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A Nation in Turmoil, A Love Torn Apart: A Gripping, Heart-Wrenching Sequel
This sequel dives headfirst into heavier, more melodramatic waters—and justifiably so. Set against the bleak backdrop of war, humiliation, and captivity following Joseon’s defeat by the Qing, the story takes a darker, more intense turn. The Crown Prince now lives as a hostage in Shenyang, the Qing capital, while the scars of national disgrace run deep.At the end of the first series, Gil-Chae, misled by Ryang-Eum, believes Jang-Hyun is dead. Her grief clouds her judgment further when she mistakenly credits another man as her rescuer during a near-tragic moment and, in a hasty bid for security, accepts his proposal. Just as Jang-Hyun reappears, alive and willing to risk everything for her, she abandon him again—choosing duty to her family and stability over love.
Now married, Gil-Chae continues her metalware trade among the elite, until she is captured and sent to Shenyang. Proud and unyielding, she refuses to seek help from Jang-Hyun, despite knowing he is near. Her silence costs her dearly.
This sequel is a full-blown emotional rollercoaster. It stirs not only heartache but outrage:
- I wanted to shake Gil-Chae for her maddening pride. If only she had called for Jang-Hyun, he would have moved mountains to save her. Instead, she endures brutal treatment—and later wounds him further with lies and distance. It is infuriating. How an intelligent woman can fall victim to her own pride and stubbornness.
- The misplaced honour of Joseon society made my blood boil. Women who endured hell to return home were greeted not with compassion, but with accusations of impurity for having been touched by “barbarians.” They deserved better.
- When Gil-Chae’s husband hesitated to rescue her because of possible lost chastity, I could not help but mourn her mistaken choice of husband. His bigotry disguised as honour is no honour at all. He should at least think of getting her out of misery as priority above all else.
- The King and Lady Jo are nearly unbearable to watch. Not only do they abandon their people, but they kill returning captives? It is gut-wrenching. The drama makes you despise their moral bankruptcy. When a nation falls under the rule of a leader with twisted values and misplaced judgement, it is not merely misfortune—it is a slow unraveling of its soul.
- And then there is the once-noble scholar with high ideals, who folds under the threat of family disgrace. He chooses reputation over lives—while uneducated men risk everything to save others. His collapse of character is a powerful critique of hypocrisy in high places.
- Yes, there are moments of frustration—battle scenes that defy logic, unnecessary impersonations, and the tired use of amnesia not once but twice. With two concussion to the head so severe, what's the chance of surviving. Why have your back to the enemies in a battle situation?
But in spite of all that, the series still captivates. The storytelling remains strong, the emotional stakes high, and the ending surprisingly tender. The romance, though painful, is deeply moving.
Namkoong Min is stunningly charismatic, and the cast overall is dazzling—both in looks and performance. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the tension never lets up.
Some minor flaws aside, this sequel is a gripping continuation filled with passion, betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption. Highly recommended—though be prepared to yell at your screen. Don't sit too near, in case you punch it. 😂
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Chasing Dreams, Facing War: A Love Story Forged
A sweeping romantic saga set against the backdrop of war, this drama captivates with charm, conflict, and character growth that defies first impressions.Flirtatious, pretty, and radiantly confident, Yoo Gil-Chae is the kind of noblewoman who turns heads—and stirs envy. Known in her hometown of Neunggun-ri as the “99-tailed fox,” she is adored by the local men and quietly resented by the women. Yet behind her coquettish façade lies a recurring dream: chasing a red thread across the land to a man whose face she cannot see. Convinced it is Nam Yeon-Jun—the scholarly gentleman she has long admired and the student of her father’s academy—Gil-Chae is certain her romantic future is with him.
Enter Lee Jang-Hyun, a dashing yet enigmatic merchant whose origins are shrouded in rumour. To some, he is a nobleman. To others, a charming rogue with a lover in every province. Charming and witty, he claims he has no interest in marriage—but his curiosity is piqued by the spirited Gil-Chae. Their flirtation is laced with tension, humour, and an undeniable attraction that neither is willing to admit.
What begins as a light-hearted romantic comedy quickly shifts tone when the Qing invasion plunges their world into chaos. As the war escalates, Gil-Chae is separated from her fleeing family—only to be saved, more than once, by the elusive Jang-Hyun. Yet one fateful secret he withholds becomes the seed of misunderstanding, leading to a wrong choice later.
But it is in these moments that the characters reveal their true selves. The frivolous prove strong. The self-righteous collapse. Gil-Chae, once dismissed as a spoiled beauty, emerges as a fierce leader. And Jang-Hyun, who vowed never to fight or love, becomes a wartime strategist and a man transformed.
