I don’t normally like to write reviews until I’m closer to the end but felt like I wanted to counteract the negative reviews.

Overview: Liuli is the daughter of a woman who used to be renowned in the palace for her weaving skills but ultimately left because she disliked the associated palace politics. Unfortunately Liuli’s mother is framed and killed by someone in the palace. Liuli’s life is saved by a kind palace eunuch and she is raised in hiding, until she eventually grows up, learns the truth, and vows to avenge her mother. The drama follows her journey, with additional layers of palace intrigue and romance on top.

Overall: I liked the basic premise of the show and the first episode hooked me in. The show’s not perfect but I’m glad I stuck it out because I’m now at a point where the story is getting better and better and I’m actively looking forward to seeing what happens next.

What’s not so great:
*The female lead’s character. The first couple episodes focus on Liuli the child, who is shown as brave and a quick thinker. Unfortunately when the show transitions to Liuli as a young adult, she is portrayed as headstrong, impulsive, and frankly not too smart. For example, at one point Liuli loses a bag of money and when a male character finds it and tries to return it, Liuli pursues a vendetta against him when she discovers the money is gone, ignoring the fact that if he had actually been a thief he could have just not said anything about the bag at all and she would have been none the wiser. Her persistent inability to overcome these types of logic gaps don’t show her in the best light. I have hope for improvement in her character arc but am a bit “meh” about it and not totally sure why the male lead likes her.

*There are a few scenes introduced for Cdrama effect that have zero storyline purpose and are a bit ridiculous. For example, at one point Liuli demonstrates her expertise in an ethnic dance, but it’s never explained how she acquired these skills while being raised as a boy eunuch in the palace. Similarly there is a scene where Liuli is almost knocked over by a carriage and the male lead kicks someone else (a literal random passerby) who was going to catch her out of the way so he can do a cliche Cdrama half hug and dip. It served zero plot purpose, unless making the audience cringe or laugh was the point.

What I do like:
*The main lead and other secondary characters are amazing! I love the friendly eunuch that raises her and his other apprentice, Lady Wu the palace concubine that Liuli met as a child, the crown prince that wants to reform the kingdom, Liuli’s uncle and Ah Ni that own a dress shop, etc. Basically, for every cliche Cdrama villain, there is also another truly likable other support character that you want to root for. Along these lines, I love that the show passes the Bechdel test in including multiple great female characters that talk to each other about topics other than boys.

*The storyline improves over time and really picks up once Liuli discovers the truth of her mother’s death and decides to seek revenge. At this point, Liuli’s story also begins to complement and feel almost ancillary to another, more compelling storyline involving palace intrigue and starring the Crown Prince and Lady Wu, a concubine who is clever and compelling in her own right. I’m especially a fan of Lady Wu, who is shown as clever, ambitious, and kind and steals the scene as a character.

*Great action scenes, though typically only occur in the context of male lead helping fend off some kind of assassination attempt. Helps make it a more entertaining watch.

Note: I’ll update this review if the show gets worse rather than better but right now for me it’s on an uphill trajectory that I’m excited about.