Untouchable Lovers (2018)

I honestly don't know where to begin... (Also this is a bit long/rambling because I JUST finished the last episode, so I have a lot of emotions)

STORY:
The first 16 episodes were great - so much going on, but it was all so entertaining. But then come episode 17 and it was a completely different story with somewhat different people - even though it was all the same people. Even so, I kept going. Episodes 17-53 though not as great as the first chunk of the drama were still decently entertaining to watch. Especially between the first two parts of the drama, there were just so many discrepancies about what was going on that they never resolved because it really felt like two completely different stories at times. And then somehow the final episode, ep 54 - my mind just went blank and I'm still not sure what I was watching... So I'm gonna rate this as 3 different parts.

A) Ep 1-16
B) Ep 17-53
C) Final ep 54

A) 9/10 - The first few episodes were so great. There was plotting and manipulation but it felt somewhat new and refreshing. Rong Zhi and Chu Yu's relationship was angsty but amazingly enticing to watch. The other characters at the Princess' manor were equally entertaining. It was a constant - what's going to happen next? What is Tian Ji Pavilion going to do? What is Chu Yu going to do? What is Rong Zhi going to do? Really fun to watch and definitely the best part of the drama.

B) 7/10 - the main core of the drama. The majority of the drama was focused on this part of the story - though it really makes viewers question why the drama was written to essentially be 2 different stories. Aside from the two main characters being the same people - though arguably their personalities were a bit warped - the rest of the drama was completely different. The setting moves out of Liu Song and into the kingdom of Wei (where Rong Zhi is now the Prince Regent leading the government for his nephew, the emperor) and Chu Yu is sent from Liu Song with the intention of peace through marriage. While this was the main core of the drama, it was definitely outshined by the first section of the drama, but nonetheless it was still an interesting watch.

There was a lot of framing and manipulation, which comes standard with these types of dramas, but honestly it was made a bit worse because there were SO MANY different people scheming that by the end it just feels like everyone was against everyone. Really it was hard to root for anyone just because of how much manipulation was going on.

Secondly, while miscommunication between the main pair is always a given, it was just a bit much sometimes. You have two very stubborn personalities, with one also constantly scheming to obtain power, but of course neither of them were willing to talk things out and would just essentially give up when the other was upset. It made it really hard to ship the main pair sometimes because it seemed like they were never going to be able to communicate well and understand the other person's feelings.

Lastly, between the second female lead actually playing two different characters there was WAY too much screen time attributed to her (specifically as General Huo Xuan) and honestly it got way too overbearing and annoying that I (and as I've read many others) pretty much skipped through all of her scenes. The writing really made it seem as if they wanted the second lead actress to be the main actress. Between the war zone story lines, to her story lines with Rong Zhi, to her story lines with Gu Huan - it was just way too much time focused on her and not enough on the main actors.

C) 5/10 - The final episode. There are literally very few dramas that have me honestly lost about what the hell happened by the end. Even this drama, everything seemingly went together up until the final episode. Maybe it was because they rushed the ending? Which is ridiculous because they had 54 episodes to work out this whole story, but the last episode was just super weirdly paced and there was so much going on. I honestly don't know if it was a happy or sad ending just because it depends on how you look at it, I suppose. By the end of it, I really just want to know who the writers were supporting this whole time because the way this ended - unless they're planning a sequel - just didn't make sense to me. In 40 minutes time, they crammed in so much stuff with no explanation and they were just like "Welp, that's it." Such a let down.

ACTING/CAST:

Song Wei Long (Rong Zhi) - As the male lead, I feel like SWL did a pretty decent job carrying such a weighty drama. He is definitely a young actor, so hopefully he will progress over the next few years, but even so I think he did a good job. Many people criticize him for not showing emotion very well, which I agree with to an extent. If it was any other character, I'd wholeheartedly agree that he was bad in that regard, but for this drama and this character, I think it still worked out well. Rong Zhi from the beginning was a very complex character who was very reserved, meticulous, and brilliant. For someone who is a genius at manipulation and scheming, I appreciated the fact that he was terrible at expressing himself and his feelings because it showed some kind of weakness in his personality. If he was great at everything, it would have made me dislike him honestly because no one can be perfect at everything.