The emotional weight of the story lies in how love is tested under pressure. Misguided acts of protection, lies told “for your own good,” and the tragic consequences of miscommunication play out in heart-wrenching ways.
Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun-Jin, playing the lead couple, absolutely light up the screen—their chemistry crackles with intensity, tenderness, and everything in between. Every glance, every silence between them is charged with unspoken emotion. The supporting cast is just as compelling: the idealistic scholar, the gracious best friend, the bitter rival, and the quietly tormented closeted lover—all portrayed with surprising depth and complexity. And yes, it must be said—Namkoong Min is not only magnetic in presence but also irresistibly handsome. Total eye candy, no doubt about it.
And the music? Sublime. Especially the haunting track sung by Ryang Eum—it lingers long after the credits roll.
What keeps you watching is not just the scale of history or the suspense of battle, but the burning question: Will Gil-Chae and Jang-Hyun find their way back to each other?
This drama is beautifully layered, emotionally rich, and packed with surprises. I give it a strong recommendation—and a high rating.
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A Time Paradox Not Fully Explained - Tragic but Fascinating Story
If you are looking for a drama packed with first-tier good-lookers, this one delivers—big time. With a star-studded cast including Liu Shi Shi, Zhang Yun Long, Ding Yu Xi, and Meng Zi Yi, the screen practically glows. Even the guest roles are top-tier, featuring fan-favourites like Peng Xiao Ran, Hou Ming Hao, and Chen Yi Qi.At the heart of the story is Dongfang Huaizhu, who falls for a mysterious masked vigilante—leader of the Mask Gang, a group fighting for justice in the shadows. She does not know his face, but love blossoms. When she discovers that her masked hero is actually Wangquan Hongye, head of the YiQi Alliance and the powerful WangQuan clan - someone she deeply mistrusts, she is devastated—and abruptly ends the relationship.
Things take a darker turn when Huaizhu is captured by the Demon Lord Jiu Huo, transported 20 years into the future, stripped of her memory, and turned into a demon. Hongye and the Mask Gang must time-travel to rescue her, but standing in their way are formidable foes—Jiu Huo and his lover Jia Lan, who seek to plunge the world into eternal darkness.
But here is the twist: according to the history they learn in their time-travel, 18 years ago which is two years after their time-travel, they perished in a devastating war against Jiu Huo and Jia Lan. The YiQi Alliance collapsed, and the noble families were destroyed. This war happens after their time-travel, which means they go into war with full knowledge of who they are against.
If they return to the past, they are essentially walking into the very war they already lost.
Can they win this time? It introduces a classic time-loop paradox that is never fully explained. Logically, if they return, nothing would change as history has reflected the full outcome of that return.
Yet somehow, some things change—and some things do not. How is that possible? The drama does not offer a satisfying answer. In the end, the time-loop logic is left unresolved, relying more on emotion than coherence.
Despite all the loss and sacrifice, I am not easily moved—but I will admit, seeing the team fall apart under demonic manipulation tugged at something. And the ending? Quietly tragic in a way that lingers.
On a brighter note, the OST is excellent, with a lovely closing theme that captures the emotional tone beautifully.
All in all, despite a few narrative stumbles, I still rate this highly. A solid 9/10 for its strong cast, visual appeal, emotional beats, and unforgettable moments.
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I Almost Skipped This Drama—Now I Cannot Wait for the Next Sequel
This drama sat on my plan-to-watch list for quite some time. I had assumed it was heavy on the supernatural, a genre that does not usually appeal to me, so I kept putting it off. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it is actually an ancient detective series, cleverly wrapped in layers of seemingly supernatural occurrences that always turned out to be crimes masked by deception and intricate scheming. The sub-plots were full of surprises.The story follows Lu Ling Feng, the proud and impulsive Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the imperial capital’s army. Hailing from a noble lineage and a staunch supporter of the Crown Prince, Lu Ling Feng carried himself with confidence—sometimes bordering on arrogance. In contrast, Su Wu Ming came from a humble background but was the prized disciple of the legendary detective Di Ren Jie, who once served under Empress Wu. Su Wu Ming was calm, calculating, and always thinking one step ahead. He was backed by the Grand Princess, the ambitious aunt of the Crown Prince, who dreamed of becoming the next Empress Regnant—just like her mother once did. The Crown Prince and the Grand Princess were political rivals locked in a silent power struggle.
