i am full of so much mixed feelings after this. i had to binge-read fix-it fics. i deeply loved this but also hated parts of it

The bad:
- incredibly slow pace. I had to watch this on 1.5x speed, and even then most episodes were slow
- THE LAST FIFTEEN TO TWENTY EPISODES WERE BULLSHIT. as most of the reviewers here say, it was incredibly rushed. i lost all emotional investment and started skipping chunks of scenes because everything was so abrupt, and characters started acting out of character. the ending was also really terrible. i didn't even feel anything, i was just like, 'what the fuck'
- Feng Zhiwei's character suffered from poor writing although Ni Ni (the actress) tried her best and did a fantastic job. whenever she was dressed as a man, she was a delight to watch and her scenes were incredibly fun. the minute she returns to being a woman, she gets forced into that really annoying trope that female protagonists get in cdramas - the passive, mary sue-ish, suffering, easily manipulated woman. it almost felt like watching two separate people and it was really frustrating

The good:
- the chemistry between the two main leads!! their banter was so good. i was so delighted by their constant back-and-forth, the way they snarked at each other, the way they came to each other's rescue, the way they understood each other, and especially the way Ning Yi would start smiling/laughing involuntarily whenever he was around Feng Zhiwei. it is so rare that the male and female leads can go toe-to-toe. i haven't shipped a couple on tv so hard in years
- the acting by the two main leads. it was absolutely amazing. Chen Kun played Ning Yi and i loved his range. he would go from a mocking and overwrought 'poor me' persona to a badass, 'two steps ahead of everyone while smiling threateningly' persona. it was awesome. Ni Ni played Feng Zhiwei and she brought a lot of emotional depth to her role. Feng Zhiwei was incredbily passionate and bold. i really felt for her and cried with her every time she cried
- the sets were absolutely beautiful, and the court etiquette seemed to have been deeply researched

i really loved this but god i wished it had not been such a dumpster fire for the last twenty episodes.