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This review may contain spoilers
The Most Tormented, Desolated Soul: A Mission for Justice & Revenge by the Woman Who Braved It All.
"The nation, including the people, is never an empire owned by one person. To blame oneself and one's kin is all for the sake of being blameless before the world." - Emperor Xuan (Mo Yan Qi)
Right from the outset of this review, I want to declare that I experienced little to no worry or frustration while watching this drama. In fact, I was deeply captivated and swayed by how the narrative was delivered in a solemn, yet excruciatingly heart-wrenching manner. Truly a job well done.
From the beginning up to the three-quarters mark of the drama, the narrative delivered nothing but an inspirational and captivating story—one that tenderly cradles while simultaneously veiling the evocative, passionate, yet devastating elements of the plot. If I were to compare it to an object, it would be a jigsaw puzzle—a mysterious one that holds and conceals an underlying depth despite its seemingly light and entertaining appearance. Watching this show felt like an interactive activity of patiently collecting a single puzzle piece each episode until you can finally assemble all the fragments to see its full glory and discover the earth-shattering secret it has been ostensibly hiding all this time. It was a narrative where the plot was shallowly concealed by its craftsmen deliberately, as if they never genuinely wanted to hide its secrets at all, leaving them right out in the open, waiting for the audience's curiosity and foresight to figure everything out. That is why by episode 5, I already had a clear idea of the direction they were steering this emotional story toward, and even before reaching the halfway point, I had already perceived what the whole picture might actually look like—one so grim, saddening, and devastating that I knew for sure it would render me completely speechless with a heavy heart. A prediction that turned out to be entirely accurate. 😭
For the record, although the pattern of the main plot may seem to follow a formulaic structure—one so well-worn you can already predict what's going to happen—to me, it was more of the writers' leniency and consideration toward the viewers. It's like they never really intended to make this a heavy drama to start with. So as to lessen the impact and prevent us from being utterly devastated once the mysteries are finally unfolded, they instead deliberately left obvious clues early on to make things easier for us and to maintain its fun and entertaining vibe.
Sadly, in spite of its highly compelling run, the drama still suffered an unexpected low point—a hiccup around the final quarter of the story that spoiled the otherwise smooth and almost perfect momentum of the show. What bothered me, though, is that this misstep could have easily been avoided if the writers had wanted to, since the logical groundwork for the conflicts had already been aligned and laid out beforehand. Therefore, I was truly dumbfounded that they still pushed through with the whole divorce plotline when it was entirely unnecessary. It felt like a blatant plot contrivance, manufactured solely to engineer the friction needed to expose a specific outcome—the truth behind the disastrous incident at Lishan Academy. It became apparent that the writers wanted to reveal this truth all along but either missed the opportune moment or were simply uncertain of where it logically fit. Unfortunately, this narrative miscalculation undeniably disrupted the story's seamless run for me.
Looking at it from another perspective, what I appreciated most about this misstep was that the narrative didn't linger too much on it. Instead, they moved on almost immediately in the subsequent episode, resolving the conflict to finally stage the outcome they had so desperately wanted to reveal all along. This perfectly illustrates the "missed timing/plot uncertainty" I noted above; because the whole divorce plotline lacked the structural weight of a major conflict, it functioned merely as an instrument to pave the way for their long-awaited tragic revelation.
Conversely, the story's climax and conclusion were otherwise executed very well. It was deeply satisfying to witness how Feng Zhiyao successfully avenged Princess Lingyun, and how Ye Ying was finally reunited with her husband, Prince Li—only to be slapped with the harsh reality that his ambitions far outweighed their relationship, which shortly concluded in a complete tragedy as Prince Li was defeated and ultimately faced his inevitable downfall. Above all, what really stood out was the Empress Dowager's well-deserved utter demise. She was rebuked by her own son, stripped of her posthumous titles, and buried simply as a commoner, with all her abominable misdeeds exposed to the world to serve as justice for the unimaginable atrocities she committed.
If there is anything I want to express my dissatisfaction with, it would be Ye Li's duel with Mo Jingli. The execution, dialogue, and emotions infused into their fight scenes were nicely done. However, it was totally disappointing to see Ye Li getting floored by him when all this time her character was built up as someone who possesses formidable martial arts skills—which she learned from her renowned Master Zhu. For me, this is the most significant missed opportunity of the show. Her skills received immense hype but were ultimately proven to be useless and decent at best, as they were technically hidden—except for a couple of scenes where she was in a dire situation—until her duel with Mo Jingli. Honestly, it could have been a game-changer and a huge mood booster if they had only allowed her to fight alongside Mo Xiuyao. Instead, they kept her detained in the palace as a hostage. I am not saying it is a bad decision, as it completely aligns with the dramatic tension of the plot; it is just that I have been craving to witness her battle prowess for a long time, only to be provided with palace intrigue that, presumably, no one really wanted. In the end, I can genuinely say that her martial arts prowess was overhyped for nothing.
