Worth watching

I see a lot of reviews of people saying that the drama is quite unrealistic with scenes that don't quite make sense, which I do agree. However, what is a drama (historical drama at that) if it's completely realistic? I'm going to skip the parts where they don't make sense and jump to the parts where I do think are pretty well executed.

1) Peng Xiao Ran did an excellent job in portraying the female character. She manage to showcase the personalities of the character and bring it to life. You can practically how the character feels at the moment through her expressions - when she is angry, when she is thinking, when she is panicking and when she is determined. One thing's for sure is she definitely carried the drama.

2) Parts whereby the female lead had to manoeuvre through obstacles. I think the scriptwriter did a pretty good job at creating these storylines and completing them creatively. However, after a year of good dramas with really intelligent plots, this drama probably needs a bit more hard work to catch up to that standard.

3) The four male suitors (a bit of an overkill) display very different personalities and have different significance to the female lead's life. I like how the four of them display very different roles and have different perspectives to how they portray affection and love. Also, the female lead wasn't leading any of them on, there weren't much love triangle, square, or however the shape turns out with four suitors and she was firm from the start as to what she wants, which I think is appropriate for the drama because I don't peg this as a romance drama.

--- Spoilers Alert ---

One thing I really, really, really wish will turn out differently is that the female lead ends up with Ning Yun Zhao instead. Don't you think they are a better couple - character wise, thinking and the vibe they give out?

Not that I dislike Zhu Zan but he doesn't really have the male lead vibe as compared to Ning Yun Zhao. This is really my personal preference.

In overall, I do think it's a pretty decent drama but I have seen better dramas, the plot for this one is not exactly extraordinary.

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More episodes please

Dilraba and Ren Jia Lun did not disappoint again. This drama might be my favourite of this year. All the characters, from the lead characters, supporting characters to the villains are so well played, I honestly couldn't ask for a better cast. But of course, like any other dramas, there are some good and bad points.

What I love:
1) The chemistry between the characters, not just the lead characters. Of course, Dilraba and Ren Jia Lun being the amazing actors they are, there is no doubt that their chemistry would be explosive. They acted so well, you would honestly feel every single feeling they are trying to express as their characters in the drama. The one character I feel for the most would be Lin Hao Qing played by Shun Yao. You'd hate him in the beginning, and then you'd forgive him a couple of episodes later. Afterwards, you'll start feeling sad for him and end up just falling in love with him. Friendships, comrades, romance, enemies, they are all played out so well, there's nothing to complain really.

2) Just Dilraba. Not sure if you realized, typically the female lead in a drama would usually be this weak female who needs protection or this tough character who bulldozes her way through all the time. It's rare to see a character like Yun He who is strong headed but not annoying, weak but not pathetic. Sad, yes, but I do love the scenes when she was dying in the first part. She was weak but she wasn't the kind who needed protection at every turn. Dilraba managed to strike a good balance which is why I had nothing to hate about Yun He as a character.

3) The storyline. This is a romance drama, yes, but it's not the typical kind of romance when all you think about is when the couple would get together and what kind of misunderstanding would drive them apart, then getting back together again. I like how the whole story also focus on what started off as a quest to regain freedom to saving the world from evil. The plot and character progression throughout the whole drama were carried out really well.


What I don't love:
1) The gazillion of times one could escape from death. I know, I just said I love how the story progressed but logically speaking, there is just that many times a person can die. Put the characters through torture, sure, but declaring the person dead and having that person resurrect or somewhat "escaped" death that many times cannot be right. Luck played too much role in a lot of these encounters, too much for my liking.

2) CGI can be better. I know this drama is within the fantasy genre but there must be a way to make the CGI look a little bit realistic. Sometimes, it does seem like they are trying too hard. Maybe toning it down a little would be great.

3) The abrupt ending. This leads to my headline - more episodes please. I kind of saw it coming because I knew they won't be able to wrap up properly with so much to cover in merely 2 episodes. It seems like there are a lot of scenes that were cut off at the end. Would definitely prefer more explanation as to when Yun He got out of the volcano, leading to the reunion with Chang Yi.

