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This review may contain spoilers
From Gripping to Deplorable: How Careless, Incompetent Writing Ruined the Final Arc | Stellar Acting
"Remember this, Jiang Taohua. I'm not someone you can just call on and cast aside. This marriage was your choice. Even if it leads to nowhere, you have to see it through with me." - Shen Zai Ye
My main purpose for writing this is to refute and debunk the negative reviews posted for this show here on MDL. I feel like they have gotten completely out of hand, unfairly tarnishing the drama's reputation that it clearly doesn't deserve. It's just concerning how the review section was swarmed with massive backlash when, in reality, three-quarters of the show was well-made, making the story not bad at all. I think it is about time we give this story the love and appreciation it rightfully deserves.
Completing this drama made me question the immense hate it has received here on MDL. Honestly, I don't understand where those reviewers are coming from by dragging the entire story down, because contrary to the critically panned reviews I have read here, I, on the other hand, was deeply captivated and entertained while watching this show. It was not bad at all compared to how people described it—be it the storyline, the plot, or even the execution. I would even argue that this is far better than most historical C-dramas you can find out there that utilize the same plots and over time suffer from overwhelming plot holes left and right.
The story was thrilling and compelling. The main plot was tightly woven, while the sub-plots became a great foundation that carried the story forward. Although I will admit that there are plot holes towards the final 6 episodes, but most of them are considerably minimal and did not entirely ruin the show for me. It did cause annoyance and irritation, sure, but definitely not to the point where I thought of dropping the show. Truth be told, throughout my watch journey, it never crossed my mind to drop this drama.
Even the midpoint part, which I thought would finally make me utterly frustrated—based on other viewers' reviews—because of the worn-out amnesia trope, surprisingly didn't put me off at all. In fact, it was executed with the utmost care, attention, and control, adding just the right amount of drama needed to progress the plot and develop the MLs (Shen Zai Ye) romantic feelings for the FL (Jiang Tao Hua) while keeping the story logically sound. I can go as far as to say that this is among the top 5 best executions of the amnesia trope I have watched in C-dramaland to date.
Let me also commend the deliberate utilization and execution of the espionage and political plot devices. I appreciate that they were not utilized mindlessly for some unnecessary drama, and were instead used in a more rational sense that maintains the harmony and consistency in the narrative. What's more admirable is that both of our main leads are not just intelligent but are equally experienced individuals who are capable of easily adapting to any situation they are thrown into, by anticipating outcomes and maintaining contingency plans. Those traits put me at ease and allowed me to enjoy the story without worrying much that one of them might suddenly make a dumb move that may put them in a dire situation. They both work independently but are always there to help one another whenever one is in need of assistance. Which actually leads to my next point...
Although I was particularly annoyed with Jiang Taohua in several instances for stubbornly rejecting Shen Zaiye's help and offers, I just appreciated how he was always there, instinctively, whenever she needed him. It was delightful to witness how he gradually evolved into a companion who knew how to read and understand her without words, and vice versa. This made their cooperation much more wholesome because both of them were present for each other's tough times, even without being asked.
If there's one factor that baffled and disappointed me, one that deserves fierce criticism, it would be the writers' careless decision, combined with their incompetence in providing us with formidable enemies capable of rivaling our highly intelligent main leads. I understand the reason why Empress Lv was kept as one of the main antagonist. However, I think it was otherwise an utterly foolish decision to take out Meng Huaijin—the most promising enemy we could have reserved for the climax—early in the story, only to replace him with the obsessively smitten Mu Wuyin, who has a severe nanny complex. It was just preposterous how they confidently committed to the decision of eliminating their most capable and promising character but failed miserably to develop their chosen one to his full potential—later on even reducing him to a mere, pathetic, highly deluded, lovesick guy. It was just absurd how Mu Wuyin turned from a seemingly clever man into an insane, melancholic, heartbroken damsel in distress towards the pre-climax. They did him dirty, which eventually backfired as it reflects their miscommitment and haste in choosing their main antagonist.