On the surface, Lu Ling Feng and Su Wu Ming seemed destined to clash—each serving opposing factions, each embodying a different temperament. Yet fate tied them together when two seemingly unrelated cases they were working on revealed a shared thread. As they dug deeper, the pair must set aside their differences and rely on each other to unravel a far-reaching conspiracy. Along the way, another secret came to light: Lu Ling Feng and the Grand Princess shared a deeper bond than either of them ever suspected.
What impressed me most was how well the multiple plotlines were woven together. The mystery was layered and unpredictable, and the storytelling was smart and captivating. With an intriguing premise, strong performances by the leads, and a solid supporting cast, this drama exceeded all my expectations. I highly recommend it—and rate it very highly.
When I reached the end of the drama, I was thrilled to discover that it had two sequels. The second series had already aired, and I jumped into it right away. The third installment is still in the pipeline, and I sincerely hope it does not get delayed by unnecessary red tape. There have been rumours that a new regulation requires at least a one-year gap before sequels can be released—that feels far too long. Even a six-month wait would be frustrating. Ideally, I hope to see sequels released within three months of the previous season. That kind of continuity keeps the momentum alive and the audience fully engaged.
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This review may contain spoilers
Intriguing Plot and Strong Lead Actor, but a Rush to the Finish Leaves Unanswered Questions
Out of all the dramas I’ve watched, this one has been the hardest to rate. On one hand, it checked all the right boxes with beautiful costumes, a star-studded male lead (Dylan Wang), a talented cast, and stunning special effects. The story was captivating, drawing me in with its intriguing premise. But despite all of this, something about it just didn’t quite hit the mark.The plot kicks off with Yang Ling (played by Dylan Wang) and his colleagues stumbling into a gaming arcade after a night of drinking. When he wakes up, he finds himself in the body of Xu Qi-An, an orphan raised by his uncle and aunt. He later becomes a Guardian of Dafeng, part of an elite imperial investigation bureau filled with skilled fighters. As the drama progresses, Xu Qi-An grows, mastering skills, defeating enemies, and solving complex crimes. But things take a darker turn when he becomes the vessel for Shen Shu, a powerful spirit with extraordinary abilities. With Shen Shu's power at his disposal, Xu Qi-An's journey to uncover the truth becomes more complicated than he ever imagined.
Dylan Wang’s portrayal of Xu Qi-An was a departure from his previous roles in Love Between Fairy and Devil and Unchained Love, where he played dignified, proud characters. Xu Qi-An, in contrast, was goofy, money-minded, and far from the usual heroic type. It was only as the story unfolded that the righteous side of him began to surface, eventually transforming him into a more typical hero.
As for the female lead, Princess Lin-An, I found her a bit underwhelming. She was cute, but her character came across as somewhat dim-witted, which didn’t quite fit my idea of a strong heroine. I could have accepted her as a quirky second lead, but as the main protagonist’s love interest, it detracted from the drama. I personally would have preferred if Huai-Qing had been given more screen time, as she felt like a more fitting match for Xu Qi-An.
However, one actor who really tugged at my heartstrings was Feng Hui, who played the governor Zheng Xing Huai. His performance was nothing short of heartbreaking when he described how much he loved the city he had devoted his life to, only for it to be destroyed by the villain. Worse still, he was framed by the Emperor he served and ultimately tortured to death. His story was a powerful portrayal of a man whose entire life’s work was erased, a tragic miscarriage of justice that stayed with me long after the episode ended.
Now, I hadn’t read the original novel, so I rated the drama based on its own merits. The overall experience was a bit of a mixed bag, with plenty of room for nitpicking. For one, the humor often felt forced, relying mostly on making characters look stupid. This style might appeal to some, but for me, it didn’t quite hit the mark. There were moments, like when Xu Qi-An mistook Princess Lin-An for her rival and swore allegiance to Huai-Qing, that made me chuckle, but these moments were too few and far between. This subplot stretched on too long, and often Xu Qi-An’s convoluted schemes backfired in ways that felt more contrived than funny.
The pacing also posed a problem. After episode 10, I was about to drop the drama altogether, but a friend suggested I try watching at a faster speed, so I bumped it up to 1.25x on WeTV. Suddenly, the pacing felt much more manageable, and I enjoyed episodes 11 through 39 much more. If I were to rate those episodes at the faster speed, I’d give them a solid 9.5.
Episodes 1 to 10, on the other hand, felt like just another average detective story, something I’d probably rate around a 7. It wasn’t until episode 11 that things started to pick up, and the cases began to tie into a larger conspiracy. But even then, the drama left me with more questions than answers.
