Reviews

Fresh and High Quality

To keep it short, the second chance revenge plot may be overused in Chinese dramas yet its adaptation and interpretation in this one is definitely fresh!

The story and execution all are very clean, well written, and well paced. This drama really keeps me at the edge of my seat. Not to mention the superb acting of the cast. They were all made for their respective roles. I want to give a special mention to Meng Li. She was amazing in bringing the villainous Princess Wan Ning to life. I have to say that it would be great if we can see more action scenes of Xiao Heng. I also like to thank the producers and writers for giving us that one special episode! It really gave me the closure I need, which is something does not happen so often in the world of Chinese dramas.

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A pleasant , relaxing series sith sensuality and without big ambitions

It was enjoyable to watch. The couple is very charming — it was the first time I’d seen this actor, and I liked him a lot, just as much as the actress. They have perfect chemistry. The episodes are filled with sensuality — from the very beginning and in almost every episode, you can feel this atmosphere. Even though their relationship is like a roller coaster.

The tension stays until the very end (which is rare, because usually after episode twenty it disappears).

The visuals are beautiful — the landscapes! . Some scenes are even staged in a style reminiscent of computer games, clearly inspired by video games.

As for the rest of the intrigue — it’s decent... but the supporting cast is rather weak.

This is a series I would gladly rewatch, but only my favorite scenes — the romantic storyline between this couple.

Every episode has at least 10–15 minutes of pure chocolate!
I urgently need to cut out that chocolate, melt it carefully, and turn it into a separate mini-series — “100% Cocoa of Feelings and Romance” ha ha

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When manipulation is made glamorous

With series of this type, there is a cultural risk: the glorification of manipulation as a virtue can normalize toxic behavior in relationships. I started watching this project because of Lu Si, whom I find very charming and pleasant (she was especially natural in "Hidden Love" ).

The series begins with themes of personal ambition, inner conflict, social differences within a family context, lies, and manipulation — all topics that are perfect for a vivid psychological drama. However, all of this loses its impact completely when romance, pretty visuals, costumes, and the very refined image of Lu Si become the central focus of the plot.

From a psychological standpoint — I’m sorry, but I cannot accept such a manipulative woman as a heroine with “remarkable qualities,” someone the viewer is supposed to root for in her “romantic pursuits.” Because of this, the series, especially in the second half, loses its original purpose: to portray the psychological dimension of events without taking sides. The author clearly chose to support the couple’s reconciliation on supposedly “right grounds,” but I’m sorry — such people always remain the same. Place them in another story, and they would be the villains.

As for the male lead — it’s the same story, just without Lu Si’s charm. He tries too hard to look like a sexy, mature man and seems intent on proving he can create the “ideal couple” with Lu Si better than Chen Zheyuan (that’s the impression I got, sorry).

I know many people enjoy this series, who love clever or manipulative heroines — like the one here, or the one in The Prisoner of Beauty, which I also plan to comment on later.

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Beyond Cunning: The Hidden Burden of the Chinese Heroine

I can see that around this drama—one of the most-watched in 2025 and perhaps the most beloved—an extraordinarily intense discussion has unfolded. As for me, I wanted to look at the female heroine through different lenses: Chinese cultural tradition, historical context, and modern perception.

After all, the central theme here is “Female wisdom as a stratagem in the struggle against enemies.” This is an ancient legacy of Chinese culture, where feminine cunning was understood as an indirect strategy: in China’s literary traditions, the intelligent, resourceful heroine appears constantly, and there is nothing new about it. Once again, we see an old motif—the indirect path, ‘salvation through a detour.’

But why is this scheme fully justified in a historical context, yet far more problematic in a modern one?

Because in that era, social structures severely restricted women’s capacity for direct action; cunning then became a parallel form of power, an expression of intellect, and sometimes an ideal of a heroine capable of seeing deeper than others. It was not cunning for the sake of vice, but a way to restore a disturbed balance of forces.

From a feminist point of view, one could put it differently: cunning is not celebrated for the manipulation itself, but because historically it was the only domain of action left to women. When the direct path was closed, strategic thinking became a mode of political existence, a soft form of resistance, a subtle counter-movement against power.

This trope is still alive in contemporary dramas—extremely often. The problem is that the context is almost never articulated.

Hence my main question regarding the heroine’s interpretation: the actress had to embody a character rooted in deep emotional and intellectual layers. Yet, unfortunately, I did not see in her the emotional competence required for such a role: her diction is pale, and her gaze lacks the necessary inner intensity.

