This review may contain spoilers
A good take on revenge and romance
Positive
1. Strong character writing and relationship dynamics
This is the series’ strongest point.
- Fu Yi Xiao
She’s the most convincing female general I’ve seen. A traumatized girl who grew up strong and wise to survive—that’s it. No personality shifts when she’s with the ML.
- Fu Yi Xiao and Feng Sui Ge
This is a textbook enemies-to-lovers arc.
They were literally at each other’s throats and began with a transactional relationship. While the transition to romance is weak, their dynamic as a couple is healthy, marked by boundaries, trust, and good communication.
- Fu Yi Xiao and Xia Jing Shi
I’m glad they didn’t push the ex-lover trope with lingering, unexplored feelings. When they reunited, there was no confusion.
Xia Jing Shi was still caught up in the past, trying to resolve it, but Fu Yi Xiao was firm. No emotional ambiguity. She was sure of her feelings and stood by Feng Sui Ge.
- Feng Xi Yang and Xia Jing Yan
A transactional relationship that tipped into unrequited love.
I appreciate how they handled this without the “I can change this person” or “I’ll change for love” cliches. Realistically, not everyone falls in love just because the story demands it.
Xia Jing Yan stayed true to his archetype: a foolish, selfish, ruthless emperor who simply fell in love. No transformation arc, no redemption fluff. He just fell.
Similarly, Feng Xi Yang didn’t return his feelings, but she didn’t act out of character. She showed care, without romantic undertones.
2. Revenge is revenge
As mentioned, the leads were genuinely at odds. They physically hurt and plotted against each other, and this is definitely one of the most convincing revenge plots I’ve seen.
The angst is definitely present, but it’s not exhausting for viewers, which I really like.
3. Fu Yi Xiao’s amnesia arc
I love how this arc didn’t drag. It was straightforward. The FL and ML were enemies, and the resolution reflected that. No convoluted relationship threads or unnecessary drama.
4. Consistent, straightforward writing
This may seem minor, but it’s worth celebrating. Many recent dramas struggle with consistency, and this one mostly delivers.
5. Cast
The entire cast (major and minor roles) did a great job portraying their characters.
6. OST
There aren’t many tracks, but the OST is strong. I don’t mind the lack of variety. Personally, I’d rather have a few emotionally resonant songs than a dozen forgettable ones.
Middle
1. Feng Sui Ge’s Casting
I wasn’t sure about Chen Zhe Yuan at first. His acting is good, but I questioned the casting choice. Eventually, though, he grows on you.
2. Lead Chemistry
While I praised their relationship dynamic, their chemistry is unfortunately lacking. Personally, I didn’t feel any romantic spark between Li Qin and Chen Zhe Yuan.
Individually, they performed well, but together they felt more platonic, like two people bonded by trauma, hardship, and memory loss.
3. Lighting
Some scenes are well-edited, but others are visually distracting, especially due to lighting.
I’m not a fan of spotlight-style lighting against characters. While it works in some scenes, it’s overused and often unnecessary.
4. Fight Choreography
Inconsistent. Some scenes are strong, others fall flat and feel unconvincing.
Negative
1. Unnecessary arcs
The series started strong but dipped in the middle due to unnecessary arcs: the Storm Alliance and Feng Sui Ge’s amnesia arc.
Yes, there are two amnesia arcs. I was on the fence about the trope, but the first one worked well. The second, involving the ML, added no value.
The Storm Alliance subplot also felt irrelevant. I skipped those scenes and still understood the overall plot.
2. Murong Zhong’s corpse
I can’t believe I have to dedicate a bullet to this, but there’s one ridiculous scene where Murong Yao lays his father’s corpse aside to confront Feng Sui Ge.
In the middle of their fight, Murong Yao is thrown toward his father and suddenly, the corpse is sitting upright. What in the horror-movie editing lapse was that?
The positives definitely outweigh the negatives, though. So while it’s not a personal favorite, it’s still objectively a solid drama.
