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Stunning Visuals Can’t Save a Shallow, Frustrating Script
This drama is breathtakingly beautiful. From the cinematography to the cast and the hauntingly good OST, the production value is top-tier. At the start, the romance was admirable and genuinely hooked me, but unfortunately, the plot eventually went downhill due to unnecessary drama.The writing fails its own characters. The show could have been a powerful exploration of the Rong family’s internal conflicts, but instead, every major issue is resolved "cheaply." Forgiving the grandmother because she supposedly had "no choice" was a massive missed opportunity; she had the potential to be a brilliantly infuriating villain.
Furthermore, while Shanbao is clearly an intellectual, her lack of EQ makes her "kindness" feel forced. Having her forgive everyone didn't feel like growth—it felt dumb because nothing was actually resolved. The characters just suddenly turned nice to her for the sake of the plot. The final straw for me was Yunshu: she deserved a sincere apology from the grandmother, yet she was the one who ended up apologizing. I nearly fainted from the sheer lack of logic!
I only made it to Episode 30 because of the initial romance and the high budget. While the political stunts were enjoyable, they weren't enough to save the lackluster writing. If you’re planning to watch, honestly? Watch until Episode 12 and save yourself the headache.
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Women empowerment, Politics, Justice, Slowburn
Straight to my Fav list! (≧▽≦)This drama truly reaches the peak of storytelling regarding women empowerment and equality. The female lead’s character is absolutely admirable. All of her achievements didn’t simply fall into her lap; they were realistically earned through sheer will and ambition. She is easily one of the best-written female characters I have ever seen in a C-drama. I loved witnessing Mudan’s journey—from building her business, facing countless challenges, and handling them with such grace and intelligence.
This show is essentially about women empowerment, sprinkled with elements of politics and justice. It is a gut-wrenching drama, and you will witness loss everywhere, particularly among the female characters. To be honest, I believe that is exactly the point. It portrays the harsh reality of what life was truly like for women in that era. If historical dramas always presented easy, happy endings, they would lose the truth of just how difficult and cruel that time could be.
(Spoilers ahead)
I appreciate how realistic it is. The story perfectly captures the complexity of the female mindset shaped by that society. Take Shengyi, for example—she genuinely believed she couldn’t survive without a husband because that was what her environment taught her. Her character is the complete opposite of Mudan, which only highlights the strength of the lead even more. Then there is Lian Zhou, who longed for freedom but felt trapped, yet still chose to poison Mudan—not because she wanted to, but because she felt she had to. I love how Mudan eventually points this out; it really drives home the core message of the show.
As for the male lead, he is admittedly overshadowed by the female lead, but we have to agree that he is one of the most open-minded male leads out there. He allows Mudan to be independent and stands by to offer help only when she needs it.
One thing I must point out is that the dynamic between Youzhen and Liu Chang is peak drama. Why aren’t there more stories like this? It was so toxic, and honestly, I didn’t want a happy ending because there was simply no way they could have one.
I loved how they were both in pain, trapped in this cycle where Youzhen is obsessed with Liu Chang, yet Liu Chang is only obsessed with his Mudan. Because of this, they ended up tormenting and hurting each other. It was so thrilling to watch. The lines they threw at each other were satisfyingly sharp—I literally dropped my jaw when she said, "You torment me, so I torment He Weifang."
When it comes to the romance, it is the definition of peak slowburn. However, they are also the most indecisive couple I have ever encountered—it almost made me faint! Like, bro, just confess already! (ー_ー゛) But despite that, it is a healthy romance where they support and help each other grow. I love that scene where Mudan protected the Jiang mansion. That was pure "aura farming." The authority she commanded in that moment? Peak. That being said, I actually ended up skipping their romantic scenes in Part 2 because I was so caught up in the main plot—their moments felt like a distraction to me, lol.