However, the entire success of the drama rests on something else: the romantic storyline and the chemistry she creates with the male lead. The scenes are sensual, the visual aesthetic is dizzyingly lavish, the costumes magnificent, the budget impressive—all of this forms its resounding success.

Add to this the incredibly charismatic Liu Yu Ning, who changes the energy of a scene with a single calm yet piercing look—and popular adoration is guaranteed. Liu Yu Ning’s transition from singer to actor is remarkably successful, and the soundtracks work flawlessly.

So, I have noted both the strengths and the weaknesses. The main challenge—the profound interpretation of the female stratagem—remains unresolved for the actress. Everything else is accomplished.

I would like to add one more thought: the theme of cunning and manipulation is glorified extremely often in Chinese dramas. But it is important not to allow it to become a cliché. One must remember the historical context and the real conditions in which women lived.

The question is: whom does her cunning serve, and at what moral cost—to herself and to those around her?

Cunning can be a virtue of survival, but it should not be thoughtlessly normalized for audiences who watch dramas at 2× speed or “just to relax.”

In another mode of perception, this trope changes radically: what was historically the only available path of action for women can, in modern contexts, be interpreted as an endorsement of everyday manipulativeness, as a justification for emotional pressure, as a banal ‘effective strategy’ in relationships

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Entertaining if nothing else...

I'm a little late to the party, but here's my 2 cents. To skip reading it all: it works, especially if you're watching dramas for romance and stuff, and not caring for logic or the art of making movies.
Basically, all the weak parts are exactly the parts that supposedly is the hook: the dreams. Also, the dreams are the plot devices. SO, putting it all together, that means that the whole show is screwed if the dreams aspect is sht. And it is. Giving an example from a movie: imagine if a energy-bar wrapper got dropped on the floor of a high-tech, very sterile, experimental, scientific building, and that said wrapper gets sucked in the suction mechanism of a door (why even having one??), that produces a short-circuit, that gives a computer error, that makes the system reboot, that has the DEFAULT setting of opening all doors and release all the dangerous, genetically modified creatures you've been experimenting with (and you know they are dangerous), thus the whole movie can be made possible.... In lesser words, if your whole movie happens because you're giving a sht motive, that also means that the movie is going to be sht.

Back to our drama. Like mentioned before, is not all bad. The visuals are good, lots of good cinematography, the colour palette is in tone with the scene, very nice, inventive shots while the "dreams" occur.
Audio. Good I guess. The tracks are on par with the scene, the mixing is done ok. I don't remember the OP theme, but thats ok.
The pacing is ok-ish for this kind of drama. The world-building is a bit clunky, but its ok for this kind of drama. The acting is mostly good (apart the usual cringe acting when "bad guys are trying to sound evil"), if not amazing, with excellent chemistry all around. Also, very important, while weak for the main people, amazing character development with the supporting cast. If I keep singing its praises, Very good moral subjects.

And now the meh parts. The dialogue is meh. Mostly ok-ish, but dumb when the plot requires it. Evidently so when the scene is supposed to be "tense", the character suddenly becoming re****ed and incapable of saying in a normal way things to save a person's life, using the cliches of babbling and half sentences, because speaking like a normal human being would resolve the plot part and we can't have that yet....
The judicial aspect is a joke. The characters are made to be dumb or smart, or introducing some weird plot device, depending on the scene. I know I know,its because they need to drag the story. But thats the main problem, isn't it? If you can't make the story flow naturally, then you're ot doing a good job.
If I'm talking about bad logic, the dreams. Precognition, supernatural, blah blah. Yeah, Yeah, I don't care about that, as in I'm ok with those. The bad part comes from not being explained well enough. The rules are not applied equally, thus: plot contrivances and plot holes. How the fk can you make "dreams" that contradict one another, but also the "real-time" goes in a whole new direction, but not always... Why having them at all if can get the options: A, or B, or C, or all the above. How the tf does that even work? If you wanna go that route, why not introduce some "punishment" aspect? Having powers with just positive aspects and no drawbacks, thats boring. And if you're saying that its supposed to be like that, then the story becomes sht. Why? Because then every fking problem the characters are in can, and should, be resolved "because it can" and, again, that makes for a boring story if no stakes are offered.

So, it gets a rating of 7. It should be lower, because the whole drama is based on the broken "dreams" aspect, but the show was entertaining enough, the acting and character development did all the heavy-lifting. Re-watching value? Hmm, I don't know... I guess, if you're the kind that likes to watch dramas mainly for the "cute people on screen" aspect.
Have a lovely day.

