Jina

Cute fan service, but, story-wise, it's kind of unnecessarily tragic.

Important to note, again, that this was purely fan service, allowing audiences to see zhang zhehan and ju jingyi in a modern setting together. I appreciate the crew and cast for giving this to us. Although the writers were nice enough to tie it back to the original story, this modern setting should not be taken as a continuation of the story. You can, if you'd like, but I personally didn't. Why?

Because it would be utterly tragic and unsatisfying. When I heard about this little modern special, I thought they were going to give us a reincarnation where both of them meet, have some misunderstandings, and fall in love again--brand new. This would've been perfect, continuing this kind of "every lifetime, they will meet again and fall in love" like how we fans like to believe that this drama is their "second life" after the tragedy of Legend of Yunxi.
Instead, only one of them is reincarnated while the other has been waiting for thousands of years. I know, I know, the whole waiting for your true love trope is super popular and hits well with audiences, but at the same time, when you really think about it, it's so tragic for xu jin. His circumstances are too tragic and breaks my heart. Sure, it's a testament to how deep and true his love is, but damn, the suffering is so much. :/ Also, him being the only one to go through this while everyone else dies...it's really more tragic than you think.

So, it felt unnecessarily tragic and heavy when we could've just gotten a happy blissful meet-and-fall-in-love mini special. I'm upset for xu jin. I didn't need the lightning strike connection to cause xu jin to live for a thousand years.

Also, it's a bit confusing whether this is their first time meeting again after a thousand years, or if xu jin has met her reincarnations every life time? At the beginning, he had a painting of her and then photos of her from distinct time eras...so, initially to me, I thought he had been meeting her every lifetime. But then it seems like that's not the case? So that was confusing...

By the end of the special, it seems like he won't die after all? It's all very ambiguous but at least they're happy when it ends. So, at least they're together, again.

I do hope for them to have a modern drama (or historical! again!) but I would hope for a happier circumstances where they're both just modern happy people who meet and fall in love.

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Happy ending with continuation issues

I am more than happy to accept this happy ending version for this couple and this drama, but only the first half in which she wakes up and they live happily together. If I have to accept the second half of the episode, then it doesn't really make sense how the first half is possible.
The second half is about the secondary and even the potential third couple. The second couple Nanan and Luo Ji, I'm fine with, but it's the third couple's storyline that doesn't make sense. Naxi and the other prince's romantic storyline doesn't make sense as they show that she goes back to him during the poison smoke. However, chuyue already changed that and that's why she fell asleep. That's the timeline that we're on, so the whole part about Naxi saving the prince during poison smoke is impossible--it didn't happen. Now, if they somehow met again at a later time and fell in love, then maybe. But not during the new timeline.

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Almost perfect with story, acting, cinematography, OST, costumes & sets

It's been a while since I've been this invested in a drama of this length and high quality production and I was initially reluctant since I heard that this drama was based on an ongoing comic--and so I feared that the drama would not end satisfactorily since it didn't have the source material to rely on. However, I was pleasantly pleased that this ended up being one of my top dramas (so far) of 2021! And it even made me interested in the comic too.

This drama is an epic journey of Li Changge who seeks revenge for her family but, in the course of her perilous journey of survival and gathering strength, has to decide between personal enmity or national security. It's full of tragic deaths, heartbreaking scenes worthy of many awards, well paid-off reunions, and is a grand dramatic complex story weaving in politics, war, deceit, secrets, and romance.

There's (sometimes brief but) great action, perfect OST (especially haunting vocals accompanying instrumental tracks), strong acting from the famous "mainstream" actors (Dilreba, Leo Wu, Zhao Lusi, etc.) but especially the supporting (and older) characters who play the roles of fathers, mothers, uncles, masters, etc. They were also fantastic and deserve much praise. What ties this altogether is the great cinematography--reminding me of the great cinematography from Goodbye My Princess--as it is imbued with a lot of artistic and metaphor and there are several scenes that left a lasting impression.

I feel like this story and production was almost at the level of Goodbye My Princess--one of my absolute favorite dramas of all time--just that it's not a tragedy. It's hopeful and delivers, I think, a pretty good ending.

There were just a couple things that felt like it was at 98% and not 100% like the way I feel about Goodbye My Princess.

1) Dilraba: I can see that she's an experienced actress and performs everything with technical precision. She is indeed very good and I enjoyed her performance as our main FL. However, perhaps an unpopular opinion, I think the drama would've been at 100% quality if a different actress had embodied the aesthetic and physical look of Li Changge. This has been mentioned before I think but the signature long bangs of Li Changge, on Dilraba's face, made her naturally long face looked even longer and wasn't as pleasing to the eye. At a couple points they even felt annoying as they were just so, ugh. On the other hand, when the bangs were a bit shorter, she looked so much better. So, in my dreams, Dilraba's Li Changge would have shorter bangs for the entire drama or a different experienced actress with a shorter face would play Li Changge.