The casting is excellent. What I love most is that the drama doesn’t rely heavily on background music to manipulate your emotions; instead, it trusts entirely in the talent of its cast to carry the moment. This is my first time watching Yang Zi, and I am truly impressed. I’ve never seen an actress cry with so much expression without it looking awkward—it was so raw and real. This definitely won’t be my last drama of hers. The other female characters were also amazing, especially Shengyi and the County Princess. Their acting was so realistic that you can’t help but sympathize with them.
This show gave me every emotion I could ask for. Though, I won’t deny that I did find certain parts a bit dragging, specifically the later part of Part 1 and the early part of Part 2. And I think the pacing is too slow. Sometimes I do find myself feeling like the plot is stuck or not moving at all.
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Unnecessarily long miscommunication and misunderstanding with no proper resolution
Their relationship is what I really like, the unrealistic of unconditional and sacrificial love (yes i am hopeless romantic when it comes to fiction) however, i think the drama is unnecessarily long. It's just unlimited miscommunication and misunderstanding — i mean, it does make sense that they have miscom and misun bcs that's literally where their relationship started but that doesn't have to be THAT long. For me, the plot became boring but I got hooked in the plot twist in the later episodes (blew my mind tbh). Because of how bored I am, it was my first time watching with 2x speed. I love the side couple, princess tianji and Yan xiao, istg i love the angst between them I have to find a drama similar to their story cause i was eating that drama they're having, no screentime of theirs is wasted. The writing felt lackluster to me: Jbz clearly showed he trusted Ming Yi, but she never grasped that fact. It would have been nicer if there was a realization or monologue instead of just resolving it with "I’m tired of lying". I understand Ming Yi’s lack of trust, but the way it was handled at the end was disappointing.Was this review helpful to you?
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Male lead sucks
This might seem petty but I dropped it because of how Xie Zheng handled their first separation. I was giggling and screaming in episode 17 because finally there's a kissing scene after all that disturbed-almost-kissing scenes that could have been better but Xie zheng kissed her because he was mad... ಠ_ಠ all of the butterflies i was having flew away (there's a multiple occasion where the first kiss could have been better but they chose this), I thought he was gonna confess or at least give some word of affirmation after that kiss... But he was mad?! ಠಗಠ and then he left?Was this review helpful to you?
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Lackluster romance
Dilraba effortlessly embodies the role of He Simu, a sovereign spirit. Her visuals are truly stunning.However, I ended up dropping the drama. I went in expecting a darker, more serious storyline, largely because the trailers felt very intense and heavy. It feels misleading when the actual show turns out to be overly cute and lighthearted. While her character is meant to be ignorant of 5 senses, portraying her as excessively childish—reacting to basic things like a child given a grand toy when she is given some senses in a period of time—doesn't quite fit the narrative.
There was potential for powerful scenes, such as the moment she is repeatedly stabbed by puppets. It could have been a raw, painful experience, especially since it was her first time feeling pain. Instead, she handled it too easily, which felt very underwhelming. It seems the production focused too much on aesthetics and looking pretty, to the point where the emotional impact was lost. Being visually beautiful means nothing if the scenes don't make you feel what you are supposed to feel.
And let us not even mention the romance—it is easily the laziest and most boring I have ever encountered in a C-drama. Their feelings seemed to develop simply because they are the main leads, not because of any genuine connection. It felt rushed and shallow, lacking any real depth. Furthermore, the scene where the male lead kisses the drunk He simu without consent, when they aren't even in a relationship, was the final straw for me. That was unacceptable and the reason I had to stop watching.
In conclusion, the visuals, cinematography, and OST are excellent. But the execution and the romance leave much to be desired. I cannot speak much for the overall plot since I dropped it early on.
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A very dramatic show that focuses on its characters
If you're looking for a very dramatic show that might make you cry every other episode then this is for you. Great cinematography and great music, what is more great is that it is shove up to your ear every other second LMAOThe show doesn't only explore romance but also friendship and familial love, I noticed that the show focuses more to it's characters. To Pei sijing with her brother, the useless goddess, Zhu yan's backstory, zhou yichen's hatred for demons and how they made him understand it, Bai jiu and jing lei, even the villain Li Lun. For me, I truly enjoyed watching the show digging up each character's story. It's very refreshing for me to see that each characters interacts with each other.
