Strong, capable Male Lead & Cute Female Lead

I really enjoyed the show right from the beginning. I chanced upon this show because it appeared via some algorithms on my YouTube and I could not stop watching this drama at all. I had to keep on going!

Watch because:
- show moves fast and there are just 30 eps
- there is great chemistry between the male lead and the female lead
- Caesar as Chu Xiu Ming rocks big time - he is super manly, capable and very tough as Jiang Jun and yet, super loving and warm as Husband - I melted over and over again just watching him. OMG! *love to see him on my screen*
- hot kisses abound between the two leads
- Caesar is perfect for this role - he’s tall and his acting is very good. I love to see his expressions change from ‘I love my wife so much’ to ‘how dare you’ to ‘try me if you dare’ to ‘I miss my wife’... *aww*
- this drama is exciting as there are many things going on in this drama
- things get solved and questions are answered
- drama has a happy ending and I’m a big lover and sucker for happy endings!

Watch!
I know that I’ll definitely rewatch this!

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Cute Couple -- Wily and yet Charming FL + Multi-faceted ML

Having watched this drama, I must say that I enjoyed the ride! :)

What I liked:
- The leads are good-looking. Oh man, the two leads are gorgeous to look at and so cute together.
- I like a smart FL who can take good care of herself and Hua Liu Li (HLL) does just that. She can take good care of herself and others around her. I like her charms and her gift of the gab. She can be coquettish. She can be feisty. She is a capable person.
- I like a devoted ML who loves and protects his sweetheart. The ML is very handsome and very manly. I think he acts well too because in front of HLL, he is all puppy-eyes and wanting her attention. However, when it comes to being the Crown Prince and handling his duties, he is all intelligent, competent, courageous and a force to be reckoned with. He is THE MAN, for sure.
- Yuan Wei (YW), HLL's maid, is the best maid ever. HLL and YW are so cute together. She looks adorable and she is smart and capable too.
- Tian Jia Min (TJM) and her mother, Princess Shun An, are so cute. TJM is all bark and no bite. She became reluctant and yet, good friends with HLL after both girls were kidnapped and went through "thick and thin" together. TJM's mother is always fan-girling about HLL's mother. So cute.
- The king is a nice man and a good king/ father (on the whole).
- HLL's family members are nice. They support her and have her interests at heart.
- Yun Han understood the error of his ways and stopped betraying ML.
- I like that Ying Wang and the third prince are not out to usurp the Crown Prince's position. The brothers actually co-exist nicely despite the machinations of their scheming mothers.
- The "Easter egg" endings are funny.

What I didn't like that much:
- Psycho plotter/ mastermind who has a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Atrociously manipulative. I do understand that we need to have some tension and suspense and something happening in the plot but he was a pain to watch. So nasty and horrid.
- Song Shu dies in the end which made me cry too. He really held the fort and was a father/ brother figure for HLL.

Overall, the plot is engaging and riveting enough (IMO). I truly enjoyed watching both FL and ML. They are good-lookers who light up my screen. Their acting is also good. There is also a lot of heart in this drama. I highly recommend this drama! It is a pretty fun watch!

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Intriguing drama with its own FF button <3

I stumbled upon this drama and decided to plunge right in without much research or thought. Wow, it turned out to be a fun and entertaining ride.

What I liked about this drama:
- The plot was intriguing as many things were going on. There was a lot of action. The plot was fast-paced. Things happened. Things were revealed.
- The ML was "da bomb"-- handsome! He could be cute. He could be suave. He could be manly. I enjoyed watching him!
- The FL was not a damsel in distress which was nice.
- Everything was explained and well-linked. Everything was tied up nicely despite the fact that this drama was a mini-series. I liked the sense of completion and closure.
- The fighting scenes were quite nicely choreographed.
- There was plenty of "skinship" between ML and FL which was, to me, very lovely. I liked how they sort of could not keep their hands off each other. I liked their hot kisses and their interactions which were full of (sexual) tension.
- I was entertained and intrigued. It was a fun short ride!

