The Top of 2022 Releases
I have to say I love watching Asian Tv shows. And not only Chinese, but Korean, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Thailand Lakorn, Phillipines and more. So I can say my yearly quota of dramas/tv shows/ soap opera are not small! Keeping that in mind, and the content released this year, this one is by far a top one. And even if I can't compare with other countries genre types as to make it a fair competition, this one is still a top one. I loved it, and will for sure rewatch many times in the future. Here are my pros and cons:PRO:
- Great acting crew chemistry;
- Flow of the story is well paced;
- Story did not focus only on one genre. ie: is not only about romance..comedy..revenge.. or solving the mystery. It is all that mixed in a well explained story;
- Visuals were INCREDIBLE;
- I usually watch the first episode and then prefer to wait until is fully released, with this one, I was too into it to wait;
- Acting was EXCEPTIONAL! I mean, they were amazing, you would cry and laugh accordingly, not feel like only a spectator.
CONS:
- I felt like is not a totally "relatable"in the historical context for China. They kept many characteristics and rules to a thee, but some situations would just not be acceptable at the time period, but if taken in consideration a fantasy, with a complete created world, then yes, it is understandable.
- Sometimes I felt like a lot of things did not get a proper explanation or end.Like the passing cameos, which added to the story and never were seen again, just mentioned. Maybe there will be spinoffs?
- One thing that keeps me asking if I did proper watch the series and I'll probably rewatch. MAYBE SPOILER ALERT!? (Did SS have another older brother we never saw?)
Well that was it! I felt like my cons where all things I need to properly pay attention when rewatching. So not really a bad thing? I recommend this to you all that like romantic, comic and historical dramas!
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THE BEST COLOSSAL DRAMA
It was amazing, season 1 and 2.I'll say it again, Leo Wu's acting is amazing. To me he's the best young actor in China. You all must watch this. You won't regret it, it's a very good drama.
I watched it over and over again, the story is good, the acting is good, the ending is good. everything is okay...
I hope there will be more great colossal dramas like this.
The chemistry of the cast is good. you should watch this.
I don't know what else to say, other than to strongly suggest you watch it. because it's very good.
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MASTERPIECE!!!!!!
The chemistry between the leads still lives in me, everytime ling bu yi smiles my whole world melts, he’s just so cute, perfect & manly 😍 i even watch some videos of them on YouTube can’t get enough of them, They’re powerful, Best historical drama ever n°1* Story
The Production story & plot twist is on point
never seen before, is so good, excellent.
* Acting
I fell in love with the ML I’ve become his new fan, I love the FL i was already her biggest fan does why i watched this drama but damm she acted so so good i cant believe it. Perfect period, i love how she doesn’t tolerates people bullying her she takes revenge on them so satisfying 🤣🤣🥰👏QUEEN.
Even the side characters are insanely good, i loved the emperor and his 2 wife’s
You will hate some characters ( like her mother 😑🤬 )
* Music
Very good
* Rewatch Value
Definitely 💯 is a memorable drama.
* Overall
MASTERPIECE
I Was So Obsessed That I Finished Watching The 56 episodes In Less Than A Week Phew 😮💨 😅 😌 I Wish It Had More Episodes 🥹 10/10
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This review may contain spoilers
Good
COMPLETED 56 Eps in 3 days what a journey. Ther chemistry just amazing and dont forget about the othrr support cast too all of them just amazing.S1 is just Prologue + Slice of Life + Comedy and the real plot should be on S2.
Storyline:
I can say that LLTG storyline is not boring at all though there are still some cringe worthy moments, but still bearable. At first, i was definitely confused by the political shits that was happening but as the episode goes on, it cleared my doubt and i can reason with Ling Buyi/Huo Wushang’s actions. Believe me, each episode is interesting as they slowly uncover all the bad deeds that it will make u curious for the next episode so 56 episodes wont be such a drag for u.
Cast:
Honestly, remarkable cast. I can’t say more because just by watching and observing all the emotions they put in, a masterpiece is born. Wu Lei was good at keeping a straight and frowny face and omg when he gets mad, it’s HOT. Rosy who portrayed as Shaoshang was so bubbly and cheerful yet she’s a woman who is not scared of bullies and instead fight for her own rights, a true definition of women empowerment. It was truly relatable when she’s also someone who keeps everything inside her heart till it was too much for her to handle therefore, burst into tears infront of her fiance. Not gonna lie, the bullies were so good at acting i legit felt like i wanna punch them. All in all, there’s no bad actor in this show and this show will surely make u cry a river.
