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Really enjoyed ep 1. Gives the vibes of an old school, comforting romcom. Some laughs, some romance, a bit angst in there, just easy to watch, feel good and comforting, exactly what I feel like right now.

Suggesting, Against the current, 47 ep cdrama. Honestly it's a very long drama, 47 eps, with a lot happening, so was hard to recap. No break up in my opinion, and a realistic but happy ending. This drama in my opinion has a realistic and mature/grounded tone. The romance at times is sweet and cute, but also feels realistic and mature, it’s a grown up type of romance. Theres a reasons this was a mega, mega hit in china, very enjoyable watch with strong story telling and complex characters. Did drop in quality around the middle section from ep 28-37ish with an annoying plot line, but overall a really enjoyable watch. It’s a female empowerment type drama, with a focus on romance and family. Marriage/start of relationship in ep 27.

For this drama think of a mix of flourished peony and first jasmine. While the plots are different, the tone of the overall show is similar to flourished peony, seeing a strong fl rise from nothing, with a focus on her smarts and strength. The storytelling and interesting characters really shine and make this drama enjoyable. While the romance feels similar to first jasmine, it’s a mature, realistic romance. While sweet and cute at times, it’s not over the top, doesn’t have a lot of swoon worthy or like idol drama moments if that makes sense. It feels realistic, their support and love is not loud, but it’s strong and sweet. Theres a lot of romance don’t get me wrong, but it has a mature tone to it, like first jasmine. There are a couple kisses, but the romance is mostly shown through their strong support rather than swoon worthy actions. Honestly, could technically be slowburn, ml falls early, but fl falls slower, marriage in ep 27, but not in good circumstances which I’ll explain. Truly feels married in ep 36.

Now quickly, I said no break up but technically in ep 1, ml and fl are betrothed as kid/teenagers, as their families are close. But fl’s family has a downfall and ml’s family cancels the wedding agreement, fl’s family all dying soon after. I don’t count this as a break up as literally all happens in the first 15 mins, and ml and fl are kids who don’t know each other, but thought I would mention it quickly.

The relationship overall was pretty enjoyable to watch. Starts with fl as a maid in ml’s house, after she faked her death when her family dies, she is raised by a kind family. Ml is originally married but is in a loveless marriage, never been intimate with his wife, and his wife is cheating on him, he doesn’t care. When he finds out, he simply forces her to divorce him like he always wanted really. May bother some people ml as married but, it felt realistic. When ml and fl meet again they are both adults, ml doesn’t know who she is. Ml is from a powerful family and his marriage was one of convenience, so it does make sense. Ml’s wife is horrible so I had no issues really. Ml slowly falls for fl as he sees her strength and smarts. Starting as a maid she slowly rises up, helping members of ml’s family and ml himself deal with schemes, showing off her smarts and strength. Its cute seeing ml fall for fl slowly, and fl also has a soft spot for ml, but due to her past and different status, she doesn’t really fall for ml romantically till later compared to him. But seeing their relationship develop, especially seeing ml slowly fall for fl was cute.

Overall, the relationship between ml and fl had minimal misunderstands and angst, they worked together very well overall. They get married in ep 27. However, this is the start of honestly the one major argument they had between each other. A little annoying, as pretty much the whole drama they had minimal cliche’s and annoying relationship angst, the relationship between ml and fl was a breathe of fresh air, but here went down a little bit. This is why I mentioned at the start, and also many comments also though, that the quality in eps dipped between eps 28-39ish. The overall plot between these eps wasn’t so great, especially compared to the really good story telling so far.

Essentially, fl was going to marry 2ml, not because she likes him, but because her parents/the people who took her in and saved her, thought it was a good marriage and she was happy to go along, as she was friends with 2ml and cared about her parents more than anyone. Ml used an imperial decree to force her to marry him in ep 27. This starts an annoying cycle from about ep 28-36. Ml believes fl misses 2ml, we know she doesn’t like 2ml, but she never tells ml this until ep 36. So for about 9 eps it’s a cycle of fl being cold/upset, ml not understanding why fl is upset thinking it’s because of 2ml, ml being jealous while also sayings sweet things to fl, fl continues being cold. This cycle repeats for quite a while. Fl is angry because she had her freedom taken and ml showed no respect for her. Instead of going to her parents and formally asking for marriage, and letting fl decide, she was forced into it by an imperial decree. She had no choice and her freedom was taken. So to be clear she doesn’t like 2ml, thats obvious to us as viewers. But every time ml brings up 2ml and how he believes fl is mad at him because of 2ml, she mentions how she is upset at her freedom being taken, but never tells ml clearly she doesn’t like 2m, until eps 36/37 when this is resolved. So for 8-9 eps the cycle repeats. I totally get why fl is upset, feels realistic, even if she has a soft spot for ml, having the marriage forced on her would no doubt make her upset. Was just really annoying how because she never told ml outright she does not like 2ml for so long, the cycle of coldness and jealousy repeats over and over. Felt like lazy writing, as the opposite of what had been seen up to now, as ml and fl had worked together and communicated so well.