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Overall, I love the drama. This is one of those dramas which you'd feel some kind of withdrawal after finish watching. Would highly recommend everybody to watch. Just remember to prep a lot of tissues.

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Not your typical romance drama

Lu Si and Wu Lei together are really your perfect combination. Throughout this entire series (Part 1), I've seen so much growth.

1. Niao Niao and her mother's relationship.
The relationship between Niao Niao and her mother started off with so much friction. That itself had given me quite the rollercoaster ride emotionally. Stuck between trying to understand her mother but at the same time cannot relate to her bias towards Yang Yang. Sympathizing Niao Niao but at the same time thinking she does deserve some strict education to soften her stubborn character. Slowly, Niao Niao starts to realize that her mother does care about her somewhat, although they both don't always agree with each other. Her mother on the other hand do reflect on her treatment towards Niao Niao.

2. Niao Niao as a character
Initially I thought this is another drama with an intelligent, perfect-in-every-way female character. Never thought I would see such a down-to-earth character with so many flaws. She is very stubborn, assumes too quickly, impulsive at times, inconsiderate of her family and definitely not educated. Her major strengths are her intelligence, her bravery and her talent in handiwork. It is because this character has a lot of rooted flaws which is impossible to oversee throughout the drama, you can see her growth. She started off as a person who only cares about protecting and standing up for herself, then she encountered the bandits and started to understand that there are bigger problems in the world she is living in. She slowly understands that there are many things that couldn't go her way, sometimes she has to let go for the better good - this from her relationship with Ah Yao. You see her starting to understand the concept of love and what it means to be married to someone as well from her relationship with Ah Yao to her engagement with Ling Bu Yi. I really love this character's growth so far in the drama and can't wait to see how Part 2 turns out for her.

3. Ling Bu Yi as a character
In a way, I guess LBY is quite consistent throughout this part of the drama. He has a clear goal : revenge for his family. His protective instinct towards the people he cares, the respect he has towards the emperor and the love he has for his country remains the same. However, you do see tiny tiny changes in his character when he started courting Niao Niao. No doubt, he is definitely better showing love and care as compared to Niao Niao but he does have trouble expressing it in a way that is more acceptable to the person receiving it. You see his overbearing character starting to tone down and he starts to soften up, to accommodate Niao Niao's free spirited character.

Of course, on top of the plot progression and the character growth, I love love love all those tiny gestures and quirks.

1. The way LBY stares in disagreement at the emperor or his subordinates and they got the message loud and clear.

2. Similarly, the emperor likes to do that side stare to observe LBY's reaction every now and then.

3. Niao Niao's shocked and awkward expressions whenever LBY becomes affectionate or says something cringy out of the blue.

I cannot leave out my favourite element of the drama as well - the conversations the characters have.

1. I love how Niao Niao would voice out her opinion and her perspective about the kind of relationship she wants with LBY.

2. Niao Niao's conversation with her parents about how marriage is not as simple as what she thought it would be. You see a turning point here when Niao Niao starts to realize how she might be thinking in the wrong direction all along. I guess this is one of the very few times Niao Niao and her mother have a decent conversation.

3. The funny moments when the emperor would nag LBY. You can really feel the love and affection the emperor has for LBY.

Oh well, I guess this the longest review I've ever written and it's just part 1 of the drama. Safe to say that I am obsessed with this drama. The drama is not even over and I've already rewatched Part 1 twice. It's worth the wait.

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Interesting but heavy

This is one of those dramas where you kind of have to focus and "think" with the characters which is why I rated the rewatch value pretty low. It's not exactly the type of drama I'd want to rewatch and go through the process again. The plot is interesting and the acting is superb, but it's pretty heavy. Definitely not something you'd want to play in the background while doing something else.

