Editorials 
Spring can't be this lacklustre
Okay, I have never given a series more than 5 episodes to see if it's for me or not; and I've given this 10. I can't anymore after having fast-forwarded too much.
1. The good:
+ Art direction and set design are gorgeous and serene. I wonder if they filmed on location instead of in a studio. Some zoom-out and group shots are like paintings;
+ A very pretty cast. I didn't plan to watch this at all but was lured in by how good-looking these actors are, most noticeably the FL and second ML;
+ Filters are off;
+ Costumes are pretty nice.
2. The bad:
- The story and dialogues are bland, sluggish and inconvenient;
- The acting is... as "exciting" as the story. The expressions and delivery are wooden and sleep-inducing. Maybe the cast acted the best they could with what they were given. Maybe they are a terrible match made for one another;
- I can't even see any redeemable quality for the supporting cast. Usually, Chinese idol dramas are stacked with formidable veterans anchoring the acting department. It unfortunately didn't happen here... Such a shame.
- The make up and costumes of the two leads: I think(?) Xu Kai is a good-looking dude. But he looks really bad here. The Li and Pei young masters definitely look better than him. Same with Zhou Ye. She is someone I consider hit-you-in-the-face pretty and she is the prettiest here. But they make her look sloppy, especially the chin area and when her side profile is exposed. These shouldn't be the cases at all.
3. The terrible:
- The voice-acting or voice-over is dead, even more dead than any barely emotion expressed physically. For the first time, I understand the importance of voice dubbing in Chinese dramas. For the n-th time, I am convinced: There are barely a handful of commercial Chinese actors, trained or not, that can act with their voices.
- There's no chemistry among any of the cast;
- There's not even a drop of intrigue.
This set-up of how supposedly FL is a strong character and ML is a good official doubling as a corrupted, greedy one (and how the male characters adorn their hair with a helter-skelter of questionable ornaments) reminds me of "Flourished Peony". So, I watch some bits that I like again for some soothing.
I think both Xu Kai and Zhou Ye need to up their games, in both acting and choosing projects that fit their skill sets. They have been in the industry for quite a while now.
Conclusion: Pretty privilege is real. But I don't stick around for appearance alone. (Nevertheless, I lament the beautiful art direction and set design.)
1. The good:
+ Art direction and set design are gorgeous and serene. I wonder if they filmed on location instead of in a studio. Some zoom-out and group shots are like paintings;
+ A very pretty cast. I didn't plan to watch this at all but was lured in by how good-looking these actors are, most noticeably the FL and second ML;
+ Filters are off;
+ Costumes are pretty nice.
2. The bad:
- The story and dialogues are bland, sluggish and inconvenient;
- The acting is... as "exciting" as the story. The expressions and delivery are wooden and sleep-inducing. Maybe the cast acted the best they could with what they were given. Maybe they are a terrible match made for one another;
- I can't even see any redeemable quality for the supporting cast. Usually, Chinese idol dramas are stacked with formidable veterans anchoring the acting department. It unfortunately didn't happen here... Such a shame.
- The make up and costumes of the two leads: I think(?) Xu Kai is a good-looking dude. But he looks really bad here. The Li and Pei young masters definitely look better than him. Same with Zhou Ye. She is someone I consider hit-you-in-the-face pretty and she is the prettiest here. But they make her look sloppy, especially the chin area and when her side profile is exposed. These shouldn't be the cases at all.
3. The terrible:
- The voice-acting or voice-over is dead, even more dead than any barely emotion expressed physically. For the first time, I understand the importance of voice dubbing in Chinese dramas. For the n-th time, I am convinced: There are barely a handful of commercial Chinese actors, trained or not, that can act with their voices.
- There's no chemistry among any of the cast;
- There's not even a drop of intrigue.
This set-up of how supposedly FL is a strong character and ML is a good official doubling as a corrupted, greedy one (and how the male characters adorn their hair with a helter-skelter of questionable ornaments) reminds me of "Flourished Peony". So, I watch some bits that I like again for some soothing.
I think both Xu Kai and Zhou Ye need to up their games, in both acting and choosing projects that fit their skill sets. They have been in the industry for quite a while now.
Conclusion: Pretty privilege is real. But I don't stick around for appearance alone. (Nevertheless, I lament the beautiful art direction and set design.)
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