Some good parts, but a repetitive plot

Wow, I don't know how to review this.

The good:

1) Deng Lun and Yang Zi's chemistry. The lighthearted scenes between the two of them were the BEST thing about this show and they were sooo fun. I wish this show had been a twenty episode modern romance, not this long and dragged out mess.

Xufeng reminds me a bit of the main guy lead from What's Wrong with Secretary Kim. I loved it when Xufeng was being tsundere or jealous, it was so funny. The scenes where he grieves for Jinmi, especially near the end, were also amazing.

2) Luo Yunxi and what he did with his role. He was SO good. I'm totally going to watch the upcoming drama, Immortality, coz of him.

He played this ambiguous antagonist figure. He starts out as a quiet, gentle and kind person, who is picked upon constantly by the cruel Empress, causing him to be isolated, without many peers or connections. It makes him very lonely. He immediately falls for Jinmi, who is lively and kind to him.

The episode where the Empress then kills his birth mother before him was amazing. Some wonderful acting there. I felt for him when he debased himself and begged on his knees. That was the turning point in his arc, where he got darker and darker.

I really hated the Emperor and Empress that I didn't even care that he was turning immoral. I was just so glad that the Emperor and Empress got their comeuppance.

Luo Yunxi was able to convey Runyu's complex motivations, making you both sympathize with him, while also feeling more and more uncomfortable with what he does. It was really sad that he was still so lonely all the way at the end.

The bad:

1) The pacing. It was so uneven. This show started off really strong in the first few episodes, and it's quite fun to watch, but then it lags, and around episode 30, it gets so slow that I put it on 1.5x speed, and then in the end I ended up skipping all the way to episode 45, which is when the good stuff happens. Then I skipped all the way to the last three episodes. This leads to my second point:

2) Overly repetitive plot points. You know, you can only make a character die and revive ONCE to make dying have an effect. In this show, characters die and come to life all over the place. It just loses any emotional weight. What's the point? I barely feel anything when I see a character die. I'm just waiting for them to come back to life again.

This was not the only repetitive plot point. Jinmi and Xufeng's romance just about made me want to bash my head into the wall to end it. Their love story basically goes like this: they grow close together, Jinmi realizes she can't be with him due to various reasons and draws back, Xufeng chases after her, they get close together, Jinmi realizes she can't be with him... You get the gist. I literally exclaimed, 'Are you kidding me?!' when I skipped to episode 60, and they were STILL DOING THIS. After Jinmi and Xufeng both died and revived, after 60 episodes, they are still at this hot-and-cold, two-steps-forward, one-step-back mess. Many of the scenes could have been cut, many of the mini arcs could have been more succinct. A lot of the characters have repetitive plot arcs.

3) Evil characters who are evil for the sake of being evil. The Empress' arc was pretty much just her being progressively more and more evil until she finally gets her comeuppance at episode 40. FORTY. And then she's still around for convenient deus ex machina reasons. Ugh.

My overall opinion: could have been better. Other shows did it better.

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A hot mess of a tragedy

This drama was kind of a hot mess. I watched it till the end just coz I wanted to know what kind of ending they were going with, and when it ended, I literally said out loud, "Wait, what?"

What I liked:
- I love IU, and the actor playing the 4th prince was pretty good too... for about the first 4-5 episodes lol

