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The most I heard about this show was due to the controversial age gap between Ai Mi (17) and Hou Minghao (27), so I’ll address that first.
I do think 10 years is a lot when you’re 17. But I always try to see the characters and not the actors, and I also think they both did a good job portraying their roles. Ai Mi doesn’t look as young as some other 17-year-olds so the visual age gap is not outrageous, and she IS a young character. The show also avoids kiss scenes for this reason, but it is still a romance they need to sell, so there are plenty of gazes, hugs, cuddles, hand holding, etc. I don’t think the show is any worse for avoiding kisses.
For me personally, my knowledge of their creepy age gap was always sitting in the back of my mind, and I couldn’t help subconsciously cringing as I watched them try to sell the romance. I had to either believe it and get creeped out, or not believe it. I think somebody who is better immersed would probably not have this problem, so it’s a non-issue for some viewers. And for the rest of us, we may not agree with the casting decisions, but if we can look past it then there is still a decent story to enjoy.
The FL is kind-hearted and smart at engineering, but especially at the beginning, she is naïve and somewhat ditzy about the rest of life. Normally I like savvier FLs, but one unintended consequence for me of Ai Mi’s age is that the FL looks so young that I didn’t mind her innocence so much, or the way the ML is always watching out for her behind the scenes. I even found it cute. And then a big part of this show is about the FL growing up to become somebody who can stand up for herself and the people she cares about. Her growth and maturity are shown well, including the cost to her innocence.
The ML is a classic archetype of good guy with a bad rep, but I thought he’s done better than most. He really is a nice guy who gets little recognition for his good deeds, and I especially like how he tries to hang onto his friendship with the SML. He has all your classic ML traits (smart, good fighter, noble cause, etc) and the added drama of a ticking time bomb. Not that unique, but good use of tropes.
For supporting characters, some are interesting and some are fun, but I was never so attached to anyone as to wish they had more time. Maybe the emperor- minor character, but I liked how he sees through all the schemes but hates the whole game. The SML kept me on my toes. I found the show less stressful when I gave up on him early, but I was never quite sure which side of the fence he’d fall on. The villains are a mixed bag for me, some I hated and some I felt a little bad for.
There are also several strong female side characters. In general, this show does girl power well. The FL isn’t the only woman who has goals and dreams that she can fulfill through her own skills. There is also a conscious focus on women’s agency and freedom, which seems a popular theme for shows in the past year or two.
The pacing is in general decent, fast but not too choppy. The show skips a lot of details and procedure, like how people figure things out, which I discovered is ok with me. But I was confused by all the relationships and titles- the backstory is revealed satisfactorily but there are some aspects I never fully figured out (eg SML backstory). Everything is enough to get the gist though, and perhaps it’s for the better- details often don’t stand up to scrutiny anyways.
In the middle there is a patch where I think the pacing is too fast- big things happen abruptly, and the plot is pushed forward by not-quite-believable behavior. Closer to the ending, things also get rushed. I got some massive whiplash and confusion from schemes revealed in retrospect (plot twist style), along with various gaps and holes- some things underdeveloped, other things unexplained, other things glossed over. I think this show could have used more episodes, but honestly, I was kind of over it by then. Maybe less pontificating about the common people and use that time instead to plug plot holes
For the acting, I think people in general did a decent job and are believable. You just have to forget about the age gap. Peter Ho always gets so much praise, but actually I thought his dead-in-the-soul acting was too extreme. But he cried so well, it activated my mirror neurons and I actually started crying with him.
The fight choreography is pretty good. Some of the fights are very flashy (eg the first and last battles) with posing and stills. The CGI is... ok. Those fireballs were remarkably accurate, lol. In general I think the production is decent but not the best- the only part that stood out to me was the music. I like both the OST and the background music, which I thought set the tones really well. But sometimes the music cut back and forth between different songs too abruptly.
Overall it’s not a bad show. I liked the beginning better when I felt the ML and FL had a cute dynamic and there is a little humor. But then there is periodic heartache throughout and I ended up losing some interest, though it might have been self-protection to save me from feeling too upset.
ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS
It’s an ultimate happy ending for the two leads. After a time gap, the ML is saved by deus ex machina (I almost never complain about this). The SML ends up falling on the side of good, which is a relief. He’s lonely at the top, but we all know it’s a decision he made. The story ties up pretty well, even without a view of the future stretching forward. There is also a post-credit scene with a small plot twist.
MORE MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD
The Eagle King is the final baddy. He does lots of bad things, but I also felt sorry for him because he’s so sincere to Lejun- he is too smart to fall for her crap, but still chooses to indulge her. Their story together seems to be missing many pieces, as if scenes were deleted, creating much confusion and an ultimate villain that feels underdeveloped. But from what I glimpsed of it, I still didn’t feel good about how it went down. I don’t like being sad for somebody I’m supposed to hate (though maybe it would have been easier if he were uglier, lol).
