Only Lukewarm

I don't have any rave reviews for this one. The storyline was weak, the plot was full of holes and loose ends; characters who served little or no purpose to the main story and did very little to develop the characters or the overall drama.

The actors did a fair job portraying their characters, and for the most part the chemistry was ok. Just ok. Everyone was believable as friends, but I didn't feel much heat in any of the couples (what couples there were besides the main couple). I loved Chilan's character the most and am sorry her 'pairing' was a non-starter. I'm still trying to figure out the CP/Mu Yan twist. Wen Jun deserved his own happy ending, but I suppose he was born to be noble. The side characters too - Key Yun Cha - so underdeveloped and underutilized. Liu Fu - loyal and protective. Uncle Hu - a potentially loveable character, again, wasted. And what was the real story with Su Jiuer's father!? There wasn't even a hint of a real connection between him and her mother. It just seemed like pieces of a puzzle, thrown together on a big table, but not all of the pieces fit or were even put together.

And the ending! What was that? Where did the villain go? How did Chilan end up fighting in the competition? How did Wen Jun become the Crown Prince? I figured out why Han Zheng lost his powers, but there was no explanation to come to a conclusion. Are we to just guess and figure out a rationale? I'd say that's pretty sloppy work after investing in 36 episodes. But, as I said, the story was sloppily told, and a lot of time was wasted on solving side-story crimes with characters who really never added to the main story - just took up screen time.

OST was pleasant thanks to Liu Yunning. Sadly, no rewatch value for me.

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An OK drama to pass the time

I really don't care for these short episode format dramas. This one was not 'stitched together', so there were more opening and closing credits than drama content and that was annoying. If I have to watch a short episode drama, I would have to tough out the awful sound that comes as a result of running the episodes together. Anyway, I digress...

This was an uncomplicated story, and it didn't drag. The episodes were too short to allow that. The editing was awful, as many of the episodes did not run smoothly into one another, so the scenes were choppy. Still able to follow the general plotline, however.

The ML & FL didn't have an awful lot of chemistry, but it was believable, and the directors must have completed this before the nonsensical censorship that has since gripped the film industry. I found the FL to be stiff and almost expressionless in some scenes, but for the most part the characters and the acting were just ok.

I liked the ending, although right up to the end I was prepared for something else.

If you're looking for something light to fill the time, this isn't bad. Would I rewatch? Probably not.

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Dreadful writing, despite the actors' efforts

What an abysmal waste of the talented actors in this piece. The fact that I liked so many of them (ML, Sidekick, Father Shen, Kid); despised some of them (SML, Dowager Empress); and was totally disgusted with just one of them (FL) proves that even good acting cannot save a crappy storyline. I don't know what the writer was thinking. And then to reward the slimiest character in the end with no Karma... that was hard to take!

I fast forwarded through entire episodes after around ep. 18. The deceitful SML's perfidy was repeated over and over, and the brainless FL was swallowing every story she could get out of a damn bird! The ML was like a sponge, sucking up all the blame and the betrayal in the name of misguided love. I only watched till the end to see reality hit the FL in the face - but still she kept on being just as delusional as she was throughout.

What a waste of a potentially good drama! You can bet your bottom dollar I wouldn't rewatch this if it was the only series playing. Sorry actors (who tried hard to save the sinking ship)!

Oh! Shout-out to the community on the MDL message board for this drama. Without their spoilers and reviews I would have been so much more frustrated, aggravated, and disappointed. Thanks, y'all!

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After the hype, I was underwhelmed

I have heard about this series since I started watching CDramas about 3 years ago. I tried twice, and this time got farther than 2 or 3 episodes and managed to watch the entire series. I like these long dramas - you can get invested in the characters, and be immersed in the story which has time to explore many arcs and aspects. The story itself was interesting enough for me to keep watching till the end. It was hard for me to keep track of the characters (who were not main characters) but whose story arcs got thrown in for some reason or another. Brother this one, cousin that one, fourth, second, eighth, you get my drift... that was a bit confusing at times. Then the little plot holes that had people coming in and out for no apparent purpose, and then left us wondering what happened to them in the end (especially when they deserved some comeuppance).

I really gave the drama a chance because I had just watched FSF in Shining Just for You - and I liked him in that one, and I liked him in this one too. His character took a little getting used to, but he played it well. He (and so many of the other actors) played their roles so well that you liked the ones you liked and despised the villains. I found myself yelling at the screen when characters like Minglan's father and stepmother were on - and Gu Tingyu's stepmother (probably the most evil character in this). Some characters could have been developed a little more - and a little more attention to other relationships would have been better than the boring court/minister scenes and the battle/war scenes. A lot of time was wasted on the concubine's fawning on Father Sheng - and his stupid obsession with the family reputation. Same with his wife's obsession with petty revenge and spite. Still, it made for emotional watching - even if that emotion was disgust and frustration.

