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This review may contain spoilers
Dilraba is as beautiful as ever..and that's about it
Update: The plot really does not improve, so just spend time on this drama to enjoy the looks (not the acting) of the leads and supports.I also wanted to share how much of the background music is recycled from Royal Nirvana--where the music was amazingly in synch to the story and scenes but just seems to amplify angst in this drama. But that said, this music has also been used in Allen Ren/Bai Lu's One and Only as well as Ryan Ding/Yang Chao Yue Love You Seven Times, and even in Love and Fairy and Devil (which is even rather interesting, as Li Yi Tong who starred in RN is also in this drama) ---so perhaps the music is not even original to Royal Nirvana..
So as to the plot....
The first handful of episodes are 'fun' as Dilraba plays a smart and flirty girl, so you may overlook how lame the plot is to make her look intelligent and then it goes downhill dragging out the angst and guilt and obsessive greed to gain at the expense of the good of the people. The greed plots are lame-best example, the fake FL wants to become crown princess at all costs--but nobody points out to her that she would be choosing to escape one perceived imprisonment to another as a royal behind the palace walls--and of all people, the Crown Prince insists on her selection while insisting the girl he does love isn't chosen because he doesn't want her stuck being his wife.. So huh? he's insisting the fake becomes his wife simply because of a promise even if he knows it will make that person miserable--and he's the hero?
Those around the fake can bring armies to the fore but choose to be powerless to stop her and yet feel guilty that she was in a gilded cage...after barely being to eat when she was found...you could argue she was not given a choice when she became the fake-but still, isn't being housed, safe, elegantly clothed and educated a bit better than struggling to survive? And she insists on more than that to become a princess at the obvious risk of deceiving the emperor and losing her life? Is she really that dumb and yet conniving enough to pursue her obsession?
The story does not improve--the plot/script last arc of episodes are ridiculous---I have to point out my observations:
--They go to war...but as soon as FL is in supposedly in trouble, the ML drops everything to 'rescue' her--but whereas he isn't busted for doing so, the SML is-for defying imperial orders....but then when things end up badly...they seem to just hang around until FL decides to take action. and then suddenly there's an urgency to act--wouldn't they have been strategizing a response from the get go? And why is it she can just go to war with no provisions/resources?
--ML ends up being cared for by enemy princess...and it's just all good...um? where did she have the resources to save him? why save him? why isn't her brother figuring out the ML is there?
and I could go on, but others have already so will stop here.
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Love may not fail but this story is an F
I agree with others that it had a strong compelling start as replacement actress I think fit the role with her kind of beauty, petiteness and acting style= a pixie and ML's stoicism worked but the story utterly went downhill and the ending is not even a head scratcher, it was downright slopped together 'gosh we need to wrap this up'. Watch this at 1.25X or even 1.5X and you'll get through it as the dialogue is not interesting, Second leads story is hammy, and a third lead and villan characterizations are like pouting children who behave as bullies because it turns out they have power (which also makes no sense even in fantasy as to how they got that much power),Watch the ML in A Moment But Forever, and FL in Sleepless Princess to enjoy their portrayals of similar characters in far more 'I want to watch the next episode" stories.
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The story is actually rather intriguing
Its funny that the reviews so far are love/hate, as that is what this drama features, but if you consider the underlying premise, it's actually rather thought provoking as to the question of whether/when immortals intervene and whether/what the consequences are for mortals and the immortals. Much like A Moment But Forever, That said, the dialogue to get us to the deeper point of the story is really lacking but then perhaps it may be lost in translation into English?The way the story unfolds sets you up with 'what the heck?' and then eventually provides the context-which I suppose is for dramatic tension/get you to want to watch more, but it does happens a bit too frequently that the Haters are justified in saying the drama fails. There was also a 'what the heck' storyline, ex: why did the ML seek blind date/matchmaker--totally didn't add to the story.
That said, give it a try, if nothing else the eye candy of the cast and their costumes is quite pleasing. I find it more intriguing than the recently completed Legend of Zang Hai which commentors made Xiao Zhan walk on water (crack me up, he does do this in a romance scene!)
And, consider better angst dramas, see Immortal Samsara for xianxia, and Royal Nirvana for costume.
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Watch on 1.25X to get thru it
I started this drama as the ML is good looking and did a good job as the villain in Lighter and Princess, and FL was convincing in Ni Cheng, but this story setup was ridiculous, and progressed to fill it's episodes with totally predicatably tropy romance and wrap up for the bad guys. As a 'fill your time' watch, it even wasn't that---that said, there have been worse dramas so you may find it entertaining. This would have been better (slightly) as a mini drama of 10 min episodes!Was this review helpful to you?
Was this really big?
I watched this finally since it received raves and awards for the leads and the drama from the MBC network....so it must have been a bad year for MBC if this was the mega winner. It does feature a different angle as to how the ML gets entangled in a power struggle but otherwise it is a standard overly dramatic Korean gangster/power abuse melodrama featuring lots of gang fighting and over the top cruelty against the powerless.. but the revenge against the abusers is not very effective or clever.If you like the leads, he is as goodlooking as ever even when beaten up and when he weeps, and she is admirable but it was more pleasant to see her in King the Land.
