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A very mixed opinion …

I'm a little disappointed with this series, probably because I had high expectations going in, especially with actors as EXCELLENT as He Yu and Meng Zi Yi!


But first, let's start with all the positive points that earned this show an 8 as for me:

About the FL:
The FL's personality and demeanour were very satisfying. She wasn't the type to let others walk all over her, and she always acted with wisdom and thoughtfulness, never rashly. She showed great insight and knew when to act and when to be patient, which gave her a truly enviable charisma. Her trust wasn't given lightly; it had to be earned. (Which, incidentally, led to a bit too much hostility towards the ML for my taste, but otherwise it was fine.)

About the ML:
A man who has mastered the art of flirting, and whose cheerful, teasing personality gives the series a fun and exciting edge. Beneath his somewhat petty exterior and mocking demeanour, he is very strong and capable of bearing heavy psychological burdens. He's intelligent and calculating, but also tender, passionate and warm-hearted, although his love for the FL perhaps made him a bit selfish. Be that as it may, there wouldn't have been a series if he hadn't been a little like that, would there?

Overall:
The costumes and sets were spot on: beautiful and well done ✨ The fight scenes were quite good too. It's a shame they couldn't be pushed further because of the ML's illness, but they were still enjoyable.
The bond between some of the brothers was touching at times, and for once, we have an emperor who's actually a good guy 🌷



Now, let's talk about what took a bit of the magic away:

It's a shame, because the premise was promising and there were plenty of interesting storylines and captivating characters (such as Prince Lee, Tian Yuan, or Shen Ying Ruo, the FL's younger sister), but unfortunately we never got to see them developed further. I've also seen better chemistry between leads. It wasn't bad at all, it just lacked that little touch of magic…
I would also have liked the affectionate moments between the leads to be spread more evenly throughout the series, rather than packed in towards the end, just before the ML's death.

Overall, the series lacked balance: the beginning was far too slow and dull, and it wasn't until around episode 25 that the real issues were addressed, but too quickly and in a rushed way. You don't get time to truly appreciate it…
And finally, please, what was that ending??? I'll be honest: I'm not a big fan of sad endings, but this one!! They should have just left the ML dead. It would have been far more believable and kept the emotional impact intact. Instead, they wrapped everything up without properly explaining or justifying anything, which destroyed the series' credibility.



So why 8?
I personally gave it 8/10 because, when it comes to dramas, I rate based on the emotions I feel. A single episode can raise or lower my rating by a whole star. That was the case with episode 32: an emotional breaking point, perfectly delivered by our amazing actors ✨!!

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