Worth Its Popularity

At first, I only checked this out because it was so popular, but it completely took me in after awhile. It was slow to start, though, for me. The settings were extremely beautiful, the leads were also beautiful, and the action scenes were well choreographed. I still didn't get completely engrossed, because I thought the character archetypes of smart but impulsive troublemaker as foiled by a cold, rule abiding genius were too stereotypical, so I started caring only about after episode 15 or so.

This is because as the story went on, it made much more sense to me why the producers and writers did what they did. Two pretty boy singers were cast, because the plot revolves around using music to both heal and harm. The two male leads' dynamic also made me happy. The behind the scenes for them made me happy too, and I know most of the fans are pretty obsessive about shipping these two, both in character and in real life. But since I don't usually listen to Chinese pop, and am arguably new to Chinese dramas, I didn't know them until now, and also didn't know that Wang Yibo is very popular and has a built in fan base even before he starred in this drama.

It was both puzzling and surprising who the mastermind was, at the end. The philosophies about how public opinion can change in a very fickle manner, the things people would do for power, and their motivations to obtain power in the first place are well thought out. I understand why this was such a popular novel.

I was also impressed by the way animals are used. Animals and children are the hardest elements to direct with, because they're both unpredictable, but the cuteness pays off, and in every case, serves to soften the feel of the characters. Wei Wuxian was a typical smart but tactless character to me, until he saved the innocents from the so-called enemy side, and then we met the child Yuan.

Aside from the character archetypes that I thought were stereotypical at first, I thought the pacing was weird. It was much more slow moving at first, in the flashback sequences where they were talking about the past. The atmosphere also seemed much darker, sadder. But maybe it could serve the plot in that, it was perhaps a dream, and one of the protagonists had a major traumatic event. I also thought the character Jiang Cheng was so annoying, but maybe he's meant to be like that.

I very much enjoyed it overall. The behind the scenes were enjoyable too, the shipping is enjoyable as well. So is the music. I would watch again.

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Many Stories in One

My overall feeling was that the whole drama was trying to accomplish too much, so the characterization was incomplete. First off, it's hard to relate to a main character who doesn't have her memories, because she herself doesn't even know who she is. There are some other places that made me a little disbelieving and frustrated, as well.

For example, the plot point about the Book of Mountains and Rivers. There was a lot of spying, stealing and seducing involved, but books can be copied, so couldn't it have been redistributed? Yes, there was the theory that only the original holds some sort of military secret, but if that was true, then Hen Xiang would have known it all along, given that she never lost her memories. Hen Xiang's appearance in the drama was a good twist, that did surprise me.

The drama seems to be a misnomer, since Man Yao had silver hair for only a relatively short period of time. Though it did remind me of Danaerys from Game of Thrones, and the action scenes are fairly well choreographed.

The plot point of 2 guys falling for the same woman, but then the guys turned out to be twin brothers, reminded me of Handsome Siblings on Netflix. But that drama was more palatable for its relative simplicity. I would be more shocked by the trope if I hadn't seen that drama first.

The story's moral compass, which is supposed to highlight why Fu Yuan is bad, and Man Yao is good. Fu Yuan chose to pass the poison to her child and remain healthy, whereas Man Yao wanted to give birth to the child and die during or after. This is actually pretty controversial, and I disagreed with the drama's conviction that it is correct for a mother to die for her child if only one of them can live. Abortions also apparently don't exist in this drama's world.

The whole arc in Chen kingdom made the main characters seem slow, because the child emperor is so brilliant by comparison. Not that the original Northern Realm's emperor was around for comparison, but it made his insistence on alliance through political marriage seem extra trite. At least Zhao Yun ended up happy. I also wished the gray characters - Hen Xiang and Fu Chou - didn't have to die. They didn't really get a redemption arc, which undermined the point that children shouldn't have to pay for the sins of the parents. Rong Qi died as well, but the way he died was the most touching thing in the entire drama. I can see why Luo Yun Xi's career got launched from here.

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Surprisingly Good

I noticed Chen Zhe Yuan, Nie Zi Hao and Liu Yi Tong in another drama, so I came to watch this one. The character development in the story was very good, my opinions of the characters changed drastically. While I found Yu Yingnan's naivete very annoying at first, she grows out of it. As for everyone complaining about her acting, I looked it up, and the actress was 18. 18! What's everyone else doing at age 18? Probably either trying to get into college or working at a bad job, so she's done well for herself. The two male leads also undergo drastic changes. I hated some characters at some point, so the acting was effective. The plot twisted and turned, it was very exciting, especially towards the end.

