drama of two halves

I have mixed feeling about this as the last two story arcs were comparatively poor. Up to this point the plot unfolded at a modest but gripping pace that allowed the viewers to understand the different complexities of the main characters. Jiang Ci and Wei Zhao changing relationship from antagonism to love felt credible for the most part, spurred on by Jiang Ci understanding of the impact of Emperor Liang's genocidal policies on WZ and the Zhengrong residents but I have reservations about the Stockholm syndrome aspect of this relationship. The second half of the drama is disappointing. The third arc involving the Shifu was trite and cliched and did a disservice to the development of complex characters in the first half of the drama. The final arc dragged and was predictable and involved too many flashbacks,
Generally, the actors portray the main characters well. But Ren Jialun’s acting is still a bit underwhelming and Ji Landi portrayal of J CI does not really convey the “free spirit” of the character, which is a big part of why J Ci opts for WZ not Peil Yan. On the other hand, Xu Zhengxi delivers a great performance as s the ambitious and manipulative Pei Yan. Still, it is one of better new costume dramas of 2024 (i.e. excluding season 2 /3 dramas), which have so far been disappointing.

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