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This review may contain spoilers
Unpredictable in good way + wonderful arcs for 3 main characters
I am a massive fan of Wen Mo Yan so I was delighted to see a new drama out in the first quarter of the 2025.
What I liked:
1. The plot - Wow, I was surprised at every turn as all my guesses of where things were going were incorrect. Making a few historical characters with little known back story was a great move to be creative with character development. It's refreshing.
2. FL characterisation - I liked Ye Ji Nan. She's a history buff which was advantageous to her but she was sensible while exploring. I enjoyed watching Wen Mo Yan playing Ye Ji Nan in modern and historical eras.
3. ML characterisation - I liked Feng Zhi Li. He was a known tyrant but later we saw his other sides. I liked that we saw his baddie side in third act. This is my first time watching We Ji Feng's acting and I was pleasantly surprised by his performance. He was able to express different personas of Feng Zhi Li and overall he was charming.
3. SFL characterisation - Princess Zhi Fan was a delight to watch. She's a capable, smart and beautiful army general. I also enjoyed watching her character development. This is my first time watching Liu Jia Xi's performance and I was impressed.
4. Romance - It was a fun ride at the start since Ye Ji Nan was brought into the royal concubine's body and she had to impersonate. I loved it when she realised that she should seize the opportunity to have a romantic relationship with the King. Yes, there were several kisses but what made me enjoyed watching their romance is the affectionate and tender moments. It was good to see the couple being tested in their relationship due to ML's severe action.
5. Ending - I thought it would go another way but hey I really liked this ending.
6. Stying - The outfits worn by the main three characters were beautiful. I love some of the royal concubine's robes.
What I disliked:
1. Supporting characters - Ling Shan and Yan Ming were underdeveloped characters. I was intrigued by Ling Shan and wanted to see him more on screen.
2. Dubbing - I was dismayed when I heard FL's voice in the first episode. That wasn't Wen Mo Yan's voice. Apparently most characters were dubbed. I wonder why.
Favourite scene
When FL found out that ML knew about her real identity
What I liked:
1. The plot - Wow, I was surprised at every turn as all my guesses of where things were going were incorrect. Making a few historical characters with little known back story was a great move to be creative with character development. It's refreshing.
2. FL characterisation - I liked Ye Ji Nan. She's a history buff which was advantageous to her but she was sensible while exploring. I enjoyed watching Wen Mo Yan playing Ye Ji Nan in modern and historical eras.
3. ML characterisation - I liked Feng Zhi Li. He was a known tyrant but later we saw his other sides. I liked that we saw his baddie side in third act. This is my first time watching We Ji Feng's acting and I was pleasantly surprised by his performance. He was able to express different personas of Feng Zhi Li and overall he was charming.
3. SFL characterisation - Princess Zhi Fan was a delight to watch. She's a capable, smart and beautiful army general. I also enjoyed watching her character development. This is my first time watching Liu Jia Xi's performance and I was impressed.
4. Romance - It was a fun ride at the start since Ye Ji Nan was brought into the royal concubine's body and she had to impersonate. I loved it when she realised that she should seize the opportunity to have a romantic relationship with the King. Yes, there were several kisses but what made me enjoyed watching their romance is the affectionate and tender moments. It was good to see the couple being tested in their relationship due to ML's severe action.
5. Ending - I thought it would go another way but hey I really liked this ending.
6. Stying - The outfits worn by the main three characters were beautiful. I love some of the royal concubine's robes.
What I disliked:
1. Supporting characters - Ling Shan and Yan Ming were underdeveloped characters. I was intrigued by Ling Shan and wanted to see him more on screen.
2. Dubbing - I was dismayed when I heard FL's voice in the first episode. That wasn't Wen Mo Yan's voice. Apparently most characters were dubbed. I wonder why.
Favourite scene
When FL found out that ML knew about her real identity
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