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Disjointed happy ending
These 2 short episodes are purely meant to give some feel good vibes as there is not much continuity or explanation on how the characters found their happy endings.The ML and FL are suddenly alive and living a loving life with this son…
Would have been better to have a proper full length episode at the end of Part 2 to show how they got to their happy endings instead of releasing these 2 short special episodes later on. Momentum and continuity is lost.
Overall the drama is only average and pales in comparison with the lead’s previous dramas, ie Ashes of Love and Love and Redemption. Better to invest your time in Blue Whisper which I have just starting watching and it is mesmerising so far!
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Understanding, Caring, Supportive Romance
Back to my first love - wuxia and this drama ticks most of what I love about this genre. Gorgeous costumes and breathtaking martial arts.Story wise, it was good with some interesting little reveals but did not tug at my heartstrings like Untamed or Ten Miles of Peach Blossom. What I enjoyed most was their positive relationship where there was little misunderstandings and hardly any jealousy or love triangles. Both leads were strong characters that helped and supported each other.
Unfortunately, other parts of the story seemed a bit lacking. One annoying one was when someone was assumed to have killed another person just because she was the last one to have met that person… it didn’t matter that these 2 persons were in a close relationship and there was no motive for the murder…
Overall a decent watch if you’re a wuxia fan and have already seen all the popular ones.
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Not as lighthearted as the synopsis promised
After finishing Mr Sunshine, my shattered heart was in need of a lighthearted romantic drama and I thought I found that in this one. I was wrong.Overall, the story was interesting as a normal drama - nothing fantastic but nothing annoying. But definitely not the “Princess Diaries” feel that I was expecting.
The middle of the drama got quite dark and had lots of sacrifice with tears and assassins when I was looking for more comedy and common girl-to-princess transformation. So do take note of this and perhaps you will end up less disappointed than I was after finishing this drama.
It ended happily and on a light hearted note but could have been more satisfying if it was longer and had more substance.
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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.
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Men in braids rock!
It was great that most of the drama was set in a country where they looked tribal so their costumes, braided hair, earrings was a much welcome break from the usual period dramas.I liked the chemistry of the main couple and although a common troupe of enemy to lovers, I lapped it all up as they played off each other so well.
With all these plus points to keep me drawn to the drama, it was easier to forgive the plot loopholes and unusually big eyes of the annoying Princess.
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A MUST watch for xanxia lovers!
A well produced drama that made the fantasy believable with great sets, fantastic cgi, good wire work, fantastic costumes, a decent story and a lovely couple to drool over & tug at your heart strings.When most of the elements are well done, it’s easy to overlook any minor logic or pacing issues. So easy to let yourself believe in all these super powers when the cgi looks fantastic. Makes it hard to watch older xanxias when the technology was less advanced.
Most of the costumes were a feast for the eyes and really spoke to me as this is one of my favourite parts of these types of dramas. Seeing the beautiful flowing fabric in different layers and colours when they walked, flew through the sky and even fought was breathtaking. And I even liked the non-flowy costumes as the attention to detail was beautiful especially the Crown Prince’s gold & black costume.
Didn’t really enjoy the story behind the FL’s sister after she joined hands with the villian. Can’t belief how she was able to keep getting the various sects to trust her despite all the proof that she was up to no good. Then out of the blue, she is shown to have feelings for someone who sacrifices himself for her…
I loved seeing the ML’s diverse range of expressions & mannerisms. So different from his character in Lost You Forever which made it even more memorable. The FL’s different lighthearted persona as the master and later as a disciple was a treat as I have never seen this actress before.
If you’re into xanxia, you MUST watch this.
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Got better towards the end
This drama took a long time to warm up and I could only sit through the first 15 episodes while multitasking on my iPad.The first 5 episodes left me unsatisfied:
Night and day.
After finishing a K period drama that was on point with the story telling, dialogue, cinematography and acting (despite the usual unbelievable storyline), I am struggling to connect with this drama that is lacking in all this aspects.
While both the K drama and this drama have far fetched storylines, the K drama wrote convincing plots with smart dialogue and actions. This drama is lacking so much logic and common sense that even switching off part of my brain doesn’t enough.
Flighting sequences so far are only so so. Acting is also a bit lacking and stiff - perhaps due to direction and camera work? I’ve seen the actors perform better in other dramas. Thankfully, it improved towards the last few episodes.