2) Mimi, Mu Jin--characters and their relationship: I understood their purposes in the story but I have to be honest that I skipped over a lot of their relationship arc. Nothing about their characters nor actors pulled me to care enough. Maybe different actors or if the characters were written a bit differently--I heard that Mimi in the comic is a lot better.

3) There are some emotional lines that didn't draw through to the very end or did not feel organic enough. Ashile Sun and his brother Ashile She'Er. Enjoyed the shift in their dynamic toward the latter half of the series but would've wanted a stronger emotional set-up.

4) The comic scenes: I wonder if this was just due to budget? But I doubt it since they had all these actors and production and sets. I think the comic scenes were intentional to pay homage to the original comic--but it was a bit off-putting because it was not consistent about when it would show up. It just showed up whenever it wanted and then disappear for a while. For the most part, it seemed to cover the war battles that might've cost the production too much or felt unnecessary to drag out. For that, I'm a bit grateful.

Overall, I enjoyed this drama so much, I unhealthily watched it for like three days straight as each episode's cliffhanger had me searching for the next one. I don't regret watching this drama and followed along the suspense each episode and also immensely enjoyed the main couple and second couple's romantic storylines. I hope these actors and production get to reunite again in another historical drama. If not, I definitely know that I've been impressed and will be watching out for their future projects.

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At times, really good. At times, really bad. Probably because more things "said" than "shown"

*This review contains vague spoilers, not specific spoilers. Read at your own risk.*

NOTE: If you're watching this because you think it's the Ancient Love Poetry sequel that will reveal the romance story of the characters Tianqi and Yuemi, this is NOT the drama. Because of copyright issues, this drama should be viewed as only vaguely related and a standalone with distinct differences. I personally have come to think of this drama as a alternate universe for Tianqi and Yuemi, so their backstories don't match Ancient Love Poetry. But, also, if you enjoyed Ancient Love Poetry, and you came here to watch for a continuation of Tianqi and Yuemi, this is like a lukewarm drama to soothe your heart temporarily. It's not really a good one because there is a twist later in the drama that essentially makes this drama NOT a continuation of their story.

--

Okay, now, my thoughts.

This drama started strong with a compelling and tragic first story arc. In fact, all the arcs in the drama did a pretty good job at tying together and tying back to the main storyline. But I would say that the beginning--the first 1/3--was good. The main characters, Bai Shuo and Fan Yue, were still skeptical of one another, learning to trust one another. The other main characters, Chong Zhao and Fu Ling, had a complicated, messed up relationship that built tension really well.

But somewhere in the middle, it felt...boring? Especially for the main leads. I think once Bai Shuo and Fan Yue fell in love, they became really boring. I'm not saying this just to be a hater. I think their romance wasn't earned. The writing of this drama was not convincing. They also became super repetitive. I get that the writing wanted to write them as this kind of pure, green-flag romantic couple who reassured one another and supported each other. But sometimes, it felt like toxic positivity. The characters couldn't just sit in their sad feelings and grieve. Their partner needed to be like, "It's not your fault. You did everything you can. No matter what happens, I'll always be here." So then, the writing felt forced to make the romance move along. I understand that with the 40-episode limit, with 5-6 mini-story arcs, it wasn't easy. But when your main characters become boring...unfortunately, the acting of Ao Ruipeng, especially, was weaker than others at this time, too. When he becomes the character Jing Yuan, somehow, he's more expressive. But as Fan Yue, he becomes a bit bland after falling in love.

Meanwhile, the secondary couple's relationship became really interesting as we reached the halfway point of the drama. Demoness vs Eternal, evil vs good, deception vs truth, while also having to rely on each other at times--they had many dimensions to them, and so were entertaining to watch.

The supporting characters: I enjoyed the fact that the writing even gave them personalities. A lot of times, xianxia dramas like these just give supporting characters the most bland and basic stereotypical personalities. But not this one. For example, the right-hand woman of Fan Yue, Tian Huo. She had the typical role of serving her master with complete loyalty, and in a typical xianxia, she would've been written as someone who fell in love with Fan Yue. Instead, she didn't, so she was never jealous of Bai Shuo. She respected Fan Yue and was also grateful to him. It was refreshing to see their platonic relationship.

But, as I mentioned, the writing can be repetitive. If I have to hear a villain say, "Do you really think you can kill me? Do you really think I haven't levelled up since the last time...?" one more time, I'll scream. It was so overdone, overused, and became annoying. The final villain boss was fairly scary, but his lines could've been scarier.

The soundtrack was strong. With Sa Dingding and Zhou Shen, especially, the songs were memorable.

Overall, the writing can be mediocre at times. But I think you would enjoy this for complete different reasons.

If you want green-flag romance, then after the main leads trust each other and fall in love, it's pretty much like that for most of the time.

If you like red-flag romance, the secondary main leads have a really complicated relationship from beginning to about the middle (that gradually becomes green flag later).

If you like tragedy and sacrifices and angst, this drama definitely has so much of that.

If you want want light-heartedness, this isn't really it. There are some sweet moments and good scenes, but there are a lot of deaths too. There's a reason why Sa DingDing's OST is the MAIN song. Her voice is great at inflicting pain when you're already weeping from the story.

