Amazing..but where's the romance?

Love, love, love the drama. This is one is going on my list of top dramas that I have watched thus far and there is a lot that I have watched and love.

I am satisfied with how the game ended. Those who deserve to be happy, ended up with happiness and those who deserved to be punished, got their punishments. However, I am not happy with how the drama ended.

Let's start with the storyline - it's your typical storyline. The toxicity of the family, the corrupt offiicials, the romance. All of that is what makes a great story and this one delievered. The family dynamic really sonates with me as a modern girl because we see this all the time in real life. It's nothing to new to a lot of families. The thing that really pisses me off is how much they disregard because the oldest son is supposed to bring honor to them, but yet, he had failed them over and over and over again. He cheated and sold his family for pennies (not really, but you know what I mean) and yet, the family still believes him over and over again. Yes, he did receive karma, but even then, his wife and Hua'er still acted like they did nothing wrong and is mad at the family for not helping them when he went crazy. I mean, can they really blame the family for it? Where's the accountability? Why is it that the family have to always clean up their messes? The only person that I feel sorry for is Song Hai Long. The only did that he did wrong was marry Hua'er. I don't think he desrves to be living in poverty with Hua'er and her parents. I wish Shen Nuo would help him obtain a position in the court.

Characters -
I know that many people hated Man'er but I don't understand the hate. She's not greedy and she's not selfish. Yes, she's trying to make a living but can we really blame her? She's playing a character in a game who has a mission that she needs to do. She can't be giving all of her money to her family. I mean, how can you excuse the grandma and aunt for stealing her hard earned money and then call her a selfish pig? Like come on. She's not selfish either. Her wanting to split from the family because she only wants what is best for her little family. The way they treated her family warrants her need to split from them. Like, are those who calling her selfish condoning the things that her family has done? I can't even consider her selfish at all. First of, she helped Hua'er despite the fact that they knowingly and willingly sold her off to a dead guy as part of a widow burning. YET, she risked her reputation to help Hua'er escape her fate. Then she saved Ye'er from the toxic family. Not only that, she had helped the family over and over again. Even at the end, they still forgave them and gave them a place to stay. Time and time again, she had helped her family despite the fact that they treated her like she nothing.

Romance -
Where the hell is the romance?! There was some romance, but there was barely any too. Out of 26 episodes, there's probably like what 2 episodes where we see the romance. That's all I have to say about the romance part.

Overall -
I gave this a 9 rating overall because of the fact that there is barely any romance. The title is "Romance on the Farm," there's a farm, but very little romance. Another reason why I gave it a 9 because I was not happy with the ending. Sorry, but not sorry. I thought that it would at least end like Romance of Tiger and Rose, but it did not. I was not satsified. We didn't get to see Shen Nuo in real life. The "special ep" was nothing special. It only explained what we have already guessed. Shen Nuo is the creator of the game. But we didn't get to see his face. What kind of ending was that?!

I would def watch this again at a later date. Recommend if you can get past the toxicity of the drama.

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Overall, I like this drama. I don't understand why many people drop this drama or why they are giving it a bad review. I believe that this drama doesn't deserve such a low rating. The actors and actresses all did a wonderful job and the plot is pretty solid. The ending of the drama was definitely a twist, but it brings the story to a full circle.

It explains the true events of 500 years ago. It also explains the truth behind the Qi family curse. With the truth coming to light, we can see the reasoning behind Yi Mei's actions and Qi Yanran's actions. I'm not making excuses for them since I hated them throughout the entire drama, but it gave me a clear understanding of why they did what they did, especially Qi Yanran. I understand that they explained the twin theory earlier on, but after finding out the truth of the curse, it does explain why there is an "evil" twin and a "good" twin.

My rating of this drama is actually 8/10. I did took two points off for the fact that they killed off so many people towards the end of the drama. I should have expected this, since it is always almost the endings for majority of dramas with this kind of storyline, but I was hoping that they will keep everyone safe and sound. We already knew going in that the battle was long with unforseen dangers, but I was still hanging onto a tiny sliver of hope that everyone will make it alive -- injured, but alive. And yet, there were so many deaths at the end.

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The Title is Misleading-ish

The title of this drama is called the "The Princess Royal" but I feel like it's all about Su Rong Qing.

Let me start off that the first half of the drama was intriguing and interesting. I like the concept of both Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan returning to the past and trying make changes, but I also feel that Li Rong was acting the same as she did in the past. It was so frustrating watching her trusting SRQ and "loving" him even though she realized that he killed her in the past. I feel so bad for PWX because she treated him so poorly even though he was the most loyal person by her side. He was willing to sacrifice his life for her and yet, she put his feelings aside for "what it might be".

I hated SRQ the most. In the past life, he not only killed "his loved one" he did everything he can to get revenge for his family, and he was even willing to excuse his brother for killing QZZ and having an adulterous affair with the empress. It does not make any sense to me that he was willing to stand by all of that. I mean, I get it, he lost his entire family and was even humiliated by Li Chuan, but he needs to understand that what SRH did in the past was also wrong.

He claimed that he "loves" LR but does he really though? It feels like he loves himself more than anyone else. He claims to "love" his family, but yet, he killed his own father to gain control of the Su Family. Everything that he did, was for himself and no one else. He claim that he was protecting his family and LR but he was really doing everything for himself.