All other thoughts:
- This show is adapted from a Chinese court intrigue romance novel and it shows: internalized misogyny where the women are either Mary Sues who die or very unlikeable assholes, court politics, power and hierarchy... Leading to my next point:
- Although this was in a Korean setting, the show felt like a Chinese story - the themes about power and the throne/succession, the storylines of each of the characters... it was pretty interesting. I've read quite a few CN court politics novels and a lot of the tropes, plot, and storylines in this drama were very familiar
- Pacing was bad. First ten episodes felt pretty slow although there were some really funny and cute moments. Last ten episodes was faster, but somewhat predictable
- I seriously did not like how the female protagonist was written. Reminded me a lot of The Rise of Phoenixes: the female protagonist starts out pretty decent, but then ends up tragic, losing the will to live, damsel in distress. By the end, the female lead exists just as a tragic female figure for manpain and angst. She even died of childbirth, lol
- Can't believe I'm meant to ship the 4th prince with the female lead? He's possessive and has serious control and power issues because of abandonment issues. I was creeped out by him. Which leads to my next point
- Characterization was poor. I didn't really find a lot of the characters' change in motivations and behavior convincing, and it felt like they were forced into being a certain way because the plot/tragedy demanded it
- Also lol what was up with that ending
- Side note that the 4th prince/Emperor alone in the snow, abandoned, totally reminded me of Ning Yi from The Rise of Phoenixes. I'm sure there's something to be said about internalized misogyny and manpain in CN novels

Overall, I've watched better shows regardless of whether it's about court politics or doomed romance

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Dragged out and repetitive plot

I think Chinese romance dramas are just not my thing. I watched this after Ashes of Love and both are so bad. Both have a plot that's repetitive and repeats the same few gimmicks for over 50 episodes.

The good: the acting. Mark Chao was really good at conveying intense emotions. He has such expressive eyes. Yang Mi was quite good too. She portrayed three very different characters.

The bad: literally everything. Where do I begin?

1) The characters are boring as hell. I have particular beef with Ye Hua. He lost all personality after meeting Susu. All he does is pine and angst. I suppose I am watching a romance, so I shouldn't complain so much, but while I enjoyed the acting, I was so done with his character. Can we have something new other than the rinse-and-repeat of pining, hoping, angsting, pining, hoping, angsting? Also, Si Yin, Su Su and Bai Qian don't even make sense as a continuous character. The three of them are the same person? Really? Why don't they have any common personality traits? I'm not talking about the behavioral traits that Ye Hua used to identify Bai Qian, but I'm talking about continuities in her personality. Su Su was a blank slate after her memories were removed. She should be what Si Yin and Bai Qian were like without the trappings of social class, power and wealth, but she was nothing like her other selves. It was so weird. I don't buy her repeated rebirths/transformations. Also, how come she just doesn't care about her kid?

2) The plot in the middle part was literally just misunderstandings and everyone missing the person they need to talk to by seconds. The drama needed to make sure that no one knew what was going on, so that the two main characters' hidden identities could stay hidden, but it was really dumb watching them all just walk pass the person they need to talk to.

3) Villains who are evil for the sake of it. I am swearing off Chinese romance dramas. If I see one more female villain who became a villain because of jealousy, I am going to lose it. They are so flat and hateful. Also, there was a lot of bitchy infighting among the women. Bai Qian was an ass to nearly all the female characters.

I started skipping episodes around episode 30. The only thing that saved the last arc was the side pairing of Feng Jiu/Di Jun, who were actually more interesting than the main pair. I feel like I just wasted all those hours of my life.

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sad ending but worth the ride

The first half of the story was fantastic. The focus on the characters coming to care for each other, the Liudao brothers' easy camaraderie, the warm and affectionate relationship between the main leads, the feminist themes and the mentorship between Ruyi and the Princess were all so enjoyable to watch.

Sadly I feel that the story lost steam halfway. The group took way too long getting to the An Empire, and once there, the introduction of LTG and Chu Yue (though I enjoyed their performances) weakened the plot and made it draggy. The script is best when focusing on the characters, their relationships and their growth. For some reason the scriptwriter or director lost sight of that and began focusing on politicking in the second half, making it a rather tedious watch.

Then there is the ending. There is a lot of debate about whether the ending was 'good' or not. I think it was a poor ending. The characters made decisions inconsistent with their previously very consistent characterizations, and some died in rather unsatisfying ways. I fast forwarded from episode 28ish onwards as the show felt very draggy and a bit of a mess.

