What works:
Ariel Lin is adorable, charming, expressive and holds this show together without being cloy or annoying. Her character is smart and cunning and it’s refreshing that she’s not an ace martial artist. She has her strengths and her flaws.
Zhang Bin Bin is handsome and charismatic. It’s about time he finally got a starring role, but his character doesn’t have a ton of range. Still, there’s a ton of fun and humor between the FL and ML characters which makes this a lighter romantic drama.
The second arc gets boring, but at least it’s not fixed on a secondary romantic couple you couldn’t care less about. The secondary couple is funny and the love triangle gets more focus. But there’s a bit of family and political intrigue which just makes things messy. Our two leads don’t get a lot off time together really.
The end feels a bit rushed and the very ending just needed a bit more context so not the greatest ending either.
Overall, it’s a fun, lighter romantic drama for the first 20 episodes or so. Then it lags a bit, but I still enjoyed it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
actual drama was amazing , it was cute an interesting I like the comedic atmosphere and for the most part it is an easy-to-follow story, if a little silly at times, but in general most episodes were light hearted and fun but The main couple had good chemistry together
I love complicated birth secret origin stories and this drama definitely has that for several characters. I love dramas that can jump from comedy to serious and felt this drama did that a lot. The main big part of the plot kind of fizzles and was a disappointment at the end and I was not left feeling complete after the ending. I am a fan of both sad and happy endings and this one...I don't even know which to call it...Besides the ending I felt most of the story was good and was only slow at a couple parts.
I feel it was worth watching but do not think there is much re watch value
But I do think Ariel and Zhang Bin Bin had some great chemistry and would definitely like another collaboration between them
Was this review helpful to you?
After the severe disappointment that was Princess Agents (everyone will agree that Princess Agents could have been amazing save for the say... last 20 episodes), I wasn't sure if I was ready to dive back in. Then I saw the poster with Zhang Binbin and Ariel Lin (her comeback to historical dramas in like forever) and I knew I had to at least give it a shot. After binging through all 17 episodes (it's still airing) over the weekend, I'm hooked. Dare I say... it's better than Princess Agents, and any other recent Chinese dramas I have seen in a while. Here's why:
First, I am loving the writers. The dialogue is witty and genuine and refreshing. None of those old boring predictable dialogues. And I don't want to offend anyone but it's like they took notes on how to write amazing dialogue from the Kdramas. There are so many moments where you think, why doesn't s/he question this or say this and sure enough... the actors say what you were thinking. Meaning, the characters seem real and react to the scenes like a normal real person would. This is refreshing to see. The comic timing and delivery of the dialogue are also so key and they just nail it each time. Of course, this brings me to the second point.
The acting is fantastic. You can't have great dialogue that works if you don't have actors who can deliver them properly. Ariel Lin is a veteran so I am not surprised by her keen acting sense. Zhang Binbin though... wow. I loved him in his other dramas and he continues to really grow but he goes toe to toe with his acting senior (by nearly 10 years although you'd think Ariel Lin was only 21 watching this drama she looks so amazing) and can capture both the comic and sentimental moments perfectly. Just for the acting, this drama is worth watching.
Third, finally a smart and capable female lead! Don't get me wrong, we've had smart female leads in other dramas but I think Ariel Lin really means it! The character Hua Buqi is definitely a force! She is smart, resourceful, not prone to familiar female lead territory where they suddenly become weak and fragile for no reason. No, she's the real deal. The fact that the character doesn't know martial arts and has to use her wits to get out of certain (non-physical) situations is great to see. I also like that she doesn't take things for face value and questions situations, motives and people in a very rational way. As a viewer, this takes the whole "omg, this is so frustrating, if only they communicated and used their brains" thing out of the equation. In fact, not just the main leads but all of the characters use their brains and are not easily duped. Therefore, the only real mystery is the story and that is meant to be solved by the viewer as well as the characters.
Finally, the overall editing and pacing is great. The plot can be a bit convoluted but the director does a great job executing. Although there are a couple of side stories they all manage to tie in to the main underlying plot and this drives the story forward. You are not left wondering, well what the heck was that other story about. Every line, every action taken by the actors (not just the mains, all of them) add to the plot development and character arc. That makes you wonder how the story itself - and not just the loveline - will resolve itself. That's a great part of making a drama great.
