Just like a dream...

This drama has not been advertised properly as you might start watching it simply because you are browsing for a new drama... just like that..

And then... surprise ? the unconventional first episode literally throw you into a dream world and you cannot yet recognise what is a dream and what is reality. Then, in a complete state of mental confusion, i decided to watch the second episode, and that dream was getting weirder.. and then.. no more doubts, i was hooked!

I didnt know the team here is the same as for A Familiar Stranger which other short drama i love! Amd it makes sense as the athmosphere here is similar, with some dark magic elements and a couple indeniable attracted to each other.

Do not skip the initial OST as mesmerizing, has reminded me of the OST from a League of Nobleman.

A must watch! Shame it is too short.. ? ?

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stellar performance ✨️

I have started this drama only because it is currently 'the talk of the town', a highly invested and budgeted drama, But i then decided to continue for many reasons:.

Differently from other dramas where the connection with the characters normally gets me after 2-3 episodes, this one found a connection straight away, with the stellar performance of the FL whom i knew from Ashes of love, but which character didn't impressed me that much.
On this drama, Yang Zi delivers a courageous performance, perfectly cross dressing in a believable male role. Never afraid to look normal, not pretty in many scenes, BRAVO! She is one of the reasons i decided to continue.

The male leads surrounding her are each of then unique and are giving our FL different emotional and physical experiences, you have the brother, the 'puppy' kind of love offering warmth, the challenger abusive potential lover... i wish i was her to have them for me ??

The characters have all gone through some sort of abuse, loneliness, and are mostly unloved .. and you might find the drama difficult to watch at times as very raw and painful.. but if you are able to digest those scenes, you will be rewarded and taken deeply into their world...

Some of the strong scenes were linked to the character that had taken my breath, heart and reasons away .. but i didn't have a say on this choice as... yes... i have a weak spot for white/silver haired man.... ??

you might decide to drop drama as i did myself as i thought I couldn't bear to continue watching it.. but it then took me less than a day to get back at it because i actually couldn't bear to be without it! The irony...

If interested, it would help you to understand the reasons behind many events if you are able to get your hand on the novel this drama is based on. On My Drama List website, there is a discussion forum with links to the novel and further discussions and readings from the books.

A final Bravo to the whole team behind production! This drama is well constructed, with an interesting plot and characters developments.

Thank you!

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A must watch!

I do not like leaving reviews after the 1st episode but I feel i have to explain why you should be watching this!
i had low expectations on this drama and i have been surprised by how good this is!

the first thing i have personally noticed is how the music plays a great role on this drama and accompany each and every type of moment accordingly: you will have some action, some fairy tale, some comedy, some silliness, some seriousness... each moment is differently highlighted by the perfect sound!

furtherly, the camera moves around the set, sometimes in circle.. and it really takes you to a 360 vision of the surrounding, fantastic!

there is a very high and good sense of aesthetic, the chiaro-scuro from the lightening is just perfect!

then.. i am not particularly into the ML but.. wow.. he is super good! his expressions, he is mischievous, playful, and his smiles.. are not just silly ones.. it seems obvious already he has a final goal for what he does .. and it is more complicated than what it seems at the beginning.

also, they use black and white for flashbacks from the past.. and i just love it!

the narration is clear so far, you understand why things are the way they are, things are very well explained to you; the plot, after just one episode, is already disclosing for something deeper, more painful that what you might gather from the first 20 minutes of the drama!

i have high hopes now for this drama and i also hope i won't be disappointed :)

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Fantastic

What a Fantastic historical drama with my favourite actress LuSi! I enjoy her cheekiness, her vitality and her laugh ? i was honestly tempted to drop this drama after seing her family background was pictured as a sad and lonely one, i dont like to feed my mind with unjust scenes from media, expecially how partial and immature her mother is, i cannot tollerate it! But i am glad i decided to continue watching it. ! LUsi chracter is not scared of people, not afraid of speaking her mind, but this is a modern interpretation as back in time, a daughter didnt have much freedom in speech. So we, based in 21st century society, appreciate her character, strong, fiery, clever. BUT doesnt really reflect the reality back then. Regardless, i LOVE it as i am here for entertainment and not historical accuracy. I am always so surprised to see Lu Si so young and yet so capable in her acting roles! And , although in terms of age he could be my son, i am definitelly badly attracted to Leo wu! His make up nd costumes make him look much older, very domeneering... and the way is uncontrollably attracted to LuSi is strongly perceived on screen! I am halfway through this series... and i feel it might have a sad ending..?. i will check it before continuing as i dont like sad ending wih people sacrificing in the name of the loved one, i simply cannot watch it- i am up for positivity and well earned rewards. But regardless of the ending, this is definitelly worth watching: great fighting, fantastic photography.. the scene where she removes the arrow... erghhhh ... very realistic. Update on ep38- wowwwww it gets better and better. Chemistry amongst the MLeads is fantastic! They are perfectly matched, with little.love received from their own family, they will love each other till the end! LU Si and Leo Wu, another drama worth watching. Welll done. I wish you lot of success in your career ???