I enjoyed the episodes after the SML managed to convince the FL to go with him to cure the villian. The chemistry between them picked up faster than when the FL was with the ML in the beginning episodes. The storyline then was a bit more entertaining and I enjoyed how the villian was dealt with. This pulled up my rating from 5.5 to 7.
If you need a sweet closure between the ML and FL, make sure you watch the end credits as there is a short sweet scene right at the end. I am thankful there wasn’t an unrealistic miracle cure. Though sad, it was fitting.
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The usual mess but with nice visuals
Needed me to turn off my brain too many times for me to enjoy the unique parts relating to brocade. The ML’s skills are super power level so doesn’t mix well for this realistic setting which is unfortunate as it was nice watching him fight. But the way he can take down so many people on his own was beyond realistic.FL has a nice believable young girl vibe but it breaks down when she matures and manages to capture the attention of so many men especially the villain. The villian should have stayed truer to himself and not turned into such a love sick fool.
The evil lady reduced to a pitiful shadow because of her love for her maid which we cannot understand as not enough is shown about their past to justify her feelings for her maid.
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Grey’s Anatomy vibes focusing on Heart Specialists
I seldom watch contemporary Chinese dramas but was tempted to try this due to AvenueX’s glowing reviews and I was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of Grey’s Anatomy and how it goes back and forth between the patients and medical staff’s lives.The storyline was engaging and I enjoyed the different patients they encountered and tried to help. A good variety of scenarios made for interesting viewing as you also get more curious about the personal lives of the leads. The ML’s acting was spot on as the model doctor who was estranged from his mother as she left him when he was 5. How their relationship gradually improves over time was very realistic and touching.
His love interest was just so-so for me and I pitied him in the end. His girlfriend stalked him and chased him then needed attention from him like a normal boyfriend and when she couldn’t get it, she walked away. Glad to see he wasn’t overly distraught by it and quite realistic as an example of a relationship that doesn’t work out. As for the other couple, it was sweeter in the beginning when they were friends and enjoying each others company.
Great acting all around especially the patients - kudos to the actor who played the unidentified man nicknamed “flower”.
Bad bad bad subs on WeTV - even someone with poor Mandarin skills like myself could spot the mistakes of some easy translations. The most annoying was not even getting the gender right - Ms Zhou kept popping up when referring to the ML! Then for the rest I didn’t understand, the subtitles just didn’t make sense 30% of the time. If I had a better understanding of the story, perhaps my rating would be higher.
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Captivating start but…
it ended not just without an ending but with a feeling of sadness. A double whammy of dislikes for me.Had the beginning episodes not been so engaging, my rating for this drama would have been lower. The story starts off very strong at episode 1 and I was hooked especially with the dark feel of this drama. So much intrigue and seeing the assassins smartly make their moves kept me glued to my screen. My rating at this point was a 9.
When the ML had his 3 trials, I was fascinated as the storyline on this trials was not what I was expecting as I thought the trials would be more physically related. The chemistry between the leads was nice enough and I enjoyed watching the FL being so dark and serious unlike in her previous drama where she was naive and chirpy.
While having touches of humour are a good idea, I did not appreciate the extreme and absurd way one of the female characters was written. Her over exaggerated movements and lustfulness was too much of a jarring contrast to the overall tone of this drama.
Quite a lot of the story is told in flashback style to give us lots of aha moments so you’ll have to be patient as certain parts of the story are left hanging and makes you wonder if it will be answered later on or become a plot hole. Lots of death and this drama seems to focus on making it as sad and drawn out as possible so it got a bit tiring when it overdid it.
The reveal at the end was good and seeing the whole family come together and that they had each other’s back was one of the highlights. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of how the drama went a step further and made the ending open ended and sad.
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Slow slow pacing . . .
The last few episodes were quite painful to watch as the pacing slowed down to a crawl especially during the climax when the Emperor was being forced to abdicate. Thankfully, it ended very happily for the main couple.The overall look and feel of the drama was great with nice sets and beautiful costumes with layers of rich fabric. But it suffered mostly due to the draggy pacing. The chemistry between the leads was ok for me but I much preferred the cute romance between the FL’s servant and the ML’s assistant. Not a fan of the slow way that the ML spoke and conducted himself even in private - a bit too reserved for my liking. The FL was pleasant enough but some of her emotional scenes did not tug at my heartstrings.
