ronnie091

The lovesick dog stole the show

I had high expectations for this because of Love in Pavilion, but this did not do justice to its predecessor. I did like all of the flashbacks and tributes to LIP though and I got teary eyed every time we saw the brotherhood again. But this story was all over the place and poorly executed. I never made it through the first installment, Red Moon Pact, and I fast-forwarded/dozed off a lot with this one too. So it seems LIP will be my favorite drama in the series.

The drama started out interesting though. The first 3 eps when the FL is still a spider were very cute and I kept thinking I can't wait for her to become human and for them to fall in love. Then she did and it was fun for like 2 eps. I'm not saying that I didn't like their relationship by the end. For me, their relationship was better appreciated as platonic than romantic. He saved her and gave her a chance at being human, seeing the world, and making a difference. She provided the pure love needed to finally defeat their enemy. Wangquan Fu Gui never knew happiness or companionship and she opened up his world to those things as well. So in terms of love, there was tremendous, heartwarming love between them. But it just didn't feel romantic to me and that's okay.

The romance that did steal the spotlight was the one between the little lovesick puppy and his general. Fan Yun Fei was the cutest thing and the chemistry between him and Li Xue Yang was a treat to watch. Hands down, best CP in the show. They could even rival some of the CPs from LIP.

Ru Mu and Wei Yun were technically the 2nd CP but their romance did nothing for me. I liked them separately as characters but there was zero investment in their relationship for me.

The villains were all silly and terrible. Wangquan Hong Ye's character was butchered by both the actor and the writing, as well as the rest of the Alliance. The epic battles between our heroes and their enemies were pretty satisfying though. And the OST was great. Overall, a lot here could have been done better and I will probably never watch this again. Now on to Cheng Yi's 3rd drama of the year where he plays a white-haired and a black-haired version of himself XD. Hoping Vendetta of An is better.

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A good Mulan type story but romance wasn't as good as it could have been

I was excited for this because any Mulan-type story gets me hyped. The drama delivered in that department for the first 10-12 eps or so. I loved watching He Yan trying her best to make it as a soldier, fit in with the guys, and impress the boss. And it was fairly easy for her because she already has the skills and mind of a general. Her strength and intelligence throughout the entire drama impressed me. I've only seen Zhou Ye in Everyone Loves Me and Back from the Brink before, so I wasn't if she was going to be able to pull off a serious wuxia. But I think she has a natural gift for portraying pretty but tomboy roles so I was really happy with this casting. There was also no doubt in my mind that Cheng Lei would pull off his role. I will admit that I don't prefer stoic MLs and did not like his character in My Journey to You. Yet I can't deny how well Cheng Lei has acted in both roles. And although Xiao Jue was a great fit for CL, he was just an okay character for me.
Unfortunately, due to the poor writing and story telling in the last half of the drama, the romance as a whole turned out underwhelming. The chemistry was definitely stronger before the couple confessed to each other. Then the love story just got completely lost in the last quarter. Which I could deal with if the conclusion of the plot was handled better. But watching the last 3-5 eps felt torturous and unnecessary. I still liked more than I disliked in this drama but I couldn't give a higher rating solely based on how disappointing the story was towards the end. I am tempted to read the novel because I've heard the story is significantly different and told better.

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The love was sweet, the story was not.

The energy and chemistry of the leads really carries this show.

I don't find the Luo Yunxi conventionally handsome but his animated personality and the way his eyes smile on their own makes him very charming. At first I thought I wasn't going to like him because he came off as controlling and sexist. But when it becomes apparent that it's just a front, he becomes very loveable. All the fun activities he's always coming up with to cheer up Jiang Jun is adorable. They're both quirky in the best way and really make a great match. They portrayed a relationship where the CP is also best friends and I loved that. I think the fact that Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu get along so well off screen just made it seem like we were watching them play and have fun the whole time.

Everything else in this drama I really didn't care for. Aside from the few dilemmas our CP worked together to solve in the beginning, the plot was weak and it became apparent that their love story was front and center.

Side characters:
Du Lei started out as a nice and supportive 2ML. But the more we learned about him he was just a weird guy with an equally creepy adopted sister. For me, his dark past was a little TOO dark and deranged for this type of drama. I knew a mental breakdown was brewing the whole drama but completely pushing him over the edge in the end and making him full blown crazy just seems externally forced on his character and unnecessary. Very rarely am I understanding of the female lead not seeing the 2MLs feelings in a drama but it is actually believable here. He really does politely stay in the friendzone most of the time and has never pushed barriers. Which is why him snapping seems faulty. But then he's so quickly forgiven after SEXUAL HARASSMENT??? Who approved this writing?