This is eventually all cleared up in ep 36 when fl finally tells ml clearly she never liked 2ml in that way, he was just a friend. From there we finally see the relationship progress, as ml realises what he did was wrong and promises to make it up to her. He also proves to fl through his actions how much he cares for her. Fl also begins seeing how much ml has done for her without her knowing. As a result, her coldness finally begins to fade, in ep 39 they re-go through a marriage ceremony between them and sleep together, signifying a proper start to their marriage.

Honestly, besides from eps 28-37ish, their relationship is extremely supportive and co-operative. From when fl was ml’s maid, to their marriage, they always worked well and always protected each other, which was why it was so enjoyable. For example, when married, fl was given evidence that ml helped the previously deposed crown prince, a treasonous action, and she burned the evidence to protect him. Ml found out fl’s real identity, and he also burned the evidence to protect her. They both chose to burn crucial evidence of the other’s crimes, to protect the other, showing their extreme loyalty and support for each other. So besides the annoying plot line between 28-37ish, I really did enjoy the supportive nature of ml and fl’s relationship.

Quickly, 2ml was introduced mid-way through, didn’t get much screen time. He was a really good guy, relaly likable, never did anything bad, so I really had no issues with him.

Also, I said realistic but happy ending. Ml and fl get their happy ending, but due to ml’s injuries from lots of fighting, after a decade or two of peaceful and happy marriage, and after seeing their daughter grow up, ml dies before fl. He passes away peacefully in fl’s arms. Quick time skip, fl grows old and dies to end the drama. So a realistic but happy ending.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable cdrama. The storytelling was really strong, 47 eps but there was always something going on that kept you engaged. It is a fl-centric empowerment drama, so expect the fl to be extremely smart and resourceful. And yes eps 28-37ish were annoying, especially seeing ml and l’s relationship, and the overall plot/writing did go downhill these few eps. But apart from that, the story telling and plot was very engaging and really well done. This won’t be like most other idol dramas. Like I said, it’s a mature, realistic type drama and the romance is the same. The focus is on strong storytelling with complex characters. Don’t expect too many flashy scenes, it’s a grounded cdrama with a strong plot and interesting and complex characters. With a pretty enjoyable central relationship. Overall, while it did have some flaws and an annoying mid section, its was still a very enjoyable and worthy watch.

Suggesting spring of the blade, 30 ep historical cdrama. No break up and a happy ending. Marriage in ep 24. Overall, I really did really enjoy this drama and the main relationship. For the most part, it was a really enjoyable main relationship with very strong chemistry. I will say, I’ll explain later, the last 10 eps weren’t as good, the first 19-20 eps were really enjoyable, went a little downhill in my opinion in the last 10 eps, but to be clear it wasn’t bad, just not as good as the first 19 eps. But still really enjoyable overall.

Ml and fl start out as untrusting allies, ml forces fl to help him, fl doesn’t trust ml but slowly as they work together more, they enter into a proper alliance and then fall for each other, with a childhood connection as well. For the most part, the main relationship was predictable, nothing new but thats not a bad thing. It was done really well with strong chemistry which made it really enjoyable. I really enjoyed watching ml and fl’s relationship develop from untrusting allies to falling for each other. Seeing them work together against their enemies, while flirting and having sparks between them, was really enjoyable to watch. First kiss was ep 6 but was done to hide their spying, but seeing the push and pull after, their chemistry, seeing them work together and fall for each other, was really enjoyable. Ml fell first and quite early, but fl only really accepted she liked ml and made it obvious around ep 14 I think. Marriage in ep 24/also when they become an official couple, so you could say it was slowburn, but you could see they like each other from much earlier, and were constantly flirting, so I didn’t mind.

