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This review may contain spoilers
It gets good after the first 2 eps!
I was on the fence about this show early in the summer. The first episode especially had me unsure of how I felt about it. The pacing felt reminiscent of a micro drama, and with 24 episodes, I felt unsure as to whether it would sustain that pacing. I kept with it though, and I'm so glad I did! It still isn't a 10-star show for me, but I really enjoyed it. Most costume dramas contain some level of scheming and political intrigue, but where this show shined was in all of the cunning players: Grand Princess Chu Zhao herself, Grand Tutor Deng Yi, Prime Minister Xie Yanfang, and treasonous Xiao Xun!
As for Fu Jiu... I've never seen Zhou Yi Ran's performance before, and I have to admit I was underwhelmed by Yanlai's portrayal. He maybe just was not as interesting as all of the other manipulative cast members LOL I did feel he was a weaker link in the show though, which sucked given that he was the ML. This definitely impacted how I felt about the romance rating.
🤍 Romance Quality 🤍
The show was just much more focused on political subterfuge than romance. Don't get me wrong, I loved that. :D I enjoyed all the "gotcha!" moments, particularly with Deng Yi and Zhao secretly in cahoots while tricking other characters. Deng Yi's ultimate flaw was in playing both sides too often. I figured it would eventually get him killed. Of course, it did!
I think the romance between Jiu and Zhao grew realistically. I enjoyed their tender moments, but they were few and far between given the nature of the drama. So, 4.5/5 for romance, even though romance was not really the point of the show.
Romantic highlights:
🤍 Chu Zhao saving Yanlai from the angry crowd
🤍 Yanlai building the swing for Zhao 🥹
🤍 Yanlai teaching Zhao sword fighting
🤍 Chu Zhao saving Yanlai a second time...from an angry crowd 🤣🥺 His face when he realizes she no longer blames him
🤍 Their reunion after the first major battle
🤍 Yanlai begging Zhao not to accept Yanfang's offer 😭 His one wish was for her to be free and not submit to his scheming brother
🤍 The end scene in the field of course~ "Are you bored of catching rabbits?" "You're just easier to catch!"
🤡 Comedy 🤡
Well, it really wasn't that kind of show. 2/5 for the rare moments that made me chuckle (mainly Xiao Xun getting screwed over, haha)
🎞️ Plot/Intrigue 🎞️
Again, THIS is where the show blossomed. We had the first arc with Chu Zhao frantically trying to avert her own demise by outmaneuvering Xiao Xun. She was still traumatized and lacked confidence until she took on the role as Grand Princess. That's where things started to get interesting. I'll admit the initial portion of episodes that focused largely on her adapting and keeping balance at court did get a little boring. But things picked up again when Zhao secretly left to check on her father up in Yunzhong. I forget what episode this was, 10 or 11 maybe?
I loved the subplot about Zhao's parents. I found the tragedy between Chu Ling and Alan Rou Ying quite moving, and Alan's last sacrifice as a mother is probably especially dear to me because I myself am a mom. But something about it really struck a chord. Zhao had already grown stronger by this point, but she truly matured after losing her parents. 🥺 I think this brought her closer to Jiu, too.
The MVP of intrigue had to be Xie Yanfang though. I admit I underestimated him from the start. I sort of suspected he might turn into a secondary love interest, but I had NO idea just how manipulative, ruthless, and calculating he was. I did suspect once it was revealed that the life-saving pill he gave Yanlai was actually a death-trap. 😬 But even then, I thought he had SOME affection for Yanlai, and that it was a battle for him between his selfish gains and brotherly bond. Tang Xiao Tian truly knocked this role out of the park. I'm hoping to see him in more leading roles (in high-profile dramas) in the future! 5/5
🎵 Soundtrack 🎵
4.5 for me. I loved the tracks by Liu Yuning (OST king! 👑) and Jane Zhang. ^^
🗺️ World-Building 🗺️
This world felt pretty immersive with all the different scheming factions/clans. The capital, Yunzhong, northern desert, Cangmu Stronghold, Xiaonan... 4.5
🌙 Visuals/Costume 🌙
No complaints here. Nothing special, but everything looked good to me. :) 4/5
🍿 Binge Factor 🍿
The pacing really struggled in the early eps but it did correct itself. I wonder if most people who dropped this gave up on it because of its weaker start :c 3.5/5
🎭 Acting 🎭
5/5 for me. Fantastic, especially Xie Yanfang!