Luckily I didn’t know much about the story so the twist with the princess was a nice surprise for me. But as the story progressed, I still could not understand the motivations behind her evil actions. Was she really so 2-faced from young or is there a person who can actually be so kind and evil at the same time? I could see how her early suffering could lead her to wanting revenge (which she did get) but I failed to see how it led to her ambitions to take the throne. It all felt very forced since it wasn’t properly fleshed out.
The best part of this drama for me was the first few episodes and the happy ending in the last episode.
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Lovely romance of a married couple
So nice to see a romance start with a couple that is married and see them still in love and comfortable with each other. A nice change from the usual slow burn attraction that takes places over many episodes with a big dash of misunderstandings and jealousies.And to make it better, there was a unique storyline behind the butterfly curse and the second couple was also interesting to watch! No super evil villain, just a little humour with a disgruntled father. No jealousies.
Loved both couples and their chemistry. The ladies were pretty and the men were handsome so watching this drama was a joy.
Do give this a go if you’re in the mood for romance right from episode 1.
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Sweet romance, comedy and tears
Having 2 sisters betrothed to princes in 2 different realms made for a very interesting start to this drama as the story flips between the Heavenly Realm, all white & bright and the Void Realm, all dark & dreary.Loved the romance for both couples with the classic misunderstandings done well. The sidekicks for each couple provided lovely touches of humour as they were quick to realise the romance blooming and called it out to their respective masters who were in denial.
Kudos to the female lead who made me feel her grief so deeply that I cried every time she cried. The male lead’s acting shone much more when playing the 3 versions of himself in the Mortal Realm. Watching all 3 versions of him falling in love with the female lead exceeded my romance expectations from a drama. In essence, I got to watch 5 romances in total when most dramas only have 2 (main couple and second couple).
I enjoyed the overall story telling where there were happy outcomes throughout (eg the couples acknowledging and accepting each other and the Emperor of the Human Realm’s love for the female lead) instead of only having everything come together at the end of a drama.
Unfortunately, the ending’s storyline wasn’t my cup of tea as some parts felt more like fillers. Would have been better to cut that away to make way for a nice sweet happy ending instead of leaving it to our imagination.
Extra notes:
1. Good to see gravity working correctly here where the clothes flow upwards when they are “landing” unlike in some dramas that I watched in the past.
2. Annoying to see the bright light during the sweet kiss scenes.
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A love so deep, tender and touching…
… that my tears are still flowing as I type this review. This is a love story that not just tugs at my heart strings but wrenches it as much as it makes it flutter and soar.The ML was phenomenal and I loved all his different faces. Cool and rigid as the emotionless Moon Supreme. Girly when he switched bodies. Puzzled as he starts figuring out love. Pained as he regains his emotions and understands his past. Caring when he was in love. Happy and playful when he was sharing sweet moments in his dreamworld.
One of the best paced story telling I’ve seen for a xanxia. The story itself was also very good with a good amount of twists and reveals without overdoing the jealousies. “2 sides to a coin” - this drama handled this very well especially in showing how people are not evil in the Moon Tribe. All the reveals behind all the “evil” actions made my heart break repeatedly.
Obsession leads to chaos. I kept asking myself why RongHao had to do what he did. On one hand, I understood his obsession. And on the other hand, I kept wishing he would be righteous enough not to carry out his plans. Such a grey character which provided the right level of adversities for the main couple to overcome.
While not the best, the costumes, sets and props were good enough to tell the story. Don’t get caught up with some of the minor little details and you could love this as much as than Ten Miles of Peach Blossom.
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Romance with action right up my alley!
The beginning started out a bit boring as they fleshed out the different characters individually. But it soon got exciting for me as I enjoyed the interactions between Healer, his hacker handler and the FL.The acting was great for so many of the characters but the standout for me was Ms Jo who was this quirky hacker who makes gimbabs and also knits all while keeping an eye on the various screens in front of her! Her conversations with the ML are hilarious as she doesn’t hold back, frequently calling him a mutt!
The ML was cool in the way he manages to carry out his various jobs, nimbly climbing up walls and effortless taking down many bad guys - the stunt work was good and choreography of the fighting scenes well done. His acting was very good especially seeing him switch between his real self and his bumbling assistant reporter disguise. His chemistry with the FL was wonderful and their love was beautiful to watch.
Style of cinematography and choice of music was not as good as the more recent dramas but if you can overlook that (considering it is 8 years old), this is a good drama that has a nice romance with some great action sequences.
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