The chemistry between the ML & FL lead was obviously there given their real-life situation (which sadly ended). But I have never been a big fan of Zhao LiYing. She did a much better job in showing her emotions in this one, but she's just not high on my list of actors (apologies to ZLY fans). I loved the characters Grandma Sheng and Nanny Chang. Loved Shitou and Chang Bai.

It was hard to digest the conditions that women endured in that era - always hard to watch because these roles are based on historical facts. But I know that these are stories, not real life. Still makes for a lot of mixed reactions.

I enjoyed the series. Hope for another long drama soon. However, wouldn't re-watch this. After a while I was fast-forwarding through some of the scenes which I thought were repetitious and unnecessary, or when a character came on who I didn't know or recognize - but realized had a side-story that really wasn't important to the main story.

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I admit I only watched for the ML

I dislike this short-episode format. This story had potential but too much in too little time made it fail for me. Scriptwriters have to do a better job pulling the pieces together and not wasting time on unimportant arcs (the evil stepsister after she served her purpose, the domineering mother - too many wasted scenes, the evil villain - too much time on his poor me story). The chemistry between the ML & the FL was there - but very much so because the ML was so smokin' hot!! I really watched the drama through to look at him. I hope we will see him in many dramas to come, and I would love to see him in a historical drama.

And can we talk about the ending? So many ways that could have been different - and what a let-down after so much time was wasted previously. And whatever that 'bonus' episode was meant for? It was a complete waste of time. The production was pretty good - costumes, sets, action, and the acting was pretty good too. It's the writing and the direction that fell short. To be honest, I only gave it as high a rating as I did because of Dai Gao Zheng.

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What an unexpected surprise!

I had been avoiding this drama for a while. Every time it popped up on the list of dramas, I would skip over it. Initially, the facial expressions of First Wife really turned me off. Third time's the charm. I watched the entire first episode, then the second, and then I was hooked. It's a hefty 43 episodes, but so worth it in the end! The story isn't overly complex and told in sections, so you know who the main focus is at the time. There are a couple of loopholes, but not so the story suffers.

The characters were endearing and hateful (whichever applied). The chemistry between the couples was believable and I really grew to like them. It was hard to watch the First Brother & his wife's story. He did her so wrong and didn't (I believe) make it up to her sufficiently. The villainess in that story arc did not get enough comeuppance for my taste, either. Favorite character? The matriarch for her grace and dignity. Least favorite character(s)? The housekeepers and maids in the mansion. Favorite couple? Sorry - not the ML & FL lead - Second Brother and his wife. They worked hard for that. Girl with the most guts? The Noble Consort, kicking the Emperor to the curb after he treated her so badly and expected her to fall back into his arms. Boom!

The OST - Lu Hu's voice is outstanding and so unique. His duet with Bai Lu 'The Purple Hairpin' was a work of beauty - I listen to it more than I'd like to admit and love it every time.

Overall, I liked how the entire drama told the story of the members of this family. Despite the bickering and competition (which reminds me - Third Brother's wife: what a money-grubber! I wish she had given him a little love), despite the ups and downs, this family loved each other as best as they knew how, and watching their stories unfold was really what held my interest. This one has made it to my list of favorites, and I will definitely be rewatching this at some point.

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Such a Good Watch

This is such a well-told story. There were some sweet moments that had me reaching for a Kleenex. The acting is superb, and the music was great too. The cinematography was excellent - some great close ups and shots of expressions on faces, and external cues. The watcher can almost feel the emotions at times. The villains were awful but believable - the good guys were admirable and even loveable. The leads were spectacular. I really liked this series. I liked that there were no senseless deaths, a lot of heroes, and a whole lot of love - lasting love, not just fluff. If you're looking for something you can sink your teeth into, this is it.

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A plot like Swiss cheese - full of holes

Where to start? I watched to the end, with a lot of fast-forwarding through scenes: fight scenes, plotting & meeting scenes, and ANY scene with the character Li Yan! (We'll get to her later). The story was choppy and had a lot of loose ends. Random characters kept getting thrown in here and there for no good reason, and a lot of scenes were drawn out and pointless. A lot of wandering through forests and paths, with hooded villains coming out of the trees. We were left wondering what happened to some characters (Chuchu's little brother), what the point of some characters really was (Third Prince - so naive and dumb). For a series with so many episodes, the writing and directing needs to be of a much higher and more efficient caliber, or else - fast forward!