"The wise mend their deficiencies, while the foolish offer others their weaknesses." - Empress Dowager (Guo Jin)
Finally, for my closing statements, let me just dedicate some words of admiration to our female lead, Ye Li.
One key feature I incredibly admire about this drama is Ye Li's tenacity, perseverance, and determination to seek revenge, uphold justice, and demand retribution from the people who brought harm to Lishan Academy, at the same time diligently repaying their debt of gratitude to all the people, significant or not, who extended a helping hand when they needed it most. I deeply appreciate that her purpose was not entirely fixated on revenge, but also on returning the kindness they received, regardless of how big or small it is. She stands as the ultimate embodiment of the deceased and the living proof of Lishan Academy's existence.
I literally binge-watched the first three-quarters of the show without blinking an eye—aside from the several instances where I had to wipe away tears that unconsciously slipped through. It was a thoroughly emotional journey of endurance and painstaking effort to exact a delicately cultivated revenge. What made it more agonizing though was the fact that Ye Li suffered unimaginable grief and anguish in desolation, until she eventually developed bereavement psychosis—a trauma-induced, deceptive coping mechanism rooted in severe denial and dissociation, a condition that preserves one's sanity and life itself from an unbearable reality by creating an illusory bubble where everything remains the same as if nothing has changed, which was triggered by going through an agony so intense it led to self-exhaustion, leaving a sharp, world-shattering impact deep within her.
All that said, it breaks my heart to smithereens how she still managed to become a literal sun—irradiating the dark and gloomy lives of those around her, especially her husband, Mo Xiuyao, and the residents of the Prince Ding mansion—despite being engulfed in complete darkness herself. It is astonishing how she illuminated and bestowed blinding light upon the people around her, vitalizing them and bringing hope to their dreary lives while she, on the other hand, was being enveloped and consumed by loneliness inside. She is the very figure who raised the family up from its devastating ruins and mended its foundation to make it strong and whole again. Consequently, watching the plot unfold little by little made me slowly sink into great misery myself. She is the kind of character I want to envelop in my tight and warm embrace while gently patting her on the back for bearing through it all, knowing just how exhausting and excruciating it had been all along.
"Mo Xiuyao, don't let your life become a show in their eyes." - Ye Li
Story - 9.5, This could have been an easy 10 if not for the contrived divorce plot they reinforced to save their asses for their seeming lack of discernment on when the best timing was to unveil the biggest revelation of the story—Lishan Academy's demise. Although it wasn't highly dramatized, it still remains the biggest factor that disrupted my seamless emotional experience watching this show. Aside from that, I tremendously enjoyed this story. I was highly entertained by how Ye Li was orchestrating her own revenge schemes behind Mo Xiuyao. She played him big time there. Hahaha!
Acting/Cast - 9.5, I undeniably adore both of our main leads, but Bai Lu's masterful portrayal of her character—by properly conveying every emotion and how strongly it was received by the viewers—stood out the best to me. Watching Cheng Lei, on the other hand, reminded me of another drama (Scent of Time), specifically during his irritated, enraged, and beaming scenes. For some reason, while watching his portrayal, I unconsciously became so fixated and overly discerning of his facial expressions that I started getting bothered and weirded out by how different and unnatural they were from his usually calm, stoic, and dangerous demeanor, to the point that I started thinking of another actor (Wang Xingyue) while watching him, imagining that the character would fit him better... I am so sorry, Cheng Lei! In conclusion, I realized that he needs improvement for roles that require a wide variety of overly animated expressions. Other than that, I love that both of their characters are mature and adaptable, given how their conflicts are getting resolved shortly within the same episode—majority of the time thanks to Ye Li. Therefore, I want to give extra credit to her, as she practically carried 80% of the conflicts and emotional aspects of this show on her back.
Music - 10, Each track is individually remarkable, but when infused with the drama's sequences, their value immediately skyrocketed beyond expectations. They accompanied every scene they were played in very well, enhancing and bringing forth even more of the emotions hidden deep within. My top favorites are: 吻合 (In Harmony), 爱，不止如此 (Love is More Than This), 来日方长 (There's Plenty of Time Ahead), and lastly—I know it's weird—but I was overly captivated by the Sutra chanting part in the song 心世界 (World of the Heart).
Rewatch Value - 9.5, This is a drama I wouldn't mind watching again despite the plot contrivance I mentioned above. Thank heavens the writers didn't treat it as a major plot device; if it had turned out to be a major conflict, my perspective would certainly not be as light and calm as it is right now.