What I didn't like:
- This mini-series was a little too rushed in my opinion. Everything seemed to be at 1.25 or even 1.5 speed.
- The jumps from one part to another seemed very "touch and go" -- "here's the explanation, take it and off we go to the next" was how I felt.

Overall, this is an exciting and entertaining mini-series with cute ML! I watched him in "Royal Rumors" but he is finer in this series. I'd say watch it! It's very good! :o)

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For 颜值

I watched this drama purely for the male lead and the female lead because they are damn gorgeous. But, I must say that they aren’t the best of actors and actresses out there. But, they are one of the best-looking actors and actresses out there.

This drama has very little plot and suspense. Nothing really exciting happens.

This drama is like an extended advertisement to show the gorgeousness of the two leads. That’s about it.

Nothing amazing happens in this drama. Nothing big happens in this drama.

It’s very watchable fluff and for the good-looking leads. It got a bit tiring for me in that the male lead constantly kept reminding viewers that he’s good-looking… -__- meh.

I’d still rate it as a ‘can-watch’ because it’s mindless fluff. No stress. No angst.

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More Diluted Than Plain Water

[I respect other reviewers and their individual choices. There are plenty of dramas out there to suit every taste. Direct your support or lack of to the drama itself. If you support this drama, good for you and please continue to. Please write your own good reviews. If you do not support this drama, please also write your own review. We are reviewers. Not personal attackers. We review. We do not attack. Reserve your opinions for your reviews and not for the reviewer who is responding to the drama itself and not to other external aspects. I am responding to this drama that I have watched and I am not personally attacking any actor or actress in real life. It is all based on this particular drama only/ this particular reel life only.]


I had high expectations of this drama because of Leo Wu. He is a fantastic actor and I have seen several of his outstanding works. I was looking forward to be impressed and blown away yet again but alas... it was not to be.

What was Okay:
- The cast was all right. No one was particularly painful to watch. Acting was quite natural and all.
- The scenery overseas was beautiful.
- The music, though not memorable for me, was okay.
- Overall, it was not an awful drama... it was just dry and dull and undramatic! Nothing much was going on. Perhaps, this was a plus point for other viewers as there wasn't much angst but as an impatient viewer, I wanted things to hurry along just a bit more. I guess this drama wasn't as dramatic and impactful and moving as hoped for.

What Did Not Work:
- The FL started off okay but then, she became exceedingly dull and uninteresting. There was hardly any growth in her character and while the ML did so much for her to express his deep affections for her, I felt that it was quite one-way. She behaved in a "princess ill" (gong zhu bing) manner IMO. She could have done so much more as the FL and as the girlfriend of the ML. She was too passive and too coy. It was quite perplexing and frankly, annoying. She seemed startled by his love and his acts of affection almost all the time.
- There was nothing much to watch. There was nothing exciting. I kept on watching till the last episode in the hope that something dramatic and interesting would pop up... but, nope, nothing. Everything kept to the same slow (not healing) pace and kept being mundane and inane throughout. *sigh* Even the "ball scenes" were not that many and not that "sitting on the chair's edge" gripping.

It was not a terrible watch but it was quite a bore and a chore.
I'll say that watching dramas that are way more dramatic are my cup of tea.

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Charming and Charmed.

I was full of anticipation upon knowing that Li Xian (LX) and Liu Yi Fei (LYF) were the ML and FL of this drama. I have watched LX in other dramas and I like this charming young man. He, to me, is not the most handsome of the lot but he is absolutely charming! I watched LYF in "Dream of Splendor" and I was charmed by both her beauty and her acting ability.

Let me get back to this drama - Meet Yourself. I highly recommend this drama. I would not label it as a "healing or therapeutic" drama. I'd label it as a "meandering" drama of growth where the different people in the drama gradually discover their strengths (and dreams) and overcome their weaknesses (and get over their hurts).

