Reviews

Five Stars

It was so funny when Jackson Wang just came and was waking up everyone, even climbing on the window too, they were like you promised to let us sleep peacefully and wake up in a normal way. And the first game, Bingo type, they had to complete a line with their objects, but Jing Tian was really confused as to what the game was, while Jackson came like wind and switched the object's position it was so funny when the Blue team was making fun Red team saying that they really have nuts in their heads lol. It's really hilarious how Jackson just knelt on the ground between the baskets and was like I'm sorry, while Zheng Kai was scolding him, did you even know what you were running for?? Totally fun. I didn't expect they would use bollywood music in between, when Jackson was caught they were playing a hindi song, now I've counted two of em, Jai Ho and every Bollywood fan knows the other "Tunak Tunak Tun" I haven't seen any previous seasons so it's all new for me. The Wolf and Sheep game was really fun, Blue team looked like they didn't have any chance, but amazing Dilraba played well, even though they still lost, but Raba did really great. The taste game is really spicy, sour, salty lol. They gotta identify which degree it is. Great job Jackson he really was like let's just switch Re ba's degree sign with Cho Lam's and it was correct. Oh the final battleground of today, they gotta play with maths a little and make sure the opponent team gets score more than 10 so they will be all out, and giving the most important number 1 to Jackson and telling him that the only thing he needs to do tonight is to never get caught. Jackson gives 100 responses in a second lol, too energetic, a good runner. Team blue really played the game with maths, giving the weakest 5 then Re ba 2 to make their calculation tricky, while the red team gave the largest numbers to their strongest players and the weakest players the smallest numbers. Oh the hint ruined the game a bit. The game just started and Zheng Kai and Chen He both were out so early. Now they're worried if we're out, the remaining three are so weird. How are we gonna count on them to win? Cho Lam really solo everything, he took Jing Tian's and Lu han's Drumstick, and they're out, really good. Good job Reba she's stronger than Jia Ling although looks the opposite. Ah I'm so sad the blue team lost, they were so close, so close yet so far away. They couldn't win at the end, but genuinely they did great, they turned the tables, and almost won even without their cheetah Zheng Kai. 10/10 totally, it was a really fun episode I absolutely enjoyed it.

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4 episodes to go, time for some speculating...

I'm loving this series! Its so opulent to watch and we can supspend reality for a while each week to get lost in the fantastical lives of fictional royals. We get a front row seat to the central story, but what about the underlying mysteries that are only hinted at, but undercurrent the plot? Like, who is the mystery spy for Rachata in the palace? My money is on Wirun, the king's butler. He's the only one who makes sense in the narrative: he's high up enough in the staff hierarchy to know everything thats going on, and trusted enough not to be questioned. Also, I'm getting the impression that there might have been something going on between Thatdanai and Tharin, and the king's decision to send Khanin away with Thatdanai as a baby wasn't just because he was part of the trusted inner circle. Tharin says explicitly when they are eating together that Thatdanai had taught him to make that dish and somehow he'd known that Thatdanai would have been making it for Khanin too? Like it was his specialty? Why would a guard be teaching a prince how to cook, unless they had a much closer relationship than they were supposed to? I could be way off, and Thatdanai could have trained as a chef before becoming a guard for all we know - the same way Charan became an Art Professor at his family's university before he was recalled to duty to retrieve Khanin. For anyone who thinks I'm reading way too much into this, I'm a writer, so my brain is hardwired to notice details like this. Is anyone else thinking along the same lines, or is it just me?

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Who is the true mastermind?

Loved this episode. Finally back to the intrigue that first made this drama so interesting. For the empress, it was satisfying to see a viper’s skin crawl at her own creation. She had been so used to unchallenged manipulation that she didn’t have a backup plan if it failed. All of her efforts have been reduced to ash and the child she thought her puppet has returned the favor in spades. For the third Prince, he is hauntingly vile but at least not a complete mindless prat in the empress’ absence of planning. He has taken her role and pushed back to make her the puppet in the scheme to be his possession dead or alive. It is a macabre way to go about things but suits their style. The Meng family has always been part of the royals. Their plotting and scheming has most likely been going on for generations with the emperor enjoying the benefits of their schemes. This episode exemplifies just how harsh and hopeless a woman’s lot can be in a man’s world no matter the social status. It does not matter how intelligent or capable a woman is, the bottom line here is they are used as alliances and breeders and seen worthless otherwise. I am almost nauseous that Meng patriarch gladly would replace the name of his most faithful son to that of that POS fake scholar’s branch that are openly a disgrace to their clan. That he uses this threat to pawn off his daughter to third prince is beyond disgusting. She will get along with him better, but her fate will always be uncertain and decided by whatever male is in charge. Even as the faithful daughter she is despised. The 4th Prince and sis have been rerouted to a safe location and while aide and bodyguard are in danger, they knew it was coming and were prepared. Ya gotta smile at the empty carriage loaded up with arrows. The chancellor, love his mind. He has the pieces in place for a level playing field of wits over who will become next emperor. It is a bit sad the consort saw the changes but didn’t recognize it as addiction. There is no telling how her fate will fall. The Beiyuan prince is setting himself up to put his family back in charge. He is getting to take care of the people. Here I am hoping the drama has a better ending for him than comments I’ve seen from those that have read the book. This would be a far better ending for everybody if his position is re established. Ms Meng has outlined exactly the fate of her family if her father’s plan comes to fruition via the third prince. But once again, the power hungry politician is willing to delude himself rather than trust a woman to be leader of the family. His shortsightedness will cost all of them. I am just hoping she survives the fallout. The 4th prince is disappointed the chancellor won’t fess up to his true identity. But the chancellor probably feels the prince is more safe without that acknowledgement. The princess has finally confessed her true feelings. This would have been received much better by all several episodes ago. It would have been a much better watch to be let in on all the machinations going on behind the scenes than make Princess look like a stubborn incapable piece on the board for so long. That aside, the chancellor was surprised that she had known for awhile his relationship to 4th Prince. Their minds are finally attuned by choice, and things are finally back to being more interesting. I am looking forward to next episodes with much more anticipation and enthusiasm.

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Episode 30: Moments of Blood and Determination

This episode was interesting. All of them working together to get out of the city was satisfying. This interaction between the characters, all fighting together for this goal. The solutions they found to get around the enemies in the city walls, everything was interesting. The moments of heroism were very good. Two couples of brother and sister, two couples of boyfriend and girlfriend holding hands. Two friends, the two servants (Zhan Lu and Qing Yan), very much alive (I hope they are still alive). The search for the antiduct in the wreckage of the city. The survival of the characters (the heroes and the villains). The tacit understanding between Shen Zai Yi and Jiang Tao Hua. The soldiers and the warriors of Shen Zai Ye fighting together, a mini battle enjoyable to watch. And for the next teasers we saw the villain who was asleep again appear to make his move because he didn't give up the power (I didn't understand a scene: is he going to kill his daughter? Or did I not see it right?).

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