Also, perhaps a good time to remind watchers: Be aware that, in this year of 2025 with China's censorship rules on dramas, the main characters aren't really allowed to be morally grey. If they are, they usually don't get happy endings...so keep that in mind.

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detective historical fantasy with strong start & cute chemistry but sizzles out

It has potential for so much more, but what it is right now is that it's enjoyable enough.

The main couple has the tropes of smart pure girl/smart (bad) boy with a bit of star-crossed lovers feeling because he's a prince, she's just a normal person, he's from a different race than she is. However, they can't help but come together since she needs him physically (literally) because something about him helps with her physical health whereas she's smart and clever enough to help him with his own investigation.

It's enjoyable enough thanks to the cuteness and chemistry of Li Yitong and Bi Wenjun. I think they really make this worth it. The storyline though starts to drag about midway to 2/3 of the way. I kept wondering when it'll come back to the main plot that got male lead investigating in the first place. It really feels like the cases don't even connect until the very end where the plot twist is, well, that. (I personally didn't care for the plot twist and was actually quite disappointed.) Also, there were cases to do about the two different races but I feel like it doesn't go quite deep enough...

Anyway, about 2/3 of the way, I ended up watching it on double-speed or fast-forwarding through scenes because it feels like none of it really matters. My score of this drama is also impacted by the fact that I got super attached to one of the characters that ended up, uh, not being what I wanted. I felt like it was badly written.

So I won't be returning to this drama anytime soon. Maybe for the cuteness of the couple and definitely Bi Wenjun since he's super good-looking. But this drama isn't memorable enough for me to return to it often.

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Strong directing and OST with not only a fun story but a compelling question about what's "real"

This is a solid drama for you if you enjoy VR romance or fake period setting dramas, such as "To Get Her" "Love & The Emperor" and "The Queen of Attack." I think I would rate it unbiasedly as a 9, but because of how much I liked this drama, the extra point is for enjoyment, so 10/10.

First, the summary on kisskh is confusing. Si Yan didn't mistakenly enter a VR game. Si Yan is a prideful social media beauty blogger influencer who got into a drunken car accident and became comatose. Her father, a CEO of a gaming company, built a VR game to help her awaken; if she completes the tasks, it can stimulate brain signals that may help her wake up. (On the science side, I don't know how accurate it is, but I like that they provide this information right at the beginning.) So, Si Yan has a lot of stakes right at the beginning. She needs to survive, complete the tasks, so that she can wake up in the real world. That's the basic premise and as she meets new (and one old) friends and fall in love, she'll have to make hard decisions.

I greatly enjoy this drama overall because it had everything that a romantic comedy drama should have:
-It has strong directing, allowing for many scenic and memorable moments.
-A first episode that's intriguing and compelling with perfect OST tracks and slow-motion scenes
-It has good OST that, with each listen, really adds to the emotions of the story.
-It has a well strung, serious plot that lasted throughout the entire series with clever callbacks to earlier episodes and information.
-It has solid acting; this is Snow Kong's first historical drama and although I had never seen her act in anything else, I thought she did fantastic. I never felt off about her or felt she was lacking. For the male lead, Yan Zi Dong, it's a hit and miss depending on if you like the actor's face. He doesn't have the most stoic and perfect face, which I think was necessary for his character as Qi Guan Yi, but some folks complained about how he didn't look good enough. I personally enjoyed his face and acting as I've seen him in his previous dramas and I thought he did well here. For Karen Kang as the second female lead, I also enjoyed her performance and the drama really showed off her dancing talent. For Deng Wei, he's perfect and has all the potential to be the main male lead; he's got a great face and he's a good actor. Overall, all the actors were good.

I think you'd enjoy this drama if you like these aspects:
-An imperfect, arrogant female lead who grows into a better person and grows to care about others
-The stoic and smart male lead with trauma that led him to be suspicious of others
-Cute male characters, almost like a reverse harem, lol
-A prejudice-at-first-interaction relationship between the female and male leads, so suspicion and dislike of each other at first
-A tragic second male lead who will break your heart
-A physically strong and scheming second female lead/antagonist who harbors her own secrets
-The third male character who has a sad upbringing that leads him to have a stutter when speaking to women
-Supporting characters getting their own romance (although it is deeply developed), such as between a prince and his maid. There is also heavily implied romantic notion regarding a prince and his bodyguard! So some BL vibes.
-The blurring idea of what's reality and what's real: how it may be virtual but what we experience like our feelings--love, hate, happiness--is real, and so, how does that matter in the VR world? What is really "true" to us?
-Ominous foreshadowing from the first episode! Creating high potential for future angst.

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The journey of a first love, but most of all, the joy of loving and being loved

I can't believe I put this show off for so long. It's truly one of the greats among BL dramas but I think just in general with romance (Japanese) dramas, it's incredibly well done in such a short amount of time. This drama is only 10 episodes (with 2 extras) and about 23 minutes. The progression of their relationship still felt very natural.