In a way, I kind of know how it's going to end anyway. To win the villains in power, you gotta be evil. That seems to be the message Kdramas these days like the deliver (i.e. Vincenzo, Penthouse, etc.). Regardless, I love the whole thinking process and how the plans are executed so creatively. Ji Sung, as per usual, is an amazing actor. He is the one actor whose expressions I can never seem to decipher (in a good way). Is he good? Is he evil? It feels like I have to brainwash myself everytime I watch him: "He's the main character of this drama. Of course he's not evil. He's like a dark hero."

Unlike most dramas, this is not the kind of drama that is stuck in my mind. I don't think about the previous episode all the time and I don't crave or anticipate for the next episode. 2 episodes per week is just right for me. Overall, I think this drama is worth watching, but not exactly the top drama on my list.

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Nice, short drama

If you have time to spend and you just want something lighthearted to watch, this might be the drama for you. I rate this drama a 6 not because it's bad, the story is quite well rounded, the cast blended well with each other and the pacing is pretty good.

However, "nice and lighthearted", that's the most this drama has achieved. If you're looking for a drama with some plot twist, challenging personalities, there is really not much to look at in this drama. The villain is simply a villain from the start. The rich CEO is just a rich CEO with typical CEO-attitude. Plain and simple, that's how I would describe the characters and the story. Not much depth or complexity put into it which is perfectly fine but is not really the type of drama I would remember or even rewatch.

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The season 2 syndrome

Is it just me or there are many dramas that are exceptional ended up setting the bar a bit too high in season 1 and not really delivering the same effect in season 2? I call it the season 2 syndrome. I love Taxi Driver season 1 and I think they should have stopped there but I'm not really complaining either with the drama continuing.

I was still hooked throughout the drama and really anticipated for new episodes every week, but I wasn't obsessed with it. At least not as much as the season 1.

The stories or cases that are featured throughout the season 2 were actually all quite interesting. I like how they are filled with plot twists and action but the fact that they are tied together under the same organization, seemed a bit forceful for me. I appreciate how they built the entire thing up to be this organization controlling multiple illegal counterparts and eventually breaking apart as the taxi team expose them one by one. Interesting, good plot, but doesn't really quite make sense to me. For one, how is it that every single case that the taxi team had gotten consecutively (as far as I can see) are all connected? Isn't that too much of a coincidence? Plus, apart from a few cases, there weren't a lot of communication between those wrongdoers with the main organization.

However, I did enjoy the whole drama and the cases (individually) are all very interesting. I like the one that actually took a jab at the Burning Sun scandal. When I see the drugged girl case and the celebrity, immediately I sensed a connection. I think that was pretty smart.

Overall, if you like stories with the anti-hero theme, this is quite a good one. Not impressive but pretty good. If you had watch season 1 but don't feel like watching season 2, I actually don't think you're missing out a lot either. I won't say there is a continuation from season 1 strong enough to warrant a "must watch".

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Story with a lot of potential but lack in execution

I guess this drama is not exactly my type. If you checkout the summary, you can't help but expect a story with a lot of scheming, wit and betrayal. In a way there are some parts with a touch of those elements but I see this drama as a showcase of style, personality and lifestyle even more so than the whole story plot. They are pretty smart when it comes to incorporating some interesting folk story about "Twin Flame" and tango but I don't see this drama any more than an expensive production of a story of seduction.

The execution is bad in many areas:
- You have characters who are meant to be evil but have only shown violence instead of brains. Han So Ra is no more than a spoilt brat, Han Pan Ro and Kim Jung Cheol are no different than those rich gangsters with money but no class. Lee Ra El is always a step ahead which makes the villains in this story really underwhelming.
- Kang Yoon Gyeom and Lee Ra El are meant to be in love with each other but they have shown little to none chemistry. Other than the obvious attraction KYG has for LRE, there is really nothing else emotion wise.

If you're into fashion, it's pretty obvious they have invested quite a bit in that area. Other than that, I don't think this is one drama I'd rewatch

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Another ordinary piece

At first, I dropped this drama but then my friend was playing the drama on TV, so I was just watching along. The only part to this whole drama which I really like is how they play out the gaming scenes. Each game battle seemed to really get the audience immersed, curious as to how the game progressed between two battling teams.

