kittypink0
New York City
This review may contain spoilers
One of the Best Dramas I've Ever Watched
A quick note; this is meant to be a political drama, not romance. If you are watching because you are a fan of the manhua, be prepared; they are completely different aside from names and some events. Please watch with caution as to not ruin any expectations you may have.
STORY
The heart of the story is Li Chang Ge, a young princess of the Tang Dynasty whose entire life is snatched out from under her when her parents are murdered by her Uncle and she's branded a traitor. She vows revenge no matter the cost. Her quest for revenge leads her to meet new people, mainly A'Sun, leader of the Eagle Division on the Ashile Tribe, Tang's enemy. While a subtle romance does pick up between the two, Chang Ge goes through continuos loss and she begins to reevaluate what she truly wants. She puts aside her quest for revenge and decided that she wants to end the bloodshed between Tang and the Ashile Tribe and bring peace to both lands.
CAHARCTERS
Li Chang Ge: She's stubborn, headstrong, and headfirst. While she has no shortage of bravery, she makes many mistakes along the way as well. It isn't until she retreats into the temple to atone for her mistakes, we see her growth. While Chang Ge may be a brilliant military strategist, she didn't value the lives of the soldiers. They were just a part of her plan to create alliances to one day get her revenge. Her actions had led (direct and non direct) to the deaths of people she had begun to love as a new family. At the temple as she sat in front of the "Non-Interference" sign, you could see her struggling and remorseful at what she had done. Her character development is really refreshing to see because she realizes that she was wrong, she did make mistakes, and that she needed to change-even if it meant to put away her revenge. It's rare to see main characters change in such a way.
A'Sun: He may have been as close to a perfect character as you could get. There wasn't much development on his part since as a leader he knows what its like to shoulder responsibilities and be in charge of the lives of others. He's a wonderful support to Chang Ge, he regretted blaming the death of his foster mother on her and stepped down as leader of the Eagle Division just to go looking for her when they all thought she went missing.
LeYan: Chang Ge's cousin; this soft princess goes through one of the biggest character developments in the drama. She's naive in the beginning, knows nothing about the people. She gets lost, travels with beggars, and had to fight for food. Without no one knowing she was a princess, she had to work hard to make her own money. She dotes on a younger boy and is devastated when he dies, especially when she realizes his biggest wish was to eat rice. These hardships help her to understand what her subjects are going through and make her a better princess for them.
Hao Du: Like Leyan, this cold assassin goes the through probably *the* biggest change in the drama. He only knows how to follow orders and does whatever it takes to get it done. He was tasked to catch and kill Chang Ge and for over 20 episodes thats what he does. The unlikely romance that develops between him and Leyan is shattered when he uses Leyan as a hostage to yet again devise a way to catch Chang Ge. The tongue lashing that she gives him was truly spectacular to see. With tears in his eyes, you can see him being to question, if what he's doing is right. He becomes Leyan's biggest supporter, putting her happiness above his own, even if it meant giving her away to someone else even though he loves her. He risks his life to fight for her freedom. It's the best example of the "Sunshine x Cold" and "cold character only soft for one person" trope at its best.
There are other character that have development, whether for better or worse such as She'er, Du Ruihui, Yi Cheng, Mimi, and Shuyu, but it would take too long to discuss all of it. The main thing is that, all of the characters go through a transformation and it's visible on screen.
COSTUME
One thing only: A'SUN'S FUR ARMOR OUTFIT.
VISUALS/CINEMATOGRAPHY
The battle scenes in the drama are some of the best I’ve seen. I was so excited to see it and was constantly blown away by how well it was done. I would love for the choreographer to win an award, it was absolutely stunning.
Now this might be an unpopular opinion, but I didn’t hate the animation sequences. I understand that this was filmed during covid, so I’m not going to make a big deal out of it. The large scale battles requires tons of extras to act it out and many crew members to film it all. It would have been very easy to spread the virus.
MUSIC
You're lying if you say you skip the intro and the outro songs. This is one of the few dramas that I have NEVER skipped the intro song or the ending song. The beginning song "Direction of Light" is so powerful and the ending "Cocoon" is soft, almost melancholy. I will definitely be buying them. The soundtrack within the drama is always on point.