The best part was, for most of the drama, ml and fl have very minimal relationship drama and angst, no real arguments once they begin working together properly around ep 7. From then on, theres a few minor disagreements where fl does something that makes ml angry but more like jealous, but when that happens fl explains what she was planning soon after and they quickly move on. The main relationship was very flirtatious and captivating, with ml and fl having strong chemistry, without having to include the annoying angst or misunderstandings we so often see. One of my favorite things is when all the drama comes from dealing with enemies and schemes, while the main relationship itself is mostly strong and steady. Thats was the case here for most of the drama, except for eps 20-24.

This is where I was a little disappointed as I mentioned before at the eps after 20. For most of the drama the relationship angst and misunderstandings were kept minimal, most of the drama and angst come from outside the relationship. Except from eps 20-24. It feels like they really upped the relationship angst in eps 20-24, which was annoying. In ep 20, due to secret orders from the emperor ml can’t share, he tells fl he will protect her father, the one fl wants revenge against for her mothers death, and who ml had been helping her against. This causes a misunderstanding which makes her angry and hurt and distance herself from him. To get revenge using 2ml’s powerful family, she agrees to marry 2ml. It’s very clear she likes ml, she shows instant regret after agreeing. In ep 23, night before the wedding she gets drunk, her and ml kiss passionately, going to the bedroom almost sleeping together. Then fl says she will give him one last chance, ml asks her to wait for him a little longer, promising to help her achieve her goals, she says she can’t wait, telling him its now or never, he leaves and she decides to continue with the marrige. Only for her family to swap her out with her sister and then force her to become a concubine. Ml saves her and they get married.

This to me was annoying because it felt like fl acted out of character just so the writers could include some relationship angst which had been avoided so far. Fl the whole drama was smart, strong and independent. She says in ep 22, when ml asks won’t she regret marrying some she honest like, she says she will regret more if she doesn’t get revenge for her mother, she also says its the price she has to pay for revenge, marrying someone she doesn’t like. She understands the gravity of her choice, and it’s very clear she is only marrying 2ml as she believes using his families power is the only way she can get revenge now. Which is why I think it’s so uncharacteristic of her to not come up with another plan. She had been so independent and willing to do everything herself the whole drama, coming up with so many schemes, felt unlike her to decide the only way for revenge was to marry 2ml.

Luckily though, this doesn’t last long, she first distances herself from ml in ep 20, agrees to marry 2ml in ep 21, passionate kiss with ml giving hime one last chance in ep 23, ml saves and marries fl very beginning ep 24. So I do like how it was quick. And some people may enjoy the angst honestly, and to be fair there was a very nice scene of ml saving ml and them getting married. But in my opinion there was no need for any relationship angst, as the many enemies and schemes and watching ml and fl get revenge while flirting and getting closer, was already very enjoyable. Thats why I was annoyed and disappointed that they included this relationship angst which they had avoided for most of the drama. But again, was only a few eps and it didn’t ruin my enjoyment, still really enjoyed the drama overall and the main relationship. And besides these few eps, like I mentioned, they really did avoid the relationship angst and annoying misunderstandings for the whole drama which was really nice.

Also quickly, in ep 18 ml and fl agree to meet, but ml leaves her a letter asking her to wait. She is upset, but she does wait, as she told him when he returns in ep 19/20. And to be clear, when she distances herself from ml in ep 20, its not a break up as ml and fl are not a couple them. They clearly like each other and both know it, but not a break up as they were not official. Also in ep 25, ml fakes his death, I thought this was going to be another cliche but don’t worry, in ep 26 its revealed this was a plan ml, fl and their close friends came ups with together. This was nice to see that fl was in on the plan the whole time. Also, I mentioned a childhood connection, they were very close as children, suffering trauma and death together, but went their own ways while young. They don’t recognize each other now, but ml realizes who fl is in ep 14, fl finds out in ep 18. Don’t worry this doesn’t cause any drama, just confirms and strengthens fl’s feelings for ml.

As for the 2ml, he wasn’t bad. He was nice, never did anything to harm ml or fl and helped them when they asked for it. He fell for fl at first sight, but fl rejected him nicely but strongly in ep 12 and he backed off, which was nice. Wasn’t too annoying and wasn’t around too much early on. But after ep 18, like I mentioned, they turned up the relationship angst, and he appeared again more often, got a bit annoying this time as he continually told fl how he would only marry her. Fl did nicely but strongly reject him many times, it was only after ml hurt her by protecting her father that she agreed. But again, he was never harmful or toxic, even after ml and fl married, so I had no real issue with him.