Guan Xiao Tong (Liu Chu Yu) - A lot of my feelings about her probably come down more to script than it does to her actual acting, so it's hard to give her a fair review. In the first part of the drama, she was portraying Zhu Que of Tian Ji pavilion who took over the life of Liu Chu Yu to complete a mission. This character was smart and cunning, but had compassion and morals. Her character and acting were very entertaining as she portrayed the cunning Zhu Que but also the murderous/lustful Liu Chu Yu.
In the second half, it gets more confusing because you have the real (but not real) Liu Chu Yu and Zhu Que completely disappears (though it's the actually the same character). By now she's just a fairly basic female character. She's still smart (or just really lucky) as she gets herself out of trouble (with tons of help, of course), but she now harbors this idealized sense of morality - even though she is also a part of an imperial family and should be used to the scheming by now. And yet at every turn, she criticizes Rong Zhi and the others for fighting for power, even though it is something to be expected of people in power.
Again, these are all issues I have more with the writing for the character, more so than with Guan Xiao Tong's acting abilities. I think for what she was given, she did a good job - but nothing mind blowing.

Bai Lu (Huo Xuan) - I'm giving her a shout out mostly because I actually REALLY enjoyed General Huo at the very beginning and thought she was really entertaining, but eventually I just stopped watching most of her scenes because there was just way too much focus on her and it got annoying. She honestly did a really good job though (from what I didn't skip xD)

REWATCH/OVERALL:

I'll honestly probably watch this drama again some time in the future because even though there was a lot of stuff I didn't like about it, overall I still enjoyed it as a drama (aside from that last episode). It was nothing groundbreaking or particularly memorable, but for some reason, I was still really intrigued watching it and still felt it was fairly entertaining.

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I really need to write this review.. In a drama there should be conrinuity of the story. Like waater in a stream.. first few episodes are really great and it entertains me one.. thunbs up with that.. but when the story flipped and then all the characters act differentlly I just dont get it.. I waited for the part that they will regain their memories but no they dont.. the remaining episodes up to the end are all doomed.. whatever cuteness they will show I dont feel it because as a whole I DONT UNDERSTAND IT ALL..NO CONTINUITY LIKE A TOTAL SHUT DOWN.. this is the first time I waatched a compleete disorganize film..and it has so many episodes!!are u kidding me!! Sorry I just caught up with my feelings.. I dont recommend this to my friends.. it sucks!!

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To begin this review, I'd like to preface it by saying that although I am not usually one to take upon 52 episodes lightly, Untouchable Lovers was worth every minute I spent watching it.

To me, this story never has a dull moment. Which for some is either good or bad. It doesn't stop the drama for filler material much and is consistently delivering the plot. Chuyu and Rong Zhi are fated yet also star-crossed with each other. As the initial story takes place, you're wrapped around their relationship and how it develops so deeply in their initial meeting. The thing about Untouchable Lovers is that it's almost two plots wrapped in one. Due to their fate, they end up separated from each other, left with no memories of the other person. It's also this same fate that brings them back together and dictates their ending. At one point, I found myself slightly confused on what had happened as the plot shifted until I realized that their story is never ending. It's the complexity of their relationship and their history together that really draws you into their story. The story doesn't just focus on their love but also the enemies and allies they encounter in their lives throughout the plot. It depicts a brutal picture of what lies and backstabbing you encounter in such a place, the royal palace. You fall in love with almost every character and you hate a bunch of them also. It's a rollercoaster ride that doesn't stop until the very last minute of the drama and in my opinion, one of the best plots I've watched in a while. The one thing I did dislike was how the stories of some characters ended, from both the initial story and the secondary story (I prefer to break them up). However, I did like how cohesive the picture came to and how well produced this drama was in the end.