The final episode opened up a Pandora’s box of new mysteries, leaving me wondering about Xu Qi-An’s father and his true intentions, whether Wei-Yuan would be resurrected, and who Shen Shu really was. The Emperor’s role in the story remained largely unaddressed, with only a public self-confession to his wrongdoings—nothing substantial. And the whole arc involving Xu Qi-An’s forgotten existence felt a bit underwhelming. The drama started with a mysterious gaming arcade, yet that thread was never fully explored, leaving a sense of unresolved mystery.
The Emperor remained largely unpunished, his defiance at his brother’s statue and his actions in the temple felt disconnected from the main plot. The drama seemed to hint at a deeper political or philosophical commentary, but never fully delivered on that front. It felt like the story was building up to something grand, but then rushed to an unsatisfying conclusion.
While I would have loved a sequel to explore these unanswered questions, there’s no word on one, and given China's track record with sequels, it’s unlikely. So, with the drama leaving me with a sense of unfulfilled potential, I have to rate it a 7 for the first 10 episodes and a 9.5 for episodes 11 to 39. Taking into account the lackluster ending, I’ve averaged it out to an 8.5, which feels more generous than my MyDramaList rating.
Despite its flaws, I’d still recommend this drama, especially for die-hard Dylan Wang fans. With Tencent’s promotional effort and his massive fanbase, the drama certainly garnered attention, and for fans of his previous work, it’s worth a watch. Just don’t expect a perfectly polished story.
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Excellent in the hygiene factors but a little light on the emotions
Lovely costume, beautiful cinematography, interesting cast and a rising male lead. The lead here was Deng Wei who hailed from Lost You Forever as TuShan Jing.The story centred around the romance of Mu QingGe and Su YiShui. She was a priestess/spiritual seeker and was 'killed' trying to save YiShui who was the Demon Child. An entire conspiracy surrounded him trying to push him to demonise. QingGe on the other hand was trying to save him from this fate. YiShui went on to resurrect her through the Divine Tree by sacrificing half of his spiritual core.
QingGe returned with memory loss of her previous life. Later in the drama , YiShui also lost his memory because of a manipulation by a powerful but evil deity. Love couples taking turns to lose their memory and therefore turned against each other is not something new or creative in dramas. But this drama had its other creative development through a hidden conspiracy. The drama would take viewers down the path of uncovering this.
Overall, the story was interesting. The female lead was good at acting the part of a lively Mu QingGe. However, when it came to the emotional parts, it was a bit lacking. When the lead couples were confessing their feelings for each other, it felt like they were merely reciting a memorised script. To be fair, very few actors or actresses were able to transcend this well.
As this was a fantasy fairy-tale drama, the screenwriter had the creative liberty of creating heavenly or spiritual rules and then created another that allowed those rules be broken. Similarly they could create a crisis or problem and then create a solution that solved it. Just as in this drama, deities or gods in heaven were not supposed to cross the the mortal realms but suddenly they were able to because certain conditions were created for them to do it. And these happened a lot in this drama to the extent that they became unconvincing. When something nasty happened, I expected a solution would pop up conveniently and often I was right.
I am usually generous with my ratings which were usually higher than that on Mydramalist. My rating of 8.5 is for dramas I believe are very good but not among the top league. Against a rating of 8.6 on Mydramalist, it implied that I think the rating of 8.6 on Mydramalist was over rated. I expect the rating on Mydramalist to come down over time as the initial enthusiasm cools.
Regardless, this was an entertaining drama if you are looking for something to spend your leisure.
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When Kindness Meets Darkness: A Demon’s Battle Within
I went back for a second watch—and ended up rewriting my entire review. That alone should tell you something. What begins as a stylish, slightly eerie drama with striking costumes and a mysterious opening quickly unfolds into a layered ride: serial crimes, hidden masterminds, and just enough chaos to keep things lively.At the centre of it all is Zhu Yan (also known as Zhao Yuan Zhou), a powerful demon cursed by a build-up of malicious energy. Left to himself, he is almost disarmingly gentle and kind. But when that darkness takes over, he becomes something else entirely—a ruthless killing machine. It is that tension, between who he is and what he can become, that gives the story its edge.
He joins an unlikely team led by Demon Hunting Bureau chief Zhuo Yuan Zhou, which includes the seemingly powerless Baize goddess Wen Xiao, sharp-shooting archer Pei Si Jing, and the ever-anxious teenage doctor Bai Jiu. Together, they chase down a string of bizarre cases— the chilling murders of brides, puppet conspiracies, the lost Baize relics, and a plague sweeping through Sinan Town. Each case peels back another layer, revealing villains who are not just evil for the sake of it, but driven by their own warped sense of justice.
