I am also doubtful of Zhao Jinmai's acting. I have seen her in 3 drama series and she is acting out her character the same way. I do like the other 2 dramas (Princess Royal and Amidst a Snow Storm of Love), but she seems to just be the same in all these dramas so far.
I am at episode 14 and just trying to decide whether to keep going because Zhen Zhu's character is quite annoying. Wondering if she actually gets smarter at least EQ-wise and just not keep making dumb decisions. If she keeps being so annoying, I think I am quitting. Other than that, I am not too impressed with Jing Tian's acting in Imperial Chinese drama. She seems more suitable for drama in the 60s era.
I also agree with you on Ren Jialun... I think in his younger days as in here, he does look a bit weird in Imperial Chinese drama. His acting and his looks got better as he matured though still don't seem quite as natural in combat scenes.
The drama felt just too sad for me even though everyone is giving this drama series accolades. As you alluded to, it lacks the fun, humor and/or chemistry I needed even though it is very real. I really prefer something I don't feel depressed and deflated after watching for just 10 minutes. I had to drop it for a good few months after episode 1. Just tried picking it back up and can't even finish episode 2 before feeling depressed again at how unfair life is to these poor kids. I think you confirmed what I think this drama series will be like. I even tried having a glimpse at the last episode to see if it might have a more light-hearted ending and it doesn't seem like so. The acting is actually fantastic and I believe the storyline is also really good but I think this is just not my cup of tea.
Interesting hypotheses on who is #1. I thought it would be someone in the royal family like the Empress, but Shangguan Lan is an interesting suspect too. I was deceived by his fairer complexion because all the others in the evil sect have quite a dark complexion so didn't quite think it is him.
I loved the series even though it was severely cut. The acting from the ML and FL was superb, and the script was fantastic. I kept wondering where did that priest in the mirror end up in the end, it now make sense why this part of the story led nowhere.
I wondered too whether it would die off a bit because the average score is not as high as I thought it could be given the start is actually quite good, so I am actually hoping it continues.
I agree this is where Yang Zi shined and I am glad she took on the role. I didn't appreciate how good she can be in Ashes of Love and The Destiny of White Snake because her character was irritatingly ignorant and her role in them didn't quite demonstrate her versatility like in Lost You Forever.
What I find most disappointing about Run Yu is not quite what he did with Jing Mi but what he did with Xu Feng. I just can't quite believe he would do so much harm his brother for the throne and for Jing Mi. The thing is he didn't need to physically harm Xu Feng to get what he wanted. In fact, that is what he did wrong to end up not getting what he wanted. If he didn't put cold poison into the pill, Jing Mi would have stayed with him.
The main question that arises is not whether Run Yu should've ended up with Jin Mi or not but whether he was truly…
I agree Run Yu is a better emperor than Xu Feng. An emperor need to be a little bit scheming and manipulative or at least be able to play the game of politics. Xu Feng is a great commander as he had always been and he would be good in the role of leading an army. Xu Feng realised that and had only ever wanted to be in an assistive role to Run Yu as the Emperor but the Empress kept getting in the way of what the two brothers actually wanted and what is best for everyone. I don't mind XF's character as much though. I am a lot more irritated with Jing Mi's character (or really the plot and script writers)!
For me, Runyu's character is 1 of the reasons why I stayed on and watch the drama till the end. Tbh, Xu Feng's…
And Luo Yunxi played the character of Run Yu really well! After watching Love is Sweet where he is a dominant and bossy ML, I am quite impressed with his acting skills. He is also the reason I stuck on with Ashes of Love. Xu Feng's character was mainly just a straight-laced goody two shoe guy. While Yang Zi is probably a good actress, I found her character development a bit slow and repetitive (I mean... for goodness sake, how long does she have to behave like an ignorant little girl).
I also agree with you on Ren Jialun... I think in his younger days as in here, he does look a bit weird in Imperial Chinese drama. His acting and his looks got better as he matured though still don't seem quite as natural in combat scenes.