-Story
i thoroughly enjoyed this drama. It has a good plot line (i know the synopsis told a lot but when you watch it, it's really not much) that also sets its pacing well.
We're introduced to YunXi, the daughter of the Imperial Doctor and FeiYe, Duke of Qin and the King's younger brother. The King and his mother does not believe him to be his actual brother because of an event. To help the King, the Queen Dowager ends up arranging him to be married to YunXi, who also harbors a secret. Their story then develops from there.
Apart from this, there is also the politic side of it, FeiYe's hidden secret, the secret plans from different Kingdoms, the King's own plots, and also those of his sons.
-Acting
Super well done! They really played out their parts. I especially fell in love with our main girl. For most light hearted historical dramas like this, i find it hard to continue watching the main girl but for this one, i really ended up enjoying all her expressions, her scenes, and her emotions. FeiYe is your typical stone faced male lead at first but quickly ends up warming up. Their little romance is adorable to watch! and honestly, despite the amount of troubles that come between the two, they never really end up having bad blood or angsty scenes (even with that slight betrayal tag).
Another reason i stayed till the end of this drama was because of Qishao ;_; developed major second lead sydrome thanks to him. He played his part out sooooo well, i absolutely loved all his scenes!
and the side characters in this did not lose out too, they were well focused and planned out.
Opening and ending theme song for this was great and the music that played during sad scenes matched well.
Rewatch? i'll come back to this when i miss the second lead and the chemistry between all the characters here.
One thing- THE ENDING- its a really open ending (Eps49/50 are both different endings). I love this drama, not intense love but happy love. I'm really sensitive and it was only at the last episode that i cried my heart out.
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Cheers to the production team for being able to produce such an phenomenal series.
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LOVE
LOVE
LOVE
LOVE this show
will rewatch this over and over
The main characters does a good job
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
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What I liked
This drama started off strong, hitting all major points of what would be a good drama. Strong female lead, a steady plot, great villains and sweet pacing. The female lead carried the show in the beginning and I was rooting for her to thaw out our main lead and get the chemistry going. ( I really want to throw in a spoiler here...hm let's just say if you like night time romance...forget about it).
After about 33 percent of my time spent watching this show what I liked turned in to
What I disliked
Let's start with repetitive scenes that kept going in a cycle. Once something was resolved, it propped back up again just to start the same story over. The pacing suddenly started to drag and characters actions no longer made sense.
What is interesting is our male lead acting really was awful during the first half of this show, but after the show started going bad his acting suddenly got better...
Do you enjoy watching flashbacks back to back to back??? Well this is the show for you, at least 20 percent of this show is comprised of them.
I am not one to drop a show just because it is a train wreck already, I must see it to the end...so after watching the ending I must say...
Yup the show ended just like this review ended three freaking dots!
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THE GOOD AND THE AVERAGE:
Plot falls on usual trope of arranged marriage between two individuals that have never met (except they did). A young girl who has a motive to enter the Long family on the decreed of the royal family. A Qin 4th prince who poses a threat to the reigning emperor. Yet one couldnt choose who you fall in love with. It was fate who brought them together and its the heart that decides where it goes from there. On the political aspects theres secrets, multi parties and alot of chess playing.
The characters- Rather intelligent otps who have their own charms but also made some questionable decisions that you may or may not like but it does make them flawed yet human.
Male otp: Long Fei Ye as a man in position of power that comes with great responsibility. He is both revered and feared by many. Outwardly cold and reserved and man of few words. Described as a deep pool of water. A strategist, intelligent, shrewd and observant. He had a plethora of good traits that obviously drew Yun Xi to him.
Female otp: Han Yun Xi the first daughter of Han family who grew up without her father's attention and in search of her mother. Shes an optimist at her and tends to take life full frontal. She doesnt let things bring her down and while her words may have bite, shes a softie at heart. Her knowledge and skill of poison and their cures sets her apart. As does her vibrant personality and intelligence. She however does not hold a high self defence when it comes to people she accepted and trust. This is both a virtue and a flaw.
The other character i liked was the dependable Xi Feng, the prince's right hand man who was also an early supporter of the couple.
Acting- Ju Jing Yi as our heroine was fitting. Petite, pretty and energetic she brings out the sweet charms of Yun Xi. The actress was previously memorable in her supporting role in Novoland. Zhang Zhe Han looked the part of Long Fei Ye but i do have complains with some of his eye expressions. But together they do have great rapport and i was greatly entertained to watch them drift together.
THE WEAKNESS:
The plot itself has good parts as stated earlier but also typical in C dramas that middle part that lost some traction. The device plot to wedge between our otp came in the form of Bai Li Ming Xiang, the prince Childhood friend. While shes isnt as villainy as many other characters in the drama, i just didnt want to watch her scenes.
The other major person affecting otp was 2nd male lead Qu Qi Shao who although interesting at start but my interest waned over time and safe to say no Second lead syndrome for me
Many parties with their own ambition, plot and war over in palace politics. Some that i dont care that much about. Lots of self centred, power hungry people that when it comes to their decline i felt neither triumph or pity, just ambivalent.
For all these reasons its a solid 8.5 for me. It was entertaining to watch especially watching Yun xi able to thaw the ice and earned the prince attention and love. When the prince is attentive, acceptive of her and trust in her capabilities, he was really swoony. Those are the parts i would rewatch.
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YOU KNOW WHAT THIS DRAMA IS VERY AMAZING!!!!
EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH IT!
Good acting Good actresses and actors
Really in love with the main couple
Fei ye and Yun xi !!!