Trust does not come easily within the group. Zhu Yan carries the weight of having once killed Zhou’s father and brother while under demonic control. Pei Si Jing has her own complicated past with rival factions. Loyalties are fragile, and as it turns out, betrayal comes not from the shadows—but from the least expected places.
Despite its dark premise, the drama refuses to take itself too seriously. Some of its best moments come from Zhu Yan’s cheeky, flirtatious antics, often at the expense of poor Bai Jiu, whose exaggerated panic reactions are comedy gold.
For most of its run, the pacing is tight and addictive—especially across the first 30 episodes. Then comes the final stretch… and it stumbles. The last four episodes drag noticeably, weighed down by excessive flashbacks, drawn-out emotional pauses, and fights that seem to go on forever. The villain’s refusal to simply stay dead does not help. I found myself reaching for the “skip 10 seconds” button more times than I care to admit.
Still, there is plenty to applaud:
- Lin Ziye is a standout as Bai Jiu, balancing comic relief with a surprisingly convincing darker turn when possessed. At just 14, he shows serious promise.
- The cast pulls double duty impressively—not only acting, but performing their own soundtrack pieces with real competence. - The final ensemble song-and-dance is especially well executed.
- Hou Ming Hao shines as Zhu Yan—charismatic and expressive; on top of that musically talented. After A Girl Like Me, and strong performances in Glory and Love in the Clouds, this role only cements his appeal.
In the end, I would still recommend this drama without hesitation. I have even bumped my rating from 8.5 to a solid 9. It could have reached 9.5 or 10—if only those final episodes had not tested my patience quite so thoroughly.
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The story started with Yan running into Jiang and subsequently avoiding him as she thought that he might arrest her for being in the wrong place and suspected of a crime. Humour arose because of Yan's shape shifting into the wrong person at the wrong time, although this was sometimes useful when she needed to avoid being arrested.
They eventually teamed up to solve the problem of Zornia grass which was cultivated by an unknown person whose identity and intent was unknown. Unknown to them, they were connected in the past and their problems were related to an event in their childhood.
As a fan of Luo YunXi who acted Jiang Xin Bai, I was drawn to this drama because of him. His acting in Ashes of Love and Til the End of the Moon was intense and outstanding, both dramas were among my favourites. Song Yi on the other hand had always acted in some humorous characters and did them well.
The story was interesting interjected with some humour and some intense moments. But Luo did not have the opportunities to repeat his intense acting in those two earlier dramas.
Nevertheless, this drama is entertaining and is suitable for some light-hearted entertainment.
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You don't need to get to the end to know the ending
The story centred around the repeated time travel trips Professor Shen Bu Yan made to the past. In modern times, Lu Yuan was known to be an evil queen who dominated the court and murder the loyal Prime Minister. With every repeated trip, Prof Shen became more convinced that there was more than met the eye and the record was inaccurate. But how and why did that happen?Prof Shen's first visit was to witness how Lu Yuan died. He then made repeated visits back. Each repeat visit was to an earlier part of her life in attempts to change her fate and the injustice. Round about the third visit, I could see that he won't be able to change the future as Lu Yuan was aware of Shen's earlier visits and I could already witness the end results. I skipped to the end to see how Shen was going to react to his failure and did he managed to clear Lu Yuan's name.
The drama could have been very intriguing. However, as I already knew the ending as it started with the end and worked backwards, it kind of become very boring and frustrating as it was obvious that all efforts were futile. However, at the first half, before it was clear that his mission would fail, it was still quite entertaining. If the screenwriter could work on the sequence a little, perhaps they could still maintained the mystery.
To conclude, this drama paled compared to some other time reversal drama like the Story of Kunning Palace, Blossom, Reborn (Korean), The Princess Royale and so on.
However, if you have the time to spare, I suppose you could always watch it. It was not totally without merits.
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Detective Story
Shen Yi was young and talented with potential to become a great artist as according to his art tutor. Additionally, he had the ability to read very accurately human behaviours.One day, a woman approached him to draw what a child on a photo would look like as an adult. This unfortunately led to the death of a detective Lei Yi Fei who was undercover to investigate a human trafficking ring.
Driven by guilt, Shen Yi joined the police force to help investigate into this case and to help solve serious crimes with his skills. There he met Du Cheng who was a subordinate and close friend of Lei Yi Fei who was killed. Du Cheng hated Shen Yi because he was unable to recall the face of the woman who approached him. As a result, they were unable to solve the case for over 5 years. However, the duo was forced to work together.