I mentioned before the last 10 eps weren’t as good as the first 19. Eps 20-24, has the relationship angst which was annoying and felt out of place compared to the rest of the drama, then eps 27-30, the issue I had was the romance and honestly ml and fl themselves were largely sidelined, which I felt was weird. It was almost totally focused on the villains and we barely got to see ml and fl at all, with pretty much no romance. Especially from 28-30, felt like they ran out of time, so the last 3 eps were pretty much just completely made up of 3 villains doing monologues and flashbacks. Lots of comments felt the same. I understand the need to wrap up the story and honestly eps 27-30 weren't bad, they were actually good, the backstory and downfall of the villains was pretty interesting and nice to watch, but I would have liked more involvement from the ml and fl, the leads felt completely sidelined from 28-30.

Romance wise, from eps 27-30 I’m not asking for a lot of kisses or full on romantic scenes, but just small moments of ml and fl sharing a meal or sitting together talking, that aren’t full on romance, but give a nice romantic feel and had been used throughout the drama disappeared from eps 27-30. The last one I can remember is in ep 25 when ml carries fl to bed after their wedding, with fl having a very cute and loving smile as it happens, it was so adorable and sweet needed more of it. And one in 29 where fl leans on ml and was like 5 seconds, thats all. That's what I felt was missing, it became totally focused on the enemies stories, while sidelining the leads and their romance.

Also the ending was very disappointing for me. After ml and fl walk away as fl’s father dies, their final enemy, to end the drama we just get a quick montage, that is mainly focused on fl’s step sisters and their happy ending, with ml and fl barely appearing in the montage. I would have liked to see ml and fl relaxing together after finally achieving everything they wanted, enjoying each others company, but instead we got a montage with less than 30 seconds of seeing ml and fl happy together living away from their old life. It was nice and sweet, but so very short. I didn’t really care for fl’s sisters, especially one of them which was toxic and mean to fl throughout. I didn’t mind her getting a happy ending, but also didn’t care as her character was toxic and annoying. So felt weird that the final montage was so focused on fl’s sisters happy ending, instead of the actually ml and fl happy ending. Reading the comments, seems quite a few people agree, not sure why production made this choice, but the focus on fl’s two sisters instead of the main relationship to end the drama felt so weird.

But to be clear, while I do think the eps from 20-30 were not as good as the first 19 eps, does not mean they were bad. They were still enjoyable and didn't ruin the drama for me, not even close, but the first 19 were just very good that the last 10 felt a bit lacking. Overall, eps 20-24 brought in relationship angst and drama that the show had avoided until then and eps 27-30 felt just too focused on the villains, that the main leads got very minimal screen time. But at least, 24 onwards there was no more relationship angst and we moved past that quickly. And honestly, some may enjoy the angst, and I will say the scene of ml reducing fl and getting married was really nice. And the villains backstory was pretty interesting to watch, just would have been nice if it was more spread out.

Overall, I did really enjoy watching this drama. The main highlight was besides from ep 20-24, the main relationship had minimal misunderstandings and relationship angst. We got to see ml and fl’s relationships develop from a tense and fiery alliance, to trusting partners and then romantic lovers. The constant flirting and seeing them fall for each other made the relationship feel engaging and very enjoyable to watch, while also making their relationship feel natural as it progressed. The chemistry was really strong. Yes the final 10 eps weren’t as good but they weren’t bad to be clear, still good eps and overall the slight dip in quality didn't affect my enjoyment too much. The ending was disappointing but still really enjoyed the drama overall. A pretty good watch.

Oh hahaha thats funny as, I guess since Sana is Japanese she thought she would be more comfortable but I'm sure dex did a great job like he always does. I'll check out the interview sounds interesting.

Oh yeh I know about his fridge interviews but never really watched them, had no idea she went on it, thats really cool about it being her first time without her group. Looking forward to seeing them together on the show even more now. Thanks for the info.

The original actress had a recent scandal a couple months ago and I believe she chose to step away from the drama because of that. She was very good, wish she stayed but I think it was her choice to step away due to her scandal, very unfortunate.

Very true, looking forward to him coming on, didn't know he interviewed her before but thats good to hear. He's definitely very good at making everyone relaxed and open up.

