Story where all the bad guys get happy endings

As a story goes, it held my interest despite moments of yelling at the screen in frustration and disgust. I liked many of the characters, but many of them died off, and only a few deservedly so.

I read from the reviews that people liked the couple Qing Lan/Jia Ruo and Ye Huo/Ming He, liked their 'love story'. He was really not an evil villain as such, but he did some pretty terrible things. SHE on the other hand, was a selfish, vicious, evil, wicked... well, you get the idea. She was the devil and she made him do all those terrible things. And? They got love and ended up 'together'. Chi Xiao Tai - another selfish, evil bitch - came out smelling like a rose - too sorry too late! And worst of all, the little weasel Shi Ming Yan - not only gets away with her evil deeds but gets rewarded too!

And what's with killing off so many good guys!

The ending was a little odd for me - I kinda knew they were keeping something back, but they could have spent a little more time developing it instead of the long goodbyes and crap.

56 episodes is a long haul, but I kept wanting to go back for more to see what happens next, so it was worth it for me. Have to admit I fast-forwarded through a lot of the fight scenes and some of the scenes with the evil bitches. But the stone-faced ML grew on me (although his selflessness and righteousness kinda got old real fast) and I didn't care for the FL - she just seemed pouty and bullheaded all the time. There was more chemistry between the secondary couples (and there were quite a number of them).

Can I just say for the record - that the best character for me was Nan Chu - and he deserved much, much more than he got for being such a loyal, stand-up guy! But, as I said in the title - mostly the bad guys got it good in the end.

Read More

A Family That Rules Together...

I loved the family dynamic in this story. I am really invested in seeing how it plays out in Season Two. I liked the characters (even the ones I didn't like weren't completely hateful). Mom Xu certainly helped enough people to pay it forward to her family. I didn't mind the slo-mo fight scenes, even when they were a little over-the-top. Amusing in places, very sad in other places. I can't wait for Season Two, and I really hope the producers won't let us down.

BUT! I'm a romance junkie, and there was NO. ROMANCE. AT. ALL!! I was bitterly disappointed about that and that's why it got an 8 from me. I already have my dream couples all paired up. ML & FL (although I was disappointed in this actress - hope she either warms up or gets re-cast). Ning E Mei (Army guy bodyguard) & Qing Niao (ML bodyguard). Chen Zhi Bao (Army guy) & Xu Wei Xiong (ML sister). Xu Zhi Hu (ML elder sister) & the Taoist guy. If Season Two doesn't heat up with some PDA and romance, I'll be even more disappointed.

Overall, this was a good series and I pretty much enjoyed it much better than Joy of Life (since everybody else is comparing the two).

Read More

At last - a drama that merited a perfect 10 BUT...

Just finished watching this series. What excellent story telling. Superior acting - the ML, FL, just about every actor in the production. The chemistry was great, the interactions so well-done. Every episode drew the audience deeper into the intrigue, and I couldn't wait for the next episode to air. One or two minor holes in the plot, but not enough to take away from the excellence of this drama. Started out a little slow, but I persisted and am glad I did.

Can I just say again how stellar the performances of the actors were? Every single actor made you believe their role - you loved the ones who were good, you hated the ones who were evil. The expressions on the ML were priceless and without saying a word, you knew what emotion he was feeling. That he did his own dialog too - love his voice. I wasn't as impressed with the FL, but have to say that her dialog had all the emotion that she needed for that role, and although at times she could be headstrong and almost arrogant, she came to be the perfect match for the ML and their romance was powerful and believable.

So why only an 8?
(SPOILER ALERT) 3 main reasons: First, and most important, killing off Song Jin. No matter how his demise supposedly contributed to the story (I couldn't see it), that was hurtful. Second, Yuan Lang got away with all his evil deeds and didn't get enough retribution for me. (Sorry doesn't make it right). Third, Qiu Min got a happy ending - and that one was the hardest to swallow (mean bitches don't deserve a handsome prince).

Read More

I Tried Hard to Like This Drama

Loved the ML, but was underwhelmed by the FL. I kept hoping for more chemistry between them. Some of the other characters were ok too, but something was just off with the whole lot of them. I found myself fast-forwarding through parts of the episodes too. I really wanted to like this drama, but it was just so-so for me. I couldn't figure out that Emperor too - he was likeable enough, but is that what emperors did? Loved on everybody and punished the people they loved with no proof? And what happened in the end? Did he keep the concubines?
The sound editing was awful - kept cutting in and out, and sometimes sounded like it was coming from the bottom of a well, so the dialogue was distorted a lot. Thank goodness for the captioning.

