Reviews

A very mixed ending

There's some neat concepts going on here with the desert city & more exploration into what the other priest clans are like, a couple spectacular fights in the middle episodes and one very fun performance by Kodama Taichi that reminded me a lot of Zac Oyama but what should be a fond farewell to a character we're been following for 13 years is let down by some bland ass dialogue and the fact that the whole show was seemingly shot on LED screen sets which is never not obvious and distractingly cheap feeling for a series that used to have so much production value. If you really care about Ryuga & Rian you'll probably need to watch this, but if they're just another set of characters to you by all means skip it.

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I’m writing this to give high praise to Fan Shuai qi and Dong Zi fan.

Both gave phenomenal performances, and the script complemented them wonderfully. The audience absolutely adores these two characters.

At first, I started watching and got hooked because I loved the Crown Prince (He Yu)—he’s a charming, roguish, and lovable character.

Then, I became utterly captivated by Shizi Bu (Bu Shulin). She’s handsome, playful, and acts like an unruly playboy, seemingly causing mischief everywhere without causing real harm—just petty antics. She’s brilliant at investigations and martial arts, though not much of a strategist. Unless you’re the guy on the receiving end of her punches, any woman on the receiving end of her flirting—like that hand-holding scene—would undoubtedly fall for her. Initially, she probably just looked after Cui Jinbai as an investigative partner, but gradually, her feminine side slipped out in front of him—through her tone of voice, her gaze, and her gestures. I’m certain A-Lin let her guard down, but strictly around the two people she truly loves and holds close: Deputy Cui and Xi He. Her demeanor shifted subtly, and later on, when she appeared as a woman, she was utterly adorable. My only slight regret is that her female look didn’t feel quite as cool as her natural charisma. Having read the novel, that’s how I interpret it. Bu Shulin is someone who is sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. She loves Cui Jinbai deeply and can never keep up with him because he’s shrewd, a master schemer, and a lower skilled martial artist comparing to her. While Cui Jinbai can’t beat his wife in a fight, he certainly won her heart with his schemes.

The third person I fell in love with in this drama is Cui Jinbai. I loved how he transformed from being stern, glaring at Bu Shulin with disdain and reprimanding eyes, and rolling his eyes in sheer disbelief, to showing pure devotion, protection, and sweet tenderness in his gaze. What I loved most were his schemes to bring A-Lin to him: arranging for Wang Sanlang from her gang to work with him just so she would visit, issuing an arrest warrant, tricking her into eating the food he brought, finding excuses to enter the Bu Manor, confessing his feelings, caring for and protecting her, rushing to her rescue, the breakup scene, and the moment he asked to go along with her. Every single shot was executed so well and looked so endearing.

Rewatching it several times, I noticed the meticulous attention to detail in their styling, makeup, hair, height, and footwear (both wore height-increasing shoes), as well as their body language—how they sit, stand, and walk. Bu Shulin has her signature way of sitting, while Cui Jinbai always kneels upright with a straight back. The farewell scene in the pavilion was hilarious because Cui Jinbai was kneeling formally, while Bu Shulin was sitting with her legs spread wide, resting her arms on her knees like a total dude. It looked so funny, and Deputy Cui seemed so delightfully whipped! It painted a vivid picture of what their future married life will look like. Thank goodness Deputy Cui never gave up. In the end, their two sons helped turn things around; if she hadn’t become pregnant to shift the momentum, she probably would have kept acting cold and breaking his heart over and over. Deputy Cui truly got lucky.

Meng Ziyi (Xi He) also delivered a great performance; I just personally wasn’t fond of the female lead’s characterization. While not entirely heartless, she felt rather cold and detached.

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A "James Bond" Feel

This was such a great series that suited Ji Chang Wook perfectly as a suave, handsome magnetic "James Bond " type, but more appealing as only Ji Chang Wook can pull off just by being in a scene without any dialogue. Those eyes of his can speak volumes, but most importantly, this is a seasoned polished actor and singer, who does it all with precision in any role he undertakes. His costar was amazing and I felt was a good match in acting for Ji Chang with a wonderful chemistry.
The story was intriguing, pulling you along with the rest of the characters that the talented supporting cast added for colour to the series.
The soundtrack was brilliantly composed and produced, and as usual Ji Chang Wook performed one of the most beautiful ballads called " Watch Over You" with his clear, powerful voice as the professional singer that he is.
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this series.
Thank you to the creative geniuses involved who produced this series. Well Done.

