I wanted to like this drama but…

Sadly this drama was a bore. I tried to finish it two times with months apart and the secind time I watched until episode 14 which was an improvement from episode 6 the first time. I have nothing against the actors or the premise of the story but somehow I had to force myself to continue watching and I found myself always avoiding the next episode by choosing other dramas like My Journey to You and Kunning Palace instead.

It is well made and not particularly different from many other dramas but the characters never got me curious or engaged. I simply didn’t care if Li Lianhua found what he was looking for. I probably won’t try and watch the drama a third time. I didn’t hate it I just was bored.

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Excellent balance from the best historical drama in 2023

This drama grew on me from an 8 to a 10. First I wanted to give this drama a 9 after finishing because I used two days of wondering about what really happened in our character's first life and what Xie Wei was thinking at that time. But then I decided that it was a good thing that I don’t know, the guessing makes it more interesting and the characters become more complex.

This drama has so many great things going on. The actors does an impeccable job. Bai Lu is very good at this sort of light comedic roles and Zhang Linghe surprised me as a very good morally grey male lead. I need to see him as a fully bloomed villain in the future.

The foundation of this story is interesting because it doesn’t tell the viewer everything we want to know. The flashbacks are balanced and the tempo of the story is good. Some parts of the story is predictable and tropey but not to an extent that it is bad in any way. Somehow they manage to give everything a fresh feel, perhaps because our characters aren’t always good persons. They make mistakes but they deal with it. The story is easy to follow without being simple.

The word that keeps coming back to me is “balanced”. A bit of love, mystery, tropes, fighting scenes and palace intrigue. At first I was a bit disappointed by the main leads inability to defend themselves but later I found that refreshing.

It is the combination of not knowing everything from their first life, with the fresh take on tropes and the high quality acting, costume and art direction that makes this drama worth a 10. I can’t find anything to critique. The more I think about this drama the more I like it. This 10 grew on me.

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Beautiful drama with twists and turns

The first thing that strikes me with this drama is the aesthetics, it really lives up to the expectations that I got when seeing the trailer earlier this year. The mixture of darkness, the light snow and the striking mountain setting is very appealing and combined with the suggestive music choice and excellent lighting, it shapes a masterpiece.

We get to follow the orphaned low level female assassin Yun Wei Shan, portrayed by Esther Yu, when she is infiltrating the Gong martial arts family’s stronghold. Her mission is unknown to the viewer but she comes well prepared by her handler. She arrives as one of many bridal choices for the young master Gong Huan Yu. Things gets complicated when the family discovers that there is an assassin among the brides. The kind but idle and immature Gong Zi Yu takes action to save the lives of these brides and things get complicated from here. A bond starts to form between Yun Wei Shan and Gong Zi Yu and she gets involved in the dangerous power struggle between the Gong brothers.

The director Edward Guo utilizes the natural elements to their fullest and the cinematography gives us stunning visuals and helps build tension in a remarkable way. I also think that the costume choices and styling feels creative and fresh. I’ve noticed this costume designer Huang Wei for a while now and she always delivers top of the art. The art direction is beautiful and even if I recognize mist of the locations from other dramas, they are now showed in a new light with fresh angles.

Another great thing is the music. The song choices are good and the instrumental pieces are suggestive and contributes to create anticipation and tension. One thing I noticed is the sound editing. I don’t know the techniqal term but let’s call it sound imaging. For example when one of the brothers remember a painful event from his past, we get to hear a large door close, but the door isn’t real, it’s in his heart.

The experienced and skilled older brother Gong Shang Jue is like a volcano about to erupt. He keeps all his feelings inside him but his face reveals plenty, and during the drama he shows more and more of his emotions. He is portrayed by Ryan Cheng who makes his best role this far in his career. He really nails everything about this tormented young man with the most emotions revealing eyes. I’m happy to know this talented actor has many main roles in his future plans. I’m looking forward to see what else he can accomplish in the future.

