This review may contain spoilers
Masterpiece and Emmy worthy!!!
This was one of the best dramas I watched.Everything is good, the acting, the soundtrack, the story...
It gives us action and intrigue in equal and healthy doses and even in it's most slow and calm moments it keeps us enthralled in the story.
The actors are brilliant and convey their emotions as if we were there with them and the soundtrak wraps everything perfectly...
That being said, I know many watchers got confused by that ending, BUT:
The script writer left for the audience to think about what happened...
Now, I personally think they had to be apart for 3 years by Emperor's decree in order for her to be redeemed and for him to fully focus on his task, and in the end, three years later, when both had done what they had to do, they were allowed, as a reward, to reunite and to live their lives together...
And the coup of poison was in order to fake her death like she did during her execution in early episodes...
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Starts off really great but trails off and has disappointing ending
This is the first historical c-drama I've watched to the end. At the start I was really hooked, due to the sets, costumes, thrilling story, plot twists, music and some great characters. However as the show went on, particularly in the second half, I became less enthused.The series is 53 episodes but this kind of breaks down into 6 or 7 sub stories which are only loosely related. For example, one story is about an illegal weapons factory, another is about fighting a war with a rival northern state. I felt like I was watching multiple seasons of a show rather than one complete story.
The characters are generally good, but there are some characters I dislike to varying degrees. One of the FL's maids is particularly annoying and is clearly meant to add comic effect but it just falls flat. Also, two of the major villains of the show are presented in a way that they are, for the most part, completely emotionless, and keep a constant facial expression and tone. This does make them seem more "evil", but on the other hand leads to them being more two-dimensional characters.
Characters I particularly liked were the ML's brother (Prince Jingling), and FL's parents, siblings and siblings in law. They are fleshed out a lot more, and also have some really happy moments and touching moments.
The OST is really good but it does end up getting quite repetitive by the end of the show. Some musical score seems to be repeated in almost every episode, which leads to it having much less effect than when it was first heard.
As mentioned above I love the sets and costumes, but again, by the end I felt they were too repetitive. The majority of the show takes place in two or three locations. Also, the costumes worn are pretty much the same every episode (with the exception of FL). I felt like this show was produced on a low budget in the second half.
In terms of the story arcs mentioned above, they are mostly good, but some of the story towards the end is less interesting or not satisfying.
The ending was also really disappointing to me - it felt like it was just "tacked on" and involved a plot that didn't have much relation to the storylines throughout the series. It also left a lot open to interpretation and so was quite confusing without providing proper closure. I think the show would have been much better if the final episode was never made.
Overall I still don't regret watching the show as most of it I really enjoyed. But the show could have been a lot better and ultimately left me feeling disappointed, but with still some great moments to remember. If I ever do rewatch it, I might split into two or more parts to keep it more fresh, and also skip the final episode (and the last scene of the penultimate episode) entirely.
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23 episodes I invested to this drama
This is a long series and I skipped, paused, jumped between episodes. Apparently I am not a big fan of Li Qin, every drama she was in I am not fond of, and this is one of them. She is a great actress, beautiful, great acting skill but I think she picked the wrong roles. I was hoping she'd better in 'the Wolf' but early episode as a young girl - she's faked childish girl in a her adult body. This drama, She's given an identity as Shen LiGe who had married into royalty. Her step sister Shen LeQing jealous because she wasn't selected, because of it she gave all hell and troubles to Shen LiGe. I think I admire her driven determination to ruin Shen LiGe, she's a tough cookie survived from all retributions even when fallen into the cliff. After alot people died at the end of drama, she still survived to send the last attack to this couple. I don't understand it, why a gentle young woman who knew nothing about martial art or strategy could survive in whole long 53 episodes just from hatred. Although this drama adapted from true story but the actors didn't deliver memorable acting. Too much go around the bushes, the queen was a very powerful woman there and people just sucked up on her. So, nothing's new...nothing interesting...nothing memorable...I gave it up after investing my time for 23 episodes (1,035 minutes of my life).Was this review helpful to you?
not very clever
Depending on whether you watch a lot of tv shows, you will either find this show interesting or extremity exhausting, the two main character take forever to meet each other, the story deliberately makes attempts for them to meet and then they just slightly miss each other again, this goes on for about 20 episodes. fora story about the two characters chemistry it gets quite annoying after a while .the worst part is the lack of charisma and dept from the bad guys, the schemes are very simple palace and treachery plots but because the show revolves around the main characters their struggle doesn't feel real cos u know they gonna survive.
after about 30 episodes, i just gave up
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Got boring
DROPPED...So I watched like 34 or 35 eps of it out of 53. And not ngl the beginning was pretty good but it got dead around ep 20. I paused watching this like 1 or months ago thinking I'll think about it and go back. But I didn't even once. If you have seen 'princess wei yang' or ' legend of fu yao' or 'princess agents' the plot is very similar to them but not as good or highly produced I'd say. Btw I also dropped legend of fu yao cause it also got dead. princess agents does not compare to any, it is top tier! gave song of glory 6.5/10. Not recommended tbh.
I'd suggest princess wei yang and princess agents instead.
