Family rivalry
I was very excited to start a new ZLS drama since I really liked WRTW, but this one was different... It starts off really slow with the romance. I mean like I'm half way throughout the first part of the drama and I do not see any feelings between the leads. I also do not get how the male lead has feelings for the female lead without interactions. It just seems a bit unrealistic. The drama is actually more focused on family matters than actual romance or at least for what I can see. I feel like there is a lack of suspense as there is any major plot change yet. Despite watching through half of the first part of the drama, I felt like there was not much going on besides family problems. After all the wait, it was a bit of a dissapointment for me. Overall, not the most interesting!Was this review helpful to you?
just gets better
story - to sum it up, the female lead was neglected throughout her child and became rebellious as a result. she loves to play tricks on the people she dislike, but she still has a heart of gold. from what I’ve seen so far, she begins to quickly adapt to a series of tragedies relating to death and war, which is obviously quite shocking and difficult for a young girl. general ling, the male lead, is a stoic character who shows small hints of emotions but never truly opens up (yet). less than 25% of the show has aired but im sure this story has immersed many viewers.acting/cast - zhao lusi and wulei are young but talented actors. from past films and shows, they’ve displayed a wide range of characters, which is why i knew the acting was going to be top notch. you can quickly sympathize with shaoshang, the female lead, because lusi portrays her sheltered but adventurous character well. since the show hasn’t reached the climax yet, we’ve seen only hints of general ling’s character. however, it becomes apparent that he is slowly opening up to be more than just the cold faced general he’s seen as. many of the comedic moments are carried by the side characters, the expressions in this show just add an entire level of comedy. maybe im sensitive but some of the scenes where the side characters cause misunderstandings and hurt everyone really brings me to tears as well. only 12 episodes in and im attached to all the characters <3
music - i would honestly rate the music a 10/10 but at the moment the show hasn’t reached the climax yet, meaning how the rest of the ost fits the show is unknown. music changes the mood of the show really fast. for a show that has a twist of comedy but also some heart-wrenching scenes, the music is really well-made. i know this show will make me bawl like a baby bc the ending song is so beautifully tragic. looking forward to the rest of the ost as the drama continues airing!
rewatch value - this rating is quite random and technically incorrect since the show is still airing, but it’s based off a prediction. the comedic and lighthearted scenes make you easily attached to the story and the cast, but never forget the first rule of historical cdramas: “if it has over 40 episodes, it will rip your heart to shreds”. you can tell that this show isn’t going to be 100% comedic and the cast has carried out each genre very well. 10/10 for rewatching plot and cute interactions but points deducted bc this drama will most likely make me cry for days straight.
overall - my rating numbers: “10 10 8 8” seem quite simplistic mainly because I’ve never been able to use numbers well to measure a show’s greatness. words do the trick! 12 episodes and im hooked. i usually drop shows not even past the first episode because after watching masterpieces like love and redemption, ashes of love, not many dramas can build up angst properly while still being entertaining. i have great expectations for this drama and so far, they haven’t been let down. to those who can’t stand slowburns: with a great cast and plot, all pain and waiting is worth it! 10/10 recommend. my review after the dramas finished airing is most likely gonna be mainly me sobbing and crying over the tragic moments (56 episode drama definitely means there’s gonna be angst)
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So-so Big Budget Historical Soap Opera with 大木头
It's a so -so story with a big focus on slice of life and family dynamics. It isn't very plot driven, mostly revolves around family issues and romance. The FL has been neglected by her parents due to their responsibilities for the kingdom as military officials which required them to leave their home. The FL is treated poorly by her grandmother and extended family while her parents are away. She is smart and has a strong personality which is great especially when it comes to standing up against people who are bullies. At times I found it to be too impulsive, abrasive, and overdone. I understand it is a part of the story and the novel as the FL is supposed to be fairly young but it was too much at times and it was grating. Her parents played their roles beautifully. The general is stuck between his daughter, wife, and mother; it makes a man want to run and hide from all the drama but the general handles it deftly and with humor. The wife has also been a part of the military campaigns with her husband so she is strong willed and feisty. She clashes with the FL repeatedly and at times is pretty harsh with her treatment of her daughter to rein in her behavior.The ML was pretty wooden and stiff in his acting abilities, not sure who takes the Big Wooden (大木头) Acting Award for 2022 but he's a top runner for it. His role is to be the good looking stiff cold general ML who keeps saving the FL and has lovey dovey puppy eyes only for her. He was slightly better in his acting in The Long Ballad but he had more chemistry with this FL than the FL in The Long Ballad.