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A masterpiece!

Oh my goodness, i have been waiting for this cdrama and it is finally out and better than i would have expected to be! Yeyyyyy ???? It is all male casting, it portraits brotherhood, loyalty and noble principles. It is the first cdrama in along time with fantastic acting, great photograph, magic OST, fast paced intricated plot that will keep you on your toes! a masterpiece! There are so many moments which are very artistically developed, such as the dance of the puppet on ep 1 and 2... wow! It has captured my attention for sure! ...ok, i already see many people here clicking on the 'dislike' for what i am going to say as anyone who doesnt like him, will just click on dislike, but i hoped they would have given a bigger role to Wang Duo which is the reason i knew about this drama from 1-2 years ago and i was just waiting for it to be produced ; i find his most recent roles to be intriguing and very complex. But regardless, there have been million of other reasons that have kept me hooked to this series, admittingly with or without Wang Duo...

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very clever!

This is my first thriller/suspense type of drama, mainly checking on TJC works after watching LYF, and i have truly enjoyed it!

I never thought how much is done behind a crime in terms of sketching a criminal and, with the use of the fast developing AI in every industry, thsi drama has shown how dangerous it would be to solely rely on it as it could be easily manipulated by interested parties.

Every crime is keeping the viewer highly engaged as it is given 2-3 episodes to be solved.

We have a satisfying ending.. but.. there is a 'but'.. the last scene.. is opening new opportunities for a second season... which is in discussion as of today's date ???

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I LOVED it! Ignore the criticism as the story in here is full of good principles and pure love..

LOVED IT.! ? i really cannot understand why this drama has created so much controversy,but i understand nowaday many people get personally offended for so many reasons, and that is fine, we are all free to have different opinions. Talking about stereotypes, well i myself come from a country that is represneted around the world by many stereotypes, but i dont get offended by it! If you feel personally sensible about a topic, just dont watch this drama, easy like that, as nobody is forcing you to watch this drama!
I have enjoyed every episode of this drama, ok, i love the ML Ji Chang Wook... he is so good, funny, cute, sexy, owwwww love him in every roles i ahve seen so far, Healer has been my favourite one,,, but backstreet rookie is too funny to miss! His character here is one that everyone would fall in love with... romantic, loyal, altruistic... and handsome ?
He cherish the most important things in life, family, the loved one, the sense of community.. and protects his principles even if it means to look weak from the outside... to others perhaps that dont share his principles.. but who cares?
His close friend DalSik is hilarious, well represent many of my friends with dreadlocks, naive, still virgin regardless appearances, happy about silly things-he is a very positive character and i am satisfied with the way things have turned unexpectedly for him!
I like this drama because for once it is portraying real people, easy going, versus the bad guys, which in this story were the Corporate directors/the rich- i particularly like this as nearly every kdrama i watch, the main characters live in penthouses, they change outfits 2-3 times per episodes... and i am not sure this reflects real life for the majority of Koreans..? Are you all extravantly rich? If so, easy , i might decide to move to Korea!
Jokes aside , a big well done to the production team, i understand you went through many troubles for this show, so thank you for being able to make everybody happy, and less offended! From my end , i LOVED every bit of it!
I am just concerned this will be available on Netflix in UK next week... and i am pretty sure you will get lot of attention , and complaints about some stereotypes, as in here they are very sensitive about everything... good luck with that x

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Comic, well acted, clever , a must to watch!

Ok you need to watch this! It is hilarious, super funny, great acting, great facial expression, intrigued political schemes, a bit of drama... Yes, it also makes you cry a bit... well at the very end.. but everything just turned up fine... with a great and satisfactory finale. This is my second Kdrama as i usually watch Cdrama... but i think it got me converted to korean productions now! The FL is amazing, fantastic, she can impersonate a man in a female body so naturally, jeez made me laugh out loud a few times...
Every episode is worth watching, you got very strong friendships and unrequired love, which was dealt with in a mature and realistic way. I have appreciated that people were direct, straightforward. Nice!
On my list of re watching when i want something funny ? ? ?
The second lead for me was the chef, and the court lady and those two were so well matched and super funny! Ahahahahhaha i LOVE THEM! Ah, also, please don't get me started on the way the king laughter! Oh my god! A strong, deep voice, nearly a sarcastic one, dome with a serious look... he was taking the piss, big time! BRAVO!

And... I also must comment on the flirting side... the kissing... oh my oh my... love that kissing! Initially I didnt particuarly like the king , both the actor and the character... just to realise later on that i found him super sexy.. and every scene this couple was spending together... was hilarious! Add this kdrama to your list to watch, you won't be disappointed

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A masterpiece of his genre! Fantastic production

A masterpiece ! Never seen anything like that from the choice of music to the production, the close ups, how the cameras were dynamically moving around the scene, during running, chasing and fighting! Wow! The city is described in details, the story was developing around 3 very different main characters that for some reason found themselves involved in an elaborate plot of corruption and power! 3 people united by a strong sense of loyalty, to their country or to the people they love, their family...

