Finally ended!!!! AROTLF was boring. So so boring. From beginning to end, saving some scenes, it gave me boredom. The only reason I was able to get until the end was the daily episodes, it held me back from dying out of boredom. It's such a weird drama. I see the episodes going on, I see things happening, but it doesn't feel like it's happening. It's a bland, souless drama. Which is really a disappointment because Cai Rong made an amazing job in Intense Love, which is a drama very similar in many points.
In the similarities with Intense Love: The plot of FL chasing ML - much, much more fun in IL. You laugh, you cheer, you even get shy from the way they look at each other. Not in AROTLF. I was bored through all the first part of the drama. and no, it wasn't about the 2nd couple cuz I skipped most of their scenes. It was almost 20 episodes of nothing really happening.
Leads personalities - Jinbei also was a celebrity with cutesy personality and strong character, going back to back from strong, to cute, to coquettish, to kind. Zhang Yunxi isn't the best actress, but she sold me Jinbei's every features. YSX's Yu Meiren didn't make me sympathize, her cutesy persona was cringe and annoying at times. No coquettish at all. Her kindness was ok, but I just didn't buy her badass moments. MLs too, both are smart, handsome and cold, but you could tell when IL's lead was falling for her. Ding Yuxi's micro expressions were so good, the changes in his eyes were the cutest. Binbin's Zhuang Yu? Bleh. He only makes it clear when he comes back. Even so it seemed so sudden. Although I think it was also the fault of the script, the actor didn't help
FL got a celebrity rival - In IL, the FL's rival really acts. She moves the story and makes her known. The drama still a light romance, but you remember the rival exists and is an a$$. Not in AROTLF. She's useless. She has no presence. When she shows up, it always seems random and gives you no real feeling. She's just there.
Other couples - AROTLF got one second couple and it was freaking annoying and tiring and boring. IL got two second couple and although I didn't like them, they were interesting and they didn't take up the leads' screen time.
Anyways, if you want a cute and funny drama where celebrity FL chases the non-celebrity ML, I highly recommend Intense Love. And if secondary couples annoys you, you can just skip their scenes, the drama will be as good.
on casting side, yes it is started to feel weird after Bai Fenxi identity revealed. No offense with ZL, but she…
that's it! when they're both playing the unconstrained friends with ambiguous relationship, they work out sooo well, very cute. just like you said, lusi doesnt have the imposing posture, while yang yang, although looking young, has strong features and is a master in imposing manners.
I put it on hold for some time, but now I've finished and I'm clear of some of the flaws that makes this drama a waste
Casting: I was really excited to watch Yang and Lusi together in a costume drama, but the reality didn't live up to my expectation. Not that they lacked chemistry, but I think that a drama where the fl isn't supposed to be overpowering would work better for them as she looks like a cutie besides his strong appearance. It creates a weird imbalance. Maybe a slice of life would fit them better, as some scenes proved
Genres and script: The first few eps presented great wuxia themed scenes and plots, it was so exciting. The fightings were great too. But then it just forgot its supposed to be a wuxia and it all became a great mess, from wuxia to family drama to politics to whatever were that final episodes. Its like the writer wanted everything, so we ended up with nothing. If they just made it into a two seasons drama, maybe it would be better as they would have time to show the fl and ml sides plus balance the wuxia thing with the political stuff. It also lacked a plot twist or some kind of surprise. By the middle of the drama, we already knew everything that was happening, so the ending was mild.
Editing: I understand the censorship and episodes limit hurting the drama's pace, but gosh what mess they made here! Specially that fighting scenes and the progression of the final battle. They showed so much of the ml's story that they run out of time to explain the ending. It was so bad that I didn't feel anything with the death and victories, I was just uh okay? Their editing made the script flaws even more clear
So, in conclusion, great casting, beautiful costumes. Terrible production, awful script. Really wish they didnt spend so much money in such a weak drama
Hong sisters should stop plagiarizing And only kdrama fans should open up to other dramas. They needed a plagiarism to realize Chinese fantasy is super cool 🥴 if only they had an open mind...
1 
In the similarities with Intense Love:
The plot of FL chasing ML - much, much more fun in IL. You laugh, you cheer, you even get shy from the way they look at each other. Not in AROTLF. I was bored through all the first part of the drama. and no, it wasn't about the 2nd couple cuz I skipped most of their scenes. It was almost 20 episodes of nothing really happening.
Leads personalities - Jinbei also was a celebrity with cutesy personality and strong character, going back to back from strong, to cute, to coquettish, to kind. Zhang Yunxi isn't the best actress, but she sold me Jinbei's every features. YSX's Yu Meiren didn't make me sympathize, her cutesy persona was cringe and annoying at times. No coquettish at all. Her kindness was ok, but I just didn't buy her badass moments. MLs too, both are smart, handsome and cold, but you could tell when IL's lead was falling for her. Ding Yuxi's micro expressions were so good, the changes in his eyes were the cutest. Binbin's Zhuang Yu? Bleh. He only makes it clear when he comes back. Even so it seemed so sudden. Although I think it was also the fault of the script, the actor didn't help
FL got a celebrity rival - In IL, the FL's rival really acts. She moves the story and makes her known. The drama still a light romance, but you remember the rival exists and is an a$$. Not in AROTLF. She's useless. She has no presence. When she shows up, it always seems random and gives you no real feeling. She's just there.
Other couples - AROTLF got one second couple and it was freaking annoying and tiring and boring. IL got two second couple and although I didn't like them, they were interesting and they didn't take up the leads' screen time.
Anyways, if you want a cute and funny drama where celebrity FL chases the non-celebrity ML, I highly recommend Intense Love. And if secondary couples annoys you, you can just skip their scenes, the drama will be as good.
cant wait!
the last few eps were cute. im not too into melodramas, so the beginning was kinda meh to me
Casting: I was really excited to watch Yang and Lusi together in a costume drama, but the reality didn't live up to my expectation. Not that they lacked chemistry, but I think that a drama where the fl isn't supposed to be overpowering would work better for them as she looks like a cutie besides his strong appearance. It creates a weird imbalance. Maybe a slice of life would fit them better, as some scenes proved
Genres and script: The first few eps presented great wuxia themed scenes and plots, it was so exciting. The fightings were great too. But then it just forgot its supposed to be a wuxia and it all became a great mess, from wuxia to family drama to politics to whatever were that final episodes. Its like the writer wanted everything, so we ended up with nothing. If they just made it into a two seasons drama, maybe it would be better as they would have time to show the fl and ml sides plus balance the wuxia thing with the political stuff. It also lacked a plot twist or some kind of surprise. By the middle of the drama, we already knew everything that was happening, so the ending was mild.
Editing: I understand the censorship and episodes limit hurting the drama's pace, but gosh what mess they made here! Specially that fighting scenes and the progression of the final battle. They showed so much of the ml's story that they run out of time to explain the ending. It was so bad that I didn't feel anything with the death and victories, I was just uh okay? Their editing made the script flaws even more clear
So, in conclusion, great casting, beautiful costumes. Terrible production, awful script. Really wish they didnt spend so much money in such a weak drama
And only kdrama fans should open up to other dramas. They needed a plagiarism to realize Chinese fantasy is super cool 🥴 if only they had an open mind...