My main compliant about this drama is that SRQ was the main lead and everyone else was just supporting characters. I mean, SRQ has the most screen time and his face was everywhere. I know that PWX and LR are the main leads in this drama, but I feel like they have been sidelined and it became SRQ.

7.5 is where I am standing at with this drama. I don't think I will rewatch this drama unless I'm totally bored, but if I did, I would probably watch the first few episodes and that's it. I did thought of dropping this drama and I did end up ffw majority of the episodes, but I didn't because I wanted to see it through and I was right, it was disappointing.

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Great, but has flaws

Where do I even start...this is a typical historical C-Drama with political issues in the court coupled with an arranged marriage where the bride is the spy for the opposing team in the court. It's very cliche and overdone. However, I did enjoy the drama, despite all of that.

Ding Yu Xi - he did a wonderful job once again. He is one of my favorite actor and I can honestly say that I did fall in love with his work since Tiger and Rose. He plays Shen Du very well and I love all of his scenes. His eyes are alluring and it does speak volumes about his emotions when he's not talking. The downfall is that they chose to have someone else dubbed him. I love his voice. It's sultry and it fits perfectly with the role that he plays.

Deng En Xi - I have not watched anything that she was in but I actually like her. She's going to be added to my list of favorite actresses. She plays Yan Xing very well. As for Yan Xing, herself, there were times where I didn't like her. I mean, don't get me wrong, Yan Xing is a strong FL and smart as heck, but she does tend to be reckless (possibly due to age). Not only is she reckless, but there are times where she thought too highly of herself. For example, when Marshal Xu and Yue Que died, She blamed herself, but honestly, she's not that important. Like Shen Du told her, he died because he was looking for evidence of Lai's rebellion. But overall, I like her as a FL.

Vice Minister Lai - honestly, from the beginning I wasn't sure what his purpose was. I mean, they kept him as mysterious as they can. They did reveal his face early on, but they kept his motives a secret until the end. And honestly, I hated him A LOT. He was not my favorite villain. Without the motive, I felt like he was just doing whatever he wanted and there was really no real reason why he did what he did. I feel like the writer should have showed the audience his motive so that we can understand his actions -- which by the way was all for nothing. I was actually glad that he died at the end. He was not worth my sympathy at all. I did not feel bad for him one bit. I feel like he was one of the worst written villain by far. At least for other villains, they have a sad past or a bad past that drove them to what they are doing. He has nothing. Just a few words from his dying mother and that was the cause of his rebellion.

Lu Chui Chui - goodness, what can I say about her? Honestly, I liked her at the beginning but then she just became a nuisance. She was supposed to be Yan Xing's best friend, but she trusted Vice Minister Lai because he saved her once? She knew about him and what he had done, but yet, she chose to believe him despite what she already knew about him. I mean, she did finally turn her back on him after realizing how bad of a person he was (even though everyone had talked about how bad of a person he is). Not only that, but she was annoying.

Empress Dowager - what to say about her? She wasn't the worst and she wasn't the best Empress Dowager. I did like her from the start, but then I started to doubt her actions. She had caused a lot of people's death towards the end that I cannot forgive her. She believed in Vice Minister Lai over her loyal subjects and I hated her for that. I mean, I get it, she wasn't sure who was plotting against her, but come on, you're going to still believe the guy after so many memorials/testimonies/deaths that are related to him and how evil he is? Like Sun Tan died for no reason. Jin Zang died for nothing. Marshal Xu died for nothing. She practically gave their heads to Vice Minister Lai. Yeah, she wasn't my favorite.

Overall, I gave this an 8.5. I did enjoy the plotting and everything, I just hated how the writer wrote the villain and I hated the whole let's get a divorce troupe. It was useless and disappointing.

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Great fighting scenes, but wish it was more

To start off, the first few episodes did capture my attention, but I did ended up fast forwarding a lot of the scenes. There was just so much talking going on.

The fight scenes were great and I did enjoy everyone's arch. I love that they all grew up to be mature martial artists. I am not going to lie though, the whole premise of this show is love. I love "love," don't get me wrong. Love is one of the greatest feelings in the world and I am a sucker for romance and love. However, the fact that the entire show is base on love and how it can destroy a person is kind of sad.

Ye Dingzhi turned evil not because of his revenge for his family, but because of one person. I know, I know, he wanted revenge for what happened to his family, but listen to me, did he really? If he did, why didn't he just straight up go and kill Prince Qing? He had so many chances to get revenge for his family. It wasn't until he lost Yi Wen Jun the second time that he went crazy. He wanted the world to burn because of one person.

Don't get me wrong, I do love the fact that he was willing to do anything for the love of his life, but that does not warrant killing hundreds and thousands of innocent people just because he lost her. Remember that she made the decision to leave. Baili Dong Jun and Sikong Chang Feng had fought along him to help him take her away, but yet, he put them in the same turmoil again.

I love Baili Dong Jun, but I did not like his undying loyalty to Ye Dingzhi. I get it, they're best friends. They grew up together and he thought that his only friend had died, and when they reconnected, he was happy. But he was willing to do anything for his friend. I understand that he treated Ye Dingzhi well, but I don't think it warrants him to sacrifice everything he had worked so hard for to save him. Ye Dingzhi was a lost cause the moment he allowed Yue Qing and the Sky Beyond people to manipulate him.

