Currently on episode 24 and there's hardly any romance. After they both confessed, nothing's happened between…
The lack of intimacy is indeed apparent, but it does make sense after the revelations in the last episode. I wasn't really bothered by it as the story was engaging enough as it is for me. Though, it would have been a welcome addition given the chemistry between the leads.
I feel like I just started watching this drama , but in the blink of an eye it's I already finished watching the last episode.
This was one of those dramas that I anticipated the most, because I loved the novel and I really liked the cast. My expectations were high and this drama delivered. I absolutely LOVED it.
The cast did an amazing job with their characters. They were exactly what I expected. And above everything else, they were all likeable. The main five (yes, I'm including Cui Cui), are among the most likeable main 'teams' I've seen in dramas so far. I really loved their dynamic.
The story moves at a fast pace and there are almost no dull moments. The story itself is interesting and engaging. It's a nice blend of funny, cute and bright with emotional heavier themes. Love and affection in different forms is presented very nicely and it's definitely a thread connecting all the stories aside from the obvious connection to the overall mystery of the overarching plot.
This drama has made my rewatch list, which is probably the highest praise I can bestow on a drama.
I'm going to miss these characters until my next rewatch.
I have to be honest waiting wasn't easy! I'm glad you are enjoying it
Nowadays I don't have the patience to wait for episodes to come out, so I just wait until the drama I want to watch finishes airing and watch at my own pace.
Especially in cases like this, where I really liked the novel and I like the cast, so I end up really excited to watch the drama. So far (I'm at episode 25 at the moment), I'm really loving it.
I'm really enjoying this drama. The episodes are flying by. I feel like I just started watching it, but I'm already on episode 20! I'm glad I waited till the drama was finished before watching. I would not have been able to patiently wait for episodes.
This drama definitely had potential to be great, but ended up being just okay.
The likeable characters were the reason why I was able to stick with it till the end. I really liked the main couple. They are great as individual characters, but I also really liked them as a couple. Both are independent, intelligent, fierce and straightforward. As a couple, they have a lot of trust in each other and are very much equals. That's the aspect of their relationship that I really appreciated. The FL is strong and independent and is not a damsel in distress constantly waiting to be rescued. Instead, both the ML and the FL help each other, support each other and rescue each other. I really liked their dynamic and chemistry.
There is also a multitude of other likeable characters of which Xuanyuan Li Ge and Baili Wei Sheng stood out for me. Both provided an interesting counterbalance to the main leads, showing off characters with a different aura.
The biggest problem with this drama is that the storytelling is not focused. They crammed a lot in 40 episodes, which contributed to this drama lacking any tension. Things just happen one after the other. There's no buildup, no excitement and therefore also no payoff. They just travel from one kingdom to the next, have a fight, win and move on.
Another problem is there are too many characters. They come and go and move the story along, but rarely have a significant impact on it. A lot of them could have been cut out without any loss to the overall story.
Does this drama deserve all the praise? For me, yes it does. It's by no means perfect, no drama is, but it's engaging, visually stunning and the music was absolutely beautiful.
The cast did a great job portraying their characters. The only thing that initially bothered me was the fact that they cast all these actors and actresses over 30 to play characters that are basically teenagers/students. It's not convincing, but the drama moves past that part of the story swiftly enough and then their ages stop mattering all that much.
I've read comments complaining about the lack of romance between Xue Fang Fei and Xiao Heng. Personally, it didn't bother me. First of all, the focus of the story is not on their romance, but on the revenge and seeking justice. Secondly, the romance, while understated, is still there. There are plenty of scenes between the two leads showing their connection and trust in each other, however they can't really indulge in romance until they reach their goals. This is the reason why the extra episode was a cute addition to show how the characters interact when they're not under pressure.
I rarely drop a drama, but after five episodes, I couldn't bring myself to continue watching. It's bright and cute, but that's not enough to make a drama interesting. Especially not for 16 one hour episodes. The worst thing is the lackluster script that wasn't really going anywhere, wasn't focused enough and was just plain boring. The cast didn't really have a lot to work with as most characters are very one dimensional. The worst out of the cast for me were Kim Jung Eun and Ong Seong Wu. I'm not entirely sure what KJE did to her face, but it doesn't move an inch. The only expression that she can muster is opening her eyes super wide while the rest of her face remains as still as a stone. She tried to compensate this with extreme overacting. While she was never a great actress, in this drama she was unwatchable. Ong Seong Wu's character is so boring that only an actor with undeniable charisma could save it. Unfortunately, he doesn't have it, so his character is very forgettable. Lee You Mi is very cute, but watching an adult act like a three year old got old really fast.