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Sweet, Charming & Surprisingly Addictive and dont watch if you like sweets and cakes

Okay, I can honestly say this is one of the Japanese dramas I watched without getting bored or skipping scenes. I really enjoyed it!
I loved the acting from everyone, from the main leads to the supporting characters. The story is about a girl who falls in love with her boss and can’t control her feelings anymore—and honestly, I think anyone who has ever been in love can relate to that feeling.
But I have to admit something…i loved the second male lead more than the main lead
The ML was obviously very handsome and had that classic ML aura, especially with his glasses. He was charming and good-looking, we can’t deny that. But the second male lead was the kind of guy you’d want as your best friend the genuinely good guy who is there for everyone. I especially loved his friendship with both the ML and FL.
The FL and second lead had such good chemistry because he treated her so well. They had so much fun together, and I really enjoyed watching their friendship grow. He was caring, supportive, and just such a genuinely good person. And honestly, sometimes I wonder why girls don’t fall for these kinds of guys more often
My biggest problem was that I found myself rooting for the second lead more than the ML. The ML barely showed his feelings until almost the very end, and when he finally confessed and tried to convince her, it felt a little selfish to me especially because the FL was already dating his friend.
I wanted to see more from the ML. I wanted him to get jealous, to actually show how much he loved her, and to fight for her earlier. The chemistry between the main leads was there, but for me, it just wasn’t enough. I wanted to see more of their relationship and understand his feelings instead of waiting until the last minute.
I really enjoyed this drama overall. I absolutely loved the FL’s roommate and best friend. She was such a great character and basically her advice box throughout the drama Their friendship was one of my favorite parts.
And of course, the whole **sweets and cakes** theme made this even more enjoyable for me because I LOVE sweets and cakes! 🍰❤️
The friendship between the second lead and the FL, the fun moments, the food, the characters, and the overall story made this a drama I could watch in one go without feeling bored.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. Sweet, fun, charming, and definitely one of those dramas that kept me watching without reaching for the skip button.

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Disappointment of the year

I was really looking forward to this drama because I love both the ML and FL actors. I will start by saying their acting was about as good as it could be, given what they had to work with. The problem with this drama was a terrible storyline, dark content that never really was resolved, and overused tropes against the ML that overplayed its hand. Seriously, how many times can the ML get shot, stabbed, beaten, and abused before you just throw your hands up and move on? The FL character was ridiculous at best. Her character was meant to be a dark beauty who is mysterious and vengeful, but we really got tired, paunchy, and the maker of bad decisions.

Again, this is no fault of the actress, who I think did the best she could. The character was mysterious, but her abuse and neglect of the ML was ridiculous. The only one who truly loved her, sacrificed 3 years of his life and took the blame for a murder that she committed, and dedicated himself wholeheartedly to her, she rebuffed and refused to share her past nor her future plans of revenge. She did it all in the name of "protecting" him, but she had no problem literally telling everyone else in the drama her business. ML is the only one who proved how much he loved her for her, not to use her in some way that benefited himself. And when we did discover why she held a grudge against him, it was for something that happened when he was a child and wasn't his fault in the first place. I expected the ML & FL to come to grips with each other and act on the love/passion they started. Even after she bore him a son, she shot back that she didn't want him to be the father - even though he was. I felt like the ML & FL actors didn't have much passion, and they didn't have great chemistry. That was sad because I loved them both in other roles.

The ending was probably one of the dumbest I've seen. And I've seen a lot! They had so much time to wrap this up and make it better, but they failed, and nothing ever gets resolved except in the end everyone pretty much dies. The ML mom and sister don't really get what they deserve, and that makes it completely unsatisfying. So for me, this was probably one of the biggest disappointments to date, and I do not recommend it. I would have given it less than one star, but it wasn't an option.

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Blue Is Okay

The truth: Blue Lips could have been much better than what this was. Ai, terrible singing, slow slow plot, too short eps, sub par acting sometimes, ages, inconsistencies with the blue hair, their voices etc. There was alot that stuck out. It was on a tight budget and it showed.