What I loved about this drama:
- The cast was fantastic. Shout out to Ah Nai who is truly "China's National Grandmama". She was adorable and extremely natural and believable as Ah Nai. She lit up the screen when she appeared and often, she stole the thunder when she showed her feisty side by whacking Xie Zhi Yuan and the men who came to riot. Shout out to the ML and FL who truly made the show so very watchable. I really enjoyed watching how they fell in love and how they ended up together and how they tried to make their relationship work. Everything seemed very organic and real which, to me, is great. Almost everyone else in the cast was really great too. The acting is top-notch. Even the little kids were adorable. They acted very well. :)
- I liked how loving FL's family members were. They rallied around her and her parents were so cute, especially her mother. FL's mother's laughter is contagious. :)
- The OST suits the show.
- The setting of the countryside is breathtaking and I think a good break for us, city-dwellers, to escape to even if vicariously.
- I liked the clever script/ dialogue which was both witty and meaningful. :)
- Things are happening but there's very little angst.
- Happy ending where everyone wins/ succeeds!

What I didn't like so much but wasn't that big a deal:
- I felt that Hu Lao Shi was a negligible character. The story would have been good or even better without him. I found him quite a pain to watch.
- Some parts were just a little draggy but "fast-forward" button works wonders!

All in all, this drama is a must-watch for the superb cast and the beautiful scenery. It is a gentle and relaxing watch with every little angst but there are both big things and little things that are constantly happening as with our own lives. This is a slice-of-life drama done right and done beautifully. I have also learnt that (1) "what does not kill us makes us stronger" and that (2) "one must work hard towards one's dreams to make them a reality" and that (3) "even though the path towards success and accomplishment is treacherous, one will get there somehow/ eventually". Life and the people we meet will help us to meet ourselves.

I highly recommend it!

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Closure.

I watched both Season 1 and Season 2 and so, I had to watch Season 3. It was, perhaps, not as entertaining as the first two but I felt that it provided closure to this drama. Essentially, all three seasons make one whole drama and so, I’d recommend watching all three. :)

What I liked:
- Ending provided closure for the two leads.
- Happy ending for most characters.
- Ending showed the sadness of the FL as she had to be separated from the ML whom she loved deeply.
- Ending showed that true love will overcome obstacles and that true love doesn’t run smooth (?). ML’s memories to do with FL were erased as FL had to go back to the real world (and exit the reel world). But, he still had lingering memories of her. Eventually, he remembered…
- The leads loved each other truly.
- FL and ML still met in the real world.

What I didn’t like so much:
- Slightly repetitive in that there were quite a bit of recaps. (But understandable.)
- Ending was a bit slower and less fun / entertaining than the first two seasons. (But understandable too.)
- The ML had to die/ would die as long as she remained in the reel world.

Overall, still a nice enough watch and I liked the closure provided.

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Great Chemistry between Leads & Exciting Mini Plots

I chanced upon this drama while looking for something worthwhile to watch and I’m so thrilled that I chanced upon this and that I watched it!! This drama is definitely a great watch and I highly recommend it to everyone!

This drama is super awesome and I want to shout it out to everyone! It seems that this drama is fairly under the radar and I want to make it known to all drama lovers!!!

Must watch because:
- Miss S is adorable in this show. Personally, I found her very likable.
- Detective (the male lead) is very tall and impressive. He is extremely manly. Wow!!
- Chemistry between the leads is sizzling. I liked that their relationship seemed to evolve very organically in the show. Their relationship seemed natural and mature. It was a hot relationship despite it being chaste. I loved watching them both on the screen.
- The different mini stories are exciting and suspenseful. I couldn’t wait to watch the next episode and then, the next episode! The plot lines are interesting and engaging. They keep you guessing as to whodunit!!
- I liked that the gore and gruesomeness was kept to a minimum. I’m a timid person and steer clear of horror shows. This show has scary elements but it’s not out to terrify viewers. It’s out to thrill, tease and tantalize. This show is super exciting!
- The other supporting characters on Miss S’ team are also very likable.
- Everything is well-linked and nicely explained.
- The cast acted very well.