Read More

Great Ending? Depends on who you ask...

The story was pretty strong, and the plots were not confusing. The actors did a great job in their roles. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough chemistry for me between some of the couples, and all around, there was just so much tragedy. I suppose many viewers liked the outcome of the ML & FL - and I suppose that makes the 58 episodes worth it. However, the ending counts as a tragedy for me - because there was so much sacrifice and love that brought us to that point, and for me that just overshadowed the happy ending. A couple of loopholes in the storylines - but I guess the viewer just had to figure out what was going on, but it didn't spoil the overall story.
I admit I skipped through a lot of scenes - I couldn't take the sadness and the deaths. I can't say I would rewatch this series again. Once is enough. But it was worth the effort once I was prepared for how the story would end.

Read More

No illusions about the ending

I was prepared not to rate this drama because of the hype I read about the ending. It was pretty clear to me, and it told the story how it should have been told. Not everybody has a happy ending, but it was gratifying to see the various relationships built and grow.

Some of the characters were annoying (without redemption) - and that Emperor was evil (as was his mother). It's amazing how conniving and vicious people were in those times, and yet the society was built on honor and reverence of elders and ancestors.

The story was well-told and well-acted. Despite the validity of the ending, I would have liked to see them get some happiness, but that's why I watch these dramas - for the things that don't happen in real life. Still, I think it's worth watching, and I enjoyed the series.

Read More

Loved This

This was the second drama I watched, and I am saving it to watch again and again. I pretty much liked the story line, but the ML made the movie for me. The chemistry between him and the FL was delightful. However, admittedly, I just loved watching this guy. He smoldered in every scene and I am mesmerized! I am going to watch it again just to look at him.

That being said, it was a passable story, but I didn't care for the indiscriminate killing off of so many of the characters (especially the good ones that I liked). The costumes were fantastic. The cinematography was great. Realistic. All in all I really liked this piece.

And I'll say it once again - Zhou Yi Wei : hot!

Read More

A Disappointing Tale of Dysfunction and Delusion

The writer really dropped the ball on this one. Extremely unappealing characters with little or no redeeming qualities; absolutely no chemistry between any of the couples; no friendships or relationships that could be described as healthy or rewarding. This one was just a mixed bag of dysfunctional relationships and delusional behavior.

I like the ML - a lot - but in other dramas, not this one! I didn't much care for any of the other characters, however, to be fair, the actors played the (badly-written) roles they were given so this is not a criticism of the actors themselves. If I had friends like these characters, I would cut them all out of my life. The guys were less than loyal, and the FL's best friend was just plain self-centered and selfish, and gave really useless advice! The parents! OMG what is it with the portrayal of these interfering parents who would sell their children's happiness for financial or career gain!? And the FL! Her character was just plain weak, confused and unrealistic. BUT - The most dysfunctional and delusional character was the unaccepting ex-boyfriend. Wow! What a psycho!

There was nothing appealing about this story. Nothing that really made me want to invest in any of the characters. I wasn't even hoping for a happy ending for the lead couple, the second couple, or the young ones with health issues. This was just like watching a train wreck but not being able to stop watching because you just have to see how badly it will end. That the shoddy writing wrapped the story up with some sort of pseudo 'happy' ending - or hint of one depending on how delusional the viewer is - made no difference. Not even a 'happy ending' could save this one.

Since I have come this far with the story, I will complete the episodes - with NO chance of a rewatch and will try desperately to avoid the awful OST. It's really too late for redemption or salvation.

Read More

It All Comes Down to Crappy Writing

Admittedly, I only watched this for the ML.

The story got repetitious and tedious after several episodes. It didn't feel like any of the characters really developed much, and I definitely didn't care much for the FL.

I followed the advice of the commenters and quit at Episode 23. I am not even curious about the 'twist' that many of them talked about because it seems to be quite ridiculous; it negates the entire series, and just sets up for a Season Two which nobody seems to even know exists.

Ultimately, the actors play the roles they are given - and the fault really falls to the poor quality of writing these days. Too many tropes and cliches which have become old and boring and even irritating - and not enough riveting, interesting, well written story lines.

I wouldn't waste any time on this drama - unless you like the ML and want to enjoy some eye candy.