Don't come for me, because I really wanted the both of them to have the happy ending that they deserve after all they have been through, but I feel that Baili Dong Jun's undying loyalty to Ye Dingzhi was over doing it.

I have not watched The Blood of Youth, and I am planning on watching it after this. I want to see what differences they made between the prequel and original plot.

Characters:
Baili Dong Jun - he grew up. He went from this arrogant child to a true master artist. Even though he was still arrogant, he now has what it takes to back himself up. I feel that Baili Dong Jun's character was wholesome, but I do feel for him. I understand his conflict in saving the world and saving Ye Dingzhi. He wanted to do both, but he needs to understand that he can't. He can't bring his friend back from the brink of despair. When we first met him, he was this carefree boy who wanted to be nothing but a Liquor Deity and be the best brewmaster in the world. But he had to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. He lost his sense of carefree to the politics of the world. He went from someone who was always happy to someone who rarely smiles. He lost a lot to save the world and Ye Dingzhi.

Ye Dingzhi - when we first saw him, he was a loner but then he made a lot of friends. His past was indeed sad and he lost everything. But he also gained a lot too. I was really hoping to see him grow as someone who can overcome the past to have a better future. I wanted him to have a happy ending, but it wasn't meant to be. He ended his life to save his friend and the woman he loved the most, and I would have to say that that was the most unselfish thing he had done since he turned into a demon obsessed person. I do truly feel bad for him and everything that he had gone through to be able to get manipulated by people, but I feel that what he did at the end, was a means to end it all.

Yi Wen Jun - her past wasn't that great either, but I do feel that she was the cause of everything. Like Baili Dong Jun said, he does blame her because she left. If she never had left, none of this would have happened. Please don't come for me because I do agree that she had a hard life, but she was happy with Ye Dingzhi, but I don't think she would have stayed with him either. She had another child that was waiting for her and I feel that her heart was always with the other child. She probably feels regretful for not taking the child with her. As someone who is a mother, I understand her, but I just wish she would have explained everything to Ye Dingzhi. She should have left with Sikong Chang Feng and explain everything to him. There were people who were willing to give up their life for her and Ye Dingzhi and yet, she chose to go with the Grand Eunch. She chose to return to the palace. So yes, I agree with Baili Dong Jun. She should have never left in the first place. I do give her credit for thinking about Ye Anshi and returning to the palace. Even though, I do feel like Baili Dong Jun alone can protect her child with Ye Dingzhi, I feel that it would be a hard and long road for him and she understood that. She understood that she couldn't put Baili Dong Jun in that situation.

I rated this drama an 8/10 because of the fighting scenes. The fighting scenes were great and the CGI was amazing, but, I did not like the overall plot of the story and I feel that they rushed it at the end. They could have cut a lot of scenes out that I skipped because they were pointless to the storyline. Also the timeline is all over the place. I was honestly confused as to how long things were because of the timeline. Baili Dong Jun spent a year in his backyard being grounded and during that time, Yi Wen Jun was pregnant and had a child? I mean, we just found out that she was pregnant, and then the next scene she already gave birth. Like, huh?

I was going to rate this drama a little lower, but when they were fighting, it was incredible so I decided to give it an 8, if it wasn't for the amazing fighting scenes, I would have given this a 6.5-7 rating.

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What a ride

Wow, is all I can say. From the very beginning, the drama has caught my attention. I started this drama because of Wang Xing Yue, but I stayed for the ENTIRE cast.

Let me start off with the most memorable actors and actresses in this drama. EVERYONE did an AMAZING job! The casting was perfect.

Wang Xing Yue
Where do I even start. I fell in love with him in First Love with Tian Xi Wei and I have watched his other historical dramas, but I didn't think it was up to par to what he can do as an actor, but this one, it just blew me away. He did a fantastic job as Xiao Heng. He is so young, but he surely can act and portrayed a very compelling character. Xiao Heng was a complex person with a sad background, but he stood by the emperor and fought for Great Yan. I loved his relationship with the emperor as well. He is loyal to the emperor, Great Yan, his people, and Xue Fang Fei. I was happy that he was able to resolved his sadness and let go of his pain.

Xue Fang Fei/Jiang Li
I have never seen any of Wu Jin Yan's dramas before but she did an amazing job playing two characters. As Xue Fang Fei, she was killed by her own husband who she had trusted. As Xue Fang Fei she was naive and innocent. She portrayed Xue Fang Fei fairly well, even though we didn't see much of her as Xue Fang Fei. I loved how strong she was to stand up when she was at the lowest point of her life. As Jiang Li, she stood up for the injustice and used her noble status for the greater good. As Jiang Li, she learned how to be strong and vicious, but not to be too greedy. When she first became Jiang Li, she was still naive, but as she spent more time with Xiao Heng, she learned how to stand and scheme against others. I loved her as Jiang Li. She did an amazing job in clearing the real Jiang Li's name and give her the justice that she deserved. She had lost a lot along the way, but I feel that what she lost, made her stronger.