The FL's best friend I find very annoying and I really tried to like her. But her relentless pursuit of the 2ML was cringe and boring. He was also equally unenjoyable and rude. He basically kept rejecting her and indirectly told her to wait until compatibility on his silly dating app was 100%. Is she color blind? He gave her so many red flags in the beginning but she kept forcing herself into his world. I'm usually not offended by Riley Wang but his character here did nothing for me.
Their collaboration on The West World and the event at the aquarium was the best I saw from them.

The ending: They forced a pointless villain in and a selfless break up. Could've done without that. Cheesy I can handle, but the ridiculous "serious" parts of this drama just killed it for me. I don't mind serious moments/topics in romantic comedies if it's done well. But here, besides the main CP, everything else is just terrible. (I'm not even getting into the tear allergy) But they do finally get back together after 3ps or so and the ending is sweet.

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Sleeper drama - WAY better than Red Moon Pact!

I've noticed a lot of people saying the same things. I went into this drama with little to no expectations because of how bad Red Moon Pact was (I did not finish the predecessor lol). I was pleasantly surprised at how this drama slowly pulled me in episode by episode...

The ML is a big reason for this. I have not watched Zhang Yun Long before but after watching LIP, I am a fan. His character Wangquan Hongye is my favorite in this drama. He's powerful and completely goal driven, but as serious as his life and situation is he still doesn't have a serious or boring personality. He's playful and caring towards the ones he loves and when he falls in love, he's an absolute adorable puppy dog. By the end (SPOILER) he had me crying with him. ZYL did an excellent job in the last two episodes and really portrayed how broken, empty and hopeless of a man he became after losing most of the people he cared about. But then allowing in a smidge of happiness when becoming a father and soldiering on.

As for the FL, Liu Shi Shi is not my favorite actress but I don't hate her at all. I have mixed feelings about the character Dongfang Huiazhu. LSS's face is beautiful and I had no idea she was in her late 30s until I looked it up, but she's just not very expressive with that gorgeous mug lol There's also not much range in her voice when she's portraying different emotions. None of these opinions would put me off from watching her again though. At the end of the day I still think she's watchable and effective. I still found myself rooting for the main CP's romance from ep 1. They looked great together and were a perfect match when it came to their personalities and powerful positions in their families. I found their love to be sweet and you could see by the end how deeply they cared for each other. There were also no competing love interests or misunderstandings that led to unnecessary break-ups etc...

Side characters: besides the ML, the rest of the characters shown brighter for me. The entire Masked Group stole my heart, especially Li Gou and Wangquan Zui. Shen Yue's character, Dongfang Qin Lan was very pretty and hilarious as well. Only two of the side couples had enough scenes to make them significant. The first CP is Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan of course. Their love story was so natural and innocent. The 2nd CP was Zhang Zheng and Qingmu Yuan. That story was great and the actors killed it like always. I did want to see more of Red Eyes and Mu Mie/Qin Lan and Li Gou. But neither of those stories turned into anything positive.

The villains: I like Lin Bo Rui but his acting here was just okay. He has such a cute face too but there was zero emotional sell for his character. At the end of the day, he got the job done I guess. Jia Lan was very pretty but we didn't get enough scenes with her not in smoky Black Fox form for me to care for her. But the entity of the Black Fox itself was a formidable antagonist. She made you terrified of her and hate her at the same time. Jin Renfeng was a useless weasel in my opinion. I couldn't stand his face or listen to his voice so I mostly spaced out during his scenes. The Nangong family were better villains but they weren't significant for long.

The ending: This drama ending was not a happy one, but it was actually executed well for a xianxia. The story ended on a straightforward and impactful note. Both the lead actors did a great job in last 2eps as well.

Music/Cinematography: The songs are sweet and catchy. Very fitting for the drama. The visual effects weren't awesome but not offensive. The costumes were nice and all the characters looked great in my opinion.

Overall, I'm happy I gave this drama a chance despite not liking RMP. I got way more into it than I expected to and got so attached to my Masked Group :( I'm actually excited for Sword and Beloved now. Please don't let us down!

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If you need a mental pick-me-up watch this drama!

