39 Episodes of Perfection… One Episode of Disaster
Zhang Linghe is one of my favorite actors coming out of mainland China right now. The first drama I saw him in was My Journey to You, and I loved it—but the writer left me hanging. There was so much more I wanted to know about the characters and where their stories were headed.
Then he stepped into the lead again in Story of Kunning Palace, and that’s where he really pulled me in. He has this way of drawing you into his character without forcing it. It feels natural, almost effortless. And when it comes to emotional scenes—especially the intimate ones—you can tell he commits fully. There’s real passion there, not just acting for the camera.
In The Legend of Shen Li, the storyline was strong, and the director absolutely delivered on the fight scenes. They had that “wow” factor—the kind that makes you sit up and pay attention.
Now… here’s where I’m going to be honest.
The FL, in my opinion, should’ve been cast differently. Maybe it was the way her character was written, but she came off too distant—especially during the romantic scenes. There was a lack of emotional connection, and when you’re paired with someone like Zhang Linghe, who gives 100%, that gap becomes very noticeable. And I’ll say it straight—if an actor can’t handle romantic scenes, they shouldn’t be in roles that require them. Chemistry matters. Period.
That said, the drama did have emotional weight. I actually felt for the emperor. He wasn’t just a background figure—he was used, disregarded, and pushed to the point of a mental breakdown. That kind of character arc adds depth, and the supporting cast overall did a great job bringing the story to life.
But here’s my biggest issue…
From episode 1 to 39, I was completely hooked. Then we had to wait all the way until episode 38 just to see the ML and FL finally come together as husband and wife. That felt dragged out. Realistically, when two people love each other, that bond shows much earlier—the emotional and physical connection doesn’t wait until the very end. Writers really need to learn how to build romance more naturally instead of holding it back like it’s some final reward.
And then came episode 40…
It completely fell apart.
Whether it was the director or the writer, the ending was all over the place. It didn’t flow, it didn’t make sense, and honestly, it felt rushed and poorly put together—like they just wanted to wrap it up and move on. Maybe it’s due to episode limits or not wanting to commit to a second season, but either way, that last episode was a total waste and left me frustrated.
Still… despite all that, it’s a good drama.
And let’s be real—that’s largely because of Zhang Linghe. He carried it.
Then he stepped into the lead again in Story of Kunning Palace, and that’s where he really pulled me in. He has this way of drawing you into his character without forcing it. It feels natural, almost effortless. And when it comes to emotional scenes—especially the intimate ones—you can tell he commits fully. There’s real passion there, not just acting for the camera.
In The Legend of Shen Li, the storyline was strong, and the director absolutely delivered on the fight scenes. They had that “wow” factor—the kind that makes you sit up and pay attention.
Now… here’s where I’m going to be honest.
The FL, in my opinion, should’ve been cast differently. Maybe it was the way her character was written, but she came off too distant—especially during the romantic scenes. There was a lack of emotional connection, and when you’re paired with someone like Zhang Linghe, who gives 100%, that gap becomes very noticeable. And I’ll say it straight—if an actor can’t handle romantic scenes, they shouldn’t be in roles that require them. Chemistry matters. Period.
That said, the drama did have emotional weight. I actually felt for the emperor. He wasn’t just a background figure—he was used, disregarded, and pushed to the point of a mental breakdown. That kind of character arc adds depth, and the supporting cast overall did a great job bringing the story to life.
But here’s my biggest issue…
From episode 1 to 39, I was completely hooked. Then we had to wait all the way until episode 38 just to see the ML and FL finally come together as husband and wife. That felt dragged out. Realistically, when two people love each other, that bond shows much earlier—the emotional and physical connection doesn’t wait until the very end. Writers really need to learn how to build romance more naturally instead of holding it back like it’s some final reward.
And then came episode 40…
It completely fell apart.
Whether it was the director or the writer, the ending was all over the place. It didn’t flow, it didn’t make sense, and honestly, it felt rushed and poorly put together—like they just wanted to wrap it up and move on. Maybe it’s due to episode limits or not wanting to commit to a second season, but either way, that last episode was a total waste and left me frustrated.
Still… despite all that, it’s a good drama.
And let’s be real—that’s largely because of Zhang Linghe. He carried it.
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