Y'all. Y'ALL. Sound the alarms. Let's just take a moment. 2020 Chinese dramas really are it. This is the first Chinese Historical drama I've watched and finished. This is the first drama I watched while it came out and finished and followed it to the end. This was the first Chinese drama in a long time that I didn't skip through any parts of it. This is the best Chinese drama I've watched since A Love So Beautiful. This was a revolutionary drama. So let me take some time to talk about it.

Story:
This is the first drama in a long time to hook me straight from the beginning. No "well, you just have to be patient and get through the first couple episodes and then it gets real good". No. It's instantly a drama you want to binge. So it was dreadful waiting for the episodes to come out and get subbed. I would check every day and be so excited to see new additions. I can't tell you how low my expectations for Chinese dramas have been for a while now. This completely flipped everything and now future Chinese dramas and dramas in general need to watch out because I've been reenergized and have had a taste of the best. No longer will I tolerate bad.
Now the ending. This is the best ending to a drama I've seen in a long time. It ended perfectly and left me longing for nothing. Well I'll always be longing for something after a drama ends but this didn't make me long unnecessarily. Not once did this drama feel draggy or boring. Not once. I'm so happy with it.

Acting:
Oh my the acting. Let's talk about the lead first. Zhou Lu Si is one of my favorite Chinese actresses but she delivered everything and more than I expected from her. This is definitely her best work and nothing felt awkward. Through this drama I've discovered a great young actor to look out for in the future: Ryan Ding. He has so much potential and fits into his characters so well. Not once did he fall short to Zhou Lu Si's performance or vice versa. I was extremely happy with their acting. Don't even get me started on their wonderful chemistry.
Now let's get into the supporting characters: my favorite. The casting director must have the eyes of God for they picked the best out there. Every—and I mean every—supporting character I saw in this show were never overshadowed by the leads. It was almost like they lived and breathed their characters. I credit them for the reason this show was never boring to watch. They performed spectacularly. The best supporting cast I've seen in any drama. Ever. I can't properly portray how impressed and entertained I was by them.

Overall, this drama never slowed down and kept a wonderful pace. It was a smooth watch and something you wanted to keep watching after the episode ended. I can't find a flaw. I am extremely impressed. I would highly recommend this to anyone I meet. I feel like I've found a masterpiece within a sea of bad dramas coming out left and right. I loved it.

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