I started this drama with 0 expectations on recommendation. I was hooked from episode 1. The first 5 episodes of this drama were so funny they had me laughing out loud so much that I had to keep rewinding because I would miss the next scenes. When Li Wei first met Yin Zheng and thought he was dying soon and prepping all the gifts for him was just comedic gold. Also, this couple pairing is perfect. LW is very independent, sweet and a total foodie. YZ is a genius striving to gain recognition and power in the palace but he is also humble about it, determined to make something of himself based on his own hardwork and honesty. What these two have in common is that kindness is second nature to them and they will always put helping others, especially each other, before helping themselves. They slowly start to depend on each other and become inseparable by the end. Watching these two strong characters fall in love was like watching a piece of artwork come together. YZ definitely fell first but when LW falls she actually explains why to her best friend. She loves doing the simple things with him like eating, reading, daily life etc...it was soooo sweet. They also give you enough romantic treats, such as a kiss by ep8, to make the slow burn worth paying attention to.

Acting:....This is my first time watching Tian Xiwei and I found her acting surprisingly good. She plays cute & silly but not too whiney. And her emotional scenes were heart wrenching when she cried. She's also undeniably and strikingly pretty so I found it ridiculous when they called her plain in the beginning... I don't think Bai Jingting's full talent was on display here but he made the character of YZ come to life and made him more loveable than any other actor could. He also has a nice voice and isn't bad to look at so that helps. Honestly, I find it more impressive sometimes when the two leads don't seem to like each other off camera, but are still able to create strong and convincing chemistry on screen. When watching the BTS you can tell they are comfortable and friendly with each other but they keep their interactions professional. There doesn't seem to be any BTS attraction or extra playfulness going on between them like you can observe with a lot of other BTS from other dramas.

Side characters:....This show is considered in the "feel-good, lighthearted, disney-ish" categories. There are no real love rivals for either the FL or ML, which is refreshing. Also there are many, many supporting characters of which none are really more important than the others but all still pretty loveable. All of LW's girls are awesome, especially Shan Guan Jing, Dong Hai Tang and Yuan Ying. Yes, Yuan Ying does come in as a potential issue for the main CP but they squash that immediately. As for the men the 3rd & 5th lord are both ridiculous people but sooo hilarious. In the end their sincerity and care towards their brother and their wives does make you love them. But my absolute favorite has to be Su Shen. He's not just YZ's butler but he's also like his parent and his number#1 fan. But this man is the definition of funny without trying to be. In some scenes he doesn't even need to be talking and I found myself laughing at his expressions and antics.

Main plot:...YZ's fight to climb the political ladder and LW's fight for women's rights are the main focuses of this story. Their goals often intertwine and bring them closer in the end. Both of these plots were both interesting enough but I could really care less about the women opening a restaurant together or YZ creating new currency. That got a bit draggy. But other than that I still do support the themes and there was justice for everyone in the end. The main villain is the 2nd lord and YZ's older brother. He is sexist, greedy and has no conscience. He's also really dumb and gets outsmarted by YZ, his own wife and his concubine constantly. He gets what he deserves in the end, which you could easily predict given his stupidity and predictability. As far as villains go, he's not the greatest or most memorable but it works for a light-hearted drama like this.

Overall, this drama is worth rewatching because it just makes you happy inside, which is more credit to the actors/actresses than the story but who cares. Also the visuals are stunning from the costumes, setting and the food looks delicious. SPOILER>>>there is a VERY happy ending and that made me VERY happy.

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Start a drama off with zombies and you've got my attention!

This drama is very interesting so far. Besides being a Bai Lu fan, the costumes and setting also drew me in. It's kind of giving me a xianxia shot in Ursula from the Little Mermaid's lair vibe. Loving that so far...

Story: All the characters are pretty interesting. I'll admit that I didn't really start liking Bai Shuo until they left her hometown. There wasn't enough emotional build-up prior to make me feel anything when she lost her father. I know that sounds terrible, but forcing this emotional trauma right in the beginning is one of the areas that detracts from my rating. That and I just don't think the bratty daughter image works for Bai Lu. She has a very mature face and voice so I don't buy her stomping around and fighting with her dad all the time. Their relationship just wasn't convincing to me. Anyway, moving on...

I enjoyed the Outlander City arc but from the Fox Clan arc up until the last 7 episodes dragged. This drama could've been 5-10 episodes shorter in my opinion. I didn't start enjoying the story again until Xing Yue and Jing Yuan's romance. And then it was short lived and done in 2 episodes. I actually loved their story so much and wish they had their own mini drama.