To be fair, though, he also doesn’t even seem that important to the story. The guy is smart but didn’t really stand out from any of the other villains along the way.
I do think 10 years is a lot when you’re 17. But I always try to see the characters and not the actors, and I also think they both did a good job portraying their roles. Ai Mi doesn’t look as young as some other 17-year-olds so the visual age gap is not outrageous, and she IS a young character. The show also avoids kiss scenes for this reason, but it is still a romance they need to sell, so there are plenty of gazes, hugs, cuddles, hand holding, etc. I don’t think the show is any worse for avoiding kisses.
For me personally, my knowledge of their creepy age gap was always sitting in the back of my mind, and I couldn’t help subconsciously cringing as I watched them try to sell the romance. I had to either believe it and get creeped out, or not believe it. I think somebody who is better immersed would probably not have this problem, so it’s a non-issue for some viewers. And for the rest of us, we may not agree with the casting decisions, but if we can look past it then there is still a decent story to enjoy.
The FL is kind-hearted and smart at engineering, but especially at the beginning, she is naïve and somewhat ditzy about the rest of life. Normally I like savvier FLs, but one unintended consequence for me of Ai Mi’s age is that the FL looks so young that I didn’t mind her innocence so much, or the way the ML is always watching out for her behind the scenes. I even found it cute. And then a big part of this show is about the FL growing up to become somebody who can stand up for herself and the people she cares about. Her growth and maturity are shown well, including the cost to her innocence.
The ML is a classic archetype of good guy with a bad rep, but I thought he’s done better than most. He really is a nice guy who gets little recognition for his good deeds, and I especially like how he tries to hang onto his friendship with the SML. He has all your classic ML traits (smart, good fighter, noble cause, etc) and the added drama of a ticking time bomb. Not that unique, but good use of tropes.
For supporting characters, some are interesting and some are fun, but I was never so attached to anyone as to wish they had more time. Maybe the emperor- minor character, but I liked how he sees through all the schemes but hates the whole game. The SML kept me on my toes. I found the show less stressful when I gave up on him early, but I was never quite sure which side of the fence he’d fall on. The villains are a mixed bag for me, some I hated and some I felt a little bad for.
There are also several strong female side characters. In general, this show does girl power well. The FL isn’t the only woman who has goals and dreams that she can fulfill through her own skills. There is also a conscious focus on women’s agency and freedom, which seems a popular theme for shows in the past year or two.
The pacing is in general decent, fast but not too choppy. The show skips a lot of details and procedure, like how people figure things out, which I discovered is ok with me. But I was confused by all the relationships and titles- the backstory is revealed satisfactorily but there are some aspects I never fully figured out (eg SML backstory). Everything is enough to get the gist though, and perhaps it’s for the better- details often don’t stand up to scrutiny anyways.
In the middle there is a patch where I think the pacing is too fast- big things happen abruptly, and the plot is pushed forward by not-quite-believable behavior. Closer to the ending, things also get rushed. I got some massive whiplash and confusion from schemes revealed in retrospect (plot twist style), along with various gaps and holes- some things underdeveloped, other things unexplained, other things glossed over. I think this show could have used more episodes, but honestly, I was kind of over it by then. Maybe less pontificating about the common people and use that time instead to plug plot holes
For the acting, I think people in general did a decent job and are believable. You just have to forget about the age gap. Peter Ho always gets so much praise, but actually I thought his dead-in-the-soul acting was too extreme. But he cried so well, it activated my mirror neurons and I actually started crying with him.
The fight choreography is pretty good. Some of the fights are very flashy (eg the first and last battles) with posing and stills. The CGI is... ok. Those fireballs were remarkably accurate, lol. In general I think the production is decent but not the best- the only part that stood out to me was the music. I like both the OST and the background music, which I thought set the tones really well. But sometimes the music cut back and forth between different songs too abruptly.
Overall it’s not a bad show. I liked the beginning better when I felt the ML and FL had a cute dynamic and there is a little humor. But then there is periodic heartache throughout and I ended up losing some interest, though it might have been self-protection to save me from feeling too upset.
ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS
It’s an ultimate happy ending for the two leads. After a time gap, the ML is saved by deus ex machina (I almost never complain about this). The SML ends up falling on the side of good, which is a relief. He’s lonely at the top, but we all know it’s a decision he made. The story ties up pretty well, even without a view of the future stretching forward. There is also a post-credit scene with a small plot twist.
MORE MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD
The Eagle King is the final baddy. He does lots of bad things, but I also felt sorry for him because he’s so sincere to Lejun- he is too smart to fall for her crap, but still chooses to indulge her. Their story together seems to be missing many pieces, as if scenes were deleted, creating much confusion and an ultimate villain that feels underdeveloped. But from what I glimpsed of it, I still didn’t feel good about how it went down. I don’t like being sad for somebody I’m supposed to hate (though maybe it would have been easier if he were uglier, lol).
To be fair, though, he also doesn’t even seem that important to the story. The guy is smart but didn’t really stand out from any of the other villains along the way.
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