Ngl seeing Kazuha at the start of ep 5 was heartbreaking. I did a bit of research on her and KYK before watching as I didn't really know them too well, and like I can totally understand her. She first moved to Korea in 2022, and she's only 23 now, she's still pretty young. Never lived in or learnt Korean before 2022 I believe, so honestly only been like 4ish years. And that whole time from what she said in the ep, she's lived with her group members, so honestly can totally understand how difficult it must be to fit in by herself like this. Especially after moving to a totally different country, new language and all that, hasn't been that long. First variety show ever, and from what it seems, she rarely interacts with strangers without the comfort of her group members.

Seeing her put on a brave face and then crying was really emotional I thought, can be hard to try and fit in with others. Gained a lot of respect for her, very brave to appear on a show like this considering her background. And that flashback during her interview, where she was sitting on her bed like preparing herself before going out to talk with everyone, then having a smile as soon as she left her little box, I swear every introvert has done that before, I can really relate. Caught me off guard the start of ep 5 but I did enjoy how real and relatable it felt and also how the others comforted her and made more of an effort to include her after. Hopefully we can see Kazuha opening up and being herself more.

Oh really had no idea about that, makes sense thanks for the info

Hahaha was so unexpected

Oh yeh I just got to that, damn he's not playing around haha

After all the talk about the sex scenes I had a peak at ep 7 and damn, whether you like the drama or not, Netflix really did that justice, no way that would have made normal Korean tv. Makes me wonder how it's gonna go down in Korea but hey thats not my problem 😂. I'm all for it, lives up to its name and what it's meant to be.

Kdrama My bias, my boss, 12 ep romcom. Overall it's a pretty light hearted romance drama that isn't to be taken too seriously. No break up, and a happy ending. Predictable and cliche'd but also a light, easy watch they you don't have to think too much about. Overall enjoyable.

Pretty much it's a story we've seen many times, fl works at ml's company, she makes a bad first impression, they start off at odds then fall for each other, however there is a twist. Fl is a diehard fan of the 2ml who is an idol, and also ml's best friend. She gets the job originally intending to meet/work with 2ml. Overall, the drama is pretty predicable and cliched, you should know what to expect, nothing new, but it was still an enjoyable watch. I especially thought the fl and ml had good chemistry and had a cute relationship.

Be warned though, heavy love triangle for the first 7 eps. In the beginning fl has eyes only for 2ml, and 2ml slowly falls for her. However, at the same time fl and ml grow closer. Eventually in ep 6, 2ml asks fl out, she is excited but hesitant, unsure if she likes 2ml romantically or just likes/supports him as an idol, while also thinking more about ml. Her friends tell her to go on a few dates to see if she can like him as a romantic partner rather than being an idol. She agrees to go on 5 dates before deciding. The dates don't go well, she's excited at first but as she goes on more dates, they all don't seem to meet her expectations, along with her growing connection with ml, she quickly realizes that she does not like 2ml romantically. She likes him as an idol, but not as a boyfriend. She rejects him clearly in ep 7.

At the end of ep 8, fl confesses to ml and ml kisses her back, officially becoming a couple end of ep 8. They go through some ups and downs though in ep 10. 2ml gets ml's ex to return, fl gets jealous and unsure when she sees them working together in ep 10, leading to some misunderstandings and distance. Then at the end of ep 10/start of ep 11, she sees them look like they are kissing, which they are not, gets sad and says she can't do this anymore to ml before walking away. Its an almost break up, really close, but I don't consider it one because soon after, literally like 20 mins later in the same ep 11, she realizes she was wrong and misunderstood them, and goes to ml and says she will always be by his side. Also, in ep 12, she decides to take a project overseas for a few months, but no issues here, they support each other, promise to never let go of each other and she soon return and he proposes.

So they come really close to a break up, but I consider this as no break up, as like I said literally 20 mins after she says she can't do this and walks away from ml, she realizes she misunderstood and goes and tells ml she will never leave him. Besides that jealousy in ep 10/11, there are no other real issues in their relationship. I really did enjoy the chemistry between ml and fl, I thought the fl especially, was pretty sweet and cute and played her character well, and overall their romance and seeing them fall for each the was pretty sweet and feel good. but the jealousy and misunderstanding arc in ep 10 was annoying.