The actors/actresses were amazing in this drama. Some of them even played various roles that are completely opposite to the other. It's truly an amazing cast that makes you fall in love with both their role and the actor/actress themselves. I personally enjoyed the performance by Guan Gabrielle and Song Wei Long. To play the roles of Chuyu and Rong Zhi is no easy thing in my opinion, especially with how detailed this drama is. I will also admit that I was the person who watched Oh! My Emperor before Untouchable Lovers so to see Zhao Lusi in another historical drama with such an opposite role to Oh! My Emperor was refreshing. I will definitely be on the look out for more works from the cast of Untouchable Lovers after their impactful performance that I witnessed throughout the drama.

(Oh! My Emperor is another good drama that I recommend. It has slight holes and such but it's overall well done.)

It's been a while since I've said anything about music in dramas. That's mainly because to me, they're neither good nor bad most of the time. Untouchable Lovers, however, has such an amazing soundtrack that I couldn't help myself. Please note that taste in music may differ but in my honest opinion, the selection for the songs at the beginning and end was one of the best. The music really applies to the story itself and invokes this feeling that pairs well with the plot. I recommend that you check them out.

Finally, I would surely watch this drama again if you asked me to. It's one of those dramas that you just can't forget easily and you don't want to so you therefore watch it again to make sure you don't. If that doesn't make sense, then maybe you haven't found a drama that's worth the rewatch.

That is why I recommend this drama to anyone who is a fan of the genre. You don't have to though, it's a drama made for anyone that wants to watch it, which you should. This is all based on my opinion of the drama so it may differ from any opinions you have, watch it and find out.

This has been Untouchable Lovers.

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I am currently watching this drama and I love it. I really love the main characters in the drama. Out of the two places that the story takes place, my favourite is Liu Song. Every single event that happened is so good, the only thing was the ending. Thankfully the story continued. I was hoping that they remembered each other when she went to marry the Northern Wei Prince Regent, but didn’t. I also really love Liu Chuyu maid. She was such a cute character, she was definitely one of my favourite character. All the characters played their rolls so well, that it was so hard for me to wait for the next episode. I will definitely watch this drama again in the future.

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Okay so this is the very first review I have ever done and honestly, it's more about me venting than anything else. I would firstly like to mention that for anybody who liked this drama, please respect my opinions. If you are planning to watch this then by all means still go ahead but I would recommended you don't get too invested like I did. Like what a lot of other users have found, ep 1-16 were actually very very well written. It was not by any means perfect but it is better than the next 46 episodes. The only reason why I stuck with it to the end was because of the main actors and actresses. But even they could not save this drama from the train wreck that it became.

Story - For a drama that has 52 episodes, the story had soooo many wtf moments that I actually can't believe I did not drop it. It was complicated, overly dramatic and at most times way too predictable. There was literally two drama's within the one. Even the characters seemed to be completely different but with the same name and faces. There was no connection apart from one minor object which was a scent pouch that conjoined these two story arcs together. I kept hoping and praying that the link would appear but obviously the writer gods did not listen. To top off all of this craziness, the ending left so much to be desired that it was the biggest slap in the face. So many questions and so many loose ends that it makes you regret staying up to 6am to finish it.

Characters - Like what I mentioned earlier, characters in this drama were very confusing as after ep 16, they basically became different characters all together. These poor actors and actresses did not have any chance of character development because of this. Furthermore we didn't really get a chance to see the origins of the main characters in detail apart from a few flash backs of the female one at the beginning. I feel as though they plunged us in the very middle of the story and never really gave us a beginning or an end.

Acting - This was the first time seeing all the actors and actresses in action and to be fair they did very well with what they were given. I think that Song Wei Long pulled off the serious and cunning Rong Zhi from ep 1-16 very very well considering he is only 19! Guam Xiao Tong did exceptionally well too especially in the emotional scenes where she cried very genuinly. Bai Lu who played the female general has to be my favourite though. Her fighting scenes were kickass and she played two characters brilliantly. I feel that the main lead couple was too young which is why there was no intimate scenes apart from a few forehead kisses here and there. This aging was a massive let down since the couple became husband and wife very early on in the show.

