I, like many fans, were looking forward to S2 with great expectations. It pains me to make the next statement. I like aspects of S2 but I don’t love it in totality. It improved on some bits, kept a lot of "what is not broken" but also created some new problems.

On the positive side, the ML has matured into his role even though technically no time has passed between Seasons. He does look very thin in some scenes which is concerning. He is no longer a young buck who needs rescuing all the time. The ML has become a real player in the power game. It is great to see him go toe-to-toe with his foes and even some of his mentors. The downside to this is that he is given even more screen time to the detriment of other actors. This diluting of some character interactions really hurt elements of the original story.

I’m glad to see some storylines are still engaging. However, it is not all good news. There are stumbles in the narrative that left me scratching my head. Such as the whole episode devoted to selling Treasury Bonds. It fits into the overall narrative, but it feels like the cart pushing the horse. It is odd.

This also includes the exaggerated use of comedic elements. Some actors overact for cheap laughs which feels incongruous. The worse offender is the use of the yodelling song. Why? It is so jarring.

If S1 has a big cast, S2's is downright bloated. Most of the returning characters resumed their old roles but with developing plots, there are changes. It was quite a neat revelation at the end of S1 when the 2nd prince was revealed to be the hidden antagonist. He was intriguing in S1 but now he feels a bit lame once he openly challenges the ML.

Speaking of expanded cast, Several characters from S1 took on more prominent roles. Rou Rou is definitely one of them. Her role changed substantially. However, I’m not sure about her training to use the Ultimate Weapon. Is that a breech too far?

Another one is Ye Ling Er. Gina Jin took over this role. I'm not 100% sold on her visual and the "changed" characterisation. There is even a hint of a tragic love line brewing. I'm not sure I'm onboard with this but we shall see.

As expected, the story becomes more convoluted as schemes and counter schemes are minted. This does slow down the overall pacing noticeably. The revelation of the link between Xian and the Emperor certainly stirred up a lot of high emotions and opened old wounds. Nothing was resolved by the end of S2 so it is up to the writer to tie in the game of throne plots with the underlying sci-fi theme.

Speaking of ending, I’m happy that we don't have another cliffhanger. It was surprisingly positive and even a little cheeky. Maybe this is because S3 is already in the works so we don't need to force the issue. However, the last few eps did feel a little out of sorts for me. The "invention" of a banking system and the three workshops plot feels a bit awkward. The Ming family storyline is disturbing. It feels ham-fisted though. We become numbed when the body count of faceless victims balloons.

Production quality is decent but a bit inconsistent. There are silly mistakes which should be caught in post production. I know, they must maintain continuity, but you'd think improvement would be universal after 5 years plus a bigger budget.

I certainly enjoyed the drama, but it is not a slam dunk for me. There are some striking visuals and more depth to some plots but at the same time, not every subplot fires. Ditto some roles feels watered down or sidelined. May be there are too many cooks in the kitchen. That is a typical malaise of palace/political dramas. In the end, I'm happy to have watched S2 but I'm not blown away.

Finally, the elephant in the room. There are rumbling from netizens that the adaptation is drifting further and further away from the source novel as the series progresses. I don’t have a strong opinion on this, but it could explain some of the plots, characters and pacing issues.

Bring on Season 3!