To be clear, I initially wasn't bothered by Meng Huaijin's early death, as it was reasonable and an inevitable outcome at the time—a crucial move to intensify the conflicts in the story and what I presumed would help the plot move forward to a more groundbreaking climax, especially since I had high expectations that they had something more impressive in store for us. However, it was after the pre-climax when the realization finally sank in how they had wasted Meng Huaijin's potential just to make way for the undeserving Mu Wuyin, who ended up being a pathetic and incompetent character in the end. I was left in a state of disbelief, disgust, and disappointment, to the point where I wished Meng Huaijin had not been killed. It's just unforgivable how they sacrificed what could have been an ultimate battle of wits and intelligence for a plot that's merely driven by lust and romantic obsession. It was even more frustrating that the main antagonists we ended up having are a pair of shallow individuals who are only capable when using underhanded schemes, but are greatly overwhelmed and outwitted once faced with unprecedented adversities.
In conclusion, the antagonists designated for the finale are a pair of pathetically disappointing and underwhelming individuals. The only praiseworthy villain that comes to mind is Meng Zhenzhen. I appreciate how they further developed her character in the story while maintaining her rationality until the end! She always had a redemption path laid out for her to choose from, and it's satisfying how she always chose that option.
The next point I want to talk about is the last six episodes, which encompass the climax and the ending. This is the part where minor absurdities and plot holes started spawning left and right. My review will be much longer if I expound on them one by one, so I will just list down my frustrations below:
• The blatant act of letting the main antagonists escape a couple of times: First, in episode 30 towards the end of the Luocheng Arc, they could have easily apprehended Mu Wuyin while his spirit was broken and he was in a state of total devastation after realizing Empress Lv's betrayal, yet they did not. Second, in episode 33, when they were trying to suppress Empress Lv and Mu Wuyin during their attempt to usurp the throne, they yet again allowed them to escape when they were literally right in front of their eyes.
• The hasty assumption of their deaths: In episode 33, I also cannot fathom how they almost immediately concluded that both Empress Lv and Mu Wuyin had died in the fire, without harboring any doubts that it might be a scheme.
• The cliché negotiation: In episode 36, Shen Zaiye tries to talk rationality into Empress Lv's head as if she would ever listen. Thank God Jiang Taohua was there. It was an utterly ridiculous scene to watch—a very worn-out, cliché element.
• The logical oversight with the Yinghuo Flower: In episode 36, when the Yinghuo Flower was burning, they could have literally used their feet to kick the flowers away, since some of them were visibly not engulfed in flames yet, but they did not.
• The frustrating inaction: In episode 36, after Jiang Taohua is freed from the cage cell, instead of helping Shen Zaiye escape as well, she simply stands in front of it in a daze, looking at her master, Qian Mochen, as he dies. At that point, I just gave up.
It's farcical how the script diminished their foresight and sharp judgment towards the end, reducing them from highly perceptive leads into sloppy and careless individuals who overlook obvious things just to create additional drama.
Lastly, I just want to express my gratitude to the writers for keeping the overly annoying and impulsive Xiang Qingying (Shen Zaiye's sister) at bay. She was initially my greatest character frustration in this show, and I am just glad she did not turn out to be even more irritating towards the end. I was even happy that her skills were finally highlighted during the Luocheng arc.
Story - 9.0, To keep facts straight, I totally enjoyed the first 30 episodes of this drama. My dissatisfaction only kicked in when they finally revealed the utterly deplorable path they had woven for Mu Wuyin, alongside the several narrative hiccups and plot holes I mentioned above.
Acting/Cast - 10, What a solid ensemble. What was shown here were top-notch, emotionally expressive, and controlled acting performances from the actors and actresses. I'm extremely impressed by how they truly embody their characters' emotions as if they were their own. Above all, I have to give it to our main leads—Meng Ziyi's big, round eyes made me deeply fixated and absorbed in her acting, while Liu Xueyi expressed his character masterfully in every aspect.
Music - 10, What I love most about this drama's OST is that it's entirely ballads, and they exquisitely carried and heightened the emotional depth of the story.
Rewatch Value - 8.0, If only they didn't degrade Mu Wuyin into a nasty piece of lovesick shit and did not incorporate all those plot holes that tainted the main leads' formidably established attributes, I could have rated this higher.
Overall - 9.0, Even with my complaints toward Mu Wuyin and the several plot holes in the story, I can still bravely declare that this is a nice watch overall. The last six episodes caught me off guard and left me completely baffled, but I don't think it was to a point where it entirely destroyed the foundation of the story. It is underwhelming, yes, but definitely not to a destructive level.
