the second half is NOT it
like i said in the headline, second half is not it. while it served eye-pleasing visual as a result of a good cinematography, the plot fell flat on the second half. it felt like grasping at straws at best.though i have to admit, they had their way of vying for the audience's attention instead of urging me / the audience to abandon it right away. gotta give credit where it's due 🤷♀️
at least, the chemistry helped. though, frankly, with no offense to Ju Jing Yi, i felt quite saddened that i only got to see Zheng He Hui Zi for only a split second.
is it good? meh. depends. but i do enjoy it. even if i learned very early on that i shouldn't hope for much. is it recommended? well yeah, of course. is it rewatchable? unfortunately, not really. though again, don't just take my words, watch it yourself and only you can judge whether it's worth rewatching or not.
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set the standards for me!!!!
smart FL x smart ML? YES PLEASE!it was my second cdrama, after In Blossom, so i have my expectations set on low and decided to just enjoy the ride instead of setting a certain standard. and boy oh boy, did it DELIVERED!!! i was not disappointed and i'm sure i have never devoured all 34 episodes so quickly before—it's just that addicting!!
as a plot-centered girlie, i can say that i am truly satisfied. yes, it can get overwhelming at times, but that's the advantage of watching it on a streaming platform, no? i can always rewind to catch myself up. but. then again. i didn't do that often—most of the time, the plot itself flowed smoothly like a river. there's no obvious 'scene-chopping' that i could notice, and so i believe that everything had been carefully and meticulously planned so that every single arc could be told without losing the audience's attention.
the romance tho? UGH. don't even get me started!!!! even on the first episode, the chemistry between ML and FL, despite being strangers, had already shone through—it captivated and amazed me at the same time, because HOW?! you were strangers, guys, how did you pack up SO. MUCH. emotion into a single scene??! it took me a while to realize that this was one of those type of dramas in which the romance was a slow-burn so i was crossing my fingers (some dramas just don't do the slow-burn trope justice), but to my relief, it was done so beautifully, infused with so much yearning, with that depth of emotions that hit just right, and so many moments that practically screams "oh my gosh, they're soulmates!". so yeah, needless to say that by the time they finally got together, i erupted a loud cheer that my mom scolded me for (but worth it!)
song mo was basically an enabler and i love to see him cater to every single one of his wife's plan and strategy. that man was down bad! only to have his feelings returned tenfold by dou zhao? soulmatism i say! no, but, seriously, in this second life, even without the reminder of their past lives, they made a very powerful couple, a healthy one at that too! with clear communication, unconditional trust, and all-encompassing love. ugh, I love to see romance done right!!
that aside, i don't know the budget but the vibes told me that it's probably a handsome amount—the production had that elegant, lavish kind of vibe. the VFX was done beautifully too. the acting was impressive, needless to say. though, some missed their marks, it didn't stain on the rest. the cinematography? well, they didn't show it that often, but when they did, it was beautiful that some scenes are practically engraved to your brain (example being that infamous kissing / departing scene, song mo on the horse with dou zhao on the ground?! GAH THAT WAS EPIC!!!!).
so yeah. a balanced amount of good plots and slow burn romance, with the gritty scenes of action and the fluffiest of slowburn romance—what more could convince you to watch this masterpiece?!
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