This review may contain spoilers
Well made, with some small flaws
Story
Throughout this series, I was never bored. The story is straightforward. The politics were simple enough so I was never confused, yet interesting so I didn't get bored. Everything made sense. I never felt like the politics were fillers; instead, they felt necessary, they felt like they were a result of the plot rather than the reason for it. There were no "sidequests".
Since the way the first episode was set up (Jinxiu being attacked), my feeling was that I was watching "the other country", because we are used to the good guys being on defense. This was really cool, I enjoyed the dynamic.
Characters
To be honest, I never felt much chemistry between the leads. However, their story is well-written, honest, not marked by misunderstandings. They keep their promises to each other, they stick together through thick and thin. I think it's exactly the kind of love story I want to see from a cdrama. There was a moment when the main characters could have split up "for the sake of each other", I am glad it didn't happen.
Fu Yi Xiao is a nice character. She is smart enough so she doesn't trust anyone blindly. She is decisive both in battles and in love. She was no snowflake. She can withstand torture and she doesn't blink in front of violence. There were many times she could have interfered to save evil characters or to ask for a judgement, yet she didn't, she watched them die.
Feng Sui Ge was a breath of fresh air between other MLs. He is someone that cares about the people around him, but he does not forgive those who betray him. He is serious, composed, but he is also not afraid of expressing his feelings. He does not negotiate with evil characters, he kills them without a second thought. For revenge, he will go miles, and he will punish everyone that tries to stop him. He stands up straight in front of the emperor, he defies orders, he does not submit and he fights for what he thinks it's right.
The Princess of Susha and Emperor of Jinxiu were an unexpected, yet absolutely stunning part of the plot. Such crazy, unhinged interactions between them. A desperate person wanting power and revenge, and a violent tyrant drowning in pleasures, yet never truly happy. They start to slowly find other sides of themselves, but it's late - their love story is tragic. I wished they had a happy ending, I wished I would see more of them. I know cdramas are a lot about justice, and that characters will always die for their past, but I hoped for an exception.
Critics:
- Too many moments when someone is seriously injured / wounded during fights, but then makes a full recovery within a day.
- A lot of last moment saving each other.
- Some of the side stories are not correctly wrapped up.
Overall, 9/10. It would have been a 10/10, but these small tropes and the small lack of chemistry I felt make it a 9/10.
Throughout this series, I was never bored. The story is straightforward. The politics were simple enough so I was never confused, yet interesting so I didn't get bored. Everything made sense. I never felt like the politics were fillers; instead, they felt necessary, they felt like they were a result of the plot rather than the reason for it. There were no "sidequests".
Since the way the first episode was set up (Jinxiu being attacked), my feeling was that I was watching "the other country", because we are used to the good guys being on defense. This was really cool, I enjoyed the dynamic.
Characters
To be honest, I never felt much chemistry between the leads. However, their story is well-written, honest, not marked by misunderstandings. They keep their promises to each other, they stick together through thick and thin. I think it's exactly the kind of love story I want to see from a cdrama. There was a moment when the main characters could have split up "for the sake of each other", I am glad it didn't happen.
Fu Yi Xiao is a nice character. She is smart enough so she doesn't trust anyone blindly. She is decisive both in battles and in love. She was no snowflake. She can withstand torture and she doesn't blink in front of violence. There were many times she could have interfered to save evil characters or to ask for a judgement, yet she didn't, she watched them die.
Feng Sui Ge was a breath of fresh air between other MLs. He is someone that cares about the people around him, but he does not forgive those who betray him. He is serious, composed, but he is also not afraid of expressing his feelings. He does not negotiate with evil characters, he kills them without a second thought. For revenge, he will go miles, and he will punish everyone that tries to stop him. He stands up straight in front of the emperor, he defies orders, he does not submit and he fights for what he thinks it's right.
The Princess of Susha and Emperor of Jinxiu were an unexpected, yet absolutely stunning part of the plot. Such crazy, unhinged interactions between them. A desperate person wanting power and revenge, and a violent tyrant drowning in pleasures, yet never truly happy. They start to slowly find other sides of themselves, but it's late - their love story is tragic. I wished they had a happy ending, I wished I would see more of them. I know cdramas are a lot about justice, and that characters will always die for their past, but I hoped for an exception.
Critics:
- Too many moments when someone is seriously injured / wounded during fights, but then makes a full recovery within a day.
- A lot of last moment saving each other.
- Some of the side stories are not correctly wrapped up.
Overall, 9/10. It would have been a 10/10, but these small tropes and the small lack of chemistry I felt make it a 9/10.
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