As with a lot of detective stories, this drama held a lot of mysteries, surprises (or not so much of a surprise), and suspense to hold your attention. However, in some, it felt a bit shallow and a bit simplistic. Nevertheless, it is still entertaining.
Each crime story ended as the culprit was captured without any mention of what happened in court or the sentencing. I suspect this was to be very diplomatic and not to be drawn into any controversies.
I am typically generous with my ratings and my rating usually ends up higher than the average rating on mydramalist if I like the drama. I am a fan of Tan Jian Ci and I chose this drama because of him. An average rating of 8.7 is very high on mydramalist.com; this would place it among the top rated dramas. However, on my rating scale, it is worth 8.5 which to me is very good, but not among the top league of dramas I had watched.
Still, I say, it is worth watching if you like detective stories.
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Like a salad
This drama was like a salad with with a wide mix of ingredients all tossed together. It was like a combination of a xianxia story set in modern times, a wuxian story, a science fiction, a bit of a comedy, a youth drama and special effects all rolled into one. In some ways, it also looked like watching a computer game. I would say it was taking a break from the usual Chinese drama themes of fight for the throne and such.Zhang ChuLan was an orphan and a superhuman with special superpowers which he tried to hide. One day he was informed that his grandfather's body was dugged up and missing from his grave. At the same time, a mysterious Feng BaoBao appeared and claimed to be his sister.
The incidence led to the exposure that ChuLan was a superhuman. The sect which his grandfather was once part of was trying to locate him. He was invited to the superhuman contest where the winner would be the next head of the sect. ChuLan soon found out that BaoBao was a powerful superhuman who had lost memory of her early years but was way ahead of him in skills.
The superhumans lived alongside ordinary humans and was governed by an organisation called NaDongTong (NDT). NDT forbade superhumans from using their skills to harm or take advantage of ordinary humans. However, there were always rogues who disregarded this.
Who stole the body and why? Who is BaoBao? The mystery of the latter was finally uncovered in the last episode. However, the end of the last episode was another of the mix-mesh. BaoBao was to deliver a parcel but end up meeting a comic writer who drew a picture looking like her, apparently laying the ground for a sequel. They were already setting the scene for a sequel - why not lay more clue of what to come next instead of this cliche, another meet the writer or creator of the story.
As a drama, it is entertaining. But it was certainly full of illogic. The explanation of each of the eight supreme superskills was absolutely mind-boggling, may I add, very creative but made no sense.
Neo Hou played a unambitious young Taoist who was only interested in his superpowers. The first drama I watched of Neo Hou was in A Girl Like Me and noticed how handsome he was (and still is). Wanyan LuoRong who later also acted in Dashing Youth with Neo Hou, was one of the leads in this drama. Like Dashing Youth, this drama had a good number of handsome actors.
If you are interested in science fiction with a modern setting and with strong elements of Chinese xianxia (fairytale), you would likely enjoy this drama.
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Handsome actors and lots of special effects
The recruiter for this drama certainly had excellent taste for handsome actors. I counted at least 10. And there were plenty of special effects. Whenever the fighting got heated, some fantasy cartoon like characters would be featured to represent the type of inner strength of the martial artists.The story featured three male leads each with their own romance story. Baili DongJun was the young heir and grandson of Marquis ZhenXi. He led a sheltered luxurious life. His ambition was to become a wine deity, well-known for the wine he brewed. Only when he was selected by Prince Xiao RuoFeng to become a student of the prestigious JiXia Academy headed by Li Chang Sheng, the top martial artist of the world, that he started on a different journey.
Ye Yun, on the other hand had an unfortunate life. He was a close childhood friend of DongJun. His family was executed by the emperor, on some untrue allegation of treason. He escaped and went on to become a highly skilled martial artist. Unfortunately for him, his life took several negative turns. The Beique targeted him as a candidate to acquire their martial art which required a special disposition that he possessed. They needed him to wake up their king who had been deep in a meditation since they lost their kingdom to Beili. For this, they lay several traps for him as he was unwilling to help the enemy.
Sikong Changfeng was a friend that DongJun made while the latter was trying to carve out a name for himself as a wine deity. Before this, he was a vagabond who had self-trained in martial arts and had no memory of his life before he turned fifteen. For him, his path to success was a lot smoother than Ye Yun as he caught the eye of Nangong ChunShui, the reincarnate of Li and became his disciple.
In this drama, you see the contrast in the lives of DongJun and YeYun. Both were disposed with special abilities. For DongJun, his life seemed to be a bed of roses. He rose from adversities to become stronger and seemed to meet the right people to help him. The love of his life turned out to be a beautiful Beique princess who had given up reviving her kingdom as she did not want another round of war and believed it was a futile attempt.