Also truth: The way Teng Mo looked at Xian and vice versa made their love story believable. I appreciated the no nonsense way Xian spoke to Teng Mo. Their last nc scene was a stretch but still there was something tangible between them. A level of comfort when they were together in the later eps that created the 'real couple' feel. When the sister was dying, I did get emotional. When Teng Mo put the ring on his finger I was grinning. So there was something that kept me looking. I'd have to say it was the earnestness of their love story and not the performance. I also liked that Teng Mo always seemed to be smiling.

While Lin Yu had the easier role, Shao Yun seemed to feel comfortable at the end. Probably removing the blue hair gave him a more believable aura. He certainly didn't pass for 20 and the other couldn't pass for 30 though according to mdl he is. He seemed more like a sibling to his mother than a son. There was an older man vibe to him. Teng Mo scared at the end and Xian speaking clearly was a nice scene.

If there is a compilation as one movie, I'd probably watch it again.

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The series asks: "If you can't tell whether something is fake, doesn't that make it real?"

I suggest bingeing this series so that you don't have time to focus on the mediocre script writing, and LJH's acting. But, I suggest that you binge it because moving through the mechanations and non-linear story plot seems like it would be a fun run and add to the multiple "hey - wait a minute..." moments

Story: I won't repeat the summary of others, and just get to what worked and didn't. The story had a set of twists at the end that made the rush to the end worth it..excpet for the last scene. "I just have one question...". Dear heavens, how trite. The script was poorly written in so many spots, with formulaic lines that insult the audience's intelligence, IMO.

Cast/Acting: The cast was excellent, except for Lee Jun Hyuk, who apparently specializes in having no facial expressions. All the other actors - right down to the bit parts - were excellent, which only made LJH's wooden performance more noticable. If the director insisted on that kind of performance, then shame on the director, because there were exellent visual elements & camera work, cut away scenes, entry scenes from odd angles, etc.

Music: didn't love it, didn't hate it either.

Rewatch: maybe., if I can ever stop rewatching Strange Tales from the Tang Dynasty Season 1

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Such rich storylines and excellent casting

This is one of the best dramas I have started in a while. I can see why it will take 50 episodes because all of the characters have a rich backstory and a depth that you don’t always find. Almost all of the side characters are just as compelling as the main leads and I rarely find myself wanting to fast forward. The actors are also amazing, especially the ML and the oldest brother- both of them have already made me cry. The family relationships are complex and realistic and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out. I don’t know what other people don’t see in this drama but it is turning out to be one of my favorites.

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Wasted potential

It was indeed an " enemies to lovers" story but tbh I didn't feel the chemistry that much, the story itself was mid, not too bad but not the best, almost everything was expected ,felt boring in the beginning after ep 3 and kept getting more and more boring..
Well I finished it because I really liked the story of the ML's sister esp with the crazy empror, he is my favourite character after fu yixiao which made me sad that he didn't have a proper ending even if he was evil but we all agree to not dislike him , and her ending was also not the best..
Another reason that made me continue watching is that this series had more potential, with the story of the alliance of rain and wind, the FL , the strong charismatic general with unknown past before she got to know the the other two brothers, .. ok Fu yixiao is fine but everything else isn't , fang suige's could have been more charismatic with different actor ( i have nothing against him, i like him from hidden love but still)

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A real outstanding drama with a genius plot and brilliant acting

this drama gave me the chance to taste and experience real power and authority through a drama at its most, it is the first drama ever who was able to give me this feeling, what an amazing plot, brilliant acting, heartfell osts, and breathtaking cinematography.
the chemistry between ding yuxi and deng enxi was absolutely amazing, the plot is really so genius, the idiom and wisdom in the drama were a real life lessons, and this drama is the only one who depict the reality of ancient china ministers rise to authority and power, instead of focusing only on doing the things through virtue and righteous, this drama showed you that these people's road was full of mischievous act, blood splatting and heinous acts.

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incredible atmosphere and acting

this is truly one of those movies you want to come back to just so your eyes can enjoy the beautiful cinematography and incredible acting (i adore apo, he constantly makes me cry), it’s absolutely amazing

I also learned something new about thai culture and history thanks to this movie, which was such a lovely bonus. I really love when a movie doesn’t just tell you a story but also gives you a chance to discover and understand a little more about the culture behind it

the plot might not be perfect, and there were definitely moments I wish had been explored more deeply, but that didn’t take away from my overall experience at all. It’s such a beautiful, atmospheric, and emotional movie that leaves you wanting to come back to it again if only to admire the cinematography and the actors all over again.

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