It's 2015 and I got to say that after watching so many korean and Taiwanese dramas, this drama is undoubtedly one of the best drama out there. HOWEVER, the downside is that after you watch this magnificent piece, you find that it is hard for other dramas to live up to it in terms of how it affects you emotionally and leave you feeling like an insane person,even those popular korean sageuk dramas. Like so many shallow others, i was reluctant to watch bald main leads but after watching lss in sound of the desert, i decided to give it a try. AND the first few minutes of episode 1 just pulled you right in unlike so many dramas out there who started out so slow especially historical dramas! I feel like BBJX represents chinese entertainment well with those poised dialogues, those subtle melancholic sentiments, and the heart wrenching ost that you won't ever find in kdramas. It's like watching a melancholic and dark fairy tale that has some comedy to it especially in the beginning episodes. Its a drama that i don't think I will forget my whole life and will keep on rewatching it or some scenes in it. This drama sucks you right into their world that it's hard for you to withdraw from it. However, obviously, no drama is perfect but a drama that you love despite its imperfections and a drama that can impact people's life & thoughts are a pretty darn successful drama. This drama has the whole package, but if you love a romance that is so great and pure, this drama will leave you breathless. Another thing that is worth applauding for is how it's unexpected and expected at the same time, it's not filled with cliches nor does it stay far away from the usual drama's story. This drama makes you ache inside because god knows when will a drama like this be produced in china again. It's certainly an overrated drama that deserves praises and fame even for years to come.
The story writing is just perfection and will definitely leave you breathless. You will recount those beautiful dialogues and the writer is a genius that weaves the "time travel" theme into the story without it being too unrealistic. In fact, i feel like this drama is one of the most realistic dramas out there in terms of how there is always a somewhat logical reason for the situation to happen.
ONE OTHER THING is how there's FINALLY and intelligent female lead that is not coldhearted or greedy and yet still courageous enough to pursue love. AND finally she's not the naive damsel in distress which i am annoyed with most in dramas and seems to be so popular these days -_- I just love complex characters like Ruoxi who i feel like is really a real person that's transferred back to the Qing Dinasty. I loved her, hated her, sympathised with her, and cried with her. She is also one truly amazing girl that finally i feel like i can understand why all the princes' like her in their own ways. She keeps her modern mindset yet she is still willing to compromise to those traditional ways. This drama makes you feel like you're in a beautiful yet tragic journey with her that by the end of it you will feel exhausted emotionally.
And all of the prince's are just perfection in a way that they all have flaws and that there are no true villains in this drama. All their doings you can understand and relate to which is almost impossible to find in the drama world. The characters in this drama are all multi layered and you just want to peel all those layers to understand their actions.
I'm not going to write about the romance because it's simply the perfect love story for me although it broke my heart but i love sad endings in drama anyways. I feel like it is more poetic that way and it leaves a more realistic impact to its viewers. I would like more kissing scenes, but that's just me lol :)
Another reason to love this drama is that when you watch it, you feel like you have not just witnessed only a great love story unfolding but a story that are full of meanings and political intelligence.
After watching so many dramas after this one, i feel even more assured of how impeccably written and made this drama is. This drama is able to encapsulate all that makes a drama great that even after 4 years after it aired, i gladly say that this is a rare gem in the drama world. what else can we ask for other than a great story, a great acting, great music, good cinematography, and the costumes are well executed.