Real Jiang Li
Yang Chao Yue did an amazing job playing the real Jiang Li. Her scenes were little, but I feel that she put her all into the character. The real Jiang Li has a very sad life and I was glad that through Xue Fang Fei, she was able to move on peacefully.

Wen Ji and Lu Ji
The two actors that portrayed them did such an amazing job that I am looking forward to seeing them in more dramas. Wen Ji brought comedic relief at the right time and Lu Ji was the trusted partner who was serious. I hated how they both ended up dying because we needed the three musketeers together. There's no Xiao Heng without Lu Ji and Wen Ji.

Shen Yu Rong
The actor that played Shen Yu Rong, I have no words for him. He portrayed Shen Yu Rong so well. He was tormented by Xue Fang Fei and it showed how conflicted he is when he first saw Xue Fang Fei/Jiang Li. As the show progressed, we saw his greediness and how it destroyed him. Yes, the princess was the cause of his demise, but he made those choices. He was just pure evil. He turned his back not only on Xue Fang Fei but on Princess Wanning too. His obsession with protecting his mother and sister and climbing the ranks caused him to lose everything at the end. I did not feel bad for him one bit. He got what he deserved. He was a coward to the bitter end. Taking his life was the easy way out.

Princess Wanning
Li Meng (I just learned her name) portrayed this character so well. Princess Wanning was a psychopath that was created the moment she was sent to Dai Country. Her past was so sad that I felt sorry for her, but it does not excuse what she did. She killed so many people along the way to help her brother with the uprising. I have to say though, I adored Li Meng. I am looking forward to more of her as the female lead. She was just a pawn that was used not only by her father, but her brother and her most beloved as well. She has only loved Shen Yu Rong even when he betrayed her. She was willing to die for him.

Ji Shu Ran
Joe Chen. What can I say about her? She's a veteran. I have loved her from the very beginning and she just made me fall in love with her all over again. Portraying Ji Shu Ran was something I would have never guessed that the sweet Joe Chen would ever do I hated Ji Shu Ran to the core. Joe Chen playing the evil stepmother was something new and it gave me a new appreciation for her. I feel that Ji Shu Ran deserves more than what happened to her, but I am satisfied that she can no longer hurt Jiang Li and Jiang Ruyao.

Of course, every single person in this drama did an AMAZING job. But the ones that I mentioned, I have found new appreciation for them all.

As for the plot, it's the same when it comes to historical dramas. Political issues, revenge, and overthrowing the current emperor. So, it's not something different. However, I did enjoy the storyline.

I have this an 8.5 rating because of the last couple episodes. Not going to lie, I feel like they rushed the entire ending. They should have spent more than the last 5 episodes on building up the uprising. All of the rebel died so easily. They should have added more episodes or taken out some other plots.

The ending did not live up the beginning and that was the biggest reason why I rate it how I did. Don't get me wrong, those who deserved to die did die, but I felt that by killing off Wen Ji, Lu Ji, and Tong'er was not necessary. I feel that both Xiao Heng and Xue Fang Fei/Jiang Li needed them by their side. When those three are by their side, they are better.

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Prepare the tissues

WOW, is all I can say about this beautifully written drama. Love cannot cure illness but it sure can make it bearable. I loved that An Zhi Que did everything in her power to help Lin Tuo understand that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I haven’t cried this much since the K-drama Autumn in My Heart and the J- drama One Litre of Tears. I cried until my eyes were puffy.

I loved how caring An Zhi Que’s father was even though he didn’t want her to suffer like he did, he still loved Lin Tuo very much. He understood that being with Lin Tuo was the best thing his daughter can do without feeling guilt.

As much I hated Lin Tuo’s parents, I loved how they rallied for him and accepted everyone who loves him after they found out. They made me cry so much because as a mother, myself, we never want our kids to have to suffer.

I hope that I can be as strong as An Zhi Que when facing what she had faced. We are all humans and it’s hard taking care of someone with such a disease.

Overall, I can feel the love that Lin Tuo and An Zhi Que have for each other. They are so young but their love is so strong. She was willing to do everything for him despite knowing that the end, he was going to die. And he loved her so much so that the last thing he wanted was for him to be a burden and hindrance to her.

I took one star away because I feel that the ending was incomplete. I would have liked it if he died. I wanted to see her strength through his death as well. If anyone have seen A Walk to Remember, the ending to that was perfect, and I would have loved to see that for this drama. He dies and she spends New Year’s with his family, her dad, Chen Guangpo, He Xindi, and the people from Ji Jia at HW Cafe celebrating his life and the new year.

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Started off good, but that ending was...

It started off really good, but the ending was a disappointment. There was an inkling that the author and Miao Miao met in the real world since they gave us a clue regarding the bunny apple, but we didn't get to see them meet. If they were going to show us that Mu Sheng knew her from the real world, at least let them meet. I mean, give us an ending like Tiger and Rose.

Let's talk overall plot, it was an interesting concept, but it was uncommon. What I did enjoy about this is the love story between the four main leads. I did also feel that they spent way too much time in the capital, but I did enjoy the plot twist that they had regarding the Resentful Woman. It was an interesting take and it was unexpected.