Characters: I'm impartial to Ao Rui Peng but there's no denying how cute he looks here. This may be his best looking character to date. As for his acting, both him and Bai Lu are far from terrible, but neither have ever moved me to tears before. I'm more a fan of Bai Lu's modern dramas because I feel her comedic performances are better than her emotional ones. Unfortunately, I'm just not feeling the love between these two yet, which is another detractor for my rating. They both look drop dead gorgeous, like you can't look away from either of their faces when they are on screen, but the romance hasn't grabbed me yet. Which is disappointing because off camera at public events, social media, variety shows etc...they have great chemistry and both look like fun/flirty people. Seeing their clips together is one of the things that got me excited to watch this.

BUT, the 2CP definitely has my attention. I liked Fu Ling right out of the gate. It's been a while since I've actually appreciated a good villain and I'm a sucker for the gorgeous but evil queen trope. Everything about her is captivating from her first appearance. She has this cute, beautiful face, she comes and goes by disintegrating into flower petals, and she has this adorable female baby Groot thing that follows her around. And yet, she is rotten as they come on the inside. Love it. Perfect villain. And now this little spark brewing between her and Chong Zhao has got me fully drawn into their story. It also doesn't hurt that the 2CP is equally as gorgeous as the main CP. I would love to see Chong Zhao as a ML in his own drama because wow is he pretty.

I'm hoping this drama ends as strongly as it started, but mainly I'm hoping the main romance kicks up and the acting improves a little more. Then I would definitely change my rating.

Cons:
-Fan Yue and Bai Lu are very pleasing to the eyes but not very convincing in their roles. I don't find Fan Yue that intimidating. From the start, it's obvious he has a hidden persona that isn't so bad. Bai Lu has too elegant of a face/aura for me to believe she is a bratty young girl. Also, it's pretty obvious from the start that Fu Ling is her older sister. But Fu Ling has a cuter, sweeter face which makes her look like she should be the younger sister.
-The main CP romance is hard to describe...it's not exactly a slow burn but there's also not a lot of passion leading up to them getting together so idk... but it's not doing as much for me as the 2 CP's story.
-The OST is borderline insufferable. These type of songs just aren't my taste and the same 2 are overused.

Funny/Memorable parts so far:
-Xixi (aka female baby Groot) If she's on screen, I'm smiling.
-Bai Shuo always getting the upperhand over Fan Yue and him getting frustrated after being outsmarted multiple times. Her getting bitten by a zombie on purpose was wild and his reaction was hilarious.
-The whole Mu period was great. He was sweet, earnest and adorable. This character had a more believable temperament for Ao Rui Peng. Besides his appearance, I still haven't gotten the menacing vibe from Fan Yue. Regardless, Mu is a definite favorite so far and went away way too fast. Also, afterwards Fan Yue being jealous of himself was too funny.
-Fu Ling. Her story is sticking with me. I feel for her the most. She was the most caring, protective and thoughtful little girl. If she had never been turned evil I truly believe she was a better person than Bai Shuo. Bai Shuo is just fiercely loyal to those she cares about but Bai Xi's actions are more inherently kind. Especially towards Chong Zhao bc Bai Shuo admitted she never cared for him. Even as a friend I always felt that Bai Shuo only prioritized him when it was convenient for her.
-Fu Ling & Chong Zhao's relationship has me fully invested.

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A common trope done well. Short and sweet drama...

I'm typically not a fan of the "falling in love with my brother's best friend" trope. But it was well done here. I can't really judge because when I met my first love I was 19 and he was 24. But if we had met when I was kid I don't know how I would've felt. When these stories start off with the ML meeting the girl as a child it could always be borderline creepy. I don't always believe that feelings can change from someone viewing someone as a younger sibling and then suddenly a love interest. But this drama did a good job by focusing more on the coming of age story of Sang Zhi first. There interactions when she was in first and secondary school were wholesome. It's perfectly natural for young girls to have crushes on older boys. (Also side note: the actress they got to play young Zhao Lusi was perfect. Really looked and acted like her. )The show did a good job on keeping that one sided. The crush was clearly not reciprocated during this time and all the sweet things the ML did he did because he is a genuinely nice person. However, I did think the first 7-9 episodes were borderline boring. The show could've gotten the point across in 3-4 episodes showing her childhood/high school years. I love short dramas but I would've liked it if they had used more of the earlier episodes on their actual relationship time period.

