ALimaExRay
In terms of the overall story, I gave it an 8.5. It was a 10 for 2/3s of the entire series, but then it just started to drag, and plot holes started to leak in. It started to drag in the Tiansha Arc. I don't remember exactly where and which episodes it started to feel draggy, but I can remember it lasted about 4 episodes. I understand this was to promote the second leads, but the story didn't make much sense either. Once the Tiansha Arc completed, things got on track again, except instead of being draggy, it was rushy. Xuanji was very thrilling, but too short, especially for the reunion of father and daughter. The second half of Tianquan, where the emperor was exercising his plot was also rushed. The ending was perfectly paced, except because of the draggy Tiansha Arc, there was not enough time to conclude the drama properly. It did meet my minimum requirements in that it logically made sense, especially after all that talking while they were lying on the ground bleeding out.
Some improvements to the ending (if they increased the Tiansha pacing by about half an episode) would be to show 2 seconds of someone/something saving them at the Ancient Firmament, and to show 30 second clips of Fu Yao and Wu Ji visiting the 5 kingdoms, as Fu Yao wanted to. This is 2 minutes or less of extra time, and it would also allow for filling of plot holes.
The only reason why Tiansha didn't bore me was Wuji and Fu Yao. There is no doubt in my mind this is the best written love story I've ever seen. Watching Fu Yao and Wu Ji go at kept giving me feels.
The Acting:
Yang Mi and Ethan Juan. Doesn't get better than that. As said above, watching Fu Yao and Wu Ji go at it kept giving me feels. Watching these two talented actors portray these characters made me emotional. Just watch episodes 63 and 64, and you'll know what I'm talking about.
All the other characters were portrayed excellently. A well rounded cast indeed.
The Characters:
All the characters were well written. The character developments of Ya Lan Zhu and Zhan Bei Ye were very questionable. If I could go blind to save someone I love, and have them love me back for doing it, I'd do it anyday. The problem is that it doesn't really work that way in the real world.
The Music:
Looping while writing this review. Still gives me feels, and it's been 3+ days since I've finished watching it raw.
Rewatch Value:
Although the Tiansha Arc is draggy, and the ending is flawed, just watching the love story is enough to be worthy of a rewatch.
Side Note:
Props to the writers for being able to write such a well rounded story for 44 episodes, especially when part of it has to be different than the book that was being referenced (Empress Fuyao), and there are multiple subplots inside a main plot. Although it couldn't be done for the entire length of the drama, the love story was able to be flawlessly written for all 66 episodes. The flawed ending can be used as a starting point for improvement in future scripts.
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This review may contain spoilers
Story (7.5):The first 16-17 episodes were rather well written and executed on every front. Then everything became sluggish forthe about the next 10-11 episodes while things slowly built up to the "coup". From episode 29ish onwards it was decent, though most of the plot was rather predictable. Although the ending was not rushed, I was expecting a lot more. There isn't much worth watching other than the first 16-17 episodes. Everything else can be binged.
Acting (8.0):
The acting was decent. There were some places where some additional expressions would've made quite the difference. The main problem with the acting here wasn't the actual acting; it was the chemistry. Everytime I tried to feel the love out of the OTP, I just couldn't. The chemistry between the 2nd and 3rd male leads and the female lead were a lot better, but still rather lacklustre.
Music (9.0):
The music was well written and sung by everyone. I had most of the songs looping for quite a while.
Rewatch Value (6.0):
Aside from the first 16-17 episodes, there's not much rewatch value. If there's any other episodes, it's the final few ones where Leo shows his acting skills.
Overall (7.5):
Great execution for the first third of the drama, then it quickly fell apart. The story recovers in the latter half, but not to where the glory of the first 16-17 episodes. Worth watching if there is nothing else to watch.
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