This review may contain spoilers
From decent beginnings to a decline too steep
As a Ding Yuxi fan and a die-hard romance enthusiast, I couldn’t pass up the chance to see Yuxi don a historical outfit once more, step into the role of a general, and showcase his award-winning eye acting. Beyond that, I was equally eager to watch Victoria Song take on the role of an actress. As a second-gen Kpop fan, I was excited to consume content that felt reminiscent of my old Kpop days. Unfortunately, that excitement ended there.
I genuinely liked the premise. While in-law dynamics in romance aren’t usually my preference, I was curious to see how the characters would navigate the setup, how the writers would play with the format, and how the relationships would challenge social constructs.
The character archetypes themselves were unconventional: the series was heavily female-driven, and the female lead held more dominance than the male counterpart. This was a critical choice—a commendable attempt to break away from historical drama formulas where women are often portrayed as conservative, meek, and weak. Yet, ironically, this very choice contributed to the series’ downfall.
Without prior references to compare, I can’t say whether behind-the-scenes issues played a role, but Victoria’s portrayal was deeply disappointing. As much as I wanted to celebrate the nostalgia of Kpop’s golden age, I couldn’t find a single redeeming quality in her performance. It was, quite simply, extremely poor.
The performance issue becomes especially glaring when set against Zhou Jing Tao’s earlier work in A Journey to Love, another female-centric drama that featured one of the strongest female characters I’ve encountered. That series delivered a powerful and compelling female-led narrative. Which is why, in this case, I’m left questioning what went wrong.
Victoria’s acting was so ineffective that, without context or cues, I couldn’t discern the emotions she was trying to convey. She cried—the tears were visible—but as an audience member, I felt no sorrow, no sadness, no trace of what those tears were meant to express. Worse, she failed to establish any chemistry with Ding Yuxi.
From both romance and non-romance series I’ve seen, Yuxi has never struggled to build chemistry with his co-stars. Yet here, the best they managed was a camaraderie that felt flat and unconvincing. In fact, the tension and chemistry between Yuxi’s character and the second male lead were far more palpable.
The writing itself wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t strong either. It lacked hooks, emotional impact, and staying power. The characters and their archetypes felt inconsistent, leaving them forgettable. Average at best.
Ironically, the saving grace of the series came from the subplots and secondary characters. They were richer, more layered, and offered good character development. Their romances were far more compelling. The grand princess Li Changming’s tragic story with Hanmei/Zhaoye, for instance, could easily stand alone as a lead-worthy narrative — one that eclipsed the main storyline entirely.
As a Ding Yuxi fan, I managed to finish the series, but I also owe that endurance to the secondary characters. Their arcs weren’t filler; they provided the missing elements the leads failed to deliver.
I genuinely liked the premise. While in-law dynamics in romance aren’t usually my preference, I was curious to see how the characters would navigate the setup, how the writers would play with the format, and how the relationships would challenge social constructs.
The character archetypes themselves were unconventional: the series was heavily female-driven, and the female lead held more dominance than the male counterpart. This was a critical choice—a commendable attempt to break away from historical drama formulas where women are often portrayed as conservative, meek, and weak. Yet, ironically, this very choice contributed to the series’ downfall.
Without prior references to compare, I can’t say whether behind-the-scenes issues played a role, but Victoria’s portrayal was deeply disappointing. As much as I wanted to celebrate the nostalgia of Kpop’s golden age, I couldn’t find a single redeeming quality in her performance. It was, quite simply, extremely poor.
The performance issue becomes especially glaring when set against Zhou Jing Tao’s earlier work in A Journey to Love, another female-centric drama that featured one of the strongest female characters I’ve encountered. That series delivered a powerful and compelling female-led narrative. Which is why, in this case, I’m left questioning what went wrong.
Victoria’s acting was so ineffective that, without context or cues, I couldn’t discern the emotions she was trying to convey. She cried—the tears were visible—but as an audience member, I felt no sorrow, no sadness, no trace of what those tears were meant to express. Worse, she failed to establish any chemistry with Ding Yuxi.
From both romance and non-romance series I’ve seen, Yuxi has never struggled to build chemistry with his co-stars. Yet here, the best they managed was a camaraderie that felt flat and unconvincing. In fact, the tension and chemistry between Yuxi’s character and the second male lead were far more palpable.
The writing itself wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t strong either. It lacked hooks, emotional impact, and staying power. The characters and their archetypes felt inconsistent, leaving them forgettable. Average at best.
Ironically, the saving grace of the series came from the subplots and secondary characters. They were richer, more layered, and offered good character development. Their romances were far more compelling. The grand princess Li Changming’s tragic story with Hanmei/Zhaoye, for instance, could easily stand alone as a lead-worthy narrative — one that eclipsed the main storyline entirely.
As a Ding Yuxi fan, I managed to finish the series, but I also owe that endurance to the secondary characters. Their arcs weren’t filler; they provided the missing elements the leads failed to deliver.
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