Around halfway through, I thought, oh no, a time travel trope, but it actually wrapped events up pretty well. Near the beginning, when they were going up the mountain to learn from the sects as students, after passing through a test, I thought, oh no, a school environment trope, but that was also not what I expected, in a good way. With a certain villain and a certain antihero, I thought, ugh - the being horrible people due to being orphans trope, and that ended up being exactly what I expected, but one got redemption and the other didn't.

The computer graphics were better than I expected. The sets were relatively simple, but effective, and pointed to a medium sized production. Good action choreography team. The uniforms for the sects were plain, probably because there are so many members, but the main protagonists' outfits were pretty good. Silver threading and shoulder pads to look like armor. I was also super impressed by the "bar" setting that was by itself, and almost outside the rest of the plot. Great decor. The bartender's costume was great. The mask really brought out his jawline. The ending song also got stuck in my head, because it's rare to hear emo-ish, rocky songs in Mandarin.

Overall, this was a great, youth oriented story. I would read the book if I found it somewhere and it was translated.

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Unlikeable Characters and Broad Themes

The story didn't really pick up pace until about 15 episodes in, but by that time, I had already developed a dislike for most of the characters in the story. While I understand that all the characters are neutral or evil because this is a commentary on humanity, it almost defeated the purpose for which I watch dramas in the first place - escapism. The episode where I had the most fun was when they were curing the policeman of his stutter. Because I couldn't completely hold on, I started watching the behind-the-scenes to see Zhao Lusi having fun on set, which made me feel better. It also made me feel better that Li Hongyi isn't a complete blockhead like the way he portrayed his character. Every time Mu Xingchen didn't outwardly and clearly reject Chu Tianyao, I cringed and hated on them both. The themes for the book and the drama were brought forth well enough that I can understand them: human selfishness, capitalism/industry/technological advances against a more commune like society, where they take care of and coexist with plants and animals with a very strict, traditional mindset. There were also themes about Chinese culture versus Westernization too. Some things I felt the drama pulled off well were to have a fantasy setting that didn't have traditional Chinese costuming but was more akin to Robin Hood in the forest, and I assume the white people on set spoke Mandarin, because otherwise how could the director instruct them on their acting? These two elements plus the standard CG made the production very impressive. Still, I probably won't watch this again.

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Pretty Romantic Dark Comedy

The series so far has me laughing out loud. While it's pretty and funny, it's actually somewhat complex, and the action moves fast, which is why it's shorter than most dramas.

It's funny because of the moments where Feng Mian/Qing Li try to hit on Jing Ci/Jing Zhi Wan while dressed as a man. It's super cute. But dark, too. Imagine how he must feel. Before, she was angry enough at him to cut his hamstrings, so in return or in mercy, he makes her drink a medicine that has her forget about him entirely. The medicine worked, but physical attraction in this context isn't defined by conscious memories, so she's still like wow, he's so handsome, and she's following him. Meanwhile, he hurts walking because of his hamstring injury, but also his heartstrings are being plucked, because he's seeing her happy, without the baggage of the bitter memories. Like his legs hurt and it's a reminder of the hurt she's endured at the hands of his family, but also he's happy because she's finally happy. What high standards! Imagine applying this standard to real men: True love is continuing to protect her even after she tried to kill you.

Even though I've seen the reviews that criticize Yu Menglong's acting, the character is supposed to be stoic. Also, knowing that his family would hurt Feng Mian when he expresses affection, of course he would hide it quite a bit. His relationship with his foster father is all about politics as well, and what's most important in games of Go and politics? A poker face, of course.

I know it's a comedy because she doesn't seem afraid of being beheaded after being accused of a murder. The police chief seems comically incompetent too, very exaggeratedly so. The tone also remains light, because of the witty interactions between Qing Li and her maid, Xiao Lu. I've never seen such a good dynamic between lady and maid! It made me happy because they're best friends. The second male lead is more conventionally attractive, and even though the character is not that smart, he tries. He still likes her even after she beat him up 3x! He's just a good bro.

Maybe I'll add more later, but these are my thoughts for now.

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