This review may contain spoilers
what were they thinking?
There are several aspects of this show that make you wonder what they were thinking.1. Yeonsangun - they took the worst South Korean tyrant of all time and made him the love interest. They also post his murderous mother as sympathetic and kind.
2. French cuisine - they pose French cuisine as if it is far superior to Korean cuisine. isn't that a bit racist towards Koreans?
3. Ming - but that's fine because we're know Korea as a whole loves things like macaroons, which are so sweet that the rest of the world finds them inedible. But the Chinese in particular do not like sweet desserts (a dessert compliment in China is "not too sweet") - but here they show FL deciding serving macarons to a Ming ambassador is a good idea. Not only that, but all the "Ming" are Korean, can barely speak Chinese, and the depiction is incredibly racist.
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He's as driven by revenge as she is
Everyone dropping it early is missing the crucial crucial crucial point that this show is more about REVENGE than LOVE. By episode 11 you'll learn why Qingyi wants revenge on the Huos just as much as Susu, and why this is actually his main motivation.You might say, it's Susu's fault this all happened to him. Well, you'll realize why he ultimately holds the Huos responsible. Sure, Susu started the chain of events and dropped him, so obviously he's angry at her, but she also didn't torture him for multiple years, in addition to stealing his future, and taking away everything that made him a healer instead of a killer.
Specifically, Qingyi too is more motivated by the desire for revenge against the Huos than love for Susu, which is why what seems like simping behavior initially doesn't make sense, and his love for her as his main motivation doesn't convey to the audience.
Sure, Susu's quest for revenge even if it meant using him as a pawn set off the chain of events for him, but it was the Huo's that he ultimately holds responsible.
Plus, he understands Susu: he too is so consumed by revenge that it trumps all else, and he's even willing to use her, too, to achieve it.
Because he understands that he is essentially no different from her, and they are bound by this thing that supersedes and in fact destroyed the innocent life with room for the love they could have had, he can't help but sympathize with her, and even yearn for and mourne what they could have had.
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An exquisite masterpiece
This piece stands out as a work of art through the ages, a cinematic masterpiece.Aesthetically, this is one of the most beautiful pieces I've seen. Each scene, costume, and actor is more beautiful than in the last scene. But this isn't just some idol drama as it initially appears to be, but a painting by a master at work.
I didn't watch at first because it started Ju Jingyi, for example, who was so miscast in In Blossom, and yet so well cast here. She is able to show beauty, delucacy and resilience here just fine. And Chen Duling is undeniably a powerful actress, yet here her beauty also becomes a weapon and a tool.
The story and characters are also compelling and multifaceted, a mix of wuxia and xanxia that resonates creatively. The characters are multifaceted, and only continue to show more depth.
A page turner you can't stop watching, as beautiful as it is engaging, do yourself a favor and watch an episode or two of this masterpiece, and allow yourself to be hooked.
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