The story has good bones. Some mystery and plenty of romance just the way I like it. i think it fell apart during the 36 episodes but it was not horrible enough to make me lose interest and want to drop it. I loved the pretty colours in the scenery. even though the costuming, props and scenery is not true historical. Don't expect everything to be accurate. It is just a fun romp. There are given a team of intrepid investigators who had their own romances going on and none of the characters were annoying. Their stories were pretty much well thought out.
I thought the hidden identity added a lot of fun … I loved the subtle moments when they acknowledge she should figure it out but then showed why she discounted it. It stopped me from thinking if she is so smart she should have figured it out!
The pretty martial arts and flying to the rooftops , fan service… all A+ I like that the ML was willing to be by the FL’s side in whichever way she wanted. His delivery of his role played a big part in making me watch till the end. He was hooked from the beginning to the end by his FL (and vice-versa) and I love those kinds of romances. Where they just know.
The smiles and whimsical but committed treatment of their relationship was perfectly balanced. Their natural chemistry is evident. They look at each other in a “connected” way. When he called her “Shui Ge” (Brother Shui) which sounded like SUGAR in English , I just melted. I swear the writers meant this to sound that way and whenever he said it with his smirk… well… I wanted to hear him say it again.
Even though the FL had another love interest for a spell, I felt it was not your typical silly love triangle.
Part of the reason I am giving this show a 10 for trying to incorporate diversity themes in a respectful way. It was fun and pretty and I loved the messaging… For me what makes a show special ( even when the story wavered and the execution faltered… ) is there seemed to be a concerted effort to show strong female characters and include differently abled individuals.
We have a female gang boss as a female business person. I loved how the ML handled the FL’s visual impairment. It was very matter of fact what you can do for a person who is visually impaired. Also physical mobility of the brother was portrayed to promote dignity of person.
Overall I think the dramas was smarter and a better story in the earlier episodes. It definitely could have been done in less episodes. Towards ending it got a bit uninteresting but I was definitely wanting to move through the episodes even if some parts were not as nicely paced. The romance always hooks me.
This a wonderful little escape into a romantic fantasy with an ending that supports my view that the writers wanted to showcase equity in their little drama. Well done.