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As a long-time fan of Liu Xue Yi and Meng Zi Yi, I went into this drama expecting strong performances and striking visuals—and both actors delivered. Meng Zi Yi’s Princess Cheng Ping enters the Wei kingdom under the pretext of a political marriage, but in truth she is a pawn sent by the ruthless Empress Lu. Her mission barely begins before she is sabotaged and framed for an affair with Chancellor Shen Zai Ye, played by Liu Xue Yi with his usual intensity.

Backed into a corner and desperate to remain in Wei to protect herself and her hostage brother, Cheng Ping boldly schemes and offers herself as Shen’s concubine. Shen, however, wants nothing to do with her. He leaves her to survive the tangled web of jealousy, competition, and simmering hostility inside his household—his wife and existing concubines are no easy company. At the same time, Shen must fend off the Crown Prince’s political traps, all while navigating the enigmatic Third Prince, whose charm masks motives that are not immediately clear. Friend? Foe? Or something far more dangerous?

The plot is engaging and full of intrigue, although it does falter at times. Some plots feel cliche—the classic arc of two suspicious, reluctant individuals who slowly uncover each other’s hidden strengths and fall in love - the convenient loss of memory - and the use of poisons to secure someone's obedience. Yet if you stick with the narrative, it rewards you with emotional tension and a solid payoff. Cheng Ping’s stubborn independence is both admirable and exasperating. Her refusal to rely on anyone, including Shen once he begins to care for her, creates trouble for them both. More than once, you might find yourself wanting to knock some sense into her.

The latter half of the drama dips a little, especially when a few supporting actors begin to sound like they are reading lines rather than inhabiting their roles. Thankfully, there are standout performances to balance this. Gao Han’s Third Prince is a highlight—handsome, unsettling, and utterly convincing as a love-struck sociopath whose loyalties are never straightforward.

Still, the true anchor of the series is Liu Xue Yi. His versatility, emotional depth, and commanding presence carry the drama through its weaker moments. At times, it feels as though he is single-handedly holding the entire story together—and doing it with impressive finesse.

If you can forgive its occasional stumbles, you will find a story that grips you with political intrigue, emotional depth, and characters whose flaws make them all the more fascinating to watch.

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wtf was this show

The concept of this drama is intriguing, but I just couldn’t get past the borderline pedophilia plotlines.

One storyline involves a female student in a relationship with a teacher. This could have been a chance to explore the serious power dynamics between student and teacher and show the real consequences—but the show barely scratches the surface. The teacher simply gets fired, and that’s it. There’s no real depiction of the emotional harm or impact on the student, which feels like a huge missed opportunity.

Another storyline involves a male student who is openly in love with the school counselor. Any adult in a position of authority should immediately shut down such advances to protect the child. But the counselor doesn’t. She entertains his feelings, never sets clear boundaries, and by the end, it’s even implied they might get together. Honestly, this is disturbing and completely mishandled.

The show could have tackled these issues thoughtfully, but instead, it glosses over them in ways that are uncomfortable and unacceptable.

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Could've been so much better

I’m honestly surprised this drama has such a high rating, because in my view, it doesn’t quite deserve it. The concepts were there, but they’re never fully explored.

I expected the rugby team to be the heart of the story, yet they mostly end up as side characters used for comic relief. Ironically, the scenes with them were the ones I enjoyed the most. I really wish the drama had devoted at least an episode to each member of the team—they’re fun, unique characters, and I would have loved to get to know them better. Instead, one gets two episodes, another barely half an episode, and the rest only appear in scattered bits.

Meanwhile, an excessive amount of time is spent on the Shooting Coach, whose storyline I found completely unengaging. I just couldn’t care about her plot, and it felt like a distraction from what could have been the most entertaining part of the show.

I have mixed feelings about this kdrama.

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A Well Balanced Mystery Forensic Drama and the Greenest Flag Male Lead

This drama tops all the mystery, crime solving dramas that I have watched. The story was well written and well paced, leaving no plot holes or unanswered questions. The plot centers around solving cases through forensics, along with romance on the side. I particularly love how there are no misunderstanding plots throughout the drama.

The actors did really well in acting out their roles. Ao Ruipeng was great as Yan Chi and trust me when I say this, Yan Chi is the greenest male lead in Chinese dramas. The admiration, respect, understanding, and love that he has for Shen Wan was honestly, inspiring. Also, the scene of him falling for her at first sight in episode 1 was beautiful and definitely worth looking forward to!