🥷🏻 Conflict 🥷🏻
Again, I loved all the scheming players. It really felt like a chessboard with the greatest villain having us all fooled till the last few eps. 5/5
As for Fu Jiu... I've never seen Zhou Yi Ran's performance before, and I have to admit I was underwhelmed by Yanlai's portrayal. He maybe just was not as interesting as all of the other manipulative cast members LOL I did feel he was a weaker link in the show though, which sucked given that he was the ML. This definitely impacted how I felt about the romance rating.
🤍 Romance Quality 🤍
The show was just much more focused on political subterfuge than romance. Don't get me wrong, I loved that. :D I enjoyed all the "gotcha!" moments, particularly with Deng Yi and Zhao secretly in cahoots while tricking other characters. Deng Yi's ultimate flaw was in playing both sides too often. I figured it would eventually get him killed. Of course, it did!
I think the romance between Jiu and Zhao grew realistically. I enjoyed their tender moments, but they were few and far between given the nature of the drama. So, 4.5/5 for romance, even though romance was not really the point of the show.
Romantic highlights:
🤍 Chu Zhao saving Yanlai from the angry crowd
🤍 Yanlai building the swing for Zhao 🥹
🤍 Yanlai teaching Zhao sword fighting
🤍 Chu Zhao saving Yanlai a second time...from an angry crowd 🤣🥺 His face when he realizes she no longer blames him
🤍 Their reunion after the first major battle
🤍 Yanlai begging Zhao not to accept Yanfang's offer 😭 His one wish was for her to be free and not submit to his scheming brother
🤍 The end scene in the field of course~ "Are you bored of catching rabbits?" "You're just easier to catch!"
🤡 Comedy 🤡
Well, it really wasn't that kind of show. 2/5 for the rare moments that made me chuckle (mainly Xiao Xun getting screwed over, haha)
🎞️ Plot/Intrigue 🎞️
Again, THIS is where the show blossomed. We had the first arc with Chu Zhao frantically trying to avert her own demise by outmaneuvering Xiao Xun. She was still traumatized and lacked confidence until she took on the role as Grand Princess. That's where things started to get interesting. I'll admit the initial portion of episodes that focused largely on her adapting and keeping balance at court did get a little boring. But things picked up again when Zhao secretly left to check on her father up in Yunzhong. I forget what episode this was, 10 or 11 maybe?
I loved the subplot about Zhao's parents. I found the tragedy between Chu Ling and Alan Rou Ying quite moving, and Alan's last sacrifice as a mother is probably especially dear to me because I myself am a mom. But something about it really struck a chord. Zhao had already grown stronger by this point, but she truly matured after losing her parents. 🥺 I think this brought her closer to Jiu, too.
The MVP of intrigue had to be Xie Yanfang though. I admit I underestimated him from the start. I sort of suspected he might turn into a secondary love interest, but I had NO idea just how manipulative, ruthless, and calculating he was. I did suspect once it was revealed that the life-saving pill he gave Yanlai was actually a death-trap. 😬 But even then, I thought he had SOME affection for Yanlai, and that it was a battle for him between his selfish gains and brotherly bond. Tang Xiao Tian truly knocked this role out of the park. I'm hoping to see him in more leading roles (in high-profile dramas) in the future! 5/5
🎵 Soundtrack 🎵
4.5 for me. I loved the tracks by Liu Yuning (OST king! 👑) and Jane Zhang. ^^
🗺️ World-Building 🗺️
This world felt pretty immersive with all the different scheming factions/clans. The capital, Yunzhong, northern desert, Cangmu Stronghold, Xiaonan... 4.5
🌙 Visuals/Costume 🌙
No complaints here. Nothing special, but everything looked good to me. :) 4/5
🍿 Binge Factor 🍿
The pacing really struggled in the early eps but it did correct itself. I wonder if most people who dropped this gave up on it because of its weaker start :c 3.5/5
🎭 Acting 🎭
5/5 for me. Fantastic, especially Xie Yanfang!
🥷🏻 Conflict 🥷🏻
Again, I loved all the scheming players. It really felt like a chessboard with the greatest villain having us all fooled till the last few eps. 5/5
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