The 2ml and the 2fl that made her appearance in ep 9/10, both almost went the toxic route but never went full toxic thank god. Mostly just a misdirect, making it seem like 2ml turned toxic and brought in ml's toxic ex, but they were never really full toxic. Both were annoying in ep 10, but redeem themselves in 11. I could have definitely done without the jealousy/misunderstanding arc in ep 10/early ep 11, would have just liked to see ml and fl be happy and sweet together after getting together end of ep 8. Felt unnecessary to have the annoying jealousy and misunderstandings, but thank god it didn't last long.

Besides that, I know this won't be for everyone as first 7 eps it has a heavy love triangle, but I will say she rejects 2ml nicely but strongly, and once she's does that, theres no looking back on her part. I normally really dislike love triangles, but I think for me this was ok as it was more about fl realizing she never saw 2ml romantically, and that ml was the right one for her. It was clear to me at least, and as her own friends mentioned, fl never really liked 2ml romantically but was more of a fan, the love triangle was more about her realizing the difference between being a fan and romantic love. But still, theres a strong love triangle that can be annoying some times, so go in expecting this if you plan to watch.

Overall, yeh the story was cliche'd and wish the jealousy arc didn't happen, but overall I still enjoyed the watch, mostly because of ml and fl. I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop and thought their whole relationship was pretty sweet and cute to watch. Their chemistry was nice and I thought fl especially did a good job. If you're looking for a light hearted romcom, not to be taken too seriously, just easy to watch and enjoy, this might be for you.

I agree, the first half young villains are kind of childish in how they act, but the young villains only really focused on in the first half, the second half focuses on the main proper villains/villain family, so gets better. I will say though, the demise of the main villain/the villain family for me was anticlimactic, they deserved way worse than what they got. Honestly, overall, besides fl's father, the villains never really got what they deserved I think. Some got redemption which I actually didn't mind, actually enjoyed and thought the redemption of fl's former friend was nice, but the main villain family I think deserved way worse, they got off pretty light. I understand like the writer was probably trying to send a message like such a powerful big villain family was reduced to nothing, I understand that, kind of like poetic justice type thing, but for me wish they got way worse. Don't want to spoil to much as you're currently watching.

But besides that, definitely stuff always happening which is good, and the villains overall are much better and more interesting in the second half. Kind of like following fl and ml's growth, once they enter the capital, the true villains and scheming begin.

Yeh I agree, often, when it's done well, I enjoy seeing two people become important to each other like you mentioned, just as much as the official relationship. You have a nice way of putting it, becoming important to each other is so true, A good romance starts building long before the first kiss and confession and all that. Glad you're enjoying it so far, looking forward to hearing your thoughts the more eps you watch.

You're descriptions definitely sounds right, theres romance obviously, but also just as focused on ml and fl's fight/rise to power, and how that effects their romance. How they change due to politics and power and all that, how that affects their relationships and ultimately how their romance helps them get through those obstacles. Definitely a show where theres always things going on, everything feels interconnected. Romance is the core, but we see how power and politics effect their romance, gets their relationship, but also make it stronger as they stick together through it all, which I liked. Everything felt complex, never just straight forward romance, which can get boring if it goes on for too long. Definitely an entertaining show, hope you enjoy.

For sure, since they confessed and all that pretty early I was worried we would get a divorce/break up but I was glad they didn't. Yeh I'm not into angst either but like you said, it showed a realistic marriage, where there are disagreements and cold moments just like a real marriage, but in the end their commitment to each other was stronger than all of that. They experience both good and bad together and stay together through it all. There were ups and downs, moments of uncertainty about the future and their differences as they grew, but they endured and their commitment to each other never broke, which was really nice. Definitely worth a watch.

Going to recommend the 36 ep historical cdrama, A road to splendor. No break up and a happy ending. Overall I really did enjoy the drama and the relationship, it was a pretty unique relationship but overall was very enjoyable. However, near the end the angst did get a bit too much for me for a few eps which I'll mention, and overall they had a lot of relationship angst in the second half. It won’t be for everyone, but overall I think it was a worthy watch and pretty enjoyable in my opinion. There is no break up but there is a separation I’ll mention, but no break up. Officially confess, first kiss and become a couple in ep 16, married in ep 25. Sorry this one will probably be a long review as the relationship is pretty complex.