So, I know this is a long review but the bottom line is YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS DRAMA. It's pretty awesome. I can't wait for the next episodes. I am officially hooked. Although, for now. I hope this drama doesn't pull a Princess Agents on me towards the last few episodes (total 51 I think - but 2 episodes air each Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) but so far, I'm loving it.
Was this review helpful to you?
dissapointed
I didn't see the dramas of Ariel Lin but I gave a chance because Bin Bin plays too and because Ariel reminds me of Yang Mi, but so far I haven't regretted and I'm sure I will not. Their chemistry is great and the other actors are good too. I can't wait for the new episodes and see them together in more scenes. But I hope Buqi becomes more mature during the episodes.I think that's going to be one of the best dramas I've ever seen, relying on episodes so far and trailers.Update:Until now I have not been disappointed and I do not think I will. As long as I looked I went through many emotions. I was happy, sad, weird, we cried and laughed as well. Every actor plays his role very well, the story line is very beautiful and the chemistry between the main leads is very good. I hope for a happy ending because until now all such dramas have had one sad ending, including some of the plays he played Bin Bin before but even if it will have it will still be a very good and beautiful series worth watching.
New update : Everything from the start was very funny and interesting but from ep 45 it became,I don't know,boring. And I think that it ended very fast and very dramatic with all those deathes. I really disliked the doctor's death and I think he had a better chemistry with Bu Qi (my opinion). I think that the end ruined everything but till then everything was ok so I'm gonna give it 8 stars.
Was this review helpful to you?
The direction was lost right at the beginning and, it couldn't find itself until the end. Scenes of very forced fights that fail to convince, badly elaborated comic scenes (in some the actors were almost laughing, but they couldn't make me laugh). The best scene (the death of Chen Yu's master) seemed to be a hit, mainly, in Zhang Bin Bin's performance, but had as sequencing, the exchange of positions of the two dead. The director was not attentive.
The performances are not enchanting, as the characters are poorly written and the scenes poorly directed. The actors tried their best.
The costumes are beautiful and the soundtrack is not bad.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
SPOILER ALERT!
SPOILER ALERT!Everyone dies... There are so many unanswered questions. Too many loopholes in the story that will leave you bothered and confused. The most villainous character lived in the end. It's not the acting; it is merely the storyline. It moves quickly into the plot, which I prefer. Most C-Dramas are slow and usually have too many storylines as an entanglement of confusion to make the drama more enticing (less is more). These dramas typically leave me wanting an anxiety pill. I'm not even 50% sold on the drama; I'm all in for the romance of it all. Anyway, as I mention, the characters are all plucked off at the end. Leave you shaking your head and wanting to let this whole drama go. It's not a drama that you'll want to see a second time. You'll want to forget about it and possibly come across it again by accident late in the future.
Nevertheless, I did like episode 35. It was funny, sweet, and enduring.
Was this review helpful to you?
Good chemistry of leads but has a rushed ending
How? How? How can it have 51 episodes but still has a rushed ending? Put all romance drama tropes together then kill off your characters, that's how.It started fine. A female lead who could possibly be an important person but living as a beggar and a prince who have a secret masked hero identity was a good setup. I immediately liked the chemistry of the main leads. There's bickering but you know there's also attraction. I really liked the scene when the FL discovered the ML's true identity. The 'I like you but I know I shouldn't' part was really nicely done. But chemistry alone could not save a drama especially if it fails in character development. Except for a difference in status, the FL and ML had the same characters through the whole series, like they did not invoke changes in each other's beliefs, attitudes or actions. Maybe I would have enjoyed this better if the divinity of the FL was further explored or if she tried to learn kungfu instead of always relying on someone else to save her. The main problem of this drama is that it lacked focus, it doesn't know what to do with its characters. Most supporting characters are just tools that can be easily killed off. It was hard relating to them because they were just there, doing good or bad things because the scriptwriter said so. This would have been better off as a shorter drama because there were a lot of scenes that seemed unnecessary. But since it was already long, it was really inexcusable that the last episode was rushed like that where you don't really know what happened to the characters in that last battle. The happy ending was too forced. I probably won't rewatch, it's too long and nothing special.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Initially, I loved the tension and chemistry between the two leads and that the FL was independent and clever. However, almost as soon as the FL & ML confessed their love, their chemistry, FL’s plot & personality, and the entire storyline quickly plummeted into slow quality series.The FL was daring and intelligent, and I was excited to see her grow into a heroine as the plot progressed. Rather, she wilted into a weak and fragile girl in need of saving & was easily tossed around by most of the characters. She had so many street smarts; where did those go when she was kidnapped 50 times? She just became a limp body waiting to be saved by the ML. Early in the series, she mentioned that she would like to learn martial arts, so I expected perhaps since most main characters around her were martial arts experts, someone could teach her some basic skills. In the final episode, she was unable to even combat her most significant enemy or avenge her family’s deaths. Her mother almost killed her moments after she was born to avoid the FL having a miserable life! She spent her entire life on the streets with her uncle fleeing from people! Where was any drive to push back!? This character was initially so strong and experienced so much, yet at the end never obtained any sort of justice because she only passively waited for help like a limp damsel in distress. This weak character was so different from the earlier episodes where she was independent and used her street smarts to maneuver and overcome her challenges - to me, it was tragically lazy writing.