Personally I thought that the ML as well as FL in The Forbidden Marriage that was in the 2022 line up with this show showed a far greater range of emotions and character depth in a well executed story in less than the standard 16 episodes in which this drama was drawn out to fill the space.
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This is for the times you just want sweet and flufffy
Its rather clear that this drama intends to be a simple romance as the plot devices are superficial and troppy. Junho wears suits and swaggers like nobody's business and Yoona is cute but the chemistry isn't that amazing to me. It was a pleasant change of pace from mega melodramas or over the top silly character filled rom-coms. So it's a nice breather but not impactful. I read somewhere that Junho chose this project as a change of atmosphere from The Red Sleeve-which it is to the extreme. So watch this if you are seeking a happy breather.Was this review helpful to you?
ZLH rocks, the drama doesn't
If I thought ML Zhang Ling He was goodlooking before, he is eye candy 10.0 here! (His styling in his guest role in Red Moon Pact last few episodes was his handsome-est tho)Rather than critique just this drama since other's have(yes, the editing sucked, and the plot falls apart everywhere), I want to share my thoughts compared to other works by these actors.
FL Betty Tian was far better in Wonderland of Love with Xu Kai--while I felt there was lovely chemistry between the leads, her acting (or the script) was lacking in this drama.
ML ZLH was so adorable in this even when he was 'evil' -and I totally accepted this character and his love story here even tho' I had just seen him in Princess Royal, Story of Kunning Palace, and My Journey To You each with 3 different-FLs--his subtle expressions and eyes convincingly drew me in here so I kept watching.
I thought there was too much air time for the support male lead playing the young Dragon Lord but he was predictably goofy as he has been in other dramas.
Darren Chen played his role as typically annoying at first but matured as the story continued--I still only have liked him in Sleuth of Ming Dynasty.
Master of the Great Path was equally as sinister as he was in Janice Wu's Faithful--I guess he is enjoying the bad guy roles.
For this 2024 Summer costume dramas, this drama was far more palatable than Red Moon Pact and less heartwrenching than Lost You Forever, but The Double and Princess Royal were better story/scripts.
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Cheng Yi redeems himself from Journey of Legend
Intense, violent-but in context, next chapter please.For a "genius in the house" drama, so much more riveting than Xiao Zhan in Legend of Zang Hai (my opinion is that XZ seems to play roles that point out just how self aware he is of his cleverness) or Chen Xiao's The Ingenious One (same self awareness ---tho' being clever in The Magnate worked better for him there)
There is some major brutality but at least it makes sense compared to the drop of the hat fights in Blood River.
As for the actors:
-CY 's acting/character balances crazed cruel eyed vengeance with wistful compassion-and while in the story others acknowledge his brilliance it isn't about feeding his ego.
-Former Emperor actor on point, just as he did well in Zang Hai (hmmm that production and this must employ same agencies as Father in this drama is same actor as Zang Hai!)
-Cracked up that Tong Meng Shi is playing yet another martial arts god-his voice is utterly memorable from Joy of Life.
-Actor who plays Gu Yu-terrifically different from the memorably calm and devoted eunuch in Serenade of Peaceful Joy
I am a fan of embedded romance but I don't anticipate it here and it's ok, the story is compelling. SOOO makes up for what a dud Journey of Legend was (not same genre but am comparing what CY has acted in lately, not type of drama).
The cinematography, fresh takes on costumes (non symmetrical collar designs) great.
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This review may contain spoilers
Cheng Yi lives!
If you've watched other Cheng Yi works (you should), this is a showcase to his talent for sublety of expressions, and a refreshing opporunity to see him play playful-- as most often he is at his best portraying angst--which this show is just about ridiculously too much of for character--but he finally gets a happy ending--without the addition of an extra episode to give you an alternate ending (tho'-chuckle, he still has to wait a long time to get there!). What was also different as a story was that there was no inherently evil villian but otherwise it is trope heavy in regards to weal and woe., so if you can't stand that, you might not like this work.Was this review helpful to you?
Of the fantasy 'Moonlights'-this one is better
I immediately started to compare this to Moonlight Mystique, and decided this was more intriguing, the costumes, sets and backgrounds worked far better to create the mood of the story, and FL's acting was fun-she conveyed feline so well!That said, there were FAR too many 'wild eyed' stares from the ML 'villain' (such a cutie actor -so it was a bit refreshing he played the obsessed guy but see him in excellent cute-ness in Return of the Queen--this drama takes far better advantage of his gaze), Xu Kai seemed to be a bit asleep, and the ending had a clever wrapup but really felt like it was a "gosh we need to end this now" rush.
The second couple story also added length to the drama but not necessarily meaningful depth to the main leads story.
So added this review to have you consider which drama you prefer of the recent "Moon-x" dramas.
