AllisonChan

Unnecessary negativity and conflict

I started this drama because of its popular recommendation, however I'm struggling to see why others find it so good. I fell asleep several times in the first half but mustered through. It's not entirely bad, but I feel like I may need to rewatch it in case I missed something?

While the drama had a unique hook, the execution didn’t fully land for me. Some of the acting felt forced, and the story kept pushing itself to one direction.

Jiang Xuening was portrayed as the constantly upright protagonist. The drama leaned so heavily on comparing her past and present life that it was repetitive.

Xie Wei’s characterization also felt overdone. He was obviously meant to seem cold and cruel, but the constant scowling, shouting, overly hoarse voice, and choking during romantic scenes made the performance feel cringey. His mean personality and her giving in because she felt pity was confusing to watch.

The antagonists conflicts were dragged to such extremes that they became exhausting. The same villains were being squeezed for every bit of evil possible by the producers just so the protagonist could eventually overcome them. Even non-villians were portrayed to extremes, such as her mother’s constant nagging becoming very irritating, even if those conflicts were eventually wrapped up in a touching way.

I think the narrowness of the characters and the storyline made this drama difficult to watch. No character development. Basically she grew from her past, so we are already at the stage in the story where she has already grown. Typical palace drama ... and why make the king sick? He doesn't do much except for being sick. But shoutout to the sister for a change. Some of the scenes were also unflattering for the cast -- like why wideangle them in the only scene they're in bed?

The pacing was another issue. The buildup was really slow, and finishing the drama took patience and self-control not to skip scenes. The emotional payoff did hit near the end, but the conclusion felt restrained, like the story spent so long building tension only to quietly wrap everything up and move on.

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Spicy start and brotherhood all over

From the beginning, the hatred turned lovers between Yixiao and Suige were so spicy to watch! Both Yixiao and Suige are beautiful - Yixiao has a commanding and endearing personality, and Suige is quite charming. They find realness in their compatibility and bring each other strength. There's no female catty drama!!! Its male-centric and of brotherhood. Interestingly enough, the relationships the main leads had with other characters were just as important and entertaining.

I was pleasantly surprised that after the big fight and their celebration for victory, there were still additional episodes. I was looking forward to more because it had been great so far. But at this point, the story became slightly diluted - where the focus switched from the couple to the side characters. Yixiao barely got any facetime, and the couple became pretty professional and there was little development in their relationship. By then, the magic of the show was slightly lost. The sidequest in the drama with Suige's sister wasn't super exciting. There were lots of quarrels, but I had little sympathy. The side characters' pain were so dramatic but were actually nothing compared to ML/FL's deeprooted pain had that drove the story. Later, the fighting scenes with Yixiao was slightly impractical with her ability to whack people with her bow and shoot them in close combat.

While the ending wasn't great, I still really enjoyed watching drama, as the main leads were down to earth and righteous.

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The storyline was so eventful and memorable! It was such an adventure with hidden identities, coming back from the dead, and gathering power to find truth and fight against the abuse of power. Making new friendships at school and having a tournament was super fun to watch. The variety of characters with different energies was refreshing and added good seasoning to the story. I especially liked Situ and Liu Xu for supporting strong female characters. The evil princess was also really well done - probably one of the antagonists I appreciated watching.

However, I thought the chemistry between the main characters was not quite there. I'm not sure about Xue Fangei's acting in some parts, and it's a bit odd to see her "act cute" when her makeup and persona didn't fit that vibe.

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Sweet realizations of love

I really enjoyed watching this drama! The main characters' battles are quiet and reflective, and their actions bring humor and sweetness.

Xiao Qiao and Wei Shao's compatibility grows through compromise and understanding. I like Xiao Qiao’s internal strength. She consistently shows emotional resilience, political awareness, and quiet conviction. Wei Shao’s resentment toward her family is also within reason. As he slowly softens, we can appreciate their growth.

The bridging of these two characters, among their friends and family, was written well. Moral ambiguity allows us to decide right and wrong - where there is no correct decision and is very human.