The second ML started to show some real potential to be a very dynamic, interesting character midway through the serious. I liked his chemistry with the FL (while the ML was completely absent for 12 episodes). Unfortunately, as the series progressed, this character tragically became one dimensional and predictable.
As others have mentioned, the final episode was a weird rushed bloodbath without any meaning or purpose. There were so many loose ends, and the characters each made weird out-of-character decisions at the end that seemed unimaginably distant from their more interesting selves at the beginning of the series
Overall the serious had so so much potential, but for me the plot became lazy and dull, which absolutely was a disservice to the actors and intricate characters portrayed at the beginning. It was upsetting to see what could have been an interesting journey of growth for unique characters just turn into a sputtering disaster.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I liked the drama very much, but I also have some funny feelings for her. The actors and their game were well matched. The story is honestly also interesting. However, I didn't like the fact that at the end almost all heroes were killed. Only Buqi and Chen Yu survived. There are also many unexplained situations. How did Chen Yu live? Did Buqi finally marry Donfang Shi or didn't she? Will she still be holy after the destruction of the temple? What happened to Great Lord Zhu, Zhu Fu and Zhu Shou? What happened to Xiao Liu? Why is Buqi's relationship with Dongfang Shi so complicated and why couldn't it grow a bit on the part of Buqi?In my opinion, there are many situations that cannot be answered. I also know that the authors of this drama do not present us with every detail, but they should not leave so many explanations. I like the drama in itself a little less ending. They killed all known heroes, e.g. Xiaoxia, Dongfang Shi, Mo Rufei, Dangsha, A'Lang, Han Ye. Characters that were encountered with each episode at the end all die, I do not like this thread. But what can I do than just give my opinion. I give this drama 8/10. As I said, I liked the story from the beginning, the soundtrack was also cool and well-matched, the acting was great. But due to the ending and many unexplained situations, I will fail. In general, I recommend watching this drama
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Here goes my first review on MDL...This was my first Chinese drama in years, and I enjoyed it a lot more than expected. The 51 episodes did not seem too long, and I was all in for the characters and their connections.
Like most, I was less than satisfied with the ending but honestly, I thought the acting in the drama was fantastic, and I was really caught up between which male lead I liked more. I was wholeheartedly invested in the story!
Try it out for yourself, and see if you don't get charmed by Ariel, Bin Bin, and Austin (and the side characters like grandpa)!
Was this review helpful to you?
The love triangle is the best I ever seen, with a perfect depiction of a good guy versus bad guy, both charming in their peculiar ways. The lead actress is also a talented star that does not disappoint the fans. But as with most chinese productions, it seems to be deemed to be sub par because of the usual issues that plague them:
1) Productions stopped abruptly (example: I Will Never Let You Go)
2) Horrible endings fixed with messy editing (example: The Legends)
3) Poor acting (almost all cdramas)
4) Forced redubbing with bad lipsynch (almost all cdramas)
5) Lead actors change from season to season (example: Ever Night 2)
6) Insane censorship of scenes and themes (almost all cdramas)
What a pity! They have the talents, but because of those silly production choices china tv industry is a disaster...
Was this review helpful to you?