When it comes to drama like this, I do look forward to seeing more teamwork and the bond between the team members as compared to the romance line. Cheng Xiao is a better actress than expected but it's pretty obvious that she is still very new to the acting scene. I like the way she portray her role, this cutesy while tough and stubborn female gamer, but I do think there's a lot of room for improvement. There are many times when we watch good dramas, we can't help but feel with the characters in the drama because they eyes can portray the feelings so well and the facial expressions are so real. Cheng Xiao, in my opinion, is quite far from that.

Xu Kai's role on the other hand is quite the stereotype. This indifferent captain who's good at everything, ending up falling for the female lead. There are many parts in the story where I wish there were a bit more depth instead of putting the lead characters together, team winning the championship in the end and call it a day.

Overall it's a pretty lighthearted drama. Think it's something pretty good to watch when you want to kill time. However, won't really call it impressive.

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The dream duo

Is it just me or you can never go wrong with Lu Si and Yang Yang. I've aways loved watching their dramas and putting them together in one drama is like a dream come true. Love the story, love the acting and definitely the costume.

As per usual, I'll list down the things I love and the things I wish could have been done differently.

Things I love:
1. The chemistry between the main characters. It's as though they are written for each other. Both have double identities, both are from royalty, both great with martial arts, both have the same perspective when it comes to people of their country and both have a loyal group of people, willing to die for them. Their personalities, though slightly different, perfectly match each other.

2. Yu Wu Yuan. If you're looking for a villain that is extremely smart, good looking, skilled and pure evil, here's your perfect villain. I see a lot of comments about how Bai-Hei Feng Xi couldn't figure out that he's evil until late into the story, but that's exactly YWY's plan and he executed it perfectly. To be honest, put yourself in their shoes. You have a gazillion things on your plate - fire in your own backyard, enemies from other states - would you have the time to suspect the reputable, number 1 gentleman of the world? Besides, Feng Lanxi has always been suspicious of YWY and had people checking into his background. Would it be fun though, if he had found out so easily?

3. Gender equality. I like that element in this drama. Despite being based in ancient times, I like how they put a spotlight on women and their capabilities in politics. Starting from Feng Qiwu being an important minister in Yongzhou to Bai-Hei Fengxi being kings of their respective states, equal in power. This drama proves that there is no need to weaken men while glorifying women - both genders can be equal.


Things I wish can be done differently:
1. The one element that annoyed me most in the drama is Tianshuang, especially the sifu and Lang Hua. Honestly, other than Han Pu, I find the rest of them very pointless. Multiple times, you see plans spoilt because of the lack of trust. The sifu did not trust that Bai-Hei Fengxi are smart enough to get themselves out of their predicament in Yongzhou, ending up in Lanxi losing his internal power. Lang Hua did not trust Bai Fengxi when she said she did not kill the sifu despite growing up with her and stabbed her, which AGAIN ended up in Lanxi losing his internal power in order to save Bai Fengxi.

2. The ending is somewhat rushed to me. I mean, compared to many dramas I've been watching lately, it is kind of complete. I just wish there is more of the Bai-Hei Fengxi scenes and how their day to day lives turned out after giving up the throne.


BONUS
Satisfying scenes I would replay and replay:
1. The three most satisfying slaps ever shown on drama. When Lanxi slapped Feng Ju in the face three times, while scolding him for being stupid. Couldn't find a better way to execute Feng Ju's humiliation.

2. When Lanxi got pissed after seeing Bai Fengxi injured in the battlefield and went alone to attack Huang Chao. Even when he is being impulsive, he can still get away with it because he seems untouchable with his martial arts.

Would I rewatch this drama? Hell yes. Would I recommend to other people? It's on Netflix, it's not difficult to find places to watch.

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An overall good drama

I have always liked Lu Si (watched pretty much all of her dramas) but this is my first time watching Liu Te. As usual, Lu Si performed really well in this drama. I realize she is always performing roles of a female lead who is adorable but not weak. It is quite refreshing to watch her. Liu Te on the other hand, is a bit stiff, probably also because his character is the cool, intelligent and capable male lead.