There wasn't enough character development - they lumped couples together (which is fine if you tell their stories effectively) and the relationships were cute and believable but shallow. The ML & FL had some chemistry, but their facial expressions were the same throughout - and although they had some cute and touching moments together (when he takes the medicine and lays next to her waiting on the result...) they were just ok.

I just have to vent about one character in particular - because I was screaming at her throughout the entire series and feel that she got far too much screentime! Li Yan! What an ass! To say she was a moron would be a step up for her character (I know the actress is only playing the role) but D-U-M-B as a box of rocks! I am becoming acutely aware that writers tend to portray some of the secondary roles as totally inept and brainless. Either that, or they are obsessive and delusional about a perceived love-interest. This trend is particularly disturbing to me since there is usually a badass FL who they want to seem as smart and strong. However, making the other females be idiots isn't the way to go. I've seen a few dramas - and there are always those kinds of characters in the bunch, but this one took the cake - she definitely was the worst one written.

Would I rewatch it? No. They told their story, but it was forgettable. The writers couldn't even end the story well, and that says a lot because the characters all got 'happy endings' but very underwhelmingly so.

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The Good Guys Win in This One!

What a great series. Honestly! It was really well done. The story was simple and straightforward. The villains were villains and no surprises. The good guys were GOOD GUYS, and I could relate to every single one (well, except for the poison girl, but even she had redemption in the end).

Can we talk about the ML & FL and SML & SFL? What chemistry!!! Their friendships were believable and even that had chemistry. Despite being timid and intimidated by his wife, QingJai's character was his greatest strength, and his love for his wife was evident in every glance and touch. A'Jaio's strength of character and her fierce protection of her husband were endearing, and as she came to understand and love him, it was precious to watch. BUT my overall favorite couple was Gao Zheng and Yu Niang. What a love-story, and what chemistry. Those two were electric. I just adored that couple.

Everything tied up in the end, and for once the final episode was not rushed and sloppy. I would have liked some more PDA but that's the romantic in me. I just rewatched the scenes I loved best.

This is one drama I will be sure to rewatch. I cannot say enough how well done it was. The story, the acting, the music (love that ending song that Zhang Han Yun & Tong Meng Shi sing - they are fantastic), and of course, the romance. If there was a score higher than 10, I would have given it!

I'm hoping for some leading roles for Chin Yi Long - there's just something about that actor.

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Storytelling at its best with supreme acting!

The reviews got it right. For 36 episodes (which should have been more, so the ending didn't have to be so rushed) we shared the lives of 5 children who held on to the only thing in their lives that were true - each other (most especially their eldest brother). Taking into consideration the era, the culture, the changing times, new inventions - this production was so well done!

The performance of the actors was magnificent, each and every one of them. However, the three actors who truly outdid themselves were Bai Yu, Liu Jun, and Song Zu Er. Bai Yu was definitely the star of this production - but when an actor can make you despise them in the role they play or evoke so much emotion you feel like you know the character, that is great acting. With that in mind, I have to give the biggest credit of all to the child actors who portrayed the four main siblings as children. Their performances were stellar, and they each have great promise. It was them who drew me into the story to begin with, hungry to see how they grew up, how they managed, and who their characters became.

The OST was beautiful. As expected, Zhou Shen's opening song was haunting and beautiful. All the musical score was excellently placed and so appropriate.

There are enough reviews with recaps and analyses. I just cannot emphasize enough what a great production this was. The writing, directing, ACTING, music, cinematography, everything. This series rates so much more than a mere 10!

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An exercise in frustration if you don't speak Chinese

If I could follow the dialog in English, I am certain I would have given this title a higher rating. Trying to figure out what is going on and what the characters are saying is frustrating because of the crappy subtitling. And then, after episode 16, there was NO subtitling at all! In fact, I had trouble even finding the last two episodes of Season 1. I hate to think of what Season 2 is going to be like if/when I can find it.

The storyline seems to be interesting. The characters seem to be interesting. The relationships seem to work - the chemistry between the ML & FL was endearing and believable. However, Non-Chinese-speaking viewers really get screwed trying to watch these dramas, and that is unfortunate.

Out of desperation I watched the last two episodes and just had to be clueless as to any explanation of what was happening and why - and the way it ended was obviously to set you up for Season 2! So, I will go into Season 2 clueless, and hope for the best. However, if Season 2 is like Season 1, it might be a hard pass.

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How the Actors Save the Day

The story was just ok for me. The writing wasn't spectacular. The story dragged in parts, but I was so invested in the characters and their relationships that I kept coming back for more. Some of the villains were a little poorly written, no depth really. The same old ploy with the ministers - give them a fake story and they run with it, and in this case, an emperor who was that and worse. Still, the cast did a wonderful job in bringing their characters to life. I loathed the bad guys, loved the good guys.

