8/22/2021

I really want to like this drama more and I am rounding this up to 8.5 (I debated to keep it at an 8). However, the repeated framing and dragging of the show prevented me from doing so. If this drama is about 40-45 episodes long instead of 54, the pacing would be a lot better. It has all the right ingredients: good general plot, great acting and characters (love strong, smart leads), beautiful costumes, decent background music and songs.

Negatives:

1 . Repeated Framing - The show is basically someone framed WeiYoung and tried to kill her, then she got out of the crisis due to her own wit or saving from others, then repeat again and again. I was bored from Ep 20-30 and lost my attention. It's so predictable that it's not fun anymore. It's unfortunate because I really like the general plot of the drama, but the pacing was off. This is my biggest critique of the show and why I did not rate it an 8.5, since I am judging it against other big historical drama.

2. Plot Holes/Plot - The writing is not very tight. There are also lots of convenient eaves dropping throughout the show by the villains. There are also some illogical/impractical plot holes and I noted down two incidents but there are more: 1) ChangLe tried to burn down the lantern shop but how could she walk in without anyone noticing? Where's the shop owner? Was TuoBaJun (ML) really so far away that he didn't notice anything until the store was half-way burnt down? 2) When WeiYoung (FL) and TaoBaoYu (2ML) were stuck in the secret room, why didn't FL shout out the location of the secret ring to open the door to ML? They apparently could listen through the wall/door with no problem. 3) How come all the doors of the rooms in the Li family are see through? Everyone can hear your secrets!! There's no privacy!!!

Positives:

1. Acting - I enjoy the acting by all cast members. Our main leads and secondary leads are great. You can feel their love and obsession, their pain and evilness. This drama has a large supporting cast and no matter they are veterans or the younger actors, they are did a pretty good job.

2. Romance - One minor criticism I have is that I want to see more scenes and romantic development between ML and FL before they officially fall in love. Their love story is so strong, romantic and heartbreaking that I wanted a stronger foundation or evidence. Having said that, I love their relationship - their undying love and trust. I love seeing their banter and their open communication. I was pleasantly surprised that ML is quite funny and outgoing, and not the cold-on-the-outside-but-warm-on-the-inside type. You can feel the chemistry between the two leads and believe in their romance. The other romance/obsession storylines are pretty well-developed (though a little draggy). It's so sad that in a way, none of the significant relationships ended well. I am not as interested in the romance between the Little Princess+Prince and the two bodyguards.

3. Costumes - Blue is one of my favorite colors and I LOVE the different shades of blue in the costumes. You see light blue, royal blue, navy blue, indigo, dark blue, etc. Most of the time, Chinese dramas are dominated in gold/red/white in the palace, and blue/yellow/pink for the ladies. I am so happy to see that it's different here. Aside from that, their costumes, jewelry and head pieces are elaborate. Not only does the royal family have elaborate head pieces, but the ladies have beautiful hairpins and flower arrangements that match each of their outfits. I love seeing the different designs and patterns on the male characters outfits. The ladies dresses are all beautiful and multi-layered. Aside from the color palette that I enjoy in "Legend of FuYao", this is the only drama that I am so obsessed with the costumes and really pay special attention to each outfit.

4. Music - I would like to praise the use of background music in this drama that did not overpower the drama itself. I've seen too many C-dramas where the music is so loud that I couldn't hear the dialogue, or the songs are played over and over again when a romantic scene occurs. The music in this drama complements the scenes and let the acting speaks for itself without the use of music to manipulate viewers' emotions.

Overall, I like this drama. I wish it had a happier ending after what the leads have gone through, but I am satisfied with it. If I watched this drama before the many historical dramas I've watched, I might have given it a solid 8.5 or higher and be less critical.