Great drama to watch overall.

I quite enjoyed the show. I don't think I have ever made an effort to watch a drama every day since it premiered.

First off, let me just say the synopsis that you are probably reading is wrong. Apparently, the synopsis is based on the book that is the source material for the drama. I've not read the book and I have no plans to since from all the feedback posted about it, it's quite dark. I watch dramas to get entertained, period. And to be entertained there must be a narrative that's interesting to watch. Sad, gloomy, and depressing stories are not for me. There is no love triangle. But there are sweet pairings that you want to cheer for. There is action, some political intrigue, a bit of supernational, and a lot of interesting relationships - between brothers, friends, and lovers. It is not a romance drama but what a ride it has been from beginning to end. What I liked was that each character in the story had growth throughout the drama. That being said, I found the last episode to be disappointing. It felt disconnected from the rest of the narrative. There was no proper build-up leading to the end so for me, it felt flat. I would the story a 10 if not for this rushed ending that felt out of sync with the rest of the drama.

I've liked Yang Mi in TMPB and LOF but I think character-wise, Hashi is my favorite. Her character development was great to watch. From being a young girl to a tomboy with fantastic martial arts and archery skills to a woman with substance and depth, it was great to watch. The action scenes especially in Episode 13-14 were fantastic. It gave me a feeling of watching a female Legolas in Lord of the Rings.

It's the first time I've watched William Chen in a drama and overall I have no complaints. I think the main issue with the comments of no chemistry is not because of William Chem and Yang Mi but the execution of the romantic scenes was just not handled correctly. A lot of slow-motion sequences that just went nowhere and the one kiss that we were all looking forward to was blurred after 2 seconds. To be honest, I don't get it but it is what it is.

For the rest of the cast, I thought they were good and I thoroughly enjoyed their performance. Like everyone else, I loved the Mu De Qing, Zhao Zi, and Zhou You Du.

The music is great overall although I still think Ancient Love Poetry still had the best OST for the year. The cinematography was beautiful. The sets were fantastic I especially liked Zhaoming Palace. The customs were beautiful. Emperor Xu, Zizan, and Tilan's gowns were fantastic. Hashi in the light pink gown was just gorgeous but then she was also beautiful wearing that black light armor with the white embroidery in episode 14. And may I just say, William Chen in armor on horseback was just fabulous to watch. I'm just so impressed with the overall production quality of the drama as a whole. It will be tough to find another drama so well done anytime soon.

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