I watched all the episodes in one go and it gave me the fullest enjoyment: I cried when there was heartbreak and fear, I laughed at Adachi's panics but also just the awkward but sincere attempts to meet each other halfway, and I smiled so much during all the sweet and cathartic moments.

Cherry Magic is about the fumbles to first love, in which Adachi Kiyoshi, a thirty-year-old virgin--who has never been in a relationship--gains the magical ability to hear people's thoughts through touch and tries to figure out himself and how he feels about his handsome and cool co-worker Kurosawa Yuichi--who is in love with him.

Adachi Kiyoshi's growth from his shell to becoming more confident & his consideration and gradual intimacy with Kurosawa Yuichi is so satisfying. Also, to see that Kurosawa Yuichi is such a wholesome and thoughtful man toward Adachi, wanting the best for Adachi--it's so wonderful to see.

There isn't angst as in a lot of bitter and angry fighting or dumb jealousies & misunderstands but more of a lot of internal struggles and overcoming one's own insecurities, especially on Adachi's part who hasn't been in a relationship before and thus feels insecure about the right thing to say or do.

This drama has everything and is so delightful. It's emotional and uplifting.

I really wish I could see these actors in another production again--with the same crew and director as well. I'm so grateful to the whole production: the great directing, the fantastic acting, and of course, much love to the creator of the manga and also the writers that adapted it to this live adaptation. This whole drama is perfect.

An additional note: BL dramas sometimes lean too heavily on their own tropes or feels a bit too cliché but this drama was able to feel very natural and, when it does have a cliché, it's still refreshing. Also, what I'm saying is that in BL drama world, sometimes there's an expectation that the couples will face backlash from the homophobic society. I get it. That's a realistic part of society. However, I also enjoy BL dramas that say "nah. we're not going to let homophobes have a chance in this story" and just doesn't put our characters through that. Good for them.

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Straightforward story with fantastic acting, cinematography, and CGI

Quick disclaimer: I have never read the original novel or known anything about this prior to the movie.

For a movie like this, you don't necessarily watch it for a surprise twist (although there were a couple that I didn't see coming). Probably because this movie is based on an old and famous novel, these are tons of stories that have this kind of storyline nowadays, so it was fairly easy to predict what was going to happen. The scenes in general can be on-the-nose about their messages.

BUT! I was totally okay with that because I was still able to enjoy the movie. All the actors were fantastic. The sets were incredible. The CGI was really incredible (and I was told that some stuff wasn't even CGI, but done by the makeup department). So, you can tell how grand this movie was and how much money, labor, and effort was spent on it.

I want to especially stressed the acting. If the actors were not world-class level, this movie would not have been so emotionally moving. Even though the messages of this story were pretty simple, it was taken to another level thanks to especially the four main actors--Mark, Allen, Olivia, and Wang Duo. They were perfect.

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2017 was a different time. Liked the romance, but some questionable aspects

2017 was really a different time for time-travelling historical romcom cdramas--before censorship on straight-up time travel plots and before voice dubbing became prominent. I was quite surprised and unsettled to hear most of their real voices (that seemed to be recorded on the actual set) and took me a few episodes to get used to it. The narrating voice was a bit unnecessary since it only appeared a few times and was a bit intrusive.

Overall, this low-budget time-travelling historical romcom drama was enjoyable for several reasons.
First and foremost is the main leads/couple Mo Lian Cheng (Xing Zhao Lin) and Qu Tan Er (Liang Jie). The actors' chemistry and scenes carried this show--as proven by their reoccurring roles in the second and third season of this drama as well as their modern drama You Are My Destiny. They look really good together and just work so well together.
Besides them, the MVP of the show is Tan Er's maid Jingxin. She was the best and I love her.
The second reason is Liang Jie's acting as Qu Tan Er and Qu Xiang Tan. She's very good at switching between these two personalities and was very convincing. I had a hard time feeling attached to them at the beginning since both of them were kind of annoying in their own ways, but as their relationship deepens and become more harmonious, the better they both become.
The third reason is the potential of the plot, especially knowing that there's a second and third season. There's the mystery of a bigger story tied to who she is and the orb that's being searched. I enjoyed the deepening of the story and how that eventually explains the title of this drama.

However, there were a couple things that didn't sit right with me, especially regarding the issue of agency with Qu Tan Er and Qu Xiang Tan sharing a body. The disregard that Xiang Tan treats the body made me disappointed and almost dropped this drama. I only kept going because I was curious about how the overall story especially since there are two seasons after this. Characters aren't as complex as they could've been nor had as much character development as they should had. For example, Richards Wang is listed as a "main role" in here as Mo Yi Huai but he didn't have as much appearances as the main roles did and, at some episodes, barely showed up at all.

Overall, I think I'm surprised at the high rating this drama has on MDL, but for its time in 2017, it must had been pretty interesting. And, of course, the romantic scenes are pretty sweet and cute. Other aspects may suffer, but not them.

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A memorable drama with great cinematography, strong characters, and genuine heart

The premise is typical for a romcom historical, but the execution of this drama is perfect. This drama grows on you and becomes unexpectedly moving, sweet, and just incredibly beautiful. Don't give up on it in the early episodes! The ending is satisfying and happy.

