This is not the worst but not really good either

I wanted to watch this for 2 reasons. I really liked the trailer and wanted to support one of the actors. To be honest because of the trailer I was expecting a lot more fantasy elements what it has. The story starts pretty interestingly, the base of it has a lot of potential. However the journey between the start and end point is very messy. The plot is very stretched out and boring in a big portion of the drama. In other places it is very hazy and rushed with no explanations. The support characters tend to be more interesting and lovable than the 2 main characters. There are a couple of very nice scenes also, when you wonder if it's the same drama what you were watching 5 minutes ago. The ending is really obvious from pretty early on wich makes the whole drama feel like it's way too long for the plot. Kind of like a twisted and bad remake of Romeo and Juliet. Honestly the plot doesn't make it worth to watch it but other things kinda make it up for it.

Characters

Prince Bo: Very interesting, two sided character used in a really bad way. Overall he is not bad, has very human traits but his character is romanticizing of being rude and using brutal actions towards your loved ones. He is also intelligent and can be kindhearted. His relationship with his brothers and the Night Fury makes him likable.
Ma Zhai Xing: A hot mess, the most frustrating female character ever. One minute she is a genius, independent and strong and than suddenly she is a crying kindergartner who naively using everyone who helps her. The only character development she has is actually in the last episode. I don't know what the writers thought when they created her.
Ji Chong: One of the good ones. Really free spirited, playful and intelligent. A little bit arrogant. He was really relatable for me. A little bit unrealistically kind, putting others before himself. The thing that made him the most human was his argument with Bao Na.
Yao Ji: One of the most interesting one, with not enough screen time. She wasn't used for her potential but had a great character development. I really wanted to see more of her.
Bao Na: A spoiled and immature princess starting pretty badly and growing on you. She has some smaller improvements during the story. She is more like a true support character with good intentions and flaws.
Night Fury: The gems of this drama. They are not likable at the start but growing on you quickly. I can't even understand how are they this well written when the main characters are so messy.
Ma Jing: I have to mention her because I feel bad for her. She is created to bring comical relief to the drama. It would be okay if she wouldn't be the stereotypical chubby girl. Really? That's the best? The chubby girl talking about eating and having a crush on a handsome guy. She was lovable but this solution is disappointing.
The villains are so boring I don't even want to write about them.
Personal favorites: Ji Chong, Wen Yan, Ma Jing, 4th prince, chief eunuch of jin
Personal ships: Prince Bo and Yao Ji, Ji Chong and Bao Na, Wen Yan and Ma Jing, Mo Xiao and Hai Die

Production

One of the things that makes this drama worth to watch is the production value. The cinematography is gorgeous, one of the most beautiful I ever seen. There are no good description for it. Amazing location choices witch makes you want to travel there. The music is very good, the opening song is very unusual but I liked it a lot. The editing is also good, the filters used make some of the colors too bright but overall it isn't too bothering. I have mixed feelings of the cg however. The backgrounds are okay not the best not the worst. However the animals are quite bad for excepting Zhui Ri. The bird looking so realistic that I doubting it is cg. The props in some places look kind of fake, mostly hair pieces and bowles. The make-up is good however on close ups fake eyelashes and circle lenses are standing out way too much. The fake blood seemed super realistic in some places, but the color was too bright and foundation looked orange sometimes probably because of the filters used. The wigs are often fake looking and the actors real hair peaking out. I wasn't fond of the clothes. The fabric choices were too modern for the era. Many plastic looking, too shiny outfits even the armors can look unrealistic. However some of the female clothes are super nice. Unfortunately the drama was dubbed with voice actors. Most of the voices fitted to the characters but Ma Zhai Xing's and Ji Chong's voices can be annoying.

Acting

Very impressive acting work given the the story material. The acting is the other thing that makes it up for the story. I think everybody did a good job so I can only praise them.
Darren Wang: First time watching his drama and I am really impressed. His execution of emotions through his expressions is truly amazing. I am definitely keeping an eye out for his future works.
Li Qin: Her character was so annoying I could barely pay attention for her acting. I think she did a good job but I don't want to judge her by the role she was playing. I am looking into BTS scenes for more content. Currently watching an other drama with her in order to get to know her acting better.
Xiao Zhan: It is noticeable he had less acting experience when this was filmed but did a really good job regardless.

I only recommend this drama if you are looking for beautiful filming locations, good music and you are fan of any of the actors or actresses. Otherwise you will find this drama boring pretty quickly. It would be nice if the rating would reflect the value of this drama but many people rating their favorite actor/actress. Don't have high expectations and you might even enjoy this.

Apologies for any grammar or spelling mistakes, english is my second language :)

Lire davantage