But if there’s one thing i want it to be better; uhm kissing scenes wise i would love it if it’s not just them putting their lips together but showing a good kiss considering how much angst moments they’ve been through. Second, personally the ending was alittle underwhelming since we couldn’t see their wedding though they did say they gonna get married but i still want to see it!!! However, everyone got their own happy ever after i guess so all’s good.
I strongly recommend people to watch this show! It’s a comedy + full of angsty moments where u gotta get ur popcorn ready and be comfortable at ur own seat. Oh not to forget, the Emperor and Ah Fei were the true comedians in this show with our little Shaoshang :) i’ve found gold so let’s all be happy and watch this comedy x historical show to boost ur happiness!
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Good story line and great acting and chemistry
This movie started off slow but had great build up to the story line. Ending seemed a bit rush but overall worth the watch. Their was greet chemistry between the leads though could of added a bit more build up to the relationship and a bit more intimacy scenes. Loved all the hilarious/comedy scenes, everyone did well on their part. I think adding a bit more to the end to close it up nicely with a actual wedding to close would have made it even better. Definitely a rewatch in the near future.Was this review helpful to you?
A beautiful masterpiece!
I was skeptical about this drama in the beginning due to the fact that it is a slow burn drama. I've watched The Story of Minglan and A Dream of Splendor and I apologize to anyone who is a big fan of these two dramas but I couldn't stay focus to the storyline at all. I pretty much did a lot of skipping from one scene to another. One of my friend recommended this drama to me and well, I'm happy that I've gave this drama a shot. For the first time, other than xianxia and wuxia dramas, I actually watch this drama one episode to another without skipping. Normally, I'm into xianxia and wuxia dramas because I love the fantasy genre. I'm not really into historical drama that much because usually they've tend to dragged a lot and it's too long. This is the first historical drama I've actually enjoy watching and willing to wait for the next episodes. This drama is a masterpiece and deserves an award. These actors and actresses along with the team members did a wonderful job.Was this review helpful to you?
Second half is better- more romance! But then...
This is actually one whole drama, don’t know why MDL split it into Part 1&2.But yes.. finally this second half has way more relationship development of our two leads Ling Buyi and Cheng Shaoshang. I’m also liking the character development of both of them, learning to adjust to each other’s character and desires; openly communicating and apologising where necessary. And of course I love how Ling Buyi professes his undying love for her in such magnanimous ways :):):) and we get two very sweet, innocent, on screen kiss ;) Gosh the way Wu Lei looks so intently into her eyes.. it’s so dreamy :):)
And we also get justice! Yes for all the bitchiness we the audience had to put up with.. some justice has been served!
However.. sigh. Towards the end the storyline gets more morbid, and unfortunately our main couple did not do so well. And I’m finding it boring :(:( The essence of this whole drama is about revenge and unforgiveness, which is truly sad. The ending is a happy one though. And I should point out that the violence during the fight scenes are very graphic for a Chinese drama.
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Tension Ramps Up but Nowhere Near as Solid as Part 1
I really wanted to like this drama. There are so many scenes where the characters are realistic and level-headed (love you Consort Yue), but then they're interspersed by unbelievable events or significant character butchering (Lou Ben, Madam Cheng, etc.) . There are also so many questionable plot holes or incredibly convenient moments in the story.- How is Cheng Shao Shang able to forge an imperial pass in a night?
- Ling Buyi is now a wanted criminal after his actions. How is he able to have such a long conversation with Cheng Shao Shang on horseback while the army surrounds them? How have they not just shot/killed him yet?
- Ling Buyi just so happens to have a specific birthmark that can prove his identity (that the emperor also somehow knows about)?
- How do they know that he's still alive after falling off the cliff?
Also, I just couldn't get into Cheng Shao Shang and Ling Buyi as a couple. I felt no chemistry in Part 1, and Part 2 just amplifies that. I much preferred the scenes where they were doing their separate things.
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The Best Historical Drama after 'Nirvana in Fire' !
So many fellows have already written excellent reviews from different aspects~I don't know what else to say now ~
Anyway, I want to thank all the staff working behind this drama, especially Director Fei. You know the proper leader is so vital for a team! Hope Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei will show us more outstanding dramas! All the casts in this drama are so suitable in their roles!
This drama ranks second to 'Nirvana in Fire' on my drama list now! It deserves to rewatch!
(To fill the 150 words, I have to repeat it:)
So many fellows have already written excellent reviews from different aspects~
I don't know what else to say now ~
Anyway, I want to thank all the staff working behind this drama, especially Director Fei. You know the proper leader is so vital for a team! Hope Zhao Lusi and Wu Lei will show us more outstanding dramas! All the casts in this drama are so suitable in their roles!
This drama ranks second to 'Nirvana in Fire' on my drama list now! It deserves to rewatch!