There were some very meaningful quotes in this drama that encourages self love so even when you loose the one you love, you can keep pushing forward. There was also a very strong undercurrent of feminism in the drama which is right up my alley but the execution and overall thought process behind was soooo poorly done that it ended up being the biggest let down. What makes me angrier is that the ratings are so high that its actually deceiving. This drama is a solid 6 in my opinion and that's basically all down to the acting and the first 16 episodes. It's worth a watch but don't get your hopes up after episode 16. Just enjoy the ride but know that you will be left with alittle more than confusion after the final scene.

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Side characters stole the show

Story

The drama starts off with a simple premise but the execution is a BIG OL MESS. There are two stories within one and even though I did not like the first 16 eps that much I wish I could have known that. Don't get attached to anyone in the first quarter of the drama because you will probably never see them again. Once the leads suffer memory loss, the story reboots and takes place in Northern Wei and boy oh boy does it feel so much less claustrophobic. There are better actors and better characters to make us all forget about that limp toxic romance that began in the first 16 eps. But no, that only lasts for a while because SURPRISE they get married to each other super fast. Faster than you can say Fashi. Then suddenly the pace of the drama becomes painful as it's harem schemes after harem schemes topped with court schemes and people saying the words "wild ambition" a million times just to remind you of what a womanizer and leech Rong Zi is. This drama should have been renamed as Schemeception because literally everyone and their grandma has a secret agenda here. Don't trust anyone lest they be some conveniently placed spy just to be activated for plot purposes ten episodes down the line. It gets tiring so quickly and you kind of just want Fashi to rise from the grave and kill everyone for being such two faced bishes. I watched this until the bitter end just to see what mental gymnastics the writers wanted me to perform to understand the overall plot of this huge bloated pile of plot carcass. I can't say I didn't see it coming but once again my favorite characters get the short end of the stick and a big FU for being true to themselves throughout the entire story. Evil wins, the end. The main leads get a happy end but it wasn't earned in the least and yes I actually admit to rooting for evil once my faves died because the MC's are so insufferable and whiny I just can't.

Characters

Rong Zi
Hands down the absolute worst character and male lead I've seen. He gives Yuwen Yue a run for his money. The main difference is that Kenny Lin can act while this guy uses one facial expression for the two emotions he can conjure: anger and apathy. I know the actor was only 19 when they filmed this but I feel like he was picked only for his looks. Rong Zi is probably the most despicable character out of them all. A protagonist that is low key the antagonist the entire time. A user and abuser. Everything happens because of him. From the Emperor to the Empress down to court ministers and lowly servants, they react to his actions and cause chaos and suffering to the people around him because they're afraid of him and his "wild ambitions" *roll eyes*. Makes you wonder why they even gave him so much power to begin with? He has no redeeming qualities and even his "love" for Chuyu is just to use her as a pawn until he finally loses at the end. I don't understand how every woman in this drama fell for his cheap tricks and promises. This guy couldn't even woo a turtle out of its shell and yet he's got Huo Xuan, Chuyu and Ma Xueyun churning fire for him. Why? IT MAKES NO SENSE. None of the women who loves him even have a good end. And poor Chuyu has to spend her life with him deluding herself that she's happy until he fakes his death for nth time to make her grieve him and deepen her love. Like WTF how is any of that normal? Oh and let's not mention the ten ton pound of plot armor around this guy. In every scheme and every situation the enemies plot against him he somehow always manages to come out on top and foil their plans because he has the superhuman ability to foresee every single outcome possible. I swear he's enlisted nearly everyone in Pingcheng to join his spy army. Even the almighty Pavilion Master who seems to be pulling everyone's strings in BOTH KINGDOMS somehow loses to him. Ridiculous!

Chuyu
Chuyu starts off with probably 50 IQ points and gradually loses all of them by the end of the drama. Strong female lead she is not. The first couple of eps might have tried to fool you into believing she knew what she was doing but as time went on she quickly started to show all of her flaws. Whiny, stubborn, and indecisive, she's surrounded by much more intelligent people around her and woefully outplayed by nearly everyone, even the palace maids. As an assassin, she's even worse than the one in Bloody Romance. She has no martial arts skills and no smarts, making her short-sighted and falling into every trap left and right. I've lost count the number of times the good characters in this drama have had to scramble to save her worthless life. The actress does an adequate job in portraying Chuyu's playful side but it always comes hand in hand with whining afterwards because Rong Zi won't admit that he loves her. If you watched this drama just for her character growth please reconsider. She's static from beginning to end. They've written her character to simply be the love interest. She is constantly being used by both sides of the chess board and has no agency of her own. It's a disappointing blow to female leads everywhere.