The story is pretty interesting. I came in thinking this must be another rich, popular CEO who meets a very common girl by chance and they fall in love. Well, it started off that way but as the plot progresses, it starts to unveil more stories behind the leads' backgrounds. I like their attempt at the plot twist where Ling Shen starts to reveal his true colours but I wish there is more details or elaboration to it. It felt kind of abrupt to pin many different incidences to him and Yang Hong, then explained the process of everything in just one or two episodes.

Overall, I do like the chemistry between the leads and how the story progresses. Wish there is more depth to the story but again, this is the kind of drama you'd watch without really reading too much into it.

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Part 1 set the bar a little too high

Hmm... As mentioned in the title, Part 1 did set the bar a little too high. There's quite a lot of expectations for Part 2 and to be honest, they didn't do that great of a job for Part 2. So they did a lot of build up on LBY's plot. They kept harping on the baggage that LBY has to carry and the lengths he would go through in order to revenge for his real father and the people who died at Gu City, but the revenge at the end does seem a little underwhelming.

Niao Niao's story is quite stable throughout. I like her character - loyal but not foolishly loyal. She stands up for the people she love but when she felt betrayed or abandoned by the people she loved, she is quite decisive when leaving them. It does makes sense the part when Niao Niao left LBY because he didn't trust her enough to share his burdens with her.

Now the part where I feel does not deliver - how hastily everything progressed in the end.
- LBY jumped off the cliff and Niao Niao got sick. All of a sudden it skipped to Niao Niao defending LBY at the palace and everybody seemed to be very confident that he was still alive. Makes sense?
- Only towards the end, they started fanning the story about the previous emperor and the rebellion they were planning. Then the rebellion erupted and ended all in those 1-2 episodes.
- The reunion at the end is also done so abruptly. They didn't get to go through with the marriage in the beginning and their reunion popped up only in the middle of a battle. The end. A little underwhelming, or is it just me?

All in all, I do love the entire plot, looking at Part 1 and Part 2 together. They do need to refine the ending a bit more though. The take off was great but the landing was rough.

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I really wish they had done better

I had high hopes for this drama. For one, Shin Hye Sun is one of my favourite actresses. Also, the plot sounded very interesting. Unfortunately, it became one of those dramas that spent too much time on unnecessary details and missing the big plot.

Too much is going on. You have the mystery behind the accident (which took a couple of episodes to unveil by the way). Then you have that plot about how Ji Eum is not supposed to be near people from her past life because it is against nature, which also has been an ongoing topic or build up for a few episodes. Not to mention the romance story between the main characters. Don't get me wrong, I love the acting. The characters are quite well portrayed but if they are positioning this drama as a romance drama, shouldn't the male lead at lead look like he is romantic and in love? That was sort of lacking in my opinion.

After all the built up and all the suspense, as expected they started rushing in wrapping up all the different plots in the last two episodes. The big reveal of Ji Eum's 1st life was quite underwhelming. I thought the characters would have a deeper connection or relationship but it turned out to be a murder revenge. I wish they would expand a bit more on the story about the 1st life instead of spending so much time talking about the hotel, the accident and the evil family.

Aw man, I am quite disappointed with how it turned out. The ending few episodes got me skipping most parts.

Great idea, poor execution

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Underwhelming

I think this is really down to preference. I guess there was no promise of revenge from the start and the drama is meant to focus on Samdal’s self discovery, heading back to her roots. But I was expecting a little bit more drama to be honest.

They created this pretty nonchalant character at the beginning when Samdal was so cool about her ex-boyfriend cheating on her. Then they also built up a story about how bitter and just jealous this Bang Eun Joo was. And it stops there. The rest of drama, we witness all the back and forths between Samdal and Yong Pil in which till this day the break up was still a little stupid to me.

