Unique, Extraordinary, Cherished
My Top Points:1. The relationship arc and chemistry between the leads are amazing.
2. Wang Churan's emotionally intelligent acting is Extraordinary.
3. The writing has surprising depth and literary qualities.
4. If you're into very emotionally-charged storyline and psychological depth, the payoff can be powerful, ecstatic.
5. New government show length regulation forced the show to cut some non-critical scenes, leading to a few editing challengesm rough edges/dangling references.
This is an unusual and very emotionally intelligent show. It’s a deep study of trust, love, and redemption, best appreciated for its mature, psychological, artistic, and literary qualities. The setting is Song Dynasty China. The genre is primarily Chinese Historical Drama, blending elements of psychological depth, romantic comedy, and touches of warfare, martial arts, and Wuxia.
The casual viewer can enjoy its many light moments, but it rewards attentive viewing. There are layers of meaning, symmetries, symbolism, cross-episode references, and deeply human truths woven throughout. The character development, conflicts, and craftsmanship combine the best of Chinese dramatic tradition with a universality reminiscent of Shakespeare.
Don’t be quick to judge the morality, actions, or words of the main characters. This is a long-view story, paced according to real-time relationship psychology. The leads often understand far more than they express. Lies and truth, true love and circumstantial hate coexist — and the story shows how one can reclaim the good while rejecting the bad. The male lead is driven by guilt and undying love; the female lead, by fear and that same undying love.
Aside from the gorgeous lead actors, the visuals are interesting and highly stylized, particularly in regard to lighting and color palette choices. For example, they sometimes use a golden light filter during positive emotionally-charged scenes. Much of the interior design style is seems a trendy eclectic blend of Song Dynasty, Japanese Soji, and American Mission styles, which works for me. However, sometimes the use of fluorescent backlighting is arguably a bit much, and the number of candles can get comical. The original song and musical motifs/themes are very beautiful and touching.
Note: the scenes in the intro and outro montages — they’re out of sequence for thematic reasons, and there are meaningful patterns to notice. Also, several scenes were cut due to new government length regulation that necessitated pruning. This leads to some interesting ambiguities about timing and possible hidden connections, which I enjoy thinking about.
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