Huo Xuan/Le Yun
Badass General Huo Xuan was my main reason to watch this and I was heartbroken in the end for what they did to her. Here is a character that is everything opposite of Chuyu. Strong, smart, clever and capable. She's main lead material and she steals every scene that she's in and yet they still downgrade her to be a lovestruck woman pining for useless boring ass Rong Zi. The most ridiculous thing they could have done was pit her and Chuyu into a competition to see who will be homeboy's official wife even though he's legally already married to Chuyu like????? In what dynasty would they even renege on a diplomatic marriage all for the sake of a competition? This is when the drama started to lose me and I ended up watching it as a comedy. The one GOOD thing they did for her was give her a new love interest but alas in a drama where there are schemes within schemes it ends up in a disaster and my girl pays for it. Screw you writers and your obsession with tragedy. Nevertheless, her chemistry with Gu Huan the doctor was just out of this world and their scenes together is like Titanic vs main lead actors' CW Riverdale. There's just no comparing. Huo Xuan and Gu Huan emote with their eyes. In fact, they use all the facial muscles they have while the main leads act by screaming, yelling and whining.

The second character she plays, Le Yun, is the antithesis to Huo Xuan. She's a mysterious and ruthless woman, a spy placed by Rong Zi to monitor Prince Kang, and much like every character Bai Lu plays I loved her as well. The way she can easily transition from brave, courageous Huo Xuan to sneaky Le Yun one scene after the other is a testament to the skill differential between her and the main leads. Her ability to have chemistry with any actor onscreen continues to amaze me and it's no different here with Prince Kang than it was with Gu Huan. Even though Huo Xuan and Le Yun were physically identical in looks, I could easily tell which character I was watching just by the subtle ways Bai Lu acted. Le Yun miraculously is one of the few female characters in the show that didn't fall in love with worthless Rong Zi but she was still used by him and didn't get a good end either. Seriously they should just wrap caution tape around this dude.

Other notable characters
Prince Kang is a pretty slimey dude who is kind of like that dumb kid who keeps running into a wall and keeps convincing himself that each time he won't hit his damn head. As a schemer he is pretty weak in the game and he loses constantly but the guy is never discouraged and smiles through defeat. It's a gift really to be this optimistic. One of his major weak points is that he loves Huo Xuan but since she won't give him the time of day he gets the discount version of her through her doppelganger Le Yun. The funny thing is that Le Yun actually falls in love with him and their twisted scenes together are actually some of my favorites. Honestly this drama should have been Prince Kang and Le Yun vs Huo Xuan and Gu Huan. The biggest fail was that Huo Xuan never met her doppelganger and no character on the show EVER MENTIONS HOW MUCH THEY LOOK ALIKE.

Empress Dowager
I recognize the actress from Yanxi Palace and Haolan but unlike those characters I absolutely LOVE the Empress Dowager here. There is something regal but deadly about her. She's more than she looks on the surface and it shows when sad little Rong Zi has to play dead every time she shows her cards. She is the only character on the show that can defeat him and it's so satisfying when she does even though the little weasel manages to walk away unscathed unlike all the people he's used.

Closing
To say this drama is a trainwreck is an understatement. Characters and motivations changed wildly. Suddenly one character emerges as a spy out of nowhere. You get a scheme and you get a scheme! They be cooking this up like it's an apple pie recipe because everybody is evil and nobody is good and you lose all sense of trust when you watch this show and end up becoming as paranoid as that crazy Emperor.

