Great Plot, Steamy Romance, Intelligent Jokes
This is one of the most endearing and light-hearted historical dramas of 2020. I almost missed it because of its cheesy title. But within the first episode, I was totally sold because of the outrageous jokes they use with the playing of an accent that leads to a misunderstanding of a mission. The misunderstanding is hilarious and adorable.The Story
Xiong Xiruo (Xi Zi) is a comic book artist. Her favorite subject is the legendary tale of Duke Li and the inhabitants of the Li mansion. Duke Li has 2 sons. The oldest son is a fearsome general who wins in every battle and is nicknamed God of War. The second son is a flamboyant artist who lives a free lifestyle outside of the mansion. Duke Li also has an older brother who is a kept hostage living in the Song mansion and a baby brother who is younger than his own sons. Because Xiong Xiruo’s depiction of the Li family is such outrageously slanderous, she’s being hunted down by Li Hongbin (Xia Ningjun), Duke Li’s oldest son.
Xiong Xiruo, apart from being a genius artist, she also has an eidetic memory; she has the ability to remember every detail of anything she sees. For this skill, she is being commissioned to sneak into the Li mansion to draw the four luó hàn (luó hàn are monks in the Shaolin Temple). However, due to the strong regional accent of her commissioner, Xiong Xiruo mistakes the terms luó hàn to be luǒ hàn which have the same homophone (but totally different meaning) of naked men; in Xiong Xiruo’s mind, she thinks she’s been commissioned to draw four naked men for a whopping 2,000 coins. The scenario unfolds thereafter is hilarious as one can imagine.
Li Hongbin is fearsome and Xiong Xiruo is fearful of him. His favorite line is always, “Death by the paddles”. Trying to avoid being killed, Xiong Xirou feigns her pregnancy and forces Li Hongbin to marry her. To escape an unwanted marriage to another woman, Li Hongbin agrees. Out of his expectation, he falls head over heels in love with Xiong Xirou and cannot let her go despite of her lowly background.
The Acting
Both main actors Xi Zi and Xia Ningjun are new to me and I love them both. As Xiong Xiruo, Xi Zi is adorable with her big round eyes, button nose and pouting lips. Not extremely elegant and sophisticated looking as other actors, Xi Zi brings in an air of unpretentiousness and endearment. Running with her hands swinging in the air and cross-dressing as a boy, she is refreshing. I just love watching her teasing Li Hongbin and get him agree to her demands. Fast witted and crafty, Xiong Xiruo always manages to come up with all kinds of crazy stories to get herself out of her predicaments. This is Xi Zi’s first drama taking a main female lead role and she has done a great job.
As Li Hongbin, Xia Ningjun is extremely good looking with a cold heart. He has no interest in any women. All he wants is to protect the country and his territory. Xiong Xiruo is frightened of him and calls him a big monster. However, when he falls head over heels in love with her, he becomes the most loving and protective man any women could ever ask for. As a relatively new actor, Xia Ningjun’s performance is convincing and very enjoyable.
My Verdict
This is one of my most enjoyable series as it is delightful and refreshing. The viewers can see the love of the OTP develop over time slowly. Apart from the initial faked pregnancy which is quickly and voluntarily revealed to Li Hongbin, there’s hardly any more deceits or misunderstandings between Xiong Xiruo and Li Hongbin thereafter. Their chemistry together is unmistakable; their bonding and love for each other are strong. There is no complicated familial relationship such as step children or concubines. Both parents are wise and loving; Duke Li is deep but always humble and kind. All he wants is a harmonious family which is an overarching philosophy passed down for generations for the Li family. At the end of the drama, all the antagonists get their deserving punishments. There is no lazy writing off any characters for a quick ending. Despite there may be some simple inconsistent logic and flaws here and there, this is still a very enjoyable drama for all ages. Don’t miss it!
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Complementing couple; Faithful Love; Outstanding Production
Don't sleep on this drama! Perfectly all I wanted in 1 drama. I want to rave how good this is in the hopes more people will give this drama a watch.Unlike the trailer or the opening theme or the ending theme.. this drama is NOT frivolous or cheesy or over-the-top comedy. It has drama but not melodramatic, the romance between the leads naturally developed and tug at your heart strings..sometimes cute and sweet but always very believable. Theres silly antics and some good humour too.
The direction is spot on. Because all the scenes come out beautifully. What makes this drama special is because you dont expect it to move you BUT it does. All the emotional scenes are well crafted and well acted out. I become FL and ML's champion, I root for them, I care for them. I'm with them every step of the way and truly invested.
The cinematography is gorgeous. Their wedding scenes was grand and beautiful. Many backdrops at the manor was picturesque.
