I know I’m sorely in the minor camp but...…

I know I’m sorely in the minor camp but... I enjoyed every part of Ep 2 & I watched it with great relish . Maybe because my tl was full of disappointment & I went into the ep with Low expectations. But whatever the case, the ep was superb for me + I’m still on this frenzied high right now. The ep opened right where it left off previously & I was anxious as I watched the nail-biting push and pull between Type & Tharn.While I rooted for Type in ep 1, I sympathise w Tharn in this ep. Mew portrayed Tharn’s dilemma really well; so unbearably in love w Type that he just wants to share that bliss but also reluctantly understanding of Type’s almost abhorrence w letting strangers in.I felt miserable when Tharn, alone in that vast expanse of their bed, said: I just want to let others know about our r/s. That’s all... Their making up or sort of coming to a truce scene was kinda anticlimactic but for some reason, it just showed me how comfortable + in tune Type & Tharn were as they navigated that bump in their r/s which will def come up again.oming up to meeting P’ Klui was a little breather for us + excited to see his appearance. Wonder if he’s there to remind Tharn + Type of their beginning. With reappearance of your past company, secrets/ details will come out for sure (good+bad).Oh well, I’m looking forward to their interactions for sure. Then the bar scene! I don’t have much to say except that it’s reminiscent of their past again & I thought it was a good reminder that there is a good circle around them.And that Tharn & Type do recognise the significance of their nostalgic activities like that. Now for the controversial (?) NC scene... welp don’t come for me but I lived for it. Trust me, I was engrossed & the cuts don’t bother me AT ALL, in fact it made me seem like a lunatic desperately hungering for their skin on skin.My only complaint would be that the music swelled up a bit too much that I couldn’t hear their uncaring gasps & sighs. The choice of music don’t fit but it wasn’t bizarre or anything.With the cuts, of course I’m deliciously mixed. The only reason I would prefer no cuts would be cos I went full hard stan for Tharn & Type action there.Overall, I thought it was ingenious & just the slightest bit beautiful as you can see them having the hots + eyes only for each other no matter the place or time. It showed me that they are still disgustingly in love & in somewhat honeymoon phase, honed in on each other..plus the convo btw Champ + Techno showed me how aware + accepting they are of Tharn & Type. It makes me glad to see this close knit group of ppl.of course peppered through it all are adorable scenes of others. I’ll mention that Gulf’s acting is mind blowing. The subtle gestures, facial expression & the intensity of his gaze be it lust, happiness, irritation or fury... it was all on point & exceeded expectations.I have to admit that Type’s look of indifference at the end when first meeting Fiat was heart-fluttering. Ohhh trust me I swooned (I know I’m weird haha but that cold look towards everyone else except Tharn.And then glossing over the scenes and skipping to my WEAKNESS, the best scene in this ep for me.Tharn taking care of Type, then Type yearning for Tharn and settling into his embrace in that way where he’s finally home in his ultimate safe place. ohhh the heaviness yet satisfaction in the air.And the last part, Tharn saying he wants Type to only be his. That speaks to me on so many levels. More than just possessiveness or jealousy, it’s abt Tharn wanting to be there for & with Type, for now & forever. That’s how secure he is of their love.There you go, my long rant/review ? Just to clear the tl + show that there are others (ME!!!!!! X 100) who were all for this ep.

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Their love truly transcends everything.

This is going to be hard to review and I honestly don't know where to start. I binge watched until episode 17 and then it got painful as I knew how it was mainly going to play out so I skipped to the last episode and then emptied my tears as I did not want to break my heart watching.In the end, I was foolish watching the whole thing. Of course, I cried here and there and once more all out sobbed and begged at the last episode. It was unbearable angst.1. CharactersI don't think I can say enough how much I love so many of the characters here. Truly the main leads shine just as brightly as the two main supporting leads. Wei Guang and Ye Ningzhi are amazing together. They were each other's support system to bounce ideas off, companion to find comfort and home in and each other's reason to keep fighting and holding on. In my opinion, the most unique part of the plot was the relationship between main female lead, Ye Ningzhi, and the main supporting female lead, Empress Zheng. For the first quarter of the drama, I just pegged her as this usual evil snide woman in the harem that is going to use petty tricks and be malicious to the main female lead. Imagine my absolute wonder and tremulous delight when they have this beautiful and honest relationship though the empress tries to remain stoic for the first half or so. You rarely see that in historical dramas where characters in the harem stick together and love each other genuinely. They were so supportive of each other and though they were technically rivals, their relationship was so intriguing to me and something I really cherish. Equally as moving was the supporting characters' relationship. I won't say much as it might give away the plot, but their relationship was really interesting and that was another boost for me to finish the drama. The acting of the main lead in particular was phenomenal. He had very subtle facial expressions which changed accordingly. He was really intense and I was overwhelmed by his actions and expressions.2. PlotThe plot was actually mostly predictable in the sense that I could predict what the main backbone was going to be like. The only unpredictable parts were Yan Kuan's actions and the intricacies in how the main leads solved the different problems. For some reason, I got a lot of Empress Ki vibes throughout the whole drama but of course, Empress Ki was much more tragic. The historical setting and the customs are all similar to other historical dramas and the political intrigue + scheming is as common as they come. So there is nothing new there. There were some plot holes and things left unexplained such as Ningzhi's mother's and circus troupe's fate. I know it's a minor thing but I would have loved to know what happened to them. There were a few major plot twists and many minor ones. I think the most important one was done really well, especially the lead up to the story and how I could not fathom it based on his character's behaviours and persona he puts on. All the minor twists were good as well and mainly pertains to the leads' wits, with how they framed the villains. I really enjoy that plot device because it adds thrill and mystery to it. Of course, as usual, a normal grievance of mine is that somehow all the guards supposed to protect a high ranking person always fail and are not capable enough to. All of them would just perish while a character somehow manages to slay all of the assassins, ALWAYS. That is something I am tired of.Other than that, I thought the wrap up was done quite alright though I would have really liked to see it wrapped up a bit more with the main characters. It does not have to be actual scenes but it can be further narration. Don't get me wrong, the ending was packaged nicely but it's my very personal taste to see further down in the future of my characters' lives because I get too attached.3. EmotionsSimply put, it is heart-wrenching. I had a main idea of what the ending was going to be like and I was very prepared but to no avail as I was too caught up anyway. The main characters' relationship was precious. Their love was enduring and even though they loved each other wholly and unconditionally, they were always maintaining their physical distance and keeping a tight leash on their emotions. It was an honour to see the progress of their relationship and to experience it intensely even as an outsider. They believed in each other and the male lead especially had so much faith in their relationship. I have not seen a love like this in a long time and I believe that they are the epitome of 2 halves of a whole. You guys really have to watch the drama to understand what I am talking about as you can see how their love was so so tangible in the later episodes.Favourite quotes: Ningzhi: "I want to save others... but why can't anyone save me?"Wei Guang: "I am not afraid of dying. But I want to die on the battlefield instead of because of the royals' drama."

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