I enjoyed every tragic story of side characters, the water ghost and especially fei and qing geng's (I am not moving on from that).
If other shows tells you that fate can be altered, then this show says otherwise. A tragic show yet so beautiful.
Let's all act that the ending didn't happen, but still I'm kinda satisfied that they stick to killing Zhu Yan.
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Battle between reason and feelings
I have never been this confused trying to understand what the characters are thinking, but that didn't stop me from enjoying their push-and-pull dynamic. The first half shows Cha Mu-hee chasing Ho-jin and getting rejected three times, while the second half is the opposite, with Mu-hee being the one pushing him away.I really liked the male lead. If it wasn't for him, I don't think they would have ended up together. Though credit goes to both—if it wasn't for Mu-hee, he wouldn't have fallen in love. But most importantly, I would give all the credit to 'Do Ra-mi'.
I actually thought I would hate him. There were times I even tried to force myself to dislike Ho-jin whenever he rejected her—but I couldn't. He is just very respectful and sets clear boundaries, which is his right. It wouldn't be fair to hate him just for being honest.
Thankfully it's only 12 episodes. It's not too short and not too long—it's perfect.
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Yearner Girlfriend at it's peak
(. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) SIGNIFICANT THINGS I WANT TO POINT OUT:There are only 3 things that truly caught my interest: the visuals, the romance between Ling and Wuyi, and the plot twist in the last 9 episodes because that was peak perfection. GJM is a director who makes a series look like a moving photoshoot. I especially love his expertise in creating such exciting and dynamic fight choreography!
The romance between Ling and Wuyi is the main reason I finished the whole series. I rarely see a relationship with this kind of complexity. There’s drama everywhere, but it actually makes so much sense. The writer really understood the assignment—creating reasonable conflict while maintaining a healthy relationship at the same time. It seems like other writers think the only way to create drama in a healthy relationship is through miscommunication and misunderstandings. But this drama didn't give off that vibe, which felt so refreshing and nice, IMO.
ಠ_ʖಠ THINGS I DISLIKED:
♪ When GJM transitions from a very intense, interesting scene straight into a slow, dragging conversation — it totally breaks the immersion! Who even thought this was a good idea?
♪ This drama definitely has its fair share of boring scenes... unfortunately. The first arc (Xiaowei) was really boring in my opinion. Thankfully, because of the stunning visuals and the cute moments between Ling and Wuyi, I was able to pretend it wasn't.
♪ Chen Duling's acting here is so weird? I mean, I guess I only really noticed it here, but it honestly pissed me off.
♪ Ju Jingyi's acting is so-so; sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. I love it when she cries because she really lets go of her expressions, but I really dislike it when they just move their mouths while acting instead of using their whole face/emotions.
♪ Yan'an... needs to broaden his expressions too. THESE ACTORS NEED TO JUST LET GO AND SHOW MORE EMOTION!
♪ ♪ About the power scaling of the plot... Mo Yuntan was so OP in the earlier episodes, almost defeating Lu and Wu, but he can't defeat a single fox at the end? Make it make sense!
♪ Not really interested in WuWu's relationship, it's so basic. They should have just been the second couple, not main characters, because it's obvious they were just accessories to the plot.
( ◜‿◝ )♡ INSIGNIFICANT THINGS:
♪ Compared to FOF, the OST of VOS is louder. Thankfully, GJM used less background music whenever characters speak compared to FOF. I don't really care that much, but I know others do so I pointed it out. (I love Ju Jingyi's voice though!)
♪ It wouldn't be GJM's work if there wasn't a hint of queerness. Duh. We got two instances here.
♪ It also wouldn't be GJM's work if it only focused on romantic bonds. GJM doesn't roll that way—sisterly bonds, brotherhood, and friendship will always be present.
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