The true star of the drama is how beautiful the writer wrote Xi Ruo and Hong Bin's love. Almost tongue in cheek because Xi Ruo is the 'sweet liar'. Yet she comes clean and confess to ML before the wedding. Unlike other contract or fake marriages, both leads are a picture of happiness during the wedding because there is already affection and attraction. Even as XR still harbors secrets, HB isnt oblivious or stupid but gives time and space to XR.
I love when HB said to XR " To believe you or not, is up to me. But to trust me or not, is up to you". And from the moment he took her hand in marriage he has always chose to trust her. He exemplifies how a husband should be: trust, respect, cherish, protect and love his wife. Throw in his puppy face..thats a bonus.
So all the antagonists, all the hard moments, as watchers they dont become frustrating because XR and HB never falter. Time and time again we even get surprised by the neat plot.
Hong Bin and Xi Ruo is such a complementing couple and they truly give off lovers, husband wife vibes. Kudos to the leads and their acting as well as Director Cheng that helmed this amazing production.
I hope other dramas can learn from this drama. Lovers who only have eyes for each other, hearts never waver and whose relationship is built on communication and trust. And emphasized background is not important and the meaning of family. Perfect Perfect Perfect all around. The stamp of humour just makes it more fun. Its now time to rewatch again.
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Great romcom with political intrigue
The female lead is a sweet but naughty girl that tends to act first then think later which often ends up getting her into trouble. Then the only solution to save herself is to make up clever lies. She’s pure and has a good heart so she’s constantly having to deal with her guilty conscience her lies create. The perfect example of this is when she lied about her pregnancy. The lie was understandable since it was the only way to get her out of her predicament and save her life. But when she confessed to the male lead I couldn’t help but respect her. She refused to marry him and continue living a lie. This took great courage because he could have put her to death for her falsehood. But she would rather face death than lead him on. You just can’t help but admire her courage and kind heart. She’s a little goofy and funny in the beginning. But as time goes by not only does she mature, but you get to see all of her endearing qualities which makes everyone love her so much.The male lead hates all of the palace intrigue and doesn’t want to inherit his fathers position. He's a very cold man that prefers being in the military until he meets the female lead. He falls really hard for her and does everything in his power to keep her by his side. Even knowing the pregnancy was fake didn’t stop him from binding her to him by threatening to reveal her secret if she didn’t continue with the fake pregnancy. But he gradually softens up and starts to change. His character growth was a joy to watch. He goes from threatening her with the death of her family if she doesn’t marry him to constantly doting on her.
I liked a lot of the side characters, especially the male leads parents. They were so sweet, understanding, and cute. There were several side couples that made things a little more interesting. But the villain and villainess stole the show. They did a great job of making me hate them. I liked that even though there was angst and sadness it never went on for too long or was overdone. This drama definitely has a lighter feel to it. The story has depth and intrigue but it isn’t overly melodramatic.
There wasn’t too much to dislike about this drama. But one thing that was bothersome was how long they kept the fake pregnancy lie going. It got annoying after a while. The female lead is a bit silly in the first few episodes but hang in there because she does get better later on. And even though the male lead is kind of a jerk in the beginning he turns into a sweet puppy that isn’t afraid to show how he feels. Overall the drama continues to get better with each consecutive episode. And for you romance lovers, the kisses and chemistry is really good in this drama. Even though it’s not perfect, it’s a great drama that will make you laugh, feel sad, then get angry. It’s definitely worth watching.
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Adorable Chemistry between the Leads!!
This story presents similar to many other stories already told. You have the cookie-cutter cold-on-the-outside lead male with the bubbly, likable female lead. The female lead is likable in that she's a greedy person (her eyes essentially twinkle when she sees money) but she's not a selfish person. She loves her adoptive family and isn't ashamed of her roots (she comes from a performance house). Female lead has an eidetic memory when it comes to painting and therefore is "employed" to draw a treasure that belongs to the male lead's family. Misunderstandings happen (she's suppose to draw arhats but mistakes the words for "naked man" lol) and she ends up lying that she's pregnant with male lead's baby to initially save her own life. As the male lead comes to like her, he uses her pregnancy to get out of his own arranged marriage and even after finding out the truth of her lie, he tells her to continue the charade, partially because of his arranged marriage but mostly because he knows he's come to like her and wants her at his side.The story itself is simple and honestly, her lie goes on a little too long. They do discuss how they are going to get out of their lie but when the opportunity presents itself, both the male and female lead back out and continue on with the lie. For example, his cousin poisons female lead to have a miscarriage. During this time, male lead could've easily gone along with it and said she miscarried but he instead claims the "baby" wasn't harmed. Likewise, when the female lead saves the male lead's father from assassination, she could've stated she miscarried but due to the parents' grief over thinking they caused their unborn grandchild to die, she continues the lie that she's still pregnant. The simplest solution would've just been to make a real baby...