1. Strong character writing and relationship dynamics
This is the series’ strongest point.
- Fu Yi Xiao
She’s the most convincing female general I’ve seen. A traumatized girl who grew up strong and wise to survive—that’s it. No personality shifts when she’s with the ML.
- Fu Yi Xiao and Feng Sui Ge
This is a textbook enemies-to-lovers arc.
They were literally at each other’s throats and began with a transactional relationship. While the transition to romance is weak, their dynamic as a couple is healthy, marked by boundaries, trust, and good communication.
- Fu Yi Xiao and Xia Jing Shi
I’m glad they didn’t push the ex-lover trope with lingering, unexplored feelings. When they reunited, there was no confusion.
Xia Jing Shi was still caught up in the past, trying to resolve it, but Fu Yi Xiao was firm. No emotional ambiguity. She was sure of her feelings and stood by Feng Sui Ge.
- Feng Xi Yang and Xia Jing Yan
A transactional relationship that tipped into unrequited love.
I appreciate how they handled this without the “I can change this person” or “I’ll change for love” cliches. Realistically, not everyone falls in love just because the story demands it.
Xia Jing Yan stayed true to his archetype: a foolish, selfish, ruthless emperor who simply fell in love. No transformation arc, no redemption fluff. He just fell.
Similarly, Feng Xi Yang didn’t return his feelings, but she didn’t act out of character. She showed care, without romantic undertones.
2. Revenge is revenge
As mentioned, the leads were genuinely at odds. They physically hurt and plotted against each other, and this is definitely one of the most convincing revenge plots I’ve seen.
The angst is definitely present, but it’s not exhausting for viewers, which I really like.
3. Fu Yi Xiao’s amnesia arc
I love how this arc didn’t drag. It was straightforward. The FL and ML were enemies, and the resolution reflected that. No convoluted relationship threads or unnecessary drama.
4. Consistent, straightforward writing
This may seem minor, but it’s worth celebrating. Many recent dramas struggle with consistency, and this one mostly delivers.
5. Cast
The entire cast (major and minor roles) did a great job portraying their characters.
6. OST
There aren’t many tracks, but the OST is strong. I don’t mind the lack of variety. Personally, I’d rather have a few emotionally resonant songs than a dozen forgettable ones.
Middle
1. Feng Sui Ge’s Casting
I wasn’t sure about Chen Zhe Yuan at first. His acting is good, but I questioned the casting choice. Eventually, though, he grows on you.
2. Lead Chemistry
While I praised their relationship dynamic, their chemistry is unfortunately lacking. Personally, I didn’t feel any romantic spark between Li Qin and Chen Zhe Yuan.
Individually, they performed well, but together they felt more platonic, like two people bonded by trauma, hardship, and memory loss.
3. Lighting
Some scenes are well-edited, but others are visually distracting, especially due to lighting.
I’m not a fan of spotlight-style lighting against characters. While it works in some scenes, it’s overused and often unnecessary.
4. Fight Choreography
Inconsistent. Some scenes are strong, others fall flat and feel unconvincing.
Negative
1. Unnecessary arcs
The series started strong but dipped in the middle due to unnecessary arcs: the Storm Alliance and Feng Sui Ge’s amnesia arc.
Yes, there are two amnesia arcs. I was on the fence about the trope, but the first one worked well. The second, involving the ML, added no value.
The Storm Alliance subplot also felt irrelevant. I skipped those scenes and still understood the overall plot.
2. Murong Zhong’s corpse
I can’t believe I have to dedicate a bullet to this, but there’s one ridiculous scene where Murong Yao lays his father’s corpse aside to confront Feng Sui Ge.
In the middle of their fight, Murong Yao is thrown toward his father and suddenly, the corpse is sitting upright. What in the horror-movie editing lapse was that?
The positives definitely outweigh the negatives, though. So while it’s not a personal favorite, it’s still objectively a solid drama.
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