REWATCH VALUE
I'm already thinking of when I'll be watching it again. This really is Dilraba's best drama. Wu Lei shows that despite his age, he can act with the best. Will look forward to his other projects 10/10
STORY
The heart of the story is Li Chang Ge, a young princess of the Tang Dynasty whose entire life is snatched out from under her when her parents are murdered by her Uncle and she's branded a traitor. She vows revenge no matter the cost. Her quest for revenge leads her to meet new people, mainly A'Sun, leader of the Eagle Division on the Ashile Tribe, Tang's enemy. While a subtle romance does pick up between the two, Chang Ge goes through continuos loss and she begins to reevaluate what she truly wants. She puts aside her quest for revenge and decided that she wants to end the bloodshed between Tang and the Ashile Tribe and bring peace to both lands.
CAHARCTERS
Li Chang Ge: She's stubborn, headstrong, and headfirst. While she has no shortage of bravery, she makes many mistakes along the way as well. It isn't until she retreats into the temple to atone for her mistakes, we see her growth. While Chang Ge may be a brilliant military strategist, she didn't value the lives of the soldiers. They were just a part of her plan to create alliances to one day get her revenge. Her actions had led (direct and non direct) to the deaths of people she had begun to love as a new family. At the temple as she sat in front of the "Non-Interference" sign, you could see her struggling and remorseful at what she had done. Her character development is really refreshing to see because she realizes that she was wrong, she did make mistakes, and that she needed to change-even if it meant to put away her revenge. It's rare to see main characters change in such a way.
A'Sun: He may have been as close to a perfect character as you could get. There wasn't much development on his part since as a leader he knows what its like to shoulder responsibilities and be in charge of the lives of others. He's a wonderful support to Chang Ge, he regretted blaming the death of his foster mother on her and stepped down as leader of the Eagle Division just to go looking for her when they all thought she went missing.
LeYan: Chang Ge's cousin; this soft princess goes through one of the biggest character developments in the drama. She's naive in the beginning, knows nothing about the people. She gets lost, travels with beggars, and had to fight for food. Without no one knowing she was a princess, she had to work hard to make her own money. She dotes on a younger boy and is devastated when he dies, especially when she realizes his biggest wish was to eat rice. These hardships help her to understand what her subjects are going through and make her a better princess for them.
Hao Du: Like Leyan, this cold assassin goes the through probably *the* biggest change in the drama. He only knows how to follow orders and does whatever it takes to get it done. He was tasked to catch and kill Chang Ge and for over 20 episodes thats what he does. The unlikely romance that develops between him and Leyan is shattered when he uses Leyan as a hostage to yet again devise a way to catch Chang Ge. The tongue lashing that she gives him was truly spectacular to see. With tears in his eyes, you can see him being to question, if what he's doing is right. He becomes Leyan's biggest supporter, putting her happiness above his own, even if it meant giving her away to someone else even though he loves her. He risks his life to fight for her freedom. It's the best example of the "Sunshine x Cold" and "cold character only soft for one person" trope at its best.
There are other character that have development, whether for better or worse such as She'er, Du Ruihui, Yi Cheng, Mimi, and Shuyu, but it would take too long to discuss all of it. The main thing is that, all of the characters go through a transformation and it's visible on screen.
COSTUME
One thing only: A'SUN'S FUR ARMOR OUTFIT.
VISUALS/CINEMATOGRAPHY
The battle scenes in the drama are some of the best I’ve seen. I was so excited to see it and was constantly blown away by how well it was done. I would love for the choreographer to win an award, it was absolutely stunning.
Now this might be an unpopular opinion, but I didn’t hate the animation sequences. I understand that this was filmed during covid, so I’m not going to make a big deal out of it. The large scale battles requires tons of extras to act it out and many crew members to film it all. It would have been very easy to spread the virus.
MUSIC
You're lying if you say you skip the intro and the outro songs. This is one of the few dramas that I have NEVER skipped the intro song or the ending song. The beginning song "Direction of Light" is so powerful and the ending "Cocoon" is soft, almost melancholy. I will definitely be buying them. The soundtrack within the drama is always on point.
REWATCH VALUE
I'm already thinking of when I'll be watching it again. This really is Dilraba's best drama. Wu Lei shows that despite his age, he can act with the best. Will look forward to his other projects 10/10
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