Characters:
Mu Sheng - I really do love Ding Yu Xi. I actually started following him after Tiger and Rose and I have watched all of his dramas. His eyes can tell a thousand words. He can surely express his characters' emotions very well. Mu Sheng is a really lonely character and I am glad that he was able to learn about who he is and become a stronger person because of it. You can feel his loneliness at the beginning and you can feel his warmth after meeting Miao Miao. Ding Yu Xi did an amazing job portraying Mu Sheng. I really like his character arc and his growth.

Liang Miao Miao/Lin Yu - I like Ester Yu. I think that she did an amazing job with Liang Miao Miao/Lin Yu. Even though this is her comfort zone, I really do enjoy her work. She played three parts in this drama and they were all different from each other. We had the happy go lucky Liang Miao Miao then we got to see the evil Lin Yu (even though it was just for a few scenes), and then the Guardian from 900 years ago. I know that this is her comfort zone and she's comfortable with playing this type of characters, however, she brings a uniqueness to each and every single one of them.

Mu Yao - I do like Zhu Xu Dan as an actress and she portrayed Mu Yao very well. Her character was indifferent to demons and she didn't care if they were good or not. She just wanted them dead but then she grew to understand them and learned to accept that not all demons are evil. She had the biggest growth in the story. She went from someone who didn't care, to someone who realized that she, too, needed to learn that not all demons are as bad as what she grew up learning. The only thing that I didn't like about her was her loyalty to her father's legacy. I get that he was her father and she looked up to him as this hero, but as she learned more about him, I wished they would allow her to accept that her father was not perfect. Even when the Consort was telling her about her father, she refused to believe that he was anything about this hero.

Liu Fuyi - I really don't know the actor who played him, but I feel that Liu Fuyi was a bland character. He didn't do much in regards to the story plot. If he wasn't there, it wouldn't make a big difference to me. He was just the supporting character who is in love with Mu Yao. I feel like they added him to "melt" Mu Yao's heart but other than that, I don't really see his purpose. As for his growth, we didn't really see much of it. I mean, he did sacrifice himself to save Mu Yao in his village but then again, if he was gone, I didn't think it would make a difference. He was just there as a love interest to Mu Yao. He didn't do much in terms to the plot. So, with or without him, I didn't think it'll be any different.

Overall, I did enjoy the drama and I did also ffwd a lot of the scenes too. I feel that there were a lot of unnecessary scenes and I also feel that they cut off parts that were important and kept those weren't. For example, the bracelet. We have learned that it belonged to Mu Sheng's mother, but how can it possessed someone to love the first person they see? And did Miao Miao explain to Mu Sheng that it was because of the bracelet that's why she "fell" in love with his half-brother. AND, the biggest AND is how the heck did they all find out that he's the half brother. I mean, they didn't have a conversation about that. They just somehow magically found out that they were half brothers. I get that Mu Sheng knew because of the dream/nightmare sequence with the Consort but there was no other conversation after that. I get that they needed to cut parts out but like I said, they cut out the important parts. We didn't need to spend so much time on the consort nor on Luiniang and Fuyi's hometown. I feel that they spent too much time with those story arcs that they totally didn't explain anything about the bracelet and the brothers.

I rated it an 8.5 because even though I did enjoy it, I was not satisfied with the ending. I would have rate it higher if they pulled a Tiger and Rose scene where we actually get to see Miao Miao and Mu Sheng in the real world because it would have been the perfect ending. But they decided to pull a Romance on the Farm ending and so I took points away.

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Get ready for a rollercoaster ride...

This drama was definitely a rollercoaster ride, for sure.

The first few episodes were boring, I did a lot of fast forwarding. This drama reminded me a lot of Hotel del Luna and a few others with similar story lines, and I had really high hopes for the drama, but like I said, a rollercoaster.

After I believe episode 9 or so is when it got better. I really did enjoyed the later episodes and how they developed the plot. I also enjoyed watching them resolve the mystery of his uncle, even though, it was already known that he had died, but it did explained how he died and how it was related to Han Bom.

I also like how he started to embrace the curse after meeting Bom instead of just going day to day without a purpose. She really did helped him see the bright side of things, even though, it was the hardest for him at the time.

The ending was not a disappointment, but it wasn't the best as well. The entire episode focused on Ji Won and Assistant Manager Go, giving us a little glimpse of happiness to our main leads.

As for Ji Won and Assistant Manger Go's relationship, I think they should have allowed him to possess someone so that she can either have a human partner or have her die so she can be with him that way. If I remember correctly, in Hotel del Luna, one of the ghost was able to possess the bully and stayed in her body, so I feel like they should have allowed that instead. I mean, don't get me wrong, I do like the idea of her being with him and pulling a Beauty Inside plot line, but I feel like they should have just made it perm for those two.

Overall, I feel like it was missing Mr. Baek. I wish he didn't turn into an evil spirit and dying. He was part of the team.

I am giving this an 8.5 just because the earlier episodes were boring and disappointing and Mr. Baek had to die, but the later episodes made up for the earlier ones.

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Scheming, scheming and more scheming

I love watching scheming, political, fighting for the throne type of Chinese dramas so I had to give this one a shot.

Where do I even begin with this. I mean, the storyline itself is mediocre at best. It's the typical political/framed hero type of storyline, so I am very used to this. However, what I like about it is that it has so many unlikable characters and people wanting the throne.

