Sunbath12

The second 1/3 of the drama so far is experiencing the unfortunate lazy writing phenomenon often seen in C-dramas (or I guess any drama) to achieve "dramatic" scenes that do little to further the plot or the characters' growth. I can understand if our main leads have some issues to work out as a couple - in the last several episodes they don't communicate effectively and are prone to reacting first with emotions rather than with their heads. The problem is this contradicts their previously established characters as being intelligent and able to communicate with each other. Their earlier scenes together showed that when they sat down and talked things through, they could achieve things together. So yeah...hoping this dumb dumbness just ends quickly so we can get back to the political scheming storyline and getting back at the evil ladies in the harem.

It’s definitely not for everyone. Some may even say it’s outdated. To me, this is the kind of classic palace/harem drama that I grew up watching (kind of) when my parents were watching. The ML is not a perfect man (he’s very much a product of those times and being of royal birth), and I certainly don’t like everything he does, but I find him interesting. I hope he learns from his mistakes. Despite the drama’s flaws (the editing is very uneven), I can’t help myself but to keep watching, hoping to see the FL survive and thrive.

The body count in this drama is…staggering. Not even halfway done yet.

He Lianxin’s home life is pure chaos and I just can’t look away. It’s like a trashier Yanxi Palace. I’m happy to turn off my brain a bit sometimes and just watch this while I’m eating.

I’ve seen only 3 episodes, but it’s watchable, nothing amazing but not completely terrible either. If you don’t like harem dramas, then stay away lol. But FL and ML seem smart and not annoying.

Coming to this with low expectations, it’s actually watchable 3 episodes in.

Now that we know who is who, I wonder what surprises (I hope there are) we get in the last episode!

Yeah, I think that scene is a perfect example. Lu Zhi is so smart, is handling accounts for Lu Yuanbao but lets his guard down and willingly drinks because he genuinely wants to please LY. LY, however, is a wily old fox and doesn’t trust anyone given his background and is wary of his young attendant’s cleverness and motives. The sad thing is, I believe LZ had no ulterior motives at that time. It’s great writing and acting - a lot is expressed even without dialogue.

The young actor playing Lu Zhi is excellent - so much conveyed. On the one hand scheming and extremely intelligent. On the other, vulnerable, yearning for belonging and acceptance.

I like it a lot! If you like murder mysteries, this is great one to check out

That breakfast scene was deliciously macabre and fun to watch.

Seriously was chuckling through that. It was like watching a show within a show.

Episode 6 was the wackiest yet...in a good, funky kind of way. Can't wait to see how everything is connected.

I know, I'm getting more and more confused - not in a bad way. I like being unable to guess through everything at first.

5 episodes in, the drama continues to be well paced. The mystery deepens, and I can’t help wondering how the monkey fits into everything lol.

Liking the tone and vibe of the drama so far - love the filthy, dank streets, muted costumes and judicial use of music. Waiting to see how the story and mystery unfolds.

Hopefully soon, whenever we get an official poster or pictures released

It does gain momentum as it approaches the half-way point, keep watching! It's a slow start, I agree.

As a mom, I feel bad for him. It was the only thing that bothered me about the ending.

The romance definitely plays a big part in this drama, but there are a lot of other themes and story lines in here that are worth watching for (the politics, story of surviving in a harsh world, betrayal and (maybe) redemption, stories of healing from past trauma, etc. It's well written and produced, and the story definitely doesn't drop off toward the end like some dramas do.