Still, for the fun I had in the first half, I'm giving this an 8.5. IMO this show is very rewatchable before the sad ending for the funny shenanigans and the heartwarming bonds between all the characters.

Side note but LTG reminds me of every obsessed yandere abandonment issue disciple in every cnovel bl ever lol. He has Luo Binghe vibes.

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A surprisingly good xianxia

Wow, a female lead cdrama that doesn't make me want to tear my hair out from sheer rage. Whenever I watch historical cdramas with a woman as a protagonist, it's always an exercise in frustration, always so disappointing. This is happily half a step towards a strong female lead.

Fantastic acting from everybody. Yang Zi killed it in this drama! I found her previous roles quite bad (cough Ashes of Love that I dropped halfway) but she was excellent in this. Maybe it's because her character isn't a total damsel in distress? She gives some good, solid acting in this show, delivering serious tearjerker performances multiple times. I stayed up till 2am to watch the reveal of her hidden identity and cried alongside her. I was that riveted.

Zhang Wan Yi's Cang Xuan was really good at playing the ruthless strategist politician with intense emotional eyes (I thought he had a bit of a baby face but he grew on me). And special shout-out to Tan Jian Ci's Xiang Liu. This guy can seriously act. He was really charismatic, regardless of whatever persona he was playing - playboy Fangfei Bei or cold and stoic Xiang Liu. He really grew on me and stole the show.

Deng Wei's Tushan Jing was a bit weak. He's supposed to be one of those gentle scion of a noble house with a very astute and sharp mind, but came off as a bit of a puppy and looked quite angsty and lost most of the time. There was a big disconnect between how the other characters talk about him and how he carries himself and acts in the scenes.

The first half was, as always, the highlight. Yang Zi's character was badass. The second half was about political machinations and the love quadruple (love web by the end). I shipped Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing at first (lol it's quite fun to pick a ship) but got a bit bored of the 'will they won't they' between them. By the end of the show, I was firmly on the 'so close they're codependent' powerful sibling duo Cang Xuan and Xiao Yao. Love how they'd kill for each other. That's the drama I live for.

Great fun, can't wait for S2.

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Strong start but a bit boring in the middle

Starts out strong but quickly plateaus, which is a real pity because I love the premise. Why do kdramas have to be so long??? The long runtime per episode, the number of episodes etc, mean that inevitably, the show just starts throwing in stalling scenes and episodes that don't need to be there. Second gripe is female lead -- her characterization is all over the place. SIGH...... such a pity because I love the premise.

I really liked that this was about an already established couple. It's rare to have established couples in fiction and it was fun to see the dynamic between the two leads.

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Drags on and on

The concept is fresh and the first few episodes were quite fast-paced, with lots of plot twists happening. However, once we get to the middle part, the whole story just drags and drags.

1) the political intrigue was the strongest point of the series. Lee Hwi's grandfather gave some superb acting. He is soo evil and sinister and I was super invested in finding out what was happening with the court. I also liked Lee Hwi's father for his really great performance as a father

2) romance was so cringey. I started skipping all the scenes of the main couple. So cringe. The encounters all felt forced and their intimacy felt contrived. There was zero chemistry. I wish the story focused on the political intrigue instead

3) very repetitive. Episodes would pass and nothing has changed. Ji-woon is still angsting about his love, Lee Hwi is still trying to hide her feelings for him while pretending to be a prince/king, the grandfather is still threatening people... Also, it has got to be a joke how many people secretly knew Lee Hwi is a woman. It's like an open secret. Second of all, it's ridiculous how many characters were actually there at supposedly 'private' meetings and eavesdropping. And these eavesdroppers weren't even properly hidden! They would just be standing in the open and somehow nobody sees them.

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Best cdrama I've ever watched

The actors are superb, especially Fan Xian, Chen Ping Ping, and the Emperor. The director also took care to portray characters with complex motivations - even and especially villains. I didn't even fast forward or skip a single scene. I actually watched every villain scene. You will hate the villain at first sight, but end up kinda feeling sorry for them by the time they die. I appreciate this so much. I hate evil characters who are evil for the sake of being evil.