Overall - 9.5, Personally, I can say that this is close to a solid narrative, with the exception of the forced divorce plot. Therefore, I cannot understand the "hate train" of the viewers' dissatisfied reviews posted on MDL for this drama. The emotions were delivered perfectly, and so was the story, so, why???
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.
Right from the outset of this review, I want to declare that I experienced little to no worry or frustration while watching this drama. In fact, I was deeply captivated and swayed by how the narrative was delivered in a solemn, yet excruciatingly heart-wrenching manner. Truly a job well done.
From the beginning up to the three-quarters mark of the drama, the narrative delivered nothing but an inspirational and captivating story—one that tenderly cradles while simultaneously veiling the evocative, passionate, yet devastating elements of the plot. If I were to compare it to an object, it would be a jigsaw puzzle—a mysterious one that holds and conceals an underlying depth despite its seemingly light and entertaining appearance. Watching this show felt like an interactive activity of patiently collecting a single puzzle piece each episode until you can finally assemble all the fragments to see its full glory and discover the earth-shattering secret it has been ostensibly hiding all this time. It was a narrative where the plot was shallowly concealed by its craftsmen deliberately, as if they never genuinely wanted to hide its secrets at all, leaving them right out in the open, waiting for the audience's curiosity and foresight to figure everything out. That is why by episode 5, I already had a clear idea of the direction they were steering this emotional story toward, and even before reaching the halfway point, I had already perceived what the whole picture might actually look like—one so grim, saddening, and devastating that I knew for sure it would render me completely speechless with a heavy heart. A prediction that turned out to be entirely accurate. 😭
For the record, although the pattern of the main plot may seem to follow a formulaic structure—one so well-worn you can already predict what's going to happen—to me, it was more of the writers' leniency and consideration toward the viewers. It's like they never really intended to make this a heavy drama to start with. So as to lessen the impact and prevent us from being utterly devastated once the mysteries are finally unfolded, they instead deliberately left obvious clues early on to make things easier for us and to maintain its fun and entertaining vibe.
Sadly, in spite of its highly compelling run, the drama still suffered an unexpected low point—a hiccup around the final quarter of the story that spoiled the otherwise smooth and almost perfect momentum of the show. What bothered me, though, is that this misstep could have easily been avoided if the writers had wanted to, since the logical groundwork for the conflicts had already been aligned and laid out beforehand. Therefore, I was truly dumbfounded that they still pushed through with the whole divorce plotline when it was entirely unnecessary. It felt like a blatant plot contrivance, manufactured solely to engineer the friction needed to expose a specific outcome—the truth behind the disastrous incident at Lishan Academy. It became apparent that the writers wanted to reveal this truth all along but either missed the opportune moment or were simply uncertain of where it logically fit. Unfortunately, this narrative miscalculation undeniably disrupted the story's seamless run for me.
Looking at it from another perspective, what I appreciated most about this misstep was that the narrative didn't linger too much on it. Instead, they moved on almost immediately in the subsequent episode, resolving the conflict to finally stage the outcome they had so desperately wanted to reveal all along. This perfectly illustrates the "missed timing/plot uncertainty" I noted above; because the whole divorce plotline lacked the structural weight of a major conflict, it functioned merely as an instrument to pave the way for their long-awaited tragic revelation.
Conversely, the story's climax and conclusion were otherwise executed very well. It was deeply satisfying to witness how Feng Zhiyao successfully avenged Princess Lingyun, and how Ye Ying was finally reunited with her husband, Prince Li—only to be slapped with the harsh reality that his ambitions far outweighed their relationship, which shortly concluded in a complete tragedy as Prince Li was defeated and ultimately faced his inevitable downfall. Above all, what really stood out was the Empress Dowager's well-deserved utter demise. She was rebuked by her own son, stripped of her posthumous titles, and buried simply as a commoner, with all her abominable misdeeds exposed to the world to serve as justice for the unimaginable atrocities she committed.
If there is anything I want to express my dissatisfaction with, it would be Ye Li's duel with Mo Jingli. The execution, dialogue, and emotions infused into their fight scenes were nicely done. However, it was totally disappointing to see Ye Li getting floored by him when all this time her character was built up as someone who possesses formidable martial arts skills—which she learned from her renowned Master Zhu. For me, this is the most significant missed opportunity of the show. Her skills received immense hype but were ultimately proven to be useless and decent at best, as they were technically hidden—except for a couple of scenes where she was in a dire situation—until her duel with Mo Jingli. Honestly, it could have been a game-changer and a huge mood booster if they had only allowed her to fight alongside Mo Xiuyao. Instead, they kept her detained in the palace as a hostage. I am not saying it is a bad decision, as it completely aligns with the dramatic tension of the plot; it is just that I have been craving to witness her battle prowess for a long time, only to be provided with palace intrigue that, presumably, no one really wanted. In the end, I can genuinely say that her martial arts prowess was overhyped for nothing.
