jace

it sounds like the main cast all used their own voices tho? or you mean in general dubbing over the original voices from the acted scene? that can't be helped in cdramas because of the noise pollution at the filming sites... I think they did well with the dubbing here, you can barely notice any difference in the mouth movements and voice

ooh i just noticed it's the same director as br and tboy, no wonder there's so much overlap in the cast!

also there's so many familiar faces here, it's nice to see haha. especially the shifu! he was the head of the su family in blood river and i really liked him there, he's got such a charming voice, makes for a really awesome shifu.

i really can't wrap my head around this mdl rating like it makes no sense. this drama is so good! it's right up my alley and i love seeing bailu act out li peiyi. she's so beautiful and striking, especially handsome with a high ponytail and in these gender neutral costumes. and her personality is just as dashing, a strong female character who's not only smart but also physically strong, one i've always wanted to see and love to see. on the other hand, xiao huaijin is also exceptionally smart and knowledgeable, making up for his lack of martial arts skills. this is a role reversal that i love, kind of opposite of like coroner's diary, another investigation drama i really liked. also bailu and wang xingyue is a long awaited pairing, and their acting is ofc, top notch. they match each other very well in skill and visuals!
plot wise, the stories are well written and intriguing. the first episode was a bit of a mess and had me confused but it quickly fixed itself and got me hooked. i like how each case is like a chapter of the story. the way each chapter unravels is interesting and makes me feel invested in each case and its characters. and they have quite a few plot twists that actually surprised me. the story mainly focuses on the injustice that women face in that era and makes me feel quite hopeless against its reality. like peiyi says, it's easy to unveil the truth, but hard to bring justice.
regarding the romance, i think it's just the right amount for an investigation drama with meaningful messages like this. i often prefer more subtle romance and slow burn, and they do that well here imo, they have sweet moments that make me smile and it's nice to see them develop trust and respect towards each other from the beginning while seeing hints of something more

hwang minhyun is really the perfect first love as seo yul

I loved this drama so much as it was airing but towards the end the writing started to seriously deteriorate. I loved that the couple was smart and strong from the beginning, scheming together, but later rsb's treatment towards ljl was seriously pmo, and they made ljl so weak and only chasing after the fl when he was originally such a powerful official filled with justice and the ability to fight for justice. I wanted to see the couple on equal terms but it never seemed that way, only putting down ljl and using his feelings. it's hard to finish and I'm really disappointed especially with me thinking ljl was hmh's best character so far. yz really destroyed the original script

wait, lu jianglai is the imperial inspector, but becoming the prefect of linji gets rid of his status as the imperial inspector?? does he not have the imperial decree regardless?

single episodes for the rest of the week omf seeing how crazy the previews are I should really try to wait at least til next week to continue watching ;; but this drama is seriously so good, it's too hard to wait.
xiao hou really did so well as lu jianglai, the authority and righteousness as a talented imperial inspector and the innocence of losing his memory while retaining his cleverness as lu fusheng

getting soooo fed up with some of these characters. why is everyone so despicable lmfao.
at least lu jianglai is finally officially back. I'm looking forward to seeing his glory! everyone who looked down on him as lu fusheng needs to get their karma

watching this because li fei caught my eye in glory, and I recognized zhao jiamin from the double in glory as well, can't believe they did a short drama together haha it's cute and their chemistry is great. I hope they get even better roles in the future

also yan bailuo is always so nice to lu fusheng, saving and protecting him like some damsel in distress, saying he admires and respects him despite being jealous of him and rong shanbao's closeness... bro, who are you really jealous of hahaha
fr tho I don't want to see him change, it'd be nice if he keeps his current principles and stays nice despite being just as suspicious as everyone else in this drama

the new 16 and 17 episodes were so good!! finally some cute and happy scenes with our main couple to go along with the continuous scheming plots going on from everyone lol. I wish they'd release the episodes faster, the wait is so hard ;;

the only one I really liked in your list is fated hearts so I recommend that but it depends on your preference. are you looking for strong female generals? cuz the fl in fated hearts def portrayed that the best. it's also a mature couple and enemies to lovers

things are so chaotic now it's kinda stressing me out... it won't be this scheming mess all the way until the end, right? we need some moments of peace and happiness again! time to rewatch the earlier episodes, i really enjoyed it before the competition ended and things got serious even though i was looking forward to him regaining his memories,, i absolutely love their jiě māo dynamic, they're seriously so cute :,)
i couldn't finish litc even though that one is way more hyped up bc i don't like when the fl acts too coquettish;; i much prefer when the ml can occasionally act playful and cute like that instead while the fl is mostly cool and elegant. i hope to see more of this kind of dynamic! this is definitely the best of hmh since fof for me. hopefully the rest of the drama can live up to my hopes

i actually thought he was an interesting character from the beginning when i didn't even know who chang huasen was in 2023 so if li tongguang's different sides and character development throughout the show doesn't warm you up to him, then unfortunately he's just not your type of character lol
i personally thought he's one of the best characters in the show. he grew up twisted due to no parental love and a lot of mistreatment and contempt as an illegitimate child but still became someone who wishes to rise to power in order to end wars and lessen the suffering of civilians rather than make others share his own suffering. his methods may be morally grey but his heart's usually in the right place. he does occasionally act crazy bc of his obsession with his shifu but considering his abandonment issues and childhood, u really can't blame him. it's a pity that we don't see more of how he really ends up bonding with the others at the end

the way su changhe got me so obsessed with chang huasen is actually crazy. fave character in ages fr. a whole month flew by watching huasen vids on xhs every day, rewatching his scenes in his dramas and even sped through youth with you for his parts, it's lowkey unhealthy lol... i liked him as li tongguang back in 2023 but that was his first and only costume drama at the time so there wasn't much to immerse myself into; thankfully 2025 is a true jackpot. what was once him pulling my attention in shows i was watching to me watching a show for him,, looking forward to more roles for him and bigger ones too!

not just her tbh, there's also quite a few frustrating side characters. why do they make certain decisions, what are they thinking, are they even thinking? makes me wonder sometimes if watching the whole drama just for lyx and chs is worth it T___T feels like there's some wasted potential considering the beauty of the cinematography and costumes and such

I can't hold back anymore, I just gotta vent! that fl is seriously so frustrating. she's the epitome of my most hated type of character, weak and useless, tries to help but causes more trouble, clings to the ml for no good reason, and she literally has no chemistry with tang lici... I cringe at the forced romance. idk why she has to be squeezed into this story bc it doesn't feel like there's even a place for her.
I strongly believe romance should stay in romance focused stories, these character centric stories don't need romance, especially for the main character. I loved tteotm because the romance was well developed with two strong characters that have good character development, while here it just feels like it's detracting from the point. like I don't get why he would even like her

watching for chang huasen,, yunfei is seriously giving me cuteness aggression jhfjdksahlf ugh he's adorable

watching this makes me feel like i'm back in middle school reading wattpad novels xD such a strange feeling, throwing me back over a decade lol it's like a guilty pleasure. but heyu really is hot, can't help it