This review may contain spoilers
Fantasy steeped in reality, soft angst vibes
Everyone says stop at Ep. 29 if you want the happy ending, but after I got there I was content enough to keep watching until Ep. 30. Honestly, the foreshadowing throughout the episodes were pretty subtle, but it made sense for those who were paying attention so I didn't find the big reveal in the last episode abrupt at all.
[VAGUE SPOILER REFERENCES AHEAD READ AT YOUR OWN RISK]
I really enjoyed watching the series with the villainess main character and how she struggled through her past to change everything. I like how she got everything she wanted to change from Ep. 1 to 29, and how we got more depth into her family. Whether or not they were really as warmhearted as she thought they were, at least her heart believed they were. And there's a pervasive sense of uncertainty throughout the entire story that comes with Hua Qian struggling to walk step-by-step through another day; I think her sense of fear and anxiety is very real, but it's done in the subtle angst way I like that's not in your face. Melodrama frustrates me, but Scent of Time's drama is more like incense: intense but also insubstantial, so that it doesn't hurt as much as it seeps into her pores.
It is definitely a melancholy series with sadness throughout, but I loved the reality she had to face at the end. Maybe it's because I'm older, but that's how life works: it's not perfect, and you have to deal with the consequences of your actions no matter how you regret them. Everything else is escapism.
I agree with Chinese netizens who noted that Mu Yao's acting was a little stiff (her eyes are so blank like omg) but the strength of the story carried the day so I could keep going. The sudden cameos by Sun Yi, Yang Xuwen, and Peng Xiaoran in Ep. 28-29 were hilarious considering how big names they were, but they were still enjoyable. And Zhou Ye had to stretch her acting chops to be tragic so while she's not a stellar actress I still like what she did!
I also like how even though things were tragic in EP. 30, Hua Qian stil gets a chance to be "forgiven" with Zhong and Mu Yao talking to her and Mu Yao apologizing. I like how it's Mu Yao, who's suffered the most, who tells Hua Qian to move on and let bygones be bygones, because I really think it needed to come from her.
You can write so many fanfics from this. Also, don't forget the producer has the animated extra that tells what happened to Hua Qian and Zhong Xiwu after EP. 30!! So you know, it's a happy ending no matter what: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdcOUvoh-k0
Last but not least, a part of me still believes EP. 1-29 really exists in a separate world line. There's no reason for Hua Rongzhu to have such a complex backstory otherwise, is my reasoning. Also, did you know Zhong Xiwu is actually the emperor in the novel version? Might be fun to check out hahaha: https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-scent-of-time/
Anyways this is just me rambling, I'm finishing up EP. 30 as we speak and ahhhh the setup was good, the music is perfect (it's rare for me to hear piano as BGM for a costume drama used so often, feels a bit different but I like it). I was so afraid I'd hate this drama because of the twist ending but what do you know? I eat up this flavor of drama/angst/redemption exactly, and I loved it! So don't base your opinions on dramas on reviews hahaha~
[VAGUE SPOILER REFERENCES AHEAD READ AT YOUR OWN RISK]
I really enjoyed watching the series with the villainess main character and how she struggled through her past to change everything. I like how she got everything she wanted to change from Ep. 1 to 29, and how we got more depth into her family. Whether or not they were really as warmhearted as she thought they were, at least her heart believed they were. And there's a pervasive sense of uncertainty throughout the entire story that comes with Hua Qian struggling to walk step-by-step through another day; I think her sense of fear and anxiety is very real, but it's done in the subtle angst way I like that's not in your face. Melodrama frustrates me, but Scent of Time's drama is more like incense: intense but also insubstantial, so that it doesn't hurt as much as it seeps into her pores.
It is definitely a melancholy series with sadness throughout, but I loved the reality she had to face at the end. Maybe it's because I'm older, but that's how life works: it's not perfect, and you have to deal with the consequences of your actions no matter how you regret them. Everything else is escapism.
I agree with Chinese netizens who noted that Mu Yao's acting was a little stiff (her eyes are so blank like omg) but the strength of the story carried the day so I could keep going. The sudden cameos by Sun Yi, Yang Xuwen, and Peng Xiaoran in Ep. 28-29 were hilarious considering how big names they were, but they were still enjoyable. And Zhou Ye had to stretch her acting chops to be tragic so while she's not a stellar actress I still like what she did!
I also like how even though things were tragic in EP. 30, Hua Qian stil gets a chance to be "forgiven" with Zhong and Mu Yao talking to her and Mu Yao apologizing. I like how it's Mu Yao, who's suffered the most, who tells Hua Qian to move on and let bygones be bygones, because I really think it needed to come from her.
You can write so many fanfics from this. Also, don't forget the producer has the animated extra that tells what happened to Hua Qian and Zhong Xiwu after EP. 30!! So you know, it's a happy ending no matter what: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdcOUvoh-k0
Last but not least, a part of me still believes EP. 1-29 really exists in a separate world line. There's no reason for Hua Rongzhu to have such a complex backstory otherwise, is my reasoning. Also, did you know Zhong Xiwu is actually the emperor in the novel version? Might be fun to check out hahaha: https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-scent-of-time/
Anyways this is just me rambling, I'm finishing up EP. 30 as we speak and ahhhh the setup was good, the music is perfect (it's rare for me to hear piano as BGM for a costume drama used so often, feels a bit different but I like it). I was so afraid I'd hate this drama because of the twist ending but what do you know? I eat up this flavor of drama/angst/redemption exactly, and I loved it! So don't base your opinions on dramas on reviews hahaha~
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