Indulging in this drama proved to be an emotional rollercoaster, leaving me torn between conflicting opinions throughout its 40 episodes (which I watched at an astonishing pace) and made writing a review quite irresistible.

I love long dramas, but for me to stick to it, it has to have something that really catches my attention. In this case, it was the exceptional chemistry between the lead characters, Hei Fengxi and Bai Fengxi. Their individual personalities immediately drew me in, and their synergy as a couple was nothing short of mesmerizing. The compelling dynamics made me drown into them and want to devour the entire drama in one week just to get more and more.

While the leads undoubtedly stood out as the highlight of this drama and kept me invested throughout, even this remarkable couple couldn't shield me from my numerous grievances with the narrative, particularly from episode 20 onwards. One aspect that immediately caught my attention in a negative light was the disregard for several plot threads that I had expected to unfold continuously. I'm going to give three examples of this (spoiler alert! Not major ones but I thought I should give a heads up):

1. Han Puo, a character I anticipated having a family dynamic with the leads, mysteriously faded into the background after the "avenging" of his family, resurfacing sporadically as a seemingly inconsequential figure until the middle episodes and finally regaining importance in the last two episodes.

2. The birds, although understandable in their limited relevance to the storyline, left me wishing they had been mentioned again instead of appearing randomly in the background of scenes.

3. The portrayal of Feng Lanxi and Feng Chang's brotherly bond emphasized their deep love for one another and their status as each other's sole family. However, this important relationship was only briefly explored before Feng Chang's sudden disappearance, mirroring Han Puo's storyline. Although he did reemerge in the final episodes with some significance, it lacked the lasting impact one would expect.

Additionally, the recurring pattern of schemes and their swift resolution by the leads left me somewhat disillusioned. The court dramas were a never ending cycle of: Villain plots against Feng Lanxi → Feng Lanxi takes action → Villain triumphantly reveals it was all part of their trap → Feng Lanxi counters, it was his plan all along.

I also struggled to form attachments to any of the side characters, as the drama overwhelmingly focused on the leads, particularly Feng Lanxi for the initial 30 episodes. The lack of development and investment in the supporting cast diminished their impact.

Moreover, there was an imbalance in the storytelling, with the narrative heavily weighted toward Feng Lanxi, relegating Feng Xiyun to a secondary character status during the middle portion of the drama.

The final five episodes were just insufferable to me. The emphasis on war became overbearing, saturating the storyline with an excess of battle scenes that grew monotonous. The resolution felt too conveniently simplistic after enduring six years of tedious warfare and Yu Wuyuan's plotting during the entire drama, only to have his demise happen in a brief five-minute battle.

To exacerbate matters, the bittersweet ending felt gratuitous and unnecessary.

Upon reflecting on both the positives and negatives, I acknowledge that the overall rating should likely be lower. Nonetheless, the drama, at least during its initial 30 episodes, provided a really enjoyable experience, which ultimately holds significance to me.

I don’t think I would rewatch WRTW (maybe the very beginning), but I would definitely recommend it to someone who just wants to feel warmth from a main couple that loves and would do anything for eachother.