Reviews

This Drama Had Potential But Missed the Mark

So... I want to start by saying that my issue isn't really with the character played by Park Seo-ham. I actually like him a lot as an actor and he was honestly the main reason I started watching Our Universe in the first place.

That being said, the real problem for me is the way the story arc is developing. The more episodes I watched, the more frustrating it became, and at some point it also just started feeling boring. Another thing that really made the experience worse for me is the FL’s storyline. Her decisions, and the way the story keeps going in circles around the same emotional beats, have become frustrating. Instead of moving the plot forward in an interesting way, it feels like the drama just keeps dragging things out.

What disappoints me the most, though, is the direction the writers chose for the plot. Instead of focusing on the incredibly heavy and meaningful situation the characters are actually in, the drama keeps pushing the love triangle, and that’s honestly the least interesting part of the story. These characters suddenly have to deal with grief after losing people close to them, and at the same time they basically become parents overnight to a very young child who just lost their own parents. That’s such a powerful and emotional premise. Watching two people trying to navigate grief, responsibility, and learning how to become a mother and father for a child in completely new circumstances could have been incredibly deep and meaningful storytelling.
Instead, the drama seems much more interested in dragging out the love triangle and giving the SML a huge amount of screen time. Tbh, it almost feels like he has more presence in the story than the actual ML, which makes the whole thing feel… unbalanced, for lack of a better word.

The story would honestly make much more sense at this point to me if the FL and the SML ended up together and there was no romantic connection between the main ML and the FL at all or maybe the SML could have just been a close friend with FL... someone whose presence triggers a bit of jealousy in ML and helps him realize his feelings for the FL. (Yes, it’s cliché, I know, but honestly it would still be better than what we have right now) instead of forcing a love triangle that takes away from the much more interesting emotional core of the story.

I really do like Park Seo-ham and I wanted to keep watching for him but the way the story is unfolding just isn’t working for me. At this point it feels more frustrating than enjoyable, so unfortunately I think I’m going to drop this drama.

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From Intriguing to Typical: A Disappointing Turn

This was an excellent watch—until it wasn’t. I adored the beginning and truly felt it was on its way to becoming a top-shelf favorite. I even found myself immersed in the intro song, which beautifully captured the haunting feel of its tragic rebirth theme. The female lead came across as powerful, the male lead was bold, and the mysterious political landscape created the kind of intrigue that always pulls me in. The side stories were equally compelling, touching on consequences from the past and offering redemption arcs for characters who had once done terrible things.

But about halfway through, the tone and focus shifted heavily toward the romance, and I wasn’t there for it. I know this drama has a big following, and I can see why—there’s a lot to love—but for me, the shift just didn’t work. It watered down the power dynamics and overtook more interesting subplots, and their romance ended up feeling too cliché for my taste. The change was so drastic that the leads no longer felt like the strong duo they had been earlier on, and the extended focus on the male lead's later arc dragged on for too many episodes. I also found the main mystery—the “whodunit” introduced at the start—incredibly predictable, which was disappointing because the writing had been so sharp in the beginning. I kept second-guessing myself, thinking it couldn’t possibly be that obvious, but it was.

In the end, I couldn’t finish the last few episodes—that’s how checked out I became after watching such a strong start slowly turn into something more typical. And to make matters worse, despite repeatedly asking people not to, several people dropped spoilers in the comments on my posts. So, even the ending was ruined for me. My entire experience with this drama turned sour near the end.

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A warning I probably should have taken

I went into it expecting a messy but entertaining BL, and while the premise had potential, the execution never fully worked for me. Unfortunately, the drama never dives deep enough into those feelings, and the characters often feel stuck going in circles instead of actually growing. The romance lacked the emotional impact I was hoping for, and many conflicts felt dragged out or unnecessarily repetitive. There are a few moments where the chemistry between the leads shows glimpses of what the story could have been, but overall it never fully commits to its more complex themes about honesty, consequences, and real emotional change. In the end, it wasn’t terrible, just frustratingly average — the kind of show that had the ingredients for something much better but never quite managed to deliver.

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WHY IS THIS SO FUN

To be honest at the beginning I didn't expect much. I mean; it's an adaptation of a game and its value is hugely promotional for the game. But it's a good drama and it's surprisingly entertaining like I LOVE those characters so so much. Although the focus of course goes to the male leads, I felt like I adored the support characters — despite the minimal time they had. Like those tomato and his friend duo that is always arguing? Xiaoguang?? Xia & Xiaoguang friendship & the overall team dynamics. Even Yize's rival (not ding fan, the guy from QC) is humanized as we realize that his desire to win is not malicious. He provokes but he has deep respect for Yize. And even the cameo of the older brother arc was interesting. For such a short drama, it surprisingly tackles many events and plot points. Definitely worth watching. Also I'm pretty sure the bromance was added also so the advertisement could reach a niche audience that has been growing in the recent years but it's still so strong like lmao I love Yize and Han Che a lot.
Lastly, it would have been awkward that the eSports was not animated (obv budget) but they managed to pull it off both nicely and smoothly! Is it a masterpiece? No. But it has good writing, is entertaining and has loveable characters.

