This review may contain spoilers
Coming into this drama, i didn’t expect much, apart from it has really good production (and only watching a 1’30” trailer a year or so ago with all the wires visible!).Ep1: was slow but you can see the quality of the production, my problem was it feel sooo slow. The whole time I watched it, I have to keep remind myself it’s a wuxia, and they need to explain the conflict, and the backstory of the main character, but it was still testing my patience a lot. The music they used for the fight scene was out of place, and was taken from the flame daughter, which make me feel maybe the fighting sequence/director was the same as the flame daughter. The flame daughter fighting sequence was excellent and top notch (despite many didn’t like the drama), and the music works well there. But for this one, it is just not. The music is epic, however, the dude was fighting a bunch of minions, which doesn’t have a high and low moment of the battles, it’s just hitting, so that’s why the music was out of place. The highlight of ep1 was the kick in the fighting sequence. And then we met with a stubborn and rather stupid girl, or at least I felt the FL was just uh -.-!
Ep2: focus on the ML, his illness, FL and her sect brother, which gives a fault sense that they might develop a love story. The child actress was good, and even though her character annoys me, I like her and don’t mind seeing more of her. And the two leads meet again so soon, also recognise each other identity immediately, which is a surprise, no draw out like other series.
Ep3-5: somehow it went into hi, here are other 2-3 potential couples, here are the backstory of the father, here are more flashback of the FL (ep1 stuffs). And it just went down hill for me. Oh also, here is a 2 mins of the FL walk through a few rooms to deliver medicine to the ML, just so we can extend the drama time and showcase how beautiful the tower is. While I admit the set is beautiful, it does not make me feel like keep watching, if I want to watch beautiful stuff, i’ll Just turn on my Apple TV, let it go idol and watch earth from the space station or London from bird eyes view -.- or the Chinese farm ladder! Because of so many things being throw in, and multiple flashback (like 1 every 5-10mins), then switching between couples on top of that, it feels disjointed!
The main stuffs:
The love story between the two leads: so in ep1/2: it wasted our time trying to hunt there might be something between the oldest sect brother and the FL, just to end it with her do a pinky with the ML, hoping him to be well (at this point, it’s fine and we can put it as she has a good heart). But the second she saw him when they finally reunited, it seems that she’s totally concerned/into him >_>? No mention of the sect brother, while that sect brother seems to have another potential partner? Then why did you waste my time at the beginning with all that unnecessary dialogue and screen times???? And while I enjoy their scenes together (the FL and the ML), I just don’t feel the passion, the chemistry. He meant to be cold, but his lack of acting skill fail to demonstrate the complexity of his emotion, and her lack of character basically means two dead fishes delivering lines to one another, with the direction insert emotional cue actions so the audiences can “feel” their emotions for one another.
And this is another minus! Way too many of this! I don’t need a zoom in in the clench hand, the twitching eyes, the fluttering of the eyelashes to get what emotions the character meant to be feeling, yet I’m being spoonfed while feeling nothing from their eyes! It likes watching those daytime drama with really bad acting!
The fight scenes:
I love wuxia and love fighting sequence. I thought I would get decent one, but it’s rather a let down. Sure the production quality was good, but the sequence is too short and too simple. The only one worth while so far was the kick in ep1. The short dagger technique is too fast and therefore not really being displayed properly. For a wuxia, so far, I’m unimpressed with their fighting scene.
The female lead: for the first 5eps, she’s literally like a servant. Not a main character, a servant with a lot of flashback and screen time! She does nothing, totally useless (understandably why but still!). Her advantage? She looks a lot like ZLY. My main grip is why does she have to wear red? What’s the obsession with dressing the FL in red: the flame daughter, the legends, and now this. At least the two formal has a legitimate reason for it, and also explained in the drama. Whereas for this drama, I kid you not, in ep2, I was having a hard time figure out who’s the fl when two girls with same hairstyles and dress in practically the same clothes -.-‘
Should you give it a try? Possibly! Should you put your Hope up? Nope, possibly keep it as slow as possible. I didn’t have much expectation, only hey I might like this because it looks promising. But I come out totally not happy, but I will keep watching as I might be too hard!
If you have seen legend of qin, I think you should expect that same level. High production value, however, slow, uninteresting, with the occasional goodness, but overall, a big disappointment. At least that drama has good music, this one doesn’t >_<
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This review may contain spoilers
The only reason I give this a high score is because of Ming He and Jia Rou, Although her ending was known in advance (and sad), the chemistry between the actors was what kept me going! Love, love love! their scenes together. So happy that in the end, he remembered also the 3 years he spent with her and obviously felt feeling for her so he protected her to the last minute. He went back when he thought something had happened to her, and though he was rightfully mad at her for blocking his memories he didn't forget she sacrificed herself to help him live longer... Such a refreshing change from other dramas where the evil characters are just... well... evil.Plus that kissing scene felt so real on her side! She is such a good actress! I wish they had more kissing scenes but for them not being main leads I'm very grateful for the one I got
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When The Child Actors Outshine the Rest
This drama started strong. I was into it, that child actress and the child actor were awesome!! Unfortunately, they had to grow up and get replaced, which ruined the drama. 🤣I can't stand Crystal Yuan, which is too bad because there are a lot of Chinese actresses which are much worse. She is, and please, please pardon me for saying this, she is the most ordinary looking leading role actress ever, so when she is cast to play a woman of notable beauty, I tend to have a hard time believing in her character. It's so mean to say, but it is my personal opinion on the matter. She may have a wonderful personality in real life, which is maybe why she keeps getting cast in leading roles? I don't know, but nothing about her on screen presence makes her notable to me. I've dropped every drama she is in because I can't really bring myself to like any of her characters.
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Lo bueno de la historia es que ni bien se terminaba un arco argumental, ya se empezaba a tejer el siguiente. Por lo que no teníamos el problema frecuente de estar capítulos y capítulos hasta que pase algo digno de mirar.
Lo malo de la historia. Estaba plagado de altibajos por momentos genuinamente la disfrutaba y por otros sinceramente no me podía importar menos. Otro problema recurrente del drama, fue el uso excesivo del troop del envenenamiento y la venganza por la matanza de una familia.
Personajes:
En general no había casi química entre ninguno del elenco. La actuación era lo más plana, no transmitía ningún sentimiento, esto es especialmente una contra teniendo en cuenta la cantidad de parejas que se habían formado.
La actuación me pareció un poco exagerada por el lado de Xiao Tai y Gao Meng Fei. No me creí nada como los escribieron, sobre todo la actitud de este último para con la protagonista con la que se había criado y la reacción al saber la verdad de uno de los pilares de la trama. Otra cosa que me pareció occ fue la actitud de Qing lan cerca del final con Ming He.
Otro problema fue que al menos uno de los personajes desapareció un buen día y nunca se la volvió a ver, sin explicación.
Respecto de la FL, nos hicieron creen que la protagonista maduraba en el camino y siempre pecaba con lo mismo hasta el fin, la imprudencia. Contadas con los dedos de una mano nos dieron escenas donde se lucía por usar la cabeza. El ML en vez de darle el camino se cansó de salirse de las supuestas reglas para ir a ayudar a la que le gusta. Respecto del nacimiento de su romance tampoco hubo claridad.
Lo positivo
Tal vez el punto más fuerte de esta serie es el estilo de filmación y el cuidado que le pusieron a las escenarios que se utilizaron. Muy poco CGI y se nota que le pusieron un poco más de plata al tema de los trajes y el ambiente en general, cosa que no sucede en todos los dramas.
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