As for Ye Yun, in spite of his capabilities, his life was ruined first by a selfish and suspicious emperor and then by the cunning Beique Chancellor. There had been several times, when his life could have turned for the better but circumstances turned it into a nightmare. The love of his life was his childhood sweetheart and fiancee who was still in love with him through the years he went missing, presumably dead. She was a great beauty but was quite ignorant and somewhat stupid, and was easily deceived by the Beique and became a pawn to their plots.
Being a bit philosophical here: in life, some people are just so blessed that they rose from one challenge to another, gaining grounds each time. While others having worked hard through their lives but were set back with each turn.
Somehow, Chinese drama always have emperors less than qualified for their job morally. In this drama, it was no different. The emperor allowed Ye Yun's family to be executed, even though he knew General Ye was innocent - a complete asshole in my view. Somehow the best heir, in both capabilities and moral disposition, he chose turned down the throne in favour of a rapist - I was rather disappointed in this.
Neo Hou (MingHao) had this boyish look about him that made him very suited to the playful and mischievous DongJun in his teens. It would be interesting to see whether he could graduate into more mature roles when he grew older.
The cartoon-like special effects however, made the drama looked a bit kiddy, a little out of line with the serious nature of this drama.
However, on the whole, this is an interesting drama worth watching.
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Interesting drama but a bit cliche
This was the first drama that Lin GengXin and Zhao LiYing reconvened, years after Princess Agent which they co-acted and was a huge hit. The sequel of Princess Agent never saw the light of day after much talk - I suspect it was pretty much toast. This drama was very much like a compensation and definitely appealed to their fans.ShenLi was bestowed the title of General Bi Cang and was a powerful God of War. When pressured into a political marriage, she ran away and was seriously injured. She fell to the mortal realm reverting to her phoenix body and was mistaken as a chicken. A human chicken seller picked her up and sold her to Xing Yun, a sickly human.
Strangely Xing Yun seemed to be able to tell that she was a phoenix, spoke to her in her language and treated her injuries. Shen Li was suspicious of his identity and distrusted him. Aside from her clan trying to capture her, they faced threats from a human lord who was out to get them. Back in the celestial world, trouble was brewing. Unknown forces were gathering strength to take over.
Of course, there were plenty of secrets to be uncovered?. Why was Xing Yun well-versed in celestial battle formation and yet had no celestial power? What was ShenLi's mentor and head of her clan hiding from her? Who was behind the trouble in the celestial world?
On the whole, the story was interesting. However, having watched as much Chinese dramas as I have (many of which are fairy tales / xianxia) the story was somewhat cliche and felt very much like more of the same. Additionally, the ending was somewhat lame.
A rating of 8.7 is very high on mydramalist. While waiting for the rest of the episodes to be released, I was distracted and went on to watch In Blossom, with Liu XueYi and Ju JingYi as leads. This had a much lower rating of 8.1. But I thought it was more interesting. I felt that the fan base had a lot to do with it. With Lin GengXin and Zhao LiYing as the lead actors, it definitely boosted the rating of the drama. It rated this drama 8.5 and In Blossom 9.5 (the opposite to their ratings on this portal).
Overall, it is a very good production and is worth watching. This is especially true if you had not watched much of Chinese fairy tale dramas. Otherwise you might just felt the same as I had - cliche.
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Xue FangFei was the daughter of an integrous magistrate who was wrongly accused and sentenced to death. She was murdered and buried alive by her husband whom she loved. The husband was a very conflicted personality - in the drama, you would witness his struggle. Rescued by Jiang Li who eventually died due to ill-treatment, she took on her identity.
She assumed two huge responsibilities - how to get Jiang Li's stepmother to admit her crimes, and to investigate and exposed the mastermind behind the extermination of the Xue family. To return to the capital, she made use of Duke Su, known for his ruthlessness, and for which she received both help and retaliation.
Of course, you have Wu JinYan (Xue FangFei) of Yanxi Palace fame as the lead actress, acting once again an intelligent woman seeking and upholding justice. And then, there was Wang XingXue (Duke Su) who had a flair for selecting and performing well in good dramas. His last four dramas were all above rating of 8 on mydramalist.com; the Kunning Palace was one of them. He is certainly very young to have earned these accolades.
The plot was interesting as both FangFei and Duke Su had their share of scheming and being schemed against. You watched wondering what they were going to do next to counter the traps set for them, and whether the dangerous schemes they set for their antagonists might backfire. And for sure sometimes they did. When Duke Su handed over his army tally to the Princess to entice her brother to hasten the rebellion, you would expect him to have also a back-up plan to re-secure his power besides relying on the army from an ally. But he did not - I thought this was a pretty dangerous and foolish gamble.
