This review may contain spoilers
A long, long journey filled with hardship yet unwavering loyalty
To give some context, this was by no means a drama I was super into since the beginning. Actually, I was very close to dropping this drama. I was just so bored; the pacing was painfully slow. However, something deep inside me made me pick it up and tough it through- curiosity of the schemes and how the drama would redeem itself story-wise. I'm glad I did, it was worth watching for me. I cannot say the same for others, though. It definitely will not be everyone's cup of tea, so I strongly recommend the decision to watch, of one's own accord. If you do decide to watch, tough it out through the first 15 episodes, and it will get better.
Story: I think the story had potential. The characters were beautifully written. I appreciate how every decision the characters made was true to themselves. The schemes took time to build up and unravel, but were engaging enough for me to tough it out. I honestly find 40 episodes for this plot to be ridiculous. It should have been 36 episodes, max, and that is pushing it. I docked off 3 stars for the misuse of flashback scenes (too many and some were repetitive), pacing (some side characters were unnecessary and contributed minimally to the plot; talking scenes could have been replaced with more action scenes). My issue with this drama was the inconsistent pacing: painfully slow in the beginning, improved in the middle, dragged again, picked up again near the ending. If there wasn't a 1.5x button, I very well may have dropped this drama.
That being said, the scenes that did matter portrayed hardship and didn't shy away from suffering, tragedy, and obstacles. I do appreciate the themes in this drama- undying loyalty, friendship, family, love, and difficult, difficult decision-making. The characters showed us all sides of these, and there were numerous moments when even I myself couldn't even process how a decision could be made. It was deep with lots of challenging decision-making moments (What do you do when you're caught between your loved ones, the right thing to do, and the consequences? What truly matters most in that very moment?)
Regarding the romance- yes, the romance was there and was worth watching. Jiang Ci and Wei Zhao's chemistry was unexpectedly so good. It was also just the perfect amount of romance in between all of the dark schemes. I would say it was about 40% romance.
The ending was sad and tragic, but it actually wrapped up everything in the drama well. This is much better than those happy endings that are so forced that they leave you feeling empty and unsatisfied. The ending made sense. Realistically, if the emperor is your enemy, you're bound to sacrifice/die in return for your lifelong wish, if you're lucky.
Acting/Cast: This was the show's saving grace. The strongest backbone holding this drama together was the cast and their acting. The acting was PHENOMENAL. The cast really brought every one of their roles alive. They were fully immersed in their characters, it was impressive to watch. Not a single flaw. To top it off, everyone was good-looking. No one was miscast.
Ren Jialun was dashing, and every time he showed up on screen, I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was incredibly charismatic and charming. He was the perfect person to play Wei Zhao. This was my second drama of Landy Li (loved her acting in The Starry Love, but chemistry was a bit lacking on her side), but this time she pleasantly impressed me. Her acting was so different from her role in The Starry Love. She was the perfect Jiang Ci. Her chemistry with Ren Jialun on screen was off the charts. In the beginning, I didn't see any chemistry at all, but throughout the drama, I was thoroughly convinced by their love and loyalty towards each other. Despite everything, Jiang Ci couldn't abandon Wei Zhao, and he did everything in his power to keep her safe while constantly restoring her freedom, only for her to come back for him. Neither of their decisions were to blame, it aligned with their natures. Jeremy Xu was amazing as always. He was the perfect Pei Yan. I hated him the most in the beginning, but after his mother was out of the picture, his character truly grew into the hero he was meant to be. The growth was incredible.
Music: I loved the music. It came at the right time, had the right vibe, everything was appropriate, and served its purpose.
Rewatch value: I personally would not rewatch it. It took me longer than usual to finish this drama since I really had to push myself, so I would not rewatch it. It was a one-time watch for me.
Overall, I can't say I would recommend this drama or if it was worth watching for others- it's really not everyone's cup of tea. I struggled through it, but it was worth it for me. Heavy on the politics, an appropriate amount of romance, and probably the most complex, top-tier level acting ever. It has its pros and cons. Not a perfect drama, but if you want to give it a try after reading all of the above, then it may be worth watching.
Story: I think the story had potential. The characters were beautifully written. I appreciate how every decision the characters made was true to themselves. The schemes took time to build up and unravel, but were engaging enough for me to tough it out. I honestly find 40 episodes for this plot to be ridiculous. It should have been 36 episodes, max, and that is pushing it. I docked off 3 stars for the misuse of flashback scenes (too many and some were repetitive), pacing (some side characters were unnecessary and contributed minimally to the plot; talking scenes could have been replaced with more action scenes). My issue with this drama was the inconsistent pacing: painfully slow in the beginning, improved in the middle, dragged again, picked up again near the ending. If there wasn't a 1.5x button, I very well may have dropped this drama.
That being said, the scenes that did matter portrayed hardship and didn't shy away from suffering, tragedy, and obstacles. I do appreciate the themes in this drama- undying loyalty, friendship, family, love, and difficult, difficult decision-making. The characters showed us all sides of these, and there were numerous moments when even I myself couldn't even process how a decision could be made. It was deep with lots of challenging decision-making moments (What do you do when you're caught between your loved ones, the right thing to do, and the consequences? What truly matters most in that very moment?)
Regarding the romance- yes, the romance was there and was worth watching. Jiang Ci and Wei Zhao's chemistry was unexpectedly so good. It was also just the perfect amount of romance in between all of the dark schemes. I would say it was about 40% romance.
The ending was sad and tragic, but it actually wrapped up everything in the drama well. This is much better than those happy endings that are so forced that they leave you feeling empty and unsatisfied. The ending made sense. Realistically, if the emperor is your enemy, you're bound to sacrifice/die in return for your lifelong wish, if you're lucky.
Acting/Cast: This was the show's saving grace. The strongest backbone holding this drama together was the cast and their acting. The acting was PHENOMENAL. The cast really brought every one of their roles alive. They were fully immersed in their characters, it was impressive to watch. Not a single flaw. To top it off, everyone was good-looking. No one was miscast.
Ren Jialun was dashing, and every time he showed up on screen, I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was incredibly charismatic and charming. He was the perfect person to play Wei Zhao. This was my second drama of Landy Li (loved her acting in The Starry Love, but chemistry was a bit lacking on her side), but this time she pleasantly impressed me. Her acting was so different from her role in The Starry Love. She was the perfect Jiang Ci. Her chemistry with Ren Jialun on screen was off the charts. In the beginning, I didn't see any chemistry at all, but throughout the drama, I was thoroughly convinced by their love and loyalty towards each other. Despite everything, Jiang Ci couldn't abandon Wei Zhao, and he did everything in his power to keep her safe while constantly restoring her freedom, only for her to come back for him. Neither of their decisions were to blame, it aligned with their natures. Jeremy Xu was amazing as always. He was the perfect Pei Yan. I hated him the most in the beginning, but after his mother was out of the picture, his character truly grew into the hero he was meant to be. The growth was incredible.
Music: I loved the music. It came at the right time, had the right vibe, everything was appropriate, and served its purpose.
Rewatch value: I personally would not rewatch it. It took me longer than usual to finish this drama since I really had to push myself, so I would not rewatch it. It was a one-time watch for me.
Overall, I can't say I would recommend this drama or if it was worth watching for others- it's really not everyone's cup of tea. I struggled through it, but it was worth it for me. Heavy on the politics, an appropriate amount of romance, and probably the most complex, top-tier level acting ever. It has its pros and cons. Not a perfect drama, but if you want to give it a try after reading all of the above, then it may be worth watching.
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