The relationship and the drama overall I think can be split into two halves. The first half from ep 1-18, set in a border town, and then ep 19-36, where ml and fl reunite in the capital. Overall though, the ml and fl had really strong and enjoyable chemistry

The first half, ep 1-18, is set in a border town. Here the ml and fl’s relationship is quite typical but very enjoyable. It’s an enemies, to allies to lovers relationship. In ep 10, ml and fl agree to a marriage of convenience, having worked as allies for a few eps. You can see where this goes, they slowly fall for each other and confess, first kiss and become an official couple in ep 16. This first half is a predictable but very enjoyable romance and well done. Very minimal relationship angst, full of sweetness and cuteness, watching them fall for each other and finally confess and become official was really nice. Even before then, seeing them work together and support each other was really nice to see, as they deal with problems together and their trust grows. Nothing really negative about this first half relationship, just an enjoyable, mostly stress free, cute, supportive relationship and romance.

However, I wish it lasted a bit longer, soon after their confession, in ep 18, ml leaves for war for 5 years to gain merit, hence the separation. To be clear this is not a break up, fl makes it clear she will wait for him and misses him. We see a montage of their time apart, and we see fl say her love for ml has remained unchanged the whole time, every time someone asks, fl says ml is her husband. Also ml fully intends to return, although he only wishes to do so after gaining merit so he can have the power to protect fl. So separation between ep 18 until end of ep 19, so only about an ep and half separation, but to be clear not a break up. Ml intends to return for fl, and fl the whole time anyone asks says ml is her husband.

The relationship changes big time in the second half so be prepared, it becomes a much more realistic, mature and angsty romance. Once in the capital, fl says it herself in ep 24, she feels like since living in the capital, her and ml have disagreed on everything. They do disagree and see things differently on a lot of things since returning. Fl likes to be cautious and is scared for ml’s safety as he fights for power. Ml wants to fight for power so he can keep fl safe. Once they grew and matured, and entered the capital, with all the politics and power and scheming, honestly it is realistic that they would see things differently to each other. But be prepared, from like ep 23ish onwards, relationship is very different from the first half. Much more angsty with cold patches. However, don’t get me wrong, still quite a lot of sweet moments after they reunite, and after their disagreements they still end up comforting and supporting each other, just maybe after a bit of sulking. But their love and care is still very clear. Whenever they disagree and don’t act together, it’s actually out of worry for the other person not themselves. I thought this was very sweet.

They get married officially in ep 25, so this is also a sweet moment, with a nice kiss and intimate scene. But overall, in the capital their relationship is more realistic and mature, with more angst. What I did like was, in historical cdramas I feel like the main cp is either always perfectly in sync and always agreeing, or they have misunderstandings and differences and divorce/break up for a bit. But here thats not the case which I really enjoyed. Thats why I felt it was a realistic and mature relationship. Even though they disagree and have differences, their love was always stronger, they never broke up no matter what.

However, I will say from like ep 27ish-32ish, I think there was too much angst and disagreement/coldness between them and it became a bit frustrating for me. I think the writer lost sight of how their characters had acted for most of the drama, just for a little bit, to up the angst. Maybe because I just prefer less angst, but I felt like for the 5-6 ep stretch, ml who had communicated pretty well for most of the drama, suddenly stropped communicating, and fl who is very smart and usually doesn't judge without investigating first, became a bit too quick to judge ml. Ml killed fl’s father after finding out he killed fl’s mother. To be clear fl’s father was horrible and fl already cut ties with him, but ml did this without telling fl why, as she believed her mother died for illness. And then, ml was forced by the emperor to behead his close friend/mentor from the border army, who fl was friends with along with the mentors wife. Again ml didn’t communicate. Fl on her part was very smart the whole drama, never jumping to conclusions and always investigating first. But in these few eps, she judged ml straight away without wondering why he did things, and as a result became cold and distant from him during these few eps. Just felt like the writer forgot who the characters were before so they could up the relationship angst for these few eps. There were differences and angst during eps 21-26ish, but it was balanced with sweet, light hearted and supportive moments, along with the marriage. But during this 5-6 ep stretch, they overdid it with the angst and distance I thought.

However, thank god they did not divorce or break up. Fl mentioned in ep 32 if ml is in pain being with her, maybe they should divorce, but thats really as far as it gets. In the same ep ml told fl he had arranged a house and money etc for her if she decided to leave, and it would be wise to leave him due to danger, but fl said that he is her husband and she will never leave him, and that if she left him alone, she would be unworthy as his wife. So I really liked that there was no break up, and it showed that their love for each other was stronger than anything else. They both love each other and are unwilling to leave the other, which I love.