This is a romcom historical with a personality and distinguishes itself in so many ways.

1) GREAT CINEMATOGRAPHY: I wonder if the cameras are different or comes from making films, because each episode really looks like a film. It doesn't have that look like other romcom historicals. It's really beautiful in the physical settings and the direction of the scenes.
2) STRONG SOUNDTRACK: I'm a believer in how a soundtrack can make or break a drama. Music is so important in building the right mood and tension. Although this drama doesn't have a lot of song variety, this drama does it right and use the music effectively, especially with the ending theme "Stealing Heart" where the vocals are perfectly heartbreaking and the music is moving.
3) LOVEABLE MAIN LEADS:
-Xiong Xiruo is your typical FL who doesn't know how to fight but uses her skills and cleverness to deal with situations. Of course, when she only solves something for the short-term, it can create a bigger problem in the long run...but that's part of the amusement and plot. At the beginning, she comes across as a bit annoying, and some of her actions is a bit too dramatic, but becomes more thoughtful as the drama continues. She becomes more sincere and becomes very adorable in my opinion.
-Li Hongbin is your typical cold ML who faces precarious situations with a calm, arrogant face. After he falls in love though, I completely forgot that that was his original personality! I mean this in a good way haha. He became so sweet and loving once he accepted his own feelings. He's capable and he becomes more thoughtful as well as the drama continues. Both the main characters grow and become very sweet together.
4) AND ENDEARING SUPPORTING CHARACTERS:
There's a lot, but I'll just highlight my favorite ones.
Li Hongbin's parents! Absolute favorites, hands down, from any other historical romcom dramas. They are so funny, so kind, and also just real? Like, they act like how a real, long-time married couple would act. They are very lovable.
Xiong Xiruo's friendship with the doctor is hilarious and also very nice to see. It's refreshing to see a girl/boy relationship that doesn't turn into love. They're like brother and sister, so they have a funny relationship.
Li Hong You is probably the character that I feel lacks a little bit. He is still a good guy and a good character, but doesn't get as much screentime as I hoped toward the end. However, I like that he isn't a conniving hateful kind of brother and instead wishes well for his brother and sister-in-law. I like his own backstory too and his previous loved one.
Li Hongbin's right hand man Amao: I adore him so much because he's hilarious and may look like a slapstick character, but is very capable.
5) A STRAIGHTFORWARD SERIOUS PLOTLINE WITH SWEET ROMANCE: It's only 29 episodes, so the serious plot doesn't get too complicated. There are a couple twists, but it gets resolved in a pretty satisfactory way. The antagonists get what they deserve (although I would argue that one got more than the other one...)
The romance is handled pretty well. Their misunderstandings is established well in the beginning and the lie between Xiong Xiruo and Li Hongbin doesn't last too long. As the summary already indicates, Li Hongbin eventually knows her truth but then the lie continues for the family and it's up to Xiong Xiruo and Li Hongbin to eventually come clean. I think this whole part of the drama is well done as we see that it gets more difficult for the truth comes out when you sincerely care about the people you lied to. The stakes becomes higher as Xiong Xiruo becomes attach to the family. Very well done!
One of my absolute favorite part of this drama was the wedding. It's quite unique compared to the typical Chinese weddings and also the wedding becomes another detail in showing how this city is a bit different from the capital. There are little details that show that this city--that is on the border--has some slight difference in customs, and so, the wedding was a bit different. Even, for example, Li Hongbin's look. I love the little square clip on his head. I don't think I've seen that on other historical male characters.

Note: The comedy is a little rough in the beginning--they had a few of those moments where they make fun of a fat character by making the fat character's entire personality about eating--but some of that crude humor goes away and the comedy gets refined.
It was interesting to me also that this was one of the first dramas where I saw multiple characters who were bigger in size/weight and that these characters were consistent in the show rather than just being one-dimensional one-off characters.
Li Hongbin's father is of bigger size and his main male servant is also of bigger size.

Anyway, this was an enjoyable, very sweet story. I really love the world of this story and how most of the characters really feel complex and have unique personalities. Most of all, I love the lesson of the drama: sincerity is more important than status or heritage. :)

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Started out with potential but ended with inconsistencies; watch lightly without full investment

This is a show that you watch just to enjoy the actors and the cliché plots and scenes. It's not a drama that you need to fully invest emotionally and mentally and so don't worry too much about plot. I only came here to watch Zhang Zhehan and came to really enjoy Li Yitong's acting as well. I enjoyed their chemistry and their scenes and really liked their characters despite some small frustrations.