Finishing a drama with three of the main characters you don't like ended being an impossible task.
Dilraba is always a delight to watch in a drama. Whatever role I've seen her in, she has been convincing as her character and she has a very pleasant screen presence.
I'm halfway through and the biggest issue I have with this drama at the moment is that it's definitely too long for the story they're trying to tell, so it's very repetitive with a lot of unnecessary storylines and characters. This drama could have benefited from a more focused plot and therefore fewer number of episodes.
In terms of characters, the ML is one of the most boring ones I've seen in the last few years. I'm not entirely sure why. On paper, he's a pretty standard ML, so it's either direction or acting that's not up to par. In comparison, I preferred the FL's character, but her story is so repetitive that as episodes went by, her character also became rather boring.
It's becoming a bit of a chore trying finish this one.
This was one of those dramas that I anticipated the most, because I loved the novel and I really liked the cast. My expectations were high and this drama delivered. I absolutely LOVED it.
The cast did an amazing job with their characters. They were exactly what I expected. And above everything else, they were all likeable. The main five (yes, I'm including Cui Cui), are among the most likeable main 'teams' I've seen in dramas so far. I really loved their dynamic.
The story moves at a fast pace and there are almost no dull moments. The story itself is interesting and engaging. It's a nice blend of funny, cute and bright with emotional heavier themes. Love and affection in different forms is presented very nicely and it's definitely a thread connecting all the stories aside from the obvious connection to the overall mystery of the overarching plot.
This drama has made my rewatch list, which is probably the highest praise I can bestow on a drama.
I'm going to miss these characters until my next rewatch.
Especially in cases like this, where I really liked the novel and I like the cast, so I end up really excited to watch the drama. So far (I'm at episode 25 at the moment), I'm really loving it.
The likeable characters were the reason why I was able to stick with it till the end. I really liked the main couple. They are great as individual characters, but I also really liked them as a couple. Both are independent, intelligent, fierce and straightforward. As a couple, they have a lot of trust in each other and are very much equals. That's the aspect of their relationship that I really appreciated. The FL is strong and independent and is not a damsel in distress constantly waiting to be rescued. Instead, both the ML and the FL help each other, support each other and rescue each other. I really liked their dynamic and chemistry.
There is also a multitude of other likeable characters of which Xuanyuan Li Ge and Baili Wei Sheng stood out for me. Both provided an interesting counterbalance to the main leads, showing off characters with a different aura.
The biggest problem with this drama is that the storytelling is not focused. They crammed a lot in 40 episodes, which contributed to this drama lacking any tension. Things just happen one after the other. There's no buildup, no excitement and therefore also no payoff. They just travel from one kingdom to the next, have a fight, win and move on.
Another problem is there are too many characters. They come and go and move the story along, but rarely have a significant impact on it. A lot of them could have been cut out without any loss to the overall story.
All in all, it's an okay one time watch.
The cast did a great job portraying their characters. The only thing that initially bothered me was the fact that they cast all these actors and actresses over 30 to play characters that are basically teenagers/students. It's not convincing, but the drama moves past that part of the story swiftly enough and then their ages stop mattering all that much.
I've read comments complaining about the lack of romance between Xue Fang Fei and Xiao Heng. Personally, it didn't bother me. First of all, the focus of the story is not on their romance, but on the revenge and seeking justice. Secondly, the romance, while understated, is still there. There are plenty of scenes between the two leads showing their connection and trust in each other, however they can't really indulge in romance until they reach their goals. This is the reason why the extra episode was a cute addition to show how the characters interact when they're not under pressure.
All in all, I enjoyed this drama immensely.
Finishing a drama with three of the main characters you don't like ended being an impossible task.
In terms of characters, the ML is one of the most boring ones I've seen in the last few years. I'm not entirely sure why. On paper, he's a pretty standard ML, so it's either direction or acting that's not up to par. In comparison, I preferred the FL's character, but her story is so repetitive that as episodes went by, her character also became rather boring.
It's becoming a bit of a chore trying finish this one.
How have you been?