"The wise mend their deficiencies, while the foolish offer others their weaknesses." - Empress Dowager (Guo Jin)
Finally, for my closing statements, let me just dedicate some words of admiration to our female lead, Ye Li.
One key feature I incredibly admire about this drama is Ye Li's tenacity, perseverance, and determination to seek revenge, uphold justice, and demand retribution from the people who brought harm to Lishan Academy, at the same time diligently repaying their debt of gratitude to all the people, significant or not, who extended a helping hand when they needed it most. I deeply appreciate that her purpose was not entirely fixated on revenge, but also on returning the kindness they received, regardless of how big or small it is. She stands as the ultimate embodiment of the deceased and the living proof of Lishan Academy's existence.
I literally binge-watched the first three-quarters of the show without blinking an eye—aside from the several instances where I had to wipe away tears that unconsciously slipped through. It was a thoroughly emotional journey of endurance and painstaking effort to exact a delicately cultivated revenge. What made it more agonizing though was the fact that Ye Li suffered unimaginable grief and anguish in desolation, until she eventually developed bereavement psychosis—a trauma-induced, deceptive coping mechanism rooted in severe denial and dissociation, a condition that preserves one's sanity and life itself from an unbearable reality by creating an illusory bubble where everything remains the same as if nothing has changed, which was triggered by going through an agony so intense it led to self-exhaustion, leaving a sharp, world-shattering impact deep within her.
All that said, it breaks my heart to smithereens how she still managed to become a literal sun—irradiating the dark and gloomy lives of those around her, especially her husband, Mo Xiuyao, and the residents of the Prince Ding mansion—despite being engulfed in complete darkness herself. It is astonishing how she illuminated and bestowed blinding light upon the people around her, vitalizing them and bringing hope to their dreary lives while she, on the other hand, was being enveloped and consumed by loneliness inside. She is the very figure who raised the family up from its devastating ruins and mended its foundation to make it strong and whole again. Consequently, watching the plot unfold little by little made me slowly sink into great misery myself. She is the kind of character I want to envelop in my tight and warm embrace while gently patting her on the back for bearing through it all, knowing just how exhausting and excruciating it had been all along.
"Mo Xiuyao, don't let your life become a show in their eyes." - Ye Li
Story - 9.5, This could have been an easy 10 if not for the contrived divorce plot they reinforced to save their asses for their seeming lack of discernment on when the best timing was to unveil the biggest revelation of the story—Lishan Academy's demise. Although it wasn't highly dramatized, it still remains the biggest factor that disrupted my seamless emotional experience watching this show. Aside from that, I tremendously enjoyed this story. I was highly entertained by how Ye Li was orchestrating her own revenge schemes behind Mo Xiuyao. She played him big time there. Hahaha!
Acting/Cast - 9.5, I undeniably adore both of our main leads, but Bai Lu's masterful portrayal of her character—by properly conveying every emotion and how strongly it was received by the viewers—stood out the best to me. Watching Cheng Lei, on the other hand, reminded me of another drama (Scent of Time), specifically during his irritated, enraged, and beaming scenes. For some reason, while watching his portrayal, I unconsciously became so fixated and overly discerning of his facial expressions that I started getting bothered and weirded out by how different and unnatural they were from his usually calm, stoic, and dangerous demeanor, to the point that I started thinking of another actor (Wang Xingyue) while watching him, imagining that the character would fit him better... I am so sorry, Cheng Lei! In conclusion, I realized that he needs improvement for roles that require a wide variety of overly animated expressions. Other than that, I love that both of their characters are mature and adaptable, given how their conflicts are getting resolved shortly within the same episode—majority of the time thanks to Ye Li. Therefore, I want to give extra credit to her, as she practically carried 80% of the conflicts and emotional aspects of this show on her back.
Music - 10, Each track is individually remarkable, but when infused with the drama's sequences, their value immediately skyrocketed beyond expectations. They accompanied every scene they were played in very well, enhancing and bringing forth even more of the emotions hidden deep within. My top favorites are: 吻合 (In Harmony), 爱，不止如此 (Love is More Than This), 来日方长 (There's Plenty of Time Ahead), and lastly—I know it's weird—but I was overly captivated by the Sutra chanting part in the song 心世界 (World of the Heart).
Rewatch Value - 9.5, This is a drama I wouldn't mind watching again despite the plot contrivance I mentioned above. Thank heavens the writers didn't treat it as a major plot device; if it had turned out to be a major conflict, my perspective would certainly not be as light and calm as it is right now.
Overall - 9.5, Personally, I can say that this is close to a solid narrative, with the exception of the forced divorce plot. Therefore, I cannot understand the "hate train" of the viewers' dissatisfied reviews posted on MDL for this drama. The emotions were delivered perfectly, and so was the story, so, why???
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.
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