Story: It's okay. Again, not a huge fan of this trope but I think this was executed well. Other than that there's not much going on. The main CP's career paths are both dull. Her college roommates are somewhat entertaining but I didn't care about any of their stories. It was nice to see the one actress from Tiger and Rose act with Zhao Lusi again though. The ML's friends are funny, but my favorite supporting character was Sang Yan. The ML's dark family drama is off-putting and his creepy stalker is insufferable. Who falls in love with the son of the man who accidentally killed your father and then believes he owes you a relationship somehow?? I'm only half Chinese and from the states but is this typical in China where the family takes responsibility for another family member's actions? Like the whole thing was clearly the father's fault. Why would Jianxu's mom basically pimp her son out to make amends? Can you imagine how much better off he would've been in life without having to pay that debt or deal with that nutjob? But I guess they needed to throw something other than the romance into the story to keep the blood flowing. I just didn't like this part of the story and would have preferred an alternate issue for him to have been dealing with that wasn't so ridiculous.

Acting: I am a Zhao Lusi fan. She's just adorable and a great actress. Her hair and outfits were perfect and she looked beautiful in this drama. I don't believe her skills were on full display here until the last 5 episodes but she did well with her comedic timing and emotional scenes. The blank stares when she was nervous around Jianxu were a little strange. She put him through a lot of awkward silences. But their chemistry was still pretty good. The way Sang Zhi always fiercely protects Jianxu and the way he takes care of her makes them the sweetest couple. Zhao Lusi has a naturally mousy, sweet voice which makes her sound innocent, but her character was actually very mature in her actions. The way she handled the confrontations with his stalker showed her emotional intelligence. I must admit the scene at the airport where she finally told Jiaxu she's always liked him almost made me cry for 2 reasons: 1 -embarrassment! I would've personally taken that to the grave! 2 - the acting was great in this scene from the both of them. You could really feel the angst, the love and the sadness.
I'm aware that Chen Zhe Yuan has a pretty big fan base. I can't say that I'm in it. I don't dislike him but he's not my type. Jianxu was a great character for him though and he fit the role perfectly. His natural boyish looks and charm were on full display here and his acting wasn't half bad. If I'm being honest, I had more of a crush on Sang Yan. He looks like a young Jet Li with a spunkier personality and plays the perfect convincing older brother. Sang Yan & Sang Zhis relationship was spot on and very entertaining to watch.

Conclusion: The focal point of this drama is the sweet romance and the chemistry between the main leads is undeniable. If you want to watch something sugary and without a heavy plot, this is a great option. Also the OST is full of catchy, soothing songs, 2 from Lusi.

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If you're not prepared to stick this one out until the end, this drama isn't for you.

For a drama that I can't commit to saying I particularly loved, I actually have a lot to say about it. This is a strangely addicting drama. The story is unconventional but pretty interesting if you're willing to hold your questions until the end lol I just don't necessarily agree with the way it's being told. I was very upset for the first 10 episodes. The way this story is being delivered in terms of timing and plot holes can get very stressful for people who are impatient. But once I finished and was given all the context, I think they wrapped the story up on a strong note. There was an art to the messy way that this drama fed us information which will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea. It was one of the most unpredictable dramas I've ever watched. For me, the suspense level felt more like I was watching a mystery, rather than a xianxia. There's no overly fluffy love in this. From the beginning it seems that both the FL and ML are deeply flawed to the point where it's in question for most of the drama whether or not the audience should even want a happy ending for them.

ML & FL: Visually, they are a beautiful pair, which is usually the case with anything Bai Lu is in. The first 2/3 of the show it's really hard to take a stance on either of these two because we aren't given enough information about their past together. So in the beginning everything they do and say to each other just seems completely toxic, unhinged and unjustified. In my opinion, the drama waited a little too long to explain the reasons behind their "feud" and could potentially lose viewers who are impatient over this. The show starts in the present and clearly whatever trauma they both went through has driven them both insane. Siling's rage and scheming seems too intense and cruel. And although it's clear Bai Jiusi is hopelessly in love with FL his mistrust is too strong too allow him to make any reasonable decisions when it comes to her. But he is also so blinded by his love that he is delusional and willing to trust her over and over. Between her hatred and his ignorance this story is just a cocktail of misunderstandings for a good while. I found myself eating my words and changing my opinions about the leads and some of the side characters so often in this drama that I was starting to get whiplash. But the more and more context about their past the drama gives, the better it gets.