Read More

This story had potential - the screenwriting & directing ruined it

Another drama I wanted to love and place firmly on my 'rewatch' list. I adore Wu Lei. Zhao Lusi, not so much, but when she finds a role that suits her, she does a fine job. The ensemble cast is the reason (and especially Wu Lei) that I rated this drama as highly as I did. For once, even the absence of smoking hot chemistry between the main leads didn't deter me.

There were aspects of Part I which were slightly better than the disorganized mess that was Part II - but the second part also underwhelmed and disappointed.

I had trouble keeping track of who was who - so many princes, so many princesses, so many ministers, evil and not evil, so many random characters popping up when a plot needed justification... it became tedious trying to remember them all and what their story was. Hence, the holes in the stories. So much time was wasted on slow-motion shots, repetitious angle shots, and pushing the revenge and petty spitefulness to the max. I get that FL was wronged in her childhood. I get that ML was traumatized and also suffered. Those points were played out so much that it got tiresome to watch it. So much so, that when it came to wrapping up the storylines, in that last episode, the viewers really got sold out. Even mid-stream, in the years FL was in the palace - one group scene with everybody in red was supposed to indicate the couples and marriages. Press 'pause' to see who got married to who... disappointing! And that last scene in the last episode - supremely disappointing!

We waited so long for this series and so much hype went into it. Fans of the ML & FL watched, and many may praise it because of their loyalty to these two actors. My opinion might not be popular, but it is just that - my opinion. I was disappointed and underwhelmed with the way the story was told and with the performance of the screen writers and the director. They ruined the piece.

Can I just add my admiration for the great job that Tong Lei did as the Empress? She evoked the only tears I shed in this drama. Her gentle, generous spirit was truly brought out in this actor's performance. I really loved so many of the characters in this series because they did such a great job of bringing their roles to life, and that is the reason I could give this show the rating I did. I also have to mention Wu Lei's fight scenes - and how magnificent he looks on a horse! I look forward to his next historical drama.

Read More

Love & Revenge

A nicely-played drama about love and revenge. The chemistry between the lead couple carried this whole drama. The secondary characters were well played by the supporting actors, and the story came together well (for a mini episode drama). I enjoyed the players so much that I would have loved to see this as a regular length series so that the writers/director could develop the characters a little more.

Best to watch all episodes together, so as not to lose continuity. It was hard to break up the episodes (they are so short), but if you are looking for something short and sweet, this one is surely a contender. I wish they had invested a little more time and depth for the ending and explained some of the relationships a little more, but all's well that end happily - and this one did.

Read More

These mini-episode dramas are a waste of time!

I was looking forward to this series. The description looked interesting and so did the characters.

Then I discovered the 8-minute episode format. It was all downhill from there. 5-8 minutes is not enough to tell a story, let alone get to know the characters. This left too much room for loopholes and gaps in the story. Hurried explanations or lapses of time where you don't know what happened are just annoying and take away from the flow of the story.

The ending hints at 'more to come' - Season 2, 3, 4, etc.? Not with this poor storyline and production, No sir! I watched out of curiosity to see if the story could be told effectively and entertainingly. No to both. I will make sure to steer clear of mini-episode dramas from now on.

In all fairness however, the cast was great - the ML & FL were likeable and believable, as was the whole cast. I think they deserve a 'real' drama to show their talents, and I hope to see them in something real soon. Together, hopefully.

Read More

Enough with stupid FLs

It took long enough for this story to start coming together. It was confusing at first, especially with all these male characters coming out of the woodwork. If you could get past that confusion, the ML was the only constant in the story. I like LHY and was willing to try to stick it out for him. BUT I just couldn't. Sorry, Li Hong Yi!

Let's talk about the FL. I have seen this actress in other dramas before. She plays the same kinds of roles. Dumb. IMO, she's not believable as a kick-ass heroine because she comes across as a silly, giggling, ninny. She wears the same clueless expression on her face and just isn't convincing. So calling her character 'naïve' and 'goodhearted' to suggest why she's so gullible is a stretch! I kept hoping she wouldn't come back from her many 'deaths' - plant or no.

The men! Cang Qi, Cang Nan, Tang Huan, Tang Yang - what a bunch of psychos! One look at FL and they are 'in love' to the point of creepy obsession? Please! Even LHY's character of the ML couldn't save this shipwreck of a story, the stalker arcs, and the awful acting by the FL.

Thankfully I didn't waste much time because of the reviews of a few reputable posters on the MDL website. Those who thought this to be a great story, to each their own. Not for me! I only gave it as many as 4 stars for Li Hong Yi.

Read More