bojojoti

Hou Ming Hao played a darker character than his usual fare. He was a man with a mission, willing to play the villain to attain his goals. Court politics wedded him to a woman with a childhood sweetheart—certainly a poor start for a marriage.

The Good:
• Hou Ming Hao can evoke so many emotions through his marvelous eyes. He wasn't impaired by the lack of speaking lines (his character was a taciturn fellow), as he conveyed everything needful with his facial expressions.
• Although the ML was acknowledged as the villain, the 2ML was more so in my eyes. He was a complex character who had the potential for deep darkness. For an emperor, ML found his ruthlessness to be an asset instead of a liability. I found the 2ML's actions at the end of the drama repugnant. He waffled between sacrificing for his friend to wanting to sacrifice his friend.
• The progression from enemies to allies in romance was pleasurable to watch. It was equally interesting to watch allies in friendship turn to enemies to leader and subordinate.
• It was especially gratifying to see the FL mature and decide her future for herself.
• It was a fresh take to have the ML try to help the FL run away with the 2ML. How often do we see a husband try to arrange a rendezvous for his rival with his wife?
• The OST complemented the drama nicely.
• The former emperor's edict concerning his mother after his death was pleasing.
• I generally skip the intro after seeing it once, but I had to watch that flaming sword every episode.

The Bad:
• Was I supposed to be sad when XXX, who had caused the death of thousands, was run through with a sword? The characters were crying, and I was over on the sidelines, applauding, and saying, "Stab again to make sure. Three or four times!"
• I abhorred the time skip at the end. It ruined the drama for me, hence my lower rating.