I particularly appreciate the choice of actors, 3 of the 2 main leads are not teenagers or too young. And tjis has been reflected on the quality added to the acting. The ML ,Gao, is very athletic, real, and his looks were espressive, mature, realistic. Thanks for this choice! I cannot wait for the next cdama that is following this theme around the history of chinese cities which this title has started.

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Fantastic!

What a Fantastic historical drama with my favourite actress LuSi! I enjoy her cheekiness, her vitality and her laugh ? i was honestly tempted to drop this drama after seing her family background was pictured as a sad and lonely one, i dont like to feed my mind with unjust scenes from media, expecially how partial and immature her mother is, i cannot tollerate it! But i am glad i decided to continue watching it. ! LUsi chracter is not scared of people, not afraid of speaking her mind, but this is a modern interpretation as back in time, a daughter didnt have much freedom in speech. So we, based in 21st century society, appreciate her character, strong, fiery, clever. BUT doesnt really reflect the reality back then. Regardless, i LOVE it as i am here for entertainment and not historical accuracy. I am always so surprised to see Lu Si so young and yet so capable in her acting roles! And , although in terms of age he could be my son, i am definitelly badly attracted to Leo wu! His make up nd costumes make him look much older, very domeneering... and the way is uncontrollably attracted to LuSi is strongly perceived on screen! I am halfway through this series... and i feel it might have a sad ending..?. i will check it before continuing as i dont like sad ending wih people sacrificing in the name of the loved one, i simply cannot watch it- i am up for positivity and well earned rewards. But regardless of the ending, this is definitelly worth watching: great fighting, fantastic photography.. the scene where she removes the arrow... erghhhh ... very realistic. Update on ep38- wowwwww it gets better and better. Chemistry amongst the MLeads is fantastic! They are perfectly matched, with little.love received from their own family, they will love each other till the end! LU Si and Leo Wu, another drama worth watching. Welll done. I wish you lot of success in your career ???

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Dilaraba great performance

This series is about our FL, Dilaraba, a princess that found herself orphaned and as a consequence she starts her journey wanting to revenge her family.. but between various difficulties and encounters, she divert her focus on helping the people she meets, interfering in situations that were sometimes taking her far from her original purpose... to the point her revenge gets moved aside to prioritise other situations... clever move that shows how the dynamic of life can take us naturally where less expected... and the FL was going with the flow. DILARABA is a well established actress with great expression skills of course, but the team she has been paired with is nothing less! The ML, Leo wu doesnt look his age, is very imposing in his role, and it is not just about his s muscles, but his expression, the way he speaks and the make up/costumes that makes him a very credible tribal prince. Another praise go to the second couple, which at times were stealing the trophy to the main couple as both actors are beautiful and great! I LOVE Zao Luzi, i have seen all her costume dramas and i love her cheekiness and comedy side, i find her funny, but this role was a different one for her.. she was perhaps crying too much at the beginning, but as her character was developing episode by episode, she became less of a cry baby and more of an adult able to support herself. Her man, liu Yuning,,, well i am in love with him and the series left me very satisfied with his character and his ending,, so much deserved! The series has a good start and development of events until episodes 40... you are really intrigued by what is happening, there are several unexpected twists of the story that makes the production a good one.. but note that i haven't read the comics where this series is based on, so i cannot comment on the genuinity of the story. From episode 40 i feel the story started to slow down a bit and had put too many details on situations or dialogues, that were not needed. The romance is there, you can see it and feel it... just a note that many have highlighted already... this series is described as historical and ROMANCE and the type of audience watching these type of drama are at least expecting a kiss... but for many reasons that many have already commented on, this was obscured/ covered. Which i disagree. It is satisfactory to watch a kiss, and you don't need to be a pervert to watch it!.. but we got to see nice BIRDS making out.. and if you have watched the series you get the funny reference ? ? ? I agree that it is not a kiss that makes the series, but it would have been nice! You can still get the feeling.. but it is different. Overall i will advise people to watch this series if you like to see your favorite actors in this new drama.

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Such a sweet little cutie pie ?

Wang An Yu, you are good! With your baby face and a body to die for ... wow! You can act too! I am giving this series a 10 star as so refreshing and well acted! The actors are making their characters believable, as many have commented, they look like they belong to the sportive industry! I find the perseverance and passion of those athletes is remarkable and very inspiring! 10 stars to the passionate chemistry and fantastic kisses from both main leads, possibly the best ones i have seen in my 3 years of C and K dramas! The chemistry is unbelievable and i wished i was the FL! I enjoyed how straightforward both characters were with each other with none of the nonsense or clique usually on cdramas. They love each other and they defend their love with no misunderstandings! Well done script! I love it! I am already re-watching it! And you should not be missing this one! ! !

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