IF you find my reviews helpful please let me know.
My main purpose for writing this is to refute and debunk the negative reviews posted for this show here on MDL. I feel like they have gotten completely out of hand, unfairly tarnishing the drama's reputation that it clearly doesn't deserve. It's just concerning how the review section was swarmed with massive backlash when, in reality, three-quarters of the show was well-made, making the story not bad at all. I think it is about time we give this story the love and appreciation it rightfully deserves.
Completing this drama made me question the immense hate it has received here on MDL. Honestly, I don't understand where those reviewers are coming from by dragging the entire story down, because contrary to the critically panned reviews I have read here, I, on the other hand, was deeply captivated and entertained while watching this show. It was not bad at all compared to how people described it—be it the storyline, the plot, or even the execution. I would even argue that this is far better than most historical C-dramas you can find out there that utilize the same plots and over time suffer from overwhelming plot holes left and right.
The story was thrilling and compelling. The main plot was tightly woven, while the sub-plots became a great foundation that carried the story forward. Although I will admit that there are plot holes towards the final 6 episodes, but most of them are considerably minimal and did not entirely ruin the show for me. It did cause annoyance and irritation, sure, but definitely not to the point where I thought of dropping the show. Truth be told, throughout my watch journey, it never crossed my mind to drop this drama.
Even the midpoint part, which I thought would finally make me utterly frustrated—based on other viewers' reviews—because of the worn-out amnesia trope, surprisingly didn't put me off at all. In fact, it was executed with the utmost care, attention, and control, adding just the right amount of drama needed to progress the plot and develop the MLs (Shen Zai Ye) romantic feelings for the FL (Jiang Tao Hua) while keeping the story logically sound. I can go as far as to say that this is among the top 5 best executions of the amnesia trope I have watched in C-dramaland to date.
Let me also commend the deliberate utilization and execution of the espionage and political plot devices. I appreciate that they were not utilized mindlessly for some unnecessary drama, and were instead used in a more rational sense that maintains the harmony and consistency in the narrative. What's more admirable is that both of our main leads are not just intelligent but are equally experienced individuals who are capable of easily adapting to any situation they are thrown into, by anticipating outcomes and maintaining contingency plans. Those traits put me at ease and allowed me to enjoy the story without worrying much that one of them might suddenly make a dumb move that may put them in a dire situation. They both work independently but are always there to help one another whenever one is in need of assistance. Which actually leads to my next point...
Although I was particularly annoyed with Jiang Taohua in several instances for stubbornly rejecting Shen Zaiye's help and offers, I just appreciated how he was always there, instinctively, whenever she needed him. It was delightful to witness how he gradually evolved into a companion who knew how to read and understand her without words, and vice versa. This made their cooperation much more wholesome because both of them were present for each other's tough times, even without being asked.
If there's one factor that baffled and disappointed me, one that deserves fierce criticism, it would be the writers' careless decision, combined with their incompetence in providing us with formidable enemies capable of rivaling our highly intelligent main leads. I understand the reason why Empress Lv was kept as one of the main antagonist. However, I think it was otherwise an utterly foolish decision to take out Meng Huaijin—the most promising enemy we could have reserved for the climax—early in the story, only to replace him with the obsessively smitten Mu Wuyin, who has a severe nanny complex. It was just preposterous how they confidently committed to the decision of eliminating their most capable and promising character but failed miserably to develop their chosen one to his full potential—later on even reducing him to a mere, pathetic, highly deluded, lovesick guy. It was just absurd how Mu Wuyin turned from a seemingly clever man into an insane, melancholic, heartbroken damsel in distress towards the pre-climax. They did him dirty, which eventually backfired as it reflects their miscommitment and haste in choosing their main antagonist.
