People's voice
Since I am still learning English, I would like to apologize for any grammatical mistakes.I watched this drama thanks to @ataraxy 's review.
The drama is set among the first of the two periods of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, named "The Spring and Autumn Period".
This period was under the "fengjian" governance system whereby nobles - according to their functions and ranks (Duke is first rank) - , had authority over their states. Therefore, power struggles arose between different states as each of them attempted to defying the state of Zhou (in which the capital is located).
The story revolves around the states of Wei and Chu and follows Wang Chan, a political strategist who serves the people with his unwavering faith, wisdom and sense of justice.
The characters see their lives intertwined in the schemes elaborated either by themselves or others. Driven by their own or their state interests , we'll see how far they can go to fulfill their ambitions. Through friendship, loyalty, betrayal, love… The tight plot keep the viewer focused since the first episode till the end.
When it comes to political strategy, not everything can be told in words, especially when friendly or romantic feelings are involved. However, the actors managed to convey emotions by communicating beyond words, this is why I think the characters are perfectly portrayed. I was moved by all of them since they all have their depth and motives. Besides, the romance (about 20% of the drama) follows the progression of the story without taking over the main plot.
The story is mature, unexpectedly dark, there is violence and torture, but also humor, love and faith. There is no annoying character or illogical decisions taken out of nowhere.
To conclude, I would say that this is the story of people who stand up for each other and fight for what matter. This is also the story of people who fail (in friendship, love, politics...) and pay the price. Finally, this is the story of ordinary people doing something extraordinary : fighting for what is right, no matter the cost.
This drama is phenomenal. What an emotional rollercoaster.
P.S. « Cai ? Cai ! » I cried so much.
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An Actual Hidden Gem
This story was wild, unique, totally unexpected, and filled with twisted relationships. There's so many intensely crazy scenes that it's also really dark and heavy for a CDrama. When you actually stop and think about a lot of things that happen you'll say to yourself wow that's really messed up. There's still some humor in it though whether intentionally or through some of the absurd behavior some characters exhibit at times.Practically every character of note in this drama suffers and is either insane or goes insane at some point. Everyone is flawed. There are some really smart and insightful characters that can scheme well but it's not overly unrealistic. No one is omnipotent even if they're a brilliant strategist. The protagonist is ruthless and the antagonists are actually intelligent.
The acting is really good even though on occasion it can touch on being overly dramatic. The writing is generally great. This production is probably mid tier from the looks of it but it still features some interesting camera work, good use of color, and interesting set design.
This is absolutely worth a watch for anyone that desires "something different" than the typical historical fiction.
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