Fei ye is described as a cold person, but the way he treats yun xi is really sweet! omg!
cold but surreptitiously care about her :3
Yun xi
she is so beautiful and i extremely like her characters.. cheerful and lovely...
Gu qi shao ...
Hmmm..
Is hard to find such a good friend like him in the real world
very nice to yun xi and will do everything for her even though it makes him sad
[ Overall ]
Anyone who wants to watch it go watch it now!
Yun xi & Fei ye = couple goals
Fei ye = boyfriend and husband goals
Gu qi shao = Friend goals
The story line is really good
Romance comedy action historical fantasy all there ...
<3 <3 love it
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Zhang Zhehan = Standing Ovation
Ju Jingyi = Standing Ovation
Yalkun Merxat = Standing Ovation
Supporting Roles = Standing Ovation
Storyline = Standing Ovation
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Quick review
STORY
The beginning was interesting however the story was dragged on for too long. I ended up hating this drama. Overall I think this story was extremely boring besides the beginning. The ending is abit unpredictable but I salute to you if you even make it to the end.
ACTING/ CASTING
Most of the actresses are from the girl groups snh48, gnz48, star48 ect so you cannot expect much. But the acting is alright and the chemistry between couples are decent.
MUSIC
The songs are ok, the main lead actress Ju JingYi sang the opening song. I don't see myself listening to it after the drama. I did like the instrumental music.
REWATCH VALUE
I would never rewatch this because there are better dramas out there.
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This review may contain spoilers
For a Hammer, everything looks like a Nail!
I think that saying fits this Series quite well. Our Female Lead is good with Poisons, so everything becomes somehow Poison related, sometimes to the point of hilariously, comically contrived and laughable.This series tries to commit every possible Sin dramas can commit. Tropes, Cliches, BS Devices, generating Drama out of thin Air etc. etc. you name it and it probably does it.
Lets do it Morricone Style with Good, Bad and Ugly:
the Good:
It starts quite well and has some things going for it. I mainly stuck to it because at first I thought that this was a lighthearted Drama that didnt take itself too seriously (what with all that Poison gimmicky stuff like a literal Poison Wall). I expected a Mix of Drama, Comedy and Parody which I like a lot. At first it looked like it and some of the Side Characters started quite goofy and entertaining like the side couple that always fights. It was those Elements that were Entertaining and about the best thing in this Drama.
the Bad:
Acting is overall mostly on the mediocre side. The ML is too wooden, the FL is too boring, the 2ML is too flamboyant and the 2FL (if it can be called that) is ....words fail me but more on her in the Ugly Section.
The Story is all over the Place. I found myself asking "what was the Story again?". The FL is good with Poisons....and thats the Story right there. I had the feeling that the Writer just had this one Idea to make an FL that is good with Poisons and then simply made up everything else from that point. The FL is good with Poisons so everything that happens has some connection to Poisons even if it makes no sense whatsoever. Barbarians attack the Nation? it turns out they are "poisonous Barbarians", a Meteorite hits the Palace? it turns out its a "poisonous Meteorite", Godzilla comes out of the Ocean? well you guessed it, it actually turns out to be not Godzilla but Godzillas Chinese Cousin who conveniently is also poisonous, you get the Point! It becomes really tiresome after a while.
The CGI is worse than a joke. Seriously, with CGI this bad, it would have been better to use practical effects. Even some guy in a Costume would have been better than what they tried to pass for a "monster".
the Ugly:
Flashbacks, lots and lots of Flashbacks. Deus Ex Machinas, lots and lots of Deus Ex Machinas. BS Devices, lots and lots of BS Devices (super effective magical Poison Powders in this case that work better than Gasses in the first World War...or any Gasses even today). As I already said, the amount of tropes and cliches in this Drama is quite critical. I am aware that Dramas like this utilize such "gimmicks" and have to utilize them but there are differences of what is useful and necessary and what is lazy and cheap. How many times can you see the mains get rescued "last second" before realizing that they are never really in danger? When I dropped this Series I had lost ALL Interest in any of the Characters. I couldnt care whether they lived or died or loved or hated or whatever, they bored me out of the series with constant repetition of the same "dramas" over and over and over again.
The 2FL has a special place in my heart as the most idiotic, stupid and utterly retarded villain in any Drama of all time. She has triggered me more than any Character in any other Drama I watched and not for lack of competition mind you, she is just that worse! What was her plan again? to DIE for the ML so he can "fall in love" with her Corpse? now there is a "great plan" if I ever heard one. She starts crazy evolves into psycho and ends a complete lunatic and none of it in a good way. This Character harms the Series in a serious way and I would deduct at least two Stars just for this Character alone. Very annoying.
Summary:
Its not completely bad and has its upsides but cutting it down to at least half the Episodes would have improved it a lot. This Series was clearly artificially kept running for 50 Episodes to make Money, avoid Taxes, pay Bribes/the Mafia or whatever and it shows.
I had the time to waste so it was not that big a loss for me but those who dont should check twice before committing.
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This review may contain spoilers
Have a good concept story at first but halfway its getting boring. Ju jingyi is so pretty but long feiye actor is ugly and can't act. None of the characters is likeable. I really hate yun xi and long feiye the most. I like it better if yun xi died. Honestly how can yun xi and long feiye live happily ever forever after ruining so many peoples' life and so many had to die because of their relationship. If the bracelet can save yun xi why it can't save yun xi's mother. Its just doesn't make sense. Last few episodes boring and forced. Was this review helpful to you?