The First Love Tribulation: The two of them coming from the same power source and the urge to constantly engage and challenge each other forces their lives to be forever intertwined. So I can see how they would embrace an attempt at love. But their opposite and opposing natures ultimately resulted in that love turning toxic when it came time for their love tribulation. They are fire and ice. He's a cold-hearted, by-the-book type and she is a bleeding heart naturally but also completely reckless in all her decision making. She lets her emotions blind her in every situation, shoots from the hip, and has little to no regard for the consequences afterwards. They just have completely opposite personalities and priorities but both clearly mean well.
Sadly, the way the tribulation ends (or doesn't) is in disaster for both of them. And once the trauma that Siling experienced afterwards is revealed, her future actions/feelings towards BJS are a lot more understandable.

Bai Lu and Zeng Shunxi did really well in their roles. As a Bai Lu fan, I've always thought her acting was better in modern dramas. But she really seems to connect with this role differently than other xianxias I've seen her in and her performance was really impressive. This is my 2nd encounter with ZS and I think he did a good job playing off BL and owning this character. The script and dialogue were pretty solid in this drama but it's the delivery from BL and ZS that was most impressive.

2CP: Zhang Suan is definitely pretty to look at but very boring to me. He was always hell bent on these pointless missions where he is chasing after the FL when she really doesn't need his help. Even after he finds out she is an ancient goddess married to BJS he still doesn't give up. His story line is tedious and when he first met Ling'er I had hoped he would wise up but that never happens. So he remained a lukewarm character for me at the end. Ling'er, however, completely won my heart. She was beautiful, smart and tenacious in all the best ways. Her loyalty and love for Siling was so sweet and Siling was definitely a better parent figure to her than her own terrible father was. And this is another point that makes me irritated with 2 ML again. The way Siling acts towards him, and all mortals really, is not just like a leader, but also like everyone's mother. So after seeing this and he still doesn't drop his romantic feelings for her, he is just a hopeless fool in my book.

Side characters: In the beginning, every single character, not excluding the leads, does not make any decisions based on logic. Everyone is similar in that their actions are based on their current emotions/hearts first. Everyone except Li Mo. I like how he only feels the caring kind of love for all beings instead of romantic love. It makes his decision making more rational and he takes his time before acting in any situation. In a drama full of lawless, overreactors his grounding presence became a staple for me and was both welcomed and refreshing. As for everyone else, at first I found their impulsiveness more annoying than charming because the show made absolutely no attempt to explain these characters on a deeper level. But as the show progressed each character becomes easier to understand and sympathize with. Even the brash Long Yuan plays a critical role here.
My other 2 favorites were Ning Yan and Yin Tong Zi (Story Demon). They were both so funny/adorable and their little friendship was cute.

Ending: I have to say from the first 20 eps I did not see myself liking the leads or rooting for their love story at all. But one thing this drama did well was mind games and twist and turns. Surprisingly, by the end I thought they wrapped up their story nicely and I even shed a few tears for them in the last third of the show. I don't regret watching this drama at all. It's not a favorite but it was an interesting watch with little to no boring parts. I do not see myself rewatching it, as the first 2/3s of it was very stressful lol

OST and Cinematography: The OST is pretty good. The theme song is by far the best song but the background music isn't annoying or overly intense. It fits every scene well. The graphics are decent and the various settings are vibrant and interesting. The costumes don't do much for me but the hairstyles are pretty cute.

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Mixed feelings...

My first impression is that there are 2 main appeals to this drama. The first is that people have been wanting to see this CP since LBFAD. The second is that people are always criticizing Yu Shuxin only playing cutesy, babyish characters and this was her chance to add something more serious to her portfolio. So far, neither box is really ticked for me. These two had more chemistry in LBFAD and I wasn't even rooting for them to end up together in that show.

As for Yu Shuxin, her characters never annoyed me that much because I feel that she is a naturally bubbly person off camera. That is why seeing her play this stoic, dull person it looks like it is physically hurting her to play this character. To me Yun Wei Shan just looks and acts emotionally constipated. YS shines in her comedic roles and this boring character is just doing nothing for me. She did kill the fighting scenes though, especially the mud scene. That was badass.