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WATCH IT PLZZZ

Am going to be frank this was like a fresh of air after too much suffocating dramas a good slice of life literally had everything in it romance, comedy, slice of life and that annoying character that u feel like u want to strangle🤬. The characters were developed ughhh words cannot describe it and the confessions oh my God just uggghh 😭was shedding tears for them literally loved every bit of it and through all of it i learnt about what the people of that era went through and even got interested about and did a deeper dive. All in all don't miss it plzz this will be my go to chinese drama from now onwards and lastly congratulations and thank you for the team that brought this about. Am even trying to wake myself up from the delusion that a character like arthur chen doesn't exist inreal life damn it but all in well EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH IT HEHEHEEEEEEE🫣

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Not perfect, but very, very enjoyable and wonderfully acted drama.

First off: The performances by the two leads, Lu Yu Xiao and Chen Xing Xu were both fantastic. Both really went deep into being their respective characters and their chemistry as a romantic couple was off the charts. I'd like to especially call out Lu Yu Xiao's performance. I had already been extremely impressed by her fantastic performance of a girl on the spectrum in Blossoms In Adversity and then as a more conventional 'strong action heroine' in Love in the Clouds. But this performance was next level. Very different from either of those two roles. She put all kinds of interesting mannerisms into her character and was consistent so that those things weren't dropped along the way. Hu Xiu has a cute almost cartoonish way of walking that is so endearing and her way of expressing emotions through her hands. In lesser dramas these little things often get dropped a few episodes into the story but these (and other nuances) were part of her character's uniqueness and she kept them all the way through. Smiling, laughing, angry or crying - the character of Hu Xiu was unique and real. And very endearing. As the classic strong-silent-type Male Lead, Chen Xing Xu has a more conventional role and is, to be fair, overshadowed by Lu Yu Xiao's performance, but he still does a fantastic job. He does not over-act and also is very consistent in how he presents the character. His breaks from strength to vulnerable are believable and don't look forced. And as mentioned, he has great chemistry with LYX. The two really worked great together.

Other cast members were all solid. Especially Li Ting Ting as bestie Zhao Rou, whose voice has a quality that just owns scenes when she speaks. Her character's story by itself could have been a main lead story. And while I hated the contrived, annoying and mostly useless existence of the Pei Zhen character, I have to give credit to Dai Xu for his performance, especially given the crappy writing involving his character.

The music, sets, wardrobe, cinemetography are all mostly top-notch production. The 'Scripted Murder Game' settings especially were often beautifully done. The one real low point in production quality was late in the series with the warehouse fire scene. That was just very poorly executed and so many aspects of that episode just did not make sense. Poorly written, poorly directed and cheaply implemented.

Aside with that one drop in production quality, my only real complaints are with regard to a couple of specifics with the script / plot. 90% of the time the script is fine and even fantastic. I especially like the dialog given to both Hu Xiu and Zhao Rou. As the top female characters they got consistently intelligent dialog that showcased the intelligence and emotional insight of the two characters. Way better than the dialog given to many other female leads in so many dramas. And for the most part they avoided plot-induced stupidity with either of these two characters so I really appreciated that. Where the script really stumbles is in the contrived character of Pei Zhen as the ML's step-brother. This character is almost completely meaningless to the plot and serves mainly as nothing more than a time-wasting annoyance. He's not even a half-brother to the ML so their sibling relationship is extremely tenuous and what little there is was marked mostly by abuse against the ML. Otherwise it is clear from the plot that ML mostly grew up completely separate of Pei. Yet the plot tries to imply that there should be a bond between them underneath all the misunderstandings. There isn't. Pei is simply an abused son who himself commits his own crimes and is, frankly not a sympathetic character other than for the abuse he does take from his father. The plot tries to make him seem sympathetic, but does not go anywhere near the real steps that need to be taken by him to become sympathetic: He needed to turn himself in, go to prison for his crimes and get counseling for his deep psychological problems - which persist all the way to his last scene. His 'unrequited love' for the FL is just mostly pathetic and childish. I mean, seriously? He's obsessing and fondling that old bandaid at the end? That is just so sad and pathetic. Not one step towards real character growth. Saying "I'm sorry" at the end is not meaningful. Especially when at the same time he still is looking longingly with his stupid sad puppy-dog expression like a 14-year old boy looking at the unattainable popular girl. He's emotionally still a child even at the very end. His character needs years of therapy.

The script for Pei Zhen's dialog tended to be the worst, most comic-book silly of all the characters. Especially in the scenes when he and the ML, Xiao Zhi Yu, would be pumping testosterone at each other. I'll give credit to Dai Xu for delivering well with what he had to work with. But really, this show could have been done better without the Pei Zhen character existing at all.