Some people don't like Ming Xia because he doesn't seem to do as much for Qing Cheng, but for a human man, he has a genuine and true heart toward her. I appreciate that. I did have second lead syndrome for a little while for Yalkun Merxat's You Tong, but that went away toward the end. I really adore Ming Xia and felt bad for him toward the end of this season since he was just a human after all and was manipulated to some extent.
Some people also didn't like Qing Cheng and are frustrated with her going back and forth--and I do think the story didn't need to do that as much--but it was understandable for me. Qing Cheng is not a badass (in this season). She's just a girl who's frightened of what she's becoming and fears for her loved ones. Yes, she was weak (physically--she wasn't a fighter and didn't know her powers yet)and too trusting, but that was her personality to believe in good and righteous. She was just trying to protect her loved ones but sadly that backfired in many ways. Thus, in season 2, the contrast is huge--she changes. I'll stop there with the season 2 spoilers.

The last probably 6-8 episodes did suffer in writing a lot and I ended up skipping the scenes to just get to the end to see what happened. There were several things that made me laugh because of its plot hole or ridiculous scenario--like when the villain human doctor survives a cliff fall but not the demon boy. It made me laugh ultimately so that was whatever. But definitely, toward the end, the writing became something like a middle-school fanfiction full of clichés and unnecessary angst/drama.

In the end, the acting especially from the two leads saved the show for me (along with a couple supporting characters who were interesting). I felt their emotions and sadness and even felt sad about their partings. I even liked the flashbacks to the older era (with Qing Cheng's parents). This drama has some strong cinematography, soundtracks, and directing, but alas, it suffers from poor writing. Ah, all that potential.

Edit after having seen most of season 2:
Oh yeah, season 1 is like an origins story for Qing Cheng lol and although I like the focus on the romance between Qing Cheng and Ming Xia a lot, I actually like season 2 more for various reasons that I'll write a review for.

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A wholesome group combined with a compelling detective story

First, I want to thank the tumblr user "belsmultifandommess" for bringing my attention to this drama via their Q&A post (belsmultifandommess.tumblr.com/post/629385192518434816).

It was well worth the watch and this user summed it very well, which I will copy and paste here. If you like these kinds of tropes/storylines, you'll enjoy Maiden Holmes.

✓ Cross-dressing woman detective
✓ Prince-who’s also a god of war-disguised as a commoner trope
✓ A HIMBO hero
✓ A poison-wielding doctress who also heals
✓ A cute sidekick/chef
✓ Destiny we-met-as-kids trope
✓ Oh-no-main-couple-cuffed-together trope
✓ Only ONE BED omg (lmao but not what you think)
✓ Underwater I’m-just-giving-you-air kiss
✓ Trapped-in-a-hole SO close proximity
✓ Horny drug! lmao (this seems prevalent to costume dramas)
✓ Sole survivor of a clan annihilation
✓ You killed my family now get ready to die
✓ Marry a foreign princess to save beloved
✓ Mystery-solving FOUND FAMILY!!!

To add on to this list, there is also "devoted to my love and do everything in my power to help them." Also, even though there's a "marry a foreign princess to save beloved" mini-plot...don't stress about this part too much lol. It has a wholesome finish.
Also, HAPPY ENDING! Considering that there's been some really great romcom dramas recently but have sad or ambiguous endings...that's not Maiden Holmes!! Maiden Holmes gives our characters what they deserve.

THE STORY:
I don't know what's up with the synopsis of this drama, but thank goodness I didn't read that because I would've been very confused. That info is part of Prince Pei's background, but since the drama begins with Su Ci and Su Ci's story is the bigger plot thread....yeah.
So, the story is about the gathering of evidences and uncovering of the truths behind not only the battle that Pei Zhao lost but also the truth behind Su Ci's exterminated clan. They make friends who become part of their found family. It's wholesome and great.

THE CHARACTERS:
I love everyone. The main four characters (+ adorable Fei Yuan!) are endearing and have their own depth and complexities. Love them. I also care about the supporting cast too, especially Beirong's princess and commander Fu.

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Editing is terrible but show is still good once you understand these few things

As someone who has never read the novel, watching this show was very confusing at times due to the terrible editing and cutting of some scenes & flashbacks. Truly, I've never seen a lakorn do this badly with editing. It's not bad all the time, but at critical moments like flashbacks, it was chopped up so much and put together so sloppily that I didn't know a lot of important information until I came to MDL to read people's comments. If the show had done better with this, it would've been a more enjoyable experience.

With some tolerance and patience, I kept watching this show because I adored Mew and Mark's acting and chemistry. There were some events that happened early in the series that made me almost drop the show (due to how confusing it was and how sudden it was in showing Muey's character in a different light), but I trudged through and the payoff by the end was pretty good. What helped me accept that mini-arc and Muey's personality was that Thien truly didn't know her and we the audience was also learning who she really was like he was.

I'm glad Muey didn't let him off so easily in the latter half of the series. Also, I'm glad that our antagonist girl didn't get a terrible ending because she deserved so much better.

I didn't expect a mainstream lakorn show like this to have boys' love/girls' love, which was pretty cool. I'm glad that it was taken seriously and not brushed aside as some joke.

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This review is about the first half (aka s1) and the second half (aka s2) of this show.

(I came to watch this because of Simon Gong (after seeing him in Lost Love in Times) and I really enjoyed his performance as Zhong Wumei--a tsundere with a bad temper. In Lost Love in Times, he was a lot more cheerful and lighthearted, so seeing him as this stern face guy was interesting.)