This, as I understood, was the adaptation of a novel with some significant changes from the original story. The original was more of a supernatural setting but this was more down to earth.
It is worth pointing out here that the sound track was outstanding - one of the best in Chinese drama and witnessing a return of good music pieces to dramas after the pandemic. I love the theme songs and the two instrument pieces played at the entry examination.
Whenever there is an actress who is significantly older than her male counterpart, or acting a maiden much younger than herself, there is always the question whether they would be able to bring out the chemistry. Very often they do. So I would say to viewers not to discriminate on this basis. The camera, make-up and excellent acting can often overcome this.
There was however an unexplained scene - how did FangFei escaped from being buried alive as she was tied up and knocked unconscious. It showed Jiang Li finding her near a river, but how did she get there?
While the story and plots were relatively original, the themes of fighting for the throne and revenge for misjustice were a little overused and somewhat stale and cliche. They made good stories for a period drama, but would be nice to watch something of a different theme for a change. However, if you have not watched as many Chinese dramas as I have, this would not affect you.
Overall, I was debating whether to give it a 9.5 or a 10. Eventually I settled for the former for the last two reasons above.
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Don't be cynical about love
Overall, I rate this drama very well. An interesting story, a good cast, excellent chemistry between leads, lovely backdrop , beautiful costumes and melodious music.The story centred around Ren RuYi and Ning YuanZhou. The former was the leader of the female spy ring of the Kingdom of An, who was presumed dead. The latter was the newly reinstated head of the LiuDaoTang, the spy ring of the rival Kingdom of Wu. King of Wu lost the battle with An and was captured and imprisoned. The King of An demanded ten thousand ingots of gold for his release, to be delivered by a Wu prince.
RuYi was running away from being captured in the Wu kingdom and ended up hiding in YuanZhou's residence. Meantime, Yuan Zhou was appointed the leader of the delegation to deliver the the gold to An. The only prince capable of travelling to An was also the Regent ruling in the absence of the King of Wu and it was deemed too risky to lose him. Motivated by promise of rewards, Princess YangYing volunteered to be the 'Prince'. YuanZhou engaged the help of RuYi to coach YangYing on the ways of the An. So this delegation of people oddly thrown together had to make their way to An and rescue the King. How many would return safely?
What I like about this drama?
1. In a way, this story was along the similar theme as A Journey to You, a theme of a spy in the opposite camp who developed a Stockholm Syndrome. But the story development was a lot more interesting and the ending was a lot more appealing.
2. It was sad and cheerful at the same time - it spiced up your senses. Who could say that the world is perfect. Therefore we don't expect a perfect ending for everyone. Many did not make it back to the Wu Kingdom. But we rejoice that some found their own happiness eventually.
3. The story was interesting and original in its own ways. No plagiarism observed. and certainly different from 'A Journey to You'.
4. There were a lot of philosophical lessons in the drama. Many were very in tuned into human nature. I laughed at the lessons in relationship that ShiSan was teaching Chu Yue - somewhat crappy, somewhat wise. And in episodes 18 and 19, the lead characters were trying to sort out where they would eventually settle after their missions. This is so apt even in contemporary real life settings.
5. Chemistry between YuanZhou and RuYi was very well played out by Liu ShiShi and Liu YuNing. When RuYi insisted that YuanZhou was her choice of the father of her child and insisted on only a physical relation with him with no emotional attachment, it was hilarious.
6. The second male lead, Allen Fang, YiLun also brightened the drama a lot, acting as ShiSan. He was hilarious. It is the first time i saw him as a comic character, a departure from his usual stony face character. Hope to see him as first lead in a good drama.
6. All the hygiene factors were there: a good cast, excellent chemistry between leads, lovely backdrop , beautiful costumes and melodious music. And the opening and ending theme songs were beautiful.
What I do not like about this drama?
1. While there were some wise lessons to be taught in the drama, there were also some crap. RuYi was name calling her disciple as the illegitimate child when this was his Achilles' heels. Yet he accepted her ill-treatment and fell in love with her - I could not understand this. So one was masochistic and the other sadistic? And they complement each other? No compliments and encouragements - no wonder there are so much anger in some people. Imagine being criticised, beaten and name called all the time.
2. The final pretence was not convincing. How did someone surrounded and stabbed by the enemy soldiers survive?
For the last two points, I took half a point away from a perfect 10 but highly recommend this drama.
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