Li Landi was also made for the role of Shen Wan. As a coroner, she was really set on solving cases through forensics and she was not afraid to correct the wrongs, even if it’s someone dear to her. I have to mention that her eyes were captivating. Not only the two leads, Yu Chengen and Shen Yujie also did well in their roles as Yan Li and Yue Ning, respectively.

All in all, this is definitely one of my favorite dramas that I have rewatched multiple times! The cases in this drama were also able to get me hooked and on the edge of my seat.

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Really good, surprisingly

This drama is really fun, no kidding. As a person that enjoys non-heavy conflicts, this drama is so fitting for me. I love how cutesy and bubbly the vibe is, and I also love how the conflict is to the point and clear. Although yes, I do agree with everyone else’s reviews here about how low and inaccurate the MC is acting once he knew the truth. They just brush it off very lightly as if it’s nothing. But I think even if they do want to do more, they can’t, and that’s because of the duration of the drama. I’m just gonna think that the MC is so so very in love with the ML that he can’t hate him for long🤷‍♀️.

Aside from that, I really have no other problems. The drama is surprisingly entertaining and fun to watch. Everyone’s acting, especially the ML, is so good it seems like they are friends in real life. Thank God I found this drama because I almost overlooked it. I was so happy when I finished watching, because holy crap, for some reason it was so hard for me to find a good, completed BL drama these days.

So yeah. Go watch it if you haven’t.

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Promising Start, Disappointing End

Why was Jing Tao Hua so stylish, with a full hairdo, even after she went through a disaster?!

I started this drama due to the hype and arranged marriage plot and I admit, the first half was promising. The actors did well in acting out their roles and the story kept me hooked, up until the leads were chased and ended up going to that village.

Okay, I gave it a chance and continued watching because maybe that part is needed for the plot and for character development. However, amnesia?! I’ve aways hated and felt disturbed whenever there’s an amnesia plot and that did not change in this drama. The amnesia plot was definitely unnecessary.

Now comes my next ‘huh’ moment.. In episode 31, the characters went through a disaster, the explosion and debris kind of disaster, yet while all the other characters were dressed simple covered with dusts and debris, Jing Tao Hua had full on makeup, hairdo, and a stylish dress. The only thing that lacked color was her lips because she was supposed to be low on energy lmao. Girl, please.. that was cringe.

Due to these questionable moments that built up towards the ending, the open ending did not really affect me as I already had no hope for this drama. However, although the second half of the drama was not for me, others might still find it amusing. So give it a try!

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A film of risk, parental love, and found family.

Night Flower is a well done film with a couple of flaws, yet to what extent they are truly flaws is up for debate.

The initial quarter of the film is slow, almost in a reluctant way. I was surprised by how much introduction and groundwork was laid before the leads initially met. As a strength, it sets up character depth, motivations, and context, but some may find this time to be a bit too long.

Following this, there is a steady build of tension through the film, highlighted by some fleeting ‘calm before the storm’ moments, although the incoming storm, so to speak, was in some ways anticlimactic and defied expectation. To some again, this may not be an appealing factor. However, I would counter this with the deliberateness of the storytelling, it felt very intentional, serving as a highlight to the proximity to disaster, but not yet completely lost amid the storm.

This film is full of moments of familial warmth, contrasted starkly by the bitter and cruel world of the people around them. Tamae’s new connection with Natsuki and her family becomes that of found family, and while there may be some sapphic undertones, there is no romance in this film as the focus is more on familial love, which was one major question I had had from initially seeing the poster and trailer months ago.

The acting was solid, without any over or under acting issues in key scenes. The soundtrack emphasised classical music fittingly as it is not without its place in the narrative. The narrative was at times unexpected, but in ways that lead to the film feeling deeply rooted in reality in a way that is very much true to Japanese storytelling.

Lastly, one small detail I might mention is that there were two foreign characters with bit parts, and I very much appreciated that they were not treated any differently to anyone else. The one who spoke, didn’t have a foreign accent and wasn’t treated any differently to if she had been Japanese, which I think is a nice detail, considering representation of foreigners like this in Japanese film and drama is not so common.

As for the ending, without any spoilers, I would say it is strange, unexpected, and somewhat sudden. I am very much fine with open endings, but this story left me wanting to see a continuation, yet I equally doubt there are plans for a sequel.

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