To be clear, I initially wasn't bothered by Meng Huaijin's early death, as it was reasonable and an inevitable outcome at the time—a crucial move to intensify the conflicts in the story and what I presumed would help the plot move forward to a more groundbreaking climax, especially since I had high expectations that they had something more impressive in store for us. However, it was after the pre-climax when the realization finally sank in how they had wasted Meng Huaijin's potential just to make way for the undeserving Mu Wuyin, who ended up being a pathetic and incompetent character in the end. I was left in a state of disbelief, disgust, and disappointment, to the point where I wished Meng Huaijin had not been killed. It's just unforgivable how they sacrificed what could have been an ultimate battle of wits and intelligence for a plot that's merely driven by lust and romantic obsession. It was even more frustrating that the main antagonists we ended up having are a pair of shallow individuals who are only capable when using underhanded schemes, but are greatly overwhelmed and outwitted once faced with unprecedented adversities.
In conclusion, the antagonists designated for the finale are a pair of pathetically disappointing and underwhelming individuals. The only praiseworthy villain that comes to mind is Meng Zhenzhen. I appreciate how they further developed her character in the story while maintaining her rationality until the end! She always had a redemption path laid out for her to choose from, and it's satisfying how she always chose that option.
The next point I want to talk about is the last six episodes, which encompass the climax and the ending. This is the part where minor absurdities and plot holes started spawning left and right. My review will be much longer if I expound on them one by one, so I will just list down my frustrations below:
• The blatant act of letting the main antagonists escape a couple of times: First, in episode 30 towards the end of the Luocheng Arc, they could have easily apprehended Mu Wuyin while his spirit was broken and he was in a state of total devastation after realizing Empress Lv's betrayal, yet they did not. Second, in episode 33, when they were trying to suppress Empress Lv and Mu Wuyin during their attempt to usurp the throne, they yet again allowed them to escape when they were literally right in front of their eyes.
• The hasty assumption of their deaths: In episode 33, I also cannot fathom how they almost immediately concluded that both Empress Lv and Mu Wuyin had died in the fire, without harboring any doubts that it might be a scheme.
• The cliché negotiation: In episode 36, Shen Zaiye tries to talk rationality into Empress Lv's head as if she would ever listen. Thank God Jiang Taohua was there. It was an utterly ridiculous scene to watch—a very worn-out, cliché element.
• The logical oversight with the Yinghuo Flower: In episode 36, when the Yinghuo Flower was burning, they could have literally used their feet to kick the flowers away, since some of them were visibly not engulfed in flames yet, but they did not.
• The frustrating inaction: In episode 36, after Jiang Taohua is freed from the cage cell, instead of helping Shen Zaiye escape as well, she simply stands in front of it in a daze, looking at her master, Qian Mochen, as he dies. At that point, I just gave up.
It's farcical how the script diminished their foresight and sharp judgment towards the end, reducing them from highly perceptive leads into sloppy and careless individuals who overlook obvious things just to create additional drama.
Lastly, I just want to express my gratitude to the writers for keeping the overly annoying and impulsive Xiang Qingying (Shen Zaiye's sister) at bay. She was initially my greatest character frustration in this show, and I am just glad she did not turn out to be even more irritating towards the end. I was even happy that her skills were finally highlighted during the Luocheng arc.
Story - 9.0, To keep facts straight, I totally enjoyed the first 30 episodes of this drama. My dissatisfaction only kicked in when they finally revealed the utterly deplorable path they had woven for Mu Wuyin, alongside the several narrative hiccups and plot holes I mentioned above.
Acting/Cast - 10, What a solid ensemble. What was shown here were top-notch, emotionally expressive, and controlled acting performances from the actors and actresses. I'm extremely impressed by how they truly embody their characters' emotions as if they were their own. Above all, I have to give it to our main leads—Meng Ziyi's big, round eyes made me deeply fixated and absorbed in her acting, while Liu Xueyi expressed his character masterfully in every aspect.
Music - 10, What I love most about this drama's OST is that it's entirely ballads, and they exquisitely carried and heightened the emotional depth of the story.
Rewatch Value - 8.0, If only they didn't degrade Mu Wuyin into a nasty piece of lovesick shit and did not incorporate all those plot holes that tainted the main leads' formidably established attributes, I could have rated this higher.
Overall - 9.0, Even with my complaints toward Mu Wuyin and the several plot holes in the story, I can still bravely declare that this is a nice watch overall. The last six episodes caught me off guard and left me completely baffled, but I don't think it was to a point where it entirely destroyed the foundation of the story. It is underwhelming, yes, but definitely not to a destructive level.
IF you find my reviews helpful please let me know.
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