That said, in memory of Yu Meng Long, consider watching his "The Moon Brightens For You".
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Cunning vs Crazy and Cruel
I am adding my thoughts to compare to other recent dramas.With high melodramatics and several overtly theatrical visually cinematic moments, despite plot weaknesses, this drama works. Her cleverness, his cunning-- are a match of witty and eye-candy moment that are 'steamy' due to acting and visuals--for a censored C-Drama. This drama made me think of The Ingenious One with Chen Xiao but I thought it failed because he was too self aware of his intellect (which despite being a genius would fail time and again), whereas here, you get wrapped up in the attacks and counters from the lead pair against crazy evil injustice. This was more enjoyable despite the tragedy and cruel events that occur than Lost You Forever 2 which left one drained over the selfish melancholy.
That said, the apparently deep affection between the Emperor and the prior generation Consort was not explained (perhaps because in history there really was an Emperor who love a woman old enough to be his mother--but in that case she had raised him!--featured in Sleuth of Tang Dynasty, and an episode in Hi Producer with Joseph Zheng), which might have been more believable/palatable had we understood their backstory since the backstory for Emperor and ML, and all others were adequate (not necessarily justifiable) to explain their motives and actions.
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Not Kim Young Dae's best work
I'm a fan of the ML but while it seemed the story wanted to showcase that he could portray playful/silly and then serious and angsty--but you get way more moody angst from him that it just gets too tiring to watch, and FL killed it in Taxi Driver and even in Our Blooming Days in support roles but seems likes she's overacting in this lead role--and the makeup does not take advantage of her beauty.Watch Forbidden Marriage to see ML at his best--and for a far happier story. This one just stretches out so much sadness, angst, and tragedy for all of the roles that the little we see of happiness is not enough to make this a balanced work.
The premise of the story is intriguing and the only reason why I watched it to the end.
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Better than Red Moon-nope, fizzles just as badly.
Initial visual impact was impressive so I had high hopes, and the sets/backgrounds are far less tacky than Red Moon, but I couldn't fast forward enough by the time I reached 14th episode to the point that I am dropping this. SO MANY and long CGI battles = shoot'em video game scenarios (overkill similar to Til The End of the Moon). Just couldn't get invested to care about the characters.Guest stars acting and stories are better than leads--that's the only reason I persisted in watching-to see their stories/involvements-so I increased the acting stars to account for these guests. Watchable: ep 23 with Ryan Ding.
FL is the most monotone and emotionless than all her prior roles (where she is generally monotone and expressionless)
ML is handsome but his script is so lame he has little to work with.
Second couple story adds little to the main story.
Dialogue is so much filler to perhaps stretch the story to its 36 episodes.
PS. Now that the show has ended I am binge-watching at 1.25speed-still not much better to but fills the time.
Demon Hunter's Romance was much more enjoyable even with the ending that folks apparently hated.
Perhaps once done, I'll binge speed watch or use it as background noise to see how the story wraps up.
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It's a rom-com, not a serious drama!
2023 Having read prior reviews, the nay-sayers seem to expect a serious drama--this is clearly meant to be a rom-com and the premise is that the FL is naive-so of course she's a bit ditzy yet has a strong morale compass who can hold her own fighting--isn't this the classic FL? ML is totally in his comfort zone playing the handsome arrogant and talented guy. (BTW, he sings the ending theme song). Their chemistry is great. It does convey a point of view as to what defines good vs evil, how rumors create damage, and figuring out what love is.2025 Update-I am rewatching this drama as there's nothing else watchable at the moment--I tried for a 3rd time to watch but dropped the 3rd version of Legend of the Condor Heroes--Legend of Heroes-Hot Blooded. but as with all 3, could not fathom the ditzy naive ML...which made me come back to this drama. I find it interesting that that story is popular with a overly naive male lead but some viewers could not tolerate a naive FL in this one. This is not a drama with major angst, it does have its trope of an obsessed suitor, but it really is rather a creative story. Give it a try!
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Better in half
I tried. I really tried to keep watching this but it just got so boring even at 1.25 speed.EVERY episode-the 3rd wheel is quietly in angst not confessing, ML is devotedly waiting for her to respond, FL insists on denying him AND has zero EQ even though her job is to understand people, bad guy utters "you useless fools' to his lackey, even mom repeatedly deadpans 'honey you're amazing'', her family is utterly irked by ML---- I could go on as to how much the dialogue/story for nearly every character stubbornly repeats ....this show should have been a 12 episode mini drama of 20 min.
On top of that ML Ren Hao does not at all look good in this drama--his wig hair looks like he stuck his finger in a socket and his face is tired and is characterization is like he's asleep..sooo much better looking/intriguing in A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College where he first caught my attention as better than the ML. FL Snow Kong basically just focuses on gazing with her big eyes-yes she's pretty but so little substance to the character.
Fine filler to air while you're doing something else--this did not hold my attention. Thank goodness Legend of The Female General started up---while the story is full of tropes, so much more compelling to see the next episode!
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