Liked the camaraderie of the soldiers - and wished for a happier ending for them. The ending was nicely tied up for the most part, but I like to see what's happening and not get a narrative. So, I would have liked to see the young emperor with his two older mentors come back to the palace, and I would have liked to see a family (or even a wedding) for Chang'er & Taozi. And hey, what happened to Pei Yuan?!

And of course, the real draw for me... Xu Kai. That face! His expressions! OMG he is absolutely gorgeous in historical garb, especially the military uniforms! WOWZA! And he's a god on a horse! The chemistry between he and Jing Tian was sweet. Their bantering was cute and funny - and oddly enough for me, because I don't usually care for fight scenes, theirs were nicely coordinated and executed. They looked great, especially fighting together against a common foe. The way they got the evil minister *perfect*!

I didn't expect to like this drama as much as I did, and I might even go back and watch it again if I had time on my hands and just wanted a good dose of eye-candy (Xu Kai) and a little romance. If there had been better writing perhaps, I could have given this a higher score - but the acting earned all the points.

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What Rain?

I have to say that despite a few hiccups, I enjoyed this drama. So much time wasted on side stories and characters who contributed very little to the overall plot. The war and fighting scenes were overdone and took up too much time for my liking. This whole drama could have been told in less episodes with less fillers.

First time seeing most of these lead actors. I realized the chemistry between the ML & FL immediately. The 2ML was handsome and all that, but despite her goo goo eyes at him, I felt little or no chemistry between them, so I had no problem with 2ML syndrome. I liked the pairing of 2FL & 2ML and how it kind of developed as their personalities and backgrounds were more appropriately aligned. BUT - that character of FengYao OMG! If she shouted, called out, called after, or moaned Mo Xi one more time I was going to throw something at the screen! Helpless, simple-minded and just plain useless! I'm glad she had some redemption in the end.

The FL is beautiful - even when she was scowling or making faces, she has a very pretty face. The ML was rugged and rough and scoundrel-ish, and I grew to like him. I kept mixing up the 'bad guys' and couldn't really keep track of the plots and who's working with who. And that gender-bender general was downright nasty! That actress played the part so well that was the one character I genuinely hated with a passion.

OST was pretty.

I might rewatch if I wanted to kill some time on a weekend. I'd still fast-forward through some of the scenes, but there are some scenes I enjoyed and would watch again.

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This One Was Eye-Candy Only!

Dai Gao Zheng. That's the reason I lasted through 30 short episodes. I was rewarded by every shirtless scene and even a few of the kisses because he is hot. HOT! Admittedly he had much better chemistry with this FL in Maid's Revenge, but she was very disappointing and underwhelming in this drama.

The story was weak. The acting overall was mediocre. I would say the only really believable character was the ML's adopted brother. The story had so many holes, and the story was really not very well developed. Poor writing was the contributor to this, I think.

The only reason I gave this as much a rating as I did was because of the ML. And I knew that it wasn't his acting I was really paying attention to. He was much more convincing in MR (but I watched that one for the shirtless scenes and his sex appeal too). Same applies to rewatch. I wouldn't come back for the story or the acting, just to look at this very appealing ML!

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Couple Chemistry Saved This One!

The drama was just ok. Too much business-speak and meaningless interactions between characters who didn't have a lot to contribute to the main story. Just a lot of fillers. Still, the acting was pretty good - no silly, overly dramatic characters, no villains to seek revenge, just overall a fair characterization of ambitious, overworked professionals in the big city. The episodes tended to drag in places where there really was no importance to the storyline, and that time could have been better spent on the lead and side couples' relationship development and wrap up. The last episode was quite underwhelming with a lot of repetitious babble, but we still got the happy ending we deserved.

The real star of this drama was the chemistry between Elvis & Elvira. While too much time was wasted on the bantering back and forth and the ambiguous exchanges at times, there is absolutely no doubt about the electricity between these two. Those soulful stares from Elvis and Elvira's response to him just sizzled. I liked the sister and her young boyfriend, but really felt sorry for the first guy with the psychological problems. He really played his part well, my heart bled for him even when I tried to see him as creepy. I also liked the love story of the pretentious client and her childhood friend, and the second boss and her guy. All-in-all, while I could have used a little more PDA all-around, the romance part scored.

OST was beautiful and added to the story.

Worth a re-watch on a lazy weekend with nothing to do and kill time. I'm a fan of Elvis Han now. I liked him in Three Kingdoms - but not near as much as in this modern-day role. Will also take a look at Elvira's work as well.

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