Melancholic reverse-harem whose flower boys have character depth
I dove into the series mainly because of the reverse-harem tag—the hopeless romantic in me was feeling low, and I’ve figured that a reverse-harem could aid as my instant gratification.
Little did I know that the series is actually a wrong choice for romance. Still, it’s definitely the right choice for everything else that makes a good wuxia.
I say that it is not the right choice for romance because it is not (just) a love story. Rather, it is a story that explores the characters and the heavy weight they carry, which shackles them as they trudge along their grueling realities, including their journey in love.
The series takes its time in storytelling, but I love how the writer was able to turn this into an advantage by using it to build character depths.
The characters are multi-dimensional and as an audience, I get to explore how a character’s traits and motivations are shaped.
My favorite thing about the series is the lack of pretense in storytelling.
I cannot say that it’s raw, but the series does not hide the characters’ flaws, nor it tries to adorn them with moralities for the sake of the protagonist role that they play—the main characters do not wear ornaments that would make them likeable and their actions justifiable. Instead, their decisions are in congruent with their experiences and the emotional response that stems from them (because of this though, I developed a strong bias against the female lead, who is cunning, selfish, manipulative, and emotionally immature —I never disliked a female character as strongly and personally, she does not deserve to end up with any of the men at all!)
The dialogues are not pretentious as well, but the impact is not minimized. The exchanges between the characters cut deep and they have lines that could stay with you.
All in all, the series is not excellent, but it still fairs good. The pacing is slow, but controlled and measured, enough to keep you on your toes—and I say this as someone who initially wanted fluff but got a poignant tale of loss and longing instead.
This was far from my expectations, but I will stay for the second season because I was made to root for the characters (except the female lead).
Little did I know that the series is actually a wrong choice for romance. Still, it’s definitely the right choice for everything else that makes a good wuxia.
I say that it is not the right choice for romance because it is not (just) a love story. Rather, it is a story that explores the characters and the heavy weight they carry, which shackles them as they trudge along their grueling realities, including their journey in love.
The series takes its time in storytelling, but I love how the writer was able to turn this into an advantage by using it to build character depths.
The characters are multi-dimensional and as an audience, I get to explore how a character’s traits and motivations are shaped.
My favorite thing about the series is the lack of pretense in storytelling.
I cannot say that it’s raw, but the series does not hide the characters’ flaws, nor it tries to adorn them with moralities for the sake of the protagonist role that they play—the main characters do not wear ornaments that would make them likeable and their actions justifiable. Instead, their decisions are in congruent with their experiences and the emotional response that stems from them (because of this though, I developed a strong bias against the female lead, who is cunning, selfish, manipulative, and emotionally immature —I never disliked a female character as strongly and personally, she does not deserve to end up with any of the men at all!)
The dialogues are not pretentious as well, but the impact is not minimized. The exchanges between the characters cut deep and they have lines that could stay with you.
All in all, the series is not excellent, but it still fairs good. The pacing is slow, but controlled and measured, enough to keep you on your toes—and I say this as someone who initially wanted fluff but got a poignant tale of loss and longing instead.
This was far from my expectations, but I will stay for the second season because I was made to root for the characters (except the female lead).
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