The FL acting is good and she plays the character well. There were repeated references to the FL's extraordinary beauty in the show, from a male perspective I would say she's cute girl next door in terms of looks but not an extraordinary beauty. When the series pushes that narrative to tell you versus to show you, it demonstrates a lack of proper story telling and heavy handed tactics.
Didn't really like the instalove thing with the male suitors, it was too quick with how the ML falls in love with her. Even the SMLs had this instalove thing going with the FL. They meet her for the first time, she solves some puzzle, and BIM BAM BOOM I'm so in love with her and ready to devote myself wholeheartedly? There is a love triangle and reverse harem with her three suitors, it isn't over the top which is good, not big on the love tri and quad thing.
At times it was slow and tested my patience but its watchable for most of the characters. Its a big budget series so the settings, historical costumes, production, editing, and cinematography are excellent.
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Wow, one of the best last few years
This is very similar to Sword Snow Stride in terms of story telling and character development but the BIGGEST thing it's so much better than Sword Snow Stride is NO SLOW MOTION. So so much better without those slow motion scenes.I would rate this one over Sword Snow Stride. Much better character development and story telling. I really like the female lead so much. FINALLY a show worthy of Zhao Lusi. She is one of my favorite actresses but I cannot finish any of her last several titles because the shows were so boring and silly. This show finally is able to utilize her talents to the fullest. Love her so much as an actress. One of the funniest actresses but when it comes to serious scenes, she's equal to the task. One of my favorite scenes is her in that cooking comedy where she yells outside the door of the rich guy at the hotel to introduce herself. That is pure comedy genius... alas, show was such a disappointment and I could not finish it.
I am on episode 12 and this is so good. It gets really good after episode 6. I finished Dream of Splendor and while I liked that one, this is so much better. It is so hard to miss a single episode here. No wasted fillers and everything moves quickly. No long winded conversations that go nowhere. No stupid silly music effects like some other shows to show comedy.
I only wish I could binge all the episodes now!
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Expected something better
I have been reading the reviews of this drama and expected something out of this world but I was left disappointed. I am currently watching two dramas because of the great reviews. This one left me with a bitter taste in my mouth.I am comparing this drama with another one in extraordinary attorney woo and while I find that one great and this one less so.
The acting is good but not sure so much of the story. The music is not so great.
I don't like only moments in a drama that are great but I want the whole episode to be great.
This is not really for me.
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The story and all the casts
I had watched up to 12 episodes and found the story become more interesting. It has drawn the real situation of human situation, behaviour and attitude. We can learn much from the story how to respect to olders, how to educate the children to be better and how to love a match person ( no need to be perfect) as your heart want. At the end, your heart choice will be the winner for your happiness.So far all the casts from the main leads until all support roles did their great job. I love them!
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My first historical cdrama, and I couldn't wish it to be any more perfect
Everything is just so perfect and mind-blowing here,, oh how I wish they had actually shown us a wedding scene though cause all throughout the drama we'd been prepared for this grand wedding and then in the end they just ended it like that. I feel betrayed as much as the emperor felt in that last scene 😭😭 the script was so unique, and well put out. My favourite characters were the emperor and the empress and concubine Yue, they literally had the bestest relationship. It's the first time I've seen such sibling relationship between an empress and a concubine. They really deserve everythingWas this review helpful to you?