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I love Ji Chang Wook so much in empress ki that I want to bang my head for writing this somewhat cynical comment.

hmm.. what to say? I usually don't have high expectations for a drama, nor do i nitpick on every single little thing, because honestly I'm not observant or intelligent enough i guess to see all the plot holes that a drama can possibly have. AND i went into this drama with so much expectation for Ji Chang Wook and Healer after reading so many good reviews of it.
The beginning episodes were really really good and I was intrigued with the whole "healer" concept. It was definitely something new in the k-drama world and the action scenes are breath taking. I have to applaud for the great cinematography and how the actions scenes were choreographed as well as shot. And i mean what can go wrong with seeing JCW in an all black outfit jumping from one building to another.
The main problem that I have with drama is that nothing is completely wrong and nothing is exceptional & earth shattering enough to turn my life upside down. I was hoping for a lasting effect and this drama doesn't give me a BANG. I was hoping and praying to the drama gods that I would see JCW giving me a really cool, unexpected, nicely choreographed climax scene but they never got around to it. Looking back, I feel like the writers failed in the build up of the climax and I have to say that the past background story of the 5 friends really intrigued me at first. I was hoping for a more noir and an unexpected,darker story of the parents because the story focus so heavily on that with all the flashbacks and all. Therefore I was expecting a crazier tale and I just realised that this story is not angsty enough for me unlike cruel city despite its imperfections. I wouldn't mind a few plotholes here and there, whatever you know, but i was hoping to be attached to main story line and I was DEEPLY disappointed by the major revelation of the past. I was also hoping that JCW and PMY past to be somewhat more significant but the writer decided to focus more on the parent's past. and what i get was a super expected revelation that has no plot twist whatsoever.

Sorry to say, the romance part, despite the writers obvious intention of us loving the main OTP and showering us with cute,sweet, scenes and oh don't forget the kissing scene just doesn't feel completely right to me. I can't really pinpoint why because everybody is saying that the chemistry is amazing blahblahblah.. this is exactly what I feel about "you who came from the stars" and trust me healer is even more unsettling because i tried to love the main OTP for JCW. Secondly, I can't help but compare JCW's romance in empress ki and I grew an attachment for their OTP more despite how twisted, crazy, obsessive, borderline sociopath romance it is and the lack of "romantic" scenes. I feel like the OTP in healer is not natural enough despite how hard the actor/actress tried to make it seem natural, get what i mean? It's true that I think that they are cute and perhaps they have some chemistry, a few years back I would like this OTP. However, now I can't help but feel the lack of depth in their romance. Let me put it this way.. it's like how in high school you have to tell someone you love them constantly for them to feel love. I was hoping for a more mature, realistic, multi faceted romance but oh well perhaps this is counted more as an "idol drama". If it's someone else and not JCW who played "healer" i would probably drop it already in the middle.

The writer's intention is so transparent in this drama that makes it seem a bit elementary, whether it is the romance part or the storyline that i thought would be more well developed, with plot twist and depth. I feel like I see more transparency of the writers wanting the viewers to be crazy about the romance especially towards the end. Despite all the sweet & romantic words interchange by the OTP, I just can't feel an attachment or feeling at least their love that i was hoping for. However, both of them are great but just not excellent despite its huge potential in the beginning. Although I would much prefer it if they do an excellent story line and the romance being so-so, or the other way around. Despite all these rants, I appreciate all the writers, producers, and actors/actresses' efforts to make this drama a somewhat enjoyable ride but unfortunately it's just not impactful enough for me :-(

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Oh god i just love Zhao Wei. If i have to choose one actor/actress in the entire world it would be her. She's like my role model so i'm bias to all her works. But i would say that this one is a great family drama and it really hits home for me. It really reminds me of my own family where EVERYONE meddles about the private lives of another. What I love about C-dramas is definitely their ability to warm up your hearts, slowly but surely. It's the kind of drama that you can watch while you're doing assignments or doing any daily activities. There's also a realistic appeal to it which I always look for in a drama. It also gives a refreshing perspective on Chinese tough education in comparison to the west. I also like how it teaches me about finding the balance of ambition and just simply having a good life. Sometimes constantly trying to be on the top is so exhausting and it requires certain sacrifices.

I also like Tong Dawei, even though his character is soooo confused?? and not assertive AT ALL. With this kind of character sometimes you just want to scream. But in a weird way, I do like his relationship with Vicki here and it ends well. He has redeeming qualities and Vicki's character is flawed also which definitely adds realism to the drama.

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