This review may contain spoilers
So so good until Episode 26 then…
Not your typical xanxia as the story hints at so many parallels that you can see in real life - how fear drives people to imprison innocent heroes, how you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover (my favourite example is the noodle stall owner in Yandu) and how easy it is to manipulate words to your advantage (see how the elders justify removing the shackle and compare it with their arguments on why he should wear it…)
Interesting bits of modern day inventions pop up as pleasant surprises like solar panels ;)
Unfortunately, also not what it seems visually as I expected better. Sets look unrealistic and the bright lighting made it even more obvious - I almost skipped this drama when I saw the trailers. Make up was hmmmmm and the ML’s wig when his hair wasn’t put up looked so fake but…
How the story unfolded has kept me hooked! Like an onion that is peeled back to reveal yet another layer, it is one of the few dramas that has continued to surprise me each episode without reusing old troupes.
Would you expect the ML to not lend a hand when people are dying around him? That scene sticks in my mind because of his expression and there are so many more just like that which is why I just love the ML. One of the best acting I’ve seen to date and I’ve already rewatched many episodes to savour his various facets - gullible, tormented, calculating and dumbfounded when he just can’t figure out the FL. So easy to turn a blind eye to his lack of intelligence when it comes to figuring out who the FL is.
I am not too invested in the storyline of the second couple so hope it ties in to the overall story later on. Some of the numbers there don’t add up - she grew old waiting for him… she had white hair, wrinkles etc so I am assuming it was a ripe old age of 80-90 then a miracle prayer turned her young. 10 years passed and she returned home. Seeing her younger brother with streaks of white hair was expected but her father is 90 years old? So how old was she when she got her miracle 10 years earlier?
Episode 26 ended on a big cliffhanger as the FL had clearly broken the heavenly vow that is ingrained in her heart and she collapsed. Then the next episode shows her recovering from her coma so easily… so the vow was not broken? My rating has dropped from 8.5 to 8 because of Episode 27&28. Can’t bear to watch anymore for the time being. Will come back to it later as I’ve heard the ending is not that great.
24 Mar 2026
Rewatched all episodes before continuing Episode 29-36 and the ending was not as bad as I feared. Tolerable if you can accept how heavenly rules are almost like computer programming - if not specified correctly, it doesn’t count so although there were plenty of hugs, a kiss and loving hand touches, the heavenly vow is not broken just because the words “I love you” is not spoken out loud… just like how FL had to verbalise her forgiveness to the ML in order to end his bad luck caused by him killing a god twice.
Unfortunately, the story behind the villain and how it was revealed was a bit of a let down. Not surprising as many dramas have a strong start then falter when fleshing out the villain and usually rush towards the showdown. Although the ending wasn’t rushed, it still made you wonder why she was allowed to live 6 months after breaking the heavenly vow…
Interesting bits of modern day inventions pop up as pleasant surprises like solar panels ;)
Unfortunately, also not what it seems visually as I expected better. Sets look unrealistic and the bright lighting made it even more obvious - I almost skipped this drama when I saw the trailers. Make up was hmmmmm and the ML’s wig when his hair wasn’t put up looked so fake but…
How the story unfolded has kept me hooked! Like an onion that is peeled back to reveal yet another layer, it is one of the few dramas that has continued to surprise me each episode without reusing old troupes.
Would you expect the ML to not lend a hand when people are dying around him? That scene sticks in my mind because of his expression and there are so many more just like that which is why I just love the ML. One of the best acting I’ve seen to date and I’ve already rewatched many episodes to savour his various facets - gullible, tormented, calculating and dumbfounded when he just can’t figure out the FL. So easy to turn a blind eye to his lack of intelligence when it comes to figuring out who the FL is.
I am not too invested in the storyline of the second couple so hope it ties in to the overall story later on. Some of the numbers there don’t add up - she grew old waiting for him… she had white hair, wrinkles etc so I am assuming it was a ripe old age of 80-90 then a miracle prayer turned her young. 10 years passed and she returned home. Seeing her younger brother with streaks of white hair was expected but her father is 90 years old? So how old was she when she got her miracle 10 years earlier?
Episode 26 ended on a big cliffhanger as the FL had clearly broken the heavenly vow that is ingrained in her heart and she collapsed. Then the next episode shows her recovering from her coma so easily… so the vow was not broken? My rating has dropped from 8.5 to 8 because of Episode 27&28. Can’t bear to watch anymore for the time being. Will come back to it later as I’ve heard the ending is not that great.
24 Mar 2026
Rewatched all episodes before continuing Episode 29-36 and the ending was not as bad as I feared. Tolerable if you can accept how heavenly rules are almost like computer programming - if not specified correctly, it doesn’t count so although there were plenty of hugs, a kiss and loving hand touches, the heavenly vow is not broken just because the words “I love you” is not spoken out loud… just like how FL had to verbalise her forgiveness to the ML in order to end his bad luck caused by him killing a god twice.
Unfortunately, the story behind the villain and how it was revealed was a bit of a let down. Not surprising as many dramas have a strong start then falter when fleshing out the villain and usually rush towards the showdown. Although the ending wasn’t rushed, it still made you wonder why she was allowed to live 6 months after breaking the heavenly vow…
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