Of course, it has the two brothers fighting for the throne, but it also added the scorned ex lover who is crazy enough to believe that she deserves the throne after the emperor casted her aside. I mean, who even saw that coming.

Lets start with the main leads:

Wei Zhao/Xiao Wuxia: I like Allen Ren and I like how he plays this character. Don't get me wrong, he was not the nicest male lead. I mean, he tried to kill her every chance he got, so yeah, not the nicest man alive. Does he deserve her undying love? No, he does not. But I do understand where he is coming from. She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time and saw something she shouldn't have. And yes, he did also saved her a lot of times, but I don't think that makes up for the fact that he also tried killing her so many times either. I also like how him falling in love with Jiang Ci did not deter him from trying to reveal the truth behind his father's unjustified death. All he wanted to do was clear his father's name and restore Yueluo to its former glory while trying to serve the one person who is behind it all. One thing I would say about him is that for someone who is so smart and supposed to be one step ahead, he still fell into the emperor's trap. However, I really do like how they ended his arc. He died a hero to the Yueluo people. He was able to accomplish what he set up to do, even though the world may not know that the real truth, he was able to bring peace to Yueluo. And to me, that's the greatest thing he did by sacrificing himself, he protected the people he wanted to protect the most.

Pei Yan: Don't even get me started on him. Argh. He is my most hated second male lead. He's obsessive, controlling, and manipulative person ever. He used Jiang Ci for his own good and even tries to control her. He wants her to be trapped in a cage even though she only wanted to be free. AND he knew that, but yet, he wanted to control her. Every time he says that he's doing it to protect her, I just want to slap him because he's not doing anything for her. He is only pushing her further away from him. She respected him as her savior and he went and become someone she hated. I do feel pity for him because he grew up under his mother's reign. She used him and treated him like a puppet and her meal ticket to the throne. He deserved a better mother than that. However, that does not excuse him for trapping Jiang Ci because he was trapped by his mother. Even to the end, he foolishly protected her when she deserves death for staging a coup.

Jiang Ci/Princess Yong'an: I like her carefreeness, but boy, she got herself in a lot of trouble. She's always at the wrong place at the wrong time. Honestly, out of the three main leads, I wished they explored her childhood more. They barely touched based on her father and mother and her master/aunt. I mean, we met the master/aunt and then she disappears for more than half the drama and shows up towards the end and then she's dead. I wanted to get more of her background and stuff. As for her secret birth, I haven't read the novel, so I don't know if this was part of the original story, but I can go without it. I don't really think we needed her to be a princess but I guess it's just way to trap her even more. Who knows. I just wished they would have showed her being a doctor or something. Throughout the show, they showed her as someone who likes medicine and is knowledgable in it, but yet, they just ended it like that. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like that they gave her a child and she returned to her home with Wei Zhao/Xiao Wuxia, but at least make her a doctor or something. You know? Like give her something more than just being a mother.

Cui Zhiming: I don't have much to say about him, but I do feel like they kind of messed up his relationship. He was so cute with Miss Dong and they just ended like that. He deserves someone to be his side. He was the only one who treated Jiang Ci like a real person and not just someone they can used. He was nice to her and cared for her -- genuinely. I am glad that he is finally free from Pei Yan. So, I am happy with that. I really do like Gao Han since Falling Into Your Smile, I especially enjoyed him in Love Like the Galaxy, but I do wish that they gave him someone.

I'm not even going to talk about the emperor and Madam Rongguo, because they're just so unlikable. They make my blood boiled and at the end of it all, I was wishing for their deaths. So let's just leave it at that. Two of the most detestable persons in drama land.

Overall, I gave this an 8 out of 10. I feel that it could have been shorter and I wished they took some plot lines away that were not necessary at all to the main plot. I also wished that Wei Zhao/Xiao Wuxia or at least Pei Yan have evidence of what happened 20 years ago so the world can truly know that their "beloved" emperor was the cause of Prince Qi's death and the fall of Yueluo. Don't get me wrong, I am satisfied with how they wrapped that up, but I wished there was evidence to really let the world know what happened. Other than that, I am happy with how they wrap up the story.

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Started of great, but needed a few more episodes

I binged watched this show due to clips I saw and it started off great but I do feel that they need a few more episodes. I have not watched many Korean dramas in the recent years, but I feel that 8 episodes was not enough to develop the storyline. It needs at lease 4-6 more episodes. Don't get me wrong, the actors and actresses did a wonderful with what they have, but I would have liked to explore the story and conflicts more. I am a sucker for misunderstandings to be solved quickly, but I also feel that they needed to work on the chemistry.

It just feels weird that he wanted to change his whole life for her after meeting her again. She wasn't given enough time to "fall in love" with him. The only inkling that we got that she may also like him 10 years ago, was when they were stuck in the pit but then she was always about Bang Jun Ho.

Speaking of Bang Jun Ho, his character was giving me a total stalker vibes(?). I mean, he left her without a goodbye but yet, he expected her to always loved him because she had always loved him in the past. Like dude, you BROKE her heart, do you think she'll jump for joy when you return? Like Mr. Kim said to him, he should have told her his reason for leaving when he left, because now, it's only excuses. He hurt her and just waltz into her life like nothing happened. He was obsessed with her and I hated how her boss encouraged it too. Like lady, did you see how affected she was by him? Couldn't you just assign someone else to the project? I get that she was the one who wanted to project in the first place, but circumstances changed. She can be as professional as she wants, but if he's not being a professional towards her, what she can do? I am still shock that her own boss would throw her into the project when she clearly knew what happened to her. Smh.