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It's a good drama overall, but not the best and most productive use of time

So at the beginning of this drama, I'm talking the first 15 or so episodes, it was certainly a drama that any historical-drama lovers would want to binge. The plot, romance and setting was fresh in its own little way which made it easy to watch. With the addition of an amazing cast, it really incited the "butterflies in stomach" feel.
The reason as to why I am rating this show as only 4 stars is simply because of the noticeable discrepancies within the series. The biggest one of note is the inconsistency of the romantic relationship between the leads and their sudden change in personalities after the city setting switched from Song to Wei. After the setting was switched, it felt like the series was split into 2 separate storylines and the memories of the both the male and female lead were wiped or something even though there were no signs of such a thing ever happening. Whatever romance occurred between the two leads seemed to have disappeared entirely, making the second part of the drama difficult to comprehend since they had to rebuild their romantic interest for each other from rock bottom.
Furthermore, the series was dragged on for a tad bit too long. Stopping the series around the 30 episode mark would have been perfectly fine because everything from there onwards was repetitive scheming formed from greed and political power struggles from the antagonist and male lead.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this drama if you're looking for one that's worth your time and if you're looking for a fluffy, romance-fileld drama, because unfortunately, this drama won't be able to provide that. However if you're still interested in this drama even after reading this review and other reviews, I suggest watching the episodes before the setting changes from Song to Wei (you'll understand what I mean when you get there ?) coz those were really good.

Happy Binging!!

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Loved it. Chinese Game of Thrones

I usually don't pay attention to reviews before I watch a shows because it's just opinions. Everyone's tastes are different. I'm usually drawn to shows that have low ratings. Most people just watch for their favs not really the plot or story anyway so I'd rather watch for myself. The show was very entertaining. It showed how ruthless people are for power. Everyone had evil intentions that's what made it so entertaining. You didn't know who was really good or bad. They all had villain tendacys. The plot twists were everything. I know people didn't understand the first half but just look at it showing how Song lived, their version of the situation and the rest was Wei's story. It was like Game of thrones so to speak. I loved it. I'd watch it again.

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MUST WATCH! COMPLICATED BUT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE PLOT

First, I watched this drama because of my sister. It’s been two years since I watched this drama but I can still remember the story of the plot because it was a complicated drama. I find that many people didn't understand the plot of this drama. Me too at the first time but I re-watch it again and finally, I can understand the plot.

Actors and actresses have chemistry and I can say their acting really impressed me. Every time I re-watch this drama, I always want to kill the concubine because she is really wicked and it's true that I can't stand watching the ML marry her. You will know how would I feel after watching this drama. In the second half of the story, the ML and FL will lose their memories. The ML will lose his memories due to one insect while FL will lose her memories because some people did something to her. This is the main point for you to understand the plot.

The story keep makes me sad, happy, and angry. The sweet moments can become the sad or furious moments after that. It just looks like the writer doesn't want to bring happiness long for them. The first time I watched this drama, I lost my tears frequently. In the end, thank goodness.. I still can breathe after they end it with happy ending :)

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There's a lot of things about the drama that I really enjoyed but I think it ended with some loose bits of plot still hanging around. The story was solid but honestly you could completely separate the first half from the second and it would make no difference to the ending. This was the first Chinese drama I've been able to complete and I'm proud of myself for finishing 53 episodes. I can't really tell if what kept me going was the determination to finish the drama or the drama itself.

*Potential spoilers from here on out*

I loved Song Weilong in this, and I've seen many people complaining about his lack of expressions but considering the closed off, character he plays, I think it's quite fitting. Also, I never once believed Rong Zhi would be killed because he's just too smart to let himself be killed, this guy pulled more fake deaths or moments of weaknesses that I really never felt any anxiety because I knew he'd come out of it relatively unscathed.

When it came to the female lead, I didn't understand her actions toward the end of the drama but I guess that's down to writing rather than Guan Xiaotong herself. I will say that the show had an amazing ability to make me feel sympathy for certain characters such as Liu Ziye or even Prince Kang meanwhile, other characters I completely detested throughout the show such as the Imperial Astrologer.

I feel as though the show did a better job with the side romances (Gu Huan and Huo Xuan, Prince Kang and Huo Xuan's lookalike) than with the main romance cus the side were way easier to follow and didn't feel convoluted just for the sake of plot.

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