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Good fantasy storyline

This drama follows Ming Yi, a female warrior who had appeared to others as a man using a magical disguise. During a broadcasted tournament, she was defeated by an opponent's new hire, Bozai, During their fight, she sustained a critical injury. To find out about the truth of any sabotage during the fight as well as a cure for her injury, she tries to get closer to Bozai. Over the course of their partnership, they reveal more truths about each other and themselves.

The main draw of this drama is the creative storyline and cinematics, which were well crafted and easily transported the viewer into a magical world. Spirit beasts were also a big plus!!! While the romance is not physically intense, we can feel love and heartbreak through trust and sacrifice. The vibes of the drama are lighthearted and youthful, not a serious or intense drama (no routine palace gossip and schemes) -- so it easy to watch and enjoy.

I would recommend this for viewers who are looking for a captivating story and pretty cinematics, and not requiring romance

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My eyes are still puffy one day later

I CANT RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH
I haven't read the manga or watched the anime, so I was NOT prepared for what was coming.

Nostalgic Setting:
I was instantly drawn to the nostalgic setting, where technology was just up and coming. Wealth was displayed by ownership of cell phones, where students may have simple brick phone, others had flip phones, and the wealthy had swivel phones. Playing Go on a computer was a breakthrough in allowing public anonymity and also providing a platform to involve the masses. I loved the scene were Hong He bought a computer home, and he and Shi Guang and played on it together. This made me feel the simple fascination of technology, rather than its present purpose as a de-humanizing tolling machine.

Scenes were comfortable and refreshing. Homes were lived-in, and lighting and color was diffuse and moderate, all making me feel like I was at home. I found myself enjoying the conversations and activities, seldom fast forwarding unless I was too excited to continue a part when the scenes switched.

Characters:
Shi Guang is endearing -- he always carries a silly smile, banters with his friends, and acts like a child when he can. He easily shares his emotions, but may mask negative feelings with a cheerful performance until he pokes a bit, and then covers it again with banter. I didn't agree him at times and probably scolded him myself, but I still liked him nevertheless and supported him for being true to himself. It's lucky to feel the appreciation for a character who is not all good nor perfect, but who is human and able to be forgiven.

Hong He is even more heartwrenching. This silly boy often puts others above his own needs, and he would go to the ends of the earth for those he cares about. Literally "bu ke qi". He's a sweetheart who bubbles up with love and you can see his heart eyes. Anything that hurts this precious boy (often self-inflicted because he cares about others more), stabs me a bit in the heart.

Chu Ying is the source of my tears. First, he is adorable and funny. His enthusiasm as a 1000 year old is comically placed as he acts like a child when it comes to Go -- unable to keep his itchy fingers away. Most importantly, he is a mentor I wish I had. He was always present to guide Shi Guang, kept him company throughout the hardest hurdles so he never had to face them alone, and was a reliable safety net. Their small fights with each other helped them learn more about themselves. Chu Ying sought Go but found friendship to be harder to leave. Losing him felt like losing my purpose in life - the source of happiness, friendship, and comfort. I felt like a part of me has died even though characters end when shows end -- he really left a big hole in my heart.

Yu Liang plays the juxtaposition of Shi Guang - being proper, serious, and intelligent. I'm not quite convinced of this love/hate relationship for the brotherhood. I wish Shi Guang let Yu Liang know about Chu Ying, since Chu Ying was basically Yu Liang's love. Without it, I couldn't really appreciate their honesty and trust, or even a sensible reason why Yu Liang still held on the Shi Guang even though his skills obviously showed long years before he could catch up. However, I'm so glad that Shi Guang and Yu Liang got some time for brotherhood - it was more important for Yu Liang than it was for Shi Guang, because Yu Liang always felt like he was fighting the war alone without support from peers. I'm glad that he got to experience the joy of friendship in the end.

I'm really sad that I completed watching this and won't be able to experinece watching it the first time again. I went out today with my eyes all puffy, and would burst out in tears again when I had time alone. Honestly thinking of getting a Chu Ying for myself so that he doesn't have to disappear.

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