I came expecting nothing. Being not a fan of romance, I was at first kinda skeptical because there's a girl on the cover (oh man, I know, I judge books by their cover so much my bad). But I'm certainly surprised, and pleasantly so, as I dived into the story.
I'm aware that it's probably cliche at this point to have romance-driven revenge and undercover Chinese shows are certainly not new. However, I can say that there's 0 romance in terms of development. The show is as simple as it comes (drugs, boss, undercover agent, police, gangs) but it is also neither black nor white in its portrayal of the main characters. You'll fall in love with some you shouldn't be and you'll hate some that you shouldn't be. Personally, I'm very attached to the characters, and knowing them, I fear the ending as soon as I grew attached.
The most important aspect of this show, to me, is the relationship between the two male leads. There're lies, truths, deceptions, covers, and twist and turns that you might never see coming. But through it all, it only melds the two together. Their relationship is more or less build on lies, as expected between a drug leader and an undercover police officer, but it's exactly that that makes the whole story satisfying yet difficult to watch at times.

So if you're looking for some thriller/crime/action without it being entirely romance-driven, or having the main character be pulled astray by a female character, or losing excitement, or lacking 'human' characters, then this show is definitely perfect to add to your watched show collection.

also the male lead is perfectly competent without being naive like some random rookie officers. (MILD SPOILER) Honestly, gwad, no wonder all the drug dealers want him to work for them.

Edit: While the ending does fall a little flat, I'm still very pleased by the drama and the whole ride it took me on. It's not a bad ending, don't get me wrong, it just is flat compared to how amazing the other episodes were.

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An Interesting Message on Society

The story takes place in China and it's about two people on a trip to assess gems who find themselves in a very remote place of China that is very cut off from modern civilization. People there live a very agrarian and secluded life and our two protagonists find themselves entranced by the serenity and beauty of the seclusion. Rather than about gems, the story is more about this village that the two protagonists stumble into when they got lost midway during their trip.

The characters and story are very interesting: the two characters lead different lives (one's a typical white-collar and the other's a mafia member). While both of them are attached to the peacefulness of being so far away from civilization, the degree of attachment is different between them. The white-collar appreciates the peace but he finds himself missing the company and the busyness of society. On the other hand, the mafia who has faced violence and blood his entire life would rather stay here secluded forever from society than go back to the gruesome life he used to live.

The film is refreshing, aesthetic, and at times humorous; however, near the end, the brightness and hopefulness become a bit pitiful and dark because of the mafia's desperation to stay and protect the place.

The ending to me was a bit confusing. I had to actually think over it a little bit before I understood why what happened happened. But overall, it was a really stunning film, both in terms of the scenery and the story delivered.

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