This show is mainly carried by the good acting and chemistry between the actors. The plot is also not bad and is well-paced, but there is definitely a tone shift between the first half and the second half. The first half was lighthearted and comedic like the romcom that it is. The second half takes it deeper by bringing in the heartaches, tears, and angst. Personally, I thought that was a good move on the plot. In the first half, there weren't really any risks yet. It was still just Lin Luojing thinking about the game as a game and accomplishing tasks. In the second half, however, we move away from that as Lin Luojing becomes more entangled with the characters and plot and as she falls in love. As much as I enjoyed the first half, the second half is what makes this show memorable and move away from a "otome game" plot. The story then becomes more immersed in what Lin Luojing gains/loses if she ends the game.

Lin Luojing's personality, at first, is a bit annoying as she drools over hot guys and mutters to herself a lot about game-related stuff. However, that aspect doesn't show up as much near the end of season 1 (around episodes 7-9, I'd say). Her character becomes more serious and makes her more likable. I loved her by the second half and enjoyed her very much.
Zhong Wumei's bad temper was almost a bit too much and it creates misunderstandings, but it's resolved in a timely manner. He becomes a complex character that makes him very endearing.
Liu Xiuwen became a more complex character, which was great, although towards the end, he seemed a bit repetitive. However, he was still likable.
Jiang Xuanyu and Swordsman Hua probably received the shorter ends as their characters are not as fleshed out evenly throughout the series, but they are given decent screentime and backstories that make them likeable.

This drama is for those who enjoyed the dramas like "The Sweet Girl", "To Get Her", and those kind of type of shows where the plot may not be the greatest of all time, but it's good enough to support the romance and obstacles the characters face. The show has good heartfelt moments and good chemistry between the characters. In the end, the show is enjoyable enough.

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Strong story, acting, comedy, & angst but dinged half point due to ending & 1 characterization

***This is a general review, but the bottom half of this review will contain spoilers***

I've watched a lot of romcom historical dramas this past year and they are generally cute with more focused on the romance and less to do with serious consequences tied within the serious or political plot. The Sleepless Princess, however, balances that very well, giving us a romantic comedy and also providing compelling plot threads that makes it an interesting watch throughout. Even more, the show does well in balancing comedy and angst. It begins as a romantic comedy, but the foreshadowing of future sad/tragic scenes are hinted in the beginning as well and I am impressed when I watch the show again. It's a well directed drama. It has great actors who make you feel the full swing of emotions.

Before I talk about things I liked, I want to make sure I mention that there are TWO endings. Folks watch the show and are disappointed by the end, but there is a "special episode" aka an "episode 36" that may satisfy those people. For others, though, episode 35's ending was fine even if it was ambiguous.

ACTING & CHARACTERS
Everyone was great in their roles, but especially have to give it up to our two main leads: Zheng Ye Cheng as Xue Yao and Hu Yi Xuan as Xu Chuyue. They have incredible chemistry together and are a perfect match. They both balance the lightheartedness and romantic well with the serious and angst. Their happiness makes you happy and their sadness makes you cry along with them. I was thoroughly impressed with them and really hope that in the future, we get to see them act in another drama together.
Xue Yao is a cold and cautious general and that leads him to do some harsh things to the FL at the beginning, but you can sympathize with his character when you think about how much he and his family has gone through and how the loss of his brother affected him. A confident person who isn't arrogant to keep being mean to the FL once he realizes his mistakes/misunderstandings. When he realizes his mistakes, he always tries to remedy it and becomes kinder and softer. His complexity is well written and well acted by Zheng Ye Cheng.
Xu Chuyue is such a lovable wonderful character. She's naturally cute and her comedic timing is great. I adore her so much. (On a personal note: I'm so glad she doesn't pucker her lips out to make her look cute because it's so annoying to me.) She is similar to the "naive cutesy clumsy girl" type in romcom historical dramas, but what I love is that she doesn't do pointless screaming/yelling at ML and is often pretty smart herself. She's at times naive but she's not clueless.
Xu Xingchen: Oof, I came to really appreciate him. In the beginning, even with his cute face, I was suspicious of him, but he is a righteous man after all and his devotion and care for his sister wins in the end. I appreciate a character with this kind of dignity.

STORY:
As I mentioned above, sometimes in these romcoms historical comedies, the "serious" or "political" plots aren't taken as seriously or explored as seriously, but not this one. The political and serious plot threads are connected to their romantic development and the twists that are revealed is shocking and heartbreaking as our leads deal with the knowledge. I enjoyed it greatly and appreciated this balance.
At times, there were some misunderstandings between the main characters that frustrated me, but it is often resolved within an episode or a couple episodes, so it's not dragged out for an outrageous amount of time fortunately. Even more, the story makes it believable to see how the characters realize their misunderstandings, so it feels natural.
The supporting characters like Xu Xingchen, Taoyao, and Su Nannan have really good growth and depth that I appreciated. I can't say the same for Naxi (I talk about her characterization under the spoiler line.)
There are some really great comedic scenes that made me laugh so much. There are also some great angsty and sad scenes that are very well written, well directed, and well acted.
Essentially, this drama has a lot of scenes that are original, well acted, well directed and so it was very memorable.
That ending, though, was good, but could've been better. And less ambiguous and sad. (I talk more about this underneath the spoilers line.)