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It's not horrible, but not great either
9/30/2021It's very hard to write a review of this drama. I don't think it's a horrible drama, but it's not great either. Unfortunately, it did not hold my attention and I have decided to drop it at Ep 33. I enjoyed the first 20 or so episodes, but then I feel that the plot just keeps on repeating. It's quite a predictable drama. Nothing really excites or surprises me. I really want to find out who is the big bad wolf, but I got so bored.
The best parts about this drama are the acting of the cast and our ML and FL. Our leads are fantastic and the supporting cast is great. It's my first time watching Qin Hao, and he's quite charismatic as Prince Peng Cheng. I became a fan of Li Qin after "The Wolf" and she is just as beautiful and awesome here. Shen Li Ge has to be one of the most badass female leads in C-dramaland. She is strong from start to finish. She not only possesses great martial arts skills but is also smart! Our leads make a formidable pair. Their chemistry is not red hot, but is maturely developed with quiet understanding and loyalty. I feel that in the first 33 episodes, they don't have enough scenes together, I want to see more of them.
I do not enjoy the fight scenes. It seems like ridiculous that every time someone kicks or hits, the opponent would fly across the room. Since it's not a wuxia drama, I wasn't expecting too much to begin with. What is up with the random wind/fan blowing to show our FL's flowy hair? And a spin to take off her wedding dress and accessories? I also feel it quite unrealistic that our villain 2FL could get caught so many times, yet she is still alive. She's like this little cockroach that never dies. It's quite amazing actually.
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If you are looking for a strong female lead drama look no further.... watch this drama
Take this review as you see it. As of right now I have not finished the drama, but so far I have very much enjoyed this drama very much. I am one of the biggest drama critic out there and I love to nick pick small and tiny little details that would drive many people bunkers. And here is why I believe that many people should watch this drama:Lin Qin's character is the smart, talented and absolutely one of a kind. She is not the usually damsel in distress, dumb cute female lead. She is a bad ass fighting machine. Although she does try to kill the ML in the first episode, she does end up saving him a few time. And here is the best part, she can solve her own problems. She doesn't need him, most of the time she already has the problem solved before he shows up. She let's no one bully her and she is extremely smart. Not even her fake sister can outsmart her. I loved the scene when she threaten her so called sister for missing with her mom medicine. Then she save the emperor with her mad martial art skill. She is the true here. She is blunt and ruthless. You don't want to become her enemy. Her character can carry the entire drama by herself. Honestly at this point I don't see the need for the ML. (Just my personal Opinion of Course!)
Not only is Li Qin character unique, her acting is on T. Her ability to covey her emotions is wonderful. Her skills of a martial artist is absolutely amazing. I am hook on this drama because of her amazing acting ability. If I was never a fan before, I am now. She has so much talent. I can't express, how big my girl crush for her is now!
So far, the music has been very good. The costume are beautiful even the simple outfits are. The acting is amazing.
The Male characters are just so-so. Not much to say about them.
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This review may contain spoilers
Give this a try
Overall, this is not a bad series. It is just rather unnecessary long. It has good acting, chemistry between the main leads, action scenes and storyline. The series started out promising as a light watch, simple story but then it dragged out with like when you open those Russian dolls. Never ending. Sometimes, our life is stressful and we look to cinema for relieve before we get back to life. Please let the good guys have a win win. After suffering for over 25 or 30 episodes, they need a break. Haha I recommend this show. :)Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Ignore the low ratings, and watch this drama!
It sucks that this drama has such a low rating because not many people will look on page 15+ when searching for dramas to watch on MDL by rating. This drama is worth the watch because the storyline is great, the acting is great, the fighting scenes are amazing and thus far, there aren't any filler episodes!The two things that I didn't like about this drama was the fact that it took over 20 episodes for both leads to reveal their true identity with one another, and when it finally happened during episode 22 it wasn't as dramatic as it should have been. The build up (anticipation) was well written and felt, but the actual moment felt rushed and it lacked the passion, fear, and surprise I wanted from both lead actors (this most likely was due to the director's direction). Also, starting with episode 22, I wished the writer would have focused on the romance between the two leads, instead of having a unnecessary fight scene between the female lead and assailant. Lastly, this drama could have been 30 episodes. I usually drop dramas that have more than 35 episodes for one season because usually I find that it's not needed.
Before 2020, the female lead actress played damsel in distress characters, in a lot of historical/period dramas. Although, I thought she was pretty, I hated her acting. It wasn't until watching this drama that I realized that she can act really well, and that what I actually hated was the damsel in distress characters (not her acting). For example, in the historical drama Princess Agents, she played a damsel in distress princess who was selfish, weak and immature. I apologize for the wrongful judgment.
The female lead character, sister (who is really her best friend's cousin) has eyes like the Bratz Dolls. I have never seen eyes so big and honestly, that's all I can focus on when I see her. It's obvious that she had surgery, which btw, there's nothing wrong with. Nevertheless, I wanted to mention that there's also nothing wrong with having small eyes.
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Slow Climax
This series started extremely well. I was interested and wanted to know more about the characters, but then I lost all interest soon afterward. There is no satisfaction in this long lagging storyline. It doesn't look like it's rising to a CLIMAX! It's stagnant, which loses views 18 episodes in. If I stop watching, it's okay. Maybe after all the episodes have aired and comments have been posted, it will be doable. I couldn't navigate around the lacking episodes. This series drags unmercifully. It's painful to watch at some points: cute storyline but AWFUL screenwriting.Was this review helpful to you?