On the whole, I love this show. I love the couple! I highly recommend this drama to all drama lovers! Please watch! It’s wonderful!

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A MEH Love Story

I was attracted to this drama because of the good rating (8.6 as I write this) and fairly good reviews. I completed the whole drama but I’m left totally underwhelmed.

The drama started out quite interesting and fun but after the first five to ten episodes, the drama watered down a lot and was quite slow with nothing much going on.

This drama is essentially a long-drawn love affair between the leads and it is long. This drama could have been done in 2/3 of its length. Nothing exciting really happens. It comes across as a fairly childish drama with close to zero plot.

For me, an 8/10 and up means that the drama is good and should be watched. For this drama, I only give it a 7/10 because the two leads are cute. They are good-looking and have somewhat good chemistry. Apart from this point, the other actors and actresses aren’t really good at their craft. The plot is dull. The songs are forgettable.

My verdict - spend your time on another (better) drama.

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A rather strange and later on, draggy show.

This drama really doesn’t do much for me.

After watching the entire drama, this is my review. The first 1/3 to 2/3 of the show was rather all right but not great. The female lead was just running around and “all about nothing” in the end. The male lead was so painfully shy. He really had to “man up”. Perhaps, this drama wants to tell us that the past cannot be changed no matter what happens and what we do because the past is The Past. I’m not sure if this is what the drama wishes to convey because things seem quite vague and messy (to me). The last 1/3 of the drama was painful to watch. The female lead was just a messed-up weeper. It felt depressing to see her tear-stained face and her agony over “nothing at all” in my opinion since she couldn’t change anything. She was the one messing things up in 2020 and in 2010. It was only much later that she “woke up” and it dawned on her that she had to lead a good life for herself.

Perhaps this drama wishes to tell viewers: No regrets. Seize each moment and live it vibrantly and with awareness! But, I’d suggest— skip this mess. There are much better dramas out there that are more interesting, more exciting, more enjoyable and more coherent.

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Revelations and Reconciliations!

This magnificent drama is a must watch. Please, without further ado, start on it right now! Such gems are rare!

I watched Part 1 and it was excellent. (Pls refer to my review for Part 1.) I could not wait for Part 2 and it was worth the wait and watch!!

What I loved:
- The cast is amazing. They are ‘awesome - sauce’. The male lead deserves multiple awards for his award-winning performance as Ling Buyi and Huo Wushang. Wow. Just wow. He’s so young and such a fine actor. I believe that he has potential to be a great actor like the likes of Tony Leung. His performance was breathtakingly good! Wow. The rest of the cast is amazing too. I really liked that family members of each clan didn’t pit themselves against one another but rather, they banded together through thick and thin.
- The chemistry between ML and FL is sizzling hot and yet, saccharine sweet. Love!
- The plot is exciting and suspenseful. There’s so much going on! I had to rewatch some parts just to figure things out or get things right!
- The general ‘happy mood/ feel’ of this drama because things get set right again after all the wrong that has been done.
- The king is hilarious. He’s a breath of fresh air from kings who are mad about power and crazily insecure about their position as king.
- The two queens are so cutely ‘no angst’.
- Yuan Shan Jian is adorable.

What I didn’t like much:
- So much killing. So much bloodshed. All that revenge.
- Crazy bitches like Lou Li.

Overall, Must Watch! Don’t miss this magnificent work of art!!

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I like the male lead & female lead.

I’m a fan of the female lead as I find her quite gorgeous and her acting is pretty decent too. She’s very easy on the eyes and very watchable. The male lead has grown up to be a very fine young man who’s tall and well-built. I swooned.