The cast does such a wonderful job in this drama that it's hard to dislike any of the characters (aside from the crazy maternal cousin). The parents are splendid and for once, not catty, vicious, or arrogant about their status. Despite being a family of higher status, his family; which consists of his parents, younger brother, and 2 paternal uncles, is very loving and comical. Although initially against the couple, his parents change their minds immediately when learning she's pregnant (which made the scene quite comical). His dad is basically a cuddly teddy bear while his mother is a gentle heart behind a fierce face. Not to mention the female lead's mother is just a bucket of fire who's scary protective of her brood of adopted children. Another notable character is the male lead's guard Amao. He's just splendid and full of fun.
The best part of this story is definitely the two leads!! They are ADORABLE together!! It's not just the cute moments (and oh-so many kisses) between them but just the way they are when they are on screen together. I compare them to Ryan Ding and Zhao Lu Si in Romance of the Tiger and Rose. The two leads have a natural gravitation towards each other when in the same frame so it really feels like they are genuinely a couple.
An example is the scene in episode 6 when he introduces her to his family. It happens before they acknowledge they like each other and she's adamant he's a devil and a cruel person but as she nervously approaches his family she goes straight to him, hides behind him, and grabs his sleeve. What's even better is the little subtle detail (the camera does not pan in on this) where, as she's kneeling in front of his family, she's clinging onto the bottom of his robes, in a way signifying that she's feels safer because he's there by her side. There are many examples of this subtlety throughout the drama between the two leads and it makes the story so much more enjoyable.
The "cherry-on-top?": once he figures out he likes her, the male lead does everything he can to protect her and show her he loves her. He's SO SO SO SO sweet to her in every aspect that it's hard not to fall for him as a viewer. The same can be said about her once she confesses her love for him. I do enjoy rewatching their many scenes together because they are so cavity-inducing with their sweetness!!
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This review may contain spoilers
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO WATCH
The reason i recommended this drama to you because:1. Storyline is quite different from other drama
2. Humor is really enjoyable and will make you happy
3. Beautiful and sweet love story
4. Lessons from the drama
5. Great casts of course
6. Happy Ending ? la la la la..
Xiong Xiruo
- She is a very talented painter, naughty, liar and never listen to her husband (at first) lol..but she has a beautiful heart and that lead to a good deed.
Li Hong Bin
- A good fighter, filial son, loving husband, a man that every girl dream for. He loves XX with all his heart and willing to do anything for her. Awww
and many other characters..
I hate Dai ruer lol.. she cant accept the fact that LHB doesnt love her..duh.
please watch it guys. It is worth watching hehehhe
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Rewatch value: 10/10
The number of times I watched the trailer before the official release is something I can't even remember right now. The wait for the subtitles was a real deal. The ML and FL; their chemistry was awesome. Every character of this drama has done a great job. The story was light and sweet. Lies are bound to bring more lies until the truth is revealed. The fact that the lies being caught didn't cause the drama to go dark and rather remained light is something I loved about it. I'm really gonna miss the times of waiting for the episodes. This drama is like the clear sky after the heavy rain and for the intro and ending song; there wasn't a episode I skipped it.Was this review helpful to you?
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Lies and Fake Pregnancy
Lies and fake pregnancy. Yes, it lived up to its title and tag, this was what the drama what all about – almost all the way to the end. I liked it in the beginning, really struggled from about ep 6. The story seemed to go round and round. Two characters made my blood boil every time they came on screen – one, annoying and whinny the other one annoying, scheming and stupid. The ending tried to make up for everything. Yes, a good ending for everyone – good deserved the good, bad deserved the bad. However instead of feeling all happy and fuzzy about it, I had this at-last-it-has-ended kind of feeling. At least they made the ending good after all that.So what kept me going? I wanted to find out when and how all the lies where going to get exposed. So I guess whoever wrote this did succeed in keeping the audience watching LOL. There were some likeable characters, most notable ones for me:
ML parents – they were tough but kind hearted. The duke was cool. He had a way of getting things done while not upsetting and still be loving to his wife.
Mao – the loyal sidekick, comedic relief
Mei Xiang – the loyal maid
Ye Zhi Han – the loyal friend
Li Hong Bin – he was honestly the one who kept me going on with this drama. Looking forward to see more dramas from Xia Ning Jun.
Don’t let me review keep you from watching this drama though. This is just my personal opinion. A lot viewers do like it a lot, so this may just be your cup of tea :-)
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A little disappointed.