Finally , finished
The story over all good. There are so many scenes where I can't stop laughing. If I ever want to rewatch it, I will see some of episode . I was hoping their marriage but they didn't. Last some of episode, I got disappointed of their break off. Whatever, they did. They should done their marriage. The most attractive thing is their romance.Was this review helpful to you?
A MUST WATCH DONT HESITATE! IT GETS BETTER AS YOU PROGRESS I PROMISE!
I honestly had a tough time wrapping my head around the heavy politics but by the end it all made sense. I’m glad I didn’t drop it. Itsssss soooo goooddd. The trauma in this drama makes sense. I absolutely hate it when every drama uses trauma as their plot, here using trauma as a part of the plot made so much sense.Can we pleaseeee thank the writer they have done so well. The balance between fun,sadness,pain,happiness is just perfect 🤩 .
For me it’s def a 9.5
However I wish I could see them get married & have kidssss 😭 Ik it isn’t necessary but their chemistry asks for ittttt.
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This is not an ordinary Cinderella story
For the first time I watched a historical drama that didn't use the wuxia and xianxia genres (I don't really like those two genres), I was looking for a historical drama with a romance, comedy genre and wrapped in a little political intrigue, and luckily I found this drama. If you are looking for a fast-paced romantic drama, then this drama is not for you. The love story of Cheng Shaosang and General Ling Buyi builds slowly, the audience is shown how their love story goes up and down until they are finally together, but even though the storyline is very slow, I didn't get bored watching it. There are so many story lines that would be a shame to miss, the stories of other characters are no less interesting for us to follow.Cheng Shao Shang is a girl who doesn't get enough attention from her parents, but she has a brave personality, especially in standing up for herself when she is bullied by others. You won't see a weak girl in Cheng Shaosang. She is a girl with strong principles. Ling Buyi was a charismatic general. At a young age, he managed to lead and win many battles. He was nicknamed the 'God of War'. He is an 'alpha male', his character is very strong, domineering, but when he falls in love, he turns into a gentle tiger. He is willing to do anything for the people he loves, even though he has a mysterious background story.
The character of Emperor Wen is one of my favorite characters after Cheng Shaosang and Ling Buyi. Usually the character of an emperor in historical dramas is made scary and full of tense charisma, but not Emperor Wen. He was a strict emperor, but also a lovey-dovey father who loved his family.
Overall, this drama is worth to watch! with extraordinary production, the crew who produced this drama succeeded in giving us a beautiful cinematography and extraordinary acting from the actors. In particular, I give the highest appreciation to Wu Lei and Zhao Lusi who succeeded in playing the characters Ling Buyi and Cheng Shaosang. Their abilities as actors cannot be doubted!
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The best historical drama
I loved LLTG so much, it's so hard to find similar historical drama which made me rewatch it no matter the length of the episodes, I loved each n everything in this drama so much. No ckt was annoying or irritating as such, but I loved the king the most in this drama🤣 he had such nice comic timing n was like a breathe of fresh air amongst the historical dramas king roles. I have literally watched so many historical dramas becos of LLTG to find any such similar one where I can watch n enjoy everything but didn't. This would always remain my no1 historical cdrama n nothing surpasses this. The acting, cinematography, chemistry between leads evrything is top notch . Must watch cdrama.Was this review helpful to you?
Don’t drop it!
If you watched the first episode and considered dropping like I did, don’t do it! During the first 5 episodes the show expects you to get used to the titles, names, relations, and family of main character. Nothing too big will occur as far as I remember. It gets REALLY REALLY good soon after. Interesting characters are introduced, several sub plots are established, and most importantly the romance begins to bloom.The main character isn’t a flawless, know-it-all. She is a girl who self taught herself whatever she could, and is clearly lacking. Family conflicts and discussions make a big part of this show, like every historical drama ever, so if you hate that type of dramas this would be difficult to watch.
I usually avoid C-dramas due to the trashy acting but this one was easy on the eye in this matter.
Absolutely recommended!
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