What I liked / Watch because:
- great leads with chemistry
- great acting cast on the whole
- story plot is an exciting one on the whole
- there are suspenseful moments, touching moments, cute moments, lovey moments … lots of ups and downs throughout the whole show
- the music complements the show
- I actually liked the “comic book” elements

What I didn’t like:
- the last section of the show (probably the last ten to fifteen episodes weren’t as good as the front part)
- the ending was a let down to me as there wasn’t a true “happily ever after” ending element for the male lead and female lead in that they didn’t get married and settle down
- too many deaths - I know it’s war and stuff but too many deaths/ too much bloodshed
- the woman who played KeTun was insufferable - the way she spoke and acted really put me off
- good people die and I don’t like to see this

Overall, please watch!! I recommend it as it is a well-made drama. There are some ‘I cannot believe this’ moments but it is a drama, after all. It is entertaining and 49 episodes are kind of over before you know it. Watch!

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Truly Destined and then, Appreciation and Affection Follows

I wanted to watch this drama and I am mighty glad that I did. I highly recommend this drama to others.

What I love:
- Acting is top-notch from almost everyone.
- ML and FL look good together and have chemistry.
- The wedding scene is the absolute grandest that I have ever scene in reel life (and for me, maybe even in real life).
- This drama is full of intriguing ups and downs. There are parts where things are hilarious, e.g. when FL went to get ML back with a super huge sword, and there are parts where I feel deeply sorrowful e.g. when Gu family's loyal guard died guarding their Gu mansion, when the very nice merchant died while protecting ML and FL, when the Qin female general died protecting the Zhou family. This drama is certainly full of intrigue and full of moments which tug at the heartstrings.
- I also love the good people in the drama e.g. ML's two loyal friends, the very nice merchant who felt indebted to and was immensely grateful to FL, Gu family's loyal workers, Gu family's mother/ FL's mother-in-law (who is the best mother-in-law yet), Zhou Ye, Fan Xuan. . .
- I love how ML is deeply secure and that he recognises how very competent his wife is and he does not dismiss her or tamp her down. He is all right with "eating soft rice" which is cute and endearing.
- I love how ML and FL make their marriage work and the trials and tribulations that they go through to be a real and loving couple who lives and dies for each other.
- I love how competent and talented FL is in earning a lot of money which she freely gives and uses to benefit others.
- I love the happy ending at the end.

What I hate:
- The bad people e.g. Fan Yu, FL's second mother and her daughter who was just like her, Wang Shan Quan, Wang Rong. . . incompetent and immensely wicked people who committed heinous deeds and who were tremendously selfish.
- So much bloodshed. So many good people e.g. ML's good friend, ML's loyal Gu family's guard, Gu family's loyal soldiers, Zhou family's innocent women and children. . . died (when they should not have). Such pain and sorrow!

All in all, the acting is top-notch. This drama production is high-quality. The plot is riveting. Thumbs-up!!

I recommend this as a must-watch (especially for more mature viewers who may find school-age type of dramas kind of unrelatable due to generation gap or just plain boring). It is a pretty breath-taking drama!!

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Suspend Beliefs and Enjoy the Magical Ride

I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I embarked on this drama. But, the first episode blew me away and got me hooked. I'd divide this drama into 3 parts for my discussion.

The first 1/3 of the drama was absolutely cute with the twin girls marrying the wrong men who turned out to be the right men for them. There were lies and plenty of deception but everything worked out well. Qing Kui said: I believe your feelings for me are real and that's all that matters. With that, she swept all the lies and deception away and her relationship with Chao Feng as well as Ye Tan's relationship with You Qin made total sense from there. I truly loved that the sisters loved each other and weren't trying to backstab each other. I truly loved that the male leads were also devoted to their female leads and vice versa. The first 1/3 of the drama was all about getting to know the characters and such. Honeymoon period!

