This story is hard to like in any version since most people like to see a single relationship or at worst a love triangle. Also it doesn't help that the qing era male haircuts are terrible and this particular wsb/ml looks really really geeky and weak. It is not something male viewers imagine themselves as and not something females would tend to be attracted to. The best version i think is still the 80s tvb version with tony yeung and andy lau
I found it getting blander as it progressed towards the end. Romance was not the focus and had few high points…
My problem with these dramas is that they should not be 36 episodes. Prob 24 which translate to about 16 kdrama episodes which usually offer sometime above fluff.
The age gap here look less creepy than count my lucky stars. I guess since rosy is taller/mature looking and the ML is not remembered for staring in a 2001 hit.