This show was also really funny and the plot is so fun - secrets within secrets within secrets. I loved it, I loved discovering the truth behind every case, and the true motivation of every character. It's also funny how Fan Xian basically has a bunch of dads.

The only slightly meh thing about this show is that Fan Xian and his fiancee don't really have much chemistry. While the actor/actress tried their best, I just wasn't feeling it. He had way more chemistry with Haitang Duoduo, even though she's more like a bro than a love interest.

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A story about coming of age and the relationships that will shape you

I finished this almost a month ago and I still think about some scenes. This story is more than just a youth drama about romance, it is a story about life.

This is going onto my list of GOATs. One of the best shows I've ever watched (ignoring episodes 14-16 lol), this has the nostalgia of Our Beloved Summer and the spirit of Haikyuu in the best way.

It's a story about an unforgettable summer of youth - coming-of-age, looking forward and moving forward, with the deep camaraderie and friendships/relationships that will shape who you are as a person in the years to come.

I loved every single relationship and moment, so full of joy and nostalgia and warmth. I could write essays about Na Heedo and Bek Yijin's relationship. The ending was controversial yes, but their relationship moved me so much. It's my happy place. Regardless of how it turns out, the fact that they had such a relationship is what mattered the most.

Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk shone in their respective roles, especially Kim Tae-ri. It's worth watching just for her alone.

(Can't believe I found f/f kagehina in Ko Yurim and Na Heedo's relationship ?)

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Second cp stole the show

Love my toxic couple, Gong Shangjue and Shangguang Qian. I need more of them!!!! Every scene between them was peak tension and drama. Also this is the first drama that made me change my mind about Esther Yu (couldn't stand her character in LBFAD) but in this drama she was really good as quiet but sharp Yun Weishan. I love the scenes between Yun Weishan and Shangguang Qian, I wish there was more of their tense, 'keeping each other on your toes' dynamic and scenes.

The pacing is super uneven - starts off slow, drags like crazy in the middle with the boring back hill/three tests arc, and intense and heart stopping in the last big battle arc. That ending hurts me, S2 please ? did my girl SGQ lie about her pregnancy like she lied about almost everything else or was she telling the truth?!

This is also one of the most visually beautiful shows! Almost on par with the films I used to analyze for film class.

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Zhao Lusi carries this show

Cdramas always have this problem whereby the ending is such a mess. That aside, Leo Wu and Zhao Lusi (and many other side characters) were very good in this one. I started watching this to fill the huge hole Alchemy of Souls Part 1 left in me (Mu Deok ???) and Zhao Lusi's hilarious and lively Shaosheng and Leo Wu's taciturn and competent General Ling Zisheng (he has the most expressive eyes) left me a bit obsessed and I binged it in 3 days.

Part 1 focuses on the troubled mother and daughter relationship between Shaosheng and her badass and tough mother. Part 2 focuses on court intrigue as Shaosheng settles into life in the palace.

As much as Shaosheng and Zisheng's storyline is romantic, sweet, heartbreaking, (frustrating), and poignant, equally as moving and precious to me is Shaosheng's relationships with the mother figures in her life, and the complex and quiet background triad of the Emperor, Consort Yue and Empress Xuan. Empress Xuan's love for Shaosheng and Shaosheng's joy in this newfound nurturing mother-mentor figure is so touching. Shaosheng blossoms in this relationship, learning to understand her complicated relationship with her own prickly and harsh mother a lot more. The complex triad of the Emperor, Empress Xuan and Consort Yue is as fascinating and subtle as any main romance. There is jealousy and resentment, but mainly there is camaraderie, companionship, and love. (Also I love Consort Yue).

