets the girl. I’ve admired his acting since The Inextricable Destiny; he has this way of putting his entire heart and soul into his characters, and it deserves more recognition than he gets.
Now, for the bittersweet part: this drama could have been great. It had all the ingredients — strong actors, emotional depth, a beautiful soundtrack — but the scriptwriting dragged it down. What could’ve been a tight, powerful 20-episode masterpiece was stretched into a 40-episode endurance test. The pacing suffered, and at times it felt unnecessarily prolonged.
If the script had been sharper, my rating would’ve been much higher. Instead, I leave this drama with mixed feelings — admiration for the actors and music, but frustration at the wasted potential.
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