amusedbush
This review may contain spoilers
Stabs of Love-ly Red Flags (Major spoilers ahead!)
I. The Ugly
There is no happy ending. There isn't even an open ending for you to squint your fantasies through. It is, however, a fitting ending. There is also no way of repackaging this: The male lead (ML) is toxic AF and the female lead (FL) is a confusing mix of strong and stupid. Consider yourself warned that this contains emotional and psychological abuse, as well as physical and sexual assault. This drama is about a beautiful woman’s stab-happy antics and a handsome man's (less than creative) methods of abuse.
II. The Good
The drama explores a twist in an overused storyline. There is no sugar coating or random back story which miraculously sanitises the ML's actions-- the actions are toxic through and through. Episode 1 opens with the FL masquerading as the Yueying Princess Yingge, who is gifted to the old emperor to be his concubine in an alliance marriage. We get a glimpse of the ML's background as a sidelined seventh prince, whose mother was also from Yueying. The FL infiltrated the palace to avenge her Gu clan members who were executed for alleged treason. By episode 8 of this 24-episode drama, the ML is appointed Crown Prince and FL successfully cleared the Gu clan's name, defeating the villainous empress and third prince. This, of course, does not bode well because what story will they tell for another 16 episodes? Episode 12 reveals that the Gu clan was collateral damage in the ML's meticulous plan to eliminate his brothers as rivals for the Crown Prince position, with the FL's quest for revenge being part of the plan. The next 12 episodes are filled with dog-blood melodrama, as the FL repeatedly stabs the ML like a pincushion (somehow never managing to end him) and repeatedly failing to escape. The ML grows increasingly obsessed including retarding her kung-fu skills in episode 15, slipping her an enchanted amnesia elixir in episode 16, and executing the 2ML before the FL and sexually assaulting her in episode 19. Finally in episode 24, the ML willingly dies in the FL's arms on their wedding night before the FL sets fire to everything including herself.
The drama dazzles with its visually appealing costumes and the story's rich backdrop. The intricate designs elevate the overall aesthetic. YZX is also easy on the eyes, playing the obsessed ML with the crazy look in his eyes really well. HXL's visuals totally fit the role of the strong, imprisoned FL. Credit should also be given to the soundtrack, which enhanced the emotional depth of the story and perfectly complements the visuals, elevating it from short drama series quality to almost full-length quality.
III. The Bad
Parts of the storyline were unnecessarily repetitive and protracted, e.g., the number of times the FL unsuccessfully stabs the ML (how does she miss!), the repeated and lazy use of the 2FL's role to thwart the ML's plans or complicate the leads' relationship (at least be more creative), and the over extensive use of soliloquy and monologues (no matter how beautiful they are, please, get to the point!). I got bored around episode 18 and started speed-watching the remainder of the drama till the end.
IV. The Verdict
The bosom-heaving, steel-muscled '90s Western romance novels and Chinese costume/period dramas have one thing in common: the romanticisation of abuse. The persistent use of these tropes indicates that they strike a chord with many viewers, secretly evoking a tantalising response. If you can ignore the realities of abuse, then this drama is worth a one-time viewing (though not for repeat watches).
There is no happy ending. There isn't even an open ending for you to squint your fantasies through. It is, however, a fitting ending. There is also no way of repackaging this: The male lead (ML) is toxic AF and the female lead (FL) is a confusing mix of strong and stupid. Consider yourself warned that this contains emotional and psychological abuse, as well as physical and sexual assault. This drama is about a beautiful woman’s stab-happy antics and a handsome man's (less than creative) methods of abuse.
II. The Good
The drama explores a twist in an overused storyline. There is no sugar coating or random back story which miraculously sanitises the ML's actions-- the actions are toxic through and through. Episode 1 opens with the FL masquerading as the Yueying Princess Yingge, who is gifted to the old emperor to be his concubine in an alliance marriage. We get a glimpse of the ML's background as a sidelined seventh prince, whose mother was also from Yueying. The FL infiltrated the palace to avenge her Gu clan members who were executed for alleged treason. By episode 8 of this 24-episode drama, the ML is appointed Crown Prince and FL successfully cleared the Gu clan's name, defeating the villainous empress and third prince. This, of course, does not bode well because what story will they tell for another 16 episodes? Episode 12 reveals that the Gu clan was collateral damage in the ML's meticulous plan to eliminate his brothers as rivals for the Crown Prince position, with the FL's quest for revenge being part of the plan. The next 12 episodes are filled with dog-blood melodrama, as the FL repeatedly stabs the ML like a pincushion (somehow never managing to end him) and repeatedly failing to escape. The ML grows increasingly obsessed including retarding her kung-fu skills in episode 15, slipping her an enchanted amnesia elixir in episode 16, and executing the 2ML before the FL and sexually assaulting her in episode 19. Finally in episode 24, the ML willingly dies in the FL's arms on their wedding night before the FL sets fire to everything including herself.
The drama dazzles with its visually appealing costumes and the story's rich backdrop. The intricate designs elevate the overall aesthetic. YZX is also easy on the eyes, playing the obsessed ML with the crazy look in his eyes really well. HXL's visuals totally fit the role of the strong, imprisoned FL. Credit should also be given to the soundtrack, which enhanced the emotional depth of the story and perfectly complements the visuals, elevating it from short drama series quality to almost full-length quality.
III. The Bad
Parts of the storyline were unnecessarily repetitive and protracted, e.g., the number of times the FL unsuccessfully stabs the ML (how does she miss!), the repeated and lazy use of the 2FL's role to thwart the ML's plans or complicate the leads' relationship (at least be more creative), and the over extensive use of soliloquy and monologues (no matter how beautiful they are, please, get to the point!). I got bored around episode 18 and started speed-watching the remainder of the drama till the end.
IV. The Verdict
The bosom-heaving, steel-muscled '90s Western romance novels and Chinese costume/period dramas have one thing in common: the romanticisation of abuse. The persistent use of these tropes indicates that they strike a chord with many viewers, secretly evoking a tantalising response. If you can ignore the realities of abuse, then this drama is worth a one-time viewing (though not for repeat watches).
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