xinclouds

I fully understand why this drama was so popular (especially within China). If you are a fan of palace shows, you’d love this one. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of palace dynamics and plots involving 宫斗 (which translates to power struggles in the palace), so I didn’t care much for the plot and ended up fast-forwarding through most of the plot stuff, so I’m really in no position to judge the plot accurately. But I will say that from what I did watch, that the plot was done pretty well. I don’t think there were many unnecessary plot points and everything was developed quite nicely. It’s definitely not a bullshit plotline, which I highly appreciated! There are elements of fantasy especially in the beginning of the show but it’s not touched on much at all - the show starts off with a time travel plotline but it’s not circled back to much so you might even at times forget about the "past life" plot that only occurs in like ep1-2. This show is very well executed though, and delivered one of my favourite romances in cdrama history, which is saying a LOT because the quality of romance is my #1 priority when watching shows. It’s definitely worth the watch and one of the best historical shows in recent years (historical, not xianxia or wuxia).

The little things like music, costumes and styling, and cinematography are done very well. Nothing incredibly special, and definitely not in a league of its own, but they are done well and add a lot to the viewing experience. They manage to meld together to create a lovely atmosphere that’s highly fitting with the rest of the show's themes, making the show even more enjoyable. Personally, I really appreciated these elements.

Plot-wise, I won’t comment on much because I’m not qualified to, seeing as I only watched bits and pieces here and there. It does get a little messy towards the end but it isn’t anything crazy, and I think loose ends were all tied up and addressed well. As far as palace plots go, I think this show managed to offer something refreshing and new while still rooting itself in the cliches of power struggles and corruption. [MILD SPOILER] It was honestly SO refreshing not to have the emperor be the ultimate bad guy LOL I’m pretty sick of this type of plot so that was really nice for a change! I also liked how the plot started off pretty strong from the first ep, it wasn’t dry or boring in the beginning at all, it was captivating from the start as we are thrown straight into the original "ending" of the fl's "past life" (or more accurately, her life before she went on a fix-it via time travel). I also appreciated how nothing was really dragged out beyond what was necessary, 34eps felt perfect and everything was tied up very well in the end and [MILD SPOILER] our leads got the happy ending they deserved, it felt very heartwarming and full-circle and not forced at all!

Before I get to the best part of the show (which would be the main couple), I do have to address what I felt was lacking in this show - the side pairings (both the 2nd and 3rd couple) fell SO incredibly flat, I did not care for them at ALL. The romance between the fl's cousin and the ml's brother was so insanely forced and they have 0 chemistry and everything was just so poorly executed. Yeah I was not amused nor entertained by the side pairings at all. The other side couple was cute, but again I didn’t care much for them, I had 0 emotional attachment to them but they have some cute moments I suppose - I skipped most of them because I didn’t gaf though LOL.

Now, the main couple... LORD. They carried this show!!! They have some of the best, most natural and comforting chemistry I’ve ever seen in cdrama history. The chemistry they have is a very domestic and genuinely affectionate love - it’s pure, soft, gentle, and so achingly tender my heart actually hurt. Like, they’re so married I actually want to cry a little bit. They’re perfect for each other and their scenes together are so good, they fit so so so well and they’re one of my favourite cdrama couples ever - which says a LOT because I have insanely high standards for romances. I can’t describe it but their love makes you feel safe and it’s so heartwarming to witness. [MILD SPOILER] I also LOVE how there’s no unnecessary break-ups or misunderstandings or love triangles, just purely the two of them in love and supporting each other to the very end. Both their characters are very likeable too, they have human motivations but they’re lovable and we as viewers can really empathise with them. Of course, they were both also serving visuals - I absolutely detest the bun styling in historical shows, but somehow Li Yunrui (ml) pulled it off so well I was actually in love with him the whole time. And I’m slightly biased bc ever since I watched The Legend of the Condor Heroes 2017 when I was in fifth grade I have been in love with Meng Ziyi (fl)’s visuals, but she did not disappoint me. I love how this drama let them both shine and gave them the recognition they deserve! I don’t think this show gave them much opportunity to showcase phenomenal acting skills, purely because the situation didn’t really call for it, but their acting did not let me down. It wasn’t extraordinarily good, but it was certainly solid and a job well done. Meng Ziyi is very graceful and suits this type of intelligent fl role so well because she really gave her the aura and gentleness the fl was supposed to possess; the way she carried herself was so admirable and it’s so satisfying to have an intelligent yet not reckless fl who actually knows what she’s doing. Her characterisation was just so likeable! I’d have to say the same for the ml too, Li Yunrui definitely had the aura needed to pull this off, and his soft side towards the fl melts your heart. Seeing them together working things out for the plot and having intellectual discussions is just so satisfying. They’re actually just perfect for each other. I also love how there aren’t any exaggerated scenes of ml saving the fl or whatever (though this is a historical show, not a xianxia or wuxia, so I guess that trope isn’t really a cliche here typically anyway) - don’t get me wrong, there are scenes like this in this show, but they’re done very tastefully and nothing is over-the-top (though I am a HUGE fan of this trope anyway LOLL). TLDR: The chemistry is so beautiful in a domestic married committed and dedicated way. Their devotion to each other and decision to support each other through every hurdle and willingness to respect each other’s choices even if they themselves don’t agree with it or feel hurt by it is so rare in cdramas nowadays (the "I’m-doing-it-for-your-own-good" or "it’s-for-the-better" trope is SO overused and frankly so tasteless), it was truly a breath of fresh air.

If not for anything else, please watch this show for their romance together. The show isn’t exactly romance-focused, and I’d argue that it’s actually slightly more plot-based, but their sweet moments together make you feel so relaxed, the main couple has never caused me stress and I love how there’s never a wedge between them, hardships happen but they take them on together as a team! It’s just so refreshing from what’s usually on the cdrama market LOL. They have beautiful chemistry, trust me. Overall, I really enjoyed this show and I’m definitely on the lookout for their new works because I’m a converted fan of Li Yunrui now (and SO happy Meng Ziyi is getting more recognition, I’ve had a crush on her since The Legend of the Condor Heroes 2017, she did so well there too but she was pretty underrated in that show. Objectively, her acting skills have definitely skyrocketed since then, she was so much better in this show!).

This show is definitely in a league of its own when it comes to historical shows! I 100% understand why it’s so well-loved, particularly in China itself - which is often a much better testament to a show's quality than international popularity.