SOUNDTRACK:
Strong osts with strong vocals and lyrics, really cementing the mood of the scenes. For example, Henry Huo (and Yisa Yu) sings the main song (he has also sung an OST for The Romance of Tiger and Rose). A show's soundtrack can really make or break the show. There are one or two songs that are upbeat and light-hearted, but the rest of the songs are moving ballads. I've been listening to the album all week and can still see the scenes in my head when I hear the songs. Well done, truly.

CINEMATOGRAPHY:
What can I say? Chinese historical dramas always have great visuals, props, and designs. The CGI is always worrisome but fortunately there's not a lot of that in this drama. There are some really beautiful costumes in this drama and a lot of great shots. The action scenes aren't edited too much, so it flows pretty well and looks natural. Props to the director because this show could've been handled messily, but it wasn't and it was given the thoughtfulness and detailed it deserved.

*********SPOILERS BELOW. PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE DRAMA*****************
*********SPOILERS BELOW. PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE DRAMA*****************
*********SPOILERS BELOW. PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE DRAMA*****************

One specific thing I love:
The fact that Xue Yao became the author and took over for his brother Xue Mu. That broke me in a good way. Also, XUE MU. He is SO SOSOSO good and we only got a few things about him, but I love him with my whole heart. His death hurt me so much. Tao Yao's death too. Ugh. :(( they were both pure people.

This is where I talk about some suggestions/changes I would've done to make this drama a 10/10 for me.

1) Naxi: they straight up made her a villain and her story to revolve around romance and wanting Xue Yao. That was my biggest disappointment with this show. She was cunning and manipulative, which made her a good antagonist, but the whole thing behind her about wanting Xue Yao--that reasoning was disappointing and made her character fell flat. Instead of her wanting Xue Yao because she "truly loves" him and wants him for her husband, I wish it had gone a route like this: she wants Xue Yao so that she can kill him for Xue Yao's killings of her father & people. And so then her friendship with Xu Chuyue, which becomes actually genuine, makes Naxi conflicted because she grows fond of Xu Chuyue and doesn't want to hurt her friend, but she still made a promise to avenge her family. This would've been a more compelling storyline.
Also, the whole thing with Prince Ning...it was hilarious and that one moment of Prince Ning disregarding his life for her is kind of believable, I suppose since he's kind of a dummy, but anything to do with them getting together is impossible. Also, Naxi might've been moved a bit by Prince Ning's actions, but not to an extent where she would go back for him or whatever. Their little side story is not the best part of this drama.

2) THAT ENDING: Look, Xue Yao would NEVER hurt Xu Chuyue so he would NEVER jump off a cliff so that they both die together. Even if the show wants it to be open-ended with that possibility, I'm shutting that down right now. He was at a weak moment where he missed her dearly, but he would never do that.
Here's my version of the ending:
Xue Yao finishes telling the story to the kids who all run away. Xue Yao is a little disappointed that she didn't wake up right at that moment and maybe he walks away for a second to breathe and get fresh air (get it? Fresh air? So he doesn't cry? Callback to like episode 3.) and then Xu Chuyue calls his name. He turns around and she's smiling brilliantly like that one time when she was going to get on the carriage. She's awake and healthy and beautiful. He goes to her, still crying, and she kisses his tears. They hug and kiss and smile and are happy. THE END.

This would be a proper happier ending than the "special happy-ending episode" where there are continuation issues. The special issue gives them a kid and have them go travelling around, which is fine, but the last part about the Naxi and Pring Ning.....no. Just, no. They apparently got together during the time she saved him from the poison smoke, but that would be impossible since Xu Chuyue already changed the timeline, so. That's impossible. That part of the special episode, I don't agree with.

Also, I get why Xu Chuyue couldn't just "come back" because throughout the entire series, they already said that she would become a living dead person, even reinforced by her father. So, on an emotional level, I GET it that it's not that easy for her to just WAKE UP. But then, I truly wish the storyline had embedded a thread of a possibility to save her through some other means and have Xue Yao spend time looking for that alternative way to save her. Her sacrifice to save everyone was monumental, but c'mon, this is a romcom historical, why can't we get a happy ending for our lovers, who went through SO much already? Give us that happy payoff after all this angst. COME ON.

*edit after some days of thinking and rewatching some scenes*: so, her father DID say that being a living dead person is the worst way to die because she'll outlive everyone but won't be able to respond to the outside world. Since that is the case...then I would accept Xue Yao taking her and them dying together. Because at least that way she actually gets to die with him and not him dying while she lives around. In a way, it's a mercy for Xu Chuyue. But I don't know how I feel if Xue Yao took them both to die so early and so young...

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