The third brother, the poison expert Gong Yuan Zhi is played by Tian Jia Rui. This role is his first ever and he excels in conveying the younger brother who is devoted to his idolized brother Shang Jue. I’m very impressed with this newcomer and how he can show the entire register of emotions.

The last main character is played by Lu Yu Xiao. She plays the bride to be for Shang Jue, Shangguan Qian, and she delivers a character with great depth that switches from cold to pitiful and back in an amazing way.

The acting in this drama is top notch with stellar performances from all the main actors/actresses and as a viewer I often wonder about what’s going on inside the characters heads. The script comes with a few surprises that shocks the viewer and threw me from hope to devastation a few times. The great acting and unpredictable script make me question everything in this drama and I’m constantly on edge about what’s going to happen. The tension is unbelievable and still I wouldn’t mind more if it.

The only thing I don’t find perfect in this drama is the comedy part delivered by the Gong sister which is a bit exaggerated and feels displaced. I understand the need for some comic relief from all the tension but the way it’s done here makes me a bit annoyed. In the middle of the drama the tempo slows down and a lot of the built up tension disappears, but it finds its way back in the last episodes. The ending has been debated a lot, and I actually like the idea of it although I think it was a bit rushed.

I love this drama and will surely watch it again within a year. Can’t wait to see the next drama from the director and I am very curious about what the main actors will do next.

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Confusing in a good way

This drama really put my brain to work and that’s the best thing about “Sweet Home”. The story jumps in time a lot and sometimes without showing it clearly. I asked myself many times if this happens now or already happened. But I like it. It’s good to be confused, it keeps things interesting when made in such a good way like it is in this drama.

The second best thing is the diversified group of characters who is forced to work together against the threat that is the monsters.

The story jumps right in and as a viewer I understand nothing at first. It’s confusing but intriguing. I’m not much for monsters and I think it would have worked just fine without showing them. The script gives me some surprises and I’m drawn in and before I know it I like this drama more than I thought I would. I was ready to drop it before I even started watching but now I need to watch season 2. That’s a good grading from a person who don’t like zombies and monsters.

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Sizzling chemistry

This drama is about the talented painter Shi Qi who is blackmailed into marrying general Xiao Han Sheng by pretending to be the Prime Minister’s daughter, Shen Qin. Shi Qi wears ShenQin’s face due to magic and when she meets Han Sheng she realizes he is a familiar face from her past, only now he doesn’t recognize her.

The director of this drama seems to have a strong connection to water and the drips of rain runs like a theme throughout the drama. The cinematography is great leading to a suggestive aesthetic that builds tension. Many normally cliché ingredients are reinvented, fireflies and stars in a dark night has never felt to fresh before. It’s just there, creating an atmosphere whiteout forcing it upon the viewer.

The story is intertwined with throw backs into the two main leads past and that often makes me wanna fast forward but not in this drama. Here the past draws me in and I always want to know more and see more. The drama is full of tension and it is well balanced with softer moments that is complemented by nice music. There are also a few comical episodes in this drama and it works well since it often include a child and that makes the comedy feels natural.
I find no unnecessary scenes and every event brings the story forward.

The actor who plays Han Sheng, Ryan Cheng, has the unique ability to appear soft with a fierce face which creates great depth to his character. I find him very talented and can’t wait to see him get a lead role in a major drama. His facial expressions are very captivating. He is the dreamy devoted man we all want in our life. We get some amazing scenes between him and Ke Ying, who plays Shi Qin. Scenes that are some of the best I have seen when it comes to chemistry. It’s hot! It would be enough even without the skin ship, their faces conveyes plenty. That’s how good these scenes are.

This drama is in every way as good as many full length major dramas and I am looking forward to see what this director will come up with next.

This is my first review her on MDL and it is my second time watching this drama, that’s why I know the rewatch value is great.

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