We spent a good amount of time digging way back to why the couple broke up and then got back together; seeing the sub-plots between the other two sisters and their partners; making sense out of why Yong Pil’s dad hated the family. With a lot of draggy built ups and fillers, we’ve finally reached the part where the drama comes to a close. At this point, I had given up hope of seeing any drama comeback from Samdal, the big revenge or karma on Eun Ju and this big mystery of why Samdal couldn’t go back to her hometown and breaking up with Yong Pil. Spoiler alert, none of them was interesting.

This drama is probably nice to watch if you are looking for something to play in the background - uneventful, peaceful and non-dramatic.

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A good kind of different

I don’t think I’ve watched a drama which ending I am sad about but at the same time satisfied with. This is the kind of drama that would spend most of the time building relationships, giving the kind of interactions you are looking for and watching the characters grow, so much that towards the ending, you can’t imagine a different kind of ending than the one they did in the drama.

There are so many parts to the drama which I absolutely love. Each character has their time to shine and you could see how the character grow and change throughout the drama. They may seem insignificant in the beginning but as you progress towards the end of the drama, you can’t help but see the importance of their roles. Just losing one of them would change the tone and it wouldn’t be the same. The plot is so connected to each other, it is actually a journey.

It’s not just about romance. It’s a mixture of sacrifice, comradeship and love for the country. This group of soldiers (or spies) were betrayed by their emperor but because of their trust towards their leader and the love they have for their country, they are willing to put aside that hatred and sacrifice their lives to protect the people in their country. They are a group of people who puts their country and their comradeship before anything else. As much as they dream of living a peaceful life, they knew nothing else but the chaos they lived in. It’s their calling and they recognised it. The final few episodes were the most painful parts but I do think each of this character had lived the kind of lives that fit their characters and also died for the most noble reasons. I guess they all have found their peace in the end. In a way, it’s probably the only way they could find peace in the kind of environment the country was in. Their sacrifices made a huge difference to winning the battle but there would be more battles to come and they could never truly retire even if they had survived.

This is truly one of a kind and I really think the way the drama had progressed was very meaningful and fitting. Definitely worth watching.

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Good but not great

Hmm... I don't quite like the drama but I don't hate it either. This is one of those dramas that focus a lot on the behind-the-scenes of a celebrity world (in this case influencer), the rich and the famous. To a certain degree, I am happy people are putting so much light into "what you see on social is really not the full truth" but at the same time, I find this narrative a little overused.

I agree, to this day, people are still obsessed over materialism, trying to reach for what other people have, but this kind of plot has been infused in way too many dramas in the modern world. It's to a point where I kind of guessed the ending.

The investment put into the set, costume, cast and production is really good. As expected with drama of this genre, they put a lot of thought into the fashion and makeup. I guess if you're into trends and fashion, this would be a pretty good inspiration.

The parts where I feel kind of "meh" is when the FL stood out of the crowd (several times) apparently "portraying authenticity" by standing her ground and not be bullied, only to end up catching the Prince Charming's attention. Pretty Cinderella in a place where she doesn't belong, sounds familiar isn't it? I find her contradicting herself pretty often too. She would voluntarily attend most of these social events where people she obviously dislikes would be present only to showcase her displeasure and disinterest at being there. It's as though she would purposely go to these events to pass a message, "You rich people are fake and think too highly of yourselves. I am a woman of strong principles who is real and different from all of you" and then catwalk out of the event venue.

Honest thoughts? Cool, yes. Overrated, also yes.

They were kind of hasty towards the end, too. This "-bbbfamous" was built up from the beginning of the drama. You would think it is someone very important or familiar, expecting a major plot twist only to reveal a very minor character. The message I've gotten out of this plot is pretty thought provoking though. These haters behind the screen, how twisted their minds must be to care so much about a stranger, putting so much effort, energy and time just to hate a person. The lives they live and the things that they go through, for them to create so much negativity in their heads, must be horrible. The fact that people find more comfort in bringing other people down than rooting for the people near them is quite scary.

I like the message they are trying to bring out but it's quite mediocre in general

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