Attorney for Jiang Si

Technically, I dropped this one midway through episode 12. However, MDL doesn't give you the option for that kind of thing. It doesn't matter too much in the grand scheme of things but I did want to preface this review with that minor correction.

First things first, time travel is one of my favorite tropes of all time. Hands down, bar none. If there's a drama where time travel is the central focus, or at least the beginning of the story, then count me in. However, the time travel wasn't enough to draw me in and keep me there, you know? The FL in this drama gave me Bai Lu vibes - essentially, I couldn't quite tell if she was romantically interested in the ML/her male counterpart or not. With Bai Lu, I can never tell if her characters even LIKE their male counterparts/love interests. It's the strangest phenomenon and ultimately the primary reason why I stopped watching her dramas but I digress.

So, this FL gave me those same types of vibes and I don't like that. Sure, the romance won't always be the central focus of these types of dramas but I expected a LOT more than I got. From social media and various edits scattered across different platforms of this couple, I expected to be knocked OUT by their romance and the fiery chemistry. Alas, that didn't happen. Where was all this fiery passion and magnetic chemistry I was promised? Because it wasn't here and I actually want my money back. I was bamboozled! I want a refund. The first episode will lead you to believe there will be MORE between these characters and it just never happens. It's definitely in the overrated and overhyped pile.

Granted, I understand that they won't automatically fall for each other because of the very valid mistrust between them. It's normal and par for the course. However, the ML started getting softer and softer (in my opinion) as the drama progressed while the FL simply didn't. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a drama where He falls first and falls harder BUT I still need to see some reciprocity from the FL. The ML can't be the only one doing all the heavy lifting with the romance and I have a very kneejerk reaction when it does happen. Then again, I try my best to stay far, far, far away from dramas if I get a whiff of that being a thing because that's not my personal taste. To each their own, of course.

The acting from the leads was fine. It wasn't horrible but I will say that I found myself way more intrigued by the ML than the FL, which is another thing that I'm not too fond of. If I'm watching a drama and the ML is drawing my eye meanwhile we're spending most of our time with the FL, there's an issue there. A big one. My mind shouldn't be drifting towards the ML when we're with the FL and I find that happening a LOT. The guy who played Song Mo is pretty decent; I definitely see great things for his future. The woman who played the FL is fine but I do wonder what she would do with a character who is meant to be more open and playful and less guarded and stone-faced. If I'm not mistaken, she also played one of the side characters in The Untamed (which I dropped) but I don't remember there being a big difference between that character and this one. The characters seemed to be quite similar to me.

I really wanted to swoon over the illustrious Song Mo as that's what all the girls were screaming about, but the drama didn't give me any real reason to do so and that's the biggest misstep of them all. So much wasted potential!

Would I recommend it? Honestly, no. Unless you're in the mood for a drama with very little romance and heavy on literally everything else, then sure. I'm here for the romance and I'm not sitting through a drama where the romance is an afterthought. Would I rewatch it? Also no. I couldn't get through it the first time and I doubt I'll get through it a second or third. In fact, this drama actually made me go back to rewatch Si Jin.