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A lot of things went wrong in this drama, starting with the plot itself. The whole idea of healing trauma through love is something I strongly disagree with, and unfortunately that’s exactly what the story tries to present through its characters. Team was extremely childish and in constant need of care, while Win often felt less like a boyfriend and more like a parent. Their dynamic resembled a parent–child relationship far more than a romantic one, which at times felt strange and even a bit unsettling.

Another issue was the number of side couples. There were simply too many of them, which created unnecessary chaos and took attention away from the main story. At some point, Win and Team almost stopped feeling like the protagonists of their own drama, while Waan and Tul were the ones carrying the show for me. The main storyline also kept repeating the same beats over and over again, which made it feel quite boring after a while. On top of that, the dialogue wasn’t particularly strong, often filled with overly long pauses that made many scenes drag.

That being said, it wasn’t all bad. The drama is relatively easy and quick to watch, and it holds a special place for me because it was the show that first introduced me to this fandom. Because of that, I can’t help but feel a lot of nostalgia toward it despite its flaws.

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Only watch if you’re reason for watching is Song Wei Long

I happened to come across snippets of this show while scrolling through social media, and since I have enjoyed Song Wei Long’s work in the past, I went into it with fairly high expectations. His earlier performances have often carried a certain depth and presence that make his roles memorable, so naturally I assumed this show would have something similar to offer. Unfortunately, the experience didn’t quite live up to that anticipation.

At its core, the story itself is fairly short and straightforward. A concise storyline can sometimes work very well if it is executed with clarity and purpose. However, in this case, the show attempts to stretch a limited premise across multiple episodes by inserting filler moments that do not really add much substance. These additional segments neither deepen the narrative nor enrich the characters. Instead, they feel like placeholders—scenes that exist merely to fill time rather than to meaningfully advance the plot.

One of the most noticeable shortcomings lies in the pacing, especially toward the end. The final episode feels particularly rushed, almost as if the creators suddenly realized they needed to wrap everything up within a limited timeframe. Important developments and resolutions are compressed into a very short span, which diminishes their emotional impact. Moments that should have felt significant or satisfying pass by too quickly, leaving the viewer with a sense of incompleteness rather than closure.

The character arcs also suffer from this lack of depth. The show introduces several potentially interesting characters, but it never quite spends enough time exploring them in detail. Their motivations, conflicts, and personal growth remain largely surface-level. Because of this, it becomes difficult to form a strong emotional connection with their journeys. Instead of witnessing meaningful transformations, the audience is presented with character developments that feel shallow and somewhat rushed.

Another issue lies in the overall narrative structure. The story often feels abrupt and somewhat disorganized, with transitions between key plot points lacking smoothness or clarity. Rather than building tension gradually and delivering a cohesive payoff, the show jumps between moments without fully grounding the viewer in the progression of events. This contributes to the feeling that the story never quite settles into a steady rhythm.

By the time the series concludes, the dominant emotion is disappointment rather than satisfaction. The premise had potential, and with stronger writing, tighter pacing, and deeper character development, it could have turned into a much more compelling watch. Instead, it feels like a missed opportunity—an idea that started with promise but ultimately failed to evolve into a well-rounded or memorable story.

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Quite decent Male Harem drama.

I watched this with my friend since he is quite avid male oriented enjoyer drama and i asked him to give me non Du Zhao, Wu Hao and Yan Hao drama. I noticed it was Xie Zhe Chen who played the Yang Duo Jie from How Dare You (Long drama). The girls were not stiff on acting. I will give warning if you not comfortable with Male Harem, you can skip this drama.

ML (Sun Jian) is an unemployed college graduate from modern times, unexpectedly travels to the fictional "Da Qian Dynasty," becoming a poor scholar facing a survival crisis. To address the population problem, the imperial court implements a "first wife policy," forcing unmarried men to marry. FL is bound to three wives with vastly different identities by the system he boughts 3 women who falls into misery and people mock ML who looks old and three wives's unfortunate destinies.

Lets differs the 3 wives character:
Zhao Ling Er: A royal princess, calm, wise, and skilled in strategy.
Liu Yan: The eldest daughter of a military family, highly skilled in martial arts, and with a strong personality.
Su Yao: A merchant's daughter, proficient in business and possessing abundant resources.
I liked how this drama show three wives their strengths, breaking away from the traditional "subordinate" role and becoming key allies in the comeback. I liked how they give equal screentime to 3 wives story.

During a hunt, ML is ambushed by bandits. He and his three wives fights to subdue the bandits and bring them under his command. ML and his three wives go from being forced into a bond to sharing weal and woe, and their emotions gradually deepen. For example, Liu Yan's initial dislike turns into admiration, and Su Yao helps him overcome difficulties using her business network. ML also uses modern knowledge to resolve crisis, such as developing hybrid rice to solve food shortages and cracking down on local bullies.

This drama contains political Intrigue: ML is implicated in a cheating scandal in the imperial examinations and framed by the powerful minister Later, he joins forces with the high-ranking official Gu Zijian and the physician Chu Qingcheng to escape from prison and fight back.

Recommended to watch if you can tolerate male harem with political Intrigue. The wives are not wallflower like usual male-oriented drama.

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