This review may contain spoilers
First half is so-so, latter half is VERY good! Overall a good watch
To be honest, the first half of the drama I found a bit draggy and the plot was mediocre, but I'm so glad I continued watching because the second half just keeps getting better and better, with the last few episodes being EXTREMELY good. I give the first half 6/10, second half 10/10, overall 8/10. (I think it took me over a week to get through the first half, then I binge-watched the second half over two days.)
First of all: this drama did an AMAZING job of creating a large cast of complex and likeable characters. I actually cannot think of a character I didn't like by the end! I was rooting for literally everyone to get a happy ending. (Even the villains of the story had good backstories, had understandable motives, and made me sympathize with them.) Plus each character had their own distinct personalities and were well-developed, side characters had interactions with other side characters as well (they didn't just revolve around the main characters). All the interactions between characters felt so natural and relationships (be it romantic relationships, friendships, or reluctant camaraderie) developed gradually, nothing felt forced.
Before I go on about how amazing the second half was, I will have to reiterate that the first half was fairly mediocre. The main character is given tasks to save characters in the story, but IMO there was too many of this and it got a bit repetitive/draggy. In addition, in episode 2 the main character starts pretending to be "dumb" and while there is a logical reason for this (and some of the other characters do start to see through her act fairly quickly), I personally am not a fan of this trope and find it a bit annoying (nothing against the actress though, she did a good job).
Fortunately, once this part is done, the story starts getting REALLY really good. Especially after the 4 main characters embark on their quest to Tianyin City (end of episode 15), the plot gets progressively more and more engaging, and just keeps ramping up until the end. Basically, without mentioning any spoilers, it revolves around finding the secret to a map that everyone covets, a political scheme to overthrow the throne, with lots of romance and touching moments. The female lead is not overpowered or Mary Sue (doesn't know martial arts), but she absolutely holds her own and is capable and intelligent. The male lead is also smart and has good martial arts skills. The second male & female leads (Yuwen Xiu and A Zi) also had an engaging storyline, and I really appreciated that there was no love triangle shenanigans between the four main characters.
I will agree with the other reviewer that there was one death that felt too cruel and unnecessary (although a side character). And I also felt heartbroken for Yuwen Xiu and A Zi (but I will consider theirs an open ending...will add more in spoiler tags in the comments).
Overall: highly recommend, the last 10 episodes are absolutely worth it!
First of all: this drama did an AMAZING job of creating a large cast of complex and likeable characters. I actually cannot think of a character I didn't like by the end! I was rooting for literally everyone to get a happy ending. (Even the villains of the story had good backstories, had understandable motives, and made me sympathize with them.) Plus each character had their own distinct personalities and were well-developed, side characters had interactions with other side characters as well (they didn't just revolve around the main characters). All the interactions between characters felt so natural and relationships (be it romantic relationships, friendships, or reluctant camaraderie) developed gradually, nothing felt forced.
Before I go on about how amazing the second half was, I will have to reiterate that the first half was fairly mediocre. The main character is given tasks to save characters in the story, but IMO there was too many of this and it got a bit repetitive/draggy. In addition, in episode 2 the main character starts pretending to be "dumb" and while there is a logical reason for this (and some of the other characters do start to see through her act fairly quickly), I personally am not a fan of this trope and find it a bit annoying (nothing against the actress though, she did a good job).
Fortunately, once this part is done, the story starts getting REALLY really good. Especially after the 4 main characters embark on their quest to Tianyin City (end of episode 15), the plot gets progressively more and more engaging, and just keeps ramping up until the end. Basically, without mentioning any spoilers, it revolves around finding the secret to a map that everyone covets, a political scheme to overthrow the throne, with lots of romance and touching moments. The female lead is not overpowered or Mary Sue (doesn't know martial arts), but she absolutely holds her own and is capable and intelligent. The male lead is also smart and has good martial arts skills. The second male & female leads (Yuwen Xiu and A Zi) also had an engaging storyline, and I really appreciated that there was no love triangle shenanigans between the four main characters.
I will agree with the other reviewer that there was one death that felt too cruel and unnecessary (although a side character). And I also felt heartbroken for Yuwen Xiu and A Zi (but I will consider theirs an open ending...will add more in spoiler tags in the comments).
Overall: highly recommend, the last 10 episodes are absolutely worth it!
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