GYong
Singapore
This review may contain spoilers
It's like riding a rollercoaster but instead of the big dip you were expecting, the ride just ends.
Have an iQiyi sub and started watching out of curiosity.
If you are like me and kiss scenes are important to you + and love male leads that pine for their lover, read on.
Story: Lighthearted as it goes, some parts even made me laugh. Typical palace intrigues but there were some plot holes that were bothering me (shouldn't the emperor have more power than a general?) As a romantic drama, there was good focus around the main two characters, and I also liked that the drama was not too long either, which is atypical of historical C-dramas which can get long and draggy. I was left wanting and waiting to watch the next episode as soon as I finished one.
A major reason why I took points off was because I felt like the GREAT dramas have off tangent, but related plots that develop alongside. There was none of this. Also, the last 3 episodes felt like everything happened at once and these were MAJOR plot developments, and the story just ends there. What you may have expected to happen did not, and it just kind of feels like the director wanted to wrap things up quickly and call it a day.
Acting/Cast: Acting was great, I liked the actors and their characters and felt all sorts of feelings towards the characters appropriately.
Music: Average? Nothing to shout about, but it was definitely put in places where it needed to be. No memorable OSTs, but no heavy repeating of 1 song over and over again (that can end up super annoying and make scenes predictable - kdrams are guilty of this)
Rewatch value: Would not rewatch this because it doesn't really matter in the end.
Production: Just a small note to add that I don't normally include in my reviews. I noticed that I could see the wig lines for the Main lead, and that really affected the immersion for me. Historical chinese dramas always have beautiful sets and this wasn't an exception but the makeup artist needs to be fired because I could see the plaster on the actors' face.
Overall: This drama is the 'what could have been'. After all the investment that you put in throughout the episodes, one can't help but feel like you are left with confusion and a little bit of pain, which could have been intentional to keep you thinking about it (because I am). But the bitter taste that's left in my mouth is certainly not what I'm looking for after I've been served all sorts of sweet and salty before. I am left thoroughly confused, and not in a great way.
If you are like me and kiss scenes are important to you + and love male leads that pine for their lover, read on.
Story: Lighthearted as it goes, some parts even made me laugh. Typical palace intrigues but there were some plot holes that were bothering me (shouldn't the emperor have more power than a general?) As a romantic drama, there was good focus around the main two characters, and I also liked that the drama was not too long either, which is atypical of historical C-dramas which can get long and draggy. I was left wanting and waiting to watch the next episode as soon as I finished one.
A major reason why I took points off was because I felt like the GREAT dramas have off tangent, but related plots that develop alongside. There was none of this. Also, the last 3 episodes felt like everything happened at once and these were MAJOR plot developments, and the story just ends there. What you may have expected to happen did not, and it just kind of feels like the director wanted to wrap things up quickly and call it a day.
Acting/Cast: Acting was great, I liked the actors and their characters and felt all sorts of feelings towards the characters appropriately.
Music: Average? Nothing to shout about, but it was definitely put in places where it needed to be. No memorable OSTs, but no heavy repeating of 1 song over and over again (that can end up super annoying and make scenes predictable - kdrams are guilty of this)
Rewatch value: Would not rewatch this because it doesn't really matter in the end.
Production: Just a small note to add that I don't normally include in my reviews. I noticed that I could see the wig lines for the Main lead, and that really affected the immersion for me. Historical chinese dramas always have beautiful sets and this wasn't an exception but the makeup artist needs to be fired because I could see the plaster on the actors' face.
Overall: This drama is the 'what could have been'. After all the investment that you put in throughout the episodes, one can't help but feel like you are left with confusion and a little bit of pain, which could have been intentional to keep you thinking about it (because I am). But the bitter taste that's left in my mouth is certainly not what I'm looking for after I've been served all sorts of sweet and salty before. I am left thoroughly confused, and not in a great way.
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