I enjoy complex character dramas and I liked that most characters are finely drawn, with complexity and nuance. Shaosheng is her own worst enemy in relationships and constantly acts out; Ling Zisheng is not much better and compartmentalizes the different parts of his personality. Both live under the long-reaching arm of childhood trauma. Somehow two damaged people come together to form a healthy (codependent?) love lol.

Poor scriptwriting is still obvious (and becomes more obvious the closer we get to the finale lol) and characters started acting stupid and the plot starts to flipflop between ridiculous exaggeration or melodrama lol.

Anyway, this was not bad and I'm quite sold on Leo Wu's performance (was kinda meh about his character in The Long Ballad). Zhao Lusi continues to bring that special liveliness to her roles.

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A fantastic use of the timeloop concept

It's not easy to do a timeloop show well, because it's about the same event over and over and you need to keep it fresh somehow. This show excelled at showing just how much exists around a fixed point in time -- the people, their lives, their stories... Though it's the same event repeated over 10 episodes, you never feel bored. Each episode explores a different character on the bus and their stories and experiences, and there's also a good amount of tension, dread, and shock to keep you stricken and guessing. The cast was truly fantastic here -- the two leads have good chemistry and even better acting. You feel for their existential dread as they're trapped going through the same horrific event over and over. Sadly this is not a very rewatchable series because once you know the 'why', the episodes all make sense, and the suspense and mystery that drives you to keep watching is totally resolved. One of the best dramas I've ever watched imo.

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A very moving story about two lost souls

I'm so emotional after the last episode ??

What I liked:
- IU's performance. I love love love Ji An's story. It's basically similar to Ash from Banana Fish - someone good growing up in a horrible situation, having to do soul-crushing things to survive, becoming ground down and hardened, but coming to life when someone is kind and warm to them and seeing that life can have good things too and finally learning what it means to be alive and human. What a great analogy for childhood trauma. So many moving and scenes lines from Ji An/IU ?? I really loved her arc
- Male lead, played by Lee Sun Kyun, was great too
- I love the theme of community and family, I loved the music, I loved the directing - very stylish - and I really liked all the side characters
- Lee Ji Ah's character is someone I didn't think I would like but her arc was really ?
- refreshing that a life drama doesn't have romance as its center point

What I didn't like:
- pace was very slow for someone like me who is easily bored and imaptient. I had to put this show on fast forward and skip scenes sometimes. The last episode had so many emotional punches; I wish the writer had kind of paced them throughout the entire series, coz most of the series is REALLY slow
- some of the sideplots were kind of uninteresting, I didn't really care about them and their inclusion felt abrupt (especially the monk)
- there were some themes that I felt like the drama didn't portray so well, the biggest of which was Lee Ji Ah's character, Kang Yoon Hee. I did not like how marriage was portrayed, I did not like the way they treated her character when it came to the affair

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Dilraba Dilmurat shines in this show

This show made me cry a few times... I loved Dilraba Dilmurat and what she did with her character. I loved Ruge's sweet nature. The use of color schemes for each character made it visually quite beautiful. I really loved Zhan Feng and Yin Xue and I'd have been 100% okay if she had ended up with either of them.

Complaints: villain scenes were extremely boring. I could tell how the scene was going to go just by the first few lines of the dialogue. I skipped or fast forwarded most of the sideplots because they were quite boring. The script writing was really quite weak in places. It also suffered pacing issues - a lot of the sideplots could be cut without affecting the main storyline much, and it's quite slow at certain points.

Yin Xue suffers from the usual issue that lovers in a romance genre face - not much of a story or personality beyond their devotion to the main character.

The last arc in the villain's palace was kinda eh. I'm shallow but that place was ugly.

The good: Vin Zhang was fantastic as Zhan Feng. He pulled off broody, angsty, troubled antihero really well. Ruge was so sweet... I love her so much... her growth was really fantastic. I felt for her, and it was really painful watching her go through a lot of suffering and loss. Her grief every time she lost someone really killed me. I also appreciate how the show doesn't hesitate to kill off beloved side characters. Also, the ending song is fantastic.

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