If you had to attach an example to the term 'bang average', then it would be this drama. I'd say it's 60% Bai…
The one time we encountered a car scene without an absurd unrelated background video in a C-drama, we jumped up and cheered.
Then again, there was one short drama that just made the outside view *white* to not even bother. Maybe they forgot adding their amazing 1900s tech in postproduction.
Stellar production. Lots of effort put into the sets, the costumes are stunning, & 80% of the CGI looks good too. Probably the most purple show ever filmed (which I really appreciated).
Is there some reason Chang HuaSen doesn't (really) do kissing scenes?
For me, Ao Rui Peng was channeling Wang He Di a lot (minus the arrogance, which wouldn't be wrong for the first episodes). Dai Lu Wa as Fu Ling for some reason kept reminding me of Zhou Ye. Normally I prefer undubbed shows, but I don't think this could work without VAs replacing 3 of the 4 mains.
The plot is extremely weak and tries to be needlessly dramatic at any time. The leads are cute enough I suppose and definitely sufficiently kissy, but I'm not necessarily feeling the chemistry at least from the FL's side. If you have strong disbelief suspension skills or just don't mind braindead writing, and aren't put off by the premise of "FL's mother and child are brutally murdered on screen", this could be a solid watch.
Happy. Villain bro is dead killed by FL to avenge her mother and baby. Empress dowager kills herself. FL left…
Since she was caged up in the/some palace. Seemed like yet another "resolvable misunderstanding" though, since they even had someone to pair her with and all.
The very very very end wasn't really my thing, but overall, it was entertaining from start to finish. It's a bit formulaic and repetitive but that helps it stay an easy watch.
You need to bring your own translation about 10% of the time for really weird lines or untranslated text.
I can't get past the adds, the above doesn't seem to be the correct name at the top
The first link works fine. 1h 34m 35s is the correct length. Like Jwells said, you can likely get functional adblocking on any platform. I saw no ads or anything.
good: The production team put in a substantial effort. 2025 had a lot of well-produced dramas, and S&L doesn't need to hide from them. The chemistry is at least in the top 20% or so.
so-so: I won't remember much of the OST, but there's a lot of it.
bad: It's a Wattpad type story, and you're better off watching it with the entirety of your critical thinking faculties shut down. I recently watched a short drama where the top-rated review said "the plot holes have their own plot holes", and that isn't far from what you get here.
P.S.: Even if you have a mild dislike for Esther, and are extra afraid to touch S&L because she isn't dubbed, I'd say it's worth a try. She is pretty solid here and doesn't really prance around doing the whole baby voice thing to all other characters.
The drama goes out of its way to sprinkle in a scene during the years in-between, when he is capable of traveling alone etc, where he sees her in the airport and sees first-hand that moving on isn't on her to-do list. Yet he keeps making all their common contacts lie to her, etc; makes her think nobody knows where he's at; makes her think she will never see her dog alive again. And so on.
Imo it was all good until after the accident. JZ was written to be this hero ml that would not take help from…
The plot has so many problems, it would take fewer words listing what is a-okay about it.
re 3: - Yes, doctor via Lin Sui. - He already accepts help (against from Lin Sui) before that race; at least I thought it was implied that the special suit was very impactful (though I can't say I "saw him wear it"). - You mean "necessary" as a character in the story (that is not in the novel) or medically necessary? The latter seems an easy yes; the former, well, the character also functions as misunderstanding bait and so on.
Then again, there was one short drama that just made the outside view *white* to not even bother. Maybe they forgot adding their amazing 1900s tech in postproduction.
Actually, you can even skip all triangle/job/etc stuff that *does* involve one of the leads. None of it is good.
Probably the most purple show ever filmed (which I really appreciated).
Is there some reason Chang HuaSen doesn't (really) do kissing scenes?
For me, Ao Rui Peng was channeling Wang He Di a lot (minus the arrogance, which wouldn't be wrong for the first episodes).
Dai Lu Wa as Fu Ling for some reason kept reminding me of Zhou Ye.
Normally I prefer undubbed shows, but I don't think this could work without VAs replacing 3 of the 4 mains.
I agree that in Moonlight Mystique there are a lot of "oh I know that Bai Lu expression" moments.
Intro 0m45s (except for first episode)
Outro 2m36s
=> ~4 hours length if you usually skip intro & outro
The leads are cute enough I suppose and definitely sufficiently kissy, but I'm not necessarily feeling the chemistry at least from the FL's side.
If you have strong disbelief suspension skills or just don't mind braindead writing, and aren't put off by the premise of "FL's mother and child are brutally murdered on screen", this could be a solid watch.
Seemed like yet another "resolvable misunderstanding" though, since they even had someone to pair her with and all.
You need to bring your own translation about 10% of the time for really weird lines or untranslated text.
1h 34m 35s is the correct length.
Like Jwells said, you can likely get functional adblocking on any platform. I saw no ads or anything.
The production team put in a substantial effort. 2025 had a lot of well-produced dramas, and S&L doesn't need to hide from them.
The chemistry is at least in the top 20% or so.
so-so:
I won't remember much of the OST, but there's a lot of it.
bad:
It's a Wattpad type story, and you're better off watching it with the entirety of your critical thinking faculties shut down. I recently watched a short drama where the top-rated review said "the plot holes have their own plot holes", and that isn't far from what you get here.
P.S.: Even if you have a mild dislike for Esther, and are extra afraid to touch S&L because she isn't dubbed, I'd say it's worth a try. She is pretty solid here and doesn't really prance around doing the whole baby voice thing to all other characters.
Maybe it's less nonsensical in the novel.
The drama goes out of its way to sprinkle in a scene during the years in-between, when he is capable of traveling alone etc, where he sees her in the airport and sees first-hand that moving on isn't on her to-do list.
Yet he keeps making all their common contacts lie to her, etc; makes her think nobody knows where he's at; makes her think she will never see her dog alive again. And so on.
re 3:
- Yes, doctor via Lin Sui.
- He already accepts help (against from Lin Sui) before that race; at least I thought it was implied that the special suit was very impactful (though I can't say I "saw him wear it").
- You mean "necessary" as a character in the story (that is not in the novel) or medically necessary? The latter seems an easy yes; the former, well, the character also functions as misunderstanding bait and so on.