Hye Ji and Teacher Son's relationship was also so sudden too. I mean, they could have explored that story line more with more episodes. I get that they "fell" for each other during the hiking trip, but it was just so sad how they wrote that love story. Hye Ji had confessed to him and he flat out shut her down. I get that he is awkward around women, but what the hell. He was such a gentleman, and then they made him someone who was so clueless. I would have love to see more of their relationship.

I do like how he confessed to her, but I didn't like how "short" it took her to accept him. Like what made her like him when she has always seen him as nothing more than a friend. Like I said, the only inkling we got that she might have liked him was during the night they got stuck, but then that was the only time. Nothing else. She had been helping her friend get him before he left. So for her to suddenly accept him didn't make sense to me. I wish she would have hesitated more and come the realization that yes, she was falling for him. I feel like it was too fast for them. He disappears for 10 years, and then return for a few days and he just throws everything away for her, that part never made sense to me too.

Now, let's talk about her past. I feel like they wanted us to know that she was abandoned so that's why she had issues with people leaving without saying goodbye, but then they never really explored it too. There was like a clip that was part of her nightmare and then Kwon Sang Pil telling Kang Hu Yeong about her drunken talk and that people have wounds. I wish they would have showed us what exactly happened to her because they never showed her parents or mentioned her parents.

And then the ending, I'm just confused about it. She made a whole scene about not leaving with him, but then she leaves with him? Like, what? All I am saying is that they needed a few more episodes. The story feels incomplete.

Overall, I took points off because I feel that it wasn't complete. To me, this is a 7/10. If they added more scenes to elaborate the story, I will rethink my ranking, but for now, as it is, it's a 7. I was disappointed towards the end of the drama. I feel like I wasted my time binge watching this show.

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Messy

Where do I even get started.

Well, first of all, I really liked the storyline, but I did not like how it was executed. I feel that it was a refreshing take on the whole contractual marriage thing, especially when she was supposed to be a sacrificial bride, but I hated the way that they executed the story. It was a huge mess with a lot of plot holes.

First, I definitely understood his resentment towards her and his distrust of her since she was the daughter of his enemy, but I feel that him finding out about her father's plans was way too fast. I would have preferred if he suspected the father, but not full on finds out that he was behind everything, and doing nothing about it. It was so stupid on how they made him do nothing for the entire drama!!!

Second, even though he was "smart" he was also dumb. I liked that the FL was strong and stood up for justice, but I wish they made her stronger. It broke my heart the way she was getting treated by the people in her courtyard. Also, how did no one know that she was being abused by the people in her courtyard. There were so many people who have seen how the maids treated her, but it was a surprise that she was being abused.

Third, how evil can the father be! Not only did he sacrificed his daughters, he even sacrificed the wife that he so called loved. He was just pure evil and greedy. Even though he was evil, I didn't really understand his reasoning. I mean, when I watch these types of drama where someone is plotting against someone, it's usually due to the fact that they want to overthrow the throne or see that person as a threat to the throne, but Wan Ye didn't care for the throne. So he technically was not a threat to the throne at all. Which leads me to...

My fourth point, what the hell is wrong with the emperor and empress dowager. They clearly have an inferiority complex or something because Wan Ye have already turned down the throne because of the dowager, but yet, they couldn't fully trust him and let him be. They sabotage him by having him marry to his enemy's daughter (which by the way, how did they even know about those two being enemies) and then when he was happily married and living his life, they go and try to kill his child and when that didn't work, they gave him a declaration to marry the country's enemy's daughter. Like how much more can you throw at him to satisfied your stupid ego. Their plotting was the stupidest thing I have seen in dramaland. It made ZERO sense for them to even plot against him when he clearly didn't want the throne and was not remotely close to being a threat to them.

Fifth, all of the misunderstanding was just plain stupid and overdone. I'm sorry but not sorry. He has a mouth, he could have just told her what happened and what the deal is that he made with the emperor that he that he loves her. Like, was it that hard for him to tell her that he loves her. He didn't have to treat her like crap because he wanted to keep her safe. That was so stupid of him.

Sixth, I honestly got tired of the obsessive princess that I started to fast forward all of her scenes. When she first showed up, she was this hardcore, badass assassin and then she turned into this whiny, obsessive princess who was willing to sacrifice her only friend to be with someone who does not even care about her.

Seven, the ending was rushed and messy. All of a sudden, everything was resolved as if it didn't even happen in the first place. The obsessive princess, over a few words, betrayed her people for him. The emperor finally let go of his stupid inferiority complex and started to trust Wan Ye. The empress dowager changed her mind as well because she lost Wan Ye. The only punishment Shen Ke Yi's father received was to be exiled -- like what? His wife, who he so called loved, died. His daughter, that he loved, was disfigured, but he only got exiled? Where is the justice in that? The timing was also off with a lot of unexplained events. For example, how did he find Shen Ke Yi? What did Lady Yunning died off? When did the romance between her and the guard develop? Like nothing. They gave us nothing.