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Best Drama of the year
Usually I don’t purchase express pass even do they offer but I cannot resist from buying for LLTG. This drama is like an addiction to me. I will rewatch the Episode again when I need to wait for Tuesday. All the actor/actress in this drama play an amazing role.Wu lei acting is top notch. His expression and fighting action is just awesome. When HBY meet CSS for the first time after separation of 5 years, his eyes said it all 🥺 when he performing his revenge, he smile and laugh like a physo and his action is so real. LS is always the best. Emperor Wen is our CP fans and I really like how humour he is. Not to forget the badass consort yue, I really like her character. Not to forget LBY sidekick, fei is the most funny and talkative. The last few episode just make me cry non stop and the ending is as per novel
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Part 1 is a GEM!
Just finished, my honest opinion :1) Part 1 was perfect and set the bar too high for me and Part 2 didn't live up to expectation. Still good but not on par with Part 1.
2) The story pacing in Part2 is not very well done. The flow was not natural. I know they could not show all scenes happening, but I feel a lot of times surprised with events happening out of the blue and consequently the emotional flow in between events is awkward.
3) Most of the time LBY's revenge arc is going over my head because of audience lack of connection to the Gu City/Huo Clan. Leo is such a good actor but sometimes it's hard to empathise on what he's fighting for because we were never really introduced to his family (apart from the stories relayed by the Empresses and the Emperor). After finishing the story, I finally realised it's tricky for the Director, he cannot give us a lot of scenes on LBY's backstory without spoiling the whole plot.
4) Some of the lines are way too long and cringey. It gives this theatrical play feel, when 2 characters are giving out their lines and the rest of the characters are just standing quietly in the background.
5) The ending is kinda cliche and cheesy. The villains are cartoonish, and how the solve things are too convenient for the plot it's almost embarrassing. LBY always arriving and saving the day at the most critical moments makes me giggle. It's truly cliche, but hey I'll take it.
6) If you watch the full trailer, there are a lot of 'cinematic epic scenes', however, in reality most of these where downplayed within the drama. Again I blame the editing for not building up thse scenes properly and instead they relied more on long dialogues.
I know these things sound critical but I wanted to be honest with those who will start it, I would say despite all of this it is worth your time, and if only the things I mentioned above are making you feel bored or lose interest, I still suggest to carry on and continue because in it's entirety the show is still very good.
The positives :
1) PART1 - absolutely perfect!
2) The acting is on point, Leo really does only pick good shows. And LuSi, I've always admired her from the Long Ballad, such a versatile actress.
3) The cinematography is great. The comedic aspect is also excellent, it funny in a strange subtle way. And on scenes where it makes you cry, it really does can make you cry!
4) All supporting characters are great, the Cheng Family, and the people at the palace, LBY's two sidekick.
5) it is refreshing to see such harmony in the palace with good nature and well intended royals. It's not perfect, but it is far from the miserable politically driven plots they have on other period dramas.
6) I like how they added scenes on how brutal LBY can be and how love DOESN'T IMMEDIATELY conquer all.
After P1 I expected this to be above the Long Ballad, but because of some setbacks I mentioned in P2, I would say this is on same level as Long Ballad.
Both shows are great!! It's rare for me now to find dramas which I do not drop and this is really something that I enjoyed watching.
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Worth a watch
This will focus more on the 2nd half of this drama.It starts directly where it left off. No unnecessary recaps, thankfully. You notice as the series progresses that the seriousness slowly creeps in. The comedic reliefs become less frequent and you can feel it start to brew trouble ahead. I personally think this was well done. The characters involved acted it out well.
The growth of the FL here is more steady, but I also think that the reason she has for feeling betrayed by the general was petty. While I can understand she feels betrayed, but thinking about it from a more logical standpoint, I definitely would do the same as the general. Implicating the whole Shang family would indeed be stupid. She admits herself that she understands it, but still decides to break things off. It does use this as the final element where her character becomes more mature and let things go, it also felt more like putting another layer on top of something, to hide the flaws.
One of the most memorable episodes to me, was when she left for the palace to stay next to the deposed empress and her mother rushing to the palace gates. The emotions portrayed by the mother, when realizing the meaning behind her daughter's words was acted out well.
The warmth that the empress shows for the FL was also done well. It works to show how different things might've been, if her mother did the same.
The last episodes and the conclusion did feel somewhat out of place, but despite that I think it was executed well. It did tie up some lose ends. The battles was done well too. I somewhat wish there were more of this throughout both parts, but hey, I'll take what I can get.
I think this series was the biggest surprise in dramaland for me, in 2022. I doubt I'll find something which'll get me as invested as this, for the remainder of the year.
Recommended.
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