And luckily this distance/coldness only lasted a few eps, not too long, they soon cleared the air and reaffirmed their love for each other in ep 32. Really nice conversation in ep 32 to show their love and commitment to each other, just wish it happened sooner.

I also think it's important to note that the distance is because they feel sorry for the other person, not themselves. Like fl said in ep 32, if you feel pain with me, we should divorce, and ml tells her it would be wise to leave him, its not because they wants it, but because they feels sorry what they put each through. So I think it shows how much they care for each other, that the pain they feel is not for themselves but the other person, shows how strong their love is. But again I feel like in those 5-6 eps, the writer focused too much on angst and lost a little bit of who the characters were before.

Don’t get me wrong though, these few eps didn’t ruin their relationship or drama for me, it was only a few eps, and if you like an angsty romance you’ll probably love these eps, but just for me, it was a bit too much and out of character during these few eps. However, like I said, didn’t last long, no break up/divorce and they had a really good ending so I don’t mind too much.

Overall I really enjoyed their relationship. Their chemistry was very very good, really enjoyable. I liked how their relationship evolved, first half it was a sweet, cute and innocent romance, but we saw how it evolved as they grew. Very refreshing to see a relationship that didn't stay one dimensional. Besides those few eps, I enjoyed both their sweet and cute romance in the first half, and their realistic and mature romance in their second half. In general, they had a very supportive and caring relationship throughout the whole drama, always worrying about each other first before themselves and comforting each other when needed.

Also I did enjoy that there was only a minor 2ml. Fl hates him and shuts him down always, and he plays pretty much no role in getting in between ml and fl, he doesn’t affect them at all. So I did appreciate that there was no annoying 2ml or 2fl getting in between ml and fl. I much prefer relationship angst be cause of other things instead of an annoying sml or 2fl, so I like how the 2ml really didn’t do much. A few annoying scenes here and there but nothing too bad.

Overall, yes for me did get a bit frustrating and too angsty during the 5-6 ep stretch I mentioned, as I think ml and fl acted out of character just to increase angst and coldness between them, but thats my personal preference and that doesn’t overshadow how much I enjoyed the overall drama and relationship. Overall, the drama and main relationship was very enjoyable, the chemistry was really strong. The transition from a sweet and cute romance, to a realistic and mature one was unique and refreshing to watch, and both halves were enjoyable to watch. Their support, care and love for each other was really strong throughout and the no break up with a happy ending was just what I wanted. Overall, besides a few eps I did enjoy both halves of the romance. This won’t be for everyone, if you dislike an angsty romance you may not enjoy the second half, but for those that love an angsty romance, and honestly for most people, I think this will be a pretty enjoyable watch, anchored by a really enjoyable, supportive and strong main relationship.

Overall I really did enjoy this drama and the main relationship.

However, I will say, I feel like between eps 29-33ish, the writer lost sight for a little bit of each character so they could up the angst, but they redeemed them very well. Maybe because I just prefer less angst, but I felt like for the 4-5 ep stretch, ml who had communicated pretty well for most of the drama, suddenly stropped communicating, and fl who is very smart and usually doesn't judge without investigating first, became a bit too quick to judge ml. I understand both had their reasons and I can understand both their actions, but I think the writer lost sight of how their characters had acted for most of the drama just for a little bit to up the angst.

But don't get me wrong, this 4-5 ep stretch doesn't diminish that I really enjoyed this drama and I really enjoyed how there was no break up or divorce, for me it showed that no matter what, no matter their differences, their love for each other was strongest. Also I will say, on the flip side, their differences and disagreements felt realistic for me.

I feel like normally in historical cdramas either the main cp is perfectly in sync and never disagree, or they have disagreements that lead to a mini break up/divorce. I feel like here their relationship was very realistic and mature. In the capital with so much politics, power and scheming, it makes sense that two people would see things differently and have differences of opinion. But in the end, their love for each other was stronger than all of that. I really appreciate their realistic and mature relationship and that there was no break up or divorce. Also like how their relationship evolved, in ganlin, it was a pretty sweet, innocent and typical romance, but we saw how it evolved as they experienced more. Very refreshing to see that their relationship didn't stay one dimensional but was quite complex.

100 percent it sucks, so annoying when platforms leave a gap of no new eps for those that don't buy express