As for Zhange Linghe, I find him to be just the opposite of YS. He shines in more serious, emotionally tormented roles. The Story of Kunning Palace is easily one his best roles to date in my opinion. He's a great actor and obviously very handsome but I'm not seeing either trait being taken advantage of in this show. His spoiled, prince type persona in the beginning just isn't a full sale, and then he's immediately thrown into a leadership role and changes his personality that fast? Also they went too heavy with his make up and wardrobe where he looks like a Japanese geisha, just with more glitter.

As for the rest of the characters/story...I'm really hoping things get more interesting. So far there's been gruelingly long scenes of dialogue with very little action. The first half of the first episode was spent talking about was going to happen. Then the 3rd or4th episode the two spies literally talked for 75% of the episode. There's slightly more passion/chemistry sparking between Shangguan Qian and Shang Jue but I feel like she spends more time talking about him, than actually with him.

As for the "villian" brothers. They're not very interesting. I'm not sure if we are supposed to pity them or hate them? Maybe both? And the comedy is not comedying. Nothing clearly meant to be funny actually made me laugh. Every "funny" scene feels inorganic and forced into the overall dark and serious setting. The only scene slightly amusing is when Shang Jue calls Ziyu out for noticing Shangguan Qian's good looks and Wei Shan gives him a death stare. But unless you're five years old you probably won't find Gong Zi Shang funny either.

The cinematography is pretty good. I have no problem with the dark vibes, graphics and settings. It was part of the appeal for me. The ambient sounds can be a little too intense for what's actually happening though. The background music for Shang Jue's entrance and for the scene where the brides arrive by boat was too dramatic for the scene. But overall the OST sounds decent and fits the drama well.

The premises of this drama seems really interesting so I'm going to stick it out until the end. It's a short enough drama to endure, even if things don't get better...UPDATE: I'm actually dropping it for now. I may circle back another time but after 8 episodes I was still bored to death.

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A relentless pursuit that only works out in dramas...

I don't typically gravitate towards school dramas but this one is highly recommended and I absolutely loved Zhang Maioyi in TFF.

The drama is very light and sweet. No useless scenes or characters. Fast paced. This is basically a short, easy-watch for anyone who's looking for a coming of age romance with a happy ending. There's not much conflict in the show at all and anything unpleasant that does come up is resolved fairly quickly. Rangrang is cute and noble, but I'm typically not a fan of the dull, quiet leads. I can't really tell if it's good acting because it just seems easy to deliver a dry performance. But I can see what Zaizai sees - handsome face, velvety voice, silent do-gooder. The one thing that bothered me with the story was on the bus when she calls out the pervert and no one believes her or the victim until Rangrang speaks up. I took it as basically a woman's word is worthless until a man speaks up? Maybe I'm overthinking it but no one supported her until he said something...

What I do like is how much he has her back. On the bus first and then backing her up when she was accused of stealing. Finally, when Rangrang, Gu Ran and Guan Fang all showed up to have the girls backs on the basketball court, it was very charming! They were like 3 white knights coming to the rescue. I also like that the scene wasn't overplayed or overacted with them trying to act too macho or aggressive.
Zaizai is easily my favorite character. Only she can make Rangrang smile his biggest dimpliest smile. She is the definition of a ray of sunshine but she is so much more than just a cute sunny presence. She is clever, generous and optimistic. Yet, even though she is sweet, she isn't a doormat either. She is confident in herself in a lot of ways and when she's accused of stealing she doesn't cower or cry but fights for herself. Love that.

The 2CP is hilarious. They are just as interesting and entertaining as the main CP and they are a perfect match. They're both mischievous and have the same unserious, manic energy. And in addition to being the fun ones in the group, they are also fiercely loyal to their friends and family. My only complaint about this CP is how oblivious Jiang Jia can be at times to his affections. But at least, once she learns it was Gu Ran who gave her the watch, she realizes that she's liked him all along and immediately lets go of her old crush.

And finally Guan Fang somehow fits into the chaos perfectly as well. This friend group quickly became one of my favorites. They're not just funny to watch together but they stick together and help each other without question. In my opinion the best chemistry in the show is between these 5. And I love how they all stay so close into adulthood.

Music and cinematography are decent as well. There's nothing grand going on in terms of the setting but I think the plain background gives the story the homey feeling they were aiming for. This one is a definite rewatch for me when I need a filler drama or just want to put something on that I don't need to fully engage with.

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