This review may contain spoilers
Overhate and Overhype at the same time.
This drama generated a lot of early hype. The teasers, pre-release photos, gorgeous costumes, and early plot hints created incredibly high expectations. The Republican era visuals looked stunning, and the cast seemed perfectly chosen for their roles.
After waiting for months for this drama to finally air, I ended up feeling disappointed. Putting aside the AI-generated opening sequence. Even though an opening is the first impression of any drama, especially one that so many fans were eagerly anticipating, I found the story itself to be the biggest letdown.
To be honest, I think the drama has managed to keep a lot of its viewers thanks to Zhang Linghe's popularity after The Pursuit of Jade. I was already struggling to continue after the first 10 episodes, but I kept watching because I wanted to see if it would eventually prove the haters critics wrong and become better in the second half.
But sadly the overall pacing and storytelling style felt more like a short drama than a large scale Republican era production. Important plot developments happened too quickly, while other scenes dragged on without adding much to the story.
Because of that, I think it's best to watch this drama with moderate expectations and simply enjoy the parts that work for you. If some scenes feel slow or fail to hold your attention, there's nothing wrong with skipping ahead. Fans of the main lead actors like me will probably still find plenty to enjoy, as both of them deliver solid performances and look absolutely stunning on screen.
I'm a fan of both Wang Churan and Zhang Linghe, which honestly makes this disappointment even bigger. Their acting is good, but in my opinion, a weak script prevents them from showing their full potential. I don't mind the ending where the male lead sacrifices his life for his country. In fact, I thought it was a meaningful and fitting conclusion for his character. My issue is everything that came before it.
For some reason, I never felt the chemistry between the two leads. I didn't truly believe they loved each other enough to make the sacrifices the story asked of them. Their relationship looked beautiful visually, but emotionally it never convinced me.
I also feel that Wang Churan once again chose a role that didn't showcase her strengths, similar to LHF. In many of her previous dramas, she completely captivated me with both her performance and charisma, but here I found myself appreciating her visuals more than her character. As for Zhang Linghe, he's as handsome and charismatic as ever, and I sincerely hope he gets more diverse roles in the future with stronger scripts that allow his talent to shine.
After waiting for months for this drama to finally air, I ended up feeling disappointed. Putting aside the AI-generated opening sequence. Even though an opening is the first impression of any drama, especially one that so many fans were eagerly anticipating, I found the story itself to be the biggest letdown.
To be honest, I think the drama has managed to keep a lot of its viewers thanks to Zhang Linghe's popularity after The Pursuit of Jade. I was already struggling to continue after the first 10 episodes, but I kept watching because I wanted to see if it would eventually prove the haters critics wrong and become better in the second half.
But sadly the overall pacing and storytelling style felt more like a short drama than a large scale Republican era production. Important plot developments happened too quickly, while other scenes dragged on without adding much to the story.
Because of that, I think it's best to watch this drama with moderate expectations and simply enjoy the parts that work for you. If some scenes feel slow or fail to hold your attention, there's nothing wrong with skipping ahead. Fans of the main lead actors like me will probably still find plenty to enjoy, as both of them deliver solid performances and look absolutely stunning on screen.
I'm a fan of both Wang Churan and Zhang Linghe, which honestly makes this disappointment even bigger. Their acting is good, but in my opinion, a weak script prevents them from showing their full potential. I don't mind the ending where the male lead sacrifices his life for his country. In fact, I thought it was a meaningful and fitting conclusion for his character. My issue is everything that came before it.
For some reason, I never felt the chemistry between the two leads. I didn't truly believe they loved each other enough to make the sacrifices the story asked of them. Their relationship looked beautiful visually, but emotionally it never convinced me.
I also feel that Wang Churan once again chose a role that didn't showcase her strengths, similar to LHF. In many of her previous dramas, she completely captivated me with both her performance and charisma, but here I found myself appreciating her visuals more than her character. As for Zhang Linghe, he's as handsome and charismatic as ever, and I sincerely hope he gets more diverse roles in the future with stronger scripts that allow his talent to shine.
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