The second 1/3 of the drama was about finding three fragments of You Qin to combine him back into one whole again. This part of the drama was full of shenanigans and I laughed so much. I must applaud the actor who played You Qin and all the other men. He did such a good job. I think he deserves an acting award for portraying all the men differently. He was totally adorable as Wen Ren. In this part of the drama, the female leads and male leads also fall more in love with each other.

The third and last 1/3 of the drama was full of angst and frustration. It was very hard to see Man Man die. It was tragic to see how Qing Kui sacrificed herself for her sister and for everyone else. The ending was full of exacting revenge and people dying which was hard to watch.

What I loved:
- The beautiful and sincere relationships between Man Man and Ye Tan + Qing Kui and Ye Tan + Di Lan Jue and Ye Tan etc. They looked out for each other and were true to each other.
- The male lead, You Qin, and good-looking Di Lan Jue really charmed the pants off me.
- The acting of the young stars and everyone else (in general) was superb.
- The music was stellar and I listened on repeat-mode.
- The drama was dramatic for sure. I was kept riveted. I was invested in the show and the characters.
- The CG was done pretty well.

What I didn't like:
- The very ratty heavenly king who was timid and power hungry. He didn't have as much power as his son but wanted his son to obey him like a little puppy. It was painful to watch him. I hated him and his unreasonable actions and crazy thoughts.
- The very strange queen of the void realm seemed to have a sort of incestuous relationship with her son, Ding Yun. It was very odd watching mother and son because the son looked so much older than his mother and their relationship seemed rather weird.
- Hu Sui was extremely hateful. She was a very dark grey cloud just looming over Ye Tan and the rest. Once I spied her, I knew that she would be up to no good. I didn't expect her to have such heinous thoughts and to behave so despicably. How could she ill-treat those who have truly treated her well? She was a devil. Because of her, everything took a turn for the worse.

All in all, the conclusion was still slightly happy because those who lived tried to make the most of things and there was promise that the two female leads would eventually re-appear. I'd rate this drama as a must-watch because of the stellar acting, captivating songs and the engaging plot. This is not to say that the drama does not have loopholes. But, as I said: Suspend Beliefs and Enjoy the Magical Ride called Starry Love! :)

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Appearances vs Reality

I really enjoyed this short drama which was extremely fast-paced. Everything went so very fast that it felt as if I would blink and miss something important.

What I liked:
- Fast-paced plot that was suspenseful and intriguing.
- Plot had sweet moments and funny moments too. It was not all bloody and scary and manipulative throughout.
- I liked the growing fondness and love between the General and the real Shi Qi (with Shen Qin's face). It was pleasant to see their relationship blossom based on true affections for each other.
- I liked to see that the General was a smart person who found answers and was sincere in his affections towards the real Shi Qi.
- The little girl, Yuan Bao, was adorable. She also acted well for a little lass.
- The acting of this young (and fairly new) cast was good and I think that they will go far as fine actors and actresses.
- The characters were complex and showed changes in emotions based on the circumstances that they were in. Everything felt very heartfelt.
- I really loved seeing General and real Shi Qi together. They were so endearingly cute. *aww*

What I didn't like:
- Crazy bitch in the form of real Shen Qin (who was not actually the real Shen Qin either).
- That strange fellow with a bandaged face and all scared me. The stabbing scene was horrific IMO.
(But, I understand the purposes of the above despite not liking them.)

Additionally, I think what this drama wanted to convey was that: one's appearances is just superficial. It is one's good character and one's good heart that shines and that instead of simply being hung up about appearances like King Ning, one should be like the General, Xiao Han Shang, and love as well as recognise the person for who he/she truly is.

I quote: “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince & “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince.

Overall, I'd rate this drama as a "must-watch" little gem. It's very fast-paced and super action-packed. So many things were happening in a short frame of time. It was a riveting watch! Very exciting, interesting and suspenseful! Enjoy! :)

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