I wished that they would have a better script writer to execute this plot line. Like I said, I liked the plot line, I just don't like how they executed it at the end. Also, they should have continued with the fake jade pendant storyline as well. That would have been a better plot twist than whatever plot twist they have because I wasn't even sure at this point what the plot twist was. I mean, from the beginning, they already showed us that Shen Ke Yi's family was being the attempted assassination of Wan Ye, so there was no story there.

I also wished that they went into depth as why the emperor and emperor dowager feared Wan Ye. I know that they touched on it, by saying that he was the emperor's favorite, but there was nothing else that they offered. I also wanted them to go into more depth behind Wan Ye and Shen Ke Yi's past along with the obsessive princess's past. Like they only show glimpse of it, but what they showed didn't do much either.

Overall, I gave this a 7 out of 10 because I really did enjoy the earlier episodes and I loved Zhang Miao Yi. She reminds me of a young Ariel Lin and I do really enjoy her dramas. I didn't care for Dylan Kuo too much. I feel like they should have casted another actor. Don't get me wrong, he played Wan Ye very well, but I feel like he didn't match Zhang Miao Yi, and this has nothing to do with the age gap between the actor/actress either. I just don't find them aesthetically pleasing to the eyes when they are together. Would I rewatch this drama? Probably just the first few episodes only. I feel like I wasted by time waiting for the ending to air and then was left disappointed.

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One of the best K-drama so far

Where do I start? This drama kept me engage the entire time. From the cases to the killings to the judgments, it was a masterpiece. Every thing about this drama was spot on. I loved how Justisia judged based on her law and not the law of the land because we all know that the law of the land does very little justice. She punished those who needed to be punished and I loved that for her. I also loved that despite falling in love with a human, she kept to herself. She was just as cunning as the sinners. Of course, when it comes to who Satan was, it was subtle in showing us who it was but it wasn't super obvious as well. It kept me guessing among the Jung family. I mean, that Assemblyman was suspicious along with his sons. So it was interesting to keep guessing among who the Jung men were.

Let's get started with the casts.
Park Shin Hye - Justisa and Kang Bit Na: wow, is all I can. She did an AMAZING job. This is by far her best performance since she started acting at a young age. She usually plays the same character, but she showcased her range with this one. I have always been a fan of hers, but she needs to play more roles like this. The badass woman who can defend herself. Of course, she is without faults. In the beginning, she was arrogant and rude, but she eventually started to understand humans and at the end, she did what she had promised the family. Her character arc was amazing. I enjoyed her smirk and fighting.

Kim Jae Young - Han Da On: Okay, not going to lie, I have never seen any of his dramas, but I thought that he was an awesome job. He was annoying at first, wanting to catch Kang Bit Na and use human laws against her, but once he joined forces with her, he started to understand that sometimes you can't use human laws on evil. I loved how with his eyes and tears, he can move the audience and the cold hearted Kang Bit Na. He went through a lot at a young age and he again lost the one who raised him and care for him, but he still wanted to be on the side of justice. His character arc was also amazing. He grew from being a one sided officer to understanding that the law may not always be on their side but he hopes that the law can at least mend the hearts of the victims.

Kim In Kwon - Mando: he is the funniest character of the entire drama. He was really put in a dilemma and he did what he can. I have always thought that he was a perfect match to Park Shin Hye. She had been driving him crazy since 2009 (if you know what I mean). Despite the fact that he was conflicted when it came to religion, being a demon himself, he was always loyal to Kang Bit Na. He went along with her shenanigans all the while trying to protect her the best he can.

Kim Ah Young - Arong: oh boy. Where to start with her. When we first met her, she was already suspicious to me. But she played her part so well. I understand that she wanted to do anything in her power to help Justista but betraying her idol was the most ridiculous thing she can do. I mean, Justitia has already told her to leave Han Da On alone, but she just couldn't trust her idol, so she went behind her back and got her almost killed. However, I did like that they made her realize what she did was wrong and stood by Justitia side as a loyal friend.

All of the guests did an AMAZING job. They were the perfect psychopath. They played their part very well and I can see that they have range to play someone who can come off as nice but is truly evil. They all deserve medals for their part in the drama. Some of them, especially the multiple personalities actor, outshined the main casts. I mean, they were just so awesome.

So, my rating. It started off as a 10, but I took 1.5 stars out because of the second part of episodes 14. I loved how she ended up dying, and then brought back to punish Jung Tae Gyu. However, she should have been sent back to Hell to punish the sinners and murders in Hell. After learning from what she had learned in the human world, she should have used that to rightfully punish the murders and not act like she did in the episode 1, but no, she asked Bael for three years and he willingly gave it to her. I love a happy ending, but I feel that for this drama, there shouldn't be a happy ending. This is not a fairytale drama.

The thing that I loved most about episode 14 is that it circled back to episode 1 when she told the kids about justice. That was a nice touch to the drama. However, I did not like the open end ending with the choice of either staying as a human by punishing 10 more sinners or going straight to hell. I wished she wouldn't even have that chance. I loved her but as I have stated, this wasn't a fairytale drama. It was a dark drama that has romance (which I still didn't agree with). Overall, I don't mind rewatching this again.

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