I started to watch this drama and became interested in the story. The first few episode kept me in gage in the story but about the 5th episode I think the writer forgot the plot of the story or did not know were to take the story. The fake pregnancy might have worked in the beginning but as the story kept going I wonder that no one has notice that her stomach does not grow and the antic that she kept pulling was ridicules. The lead female character became annoying because she only care for herself. The lead male character try to show affection but the female lead character was a cold turkey until maybe episode 21. The obsessive girl and the child shish girl became boring because they both wanted to married the Male lead character and could not understand the word no, I don't like you. There are so much that I can question that it kept lowering my point system. The last 7 episode were much better but very predictable. The ending was cute and I believe the actors did a good job on their performance. The ending was cute. The writer need help this could have been a better script.Was this review helpful to you?
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Well-Written and Nicely Executed Rom-Com with Visually Appealing CP
Overall, this was a very entertaining watch. The main plot is nothing new - cold, indifferent military officer and the heir of a powerful family meets a poor but resourceful girl. However, the show was well-executed, and it was also quite creative in the way the male and female leads met and ended up in a contract marriage. The story was mostly well-written, the comedy was on point, and there was some great dialogue. Still, there were cringey moments, and the middle dragged a little, but the later episodes were well worth the patience. Also, there were some hilarious scenes like the female lead cleaning out the family during mahjong! The cinematography was stunning, and I was impressed by how much attention was paid to the CP's wedding. Against the grand backdrop of the manor, the scenes were simply gorgeous. The costumes were lovely with fabulous colour schemes; I loved how the couples were often color-coordinated perfectly.After reading the comments, it seemed that many viewers were bothered by the lie about the fake pregnancy going on for so long, but that did not bother me. After all, it was the catalyst that brought the CP together and was the basis for the story. That was the main reason why I was willing to deal with the draggy middle episodes. I was increasingly interested in finding out how everything would be resolved at the end.
The main couple had good chemistry, albeit not off the charts compared to other screen couples. I like that it was the male lead that started liking the female lead first. He was always looking out for her, secretly smiling at her, and wanted her even after finding out that she lied about the pregnancy. The show got even better after the female lead acknowledged her feelings for the male lead. From then onwards, their love never wavered, and they remained completely committed to each other. Loved the kisses (could have been more) and skinship!
Like in many C-dramas, Xiong Xi Ruo, the female lead character, can get a little annoying and tiring with her immature, self-serving ways. However, her actions, for the most part were justifiable; after all, she wanted to keep her life! Admittedly, I did not give this show a higher rating because I felt that there were too many filler episodes where I felt extreme irritation at Xi Ruo for being so dense, stubborn, and constantly misunderstanding the male lead. Still, she was quite endearing for the most part and had character development eventually. Li Hong Bin, the male lead, was as loyal as they come, and he did so much for Xi Ruo without her even knowing. With such an amazing male lead, the story would have a winner if their relationship was more balanced, with Xi Ruo being more considerate of Hong Bin earlier in the show. That said, Xi Ruo displayed bravery and self-sacrifice when she blocked an attack on her father-in-law and took a stab for Hong Bin.
Xi Zi is adorably pretty with her dimple and has looks worthy of a female lead. Lately, the actresses cast in lead roles have been visually unremarkable, at least to me. She did fairly well portraying Xi Ruo, but there was some over-the-top acting during the crying scenes. I am not sure if it is the directing, or as a newbie, there was room for improvement.
Tall, good-looking with a great physique, Xia Ning Jun fitted the bill as the male lead, Li Hong Bin, and showed a good acting range, from cold sternness, angry jealousy, loving glances to swoony stares. Like Xi Zi, he is also a newcomer, and I hope that he will get more chances to hone his skills.
The supporting cast was good as well. Li Hong Bin's bodyguard A-Mao, and his parents were hilarious, and the villains evoked the right amount of annoyance. That Ru-er really made my blood boil, and I was so happy to see karma coming around, and she got what she deserved!
I love the OST, especially the title song, the duet that played during poignant moments, and all the instrumental pieces. So fitting for the scenes and helped to evoke my emotions. Also, the usage of sound effects to highlight the comedic moments was effective.
Overall, I recommend this sweet rom-com, especially if you are looking for one with little angst, where the CP only has eyes for each other and has a satisfying ending.
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Amazing drama, it will give you a sense of satisfaction
This is one of the best 2020 dramas I’ve watched so far. After many dramas this year this one had a very special touch to it. And let’s not forget about that ending( I’ll leave it to the viewers to watch) . This is one of few dramas that has given me a sense of satisfactionIf it’s reassurance you want then you’ve got it. This drama is amazing, the actors are perfectly fit for their roles and the production is outstanding.
A very beautiful love story that will have you on your toes, you won’t even believe it. This is by far one of the best and unforgettable dramas I’ve ever watched.
The bad guys are dealt with properly and all problems are solved thoroughly. I give my hands to this drama
Rewatch value is a total 100/10
I absolutely loved it, from the costumes, to the weddings, to the music, the characters and the plot.
Totally amazing, totally worth it.
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